SIR,

Like Ed Bayliss, who wrote to you last week, I too have no idea what being a 'true Monmothian' means.

Perhaps it's a term that Mr Bradley invented during his anti-Welsh musings.

I have however, heard the term 'Monmouthshireman', I think it originated in the Monmouth rebellion and was used by the 2nd Monmouth battalion in the Great War.

A friend of mine (now deceased) used it when describing himself, as he considered that he was neither English nor Welsh.

He too was born in Abergavenny and to put his views in perspective, he also believed that Monmouthshire was, even to this day, still at war with Germany, because the declaration of war documents in 1914 had the words 'Great Britain and Monmouthshire' on them but the word Monmouthshire was omitted on the armistice document in 1918.

Whether this opinion has any credibility is beyond my knowledge, I am sure that there are local historians who might inform us correctly on this matter.

P Young

(Chepstow)