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Jir4h»«I*fiia  l^ambrrnsis. 


JOURNAL 


OF  THM 


Cntnhrian  lrr|Hlogirnl  l00oriation. 


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YifCD^BiamyVJFJjgk 


VOL.   VII.      SIXTH  SERIES. 


LONDON: 
CHAS.  J.  CLARK,  65,  CHANCERY   LANE,  W.C. 

1907. 


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(RECAP) 


LONDON ; 
BBDFORD  PBBSS,  20  AND  21,  BBDFORDISURY,  W.O. 


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CONTENTS. 


The  Town  of  Holt,  in  County  Denbigh    • 

Tre'r  Ceiri  .  .  .  • 

Report  on  the  Excavations  carried  ont  at 
TreV  Ceiri  in  1906     . 


PAGS 

A.  N.  Palmer         1 
W*  Boyd  Dawkins      35 


Llansaint  .... 

Epigraphic  Notes  .... 

Cambrian  Archseological  Association  : 
Sixtieth  Annual  Meeting 

Report  on  the  Excavations  at  Coelbren    . 

Roman  Remains  at  Cwmbrwyn,  Carmar- 
thenshire       .... 

Geological  Notes  on  Roman  Remains  at 
Cwmbrwyn,  Carmarthenshire 

Cambrian  Archsaological  Association  : 
Routes  of  the  Excursions 

Notes  on  Eglwys  Cymmyn,  Parc-y-Ceryg 
Sanctaidd,  and  Llandawke 

Carmarthen  in  Early  Norman  Times 

The  Capel  Mair  Stone 

The  Town  of  Holt,  in  County  Denbigh : 
its  Castle,  Church,  Franchise,  and 
Demesne        .... 

St.  Peter's  Church,  Carmarthen    . 


Harold  Hughes  88 

Rev.  G.  E.  Evans  63 

John  Rhys  66 

108 

Col.  W.  LI.  Morgan  129 

John  Ward  175 

T.  C.  Cantrill  209 

213 

G.  G.  T.  Treherne  257 

J.E.Lloyd  281 

John  Rhys  298 

A  N.  Palmer  311 

T.  E.  Brigstocke  335 


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IV  CONTENTS. 

PAQK 

Notes  on  the  East  Window  of  the  Church 

of  All  Saints,  Gresford  .  Rev.  E.  A.  Fishboume     352 

The  Early  Settlers  of  Carmarthen  Professor  An wyl     361 

The  Town  of  Holt,  in  Connty  Denbigh  : 
its  Castle,  Church,  Franchise,  and 
Demesne         .  .  .  A.  N.  Palmer    389 

Rbviiws    .......    254,  435 

Abohjeologioal  Notes  and  Qdrribs  .  .    358,437 

Obituary  : 

J.  Romilly  Allen,  P.S.A.         ....  441 


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SIXTH  SERIES.— VOL   VII,  PART  /. 


JANUARY,    1907. 


THE   TOWN  OF  HOLT,   IN  COUNTY 
DENBIGH  : 

ITS    CASTLE,    CHURCH,     FRANCHISE:    AND    DEMESNE. 

Bt  ALFRED   NEOBARD  PALMER 

(Continued  from  p.  240.) 


CHAPTER  IL— SECTION   I. 
The  Lords  and  Charter  of  Holt. 

It  has  been  said  already  that  at  the  time  when  Domesday 
Booh  was  compiled,  the  site  of  Holt,  with  the  "manors*' 
of  Gresford,  Allington,  Hoseley,  Sutton,  and  Eyton, 
were  entered  under  the  Cheshire  hundred  of  "Exestan." 
They  had  then  long  been  English,  as  the  names  of 
nearly  all  the  townships  within  the  area  testify,  al- 
though it  does  not  follow  that  the  underlying  Welsh 
population  had  been  displaced.  But  soon  alter  Domes- 
day ^  this  district  became  annexed  to  the  principality  of 
Powys,  being  included  in  the  new  commote  of  Merf'ord 
(which,  with  that  of  Wrexham,  was  known  in  English 
as  "  Bromfield"),  and  the  very  lords  of  land  became 
Welsh.^  We  have  to  assume  that  the  newly-formed 
commote  (cymwd)  or  rhaglotry  was  Welsh,  not  in  lan- 
guage only,  but  in  customs,  tenures,  and  feeling,  with 

1  I  have  dealt  wiih  this  question  at  length  in  my  Huf-nr^  of  the 
Townships  of  the  Old  Parish  of  Gresford, 

^a  SBB.,  VOL.  VUf  I 


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2  THE  TOWN    OP   HOLT, 

an  increasing  tendency,  however,  aftei^  a  while,  to 
imitate  and  adopt  English  customs  and  methods  of 
government.  Still,  we  must  believe  that  the  new 
oommote  of  the  early  twelfth  century  starii^d  as  a 
fully-fledged  organized  Welsh  community. 

But,  perhaps,  before  we  go  any[ further,  it  may  be  well 
to  intimate  tnat  Bromfield,  having  become  two  Welsh 
commotes  (those  of  Merford  and  Wrexham),^  did  not 
remain  continuously  in  the  possession  of  the  Princes  of 
Powys.  The  Earls  of  Chester  kept  alive  their  claim  to 
the  district,  and,  according  to  the  "  Chronicle  of  St. 
Werburgh,"  Earl  Hugh  Cy  veilioc  "  took  the  whole  of 
Bromfield  on  Whit  Monday,  June  13th,  1177" :  a  state- 
ment which  shows,  at  any  rate,  that  he  did  not  hold  it 
before.  Mr.  J.  E.  Lloyd,  M.A.,  of  Bangor,  also  calls  my 
attention  to  the  fact  that  in  the  seventh  year  of 
Henry  II  (1101),  under  "the  land  of  the  Earl  of 
Chester,"  are  mentioned  **  Hodesleu"  (Hoseley)  and  the 
"  Castellum  de  Wristlesha"  (castle  of  Wrexham).^    The 

^  There  is  plenty  of  other  evidenoo  which  might  be  offered  in 
proof  of  the  statement  that  "  BromBeld,"  roughly  speaking,  desig- 
nated the  commotes  of  Wrexham  and  Merford,  but  the  following 
extract  from  the  Thirty-Sixth  Annual  Report  of  the  Deputy -Keeper  of 
tlie  Public  Records  must  here  suffice  :— "On  18  Feb.,  139  J,  Richard  II 
issued  a  writ  to  the  Justice  of  BromBeld  and  Yale,  for  delivery  to 
John  Hope,  of  the  office  of  Serjpant  of  the  Peace,  as  well  within  the 
raglory  [rhaglotry],  courts,  and  bailiwicks  of  Wrexham  and  Mer- 
ford,  within  the  lordship  of  Brom6eld,  as  in  the  raglory,  courts,  and 
bailiwick  of  Yale,  which  are  called  the  office  of  Pensithith  [Penceis- 
iaeth  p].  Here  the  two  commotes,  or  rhaglotries,  of  Wrexham  and 
Merford,  each  with  its  courts,  etc.,  are  said  to  be  in  the  lordship  of 
Bromfield." 

'-*  The  entry  occurs  in  Vol.  IV  of  the  Pipe  Roll  Society's  publica- 
tions, where  the  account  is  given  thus : — 

"  Robert'  de  Monte  Alto  et  Sim'  fili'  Will'i  redd*  comp' 


In  lib'at*  Castellanor*  de  Hodeslea        .  .     xvi/t.  xviiix. 

Et  in  lib'at'  CastelVi  de  Wristlesha       .  .     xvi/i.  xviii.«<." 

And  in  the  next  year  the  entry  is  "...  Castell*  de  Hodeslea"  .  .  . 
and  **....  Castellnnor'  de  Wris  .  .  .  ."  So  that  there  were  at 
this  time  not  only  castles  at  Wrexham  and  Hoseley,  but  mention 
was  made  of  castellans  or  castle-keepers  at  each  place.     Whether 


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IN    COUNTY    DENBIGH.  3 

explanation  of  this  seems  to  be  that  the  Welsh  were 
not  left  undisturbed  ;  and  Bromfield,  after  being  inter- 
mittently under  the  Earls  of  Chester  and  Princes  of 
Powys,  was  in  all  probability  afterwards  formally  ceded 
to  the  last  named,  in  return  for  the  help  which  they 
often  rendered  to  the  English  king  against  other 
Welsh  princes.  Certain  it  is,  that  Bromfield  was  a  part 
of  Powys  Fadog  throughout  the  greater  part  of  the 
twelfth  and  thirteenth  centuries,  and  that  its  popula- 
tion was  Welsh. 

To  this  must  be  added  that  when  Bromfield  came 
under  the  lordship  of  the  Warrennes,  the  commote  of 
Yale  was  added  to  it.  This  is  necessary  to  be  said,  so 
that  the  phrase  "lord  of  Bromfield  and  Yale"  may  be 
intelligible.  It  also  remains  to  be  remarked  that  the 
Welsh  organization  of  the  three  commotes  (Merford, 
Wrexham,  and  Yale)  constituting  the  new  Anglo- 
Norman  lordship,  with  the  officials,  customs,  and  dues 
of  the  same,  continued  long  after  those  commotes  were 
enclosed,  so  to  say,  in  a  feudal  shell.  Except  the 
newly-founded  town  of  Holt  and  its  franchise,  the 
whole  of  the  chapelry  of  the  same — Hewlington  and 
"  the  five  townships  of  Isycoed"* — was  subject  to  this 
organization  and  to  these  customs. 

The  proof  of  the  statements  made  in  the  preceding 
paragraph  is  partly  to  be  found  in  the  recoras*  of  the 
proceedings  of  the  court  of  the  bailiwick  of  Wrexham, 
which  for  the  years  1339  and  1340  have  been  preserved. 
The  word  "  bailiwick"  here  does  not  denote  merely  the 

the  castellans  of  the  Earl  of  Chesf^r  were  in  actual  continnoas 
possession  of  the  two  castles  named  is  another  qaestion,  and  in  the 
text  the  best  explanation  which  suggests  itself  is  given.  The  occu- 
pation by  the  Earl's  officials  appears  to  have  been  intermittent. 
Hoseley  was  the  twin  township  of  Merford. 

^  These  five  townships  were  Ridley,  Sutton,  Datton  Difiaeth, 
Dntton  y  brain,  and  Caeca  Dntton. 

*  These  records  were  copied  in  1887,  at  my  suggestion,  and  the 
cost  defrayed  out  of  Griffith's  Fund,  at  the  disposal  of  the  Corpora- 
tion of  Wrexham.  The  transcript  has  been  placed  in  the  Reference 
Department  of  the  Wrexham  Free  Library. 


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4  THK   TOWN    OP   HOLT, 

town  of  Wrexham,  but  the  group  of  townships,  forming 
a  commote,  to  which  Wrexham  gave  its  name.  At 
this  time,  it  would  seem  that,  although  Holt  was 
already  founded,  the  two  great  courts,  or  "  tourns,*'  of 
the  year  for  the  whole  lordship  were  held  at  Wrexham. 

On  October  24th,  1339,  at  Wrexham,  the  community 
ot  Bromfield  and  Yale,  the  burgesses  of  Villa /leonum 
(Holt)  and  the  men  of  Minora  excepted,  granted  an  aid 
of  200  marks  to  the  Earl  Warrenne ;  and  if  they  paid 
not,  the  raglots  of  Wrexham,  Merford,  and  Yale  were 
to  make  a  levy  on  their  goods.  Here  we  see  that  the 
three  commotes,  each  with  its  raglot,  are  distinguished. 
Then,  at  the  great  court  held  at  Wrexham  in  May, 
1340,  the  township  of  Morton  complains  that  Ken'  ap 
Codblawd  (Cynwrig  ap  Codblawd,  or  Codflawd)  and 
Eign  ap  Ririt  (Einion  ap  Rhirid)  collected  eleven 
hobetts  of  oats  for  the  raglot's  horse  beyond  the  right 
measure  ;  and  the  township  of  '*  Dynulle"  (Dinhinlle) 
complains  also  that  the  same  two  persons,  evidently 
servants  of  the  raglot,  come  daily  to  the  houses  of  the 
lord's  bondsmen  '*ad  westand'' — quartering  themselves, 
that  is,  as  guests  upon  them,  or  demanding  from  them 
the  due  known  as  "  gwestfa."  In  June,  1340,  the 
raglot  of  the  bailiwick  of  Wrexham  **  presented"  four 
pitchforks  as  "  waifs"  taken  in  his  bailiwick :  they  were 
valued  at  2s.,  of  which  3d,  went  to  the  raglot,  4oJ.  to 
the  ringild,  and  the  remaining  17d.  to  the  lord.  At 
Michaelmas,  1340,  Eign  ap  Mad  (Einion  ap  Madoc) 
complains  that  Adaf  apEigno(Addaf  ap  Einion)  took  a 
cow  from  him  for  12d,  yearly,  **  in  aid  of  the  Welsh 
forester,"  for  which  he  was  not  liable,  and  the  case  was 
referred  to  the  council  of  the  lord.  These  are  some  of 
the  Welsh  customs  from  which  the  charter  of  Holt 
delivered  the  burgesses  of  the  town. 

The  two  following  entries  in  these  records  are  also 
typical.  At  Wrexham,  in  November,  1339,  Ken'  ap 
Jor'  ap  Ken'  (Cynwrig  ap  lorwerth  ap  Cynwrig)  died  ; 
that  is,  the  fact  of  his  death  was  presented,  and  Hova 
uad  Mad'  (Hwfa  and  Madoc),  his  sons,  came  into  court, 


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IN    COUNTY    DENBIGH.  5 

and  sought  the  heredity  of  their  father,  and  it  was 
granted  to  them,  the  right  of  anyone  whatever  [therein] 
being  saved,  and  they  pledged  a  heriot,  which  was 
7s.  6d,  Then,  in  September,  1340,  the  death  of  Llewel'  ap 
Edden  Voil  (Llewelyn  ap  Ednyfed  Foel),  freeman,  was 
presented,  and  Griff,  Mad',  and  Llew'  (Grifl&th,  Madog, 
and  Llewelyn)  sons  of  the  said  Llewelyn,  as  next 
heirs,  came  and  sought  the  heredity  of  their  father,  and 
it  was  granted  to  them,  the  right  of  anyone  whatever 
[therein]  being  saved,  and  they  pledged  a  heriot,  which 
was  7s.  6d.f  and  made  fealty.  Here  we  recognise  gavel- 
kind in  its  Welsh  form. 

I  have  also  seen  the  accounts  of  Richard  de  Parys 
from  Michaelmas,  1377,  to  Michaelmas,  1378;  and 
herein  he  mentions  the  sum  of  £10,  at  which  the  issues 
of  the  custom  of  "  amobr"  in  Bromfield  and  Yale  were 
farmed  yearly  to  John  Wilde  and  Morgan  le  Yonge. 

Add  to  all  this  that  the  names  of  freemen,  as  well 
as  of  bondsmen,  in  Bromfield  conformed  in  1339  and 
1340  almost  exclusively  to  the  Welsh  type  of  nomen- 
clature. 

Thus,  if  about  fifty  years  after  Bromfield  came  into 
the  possession  of  the  Warrennes,  it  was  so  predomi- 
nantly Welsh  in  custom,  tenure,  and  in  the  names  of 
its  inhabitants,  the  two  commotes  (Merford  and  Wrex- 
ham) which  composed  it  must  have  been  still  more 
Welsh  in  the  respects  named  when  the  Warrennes 
acquired  them,  and  for  some  time  before  that  date. 
And  it  was  in  this  territory  that  Holt  was  founded  as 
an  English  town,  for  English  burgesses  only,  who  were 
to  be  free  from  subjection  to  Welsh  customs. 

The  commote  of  Merford,  as  adjoining  Cheshire,  and 
containing  within  it  the  borough  of  Holt,  would  in  all 
probability  be  the  first  to  yield  to  English  influences; 
yet  it  would  seem  to  have  yielded  very  slowly,  and  the 
evidence  of  deeds,  a  critical  examination  of  the  pedigrees 
of  free  families,  and  a  careful  scrutiny  of  the  relics  of 
tenure  by  kindred  within  it,  clearly  prove  that  family 
holdings,  according  to  Welsh  custom,  must  have  lasted 


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6  THE  TOWN   OF   floLt, 

there  to  a  very  late  date.  The  charter*  of  Henry  VII, 
in  the  twentieth  year  of  his  reign,  to  the  tenants  of 
Bromfield  and  Yale,  assumes  the  continuance  in  that 
year  of  the  system  of  Welsh  family  holdings,  as  well  as 
of  other  Welsh  customs  and  dues,  throughout  the 
lordship.  But  it  was  always  open  to  say  that,  in  fact, 
this  system  of  tenure  by  kindreds  and  these  customs 
and  dues  had  then  fallen  into  disuse,  and  that  the 
charter  did  but  confirm  existing  facts,  recognise 
changes  which  had  taken  place,  and  make  practices 
illegal  for  which  former  custom  might  be  pleaded ;  or 
at  best  was  but  a  replica  for  Bromfield  and  Yale  of 
charters  granted  about  the  same  time  to  other  more 
distinctively  Welsh  lordships,  wherein  such  practices 
and  customs  did  then  actually  exist ;  and,  in  short,  that 
the  extreme  eastern  part  of  Bromfield,  bordering  upon 
Cheshire,  was  at  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth 
century  practically  Anglicised  in  the  respect  named. 
But  Mr.  Edward  Owen  has  unearthed  at  the  Record 
Office  recently,  a  survey  of  Bromfield  and  Yale,  taken  in 
the  twenty-third  year  of  Henry  VII,  which  shows, 
among  other  things,  that  a  portion  at  least  of  Allington, 
a  township  adjoining  Holt,  was  still  parted  into  the 
*'  gavells"  \gafaelion)  of  the  sons  of  Ithel,  and  a  portion 
of  Sutton  Isycoed  parted  out  into  the  '*gwelys" 
(gwelyau)  of  the  sons  of  Elidur,  Ithel  ap  Eunydd,  and 
Elidur  ap  Rhys  Sais  being  the  Welshmen  who,  accord- 
ing to  tradition,  wrested  the  supremacy  of  this  district 
from  the  Anglo-Normans,  and  settled  in  it.  A  "gafael " 
(holding)  and  a  "  gwely  "  (bed)  may  be  taken  for  our 
present  purpose  as  one,  and  as  denoting  the  holding  of 
a  kindred,  subject  to  Welsh  law  and  custom.  We  find 
Button  y  brain,  moreover,  described  in  the  same 
survey  as  "  of  the  progeny  of  Edonowyn,"  and  read  of 
the  "  gavell "  of  "  Madoc  ap  Gorgene  [Gwrgeneu]  de 

^  A  translation  of  this  grant,  or  charter,  was  printed  in  1885  in 
A|  pendix  IV  to  mj  History  of  Ancient  Tenures  of  Land  in  the 
Ma7*ches  of  North  Wales,  and  more  recently  in  vol.  xix  of  F  Cymviro* 
doi,  together  with  a  copy  of  the  Latin  text. 


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tN   COUNTY    DENblGti.  7 

Hewlyngton,"  Hewlyngton  beiug  a  part  of  the  present 
township  of  Holt,  and  Sutton  and  Dutton  within  the 
old  chapelry  of  the  same  town.  All  these  places, 
moreover,  are  mentioned  as  being  in  the  bailiwick  of 
Merford.  This  is  not  the  place  to  comment  upon  other 
statements  of  the  Survey ^  but  I  may  be  permitted  to 
indicate  in  this  brief  form  the  economic  condition  of  the 
area  adjoining  the  town  of  Holt,  on  its  Welsh  side,  in 
the  twenty-third  year  of  Henry  VII. 

Now,  let  us  go  back  to  the  time  of  the  last  prince  of 
Powys  Fadog,  whose  castle  was  Dinas  Bran,  and  to  the 
circumstances  under  which  Bromfield  and  Yale,  from 
being  parts  of  a  petty  Welsh  princedom,  became  a 
lordship  marcher,  held  of  the  English  king. 

After  the  death  of  Madog  ap  Grruffydd  ap  Madog,  of 
Dinas  Bran,  who  had  sworn  fealty  to  the  King  of 
England,  Edward  I  acted  on  the  whole  in  the  most 
just  fashion,  according  to  his  notions  of  feudal  right. 
On  the  10th  December,  1277,  the  King  informed  Roger 
L'EIstrange  that  he  had  appointed  Gruffydd  ap  lorwerth 
to  keep  justice  in  the  lands  formerly  of  Madog  of 
Bromfield,  **  according  to  the  law  and  custom  of  those 
parts,"  aiid  pay  the  issues  thereof  to  Margaret,  who  had 
been  the  wife  of  the  said  Madog,  for  the  maintenance 
of  Llewelyn  and  Gruffydd,  his  sons,  according  to  the 
counsel  of  the  Bishop  of  St.  Asaph.  The  King  had, 
however,  already  exacted  homage  from  the  lads,  and 
appointed  Boger  L'Estrange  guardian  of  the  lands  of 
the  said  Madog  of  Bromfield,  so  far  as  the  preservation 
of  peace  and  punishment  of  malefactors  were  concerned. 
And  Edwards  care  of  the  boys  and  of  their  mother 
and  grandmother  extended  until  January,  12J§,  and 
doubtless  later,  when  suddenly  Llewelyn  ap  Gruffydd, 
Prince  of  Gwynedd,  not  without  provocation,  broke  the 
truce,  and  in  conjunction  with  his  brother  David,  the 
King's  sworn  vassal,  stormed  the  castles  of  Aber- 
ystwyth and  Hawarden,  and  attacked  those  of  Rhudd- 
lan  and  Flint. 


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triE   fOWN   OF   riOLf, 

LATER  PRINCES  OF  POWYS  FADOG. 
Grufiydd  ap  Madog  ap  Gruffydd  MaelQr.=T=-Emma  Audley. 


I  III 

Madog  ap  Qniflfydd,  of=pMargaret.     Llewelyn,      Gruffydd  Fychau,       Owen,  a 

of  Chirk  of  Yale  and  clerk ;  died 

and  Nan-  Qlyndwrdwy.  young, 

heudwy. 


Bromfield  and  Dinas 
Bran,  alias  Madog 
Fychan  ;i  died  1277. 


Llewelyn.  Gruffydd. 

Both  died  young. 

*  N.B. — This  Madog  ap  Gruffydd  was  otherwise  called  in  the  English  rolls  not 
only  "  Madoc  de  Bromfield,"  but  also  "  Madoc  Fychan,"  or  "  Madoc  Vachan." 
Now  this  last  name  was  opposed  utterly  to  the  Welsh  system  of  personal  nomen- 
clature. And  it  appears  as  though  the  King  treated  "  Vachan"  as  a  sort  of  sur- 
name for  the  sons  of  Gruffydd  ap  Madog  :  for  not  merely  was  Gruffydd  ap 
Gruffydd  so  named,  which  would  be  usual,  but  also  his  brother,  Llewelyn  ap 
Grufl^dd,  of  Chirk. 

The  rebellion,  in  which  Llewelyn  and  Gruffydd, 
brothers  of  Madog  of  Bromfield,  were  concerned,  failed. 
The  boys  themselves  died.  It  is  alleged  by  late  writers 
that  they  were  drowned  in  1282,  under  Holt  Bridge 
(not,  probably,  then  built),  by  the  King's  express 
orders.  But  this  is  one  of  those  stories  for  which 
there  is,  so  far  as  I  can  make  out,  no  real  evidence. 
Certainly,  the  lads  died  most  opportunely  from  Edward's 
standpoint ;  and  the  King,  encouraged  by  the  death 
of  Llewelyn  ap  Gruflfydd,  and  determined  on  the 
settlement  of  Wales,  granted  on  the  7th  October, 
1282,  to  John  de  Warrenne,  Earl  of  Surrey,  the  land 
of  Bromfield  and  the  Castle  of  Dinas  Bran,  which 
Gruffydd  and  Llewelyn,  sons  of  Madog  Fychan,  held 
by  themselves  or  their  tutors  at  the  beginning  of  the 
war,  together  with  the  land  of  Yale  which  Gruffydd 
Fychan  ap  Gruffydd,  the  King's  enemy,  had  held, 
reserving  the  Castle  and  land  of  Hope.  To  Roger 
Mortimer,  junior,  were  also  granted  Chirkland,  etc., 
the  lands  of  Llewelyn  Fychan,  another  brother  of 
Madog  ap  Gruffydd. 

Be  it  noted  that  in  the  grant  no  other  castle  than 
Dinas  Bran  is  mentioned  in  the  two  "  lordships,"  as  we 
may    now   call    them.     There  had  been,  as    we  have 


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m   COIfNTY  DEN16IOH.  9 

seen,  castles  of  some  sort  at  Wrexham  and  Hoseley 
[Merford],  but  these  must  have  been  of  little  account, 
or  dismantled,  and  we  do  not  yet  read  of  any  castle 
of  Holt 

John  de  Warrenne,  Earl  of  Surrey,  the  first  Anglo- 
Norman  Lord  of  Bromfield  and  Yale,  sub-granted  to 
his  son,  William  de  Warrenne,  for  life,  the  territories 
just  named,  and  seisin  was  delivered  to  him  at  Wrex- 
ham, on  Thursday  next  after  the  Feast  of  St.  Peter  ad 
Vincula,*  in  the  twelfth  year  of  King  Edward,  1284. 
But  this  William  soon  after  died,  and  his  father  resumed 
possession.  An  inquisition  after  the  death  of  the  said 
William  was  held  on  Thursday  next  before  the  Feast  of 
St.  George,*  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  Edward,  1287,  in 
which  inquisition  again  no  other  castle  than  Dinas 
Bran  within  Bromfield  and  Yale  is  named. 

John,  Earl  of  Surrey,  to  whom  the  lordships  in 
question  were  first  given,  died  27th  September,  1304, 
and  was  succeeded  by  his  grandson  of  the  same  name, 
the  third  Anglo-Norman  Lord  of  Bromfield  and  Yale, 
if  we  reckon  his  father  William  in  the  succession. 

Mr.  Edward  Owen  has  drawn  my  attention  to  an 
entry  on  the  Patent  KoU  of  5  Edward  II  (part  1, 
membrane  6),  6th  December,  1311,  of  an  inspeximus 
and  confirmation  of  a  charter  (in  French),  dated  the 
Vigil  of  the  Nativity  of  Our  Lady  [7th  September, 
1308],  by  John  de  Warrenne,  Earl  of  Surrey,  granting 
in  fee  to  John  de  Wysham  400  acres  of  land  in  the 
waste  of  the  land  of  Bromfeud  in  the  little  Hem, 
and  between  the  little  Hem  and  Kaemaur,  between 
Kaemaur  and  Pulle,  between  PuUe  and  Iwen  [?  Y 
Waun]  Uchaf  and  Lidiate  [?  Llidiart]  and  the  river 
Alom,  and  thence  behind  the  Esk  to  the  little  Hem,  to 
hold  by  service  of  a  knight's  fee,  attending  twice  a 
year  at  the  Castle  of  "  Chastellion,"  finding  in  time  of 
war  a  man-at-arms  with  a  caparisoned  horse  to  remain 
in  the  Castle  of  "  Chastellion  "  for  forty  days  at  his 

^   Feast  of  St.  Peter  ad  Viucula,  1st  August. 
2  Feast  of  St.  George,  23rd  April. 


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to  Tlifi   TOWN   Ot   HOLt, 

expense,  and  rendering  a  rent  of  £10  sterling  a  year; 
and  also  granting  to  him  the  right  of  fishing  at  all 
seasons  of  the  year  in  the  river  Alonn,  the  witnesses 
being  William  Paynel,  Maddock  ap  Lewelyn,  and  Roger 
de  Rysinge,  parson  of  Hawarden,  etc.  "  Chastellyon"  is 
doubtless  Castrum  Leonum,  Castle  Lions,  and  is  pro- 
bably intended  to  represent  Holt  Castle,  but  the  place- 
names  occurring  in  the  charter  are  rather  puzzling  and 
perplexing. 

The  second  John  de  Warrenne,  Lord  of  Bromfield  and 
Yale,  having  no  children  by  his  wife,  Joan  de  Barre, 
granted  on  Thursday  after  the  Feast  of  Saints  Peter 
and  Paul,*  9  Edward  II,  1316,  all  his  lands,  including 
those  in  Wales,  with  the  castles  of  Dinas  Bran  and 
Holt,  to  the  King  {Powys  Fadog,  vol.  i,  p.  365).  The 
Castle  of  Holt  was  thus  certainly  built  before  1316, 
and  perhaps  before  1308;  and,  as  Mr.  Edward  Owen 
tells  me,  on  1st  January,  1319,  licence  was  given  by 
the  King  to  Thomas,  Earl  of  Lancaster,  to  hold  various 
castles,  towns,  and  manors  in  Yorkshire,  the  Castles  of 
"  Dynas  Bran  and  Caerleon,"  Bromfield  and  Yale,  and 
other  lands  in  Wales,  for  the  life  of  John  de  Warrenne, 
Earl  of  Surrey  [Duchy  of  Lancaster  Records — Royal 
Charters].  This  licence  is  very  interesting,  firstly, 
because  it  gives  the  first  record  of  the  connection  of  the 
House  of  Lancaster  with  Bromfield  and  Yale ;  and, 
next,  because  it  supplies  a  Welsh  name  [Caerlleon]  for 
Holt  Castle,  the  existence  of  which,  in  Chapter  I  of  this 
history — written  before  the  end  of  1905 — I  ventured  to 
doubt. 

The  said  second  John  de  Warrenne  married,  secondly, 
Isabel  de  Howland,  and  died  30th  June  1347  ;  and 
there  is  an  account  of  the  expenses  of  the  officers  of  the 
Prince  staying  at  Ciistrum  Leonum  from  9th  July  to 
6th  August,  1347. 

Which  one  of  the  first  three  Lords  of  Bromfield  and 
Yale,  of  the  Warrenne  family,  built  Castrum  Leonum 
(Holt  Castle)  has  not  been  yet  ascertained,  but  the 
1  Feast  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul,  29th  June. 


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In   county  DENBIGH.  ll 

claim  made  by  the  Joneses  of  Chilton  (near  Shrewsbury) 
that  their  ancestor  possessed  a  castle  at  Holt  upon  the 
site  of  which  the  Warrennes  erected  their  later  building 
(see  Arch.  Camh.,  vol.  1875,  p.  92)  cannot  be  main- 
tained. The  reasons  for  placing  a  castle  on  this  site, 
after  the  grant  of  Bromfield  and  Yale  to  John  de 
Warrenne,  are  obvious.  Dinas  Bran,  besides  being  set 
on  a  high  hill  and  most  difficult  of  access,  was  out  of 
the  way,  so  to  speak  ;  whilst  Holt  Castle,  commanding 
as  it  did  the  chief  passage  from  Cheshire  to  Bromfield, 
was  easy  of  approach  ^rom  England,  and  what  it  lacked 
in  strength  of  natural  position  could  easily  be  made  up 
artificially  by  the  depth  and  breadth  of  its  moat,  and 
the  strength  of  its  walls  and  towers.  The  only  signal 
disadvantage  of  Holt,  as  the  new  head  of  the  two 
lordships,  was  its  situation  on  the  easternmost  border 
of  Bromfield,  and  remote  therefore  from  the  western 
parts  of  Yale. 

The  second  John  de  Warrenne  of  Bromfield  dying 
without  legal  issue,  his  next  heir  in  blood  was  Richard 
Fitzalan,  Earl  of  Arundel,  son  of  his  sister  Alice  de 
Warrenne,  by  her  husband  Edmund  Fitzalan,  Earl  of 
Arundel ;  and  on  the  24th  October,  1353,  this  Richard 
Fitzalan  did  homage  to  Edward  III  for  Bromfield  and 
Yale  as  immediately  subject  to  the  Crown,  in  the 
presence  and  with  the  consent  of  Edward,  Prince  of 
Wales.  The  precise  manner  in  which  Richard  Fitz- 
alan came  into  possession  of  the  lordship  of  Brom- 
field and  Yale  is  difficult  to  follow.  Certain  it  is 
that  the  later  Fitzalans  based  their  title  to  Bromfield 
and  Yale  on  a  fine  levied  in  Easter,  1366,  in  the  Court 
of  the  Lord  king,  between  the  aforesaid  Richard,  Earl 
of  Arundel,  and  Alianor  [Plantagenet],  his  wife, 
daughter  of  Henry,  late  Earl  of  Lancaster,  complainants, 
and  John,  Duke  of  Lancaster  [John  of  Gaunt]  and 
others,  deforciants,  wherein  the  said  Earl  Richard  re- 
cognised "  Dynas  Bran,"  Castrum  Leonis,  and  the  lands 
of  Bromfield,  Yale,  and  "  Wrightesham"  [Wrexham]  to 
be  the  right  of  the  said  Duke  and  others,  as  of  the  gift 


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12  THE   TOWN   OF   HOLT, 

of  the  said  Richard,  the  said  Duke  reconveying  the 
properties  to  Richard  and  Alianor,  with  remainders  to 
Richard  de  Arundel,  junior,  and  Elizabeth  his  wife, 
and  the  heirs  of  their  bodies,  the  aforesaid  lands,  held 
of  the  king,  being  worth  300  marks  yearly. 

This  Richard,  Earl  of  Arundel,  who  died  about 
1375,  was  succeeded  by  Richard  Fitzalan,  his  son.  Earl 
of  Arundel,  the  fifth  English  lord  of  Brom  field  and 
Yale,  who  married  for  his  first  wife,  Elizabeth,  daughter 
of  Humphry,  Earl  of  Hereford  and  Essex.  He  had 
also  Chirkland,  and  built  in  1392  a  bridge  of  stone,  one 
of  the  predecessors  of  the  present  "  Newbridge,"  "  be- 
tween the  domains  of  Bromfield  and  Chirk"  [Thirty- 
Sixth  Annxuil  Report  of  the  Deputy-Keeper  of  Public 
Records,  Apx.  ii),  Robert  Fagan,  the  builder  of  St. 
Asaph  cathedral  church,  being  the  chief  mason  there. 
The  second  Earl  Richard  dabbled  much  in  politics,  and 
was  one  of  the  five  lords  appellant  in  the  "  Wonderful 
Parliament"  of  1388.  But  his  turn  came  at  the  end  of 
1397,  when  Richard  II  for  a  time  got  the  upper  hand, 
and  the  Earl  was  condemned  and  executed  the  same 
day  (21st  September,  1397).  Then,  on  29th  September, 
1397,  the  King  granted  the  custody  of  the  bridge  and 
passage  of  Holt  "  between  the  Duchy  of  Chester  and 
Holt  Castle"  {ibid),  to  Thomas  Cholmondeley,^  the  said 
Thomas  to  answer  for  all  the  value  of  the  same  exceed- 
ing five  marks  yearly.  On  the  same  day,  he  granted 
the  office  of  **  porterwyk"  of  Holt  Castle  to  Ralph  atte 
Piatt  for  life  ;  on  the  day  before,  John  MoUington  and 
John  Tranmoll  (or  Tranmore)  were  appointed  foresters 
of  Bromfield  and  Yale,  to  receive  the  same  fees  as  John 
Dekka,  late  forester  there,  had ;  an  office  which,  the 
next  year,  was  given  to  John  Cholmondeley.  On  the 
ninth  day  of  the  Parliament  of  the  same  year,  Castle 
Lyons,  Bromfield  and  Yale,  Chirk  Castle  and  Chirkland, 

^  There  must  have  been  some  delay  in  the  handing  over  of  this 
oflSce  to  Thomas  Cholmondeley,  for  on  the  15th  September,  1398, 
David  Holbach,  Vice- Justice  of  Bromtield  and  Yale,  was  ordered  to 
give  livery  of  the  same  to  the  said  Thomas. 


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IN   COUNTY   DENBIGH.  13 

Oswestry  Castle  and  hundred,  and  the  Eleven  Towns  to 
the  said  castle  belonging,  were  annexed  to  the  earldom 
of  the  principality  of  Chester  :  an  enactment  which  must 
soon  after  have  been  either  abrogated  or  neglected.  And 
on  28th  January,  139f ,  William  le  Scrope,  Earl  of  Wilt- 
shire, was  granted  the  office  of  Justice  of  Chester  and 
North  Wales,  and  of  all  the  lordships  late  of  Richard, 
Earl  of  Arundel,  in  those  parts,  for  life,  a  grant  which 
was  augmented  on  1st  July,  1398.  Richard  II  was 
himself  at  Holt  Castle  on  8th  August  of  the  year  last 
named.  But  the  Earl  of  Wiltshire  did  not  enjoy  his 
honours  long. 

In  the  first  year  of  Henry  IV,  Thomas,  son  of 
Richard  Fitzalan,  junior,  Earl  of  Arundel,  was  restored 
to  the  estate  which  his  father  had  formerly  held, 
becoming  Lord  of  Brom field,  Yale,  Chirk,  Oswestry, 
Clun,  etc.  On  the  20th  February,  140f,  he  entered 
into  an  indenture  by  which  he  engaged  to  serve  Henry, 
Prince  of  Wales,  afterwards  Henry  V,  for  life,  by  sea 
and  by  land,  in  peace  and  in  war,  receiving  for  such 
service  260  marks  yearly. 

It  was  this  Thomas,  Earl  of  Arundel  and  Surrey, 
who  granted  to  the  burgesses  of  Holt,  in  November, 
1411,  a  charter  known  to  us  by  an  "  Inspeximus,"  of 
the  fifth  year  of  Queen  Elizabeth.  I  made  in  1892  a 
rough  transcript  (partly  in  pencil)  of  this  charter,  and 
intended,  as  soon  as  I  could  command  the  time,  to  com- 
pare the  transcript  with  the  Latin  manuscript  at  Holt. 
But  no  opportunity  of  doing  so  presented  itself  until 
the  beginning  of  May,  1905,  when  it  appeared,  on 
making  enquiry,  that  the  charter  could  nowhere  be 
found,  having  somehow  disappeared  during  the  three 
or  four  years  preceding,  and  all  searches  after  it  have 
proved  futile.  Further,  the  Record  Office  was  able  to 
yield  no  help,  Jis  Mr.  Edward  Owen,  upon  examination 
of  the  Patent  and  Close  Rolls,  found  that  the  Holt 
charter  had  not  been  enrolled.  There  is  a  copy  of  the 
charter  at  the  British  Museum  among  the  Harleian 
MSS.  (vol.  2058,  ff.  25  and  26) ;  but  this  copy  is  not 


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14  THE   TOWN   OP   HOLT, 

merely  a  somewhat  unsatisfactory  one,  but  the  end  of 
it,  about  a  third  or  fourth  of  the  whole,  is  wanting.  I 
therefore  print  in  Appendix  I  to  this  chapter  my  own 
transcript  of  1892,  furnished  with  notes.  It  does  not 
seem  necessary  to  supply  any  translation,  that  made 
by  Mr.  W.  H.  Hewlett  in  1848  (printed  in  vol.  iv, 
pp.  927-9  of  Report  of  the  Welsh  Land  Commission) 
being  adequate.  But  I  scarcely  need  say  how  much  it 
were  to  be  wished  that  it  had  been  possible  to  collate 
the  tmnscript,  either  with  the  original,  so  unfortunately 
lo8t»  or  with  a  good  copy  of  it. 

This  charter  deserves  to  be  read  and  carefully  con- 
sidered. We  first  notice  that,  in  the  preamble,  earlier 
charters  and  ratifications  are  mentioned  as  having  been 
granted  to  the  burgesses  of  Lyons  by  the  ancestors  and 
progenitors  of  Earl  Thomas.  And  we  may  picture  to 
ourselves  the  prominent  features  of  the  town,  franchise, 
and  lands  of  Holt  in  1411,  then  differing  very  little, 
doubtless,  from  the  state  of  things  at  the  time  of 
its  foundation  about  a  century  before. 

The  burgesses,  who  were  English,  enjoyed  their 
liberties  in  respect  of  their  burgages.  Each  burgage 
stood  across  its  own  curtilage,*  or  courtyard,  and  had 
appurtenant  to  it  certain  acres  of  free  land,  also,  in 
many  cases,  certain  other  acres  of  land  formerly  belong- 
ing to  the  lord  8  demesne.  A  rent  of  one  shilling  each 
was  due  to  the  lord  for  every  curtilage,  for  every 
burgage  built  thereon,  and  for  every  free  acre  pertaining 
to  it,  and  two  shillings  were  payable  for  every  acre 
that  had  been  in  demesne.  The  burgesses  were  also 
subject  to  "  reliefs,"  or  payments  of  double  one  year's 
rent  at  their  deaths,  by  their  heirs  or  assigns,  and  liable 
to  furnish  each  one  fit  man  for  forty  days  in  the  year, 
for  the  defence  of  the  castle  in  time  of  war  until  the 

^  Many  of  these  cartilages  still  remain,  especially  on  the  east  side 
of  Chnrch  Street,  with  the  cottages  within  them  representing  the 
old  burgages.  Some  of  the  free  acres,  lying  in  long  narrow  strips, 
are  also  to  be  seen  west  of  Vicarage  Lane  and  Green  Street,  and 
north  of  Wrexham  Road.     Each  acre  contained  2,115  statute  acres. 


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IN   COUNTY    DENBIGH.  15 

town  should  be  walled,  and  then  to  find  a  fit  man  for 
the  defence  of  the  town,  for  every  burgage  there.  They 
had  also  to  grind  their  corn  at  the  lord's  mill.  The 
seneschal,  or  high  steward,  held,  in  the  lord's  name,  two 
general  courts  (courts  leet)  at  Michaelmas  and  Easter, 
to  which  the  burgesses  owed  suit.  There  was  a  com- 
mon weekly  market  on  Friday,  and  there  were  two 
fairs  in  the  year.  The  burgesses  were  empowered  to 
elect  yearly  one  mayor,  one  coroner,  two  bailiffs,  being 
English,  and  to  hold  the  lord's  courts  every  three 
weeks  (the  courts  baron),  determining  all  manner  of 
transgressions,  debts,  felonies,  covenants,  pleas  of  land, 
etc.,  within  the  liberty  of  the  town,  according  to  the 
common  law^  to  keep  their  own  prison,  which  might  be, 
and  I  may  add  was,  within  the  castle,  and  maintain  the 
assize  of  victuals.  They  had  also  liberty  to  make 
English  burgesses,  to  have  common  of  pasture  at  Com- 
mon Wood*  for  their  cattle,  to  possess  a  common  pinfold 
or  pound,  and  were  to  be  subject  in  no  way  to  Welsh 
customs,  or  to  the  authority  of  Welsh  officials.  They 
were  free  to  dig  coals  and  turves  at  Coedpoeth  and 
Brymbo,  and  to  carry  them  away  for  use  in  their 
dwelling-houses.  Many  of  the  burgesses  had  ovens  of 
their  own,  and  there  was  the  common  oven  besides, 
which  was  still  in  existence  in  1544,  and  even  as  late 
as  1620.  No  one  could  sell  beer  that  was  not  brewed 
within  the  said  town. 

In  a  writ  of  livery,  dated  26th  July,  1416,  Thomas, 

^  This  makes  it  clear  that  a  Lord  Marcher  was  mach  more 
dependent  than  is  generally  supposed  upon  the  central  government. 
When  he  wished  to  grant  a  charter,  he  had  to  go  Brst  to  the  King, 
who  conld  impose  any  conditions  which  seemed  to  him  desii*able 
and  possible.  The  common  law  of  England  was  administered  at 
Holt,  and  the  Lordship  Marcher  of  Bromfield  and  Yale  was  always 
very  mnch  subject  to  the  authority  of  the  Crown. 

2  The  Holt  or  Wood  must  have  been  partially  cleared  at  the 
laying  out  of  the  town,  to  make  room  for  the  same,  to  furnish 
timber  for  building  the  burgages,  and  to  provide  good  arable  land  ; 
and  it  would  appear  by  this  time  that  what  had  been  at  first  reserved 
as  "  The  Common  Wood"  had  also  been  stripped,  probably  for  fuel 
and  repairs  of  bouses,  and  was  become  a  pasture. 


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16  THE   TOWN   OF   HOLT, 

Earl  of  Arundel,  is  said  to  have  died  on  Monday  next 
before  the  Feast  of  All  Saints  last  past,  which  means 
that  he  died  at  the  end  of  October,  1415.  He  had  a 
rather  troublous  time,  many  of  his  tenants  having 
joined  Owen  Glyndwr,  for  which  tenants  he  afterwards 
procured  a  pardon  from  the  King.  Moreover,  it  would 
seem  that  in  his  manor  of  Hewlington,  just  outside  the 
franchise  of  Holt,  now  part  of  the  township  of  the 
same,  and  certainly  elsewhere  within  his  lordship  of 
Bromfield  and  Yale,  the  country  was  wasted  by  Owen's 
adherents,  and  houses  were  destroyed;  so  that  the 
stewards  had  to  grant  the  lands  to  such  as  would  take 
them  at  a  lower  rent  than  was  formerly  paid  for  the 
same  (see  my  Ancient  Tenures  of  Land  in  the  Marches 
of  North  Walesy  p.  30). 

Altogether,  we  get  the  impression  that  Earl  Thomas 
was  a  very  fine  sort  of  a  man  compared  with  the 
ordinary  Lord  Marcher  of  the  time.  He  died  without 
children  surviving,  and  Henry  V  assigned  to  his  widow, 
Beatrix  of  Portugal,  as  dower,  certain  possessions  of 
the  deceased  lord.  We  learn  what  these  lands  were 
from  the  inquisition  taken  in  Pentecost  week,  in  the 
eighteenth  year  of  Henry  VI,  after  the  death  of 
Beatrix,  on  23rd  October,  1437.  This  inquisition  has 
been  printed  on  pp.  385-388,  vol.  i,  of  Powys  Fadog, 
and  I  extract  therefrom  all  that  concerns  Holt,  Hew- 
lington, and  what  is  now  the  parish  of  Isycoed.  The 
said  Countess  Beatrix  had,  among  other  things,  "  a 
third  of  the  gaol  within  the  Castle  Leonis,  by  the 
name  of  the  Castle  of  Holt,  with  free  ingress  and 
egress,  and  safe  custody  of  prisoners,  and  also  the  third 
part  of  a  house  called  '  The  Chekers,'  ^  within  the  said 
Castle;  also  the  third  part  of  all  houses  outside  the 
ward  of  the  Castle.  Also  ...  a  certain  stable  for  five 
horses  next  the  court-house^  and  near  the  ditch  of  the 
said  Castle  ;  also  the  third  part  of  a  garden,  together 

^  The  Exchequer  Tower. 

2  The  Welsh  court-hoase,  or  court-hoQse  of  the  two  lordships. 


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IN   COUNTY   DENBIGH,  17 

with  a  pasture  called  '  LeQuarrer,*^ adjoining  the  same; 
also  the  manor  of  Hewlington,^  the  ringildry  of  Iscoed, 
and  the  park  of  Merselej."  The  jury  declared  the 
third  part  of  the  gaol  to  be  of  no  value  :  that  is,  as 
bringing  in  no  income,  beyond  repairs  and  custody  of 
prisoners,  and  the  third  part  of  **  The  Cheker ''  and  of 
the  houses  outside  the  ward  of  the  Castle,  also  of  no 
value.  The  stable  was  valued  at  6s.  8d.  yearly,  and 
the  third  part  of  the  garden  and  the  pasture  called 
'*  The  Quarrer,"  Ss.  id.  yearly,  The  site  of  the  manor 
[house  ?J  of  **  Heulyngton"  was  worth  nothing.  The 
rents  of  assize  of  the  same  manor  were  £6,  and  there 
were  in  it  [assigned  to  the  Countess]  thirty-two  acres 
of  arable  land  at  2d.  an  acre,  six  acres  of  meadow  at  6d. 
an  acre,  and  forty  acres  of  pasture  at  ^.  an  acre.  The 
ringildry  of  Iscoed  was  worth  £10  yearly,  and  the 
Park  of  Merseley  10^.,  beyond  the  custody  and  sus- 
tenance of  the  deer. 

As  Thomas  Earl  of  Arundel  died  without  heirs 
male  surviving,  his  estates  were  divided,  subject  to 
the  aforesaid  dower,  among  his  three  sisters,  or  among 
their  children  or  grandchildren  in  right  of  them.  These 
sisters  were  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Thomas  Mowbray,  Duke 
of  Norfolk  ;'  Joan,  wife  of  William  Beauchamp,  Lord 
Abergavenny ;  and  Margaret,  wife  of  Sir  Roland 
Lenthall,  knight,  all  of  whom  were  still  living  on  the 
20th  July,  1416.  The  inheritors  of  the  three  portions 
after  the  death  of  the  Countess  Beatrix  were  (1)  John 
Mowbray,  son  of  Thomas  Mowbray,  Duke  of  Norfolk  ; 
(2)  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Sir  Edward  Neville,  and  daughter 
of  Richard,  Earl  of  Worcester,  who  was  the  son  of 
Joan,  Lady  Abergavenny  ;  and  (3)  Edmund,  son  of 
Sir  Roland  and  Margaret  Lenthall.  I  cannot  explain 
how  the  Lenthalls  dropped  out  of  the  inheritance,  but 

^  The  quarry  forming  part  of  the  moat  whence  the  stone  was 
hewed  to  baild  the  Castle. 

^  HewlingtoD  will  be  described  in  a  later  chapter. 

»  This  Thomas,  Dnke  of  Norfolk,  was  appointed,  in  1397  or  1398, 
Justice  of  Bromfield,  Yale,  Chirk,  Oswestry,  etc.,  but  was  soon  after 
banished  from  the  kingdom. 

6th  sbr.,  vol.  VII.  3 


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18  THE   TOWN   OF   HOLT, 

the  lordship  of  Bromfield  and  Yale,  in  which  we  are 
here  alone  interested,  soon  became  held  in  two  equal 
and  undivided  parts  or  moieties :  one  belonging  to  the 
Mowbrays  of  Norfolk,  and  the  other  to  the  Nevilles, 
heirs  of  the  Beauchamps.^  I  expect  the  Mowbrays  and 
Nevilles  bought  out  the  Lenthalls'  share. 

On  the  fourth  day  of  the  Parliament  of  17  Edward  IV 
(1477),  it  was  declared  that  Richard,  the  King's  second 
son,  was  to  be  Duke  of  York  and  Norfolk,  Earl  Marshal, 
Warrenne,  and  Nottingham,  and  to  marry  Anne, 
daughter  and  heir  to  John,  late  Duke  of  Norfolk,  the 
said  Anne  being  then  but  six  years  old ;  and  if  she 
should  die  without  issue,  the  said  Richard,  Duke  of 
Norfolk,  should  have,  by  consent  of  Elizabeth,  Duchess 
of  Norfolk  (widow  of  the  said  John,  Duke  of  Norfolk), 
**  for  the  terme  of  his  life,  the  halvendale  (that  is,  the 
moiety)  of  the  Castell,  Towne,  Lordship  and  Maners 
of  Dynesbran  [of  the]  Castell,  Lordshipp,  and  Towne 
of  Lyons  [and  of]  the  Lordship,  Maners,  and  Londes  of 
Heulyngton,  Bromefield,  Yale,  Wraxham,  and  Almore, 
with  their  appurtenaunces,  in  the  Marche  of  Wales,"  etc. 

This  Richard,  Duke  of  York,  was  one  of  the  two 
young  princes  afterwards  murdered  in  the  Tower.  His 
marriage  was  never  consummated,  and  one  of  the 
above-named  moieties,  or  **halvendales,"  of  Bromfield 
and  Yale  became  vested  in  the  Crown.  At  a  date 
which  I  cannot  specify  with  precision,  the  other  moiety 
— that  of  the  Nevilles — became  vested  in  the  Crown 
also. 

Certain  it  is  that  on  10th  December,  1484,  the  whole 
of  Bromfield  and  Yale,  "  late  of  John,  Duke  of  Norfolk, 
and  Sir  George  Neville,  knight,"  was  granted  by 
Richard  III  to  Sir  William  Stanley  (see  the  grant  set 
out  in  Arch.  Camb.,  1882,  pp.  150  and  151).^     Never- 

1  On  the  14th  October,  1467,  John,  Dake  of  Norfolk,  and  Sir 
Edward  Neville,  Lord  of  Abergavenny,  held  the  two  moieties. 

^  Many  manors  or  townships  are  mentioned  in  this  grant,  bat 
all  of  them,  except  "  Sonford  and  Osseleston,*'  were  in  Bromfield 
and  Tale, 


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IN   COUNTY   DEHBIOEU  19 

theless,  in  the  fourth  year  of  Heniy  VII  (1488),  Sir 
William  Stanley  only  petitioned  to  continue  to  enjoy 
what  was  practiiidly  the  moiety  of  the  lordship,  although 
he  seems  to  have  been  allowed  to  retain  the  whole.  Of 
this  brilliant  and  unfortunate  knight,  I  shall  speak  again 
presently. 

Before  proceeding  further  it  may  be  desirable  to 
make  an  additional  explanation.  The  lordship  of 
Bi'omfield  and  Yale,  as  already  has  been  said,  was 
made  up  of  the  commote  of  Yale  and  of  Bromfield 
(Maelor  Gymraeg,  that  is,  Welsh  Maelor)^  Bromfield 
including  two  commotes — those  of  Wrexham  and  Mer- 
ford.*  Part  of  Merford  was  lost  temporarily  to  the 
lordship  of  Hope  (Eston  or  Estyn),  and  part  alienated 
permanently  thereto.  The  other  two  commotes  re- 
mained intact,  except  in  respect  of  those  lands  held  in 
them  by  the  Abbot  of  Valle  Crucis  and  the  Bishop  ot 
St.  Asaph,  and  those  other  lands  forming  outlying 
parts  of  Maelor  Saesneg  {English  Maelor)  and  Hope- 
dale.  And  each  commote  or  rhaglotry  held  at  first, 
after  the  grant  to  John  de  Warrenne,  Earl  of  Surrey, 
its  courts  within  its  own  bounds.  The  courts  of  Mer- 
ford* were  held  at  or  near  Merford  (at  Yr  Orsedd  Goch, 
that  is,  Rossett,  very  probably),  those  of  Wrexham  at 
Wrexham,  and  those  of  Yale  at  some  spot  within 
Yale.  This  certainly  appears  to  have  been  the  case 
in    1339   and    1340.      But  by    1467  (see   Record  of 

^  In  the  commote  of  Wrexham,  Valle  Crucis  had  that  part  of 
Wrexham  called  Wrexham  Abbot,  and  that  part  of  Stansty  called 
Stansty  Abbatia.  The  extensive  lauds  in  Tale  belonging  to  the 
Abbej  need  not  be  here  enumerated.  John  L'Estrange  held  in 
1386,  as  lord  of  Maelor  Saesneg,  besides  Abenbary  Feohan  and  a 
part  of  Erbistock  (both  of  which  have  only  been  attached  to  Brom- 
field in  onr  own  time)  "  the  town  of  Button."  The  townships  of 
Merford  and  Hoseley  were  annexed  to  Flintshire  in  the  thirty-third 
year  of  Henry  VIII.  A  part  of  the  township  of  Bodidris  belongs 
to  Maelor  Saesneg  and  the  county  of  Flint;  and  in  Yale  is  ths 
manor  of  Llandegla,  which  belonged  to  the  bishopric  of  St.  Asaph. 

^  It  must  be  remembered  that  in  both  these  cases  I  am  speaking 
of  eommote,  not  of  toumship  or  manor  courts,  as  is  explained  at  the 
end  of  the  paragraph. 

2» 


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20  THE  TOWN    OF   HOLT, 

Proceedings  of  the  Lordship  of  Bromfield  and  Yale, 
printed  in  ArehoBologia  Cambrensis,  1847  and  1848) 
all  general  enquiries  were  held,  at  any  rate,  at  "  the 
common  place  next  Castrum  Leonis,"  that  is  to  say, 
at  the  Welsh  court-house  in  the  yard  of  Holt  Castle ; 
and  I  believe  that  the  ordinary  courts,  namely,  those 
two  courts  of  the  year  afterwards  called  ''courts 
leet"  of  the  three  commotes,  were  kept  there  also, 
thouqfh  perhaps  at  first  separately.  The  court  held 
at  Wrexham  on  the  8th  October,  in  the  sixth  year 
of  Edward  IV,  1466,  was  the  court  of  the  township 
or  manor  of  Wrexham  Regis,  for  the  appointment  of 
two  bailiffs  and  an  escheator  for  the  town,  and  for 
other  business,  and  not  a  commote  court.  In  the 
borough  books  of  Holt  in  1860,  the  courts  leet  for 
that  year  profess  to  be  those  for  Bromfield,  but  they 
were  really  those  for  Holt  only,  separate  courts  leet 
being  held  the  same  year  at  Wrexham  Regis  for  that 
manor,  and  a  few  years  before  at  Marford,^  for  Marford 
and  Hoseley.  The  truth  is,  that  no  courts  for  the 
whole  lordship  have  been  kept  for  at  least  two  and 
a-half  or  three  centuries.  They  were  already  dis- 
continued in  1620. 

At  the  lordship  court  held  next  Holt  Castle  on 
19th  October,  1467,  to  which  court  the  inhabitants  and 
tenants  of  the  rhaglotries  of  Wrexham,  Merford,  and 
Yale  were  summoned  separately,  the  jurors  for  the 
rhaglotry  of  Merford  presented  Richard  Baz  [Richard 
Bach,  Little  Richard\  for  unlawfully,  and  without 
licence,  carrying  away  certain  stones  near  the  lord's 
court-house  at  Castrum  Leonura,  to  the  value  of  105.  ; 
an  entry  of  great  value,  because  it  shows,  firstly,  that 
Holt  was  reckoned  to  be  within  Merford  rhaglotry, 
and,  next,  that  the  court-house  for  the  whole  lordship 
was  now  established  next  Holt  Castle.     Then,  turning 

1  <*  Marford  "  is  the  modern  spelling  and  pronunciation  of  the 
older  **  Merford."  But  the  older  spelling  is  preserved  to  an  astonish- 
ingly late  date  in  the  township  rate  books  and  elsewhere  after  the 
pronunciation  had  changed. 


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IN    COUNTY    DBKBIGH.  21 

to  the  general  presentments,  we  find  the  old  Welsh 
commote  oflScials,  or  some  of  them,  still  holding  their 
place— *Hhe  Maist'  Forest"  [Pen-fforestwr],  ''  the  Ser- 
jaunt "  [of  the  Peace  or  '*  Pencais  "],  Raglow  "  [Rhaglaw 
or  Raglot],  etc.  ;  and  that  **  fyre  silv' "  [Treth  dan,  a 
fee  for  taking  firewood  from  the  lord's  woods],  was 
still  levied  under  the  supervision  of  the  master-forester. 
John  ap  David  ap  leuan,  of  Wrexham,  also  declared 
himself  to  be  not  under  advowry  :  a  statement  from 
which  we  gather  that  there  were  then  other  persons 
who  lived  in  that  state — persons,  that  is  to  say,  who 
having  no  inherited  landed  rights  in  the  lordships,  not 
even  being  nativi  or  servile  tenants  of  land,  were 
nevertheless  under  the  protection  of  the  lord,  or  of 
the  larger  free  tenants.  They  were  said  to  be  in 
advowry  (in  advocariA),  and  were  called  in  Welsh 
"  arddelwyr,''  in  English  **  arthelmen,"  and  in  Latin 
"  advocarii.*'  It  is  probable  that  most  of  them  were 
craftsmen  or  small  tradesfolk. 

Spite  of  all  the  evidence  of  Welsh  survivals  thus 
provided,  it  is  impossible  to  read  the  account  of  the 
doings  of  the  lordship  Michaelmas  court  without  per- 
ceiving how  rapidly  English  methods  of  procedure  and 
administration  were  ousting  Welsh  methods  at  this 
time. 

The  grant  of  Bromfield  and  Yale,  on  10th  December, 
1484,  by  Richard  III  to  Sir  William  Stanley,  one  of 
the  knights  of  his  body,  has  already  been  referred  to. 
Already,  on  the  12th  November,  in  the  year  preceding, 
had  the  same  king  appointed  him  Chief  Justice  of 
North  Wales.  He  was  also  Chamberlain  of  Chester, 
and  Constable  of  North  Wales.  He  was  second  son 
to  the  first  Lord  Stanley,  and  brother  to  Thomas 
Stanley,  first  Earl  of  Derby  and  Lord  of  Hopedale, 
which  Thomas  married,  for  his  second  wife,  Margaret, 
widow  of  Edmund  Tudor,  mother  of  Henry  VII.  Sir 
William  Stanley,  of  Holt,  must  be  distinguished  from 
Sir  William  Stanley,  of  Hooton,  Cheshire,  with  whom 
he  is  sometimes  confounded.     He  was  descended,  on  his 


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2i  *HE   TOWN   OF   HOLT, 

mother's  side,  from  Richard  Fitzalan,  Earl  of  Arundel, 
Lord  of  Bromtield  and  Yale,  etc.,  of  whom  I  have 
already  spoken,  his  grandmother  having  been  Elizabeth, 
widow  of  Thomas  Mowbray,  Duke  of  Norfolk.  He 
was  also  Lord  of  Ridley,  in  Cheshyjp.  This  splendid 
knight,  as  is  well  known,  decided  the  issue  of  the 
battle  of  Bosworth,  placing  the  crown  upon  the  head 
of  Henry,  Earl  of  Richmond,  and  practically  making 
him  Henry  VII  of  England.  Many  of  his  followers, 
or  brothers-in-arms,  were  doubtless  men  from  this 
neighbourhood.  John  ap  Elis  Eyton,  whose  tomb  still 
stands  in  Ruabon  church,  was  certainly  at  Bosworth. 
The  Chevalier  Lloyd  and  others  assert  that  the  new 
king  granted  Bromfield,  Yale,  and  Chirkland,  to  Sir 
William  for  his  achievement,  or  (must  we  say?)  treachery 
at  the  famous  battle  above-named ;  but  the  knight  of 
Holt  had,  as  we  have  seen,  Bromfield  and  Yale,  at  any 
rate,  before.  He  enriched  Holt  Castle,  it  is  said,  with 
the  spoils  of  Bosworth  field;  but,  however  that  may  be, 
he  was  one  of  the  richest  subjects  in  the  kingdom,  and 
thus  excited  the  envy  and  suspicion  of  the  King,  whose 
meanness  saw  in  the  splendour  of  Sir  William  a  pretext 
for  getting  rid  of  one  to  whom  he  stood  under  such  in- 
convenient obligations ;  so  he  was  charged  with  being 
in  active  sympathy  with  Perkin  Warbeck,  was  con- 
victed, and  executed  on.  Tower  Hill,  16th  February, 
149 1,  all  his  possessions  escheating  to  the  King.  He 
had  a  son,  William  Stanley,  to  whom,  on  19th  November, 
1489,  the  reversion  of  the  Constableship  of  Holt  Castle 
had  been  granted  (and  who  married  Joan,  daughter  of 
Sir  JeflFrey  Massie,  of  Tatton,  Cheshire),  and  a  daughter, 
Jane,  who  married  Sir  John  Warburton,  knight.  The 
arms  borne  by  Sir  William  Stanley,  of  Holt,  were 
these  : — 1,  argent ^  on  a  bend  azure,  three  bucks'  heads 
caboshed  or  (Stanley) ;  2  or  on  a  chief  indented  azure, 
three  plates  (Lathom) ;  barry  of  six  or  and  azure,  a 
canton  ei^ne  (Goushill) ;  and  4  gules,  a  lion  rampant 
or  (Fitzalan).  I  owe  the  description  of  this  coat  to 
H.  E.  J.  Vaughan,  Esq. 


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IN   COtTNTV   bftNBlGfi.  23 

Sir  William  Stanley  being  executed,  and  his  estates 
escheated,  Bromfield,  Yale,  and  Chirkland  reverted  to 
the  Crown.  Henry  VII  himself  stayed  at  Holt  Castle, 
17th  July,  1495. 

Soon  after  Sir  William's  execution,  in  the  twenty-first 
year  of  Henry  Vlf ,  we  find  the  aftemamed  officials  of 
Holt  Castle  and  its  dependencies  named  : — Lancelot 
Lothar,  constable  (with  a  yearly  fee  of  £10) ;  John 
Roydon,  interpreter  (with  fee  of  £2)  ;  Lancelot  Lothar, 
custodian  of  warrants  (with  fee  of  £3  0^.  lOd.);  John 
Puleston,  coroner  (with  fee  of  £2) ;  John  Aimer, 
attorney  of  the  lord  king  (with  fee  of  £6) ;  David  ap 
leuan  ap  Deicws,  clerk  of  the  court  (with  a  fee  of  £3) ; 
David  ap  Ithel,  custodian  of  the  garden  (with  fee  of 
£1  6^,  8d.) ;  Thomas  Tarleton,  keeper  of  the  castle 
park  (with  fee  of  £3  Os.  lOd,) ;  John  Pickering,  door- 
keeper of  the  castle  (with  fee  of  £3  0^.  10c?.) ;  and 
Geoffrey  Legh,  parker  of  Mersley  Park  (with  fee  of 
£3  Os.  lOd.) ;  and  the  afternamed  officers  of  the  whole 
lordship  : — Hugh  Porter,  serjeant  of  the  country  (with 
fee  of  £4)  ;  David  ap  Howel,  approver  (with  fee  of 
£3  Os.  lOd,);  and  John  Puleston,  sen.,  cnief  forester 
(with  fee  of  £3).  And  it  is  to  be  noted  as  to  the  three 
last-named  that,  instead  of  one  officer  of  each  kind  for 
each  commote,  only  one  of  each  kind  is  mentioned  for 
the  whole  lordship,  and  no  raglot  or  ringild  is  named. 
It  may  also  be  further  remarked  that,  although  the 
fees  recorded  as  given  were  low,  even  considering  the 
high  purchasing  power  of  money  at  that  time,  there 
were  not  merely  perquisites  attached  to  most  of  the 
offices,  but  chances  for  the  holders  of  them  for  acquiring 
leases  of  demesne  land  on  favourable  terms,  and  ex- 
erting influence  in  other  ways. 

The  extent  or  survey  of  Bromfield  and  Yale  (of  the 
twenty-third  year  of  Henry  VII)  already  referred  to 
(page  6),  must  next  be  briefly  discussed.  Villa  Leonum 
(Holt)  is  again  described  as  being  in  the  "balUua," 
that  is,  in  the  bailiwick  or  commote  of  Merford.  From 
the  complete  list  supplied  me  by  Mr.  Edward  Owen,  of 


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24  tHE   TOWN    O*-   flOLt, 

the  tenants  of  Holt,  given  in  Appendix  II,  and  taken 
from  the  said  survey  of  twenty-third  Henry  VII,  it 
will  be  seen  how  many  of  the  tenants*  names  were 
Welsh.  This  only  bears  out  other  evidence  available, 
which  shows  that  at  this  time,  while  Holt  was  fulfilling 
its  purpose  of  Anglicising,  in  some  respects^  the  adjoining 
parts  of  Wales,  it  was  itself  being  partly  Cymricised  by 
the  inflow  of  Welsh  people  into  it. 

On  the  21st  April,  1512,  Henry  VIII  granted  the 
receivership  and  stewardship  of  feromfield  and  Yale, 
etc.,  to  Sir  Charles  Brandon,  afterwards  Duke  of  Suffolk, 
and  his  brother-in-law ;  and  from  the  Duke's  accounts 
made  up  from  Michaelmas,  1519,  to  Michaelmas,  1520, 
we  get  the  names  of  the  bailiffs  at  that  time  of  Holt, 
and  of  those  of  the  manors  adjoining. 

Thomas  Knyght,  deputy  of  Thomas  ap  David  ap 
Gruffith  (who,  being  a  Welshman,  could  not  s^rvi^, 
was  one  of  the  two  bailiffs  of  Holt  (the  King's  bailiff;, 
and  collectors  of  rents,  farms,  perquisites  of  courts,  etc., 
and  Jeffrey  Baker  was  the  other,*  Thomas  Prestland, 
being  bailiff  of  Hewlington,  William  Main wey ring, 
bailiff  of  Ridley,  Richard  Roydon  of  Isycoed,  and 
Edward  ap  David  ap  lolyn  of  Cobham  Isycoed. 

On  the  14th  April,  1519,  Henry  VIII  granted 
further  powers  to  the  same  Duke  of  Suffolk,  in  whose 
accounts  for  that  year  we  get  the  names  of  the  officers 
attached  to  Holt  Castle,  and  to  the  lordship  of  Brom- 
tield  and  Yale,  which  we  may  compare  with  the  names 
given  on  page  23  as  those  of  the  corresponding  officers 
in  the  twenty-first  year  of  Henry  VII : 

The  Dake  of  Saffolk,  as  seneschal  or  steward  . 

The  same  [apparently  for  his  deputy,  who  was, 

as  we  know,  Sir  John  Chilston,  knight]     . 

Lancelot  Lothar,  constable  of  Castmm  Leonum 

^  Here,  perhaps,  may  be  given  the  names  of  the  men — John  de 
Aldeford  and  Richard  de  Wodehay — who  were  bailiffs  of  Holt  from 
Michaelmas,  1377,  to  the  Michaelmas  following.  Mr.  Edward  Owen 
also  tells  me  that  Ffilkin  del  ChambV  and  Thomas  Alenis  were 
bailiffs  in  1388-1389, 


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£ 

«. 

d. 

20 

0 

0 

8 

6 

8 

10 

0 

0 

tN  COUNTY   DRKBtQH. 


25 


£    ».    d. 


7 

0 

0 

2 

0 

0 

3 

0 

10 

2 

0 

0 

5 

0 

0 

3 

0 

0 

1     6    8 


3    0  10 


3 

0  10 

3 

0  10 

0 

6     8 

4 

0    0 

3 

0  10 

3 

0    0 

John  and  Thomas  Wren,  the  King's  auditors 
there         .... 

John  Ejton,  interpreter,  or  "  latym'  ". 

Thomas  Thelton,  castodian  of  warrants 

John  Pnleston,  jun',  coroner     . 

John  Aimer,  King's  attorney  there 

Edward  ap  Rees,  clerk  of  the  coart  there 

David  ap  Ithel,  castodian  of  the  King's  garden 
there  .... 

John  Pnleston,  jnn",  parker  of  the  Castle  park 
there  .... 

John  Pekerjnge,  doorkeeper  of  Castrum  Leo 
nam  •  •  .  , 

William  Aimer,  parker  of  M'shlej  [Mersley] 
Morgan  ap  lolyn,  crier  of  the  coart     . 
Hugh  Porter,  serjeant  of  the  country  . 
David  ap  Howel,  approver 
John  Paleston,  senior,  chief  forester 


Other  interesting  items  appear  in  these  accounts. 

The  tenants  of  Mochnant  and  Cynlleth,  parts  of 
Chirkland,  held,  among  other  *'  illicit  opinions,"  that 
although  they  were  bound  to  guard  the  seneschal  when 
he  went  into  their  region  to  nold  the  two  great  courts 
of  the  year,  they  were  in  no  way  bound  to  guard  any 
deputy  seneschal.  So,  twice  in  the  eleventh  year  of 
Henry  VIII,  Sir  John  Chilston  rode  from  Holt  to 
Chirkland  to  overawe  the  tenants  there,  condemning 
them  in  the  sum  of  forty  marks  (£26  135.  4d),  and 
charging  the  expenses  of  his  100  men-at-arms.  But 
the  tenants  of  Bromfield  and  Yale  appear  to  have  held 
a  similar  "  illicit  opinion  /'  or,  at  any  rate,  they  were 
charged  with  withholding  {de  retinacone)  somewhat, 
and  were  summoned  to  appear  at  Chester  before  the 
Commissioners  of  the  King.  Whereupon  Sir  John,  for 
his  own  protection  and  for  the  King  s  dignity,  when  he 
went  to  Chester  to  attend  divers  courts  there,  placed 
about  himself  all  the  officers  of  the  country  and  othei's, 
to  the  number  of  forty,  and  got  the  tenants  of  Bromfield 


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26  THE   TOWN   OF  tfOLT, 

and  Yale  fined  100  marks  (£66  135.  id),  for  want  of 
respect  to  his  deputy  seneschalship,  sgid  for  their 
"  illicit  opinions/' 

We  find  also  recorded  in  the  accounts  of  the  afore- 
said year  the  names  of  four  felons  hanged  in  that  year 
— four  felons  at  205.  a  piece  being  charged:  William 
ap  John  ap  Howel  Fychan,  John  ap  Howelap  Llewelyn, 
Sander  Ley,  and  Maurice  ap  Evan. 

On  the  house  of  Castrurn  Leon um £17  195.  lid.  were 
in  the  same  year  expended,  and  on  the  house  of  the 
common  bakehouse  35.  2d. 


APPENDIX  I.— CHAPTER  11. 

(See  pp.  13-15.) 

Transcript  of  Charter  made  in  1411,  by  Thomas,  Earl  of  Arundel, 
to  the  Burgesses  of  Holt,  and  confirmed  1st  March,  156§, 
by  Queen  Elizabeth.^ 

Elizabeth  Dei  gratia  Aiiglie  FFrancie  et  Hibernie  Rcgina, 
Fidei  defensor,  etc.,  omnibus  ad  quos  p'sentes  Pre  p^uen'ient 
Salt'm  Inspeximus  quandam  Cartam  Thome  nup'  Comitis 
Arundell  et  Surr'  d'ni  de  Bromfeld  et  Yale  Burgensib's  Ville 
sue  leonu'  in  marchia  Wallie  eor^  hered*  et  Successorib's  Anglic' 
fact  et  sigillo  ip'ius  nup  Comitis  vt  dicit^  sigillat  in  hec  v'ba, 
Omnibiba  Xr'i  tidelib's  p'sentem  Cartam  inspecturis  Thomas 
Comes  Arundell  et  Surr  d  n's  de  Bromfeld  et  Yale  Salt*m  in 
d'no  Sciatia  qd  cum  Villa  n'ra  leouu'  in  marchia  Wallie  tam  ex 
concessioue  diu'sor'  Antecessor'  n'ror'  et  p'genitor'  p*  diu'sas 
Cartas  et  ratifaco'es  Burgensib's  Ville  n*re  p*dict'  eor'  hered*  et 
Successorib's  Anglicis  fact'  q'm  ex  possessione  antiqua  de  diu'sis 
lib'tatib's  et  ffranchesiis  Ville  et  Burgo  mercatorio  p'tinentib's 
priuilegiata  extitit  et  adhuc  existat,  videPt  qd  Burgenses  ville 
n're  p'dict'  eor  heredes  et  Successores  Anglici  h'eant  et  teneant 
om'ia  burgagia  Curtilagia  t'ras  et  ten'  sua  qui  ex  antique  iure 
hereditario  tenuerunt  de  nob'  et  Antecessorb's  n'ris  infra  villam 
n'ram  p'dict  et  lib'tatem  eiusdem,  h'end'  et  tenend'  om'ia  p'dict 
burgagia,  Curtilagia  t'ras  et  ten'  p'dict  cum  om'ib's  suis  p'tinen* 
eisdem  Burgensib's  n'ris  eor'  hered'  et  Assign'  Anglicis  de  nob' 

^  All  niarka  of  contraction  in  the  original  charter  arc  replaced  in 
this  traubcript  by  simple  apostrophes. 


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tN    COtJin'Y    DENMGH.  2^ 

hered'  et  Assign'  n'ris  lib'e  quiete  et  in  pace  imp'p'm.  Reddendo 
nob'  hered'  et  A^ign'  n'ris  An'uatim  videl't  quiPt  d  c'or  Burgen- 
siu*  eor'  hered'  et  Assign'  Anglicor'  p'  quol't  burgagio  duodecim 
denarios  et  p*  quol't  Curtilagio  duodecim  donarios  et  p'  qual't 
acra  t're  lib'o  burgagio  eor'  p'tinen'  duodecim  denarios  et  p' 
qual't  acra  t're  que  solebat  esse  in  D'nico  n'ro  duos  Solidos 
Argenti  An'uatim,  faciendo  eciam  An'uatim  sectam  ad  duas 
Cur'  n'ras  gen'ales  Ville  n're  pdict'  videl't  ad  p'x  Cur'  post 
festum  Sc'i  Mich'is  Arch'i  et  ad  Cur'  p'x  post  festum  Pasche  et 
q  d  quil't  heres  h'mo'i  Burgensiu'  hered  aut  Assign'  suor*  post 
mortem  Antecessoris  sui  dabit  nob'  et  heredib's  n'ris  duplum 
redd'us  sui  unius  Anni  no'ie  releuii^'sui  Et  q'd  quil't  ip'or 
Burgensiu'  heredum  et  successor'  suor'  p'  tempus  guerre  p'  quol't 
burgagio  suo  infra  villam  n'l-am  p'dict'  et  lib'tatem  eiusdem 
scituat  ad  suos  custos  p'prios  inueniet  vnu'  ho'i'em  defensibilem 
ad  custodiam  et  defensionem  Castri  n'ri  leonu'  p'  quadraginta 
dies  An'uatim  quousq'e  dict^  Villa  n'ra  sit  muro  incluso  et  eadem 
Villa  existen'  sic  inclusa  extunc  quil't  eor'dem  Burgensiu'  here- 
dum et  Successor'  suor*  inueniet  vnu'  ho'i'em  defensibilem  ad 
custod'  et  defensionem  Ville  n're  p'dict  p'  quol't  burgagio  suo 
ibidem.  Et  si  contingat  aliquem  d'c'or'  Burgensiu'  heredum  et 
Successor'  suor'  in  h'mo'i  custodia  et  defensione  Castri  neu  Ville 
n're  p'dict'  sic  inclus'  p'  seip'm  in  p'sona  p'pria  vel  aliu'  ho'i'em 
defensibilem  no'ie  suo  in  forma  sup'dict'  defic'e  extunc  bene 
liceat  nob'  et  heredib's  n'ris  quodl't  Burgagiu'  cuiusl't  burgensiu' 
p'dict'  heredum  ac  Successor'  suor'  p'  quo  d'c'urn  s'uiciu'  custod 
si  debita  non  fiat  in  n'ras  manus  seisire  et  retinere  quousq'e  de 
illo  s'uicio  sic  deficiente  cum  Arreragiis  eiusdem  si  que  fu'int 
nob'  et  heredib's  n'ris  plene  satisfiat'  et  p'soluat'.  Et  q'd  p'dict 
Burgenses  n'ri  eor'  heredes  h'eant  et  possideant  com'une  merca- 
tum  die  ven's  qual't  septimana  cum  duab's  nundinis  consuetis 
infra  villam  n'rara  p'dict'  saluis  nob'  et  heredib's  n'ris  tolnet'  et 
al*  consuetudinib's  [de  pred'cis]  nundinis  et  mercatis  ab  antique 
nob'  p[tine]n  et  consuet.  Gonceasimvs  edara  eisdem  Burgen- 
sib's  n'ris  eor'  hered'  et  Assign'  Anglicis  p'  nob'  et  heredib's 
n'ris  q'd  ip'i  h  eant  &  libere  eligere  valeant  vnu'  discretum  virum 
ut  maiorem  vnu'  Coronatorem  duos  s[ub  balliujos  Burgenses 
Anglicos  [sing'lis]  An[nis]  infra  villam  n'ram  p'dict  et  q'd  ip'i 
maior  et  Balliui  teneant  Cur'  n'ras  infra  villam  n'ram  p'dict  de 
tr'b's  Septimanis  in  tres  Septimanas  more  consuet'  et  h'eant 
plenam  potestatem  ad  audiend'  &  t'minand'  omni'od  transgres- 
siones  debita  conuenco'es  felon'  pl'ita  t'rar'  et  ten'tor'  ac  singula 
alia  pl'ita  et  contractus  quecumq'e  fact'  tarn  infra  lib'  ville  n're 
p'dict  q'm  ext'  s'c'd'm  formam  legis  co'is  et  ad  faciend*  et 
exequend'  omni'od  attachiamenta  et  execuco'ey  que  ad  Cur'  n'ras 


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28  THE   TOWN   OF   HOLT, 

p'tinent  p'  sup'uisum  Senescalli  n'ri  ibidem  p*  'tempore  existen/ 
Et  q*d  h'eant  prisonam  suam  infra  villam  n*iam  p'dict  cum  cus- 
todia  om'i  illor  qui  attachiat  seu  arrestati  f u*iiit  infra  lib'tetem 
ville  n*re  p'dict  ad  sectam  n'ram  seu  alicuiuscumq'e.  Saluis 
semp'  nob  et  heredib's  n'ris  omui'od  eschapiis  p'quisic'o'ibs  Cur' 
Escaetis  forisflf'c'uris,  vagis,  stragis,  tinib's  redempco'ibs  am'cia- 
mentis  et  aliis  exitib's  et  p'ficuis  inde  infra  villam  n*ram  p'dict 
em  gentib's.  Et  q'd  Assise  de  Victualib's  fact'  p'  ministros  n'ros 
p'  maiorem  et  BaUiuos  ville  n're  diet  teneant'  et  conservent'  sup* 
forisf  turam  n'ram.  Volumus  tamen  q'd  Senescallus  D'nii  n'li 
p'dict  teneat  de  Anno  in  Annu^  duas  Cur'  n'ras  gen'ales  ville  n'ra 
pMict'  more  consuet.  Ooncessimus  eciam  eisdem  Burgensib's  n'ris 
eor'  hered'  Assign'  Auglicis  q'd  impp'm  quieti  sint  de  omni'od 
[the]  loniis,  lastagiis  passagiis  pontagiis  stallagiis  taillagiis  et  de 
©m'i'b's  consuetudinib's  p'  totam  t'ram  et  potestatem  n'ram  tarn 
in  Anglia  q'm  in  Wallia  et  March'  Wallie.  Et  q'd  maior,  Balliui 
et  Burgenses  ville  n're  antedict'  h'eant  lib'am  et  plenam  potesta- 
tem eligendi  et  faciend*  Burgenses  Anglicos  eis  acceptabiles 
vsuros  et  congaudendos  omni'od*  franchesiis  et  lib'tatib's  ac  aliis 
lib'ris  consuetudinib's  sicut  p'dict  Burgenses  n'ri  usi  sunt  et 
gauisi  imp'p'm.  Et  qM  nullus  qui  non  sit  in  Buigensem  accep- 
tatus  p'  maiorem  Balliuos  et  Co'itatem  Burgensiu*  ville  n're 
p'dict*  aliqua  lib'tate  burgensiali  cont'  voluntatem  maioris  et 
Burgensiu'  pMict'  infra  villam  p'dict  nee  lib'tatem  eiusdem 
quomodoPt  gaudeat  nee  vtat.  Et  q'd  licet  eisdem  Burgensibs' 
n'ris  distringere  in  burgo  n'ro  p'dict'  debi tores  suos  forinsecos  et 
extraneos  p'  Victualib's  eis  venditis  infra  lib'tatem  ville  n're 
p'dict  ad  primam  empco'em.  Et  q'd  p'dict  Burgenses  n'ri  eor' 
heredes  et  Successores  ac  tenentes  quicumq'e  inii*a  lib'tatem 
ville  n're  p'dict  vel  ext'  residentes  imp'p'm  quieti  sint  de 
omni'od'  consuetudinib's  Amobrogior'^  Advocarar'^  feod'  Cou- 
stabularior'  n'ror'  Castror'  ac  de  om'ibs  feod'  liagloti^  Kingildi* 
finiu'  am'ciamentor'  ac  omni'  alior  consuetudinu'  infra  D'nia 
n'ra  Wallie  et  March'  Wallie  qualitercumq'e  em'gen'.  Con- 
cessimus  eciam  q'd  si  p'fati  Burgenses  aut  eor*  aliqui  seu  eor' 
tenentes  infra  t'ram  et  potestatem  n'ram  testati  decesserint  vel 
intestati,  nos  nee  heredes  n'ri  bona  seu  Catalla  ip'or'  confiscari 
non  faciemus  quin  eor'  heredes  seu  executores  ip'a  h'eant  quate- 

^  Amobr,  a  fee  due  to  the  lord  on  the  marriage  or  violation  of  a 
woman  in  his  lordship  (see  p.  5). 

^  Advocarii,  persons  living  in  the  condition  of  advowiy  (see  p.  211). 

^  The  raglot  {rhaglaw)  was  the  chief  admiuistrative  officer  of  a 
Welsh  commote  (see  pp.  4  and  21). 

^  The  riiigild  {rhingyll)  was  the  raglot's  bailili"  or  apparitor  (seg 
p.  4). 


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IN    COUNTY    DENBIGH.  29 

nus  diet*  bona  et  Catalla  ip'or'  defunctor'  fuisse  constiterit  dum 
tamen  de  d'c'is  heredib's  aut  executorib's  noticia  aut  f[ama] 
suflBcient  Veat.  Concessimus  eciam  p'dict'  Burgensib's  n'ris  eor' 
heredib's  et  Successorib's  tenentib's  et  seruientib's  suis  infra 
villam  n'ram  residen'  q'd  nuUiis  ip*or'  de  cet'o  impletet'  nee 
occ'onet^  sup'  aliquib's  Appellis  rectis  Iniuriis  t^nsgressionib's 
debitis  criminiVs  calumpniis  accusamenciis  et  ind'tamentis 
seu  aliquib's  aliis  contractib's  aut  r[ebus]  eis  impositis  aut 
imponend'  vbicumq'e  locor*  f  c'is  seu  qualit'cumq'e  em'gentib's 
nisi  solomodo  coram  maiore  et  Balliuis  Ville  n're  p'dict  et  p* 
iudic'm  et  t'minaco'em  ip'or  maioris  et  Burgensiu*  Anglicor*  tan- 
turn  et  non  Wallicor'  conuiucendis  nisi  res  ille  tanganc  nos  vel 
heredes  u'ros.  Concessimus  eciam.  eisdem  Burgensib's  eor'  hered' 
et  Successorib's  q'd  cum  aliquis  extraneus  seu  alius  quicumq'e 
sup*  lib'm  ten'tum  vel  lib'am  t'ram  cuiuscumq'e  Burgensis  hered' 
aut  Assign'  suor'  infra  villam  n'ram  p'dict'  vel  lib'tatem  eiusdem 
decesserit  idem  decedens  si  non  sit  Burgensis  ville  n're  p'dict 
dabit  Burgensi  illi  sup'  cuius  t'ram  seu  ten'tum  decesserit  melius 
animal  suu'  no'i'e  herietti  sui  et  deficiente  h'mo'i  Animal  optimu' 
Catallu'  suu'  no'i'e  principalia  p'dict.  Concessimzis  eciam  eisdem 
Burgensi  b's  n'ris  eor'  hered'  Assign' Anglicis  q'd  p'  t'nsgressionib's 
seu  forisfcuris,  s'uenciu'  seu  Tenenciu'  suor*  Catalla  vel  bona 
sua  in  manib's  suis  inuent'  seu  alicubi  locor'  p'  ip'os  s'uientes 
aut  Tenentes  deposita  quatenus  [ip'i]  Burgenses  h'mo'i  bona  sua 
esse  suflScient*  p'bare  pot'int  non  amittent.  Concessimus  eciam 
eisdem  Burgens'  n'ris  eor'  hered'  et  Successori'bs  q'd  nuUi  de 
cet'o  liceat  p'sentare  aliquam  penam  sup'  aliquem  Burgensem 
ville  n're  p'dict  p'  quacumq'e  causa  sed  inde  p'seq'at  v'sus  eum 
p*  acco'em  in  Cur'ville  n're  p'dict.  Concessimus  eciam  Bur- 
gensib's  nMs  q'd  nullus  minister  aut  Ballius  n'r  quicumq'e  nee 
hered'  n'ror'  ingrediat  villam  p'dict'  nee  lib^tatem  'eiusdem  nee 
in  aliquo  .  .  .  se  intromittat  sup'  Burgenses  seu  ho'i'es  quo- 
scumq'e  p'd'car'  ville  et  lib'tatis  seu  eor'  aliquem  de  aliqua 
quereki  occ'one  t'nsgessionis  seu  alia  re  quacumqe  infra  d'c'am 
villam  seu  lib'tatem  eiusdem  em'gen  nisi  in  def'cu'  maioris 
Balliuor^  et  Burgensiu'  diet*  ville.  Concessimus  eciam  eisdem 
Burgensib's  n'ris  eor'  hered'  et  successorib's  q'd  liceat  singulis 
Balliuis  n'ris  ville  n're  pMict'  distringere  om'es  et  singulos 
debitores  ex  parte  n'ra  in  eor'  on'e  existentes  tam  p*  totum 
D'miniu'  n'rum  de  Bromfeld  et  Yale  q'm  infra  lib'tatem  ville 
n're  p'dict*  p*  quibuscuniq^e  finibs  am'ciamentis  redempcoi'bs  seu 
aliis  exitib's  aut  p'ficuis  in  Cur  Ville  n're  p'dict  quovismodo 
em'gen'  et  h'mo'i  districco'es  fugare  usq'e  in  co'e  punfaldum 
ville  n're  antedict'  et  ibidem  ip'as  districco'es  retinere  quousqe 
de  singulis  denariis  iu  eor'  o'ne  debitis  plene  nob'  satisfc'm  fuit. 


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30  THE  TOWN   OF   HOLT, 

Ooncessimvi  eciam  eisdem  Bufgensib's  n'ris  p*dict'  eor*  hered*  et 
Assign'  Anglicis  ac  Tenentib's  suis  q*d  ip'i  h'eant  co'i'am  pasture 
in  quadem  parcella  t're  voc'  le  Comon  Woode  p*  om'ib's  Averiis 
suis  infra  villam  n'ram  p'dict'  leuantib's  et  cubantib's  cum  lib*o 
ingressu  et  Egressu  eisdem  Tenend*  eisdem  Burgensib's  n'ris 
eor*  hered  et  Assign' Anglicis  ac  tenentib's  suis  in  sep'ali  om'ibus 
temporib's  anni  sine  contradiccVe  n'ri  hered'  vel  ministror' 
n'ror'  quor'cuinq'e  inip'p'm.  Concessimus  eciam  eisdem  Bur- 
gensib's n'ris  eor'  et  Assign'  Anglicis  ac  tenentib's  suis  q'd  bene 
liceat  eisdem  et  eor'  cuiPt  om'ia  Au'ia  forinseca  sen  extranea 
infra  pasturam  p'dict'  pasturancia  cap'e  et  fugare  usq'e  in  co'e 
punfaldum  ville  n're  p'dict'  et  ip'a  retinere  quousq'e  debite 
emende  fiant  eisdem  Burgensib's  n'ris  h'mo'i  t'nsgressione  et 
pasturaco'e  fact'  in  eor'  pastura  sup'dict'.  Volumua  eciam  q'd 
o'es  Burgenses  n'ri  p'dict'  eor'  hered  et  Assign'  infra  villam 
n'ram  residen'  qui  non  h'eant  p'pr'm  fumu'  q'd  in  co'i  fumo 
n'ro  eiusdem  ville  furnirS  debeant  Soluend'  diet  furni  occupanti 
p'  quol't  buscello  london  vnu'  obulum  et  sic  singulis  buscellis 
tantum.  Concessimus  eciam  Burgensib's  n'ris  eor'  hered'  et 
Assign'  Anglicis  et  'eor'  Tenentib's  Ville  n're  p'dict'  licentiam 
fodiendi  capiendi  et  lib'e  cariand'  carbones  marinas  et  turbas 
in  vastis  n'ris  de  Coitpoeth  et  Brinbawe  et  in  om'ib's  aliis  vastis 
et  locis  ubi  alii  Tenentes  n'ri  Anglici  aut  Wallici  carbones  et 
turbas  fodiunt  p'  eor'  focale'  in  suis  manc'oib's  infra  villam 
p'dict  ad  lib'am  voluntatem  sine  contradicc'o'e  n'ri  hered'  vel 
niinistror'  quor'cumq'e.  Concessimtis  eciam  p'  nob  et  heredib's 
n'ris  q'd  si  aliquis  Burgensis  hered'  sen  Assign'  suor'  Anglicor' 
attachiari  [arrestjari  sen  iud'care  contigit  Nos  nee  hered*  n'ri 
non  capiend'  aliquem  finem  [sen]  redempco'em  de  ip'o  nee 
manucaptorib's  suis  licet  ip'm  contigit .  .  .  p'nos  aut  aut  ministros 
n'ros  sub  manucapco'e  libera.  Concessimus  eciam  antedict' 
Burgensib's  n'ris  eor'  hered'  et  Assign'  q'd  de  cet'o  nulli  liceat 
tenenciu'  n'ror  D'nii  n'ri  antedict'  Burgensib's  n'ris  infra  duo 
miliaria  p'x  ville  n're  antedict'  residen  trah  ....  c'uisiam  Salopie 
sen  Cestrie  sen  aliqua  alia  victualia  infra  p'cinctu[m]  n'r'm' 
p'dict'  in  p'iudic'm  et  nocimentu*  ville  n're  antedict'  nee  aliquam 
aliam  c'uisiam  p't  cuisia  infra  villam  n'ram  leonu'  brasiatam 
uendere  sub  pena  sex  Solidor  octo  denarior'  unde  una  medietas 
nob'et  heredib's  n'ris  et  alia  medietas  burgensib's  n'ris  ip'am  penam 
for'factam  p'sentantib's.  Concessimus  eciam  eisdem  Burgensib's 
n'ris  eor'  hered'  et  Successorib's  q'd  nuUus  'eor  de  cet'o  cogi  sen 
compelli  debeat  p'  nullum  ministrum  seu  s'uientem  n'r'm  nee 
heredum  n'r'or  aliquem  equu'  ip'or'  Burgensiu'  nee  alicuius  ip'or 
ad  vsum  liuius  ministris  n'ri  vel  s'uientis  sui  sine  alt'ius  cuius- 
cumq'e  absq'e  mera  voluntate  sua  accomodare  uec  locare  nisi 


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IN   COUNTY   DENBIGH.  31 

solomodo  ad  sp'ialem  vsum  n'ram  et  hered'  n'ror'  p'  Balliuos 
n'ros  eiusdem .  ville  taatum.  Volumus  edam  et  concessimus  p' 
nob'  et  heredib's  n'ris  eisdem  Burgensib's  n'ris  et  eor*  herediVs 
et  Successorib's  q'd  Balliui  ville  n're  p'dict  h'eant  Cam'am  seu 
prisonam  vnam  infra  Castrum  n'r*m  leonu'  p'  arrestatis  sine 
attachiatis  infra  villam  n'ram  p'dict*  seu  infra  lib'tatem  eiusdem 
secure  conseruand*  ex  delib'aco'e  Constabularii  Castri  p'dict  qui 
p*  tempore  fu*it  si  et  quando  necessitas  hoc  requirat  cum 
r'onabili  ingressu  et  egressu  p'  eisdem  visitand'  ministrand'  ac 
delib'and*.  P'ta  taraen  q'd  ip*i  Balliui  om'ino  h'eant  om'ia  on'a 
salue  custod'  h'mo'i  imprisouat  ibidem  et  q*d  i'pi  Ballii  nob' 
respondeant  de  om'ibs  eschapiis  et  malef'cis  eor'dem  si  que 
p'  eosdem  vel  eor'  aliqnem  infra  seu  de  Castro  n'ro  p'dict  in 
futur'  fieri  contigit  absq'e  quocumq'e  on'e  ip'o  constabular'  seu 
aliis  ministris  aut  sui'entib's  n'ris  Castri  p'dict'  p'  eisdem  im- 
prisonatis  ex  parte  nostra  nullatenus  imponend'.  Et  q'd  o'es  et 
singuli  Burgenses  ville  .  n're  p'dijct'  eor'  heredes  et  successores 
molabunt  om'i'  blada  et  brasia  sua  ad  niolendina  n'ra  infra 
D'n'm  n'r'm  ibidem  ad  vicessimam  mensuram.  Et  nos  vero 
p'fat  Thomas  Comes  et  hered  n'ri  om'es  &  singulas  lib'tates  et 
fFranchesias  sup'dict'  debitis  Burgensib's  n'ris  p'dict'  eor'  hered' 
et  successorib's  plene  vtend*  possidend'  et  congaudend'  Waranti- 
zabim's  et  imp'p'm  defendem'.  In  Cuius  rei  testimonium  huic 
presenti  Carte  n're  Sigillum  n'r'm  fecim's  appo'm  Hiis  testihus 
Rob'to  morley  milite  senescall'  hospicii  n'ri  Joh'e  Bourley,  Dauid 
holbach,  Joh'e  [W]ele  tunc  Senescall'  n'ro  de  Bromfeld  et  Yale 
WilFs  Eyman  et  multis  aliis.  Dat  apud  Castrum  n'r'm  leonu' 
die  lune  p'x  ante  festum  s'c'i  Andree  Ap'li'^  Anno  Eegni  Regis 
henrici  Quarti  post  conquestum  t'ciodecimo,  Et  hoc  om'ib's  quor' 
inte'st  innotescim'  p'  p'sentes.  Teste  me  ip'a  apud  Westm' 
Primo  die  marcij  Anno  Eegni  n'ri  Quinto. 

Maktkn. 


APPENDIX  11. 

(See  p.  24.) 

Names  of  Tenants  of  Holt  and  their  Eents,  in  the  23rd 
year  of  Henry  yil. 

£     8,   d. 
Thomas  Crewe     .  .  .     3     4  10 

Heirs  of  Jankyn  Hugenson  .  .  .         16     0 

Jankjn  dene,  for  land  late  Mathew  Morgaiint      .  1     6 

^  Feast  of  St.  Andrew,  ,30th  November. 


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32 


THE  TOWN   OF   HOLT, 


Richard  Lakeii     .  .  •  • 

Tenents  of  the  laud  of  Richard  Alford . 

Robert  Alford,  with  I2d.  for  land  late  of  John 

Maunsell       .... 
The  same  Robert,  for  half  an  acre  of  meadow 
Thomas  Alford     .... 
The  same  Thomas,  for  23  acres  late  of  Richard 

Alford,  and  2d,  for  a  parcel  of  waste  for  a 

garden  made  thereon    . 
The  community  there  [Yillaf  ibm]     . 
William  Wodey   . 
Margaret  Roden  . 
leuan  ap  leuan    • 
Richard  Do' 
Thomas  Dour 
John  Sendr' 

leu'n  ap  D'd  ap  lorwerth     . 
David  ap  lollyn  ap  "  hyllynne"  [Heilin] 
Howell  "  Gouz"  [Goch  « the  red]] 
Richard  Grone 

Thomas  Knyght  and  Elena  Goz  [the  red] 
Richard  ap  Atha,  with  2t.  for  Jonet  Aleyne 
William  ap  Atha,  jun',  for  one  parcel  of  waste 
John  Stockley 
Robert  Davyessone,    for    land   late    of   Agnes 

Stokley 
Elena  Wayte  (18«.  2d,)  and  Jankyn  Pate,  sen' 

(2/-) 
Executors  of  Geoffrey  ap  Dicus 
Margaret  relict  of  William  ap  Grono   . 
Joan  Pomfret 
Richard  Phelypp,  with  2«.  2d.  for  John  MauncelFj 

land 
Jankyn  leche  and  his  partners  [et  soc'  sui] 
Thomas  Bach 
The  same  Thomas,  for  one  tenement  and  five 

acres  late  of  Richard  Baskervylle 
James  Bath  [1  Bach]  and  William  Bath  [)  BachJ 

for  Harayng's  late  land 
Richard    Griffithson,   and   5«.   for   land    late 

Ralph  fflecher 


£ 

«. 

d 

1 

3 

1 

6 

9 

12 

6 

0 

6 

9 

10 

11 

8 

1 

2 

8 

2 

3 

0 

18 

0 

6 

0 

5 

0 

4 

4 

5 

0 

2 

0 

8 

0 

1 

5 

6 

18 

0 

1 

4 

3 

0 

6 

7  10 


3     0 


1 

0 

2 

2 

0 

1 

0 

2 

0 

16 

4 

13 

0 

1 

5 

H 

3 

4 

7 

0 

1 

0 

2 

Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


IN    COUNTY   DENBIGH. 


33 


RandolffBaoh      .... 
Thomas  Gierke,  for  one  burgage  late  of  Randolff 

aforesaid  .  . 

Jankjn  Edjnson . 

Jankjti  Pate  senior,  and  Alice  his  mother 
Richard  Pate 
Heirs  of  David  Gronoson 
Thomas  Roden 
The   same   Thomas,  for    two   burgages  late   of 

Jankyn  Wodall,  for  term  of  years 
William  Roden.   . 
Robert  Glover 
Richard  Bach 
The  same  Richard  for  two  burgages,  the  land  late 

of  the  aforesaid  Jankyn  Wodall,  for  term  of 

years 

William  ap  Dicus,  for  two  burgages  of  the  afore- 
said land,  for  term  of  years 
John  James 
Thomas  Glover    . 
William  Crewe,  with  12«.  lie?,  for  the  land  late 

of  Margaret  Compane  . 
William  Says,  for  the  land  late  of  Hoell  Baron 
Thomas  Wodall   . 
William  Wodall  . 
William   Hortone,  with  2i.  Sd.  for  the  land  of 

Mawde  verch  lorwerth 
Heirs  of  William  Hansone  . 
Heirs  of  John  Bach 
William  Brereton 
Llewelyn  ap  Howel  "  de  franch"  [of  the  franchise] 
John  Huchon  [?  Hut^heon]  . 
Heirs  of  John   Crewe,  for   land   late   of   Mawt 

[Margaret],  relict  of  William  ap  Atha 
Jankyn  Wylde     . 
Tenants  of  land  late  of  Agnes  Stokley  [Stockley] 

formerly  paying  6«.  8c^.,  now  only 
Thomas  ap  Davy  ap  Duyo  [Deio] 
William  le  Wyld,  for  J  an  acre  of  land 
John  Almor 

David  ap  Jankyn  ap  Madoc 
6th  8KR.,  VOL.  vn. 


£  «. 

d 

1 

6 

1 

0 

1  3 

8 

19 

8 

13 

9 

11 

2 

2  17 

0 

1 

0 

1  5 

6 

3 

10 

12 

6 

1     0 


2  1 

1  4 

16  10 

5  2 

13  4 

1 

10  IH 

18  6 

9  0 

18  7 

3 

2  2J 

9  6 

6  2 

1  0 

1 

4  4 

3  4 

16  0 

I  6 

1  0 

1  0 

3 

Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


34 


THE  TOWN  OF  HOLT,  IN  COUNTY  DENBIGH. 


Master  John  Kyffyn  [Vicar  of  Gresford] 

Heirs  of  John  Gray,  diaplain 

John  Pulesdon 

William  and  Richard,  sons  of  Richard  Buklej 

Morgaunt  [Morgan]  Massy  . 

John  Hogge 

Total  rental,  £40  U$.  2|d. 


The  total  rental  just  given  does  not  quite  correspond  with  the 
sum  of  the  items,  but  the  diflference  is  so  slight  as  to  be  im- 
material. 


£    «. 

d. 

1 

0 

1 

0 

1 

0 

2 

0 

1 

0 

1 

0 

Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


35 


TRE'R  CEIRI: 

INTRODUCTORY    NOTE 

BY 

Pbofbsbor  W.  BOYD  DAWKINS,  D.So.,  Oxon.,  F.RS. 

Before  the  results  of  the  exploration  of  TreV  Ceiri  in 
June  last  are  laid  before  the  Cambrian  Association  by 
the  Exploration  Committee,  it  is  not  inopportune  for  me 
to  define,  as  far  as  may  be,  its  relation  to  other  forti- 
fied villages,  and  its  place  in  the  history  of  Wales. 

It  is  one  of  many  similar  villages,  occupying  a  com- 
manding position  for  purposes  of  defence,  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood, such  as  Pen-y-gaer,  some  two  miles  to  the 
east  of  Llanaelhaiarn,  ana  Garn  Bodfean,  about  a  mile 
to  the  south  of  Nevin,  containing  the  remains  of  rude 
stone  huts,  called  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  district 
**  cyttiau  Gwyddelod  " — the  huts  of  the  Goidels.  This 
popular  attribution  to  the  Goidels — the  conquerors  of 
the  aboriginal  Iberic  Welsh,  who  in  their  turn  had  to 
submit  to  the  mastery  of  the  Brythons — is  in  my 
opinion  true.  They  are  probably  the  dwellings  of  the 
Welsh  prehistoric  Goidels,  and  have  no  necessary  con- 
nection with  the  Irish  Goidels,  who  were  undoubtedly 
in  close  touch  with  this,  as  well  as  with  other  districts 
in  Wales,  in  the  historic  period. 

Similar  fortified  villages  abound  elsewhere  in  Wales, 
as  for  example  at  Dinas  Maen  Mawr,  near  Pen  Maen 
Mawr,  all  having  the  same  characters,  where  the  stone 
for  wall-  and  hut-building  was  ready  to  hand,  split  into 
convenient  blocks  by  the  frost  of  untold  centuries. 
Their  entrances  are  narrow,  and  sometimes  slanting ; 
and  in  one  case,  in  the  Pen-y-Gaer,  some  two  miles 
south-west  of  the  Roman  fort  of  Caerhun,  on  the  Conway, 
the  approaches  are  rendered  diflBcult  by  a  chevaux- 
de-frise  of  blocks  of  stone,  with  one  end  planted  in  the 

3- 

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36  trb'r  oeiri. 

ground,  to  prevent  a  rush.  I  am  unable  to  detect  any 
such  arrangement  in  the  masses  of  tumbled  blocks  on 
the  slopes  of  Trer  Ceiri,  that  rest  at  their  natural 
angle  of  repose.  On  this  point  I  cannot  agree  with  the 
eminent  archaeologists  who  have  taken  the  view  that 
this  method  of  defence  was  used  by  the  inhabitants  of 
Tre'r  Ceiri. 

The  class  of  fort  to  which  TreV  Ceiri  belongs  is 
amply  represented  in  Somerset  by  Worlebury,  near 
Weston-super-Mare,  and  the  line  of  similar  forts  on  the 
Mendip  Hills,  and  by  many  in  Devon  and  Cornwall.  It 
is  also  met  with  in  Ireland,  and  especially  in  the  Western 
Isles  which  shield  the  coast  from  the  Atlantic  storms, 
in  the  Arran  Isles,  ofiF  Galway,  and  in  Inis  Murray,  off 
Donegal.  In  these  they  are  preserved  in  singular 
perfection.  In  Dun  iEngus,  North  Arran,  the  slabs  of 
limestone  favour  a  more  stable  construction  than  the 
polygonal  blocks  forming  the  walls  of  Tre'r  Ceiri,  and 
there  is  clear  evidence  of  a  chevaux-de-Jrise.  It  is  also 
worthy  of  note  that  in  the  same  island — at  Baile-na- 
Sean — are  upwards  of  forty  primitive  houses,  described 
by  Mr.  Kinahan  as  : — 

!a)  Cloghauns,  with  beehive  roofs. 
6)   Cnochauns,  with  roofs  covered  with  earth. 
c)    Fosleach,  with  flag  walls. 

{d)  Ointigh,  with  roofs  made  of  other  materials  than 
stone. 

The  Welsh  *'cyttiau"  belong  to  one  or  other  of  these 
groups,  and  are  therefore  appropriately  assigned  to  the 
Goidels. 

This  class  of  fort  is  proved  by  the  remains  found  in 
various  places  to  have  been  occupied  at  various  periods, 
mnging  from  the  Bronze  Age  into  the  Prehistoric 
Iron  Age,  and  well  into  the  historic  period.  The 
bronze  sickle  found  in  Dun  iEngus  proves  that  it  was 
used  in  the  Bronze  Age ;  while  bronze  pins  with  orna- 
mentation of  the  Prehistoric  Iron  Age  indicate  that  it 
was  occupied  at  that  time,  and  a  bronze  ring  with 
cable  decoration  that  it  was  not  without  inhabitants  in 


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


tre'r  oeiri.  37 

the  fifth  century  after  Christ.  In  the  cashel  on  Inis 
Murray  we  have  very  thick  rough  stone  walls,  with 
narrow  entrances,  surrounding  a  group  of  monastic 
remains,  including  three  small  chapels,  strangely  inter- 
mingled with  the  prehistoric  cloghauns,  of  which  the 
circular  **  school-house"  is  an  example,  and  also  with 
soiiteri'ains,  or  covered  ways. 

This  class  of  fort  in  England  is  clearly  proved  by 
the  result  of  the  exploration  of  Worlebury,  to  belong 
to  the  Prehistoric  Iron  Age.  Here  the  inhabitants 
belonged  to  the  aboriginal  Iberic  stock,  the  ancestors 
of  the  Silures  of  the  north  side  of  the  Bristol  Channel. 
Equally  good  evidence  is  presented  by  the  brooch 
found  in  the  excavations  of  1903  atTrer  Ceiri,  that  it 
also  belongs  to  the  Prehistoric  Iron  Age.  It  may, 
however,  have  been — and  probably  was — used  in  later 
times  by  the  Goidels  of  the  district,  whenever  the 
country  was  being  harried,  for  purposes  of  defence. 


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38 


REPORT   ON  THE    EXCAVATIONS    CARRIED 
OUT   AT  TRE'R  CEIRI   IN   190«. 

By  HAROLD  HUGHES,  Esq.,  A.R.I.B.A. 

Since  the  year  1903,  when  thirty-two  of  the  "cyttiau" 
in  Tre'r  Ceiri  were  examined^  the  work  of  exploration 
lay  in  abeyance  till  1906.  An  account  of  the  1903 
excavations,  written  by  the  Rev.  S.  Baring-Gould  and 
Mr.  Robert  Bumard,  is  published  in  ArchcBologia  Cam- 
hrensis  for  1904.  At  tne  meeting  of  the  Committee 
of  the  Cambrian  Archaeological  Association,  held  at 
Shrewsbury  on  August  14th,  1905,  it  was  resolved 
*'that  Professor  W.  Boyd  Dawkins  be  asked  if  he 
would  kindly  consent  to  the  excavations  at  Tre'r  Ceiri 
being  carried  out  under  his  direction,  with  the  assist- 
ance of  Colonel  W.  LI.  Morgan  and  Mr.  Harold 
Hughes."  Professor  Boyd  Dawkins  very  kindly  con- 
sented to  undertake  the  work. 

Through  the  assistance  of  Mr.  D.  R.  Daniel,  of  Four- 
crosses,  eight  labourers  were  obtained,  and  work  was 
commenced  on  June  5th,  1906,  and  continued  till 
June  16th. 

Unfortunately,  Professor  Boyd  Dawkins  was  called 
to  London  before  the  excavations  were  completed,  and 
Colonel  Morgan  was  unable  to  be  present  during  the 
whole  fortnight.  On  the  other  hand,  most  valuable 
assistance  was  given  by  Mr.  Charles  E.  Breese,  who 
devoted  several  days  to  the  work.  I  was  present 
during  the  whole  time  occupied  by  the  excavations. 

The  workmen  employed  were  Griffith  Jones  and 
William  Dobson,  of  Fourcrosses;  William  Owen,  Griffith 
Griffith,  Jahn  Evans,  David  Owen,  and  H.  Oliver,  of 
Douglas  Hill,  Bethesda  ;  and  John  G.  Jones,  of  Pant 
yr  Avon,  Bethesda. 

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Harold    Hughes  w^ 


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REPORT  OK  EXCAVATIONS  AT  TRE^R  CBIRI  IN  1906.      39 

Altogether,  thirty-two  "  cyttiau"  were  examined  (the 
same  number  as  in  1903),  and  two  sites  on  the  Bwlch 
bdfow  the  south-west  entrance.  The  two  main  en- 
trances were  cleared  sufficiently  to  ascertain  their 
plans,' 643  far  as  the  dilapidated  state  of  the  walling 
would  allow. 

For  general  notes  on  the  form,  grouping,  sizes,  and 
construction  of  the  "  cyttiau"  in  TreV  Ceiri,  the  nature 
of  the  subsoil,  the  stone  employed,  and  the  water- 
supply,  the  reader  should  refer  to  Mr.  Baring-Gould's 
and  Mr.  Burnard's  account  in  the  1904  volume  of  the 
JournaL 

The  accompanying  plan  is  practically  confined  to  the 
space  enclosed  within  the  inner  walls  of  defence.  It  is 
intended  as  a  key-plan  only  to  the  sites  excavated. 
Many  details  require  correction.  The  excavations  have 
laid  bare  walls  and  doorways,  and  enabled  the  outlines 
of  many  "  cyttiau"  to  be  followed  accurately,  when  pre- 
viously it  was  only  possible  indefinitely  to  trace  their 
,  general  conformation.  The  corrected  measurements 
have  not  yet  been  taken,  and  the  outworks  have  not 
been  surveyed,  with  the  exception  of  those  immediately 
outside  the  south-west  entrance.  It  has,  however, 
been  considered  that  much  interest  and  value  will  be 
added  to  this  Report  by  the  provision  of  a  plan  indi- 
cating clearly  the  position  of  each  hut  examined. 

In  1903,  over  one  hundred  of  the  ''cyttiau"  were 
numbered  by  Mr.  Baring-Gould.  Only  those  "  C3rttiau" 
excavated  in  1903  and  in  1906  are  marked  with  figures 
on  the  plan.  The  **  cyttiau"  examined  on  the  present 
occasion  follow  the  original  numbering  of  1903. 

The  details  of  the  work  carried  out  in  1906  are  given 
below.  It  has  been  thought  advisable  to  arrange  the 
list  in  consecutive  order  of  numbering,  rather  than 
according  to  the  order  of  date  on  which  the  sites  were 
excavated. 


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40  ttEPORT  Oi^  tMeI  excavations  CARUIBi)  OUT 

Sites  Excavated  in  1906,  together  with  Details 
OF  "  Finds." 

The  numbers  in  the  following  list  correspond  with 
those  of  huts  on  key-plan  : — 

21  (a)  Several  "pot-boilers." 
(b)  Four  small  pebbles. 

37  (a)  Left  lower  jaw-bone  of  a  horse  (the  teeth  complete  and 

fragments  of  the  jaw-bone). 

(b)  Tibia  of  horse. 

(c)  Fragment  of  a  leg-bone  of  another  animal. 

(d)  A  stone  "  rubber." 

(e)  A  white  pebble. 

(f )  Two  "  pot-boilers." 

(g)  Charcoal. 

38  (a)  Eight  fragments  of  corroded  iron,  which,  pieced  together, 

are  illustrated  in  Fig.  1.  The  total  length  of  the 
remaining  portions  is  10|  ins.  Sections  are  given  of 
the  iron  at  five  different  points.  The  iron  is  socketted 
at  one  end  and  at  the  other,  apparently,  was  leaf- 
shaped.  The  remains  are  probably  those  of  a  leaf- 
shaped  socketted  lance-head. 

(b)  Anteria  dorsal  of  a  colt. 

(c)  Eib  of  sheep  or  goat. 

(d)  Charcoal. 

(e)  Two  small  fragments  of  black  pottery. 

41  (a)  Portions  of  a  bronze  torque  or  armlet  (gold-plated).    The 

remains  of  this  article  are  illustrated  in  Fig.  2,  page  42. 
They  consist  of  three  portions:  a  piece  of  a  curved 
bronze  bar ;  three  solid  bronze  beads,  with  the  remains 
of  a  bar,  on  which  they  ai'e  threaded,  firmly  joined  to- 
^^ether  by  corrosion ;  and  one  bronze  bead,  of  similar 
design,  pierced  through  the  centre.  The  rod  or  bar  is 
decayed,  but  the  diameter  appears  to  have  been  about 
^ths  of  an  inch. 

The  internal  diameter  of  the  circle  formed  by  the 
curved  bar  would  have  been  4^^  ins.,  but  that  within 
the  bronze  beads  would  only  have  been  about  S^ths 
ins.  The  above  measurements  are  calculated  from  the 
curve  of  the  existing  segment,  and  are  based  on  the 
supposition  that  the  ring,  when  complete,  formed  a 
true  circle,  and  that  it  was  threaded  for  its  entire  cir- 


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AT  TRB^R  CBIRI  IN  1906. 


41 


cumference  through  the  bead  -  shaped  ornaments.  It 
should,  however,  be  noted  that  the  beads  may  have 
been  carried  only  round   a  portion   of  the  circle,  as,  for 


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example,  in  the  case  of  the  bronze  beaded  torque, 
from  Lochar  Moss,  Dumfriesshire,  now  in  the  British 
Museum,  and  the  beaded  torque,  from  Mowroad,  near 
Rochdale,     both     illustrated    in     Mr.     liuniilly     Allen's 


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REPORT  ON  THfe  BXCAVaTIONS  CAkEtEb  OUt 


Celtic  Art  in  Fagan  and  Christian  Times,  In  the 
latter  example,  half  the  torque  is  beaded  ;  in  the 
former,  between  half  and  three-quarters.  There  is  a 
nick  round  one  end  of  the  existing  portion  of  the 
Tre'r  Ceiri  bar.  The  three  connected  beads,  although 
much  decayed  in  places,  retain  the  remnants  of  thick 
gold-plating.  The  beads  differ  in  size.  Each  is  shaped 
into  eight  bulbous  divisions.  Fig.  2  shows  a  side  and 
an  end  view  of  this  cluster. 

Dr.  Kennedy  J.  P.  Orton  has  examined  the  curved 
centre  bar  and  beads,  and  confirms  the  impression, 


.H<M«a>V^^ 


Fig.  2. — PoriioDB  of  Torque  or  Armlet.     Hut  No.  41. 
Scale,  I  linear. 

conveyed  by  their  appearance,  that  the  main  metal  is 
bronze,  and  that  it  has  been  covered  with  gold.  With 
regard  to  the  curved  bar,  a  core  of  unchanged  metal 
is  still  present.  The  single  bead  is  much  decayed, 
and  therefore  retains  no  sign  of  the  gold-plating. 

It  may  be  noted  that  amongst  the  ''finds"  at  Chastel- 
coz  was  a  "  bronze  necklace  bead." 
41  (b)  Remains  of  an  iron  loop,  in  two  fragments.  External 
diameter  of  loop  about  1 J  ins.  (see  Fig.  3,  page  41). 
(c)  A  small  part  of  tlie  base  and  a  small  fragment  of  a  red 
earthenware  vessel.  The  surface  and  material  is  of  a 
sandy  consistency.  External  and  internal  surfaces, 
dull  red ;  interior  of  material,  groy. 


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AT  TRE^R  OaiRI  IN  l906. 


43 


41  (d)  Two  small  fragments  of  black  pottery,  giving  the  section 

of  a  rim  of  a  vessel  (see  Fig.  5). 

(e)  Charcoal. 

(f)  •' Pot-boilers.*' 

(g)  Burnt  stones, 
(h)  Small  pebble. 

(i)   A  portion  of  a  bone,  which  appears  to  have  been  burnt, 
(j)  Teeth  and  jaw-bone  of  horse. 

42  (a)  Two  small  fragments  of  iron. 

(b)  Stone  (?  pounder). 

(c)  White  pebble. 


Fig.  5.— (a  and  b).  Fragment  of  Rim  of  Black  Pot.     Hut  No.  45a. 
(c).  Fragment  of  Rim  of  Black  Pot.     Hut  No.  41. 
Scale,  I  linear. 

45  (d)  Stone  "  pounder." 

45a  (a)  A  small  ribbed  bead  of  blue-glazed  porcelannic  paste 
(see  Fig.  4,  page  41),  where  it  is  illustrated  in  two 
positions.  The  surface  may,  perhaps,  be  more  correctly 
described  as  "bulbous,"  rather  than  "ribbed."  The 
surface  formation  has  a  slightly  spiral  appearance,  the 
bulbous  construction  inclining  in  wavy  curves  from  left 
to  right.  As  the  surface  is  much  worn,  the  ornamental 
design  is  rendered  somewliat  indistinct.  The  external 
diameter  is  J  in.  The  ribs  of  the  blue  beads  discovered 
at  Tre'r  Ceiri  in  1908^  and  illustrated  in  Archosologia 


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44  REPORT  ON  THE  EXCAVATIONS  CARRIED  OUT 

Camhrensis  for  1904,  are  vertical,  thus  diflfering  from 
the  example  found  in  Hut  45a. 
45a  (b)  Several  "  pot-boilers/' 

(c)  Large  fragment  of  the  rim  of  a  black  pot.  The  inner 
and  outer  facings  have  black  coatings  on  red  material, 
with  an  inner  core  of  grey  colour.  The  outer  surface 
is  smooth,  the  inner  slightly  coarse.  A  bold  moulding 
runs  round  the  lip.  The  external  surface  is  divided 
into  zones  by  narrow  bands  (see  Fig.  5,  page  43). 

46  This  Hut  drew  blank. 

47  (a)  Sixteen  '*  pot-boilers," 

(b)  Half  a  "  rubber.'*     This  stone  appears  to  have  served  the 

double  purpose  of  a  "  rubber  "  and  "  pounder." 

(c)  A  fragment  of  bone. 


Pig.  6.— Hone.     Hut  No.  62. 

Plan,  Section,  and  Side  Elevation  of  Stone  Rubber.     Hut  No.  47. 
Scale,  }  linear. 

48  (a)  Many  small  fragments  of  black  pottery. 

(b)  Many  "  pot-boilers." 

(c)  Charcoal. 

(d)  A  small  circular  stone  ball,  just  over  ^  in.  in  diameter. 

(e)  Rotten  black  matter  (probably  decayed  earthenware) 

48A(a)  Small  fragments  of  iron. 

(b)  Remains  of  bone. 

(c)  Stone,  probably  used  as  a  "  pounder.'' 

49  (a)  Fragment  of  bone. 

54         This  Hut  was  drawn  blank. 


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AT  TBB*R  OBIRI  IN  1906. 


45 


55  (a)  Fragment  of  iron. 

56  (a)  Charcoal. 

(b)  Frao^ment  of  iron. 

(c)  Pebbles. 

57  (a)  An  irregular  mass  of  metal,  about  IJ  ins.  by  1  in.  by  J  in. 

A  specimen  of  this  material  was  submitted  to  Dr. 
Kennedy  J.  P.  Orton,  Professor  of  Chemistry  at  the 
University  College  of  North  Wales,  Bangor.  He 
reports : — "  It  consisted  mainly  of  lead,  with  a  trace 
of  iron,  encrusted,  of  course,  with  chalk,  etc.  There 
appeared  to  be  no  tin,  zinc,  or  copper.** 
(b)  Two  fn^ments  of  a  bronze  plate  (see  Fig.  7).  The 
surfaces  are  much  decayed.  The  upper  edge,  as  drawn, 
of  the  larger  plate,  is  slightly  curved  downwards. 


Fig.  7. — Fragments  of  Bronee  Plates.     Hut  No.  57. 
Scale,  { linear. 

while  the  left-hand  edge  is  curved  upwards  and  turned 
over.  The  smaller  fragment,  which  is  in  an  advanced 
stage  of  decay,  appears  to  retain  indications  of  orna- 
mentation. There  are  the  remnants  of  two  slightly 
raised  bosses,  which  appear  to  be  the  remains  of  a 
concentric  circle  of  bosses  surrounding  a  small  circle, 
the  pierced  half  of  the  latter  remaining,  and  visible 
on  the  lower  side  of  the  drawing.  Whether  it  was 
originally  a  pierced  circle  or  raised  boss  cannot  be 
ascertained.  Outside  the  bosses  are  three  sunk  dots. 
Jaw-bone  of  sheep, 
(d)  Fragment  of  "  pot-boiler.** 

58  (a)  Fragment  of  bone  of  ox,  and  one  other  small  bone, 
(b)  Several  fragments  of  pottery,  much  decayed,  of  a  yellow- 
ish tint ;  in  its  present  state  very  fragile.     Similar  to 
the  remains  of  the  Mortarium  found  in  Hut  60. 


(c) 


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46     REPORT  ON  THE  EXCAVATIONS  CARRIED  OUT 

69(a)  "Pot-boaer." 

(b)  Charcoal 

(c)  Eight  humerus  of  ox  (Bos'langifrans), 

60  (a)  Many  fragments  of  a  Mortarium.  Fig.  8  gives  a  restored 
section  through  the  vessel,  and  the  detail  of  the  boldly- 
moulded  lip  to  a  laiger  scale.  Where  cleanly  broken, 
the  material  is  of  a  yellow  colour.  The  surface,  how- 
ever, has  a  drabby  appearance,  with  a  tinge  of  dull 
red.  Portions  are  stained  black,  probably  due  to  the 
peaty  deposit  accumulated  on  the  floor-level  of  the 
Hut,  in  which  they  were  imbedded.  The  interior  is 
sprinkled  with  fragments  of  quartz,  which  are  more 
numerous  at  the  bottom,  and  gradually  decrease  in 
number  upwards,  till  they  cease   below  the  sinking 


Pig.  8.— Mortarium.     Hut  No.  60.    Scale,  i  linear. 
Detail  of  Rim,  |  linear. 

carried  round  the  vessel  about  1  in.  vertically  below 
the  rim.  The  quartz  fragments  are  worn  down  as  if 
from  continued  use.  The  diameter  of  the  base 
appears  to  have  been  about  4J  ins.,  and  the  full 
external  diameter  across  the  rim  a  little  over  13  ins. 

(b)  A  «  rib-bone." 

(c)  "Pot-boiler." 

(d)  Teeth  of  ox. 

61  (a)  The  base,  and  several  fragments  of  a  red  earthenware 
vessel.  A  plan  of  the  base,  a  side  elevation,  and  a 
sketch  of  the  lower  portion  and  a  detail  of  some  other 
fragments,  are  given  in  Figs.  9  and  10.  The  diameter  of 
the  base  is  §  in.  The  formation  of  the  vessel  is  spiral. 
The  clay  is  worked  on  a  curve,  which  continually 
recedes  as  it  rises  upwards  from  the  centre  of  the 
bottom  of  the  vessel,  about  which  it  revolves.    The 


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AT  TRE'r  CEIRl  IN  1  906. 


4r 


external  face  appears  to  have  been  slightly  glazed,  and 
finished  to  a  terra-ootta  surface. 

61  (b)  CharooaL 

(c)  A  small  fragment  of  ''  metal "  (iron). 

(d)  White  quartz  "  pot-boiler.*' 

(e)  Tooth  of  ox. 

62  (a)  A  hone  or  whetstone.     7|  ins.  long  (see  Fig.  6,  page  44). 
(b)  Thirteen  small  pebbles. 

62a(a)  Pot-boiler. 


Fig.  9.— Base  and  Side  Elevation  of  Earthenware  VesseL     Hut  No.  61. 
Scale,  3  linear. 


^s 


Fig.  10. — Fragments  of  Red  Earthenware  Veaael.     Hut  No.  61. 

63  (a)  A  bronze  pin,  in  the  form  of  a  sickle  (see  Fig.  11,  page  48). 

Although  much  corroded,  it  bore  indications  of  gold- 
plating.    The  *'  sickle'*  shape  may  be  accidental, 
(b)  Pebble. 

64  (a)  Fragment  of  leg-bone  of  horse  or  ox. 

65  (a)  Humerus  of  ox. 

(b)  Three  "  pot-boilers." 

(c)  Two  small  pebbles. 


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48     REPOET  ON  THE  EXCAVATIONS  CARRIED  OUT 

66  This  Hut  drew  blank. 

67  (a)  Fragments  of  black  pottery,  including  a  portion  of  the 

rim  of  a  vessel  of  identically  the  same  detail  as  that 
found  in  Hut  45a,  illustrated  in  Fig.  5. 

(b)  Tooth  of  ox. 

(c)  A  white  pebble. 

68  This  Hut  was  drawn  blank. 

69  (a)  Five  pieces  of  black  pottery,  including  a  fragment  of  a 

rim  of  a  vessel. .  The  section  of  the  latter,  although 
differing  slightly  from,  resembles  that  of  rim  found  in 
Hut  41,  illustrated  in  Fig.  5,  rather  than  that  of  the 
45  (A)  Hut. 


Fig.  11.— Bronze  Pin,  GoHplated.     Hut  No.  68. 
Scale,  I  linear. 

(b)  An  iron  article,  of  uncertain  use,  consisting  of  a  disk. 

about  3^  ins.  in  diameter,  on  a  stem.  The  total  length 
of  disk  and  stem  is  1  ft.  OJ  in.  The  surfaces  are  much 
corroded.  Fig.  12  illustrates  one  face  and  a  side  view. 
The  ironwork  of  the  disk  bulges  out  on  either  face, 
but  to  what  extent  it  originally  did  so  it  is  impossible 
to  say.  On  one  face,  for  the  greater  area,  and  on  the 
other  side,  in  patches,  the  ironwork  has  split  and 
corroded  away,  revealing,  apparently,  a  flat  disk  or 
plate,  forming  the  core  of  the  superimposed  metal. 
The  original  section  of  the  stem  appears  to  have  been 
rectangular.  The  disk  may  have  had  flat  faces.  The 
superimposed  metal,  in  that  case,  would  entirely  be 
the  result  of  corrosion. 

(c)  A  fragment  of  a  tooth  of  ox. 


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AT  trb'b  ceibi  in  1906. 


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50  RKPORT  ON  THE  EXCAVATIOKS  CARRIED  OUT 

70  (a)  Charcoal. 

71  This  Hut  drew  blank. 

72  (a)  Three  "  pot-boUers." 

(b)  Bone  of  ox.    {Bos-langifrons,) 

At  the  initiation  of  Mr.  Breese,  two  sites  were  ex- 
cavated on  the  Bwlch  below  the  south-west  entrance. 
The  first  site  was  about  500  ft.  in  a  south-westerly 
direction  from  the  entrance,  and  the  second  site  about 
360  ft.  south-south-west  of  the  first.  Each  site  con- 
sisted of  an  approximately  rectangular  space,  about 
15  ft.  long  by  5  ft.  6  ins.  wide,  roughly  paved  with  rude 
stone  blocks.  Mr.  Breese  suggested  that  the  rough 
stones,  evidently  artificially  arranged,  might  indicate 
the  sites  of  graves. 

The  detailed  results  are  as  below  : — 

Site  1  (a)  At  a  distance  of  7  ft.  6  ins.  from  the  base,  or  south- 
south-west  end,  and  1  ft.  from  the  east-south-east  side, 
and  at  a  depth  of  2  ft.  6  ins.  below  the  surface,  the 
metal  article  illustrated  in  Figs.  13,  14,  and  15  was 
discovered.  The  drawings  give  a  sketch  of  the  object, 
a  plan  looking  downwards,  and  a  side  elevation.  It 
was  seated  in  the  position  shown,  on  a  small,  rough,  local 
stone, measuring  about  3  ins.  by  3  ins. by  1  in.  The  article 
is  circular  on  plan.  From  the  broadest  part  it  contracts 
to  a  narrower  neck  by  means  of  a  concave  sweep, 
slightly  bulged  towards  the  narrower  part,  and  ter- 
minates with  a  knop,  with  a  circle  of  raised  dots  round 
the  widest  part.  The  top  of  the  knop  has  been  battered 
in.  It  is,  therefore,  doubtful  as  to  the  manner  of  its 
termination.  The  article  is  hollow.  With  reference 
to  the  metal,  it  has  been  submitted  to  Dr.  Orton,  who 
reports  that  it  "  consists  mainly  of  lead,  but  contains 
also  a  certain  amount  of  tin.  It  may  be  called  a  sort 
of  pewter."  The  use  the  object  served  is  uncertain, 
but  the  design  is,  to  a  certain  degree,  suggestive  of  that 
of  the  pommel  of  a  sword-hilt.  In  the  British  Museum 
"  Guide  to  the  Antiquities  of  the  Bronze  Age,"  p.  77, 
two  swords  found  in  Northumberland,  witli  remains  of 
leaded  pommels,  are  referred  to.  In  Arcfuxologia 
Cambrensis  for  1905.  p.  144,  Fig.  25,  is  an  illustration 
of  a  Late-Celtic  bronze  ornament,  from  Seven  Sisters, 


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51 


near  Neath,  resembling  this  object  to  the  extent  that 
the  two  may  have  served  similar  purposes.  The  fol- 
lowing is  the  description  of  the  object  by  Mr.  Romilly 
Allen,  in  the  letterpress: — "A  bronze  finial,  shaped 
something  like  the  umbo  of  a  shield.     It  has  three 


Fig.  1 3.  —  Pewter  Object. 
Site  1,  on  Bwlch. 


Fig.  14. -Plan  of  Pewter  Object. 

Site  1.  on  Bwlch. 

Scale,  ]  linear. 


mzQooQQio: 


\KM. 


Fig.  16. — Side  Elevation  of  Pewter  Object. 
Site  1,  on  Bwlch. 
Scale,  {  linear. 


Fig.  16.— Iron  Object. 

Site  1,  on  Bwlch. 

Scale,  4  linear. 


rivet-holes  for  fixing  it  on  to  something."  It  does  not 
state  whether  it  is  solid  or  hollow.  With  reference  to 
the  material  of  the  "  pommel,"  in  the  "  Report  on  the 
Exploration  of  Moel  Trigam,"  in  Archceologia  Cambren- 
sis  for   1900,  amongst  the  "  finds"   in   Hut-site   21, 


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52     BEPORT  ON  THE  EXCAVATIONS  CARRIED  OUT 

mention  is  made  of  half  a  finger-ring,  polished,  and 
''  composed  of  some  hard  white  mineral  substance, 
(b)  At  a  distance  of  4  ft.  from  the  base  and  below  the  east- 
south-east  boundary,  at  a  depth  of  2  ft.  6  ins.  below 
the  surface,  an  iron  article  of  horse-shoe  shape,  in  size 
and  outline  exactly  suitable  for  a  modern  heel-plate 
of  a  boot,  and  with  the  five  usual  oblong  piercings  for 
attachment  to  the  leather,  was  discovered  (see  Fig.  16). 
The  main  difference  between  a  modern  heel-plate  and 
this  object  is  that  the  section  is  rounded  off  on  one  face, 
and  the  ends  are  likewise  rounded,  while  the  modern 
generally  has  angular  edges  and  terminations.  With 
regard  to  the  date  of  this  object,  and  how  it  arrived 
in  the  position  mentioned  above,  I  will  not  venture  an 
opinion.  This  object  was  found  after  the  excavation 
had  been  left  open  for  the  niglit 

Site  2.  Although  considerable  time  was  devoted  to  the  excava- 
tion of  this  site,  no  object  was  discovered.  The  whole 
space,  however,  had  not  been  explored  by  June  16th. 
when  work  ceased,  and  the  site  had  to  be  abandoned. 
Below  the  surface,  large  portions  of  both  Sites  1  and  2 
were  composed  of  small-sized  stones,  bearing  the 
appearance  of  having  been  filled  in  by  man. 

Some  of  the  more  important  "  finds"  were  unearthed 
after  Professor  Boyd  Dawkins  had  left.  Sketches, 
however,  were  forwarded  to  him,  and  he  very  kindly 
wrote,  expressing  his  opinion,  as  below  : — **  The  bronze 
object  (beaded)  is  distinctly  of  prehistoric  Iron  Age, 
and  is  probably  a  torque,  or  armlet,  as  you  suggest. 
The  glass  or  porcelain  bead — some  of  these  found  in 
Glastonbury,  in  the  prehistoric  Iron  lake  village. 
The  "pommel"  is  not  very  far  removed  from  one  dis- 
covered in  prehistoric  Iron  Age  fort  at  Hod."  The 
black  pottery  and  the  iron  ladle-shaped  object,  he 
writes,  would  belong  to  the  same  period.  The  iron 
**  heel-plate,"  he  believes,  is  modern. 

All  the  objects  may  be  said  to  have  been  found  on 
the  true  floors  of  the  huts,  though,  in  a  few  instances, 
the  construction  was  so  rude  that  it  was  difficult  to 
determine  with  exactitude  the  ancient  floor-levels. 

With  reference  to   the  fragments  of  bronze  plate, 


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At  TRB*R  CElttl  IN  1906.  53 

found  in  57  b,  Mr.  C.  W.  Dymond,  in  his  work  on 
Worlebury,^  describes  and  illustrates  some  pieces  found 
in  that  stronghold.  A  slightly  curved  plate,  If  ins. 
long,  and  ^  ins.  wide,  with  piercings  at  one  end,  he 
considers  to  have  probably  formed  part  of  an  accoutre- 
ment. The  concave  side  had  been  left  dull,  but  the 
convex  side,  which  is  now  patinated,  had  been  burnished. 
Two  other  pieces  of  bronze  plate,  with  curved  edging, 
are  pronounced  to  be  remains  of  binding. 

With  regard  to  the  mass  of  lead  found  in  the  same 
hut,  it  may  be  noted  that  a  lump  of  lead,  about  the 
size  of  a  walnut,  was  found  in  one  of  the  pits  at 
Worlebury.^ 

Dr.  Orton  reports,  with  reference  to  the  analyses  of 
the  metals  referred  to  in  the  list  of  the  various  **  finds,'* 
that  we  are  indebted  to  Miss  M.  6.  Eki wards,  who 
worked  under  his  supervision. 

In  the  following  summary  of  the  1903  and  1906 
"finds,"  the  kindred  objects  are  grouped  together. 
The  figures  in  the  second  column  refer  to  the  numbers 
of  the  Sites. 

Summary  of  "  Finds." 

BEADS. 

1903       8  Blue-glazed  porcellanic  paste. 

10  Blue-glazed  porcellanic  paste. 

13  Blue  glass. 

1906     45a  Blue-glazed  porcellanic  paste. 

BRONZES. 

1903       8  Triskele. 

10  Fibula. 

1906     41  Torque  or  armlet. 

57  Fragments :  bronze  plate. 

63  Sickle-shaped  pin. 

IRON. 

1903       3     Small  fragments  of  pointed  iron. 
6     Combined  adze  and  hammer. 
6     Part  of  blade. 

^  Worleburyy  an  Ancient  Strtmghold  in  the  County  of  Sonursety  by 
Charles  William  Dymoud,  F.S.A.    1902,  p.  122.  ^  Ibid,,  p.  81. 


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54     REPORT  ON  THE  EXCAVATIONS  CARRIED  OUT 

1903      7  Fragment,  3  ins.  long. 

7  Crescent-shaped  piece. 

10  King,  2  ins.  diameter. 

14  (?  Strike-a-light). 

19  Fragment. 

25  Fragment. 

26  NaiL 

82     (?  Bill-hook). 
1906     38     (?  Leaf-shaped  spear-head). 

41  Half  of  loop. 

42  Fragments. 
48a  Fragments. 

55  Fragments. 

56  Fragments. 
61     Fragments. 

69     Ladle-shaped  article. 

LEAD,  ETC. 

1906     57     Mass  of  lead. 

In  Bwlch, 
Site  1     (?  Pommel  of  sword-hilt),  pewter. 

POTTERY. 

1903       3     About  a  dozen  pieces,  dark  pottery. 

12  Small  fragment  of  rim. 

13  Small  fragment  red  pottery,  slightly  orna- 

mented. 
16     Two  small  pieces,  black  pottery. 
50     Part  of  bottom  of  earthenware  vessel. 
86     I'iny  fragments,  red  pottery. 
1906     38     Two  fragments,  black  pottery. 

41     Part  of  bottom,  and  other  fragments  of  red 

pottery. 
41     Fragment  of  rim,  black  pottery. 
45a  Large  fragment  of  rim  of  black  pot. 
48    Fn^ments,  black  pottery. 
58     Fragments  pottery,  yellow. 

60  Remains  of  Mortarium. 

61  Red  pot,  base  and  fragments. 

67     Piece  of  rim  and  fragments,  black  pottery. 
69     Five  fragments,  black  pottery,  including  rim. 

SPINDLE-WHORLS. 

1903       4    Two  spindle- whorls. 
5     One  spindle-whorl. 
7     One  spindle-whorl. 


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AT  tre'r  ceiri  in  1906.  55 

COMB. 

1903     23     Fragment,  bone-comb. 

RUDE   STONE  OBJECTS. 

1906     37    "Rubber.^' 

42    (?*Tounder.") 
45     •'  Pounder." 

47  Half  "rubber.'* 

48  Stone  ball,  ^  in.  diameter. 
48a  (?"  Pounder.") 

62     Hone. 

BOKES  AND  TEETH. 

1903      5  Pieces  teeth  of  ox. 

6  Fragments,  bone  and  teeth  of  ox. 

7  Fragments  of  bone. 
19  Fragments  of  bone. 
24  Fragments  of  bone. 
86  Tooth  of  ox. 

1906     37  Teeth  and  jaw-bone,  horse. 

37  Tibia,  horse. 

37  Fragment,  leg-bone,  other  animal. 

38  Anterior  dor^,  colt. 
38  Bib,  sheep  or  goat 
41  Calcined  bone. 

41     Teeth  and  jaw-bone,  horse. 
47    Fragment,  bone. 
48a  Fragment,  bone. 

49  Fragment,  bone. 

57  Jaw-bone,  sheep. 

58  Fragment,  bone  of  ox. 

59  Bone  of  ox  {Bos-loiig-lfrons), 

60  Eib-bone. 

60  Teeth  of  ox. 

61  Tooth  of  ox. 

64  Fragment,  leg-bone,  horse  or  ox. 

65  Humerus,  ox. 
67     Teeth,  ox. 

69     Fragment,  tooth  of  ox. 
79     Bones,  ox. 

SLING-STONES. 

1903  3,  4,  17,  18,  25,  and  87. 

POT-BOILERS   AND   PEBBLES. 

1906  21,  37,  41,  42,  45a,  47,  48,  56,  57,  60,  61,  62, 

62a,  63,  65,  67,  and  79. 


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66  REPORT  ON  THE  EXCAVaTIONS  CARRlEt)  Otf 

CHARCOAL. 

1903  1,4,5,  11,  12,  and  50. 

1906  37,  38,  41,  48,  56,  59,  61,  and  70. 

The  following  Huts  di'ew  blank  : — 
1903  2,  9,  15,  22,  75,  88,  90,  and  92. 

1906  46,  54.  66,  68,  71,  and  site  2— on  Bwlch. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  above  summary  that  by  far 
the  greater  number  of  bones  and  teeth  which  have 
been  found  are  those  of  the  ox  {Bos-longifrons).  The 
other  animal  remains  which  can  be  determined  are  those 
of  the  horse,  sheep,  and  (?)  goat. 

It  may  be  instructive  to  compare  this  list  with  bones 
discovered  elsewhere.  At  Worlebury,  in  the  pits,  the 
"  finds"  include  those  of  a  pig,  ox  {Bos-longifrons),  horse, 
deer,  goat,  water-fowl,  and  small  birds.^  At  Cadbury 
( Wincanton),  those  of  "  the  Bos-longifrons,  deer  and 
swine  are  noted.^  At  Maiden  Castle,  in  the  pits,  many 
bones  were  found,  especially  those  of  the  red  deer.'  At 
Walton-down,  amongst  other  bones,  horses'  teeth  are 
mentioned.*  At  Mount  Caburn,  "  the  animal  remains 
were  ox  (Bos-longifrons),  pig  {Sus  scrofa),  horse  {Equus 
caballus),  goat  {Capra  hircns),  sheep  (Ovis  aries),  with 
occasional  bones  of  roe-deer  and  badger  ;  also  the 
scapula  of  a  rabbit,  the  leg  and  spur  of  a  fighting  cock, 
and  part  of  the  bone  of  a  dog."*^ 

The  only  fortified  hill-village  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  TreV  Ceiri  where,  to  my  knowledge,  any  exploration 
has  been  undertaken,  is  that  on  the  top  of  Garn  Bod- 
fean,  near  Nevin.  Several  of  the  "cyttiau"  were  ex- 
plored, in  1904,  by  the  Hon.  Frederick  G.  Wynn.  He 
wrote  at  the  time,  informing  me  that  he  had  *' found 
spindle- whorls  and  sling-stones,  but  no  implements," 
and  '^no  certain  hearth.'*  During  our  stay  at  TreV 
Ceiri,  we  visited  Garn  Bodfean  on  a  Saturday  afternoon, 
when  our  men  were  "off  work."     We  were  shown  a 

»  Worlthury,  p.  80.  2  /^-^.^  p  gg^ 

•'  Ibid.,  p.  83.  •»  Ibid.,  p.  84.  ^  Ibid,,  p.  85. 


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At  trb'k  ceiri  in  i906.  57 

stone  hammer  which  had  been  found,  and  inspected  the 
huts  which  had  been  excavated.  The  camp  is  as  im- 
portant as — even  if  not  more  so  than — Tre'r  Ceiri.  As 
a  plantation  covers  the  top  of  the  hill,  the  general  idea 
of  the  plan  is  difficult  to  appreciate  without  a  lengthy 
inspection.  The  huts  are  more  circular  and  detached 
than  those  at  TreV  Ceiri.  This  may  possibly  be 
accounted  for  by  the  space  being  less  limited.  "  Finds" 
of  further  interest  than  those  already  discovered  should 
repay  careful  excavation.  Although  it  is  probable  that 
the  camp  belongs  to  the  same  period  as  Tre'r  Ceiri, 
the  *' finds,"  mentioned  by  Mr.  Wynn  in  themselves 
are  insufficient  to  establish  the  fact. 


The  Entrances. 

The  south-west  entrance,  through  the  inner  en- 
compassing wall,  was  cleared  sufficiently  to  ascertain 
its  plan.  The  pathway  rises  rapidly  through  the  thick- 
ness of  the  wall;  the  entrance  is  slightly  curved. 
The  north-western  or  left-hand  wall  approaching  the 
camp  retains,  to  a  certain  height,  its  original  face  ;  it 
is  concave  on  plan.  The  south-eastern  or  right-hand 
wall  is  not  so  easy  to  trace ;  the  inner  portion  has 
practically  been  destroyed.  There  are,  however,  in 
this  position,  some  stones  low  down,  which,  in  all  pro- 
bability, indicate  the  outline  of  the  wall ;  though,  on 
the  other  hand,  they  may  form  portions  of  a  rough 
paved  way.  The  outer  part  of  this  wall  is  convex,  but 
it  appears  to  have  changed  to  concave,  with  an  ogee 
sweep,  further  in.  The  uncertain  line  of  wall  is  in- 
dicated by  a  broken  line  on  the  plan  (Fig.  17  (a)).  The 
entrance  at  certain  points  evidently  was  not  more 
than  about  3  ft.  in  width  ;  the  narrowest,  or  inner  end, 
apparently  narrowed  down  to  2  ft. ;  though,  as  men- 
tioned above,  it  is  impossible  to  definitely  ascertain  the 
plan  at  this  point.  It  is  quite  possible  the  entrance, 
in  any  case  the  inner  portion,  was  roofed  over  with 
rude  slab  lintels,  in  a  similar  manner  to  the  existing 


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58 


REPORT  ON  THE  EXCAVATIONS  CAB,RIED  OUT 


so-called   **  sally-port  *'   in    the  northern   part   of  the 
enclosing  wall. 


Fig.  17.— (a)  South- West  Entrance. 

(b)  North- West  Entrance. 

(c)  North- West  Entrance  through  Outer  Wall. 

The  passage  through  the  north-western  entrance,  in 
the  inner  encompassing  wall,  has  been  lengthened  by 
extending  the  masonry  inwards  for  about  20  ft.  beyond 


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AT  tre'r  ceiri  in  1906.  59 

the  inner  face  of  the  rampart  wall.  On  the  plan  (Fig. 
17  (b)),  the  entrance  through  the  inner  wall  is  shown 
with  reversed  hatching  to  that  through  the  extended 
walling.  The  north-western,  or  left-hand,  wall  is 
slightly  concave.  The  south-eastern  wall  slopes  in 
sharply  towards  the  north-western  ;  it  is  irregularly 
concave,  and  has  a  slight  bulge  in  the  middle;  the 
gateway  narrows  from  a  width  of  12  ft.  at  the  entrance 
to  2  ft.  at  the  inner  end.  The  outline  of  a  short 
length  of  the  face  of  the  inner  portion  of  the  left-hand 
wall  could  not  be  traced,  owing  to  the  dilapidated  state 
of  the  masonry.  This  small  section  is  shown  by  means 
of  a  broken  line  on  the  plan  ;  the  pathway  rises  rapidly 
through  the  thickness  of  the  wall. 

The  plan  of  the  entrance,  through  the  outer  wall, 
of  the  road  or  pathway  leading  up  to  this  entrance  is 
given  in  Fig.  17  (c).  It  differs  considerably  from  the 
entrances  through  the  inner  wall ;  the  least  width  is 
at  the  entrance  to  the  passage,  where  it  measures  a 
little  under  8  ft. ;  the  passage  widens  out  internally 
to  about  20  ft.  There  is  a  peculiar  bulge  in  the  left- 
hand  wall,  at  the  entrance  to  the  passage,  which  con- 
siderably contracts  the  width.  At  a  distance  of  1  ft. 
11  ins.  from  the  outer  face  of  the  right-hand  wall  is  a 
hole,  roughly  measuring  1  ft.  in  width,  1  ft.  1  in.  in 
height,  and  1  ft.  4  ins.  in  depth  ;  its  position  is  indi- 
cated on  the  plan.  It  was  probably  intended  as  a 
mortise-hole,  to  receive  the  end  of  a  balk  of  timber,  in 
connection  with  some  sort  of  wooden  barrier  across  the 
entrance. 

The  general  scheme  of  this  outer  entrance  is  more 
adapted  to  resist  a  pressure  from  within  than  from 
without.  Might  it  possibly  be  intended  for  the  in- 
gress of  cattle  and  other  animals  which  might  not  usually 
be  admitted  into  the  inner  enclosure  ?  The  barrier,  in 
that  case,  might  be  intended  rather  as  a  protection  to 
keep  the  cattle  within  bounds  than  an  impediment  to 
attack. 

The  description  of  the  entrances  by  Mr.  E.  L.  Barn- 


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60  REPORT  Ot^  THE  EXCAVatJoNS  CARRtEb  OtJt 

well,  in  a  former  volume  of  the  Journal,^  appears  to  be 
utterly  inaccurate  and  unintelligible. 

An  examination  of  the  north-east  wall  was  made  at 
one  point,  to  ascertain  its  true  construction.  The  wall 
in  this  direction  retains  its  parapet  and  "  banquette," 
or  **  chemin  de  ronde."  The  measurements  of  the  wall, 
at  the  point  examined,  are  :  Internal  height  of  "  ban- 
quette" from  present  internal  ground-level,  4  ft.  4  ins. ; 
width  of  *'  banquette,"  4  ft. ;  height  of  parapet  above 
**  banquette,"  3  ft.  ;  width  of  parapet,  4  ft.  4  ins.  ; 
visible  height  of  parapet,  externally,  9  ft,  6  ins.  The 
last  measurement,  however,  was  taken,  from  the  screes 
formed  of  fallen  debris^  from  the  top  of  the  wall.  At 
another  point,  not  far  distant,  the  external  height  ot 
the  wall  measured  11  ft. 

The  wall  is  of  single  construction — that  is,  it  was  car- 
ried up  to  the  **  banquette"  in  one  operation.  The  outer 
portion  was  then  raised  above  the  level,  to  form  the 
parapet.  In  this  respect,  it  differs  from  the  construc- 
tion at  Worlebury,  where  a  massive  inner  wall  was  first 
raised  to  the  required  height,  and  afterwards  inde- 
pendent terraces  or  platforms,  varying  in  number,  each 
about  4  ft.  lower  than  the  one  within,  raised  as  con- 
tinuous buttresses  against  it.  These  terraces  are  chiefly 
external ;  but,  in  some  places,  the  hinder  part  of  the 
rampart  was  raised  by  similar  degrees.  Mr.  Dymond 
estimates  that  the  width  of  the  inner  wall,  or  core, 
measured  across  the  top,  was  seldom  less  than  6  ft. 
He  writes  that  "  it  was  evidently  crowned  by  a  parapet ; 
but  whether  this  was  of  the  same  thickness  as  the  wall 
on  which  it  stood,  or  whether  it  was  thinner,  leaving 
room  for  a  walk  behind  it,  on  the  same  part  of  the  wall, 
there  is  not  sufficient  evidence  to  determine."^  The 
consideration  of  the  general  plan  of  the  fortress,  with 
its  outworks  and  the  '*  cyttiau"  within  its  walls,  will 
be  dealt  with  at  a  later  date,  when  the  results  of  the 
survey  are  published. 

Before  concluding  this  Report,  we  must  briefly  con- 

1  Arch.  Cavib.j  4th  Ser.,  vol.  ii,  p.  (36. 
•^   Worlebury,  pp.  21,  22. 

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AT  TRB*R  OEIBI  IN  1906.  61 

aider  any  deductions  that  may  arise  from  the  result  of 
the  exploration. 

The  "  finds"  of  1906  confirm,  in  the  main,  the  con- 
clusions arrived  at  by  Mr.  Baring  Gould  and  Mr. 
Burnard  in  1903.^ 

In  the  Introductory  Note  by  Professor  Boyd  Daw- 
kins,  he  considers  we  have  suflScient  evidence  to  assign 
Tre'r  Ceiri  to  the  prehistoric  Iron  Age. 

Whereas  Mr.  Baring  Gould  and  Mr.  Burnard  con- 
sider there  are  no  indications  of  a  later  occupation, 
Professor  Boyd  Dawkins  is  of  opinion  that  it  may  have 
been,  and  probably  was,  used  in  later  times  by  the 
Goidels  of  the  district,  whenever  the  country  was  being 
harried  for  purposes  of  defence. 

The  conclusions  arrived  at  by  Mr.  Baring  Gould  and 
Mr.  Burnard  are  : — 

"  1.  That  the  fortifications  were  probably  erected  and 
occupied  by  that  people  to  whom  the  'finds'  appertained." 
"  2.  That  TreV  Ceiri  was  only  temporarily — and  that 
for  a  short  time — occupied  in  the  summer  season  alone." 
**  3.  That  the  race  which  erected  the  walls  and  con- 
structed the  huts  was  Celtic,  probably  British  ;  and 
that  the  period  to  which  they  belonged  was  the  first 
or  second  century  of  the  Christian  Era." 

"4.  That  the  builders  had  not  been  influenced  by 
the  Roman  art  of  wall  building ;  and  this  points  to  the 
erection  of  the  fortress  at  an  early  period  of  the  first 
century." 

In  support  of  No.  1,  the  finds  were  all  discovered 
on  the  true  floors  of  the  huts,  and  no  object  that  can 
be  assigned  to  an  earlier  period  than  the  prehistoric 
Iron  Age  has  been  found. 

Mr.  Baring  Gould  and  Mr.  Burnard  base  their  con- 
clusions, with  regard  to  No.  2,  on  (a)  the  small  amount 
of  charcoal  found ;  (b)  that  some  of  the  "  cyttiau"  seem 
never  to  have  been  occupied ;  (c)  the  exposed  position 
in  winter.  The  arguments  (a)  and  (b)  are  confirmed 
by  the  result  of  the  more  recent  excavations.    We  must 

1  Arch.  Camb.,  6th  Ser.,  vol.  iv,  p.  14. 

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62      REPORT  ON  EXCAVATIONS  AT  TRB*R  OEIRI  IN  1906. 

allow,  however,  that  the  absence  of  '*  finds"  ifti  certain 
huts  is  no  criterion  that  they  were  never  occupied.  We 
should  especially  take  into  consideration  that  the  damp 
deposit  within  some  of  the  huts  seems  ill  adapted  for 
the  preservation  of  certain  articles  ;  and,  further,  that 
nothing  of  distinct  value  to  the  inhabitants  would 
wantonlv  be  left  for  the  benefit  of  future  ages.  It  is 
doubtful,  moreover,  with  reference  to  point  (c),  if  the 
severity  of  winter  weather  alone  would  be  a  sufficient 
obstacle  in  the  way  of  a  hardened  race. 

With  regard  to  conclusion  No.  3,  the  following 
support  is  given  by  the  results  of  the  1906  work,  (a) 
The  pottery  is  wheel-turned,  and  in  the  whole  distinc- 
tively Celtic  agreeing  in  this  respect  with  that  found 
in  1903,  when  in  addition  some  fragments  of  Roman 
pottery  were  discovered.  (b)  The  remains  of  iron 
found — some  in  conjunction  with  bronze — is  sufficient 
to  establish  the  claim  of  the  Iron  Age.  The  half  of  the 
iron  loop  was  found  close  to  the  remains  of  the  bronze 
"  torque,  or  "  armlet."  (Hut  41)  (c).  The  gold-plated 
bronze  "  torque"  is,  as  Professor  Boyd  Dawkins  points 
out,  distinctively  of  the  prehistoric  iron  Age.  (d)  The 
porcelain  bead  will  go  with  those  found  in  1903. 

The  result  of  the  1903  and  1906  combined  excava- 
tions, in  the  number  and  importance  of  the  **  finds," 
may,  I  venture  to  think,  be  considered  highly  satisfac- 
tory. The  Cambrian  Archaeological  Association  have 
to  thank  Mr.  R  H.  Wood,  the  owner,  for  kindly  allow- 
ing them  to  undertake  the  work  ;  and,  by  so  doing,  to 
throw  so  much  light  on  the  early  history  of  our  pre- 
historic fortified  hill-villages. 

Additional  Notes. — Colonel  Morgan  considers  the  true  parapet 
on  the  ramparts  at  TreV  Geiri  indicates  Roman  influence.  The 
second  step,  referred  to  by  former  writers,  does  not  exist,  but  is 
only  the  wall  of  a  hut  placed  against  the  rampart.  Much  of  the 
pottery  fonnd  in  1906  is  similar  to  that  found  in  conjunction  with 
Roman  finds  elsewhere. 

The  stone  ball,  found  in  Hut  48,  has  been  examined  by  Mr. 
A.  B.  Badger,  who  pronounces  it  to  be  of  carboniferous  limestone, 
probably  from  the  shores  of  the  Menai  Straits  or  Anglesey. 


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63 


LLANSAINT. 

Bt  thb  Rfv.  GEO.  EYRE  EVANS. 


iJUad  at  LlamaifU,  August,  1906.) 

When,  a  few  weeks  ago,  I  walked  over  most  of  the 
ground  we  are  covering  in  this  our  sixtieth  annual 
gathering,  I  little  expected  to  be  so  fortunate  as  to 
find  an  early  Christian  inscribed  stone  which  is  not 
mentioned  by  Professor  Westwood  in  his  monumental 
Lapidarium  Wallice ;  and  to  which  no  reference  what- 
ever has  as  yet  been  made  by  any  previous  writer  in  the 
authoritative  pages  of  the  Archceological  Cambrensis ; 
where,  by  the  way,  there  is  but  one  single  reference 
(iv,  viii,  141)  to  Llansaint,  and  that  only  in  connection 
with  the  larger  and  well-known  "  Vennisetli"  stone. 

Llansaint  is  a  small  village  set  on  a  hill,  part  of  the 
ecclesiastical  parish  of  Llan  Ishmael,  and  its  Chapel, 
in  which  we  are  seated,  is  held  with  the  mother 
Church,  and  served  by  its  minister.  The  Chapel  tower 
is  conspicuous,  and  seen  from  afar.  Its  summit  is 
reached  by  iron  ladders  inside,  to  gain  admission  to 
which  you  enter  the  tower  through  the  doorless  opening 
on  the  south  side,  by  means  of  another  and  moveable 
ladder,  which  you  mount  for  some  three  yards  ere  you 
plant  your  feet  on  the  stone  steps  of  the  opening  or 
doorway.     There  is  one  bell. 

Within  living  memory  this  tower  was  used  as  a 
•*  gaol,*'  or  "  lock-up  " — both  words  are  yet  current  in 
local  allusion  to  it— for  unruly  parishioners.  Now  they 
proceed,  but  rarely,  however,  in  a  certain  amount  of 
state  to  Caermarthen,  where  the  villagers  say,  "  Ma 
Dai  wedi  myn'd  i'r  Casteir'  ("he  is  gone  to  the 
Castle").  The  county  gaol  is  part  of  the  once  magnifi- 
cent fortress  of  Caermarthen,  on  the  mound  of  which 
and  on  the  "  Castle  Green"  we  stood  this  morning. 

Villagers  also  use  the  correct  words  of  '*  Chapel "  to 


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64  LLANSAINT. 

designate  this  building,  and  "  Meeting-house  "  for  the 
nonconforming  sanctuary. 

In  leaving  the  village  presently  for  Kidwelly,  we 
shall  travel  in  part  over  a  road  covered  with  cockle- 
shells, which  frequent  traffic  pounds  to  a  white  powder 
so  soon  as  a  fresh  supply  of  the  disused  houses  of  the 
toothsome  bivalves  is  cast  upon  it.  The  latter  portion 
of  our  road  will  be  down  the  steep  and  ancient  track- 
way, known  as  "  Y  portway,"  a  road  formerly  used  by 
farmers'  pack-horses  carrying  lime  or  coal  in  panniers. 
The  women  of  this  village,  in  the  season,  earn  as  much, 
often-times  more,  than  their  industrious  brick-making 
husbands,  by  "cockling  " — i.e.,  cockle-gathering,  on  the 
Penbre  sands. 

Ou  the  south  wall  of  the  nave  is  the  outline  of  a 
door,  walled  up  in  1862.  On  the  south  wall  of  the 
choir  is  a  little  stone  tracery-work,  the  remains  of  a 
window.  In  the  north  wall  of  the  Chapel  boundary  is 
inserted  part  of  the  head  of  what  was  probably  the 
village  cross,  which  was  placed  where  it  is  for  safety, 
in  1860-62,  when  the  wall  was  first  built.  Prior  to 
that  time  the  burial  ground  was  unenclosed.  The 
chancel  window  was  placed  by  Vicar  Owen  Jones  to 
commemorate  the  repairing  of  the  Chapel  in  1862. 

A  place-name  near  by  is  "  Pare  y  CastelJ,"  and  a 
house  close  to  this  field  is  known  as  "  North-gat." 
"  Cheeselands"  is  another  field  s  name. 

In  the  report  of  the  Commissioners  appointed  by 
Edward  VI,  in  1552,  to  take  and  make  "a  just 
viewe  .  .  .  within  every  parishe,"  we  read  : — "  Saint 
Ismaells.  It'm,  a  chalyce  in  Hawlkyng  Churche,  a 
chapel  annexed  to  the  same  parishe." 

In  a  terrier  of  1636,  preserved  in  the  parish  register, 
we  get :  — 

Alken  Church. 

Some  say  these  are  allusions  to  this  Chapel;  I  incline, 
however,  to  the  belief  that  they  may  refer  to  the 
sea  and   sand-buried  hamlet  of  Hawton,    which  was 


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LLANSAINT.  65 

demolished  by  a  tidal  wave,  probably  about  1630-40. 
Speede  marks  it  on  his  map  of  1610.  Just  now  the 
shifting  sands  have  laid  bare  a  long  line  of  low  stone 
walls,  with  three  or  four  stone  uprights  of  doors  or 
windows.  These  I  have  inspected  under  the  guidance 
of  the  parish  vicar,  Mr.  James,  who  keeps  laudable 
watch  for  any  further  sand  movement  and  disclosure 
of  buildings. 

The  previously  undescribed  stone,  which  we  will 
now  proceed  to  examine,  was  until  recently  covered 
with  ivy.  It  is  inserted  in  the  wall  upside  down. 
With  a  bow  to  Professors  Anwyl  and  John  Khys,  both 
of  whom  I  see  present,  I  suggest  that  the  reading 
of  the  inscription  on  the  stone  is : — 

CIME8ETLI    AVICATI. 

It  measures  some  1  ft.  6  in.  long  by  9  ins.  broad. 

The  other  stone,  4  ft.  6  in.  long,  is  given  by  Westwood 
as  reading : — 

VENISETLI 
FILIV8  ERCAQNI. 

The  only  merit  I  claim  for  this  paper  is  that  the 
reading  of  it  has  occupied  but  seven  minutes  of  your 
time,  leaving  us  then  with  three  minutes  to  the  good 
of  the  ten  allotted  to  me  by  our  Committee.  I  thank 
our  President,  Sir  John  Williams,  for  taking  the  chair 
on  this  occasion. 


6th   8fiB.,  VOL.  VII. 


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66 


EPl  GRAPHIC     NOTES. 

By  Professor  JOHN  RHYS.  M.A..  LL.D. 


Llansaint,  Carmarthenshire. 

At  the  beginning  of  July,  1906, 1  received  a  letter  from 
the  Rev.  M.  H.  Jones,  Picton  Terrace,  Carmarthen, 
saying  that  he  and  others,  including,  I  believe,  Mr.  Eyre 
Evans,  had  been  going  over  the  ground  in  order  to 
prepare  the  way  for  the  visit  of  the  Cambrian  Archaeo- 
logical Association  ;  and  that  they  had  come  across  an 
inscribed  stone  in  the  wall  of  Llansaint  Chapel,  which 
is  not  given  in  Westwood's  "  Lapidarium  Walliae,"  or 
mentioned  in  my  **  Lectures  on  Welsh  Philology."  This 
struck  me  as  very  strange,  as  I  visited  Llansaint  in 
the  Seventies,  in  order  to  examine  a  stone  reading 
VENNISETL-  FiLivs  ERCAGN-.  1  saw  no  other  inscription 
there ;  but  now  another,  only  about  two  yards  away 
from  it,  is  suddenly  announced.  The  explanation  is 
that  the  latter  was  concealed  by  a  thick  growth  of 
ivy,  which  was  removed  lately.  The  surface  covered 
by  the  ivy  is  still  eatsy  to  distinguish.  The  stone 
still  unpublished  has  been  horizontally  built  upside 
down  into  the  south  wall,  about  4  ft.  from  the 
ground.  It  measures  about  2  ft.  by  6  or  7  ins.  in 
the  widest  part. 

The  lettering,  or  rather  what  is  left  of  the  lettering, 
is  in  two  lines,  reading  a&  follows  : — 

CIMESETL- 

AVICATI 

Mr.  Jones,  in  describing  the  stone,  says  :  '*  The 
letters  are  well  cut,  and  it  is  easy  to  take  a  rubbing 
of  them."  But  the  final  i  of  avicati,  which  is  per- 
pendicular, is  partly  gone  at  the  bottom ;  enough, 
however,  of  that  vowel  remains  intact  to  make  its 


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BPIGRAPHIC   NOTES. 


67 


identity  certain.    Here,  on  the  right,  began  a  splinter, 
which  is  gone  with  other  letters,  the  tops  of  whicli 


■  m 


CQ 


"A 


CQ 


a  o 


p 


o 

i 
I 

I 


only  are  left.  When  my  attention  was  drawn  to  them 
I  tried  to  make  them  portions  of  the  word  fili,  but 
that  would  not  fit,  so  I  conclude  that  what  followed 
AViCATi    was    an    epithet    or    surname    which    went 


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68  EPIGRA.PHIC   NOTES. 

with  that  name,  or  else,  more  probably,  iacit  or 
Hic  IACIT.  One  cannot  stop  there,  as  one  wants  fili 
somewhere,  and  I  conclude  that  it  followed  cimesetl- 
in  the  first  line.  In  other  words,  the  end  of  the 
stone  has  been  broken  off  since  the  inscription  was 
made.  What  the  length  of  the  broken  fragment  may 
have  been  one  cannot  say;  but  as  it  consisted  of 
an  inscribed  portion,  together  with  a  portion  to  be 
sunk  into  the  ground,  it  is  not  improbable  that 
altogether  it  was  at  least  as  long  as  the  piece  which 
remains.  It  is  probably  somewhere  in  the  building, 
unless  it  is  the  third  inscribed  stone  which  is  believed 
to  be  somewhere  near  the  walled-up  door  in  the  same 
wall.  The  inscription  should  mean  ("  The  place  or 
monument)  of  Cimesetlas  [son]  of  Avicatus :  [here 
(he)  liesj."  I  should  perhaps  explain  that  Avicattis 
was  probably  of  the  u-declension  in  Celtic,  like  the 
Latin  fourth  declension,  as  in  the  case  of  rtvagistratus, 
genitive  magistrates;  but  nouns  which  made  i  in  the 
genitive,  like  Cimesetli,  had  their  nominative  in  os  in 
Gaulish  and  early  Brythonic,  as  in  Latin  also  before 
it  came  to  be  changed  into  us^  as  in  dominv^,  domini. 
So  the  Brythonic  nominative  corresponding  to  Cime- 
setli  would  be  Cimesetlos,  but  I  have  treated  it  here 
as  Goidelic  Cimesetlas,  because  Goidelic  shows  -as  in- 
stead of  'OS :  compare  Latin  with  -os,  until  it  made 
way  for  -ibs,  which  helped  the  confusion  with  the  fourth 
declension. 

The  first  thing  to  call  one's  attention  in  the  names 
is  the  common  element  setl-i  that  is  setl-i  in  Cimesetli 
and  Vennisetli.  It  is  rather  an  unusual  one,  and  its  re- 
currence here  makes  it  probable  that  the  two  bearers 
of  these  names  belonged  to  the  same  family  :  let  us  say 
that  they  were,  perhaps,  cousins.  Compare  the  series  of 
men  whose  names  began  with  (Bthel  in  the  Saxon 
Chronicles,  and  in  Welsh  pedigrees  with  eddy  such  as 
Cadwallon,  Cadwaladr,  and  the  like. 

The  word  setl  is  in  Welsh  hoedlj  *'  life,"  represented 
by  sel  in  the  Irish  compound  gar-sele,  in  Welsh  6yr- 


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EPIGRAPHIC    NOTES.  69 

hoedledd,^^  shortness  of  life,"  so  that  Venni-setl-  for 
Vendi'Setl'  meant  "  him  of  white  life,"  for  the  first 
element  venni  is  one  of  a  number  of  forms,  such  as 
vinne  and  vendu  and  vende,  all  meaning  "  white,"  in 
Gaulish  uindoSj  as  in  Penno-nindos,  "  white-headed." 
But  in  Celtic  the  word  for  "  white,"  Irish  Jinn,  Welsh 
gwyn,  feminine  gwen,  had  secondary  meanings,  such  as 
"  blessed,  or  happy ; "  and  it  is  applied  in  Welsh  to 
Heaven  and  the  Almighty;  also  in  terms  like  tad 
gwyn,  "  step-father"  :  compare  the  French  use  of  heau, 
belle,  in  beau-pdre,  belle-scBur.  See  also  my  paper  on 
the  "  Celtic  Inscriptions  of  Prance  and  Italy  "  (read 
to  the  British  Academy  on  May  23rd,  1906,  p.  12.)  So 
much  of  VennisetldSj  "him  of  the  blessed,  or  happy  life"; 
but  what  did  Cimesetlas  mean?  I  know  of  no  Welsh 
word  to  throw  any  light  on  cime,  but  there  was  an  Irish 
word,  dmbj  "  silver,"  with  which  cime  may  be  regularly 
connected  on  the  supposition,  that  in  it  m  stands  for 
mm,  representing  earlier  m6,  just  as  nn  in  Vennisetli 
stands  for  earlier  nd.  The  reason  why  we  have  cime, 
and  not  cimme,  is  probably  the  length  of  the  combina- 
tion MM  in  writing,  but  instances  of  the  simplifying 
of  double  consonants  in  our  inscriptions  are  not  rare. 
Take  for  example  Cunoceni  by  the  side  of  Cunocenni, 
and  Vendubari  by  the  side  of  BaiTivendi,  also  Cxino- 
gvM  for  Cunogussi,  and  others  of  the  same  kind.  But 
what  would  "  silver  life"  mean  ?  An  answer  was 
supplied  by  a  member  of  the  Association,  when  I  was 
discussing  this  inscription  at  the  evening  meeting  at 
Carmarthen,  and  it  was  to  the  effect  that  the  name 
was  synonymous  with  Vennisetl-i,  meaning  '*  white 
life,"  that  signification  being  suggested  by  the  colour 
of  silver.  This  is,  however,  hardly  convincing,  and  I 
turn  to  Cormac's  Irish  Glossary,  the  earliest  authority 
on  cimb.  There  it  is  given  as  originally  meaning 
"  silver,"  but  it  is  added  that  it  was  the  word  for  the 
silver  paid  frequently  and  in  large  quantities  as 
tribute  to  the  Fomorian  invaders.  From  that  circum- 
stance it  came,  we  are  told,  to  be  the  name  for  every 


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70  EPIGRAPHIC   NOTES. 

kind  of  tribute.  See  Stokes's  edition  of  O'Donovan's 
translation  of  Cormae's  Glossary,  pp.  32,  39,  where  the 
editor  adds  that  cimh  is  perhaps  "  ransom-money," 
rather  than  "tribute,"  and  cites  the  glosses  cimhid 
"  vinctus'  and  cimbidi  "  -custodias."  Cimhid  occurs 
in  Cormac's  Glossary ,  spelt  also  cimhith,  '*  a  cap- 
tive ;  so  cimhid  or  cimhith  may  have  meant  a 
prisoner  who  was  held  to  ransom.  Stokes  goes  so  far 
as  to  suggest  that  the  Celtic  word  dmhri,  explained  by 
the  ancients  as  latrones,  is  derived  from  cimh.  Thus,  I 
should  be  inclined  to  explain  CimhH  as  meaning  more 
precisely  invaders  who  exacted  tribute  from  their 
victims,  raiders  who  made  captives  in  order  to  obtain 
money  as  ransom,  or  thieves  who  were  used  to  levy 
blackmail.  In  the  case  of  the  name  Cimesetlas, 
whether  cimh^  originally  meant  silver  or  not,  I  take  it 
here  to  mean  "  ransom  ; "  that  is,  I  should  translate  it 
"  him  of  the  ransomed  life,"  and  treat  it  as  Christian 
referring  to  the  Redemption.  In  fact,  one  may  perhaps 
go  so  far  as  to  suggest  that  the  bearers  of  the  related 
names  Cimesetlas  and  Vennisetlas  were  the  saints  to 
which  the  name  of  the  Church  refers.  The  Church  is 
called  in  Welsh  Llan  Saint,  that  is,  "  Ecclesia  Sanc- 
torum ; "  and  the  answer,  or  part  of  the  answer,  to  the 
question  who  the  saints  were,  naay  be  regarded  as 
supplied  by  the  two  inscriptions.  That  seems  to  me 
more  probable  than  the  idea  that  it  is  a  dedication  to 
"All  Saints."  Vennisetli  occurs  in  North  Wales  as 
Veiidesetli,  which  has  in  Welsh  yielded  the  Saint's 
name  Gwynoedyl,  This  last  is  reduced  into  Gvrynodl, 
and  still  further,  in  the  name  of  the  Church  of 
Llan-gwnodl  or  Llan-gwnadl,  in  Lleyn :  see  the 
Myvyrian,  vol.  ii,  p.  44.  Whether  the  Llansaint 
Venyiesetly  the  Llannor  Vendesetly  and  the  Gwynodl 
of  Llan-gwnadl  are  to  be  reckoned  as  three  persons, 

1  What  is  one  to  make  of  Ponfc  y  Cim,  **The  Bridge  of  the 
Ctm,"  whioh  is  somewhere  near  Gljn  Llifon,  in  Carnarvonshire? 
Cim  may  be  for  cym,  a  possible  plaral  of  cww,  a  dingle  or  glen  ; 
but  I  do  not  know  whether  the  locality  lends  any  countenance 
to  snoh  an  interpretation. 


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BPIGRAPHIC   NOTES.  71 

two,  or  one,  I  cannot  say  :  the  saints  of  Wales  moved 
a  good  deal  frotn  one  place  to  another.  In  any  case, 
the  bearers  of  the  names  Vennisetlas  and  Ciraesetlas 
may  be  regarded  as  Goidels  rather  than  Brythons. 
The  Gwnnvvs  inscription  ^Cardiganshire)  yields  a 
purely  Welsh  name  to  ada  to  these  two,  namely, 
Hiroidil  JUius  CarotinUj  where  the  d  proves  the  t  of 
setli  to  be  standing  here  for  ih  =  d. 

So  far  of  the  first  name  :  as  to  the  other  there  is  very 
little  to  say.  Holder,  in  his  Altceltischer  Sprachschatz, 
has  a  compound  which  we  can  compare  with  it,  namely, 
AvicantuSj  the  name  of  a  source  god  mentioned  in  an 
inscription  at  Nlmes :  see  the  Berlin  "  Corpus  Inscr. 
Latinarum,"  XII,  3077.  The  genitive  Avicati  is 
doubtless  Latinised,  and  the  Celtic  would  have  probably 
been  Avicatos  of  the  i^-declension,  the  second  element 
being  catus^  "  war  or  battle ; "  Irish,  caih ;  Welsh, 
cat,  cad,  of  the  same  meaning.  The  first  element,  avi, 
is  supposed  by  Stokes  to  be  of  the  same  origin  as 
Latin  avere,  avidus,  and  one  may  perhaps  render  it 
"fond;*'  but  whether  in  the  subjective  or  objective 
sense  it  is  not  very  easy  to  decide.  Thus  did  Avican- 
tus  mean  a  god  who  was  fond  of  song,  or  a  god  of 
whom  minstrels  and  musicians  were  fond.  In  the 
former  case  Avicatus  would  mean  one  who  was  fond  of 
war  and  battle.  The  old  Welsh  for  av-i  was  ou, 
whence  colloquial  ou  (with  ii  or  y)  in  South  Wales,  and 
euor  au  in  North  Wales,  as  in  dau,  '*two,"  (Demetian 
and  Gwentian  dou,  day),  and  the  plurals  papou, 
•'popes,"  and  loggou,  "ships,"  in  the  Book  of  Llan 
Ddv  (p.  120),  become  in  later  Welsh  pabeu,  pabau,  and 
llongeu,  llongau.  This  ou  occurs  also  in  old  Welsh 
names  like  Oudocuy, in  Latin  OudoceniSyS^nd  in  Outigirn, 
Eutigim,  which  would  seem  to  have  meant  '*  fond  of 
his  t'eym  or  king,  loyal  to  his  prince."  The  represen- 
tative of  aV'i  having  become  successively  ou  and  cu, 
homophonous  as .  it  was  with  the  pronominal  genitive 
eu,  "  eorum,  earum,  their,  theirs,"  came  to  be  dropped 
in   unaccented  syllables,  as  for  example  in  Oudoceius, 


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72  EPIGRAPHIC    NOTES. 

Oudogwy,  whence  Llan-dogo,  in  Monmouthshire.  On 
the  other  hand,  when  it  came  in  time  under  the  accent, 
it  has  remained,  as  in  Eudafj  probably  from  an  early 
Avitamos,  *'  most  loving,"  or  else  '*  most  beloved." 

Since  the  foregoing  notes  were  set  up  in  type  I 
received,  in  answer  to  queries  of  mine,  the  following 
letter  from  the  Rev.  R.  J.  James,  vicar  of  St.  Ishmael's, 
Ferryside.  I  had  already  most  of  the  evidence  of 
Rogers,  the  parishioner,  cited  by  the  vicar ;  but  he  has 
kindly  put  more  questions  to  him  than  occurred  to  me. 
He  touches  also  on  other  points  of  interest,  so  I  am 
glad,  with  the  Editor's  consent,  to  insert  his  letter  in 
its  entirety,  especially  as  it  may  suggest  to  some  of 
our  members  further  enquiry  regarding  the  Chapel  of 
Llansaint  and  its  surroundings : — 

Only  at  the  very  last,  and  quite  incidentally,  have  I  come 
across  a  man  who  worked  at  the  restoration  of  Llansaint  Chapel 
in  1862.  His  name  is  John  Jenkins,  a  joiner,  84  years  of  age, 
and  I  give  you  his  own  words  in  reply  to  my  letter  asking  what 
he  knew  about  the  two  stones : — 

"  Yes,  I  acted  as  foreman  for  my  uncle,  David  Grower,  at  the 
restoration  of  Llansaint  Chapel,  and  the  architect  told  the  Vicar, 
Mr.  Jones,  that  he  need  not  have  a  clerk  of  the  works  there  as 
I  was  carrying  out  his  plans  to  his  satisfaction.  The  two  stones 
were  not  removed ;  they  are  now  in  the  same  place  as  they  were 
when  I  was  a  boy,  in  the  south  wall,  between  the  windows,  only 
lower  down  in  the  wall,  as  far  as  I  can  remember.  The  stone 
near  the  ventilators  (on  a  level  with  the  ground)  was  not 
removed.  The  piece  was  chipped  off  it  in  its  place  so  as  it  would 
be  square  with  the  ventilators,  and  lies  in  its  original  bed  or 
place  ;  and  so  does  the  other  stone.*' 

When  I  came  to  examine  the  stones  carefully  for  myself  I 
began  to  doubt  very  much  as  to  whether  they  had  been  removed 
at  all,  and  then  I  took  Rogers  to  the  spot  and  told  him  my 
opinion,  and  pointed  out  to  him  how  that  the  mortar  round  the 
two  stones  was  the  same  as  in  the  old  part  of  the  wall,  and  that 
the  mortjir  used  in  1862  was  altogether  different,  being  both 
lighter  in  colour  and  fresher  looking.  Rogers  then  hesitated 
(of  course,  you  must  allow  for  a  man's  memory  forty-four  years 
ago,  and  more  especially  as  he  was  not  working  there,  but  was 
a  mere  casual  passing  observer,  for  he  then  lived  two  miles 
away),  and  admitted  that  he  did   not  now  remember   to   a 


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EPIGRAPHIO   NOTES.  73 

certainty  that  they  were  removed  at  all,  and  he  doubted  it  very 
much  upon  examining  the  mortar  closely ;  and  so,  with  John 
Jenkins's  evidence,  obtained  since,  you  may  be  certain  that 
they  were  not  removed  at  all. 

I  asked  Sogers  then,  how  about  the  remarks,  made  amidst 
laughter,  when  it  was  observed  that  the  letters  on  the  upper 
stone  were  upside  down,  or  that  that  stone  was  placed  upside 
down ;  and  he  then  thought  that  they  must  have  observed  it,  as 
it  was  in  its  original  place ;  and  that  tlien  it  was  sugorested  to 
put  it  right,  but  that  seeing  they  would  have  to  take  down 
some  of  the  wall  before  getting  at  it,  they,  'midst  laughter, 
thought  it  as  well  to  leave  it  as  it  was. 

Now,  I  asked  John  Jenkins  in  my  second  letter  to  him, 
seeing  that  he  had  not  referred  to  that  incident  in  his  reply  to 
my  first  letter  (and  in  my  first  letter  I  purposely  omitted 
referring  to  that  incident,  just  to  see  whether  he  would  mention 
it  of  his  own  accord),  in  these  words : — "  I  should  be  obliged  by 
your  letting  me  know  whether  you  heard  any  opinion  expre^ssed 
by  anyone  at  the  time  of  the  restoration  as  to  why  the  letters 
on  the  stone — the  one  higher  up  and  nearer  the  Tower — were 
upside  down :  that  is,  the  stone  itself  being  upside  down,  which 
it  is?" 

He  replied,  evidently  misunderstanding  my  query : — "  I  know 
no  opinion  expressed  during  the  restoration  what  the  letters  on 
the  stones  were ;  if  that  gentleman  I  mentioned  in  my  former 
letter  had  written  to  me  as  he  promised,  very  likely  I  would  be 
able  to  say  more." 

"  In  his  former  letter  referred  to,  he  said : — "  I  have  seen  some 
gentlemen  there  taking  copy  of  the  letters;  one  of  them  promised 
to  let  me  know  their  meaning  as  soon  as  he  could  make  out 
anything  of  them.  However,  he  never  did,  so  I  am  sorry  to  say 
I  know  nothing  more  about  them." 

By  that,  Jenkins  either  knew  nothing  about,  or  has  forgotten, 
what  Rogers  states  as  to  the  workmen  having  observed  the 
letters  to  be  upside  down,  and  the  **  laughing  "  incident. 

Now  to  take  your  letter  of  21st  September  last,  seriatim : — 
There  is  no  record  as  to  the  stones.  Their  dimensions  are :  the 
one  upside  down,  2  ft.  4^  ins.  by  7f  ins. ;  the  other,  the  lower 
one,  4  ft.  9  ins.  by  lOJ  ins. 

Jenkins  in  his  letter  terms  them  "  bluish-grey,*'  and  says  the 
general  opinion  was  that  they  were  quarried  at  the  Treforris-fach 
Farm  quarry. 

A  joiner  and  builder  at  Llansaint  who  measured  the  8U>nes 
for  me  in  my  presence  said  they  were  "  Iwyd/'  making  a 
difference  between  Iwyd  and  14s,  but  garreg  l&s,  I  have  heard 


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74  EPIGRAPHIC   NOTES. 

such  coloured  stones  usually  termed  in  the  parish ;  and  there 
are  some  who  think  that  they  were  quarried  close  by  Ffynnon 
Saint,  and  there  is  an  old  disused  quarry  close  by  it.  One  on 
the  Geological  Survey  spoke  of  that  kind  of  stone  as  "  green," 
and  which,  I  suppose,  would  correspond  to  our  las ;  but  the  two 
stones  seem  certainly  lighter  in  colour  than  the  Treforris-fach 
kind,  for  there  are  some  new  houses  built  close  by  the  church- 
yard of  the  latter,  and  which  appear  much  darker  than  the  two 
stones  in  the  Chapel  wall.  They  seem  exactly  alike  in  colour 
to  the  Ffynnon  Saint  quarry-stone. 

Both  the  stones  are  undoubtedly — so  the  builder  above  referred 
to  thought,  and  others  also — of  the  same  kind. 

Did  you  notice  the  remnant  of  a  cross  fixed  in  the  Llansaint 
churchyard  wall  (north) — that,  I  have  heard,  was  put  there  at 
the  time  of  the  restoration  in  1862 ,  but  John  Jenkins  knows 
nothing  of  it  having  been  removed  and  placed  there. 

Jenkins  says  further : — "  I  was  just  thinking  of  the  Chapel 
in  my  first  remembrance  about  it — a  high-pitched  roof,  as  it  has 
now,  and  an  arch  at  the  chancel,  a  stone  seat  round  the  chancel 
built  in  wall.** 

If  there  was  a  stone  seat  as  described,  surely  it  would  never 
have  been  removed ;  Jenkins  must  be  mistaken,  probably,  but 
there  is  one  such  seat  in  the  old  parish  church,  St.  Ishmael's. 
The  stone  is  a  white  kind  of  fire-stone,  like  the  Caen  or  Bath 
stones. 

I  wonder  what  the  origin  of  that  was  ?  Doubtless  you  k  now 
Tliere  is  one  like  it,  it  seems,  at  Westminster  Abbey. 

In  Llansaint  Chapel  there  is  now,  you  may  liave  observed,  in 
the  east  wall,  a  rough  stone  inserted  and  projecting.  Could  it 
have  been  used  as  a  credence-table  ? 

I  fail  to  find  anything  in  any  way  in  connection  with 
Ffynnon  Saint 

I  do  not  know  whether  the  following  will  in  any  way  help 
towards  elucidating  matters  as  to  the  stones  and  wall :  can  you 
tell  me  how  Llansaint  came  to  be  called  "Alkenchurch,"  or 
Alkenchurch  Llansaint  ? 

It  seems  that  in  the  Report  of  the  Commissioners  appointed 
by  Edward  VI.,  1552,  "  to  take  and  make  a  just  vie  we  in  every 
parishe,"  occurs  the  following : — "  St.  Ismaelle's.  It'm,  a  Chalyce 
in  Hawlkyng  Churche,  a  Chaple  annexed  to  the  same  p'rishe." 

The  terrier  dated  1636,  in  the  old  parish  registers,  which  I 
have,  speaks  of  *^  the  Villadge  called  Alkenchurch ;"  a  copy  of  the 
same  terrier  made  in  1720,  in  the  Diocesan  Registry,  has  Alken- 
church in  it  as  in  the  original ;  and  it  seems  strange  that  if  it 
was  known  and  spoken  of  as  Llansaint  in  1720,  that  the  vicar 


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EPIGRAPHIC   NOTES.  75 

and  churchwardens  at  the  time,  in  copying,  did  not  make  some 
comment  with  regard  to  it. 

The  first  record  I  have  of  the  village  being  called  Llansaint  at 
all  is  in  an  entry  of  burial,  " — was  buried  at  Llansaint."  (I 
suppose  John  Harries  was  a  bit  of  an  alien) :"  January  16th, 
1744,"  only  twenty-four  years  after  the  copy  was  made;  and  a 
curious  thing,  I  fail  to  find  any  trace  of  the  word  Alkenchurch 
from  the  oldest  inhabitant ;  and  yet  there  are  some  now  living 
who  remember  their  mother  telling  them  that  she  remembered 
the  time  when  there  was  no  wall  round  the  Chapel,  and  that 
there  was  only  one  grave  (though  it  is  not  of  the  same  name  as 
above,  of  January  16th,  1744) ;  and  yet  to  this  day  they  speak  of 
Carmarthen  Gaol  (built  in  the  Old  Castle)  as  *'  y  Castell,'*  and 
the  old  Llansaint  Chapel  as  "  y  Gapel"  and  the  Nonconformist 
Chapel  £is  Meeting-house,  or  Ty  Cwrdd, 

You  must  please  excuse  the  length  of  my  letter,  but  of  all 
things  I  wish  to  be  acctvrate  ? 

Before  leaving  the  neighbourhood  of  Llan  Saint,  I 
may  mention  that  Sir  John  Williams  took  me  to  call 
on  a  farmer  who  was  with  him  at  the  Swansea  Normal 
College  in  their  earlier  days.  This  was  Mr.  John 
Lloyd  Thomas,  of  Tan  Lan  farm,  near  Llan  Ishmael, 
and  my  business  was  to  ask  him  about  the  remains  of 
the  port  of  Aber  Towy,  to  which  I  have  referred  in  my 
Celtic  Folklore  J  p.  513.  His  story  is,  unfortunately, 
very  short :  after  the  storm  of  1896,  Mr.  Lloyd 
Thomas  saw  walls  there,  which  were  in  some  places  a 
foot  or  two  high.  They  formed  rooms,  and  showed 
unmistakable  fireplaces.  He  had  some  forty  or  fifty 
loads  of  the  stones  carted  away  to  his  farm.  If  he  had 
not  done  it,  he  said  that  others  would.  The  ruins 
extended,  he  thought,  some  200  or  300  yards  along  the 
side  exposed  to  the  sea.  He  had  no  doubt  that  in 
front  of  the  foundations,  which  he  then  saw,  entire 
streets  of  houses  had  been  swept  away  by  the  storms 
of  previous  ages.  Let  me  add  that,  in  the  course  of  a 
previous  day  s  rambles,  the  President  took  me  tc  see 
where  exactly  the  T^f  enters  the  Towy,  for  from  the 
maps  I  never  felt  certain  whether  it  entered  the  Towy  at 
all ;  but  such  is  the  case,  and  at  low  tide  the  Towy  can 
be  traced  for  miles  beyond  and  below  the  mouth  of  the 


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76  BPIQRAPHIC    NOTES. 

TS.f.  When  I  wrote  before  about  Aber  Towy,  it  was 
Apropos  of  the  "  Hunt  of  the  Twrch  Trwyth  "  ;  and  I 
now  find  that  the  Twrch,  in  order  to  make  his  way  to 
the  Loughor  and  Amman  district,  would  naturally 
proceed  down  the  right  bank  of  the  T^f  until  he  came 
to  Ginst  Point,  which  ended  then  probably  consider- 
ably in  front  of  where  it  ends  now,  for  the  sea  seems 
to  have  gained  enormously  about  the  mouth  of  the 
Towy.  Even  now,  there  would,  at  low  water,  be  no 
great  distance  to  swim  between  Ginst  Point  and  the 
site  of  Aber  Towy.  Lastly,  I  should  be  glad  to  know 
what  the  local  antiquaries  make  of  Speed's  Hawton^ : 
where  exactly  was  it ;  what  is  the  history  of  the 
name  ?  and  are  there  any  traces  of  an  old  route  from 
PeuHniog  (or  the  district  of  Paulinus,  about  Llandy- 
silio)  to  Ginst  Point  and  Aber  Towy  ? 

Llandawke,  Carmarthenshire. 
On  the  Wednesday,  during  the  Carmarthen  Meeting, 
the  President's  party  tried  to  meet  the  other  members 
of  the  Association,  but  we  found  ourselves  too  long 
delayed  at  Laugharne  to  reach  Eglwys  Cymun  in  time  ; 
so  we  met  them  at  Llandawke,  and  betook  ourselves 
to  the  examination  of  the  ancient  inscription  kept  in 
the  church.  This  was  my  third  time  of  visiting  it : 
my  first  visit  was  early  in  the  Seventies,  when  I 
failed  to  get  the  Ogmic  portion  of  the  legend  right. 
The  stone  had  had  a  piece  broken  off  its  length,  and 
that  piece  had  disappeared.  The  remainder,  with  most 
of  the  lettering,  served  as  a  threshold,  and  it  had 
evidently  done  so  for  a  pretty  long  time,  as  the  edges 
were  already  considerably  worn  away  by  the  tread  of 
feet.  This  affected  the  Ogams  more  than  the  Latin 
letters,  as  it  shortened  the  scores,  where  they  reached 
originally  up  to  the  edge  to  which  they  belonged.  My 
second  visit  took  place  in  the  company  of  my  friend,  Mr. 
Thomas,  vicar  of  Laugharne,  on  Good  Friday,  1898, 

^  Since  writinef  the  above,  it  has  occurred  to  me  that  Hawton  and 
Hawkyn{g)y  p.  74,  above,  meant  the  same  name :  which  was  the 
correct  form,  if  either  P 

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EPIORAPHtO   KOtBS. 


77 


when  we  solved  the  chief  difficulty  of  the  Ogam, 
reading  of  the  Latin  is  as  follows  : — 


i-s 


->     5« 


The 


•^^  • 

►.^  <=> 

0*3 -a 

•S  a  « 
9  ®  § 
^  S  Q 

a  §5 

^  as 

,-5  Q  ® 

^  a  -p 

^  2 
§  o  £ 

H 


a 


I 


That  is:  "The  place  or  monument  of  Barrivendas : 
the  son  of  Vendubaras  lies  here."  For  I  presume  that 
the  Hic  lACiT  though  not  on  the  front  of  the  stone, 
is  a  part  of  one  and  the  same  inscription,  with  the 
wo  lines  on  the  front :  it  has  sometimes  been  alto- 
tgether  overlooked.    The  names  mean  "  white-topped," 


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78  EPIGRAPH  10   NOTES. 

or  **  white-headed,"  and  are  in  Later  Irish  Barr- 
Fmn  and  Finn-barr ;  in  Welsh,  Berwyn  and  Gwyn- 
far.  As  they  have  been  so  often  the  subject  of 
comment,  I  pass  on  to  give  some  notes  on  the 
lettering.  It  is  generally  pretty  good  ;  the  A  is  broad 
and  angular  in  the  first  instance,  but  narrower  in  the 
second.  The  R  is  good,  though  open  in  the  first  two 
instances,  but  narrow  and  closed  in  the  third,  for  the 
inscriber  perceived  that  he  was  approaching  the  ground 
line,  and  Degan  to  crowd  the  latter  part  of  the  legend. 
The  first  v  is  peculiar  in  having  its  first  arm  nearly 
perpendicular  :  the  others  are  not  so.  We  have  a 
horizontal  i  at  the  end  of  the  first  line.  The  F  is  pro- 
longed below  the  line,  and  has  the  short  i,  which 
follows,  attached  to  its  lower  bar ;  the  s  is  reversed. 
The  second  D  appears  to  have  been  punched  for  a  B, 
when  the  inscriber  found  his  error,  and  proceeded  to 
make  it  into  D ;  but  how  far  he  carried  his  intention 
out  one  is  prevented  from  judging  by  the  lower  portion 
of  the  letter  having  been  worn  away.  The  letters 
making  Hic  lACiT  have  their  lower  ends  carried  away 
by  a  flaking  of  the  stone,  and  they  were  all  so  placed 
as  just  to  avoid  the  scores  of  the  Ogam.  Thus  the 
three  last  scores  of  the  UJIL  {qu)  of  maqui  come  right 
down  to  the  top  stroke  of  the  T,  and  the  second  upright 
of  the  H  is  shortened  so  as  not  to  join  the  subse- 
quent -j-  (m)  of  the  Ogam.  Now,  the  Ogam  portion 
of  the  legend  is  written  as  usual  in  the  direction  con- 
trary to  the  Latin,  and  is  on  the  edges  ab  and  CD.  On 
the  former  edge  (ab),  the  reading  is — 

1 1   .../...  ■        ...ill..     . .      I   . . . 

D      UM      ELEDONA8 

and  on  the  latter  (cd)  the  following  : — 

/     .      Mill      .MM    /     I 
/I  M  M  I   /      I 

M   A     QU  I    M    [UCOI 


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EPIGRAPHIG   NOTES.  79 

The  first  line  began  exactly  opposite  the  v  of  Barri- 
vendiy  and  the  other  Une  began  almost  exactly  on  the 
same  level.  Not  only  is  the  Ji  (d)  beginning  the  Ogam 
opposite  the  v,  but  the  first  score  of  it  is  to  be  seen  in 
the  opening  of  the  v,  while  the  other  actually  forms  a 
part  of  the  first  arm  of  the  v :  possibly  it  accounts 
tor  its  being,  as  already  mentioned,  perpendicular; 
for  the  other  vs  have  no  perpendicular  arm.  The 
perpendicular  is  the  normal  direction  in  the  case  of  the 
11.  It  is  right,  however,  to  say  that  the  other  u  is 
not  perpendicular,  but  slopes  backwards  :  in  fact,  the 
Ogam  scores  here  all  slope,  more  or  less,  and  especially 
then(/). 

These  inscriptions  raise  various  diflScult  questions, 
and  the  first  is,  how  much  of  the  Ogam  is  missing  ? 
Line  a  b  is  practically  complete,  I  fancy  :  as  it  is,  it 
ends  abruptly  with  three  scoies  on  the  b  side;  but 
I  have  treated  them  as  originally  four,  which  would 
make  5,  and  finish  a  genitive  Dumeledonas,  That  is 
probably  all  there  ever  was  on  that  edge.  The  other 
edge  has  less  on  it,  Maqui  M,  with  the  second  m  followed 
by  one  vowel  notch,  which  might  be  a,  making  the 
commencement  of  another  maqui ;  but  it  is  far  more 
probable  that  the  word  is  to  be  completed  into  mucoi. 
Maqui  maqui  would  mean  '*  of  the  son  of  the  son,  fdii 
JUii,  grandson's."  It  sometimes  occurs,  but  a  very  much 
commoner  formula  is  maqui  mucoi,  "  filii  generis," 
foUowed  by  the  name  of  the  non-Christian  ancestor  of 
the  family.  What  that  was  in  this  case,  I  cannot  say, 
unless  perhaps  it  was  Vendubari :  this  would  imply  a 
good  length  of  edge  to  write  on,  but  what  there  was 
originally  of  line  cd,  together  with  the  top  of  the 
stone,  may  have  possibly  aflforded  the  length  required. 
Following  that  out,  we  should  have  **  Maqui  mucoi 
Vendubari,  Dumeledonas,"  and  construe  thus — '*  The 
burial-place  of  the  son  of  the  Kin  of  Vendubar, 
namely,  Dumeledo."  On  the  other  hand,  maqui  mucoi 
may  have  been  all  that  there  was  on  that  side  :  then 
we  should  have  to  read  the  two  sides  together,  as 


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80  tiPlGRAPHlC   NOtES, 

Maqui  mucoi  Dumeledonds  "  (Locus  or  Memoria)  filii 
generis  Dumeledonis."  In  that  case,  the  departed's 
name  is  not  given,  unless  we  suppose  the  Ogam  to  be 
taken  in  connection  with  the  genitive  Bamvendi  or 
Venduhari.  This  raises  the  question  of  the  relation  of 
the  two  scripts  to  one  another  :  which  was  there  first  ? 
Barrivendi  has  the  first  score  of  the  jj  utilized,  so  to 
say,  in  making  the  v,  while  the  other  score  hangs  into 
the  open  space  of  that  letter,  and  the  arm  of  the  Ogam 
for  m  penetrates  into  the  semicircle  of  the  second  R. 
Now  the  inclination  of  the  v,  decided  probably  by  the 
Ogam  letter  jj,  would  go  to  prove  that  the  Ogam  was 
there  first.  The  Hic  iacit,  in  its  careful  avoidance  of 
the  Ogam,  distinctly  shows  also  the  priority  of  the 
Ogam  on  the  other  edge.  Why,  then,  did  the  inscriber 
not  keep  the  letters  of  Barrivendi  clear  of  the  Ogam, 
which  he  could  easily  have  done  by  carving  them  a  little 
further  from  the  edge  ?  I  can  only  suggest  that  he  did 
not  notice  the  Ogam  as  such  on  a  b,  but  that  it  was  so 
fresh  on  the  edge  c  d  that  he  could  not  avoid  becoming 
aware  of  it.  This  all  means  that  the  two  inscriptions 
had  nothing  to  do  with  one  another ;  not  to  mention 
that  they  may  be  of  different  dates,  the  interval  between 
them  having  perhaps  been  long  enough  for  the  con- 
nection of  the  stone  with  the  grave  of  Dumeledo  to  be 
forgotten,  and  for  the  Latin  inscriber  to  seize  upon  it 
for  his  own  purposes.  In  that  case  also,  one  need  not 
suppose  the  lost  name  as  lengthy  as  Venduhari :  let  us 
substitute  for  it  the  Mini  of  the  Treflys  stone,  to  be 
mentioned  presently,  and  then  we  should  have — 


Maqui  Mucoi  Mini 
Dumeledonas. 


"  Filii  Generis  Mini, 
i.e..  Dumeledonis." 


The  name  Dumeledo,  genitive  Dumeledonas,  claims 
kinship  with  Dumelus  of  the  stone  at  Llanddewi  Brefi, 
reading  DALLur  DVMELur,^  Dumel-i  from  Gortatlea  in 

^  This  inscription  is  hardly  to  be  recognised  as  represented  either 
by  Westwood  or  Hiibner.  A  good  photograph  or  rubbing,  or  better, 
both,  should  be  printed  of  it  in  this  Journal.  I  have  only  seen  it 
since  the  publication  of  Lewis  Morris's  Notes  by  Mr.  Edward  Owen 
in  this  Journal  in  1896. 


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EPIGRAPHIG   NOTES.  81 

Kerry,  and  another  genitive,  Ddumileas,  from  Dunloe, 
in  the  same  county :  compare  the  Irish  place-name 
Cluain  Domail,  ''D.  s  meadow,"  in  "Gorman/  June  2nd; 
also  a  genitive  Duimle  in  the  Book  of  Leinster,  fol.  368^ 
The  meaning  of  the  name  Dumel-,  eludes  me ;  and  I 
have  to  make  the  same  confession  as  to  the  ending 
-edu  or  -edo,  genitive  -edonas,  -edona,  later  -edon. 
Take,  for  instance,  the  Ogams  in  the  Isle  of  Man 
yielding  the  genitives  Bivaidonas  and  Dovaidonay 
and  the  inscription  in  Inchaguile  in  Lough  Corrib, 
which  has  Luguaedon^  while  Aaamnan  supplies  Nemai- 
don  (misprinted  Nemanidon  in  Reeves's  text).  That 
is  not  all,  for  Holder  has  brought  together  nearly 
thirty  instances,  among  which  he  includes  CcUedu, 
which  occurs  on  the  Colchester  bronze  tablet  as 
Caledo,  meaning  a  Caledonian ;  the  singular,  in  fact, 
of  CaJedones.  Holder  gives  this  and  Ccdedones  a 
long  e,  and  so  with  the  termination  -edu,  genitive  edon- ; 
but  in  the  words,  Caledo,  Caledones,  at  least  he  is 
probably  mistaken  as  to  the  quantity,  as  proved  by  the 
Welsh  Celyddon  and  the  name  of  Dunkeld,  which  was 
Diin  Chailden,  "  the  dun  of  the  Caledonesy 

Nbvbrn,  Pembrokeshire. 

Note  by  the  Editor. — Since  there  appears  to  be  some  doubt 
as  to  the  exact  circumstances  under  which  the  Ogam  stone 
No.  2  at  Nevem  was  found,  it  may  be  as  well  to  state  the  facts 
of  the  case  in  a  few  words.  Just  as  the  members  of  the  Asso- 
ciation were  leaving  Nevem,  on  the  occasion  of  their  visit  to 
that  place  on  August  17th,  1904,  Archdeacon  Thomas  came  up 
to  me  in  the  churchyard,  and  asked  me  whether  I  had  noticed  a 
piece  of  interlaced  ornament  on  one  of  the  lintel-stones  of  the 
narrow  passage  which  gives  access  to  the  staircase  leading  to 
the  so-called  "priest's  chamber."  I  replied  that  I  had  not 
observed  it,  and  went  back  into  the  church  to  have  a  look  at  it. 
What  I  saw  first  is  shown  on  Fig.  4.  On  examining  the 
adjoining  stone,  my  surprise  and  delight  may  be  imagined  when 
my  eye  caught  the  Ogams  on  the  angle  of  the  stone  which  had 
escaped  the  notice  of  the  Archdeacon.  However,  I  am  quite 
willmg  to  share  the  honour  of  having  made  the  discovery  with 
liim,  as  I  should  never  have  found  the  Ogams  if  he  had  not 

CtH  SEB.,  vol.  VII.  6 


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82  EPIGRAPH1C  NOTES. 

sent  me  back  in  search  of  the  stone  with  the  interlaced 
ornament  upon  it.  The  reading  of  the  Ogam  inscription  given 
in  the  Report  of  the  Cardigan  Meeting  in  the  Arch.  Uamb., 
6th  Ser.,  vol.  v,  p.  167,  viz.,  ...  I  cunan  maqui  .  .  .  was  mine 
and  no  one  else's.  I  guessed  the  name  to  be  cunan,  and  the  only- 
letter  I  read  wrongly  was  the  final  N  TTTTT  ^^  cunan,  which 
should  liave  been  s  TTTT-  I  ^"®^  ^  ^^^  ^  Latin  inscription 
on  the  under  face  of  the  lintel,  but  the  stone  was  so  dirty  and 
the  lighting  of  the  passage  so  bad  that  I  could  not  detect  any 
letters.  a1  far  as  I  can  remember,  the  only  members  of  the 
Association  who  were  present  when  the  discovery  was  made 
were  the  Kev.  G.  Eyre  Evans,  Mrs.  Thomas  Allen,  Mr.  Herbert 
Allen  and  Mr.  Edward  Owen,  Archdeacon  Thomas  had  gone 
on  with  the  rest  of  the  party  to  the  carriages.     I  might  have 


/ 

-— 

--^ 

*      .^f^^^^^ 

<'  J?^^"^* 

,«^ 

.,* 

.;^f^r  ■ 

Fig.  4. — Lintel-Stone  with  interlaced  work  at  Nevem,  discovered  August  17th, 
1904,  by  the  Yen.  Archdeacon  D.  R.  Thomas,  F.S.A. 
Scale,  \  linear. 
{Dravm  by  W.  Q.  8. ,  from  a  nAbing  by  the  Rev.  O,  Eyre  Evans,) 

returned  to  Nevern  again  on  a  subsequent  occasion,  and 
endeavoured  to  get  the  stone  removed,  so  that  I  could  read 
the  whole  of  the  inscriptions  correctly ;  but  I  preferred  to 
leave  the  task  in  the  far  abler  hands  of  Professor  John  Rhys. 

We  spent  the  end  of  the  week  at  the  hospitable 
home  of  Dr.  Henry  Owen,  at  Poyston,  in  Pembroke- 
shire, and  on  Saturday,  August  18th,  he  drove  me 
and  Mr.  Williams  of  Solva,^  proprietor  of  the  Pembroke 
Cmmty  Guardian — a  newspaper  which  does  good  work 
for  Demetian  archaeology — ^to  the  pretty  village  of 
Nevern,    to  see  the    stone    on  which    Mr.    Romilly 

^  Alas  !  I  have  jast  heard  the  news  of  his  death:  lie  was  suffering 
wlien  he  was  with  ns. 


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BPIORAPHIC  NOTES.  83 

Allen  in  1904  read  in  Ogam  .  .  .  .  i  Cunan  maqui : 
see  the  Arch.  Camh.  for  1905,  p.   167.      The  stone 
forms  a  lintel  of  the  door  leading  to  a  little  staircase 
which  brings  one  to  what  is  called  the  "Priest's  Room." 
Alongside  of  it  is   another  stone,  which  may  prove 
even  more  important  than  the  first  one.    A  certain 
quantity  of  ornamentation  was  visible   on   its  lower 
mce,  and   it  probably  has  on  it  an  elaborate  cross, 
accompanied  very  possibly  with  an  inscription.     But 
I  must  confine  my  remarks  to  the  first  stone  and  ite 
inscriptions.     I  put  it  in  the  plural,  for  before  I  could 
find  the  Ogam  edge,  I  noticed  a  Latin  inscription  on 
the  under  face  of  the  stone ;  that  is,  the  side  of  it  over 
one's  head.     My  first  attempt,  however,  was  to  read 
Cunan  in  Ogam,  and  I  was  glad  not  to  find  there  any- 
thing so  late,  but  {cufiCLS,  which  showed  me  exactly 
where  I  was.      Then  we  got  a  mason  to  clear  away 
patiently  the  mortar  and  stones  alongside  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  beginning,  which  in  time  he  got  clearly 
visible.     To  my  joy,  the  name  revealed  itself  as  Magli- 
cunds,  and  opposite  it,  running  in  the  contrary  direction, 
I  first  made  out  ocuni,  and  after  a  while  glocuni,  a  part 
of  Maglocuni,  the  Latin  genitive  of  the  familiar  name 
MaglocunuSy  in  Welsh  Mailcun  and  Maelgwny  which 
Welsh  printers  invariably  wish  to  murder  into  Mael- 
gwyn.      This   was  followed  by  fli  Clut,  and  I  felt 
certain  that  the  whole  of  the  last  vocable  would  prove 
to  be  ClutorigL    But  I  was  quite  wrong  ;  for,  as  the 
stone  was  long  and  had  an  ample  grip  of  the  wall,  the 
mason  punched  away  until  he  had  the  under  surface 
of  the   lintel  clear  well  past  the  last  letter,  and  the 
name  completed  itself  as  Clutoriy  beyond  all  doubt.     I 
had,  while  the  mason  was  clearing  the  Latin  letters, 
been  puzzling  myself  at  what  was  left  visible  of  the 
Offam,  and  ttiere  also  the  scores  for  cl  showed  them- 
selves.    Further  punching  revealed  the  notches  for  u. 
I  could  not  see  the  writing  any  further,  but  I  thought 
I  could  just    feel    the   three   scores  for  t.      It  was 
impracticable  to  make  a  hole  further  in  that  direction, 


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84 


EPIORAPHIC   NOTES. 


or  in  pursuit  of  the  Ma  of  Maglocuni.     The  readings 
may  be  represented  thus  : — 


— AT- 


0^ 


, .-.-JWt  — 


1. 

d 


^i 


3  -l 

I  • 

^  1 

ft-  « 


a 


bO 


or? 


o  *2 

I 

bo 

a 
*> 


a 


The  G  seems  to  be  Q;  the  l  inclines  to  be  A,  while 
the  c  approaches  <,  and  the  n  is  written  M,  but  the 
latter  perpendicular  is  lengthened,  possibly  to  indicate 
the  I ,  somewhat  after  the  fashion  of  Roman  inscrip- 
tions, but  the  I  may  be  there  as  a  very  close  parallel  to 
the  \A :  I  could  not  decide  with  the  light  from 
below.  The  F  is  much  of  the  usual  tjrpe,  with  its 
lower  arm   drooping   a  little.      The   second   limb   of 


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fiPlQRAMIC   NOTES.  85 

the  V  tends  to  end  with  a  slight  curvature,  except  the 
last  V,  which  ends  well  under  the  roof  of  the  T.  The  R 
is  rather  an  elegant  letter,  but  its  perpendicular  is 
prolonged  somewhat  beneath  the  line.  The  final  i  is 
of  the  usual  horizontal  kind.  I  had  no  time  to  try  to 
take  a  rubbing  of  the  stone,  and  even  had  I  time, 
I  do  not  think  it  could  have  been  done  to  any  advan- 
tage while  the  stone  is  in  its  present  position.  The 
letters  ^lo  are  very  faint,  and  some  of  the  others  are 
not  much  less  faint ;  so  1  gather  that  all  that  face  had 
been  a  good  deal  exposed  to  the  weather,  or  more 
likely,  to  the  tread  of  feet,  before  the  stone  was  placed 
where  it  is  now. 

The  name  which  yields  the  Latin  genitive  Chitori  is 
new  to  me,  and  one  of  the  principal  disappointments 
connected  with  this  fiLd  is  that  we  cannot  as  yet  get 
at  the  end  of  the  Ogam  legend,  so  as  to  ascertain  what 
the  Goidelic  genitive  exactly  may  be,  which  stands  in 
Ogam  for  the  ClutoH  of  the  Latin.  This,  and  the 
probability  of  the  other  stone  having  on  it  both  a 
cross  and  an  inscription,  make  it  highly  desirable  that 
both  stones  should  be  carefully  extracted  from  the 
wall. 

As  to  the  other  name  given  in  Latin  as  Maglocuni, 
implying  a  nominative  Moglocimus,  I  may  say  that 
one  has  usually  taken  for  granted  that  the  early 
Brythonic  was  Maglocunos,  genitive  Maglocuni,  but 
the  Goidelic  genitive  Maglicunas  shows  that  we  have 
been  mistaken,  for  this  last  seems  to  imply  a  nominative 
Maglicu,  and  the  Brythonic  was  probably  Maglociiy 
genitive  Maglocunos.  That  is  to  say,  the  second 
element  was  the  word  for  '*dog/'  the  etymological 
equivalent  of  the  English  word  hound,  and  the  Greek 
KvtDVy  genitive  kwo^,  nominative  plural  kvv^s.  The  early 
forms  in  insular  Celtic  may  have  been  cu,  possibly 
cud,  or  cuds,  genitive  ctinos,  making  in  early  Goidelic 
cu,  genitive  cUnas,  modern  Irish  cti,  genitive  cdn, 
nominative  plural  cdin ;  in  early  Brythonic  en,  cii, 
genitive  cai\,  modern  Welsh  cl,  genitive  own  (preserved 


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86  EPIGRAPHlO  NOTES, 

in  Mailcwn,  Maelgvm),  nominative  plural  cwm.,  "hounds, 
dogs."  There  is  a  difference  here  in  the  thematic 
vowel  ofmaalos,  as  the  Goidelic  has  i  in  Magli-cunas ; 
but  the  genitive  occurs  in  a  Latin  list  in  the  Book  oj 
Leinster  Tfol.  362')  as  Magla-coni.  The  variation  is  due 
to  the  inaistinct  pronunciation  of  the  thematic  vowel, 
leading  up  to  its  ultimate  elision  ;  while  in  Brythonic 
the  thematic  vowel  of  the  o-declension  remained,  being 
protected  by  the  stress-accent  down  probably  to  a 
comparatively  late  period.  See  my  "  Origin  of  the 
Welsh  Englyn  and  Kindred  Metres  ( Y  Cymmrodorj 
vol.  xviii,  pp.  6-10).  It  will  have  been  noticed  that 
the  Welsh  Maelgwn  comes  from  the  old  genitive,  or, 
more  strictly  speaking,  it  represents  perhaps  the  stem 
of  the  cases,  while  the  nominative  is  lost,  except 
in  so  far  as  we  have  it  in  Greoffrey  of  Monmouth's 
Mailgo,  genitive  Malgonis.  The  Goidelic  ci'i,  genitive 
cwiiaSy  meant,  as  already  stated,  "  hound,  dog,"  while 
the  other  element  becomes  in  Welsh  the  personal 
name  Mmjlos^  Mael.  In  Goidelic  it  should  be  maglas, 
and  it  makes  in  Irish  mdl  **a  prince,  a  hero;"  so 
the  compound  name  in  Irish  should  be  Mal-chRy 
genitive  McU-chon,  but  I  have  never  met  with  either. 
However,  in  the  list  of  the  kings  of  the  Picts,  a  Brude 
Mac  Maelchon  occurs  more  than  once  ;  and  I  believe 
somebody  has  suggested  that  the  father  of  the  first 
Brude  so  described  was  no  other  than  the  Brythonic 
prince,  Maelgwn  Gwynedd.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the 
oldest  form  which  we  have  of  the  Pictish  king's  name 
is  that  given  by  Bede  in  his  Hist.  Ecc,  III,  c.  iv,  in 
the  well-known  passage  reading  as  follows  in  Plummer's 
text :  **  Uenit  autem  Brittaniam  Columba,  regnante 
Pictis  Bridio  filio  Meilochon,  rege  potentissimo,  nono 
anno  regni  eius,  gentemque  illam  uerbo  et  exemplo  ad 
fidem  Christi  conuertit."  In  Meilochon  the  ch  argues 
a  touch  of  Goidelic  spelling,  while  the  name  as  a  whole 
seems  to  have  come  from  the  Brythons  at  a  time  when 
the  thematic  o  was  still  retained.  Compare  the  Pictish 
Vipoig  from  Vepdgenos,  and  see  **  The  Englyn"  1.  c. 


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Bt'IORAPHlC   NOTES.  87 

The  importance  of  this  class  of  names  makes  it 
necessary  to  discuss  them  with  more  minuteness  than 
is  usual  in  our  Journal ;  and  I  wish  to  point  out  that 
the  elements  making  up  Maglicu,  genitive  Maglicunas, 
are  practically  the  same  also  which  we  have  in  the 
compound  Cuno-maglos,  which  occurs  in  the  genitive  as 
Cunamagli  at  Kirk  Arbory,  in  the  Isle  of  Man,  and  also 
in  "  Maglus  Conomagli  Filius/'^n  the  Bollandists'  Vita 
S.  Winwcdoei.  The  making  of  two  compound  names 
out  of  the  same  two  elements  is  familiar  in  such  cases 
as  the  Greek  SeoStopo^  and  ^^podeo^y  "Imrapxo^  and 
''Apxt'inro^,  and  it  can  be  matched  in  most  other  Aryan 
languages.  There  is  a  point  to  be  noticed  as  to  the 
connecting  vowel  in  Cono-magli  and  Cuna-magli :  the 
declension  of  the  word  for  *'  hound  "  is  a  consonantal 
one,  and  supplies  no  such  vowel  at  all,  but  the  analogy  of 
the  o-declension  is  followed,  and  the  pronunciation  is 
helped  by  recourse  to  the  vowel  o  (changed  in  Goidelic 
mostly  to  a,  sometimes  to  e  or  i).  Compare  again  the 
analogy  of  Greek  in  such  instances  as  /cvvo'/ceif>aXo^, 
tcvvo-irpoawTTo^,  KVPO'fAopijH)^,  and  others.  But  the  evidence 
of  our  Maglicunas  means  a  catastrophe  to  the  old 
explanation  of  names  like  Cunomaglos,  Cunotamos, 
Cunomoros,  Cunovalos,  and  many  more  beginning  with 
cuno,  cono,  Irish  con-,  Breton  ccm-,  and  Welsh  con-y 
cin-y  cyn- ;  for  that  explanation  postulated  an  adjective 
cunO'Sy  which  was  supposed  to  mean  "high."  This, 
however,  was  never  shown  to  have  had  any  existence 
in  any  Celtic  idiom,  so  far  as  I  know,^  and  now  for 

^  Some  of  the  Welsh  words  relied  on  to  support  the  existence  of 
the  adjective  cuno-a  look  rather  Pnghean,  such  as  civn  "  altitudOy' 
and  cynu  "  turgere"  The  latter  is  Pughe's  speHing  of  cynnu  in  pan 
gynnu,  in  the  £ook  of  Taliemn  (Skene,  ii,  189),  which,  unfortu- 
nately, means  "when  it  set,"  though  from  it  he  derives  erchynu, 
"to  rise,"  for  which  he  gives  no  quotation.  The  nearest  actual 
form  is  the  Gwentian  cumnu,  "  to  rise,  to  raise,"  which  is  probably  a 
contraction  of  cyehwynnu,  "  to  start,  to  give  a  start  to'';  the  third 
person  singular  present-future  indicative  is  cychwyn^  and  also  the 
imperative  singular ;  so  the  corresponding  parts  of  cumnu  are  cwyn, 
**  rises,  raises,"  and  cu^,  "  do  (thou)  rise,  or  raise,"  which  cannot 
be  connected  with  cwnnu,  except  that  be  a  ahoriening  o£  cwyujiu  from 


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88  EMGltAPHIC  KOTES. 

"high"  we  have  to  substitute  "hound."  But  what 
sense,  the  reader  will  probably  ask,  can  there  be 
assigned  to  the  names  in  question.  Irish  literature 
enables  one  to  answer,  for  with  the  ancient  Irish  the 
cu,  "hound  or  dog,"  was  the  guardian,  watchman, 
fighter,  and  protector  par  excellence.  The  name  and 
story  of  the  hero  Cii-Chulainn,  "  Culann's  Hound," 
together  with  the  analysis  of  other  cii  names  in  Irish 
tales,  amply,  prove  the  term  to  have  been  at  one  time 
one  of  respect  and  regard ;  nor  is  it  wholly  irrelevant 
to  mention  the  fact  that,  according  to  Strabo,^  Britain 
exported,  among  other  things,  dogs  fitted  for  the  chase 
and  for  war  as  carried  on  by  the  Celts,  by  whom 
he  meant  the  Celts  of  Gaul ;  and  that  the  same 
sort  of  exportation  was  continued  in  Ireland  down 
to  the  time  of  St.  Patrick  (Bury's  Patrick,  pp.  31, 

c^wynnu  =  cyhwynnu  =  cychwynnu,  than  which  the  more  asnal  verbal 
noan  is  now  cycJivoyn.  The  chwyn  portion  stands  for  squend,  which 
is  represented  by  the  Irish  verb  scendim.  "  I  spring.'*  Led  bj  bad 
spelling,  Dr  Stokes  thought  that  the  Welsh  forms  pointed  to  an 
early  squeiid  rather  than  the  squendd  which  the  Irish  forms  postnlate; 
but  the  pronunciation  is  cychwy?maf,  cychwyTiwol,  etc.,  as  the  school 
of  reformed  Welsh  spelling  would  write  them — and  as  old  authors 
did  write  them — with  nn  for  early  nd.  It  is  useless  also  to  invoke 
Welsh  gogoned,  "gloriosus,"  for  the  first  two  syllables  of  that  vocable 
appear  to  equate  with  the  name  Gu-caun,  Guo-caun,  Go-gaun,  Ga- 
gon,Gugan :  compare  Cat-gucann,  Cat-gocaun,  Cad-ugann,  Cadwgan. 

^  See  Meineke's  edition,  199,  200 :  the  passage  refers  to  the 
exports  from  Britain  in  the  historian's  time,  and  it  reads  to  the 
following  effect : — These  products  are  exported  from  the  island,  and 
also  hides,  slaves,  and  dogs  suitable  for  hunting  ;  the  Celts  employ 
dogs  also  in  war,  alike  these  British  dogs  and  their  native  breed. 
My  attention  has  also  been  called  to  Orosins  v.  14,  where  Bituitos, 
king  of  the  Arverni,  who,  when  he  had  in  the  year  121  B.C.  made 
immense  preparations  for  fighting  the  Romans,  met  such  a  small 
army  of  them  that  he  is  said  to  have  bragged  that  they  would  not 
suffice  for  a  meal  for  the  dogs  which  he  had  marching  with  him  in 
his  army.  Some  months  later,  Bituitos  was  seen  on  his  silver 
chariot  adorning  at  Rome  the  triumph  of  the  Roman  general,  who 
had  a  medal  struck  on  one  side  of  which  is  to  be  seen  a  Roman 
soldier  fighting  with  a  big  dog.  Lastly,  a  friend  has  favoured  me 
with  a  reference,  possibly  in  point,  to  Gratius's  Cyneyetica,  lines 
174-181. 


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fiPIGRAt»HIO  NO*BS.  89 

341) ;  the  Irish  wolf-hound  is  not  yet  extinct,  though 
doubtless    he   is    rapidly   becoming   a   sad    mongrel. 

Everything,  in  fact,  goes  to  show  how  important 
certain  varieties  of  hound  or  dog  were  to  the  Celts, 
and  in  this  light  the  proper  names  in  question 
would  seem  to  yield  good  sense ;  thus  Maglocu  would 
mean  a  prince  or  hero  who  was  a  guardian  or  protector ; 
Cuno  maglos,  a  guardian  who  was  princely  or  heroic  ; 
and  Cuno-tamos  {\x\  Modern  Welsh  Cyndaf)^  one  who 
is  in  the  highest  degree  a  guardian  or  protector  ;  that 
is,  if  the  word  is  to  be  treated  as  a  superlative.  How 
far  the  dog  was  regarded  in  the  same  light  by  other 
Aryan  nations,  I  am  not  prepared  to  say  ;  but  I  notice 
that  the  Greeks  had  such  personal  names  as  l^vvayo^, 
KwovKKo^y  ^i\oKva>u,  Kvi/€a<;,  and  KwtWo?.  Similarly, 
Forstemann  gives  a  small  number  of  Germanic  names 
beginning  with  hund,  "  dog,"  such  as  Hundpaldy  Hunt- 
prehty  and  Huntgar;  and  possibly  some  of  those  begin- 
ning with  hun  belong  also  here,  such  as  Hunbert^ 
Hungar,  Hunhilt,  and  Hunleib.  But  German  scholars 
consider  the  first  element,  whether  hund  or  hun,  as  of 
very  uncertain  origin  and  interpretation  in  this  class 
of  compounds. 

As  the  members  of  our  Association  are  aware, 
Nevern  has  another  bilingual  inscription  :  that  of 
Vitalianus,  which  I  am  inclined  to  regard  as  one  of  the 
oldest  monuments  of  the  kind  in  the  Principality.  In 
"  The  Englyn,"  p.  74,  I  have  gone  so  far  as  to  suggest 
that  this  stone  commemorates  the  grandfather  of 
Vortigern.  In  any  case,  the  site  of  the  village  of 
Nevern,  occupying  a  sheltered  spot  on  a  tidal  creek, 
was  probably  one  of  the  headquarters  of  the  Irish 
D^ssi ;  and  this  may  prove  the  key  to  the  early 
history  of  the  Demetian  district  of  Cemmes.  The 
Welsh  form  of  the  name  of  Nevern  is  Nanhyfer, 
from  an  earlier  Nant  Nyfer^  which  enables  one  to 
correct  an  entry  in  the  Annales  Camhrice  into  Cian 
nant  nimer  ohiit — "  Cian  of  Nanhyfer  died.''  The 
year  appears  to  have  been  865  :  see  PhilUmore  s  note 


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do 


EPIGRAtHlC   KOtES. 


Kian  a  nd  jn  difieith  on  ad  dray 

otnch  pen  bet  alltad. 
Bet  kindilic  mab  corknnd. 


in  the  Cymmrodor,  ix,  165.  Cian  was  a  common  Irish 
name  at  that  time,  and  we  have  no  means  of  ascertain- 
ing whether  this  bearer  of  it  was  a  priest  or  a  chief; 
but  in  the  **  Englynion  of  the  Graves,"  No.  41,  a  Cian  is 
mentioned  in  a  way  that  suggests  a  play  on  his  name, 
as  though  it  were  derived  from  Welsh  ci  "  dog,"  as 
follows,  with  cund  corrected  : — 

Cian  howlH  in  the  wolves'  wilder- 

ness  afar 
Over  an  alien's  fjrrave — 
The  grave  of  Ou-Duilich  son  of 

Corco-Nntan. 

Corco-Nutan  (Book  of  LeinsteVy  fol.  350*,  365*")  is  not 
quite  the  equivalent  of  Cm^knudy  but  it  is  near  enough, 
and  Cian  is  here  associated  with  two  other  men 
bearing  distinctly  Irish  names,  but  we  cannot  locate 
him  or  the  grave  of  his  fellow  Goidel.  The  lolo  MSS., 
p.  78,  give  the  name  Ciariy  there  spelt  Ceian,  to  a 
Goidel  whom  they  represent  invading  Gower  and 
Morgannwg.  It  is  possible  that  the  Cian  of  the 
Englynion  and  lolo's  Ceian  were  one  and  the  same 
man  with  the  Cian  of  Nevem.  Nevern  is  mentioned 
also  in  the  '*  Hunt  of  Twrch  Trwyth  "  (Mabinogion, 
p.  138),  where  the  place,  instead  of  being  called  "  the 
Dingle  of  Nyfer,"  is  called  Glynn  Nyuer,  "  The  Glen 
of  Nyfer,"  and  we  read  of  Arthur's  men  stationing 
themselves  on  both  sides  of  the  Nyfer,  whereupon  the 
Twrch  moves  away  to  Cwm  Cerwyn,  where  he  fought 
fiercely  and  repeatedly  against  Arthur  s  men  before  he 
got  to  Peuliniog,  and  thence  to  Aber  Towy  and  the 
Loughor  district,  as  mentioned  already.  This  story 
suggests  that  the  Twrch  was  more  or  less  at  home  in 
Nanhyfer,  but  it  helps  us  to  no  date.  My  attention, 
however,  has  been  called  by  Professor  Anwyl  to  verses 
alluding  to  Nanhyfer  in  a  poem  by  Meilir,  who  is  sup- 
posed to  have  lived  from  1120  to  1160.  The  subject 
was  Trahaearn,  king  of  Gwynedd,  who  was  slain  in 
the  battle  of  Mynydd  Carn,  in  1079,  when  fighting 
against  GrufFydd  ab  Cynan  and  Rhys  ab  Tewdwr, 


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E!>IGllAPHTC  NOTBS. 


dl 


aided  by  their  Irish  auxiliaries.  The  general  sense  of 
the  passage  is  doubtful,  but  the  words  most  in  point 
are  not  hard  to  understand  :  see  the  MyvyriaUy  I. 
192  :— 


Ny  dot.jnt  dros  nor  etwaeth 
Pobl  anhjuaeth  Nanhyaer 
Gwytyl  dieuyl  duon 
rsgodogion  dynion  lletfer. 


They  are  uot  come  across  the  sea 

yet — 
The  illbred  people  of  Nanhyfer, 
Goidels,  demons  black, 
Scottia's  rabble,  men  weak-kneed. 


That  a  Welsh  poet  of  the  twelfth  century  should  have 
given  such  a  character  to  the  people  of  Nanhyfer  is 
very  remarkable,  and  shows  that  it  must  have  at  least 
been  well  known  that  they  were  of  Irish  descent,  and 
that  they  were  in  the  habit  probably  of  receiving  and 
harbouring  invaders  from  Ireland.  How  late  this 
continued  it  is  impossible  to  say,  or  to  guess  how  long 
these  men  of  Nevern  retained  the  use  of  the  Irish 
language,  This  last  is  a  very  important  question, 
especially  when  one  calls  to  mind  the  comparative 
lateness  of  the  Trefgarn  Fach  inscription  with  Ogtenlo 
"  Ogtiu's  Grave,"  and  the  Llanvaughan  one  with 
Trenaccat-lOj  "  Tringad's  Grave."  Both  are  in  Ogam, 
and  with  them  may  perhaps  be  chronologically  asso- 
ciated some  inscriptions  which  are  in  Latin  alone,  such 
as  the  Llanllyr  one,  in  the  Vale  of  Ayron.  At  all 
events,  I  gather  that  the  Irish  language  persisted  in 
parts  of  Dyfed  considerably  later  than  I  have  been  used 
to  think :  possibly  down  to  the  days  of  Cian,  late  in 
the  ninth  century. 

The  two  inscriptions  on  the  stone  which  have  occupied 
us  here  are,  it  will  have  been  noticed,  exact  counter- 
parts of  one  another,  which  is  very  seldom  the  case. 
But  this  Nevern  find,  which  appears  to  have  been 
made  by  Mr.  Romilly  Allen  and  Archdeacon 
Thomas,  will  not  yield  us  all  the  lessons  to  be  derived 
from  it,  until  the  two  monuments  are  taken  out  of  the 
wall  to  which  the  ignorance  of  a  forgotten  generation 
has  recklessly  consigned  them.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that 
this  will  be  seen  to  by  the  Vicar,  Mr.  J.  O.  Evans,  who 


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§2  BPtORAtHtC   NO*ES. 

kindly  gave  us  all  the  assistance  in  his  power  on  the 
day  of  our  visit,  and  by  the  enlightened  Squire  who  is 
the  head  of  the  great  Welsh  family  of  the  Bowens  of 
Llwyngwair. 

Trbflys/  Carnarvonshire. 

In  October,  1904, 1  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Charles 
E.  Breese,  of  Portmadoc,  whose  father,  the  late  Edward 
Breese,  was  an  ardent  antiquary,  conspicuous  at  our 
meetings  in  the  Seventies.  The  son,  I  am  delighted 
to  say,  has  inherited  his  father's  tastes,  and  his  letter 
was   about    a    find    made    near    the    old  church    of 


Fig.  6.  -Inscribed  Stone  at  Treflys,  Carnarvonshire. 
{From  a  photograph  by  C.  E.  Breese.) 

Tretlys.  I  quote  the  following  words  from  it :  **A  find  of 
considerable  interest  has  been  made  near  the  old  church 
of  Treflys,  which,  you  may  remember,  stands  about 
midway  between  here  and  Criccieth,  in  fairly  close 
proximity  to  the  sea.  Some  six  weeks  ago,  some 
workmen  were  engaged  in  removing  on  the  west  of  the 
church  the  boundary  wall  enclosing  the  graveyard  on 
that  side,  in  order  to  make  room  for  an  extension  ;  and  at 
a  depth  of  about  1  ft.  3  ins.  or  1  ft.  8  ins.  from  the  surface, 
and  forming  part  of  the  foundation  of  the  wall,  they 
came  across  an  inscribed  stone.     I  send  you  a  rubbing 

1  The  inscribed  stone  at  Treflys  has  been  already  described  in  the 
Arch.  Camb.  for  Janoary  1905,  and  an  account  of  the  church  by- 
Mr.  Harold  Hughes  will  be  found  in  the  Arch,  Camb.  for  October, 
1906.     This  fact  had  wholly  escaped  me  when  I  wrote  these  notes. 


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BPIORAPHIC  NOTES.  93 

which  I  have  taken  of  it,  and  also  a  very  rude  sketch- 
plan  of  the  locale.  The  stone  is  perfect,  and  the 
incisions  upon  it  in  a  very  excellent  state  of  preserva- 
tion. The  stone  is  only  very  slightly  chipped  at  the 
bottom  end,  and  is  of  the  blue-slate  type  peculiar  to 
this  country.  The  cross  is  interesting,  and  is  very 
carefully  incised."  Since  then  Mr.  Breese  sent  me  a 
photograph  of  the  stone,  together  with  its  dimensions,  as 
follows :  — 

Whole  length  of  stone         4  ft.  6  ins. 

Whole  length  of  inscription  ...  2  ft.  6  ins. 

Depth  of  stone  ...         ...  ...         Sins. 

Width  of  stone  ...  ...  ...  9  or  1 0  ins. 

Tapering  at  top  end  down  to  ...  7  ins. 

At  Easter,  1905, 1  spent  a  week  at  Arianfryn  on  the 
Mawddach,  and  made  an  excursion  to  Portmadoc  on 
April  22(id,  when  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Breese  took  me  to 
Gresel  Gyfarch  and  Treflys.  At  the  latter  place  the 
inscribed  stone  had  been  carefully  placed  inside  the 
little  church,  and  I  found  the  reading  exactly  as  de- 
scribed by  Mr.  Breese,  as  follows : — 

That  is,  lACONvr  Fiuvr  mini  iacit,  *'  (Here)  lies  laco- 
nus,  son  of  Min."  This  requires  one  or  two  notes  :  the 
sis  of  the  tall  gamma  type;  the  f  has  the  first  i  of  filiics 
attached  to  its  lower  bar,  while  the  Hits  is  represented 
by  a  sort  of  combination,  which  may  be  described 
as  T,  making  an  L  upside  down,  to  be  read  as  li :  then 
a  sort  of  arm  sloping  upwards  (from  the  middle  of  the 
perpendicular  of  the  r)  towards  the  right  provides  a  v, 
while  the  arm  and  the  lower  half  of  the  perpendicular 
yields  an  r.  Thus  I  regard  the  word  as  meant  to  be 
read  FiLivr,  which  is  the  case  required.  The  cross  in 
front  of  the  first  name  is,  perhaps,  more  correctly 
speaking,  the  monogram  of  XPI2T02,  the  part  +  being 
intended  for  X,  and  the  prolongation  into  a  curve  to 
the  right  for  P,  the  Greek  rho,  I  cannot  recall  any 
exact  parallel  nearer  than  Cornwall :  see  Langdon  and 
Allen's  Catalogue  of  Inscribed  Monuments  in  Cornwall, 
in  this  Journal  for  1895,  pp.  50-60.     There  No.  13  is 


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94 


SPiaRAPHIC    NOTES. 


in  point  as  to  the  form  of  the  monogram,  and  Nos.  22 
and  35  also  as  to  its  position  in  a  line  with  the 
legend  in  Latin.    Before  leaving  the  inscriber's  handy- 


work,  I  wish  to  mention  that  I  thought  I  detected 
five  Ogam  notches  near  the  top  of  the  stone  on  the 
right  edge  opposite  the  monogram :  they  are  not  so 
like  notches,  however,  as  little  pits  into  which  one's 


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BPfOBAPHIC  KOm.  95 

finger-tips  would  fit.    They  formed  the  end  of  the  geni- 
tive Ictconi,  which  would  be — 

_  MM!     I      I  I  I  I      II 


M  M  I      I  II      I  I  I  I  I      M  M  I 

A     C       O       N  I 


And  looking  further  down,  I  seemed  to  detect  the  out- 
ward extremities  of  three  of  the  four  scores  for  c ;  in 
other  words,  a  flake  had  gone  long  ago,  carrying  on  it 
the  rest  of  the  Ogam  legend  on  the  edge  and  to  the 
right  of  it;  but  I  should  like  to  have  the  opinion 
(Jf  others  on  this  point. 

To  come  to  the  names,  I  have  nothing  to  compare 
for  certain  with  lACONVS,  unless  it  be  lacinipoi,  in  an 
Ogam  inscription  now  at  Donard,  in  co.  Kildare  ;  and 
probably  one  must  not  associate  with  them  Irish  ice, 
"  a  healing,  salvation,"  and  Welsh  iachy  **  hale,  sound, 
healthy,"  which  seem  to  have  bifurcated  from  a  com- 
mon stem  iecc.  The  Venedotian  prince  called  lacoby  son 
of  Belly  in  the  Harleian  Genealogies  ( Y  Cymmrodory 
ix,  1 70),  is  called  by  Greoflfrey  xii,  6,  lago,  in  the  accusa- 
tive Idgonerriy  as  if  he  had  found  a  name  laco^  accusative 
Idconerriy  in  a  Latin  document ;  nor  is  it  quite  impossible 
that  our  laconus  is  a  form  of  the  Christian  name 
lacobus :  at  any  rate,  it  would  be  almost  as  near,  with 
its  n,  to  the  original  as  the  Italian  Gridcomo,  and  the 
English  James,  with  their  m.  If,  for  instance,  'laicw/So? 
was  imported  with  its  fi  pronounced  v,  as  has  long 
been  the  case  in  Greek,  there  would  be  nothing  strange 
in  Idcovos  being  made  by  Goidelic  Christians  into 
Idconus;  but,  needless  to  say,  this  is  all  conjecture. 
As  to  the  other  name.  Mini,  it  is  hard  to  say  whether 
the  inscriber  regarded  this  as  the  genitive  of  Minus  or 
of  a  derivative  MiniuSy  as  it  would  do  for  either. 
There  is  an  Irish  adjective  min,  which  signifies  '*  soft, 
smooth,  fine,  small";  but  whether  our  Mini  has  any- 
thing to  do  with  it  is  hard  to  say.  It  is  more,  per- 
haps, to  the  point  to  mention  the  name  of  a  family  or 


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96  snaRAPHic  hotbeu 

sept  called  Moeumin,  in  Adamnan's  Life  of  Columha. 
It  occurs  in  the  names  of  two  brothers,  Lugbeus 
Moeumin  and  Lugneus  Moeumin^  where  the  latter 
word  means  Mocu  Miuj  or  the  Kin  of  Min.  Some- 
times Adamnan  expands  the  name  thus  :  Lugbeus, 
gente  Moeumin,  or  Lugbeus  of  the  gens  called  the  Kin 
of  Min.  The  references  to  Reeves's  edition  are  i,  15 
(43),  24  (53),  28  ^56),  ii,  18  (127),  27  (141):  none  of 
the  passages  enable  one  to  find  out  where  the  Mocu- 
Min  were  settled.  But  until  some  evidence  of  the 
occurrence  of  a  patronymic  mac  Min  is  found,  I  cannot 
help  thinking  that  flius  is  here  to  be  interpreted  in  a 
wide  sense,  such  as  was  sometimes  given  to  mac  in 
Irish,  and  that  JUhis  Mini  is  to  be  treated  as  a  loose 
translation  into  Latin  of  the  Goidelic  Mocu  ^  Min, 
Mocu  is  neither  declined  nor  translated  by  Adamnan, 
but  in  the  Ogam  inscriptions  of  Ireland  it  is  almost 
always  in  the  genitive,  mocoi  or  mucoi.  The  latter 
occurs  also  in  this  country,  at  Bridell,  in  Pembroke- 
shire, and  at  Silchester,  in  Hampshire ;  but  nowhere, 
unfortunately,  has  this  difficult  term  of  Goidelic  socio- 
logy been  found  rendered  into  Latin. 

I  may  add  that  I  have  had  other  letters  from  Mr. 
Breese,  in  which  he  alludes  to  various  antiquarian 
remains  at  Treflys  and  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  They 
range  from  a  spindle- whqrl  to  a  cromlech.  Subject  to 
the  Editor's  approval,  I  should  like  to  suggest  to  Mr. 
Breese  that  he  should  write  for  this  Journal  a  paper 
on  the  antiquities  of  the  district  around  Treflys. 

Llystyn  Gwyn,*  near  Brynkir  Station, 
Carnarvonshire. 

On  the  1st  of  July,  1902,  I  received  a  letter  from 
Mr.  R.  Pritchard  Evans,  of  Felin  Llecheiddior,  in- 
forming me  of  the  discovery  of  an  old  inscribed  stone 

'  An  illustration  of  the  stone  will  be  found  in  the  Ai-ch,  Camh,  for 
1903,  p.  288.  It  was  first  published  in  the  Proc,  Soc,  Ant.  Lond.y 
Ser.  2,  vol.  xix,  p.  255.  ... 

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EPIGRAPHIC  NOTES.  97 

on  the  farm  of  Llystyn  Gwyn,  on  the  estate  of  Col. 
Lloyd  Jones  Evans,  of  Broom  Hall^  near  Pwllheli.  In 
the  course  of  the  month,  I  went  with  Mr.  Pritchard 
Evans  to  see  the  stone.  As  a  result  of  my  visit,  I  read 
an  account  of  the  stone  to  the  Society  of  Antiquaries. 
It  appeared  in  their  Proceedings  for  1903,  pp.  255-271 ; 
and  in  it  I  stated^  among  other  things,  that  I  had  it 
from  an  expert  that  the  j  stone  is  one  of  fgranitic 
texture,  which  is  to  be  found  in  situ  in  the  Bethesda 
district.  It  measures  parallel  to  the  inscription  about 
3  ft.  6  ins.,  by  3  ft.  the  other  way ;  and  as  to  thickness, 
it  varies  from  rather  more  than  a  foot  at  the  edge  just 
above  the  lettering  to  6  ins.  at  the  edge  opposite, 
namely,  the  one  furthest  from  the  lettering.  It  is  a 
peculiarity  of  this  inscription  that  it  is  crowded  into 
one  corner  of  the  surface  :  see  Fig.  8. 

When  I  first  saw  the  stone  it  rested  on  the  edge  b  d, 
and  I  was  not  able  to  have  it  shifted,  so  I  detected  no 
more  writing  ;  but  as  it  stood  in  a  very  unsafe  place,  I 
urged  the  farmer  to  have  it  moved.  In  time  he  did 
so,  and  the  photograph  which  Mr.  Pritchard  Evans 
procured  for  me  represented  it  standing  as  above,  as 
may  be  seen  in  the  copy  printed  by  the  Society  of 
Antiquaries.  That  photograph,  though  showing  the 
edge  B  D  clear  of  the  ground,  into  which  it  pressed 
itself  when  I  saw  it,  suggested  to  me  no  additional 
writing;  but  when  in  the  course  of  the  Portmadoc 
Meeting  the  Cambrians  visited  it,  the  Venerable  Arch- 
deacon Thomas  detected  Ogam  writing  on  the  edge 
B  D.  Then  as  I  could  get  no  reading  of  the  Ogam 
scores,  I  had  to  wait  till  I  could  find  an  opportunity  of 
revisiting  the  stone  myself  This  came  during  my  stay 
at  Penrhos  early  in  September,  1904,  when  Sir  William 
Preece  drove  me  to  Llystyn  Gwyn.  We  found  the 
stone  by  this  time  standing  near  the  farmhouse,  and 
we  detected  the  Ogam  scores  at  once  on  the  rugged 
edge  B  D,  for  that  is  only  a  little  less  so  than  the  broken 
edge  c  D.  The  top  a  b  is  so  thick  and  rounded  that  it 
can  hardly  be  said  to  offer  an  edge  for  the  Ogam  carver 

6th  seb.  vol.  vu.  7 


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98 


EPIORAPHIC    NOTES. 


to  practice  on.     There  was  left  a  c,  which  presents  a 
fairly  tractable  edge,  and  in  point   of  position  that 


B 


Fig.  8. — Inscribed  Stone  at  LljHtyn  Gw'jn,  Caruarvou«hire. 
{Prom  a  photograph  by  J.  Allen  Jones,  Ilvjh  Street ^  Criccteth.) 

would  have  been  the  one  where  I  should  look  for 
Ogams,  and  I  believe  I  did  so  when  I  first  saw  the 
stone.     The   reason  why  ac  had  not  been  used  was 


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EPlGRAPHIC   NOTES. 


99 


Fig.  9. — Latin  Inscription  on  the  Llystyn  Gwyn  Stone. 


Fig.  10.— Ogam  Inscription  on  the  Llystyn  Gwyn  Stone. 


7- 


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100  EPIGRAPflIC   NOTES. 

probably  the  same  as  for  crowding  the  Roman  letters 
into  the  right  top  corner.  That  reason  cannot,  I  think, 
be  other  than  that  more  than  one-half  of  the  stone 
must  have  been  covered  by  other  heavy  stones  before 
either  inscription  was  carved.  What  sort  of  burial 
that  may  exactly  imply  I  am  unable  to  say  ;  and  it  is 
a  pity  that  the  site  should  not  be  carefully  excavated, 
for  there  is  still  one  big  stone  there  lying  m  situ^ 
perhaps  more  than  one.  The  tenant  can  show  the 
exact  spot,  and  Col,  Lloyd  J.  Evans  would  probably 
only  be  too  glad  to  see  the  work  done  thoroughly  :  in 
any  case,  there  would  not  be  much  to  do. 

One  of  Sir  William  Preece's  party  took  a  photograph 
of  the  stone,  but  as  the  day  was  not  favourable  the 
result  did  not  come  up  to  our  expectations.  I  read  the 
Roman  letters  as  before  :  icoRi  filiv  f/potenti/ni,  that 
is  Icori  filiu[s]  f(ili)  Potentini — "I.  son  of  the  Son 
of  Potentinus. '  The  Ogam  reading  up  at  right  angles 
to  it  is  as  follows  : — 

IMM     MM     ■  I    /////    I  I  I  1  I    //    ■ 


"/////   ""•//  '  MM 

I  COR  I      G    A      S 

Some  of  the  vowel  notches  are  indistinct,  but  there  is 
no  serious  difficulty  as  to  the  reading.  It  is  right  to 
say  that  the  two  inscriptions  come  in  one  another's 
way,  for  where  the  second  F  comes  to  the  very  edge  of 
the  stone,  its  two  bars  interlock  with  the  arms  of  the 
Ogam  J-l^ ;  but  they  are,  I  thought,  just  kept  from 
touching  one  another. 

Now,  as  to  the  names,  one  sees  at  once  that  Icorigas 
is  the  genitive  of  the  name  which  is  given  as  ICORI  in 
the  Latin,  and  that  it  is  impossible  to  regard  ic  as 
standing  here  for  the  Latin  hie,  as  I  wrote  before  seeing 
the  O^am.  Unfortunately,  there  are  two  ways  of 
regardmg  the  declension  of  the  word  :  (1)  the  form 
ICORI  stands  for  an  earlier  Icori-s  of  the  z-declension, 
making  in  the  genitive  Icoriy-dSy  written  Icorig-dS,  to 
be  compared  with  Avittorig-es,  the  genitive  in  es  of  the 


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BPiaRAPHIC   NOTES.  101 

name  written  in  Latin  Avitoria  in  the  nominative. 
(2)  Or  else  it  may  be  treated  as  standing  for  Ico-rlx,  a 
compound  making  its  genitive  Ico-rlg-as,  involving,  in 
fact,  the  word  for  king,  Old  Irish  H,  genitive  rig, 
Welsh  rhi.  Holder  supplies  two  forms  in  point,  and 
on  the  whole  they  may  be  said  to  favour  the  second 
view.  They  are  Icongiumy  a  place-name  from  the 
neighbourhood  of  Treves,  formed  most  likely  from 
Icorix.  The  other  is  Icovellauna,  the  name  of  a 
goddess  in  inscriptions  from  the  vicinity  of  Treves  and  of 
Metz.  Vellauna  is  the  feminine  of  Vellaunos,  meaning 
probably  one  who  rules  or  reigns,  a  prince  :  compare 
CdssivellaiinoSy  Catuvellaunos,  and  the  like.  But  all 
this  does  not  enable  one  to  fix  the  meaning  of  the  first 
element  ico  in  the  composition  of  names  such  as  Ico-rlx 
and  IcO'Vellauna. 

As  to  the  other  name,  PotentinuSy  I  have  given  it 
as  mv  opinion  that  Filius  Fill  Potentini  may  be  a 
literal  translation  from  Goidelic  ;  and,  as  I  have  got 
no  '*  forwarder"  since,  I  cannot  do  better  than  repro- 
duce it  in  the  form  in  which  it  occurs  in  the  paper 
read  to  the  Society  of  Antiquaries,  as  follows  : — "  The 
name  Potentinus  occurs  in  one  of  the  Roman  inscrip- 
tions at  Caerleon,  and  we  have  Potenina,  which  looks 
like  a  reduced  form  ofPotentina,  on  a  post- Roman  stone 
found  at  Tregaron,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Roman 
site  of  Llanio,  in  Cardiganshire.  Potentinus^  as  a 
derivative  from  potens,  'powerful,  strong/  has  its 
parallel  in  Irish  in  the  name  Ceithemach,  which  comes 
from  mediaeval  Irish  cethern  or  ceithem,  in  Welsh 
cadam,  ^  potens^  strong,  able-bodied,' literally  *  fit  for 
war/  cognate  with  cad,  '  battle,'  Irish  cath  of  the  same 
meaning;  but  the  Irish  word  cethern  has  only  come 
down  in  the  sense  of  '  soldiers,'  or  rather  perhaps  a 
*  band  of  soldiers,'  as  it  is  used  in  the  singular  with  a 
plural  meaning,  and  it  has  been  borrowed  into  Welsh  as 
such,  while  in  English  it  became  hern  and  oateran  (see 
O'Dono van's  Battle  of  Magh  Rath,  p.  140,  and  Stokes's 
Saltair  na  Rann^  line  3538).      The  kern  seem  to  have 


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102  EPIGRAPHIC   NOTES. 

earned  at  an  early  date  a  very  bad  reputation,  and 
y  gethem  is  usually  connected  in  Welsh  with  heU,  and 
means  the  rabble  of  demons  associated  with  it.  To 
return  to  the  inscription  :  Filius  JUi  Potentini  may  be 
treated  as  the  equivalent  of  some  such  a  mediaeval 
Irish  designation  as  Mac  Meic  Ceitherrmich,  or 
Mc  Ceithemaigh's  son.  In  fact,  it  is  perhaps  needless 
to  look  for  any  other,  as  Mac  Ceithernaigh  occurs  as  a 
proper  name  in  Irish  annals,  for  instance,  in  those  of 
Ulster,  A.D.  1382  :  in  the  translation  of  the  Four 
Masters  it  is  anglicized  as  *  Mac  Keherny,'  and  it  was 
borne  by  one  of  the  chieftains  of  Connaught." 

Curiously  enough,  the  meaning  given  to  the  feminine 
collective  cethern  in  Welsh,  recalls  the  strong  words  in 
which  Meilir  indulged  in  reference  to  the  Groidels 
of  Nanhyfer :  it  testifies  to  a  racial  animosity  which 
has  taken  centuries  to  die  out  in  the  Principality. 

Note. — With  regard  to  the  illastrations  of  this  paper,  it  should 
be  mentioned  that  Mr.  Worthington  Smith  has  done  his  best  with 
the  materials  placed  at  his  disposal,  which  consisted  chiefly  of 
rubbings.  These  are  occasionallj  misleading,  if  not  corrected  bj 
moans  of  photographs  and  sketches  taken  from  the  stones  them- 
selves. The  most  satisfactory  results  can  only  be  obtained  by  photo- 
graphs of  casts  of  the  stones,  and  these  are  not  as  yet  available.  The 
rubbings  of  the  Nevern  No.  2  stone  were  taken  by  the  Rev.  G.  Eyre 
Evans  in  the  depth  of  winter,  at  considerable  inconvenience  to 
himself.— Ed. 


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103 


Cambrian  ^trdbaeologtcal  2[0£(ociatuin. 


REPORT  OF  THE 
SIXTIETH    ANNUAL    MEETING. 

HRLD  AT 

CARMARTHEN, 

On  MONDAY,   AUGUST   13th,    1906, 

AND   FOUR  FOLLOWING   DAYS. 


Preiident. 

THE   VEN.  ARCHDEACON  THOMAS,  F.S.A. 

Pretident'Elcct 

SIR  JOHN  WILLIAMS.  Bart.,  M.D. 

JjOccU  Committee. 
Oaiman.— ALAN  STEPNEY-GULSTON,  Esq.,  Dkrwydd. 

The  Mayor  of  Carmarthen  (H.  E.  Blagdon- Richards,  Esq.). 

Sir  James  HiUs-Johnes,  V.C,  G.C.B.,  Dolaucothi,  Llanwrda. 

Mrs.  Johnes,  Dolaucothi,  Llanwrda. 

Sir  Lewis  Morris,  Penbryn. 

The  Venble.  Archdeacon  Evans,  Carmarthen. 

Rev.  T.  R.  Walters,  Carmarthen. 

Rev.  W.  Davies.  Llanfihangel  Abercowin. 

Rev.  J.  Thomais  Laughame. 

Rev.  D.  D.  Evans,  Llangunnor. 

Rev.  George  Eyre  Evans,  Aberystwy  th. 

Rev.  W.  W.  Poole  Hughes,  Warden,  Llandovery  College. 

Rev.  J.  Marsden,  LlanDwch. 

Rev.  Alexander  Williams,  Llangatheu. 

Colonel  Gwynne  Hughes,  Glancothi. 

Meuric  Lloyd,  Esq.,  Delfryn. 

G.  G.  T.  Treherne,  Esq.,  28,  Bedford  Row,  London. 

D.  Lleufer  Thomas,  Esq.,  Hendre,  Swansea. 

T.  W.  Barker,  Esq.,  Oaklands,  Carmarthen. 


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104  CAMBRIAN  ARCHAEOLOGICAL  ASSOCIATION. 

Local  OomnUttee. — Continued, 
T.  E.  Brigstoeke,  Esq.,  King  Street,  Carmarthen. 
J.  D.  Jones,  Elsq.,  Bronydre,  Carmarthen. 
H.  C.  Tierney,  Esq.,  Editor,  Wdshman,  Carmarthen. 

A.  LI.  I>avies,  Esq.,  Brynderw,  Carmarthen. 
J.  B.  Morgan,  Esq.,  Architect,  Llanelly. 
Mrs.  D.  Pugh  Evans,  Parade,  Carmarthen. 
Miss  Spurrell,  King  Street,  Carmarthen. 

H.  S.  Holmes,  Esq.,  Training  College,  Carmarthen. 
R.  M.  Thomas,  Esq.,  Town  Clerk,  Carmarthen. 

E.  V.  Collier.  Esq.,  Architect,  Carmarthen. 

Arthur  R  Davies.  Esq.,  5,  Quildhall  Square,  Carmarthen. 
John  Lewis,  Esq.,  Arybryn,  Carmarthen. 

B.  A.  Lewis,  Elsq.,  Morfa  House,  Carmarthen. 

F.  W.  Childs,  Esq.,  Architect,  Carmarthen. 

Hon,  Local  Treasurer, 
P.  J.  Wheldon,  Esq.,  Nat.  Prov.  Bank,  Carmarthen. 

Hon,  Local  Seeretwrtu, 
Rev.  M  H.  Jones,  22,  Picton  Terrace,  Carmarthen. 
Walter  Spurrell,  Esq.,  King  Street,  Carmarthen. 

General  Secretaries  to  the  Association, 

Rev.  Canon  R.  Trevor  Owen,   M.A.,   F.S.A.,  Bodelwyddan  Vicarage, 

Rhuddlan  R.S.O.,  North  Wales. 
Rev.  C.  Chidlow,  M.A,,  Lawhaden  Vicarage,  Narberth. 


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CARMARTHEN   MEETING. — REPORT.  105 


EVENING    MEETINGS. 


MONDAY,  AUGUST  13th,  1906. 

A  CoNVBBSAZiONE  aod  reception  of  the  members  of  the  Assooiation 
by  the  Mayor  and  Mayoress  of  Carmarthen,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  E. 
Blagdon-Riohards,  was  held  in  the  Assembly  Rooms  at  8  p.m. 

The  Mayor,  in  offering  a  welcome  to  the  members  of  the 
Association,  said  it  was  a  very  carious  fact  that  on  the  first  visit  of 
the  Association  to  Carmarthen  it  had  jnst  terminated  thirty  years  of 
its  existence,  and  now  at  the  time  of  its  second  visit,  it  had  jast 
completed  the  second  thirty  years.  He  took  it  that  in  the  usual 
course  of  events  the  third  visit  of  the  Association  would  be  in  the 
year  1936.  He  and  all  of  them  would  very  much  like  to  put  that 
date  a  little  closer  to  the  present  year.  He  felt  highly  gratified — 
not  to  say  honoured — that  it  fell  to  his  lot  to  tender  to  each 
distinguished  member  of  the  Assooiation  the  warmest  and  heartiest 
welcome  into  their  midst  that  it  was  possible  for  a  man  to  offer. 
He  did  so  on  behalf  of  himself  and  the  Mayoress,  and  on  behalf  of 
the  Corporation  of  this  ancient  borough,  with  the  assurance  also  of 
the  fullest  appreciation  of  his  fellow-townspeople.  He  should  like 
to  emphasise  that  assurance,  because  he  wished  them  to  believe  him 
it  was  not  a  mere  idle  sentiment  prompted  by  ordinary  courtesy. 
He  knew  it  to  be  based  upon  a  very  lively  feeling  of  satisfaction 
that  existed  in  the  town  over  this  present  visit  of  the  Association. 
They  in  Carmarthen  took  a  very  great  pride  in  the  history  and 
historical  status  of  the  town,  and  especially  of  being  St.  Peter's 
boys,  of  which  he  was  ona  Of  course,  it  was  very  natural  and 
pardonable  for  anyone  to  eulogise  his  own  town,  but  it  was  more 
than  usually  justified  in  their  case.  He  supposed  ho  might  assume 
everyone  present  had  read  every  historical  document  relating  to 
the  ancient  charter  of  this  old  town.  It  was  simply  teeming  with 
eulogistic  references  to  the  town.  One  in  particular  read  very 
nicely,  and  he  had  made  a  copy  of  it.  In  a  certificate  made  out  in 
the  year  1548,  it  stated:  ''The  town  of  Carmarthen  is  a  fair 
market  town,  having  a  fair  haven  and  the  fairest  town  iu  the  whole 
of  Sonth  Wales,  and  of  the  most  civility.''  He  really  did  not 
consider  that  by  any  means  an  exaggerated  way  of  putting  it, 
because,  in  his  experience,  which  was  a  very  long  one,  he  had 
known  this  statement  to  have  been  made  scores  and  scores  of 
times ;  in  fact,  whenever  visitors  came  to  Carmarthen  there  were 
four  things  they  did.  First  of  all,  they  visited  the  Market-place, 
especially  if  they  could  do  so  on  a  Saturday.  Then  they  went  down 
to  visit  the  Carmarthen  docks ;  then  they  admired  the  beauties  of 
the  town  from  its  various  aspects,  inside  and  around  ;  and  lastly. 


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106  CAMBRIAN  ARCHJEOLOGICAL  ASSOCIATION. 

bj  no  meftns  the  leasfc,  thej  fallj  appreciated  the  oiTilitj  shown 
them  by  the  Carmarthen  people.  He  held  that  there  was  no  single 
spot  in  the  Principality  that  contained,  in  proportion  to  its  size, 
landmarks  more  calcnlated  to  aronse  the  dreamy  interest  of  the 
antiquary  than  were  contained  in  this  small  area.  He  said  this 
advisedly,  becanse  those  who  had  made  themselves  familiar  with 
the  town  and  its  history  by  means  of  stndy  and  previous  visits  would 
bear  him  out  in  that  statement;  and  with  regard  to  those  who 
had  not  had  the  inestimable  privilege  of  visiting  this  town  before, 
they  would,  during  the  course  of  the  week,  come  to  realise  the  truth 
of  every  statement  he  uttered  there  that  night.  He  could  give  them 
instances  beyond  nnmber,  but  would  content  himself  with  drawing 
attention  to  just  one  spot  of  interest  and  great  antiquity  in  the 
town — that  was  the  Old  Oak  in  Priory  Street,  the  site  of  the  Old 
Priory.  It  had  been  said — and  there  were  many  believers  in  the 
faith  to-day,  who  maintained  the  legend — that  when  the  Old  Oak 
falls  Carmarthen  will  be  swallowed  up  by  the  ravages  of  the  iiea. 
And  this  belief  was  perfectly  real  and  clear,  because  it  was  shown 
by  the  amount  of  attention  given  to  this  old  oak.  It  was  alive  at 
the  first  visit  of  the  Association,  but  since  then  had  suffered 
premature  decay ;  and  when  they  came  to  visit  it  sometime  that 
week,  they  would  be  astounded  to  know  that  all  that  rested  between 
Carmarthen  and  utter  destruction  was  the  little  support  given  fo 
the  old  tree  by  means  of  mortar  and  bricks  and  iron  bands. 

The  Mayor  then  vacated  the  Chair  in  favour  of  Archdeacon  Thomas, 
St.  Asaph,  who  thanked  the  Mayor  for  his  warm  welcome  on  their 
second  visit  to  this  ancient  and  historic  town.  He  could  hardly 
support  the  statement  that  it  was  thirty  years  since  their  last  visit ; 
it  was  thirty-one  years,  and  he  was  afraid  that  would  add  one  year 
more  to  their  happiness.  However,  he  hoped  it  would  not  make 
ranch  difference  when  the  time  came  round  again.  There  wore 
some  there  now  who  were  present  at  the  first  meeting.  Some 
very  active  members  and  workers  in  the  Association — ^their 
Secretary  for  South  Wales,  and  also  their  Editor,  joined  on  that 
occasion.  Those  present  would  remember  the  admirable  address 
with  which  the  then  President,  Bishop  Basil  Jones,  opened  the 
meeting;  they  would  think  what  great  giants  they  were  in 
those  days,  and  he  was  afraid  they  would  look  down  perhaps 
a  little  on  their  followers  of  the  present  day.  Work  went  on 
though  the  workers  changed  ;  and  when  they  came  here  this 
time  they  had  an  advantage  which  those  members  of  1875  did 
not  possess.  They  found,  in  their  itinerary  course  from  North 
to  South,  that  their  endeavour  to  stir  up  interest  in  archsdology 
did  bear  some  considerable  amount  of  fruit.  A  good  many 
societies  had  arisen  in  the  kingdom  that  were  doing  admirable  work 
in  the  country;  and  here  in  Carmarthen  they  had  the  great 
advantage  on  coming  amongst  them,  of  finding  that  not  only  would 
they  have  interpreters  on  the  spot,  but  that  the  excellent  society 
that  had  been  established  here  had  evidently  taken  root  and  done 


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CARMARTHEN   MEETING. — REPORT.  107 

good  work.  Referring  to  the  antiquarian  records,  he  said,  that 
looking  orei*  the  index  of  parks  published^  be  saw  a  verj  great 
variety  and  extensive  meaning  of  place-names.  That  showed  that 
one  or  other  had  looked  np  the  facts  and  the  history  of  those  varions 
places,  and  there  was  very  valaable  material  for  their  fntnre 
historian.  He  had  been  to  Carmarthen  many  times  sinoe  1875,  and 
there  were  two  places  he  made  a  point  of  seeing — one,  the 
Parish  Charch,  with  its  very  interesting  monuments,  which  was  in 
many  ways  an  object  of  great  interest  as  well  as  care,  lie  wished 
he  could  say  the  same  of  the  other  object  which  he  had  come  from 
time  to  time  to  look  at,  and  it  was  one  of  the  moat  interesting 
things — the  remains  of  the  ancient  Castle.  When  he  came  to  stand 
opposite  that  fine  gateway,  and  saw  how  little  of  it  was  visible,  he 
had  from  time  to  time  a  spirit  of  sadness  that  it  was  blocked  np 
as  it  is  by  the  surrounding  buildings.  He  thought  as  it  was  their 
object  to  stir  up  interest,  and  try  to  bring  about  a  better  arch»ological 
condition  of  things.  It  would  be  a  matter  of  great  credit  to  the  town 
if  they  were  to  start — and  indeed  it  would  be  extremely  gratifying 
to  the  Association  if  their  visit  led  to  a  removal  of  those  unsightly 
buildings,  and  to  disclose  to  the  public  that  fine  gateway.  He 
threw  this  out  for,  from  what  the  Mayor  had  said  he  evidently  took 
a  deep  interest  in  archaeological  matters.  They  had  their  local 
Society,  and  they  had  as  representative  of  the  Association  their 
good  President,  and  he  hoped  that  when  1936  or  '37  came  round  they 
would  see  the  gateway  of  the  Castle,  to  say  nothing  of  changes 
inside.  He  did  not  suppose  he  would  bo  here  in  1936,  but  no  doubt 
members  of  the  Association  would  then  appreciate  the  kindness  and 
welcome  that  was  extended  to  them,  and  would  rejoice  more  than 
those  present  could  now  rejoice,  at  the  completion  of  what  he  had 
thrown  out  as  a  suggestion.  In  vacating  the  chair  in  favour  of  Sir 
John  Williams — who,  he  said,  wns  exceedingly  competent,  and  had 
a  special  claim  to  fill  it— he  observed  that  in  Sir  John  they  had  one 
who  had  shown  by  his  energy  and  skill  what  a  Welshman  could 
do.  By  his  talents  and  merits  he  had  risen  to  a  position  they 
very  much  envied.  Now  he  had  reached  the  top  of  the  ladder  ho 
had  come  to  live  among  them  in  Carmarthenshire,  and  give  full 
vent  to  that  love  for  Wales  and  its  literature  which  they  knew  he 


Sir  John  Williams  then  took  the  Chair,  and  said  he  joined  in  the 
welcome  given  by  the  Mayor  to  the  company  to  the  ancient  capital 
of  the  Principality  of  Wales.  A  year  ago  the  antiquaries  of  the 
town  joined  the  Society  and  the  Cambrian  ArchaBological 
Association  to  place  on  record  the  historical  and  architectural 
buildings  of  the  town.  It  was  now  a  lusty  and  thriving  infant, 
and  had  unearthed  at  Cwmbrwyn  remaimi  of  Roman  works  that 
had  remained  hidden  from  sight  and  lost  to  memory  for  one  thousand 
years.  He  expressed  regret  that  the  Rev.  M.  H.  Jones,  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Society,  the  Editor  of  its  records,  and  one  of  the 
Secretaries,  was  about  to  leave  Carmarthen  for  another  sphere,  where 


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108  CAMBRIAN  ARCHiEOLOOICAL  ASSOCIATION. 

he  had  been  appointed  to  a  post  of  great  importance  and  far- 
reaching  inflaence  in  the  religions  world.  He  took  this  opportnnitj 
of  wishing  him  Gk>d-speed  in  his  new  undertaking.  The  r resident 
then  proceeded  to  deliver  his  address. 

Thb  Presidbnt's  Address. 

It  is  with  much  pleasure  that  I  join  his  Worship  the  Mayor  of  Car- 
marthen in  welcoming  yon  to  the  ancient  capital  of  the  Principality 
of  South  Wales.  An  important  station  during  the  Roman  occupa- 
tion, its  after-history  is  intimately  connected  with  the  story  of  the 
legendary  Myrddin,  of  the  Princes  of  South  Wales,  and  Rhys  ap 
Thomas,  epoch-makers  in  the  history,  not  only  of  Wales  but  of 
Oreat  Britain. 

A  year  ago,  the  antiquaries  of  the  town  and  county  joined  to 
form  a  society — The  Carmarthen  Antiquarian  Society — the  object 
of  which  is  to  place  on  record  and  to  preserve  that  which  is  left  of 
the  historical  and  architectural  antiquities  of  the  county.  It  is  a 
lusty  and  thriving  infant,  of  great  promise,  and  on  Wednesday  you 
will  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing  one  of  its  early  achievements,  in 
the  excavations  made  at  Cwmbrwyu  to  reveal  a  Roman  building 
which  has  been  hidden  from  sight  and  lost  to  memory  for  more 
than  a  thousand  years.  Thursday  morning  will  be  devoted  to  visit 
places  of  interest  in  the  town — some  of  them  Roman,  others  of  a 
later  period.  To-morrow  morning  the  Society  will  visit  Llanstephan, 
where  a  castle,  a  church,  and  two  holy  wells  await  inspection  by  the 
members. 

The  story  of  the  Castle  is  but  little  known,  and  little  has  been 
written  of  it  That  which  was  known  at  the  time  Mr.  Waters 
wrote  is  recorded  in  his  valuable  essay  on  The  History  of  Llanstephcm^ 
Past  and  Present,  The  exact  date  of  its  foundation  has  not  been 
ascertained,  but  it  must  have  been  built  during  the  very  last  years 
of  the  eleventh  century  or  the  early  part  of  the  twelfth  ;  for  in  the 
year  1137  it  was  destroyed  by  Owen  and  Cadwaladr,  the  sons  of 
Gruffndd  ap  Cynan,  Prince  of  North  Wales.  The  earlier  Welsh 
castles  which  were  burnt  by  the  Welsh  princes  were  not  the  massive 
stone  buildings  which  have  come  down  to  us. 

The  date  of  this,  the  first  destruction  of  the  Castle  known  to  us, 
is  usually  given  as  1136,  and  Mr.  Waters  adopts  it  in  his  History  of 
Llanstephan^  but  there  are  reasons  for  believing  1137  to  be  the 
correct  date.  The  Armales  Cambrice,  and  Caradoc  in  his  Historic  of 
Cambria^  before  ih^i  HistoHe  was  *' greatly  improved  and  enlarged" 
by  Wynne,  give  the  date  as  1137.  Moreover,  the  story  of  the 
BnU^  which  is  the  only  authority  adduced  in  favour  of  the  opinion 
that  1136  is  the  correct  date,  under  the  year  1136,.  reads  thus  : — 
"  Yn  y  vlwyddyn  rac  wyneb,"  which  is  translated  "  in  the  year 
ensuing,"  and  apparently  means  the  year  1137.  ^' In  the  ensuing 
year  "  it  reads  '^  Grnffudd,  son   of  Rhys,  died.  ...  In  the  same 


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CARMARTHEN   MEETING. — REPORT.  109 

year  Groffudd,  son  of  Cynan,  died.  ...  In  that  year  also  the  sons 
of  Grnffadd,  son  of  Cynan,  came  the  third  time  into  Ceredigion,  and 
homed  the  Castle  of  Ystrad  Mearig,  the  Castle  of  Llanstephan, 
the  Castle  of  Hamfrey  and  Carmarthen.*' 

Now  in  what  year  died  G-raffadd  ap  Rhys  and  Groffadd  ap 
Cynan  ?  The  writer  of  the  AnncUes  states  definitely  that  their  deaths 
took  place  in  the  year  1137.  Caradoo  is  equally  definite.  His 
words  are :  *'  The  year  1137  died  Graffyth  ap  Bees  ap  Theodor.  .  .  . 
Also,  toward  the  end  of  the  same  year  died  Graffyth  ap  Conan,  King 
or  Prince  of  North  Wales.*'  The  three  anthorities  agree  that  the 
destruction  of  the  Castle  was  effected  in  the  same  year  in  which  the 
Prince  died,  and  Caradoc  and  the  Aivnales  state  definitely  that  they 
died  in  1137.  We  may  therefore  conclude  that  the  burning  of 
the  Castle  by  the  sons  of  the  Prince  of  North  Wales  took  place  in 
the  year  1137. 

Twice  in  the  previous  year,  1136,  had  the  same  sons  of  Grnffudd 
ap  Cynan  raided  Ceredigion,  once  with  the  aid  of  Gruffudd  ap 
Rhys ;  and  it  was  on  the  third  occasion  of  raiding  that  district  that 
they  marched  south  and  destroyed  the  Castle  of  Llanstephan. 

Had  anything  more  than  love  of  country  and  hatred  of  the 
Norman  adventurers  been  wanting  to  infuse  them  with  courage,  to 
give  strength  to  their  arms  and  keenness  to  their  vision,  it  was 
furnished  by  the  cruel  treatment  of  the  Princess  Gwenllian,  who 
was  the  daughter  of  Gruffydd  ap  Cynan  and  the  wife  of  Gruffudd  ap 
Rhys,  by  Maurice  de  Londres.  Gwenllian  was  taken  prisoner  in 
the  battle  of  Cydweli.  The  date  of  this  battle  is  generally  given 
as  1135. 

The  Brut  and  Annates  make  no  mention  of  Gwenllian  or  the  battle, 
bat  Giraldus  in  his  Itinerary  states  :  *^  In  this  district,  after  the 
death  of  King  Henry,  whilst  Gruffydd,  son  of  Rhys,  Prince  of 
South  Wales,  was  engaged  in  soliciting  assistance  from  North  Wales, 
his  wife  Gwenllian  (like  the  Queen  of  the  Amazons  and  a  second 
Penthesilia)  led  an  army  into  these  parts ;  but  she  was  defeated  by 
Maurice  de  Londres,  Lord  of  that  country,  and  Geoffrey,  Constable 
to  the  Bishop." 

Henry  died  on  December  Ist  (December  3rd,  according  to  the 
Brut),  1135,  so  that  the  battle  of  Cydweli  could  not  have  been 
fought  until  the  very  last  days  of  1135,  and  may  not  have  been 
fought  until  early  in  1136.  The  treatment  of  Gwenllian  by  Maurice 
may  account  for  the  three  raids  made  into  the  Marches  of  South 
Wales  by  the  sons  of  Gruffudd  ap  Cynan,  in  such  rapid  succession 
in  the  year  following  the  death  of  Gwenllian. 

We  know  of  no  attacks  upon  the  Castle  from  this  time  until  the 
year  1146  (1147,  according  to  the  Annates), 

When  Gruffudd  ap  Cynan  died,  there  was  some  prospect  of  a  union 
of  the  Welsh  Princes,  but  in  the  year  1143  Cadwaladr  killed 
Anarawd,  the  son  of  Gruffudd  ap  Rhys.  This  led  to  disunion  among 
the  Welsh.   Meanwhile,  the  Lord  Marchers  who  were  united  became 


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1 10  CAMBRlAI^  AROH^OLOGlCAli  ASSOCIATION. 

so  aggressive  that  the  sons  of  Graffadd  ap  Bhjs  in  South  Wales 
with  difficnltj  held  their  own.  Under  these  ci reams tanoes,  Hy  wel 
and  Owen,  the  sons  of  Owen  Gwynedd,  came  to  their  aid  with  a 
large  army.  They  besieged  the  Castle  of  Carmarthen,  and  after  five 
days  oaptnred  it.  Afterwards,  Cadell,  Rhys,  and  Maredudd,  the 
sons  of  Gmffndd  ap  Rhys,  marched  on  Llanstephan,  and  conquered 
the  Castle. 

Henry  II,  who  was  at  war  with  Philip  of  France,  died  at  Chinon 
in  1189,  and  in  this  year  Llewelyn  ap  Grnffndd  took  possession  of 
the  Castles  of  St.  Clare,  Langhame,  and  Llanstephan. 

The  year  1215  will  remain  ever  memorable  in  the  story  of  Britain, 
for  in  that  year  the  English  barons,  in  arms,  appeared  before  King 
John  to  demand  the  charter  of  English  liberty.  Llewelyn  allied 
himself  with  the  barons,  and  together  with  the  Welsh  princes 
^thered  a  large  force,  marched  upon  Carmarthen,  captured  the 
Castle  and  rased  it  to  the  ground.  They  then  demolished  the 
Castles  of  Llanstephan,  Talacharn,  and  St.  Clare,  and  subdued  the 
whole  of  South  Wales  except  Pembroke  and  Glamorgan. 

For  forty  years  after  this  event,  it  does  not  appear  that  the 
Castle  was  taken  or  attacked  by  the  Welsh ;  but  in  the  year  1255 
the  Lord  Marchers  became  so  aggressive  and  tyrannical  that  the 
Welsh  nobles  *'  came  to  Llewelyn,  having  been  robbed  and  made 
captive,  and  complainingly  declared  to  him  that  they  would  rather 
be  killed  in  war  for  their  liberty  than  suffer  themselves  to  be  trodden 
down  in  bondage."  Llewelyn,  together  with  Maredudd  ap  Rhys 
Grug,  invaded  the  midland  country  of  Perfeddwlad,  and  subdued  it 
before  the  end  of  a  week.  He  gave  Bnilth  to  Maredudd,  and  banished 
the  owner,  Rhys  Vychan. 

This  led  to  another  battle  in  the  following  year ;  for  "  Rhys 
Yychan,  meaning  to  recover  his  lands,  obtained  of  the  King  a  large 
army,  whereof  one  Stephen  Bacon  (or  Banson)  was  captain."  They 
came  to  Carmarthen,  and  having  devastated  portions  of  the  district, 
marched  upon  Dynevor.  Here  they  met  the  Welsh  in  force,  and 
having  suffered  a  disastrous  defeat,  fled,  having  lost,  it  is  said,  two 
or  three  thousand  soldiers.  Afterwards,  the  Welsh  army  went  to 
Dyfed,  and  burned  the  county  and  destroyed  the  Castles  of  Aber- 
cowan  (Laugharne),  Llanstephan,  Maenclochog,  and  Narberth. 

After  this  we  find  no  record  of  fighting  at  Llanstephan,  until  the 
year  1403,  when  Owen  Glyndwr  captured  John  Penres,  the  keeper 
of  the  Castle. 

The  first  Lord  Marcher  of  whom  we  find  mention  is  Geoffrey 
Marmion,  who  was  lord  about  the  middle  of  the  twelfth  century.  He 
may  even  have  been  the  first  Lord  Marcher  of  Llanstephan.  He 
granted  the  church  of  Llanstephan,  with  some  glebe  land  and 
other  privileges  to  a  certain  Master  of  the  Slebech  Comraanderj  of 
St  John  of  Jerusalem,  as  is  mentioned  in  Owen's  Pembrokeshire  ; 
where  is  also  to  be  found  an  inventory  of  the  gifts  made  to  the 
Slebech  house. 

In  making  this  gift,  however,  Geoffrey   planted  a  seed  which 


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OARMAKTHElN    MEEtlKG. — REPORT.  Ill 

after  some  years  bore  fniifc  in  the  form  of  a  lawsuit.  The  year  of 
his  death  is  not  known.  He  had  a  daughter  named  Albreda,  or 
Albrea  Marmion,  who  was  his  heir.  She  was  married  to  William  de 
Camville,  who  was  son  of  Richard  de  Gamville,  one  of  the  leaders 
and  constables  of  the  fleet  of  Richard  I,  and  who  died  at  the  siege 
of  Acre,  1191. 

They  had  a  son  named  Geoffrey  de  Camville.  In  the  year 
1200  King  John  granted  a  charter  to  Geoffrey,  confirming  to  him 
the  Castle  and  town  of  Llanstephan,  as  William  de  Camville  held 
them,  on  the  day  he  gave  them  to  Geoffrey. 

Geoffrey  was  to  hold  the  Cattle  by  the  service  of  one  knight's  fee, 
to  be  performed  in  Sooth  Wales  for  all  services,  as  the  charters  of 
William  his  ^Either  and  Albreda  his  mother  *'  reasonably  testify." 
This  Lady  Marcher,  Albreda  Marmion,  who  was  the  heir  of 
Geoffrey  Marmion,  appears  to  have  reserved  some  rights  and 
claim  over  lands  in  Llanstephan,  when  she  gave  her  hand 
in  wedlock  to  William  de  Camville  ;  for  the  confirming  charter 
refers  to  the  charters  of  William  and  Albreda:  and  in  the 
year  1228  we  find  that  Albreda  Marmion  appeared  before  the 
King  at  Gloucester,  and  "  quit-claimed  to  William  de  Camville  all 
right  and  claim  she  had  in  the  land  of  Llanstephan.''  Now  her  son 
Geoffrey  had  a  son  named  William,  and  I  am  of  opinion  that 
Albreda  Marmion  quit-claimed  all  her  rights  in  Llanstephan  lands 
to  her  grandson  and  not  to  her  husband. 

This  lucky  William,  the  pet  of  his  grandmother,  succeeded  to 
the  lordship  when  ho  was  still  a  minor ;  and  whilst  he  was  a  minor 
in  the  custody  of  the  King  and  the  Earl  of  Salisbury,  a  certain 
Conan  Howell,  a  Welshman,  came  and  occupied  during  the  custody 
of  the  King. 

William  had  a  son  named  Geoffrey.  This  is  Geoffrey  number  three. 
The  Normans  seem  to  have  been  as  chary  as  the  Welsh  of  adding 
to  the  Christian  names  in  the  family.  This  third  Geoffrey  is  he, 
during  whose  tenure  of  the  lordship  the  gift  of  the  Church  of 
Llanstephan  to  the  Slebech  Commandery  fructified  and  bore  a 
lawsuit  He  instituted  proceedings  against  William  de  Hamleye, 
Prior  of  the  Hospital  of  St  John  of  .Jerusalem  in  England,  and 
Gilbert  de  St  Augustine,  Master  of  Slebech,  to  recover  the 
advowson  of  Llanstephan  Church,  deforced  from  the  Lord  of 
Llanstephan,  by  the  Prior  of  St.  John  and  the  Master  of 
Slebech. 

There  was  some  hard  swearing  in  the  course  of  the  litigation, 
but  the  Lord  Marcher  won.  He  won,  however,  to  find  himself  out- 
manoeuvred by  Thomas,  Bishop  of  St  David's,  who  wrote :  "  To 
the  Venerable  and  discreet  man,  Lord  Robert  de  Tybetot,  justiciar. 
.  .  .  whereas  according  to  ecclesiastical  laws  .  .  .  churches  ai*e  to 
be  vacant  only  for  times  defined  by  law,  and  the  Church  of  Llan- 
stephan, owing  to  the  plea  moved  between  Geoffrey  de  Camville 
and  the  Master  of  the  House  of  Slebech,  hds  now  been  vacant  for 
a  long  time,  and  beyond  the  term  of  the  statute,  on  which  account 


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112  CAMBRIAN  ARCHiiEOLOGieAL  ASSOCIATION. 

the  collation  has  fallen  upon  as,  loci  of  the  same  diocese  and 
bishopric,  and  it  is  onr  will  to  provide  properly  for  the  indemnity 
of  sonls,  lest  the  rapacious  wolves  should  destroy  the  Lord's  flock, 
destitute  of  a  pastor,  the  said  Church  of  Llanstephan  being  vacant 
beyond  time.  .  .  .  Grant  to  our  beloved  in  Christ,  Thomas  de 
Goedeli,  enjoining  him,  etc." 

Geoffrey,  the  successful  suitor,  had  to  solace  himself  with  an 
earthly  reward — the  damages  of  the  valor  of  the  church  for  two 
years,  to  wit,  120  marks. 

The  suit  interests  us  chiefly  because  the  evidence  given  in  the 
course  of  it  enables  us  to  complete  the  list  of  the  Lord  Marchers  of 
Llanstephan,  from  Geoffrey  Marmion,  who  may  have  been  the  first, 
to  the  year  1338. 

The  litigious  Geoffrey  de  Camville  died  in  1308. 

He  had  a  son  named  William.  This  is  William  the  third.  He 
was  a  Knight  of  Paine  de  Chaworth,  Lord  of  Cydweli,  in  tbe  war 
with  Llewelyn  in  1282-83.  This,  the  third  William,  and  the  last  of 
the  Lords  of  Llanstephan  who  bore  the  name  of  Camville,  ^i€»d  in 
1338,  and  lefb  five  daughters — two  of  whom,  Matilda  and  Eleanor^ 
are  of  interest  to  us  in  this  connection,  because  their  father  was 
granted  and  given  licence  to  enfeoff  them  with  the  Manor  of  Llan- 
stephan in  1337.     Eleanor  became  the  wife  of  Richard  de  Penres. 

Twenty-nine  years  passed,  and  in  the  year  1377  the  lordship  fell 
into  the  hands  of  the  Crown  by  the  forfeiture  of  Robert  Penres, 
because  that  he,  on  Sunday  next  after  the  Invention  of  the  Holy 
Cross,  1370,  feloniously  killed  Joan,  the  daughter  of  William  Ap  LI', 
at  Llanstephan,  of  which  felony  *'  he  was  convicted  on  Monday 
after  Holy  Trinity,  1377."  The  wheels  of  justice  moved  somewhat 
slowly.  This  felonious  Robert  Penres,  was  evidently  the  son  of 
Robert  Penres,  who  immediately  preceded  him  as  Lord  of  Llan- 
stephan, who  again  appears  to  have  been  the  son  of  Richard  Penres, 
who  married  Eleanor  de  Camville,  and  through  his  marriage 
succeeded  to  the  lordship. 

Upon  the  forfeiture  of  Robert  Penres,  Richard,  Prince  of  Wales, 
granted  the  Castle  and  lordship  to  Simon  de  Burley.  In  the 
course  of  the  following  year,  1378,  two  other  charters  were  granted 
by  Richard  to  Simon,  each  giving  him  greater  power  and  more 
extensive  privileges. 

Simon,  however,  was  not  allowed  to  enjoy  his  possessions  un- 
disturbed, for  in  1379 — two  years  after  the  first  gi*ant  to  him — he 
was  subjected  to  proceedings  in  a  writ  quo  loarranto,  respecting  his 
liberties  in  Llanstephan.  In  view  of  the  charters  I  have  already 
mentioned,  Simon  had  a  strong  case — a  complete  answer  to  the 
enquiry.  But  the  King,  to  remove  all  doubts  respecting  the  rights 
of  his  favourite,  granted  new  and  sufficient  letters- patent,  confirm- 
ing the  gift,  in  which  are  enumerated  the  reasons  for  the  gift  in 
very  touching  words.  "  In  consideration,''  it  is  stated,  "  of  the  good 
service  which  the  aforesaid  Simon  has  done  us,  and  the  important 
position  he  held  for  us,  from  our  tender  age  up  to  this,  in  all  the 


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CARMARTHEN  BIEETINO. — REt»ORT.  113 

estates  which  we  have  held,  to  wit,  before  we  received  military 
orders,  and  likewise  when  we  assumed  that  order,  also  afterwards 
before  we  were  Prince  of  Wales,  and  daring  our  time  as  Prince, 
and  further  until  made  King  bj  Divine  Grace,  and  as  an  envoy 
about  our  marriage,  returning  with  the  Queen-Consort  from  her 
land  to  this  country,  wherein  we  are  informed  that  he  had  to  sell 
all  his  lands  in  Suffolk,"  eta 

Richard  was  faithful  to  his  favourites ;  but,  alas !  Simon  Burley, 
with  eight  others,  were  impeached  in  1388,  and  the  ^'Merciless 
Parliament  passed  judgment  against  them.  Simon  Barley  was 
condemned  to  be  hanged,  drawn,  and  quartered.  Richard  could 
not  save  him,  but  he  did  what  he  could;  and  the  sentence  was 
changed  to  one  less  disgraceful  and  more  surely  instantaneously 
fatal.     Simon  was  beheaded. 

By  Simon  de  Burley's  forfeiture  the  lordship  came  into  and 
remained  in  the  hands  of  the  Crown  for  three  years ;  and  in  the 
year.  1391,  in  consideration  of  the  payment  of  500  marks,  the  Castle 
and  manor  were  demised  to  Robert  de  Penres,  knight,  son  of 
the  Robert  de  Penres  by  whose  forfeiture  they  fell  to  the  Crown  in 
1377.  Ten  years  after  the  forfeiture  of  Simon  de  Burley,  that  is 
in  the  year  1398,  Roger,  the  son  of  Sir  John  de  Barley  and  nephew 
of  Simon  de  Burley,  endeavoured  to  obtain  possession  of  the  Castle 
and  lordship.  The  King  addressed  the  Sheriff  of  Hereford  in  the 
following  terms :  *'  We  desire  the  Castle  of  Llanstephan  ...  to  be 
restored  to  Roger  de  Burley,  in  accordance  with  the  tenour  and 
effect  of  the  consideration,  judgment,  and  statute  made  in  our  last 
parliament  .  .  .  and  we  command  yon  to  cause  Nicholas  Clerk, 
Philip  ap  Cradock  .  .  .  tenants  of  the  aforesaid  Castle  and  lord- 
ship, as  it  is  said,  to  appear  before  us  in  our  Chancery  .  .  ."  upon 
which  the  Sheriff  returned  into  the  Chancery  *'  that  .  .  .  Nicholas 
Philip,  Philip  Cradock  .  .  .  still  held  by  the  feoffment  of  Robert 
Penres,  the  Castle  and  lordship  aforesaid,  enjoining  with  Eynon  ap 
Jevan  yet  surviving,  in  the  same  writ  not  named."  The  cup  of 
Richard's  follies  was  now  full,  and  he  was  deposed  in  the  following 
year  (1399),  and  the  suit  of  Roger  de  Barley  failed  ;  for  we  find  in 
June,  1403,  that  John  Penres,  keeper  of  the  Castle,  was  captured 
and  detained  by  Owen  Glyndwr,  and  that  the  custody  of  the  Castle 
and  lordship  was  granted  to  one  David  ap  Howell,  Armiger,  to  guard 
it  and  the  adjacent  county  by  placing  in  it  ten  men-at-arms  and 
twenty  bowmen.  This  was  a  liberal  allowance  of  men  to  garrison 
the  Castle,  for  by  an  ordinance  made  by  the  Prince's  (Richard  II) 
Council  in  1369,  the  garrison  of  each  of  his  castles  in  Wales  and 
Chester  consisted  of  one  constable  and  twelve  archers  only. 

Letters  of  protection  were  granted  to  David  ap  Howell,  and  John 
Swetappul  was  appointed  to  provide  food  for  the  towns  and  Castles 
of  Carmarthen,  Kidwelly,  and  Llanstephan,  and  sustenance  for  the 
soldiers,  *' and  our  liege  people  there;"  so  that  Llanstephan  Castle 
was  garrisoned  in  the  early  part  of  the  fifleenth  century. 

John  Penres,  who  in  14f03  became  the  prisoner  of  Owen  Glyndwr, 
6tu  ske.,  vol.  vu.  8 


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114  CAMBRIAN  ABOH^OLOGICAL  ASSOCIATION. 

appears  to  have  obtained  his  liberty,  for  half  the  lordship  of 
Llanstephan  was  granted  to  him  in  the  year  1408,  by  reason  of  the 
forfeiture  of  Henry  Owyn,  and  he  was  again  keeper  of  the  Castle  at 
the  time  of  his  death  in  1411.  It  was  then  seized  'tby  Thomas 
Bede,  who  held  it  in  his  demesne  as  of  fee  of  onr  Sovereign  lord 
the  Prince." 

I  know  not  what  became  of  Thomas  Rede,  but  the  Castle  appears 
to  have  been  soon  granted  to  one  William  Owyn  and  his  son  Henry, 
for  in  the  year  1416  it  came  again  into  the  hands  of  the  Crown  ''  by 
the  rebellion  and  forfeiture  of  William  Owyn,  fietther,  a^  well  as  by 
the  forfeiture  of  Henry  Owyn,  his  son,  who  was  slain  at  Aginoourt 
in  the  ranks  of  our  adversaries."  It  was  then  granted  to  Humphrey, 
Duke  of  Olouoester. 

The  Duke  of  Oloucester  was  childless,  and  in  the  year  1443  the 
reversion  of  the  Castle  and  lordship  was  granted  by  Henry  VI  to 
William  de  la  Pole,  Earl  of  Suffolk,  and  Alice  his  wife,  with  the 
style  and  title  of  the  Earl  of  Pembroke. 

Seven  years  later  (1450),  they  came  again  into  the  hands  of  the 
Crown  by  virtue  of  an  Act  of  Parliament.  They  were  farmed  by 
' —  Nicholas,  armiger. 

In  the  year  1453  the  King  became  insane,  and  Parliament  made 
a  grant  of  *^  dower  lands"  to  Queen  Margaret,  including  among 
others  the  *'  Castle,  lordship,  and  town  of  Llanstephan,  and  all  its 
appurtenances,  forsooth,  the  lordship  of  Penryn  and  la  verye,  eta" 

During  the  wars  between  the  Houses  of  York  and  Lancaster,  Sir 
William  Herbert,  son  of  William  ap  Thomas  of  Baglan,  who 
fought  in  France  under  Henry  Y.,  and  was  made  a  knight-banneret, 
had  proved  himself  a  devoted  adherent  of  the  House  of  Tork  ;  and 
Edward  lY.,  in  the  first  year  of  his  reign  (1462),  raised  him  to  the 
rank  of  a  baron  for  his  good  services  against  Henry  Yl.,  Henry, 
Duke  of  Exeter,  Jasper  Tudor,  and  other  rebels ;  and  granted  to 
him  the  Castle,  lordship,  and  town  of  Llanstephan,  the  lordship  and 
manor  of  Penrhyn  and  la  veire,  etc. 

William  Herbert  died  in  1469,  and  during  the  minority  of  his  son, 
John  Donne,  one  of  the  King's  bodyguard,  was  appointed  to  tlie 
ofiice  of  seneschal  of  the  Castle  and  lordship  of  Llanstephan,  as 
well  as  to  several  other  such  offices  in  South  Wales. 

In  the  year  1482,  through  an  exchange  of  lands  between  the 
Prince  of  Wales  (Edward  Y.)  and  the  Earl  of  Huntingdon,  the  Castle, 
lordship,  and  town  of  Llanstephan,  the  manor  of  Penrhyn,  and  la 
Yerye,  and  other  properties  were  made  parcel  of  the  Duchy  of 
Cornwall  (Act  22  Edward  lY). 

In  the  year  1484  Richard  Williams,  '*  one  of  the  keepers  of  our 
chamber,"  was  appointed  seneschal  of  our  Lordship  of  Llanstephan, 
as  well  as  of  several  others  in  South  Wales,  by  Richard  III.  How 
long  he  held  it  is  not  recorded. 

The  Act  22  Edward  lY.,  making  Llanstephan  parcel  of  the 
Duchy  of  Cornwall,  was  annullecl  in  1 495 ;  and  the  lordship,  together 
with  others,  reverted  to  Jasper,  Duke  of  Bedford. 


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carmaHThen  meeting. — fetepont.  115 

Law  was  unknown  in  March  land.     The  Welsh  laws  oonld  not  be 
enforced,  and  the  King  of  England's  writ  ran  not  there.     The  only 
principle  of  action  recognised  was  "  Trecha  reisied  gwana  gwiohed." 
Might  was  the  only  right.     Acquisition  of  territory  bj  the  Lord 
Marcher  remained    unnoticed,    or  was  encouraged   of    the  King, 
nntil  it  had  attained  a  magnitude  such  as  to  be  a  possible  source  of 
danger  to  the  Crown.     Robbery  of  the  Welsh  was  a  virtue,  until  it 
becam^  a  danger  to  the  English  ruler.     The  King  winked  at  the 
deedsoftheadventurer— or  rather  freebooter — Norman;  while  he  at 
the  same  time  kept  a  watchful  eye   on  his  steady  and  often  rapid 
increase  of  power,  and  endeavoured  to  solve  the  question :  *^  HoW 
shall  I  cnrb  him  ?  "     He  favoured  the  Lord  Marchers  to  fight  the 
Welsh,  annex  their  land,  and  wear  out  their  resistance ;  at  the  same 
time  he  feared  their  growing  power,  and  endeavoured  to  control  it. 
In  the  same  way  a  custom  grew  up — the  custom  of  the  March.    This 
custom  depended  upon  two  principles.     One  was,  might  is  right. 
This  was  the  principle  upon  which  both  king  and  barons  were  agreed 
in  their  treatment  of  the  Welsh  people.   The  Marchers  held  the  same 
principle  in  their  dealings  with  .the  King ;    but   the  King  would 
none   of  it.      Mr.  Morris,   in   his   work   on  the   Welsh  Wars   of 
Edward  I.,  defines  the  custom  of  the  March  in  these  words :    **  The 
custom  to  fight  and  annex  without  restnction  from  the  Crown  of 
England,  and  to  allow  no  appeal  from  the  sub-tenants  of  fhe  March 
to  the  King  of  England  as  overlord."     In  fact,  the  Lord  Marcher 
was  absolute  lord  of  his  March.     His  will  was  law  in  it.     He  held 
his  lordship  by  his  sword,  and  not  by  chai*ter  of  the  King.     Mr. 
Morris  adds  :  **  One  right  was  always  enjoyed  by  the  Crown.     If  a 
Lord  Marcher  lost  his  lands  by  a  successful  Welsh  rising,  and  if 
the  aid  of  the  Royal  forces  was  called  in  to  reconquer  it,  the  land 
thus  reconquered  reverted  to  the  Crown.'*     A  continuous  struggle 
was  being  carried  on  between  the  King  and  the  Barons  ;  sometimes 
qaietly,  and    then     it    amounted    to    watchfulness    and    passive 
resistance;   sometimes  violently,  then  to  aggression   and  conflict. 
These  conflicts  generally  ended,  not  in  victory  for  either  party,  bat 
in    a  compromise,  and   a  compromise  meant  a  restriction  of  the 
irresponsible  power  of  both  King  and  barons  ;  thus  verifying  an 
old  adage,  for  by  the  conflicts  between  King  and  barons,  the  people 
had   their   rights   enlarged   and    the    bounds    of    freedom    were 
widened. 

The  chief  means  by  which  the  King  was  enabled  to  restrict  the 
powers  of  the  Lord  Marchers  was  the  successful  raids  made  by  the 
Welsh  Princes  into  the  Marchers'  territory ;  for  the  King  coming  to 
the  aid  of  the  Lord  Marcher  to  recover  his  lost  land,  became 
possessed  of  the  land  by  conquest,  and  the  Marcher  became  the 
King's  tenant.  It  appears,  however,  that  there  must  have  been 
other  ways  in  which  the  King  was  able  to  acquire  control  over  the 
Lord  Marchers  and  their  lands ;  for  we  find  that  in  the  latter  half  of 
the  twelfth  century,  Llanstephan  Castle  was  held  by  charter  from 
the    King.      This    is   about    forty    years   only  after  the    earliest 

8- 


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116  CAMBRIAN  ARCHiEOLOGICAL  ASSOCIATION. 

notice  we  have  of  the  Castle ;  and  it  does  not  appear  from  the 
records  that  the  Welsh,  when  they  had  taken  or  homed  the  Castle, 
held  it  for  any  time.  On  the  contrary,  the  Castle  was  bni*ned  in 
the  coarse  of  a  snccessfal  raid,  and  the  Welsh,  after  haying 
completed  the  work  of  destruction,  returned  to  their  homes.  It  is 
not  likely,  therefore,  that  the  Castle  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
Crown  by  re-conquest,  when  it  had  been  lost  to  the  Lord  Marcher ; 
and  yet  we  find  it  held  by  charter  at  a  very  early  period  of  its 
history. 

Professor  Tout  is  of  opinion  that  '^as  early  as  1256,  Edward  I., 
set  up  a  rudimentary  county  organisation,  in  those  southern  and 
detached  parts  of  the  Principality  where  the  power  of  Llewelyn  ap 
Gruffudd  was  weak,  and  the  traditions  of  the  March  recent. 
Carmarthen,  which  was  in  his  hands,  was  the  national  seat  of  the 
county  and  the  new  offices."  Mr.  Morris  states  :  '*  Then  he 
(Edward  I.)  pushed  his  influence  southwards,  and  his  design  was  to 
create  two  counties  under  Royal  auspices  in  Cardigan  and 
Carmarthenshire.  For  this  purpose  he  partly  strained  the  rights 
of  the  Crown  to  overlordship  over  South  Wales,  and  partly  he 
seemed  to  have  claimed  the  right  of  conquest.  Also  at 
Carmarthen,  Edward  instituted  a  County  Court  or  comttatus, 
to  which  neighbouring  Lord  Marchers  wer^  constrained  to  do  suit 
and  service."  The  evidence  for  the  view  of  Professor  Tout  and 
that  of  Mr.  Morris  is  the  fact  that  the  lords  of  Llanstephan, 
Laugharne,  and  St.  Clare  did  suit  and  service  in  Carmarthen  for 
their  holdings.  Pain  de  Chaworth,  Lord  of  Cydweli,  was  ordered  to 
do  likewise,  but  the  order  was  afterwards  withdrawn;  while 
William  de  Braose,  Lord  of  Gower  (for  Oower  as  well  aa 
Llanstephan  formed  part  of  the  county  of  Carmarthen  at  that  early 
period)  did  not  obey. 

It  may  reasonably  be  inferred  from  these  fieicts,  that  Edward 
strained  his  overlordship  over  the  Lord  Marchers  of  South  Wales, 
and  that  the  smaller  submitted  to  his  wise  and  powerful  tyranny,  while 
the  greater  and  stronger  resisted  successfully.  I  think  it  probable 
that  the  Kings  before  Edward  practised  the  same  tactics ;  and  the 
fact  that  a  small  March,  such  as  Llanstephan,  far  away  from  the 
English  border,  was  held  by  charter  and  service  at  a  very  early 
period  inclines  me  to  draw  such  an  inference ;  so  that  the 
organisation  of  counties  by  Edward  is  but  another  step  in  the 
process  of  curbing  the  irresponsible  powers  of  the  Lord  Marchers ; 
a  process  which  had  been  going  on  for  nearly  a  century,  for 
Geoffrey  de  Camville,  in  1200,  held  Llanstephan  by  charter  and 
service,  and  William,  his  father,  and  Albreda,  his  mother  before 
him,  had  held  it  on  the  same  terms.  From  this  time  on,  control 
over  the  Lord  Marchers  seems  to  have  steadily  increased,  for  we  find 
that — 

In  1276  Geoffrey  de  Camville  and  his  bailiffs  were  ordered  to 
prohibit  his  tenants  to  furnish  provisions  or  supplies  to  the  Welsh 
rebels. 


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CARMABTHEN   MEETING. — REPORT.  117 

In  1277  and  1282,  he  is  gammoned  to  %lit  in  the  war  with 
Llewelyn.  He  obeys,  and  takes  his  qnota  with  him,  which  consisted 
of  two  knights  and  twelve  lances :  in  all  fifteen  lances.  In  1287 
Oeofirey  is  enjoined  to  reside  on  his  own  demesne  and  lordship 
until  the  rebellion  of  Rhys  ap  Meredith  is  pat  down.  In  1316  the 
Prior  of  Carmarthen,  his  men  and  tenants,  are  commanded  to 
receive  their  measures,  scales  and  weights  from  the  King's  minister 
of  the  new  town  of  Carmarthen,  the  keeper  of  the  King's  measares, 
scales  and  weights,  just  as  the  Barons  of  Llanstephan,  Talacharn, 
and  St  Clare  do.  This  shows  us  that  the  bearer  of  the  sword  is 
being  made  more  and  more  subject  to  the  jurisdiction  of  the  county, 
and  that  the  wearer  of  the  mitre  will  have  in  this  respect  to  keep 
him  company. 

In  the  year  1324,  Roger  Mortimer  escaped  to  France,  and 
together  with  Isabella — Edward's  (II)  Qaeen — fomented  war  against 
England.  This  appears  to  have  produced  a  state  resembling  panic 
in  the  English  Court,  if  we  may  judge  from  the  following  orders, 
issaed  to  the  Lords  and  Bailiffs  of  Llanstephan  and  others. 

In  1324,  an  order  to  cause  all  ships  capable  of  carrying  forty  tons 
and  upwards  to  be  arrested  and  equipped  for  the  King's  service. 

In  April,  1325,  and  again  in  May,  a  proclamation  in  favour  of  the 
men  of  Flanders. 

In  December,  1325,  an  order  to  cause  all  ships  entering  Llan- 
stephan and  other  ports,  or  wishing  to  leave  the  same  for  parts 
beyond  the  sea,  to  be  searched,  and  to  arrest  any  whom  they  shall 
find  with  letters  prejudicial  to  the  King,  etc. 

In  the  month  of  January,  1326,  a  similar  order,  but  extending 
to  horses,  arms,  gold  and  silver  taken  out  of  the  country  by  any 
except  merchants. 

In  August  of  the  same  year,  an  order  to  cause  all  owners  of  ships 
of  the  burthen  of  fifty  tons  and  upwards  to  repair  to  Portsmouth, 
on  Sunday  after  the  Decollation  of  St.  John  Baptist  next,  with  their 
ships  found  with  arms,  victuals,  and  other  necessaries,  with  double 
equipment,  to  set  out  in  the  King's  service  against  the  French.  A 
farther  order  to  all  owners  of  ships  of  smaller  burthen  than  fifty 
tons,  not  to  leave  port  for  any  purpose,  under  pain  of  being  taken 
and  imprisoned. 

In  1328,  an  order  enjoining  all  owners  and  masters  of  ships  to 
cause  all  their  ships  of  less  than  forty  tons  burthen  that  are  out- 
side their  port,  to  be  brought  back  to  the  port,  lest  the  malefactors 
from  Normandy  and  Poitou  take  them.  They  are  to  certify  to  the 
King  as  soon  as  possible  of  the  number  of  the  ships  and  their  mem- 
bers, and  the  harden  of  their  ships. 

(Verily,  the  Lord  Marchers  have  become  submissive !) 

Lastly,  in  1361,  an  order  not  to  admit  any  earls,  barons,  knights, 
or  men-at-arms,  to  cross  to  parts  beyond  the  sea,  or  to  take  horse 
or  arms  without  the  King's  special  license. 

This  order  was  issued  not  without  reason,  for  some  years  after- 
wards, Thomas  and  John  Fort,  of  Llanstephan,  assumed  the  Eoyal 


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118  CAMBRIAN  ARCHAEOLOGICAL  ASSOCIATION. 

jurisdicfcion,  and  granted  a  safecondnct  to  one  John  de  Ispania,  a 
subject  of  the  King  of  Castile,  and  an  enemy  of  the  King  of 
England,  and  showed  him  the  secrets  of  eleven  castles  in  South 
Wales — are  pardoned. 

One  year  later,  John  Fort  was  again  pardoned  for  scaling  the 
walls  of  Langharne  Castle,  and  robbing  Gay  de  Brian  of  £25  in 
gold  and  silver.     The  Forts  clearly  had  friends  at  Coart 

Such  is  a  short  sketch  of  the  story  of  Llanstephan  Castle,  up  to 
the  time  that  Henry  Tudor  became  king.  Then  it  was  an  imposing 
and  frowning  fortress,  overlooking  the  Bay  of  Carmarthen  as  far  as 
Tenby,  Gower,  and  the  coast  of  Devon — the  home  of  soldiers,  the 
scene  of  armed  conflicts ;  now  a  picturesque  ruin,  the  haunt  of 
toarists,  holiday-makers,  and  lovers. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  Address  a  vote  of  thanks  was  proposed 
by  General  Sir  James  Hills-Johnes,  seconded  by  Mr.  A.  Stepney- 
Gulstou,  and  briefly  acknowledged  by  the  President. 

TUESDAY,  AUGUST  14th,  1906. 

A  Public  Meeting  was  held  in  the  Assembly  Rooms  at  8.30  p.m. 

In  the  absence  of  Professor  J.  E.  Lloyd,  of  Bangor,  his  Paper  ou 

**  Carmarthen  in  Olden  Times  "  was  read  by  the  Rev.  C.  Chidlow, 
General  Secretary  for  South  Wales. 

Archdeacon  Thomas  remarked  that  the  Paper  helped  very  largely 
to  elucidate  the  early  history  of  this  town. 

Mr.  Lleufer  Thomas  being  called  upon,  said  he  did  not  feel  com- 
petent to  offer  any  criticism  of  Professor  Lloyd's  exhaustive  history 
of  that  period.  He  was  particalarly  gratified  with  what  was  to 
him  a  new  solution  of  the  difficalty  with  reference  to  Llanteilyddog, 
his  identification  of  it,  and  the  manner  he  had  worked  it  out. 

They  must  congi*<itulate  themselves  upon  having  that  new  con- 
tribution to  the  history  of  Carmarthen. 

The  Rev.  Griffith  Thomas  asked  whether  the  burgesses  of  Car- 
marthen  paid  homage  to  William  I.  It  was  a  moot  point,  because 
Wales  did  not  submit  to  the  Crown  of  England  for  some  two 
hundred  years  after. 

Professor  Anwyl  said  he  was  very  much  in  the  dark  as  regarded 
this  period,  but  so  far  as  he  could  follow  Professor  Lloyd's  Paper, 
he  rather  gathered  the  borough  of  Carmarthen,  as  a  borough,  did 
not  exist  so  early  as  that,  so  the  burgesses  could  not  have  sworn 
fealty  as  burgesses  at  all.  What  he  understood  from  the  Paper  was 
that  there  was  an  ecclesiastical  establishment  of  the  Welsh  kind, 
the  old  British  kind,  a  close,  as  it  was  called,  in  connection  with 
the  Church  dedicated  to  St.  Teilyddog ;  and  in  course  of  time  the 
Castle  came  to  be  built  of  the  stockaded  type,  and  at  that  time  the 
Castle  was  at  Rhydygors,  and  not  in  the  present  Carmarthen. 

Archdeacon  Thomas  thought  the  existence  of  Rhydygors  was  of 
a  very  short  daratioi),  and  it  was  afterwards  that  the  military  centra 


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CARMARTHEN   MEETING. — REPORT.  119 

was  transferred  to  the  new  Carmarthen.     That  would  hardly  admit 
of  the  burgesses  having  sworn  allegiance  to  William  I. 

Rev.  Griffith  Thomas :  I  think  he  mentioned  it  was  not  given  a 
charter  till  the  reign  of  King  John,  but  it  is  shown  there  were 
privileges  to  the  borough  previous  to  the  reign  of  King  John. 

Professor  Anwyl  said  there  might  have  been  privileges  enjoyed 
there  without  a  charter,  which  were  such  that  settlers  gathered 
at  the  place. 

Mr.  T.  E.  Brigstocke  said  apparently  the  Roman  sefctlemenfc  was 
identified  with  the  old  city  of  Carmarthen — the  ecclesiastical  city — 
and  there  was  some  difficulty  in  his  mind  :  how  did  he  identify  the 
fortified  situation  of  the  present  Castle  and  the  Roman  settlement  ? 
All  the  discoveries  they  had  come  across,  and  the  coins,  had  all  been 
found  apparently  in  the  old  city  of  Carmarthen,  lying  eastward  to 
the  walled  town  of  the  new  Carmarthen — the  old  Carmarthen  site 
of  the  Romans — and  the  Castle  formed  by  the  Normans  was  a 
departure  from  the  old  settlement  of  the  Romans. 

Archdeacon  Thomas  said  GKraldus  Cambrensis  wrote  *'  that 
ancient  city  is  beautifully  enclosed  with  walls  of  red  brick.''  He 
evidently  looked  upon  Carmarthen  itself  as  having  evidence  still 
existing  of  Roman  antiquity. 

The  Rev.  W.  Done  Bushell,  of  Caldey,  was  then  called  upon  to 
read  his  Paper  on  '*  Neolithic  Monuments.'' 

Archdeacon  Thomas  said  the  subject  was  extremely  abstruse,  and 
perhaps  to  the  young  members  of  the  audience  one  of  great  difficulty. 
But  still,  one  could  not  listen  to  the  able  and  clear,  argumentative, 
and  eloquent  address  of  Mr.  Done  Bushell  without  feeling  that  a 
new  light  had  been  thrown  upon  an  ancient  monument  close  at 
hand.  He  had  read  now  and  then  of  theories  about  Stonehengc 
and  other  places,  but  he  had  never  listened  to  anything,  or  read 
anything,  that  appeared  to  him  so  clear  and  so  satisfactory  as  the 
address  they  had  had  the  pleasure  of  listening  to. 

This  closed  the  evening's  proceedings. 

WEDNESDAY,  AUGUST  15th,  1906. 
There  was  no  Evening  Meeting  on  this  day. 

THURSDAY,  AUGUST  16th,  1906. 

The  Annual  Business  Meeting  of  the  Association  was  held  in  the 
Assembly  Rooms,  at  8.30  p.m. 

The  President,  Sir  John  Williams,  Bart,  took  the  Chair ;  and 
after  the  Minutes  of  the  previous  meeting  had  been  read  and  con- 
firmed, he  requested  the  Rev.  Canon  R  Trevor  Owen,  Senior 
General  Secretary,  to  read 

The  Annual  Report  op  the  Association. 
The  Journal. — The  following  Papers  have  been  published  in  the 
Archaologia  Cambrensis  between  July,  1905,  and  July,  1906  : — 


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120  CAMBRIAN  AROH^OLOOIOAL  ASSOCIATION. 

Prehistoric  Period, 
"Oq  the  Discovery  of  Prehistoric   Hearths  in  South   Wales."    By  T.  C. 

Cantrill  and  0.  T.  Jones. 
"  The  Early  Settlers  of  Cardigan."     By  Professor  E.  Auwyl. 
"The   Exploration  of  Pen-y-Qaer  above  Llanbedr-y-Cenin. "      By  Harold 

Hughes. 
"  On  the  Defences  of  Pen-y-Qaer."     By  Willoughby  Gardiner. 
"  Peny-Gorddyn,  or  Y  Qorddyn  Fawr."    By  Harold  Hughes. 

Late-Celtic  Period. 
No  Papers. 

RomoAM-Brttisk  Period, 
"  Roman  Remains  :  Pen-y- Darren  Park,  Merthyr  Tydfil."     By  F.  T.  James. 
"  The  Town  of  Holt,  in  the  County  of  Denbigh.**    By  A.  N.  Palmer. 
**The  Ordovices  and  Ancient  Powys."  Hy  Archdeacon  D.  R.  Thomas. 

Early  Christian  Period, 
"  The  Llandecwyn  Inscribed  Stone."     By  Professor  E.  Anwyl. 

Mediaeval  Period, 

"  A  History  of  the  Old  Parish  of  Gresford,  in  the  Counties  of  Denbigh  and 
Flint."     By  A.  N.  Palmer. 

"  Some  Notes  on  Mediaeval  Eifionydd."     By  Professor  J.  E.  Lloyd. 

'•  The  Vairdre  Book."     By  Dr.  Henry  Owen. 

"  Allen's  Pembrokeshh-e."    By  E.  Laws. 

**  Welsh  Wooden  Spoons,  with  Ornamental  Carving  and  liOve-Symbols. "  By 
J.  R.  Allen. 

"On  Some  Sacramental  Vessels  of  Earthenware  and  of  Wood."  By  Arch- 
deacon D.  R.  Thomas. 

"  The  House  of  Scotsborough,  near  Tenby."    By  E.  Laws. 

"  The  Religious  and  Social  Life  of  Former  Days  in  the  Vale  of  Clwyd."  By 
the  Rev.  J.  Fisher. 

"  Old  Radnor  Church."    By  Ernest  Hartland. 

The  following  books  have  been  received  for  review  : — 

"  Edward  II  in  Glamorgan."   By  the  Rev.  John  Griffith.    (Cardiff :  Western 

Mail,  Limited. ) 
"  Lampeter."     By  the  Rev.  George  Eyre  Evans.     (Aberystwyth  :  William 

Jones. ) 
"  Owen's  Pembrokeshire,"  Part  III.     By  Dr.  Henry  Owen.    (Bedford  Frees.) 
"  A  Digest  of  the  Parish  Registers  of  Llandaff."    By  the  Committee  of  the 

Llaudaff  Diocesan  Conference.     (Cardiff:  Wm.  Lewis.) 
"  Welsh  Abbeys."     By  John  A  Randolph.    (Carmarthen  :  William  Spurrell 

and  Son.) 
"  Castell  Morgraig."    By  John   Ward,  John  W.  Rodger   and  John  Stuart 

Corbett.     (Cardiff :  Wm.  Lewis.) 

The  Special  Illastration  Fand  has  been  made  ase  of  by  the 
editor  to  obtain  photographs  of  the  old  house  at  Scotsborough,  near 
Tenby,  for  Mr.  E.  Law's  paper  on  the  subject  of  the  Norman 
Fonts  at  Lamphey  and  at  Bed  berth  in  Pembrokeshire. 

The  thanks  of  the  Association  are  due  to  those  authors  who  have 
supplied  drawings  and  photographs  to  illustrate  their  papers  in  the 
Journal.  Amongst  these  are  Mr.  A.  N.  Palmer,  Mr.  Harold 
Hughes,  Mr.  Willoughby  Gardner,  Mr.  F.  T.  James,  and  Archdeacon 
D.  R.  Thon^as.     The  photographs  of  the  sculptural  panels  on  the 


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CARMARTHEN    MEKTING. — REPORT.  121 

Norman  lavatory  at  Wenlock  Priory  were  taken  by  Mr.  H.  E. 
Forrest  at  the  request  of  Miss  Anden. 

The  Official  Set  of  the  Archcedogia  Cambrenna, — This  is  now 
complete  with  the  exception  of  the  following  three  volumes : — 

Sen  1,  Vol.  4,  1849. 

Ser.  3,  Vol.  1,  1855. 

Vol.  2,  1866. 

Progress  of  Welsh  Archaeology  in  1905-6. — The  Committee  begs  to 
call  the  attention  of  the  members  to  the  following  matters  of 
importance,  which  have  come  under  the  notice  of  the  officers  of  the 
Association  during  the  past  year. 

No  specially  interesting  accidental  finds  of  antiquities  appear  to 
have  been  made  in  Wales  during  the  last  twelve  months,  or  if  they 
have  been  made  they  have  not  been  reported  by  the  Local  Secretaries. 

Some  of  the  recently- formed  local  archoeological  societies  have 
done  good  service  in  excavating  prehistoric  defensive  earthworks, 
and  sending  the  results  to  the  editor  of  the  Journal  for  publication. 
As  instances  of  this  may  be  mentioned,  the  explorations  made  at 
Pen-y-Qaer  (above  Llanbedr-y-Cenin)  and  at  Pen-y-Gorddyn  by  the 
Nant  Conway  Society  and  described  by  Mr.  Harold  Hughes  in  the 
July  number  of  the  Archceologia  Cambrensis.  Much  good  might  be 
done  in  the  future  by  friendly  co-operation  between  the  Cambrian 
Arche&ological  Association  and  the  local  Antiquarian  societies  and 
field  clubs.  The  Association  might  grant  funds  for  the  examination 
by  the  spade  of  promising  ancient  sites  on  the  understanding  that 
the  work  shall  be  scientifically  carried  out  by  the  local  societies 
under  proper  supervision.  The  results  could  afterwards  be  described 
and  illustrated  in  the  Archceologia  Cambrensis^  and  such  reprints  as 
might  be  required  could  be  supplied  to  the  members  of  the  local 
societies. 

It  is  gratifying  to  find  that  after  a  long  interval  the  Romano- 
British  occupation  of  Wales  is  again  attracting  the  attention  of 
contributors  to  the  Journal^  as  is  shown  by  the  valuable  papers  in 
the  July  number  on  the  Roman  Remains  at  Merthjr  Tydvil  by  Mr. 
F.  T.  James,  and  at  Holt,  near  Wrexham,  by  Mr.  A.  N.  Palmer. 
Nevertheless,  it  is  greatly  to  be  regretted  that  it  is  still  necessary 
to  appeal  to  England  for  an  expert  opinion  on  the  antiquities  of  the 
Romano-British  period.  Surely  there  should  be  some  classical 
scholar  of  one  of  the  Welsh  Universities  who  could  train  himself  to 
occupy  the  same  position  as  an  expert  in  this  period  in  Wales  as 
Dr.  F.  Haverfield,  F.S.A.,  or  Mr.  G.  B.  Fox,  F.S.A.,  now  take  in 
England. 

Further  discoveries  of  importance  have  been  made  by  special 
explorations,  at  the  expense  of  the  Association  at  TreV  Ceiri, 
Carnarvonshire  and  Y-(Jaer,  near  Colbren,  Glamorganshire,  of 
which  reports  are  laid  before  the  members. 


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122 


CAMBRIAN  ARCHiCOLOOIOAL  ASSOCIATION. 


Election  of  Officers  and  New  Members, — The  Committee  propose 
that  the  Right  Reverend  the  Lord  Bishop  of  Llandaff  and  the 
Right  Hon.  Lord  Harlech  be  enrolled  amon^  the  Pati*ODS  of  the 
Association;  and  that  Robert  Cochrane,  Esq.,  F.S.A.,  I.S.O., 
Honorary  Secretary  of  the  Royal  Society  of  Antiquaries  of  Ireland, 
and  Colonel  Morgan,  R.E.,  be  elected  Vice-Presidents;  also  that 
the  thanks  of  the  Association  be  presented  to  the  Venerable 
Archdeacon  Thomas  for  his  services  to  the  Association  as  its 
President  during  the  past  year.  The  retiring  members  of  the 
Committee  are : — 

T.  M.  Franklen,  Esq., 

The  Rev.  John  Fisher,  B.D., 

The  Rev.  E.  J.  Newell,  M.A., 

and  the  Committee  recommend  their  re-election. 

They  farther  propose  the  following  members  as  Local  Secretaries 
for  their  respective  counties : — 

The  Rev.  C.  F.  Roberts,  M.A.,  Rectory,  Uanddulas,  for  Denbighshire. 
R.  Jones  Morris,  Enq.,  Tycerrig,  Talsarnau,  for  Merionethshire. 
J.  Bancroft  Willans,  Esq.,  Dolforgan,  Kerry,  for  Montgomeryshire. 

The  following  are  proposed  for  membership  : — 


English. 
Mrs.  Gordon,  9,  St.  German's  Blaoklieath 
Mr.  Price,  48,  Pall  Mall,  S.W. 
Lieut. -Col.  Q.  Tucker  Thomas,  I. M.S.,  The  Bush, 
Walton-on-Thames 

North  Wales. 
Anglesey. 

Miss  Hampton  Lewis,  Henllys,  Beaumaris 

CamarvoTuhire. 

Mr.  WiUoughby  Gardner,  F.L.S,.  F.R.G.S. 

Merionethshire. 

Mr.  Dodd  .... 

Denbighshire. 

Mr.  S.  H.  Harrison,  F.R.G.S.,  F.R.S.A. 

Flintshire. 

Mr.  W.  I.  P.  Story,  Rhyl     . 

The  Marches. 

The  Right  Hon.  Lord  Harlecli 


Proposed  by 
Mr.  Pepyat  Evans. 

Mr.  Edward  Owen. 


The  Rev.  J.  G.  Swainson 


.     Mr.  J.  E.  Griffith. 

.     Canon  Trevor  Owen. 

Canon  Trevor  Owen. 

.     Yen.  the  Archdeacon  of 
Montgomery. 

.    L.  L  Roberto,  H.M.LS. 

H.M.  Lieutenant  of  Meri- 
onethshire, W.    R    M. 
Wynne,  Eaij.,  Peniarth. 
.     Canon  Trevor  Owen. 


South  Walks, 
Cardiganshire. 

Davies,  Mr.  John,  Bridge  Street,  Lampeter  .  Rev.  G.  E.  Evans. 

Ellis,  Thomas,  Esq.,  Glascoed,  Aberystwyth  .  Rev.  G.  E.  Evans. 

I^wes,  Miss  Evelyn,  Tyglyn-Aeron,  Ciliau  Aeron  Rev.  G.  E.  Evans. 

Phillips,  Rev.  Thomas,  Rectory,  Aberporth  .  Rev.  D.  D.  Evans. 

Recs,  Rev.  R.  J.,  M.A.,  Rhos,  Aberystwyth  .  Mr.  D.  Samuel. 


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CARMARTHEN    MEETING. — REPORT. 


123 


South  Walks. 


Proposed  by 
Rev.  C.  Chidlow. 

Mr.  W.  Spurrell. 
Rev.  C.  Chidlow. 
Mr.  J.  F.  Hughes. 
Rev.  C.  Chidlow. 
Mr.  C.  H.  Glascodine. 
Profe«i8or  Anwyl. 
Mr.  T.  E.  Morris. 

Mr.  Edmund  Jones. 


Rev.  C.  Chidlow. 
Mr.  J.  E.  Kichards. 
Mr.  H.  W.  WUUams. 
Mr.  Edmund  Jones. 
Mr.  Pepyat  W.  Evans. 
Rev.  C.  Chidlow. 
Mr.  J.  E.  Richards. 
Mr.  Pepyat  W.  Evans. 

Professor  Rhys. 


Rev.  C.  Chidlow. 
Rev.  C.  Chidlow. 


Ca  rmarthenshire. 

Collier,  Ernest,  Esq.,  M.S. A,  Carmarthen 
Da  vies,  A.   Llewelyn,  Esq.,  Brynderw,  Carmar- 
then .... 
Gabriel,  J.  R.,  M.  A,  Technical  College,  Swindon  . 
James,  Daniel,  Esq.,  Vrondeg,  Llandeilo 
Jones,  Arnallt,  Elsq  ,  M.  D. ,  Carmarthen 
Ludford,  T.  li.,  Esq.,  Llanelly 
Thomas,  Mrs.  R.  M.,  Llanddowror 
Thomas,  Rev.  0.  J.,  Llandyssilio  Vicarage 
Williams,  Mrs.  W.  J.,  91,  Picton  Terrace,  Car- 
martheu  .... 

Olamorganshire. 

Llandaff,  The  Lord  Bishop  of.  The  Palace,  Llan- 

daff  .... 

Davies,  D.  Jones,  Esq.,  Rugby  Road,  Neath 
George,  Isaac,  Esq.,  The  Grove,  Mountain  Ash    . 
Gibbins,  F.  W.,  Esq.,  Garthmor,  Neath 
Gordon,  Mrs.,  Nottage  Court,  Porthcawl 
Jenkinb,  Mrs.,  Gtellystone,  Llandaff 
Jones,  Rhys,  Esq.,  Godrecoed,  Neath  . 
Phillips,  Rev.  T.  C,  Vicarage.  Skewen 
Williams,  Arthur  J.,  Esq.,  Plfts  Coed-y-mwstwr, 

Bridgend         .... 

Pembrokethire, 

Lewis,  Rev.  J.,  Lampeter  Velfrey  Rectory 
Phillips,  Rev.  John,  Uzmaston  Rectory 

Tre*r  Ceibl 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Committee  of  the  Cambrian  Arohsdological 
Association,  held  at  Shrewsbury,  on  August  14th,  1905,  it  was  pro- 
posed by  Mr.  T.  E.  Morris,  seconded  by  Mr.  A  E.  Bowen,  and 
carried,  "That  Professor  Boyd  Dawkins  be  asked  if  he  would 
kindly  consent  to  the  excavations  at  Tre'r  Ceiri  being  carried  out 
under  his  direction,  with  the  assistance  of  Colonel  Morgan  and  Mr. 
Harold  Hughes." 

Professor  Boyd  Dawkins  kindly  consented  to  undertake  the  work. 
Through  the  assistance  of  Mr.  D.  R.  Daniel,  of  Fonrcrosses,  eight 
labourers  were  obtained  and  work  commenced  on  June  5th,  1906, 
and  continued  till  June  16th.  Unfortunately,  Professor  Boyd 
Dawkins  was  called  to  London  before  the  excavations  were  com- 
pleted, and  Colonel  Morgan  was  nnable  to  be  present  during  the 
whole  fortnight.  On  the  other  hand,  very  valuable  assistance  was 
given  by  Mr.  C.  B.  Breese,  who  devoted  several  days  to  the  work. 
I  was  present  throughout  the  whole  time  occupied  by  the  works  of 
excavation.  A  full  and  detailed  report  of  the  result  of  the  fort- 
night's work  is  in  course  of  preparation,  and  will  be  laid  before  the 
Cambrian  Archeeological  Association. 

The  following,  however,  is  a  brief  summary  of  the  work,  together 
with  Professor  Boyd  Dawkins*s  view  as  to  the  position  Tre*r  Ceiri 
occupies  in  relation  to  the  history  of  Wales. 


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124  CAMBRIAN  ARCHiBOLOGICAL  ASSOCIATION. 

In  an  introdaobory  noto  to  the  report,  Professor  Boyd  Dawkins 
writes : — "  It  is  one  of  many  similar  villages,  oconpying  a  com- 
manding position  for  parposes  of  defence,  in  the  neighbonrhood  .  .  . 
containing  the  remains  of  rude  stone  huts,  called  by  the  inhabitants 
of  the  district  *  cy ttian  gwyddelod '  .  .  .  the  huts  of  the  Goidels. 
This  popular  attribution  of  the  Goidels,  the  conquerors  of  the 
original  Iberic  Welsh,  who  in  their  turn  had  to  submit  to  the 
mastery  of  the  Brythons,  is  in  my  opinion  true.  They  are  pro- 
bably the  dwellings  of  the  Welsh  Prehistoric  Goidels,  and  have  no 
necessary  connection  with  the  Irish  Goidels,  who  were  undoubtedly 
in  close  touch  with  this  as  well  as  with  other  districts  in  Wales  in 
the  historic  period."  .  .  .  "This  class  of  fort  is  proved,  by  the 
remains  found  in  various  places,  to  have  been  occupied  at  vnrious 
periods,  ranging  from  the  Bronze  Age  to  the  Prehistoric  Iron  Age, 
and  well  into  the  Historic  period.  The  bronze  sickle  found  in  Dun 
Aengus  proves  that  it  was  used  in  the  Bronze  Age ;  while  bronze 
pins  with  ornamentation  of  the  Prehistoric  Iron  Age  indicate  that 
it  was  occupied  at  that  time,  and  a  bronze  ring  with  cable  decoration 
that  it  way  not  without  inhabitants  in  the  fifth  century  after  Christ." 
After  referring  to  the  cashel  on  Inismurray,  Professor  Boyd  Dawkins 
proceeds  : — *'  This  class  of  fort  in  England  is  clearly  proved,  by  the 
results  of  the  exploration  of  Worlebnry,  to  belong  to  the  Prehistoric 
Iron  Age.  Here  the  inhabitants  belonged  to  the  aboriginal  Iberic 
stock,  the  ancestors  of  the  Silures  of  the  north  side  of  the  Bristol 
Channel.  Equally  good  evidence  is  presented  by  the  brooch,  found 
in  the  excavations  of  1903  at  Tre'r  Ceiri,  that  it  also  belongs  to  the 
Prehistoric  Iron  Age.  It  may,  however,  have  been — and  probably 
was — used  in  later  times  by  the  Goidels  of  the  district,  whenever 
the  country  was  being  harried  for  purposes  of  defence.'' 

Between  June  t5th  and  16th,  thirty-five  sites  were  excavated. 
The  finds  include  : — 

Three  portions  of  a  bronze  gold-plated  beaded  ornament  (torque 

or  armlet). 
A  bronze  pin,  with  indications  of  gold  plating. 
Fragment  of  a  thin  plate  of  copper  or  bronze. 
A  pewter  object,  bearing  in  shape  a  resemblance  to  the  pommel 

of  a  sword-hilt. 
Remains  of  a  lump  of  lead. 
A  blue  porcelain  bead. 

An  iron  object  (the  shape  of  a  ladle  in  outline). 
Remains  of  iron  (spear- head  P). 
Many  small  fragments  of  iron. 
Iron  object,  shape  of  heel-plate  (?  modern). 
Remains  of  large  earthenware  vessel,  interior  finished  with  coarse 

gravel  (quartz),  probably  for  grinding  (Mortarium). 
Many  fragments  of  black  pottery. 
Fragments  of  red  pottery. 
Hone  stone. 


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CARMA&THEN   meeting. — REPORT.  125 

Pounders  and  mbbers. 

Bebblee  (sling-stones  and  pot-boilers). 

Witb  reference  to  the  most  important  finds,  Professor  Boyd 
Dawkins  writes: — "The  bronze  object  (beaded)  is  distinctly  of 
Prehistoric  Iron  Age,  and  is  probably  a  torque  or  armlet  as  you 
suggest.  The  glass  or  porcelain  bead — some  of  these  found  at 
Glastonbury  —in  the  Prehistoric  Iron  Lake  Village.  The  (pommel  ?) 
is  not  very  far  removed  from  one  discovered  in  Prehistoric  Iron  Age 
fort  at  Hod.'' 

The  black  pottery  and  the  iron  ladle-shaped  object,  he  write?, 
would  belong  to  the  same  period. 

Place  of  Meeting  for  1907.— -The  Committee  recommended  that 
Llangefni,  Anglesey,  should  be  chosen  as  the  place  of  meeting  for 
1907. 

The  adoption  of  the  Report  was  proposed,  seconded,  and  carried 
unanimously. 

FRIDAY,  AUGUST  17th,  1906. 

A  Public  Meeting  was  held  at  the  Assembly  Elooms,  at  8.30  p.m. 
The  Chair  being  taken  by  the  President,  Sir  John  Williams,  Bart., 
he  called  upon  Professor  E.  Anwyl,  of  Aberystwyth,  to  read  his 
paper  on  *'  Early  Settlers  of  Carmarthenshire.'* 

Sir  John  Williams  said  he  felt  deeply  indebted  to  Professor 
Anwyl  for  the  excellent  paper  they  had  just  heard.  It  was  a  most 
interesting  and  valuable  description  of  their  ancestors,  ages  ago  that 
they  could  not  count,  and  of  their  companions,  gentle  and  ungentle, 
tame  and  savage,  and  of  the  manner  of  their  lives  when  Carmarthen 
Bay  was  not  yet. 

Mr.  E.  Laws  said,  as  he  was  the  oldest  cave-digger  present,  he 
bad  to  thank  their  friend  for  his  excellent  paper.  He  thought  they 
must  remember  the  oldest  of  their  cave-diggers  in  this  part  of  the 
world,  Gilbert  Smith,  rector  of  Gumfreyston,  who  began  to  dig  there 
before  the  value  of  cave-digging  was  actually  recognised.  He  was 
a  clergyman,  and  as  he  dug  he  was  actually  afraid  of  what  he  was 
doing.  It  partially  shattei'ed  his  faith,  and  still  the  plucky  old  fellow 
went  on  at  it ;  he  dug  in  fear  and  trembling,  and  he  (Mr.  Laws),  was 
his  pupil.  In  those  days  Mr.  Dawkins  was  down  there  a  good  deal, 
and  what  they  found  had  been  pretty  well  explained.  He  thought 
wolves  very  scarce  at  Hoyle,  but  they  found  them  in  considerable 
numbers  on  Caldey.  The  commonest  beast  was  the  horse,  and  most 
puzzling,  the  hippopotamus.  They  must  remember  if  he  got  caught 
in  the  winter  he  was  done.  He  lived  at  the  bottom  of  the  river, 
and  could  not  exist  in  freezing  rivers ;  and  as  the  rivers  here  were 
freezing,  he  must  have  come  only  for  a  short  time.  He  did  come 
because  he  (Mr.  Laws)  had  dug  him  up  himself.     Palasoiithic  Man 


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126  CAMBRIAN  AROHifiOLOOIOAL  ASSOGLAtlO^. 

was  about  tho  scarcest  beast.  He  (Mr.  Laws)  never  found  him  in 
Hoyle,  and  he  did  not  think  anybody  else  had,  but  they  did  find  sh'ght 
traces  of  him  on  Caldey.  As  a  matter  of  religion,  Neolithic  Man  pat 
his  dead  away  with  what  they  wanted  for  daily  life,  and  he  seemed  to 
have  believed  the  dead  man  continued  to  live  in  the  place  where  his 
body  was  put.  The  Brass  Man  had  totally  different  notions,  some- 
thing like  onr  own.  He  thought  there  was  another  world,  somehow 
or  other.  He  bamed  his  dead,  and  made  a  ghost  of  him.  He  broke 
his  axe  and  everything  he  had,  and  threw  it  all  away,  and  so  made  a 
ghost  of  everything  that  they  should  go  with  the  dead  man.  He 
believed  there  was  a  totally  different  idea  between  the  Stone  Ag^ 
Man  and  the  Brass  Man.  Mr.  Laws  concluded  by  a  description  of 
the  cave  near  Penally. 

Mr.  Stepney-Gulston,  Chairman  of  the  Local  Committee,  thanked 
Professor  Anwyl  for  the  very  kind  remarks  he  had  made  with 
regard  to  the  newly- born  Association,  the  Carmarthenshire 
Antiquarian  Society.  They  were  all  beginners,  and  they  were  more 
than  pleased  and  gratified  to  be  taken  in  hand  and  encouraged  by 
those  who  had  worked  in  the  direction  of  archeology  for.  many 
years.  They  came  forward  to  give  them  encouragement  and 
enthusiasm.  While  regretting  they  were  losing  the  energetic 
Secretary,  Rev.  M.  H.  Jones,  be  hoped  in  his  new  sphere  he  would 
be  of  the  great  value  he  had  been  to  them. 

Mr.  W.  Spurrell  then  read  a  paper  by  Professor  Sayce  upon 
"What  can  be  done  for  Archaeology  in  Wales."  The  writer 
referred  to  the  method  of  excavation  in  Egypt,  and  stated  only 
properly  qualified  persons  should  be  allowed  to  excavate.  In  this 
country  it  was  left  to  chance  and  hazard.  Two  objects  should 
be  aimed  at :  a  thoroughly  working  survey  of  Wales  and 
border  counties,  and  the  training  of  as  many  as  possible  of  the 
younger  members  of  the  community  in  habits  of  careful  and 
accurate  observation,  and  in  methods  of  modem  archaeological 
science.  The  soil  of  these  islands  was  full  of  relics.  ExcavatioTi  by 
untrained  amateurs  did  more  harm  than  good,  and  he  suggested 
that  members  of  the  Archaeological  Association  should  start 
investigating  in  a  small  area  round  where  they  lived. 

Sir  John  Williams  said  the  paper  was  full  of  suggestions,  and  made 
an  appeal  to  the  Cambrian  Archaeological  Association  to  carry  out  this 
work.  That  was  the  meaning  of  the  paper,  and  two  things  were 
required :  men  to  do  the  work,  and  money  to  help  them  to  do  it. 
That  was  the  thing  they  were  apt  to  forget.  He  asked  what  was 
being  done  in  regard  to  Pembrokeshire  P 

Mr.  E.  Laws — The  Archaeological  Survey  is  not  going  to  stop ; 
it  is  earned  on  by  one  man. 

Sir  John  Williams  said  he  was  sorry  and  he  was  glad,  but  he 
thought  it  was  stopped  because  he  had  never  been  asked  for  his 
promised  subscription. 


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CARMARtHilN  MBEtlNG. — ttBPOJlT.  12? 

Mr.  £.  Laws — I  gave  up  snryeyin^  because  I  felt  I  was  pfetting  so 
old,  and  was  afraid  I  could  not  carry  it  od.  My  friend,  Dr.  Henry 
Owen,  has  taken  it  up,  and  is  carrying  it  on  at  his  own  cost,  and  is 
going  to  finish  it  at  his  own  cost. 

Professor  Anwyl  proposed  a  vote  of  thanks  to  the  Chairman  and 
Local  Committee,  remarking  that  they  owed  a  deep  debt  of  gratitude 
to  them  for  organising  these  meetings  so  well.  « 

Mr.  E.  Laws  seconded.  He  thought  it  had  never  struck  many  of 
them,  when  they  came  there  and  found  carriages  ready,  and 
luncheons  and  everything,  what  a  lot  of  trouble  it  had  given  to 
somebody.  He  had  gone  through  the  mill  himself,  and  knew,  but 
some  of  them  had  no  conception  of  what  a  bother  it  was.  When 
done,  there  was  apparently  no  difficulty  about  it,  but  he  could 
assure  them  it  was  a  troublesome  thing.  Thanks  were  due  to  the 
Chairman  and  Committee  who  had  carried  out  the  programme  so 
successfully. 

The  motion  was  heartily  carried. 

Mr.  Stepney-Gulston,  in  responding,  said  the  Secretaries^  Rev.  M. 
H.  Jones  and  Mr.  Spurrell,  and  the  Committee  connected  with  him, 
had  worked  like  horses,  and  the  difficulties  which  had  been  referred 
to  had  been  a  matter  of  pleasure  to  them.  Everyone  had  been 
proud  to  have  an  opportunity  of  putting  his  shoulder  to  the  wheel 
as  representing  their  new-bom  Society,  and  also  as  representing 
the  town  and  county.  It  had  been  a  great  pleasure  to  them  to 
welcome  the  Cambrian  Archaeological  Association  there. 

Mr.  Meuric  Lloyd  proposed  a  vote  of  thanks  to  all  the  proprietors 
of  grounds  and  curios,  who  had  allowed  them  such  ready  access  upon 
their  various  expeditions  to  view  them.  They  had  been  rather  an 
invasion,  he  fancied.  Their  numbers  had  been  far  greater  than 
personally  he  had  seen  on  these  occasions,  and  he  thought  perhaps 
they  might  have  done  a  certain  amount  of  damage.  Possibly  it 
might  be  some  satisfaction  to  those  who  had  allowed  them  to  go  to 
think  they  had  afforded  the  members  a  good  deal  of  pleasure. 

Mr.  T.  E.  Morris  seconded  the  vote  of  thanks,  which  was  carried. 

Canon  Rupert  Morris  proposed  a  vote  of  thanks  to  the  Local  Secre- 
taries, who  had  done  such  excellent  work  in  preparing  for  those 
meetings.  He  had  had  some  experience  in  managing  and  preparing 
for  the  annual  meeting  thirty-one  years  ago,  when  he  was  one  of  the 
Local  Secretaries  with  Captain  Philipps  for  Carmarthen;  and  he  knew 
what  a  long  time  they  took  in  going  over  every  part  of  the  ground, 
and  in  writing  letters  and  making  the  various  arrangements,  espe- 
cially about  the  carriages.  The  work  had  been  done  very  well  indeed 
by  Mr.  Jones  and  Mr.  Walter  Spurrell.  Mr.  Jones  bad  the  true 
archasological  spirit,  and  in  Mr.  Spurrell  they  had  the  son  of  Mr. 
Spnrrell,  the  former  publisher  of  the  Haul,  who  had  written  an 


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1  28  CAMBltlAK  AROH^OLOOICaL  A^OCIATtOK. 

excellent  history  of  Carmarthen.  He  had,  with  his  oolleagae,  con- 
ducted the  work  extremely  well,  with  considerable  firmness,  bat 
with  proper  sympathy  and  tact  thronghont.  With  respect  to  the 
Goygan  Cave,  he  (Canon  Morris)  explored  some  of  it  with  Dr. 
Hcarder,  the  late  Superintendent  of  the  Asylam,  and  they  fonnd  in 
addition  to  what  had  been  mentioned,  the  woolly  mammoth.  He 
had  some  large  teeth  at  home,  deer  bones,  etc.  They  lost  them- 
selves in  the  cave,  and  there  was  some  diffionlty  in  getting  out  of  it. 
The  next  time  they  took  some  thread  to  enable  them  to  find  their 
way. 

Canon  Trevor  Owen  seconded,  observing  he  knew  how  very  im- 
portant it  was  to  have  good  local  secretaries,  because  a  great  deal 
depends  npon  them  whether  the  meeting  was  a  success  or  not. 

The  motion  having  been  carried  with  applause,  Mr.  W.  Spurrell 
responded,  stating  it  really  had  meant  a  great  deal  of  work,  hot 
considering  the  number  of  members  this  time  he  must  say  on 
the  whole  they  behaved  very  well  indeed.  They  had  a  heavy  pro- 
gramme, and  it  had  been  a  g^reat  gratification  to  him  that  it  had 
not  been  found  necessary  to  leave  out  any  part  except  the  very 
last  item  that  day. 

The  proceedings  then  terminated. 

Note. — In  the  compilation  of  this  report  we  have  largely  made 
use  of  the  reports  of  the  meetings  given  in  The  Welshman. 


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SIXTH  SERIES.— VOL.   VII,  PART  IL 
APRIL,    1907. 


REPORT   ON   THE   EXCAVATIONS   AT 
COELBREN. 

By  Colonel  W.  LL.  MORGAN,  R.E. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Cambrian  Archaeological  Associa- 
tion, held  at  Shrewsbury  in  the  autumn  of  1904,  I  was 
asked  to  conduct  some  excavations  at  the  camp  at 
Coelbren,  to  ascertain,  if  possible,  the  approximate 
date  of  its  construction. 

This  camp  is  a  conspicuous  object  from  the  Swansea 
and  Brecon  line,  about  half  a  mile  to  the  right,  imme- 
diately after  leaving  Coelbren  Station.  It  was  well 
known  to  Mr.  Glascodine  and  myself,  and  on  our 
frequent  walks  on  the  Sam  Helen  we  had  traversed 
that  road  throughout  its  whole  length.  Some  doubtful 
places  we  had  visited  three  or  four  times,  thereby 
rectifying  several  errors  on  the  Ordnance  Survey  map 
of  the  road. 

The  history  of  the  Sarn  Helen  is  so  inseparably 
connected  with  that  of  its  camp,  that  I  have  commenced 
with  a  description  of  the  former. 

The  road  known  as  Sarn  Helen  is  undoubtedly  of 
Roman  construction.  It  connected  the  Nidum  of  the 
twelfth  Iter  Antoninus  (which  is  supposed  to  be  Neath) 
with  Bannuum,  afterwards  known  as  Caervan,  and  now 
as  the  Gaer,  near  Brecon,  on  its  course  to  Chester;  but 
whether  this  poition  was  made  on  the  line  of  an  earlier 

6th  skb.,  vol.  vn.  9 

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130    REPORT  ON  THE  EXCAVATIONS  AT  COBLBUEN. 

British  trackway  is  more  than  doubtful.  It  certainly 
does  not  run  as  straight  as  Roman  roads  in  general, 
and  it  is  not  an  unreasonable  idea  th^t  in  pre-Roman 
times  an  original  British  track  from  the  centre  of  Brit<iin 
to  the  sea  coast  might  have  taken  this  line  ;  but  though 
older  authorities  incline  to  this  theory,  in  view  of  the 
nature  of  the  country  I  consider  it  to  have  been 
entirely  the  work  of  the  Romans.  It  was  probably 
much  used  up  to  Norman  times  ;  then,  for  several  cen- 
turies it  fell  into  disuse,  for  the  reason  that  there  was 
little  intercourse  between  the  Normans  of  Glamorgan 
and  those  of  Breconshire :  the  latter  being  connected 
with  their  kinsmen  in  Gower,  and  their  line  of  com- 
munication came  down  the  opposite  side  of  the  Swansea 
valley  by  Llanguicke  Church.  In  later  times,  and  up 
to  the  present  day,  different  stretches  of  the  road  have 
been  in  use  to  connect  the  several  farms,  but  very  little 
of  it  has  become  a  main  road. 

The  site  of  the  Roman  station  of  Nidum  is  doubtful. 
From  the  similarity  of  names,  it  has  been  taken  for 
granted  that  it  must  be  Neath,  which  probably,  then  as 
now,  was  at  the  head  of  the  tidal  water  of  the  river. 
Three  Roman  roads  seem  to  converge  on  this  site,  but 
they  cannot  be  traced  within  two  miles  of  the  present 
town  of  Neath,  nor  have  any  Roman  remains  been 
found  within  this  area. 

Though  there  are  no  traces  of  the  road  now  existing, 
probably  (as  mentioned  by  Jones)  after  leaving  Neath 
it  was  carried  across  the  marsh,  and  then  kept  to  the 
high  ground  to  the  back  of  Ynisgeryn,  where  it  ascen- 
ded the  hill.  The  line  as  given  on  the  Ordnance  Map 
is  conjectural  until  it  reaches  Llettyrafel,  where  the  old 
ro^d  can  be  seen  for  a  short  distance,  where  it  is  again 
lost  in  a  ploughed  field.  It  then  runs  on  the  line  of 
the  present  road  to  the  Downs,  and  though  much  altered 
in  modem  times,  it  still  retains  the  unmistakable 
appearance  of  Roman  origin.  The  pitched  paving  can 
be  at  once  distinguished  on  ascending  the  Downs  ; 
though  in  many  places  it  is  covered  with  accumulations 


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B/^£COAf 


.  MsM^  Maooc 


^mJ^Mj^ 


w  WAy^^^y^^yi> 


1%  y^ys-y^cw^wYN 


Fig.  1. — Map  showing  position  of  Camp  at  Coelbren. 


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132  REPORT  ON  THE  EXCAVATIONS 

of  soil,  it  shows  for  many  miles  at  intervals  of  a  few 
yards. 

In  places  the  curbs  are  still  to  be  found.  The 
roadway  is  generally  slightly  raised  above  the  ordinary 
ground  level,  and  in  one  spot  there  is  a  cutting  in  the 
hill.  The  roadway  then  follows  the  crest  of  the  hill 
(the  Hirfynydd),  and  leaves  Waunglynnyd  on  the  right. 
The  road  then  makes  a  bend  to  the  right,  after  which 
it  runs  straight  over  the  Downs,  until  opposite  to 
Blaennant,  where  it  takes  up  the  line  of  the  stone  wall. 
Half  a  mile  further  the  paving  is  in  remarkable  preser- 
vation, though  the  general  character  has  been  destroyed 
by  scratching  the  ground  for  the  stones.  In  many 
places  the  wall  is  actually  built  on  the  line  of  the  road. 

Cam  CornaP  (a  fairly  large  cam)  stands  half  a  mile 
to  the  left.  The  road  runs  alongside  the  wall  (in  some 
places  well  defined,  in  others  it  is  obliterated)  before  it 
makes  a  sharp  turn  to  the  right,  near  the  plantation  of 
fir  trees. 

The  wall  is  now  thirty  yards  to  the  right  of  the 
road,  which  runs  along  a  cutting,  which  I  think  is  part 
of  the  original  scheme.  It  again  turns  to  the  right, 
round  the  shoulder  of  the  hill,  but  whether  it  be 
rejoined  by  the  wall  is  uncertain,  as  no  decisive  trace 
can  be  seen  until  another  turn  to  the  left  at  Clawdd  y 
Fan  wen,  where  both  foundation  and  pitching  are  once 
more  apparent.  Its  course  is  now  broken  up  by  old 
coal  levels,  through  here  and  there  the  line  can  yet  be 
traced,  till  it  descends  the  hill  opposite  to  Tynyrheol. 
The  pitching  there  is  in  good  preservation,  and  the 
curbs  are  in  sight  in  various  places.  The  line  then  runs 
opposite  the  old  tramway  until  the  railway  crossing  at 
Tafarnybenwen  Common,  where  it  has  been  covered  by 
the  present  road,  which  deviates  again  at  Llwynpica, 
from  whence  the  pitching  of  the  old  road  can  be 
traced  to  the  southern  entrance  of  the  camp,  commonly 

^  The  Boman  sfone  removed  to  the  Gnoll,  Neath,  stood  somewhere 
near  here.  It  is  mentioned  in  Q-ough*8  Camden^  p.  473,  vol.  ii ;  also 
in  Arch,  Camb.,  3rd  Ser.,  vol.  xi,  p.  59,  and  5th  Ser.,  vol.  xi,  p.  338. 


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AT   COELBRBK.  133 

called  the  Gaer,  from  whence  it  emerges  on  the  eastern 
side,  and  is  traceable  down  to  the  river,  where  it  is  lost 
for  about  twenty  yards,  beyond  which  it  is  again  visible 
near  the  hedge.  It  crosses  an  old  lane,  and  can  be 
followed  across  a  field.  Further  on,  a  wall  has  been 
built  on  the  line  of  the  road,  which  has  obliterated  all 
trace  along  several  fields.  We  find  it  again  in  thfe  open 
ground  beyond,  the  pavement  and  euro  both  in  good 
condition.  Ton-y-ffildre,  or  as  it  is  locally  called,  Ton- 
y-ynwl-y-dref  (the  town  of  the  soldiers),  or  the  "  flat- 
land  at  the  edge  of  the  town,"  is  to  the  left  of  the  road, 
which  here  is  21  ft.  between  the  earthworks,  and  14  ft. 
between  the  curbs. 

The  line  across  the  morass  is  very  distinct,  and  traces 
of  pavement  appear  wherever  the  water  has  washed 
away  the  accumulation  of  soil.  It  is  visible  in  the 
hollow  where  it  passes  Cefngwenynawg,  and  alongside 
the  hedge,  though  there  it  has  been  mended  and  made 
up  with  modern  materials.  Crossing  a  small  brook 
(Nanthir),  it  can  be  followed  over  the  mountain  in  a 
well-defined  line,  until  crossing  another  brook  it 
descends  the  hill  to  Gwaunymaerdy,  to  avoid  a  steep 
ravine  which  intersects  the  direct  line.  It  now  turns 
sharp  to  the  left,  through  a  well-marked  cutting  (which, 
like  the  former  one,  I  think  is  original).  On  the  side 
of  the  hill,  the  roadway  in  many  places  has  been  scooped 
away  by  the  rain,  leaving  portions  of  the  pavement 
3  ft.  or  4  ft.  up  the  side  of  the  bank.  It  descends  again 
over  a  small  moor,  and  remains  well-defined  until 
opposite  to  Cefnucheldref.  Here,  according  to  the 
Ordnance  Map,  it  turned  to  the  left,  round  the  hUl,  and 
after  crossing  the  River  Nedd  re-ascended  the  hill  to 
the  spot  where  there  are  undoubted  traces  of  the  road, 
but  this  is  incorrect. 

From  Cefnucheldref  the  line  of  the  road  ran  straight 
on  into  the  adjoining  field.  The  traces  near  the  hedge 
may  be  illusory,  but  in  the  further  field  at  the  head 
of  the  ravine  the  line  is  distinctly  marked  as  far  as  the 
hedge.     After  this,  all  trace  of  the  road  itself  is  ob- 


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134  RKPORT   ON    THE    EXCAVATIONS 

literated,  but  the  heaps  of  stones  in  the  fields  correspond 
exactly  to  similar  ones  across  the  river.  For  the  length 
of  three  fields  the  hedg^e  probably  stands  on  the  site  of 
the  road,  which  must  have  passed  the  River  Nedd 
somewhere  about  the  present  ford.  On  the  other  side 
of  the  river  we  again  find  distinct  signs  of  the  road  in 
the  fields  above  Coedygarig.  Here  the  stones  of  the 
pavement  were  taken  up  within  the  last  sixty  years, 
and  still  stand  in  heaps  along  the  line  of  the  road. 
Over  the  wall  there  is  one  of  the  most  perfect  pieces  of 
pitching  on  the  whole  length  of  the  road,  and  it  is 
incomprehensible  how  it  could  have  been  overlooked  by 
the  Ordnance  Surveyor.  The  road  then  falls  ixito  a 
modern  trackway  to  the  Maen  Madoc.^ 

Another  stone  has  been  found  near  to  the  same  site 
on  the  mountain  to  the  left.  It  has  been  called  the 
Penymynydd  Stone.  It  is  now  at  Ty-mawr,  Aberdare. 
It  was  visited  by  the  Cambrian  Arcnseological  Associa- 
tion in  1900.  The  road  descends  the  hill,  and  is  plainly 
discernible  until  obliterated  by  the  modern  turnpike 
road  to  Brecon.  Beyond  the  cross-roads,  in  1896,  the 
pitching  could  be  recognised  in  many  places  at  the  side 
of  the  road,  but  in  1902  these  traces  were  by  no  means 
so  evident. 

Leaving  the  Maen  Llia  to  the  right,  the  old  road 
continues  until  it  reaches  the  steep  scarp  of  the  Llethr, 
overlooking  the  Senni  valley.  From  this  point  to 
Fedwenunig,  two  miles  distant,  its  course  is  purely  a 
matter  of  conjecture.  On  the  side  of  the  hill  some 
remains  of  an  old  road  are  seen  alongside  the  present 
road,  which  possibly  may  indicate  the  site  of  the  Roman 
road,  but  that,  too,  is  lost  in  the  cultivated  ground 
below.  The  idea  of  some  modern  writers  that  it  went 
down  the  Senni  valley  to  Rhydybren  is  untenable. 
The  more  likely  route  is,  as  suggested  by  Jones,  that  it 
passed  above  Blaen  Senni,  and  there  met  the  lane  from 


^  Archoeologia,  iv,  Plate  1  ;  Gough's  Camden,  11,  Plate  14  ;  We^t- 
wood,  p.  64  ;  Ardi,  Camb.,  4th  Ser.,  vol.  v,  p.  332. 


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AT   COELBREN.  135 

Fedwen  at  the  turning  to  Gelliauisaf,  crossing  the 
dingle  of  the  Cwmddu  at  the  easiest  point.  It  is  not 
unlikely  that  frotn  this  point  to  Fedwen  the  lane  runs 
on  the  line  of  the  old  road,  though  there  are  no  traces 
lea  of  it. 

A  little  above  Fedwen,  we  come  on  the  road,  which 
is  lost  in  a  gorse  plantation,  but  reappears  in  a  field  on 
the  further  side,  until  lost  in  another  large  plantation, 
and  again  to  be  found  in  a  field  beyond.     It  is  now 
lost  for  some  distance,  to  be  seen  further  on,  where  it 
runs  the  whole  length  of  the  field  next  the  cross-roads. 
Beyond  the  cross-road,  it  is  traceable  in  another  field 
for  some  little  distance,  but  is  lost  until  it  ascends  the 
hill  above  the  plantation.     In  the  low  ground  beyond 
all  trace  again  is  lost,  and  where  it  crossed  the  Llestyr 
is  uncertain.    In  the  field  across  the  brook  a  broad  line 
of  scattered  stones  mark  the  Roman  paving  turned  up 
by  the  plough  year  after  year.    The  crossing  of  a  brook 
and  the  line  up  the  hill  to   the  common   is   plainly 
discernible,  but  it  is  lost  on  the  other  side,  and  the 
crossing  the  Camlais  is  uncertain.      It  ascended  the 
Mynydd  Iltyd  on  the  same  line  as  the  modern  trackway, 
which  has  obliterated   the  old  road,  except  for  some 
detached  pieces  of  pavement  on  the  ascending  slope. 
Where  it  leaves  the  common   (with  Blaengwrthyd  on 
the  right),   the  road  and   pavement  are  again  visible 
(this  length  is  marked  on  the  Ordnance  Map  as  **  Roman 
Road  ").     It  is  seen  in  the  field  after  passing  the  gate 
and  skirting  the  hedge  in  the  next  one.    It  is  then  lost 
amid  the  ruins  of  a  farmhouse,  to  reappear  on  the  other 
side  above  the  fishpond,  when  it  is  finally  lost.     The 
course  from  hence  to  The  Gaer  is  only  theoretical ;  when 
lost,  the  line  was  pointing  in  the  direction  of  Penpont 
Ford  (which  is  the  best  ford  on  the  Usk  for   many 
miles),  and  local  tradition  has  always  asserted  that  it 
went  through  the  park  at  Penpont,  and  joined  the  Julia 
Maritima  at  the  foot  of  the  hill. 


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136  report  on  the  excavations 

The  Gaer  at  Coelbren. 

The  camp  is  situated  on  the  crest  df  a  rounded  hill, 
730  ft.  above  the  sea-level.  There  is  a  fall  of  30  ft.  to 
40  ft.  in  every  direction,  from  the  ramparts  to  the 
general  level  of  the  country  around. 

The  hill  is  of  a  stiff  boulder-clay,  overlaying  the  out- 
crop of  the  coal  measures,  and  is  now  covered  with  short 
hill-grass,  with  patches  of  heather.  The  sides  of  the 
camp  are  almost  an  exact  square  of  160  yards,  with  the 
usual  rounded  angles.  The  highest  point  is  about  60  ft. 
inward  from  the  western  entrance,  to  which  is  a  fall  of 
1  ft.,  of  5  ft.  to  the  north-west  angle,  7  ft  to  the  south- 
west, 10  ft.  to  15  ft.  to  the  western  side.  The  ram- 
part all  round  the  enclosure  has  been  partially  levelled. 
It  now  has  the  appearance  of  a  broad  platform,  30  ft. 
to  40  ft.  across,  in  some  places  having  a  slight  fall  to 
the  interior  at  the  inner  edge,  but  generally  it  is 
levelled  off  to  meet  the  rise  of  the  ground. 

At  some  period  the  whole  interior  appears  to  have 
been  ploughed  up.  The  marks  of  the  plough  are  more 
evident  on  the  platform  than  elsewhere.  A  short 
distance  to  the  north  and  under  the  hill  is  a  large  bog 
— Gors  Llwyn — difficult  to  cross  at  any  season,  but 
impassable  in  winter.  To  the  west  the  country  is  open, 
to  the  south  runs  the  Camlais  brook,  and  to  the  east 
the  Nantybryn,  though  neither  could  now  be  considered 
as  a  military  defence.  Altogether,  it  was  a  well-chosen, 
easily-defensible  site.  With  a  moderate  surface  drainage 
it  could  at  any  time  be  made  dry  and  habitable.  On 
the  west  are  two  ditches,  4  ft.  to  6  ft.  below  the  present 
ramparts,  the  outer  ditch  being  rather  lower  than  the 
inner  one  (Fig.  2).  On  the  north  front  the  inner  ditch  is 
not  so  apparent,  but  the  outer  one  is  well  marked.  On  the 
north-east  front  both  ditches  have  almost  disappeared, 
though  the  rampart  is  well  marked.  On  the  south- 
west the  ditches  have  entirely  disappeared,  and  the 
rampart  is  spoiled  by  a  modern  hedge  ;  the  same  to  the 
south,  though  here  and  there  the  ditch  can  be  traced. 


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Fio.  2.     Plak  of  C^ 


Sceil^   ^^ 


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AT  COKLBBMS. 


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I 


AT   COELBREN.  137 

The  entrance  on  the  west  front  is  represented  by  a 
causeway  across  the  ditch.  That  to  the  north  may 
have  been  where  a  modern  footpath  has  made  a  breach 
in  the  rampart,  bat  on  the  south  and  east,  though  the 
roads  are  clearly  to  be  traced  up  to  the  encei7ite,  all 
trace  of  the  entrances  have  been  destroyed.  In  the 
interior  are  two  heaps  of  stones,  evidently  surface 
stones,  dislodged  by  the  plough  and  collected  together. 
There  are  also  three  large  boulders,  doubtless  placed 
in  position  by  the  hand  of  man,  though  for  what 
purpose  is  yet  to  be  seen.  The  adjoining  farm  is  called 
Tonycastell,  and  the  next  TonyflSldre.  This  might 
mean  '*  Town  of  the  Soldiers,"  but  the  local  people  call 
it  **  Ton-y-ynwl-y-dref,"  or  the  **flatland  at  the  edge 
of  the  town."  There  is  a  local  tradition  of  a  town  about 
here  in  former  times,  but  they  consider  that  it  is  to  be 
found  under  the  Gors  Llwyn,  not  at  the  camp.  The 
remains  of  ancient  scratchings  for  iron  are  to  be  seen  in 
the  immediate  neighbourhood,  some  in  close  proximity 
to  the  camp. 

Some  two  years  ago,  about  twenty  large  buttons 
with  holes  in  them  were  said  to  have  been  found. 
With  that  exception,  no  finds  have  been  made  in  the 
interior  of  the  camp.  I  could  find  no  trace  of  these 
so-called  buttons,  and  I  consider  that  this  find  is  iden- 
tical with  the  discovery  of  bronze  harness  in  1903 
(Arch.  Camb.,  Sixth  Sen,  vol.  v,  p.  127),  and  that  they 
were  not  found  in  this  camp.  The  bronze  celts  now  in 
the  possession  of  Mr.  Price  (described  in  Arch.  Camb., 
Sixth  Ser.,  vol.  i,  p.  163)  were  found  near  here  (Pen- 
wyllt),  and  a  bronze  celt  was  found  on  the  adjoining 
hill  to  the  south,  about  half  a  mile  from  the  Roman 
road.  A  Roman  coin  was  also  found  near  the  camp, 
just  off  the  road,  but  I  could  not  trace  it. 

The  Excavations. 

The  Ramparts. — Sections  were  made  across  the  ram- 
parts in  several  places,  to  ascertain,  if  possible,  its 
original  form  and  relation  to  the  ditch.    Some  of  these 


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138 


REPORT   ON   THE    EXCAVATIONS 


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(the  earlier)  were  excavated  under 
such  adverse  circumstances,  aiused 
by  the  bad  weather,  that  the  results 
might  perhaps  have  been  considered 
hardly  commensurate  with  the  labour; 
but  the  structure  proved  to  be  of  such 
a  unique  character  as  to  amply  justify 
the  time  and  money  expended.  In 
some  places  the  base  of  the  rampart 
rested  on  a  layer  of  logs,  laid  at  right 
angles  to  the  length.  These  were  on 
the  undisturbed  boulder  clay,  about 
3  ins.  to  6  ins.  below  the  present  sur- 
face ;  in  other  places  on  large  boards 
of  oak,  or  rough  stones ;  whilst  in  some 
parts  little  more  than  a  layer  of  de- 
composed brushwood  could  be  detected 
above  the  clay.  The  pavement  was  of 
such  interest  that  it  was  thoroughly 
and  carefully  investigated  (Fig.  3). 
Section  A  is  made  at  the  south-west 
angle,  where  the  log  pavement  was  first 
detected.  The  details  of  this  section 
are  in  a  great  measure  applicable  to 
those  at  the  other  angles.  The  logs 
were  17  ft.  long,  8  ins.  to  9  ins.  in 
diameter,  at  right  angles  to  the  length 
of  the  rampart,  with  a  slight  fall  to 
the  outer  side.  The  butts  were  on 
the  inner  side,  and  were  accurately 
laid.  Towards  the  exterior  the  line 
varied  by  some  inches,  according  to 
the  length  of  the  logs.  The  marks  of 
the  axe  were  plainly  to  be  seen  in  the 
butts.  In  some  cases  the  larger  logs 
had  been  split  in  two.  The  bark  had 
not  been  removed.  The  wood  was  in 
various  stages  of  decomposition.  Some 
logs  had  become  a  haid   "bog   oak," 


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AT   COfiLBREN.  139 

others  were  almost  charcoal,  and  otliers  again  had  de- 
cayed into  a  soft,  spongy  condition,  easily  squeezed  in 
the  hand,  and  soon  crumbling  away  ;  but  when  first  ex- 
posed they  had  retained  their  form  better  than  any 
others. 

Above  these  logs  was  a  layer  1  ft.  thick  of  black  soil, 
which  certainly  contained  much  decomposed  vegetable 
matter ;  then  another  layer  of  logs,  smaller  than  those 
of  the  lower  stratum,  seldom  exceeding  6  ins.  in  dia- 
meter. These  were  laid  irregularly,  never  close  together; 
in  some  cases  1  ft.  apart.  They  had  more  the  appear- 
ance of  branches  than  hewn  logs,  and  the  layer  was 
more  in  evidence  towards  the  inner  side  of  the  rampart. 
In  eveiy  section  it  was  laid  at  the  same  height  — 
1  ft.  2  ins.  above  the  lower  logs.  This  upper  layer  was 
mainly  composed  of  birch,  which  had  decomposed  into 
a  black  band  of  vegetable  matter.  A  small  number  of 
branches  alone  remained  intact,  though  here  and  there 
the  bark  of  the  silver  birch  was  easily  discernible. 

The  natural  clay  contains  a  good  deal  of  iron  in 
solution,  which,  acting  on  the  tannin  in  the  oak,  tended 
to  preserve  it ;  but  it  would  not  affect  the  birch,  which 
fell  into  a  black  mass.^ 

Above  this  came  various  layers  of  yellow  clay,  with 
intervening  bands  of  vegetable  matter,  together  about 
3  ins.  in  thickness,  showing  that  this  part  of  the 
rampart  had  been  constructed  of  turves  and  branches 
of  trees.  Longitudinal  sections  showed  these  layers 
almost  parallel  to  each  other,  but  transversely  they  had 
been  squeezed  by  the  superincumbent  weight  of  the 
ramparts  into  various  curves  of  contortion.  Over  the 
inner  edge  of  the  logs,  and  for  3  ft.  towards  the  centre 
of  the  rampart,  these  bands  had  almost  amalgamated 
into  one  continuous  black  mass,  from  the  centre  to  the 

^  The  further  action  of  the  iron  on  the  vegetable  matter,  tbrongh- 
oat  the  ramparts  and  elsewhere,  formed  a  sort  of  black  ink,  which 
had  stained  the  adjoining  clay  to  sach  an  extent  that  it  g^ve  a  first 
impression  of  a  far  larger  quantity  of  vegetable  matter  than  was 
actually  there. 


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140         KKPORT  ON  THE  EXCAVATIONS 

outer  edge.  These  bands  decreased  until  they  were 
scarcely  traceable.  *  This  decrease  was  particularly 
marked  at  the  top,  excepting  in  one  spot,  there  they 
could  be  traced  to  the  top  of  the  outer  edge,  giving 
the  impression  that  the  scarp  face  of  the  rampart 
was  originally  composed  entirely  of  white  clay.  At  the 
bottom  of  the  outer  edge,  and  6  ft.  to  8  ft.  outwards, 
these  layers  were  invariably  found  extending  over  the 
berm. 

It  cannot  be  said  with  certainty  whether  the  scarp  of 
the  rampart  extended  beyond  the  logs,  or  whether  the 
superincumbent  bands  had  been  squeezed  outwards  by 
the  weight  of  the  rampart.  The  latter  would  be  the 
more  reasonable  conclusion,  as  the  decaying  brushwood 
would  in  course  of  time  readily  allow  water  to  soak 
into  the  centre  of  the  rampart,  and  the  clay  would  have 
been  kept  in  a  plastic  condition.  Beyond  the  inner 
edge  this  black  mass  extended  some  9  ft.  towards  the 
interior  area,  gradually  tailing  off  to  nothing.  Here 
and  at  other  sections  there  was  some  evidence  of  a 
distinct  vertical  face  over  the  interior  ends  of  the  logs, 
but  it  was  not  enough  to  be  conclusive. 

The  log  footing  now  lies  about  3  ins.  to  6  ins.  below 
the  present  surface,  which  represents  a  fairly  level 
platform,  35  ft.  wide,  extending  over  both  edges  of  the 
footings.  At  the  centre  of  the  rampart  there  is  only 
4  ins.  of  arable  soil  over  the  yellow  clay,  but  over  both 
inner  and  outer  edge  the  depth  increases  to  18  ins., 
which  gives  the  peculiar  rounded  contour  apparent  in 
all  the  sections.  The  greater  part  of  this  increased 
depth  of  soil  consisted  of  mixed  clay  and  vegetable 
matter,  evidently  the  result  of  the  levelling  of  the 
rampart.  It  extended  towards  the  interior  1  ft.  over 
and  beyond  the  black  mass  before  noticed ;  like  that, 
it  tailed  off  to  nothing,  while  towards  the  exterior  it 
extended  over  the  whole  width  of  the  berm,  and  nearly 
filled  up  the  inner  or  main  ditch.  The  berm  was  16  ft. 
in  width  to  the  edge  of  the  ditch,  which  was  18  ins. 
below  the  level  of  the  footings. 


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AT   COBLBRBN.  141 

Longitudinal  sections,  about  10  ft.  long,  were  dug  at 
both  the  inner  and  outer  edge  of  the  logs,  to  test  their 
length  and  their  direction  at  the  curve  of  the  angle  of 
the  camp.  They  were  found  to  be  laid  at  right  angles 
to  the  tangent  of  the  curve.  The  butt-ends  were 
always  in  juxtaposition  on  the  inner  edge,  and  were 
accurately  lined,  the  top-ends  spreading  out  in  the 
form  of  a  fan.  The  intervening  spaces  were  apparently 
Qot  regularly  filled  in,  though  a  few  stones  were  found 
here  and  there. 

Section  B,  Fig.  4,  at  the  other  end  of  this  curve  gave 
a  perfect  exposition  of  the  logs,  which  here  were  17  ft. 
long  and  9  ins.  to  12  ins.  thick.  The  3  ft.  band  of 
black  soil  over  the  inner  edge  was  very  apparent,  and 
the  vertical  face  was  more  in  evidence  here  than  in  any 
other  spot.  The  bands  on  the  interior  edge  of  the 
rampart  were  much  contorted,  and  gradually  diminished 
towards  the  exterior.  The  rounded  aspect  of  the  section 
was  particularly  marked. 

Section  C. — The  logs  were  laid  in  two  rows  of  equal 
lengths,  the  inner  row  at  right  angles  to  the  southern 
face,  the  outer  row  following  the  curve  of  the  angle  of 
the  camp. 

Section  D. — The  logs  here  were  again  in  one  length, 
set  at  right  angles  to  the  course  of  the  rampart,  and 
were  both  longer  and  broader  than  those  elsewhere, 
the  largest  1  ft.  3  ins.  across  (though  from  the  afberwork 
in  other  sections  it  is  probable  that  this  was  rather  a 
board  than  a  log  ;  at  the  time  this  was  not  noticed). 
There  was  nothing  remarkable  in  this  section,  which 
was  purposely  made,  where  there  was  a  sensible  bulge 
on  the  inner  face  of  the  rampart,  that  gave  the  impres- 
sion that  some  foundation  might  be  found.  However, 
there  was  nothing  more  than  an  extra  amount  of  soil, 
deposited  there  at  the  time  of  the  levelling  of  the 
rampart. 

The  Section  E,  Fig.  5,  on  the  north-west  angle  differed 
slightly  A  from    on  the  south-west.      The  logs  were 


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142 


REPORT   ON   THE   EXCAVATIONS 


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AT   OOELBRErr.  143 

shorter,  the  greater  number  not  more  than  11  ft.  11  ins., 
and  were  so  laid  that  in  some  cases  the  outer  thrust 
of  the  weight  of  the  rampart  was  taken  by  roughly- 
squared  oak  piles,  1  ft.  across  (Fig.  6).  Where  one  log  was 
too  short  for  the  position,  it  was  wedged  up  to  the  pile 
by  a  partly-dressed  stone.  In  another  spot,  a  log  some 
2  ft.  longer  than  the  others  projected  over  the  berm. 
and  terminated  with  a  pile.  Another  pile  stood  some 
distance  outside,  but  tnere  was  no  indication  of  what 
it  had  supported.  The  weather  was  bad,  and  the 
trenches  here  so  waterlogged  that  it  was  impossible  to 
proceed.  This  angle  would  be  an  interesting  spot  for 
further  excavations.  This  section  in  general  resembled 
the  others,  but  that  the  bands  had  been  less  contorted. 


Fig.  6.— Camp  at  Coelbren  :  Logs  at  North-east  Angle. 

and  towards  the  inner  side  the  black  mass  of  vegetable 
matter  was  wider,  and  the  colour  more  intense.  This 
mass  extended  20  ft.  beyond  the  end  of  the  logs,  and 
the  signs  of  decomposed  wood  were  more  apparent  here 
than  elsewhere ;  whereas,  in  the  other  sections,  there 
was  room  for  doubt  whether  the  decomposed  mass  now 
behind  the  ramparts  might  not  be  the  accumulations  of 
after-years.  In  this  spot  there  could  be  no  mistake 
that  it  was  a  regularly-laid  filling  (probably  turf  and 
branches  of  trees) ;  and  it  points  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  rampart,  not  here  only  but  elsewhere,  extended 
beyond  the  footing  of  logs.  At  the  north  angle  the 
section  was  dug  merely  to  ascertain  the  continuance  of 
the  foundation  of  logs.  When  they  were  duly  found 
in  the  expected  place,  the  section  was  not  continued 
further. 


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144 


REPORT   ON   THE    EXCAVATIONS 


Section  F,  S.-E.  angle,  Fig.  7. — The  logs  were  here 
laid  in  two  lengths,  with  an  intervening  space  between 
them.  The  inner  row  was  not  more  than  5  ft.  long,  a 
4-ft.  interval,  and  the  outer  row  9  ft.  long.    They  were 


-W^KW^ 


</o.. 


^llzzriaZ  ^ot^l- c^o 

TTvwnbcr' do 

Fig.  7. — Camp  at  Coelbren  :  Section  at  Sonth-ea«t  Angle  V. 
Scale,  10  ft.  =  l  in. 


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±^ 


Fig.  8. — Cnmp  at  Coelbren  :  Logs  at  South-east  Angle. 

12  ins.  to  15  ins.  wide,  and  3  ins.  thick ;  in  fact,  rather 
boards  than  logs.  Both  extremities  of  the  logs  com- 
posing the  inner  row  were  regularly  lined,  as  also  those 
on  the  inner  edge  of  the  outer  row  ;  but  the  outer 
edge  was  irregular.  One  board  rested  against  a  pile 
9  ins.  across,  the  others  projecting  beyond  it  from  1  ft.  to 


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AT  OOBLBRBN. 


145 


3  ft.  (Fijr.  8).  Here  the  rampart  was  constiiicted  with  a 
second  layer  of  logs,  separated  from  the  upper  by  an 
intervening  space  of  1  ins.  to  4  ins.  of  very  black  soil, 
in  which  the  remains  of  heather  was  still  discernible, 
The  smell  of  accumulated  marsh  gas  was  here  most 


Fig.  9.— Camp  at  Coelbren  :  South-east  Am?le. 
Scale,  20  ft.  =  1  in. 


dlT^ 


Fig.  10.— Camp  at  Coelbren  :  Logs  at  F. 
Scale,  10  ft. =1  in. 


oflFensive.  The  inner  edges  of  both  outer  layers  were 
in  line,  but  the  outer  edge  of  the  lower  projected  some 
6  ft.  beyond  the  upper  layer.  The  outer  edge  just 
projected  over  the  base  of  an  existing  hedge.  It  is 
possible  that  the  boards  may  have  been  shortened  when 
that  was  made^  There  was  no  visible  sign  of  the  ditches; 


dT»  BBB„  YOL,  YJI, 


10 


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146  REP0R1'  ON  THB  EXCAVATIONS 

doubtless  they  had  been  filled  in  and  the  ground 
levelled. 

Fig.  9. — Some  19  ft.  behind  these  logs  was  found,  3  ft. 
below  the  surface,  a  transverae  log  F,  9  ft.  long,  6  ins. 
across,  and  well  squared,  laid  at  right  angles  to  the 
diagonal  of  the  camp.  It  was  kept  in  position  at  its 
northern  end  by  a  large  stone,  12  in.  by  8  in.,  and  by  a 
small  pile  on  the  outside  (Fig.  10).  Its  end  was  secured 
to  the  next  log,  6  ft.  inwards,  by  a  cross-transverse, 
which  was  further  secured  by  a  stone,  7  ins.  across,  and 
a  small  pile.  As  these  transverse  logs  appeared  to  extend 
inwards  for  some  distance,  the  section  was  enlarged,  to 
ascertain  their  number  and  position,  as  it  was  possible 
that  they  might  be  the  foundation  of  a  ramp  leading  to 
the  angle  of  the  camp.  A  third  log  was  found  6  ft. 
behind  the  last,  and  a  fourth  4  ft.  distant  from  the 
third.  Their  outer  ends  were  connected  by  cross-pieces, 
but  they  did  not  represent  any  definite  line,  the  lengths 
of  the  logs  being  unequal.  The  appearance  favoured 
the  foundations  of  a  house  rather  than  a  ramp.  See 
account  of  "  Interior." 

In  order  to  test  the  further  direction  of  these  trans- 
verse logs,  a  trench  (Section  G)  was  cut  towards  the 
outer  bank,  but  they  aid  not  appear  again  (Fig.  9).  At 
12  ft.  some  stones  were  found,  which  possibly  might  have 
formed  a  step,  and  at  28  ft.,  stones,  which  had  some 
appearance  of  a  wall,  but  further  digging  did  not 
confirm  this  theory.  They  were  found  2  ft.  above  the 
wooden  foundation.  Here,  as  on  the  other  side,  the 
logs  were  in  two  lengths,  with  a  space  between.  On 
the  inner  row  the  logs  were  6  ft.  long,  a  space  of  4  ft., 
and  the  outer  row  about  8  ft.  ;  the  exact  dimensions 
uncertain,  owing  to  an  underground  drain.  They  were 
decidedly  more  boards  than  logs.  The  usual  upper 
layer,  in  the  same  place,  was  here  very  pronounced,  and 
composed  of  really  fine  logs.  Within  a  short  distance 
of  the  outer  layer,  and  1  ft.  above  them,  a  wall  was 
found,  which  curved  in  the  direction  of  the  curve  of 
the  angle  of  the  camp,  which  was  eagerly  followed  up. 


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AT   COELBREN.  147 

but  it  proved  to  be  a  modern  conduit  from  a  spring  to 
a  well  in  the  hedge  outside. 

A  trench,  H,  was  then  dug  along  the  base  of  the 
Sector  formed  by  Sections  F  and  o,  to  ascertain  how 
the  log  foundations  were  carried  round  the  curve. 
Ten  ft.  from  the  pile  x  was  another,  projecting  upwards 
1  in.  to  3  ins.  All  the  intervening  space  was  close- 
boarded  with  wide  boards.  One,  1  ft.  3  ins.  across,  had 
had  a  large  piece  cut  out  of  one  side  by  a  saw, 
probably,  needed  for  some  other  purpose,  which  shows 
that  any  odd  pieces — provided  they  were  large  enough 
— were  used  for  this  pavement.  The  outer  edge  of 
these  boards  was  irregular ;  the  first  three  being  too 
short,  had  the  length  made  out  by  pieces  about  1  ft. 
long,  jammed  against  a  stone  2  ft.  4  ins.  by  I  ft.  2  ins. 
by  1  ft.  3  ins.  thick.  Further  on,  the  boards  overlapped 
the  stone  by  many  inches.  At  the  pile  y  they  pro- 
jected 3  ft. ;  taking  the  line  of  piles  as  a  datum,  the 
boards  might  be  considered  to  overlap  at  last  3  ft. 

Beyond  the  pile  the  character  of  the  paving  changed  : 
the  boards  lay  further  apart,  and  logs  reappeared  in 
some  places  1  ft  apart.  The  lower  layer  throughout 
was  formed  of  wide  boards,  placed  close  together.  It  is 
evident  that  the  first — or  lower — layer  had  been  found 
an  insufficient  foundation,  and  that  a  second  layer  had 
been  laid  above,  to  secure  a  better  result. 

However  faulty  the  method  of  construction,  the 
ultimate  result  was  good ;  as,  though  the  angle  was 
the  weakest  point  of  the  whole  front — ^and  doubtless 
the  spring  of  water  was  as  much  hindrance  to  the 
Romans  as  it  was  to  us — ^yet  the  foundation  has  not 
shifted  in  the  slightest  degree.  No  contortions  of  the 
layers  of  peat  and  clay  are  here  seen  in  the  rampart. 
In  point  of  fact,  when  cleaning  the  soil  in  order  to 
extract  one  of  the  boards,  a  space  of  2  ft.  by  3  ft.  was 
pared  away,  in  alternate  horizontal  layers  of  black  soil, 
grey  soil,  and  perfectly  white  clay. 

As  the  wooden  pavement  had  been  proved  at  all  the 
angles,  and  along  a  considerable  stretch  of  the  southern 

10  « 


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


148  REPORT  ON  THE  EXCAVATIONS 

front,  there  is  little  doubt  than  on  that  front  it  con- 
tinued the  whole  way ;  but  on  Section  I  on  the 
northern  front,  where  the  outer  edge  of  the  log  pavement 
was  expected  to  be  touched,  there  were  small  pieces  of 
wood  1  ft.  6  ins.  by  9  ins.  in  diameter.  Beyond  these 
there  was  no  further  trace  of  wood.  The  log  pavement 
was  absent ;  in  its  place  was  a  layer  of  black  vegetable 
matter  overlaying  the  natural  clay.  The  bands  in  the 
rampart  were  fewer  in  number,  and  in  parts  the  clay 
was  perfectly  clean.  The  black  mass  in  the  rear  of  the 
rampart  was,  however,  wider  here  than  elsewhere. 

Section  J  was  likewise  bare  of  interest.  It  was  cut 
transversely  across  the  road,  and  continued  longitu- 
dinally along  the  rampart,  to  test  the  road  at  the 
entrance ;  and  to  ascertain  if  any  wall  or  fblmdation 
showed  the  division  between  the  road  and  the  rampart, 
the  excavation  was  carried  2  ft.  down  in  the  alluvial 
soil.  At  the  end  of  the  road,  yellow  clay  of  the 
rampart  with  the  intervening  bands  appeared. 

Finding  no  trace  of  either  wall  or  of  logs,  the  trench 
was  now  cut  diagonally  across.  After  cutting  6  ft.,  the 
depth  of  alluvial  soil  had  diminished  to  10  ins;  the 
original  rampart  increased  to  1  ft.  9  ins.,  but  the  black 
bands  had  amalgamated  into  a  mass.  After  15  ft.  this 
mass  gave  place  to  the  mixed  soil,  the  produce  of  the 
rampart.  It  was  conclusive  that  on  this  side  there  was 
no  log  pavement.  The  base  of  the  rampart  may  have 
rested  on  stones,  as  was  found  to  be  the  case  on  the 
western  side. 

Section  K  was  made  across  the  next  front  to  test  the 
ditches,  and  was  carried  into  the  rampart.  The  soil 
was  hard  clay  and  gravel — a  good  foundation  for  any 
weight.  There  was  no  trace  of  log  paving,  and  the 
cutting  was  not  carried  through  ;  but  by  a  hole  dug  ia 
the  rampart  on  the  opposite  side,  it  was  ascertained 
that  the  base  rested  on  a  layer  of  stones,  about  9  ins. 
across,  set  close  together. 

This  concluded  the  investigation  of  the  ramparts  ; 
and  the  conclusion  deduced  therefrom  is,  that  the  log 


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AT  COfil.BRttK.  149 

pavement  was  laid  to  enable  the  rampart  to  stand  on 
the  natural  soil  without  slipping.  Where  the  founda- 
tion was  most  treacherous,  wider  boards,  and  even  a 
double  layer,  had  to  be  used,  but  that  no  connection 
could  be  traced  between  the  log  pavement  and  any 
wooden  superstructure  which  might  have  been  erected 
on  the  top  of  the  rampart. 

That  tne  log  pavement  designed  to  withstand  the 
outward  thrust  of  an  excess  of  weight  on  the  rampart 
is  found  under  the  four  angles,  and  is  generally  absent 
from  the  sides,  would  lead  to  the  conclusion  that  engines 
for  missiles  were  placed  only  on  the  angles,  as  they 
alone  would  have  necessitated  this  unusual  foundation. 
That  on  the  other  three  sides  a  layer  of  stones,  or  a 
thick  layer  of  brushwood,  was  found  sufficient  base  to 
secure  the  rampart  from  slipping,  and  that  the  log 
pavement  was  laid  along  the  southern  front,  on  account 
of  a  defective  foundation,  or  of  springs  on  the  treacher- 
ous clay. 

The  Ditches. 

Section  A,  south-west  angle. — The  width  of  the  berm 
was  16  ft ;  the  edge  of  the  ditch  1  ft.  6  ins.  below  the  level 
of  the  log  footing.  The  ditch  was  9  ft.  wide  at  the  top. 
The  sides  having  been  cut  in  the  stiflF  yellow  clay,  were 
well  preserved.  The  ditch  itself  was  filled  up  with 
black  decayed  vegetable  matter.  At  the  depth  of  2  ft.  a 
piece  of  common  red  Roman  pottery  was  found.  At 
6  ft.  down  the  character  of  the  filling  changed  to  a 
mixture  of  silt,  gravel,  and  decayed  vegetable  matter. 
Around  this  were  found  a  large  number  of  oak  stakes, 
9  ins.  to  12  ins.  long,  pointed  at  one  end  (possibly 
charred),  with  a  curious  notch  below  the  pointing, 
giving  them  the  appearance  of  modern  tent-pegs.  They 
were  lying  flat,  and  not  in  situ.  Also  some  pieces  of 
cut  oak,  6  ins.  long  by  4  ins.  wide.  It  may  be  con- 
jectured that  they  were  portions  of  obstacles  for  the 
defence  of  the  ditch  (fig.  11  on  next  page). 

At  the  depth  of  6  ft.  6  ins.  was  found  a  leg  bone  of 


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150 


REPORT   ON   THE   EXCAVATIOKg 


ft 


rJ/-\ 


> 


„?r' 


^ 


-% 


--^ 


a 


*>  a 


^ 


p4 


...Y 


an  animal,  either  cow  or  deer,  and  a  rib  and  a  vertebral 
bone  of  some  young  animal.     The  ditch  was  further 


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At   COELBREK.  151 

opened  out,  but  further  investigation  was  frustrated 
by  the  rain.  The  sides  of  the  ditch  fell  in,  the  clay 
became  unworkable,  and  it  was  impossible  to  decide 
where  the  ground  had  been  previously  worked.  The 
section  of  the  ditch  was  certainly  triangular,  and  when 
the  digging  was  abandoned,  at  a  depth  of  6  ft.  6  ins., 
the  apex  was  apparently  about  3  ft.  below. 

A  bank  of  natural  stiff  yellow  clay,  7ft.  to  8  ft.  wide, 
divided  the  inner  from  the  outer  ditch,  which  was  more 
distinctly  marked  on  the  surface  than  the  inner  ditch. 
It  proved  to  be  about  7  ft.  wide,  triangular  in  section, 
and  seemed  not  more  than  6  ft.  deep.  It  was  di£5cult 
to  distinguish  between  the  filling  and  the  undisturbed 
ground,  as  after  the  first  foot  of  peaty  ground  had  been 
dug,  there  came  a  mass  of  silted  clay,  which  under  the 
constant  rain  became  perfectly  unworkable.  Nearly  at 
the  bottom  of  this  outer  ditch  was  found  an  oak  stake, 
3  ft.  long  by  9  ins.  across.  It  was  lying  flat  in  the 
ditch,  and  was  much  decayed.  In  the  hope  of  finding 
more,  the  length  of  the  ditch  was  dug  for  15  ft.,  but  no 
more  were  forthcoming.  This  also  had  to  be  abandoned 
on  account  of  the  wet. 

A  Section  (M)  of  the  glacis  was  made  rather  higher 
up,  to  ascertain  where  the  soil  from  the  ditch  had 
been  deposited.  It  was  found  that  a  quantity  about 
equal  to  the  size  of  the  outer  ditch  had  been  placed 
on  the  crest  of  the  glacis,  varying  in  depth  from 
9  ins.  to  12  ins.,  tapering  off  to  nothing  after  a  length 
of  30  ft.  It  was  clean  clay,  and  the  original  surface  of 
the  turf  beneath  could  still  be  discerned. 

A  Section  (K)  of  the  ditches  of  the  west  front  was 
•made,  rather  to  the  north  of  the  entrance.  They  were 
more  distinctly  marked  than  elsewhere  ;  the  section 
differed  slightly  from  those  on  the  other  side.  The 
•inner  ditch  was  1 1  ft.  wide  at  the  top,  and  triangular 
in  section.  Beneath  5  ft,  of  alluvial  soil  there  was 
2  ft.  6  ins.  of  silted  clay ;  then  it  became  impossible  to 
determine  whether  the  disturbed  ground  went  down 
further.   Two  oak  pegs,  similar  to  those  before  described, 


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152  RBPORT  ON  THE   EXCAVATIONS 

were  found  immediately  at  the  bottom  of  the  black 
soil.  The  natural  bank  between  the  ditches  was  about 
15  ft.  wide,  of  yellow  clay  mixed  with  gravel.  The 
outer  ditch  was  8  ft.  across  at  the  top.  The  level  of 
the  present  ditch  is  1  ft.  below  the  surface  of  the 
ground,  und  the  filling  of  black  matter  4  ft.  Below 
that  the  fine  silt  was  met  with  :  apparently,  the  ditch 
was  not  much  deeper. 

The  natural  soil  under  the  rampart  was  a  hard  gravel, 
mixed  with  clay ;  yet,  judging  from  the  result  of  the 
digging  in  the  ditches,  some  few  feet  below  the  stratum, 
there  would  be  a  vein  of  finely-silted  clay,  saturated 
with  water,  almost  in  a  running  condition. 

At  Section  E  on  the  south-west  angle  the  ditches 
are  fairly  well  marked  on  the  surface,  but  below  they 
are  very  distinct.  They  are  here  filled  up  with  intensely 
black  soil,  and  the  yellow  clay  of  the  nattiYal  soil,  as 
underneath  the  rampart,  which  forms  the  bank  between 
the  two  ditches,  is  very  light  coloured,  'i'he  ditches 
seem  practically  the  same  size  us  those  at  the  south- 
west angle,  but  there  was  a  great  accumulation  of 
water,  and  difficulty  in  draining  it  off,  so  that  digging 
had  to  cease  after  about  3  ft.  had  been  excavated.  An 
attempt  was  made  to  run  a  drift  up  the  outer  ditch,  so 
as  to  drain  the  bottom  some  yards  higher  up  ;  butas  it 
appeared  to  act  as  a  drain  for  the  whole  field  it  was 
abandoned.  The  only  way  to  excavate  these  ditches 
would  be  to  run  a  drift  up  one  of  the  ditches,  and  allo\y 
it  to  drain  the  ground  before  commencing  the  work. 

Section  L  across  the  centre  of  the  northern  front 
proved  the  most  fruitless  of  all.  The  outer  ditch,  well 
defined  on  the  ground,  proved  to  be  full  of  black  earth. 
The  mound  of  natural  clay  between  the  two  was  very 
distinct.  The  inner  ditch,  nearly  obliterated  on  the 
surface,  proved  to  be  full  of  black  earth  like  the  other. 
The  outer  ditch  had  been  excavated  down  about  3  ft., 
and  the  filling  was  beginning  to  assume  a  more  settled 
character,  when  the  accumulation  of  water  rendered 
further  work  impossible.     It   was  then   utilised  as  a 


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AT  COELBREN.  153 

reservoir  for  water  baled  out  from  the  drift  towards 
the  ramparts.  In  the  inner  ditch  the  usual  black  earth 
soon  gave  place  to  half-silted  clay,  rough  gravel  (re- 
sembhng  the  soil  found  in  the  outer  ditch  on  the  south- 
west angle).  This  ditch  appeared  about  7  ft.  wide,  but 
it  was  a  matter  of  conjecture  where  the  filling  ended 
and  the  scarp  begun,  or  whether  it  was  silting  or  a 
of  a  natural  vein  of  the  boulder  clay.  About  7  ft.  undier 
the  supposed  berm,  traces  of  wood  seemed  to  be  present. 
If  this  were  correct,  the  ditch  along  this  front  must 
have  been  both  wider  and  deeper,  and  the  berm  pro- 
portionately narrower. 

The  Entrances. 

There  are  supposed  to  have  been  four  entrances  to 
the  camp. 

The  position  of  the  south  entrance  can  be  approxi- 
luately  fixed,  as  the  pitching  of  the  Rpman  road  leading 
to  Clawdd-y-Banwen  is  visible  on  the  outside.  The 
modern  pathway  probably  follows  the  course  of  that 
road.  As  this  path  is  much  used  by  coUiers  going  to- 
and-fro  after  dark,  it  was  not  advisable  to  make  a 
trench  across  it. 

The  position  of  the  north  entrance  is  not  so  well  de- 
fined, as  the  existing  break  in  the  rampart  might  have 
been  made  for  the  footpath  which  now  crosses  the  area 
,of  the  camp.  If  it  be  the  entrance,  it  would  divide  the 
northern  front  into  two  unequal  parts.  The  trench 
dug  showed  more  stones  in  the  soil  under  this^  footpath 
than  on  either  side  of  it.  As  this  trench  also  had  to 
be  closed  before  nightfall,  no  conclusive  results  were 
obtained.  The  eastern  entrance  should  be  more  easily 
located,  for  the  Roman  road  from  the  east  can  be  traced 
as  a  ruined  causeway  in  the  field  outside.  A  trench 
was  cut  behind  the  hedge,  8  ft.  from  the  corner.  For 
a  length  of  6  ft.  there  was  a  depth  of  1  ft.  9  ins.  of 
.alluvial  soil,  for  the  next  7  ft.,  1  ft.  of  alluvial  soil,  and 
1  ft.   6  ins.  of  mixed  clay  and   stones.     No   signs   of 


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T5'4  REPORT   ON   THE   EXCAVATIONS 

pitching,  though  there  were  significant  traces  of  a 
destroyed  roadway  ;  after  which  the  tailing  of  the  end 
of  the  rampart  was  apparent  (see  Ramparts).  A  long 
trench  (N)  was  dug  30  ft.  behind  trench  J,  nearly  in 
line  with  the  corners  of  the  hedge.  The  alluvial  soil 
was  found  1  ft.  9  ins.  deep;  at  15  ft.  a  good  deal  of 
iron  was  found.  On  cutting  across  the  prolongation  of 
the  road,  stones  were  found  about  9  ins.  below  the 
surface,  but  no  positive  indication  of  a  road.  The 
thickness  of  the  natural  soil  was  1  ft.  3  ins.  The  stones 
continued  to  the  end  of  the  trench,  but  at  a  greater 
depth,  the  natural  soil  running  to  1  ft.  9  ins.  deep. 
Some  traces  of  the  continuation  of  this  road  were  found 
in  the  diagonal  trench  T.  A  trench  (P)  across  the 
caubeway  of  the  western  entrance,  in  line  with  the 
inner  ditch,  showed  that  the  so-called  causeway  had 
never  been  excavated.  Upon  the  old  natural  surface, 
represented  by  a  black  band,  2  ins.  thick  of  decayed 
vegetable  matter,  had  been  deposited  a  layer  of  yellow 
clay  16  ft.  wide.  This  was  laid  9  ins.  deep  in  the 
centre,  tailing  oflF  to  nothing  at  either  end.  Over  this 
^lay  the  alluvial  soil  was  8  ins.  deep  in  the  centre  and 
1  ft.  at  the  ends,  giving  the  causeway  a  slightly  rounded 
appearance. 

In  the  centre  of  the  causeway  the  top  of  a  large 
stone  almost  protruded  through  the  yellow  clay  coating. 
For  what  reason  it  was  so  placed  could  not  be  deter- 
mined. Further  trenches,  13  ft.  in  length,  were  ex- 
tended on  either  side  of  the  causeway,  ending  in  a 
ditch.  The  inner  and  outer  ditches  on  the  south  side 
were  here  joined  by  a  ditch,  running  parallel  to  the 
causeway,  7ft.  wide,  5  ft.  deep,  and  triangular  in  sec- 
tion. On  the  north  side  the  ditch  was  6  ft.  6  ins.  wide, 
and  not  more  than  3  ft.  deep.  The  ditches  here  con- 
verged. 

In  another  section  (Q),  made  21  ft.  behind  the  former, 
traces  of  made  ground  were  apparent  on  the  spot  where 
the  road  should  have  been,  but  no  pitching.  The 
trench   was  lengthened  to  determine   if  there  were  a 


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


At   COELfenEN.  I56 

junction  with  the  rampart,  but  the  result  was  indefinite. 
A  hole  dug  20  ft  further  on  the  same  line  proved  that 
the  rampart  was  here  laid  on  a  layer  of  large  stones. 
A  third  trench  (R)  was  cut  30  ft.  behind  the  second. 
The  ground  was  very  stony,  but  no  decided  sign  of  a 
road  could  be  detected.  Some  30  yards  further,  on  the 
conjectured  line  of  the  road,  stands  a  considerable  heap 
of  stones.  From  their  size  and  appearance  they  might 
have  been  taken  from  the  pitching  of  the  road.  These 
stones  could  not  have  been  found  in  the  boulder  clay  : 
they  must  have  been  brought  hither  for  a  special  pur- 
pose, and  it  is  evident  that  that  purpose  was  for  the 
pitching  of  the  road.  If  any  portion  of  the  road  can 
be  found  undisturbed,  it  is  probably  under  that  very 
heap  of  stones. 

The  pitching  found  in  Section  W,  and  for  a  distance 
of  30  ft.  beyond,  was  to  some  extent  a  prolongation  of 
the  line  of  this  road.  It  ran  fairly  parallel  to  the  north 
side  of  the  camp,  and  would  point  not  very  wide  of  the 
northern  gateway,  though  the  line  cannot  be  said  to  be 
direct.  The  stones  were  upon  the  original  ground, 
without  any  intervening  gravel.  It  is  quite  possible 
that  they  may  have  been  those  dispersed  by  the 
plough,  and  that  the  actual  site  of  the  road  had 
not  Deen  hit  off. 

The  pitching  in  Section  X,  towards  the  southern  side, 
is  more  regularly  laid,  and  has  not  been  disturbed.  It 
might  have  been  a  portion  of  a  good  road,  but  it 
appeared  to  be  that  it  is  more  likely  to  have  been  the 
pitching  of  a  yard.  From  experience  of  the  pitchings 
of  a  similar  character  on  the  Rhondda  Hills,  I  should 
say  that  it  was  the  work  of  iron-smelters  in  post-Roman 
times. 

The  ridge  of  gravel  which  runs  across  the  eastern 
side  of  the  camp  is  probably  the  site  of  a  road.     The 

f ravel  had  been  carried  there  for  a  special  purpose, 
he  layer  of  decomposed  peat  is  placed  between  the 
made  ground  and  the  original  clay.  It  is  1  ft.  6  ins. 
in  the  deeper  part.     The  width   varies   considerably. 

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156         REPORT  ON  THE  EXCAVATIONS 

No  trace  of  the  pitching  reraaine.    The  plough  has  here 
done  its  work  of  destruction  most  effectually. 

The  Interior. 

Septions  were  dug  across  the  four  diagonals  of  the 
carap,  to  endeavour  to  locate  any  pitching  of  road  or 
foundations  of  houses  ;  if  possible,  to  reconstruct  the 
plan  of  the  camp.  Wherever  any  stones  lay  in  apparent 
order,  the  digging  was  carried  round  to  ascertain  their 
size  and  direction  of  the  area. 

Section  Z,  a  continuation  of  F,  from  south-west 
angle  diagonally  across  to  within  30  ft.  of  the  footpath, 
running  across  the  centre  of  the  field.  The  portion 
through  the  rampart  and  the  transverse  baulks  has  been 
described  under  **  Ramparts." 

A  little  above  the  level  of  the  transverse  baulks  came 
much  burnt  earth  and  clay,  with  ashes  (or,  at  least  a 
black  band)  underneath.  These  remains  were  not  level, 
but  had  more  the  appearance  of  low  mounds  with  a 
hollow  between.  Above  these  was  a  layer  of  blue  clay, 
with  1  ft.  6  ins.  of  arable  soil  on  top  of  it.  Much 
glass,  mainly  inj;an  un worked  stage,  and  pottery  was 
here  found.  The  position  of  these  finds  was  various, 
though  the  pottery  was  mostly  immediately  over  the 
brick  ashes,  while  the  glass  was  mainly  immediately 
over  the  alluvial  soil.  About  2  ft.  below  the  surface 
were  found  several  stones.  Thirty  feet  further  up, 
2  ft.  deep,  was  an  area  3  ft.  by  3  ins.  of  stone,  laid  in 
some  order.  It  was  neither  the  foundation  of  a  wall 
nor  the  pitching  of  a  road.  A  good  deal  of  red  earth, 
with  black  matter  below,  here  extended  about  20  ft.  up 
the  trench  ;  it  might  have  been  a  floor.  Pottery,  both 
red  and  grey,  and  much  glass,  was  also  found.  The 
depth  of  the  natural  ground  was  about  2  ft.  At  30  ft. 
the  trench  crossed  the  layer  of  gravel  1  ft.  6  ins.  thick, 
25  ft.  wide,  under  a  layer  of  soil ;  and  below  the  gravel 
a  black  band  of  decomposed  peat  overlying  the  natural 
ground.     This  gravel  must  have  been  brought  there  by 


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AT   COELBREN.  157 

man.  Four  feet  beyond  this  gravel,  at  the  depth 
of  2  ft.,  there  was  a  good  deal  of  ironstone.  At  80  ft. 
from  the  wall,  pottery,  glass,  and  a  good  many  rubbed 
stones.  The  brick  earth  was  here  again  conspicuous, 
and  had  the  appearance  of  a  floor,  though  irregular  in 
thickness,  varying  from  1  ft.  to  2  ft.  below  the  surface. 
Beyond  this  the  brick  earth  disappeared ;  the  layer  of 
black  matter  also,  and  the  last  20  ft.  of  the  trench 
showed  no  sign  of  man's  habitation,  the  soil  being  but 
1  ft.  6  ins.  deep. 

Trench  S,  30  ft.  northward,  parallel  with  A.  Natural 
soil,  2  ft.  from  surface.  The  first  30  ft.  showed  a  layer 
of  red  ash  1  ft.  6  ins.  from  surface,  with  black  clay  and 
decomposed  matter  below.  Bead  No.  2  was  here  found, 
just  above  the  red  ash,  also  glass  and  pottery.  Fifty 
feet,  a  stone  for  grinding,  glazed  marble  stone,  and 
small  fragments  of  ghxss  and  pottery.  Sixty -one  feet,  a 
large  boulder  stone,  1  ft.  below  the  surface,  planted  in  the 
natural  soil,  its  use  unknown.  A  few  feet  further  was 
a  large  piece  of  lead  ;  a  space  6  ft.  by  4  ft.  was  worked 
round,  but  besides  glass  and  pottery  nothing  more  was 
found.  At  95  ft.,  crossed  the  gravel  track,  about 
28  ft.  wide,  1  ft.  surface-soil,  1  ft.  gravel,  black  band 
1  in.  thick,  of  decomposed  peat  immediately  below  ;  then 
followed  a  long  length  of  red  ash,  4  ins.  to  5  ins.  thick, 
the  usual  1  -  in.  black  band  underneath  ;  beyond,  no 
further  trace  of  habitation. 

Trench  S  (a). — A  small  trench,  connecting  ends  of 
Z  and  S,  primarily  for  draining  purposes.  It  was  dug 
through  2  ft.  of  alluvial  soil,  and  was  rich  in  pottery 
and  glass.  Here,  at  a  depth  of  2  ft.  were  found  the 
piece  of  pottery  of  the  peculiar  yellowish-red  glaze,  and 
the  glass  of  brownish  tint.  The  alluvial  nature  of  the 
soil  laid  both  finds  open  to  suspicion. 

Trench  S  (b),  a  second  cross -trench,  from  20  ft.  up 
S  to  the  supposed  wall  in  Z.  About  half-way  the  red 
ash  was  crossed,  and  then  an  area  of  stones  :  a  possible 
pavement.  This  pitching  was  2  ft.  6  ins.  wide  at  the 
trench,  and  ran  for  12  ft.  parallel  to  A  and  B  ;  it  wa4 


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158  REPORT  ON  THE  EXCAVATIONS 

then  widened  to  4  ft.  At  first  the  stones  were  fairly 
regular,  then  they  were  raore  disturbed. 

Section  T. — From  north-east  angle  of  camp,  diagonally 
across  to  the  centre.  The  presence  of  the  log  layers 
(upper  and  lower)  was  ascertained.  The  lower  layer 
lay  4  ft.  6  ins.  below  the  surface ;  4  ft.  behind  the  logs 
were  several  large  stones,  9  ins.  to  12  ins.  across,  in  no 
regular  order  ;  16  ft.  along,  the  trench  cut  into  a  3-ft. 
area  which  might  have  been  a  pitching,  but  no  extension 
could  be  traced  on  any  side.  The  next  25  ft.  was 
rich  in  pottery ;  stones  also,  but  in  no  definite  order. 
Natural  soil,  only  1  ft.  deep.  At  39  ft.,  a  12  ft.  length 
of  brick  earth,  about  2  ins.  thick,  1  ft.  6  ins.  deep,  not 
laid  level ;  but  wavy,  as  had  been  noted  in  other  places, 
though  it  had  more  definite  appearance  of  a  floor  than 
the  similar  deposits  found  elsewhere.  Some  of  the 
pieces  were  certainly  fragments  of  bricks  and  not  brick 
earth.     The  accurate  area  could  not  be  settled. 

At  127  ft.  stones  were  laid  in  some  order  at  a  depth 
of  9  ins.  The  stony  area  was  worked  round  with  no 
results.  Some  kind  of  pitching  it  certainly  was,  with 
many  of  the  stones  removed,  and  others  disturbed  by 
the  plough.  Many  showed  the  mark  of  the  plough- 
share. This  pitching  lay  about  the  centre  of  the  gravel 
ridge,  which  was  not  so  clearly  defined  here  as  in  other 
places.  From  hence  a  trench  was  run  along  this  gravel 
ridge  to  Section  S,  which  proved  the  presence  of  the 
gravel  layer  very  near  the  surface,  for  the  whole  length, 
but  no  finds  were  made. 

Section  T  was  continued  from  the  spot  where  it 
crossed  the  prolongation  of  the  road  ;  for  a  stretch 
of  7  ft.  it  had  somewhat  the  semblance  of  a  road, 
though  there  was  no  regular  pitching,  and  the  stones 
were  little  more  than  6  ins.  below  the  surface.  Behind 
both  these  stretches  of  supposed  road,  at  a  distance 
of  20  ft.,  trenches  were  run  to  ascertain  if  such  traces 
ran  further,  but  nothing  more  was  found. 

Section  W,  diagonally  across  the  field,  from  the  foot- 
path to  the  north-west   angle,  only  a  few  pieces  of 


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AT   COEr.BREN.  I59l 

pottery  were  found,  under  1  ft.  6  ins.  of  accumulated 
8oil,  until  the  top  of  the  field  was  reached,  there,  the 
trench  crossed  remains  of  much  disturbed  pitching,  of 
of  which  a  length  of  30  ft.  by  15  ft.  was  opened  out. 
It  ran  fairly  parallel  to  the  north  side,  and  if  prolonged 
would  have  passed  not  far  from  the  E.  gate.  Whetner 
it  were  pitching  or  road  was  difficult  to  decide.  Half- 
way to  the  end  of  the  Section,  1  ft.  6  ins.  below  the 
surface,  was  a  pocket  of  charcoal  2  ft.  in  diameter,  1  ft. 
thick,  of  which  6  ins.  were  sunk  in  the  natural  clay. 
Towards  the  end  of  the  Section  some  red  pottery  was 
found. 

Section  X,  diagonally  across  from  centre  to  south- 
west angle. — The  accumulated  soil  was  seldom  more 
than  1  ft.  thick,  and  but  few  signs  of  man's  hand 
appeared.  Towards  the  end  the  trench  crossed  a 
pitching  of  large  stones,  laid  in  fairly  regular  order,  in 
an  oblong  area,  13  ft.  by  15  ft.,  I  ft.  below  the  surface. 
The  stones  were  from  9  ins.  to  12  ins.  across,  laid  on 
the  natural  soil.  The  appearance  was  more  that  of 
pitching  than  of  a  road.  A  heap  of  large  stones  near 
this  spot,  on  the  edge  of  the  western  rampart,  was 
carefully  examined.  It  proved  to  be  the  fragments  of 
a  large  boulder  that  had  been  blasted  into  three  pieces 
(and  other  smaller  portions  which  had  been  removed), 
with  an  accumulation  of  field  stones  thrown  in  between 
them. 

Finds. 

The  timber  foundations  of  the  ramparts — the  spikes 
and  other  obstacles  found  in  the  ditches  already  de- 
scribed (Fig.  11) — ^are  most  interesting,  and  to  a  certain 
extent  are  unique.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  finds 
in  the  interior  of  the  camp  are  not  merely  commonplace 
but  poor.  They  can,  however,  be  identified  as  Roman, 
though  from  the  utter  absence  of  any  coins  it  is  difficult 
to  assign  any  nearer  and  more  definite  date.  The 
potsherds  are  the  most  easily  identified  as  of  a  parti- 
cular period,  and  from  their  characteristics  a  definite 


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160  REPORT   ON   THE   EXCAVATIONS 

opinion  may  perhaps  be  looked  for.     These  potsherds 
divide  themselves  into  several  groups. 

Fragments  of  very  rude  Yellowish  Ware,  which  vary  considerably 
Iq  texture,  some  of  comparatively  fine  grain,  others  very  coarse, 
hardly  to  be  distinguished  from  sandstone,  the  usual  paste  used 
for  Amphorae  and  other  large  vessels.  The  authorities  of  the 
British  Museum  have  dated  them  as  about  the  third  century.  But 
few  of  these  pieces  exceeded  6  ins.  across,  and  varied  fi-om  ^  in. 
to  1  in.  in  thickness.  Fig.  12,  the  handle  of  an  Amphora.  There 
are  seven  rims  of  various  vessels,  probably  also  Amphorae.     Of 


Fig.  12. — Pottery  found  at  Coelbren. 

one,  the  colour  is  more  decidedly  red.  It  must  have  formed 
part  of  a  vessel  7  ins.  in  diameter  across  the  mouth.  Some  of 
the  others  might  have  been  part  of  larger  vessels. 

Fragments  of  Ware. — Yellowish  drab,  or  fawn-coloured,  almost 
black  in  the  interior,  with  a  fine,  even  surface.  Several  frag- 
ments were  found,  but  the  one — the  lip  of  a  mortarium — is  the 
most  interesting.  Anotlier  lip  of  a  similar  vessel  is  a  more 
damaged  specimen. 

Black  Ware. — These  potslierds  vary  in  hue  from  deep  black 
to  slaty  grey.  They  are  generally  fine  in  grain,  though  some 
few  are  coarse,  and  are  mostly  considered  to  be  no  older  than 
the  second  or  third  century.  A  considerable  number  of  frag- 
ments of  finely-moulded  rims,  pertaining  to  articles  of  domestic 


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AT   COELBREN. 


161 


Fig.  13.— Pottery  found  at  Coelbren. 


Fig.  14. — Pottery  found  at  Coelbren. 


Fig.  15. — Pottery  found  at  Coelbren. 

use,  vases  and  pots  (Fig.  13),  and  a  lesser  number  of  bases 
(Fig.  14) ;  but  the  latter,  as  a  rule,  seem  to  have  belonged  to 
vessels  of  a  smaller  size.  The  sides  have  been  reduced  to  very 
small  pieces,  some  ojf  which  are  decorated. 
Fig.  15  has  bands  of  irregular  concentric  curves,  resembling 
6th  8KB.,  vol.  vn.  U 


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162 


REPORT   ON   THE   EXCAVATIONS 


the  marks  made  by  a  large  thumb,  similar  to  those  figured  in 
the  Gellygaer  record.  Such  pieces  were  found  widely  apart  over 
the  ground,  showing  that  it  was  a  common  form  of  decoration. 

Fig.  16. — An  ornamental  band,  which  might  possibly  be  a 
series  of  curves,  though  more  like  chevrons. 

Fig.  17,  besides  the  band,  has  prominent  projections  on  the 
outer  surface;  the  purport  of  which  is  inexplicable.     As  two 


Fig.  16. 


Fig.  17 


Fig.   18. 
Pottery  found  at  Coelbren. 

specimens  were  found,  it  was  not  an  accidental  defect,  but  is  part 
of  some  design. 

Another  fragment  of  the  black  ware  had  several  globular 
projections,  whether  accidental  or  by  design  is  open  to  con- 
jecture. Some  pieces  have  a  series  of  etchings,  i  in.  long,  in 
two  bands.  All  these  decorated  fragments  are  of  thinner  and 
harder  material  than  those  undecorated,  for  which  reason  they 
are  in  better  preservation. 


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AT   OOELBREN.  163 

Bed  Ware. — Fragments  of  ordinary  red  ware ;  also  some  rims 
and  bases  of  small  vessels.  Fig.  18  is  one  of  two  decorated 
pieces  found ;  all  others  are  perfectly  plain.  They  are  generally 
in  a  soft,  rotten  condition.  There  are  also  several  pieces  of  a 
better  style  of  ware,  with  a  perceptible  glaze  on  the  inside, 
having  the  appearance  of  a  polish.  Several  frj^ments  of  one 
piece  of  rich  salmon-coloured  ware  ;  but  possibly  this  difference 
in  colour  is  due  to  the  particular  environments :  some  of  a 
coarse-grained  paste,  intermediate  between  the  ordinary  red  and 
the  first-mentioned  coarse  yellow  ware. 

Beddiah-Brown  Ware. — A  few  specimens  of  a  fine  reddish- 
brown  glazed  ware,  varying  in  colour  from  deep  red  to  shades  of 
brown.  These  were  mixed  with  the  old  Eoman  remains,  and 
some  have  been  pronounced  by  the  British  Museum  to  be  as 
late  8is  the  seventeenth  or  eighteenth  century.  Those  were 
found  in  two  spots  only. 

There  is  also  the  handle  of  a  pitcher,  with  a  greenish  glaze, 
probably  of  the  same  late  date,  though  it  certainly  has  a  look  of 
mediaeval  age. 

Several  other  specimens  with  a  yellow  glaze  may  also  be  of 
the  same  age.  The  modern  specimens  were  never  more  than 
12  ins.  below  the  surface.  For  that  reason,  those  found  deeper 
may  be  considered  as  older. 

Bricks. — One  specimen,  6  ins.  long,  of  a  coarse  grain,  though 
much  broken.  It  is  decidedly  a  brick.  A  great  quantity  of 
burnt  clay,  which  might  have  been  bricks,  though  in  some  cases 
the  pieces  might  be  the  harder  portions  of  brick  earth. 

TUee. — ^No  tiles,  either  of  brick  or  stone. 

Bones. — In  addition  to  the  bones  found  in  the  western  ditch, 
small  fragments  of  bones  were  found  over  the  camp.  Nothing 
could  be  deduced  from  their  presence ;  they  might  belong  to 
any  animal  at  any  date. 

Coal. — Numerous  specimens  of  coal,  all  of  the  seam  which 
outcrops  half  a  mile  distant  They  are  too  numerous  to  have 
been  accidentally  brought  on  the  ground  by  manure  carts,  which 
might  be  a  feasible  theory  to  account  for  isolated  pieces;  con- 
sequently, the  coal  must  have  been  designedly  conveyed  there, 
probably  for  smelting  purposes. 

Charcoal — Charcoal  was  found  in  various  places,  but  on  only 
one  spot  was  there  a  considerable  amount.  This  pocket  was 
not  far  from  a  pitching,  which  might  have  been  i  hearth.  Here 
Uie  bits  of  charcoal,  though  small,  were  distinct  and  well 
preserved.     In  other  places  it  was  difficult  to  decide  whether  it 


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164         REPORT  ON  THE  EXCAVATIONS 

had  been  charcoal  or  wood,  now  turned  into  bog  oak ;  though  the 
remains  of  coal  and  charcoal  taken  all  together  were  of  con- 
siderable amount,  yet  there  wsts  not  enough  to  represent  smelting 
on  a  large  scale. 

Glass, — The  bits  of  glass  have  more  interest  than  the  potsherds ; 
though  stray  fragments  were  scattered  all  over  the  area,  the 
greater  number  were  found  on  the  south-eastern  side.  They 
have  oxidized  in  an  irregular  manner;  the  smooth  faces  are 
little  affected,  but  the  rough  unmoulded  piece  has  a  dull  patina 
of  oxide.  At  first  glance  there  is  little  difference  to  be  discerned 
between  the  old  Roman  glass  and  the  modern  derelict ;  but  when 
seen  in  juxta-position,  the  peculiar  greenish-blue  shade  of  the 
former  is  easily  distinguishable.  There  are  four  bits  of  bases  of 
bottles  of  the  square  Roman  type  (Fig.  19) ;  two  good  examples  of 


Fig.  19. — Glass  found  at  Coelbren. 

the  ribbed  side  of  a  bowl  or  cup,  and  the  riiris  of  several  vessels ; 
besides  many  examples  of  unmoulded  glass,  either  direct  from 
the  furnace  or  melted  into  their  present  shape  as  the  result  of  a 
conflagration  in  the  camp ;  and  of  the  two  classes  together,  rims 
and  sides  joined  to  unmoulded  glass. 

At  first,  the  condition  of  these  remains  would  give  rise  to  the 
theory  that  they  were  damaged  articles  from  a  manufactory  on 
the  spot,  for  which  the  silica  sand  could  have  been  procured  from 
the  Penwylt  Mountain,  about  four  miles  distant. 

But  the  idea  of  a  general  fire  in  the  camp  is  the  more  feasible, 
for  the  edges  of  many  of  the  moulded  fragments  have  been 
blunted  by  heat  subsequent  to  their  original  burning,  and  no 
remains  of  either  moulds,  hearths,  or  crucibles  were  found. 
A  great  many  pieces  of  glass,  varying  in  thickness,  the  colour 
ranging  from  blue  to  light  green,  apparently  portions  of  vases 
or    vessels    of   some  sort;   some   few  approximate  closely  to 


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AT  OOSLBKEN.  165 

window-glass.  These  were  collected  all  over  the  area,  at  such  a 
depth  that  it  is  improbable  that  they  could  be  modern  products, 
in  contradistinction  to  the  modern  fragments  which  were  scat- 
tered over  the  surface  of  the  soil.  Some  are  open  to  suspicion, 
but,  on  the  whole,  the  sorting  has  been  correct 

One  bit  of  very  thin  yellow-brown  glass,  which  has  many  ot 
the  characteristics  of  a  modern  hock -glass— except  that  it  has 
an  S  curve  of  surface — was  found  alongside  undoubted  Roman 
remains.  It  is  impossible  that  it  could  have  worked  down  from 
the  surface,  and  the  ground  has  not  been  ploughed  for  eighty  or 
one  hundred  years.  At  that  time,  and  for  some  generations 
previous,  there  was  a  considerable  population  in  the  vicinity 
engaged  in  working  the  old  Banwen  iron- works,  the  ruins  of 
which  are  a  conspicuous  object  in  the  distance. 


Fig.  20. — Iron  Spur  found  at  Coelbren. 

And  a  small  piece  of  beautiful  blue  glass  ;  this  likewise  does 
not  look  very  mediaeval,  yet  it  may  be  genuinely  old. 

Iron. — The  few  articles  of  wrought  iron  had  nothing  definite 
to  mark  their  age,  except  two  spurs,  considerably  oxidized, 
which  have  been  pronounced  no  earlier  than  mediaeval  days. 
One  (Fig.  20)  has  a  shank  3  ins.  long,  the  rowels  still  apparent, 
as  well  as  the  bar  for  grasping  the  boot ;  the  other  is  more  oxi- 
dized. Several  nails  4  ins.  long,  lumps  of  oxidized  iron  of 
uncertain  use,  and  several  scraps  of  iron  tubing  about  the  thick- 
ness of  tobacco-pipes. 

Various  deposits  of  scoria  and  slag,  as  also  iron-stone  for 
smelting,  and  limestone  for  flux,  some  of  the  latter  glazed  by 
the  action  of  tire.   It  is  possible  that  we  did  not  come  across  the 


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166  HEPOltt   ON   THE   EXCAVATIONS 

main  refuse  tips ;  but,  from  what  was  discovered,  no  considerable 
smelting  could  have  been  carried  on  within  the  camp. 

Lead, — A  lump  of  melted  lead,  of  irregular  shape,  about  1  lb. 
in  weight,  near  a  pitching  of  stone,  which  may  have  been  a 
hearth.  Small  pieces  of  worked  lead,  in  some  cases  resembling 
modern  window-work,  were  found  in  other  parts  of  the  camp. 

Stones, — A  large  number  of  sharpeners  of  various  sizes  and 
shapes,  some  more  or  less  square,  in  section,  with  rounded 
edges  (others  almost  round),  generally  about  1  in.  across  by 
6  ins.  to  8  ins.  long,  all  more  or  less  broken ;  smaller  ones  also  in 
considerable  numbers.  They  were  formed  from  sandstone  or 
slate,  which  must  have  been  brought  from  long  distances.  A 
stone  ball  5  ins.  across,  which  looks  like  millstone  grit  or  sand. 


Fig.  21. — "Melon"  Bead  found  at  Coelbren. 

stone  conglomerate  ;  either  a  hammer-stone  or  a  projectile  for  a 
ballista. 

Several  stones  (sandstone)  with  hollows  3  ins.  to  4  ins.  deep, 
1  ft.  to  1  ft.  6  ins.  across,  all  broken  in  two  pieces.  No  mark  of 
grinding  could  be  detected  ;  it  is  difficult  to  judge  if  the  hollows 
be  natural  or  artificial.  The  stones  are  so  rough,  that  they 
could  never  have  served  as  mortars  or  for  grinding ;  but  the 
hollows  do  not  look  as  if  made  by  Nature.  If  they  had  been 
used  as  moulds,  for  which  purpose  they  would  have  served,  the 
surface  of  the  hollow  would  have  been  glazed  by  the  molten 
glass  or  iron.  They  are  not  from  the  boulder  clay ;  they  have 
been  procured  from  the  bed  of  a  river  if  natural ;  if  artificial,  it 
is  difficult  to  divine  their  use. 

Sundry  stones,  much  worn  by  use,  6  ins.  by  12  ins.  by  \  in., 
of  hard  sandstone.    The  flat  side  had  been  used  for  polisliiug, 


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AT   OOELBREN.  167 

and  one  end  either  for  polishing  or  moulding  the  inner  rim  of  a 
pot  On  one  stone  there  appeared  to  be  an  excrescence  on  the 
flat  side — of  burnt  material  of  some  sort — iron  or  what  not. 

Discs  of  sandstone  2^  ins.  across,  J  in.  thick ;  fairly  round ; 
probably  used  as  covers  for  small  vessels. 

Flints. — Only  three  flints  were  found.  One  was  outside  the 
ramparts  on  the  berm  ;  one  of  the  others  is  much  burnt.  Flints 
were  used  by  the  Romans  usually  for  agricultural  purposes, 
therefore  their  presence  in  this  camp  would  hardly  be  expected. 

Oem  and  Beads. — A  very  small  amethyst,  amid  other  re- 
mains. It  has  a  slight  groove  cut  in  the  back,  as  if  to  attach  it 
to  the  setting.  It  is  possible  it  may  not  be  a  genuine  "  find  '* ; 
but  as  the  men  were  warned  that  no  reward  would  be  paid  for 
**  finds,"  they  had  no  inducement  to  introduce  any  extraneous 
objects.  Five  terra-cotta  beads  in  graduated  sizes,  "melon" 
shaped,  of  a  greenish- blue  colour ;  one  1^  in.  across  (Fig.  21), 
one  rather  larger,  fragments  of  two  about  the  same  size,  and 
one  very  much  smaller. 

Conclusions. 

The  result  of  the  treQches,  etc.,  is  fairly  conclusive 
that  Coelbren  was  not  a  walled  town,  and  that  if  there 
were  houses  in  the  interior,  they  were  not  constructed 
of  stone  ;  though  the  structures  (of  whatever  material) 
were  without  doubt  arranged  in  the  usual  regular  order 
of  Roman  camps.  There  are  traoes  of  the  roads,  or 
rather  of  their  foundations  ;  the  pitching  is  plainly- 
discernible  close  to  the  exterior  on  the  southern  side  of 
the  camp,  yet  in  the  interior  all  trace  is  lost ;  which 
indicates  that  it  has  been  purposely  destroyed,  probably 
when  the  interior  area  was  first  broken  up  by  the 
plough.  About  one  hundred  years  ago,  the  farmers 
in  the  neighbourhood  had  a  perfect  craze  for  collecting 
the  field  stones  (the  course  of  the  Roman  road  to  Neath 
in  parts  can  be  followed  by  the  heaps  of  stones);  though 
a  large  amount  was  used  to  construct  stone  walls  on 
the  neighbouring  farms,  many  heaps  still  lie  unutilised. 
If  the  roads  which,  without  doubt,  existed  have  been 
so  completely  demolished,  it  is  easy  to  comprehend  how 
all  traces  of  human  habitation  have  been  obliterated. 


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168  REPORT   ON  tHfi   EXCAVATIOKS 

In  several  spots  there  were  signs  that  brick  floors 
had  been  laid  on  wooden  foundations  ;  it  was  impossible 
to  trace  any  definite  outline,  for  such  floors  had  gene- 
rally fallen  into  red  brick  earth  ;  but  in  every  case  an 
intervening  layer  of  black  earth  lay  between  the  brick 
earth  and  the  natural  surface  of  the  ground.  This 
black  earth  might  represent  either  decomposed  timber 
or  the  original  peat. 

In  many  cases  the  brick  earth  had  the  irregular  ap- 
pearance of  cinder-tips,  but  the  thickness  was  generally 
uniform,  the  layer  of  black  earth  underneath  being  more 
or  less  present.  The  remains  conjectured  to  be  Roman 
were  generally  found  within  a  few  inches  of  this  black 
layer,  or,  when  it  was  almost  absent,  on  the  original 
surface  of  the  ground ;  but  the  specimens  of  glass  were 
found  either  on  the  surface  of  the  brick  earth,  or  but 
slightly  embedded  in  it. 

With  the  exception  of  two  specimens  (noted  after), 
no  remains  are  to  be  traced  either  in  the  rampart — which 
was  constructed  of  clean  materials,  showing  no  sign  of 
previous  occupation  of  the  adjoining  land — or  on  the 
levelled  terrace.  The  latter  is  remarkable,  as  the  top 
of  the  rampart  is  the  spot  where  potsherds,  etc.,  would 
have  been  deposited  ;  and  such  remains  would  have 
been  found  in  the  levelling  of  the  top.  Yet  this  surface 
is  as  clean  as  the  portion  of  the  rampart  left  intact. 
This  can  only  be  accounted  for  on  the  supposition  that 
during  the  time  of  occupation  the  top  of  the  rampart 
had  been  protected,  as  was  the  case  with  the  defences 
constructed  by  Caesar  in  Gaul.  There  strong  towers  at 
the  angles  and  the  entrances,  defended  by  ballista  and 
other  engines,  were  connected  by  wooden  galleries  and 
bridges ;  a  wide  berm  in  front  was  covered  with  wooden 
spikes,  and  beyond  were  ditches  filled  with  obstacles. 
The  whole  outer  defences  could  be  swept  by  missiles 
from  the  towers  and  ramparts. 

The  theory  of  wooden  galleries  on  the  ramparts  of 
Coelbren  may  be  considered  as  inconclusive,  out  the 
other   points   seem    to    be   irrefragably    proved.      The 


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AT  CO^LBR^.  16& 

wooden  footings  to  the  ramparts  and  angles  were  quite 
unneeded  to  take  the  weight  of  the  rampart  itself,  and 
must  have  been  laid  with  a  view  to  the  strain  of  the 
ballustrae  and  other  heavy  engines  of  war.  The  width 
of  the  berm  and  its  protecting  spikes  are  there  to  be 
seen ;  while  the  insignificance  of  the  ditches  show  that 
they  were  designed  for  the  protection  of  obstacles,  not 
as  defences  in  themselves ;  and  their  relation  to  the 
ramparts  show  how  these  ditches  were  defended. 

This  being  so,  the  wooden  galleries  on  the  ramparts 
would  be  a  part  of  the  design,  and  the  defences  would 
have  been  the  counterpart  of  those  described  by  Caesar 
in  the  construction  of  a  camp  during  a  campaign  against 
the  Bellovaci  (St.  Pierre  de  Ch^tres),  at  the  conclusion 
of  the  Grallic  war.  Such  was  the  system  of  fortification 
brought  by  the  Romans  to  England.  It  is  probable 
that  all  their  first  stations  were  constructed  on  these 
lines,  in  after-years  to  be  either  remodelled  in  stone  or 
levelled  to  the  ground,  in  after-times  ;  and  it  is  only  in 
such  out-of- the- world  places  as  Coelbren  that  there  is 
any  chance  of  finding  the  original  type. 

This  type  is  not  uncommon  in  Scotland,  for  there  the 
period  of  Koman  occupation  was  so  limited  that  there 
was  no  opportunity  of  converting  them  into  walled 
towns ;  they  were  deserted  while  still  in  good  preserva- 
tion, and  there  was  no  inducement  (as  there  was  at 
Coelbren)  to  subsequently  destroy  them.  This  same 
type  of  fortress  was  adopted  later  by  the  Romano- 
British  in  their  struggles  against  the  Saxons ;  and,  so 
well  did  they  copy  these  Roman  models,  that  often  it 
is  impossible  to  say  positively  whether  they  were  the 
work  of  the  masters  or  the  pupils ;  and  many  so-called 
British  camps  may  actually  be  the  work  of  the  Romans, 
though  they  differ  as  much  from  the  preconceived  idea 
of  a  Roman  camp  as  does  the  camp  of  Pierre  de 
ChAtres. 

The  point  for  consideration  is.  Whether  the  rampart, 
after  the  disintegrations  of  many  centuries,  was  levelled 
for  the   purpose   of  working  the  plough   through  it, 


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iirO  &EPORt   0^   THE   EXCAVATIONS 

about  one  hundred  years  ago,  or  whether  it  was  done 
by  the  Romans  themselves  to  destroy  it  as  a  military 
work  ?  The  inferences  seem  to  favour  the  latter 
theory.  The  appearance  of  the  rampart  itself  gives  no 
clue  :  provided  the  work  were  done  by  the  spade — 
either  in  the  year  200,  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  it, 
or  in  1800,  for  the  purpose  of  utilizing  the  soil — the 
result  would  be  much  the  same.  The  solution  must  be 
looked  for  elsewhere. 

If  the  ditches  had  been  filling  up  with  sittings  and 
decayed  vegetation  for  1200  years,  and  then  the  soil  of 
the  ramparts  had  been  shovelled  down  into  them,  the 
blackest  soil  would  be  at  the  bottom,  the  lighter  above 
it.  The  contrary  is  the  case:  the  soil  from  the  ramparts 
appears  at  the  bottom  of  the  ditch,  and  the  decayed 
vegetation  appears  to  have  accumulated  afterwards.  If 
the  oak  spikes  had  remained  on  the  berm,  or  if  they 
had  fallen  into  the  open  ditch,  they  would  have  rotted 
away  ;  but  if  they  had  been  thrown  into  the  ditch,  and 
the  levelling  of  the  rampart  had  been  cast  on  top  of 
them,  they  would  have  been  preserved,  as  we  found 
them. 

The  absence  of  potsherds  and  the  dSbris  in  the  filling 
up  of  the  ditches  shows  that  during  the  occupation 
the  soil  had  remained  perfectly  clean.  The  2-ft.  block 
of  vitrified  earth  at  the  top  of  the  south-east  angle, 
outstanding  below  the  alluvial  soil,  shows  that  the  fire 
was  made  after  the  levelling  of  the  rampart,  and  before 
the  alluvial  soil  had  accumulated.  There  is  no  positive 
testimony  to  the  date  of  this  fire ;  but  the  inference  is 
that  it  was  coeval  with  the  other  remains  of  smelting, 
which  would  carry  the  date  of  the  levelling  of  the 
rampart  back  to  an  early  date.  The  small  bit  of 
Roman  glass  found  under  similar  conditions  at  the 
north-east  angle  would  suggest  that  it  had  worked  into 
this  position  long  before  the  plough  had  come  over  the 
surface. 

The  entrances  to  the  camp,  as  they  now  stand,  were 
totally  unprotected;  in  fact,  must  have  been  the  weakest 


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At   COfiLiREK  171 

part  of  the  defences.  This  could  not  have  been  the 
case  ;  if  their  towers  and  guard-rooms  had  been  left  to 
perish  by  decay,  some  traces  would  still  remain.  On 
the  contrary,  every  vestige  has  disappeared.  The  total 
destruction  must  have  been  done  designedly,  and  such 
is  applicable  only  to  the  Roman  occupation  of  England. 
All  circumstances  point  to  the  conclusion  that  the  de- 
fences at  Coelbren  were  of  a  semi-permanent  character, 
and  were  intended  only  for  a  limited  time  of  occupation. 

At  first  glance,  this  theory  would  seem  to  support 
the  supposition  that  Coelbren  was  one  of  the  forts  con- 
structed by  Ostorius  about  50  a.d.,  after  his  successful 
campaign  againt  Caradoc,  as  after  a  limited  occupation 
the  Roman  forts  were  taken,  and  the  invaders  were 
forced  to  retire ;  in  which  case  the  victorious  natives 
would  have  burnt  and  devastated  the  camp,  levelled 
the  ramparts,  filled  in  the  ditches,  and  rendered  it 
useless  for  any  subsequent  reoccupation.  But  there  is 
no  reason  to  conclude  that  Ostorius  penetrated  so  far 
into  the  heart  of  Wales  ;  and  from  the  accounts  as  given 
by  Tacitus  and  the  Welsh  historians,  the  fieldworks  in 
the  Margam  mountains  represent  the  extreme  limits  of 
his  conquest,  and  the  scene  of  his  disastrous  defeat. 

The  period  of  the  invasion  under  Julius  Fron.,  70  a.d., 
or  perhaps  that  of  Julius  Agricola,  some  years  later, 
seems  to  fit  in  better :  for  it  is  stated  that  he  so  far 
subdued  the  Silures  that,  to  consolidate  his  conquest,  he 
made  the  two  highways — the  Julia  Maritima  and  the 
Julia  Montana,  running  parallel  to  each  other  for  a  long 
distance,  and  uniting  at  Maridunum.  These  were  con- 
nected by  the  Gelligaer  cross-road,  running  from  Cardiff 
to  the  Gaer,  at  Brecon  (Banium)  ;  and  it  is  possible 
and  probable  that  the  Sarn  Helen  from  Nidum  to 
Banium  was  constructed  at  the  same  time  and  for  the 
same  purpose.  This  theory  fits  with  the  situation  of 
the  camp  as  a  protection  for  a  road  running  through  a 
hostile  country,  as  the  road  makes  a  wide  detour,  as  if 
to  secure  a  good  strategical  site  for  the  camp.  Our 
knowledge  of  the  history  of  those  times  is  imperfect, 


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172  REPORT   ON    *HE   fiXCAVATlONS 

yet  it  seems  not  improbable  that  this  road  with  its  camp 
should  have  been  constructed  at  the  same  period  as  the 
highway,  as  a  part  of  the  one  general  scheme. 

After  the  country  had  settled  down  under  the  Roman 
rule,  and  it  had  become  feasible  to  reduce  the  standing 
forts  and  garrisons,  the  stations  along  the  Julia 
Maritima  (which  was  selected  on  account  of  its  superior 
strategical  position)  were  converted  into  walled  towns ; 
and  all  these  stations  can  be  identified  at  the  present 
day.  Westward  of  Cardiff,  on  the  Julia  Maritima — 
sites  of  the  stations  Bovium,  Nidum,  and  Leucarum — 
(which  were  not  converted  into  walled  towns)  are  lost. 
How  long  these  stations  were  held  it  is  impossible  to 
say. 

Mr.  Ward  considers  that  the  walled  town  of  Gelly- 
gaer  was  abandoned  as  early  as  90  a.d.  This  is  rather 
an  early  date.  How  could  the  roads  have  been  made, 
the  temporary  camps  converted  into  walled  towns,  and 
the  country  so  settled  that  the  garrisons  could  have 
been  withdrawn,  in  such  a  short  interval  of  vears?  If 
he  be  correct,  the  occupation  of  Ooelbren  (which,  being 
un walled,  would  have  been  vacated  before  the  excava- 
tion of  Gelly-gaer)  would  be  less  than  fifteen  years. 
There  is  one  disturbing  factor  to  my  theory :  that  is, 
that  the  remains  found,  to  a  large  extent,  are  typical  of 
the  second  or  third  century.  If  that  be  proved,  then 
the  camp  and  the  Sarn  Helen  must  have  been  con- 
structed at  that  date,  as  it  is  impossible  that  the  camp 
could  have  been  occupied  from  the  first  to  the  third 
century  without  showing  signs  of  successive  occupation. 
In  that  case,  the  extension  of  the  Sarn  Helen  must  have 
been  an  afterthought,  long  subsequent  to  the  general 
conquest  of  the  country,  and  the  camp  constructed  to 
defend  this  road  was  occupied  but  a  short  time,  when 
the  general  withdrawal  of  the  garrisons  caused  its 
evacuation,  when  it  was  demolished,  the  ramparts 
levelled,  the  ditches  filled  in,  the  buildings  burnt,  that 
there  should  be  no  occupation  by  the  natives.  The 
only  tokens  of  habitations  left  were  fragments  of  glass 


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AT   OOELBREN.  173 

welded  together  by  the  conflagration  ;  molten  iron, 
which  had  formed  a  slag  with  the  surface  clay,  lead 
run  into  a  natural  mould,  broken  scraps  of  pottery, 
charcoal,  and  burnt  wood.^  This  destruction  of  the 
camp  in  no  way  impaired  the  usefulness  of  the  road; 
and,  as  stone  is  scarce  in  the  neighbourhood,  the  pitch- 
ing inside  the  camp  might  have  been  taken  up  to  mend 
the  road  along  the  Sarn  Helen. 

The  number  of  memorial  stones  of  Romano-British 
time  found  along  the  line  of  the  road  show  that  the 
road  was  still  a  highway  ;  while  the  remains  of  ancient 
hearths  in  the  neighbourhood  prove  that  the  iron  in- 
dustry was  still  in  work.  Possibly,  the  remains  of  iron- 
smelting  found  in  the  camp  may  be  referred  to  this  later 
date.  This  would  be  another  factor  in  the  obliteration 
of  marks  of  Roman  occupation.  These  later  occupiers 
have  left  no  further  sign  of  their  presence.  It  may  be 
that  these  rude  smel  ting-hearths  appertain  to  a  far 
later  date,  when  Royalists  or  Roundheads  attempted 
to  repair  the  damages  after  a  fight,  at  a  solitary  forge  in 

^  The  final  destruction  of  the  camp  by  fire  is,  however,  problema- 
tical, the  evidences  being  conflicting.  A  portion  of  the  lower  band 
(having  all  the  appearance  of  the  debris  of  a  great  fire),  consisting 
of  barnt  clay,  bones,  charcoal,  and  broken  glass,  was  submitted  to 
Mr.  Seiller,  the  borough  analyst,  who  is  himself  a  keen  antiquary. 
He  kindly  subjected  this  debris  to  a  chemical  analysis.  He  reports 
that  the  upper  portion  was  in  places  white  in  colour,  and  proved  to 
be  chiefly  calcium  phosphate,  with  some  iron  and  aluminium  phos- 
phate. He  considers  that  it  is  bone,  from  which  the  organic  matter 
had  been  removed  by  decay,  and  the  lime  partly  replaced  by  iron 
and  alumina.  He  gives  the  analysis  of  the  clay,  which  he  describes 
as  a  siliceous  clay,  containing  1.80  per  cent,  of  tatanium  oxide,  and 
apparently  had  not  been  exposed  to  fire. 

The  glass  was  soda  glass,  containing  no  lead.  From  the  sharp 
edges  of  the  fragments  sent  to  him,  he  does  not  consider  that  such 
portions  had  been  subjected  to  the  action  of  fire. 

He  had  not  completed  the  analysis  of  the  charcoal,  but  is  of 
opinion  that  it  is  bog  oak.  This  would  point  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  apparent  result  of  fire  is  merely  the  natural  blackening  eflect  of 
tatanium  on  the  iron  of  the  natural  clay.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
blunted  edges  of  other  pieces  of  glass,  and  the  welding  together  of 
various  portions,  would  indicate  the  destruction  of  the  camp  by  fire. 


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174    REPORT  ON  THE  EXCAVATIONS  AT  COELBREN. 

the  old  camp,  leaving  a  few  bits  of  broken  crockery  as 
token  of  their  presence.  The  whole  countryside  was 
then  almost  deserted,  and  was  little  better  than  the 
Great  Forest  of  Brecon,  which  it  practically  adjoins. 

The  final  work  of  destruction  was  carried  out  by  the 
considerable  population  drawn  to  the  neighbourhood 
during  the  working  of  the  old  Banwen  Ironworks. 
Advantage  was  taken  of  the  amount  of  basic  slag  and 
decomposed  vegetable  matter  in  the  ground  ;  the  site 
was  converted  into  agricultural  land,  and  the  plough 
made  short  work  of  ramparts  and  Roman  remains. 

I  cannot  conclude  without  expressing  my  appreciation 
of  the  kindness  received  from  everyone  while  carrying 
out  these  investigations  :  To  Mr.  Ward,  of  Cardiff 
Museum,  for  valuable  hints  how  to  commence  the 
work ;  to  Mr.  Morgan  Williams,  of  St.  Donat's,  the 
owner ;  to  Mr.  Miers,  the  Lord  of  the  Manor,  and  to 
the  tenant,  who  assisted  in  every  way ;  to  Sir  Griffith 
Thomas,  without  whose  assistance  I  could  not  have 
procured  men  ;  to  Mr.  Cunnington,  who  devoted  much 
time  to  superintend  the  work  ;  to  Mr.  Seiller,  whose 
chemical  knowledge  was  of  first  importance  ;  to  the 
Station-master  of  Coelbren  for  all  his  kindly,  willing 
help  ;  and  to  Mr.  Lloyd,  Mining  Engineer,  for  his  care 
in  the  superintendence  and  the  drawing  of  the  plans, 
without  whose  hearty  cooperation  I  could  not  have 
attempted  the  work. 


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175 


ROMAN    REMAINS    AT    CWMBRWYN, 
CARMARTHENSHIRE. 

By  JOHN  WARD,  F.S.A. 

WITH    GEOLOGICAL    NOTES, 
By  T.  C.  CANTRILL,  B.  Sc,  LoND. 

CwMBRWYN  is  a  prettily-situated  Carmarthenshire 
farmhouse,  about  10^  miles  west-south-west  of  the 
county  town  as  the  crow  flies,  in  the  parish  of  Laug- 
harne,  and  three  miles  west-by-north  of  its  church.  It 
is  on  the  northern  fringe  of  a  stretch  of  uplands,  which 
extends  some  fifteen  miles  west  of  Laugharne,  and  is 
bounded  on  the  north  by  the  valley  of  the  T&f  and  its 
tributaries,  and  has  Carmarthen  Bay  to  its  south.  The 
house  overlooks  a  wooded  dell,  or  "  cwm,"  down  which 
splashes  a  clear  stream,  which  ultimately  debouches 
into  the  T§,f  at  Llandowror,  and  it  lies  near  the  south- 
east side  of  the  road  between  St.  Clears  and  Marros. 
The  district  is  sparsely  inhabited,  and  abounds  in 
ancient  remains. 

The  remains  which  are  the  subject  of  this  Paper  are 
on  the  western  and  highest  side  of  a  field,  known  as 
DwrbwIl-fsUjh,  to  distinguish  it  from  the  adjoining  field 
to  the  west,  Dwrbwll-fawr,  which  contains  a  pool, 
whence  the  names.  The  ground  here  gently  ascends  to 
the  west,  and  beyond  the  second  field  makes  a  rapid 
drop  into  a  second  **  cwm,"  the  stream  of  which  joins 
that  referred  to  above,  in  the  vicinity  of  Llandowror. 
The  site  we  are  considering  is  388  fl.  above  the 
Ordnance  datum,  but  it  does  not  occupy  the  highest 
point,  as  the  field  behind  continues  to  gently  rise 
(Fig.  !)•    The  view  from  here  is  very  fine  and  extended. 

Before  the  recent  exploration,  the  site  presented  an 
irregular  oval  space,  enclosed  by  a  low  rampart,  with 
the  faint  outer  hollow  of  an  external  ditch,  both  inter- 


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176  ROMAN   REMAINS   AT  CWMBRWYN, 

rupted  by  the  shallow  opening  of  an  entrance  on  the 
east  side,  the  whole  being  grass-grown  like  the  rest  of 
the  field.  The  shape  would  be  more  exactly  described 
as  between  an  oval  and  an  irregular  polygon,  with 
rounded  angles,  as  will  be  seen  from  our  plan  of  the 
enclosure  (Fig.  2).  The  exact  line  of  the  western  ram- 
part was  not  easy  to  determine  from  the  surface 
indications,  as  it  is  occupied  by  the  hedge  which 
divides  the  two  fields.  But  this  hedge  here  makes  a 
slight  outward  or  westward  swing,  and  it  is  more 
highly  banked  than  elsewhere ;  and  in  the  field  on 
its  further  side  are  some  faint  traces  of  the  hollow 
of  the  ditch.  From  these  indications,  it  was  tolerably 
clear  that  advantage  was  taken  of  the  rampart  on 
that  side  by  those  who  made  the  hedge,  and  that 
the  two  lines  approximately  coincided:  an  inference 
amply  corroborated  in  the  subsequent  exploration.  The 
height  of  the  rampart  scarcely  exceeds  2  ft.,  but  is 
naturally  more  obvious  on  the  outer  side,  the  hollow  of 
the  ditch  increasing  the  apparent  elevation  some  3  ft. 
The  width  may  be  set  down  as  approximately  30  ft., 
but  it  is  difficult  to  demark  its  gentle  slope  from  the 
normal  surface.  The  hollow  of  the  ditch  is  less  deter- 
minable, but  it  is  somewhat  narrower.  The  length  of 
the  area  within  these  envelopes  is  about  130  ft.,  and 
width,  110  ft.  ;  or  280  ft.  and  200  ft.,  respectively, 
including  them.  The  ditch  is  not  continued  across  the 
front  of  the  entrance,  but  ends  on  either  side  of  it, 
leaving  a  causeway  about  20  ft.  or  more  in  width. 

These  earthworks  are  plainly  visible  in  the  field,  and 
even  more  so  from  the  road  ;  and  it  is  curious  that 
they  should  have  escaped  the  observation  of  the 
Ordnance  Survey  officials,  as  also  of  antiquaries,  until  a 
circumstance  in  1890  forced  them  upon  their  notice. 
Yet  it  would  be  incorrect  to  say  that  the  nature  of  the 
site  was  wholly  unknown,  as  the  ground  had  on  several 
previous  occasions  been  disturbed  for  the  sake  of  the 
material  for  building  purposes  it  yielded.  It  is  said 
that,  many  years  ago,  a  former  Lord  Kensington,  who 


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CTARMAltTHENSHIRE.  177 

lived  at  Caatell  Lloyd,  about  two  miles  to  the  south, 
removed  much  stone  from  it  for  various  works  he  had 
in  hand  ;  and  a  fine  slab  at  Castell  T6ch  is  pointed  out 
as  from  the  same  source.  The  circumstance  referred  to 
above  was  one  of  these  delvings  for  stone.  Mr.  Bowen, 
the  owner  and  occupier  of  the  farm,  resorted  to  this 
expedient  for  materials  wherewith  to  construct  a  cul- 
vert. It  was  the  first  time  during  his  twenty  years' 
residence  at  Cwmbrwyn  that  he  had  broken  into  the 
ground,  and  all  he  expected  to  find  was  stone ;  but  he 
found  something  more,  and  this  excited  his  curiosity, 
and  soon  attracted  the  attention  of  others  interested  in 
the  local  archaeology.  One  early  visitor  to  the  site  was 
Mr.  H.  C.  Tierney,  of  Carmarthen,  the  Editor  of  the 
Wdshman,  and  this  was  followed  by  a  long  and  detailed 
account  of  the  discovery  in  the  issue  of  that  paper  of 
June  27th,  1890,  under  the  nam  de  plume  of  '*  Peter 
Numskull."  A  few  weeks  later,  this  was  followed  by  a 
visit  from  Mr.  Edward  Laws,  F.S.A.,  of  Tenby,  at  the 
request  of  the  Editor  of  Archceologia  Camhrensis,  who 
communicated  the  results  of  his  enquiry  to  that  publi- 
cation (5th  Ser.,  vol.  vii  (1890),  p.  334.)  The  two 
accounts  do  not  agree  in  every  particular,  but  this  is 
due  to  the  writers  having  to  mainly  depend  upon 
hearsay,  their  visits  being  after  the  demolition  of  the 
remains  thus  brought  to  light.  Under  these  circum- 
stances, it  will  be  best  to  describe  the  remains  exhumed 
during  the  recent  exploration  fii-st,  and  then  to  cor- 
relate the  statements  of  these  communications  with 
them.  The  little  hollow  left  by  Mr.  Bowen's  diggings 
is  shown  in  the  north-west  corner  of  the  plan  (Fig.  2). 

The  writer's  first  visit  to  the  site  was  on  October  2nd, 
1905,  at  the  instance  of,  and  accompanied  by  Mr.  G. 
G.  T.  Treherne,  who  was  then  President  of  the  newly- 
formed  Carmarthenshire  Antiquarian  Society  and  Field 
Club  ;  and  Mr.  T.  C.  Cantrill,  of  the  Geological  Survey, 
and  Mr.  William  Clarke,  of  LlandaflF,  were  also  present. 
On  that  occasion  several  labourers  were  engaged  ;  and 
with  Mr.  Bowen's  kind  permission,  two  diagonal  trenches 

6th  8BB.,  YOU  VII.  12 

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178  ROMAN   KBMAmS    AT   OWMBRWYN, 

within  the  enclosure,  and  a  smaller  one  on  the  site  of 
the  gateway,  were  cut.  This  preliminary  investigation 
bj^ught  to  light  the  remains  of  a  wall  and  undoubted 
e  wlences  of  Roman  occupation,  in  the  form  of  roofing- 
slates,  pottery,  and  other  objects,  and  it  convinced  the 
party  that  the  site  was  worthy  of  a  more  systematic 
exploration.  On  the  evening  of  that  day,  some  of  the 
chief  finds  were  exhibited  at  a  meeting  of  the  Com- 
mittee of  the  Society  at  Carmarthen,  and  Mr.  Treherne 
urged  that  the  Society  should  take  up  the  work.  Early 
in  the  following  year  (1906)  this  was  decided  upon,  and 
a  fortnight's  digging  was  arranged  to  begin  on  Whit- 
Monday,  June  4th,  the  present  writer  being  asked  to 
direct  the  operations.  The  work  commenced  on  the 
day  arranged,  under  the  superintendence  of%fr.  Tre- 
herne, Mr.  Clarke,  and  the  writer,  for  the  first  week, 
and  under  that  of  Mr.  Cantrill  for^the  second.  The 
members  of  the  Carmarthenshire  Society  paid  a  visit  to 
the  excavations  on  the  7th. 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  fortnight  s  work,  it  was  still 
evident  that  further  digging  would  be  necessary ;  and 
in  anticipation  of  the  visit  of  the  Cambrian  Archaeo- 
logical Association  to  Carmarthenshire  in  August,  the 
Committee  decided  upon  another  fortnight's  work. 
This  second  work  began  on  August  2nd,  under  the 
superintendence  of  the  writer,  Messrs.  Treherne, 
Clarke,  and  Cantrill  being  unavoidably  absent.  The 
visit  of  the  Association  to  the  site  took  place  upon  the 
15th  following.  The  exploration  ceased  on  the  same 
day  ;  and  as  there  was  little  prospect  that  further 
digging  would  materially  add  to  the  information 
already  gained,  arrangements  were  made  for  the  early 
filling-in  of  the  trenches — a  work  which  Mr.  Bowen 
kindly  undertook  to  superintend. 

The  Exploration  op  the  Outer  Works. 
Several   trenches    were   cut   through   the   rampart, 
A — H,  Fig.  3,  and  one  on  the  east  side,  A,  was  extended 
across  the  ditch.     A  section  of  the  rampart  and  ditch 


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Fio.  2.     CwMBRWYN  :  Pjlan 

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OARMARTHENSHIRB.  179 

as  seen  in  this  trench  is  given  on  Fig,  4.  The  ditch 
here  was  V-shaped,  but  irregularly  so.  The  bottom, 
which  for  a  depth  of  2  ft.  6  ins.  was  cut  into  the  rock, 
was  reached  at  about  8  ft.  9  ins.  below  the  present 
surface.  It  is  probable  that  the  original  form  was  less 
irregular  than  we  found  it,  and  that  the  irregularities 
were  largely  due  to  the  dislodgment  of  soil  from  the 
upper  parts  of  the  sides.  On  the  bottom  and  tailing 
off  up  the  sides,  was  observed  a  layer  of  yellowish 
loamy  soil  with  few  stones,  closely  resembling  the 
undisturbed  soil  of  the  site,  but  softer,  and  having 
the  appeafance  of  "wash-down"  from  the  sides.  A 
•  similar  '*  wash -down  "  was  observed  by  the  writer 
in  the  ditch  of  the  Roman  fort  of  Gellygaer,  but 
it  was  more  easily  distinguished  from  the  hard  clayey 
soil  there.  Immediately  above  this  deposit  was  a 
darkish  soil,  also  with  few  stones,  about  18  ins.  thick 
at  the  bottom  and  thinning  off  up  the  sides.  This 
indicates  a  gradual  silting-up  of  the  ditch  to  that 
extent,  and  the  darkness  was  undoubtedly  due  to 
vegetation.  Above  this,  the  ditch  was  filled  with  a 
jumbled  mass  of  normal  soil,  with  an  abundance  of 
stones,  which  tended  to  lie  parallel  to  the  slopes  of  the 
sides,  but  about  the  middle  they  formed  a  pSle-mSle 
accumulation.  This  certainly  was  mostly  derived  from 
the  rampart,  and  it  suggested  an  intentional  fiUing-in 
of  the  ditch  in  order  to  lessen  the  inequalities  of 
the  surface,  and  so  render  the  field  more  fitted  for 
cultivation. 

The  usual  form  of  a  Roman  ditch  is  angulated  with 
straight  sides,  or  strictly  V-shaped  ;  but  examples  are 
known  in  the  North  with  narrow  flat  bottoms,  convex 
sides,  and  rounded  brinks.  It  is  difficult  to  say  for 
certain  what  was  the  exact  original  form  of  our  ditch  : 
probably,  however,  it  was  of  the  ordinary  type,  and  the 
observed  irregularities  were  due,  partly,  as  stated 
above,  to  the  dislodgment  of  soil  from  its  sides,  and 
partly  to  our  inadvertent  removal  of  portions  of  the 
natural  soil.     Assuming  the  angulated  form,  the  width 

12  2 


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180  ROMAN   REMAINS   AT  CWMBRWYN, 

would  be  about  17  ft.  or  18  ft.,  and  the  depth  from  the 
Roman  surface^  8  ft. 

The  section  of  the  rampart  as  disclosed  in  this  trench 
(a)  had  a  well-defined  underlying  layer  (indicated  by 
small  crosses  on  the  plate)  of  clayey  consistence,  redder 
than  the  normal  soil  of  the  site,  and  almost  devoid  of 
stones.  It  had  a  tolerably  uniform  thickness  of  8  ins., 
and  width  of  about  14  ft.  6  ins.,  the  ends  being  abrupt • 
It  was  near — if,  indeed,  it  did  not  actually  rest  upon — 
the  old  natural  surface,  and  was  set  back  from  the  ditch 
about  6  ft.,  thus  leaving  an  intervening  shelf  or  berm 
of  that  width,  no  doubt  to  insure  the  stability  of  the 
rampart.  Somewhat  behind  the  middle,  this  layer  was 
slightly  dished  ;  and  immediately  above  was  an  accu- 
mulation of  stones,  the  weight  of  which  may  have 
caused  the  hollow.  The  soil  above  this  layer  was 
faintly  bedded,  the  beds  dipping  towards  the  back, 
that  is,  towards  the  interior  of  the  site ;  while  in  the 
opposite  or  upward  direction  they  became  confused 
and  lost.  The  uppermost,  which  directly  overlaid  the 
clayey  layer  for  several  feet  towards  the  back,  was  of 
dark  earth.  A  similar  clayey  layer  was  observed  in  a 
trench  across  the  south  rampart  at  G  (Fig.  3),  but  it 
was  not  so  well-defined,  and  its  width  was  about 
15  ft.  In  a  trench,  which  was  cut  into  the  west 
rampart  at  D,  and  tunneled  for  a  short  distance  under 
the  hedge — representing  in  all,  perhaps,  two-thirds  the 
width  of  the  rampart — a  somewhat  thicker  clayey  seam 
was  observed  to  rise,  following,  in  so  doing,  the  natural 
rise  of  the  ground  here  ;  and  it  rested  upon  a  thin  bed 
of  sandy  loam,  below  which  was  the  normal  soil.  This 
seam  may  have  been  of  natural  formation,  as  in  several 
other  places  the  undisturbed  soil  was  observed  to  have 
a  surfacing  of  finer  soil.  In  the  remaining  trenches 
cut  through  or  into  the  rampart,  the  artificially-placed 
soil  was  found  to  be  more  clayey  below  than  above, 
but  it  was  not  distinguishable  as  a  separate  layer.  In 
none  of  the  sections  except  that  of  A,  and  in  less 
degree  that  of  d,  did  the  upper  portion  of  the  rampart 


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METRES  I  I  I  M  I 


Pio.  3.    Cwmbewyn:  Pijm 
30  ft.  to  1  i 


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TCH 


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CARMARTHENSHIRE.  181 

exhibit  definite  stratification ;  but^  in  all,  the  proper 
soil  of  this  structure  was  more  or  less  distinguishable 
from  that  which  covered  its  sides  and  smoothed  off  the 
contour,  and  which  was  undoubtedly  derived  from  the 
original  summit. 

The  presence  of  a  more  or  less  well-defined  bottoming 
of  clayey  soil  in  all  these  trenches  can  hardly  have  been 
accidental.  It  rather  indicates  that  the  first  step  in 
the  construction  of  the  rampart  consisted  in  the  laying 
down  of  such  a  layer,  15  Roman  feet  wide,  and  repre- 
senting the  width  of  the  intended  bank.  It  appears, 
as  a  rule,  to  have  been  laid  directly  upon  the  natural 
surface,  but  it  is  probable  that  its  irregularities  were 
first  filled  in.  The  object  of  the  bottoming  may  not 
be  clear,  but  we  know  that  the  Komans  were  often  at 
considerable  pains  in  preparing  the  sites  of  their  earth- 
works. The  Antonine  Wall  and  the  ramparts  of 
Birrens  in  Dumfriesshire,  were  raised  upon  a  spread 
of  stones  of  the  requisite  width ;  while  those  of 
Camelon,  near  Falkirk,  rest  upon  a  foundation  of  clay 
and  brushwood  between  marginal  strips  of  rough 
stones.  Split  timbers  and  branches  have  also  been 
observed  in  a  similar  position.  The  source  of  this 
clayey  soil  at  Cwmbrwyn  presents  no  diflSiculty,  as  it 
occurs  close  at  hand  ;  the  pond  in  the  field  behind,  for 
instance,  is  sunk  in  clay. 

The  inclined  stratification  on  the  upper  part  of  the 
first  cutting  seems  to  indicate  that  the  rampart  was 
piled  up  towards  the  front  of  the  foundation-layer,  and 
that  the  materials  trailed  down  by  a  gentle  slope 
towards  the  back.  This  would  necessitate  a  revet- 
ment of  some  kind  along  the  front,  unless  the  rampart 
was  very  low.  But  no  indication  of  a  revetment  of 
stone,  turf,  or  timber  was  found,  although  a  special 
trench  was  cut  along  its  presumed  line.  The  many 
large  stones  in  the  tilling  of  the  ditch  may  seem  to 
point  to  one  of  stone,  but  it  is  hard  to  understand  how 
its  foundations  should  have  entirely  disappeared ; 
equally,  if  of  timber,  why  its   post-holes  should  not 


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182  ROMA.N   REiMAiNS   At   OWMBrWYI^, 

have  been  apparent.  The  most  reasonable  conjecture 
is  a  turf  wall,  which,  pushed  forward  by  the  weight  of 
soil  behind  and  the  turves  mingling  with  the  fallen 
materials,  would  leave  few,  if  any,  traces  of  its  former 
existence.  The  rampart  would  have  a  flat  summit 
sufficiently  wide  to  provide  a  walk  for  the  defenders ; 
and  there  must,  of  course,  have  been  a  parapet,  which 
may  have  been  of  turves  or  timber.  If  all  die  soil 
from  the  ditch  was  used  for  the  mmpart,  it  must  have 
been  of  considerable  height ;  but  the  Romans  some- 
times, if  not  usually,  raised  an  cKternal  low  mound 
corresponding  with  the  modern  glacis,  to  accentuate 
the  height  of  the  counterscarp.  No  trace  of  such  a 
mound,  however,  was  observed  in  our  first  trench  ;  but 
there  is  a  slight  rise  on  the  outer  side  of  the  ditch  at 
the  north-east  which  may  be  artificial.  Any  moiind  in 
this  position  would  be  necessarily  low,  so  as  not  to 
interfere  with  the  "  command  "  of  the  rampart,  and  it 
would  probably  take  the  form  of  a  mere  spread  of  soil 
rather  than  an  actual  mound. 

In  its  present  condition,  the  rampart  shows  as  a  low 
and  gentle  mound  of  greater  than  its  original  width, 
the  inner  slope  encroaching  on  the  interior  of  the  enclo- 
sure, and  the  outer  covering  the  berm  and  encroaching 
on  the  ditch.  From  the  data  obtained  from  the  various 
trenches  referred  to  above,  it  is  comparatively  easy  to 
determine  the  exact  limits  of  the  Roman  rampart  and 
ditch  (which  are  shown  in  Fi^.  3),  except  along  the 
west  side,  where  visible  indications  of  the  outer  line  of 
the  rampart  and  of  the  ditch  are  well-nigh  obliterated.^ 

The  excavation  of  the  gateway  brought  to  light  the 
remains  of  the  side  walls,  which  were  13  fl.  apart,  and 
between  them  a  spread  of  rough  stones  on  the  level  of 

1  Mr.  David  C.  Evans,  of  St.  Clears,  writes :  "  It  appears  to  me 
that  one  may  be  fairly  certain  that  the  ditch  went  round  the  back. 
There  are  depressionn  in  DwrbwU-fawr  corresponding  exactly  with 
that  running  roand  the  rampart&  The  vegetation  is  ranker  there, 
and  Mr.  Bo  wen's  son  tells  me  that  there  is  a  marked  difference  in 
the  soil." 


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t?LAN     OF    BUILDING 


METRES    I— J — L. 


— -t»l  TC  H  t  H  G 


R  A  M  P  A  R    T-  — 


LIMIT         OF 


^XCAVA 


T  lO  t^ 


SECTION    OF 

RAMPART 

THROUGH    D 

METRES   I 

Fio.  4.     CwMBRWYN  :  Plan  op  Buildik 
Plan— 20  ft.  to  1  in. 


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"!Ns'   F      \      ^: 


■  "Z'l!  -1:  _!'- — I." -ii^  -hiL"-: 


■   ■    ' ■    ■    ■    ■ 


---i--- 


^"X^» 


BERM  — 


-D    I    T    C     H 


SECTION    OF 
RAMPART  &  DITCH 
THROUGH   A 


J L 


ttD  Sections  of  Rampakt  aud  Ditch. 
Seetiona— 8  ft  to  1  in* 


efif 


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W   Jereini/.]  [Photo 

Fl«.    5.        CWMBRWYN  :    ViBW    OF   THE   GaTBWAY    LOOKING   TO  THE   NORTH. 


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CARM  ARTHBNSHIRE.  183 

the  old  surface.  Little  of  either  wall  was  left,  hut  that 
to  the  north  was  the  better  preserved.  Of  this  wall 
only  two  huge  stones  remained  in  position,  and  these 
were  rough  as  quarried,  with  no  sign  of  dressing  of  any 
sort  (Fig.  5).  Together  they  extended  5  ft.  6  ins.,  and 
rested  about  midway  upon  a  foundation  of  smaller 
stones,  about  10  ft.  long.  Whether  this  foundation  re- 
presented the  original  length  of  the  wall  is  uncertain.  To 
the  west  it  ended  abruptly  with  the  line  of  the  back  of 
the  rampart,  and  this  probably  represented  its  original 
termination  in  that  direction,  but  to  the  east  it  was 
indefinite.  Probably  the  wall  originally  extended  to 
the  front  of  the  rampart.  Of  the  south  wall,  only  a 
few  rough  stones  of  the  foundation  remained,  and  a 
single  one  of  the  actual  wall.  The  spread  of  stones 
between  these  walls  was  too  roughly  laid  to  be  regarded 
as  either  pitching  or  paving ;  it  seemed  rather  to  be 
the  foundation  of  a  gravelled  road,  as  the  soil  above 
contained  much  small  broken  stone. 

The  scanty  remains  of  this  gateway  were  exceedingly 
rude  for  Roman  construction.  No  dressed  stones  were 
found  about  the  site.  What  was  left  of  the  side  walls 
suggested  masonry  of  Cyclopean  type — large  irregular 
stones  with  their  gaps  filled  in  with  small  stones.^  In 
a  preliminary  cutting  made  on  October  2nd,  1905,  at 
the  south-west  angle  of  the  site  of  the  gateway,  an 
interesting  and  distinctively  Roman  object  was  found 
— ^the  iron  sheath,  or  shoe,  which  lined  the  socket  for 
a  door-pivot.  When  found,  it  presented  an  irregular 
mass  of  rust-cemented  fragments  of  stone  and  earth ; 
but  after  chipping  off  these  extraneous  matters  it 
proved  to  be  a  short  cylinder,  with  sides  and  bottom 
lormed  of  thin  iron,  about  -^  in.  thick,  the  internal 
dimension  being  1 J  in.  deep  and  3^  ins.  wide  (Fig.  6). 

A  short  digression  upon  the  gateways  of  Roman 
cities  and  forts,  of  which  many  examples  have  been  laid 
bare,  will  be  helpful  here.  They  may  be  broadly  classed 
as  single  and  double.     The  Roman  north  gateway  of 

»  Ct  Fig.  10. 


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184 


ROMAN    REMAINS    AT   OWMBRWYN, 


Cardiff  Castle  and  the  two  exposed  at  .Caerwerft  wef e 
of  the  former  type,  that  is,  they  consisted  of  a  single 
opening  or  span  each  ;  while  those  of  Gellygaer  were  of 
the  latter  type.  With  the  former  we  must  also  class 
that  of  Cwmbrwyn,  for  not  only  is  it  too  narrow  for 
subdivision,  but  no  trace  of  an  intervening  wall  or 
spina  was  found.  In  other  respects,  the  planning  of 
Koman  gateways  was,  with  few  exceptions,  remarkably 
uniform.  The  side  walls  of  the  opening  of  the  single 
type,  or  of  the  single  passage  in  the  double  type,  had 
pilaster-like  projections  or  returns  in  front,  which  con- 
tracted the  opening,  and  they  carried  the  arch,  and 


Fig.  6. — Cwmbrwyn  :  Iron  Shoe  of  Gate-socket.     (J. ) 

often  these  were  repeated  at  the  back.  Within  the 
angles  of  the  front  projections  were  the  sockets  in 
which  the  door-pivots  turned,  each  door  consisting  of 
two  leaves  which  swung  back  against  the  side  walls 
when  the  gateway  was  open.  The  sockets  were  sunk 
in  blocks  of  stone  firmly  embedded  in  the  roadway,  as 
at  Cardiff,  or  in  the  ends  of  a  stone  threshold,  as  at 
Gellygaer,  or  of  a  timber  one,  as  at  Silchester.  Occa- 
sionally, the  remains  of  the  iron  linings  of  the  sockets 
have  been  found,  as  at  Cardiff,  where  the  bottom  plate 
of  one  was  still  in  position.  Usually,  the  threshold  had 
on  its  outer  side  a  luised  lip,  or  curb,  which  sheathed 
the  foot  of  the  doois  when  glosed.     This  at  Gellygaer 


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CARMARTHBNSHItlE.  185 

was  coDstractdd  of  flagstones,  set  on  edge  in  the 
ground  ;  but  at  Cardiff  there  was  a  central  stone  stop- 
post  instead. 

From  these  data  it  is  possible  to  complete  the  plan 
of  the  Cwmbrwyn  gateway  with  a  considerable  degree 
of  probability.  The  iron  shoe  was  loose  amongst  the 
dSbriSy  and  in  a  position  where  the  socket-stone  might 
be  expected.  This  stone,  however,  was  not  found  ; 
nor  were  the  corresponding  shoe  and  stone  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  passage.  It  is,  of  course,  possible 
that /these  shoes  were  let  into  a  wooden  sleeper,  which 
had  entirely  disappeared  by  natural  decay ;  but  this  is 
hardly  likely,  as  suitable  stone  for  the  purpose  is 
abundant  in  the  district.  It  is  more  likely  that  the 
whole  of  the  front  portion  of  the  gateway  has  been 
rooted  up  for  building  material,  and  that  this  accounts 
for  the  absence  of  the  socket-stones.  The  side  walls 
would  certainly  extend  in  a  forward  direction  to  the 
face  of  the  rampart,  as  in  Fig.  7,  in  which  the  remain- 
ing stones  of  the  walls  are  shown  black,  and  those  of 
the  foundations  in  outline,  while  the  probable  original 
planning  is  indicated  in  close  diagonal  shading,  A  A,  be- 
ing the  area  covered  by  the  rampart,  and  b  b,  the  ditch. 
The  jambs  may  have  taken  the  form  of  inward  returns 
at  their  extremities,  as  at  6,  but  more  probably  they 
were  set  back  some  distance,  as  at  a,  as  Roman  gate- 
ways were  often  recessed,  and  the  spot  where  the  iron 
socket-shoe  was  found  is  more  consistent  with  this  view 
than  with  the  former.  The  jambs  would  reduce  the 
actual  portal  perhaps  to  10  ft.  or  less.  It  is  reasonable 
to  think  that,  following  the  usual  custom,  the  gate 
was  arched,  but  there  was  no  evidence  for  this.  If  the 
portal  was  recessed,  the  arch  would  be  set  back  with 
the  jambs.  It  is  also  reasonable  to  think  that  the  side 
walls  would  be  returned  for  a  short  distance  at  their 
front  ends,  as  indicated  at  c.  The  exploration  supplied 
no  hint  whether  the  stop  took  the  form  of  a  curb  (as 
shown  on  the  plan)  or  a  central  post. 

A  trench  was  cut  about  12  ft.  in  front — that  is,  east 


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186 


HOMAN  tllBMAiNS  AlT  CWMBRWYN, 


— of  the  gateway,  and  this  brought  to  h'ght  the  spread 
of  rough  stones  of  the  roadway,  about  1  ft.  below  the 
present  surface.  The  direction  of  this  road  beyond  is 
unknown,  as  no  indication  was  to  be  seen  in  the  field, 
but  it  is  possible  that  a  faint  difference  in  the  colour  of 
the  herbage   may   reveal   the   course  in    a  very   dry 


season/ 


/    B 


Jil 


Fig.  7. — Cwmbrwyn  :  Conjectural  Plan  of  Gateway. 


The  Exploration  of  the  Interior. 

A.t  an  early  stage  of  the  exploration  there  was 
evidence  that  the  back  or  western  side  of  the  enclosed 
space  had  been  occupied  by  a  long  narrow  building 
with  a  slated  roof,  shown  on  a  large  scale  on  Fig.  4. 
Little  more  remained  of  its  walls  than  their  founda- 

^  There  is  a  faint  ridge  mnnizig  oonoentrioallj  with  the  earth- 
works aboat  100  ft.  to  the  soath  and  south-east,  bat  it  appears  to 
represent  the  ontcrop  of  the  hard  sandstone  met  with  at  the  bottom 
of  the  ditch  and  of  the  pit  g^  and  thus  to  have  no  archsBological 
interest. 


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CAftkAR^HENSHlRlL  18? 

tions,  and  considerable  lengths  of  these  had  been 
wholly  removed.  The  main  structure  was  oblong, 
97^  ft.  by  25  ft.,  with  a  southern  adjunct  or  exten- 
sion, A,  of  a  shape  to  accommodate  it  to  the  restricted 
space  within  the  rampart.  This  was  of  slighter  con- 
struction than  the  main  building ;  and  as  its  walls 
were  not  bonded  into  the  latter  it  appeared  to  be 
an  addition,  but  not  necessarily  of  a  later  date. 

The  foundations  of  the  main  building  were  about 
3  ft.  wide,  and  consisted  of  rough  stones  deposited  in  a 
trench  of  the  same  width.  Here  and  tnere,  these 
stones  were  laid  more  or  less  on  end,  like  rough 
pitching.  On  the  west  side  they  formed  a  single 
course ;  but  on  the  east,  where  the  natural  ground 
is  lower,  there  were  two  courses,  evidently  with  a  view 
to  bring  the  summit  of  the  foundations  to  a  common 
level.  Of  the  actual  walls  only  short  lengths  of  the 
lowest  course  remained — a  broken  length  of  about 
26  ft.  on  the  western  side,  3  ft.  on  the  eastern,  about 
9  ft  at  the  north  end,  and  a  single  corner-stone  at  the 
south-west  angle,  all  indicated  in  black  on  the  plan. 
These  fragments  of  walling  were  2  ft.  thick,  and  were 
carefully  constructed  of  slightly  hammer-dressed  stones. 
The  mortar  was  reducea  to  an  earthy  consistence 
through  the  dissolving  out  of  the  lime.  Very  little  of 
the  foundations  of  the  northern  third  of  the  building 
remained,  except  those  of  the  northern  end.  It  was 
across  this  portion  of  the  building  that  Mr.  Bowen's 
diggings  took  place  in  1890,  their  approximate  area 
being  indicated  by  the  dot-and-dash  line.  As  he 
followed  up  the  foundations  for  the  sake  of  the  stone 
they  yielded,  it  may  be  presumed  that  their  removal 
beyond  the  limits  of  this  area  was  then  accomplished. 
The  highly  interesting  remains  he  met  with  will  be 
considered  presently.  The  east  wall  of  the  building 
was  continued  9  ft.  to  the  north,  where  it  ended  in  the 
inner  slope  of  the  rampart,  thus  enclosing  between  the 
north  wall  and  the  rampart  a  small  open  triangular 
space^  B»  which  was  entered  by  a  doorway  in  the  pro- 


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1-88 


ROMAN   RKMAms   AT  CWmBRWYN, 


longed  east  wall,  at  K.     Thus  far,  the  general  plan  and 
construction  of  this  building. 

The  exploration  of  the  portion  south  of  Mr.  Bowen's 
diggings,  consisting  of  rather  more  than  two-thirds  of 
the  main  structure,  yielded  no  trace  of  cross- walls; 
but  there  may,  of  course,  have  been  timber  partitions, 
which  had  disappet\red  by  decay.  Wherever  the  ex- 
cavations (which  are  indicated  by  thin  broken  lines) 
were  made,  its  floor  was  revealed,  consisting  of  the 
gravelly  soil  of  the  site,  well  compacted  by  beating ; 
and  probably  it  was  originally  mixed  with  lime,  which, 


Fig.  8.— Cwmbrwyn  :  Roofing  Slates.    (J.) 

as  usual,  has  disappeared.  Portions  of  a  similar  floor 
were  also  revealed  at  the  north  end.  This  floor  was  on 
a  common  level  throughout,  and  is  shown  as  a  dotted 
ground  on  Fig.  4.  No  trace  of  a  floor  was  discernible 
in  the  southern  adjunct.  Lying  upon  the  floor,  and 
on  the  soil  immediately  above,  over  the  whole  of  the 
building  were  innumerable  fragments  of  roofing-slates, 
and  many  whole  ones.  They  were  of  the  usual  Koman 
shape,  about  11  ins.  wide,  with  parallel  sides  and  rec- 
tangularly pointed  below  ;  while  in  the  rough  upper 
end  was  a  nail-hole,  which  occasionally  retained  the 
rusted  head  of  the  iron  nail ;  but  a  few  of  these  slates 
had  square  lower  ends,  whidi,  with  little  doubt,  were 


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OARM  ABTHENSHIRE. 


189 


used  for  the  eaves  (Fig.  8).  These  slates  would  pro- 
duce a  pleasing  lozengy  pattern  in  combination  on  the 
roof,  as  indicated  in  Fig.  9.  A  roof  thus  covered  had 
usually  a  stone  ridge,  but  no  fragments  of  ridge-stones 
were  found.  Several  small  pieces  of  Roman  ted  roofing- 
tiles  were  turned  up  about  the  area  of  Mr.  Bowens 
diggings,  but  not  in  sufficient  numbers  to  warrant  the 
belief  that  they  were  used  as  roofing  material :   the 


Fig.  9.— Cwmbrwyn  :  Restoration  of  Roofing. 

Romans  were  wont  to  use  these  tiles  for  a  variety  of 
other  purposes.  That  the  building  was  of  a  single 
story  may  be  inferred  from  the  thinness  of  the  external 
walls  ;  and  these  had  too  much  disappeared  to  provide 
a  clue  as  to  where  it  was  entered.  Several  fragments 
of  window  glass  were  found  about  the  site,  indicating 
the  former  presence  of  windows  or  skylights,  and  many 
fragments  of  square  flue-tiles,  of  which  more  anon. 

Attention  must  now  be  directed  to  the   northern 
part  of  the  building,  the  seen©  of  Mr,  Bo  wen's  diggings. 


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190  ROMAN   RBMAIK8   AT  CfWMBRWTK, 

It  Will  be  observed  on  the  plans  that  a  drain  (l)  extends 
from  the  east  wall,  pointing  in  a  north-eastern  direction. 
At  a  distance  of  about  80  ft.  it  was  found  to  pass  under 
the  north  rampart,  and  with  little  doubt  it  emptied 
itself  into  the  ditch.  It  was  of  very  simple  construc- 
tion, consisting  of  a  steep  V-shaped  trench,  about  3  ft. 
deep,  with  a  rounded  bottom,  which  had  been  covered 
with  flagstones,  of  which  one  was  found  in  situ^  the 
rest  having  been  pulled  up.  In  its  passage  through 
the  rampart,  the  upper  part  of  the  trench  had  been 
filled  with  broken  stone  instead  of  soil.  We  knew  that 
the  various  structures  found  by  Mr.  Bowen  within  the 
building  had  been  removed,  but  we  cut  a  wide  longi- 
tudinal trench  from  the  north  end  for  about  25  ft.,  in 
the  hope  of  finding  some  indications  of  what  had  been. 
The  normal  floor,  as  described  above,  extended  10  ft. 
from  the  north  wall,  at  the  end  of  which  a  sudden  drop 
of  nearly  2  ft.  brought  us  to  a  new  level  c,  consisting 
of  the  natural  soil,  flat  and  somewhat  hard.  This 
continued  about  8  ft.,  when  a  transverse  ridge  of 
natural  soil,  D,  about  3  ft.  wide  at  the  base,  and  with 
sloping  sides,  was  reached ;  and  the  north  side  of  this 
had  been  puddled  with  white  clay,  patches  of  which, 
about  an  inch  or  more  thick,  remained.  On  the  south 
side  of  this  ridge  the  ground  fell  to  the  former  level,  e, 
as  far  as  the  trench  extended,  5  ft.  We  now  excavated 
to  the  east,  and  almost  immediately  met  with  a  vertical 
face  of  natural  soil,  7  ft.  from  the  east  side  of  the 
building,  which  was  capped  with  the  gravelled  floor.  It 
was  clear,  then,  that  within  the  area  dug  by  Mr.  Bowen 
there  was  a  sunk  space,  crossed  by  a  ridge  running  east 
and  west.  The  filling  of  this  space  consisted  of  soil  and 
debris,  mixed  with  a  large  amount  of  charcoal,  which 
gave  it  a  dark  colour. 

What  Mr.  Bowen  found  hereabouts  was  related  by 
Mr.  Tierney  in  the  Welshman,  and  by  Mr.  Laws  in 
ArchcBologia  Cambrensis,  as  stated  above;  and  the 
former  gentleman  has  kindly  forwarded  further  parti- 
culars from  memory,  also  the  gist  of  an  account  which 


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0ABMARTHEN8HIRB.  191 

appeared  at  the  time  in  a  Tenby  paper.  These  accounts 
do  not  precisely  agree,  but  this  much  is  tolerably  clear ; 
Mr.  Bowen  unearthed  three  parallel  walls,  running 
east  and  west,  and  about  5  ft.  apart.  Of  these,  the  two 
outer  walls  were  well  built,  and  laid  in  mortar,  while 
the  middle  was  of  "  dry"  masonry,  with  the  interstices 
filled  up  with  common  clay.  The  first  wall  discovered 
— that  to  the  north — was  about  4  ft.  high,  and  was 
traced  for  24  ft.,  when  it  came  to  an  end.  This,  it  will 
be  observed,  represents  the  width  of  the  building,  so 
we  may  conclude  that  it  extended  across  its  full  width. 
The  south  wall  is  described  as  a  *' half- wall,"  that  is, 
it  was  properly  faced  on  one  side  (the  north  side),  and 
was  rough,  as  though  built  against  the  soil  on  the 
other.  The  face  of  this  wall  was  plastered,  according 
to  Mr.  Laws,  with  brick  and  lime  concrete ;  and  he 
states  also  that  the  south  face  of  the  north  wall  was 
similarly  treated.  The  length  of  this  south  wall  is  not 
stated,  nor  that  of  the  middle  one. 

Between  the  north  and  the  middle  walls  was  a 
curious  construction,  which  is  variously  described  as  a 
masonry  bench,  or  block,  or  concrete  floor.  Mr.  Tierney 
thus  describes  it :  **  Mr.  Bowen  found  something  which 
at  first  sight  resembled  a  cist  without  the  usual  flag- 
stone covering.  A  number  of  thin  flat  stones  of  some- 
what irregular  shapes  and  size,  were  set  on  their 
edges,  so  as  to  enclose  a  space  6  ft.  lon^  by  2  ft.  9  ins. 
wide.  This  space  was  filled  to  a  depth  of  3  or  4  ins. 
with  a  bright  red  clayey,  or  rather  gravelly,  substance, 
which  would  almost  appear  to  have  been  artificially 
coloured.  At  first  it  was  nearly  of  vermilion  shade, 
but  on  exposure  to  the  air  for  some  time  its  colour 
became  a  good  deal  duller.  The  composition  of  this 
red  powder  resembled  that  of  the  cement,  of  which 
I  shall  speak  presently.  The  stones  resting  on  their 
edges  and  the  red  materials  were  then  removed, 
and  directly  underneath  it,  was  found  a  bed  of  the 
same  dimensions  of  beautiful  concrete  or  cement,  4  ins. 
deep,  and  reddish  in   colour.     It  was  not  nearly  so 


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192  ROMAN   REMAINS   AT   CWMBRWYN, 

bright  a  hue  as  the'  red  powder  just  described,  but  it 
appeared  to  contain  a  good  deal  of  the  same  ingredients. 
Among  the  rest,  quarry  and  other  stone,  not  found,  I 
believe,  in  the  neighbourhood,  appeared  to  enter  in  a 
granular  form  into  its  composition.  The  bed  of  con- 
crete was  removed  with  a  pickaxe,  and  disclosed  a 
layer  of  flagstones,  some  of  them  over  S2  ft  square, 
and  altogether  making  up  the  same  area  as  the  cement. 
When  the  flags  were  raised,  and  the  layer  of  concrete 
of  the  same  thickness  as  before,  but  this  time  a  light 
grey  colour,  came  to  view.  The  men  who  made  this 
grouting,  concrete,  or  whatever  it  should  be  called, 
were  masters  of  their  trade,  for  even  now  it  is  hard  to 
break  it,  even  with  a  pickaxe.  A  large  portion  of  it 
came  off  like  a  big  flagstone,  and  it  is  almost  as  hard 
and  solid  as  the  stone  of  the  locality.  However,  Mr. 
Bowen  succeeded  in  getting  it  all  away,  and  once  more 
he  encountered  flags  like  those  above  referred  to.  He 
determined  not  to  give  in  just  then,  and  went  on  to 
raise  the  flags.  It  seemed  to  be  labour  lost,  for  no 
sooner  was  the  second  bed  of  flags  out  of  the  way, 
than,  lo  !  here  comes  the  cement  again — this  time  of  a 
dark  slaty  colour,  and  coarse  in  structure.  What  lies 
beneath  the  dark  cement,  if  anything,  is  not  yet 
known/'  The  residue  of  this  structure  was,  however, 
subsequently  removed,  so  the  writer  is  informed  by 
Mr.  Bowen,  from  whose  description  it  appears  to  have 
been  merely  a  foundation  spread  of  rough  stones. 

According  to  Mr.  Laws,  this  "  bench  "  was  '*  about 
2  ft.  high,  very  strongly  built  of  alternate  courses  of 
mortar  and  flags,  on  the  top  of  which  was  a  sort  of 
tray  made  with  flags,  containing  clay  burnt,  ground 
fine,  and  mixed  with  quartz.  This  bench  was  7  ft. 
long  and  8  ft.  (3  ft.  ?)  wide." 

In  each  of  the  passages  or  spaces  between  these 
walls  were  many  fragments  of  flue-tiles,  and,  according 
to  Mr.  Laws,  there  was  "  a  considerable  quantity  of 
wood  ashes  **  in  the  space  to  the  south.  We  also  met 
with  both  in  abundance  in  this  part  of  the  building. 


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OARMARTHEKSHIBE. 


193 


No  perfect  flue-tile  was  found  ;  but  a  comparison  of 
the  fragments  showed  that  they  were  of  the  ordinary 
Roman  form — square  tubes  about  10  ins.  long,  and 
from  5  ins.  to  6^  ins.  wide  on  each  side.  They  were,  as 
usual,  scored  on  the  front  and  back,  in  order  to  make 
mortar  adhere  to  them.  These  scorings  were  made 
with  a  three- toothed  instrument  or  **  scratch.''  On 
some  of  the  tiles  they  simply  crossed  the  face  diago- 
nally, saltire-wise,  from  corner  to  corner ;  on  others 
they  formed  a  more  elaborate  design,  consisting  of  two 


Fig.  10.— Cwmbrwyn:  Flue-Tile,     (i.) 


intei-secting  semicircles,  with  wavy  lines  in  the  inter- 
spaces. Some,  at  least,  if  not  all,  had  lateral  openings 
(Fig.  10).  Vertical  flues  formed  of  these  tiles  were  let 
into  the  walls  of  a  heated  apartment,  and  by  this 
means  the  heat  of  the  hypocaust  radiated  from  the 
walls,  as  well  as  from  the  floor.  In  the  sudatories  ot 
baths  the  walls  were  sometimes  wholly  lined  with 
them,  the  lateral  openings,  just  referred  to,  allowing 
the  heated  gases  to  freely  circulate  from  flue  to  flue. 

The  writer's  first  difficulty  was  to  correlate  these 
remains  with  the  building  as  a  whole ;   but  Mr.  D.  C. 


6th  seb.,  vol.  VII. 


13 


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194  ROMAN    REMAINS   AT   CWMBRWYN, 

Evans,  of  St.  dears,  recently  interviewed  Mr.  Bowen, 
who  pointed  out  the  spot  where  the  **  bench ''  was 
found.  This  was  about  18  ft.  from  the  north  wall  of 
the  building,  and  about  5  ft.  from  its  east  wall  (f  in 
the  large  plan,  Fig.  4).  From  this,  it  is  clear  that  all 
Mr.  Bowen's  walls  were  internal,  and  corresponded 
with  the  sunk  area  we  found.  His  north  wall  was 
evidently  huilt  against  the  north  side  of  this  area, 
where  we  observed  the  sudden  drop  from  the  gravelly 
floor  on  the  normal  level.  This  would  account  for  the 
height  of  the  wall,  4  ft.,  reckoned  from  the  bottom  of 
the  depression  ;  if  reckoned  from  the  normal  level,  it 
would  have  protruded  above  the  present  surface.  It 
also  accounts  for  the  south  face  only  being  plastered. 
The  ridge  of  natural  soil  observed  about  8  ft.  to  the 
south  may  have  been  connected  with  the  dry  wall, 
which,  allowing  for  the  thickness  of  the  former  wall, 
would  leave  an  interval  of  about  5  ft.  or  6  ft.  The 
south  wall  was  evidently  also  a  retaining-waW^  as  its 
rough  back  indicated  ;  and  it,  presumably,  formed  the 
southern  limit  of  the  sunk  area  somewhat  to  the  south 
of  our  excavation.  If  so,  the  second  depressed  space 
could  not  have  reached  the  east  wall  of  the  building, 
as  we  found  here  about  6  ft.  of  the  normal  floor.  The 
**  bench "  evidently  lay  to  the  south  of  our  trench 
at  F,  and  its  vicinity  to  the  end  of  the  drain  should 
be  noted. 

The  "bench"  is  puzzling;  but  it  so  exactly  cor- 
responds in  construction  with  the  usual  substructure 
of  a  Roman  tank,^  that  the  writer  is  inclined  to  regard 
it  as  the  bottom  of  one.  The  thin  slabs  surrounding  it 
would  be  the  lower  portions  of  its  sides.  The  red 
stucco  of  brick  and  lime  was  the  usual  lining  of  built 
receptacles  for  water,  and  the  bright  red  gravelly 
substance  which  overspread  the  ** bench"  was  probably 

^  At  Gelljgaer  the  lower  part  of  a  similarly  constructed  tank  was 
fonnd,  only  each  stratum  consisted  of  stones  packed  together  on 
end,  instead  of  laid  horizontally  as  at  Cwmbrwyn.  Roman  Fort  of 
Gellygaer,  p.  69. 


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CAUM  ARTHENSHIRE.  195 

the  decayed  stucco  of  the  sides.  The  wood  ashes  and 
flue-tiles  are  suggestive  that  the  sunk  spaces  between 
the  three  walls  formed  a  hypocaust.  We  have  here, 
then,  all  the  elements  of  a  small  Roman  bath,  con- 
sisting apparently  of  two  heated  rooms  (a  tepidarium 
and  a  calidarium),  and  we  may  reasonably  suppose  that 
the  space  between  these  and  the  north  end  of  the 
building  also  formed  one  of  the  suite  of  bathing 
chambers.  As  this  space  had  no  hypocaust,  it  would 
be  the  combined  cooling  and  dressing-room  (frigida- 
rium  and  apodyterium).  A  careful  study  of  the  plan 
(Fig.  4)  will  convince  that  the  stokehole  of  the  hypo- 
causts  could  hardly  have  been  otherwise  than  on  their 
west  side  ;  but  the  external  wall  here  was  reduced  to 
patches  of  foundation  rubble,  too  vague  to  indicate  any 
traces  of  a  passage  through  it ;  but  just  outside  its  line 
was  found  a  rough  structure  of  several  large  stones  at 
G,  which  may  have  been  one  of  the  cheeks  of  the  fur- 
nace. The  tank  described  above  had  a  solid  bottom, 
so  was  incapable  of  being  heated ;  we  must  therefore 
regard  it  as  the  cold-water  plunge  of  the  frigidarium. 
There  should  be  a  hot-water  alveus,  and  this  was 
normally  constructed  over  the  hypocaust  and  close  to 
the  furnace.  It  would  therefore  be  in  the  second 
heated  chamber  {i.e.,  the  chamber  to  the  south),  and  at 
its  west  end,  with  the  flue  of  the  furnace  passing 
under  its  bottom,  which  would  probably  be  formed  of 
a  large  flagstone.^  Nothing,  however,  answering  to 
this  seems  to  have  been  found  by  Mr.  Bowen,  nor  any 
remains  of  the  suspended  floors  and  the  piles  which 
supported  them,  of  the  heated  chambers.  Nor  did  he 
apparently  find  any  of  the  flue-tiles  in  position — it  is 
very  evident  that  he  was  not  the  first  to  resort  to  this 
part  of  the  site  for  building  materials  !  A  bath  attached 
to  a  Roman  house  rarely,  if  ever,  communicated  directly 
with  it;  and  if  our  conjecture  that  the  space  to  the 
north  was  the  frigidarium,  it  is  here  that  we  must 

^  Such  as  the  slab  at  Castell  T6ch,  p.  177 ;  but  this  is  traditionally 
said  to  have  come  from  the  gateway. 


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196  ROMAN   REMAmS  AT  CWMBRWYN, 

look  for  the  entrance  to  the  suite  of  rooms.  Now  the 
intact  piece  of  walling  forming  the  eastern  half  of  its 
north  side  had  a  tolerably  well-formed  square  end  at  H, 
suggestive  of  the  side  of  a  doorway  from  the  little 
yard,  B,  which,  as  already  intimated,  was  reached  by  a 
doorway  in  its  east  wall.  The  frigidaiium  entered,  its 
opposite  side  would  probably  present  a  wide  recess  to 
the  left,  containing  a  cold-water  plunge,  and  to  the 
right  a  narrow  doorway  into  the  little  tepidarium. 
Altogether  these  curious  remains — slight  as  they  are — 
are  consistent  with  the  hypothesis  of  a  bath  of 
thoroughly  normal  planning. 

We  must  consider  the  remains  in  the  enclosed  space 


Pig.  11.— Cwmbrwyn  :  Retaining  Wall. 

external  to  the  building  just  described.  The  building 
occupied,  as  already  stated,  the  west  side  of  the  enclo- 
sure. The  southern  adjunct,  in  spite  of  the  slope  of  its 
west  end  to  accommodate  it  to  the  curved  sweep  of  the 
rampart,  encroached  upon  the  inner  slope  of  the  latter. 
This  necessitated  the  cutting  away  of  part  of  this 
slope,  and  the  insertion  of  a  concave  retaining-wall, 
18  ft.  long  (i  on  Fig.  4),  to  support  the  remaining 
portion  of  the  earthwork.  This  walling  was  construc- 
ted of  large  rough  stones,  with  their  irregular  interspaces 
filled  with  smaller  st/ones,  all  being  bedded  in  red  clay 
instead  of  mortar  (Fig.  11).  It  still  remained  to  the 
height  of  nearly  4  ft.,  and  owed  its  preservation  to  its 
utilisation  for  the  field-fence.    There  appears  to  have 


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CARMARTHENSHIRE.  197 

been  a  similar  revetment  towards  the  opposite  end  of  the 
building  at  J,  where  a  broken  line  of  large  stones  was 
brought  to  light  at  the  foot  of  the  hedge,  about  24  ft. 
in  length.  This  was  at  a  suflScient  distance  from  the 
west  wall  and  north-west  corner  of  the  building,  to 
allow  of  a  passage  from  the  little  yard  at  the  north  end 
to  our  presumed  stokehole.  Between  these  two  re- 
taining walls  (i  and  j)  the  rampart  sloped  down  to  the 
foot  of  the  building. 

Attention  is  now  directed  to  the  rest  of  the  interior 
east  of  the  building.  A  series  of  diagonal  and  other 
trenches  proved  that  the  whole  central  portion  was 
devoid  of  buildings  and  other  structures  ;  that  it  was, 
in  fact,  an  open  space.  The  road  through  the  gateway 
continued  across  it,  or  rather  projected  into  it,  for  its 
traces  became  obscure  as  the  building  was  approached. 
The  track  consisted  of  a  spread  of  rough  stones,  about 
25  ft.  in  width,  which  with  little  doubt  was  originally 
gravelled.  The  old  surface  on  either  side  disclosed 
patches  of  finely-broken  stone,  which  suggested  that 
the  space  generally  was  also  thinly  gravelled.  In  the 
more  central  area,  the  surface,  as  a  rule,  was  clean  and 
free  from  finds ;  but  in  the  vicinity  of  the  gateway, 
and  especially  of  the  building,  the  soil  was  discoloured, 
and  fragments  of  slate  and  pottery  were  frequent.  This 
open  space,  or  yard,  extended  unimpeded  to  the  por- 
tion of  the  east  rampart  south  of  the  gateway  and  to 
the  south-east  corner,  and  hereabouts  the  old  surface 
appears  to  have  been  left  in  its  natural  condition. 
Elsewhere,  as  the  trenches  approached  the  rampart,  a 
different  condition  of  things  was  observed,  which  will 
now  be  described. 

Along  the  north  side,  the  east  side  to  within  a  few 
yards  of  the  gateway,  and  especially  within  the  north- 
east corner,  patches  of  rude  paving  and  dark  soil  were 
met  with  between  the  rampart  and  the  broken  line  a  a. 
Fig.  3. 

Extending  eastwards  from  the  northern  prolongation 
of  the  east  wall  of  the  building  were  the  remains  of  a 


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198  ROMAN   RKMAINS   AT   CWMBRWYN, 

slight  retaining-wall  6,  at  the  foot  of  the  rampart, 
definitely  built  at  the  west  end,  and  becoming  a 
tumbled  line  of  stones  towards  the  east.  Near  the 
north-east  curve  of  the  rampart,  a  line  of  tumbled 
stones,  c,  was  again  met  with  in  this  position,  and 
between  the  two,  many  stones  were  found  which 
may  have  belonged  to  this  wall.  Southward  of  this 
curve,  and  also  along  the  inner  foot  of  the  rampart, 
was  a  row  of  several  shallow  holes,  rf,  about  1  ft 
in  diameter,  and  surrounded  with  stones.  Four  of 
these  holes  were  observed,  three  of  them  7  ft.  apart, 
and  the  northernmost  14  ft.  distant,  with  some  vague 
indications  of  an  intermediate  one.  They  were  evidently 
post-holes,  and  suggestive  of  a  building  or  shed,  of 
which  the  rough  paving  in  front  was  the  floor.  No 
trace  of  the  opposite  side  of  this  structure,  either  in  the 
form  of  post-holes  or  otherwise,  was  found ;  the  only 
indication  of  its  width  being  the  paving,  which  ceased 
at  a  distance  of  about  15  ft.  Immediately  north  of  this 
row  of  holes,  and  extending  into  the  rampart,  was  a  large 
hole  e,  filled  with  large  stones,  charcoal,  and  dark  earth, 
but  it  is  impossible  to  say  what  it  was  intended  for. 
From  these  slender  data  it  would  seem  that  the  yard 
was  bordered  on  the  north  and  on  the  east  to  nearly  as 
far  as  the  gateway,  with  a  range  of  timber  buildings, 
or  sheds,  constructed  against  the  rampart. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  yard  we  again  met  with  a 
line  of  stones,  y,  at  the  foot  of  the  rampart,  which 
appeared  to  relate  to  a  slight  retaining-wall.  At  the 
west  end  of  this  was  an  oval  pit,  g,  8  ft.  6  ins.  deep, 
with  its  bottom  sunk  about  2  ft.  into  the  rock.  It 
measured  across  the  top  5  ft.  8  ins.  east  and  west,  and 
4  ft.  north  and  south,  but  its  sloping  sides  reduced  the 
bottom  to  3  ft.  by  2  ft.  6  ins.  The  sides  above  the 
rock  were  roughly  lined  with  stone,  like  a  well.  The 
filling  consisted  of  soil,  dark  from  the  presence  of 
charcoal,  and  many  stones.  What  this  pit  was  used 
for  it  is  impossible  to  say.  It  certainly  was  not  a  well ; 
and  as  no  drain  opened  into  it,  it  could  hardly  have 


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CARMARTHENSHIRE. 


199 


been  a  cesspit.  At  a  short  distance  northwards  of  the 
eastern  end  of  this  ruined  retaining- wall  were  found  the 
remains  of  a  trough-like  furnace,  or,  to  be  raore  precise, 
the  flue  of  a  furnace,  h,  also  Fig.  12.  It  was  sunk 
about  9  ins.  into  the  old  surface,  and  the  sides  and 
west  end  were  built  of  two  courses  of  stone  bedded  in 
clay,  the  east  end  opening  into  a  shallow  excavation 
about  3  ft.  across.  The  internal  dimensions  of  the 
flue  were  2  ft.  3  ins.  in  length,  about  1  ft.  in  width,  and 
9  ins.  in  depth.  The  floor  was  of  earth,  much  burnt, 
and  the  clay  in  which  the  stones  were  bedded,  was 
reduced  to  a  crumbly    brick-like  consistence   by  the 


Fig.  l2.^Cwmbrwyn  :  Plan  of  Furnace.     {^.) 

action  of  fire.  Much  charcoal  was  also  found  about  the 
site.  This  flue  in  its  original  condition  would  be  covered 
with  a  structure  of  stone,  surrounding  a  cauldron  or  boiler 
of  some  kind,  and  it  would  be  stoked  from  the  depres- 
sion. Similar  flues  have  been  found  at  Silchester,  Caer- 
went,  and  elsewhere. 

In  the  open  space  in  front  of  the  long  building,  and 
near  its  south  end,  was  a  roughly-pitched  area,  about 
10  ft.  square,  i  (Fig.  3).  It  was  covered  and  sur- 
rounded with  black  earth  containing  much  charcoal; 
and  the  fact  that  several  pieces  of  iron  cinder  or  clinker 
were  found  on  the  site,  renders  it  probable  that  it 
was  the  floor  of  a  small  smithy.     No  trace  of  an  en- 


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200  ROMAN   REMAINS   AT   CWMBRWYN, 

closing  wall  was  noticed,  so  that  it  is  probable  that 
it  was  a  timber  building.  On  its  north  side  was 
a  trail  of  stones,  suggestive  of  a  fallen  structure  of 
some  rough  description,  About  15  ft.  to  the  east  of 
the  pitched  area  was  a  shallow  depression,  /,  contain- 
ing dark  earth,  but  nothing  was  observed  to  indicate 
its  use. 

The  Finds. 

The  fragments  of  pottery,  ornaments,  and  other 
objects  of  a  more  or  less  portable  nature  found  during 
the  exploration  were  comparatively  few,  and,  with  only 
three  or  four  exceptions,  of  no  special  interest ;  they 
were,  however,  thoroughly  representative  of  the  usual 
finds  on  Roman  sites.  They  mostly  occurred  on  and 
about  the  site  of  the  building,  and  in  the  fiilling  of  the 
pit,  g,  Fig.  3. 

As  usual,  fragments  of  pottery  predominated,  and, 
with  one  exception,  related  to  the  commoner  types  of 
Roman  vessels.  They  included  several  pieces,  all 
plain,  of  the  lustrous  red  so-called  Samian  ware, 
of  which  one  was  the  bottom  ot  a  shallow  patera 
with  a  **  pushed-up  "  centre  and  faint  indications  of  a 
potter  s  mark,  the  rest  apparently  belonging  to  small 
bowls  or  cups.  The  majority  of  the  potsherds  were  of 
the  common  grey  and  black  wares,  evidently  of  different 
makes,  as  their  texture  and  finish  differed  considerably. 
Several  related  to  the  familiar  globular  jars  with  out- 
curved  lips,  almost  invariably  found  on  Roman  sites ; 
others  to  shallow  dishes,  and  to  bowls  with  straight 
tapering  sides  and  simple  or  moulded  flanged  rims. 
The  most  interesting  potsherd  was  a  fragment  of  the 
upper  part  of  a  cup  or  cup-like  jar,  with  an  eyelet 
handle,  as  shown  in  Fig.  13,  which  also  indicates  the 
probable  form  of  the  vessel.  It  was  of  coarse  black 
ware,  and  the  eyelet  could  only  have  been  used  for 
suspension,  as  its  aperture  was  less  than  ^  in.  in 
diameter.  These  vessels  are  rather  rare,  and,  if  we 
mistake  not,  are  the  survival  of  a  British  Iron-Age 


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OAKMARTHENSHIRE.  201 

form.  Several  of  similar  type  were  found  by  the  late 
General  Pitt-Rivers  at  Rushmore,  and  are  figured  on 
Plate  XXXIX  of  his  Excavations  in  Cranhorne  Chase 
near  Rushmore^  vol.  i. 

Several  buflF-coloured  potsherds  were  found,  five  or 
six  belonging  to  mortaria,  all  with  the  usual  broad 
roll-and-elevated-bead  rim.  Of  a  much  coarser  variety 
of  this  ware  were  several  pieces  of  large  amphorcB.  A 
few  pieces  of  red  pottery,  resembling  that  of  a  modern 
flower-pot,  were  also  met  with,  and  one  of  these  related 


^•^ 

p^ 

h 

\ 

/ 

\ 

/ 

\ 

/ 

\ 

/ 

\ 

/ 

Fig.  13. — CwmbrwyD  :  Eyelet  Handle  of  Vessel.     (J.) 

to  a  shallow  hemispherical  bowl  of  fine  texture,  with 
an  external  moulding  l^  ins.  below  its  lip.  It  retained 
some  indications  of  a  well-smoothed  surfacing. 

Of  stone  objects  the  most  notable  was  a  portion  of 
the  upper  stone  of  a  quern,  of  convex  form,  with  a 
beaded  shoulder  and  slightly  dished  summit.  Fig.  14. 
It  was  carefully  shaped  out  of  hard  gritstone,  15  ins.  in 
diameter,  with  an  **eye"  tapering  from  2^  ins.  across 
the  top  to  1^  ins.  at  the  bottom.  The  grinding  surface 
was  concave,  and  the  handle-hole,  in  the  side.  A 
portion  of  the  nether  stone  of  another  quern  of 
rude  workmanship,  with  a  flat  grinding  surface,   was 


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202 


KOMAN    REMAINS    AT   CWMBRWYN, 


also  found.     In  the  filling  of  the  pit   was  a  curious 
and  very  roughly   shaped   hemispherical   stone,  about 


Fig.  H.—Cwmbrwyn  :  Portion  of  Upper  Stone  of  Quern.     (J.) 


Fig.  1.5.— Cwmbrwyn  :  Slate  Disc.     (J.) 

9   ins.   in   diameter,  with   a    shallow  circular  hole    or 
socket   in    its   summit.   If  ins.   across.     Several   slate 


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OARM  A  RTH  KN8HIRE. 


203 


disc3,  ranging  from  1^  (Fig.  15)  to  S^  ins.  in  diameter, 
rudely  chipped  out  of  slate,  were  met  with.  Similar 
discs,  but  of  pennant  grit,  have  been  found  on  Roman 
sites  at  Llantwit-Major,  Gelljgaer,  Ely  Racecourse 
(CardiflF),  and  Caerwent,  and  they  have  been  regarded 
as  covers  for  vessels  or  as  objects  used  in  some  game. 
Whether  we  can  class  with  these  the  remarkable  disc 
of  the  local  sandstone  found  in  the  pit,  and  shown  in 
Fig.   16,   is  uncertain.     It  will  be   observed  that  its 


Fig.  16.— Cwmbrwyn  :  Incised  Stone 
Disc,     (i.) 


Figs.  17  and  18. 

Cwmbrwyn :  Spindle-whorls  of 

Stone  and  Slate,     (i.) 


upper  surface  is  incised  with  a  wheel-like  device,  the 
'*  spokes  "  of  which  radiate  from  a  neatly-formed  hemi- 
spherical depression.  It  has  been  suggested  that  it  is 
an  unfinished  spindle-whorl,  the  central  hole  of  which 
was  never  completed ;  but  the  depression  seems  to 
have  been  purposely  made  as  it  is,  and  the  object, 
which  is  2f  ins.  in  diameter,  is  unduly  large  for  a 
spindle-whorl.  Three  undoubted  spindle-whorls  were 
found,  one  of  sandstone.  Fig.  17,  and  the  other  two  of 
slate,  one  of  which  is  shown  in  Fig.  18.     Several  whet- 


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204 


ROMAN    REMAINS   AT    CWMBRWYN, 


stones  and  stones  with  flattened  surfaces,  which  may 
have  been  used  as  rauUers,  were  also  found. 

The  only  undoubted  fragment  of  a  Roman  glass 
vessel  was  a  small  piece  of  the  upper  part  of  a  thin 
colourless  beaker,  or  goblet,  about  3  ins.  in  diameter. 
The  inner  surface  was  smooth,  but  the  outer  was 
slightly  rough,  the  lip  gently  curved  outwards,  and 
the  sides  were  ornamented  with  shallow  horizontal 
grooves  about  ^  in.  wide.  Fragments  of  precisely 
similar  vessels  have  been  found  at  Gelligaer  and  Oaer- 
went. 

Only  three  bronze  objects  were  yielded  by  the  ex- 
ploration. One  of  these  was  a  small  coin  of  Carausius 
(a.d.    287-293).     It   is  of  a  common  type  (Fig.    19), 


Fig.  19. — Cwmbrwyn  :  Coin  of  Carausiua.     (|.) 

having  the  Emperor's  bust  with  a  rayed  crown  to  the 
right — IMP  caravsivs  pp  avg,  and  on  the  reverse, 
Peace  standing  to  the  left,  and  holding  in  the  right 
hand  an  olive  branch,  and  in  the  left  a  staff  or  hasta 
pura — pax  avg.  The  coin  is  patinated,  and  the  figures 
and  lettering  are  singularly  sharp,  exhibiting  little 
sign,  if  any  at  all,  of  wear.  It  is  evident  that  when 
it  was  lost  it  had  not  long  been  in  circulation.  The 
little  object,  Fig.  20,  which  was  found  in  the  drain,  is 
very  carefully  and  neatly  shaped.  The  shank  of  the 
disc-like  stud  is  hollowed  and  polished  on  its  upper  side 
(as  shown  in  the  figure)  by  wear,  and  the  upper  end  of 
the  curved  bar  has  a  fractured  surface,  showing  that 
what  remains  is  only  a  portion  of  the  original  object 
What  that  object  may  have  been  puzzled  the  writer  at 
first,    but   eventually   he   concluded   that   it  was  the 


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OARM  A  RTHENSHIRB. 


205 


handle  of  a  small  bronze  bucket,  or  situla,  such  as  have 
been  found  at  Pompeii,  but  not  in  Britain,  so  far  as  he 
is  aware.  Mr.  Treherne  submitted  it  to  Mr.  Reginald 
Smith,  of  the  British  Museum,  who  was  of  the  same 
opinion,  and  considered  it  to  be  of  early  character, 
certainly  very  early  in  the  first  century,  a.d.,  if  not 
earlier  ;  of  British  rather  than  Roman  workmanship  ; 
and  made  of  bronze  containing  much  tin.  Another  sug- 
gestion is  that  it  is  part  of  a  spur,  but  it  seems  to 
too  slender  for  that  purpose.  The  third  object,  a  pair 
of  tweezers,  which  was  exhibited  on  the  occasion  of  the 
visit  of  the  Cambrian  Archaeological  Association,  pro- 


Pig.  20.— Cwmbrwyn  :  Bronze  Fragment,    (i.) 

bably  also  came  from  the  drain,  for  it  was  picked  up 
from  the  spoil  in  its  vicinity.  It  is  formed  of  a  thin 
band  or  ribbon  of  bronze,  with  embossed  decoration  on 
the  outer  side,  and,  if  the  writer  remembers  aright,  had 
some  traces  of  gilt. 

The  only  iron  objects  which  could  be  identified  were  a 
few  nails,  all  others  being  reduced  to  shapeless  masses 
of  rust.  There  were  several  fragments  of  much  cor- 
roded and  oxidized  lead,  the  largest  of  which  was 
a^  thin  piece  about  3J  ins.  long,  with  a  longitudinal 
ridge.  It  was  almost  certainly  a  piece  of  pipe,  made 
of  sheet  lead,  the  ridge  being  the  soldered  edges.  It 
was  found  at  the  foot  of  the  south  rampart. 


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206  ROMAN    REMAINS    AT   CWMBRWYN, 

A  few  fragments  of  animals'  bones  were  met  with, 
but  as  a  rule  they  were  too  decayed  for  identification. 
Several  belonged  to  some  large  animal — perhaps  the 
ox  or  the  horse.  A  few  oyster  shells  were  also  met 
with.  Charcoal  was  found  in  comparative  abundance 
in  many  places,  as  already  stated.  It  occurred  freely 
among  the  stones  in  the  north-east  corner  of  the 
enclosure,  suggesting  that  the  timber  structures  there- 
abouts had  been  destroyed  by  fire.  Several  pieces  of 
anthracite  were  noticed  in  the  filling  of  the  pit,  g 
(Fig.  3),  and  elsewhere. 

Mr.  Bowen's  diggings  in  1890  brought  to  light  three 
supposed  inscribed  stones,  which  were  briefly  described 
by  Mr.  Tierney  in  the  Welshman.  One  of  these  was  a 
block,  12  ins.  by  7  ins.,  which  was  built  into  one  of  the 
walls  then  found.  It  bore  a  number  of  incised  markings, 
which  this  gentleman  states  in  a  recent  letter  to  the 
writer  had  a  remote  resemblance  to  Greek  characters. 
The  late  Mr.  Alcwyn  Evans  suggested  they  were  Runes. 
The  other  two  stones  were  smaller,  and  were  probably 
fragments  of  a  larger  block,  and  they  also  bore  similar 
enigmatical  markings.  One  of  these  stones — presuma- 
bly one  of  the  latter — was  seen  by  Mr.  Laws,  who, 
however,  regarded  the  incisions  as  probably  masons' 
marks.  It  is  possible  that  those  of  the  first  stone,  at 
least,  were  rough  cursive  Roman  characters,  such  as 
one  of  the  inmates  of  the  building  may  have  made  in 
an  idle  hour,  but  unfortunately  these  stones  are  now 
lost.  Several  stones  with  incised  markings  were  found 
during  the  recent  excavations,  which  throw  some  light 
upon  the  question.  All  of  these  were  of  fine-grained 
sandstone,  and  several  of  the  grooves  were  certainly 
produced  by  the  sharpening  of  pointed  implements  of 
some  kind,  as  arrow-  or  spear-points.  Others,  however, 
could  not  have  been  so  produced.  On  a  piece  of  broken 
stone,  for  instance,  were  some  markings  which  appeared 
to  be  part  of  a  rude  cruciform  device,  with  the  limbs 
terminating  in,  or  rather  intersecting,  semicirclea  It 
was  such  a  device  as  any  one  in  any  period,  attracted 


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CARMARTHENSHIRE.  207 

by  the  smooth  surface  of  a  stone  in  a  wall,  might  have 
made  to  while  away  the  time. 

The  exploration  naturally  suggests  the  question, 
what  are  these  remains  at  Cwmbrwyn  ?  That  they 
are  wholly  Roman  seems  beyond  all  doubt.  Nothing 
was  disclosed  to  indicate  that  the  site  was  British,  and 
was  afterwards  adopted  and  modified  by  the  Romans ; 
nor  that  it  continued  to  be  occupied  after  the  Roman 
period.  But  the  nature  of  this  occupancy  is  by  no 
means  clear.  The  strong  defensive  works,  the  planning 
of  the  building,  and  the  crudeness  of  the  structures,  are 
not  consistent  with  the  hypothesis  of  a  "  villa ;  "  they 
are,  on  the  contrary,  suggestive  of  a  fortified  post  of 
some  sort,  in  spite  of  the  remarkable  divergence  of  the 
form  of  the  site  from  the  normal  rectangularity  of  a 
Roman  fort.  But  the  numerous  Roman  forts  which 
have  been  more  or  less  completely  explored  in  this 
country  —  leaving  out  of  the  question  the  large 
legionary  stations  like  Caerleon,  Chester,  and  Lin- 
coln— were  on  a  larger  scale  than  Cwmbrwyn,  and 
were  designed  to  hold  a  cohort,  whether  small  or 
large,  whether  consisting  of  six  centuries,  as  at  Gelly- 
gaer,  or  nominally  a  thousand  strong,  as  at  House- 
steads.  In  these,  each  century  was  housed  in  a 
narrow  building  from  120  to  140  ft.  or  more  long; 
but  at  Cwmbrwyn  we  have  only  one  building  com- 
parable with  these.  May  we  infer  from  this  that  it 
was  a  fortlet  designed  to  hold  a  small  detachment 
consisting  of  a  century  ?  But  the  fortlets  comparable 
in  size  with  it,  such  as  the  few  described  in  Watkin's 
Roman  Lancashire^  or  even  the  smaller  mile-castles  on 
the  Wall  of  Hadrian,  are  square,  which  makes  the 
abnormal  form  of  Cwmbrwyn  all  the  more  remarkable. 
Is  it  possible  that  it  was  a  mansio  or  a  mutatio  ? 
Unfortunately,  we  know  nothing  of  the  planning  of 
these  posting  stations,  but  presumably  they  were 
fortified.  The  open  yard  in  front  of  the  long  building 
would  be  convenient  to  receive  vehicles  and  baggage, 


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208  ROMAN    REMAINS    AT   CWMBRWYN, 

and  the  timber  structures  on  the  north  and  east  sides 
would  provide  accomraodation  for  relays  of  horses.  But 
against  this  hypothesis  must  be  urged  the  apparent 
absence  of  any  important  Roman  road  in  the  vicinity. 
Perhaps  it  was  the  outpost  of  a  Roman  fort,  the 
remains  of  which  occupy  a  typical  position  on  fhe 
banks  of  the  Tk£  two  miles  to  the  N.N.E.,  and  are  to 
be  seen  on  the  left  side  of  the  road  between  Llandowror 
and  St.  Clears  Station.  Cwmbrwyn  is  admirably 
placed  for  a  detachment  of  cavalry  to  thwart  a  hostile 
landing  from  the  estuary  of  that  river. 

Did  we  but  know  the  exact  age  of  the  remains,  it 
might  help  to  a  clue.  The  fresh  condition  of  the  coin 
of  Carausius  shows  that  the  place  was  in  occupa- 
tion during— or  at  least  shortly  after — that  emperor's 
time,  but  it  does  not  prove  that  it  had  not  already 
been  long  occupied.  On  the  other  hand,  the  absence 
of  any  signs  of  rebuilding,  and  the  general  paucity  of 
the  ^'  finds,"  militates  against  a  long  occupation.  All 
we  can  say  is,  that  the  site  was  in  use  in  comparatively 
late  Roman  times  ;  and  we  know  that  in  late  times 
changed  military  conditions  had  Mnrought  changes  in 
fortifications.  Traditional  forms  and  arrangements 
were  no  longer  strictly  adhered  to. 

It  will  be  evident  to  the  reader  that  Cwmbrwyn  is, 
— and  is  likely  to  become  more  so — a  point  of  great 
interest  in  Romano-British  archaeology,  and  that  all 
archaeologists  will  congratulate  the  new  Carmarthen- 
shire Antiquarian  Society  on  this,  their  first  important 
work  of  investigation.  Little  is  known  of  Roman  Car- 
marthenshire, and  this  county  offers  a  fertile  field  ot 
research,  to  which  this  Society  will  do  well  to  give 
special  attention.  In  conclusion,  both  Society  and 
writer  are  indebted  to  several  others  besides  the  gen-  • 
tlemen  whose  assistance  has  been  referred  to  in  the 
foregoing  pages.  A  special  word  of  acknowledgment 
is  due  to  Mr.  Bowen  and  his  family  for  their  patriotism 
and  kind  hospitality,  and  to  Mr.  W.  Jeremy,  of 
Laugharne,  for  a  series  of  photographs,  which  provide 


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CARMARTHENSHIRE.  209 

a  record  of  the  work  at  various  stages ;  and  the  hearty 
co-operation  of  the  diggers  and  their  foreman,  Mr.  E. 
Evans,  of  Greenbridge,  all  of  whom  laboured  with 
intelligence  and  care,  both  facilitated  the  work  and 
materially  helped  to  bring  it  to  a  successful  issue. 


GEOLOGICAL    NOTES. 

By  T.  C.  CANTRILL,  RScLond. 

Oeographical.  —  The  remains  described  above  lie  on  the 
northern  slopes  of  a  range  of  hills  which  here  form  the  coast  of 
Carmarthenshire.  Prom  Laugharne  the  range  extends  for  some 
miles  westwards,  through  Llansadurnen,  Eglwys-Cymmyn,  and 
Tavemspite  towards  Narberth ;  the  plateau  which  forms  its 
top  attains  an  elevation  of  some  500  ft.  or  600  ft.  above  sea- 
level.  On  the  south  it  presents  an  almost  unbroken  front, 
where  it  rises  sharply  from  the  coastal  alluvium  of  Laugharne 
Marsh;  on  the  north  it  is  trenched  by  several  deep  "cwms," 
between  which  the  plateau  descends  in  stages  towards  the 
valley  of  the  T&f  The  Koman  remains  stand  at  an  altitude 
of  390  ft  on  one  of  these  minor  plateaux,  between  the  dingle 
of  Cwm-bn^n  on  the  east  and  that  of  Las-f4ch  on  the 
west  Southwards  the  site  is  dominated  by  the  higher  ground 
of  Castle-tdch ;  northwards  the  surface  falls  away  towards  Llan- 
dowror. 

These  physical  features  do  not,  however,  appear  to  throw 
any  light  on  the  position  selected;  we  must  suppose  a  road 
of  some  sort  passed  near  the  place,  yet  any  main  line  of 
road  following  the  coast  might  have  been  expected  to  traverse 
the  district  along  the  crest  of  the  hills,  as  does  the  present 
road  from  Laugharne  past  Three  Lords'  Bushes  towards  Mar- 
ros.  Such  a  road  would  have  avoided  crossing  the  deep 
dingles  which  cut  into  the  north  side  of  the  plateau.  It  is 
probable,  therefore,  that  the  building  was  approached  by  a 
minor  road,  the  course  of  which  has  still  to  be  traced. 

The  Site, — The  country-rock  is  the  Eed  Marl  subdivision  of 
the  Lower  Old  Eed  Sandstone,  and  consists  of  a  great  thick- 
ness of  red  and  chocolate-brown  marl,  with  occasional  beds 
of  sandstone  of  divers  characters.  Some  of  the  marls  contain 
twigs  and  pellets  of  grey  calcareous  matter  ("race")  of  in- 

6th  8KB.,  VOL.  VII.  14 


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210  ROMAN    REMAINS   AT   OWMBRWYN, 

organic  origin  ;  not  infrequently  these  have  been  dissolved 
out,  leaving  a  loose  residue  of  brown  earthy  matter.  The 
occasional  bands  of  sandstone  vary  much  in  character  :  one 
type  is  micaceous,  soft,  fine-grained,  and  flaggy,  and  readily 
splits  along  the  bedding-planes.  These  micaceous  sandstones 
are  generally  purplish-red  in  colour,  but  are  occasionally  pale 
green.  Another  type  is  coarse,  open-grained,  gritty,  and  often 
pebbly  ;  this  is  generally  brown  or  greenish-grey,  and  not 
flaggy. 

The  prevailing  dip  of  the  strata  is  a  little  west  of  south 
at  an  angle  diminishing  from  50  deg.  a  few  hundred  yards 
north  of  Cwm-bn^yn  to  5  deg.  a  mile  to  the  south.  Under  the 
Roman  site  the  dip  is  about  10  deg. 

The  bed-rock  immediately  underlying  the  site  is  red  marl 
of  the  ordinary  type,  with  some  wlcareous  bands.  The  rock 
was  reached  in  the  exploratory  trench  cut  across  the  vallum 
and  fosse  north  of  the  gateway,  showing  that  the  fosse  had 
been  at  this  point  cut  down  through  the  subsoil  and  several 
feet  into  the  solid  rock.  Also,  the  excavations  showed  rock 
under  about  7  ft.  of  natural  rubble  in  a  pit  at  the  south- 
west part  of  the  site. 

The  subsoil  covering  the  site  is  the  direct  product  of  the 
weathering  of  the  underlying  rocks ;  these  break  down  into 
angular  lumps  which,  when  traced  upwards,  are  seen  to  grow 
smaller  and  smaller,  and  to  be  embedded  in  an  increasing 
amount  of  fine  loamy  material  till  the  actual  surface-soil  is 
reached.  This  is  often  paler  in  colour  than  the  subsoil,  owing 
to  the  bleaching  action  of  vegetable  acids.  In  the  case  under 
description,  the  subsoil  consists  of  a  red  loamy  material,  full  of 
small  angular  pieces  of  marl  and  sandstone,  chiefly  red  ;  about 
the  middle  of  the  area  the  subsoil  contains  much  ddbris  of  green, 
fine-grained  sandstone,  a  thin  band  of  which  no  doubt  crops 
out  at  that  position.  Fragments  of  a  similar  green  sand- 
stone are  present  in  the  concrete  found  on  the  site.  There 
is  an  entire  absence  of  any  drifted  materials — boulder-clay, 
gravel,  or  sand ;  the  subsoil  and  soil  have  been  derived  imme- 
diately from  the  subjacent  rocks. 

The  Building  -  Stones,  —  These  consist  of  rough  undressed 
blocks  and  slabs  of  coarse  grit,  medium-grained  sandstone, 
flaggy  sandstone,  and  marl,  all  of  which  could  be  obtained 
from  the  Old  Red  Sandstone  of  the  neighbourhood.  The 
blocks  were  undoubtedly  derived  from  different  beds,  and  not 
from  a  quarry  in  any  one  bed,  though  some  may  have  come 


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CARMARTHENSHIRE.  211 

from  the  bottom  of  the  fosse  ;  in  fact,  it  would  seem  that 
the  builders  explored  the  whole  neighbourhood  for  a  mile  or 
so  around,  and  gathered  from  the  surface  whatever  lumps  of 
rock  met  their  notice,  or  could  be  extracted  from  the  soil 
with  little  trouble.  This  would  account  also  for  the  weathered 
appearance  and  absence  of  sharp  angles  which  characterise 
most  of  the  blocks.  One  lump  of  vein-quartz  was  noticed ; 
also  a  piece — 6  ins.  long — of  under-burnt  limestone,  in  the  wall 
at  the  south-west  angle  of  the  building.  Limestone  could 
be  obtained  from  the  Carboniferous  Limestone  of  Coygan, 
or  Pendine,  each  about  2|  miles  from  Cwm-br>^n. 
The  blocks  and  slabs  range  up  to  3  ft.  in  length. 

Other  Stones. — Two  stones  of  exceptional  character — possibly 
used  in  some  grinding  or  pulverising  operations — were  exposed 
within  the  area.  One  is  a  water- worn  pebble,  roughly  tri- 
angular in  form,  5  ins.  thick,  with  sides  about  2  ft.  long ;  it 
consists  of  fine-grained,  hard  brown  sandstone.  The  other 
is  similarly  water-worn,  is  somewhat  almond-shaped,  1  ft. 
IJ  ins.  long,  6  J  ins.  across,  and  2  J  ins.  thick,  and  is  of  rock 
similar  to  the  other.  Probably  both  are  beach-pebbles  from 
the  coast  west  of  Pendine,  along  which  various  hard  sand- 
stones of  such  a  character  crop  out  in  the  Millstone  Grit  and 
Coal  Measures.  Several  small  rounded  pebbles  of  sandstone, 
ranging  up  to  4  ins.  in  length,  were  noticed  ;  these  were  cer- 
tainly brought  to  the  site  for  some  definite  purpose. 

The  Boofing'SLaies, — The  roofing  slates  are  of  two  varieties : 
a  pale  greenish-grey  slate  of  granular  texture,  and  a  blue- 
black  slate  of  finer  material  and  somewhat  silky  lustre.  There 
is  little  doubt  that  the  first  has  been  obtained  from  a  bed 
of  volcanic  ash  interbedded  with  the  Didymograptits-hijidus 
Beds  of  the  Arenig  Series,  a  subdivision  of  the  local  Ordovician 
System  of  rocks.  The  second  variety  is  probably  attributable 
to  the  Uidymograptus-bijidtcs  shales  themselves.  The  beds 
which  would  yield  such  slates  crop  out  over  a  large  area 
along  the  southern  slopes  of  the  Preseley  range  of  hills  in 
North  Pembrokeshire,  and  some  10  miles  north-west  of  Cwm- 
br>^yn.  In  the  present  poverty  of  our  knowledge  of  the 
geology  of  that  region,  it  is  not  possible  to  specify  more 
precisely  the  actual  localities  from  which  the  slates  could 
have  been  derived.  The  district  in  question  is  traversed  by 
the  Via  Julia  on  its  way  from  Carmarthen  to  St.  David's,  so 
that  a  knowledge  of  the  existence  of  such  materials  was  pro- 
bably soon  acquired  by  the  Eoman  settlers. 

142 


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4 

212  ROMAN    REMAINS    AT   CWMBRWYN. 

Coal, — Numerous  fragments  of  anthracite,  both  burnt  and 
unburnt,  were  found  associated  with  that  part  of  the  building 
enclosed  in  the  dot-and-dash  line  in  the  plan  on  Plate  II. 
The  nearest  points  where  such  coal  crops  out  are  the  Gwen- 
draeth  Valley  district,  near  Kidwelly,  10  miles  to  the  east,  and 
the  Amroth  district,  about  6  miles  to  the  south-west.  The 
latter  is  the  more  accessible,  and  was  probably  the  source  of 
this  fuel 


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213 


eambrtan  larrljaeological  lasdoctatton. 


REPORT    OF    THE  CARMARTHEN   MEETING. 

{Continued  from  page  128.) 


EXCURSIONS. 


EXCXTESION  NO.  1.— TUESDAY,  AUGUST  14th,  1906. 
LLANSTEPHAN. 

Boute. — The  members  assembled  in  the  Guildhall  Square  at 
9  A.M.,  and  were  conveyed  by  carriage  along  the  road  on  the  west 
side  of  the  River  Towy,  8  miles  in  a  south-west  direction  to 
Llanstephan. 

The  return  journey  was  through  Llanybri  to  Trefenty  (5  miles 
north-west  of  Llanstephan)  ;  thence  2^  miles  north  to  the  new 
church  of  Llanfihangel  Abercowin  ;  and  then  back  along  the  St. 
Clears  road  to  Carmarthen,  a  distance  of  8  miles  east. 

The  members  were  entertained  to  luncheon  at  Plas,  Llanstephan, 
by  the  President,  Sir  John  Williams,  Bart.,  and  to  tea  at  Trefenty 
by  the  Rev.  W.  Davies,  Vicar  of  Llanfihangel. 

Ystrad  House. — The  first  stop  was  at  Ystrad  House,  the  residence 
of  Major  and  Mrs.  Evans.  Here  the  sculptured  base  of  a  font, 
supposed  to  have  belonged  to  the  demolished  Church  of  St.  John, 
Carmarthen,  was  inspected,  photographed,  and  sketched.  It  is 
3  ft.  2  ins.  high,  with  four  sides  9^  ins.  square,  each  side  bearing  a 
carved  figure  under  a  canopy.  These  represent  respectively  a 
mitred  bishop,  St.  Peter  with  the  keys  (P),  the  builder  with  a  model 
of  the  church  in  his  hands,  and  a  worn-out  figure  of  a  person  with 
hands  uplifted  to  bless.  The  other  stone  on  the  lawn  was  supposed 
by  local  archaeologists  to  be  a  public  Roman  altar,  but  the  general 
opinion  of  the  experts  was  that  it  was  the  capital  of  a  column.  It 
was  dug  up  between  St.  Peter's  Church  and  Priory  Street,  and 
removed  by  Mr.  John  Jones,  M.P.,  to  Ystrad  about  1830. 

Llanstephan  Church. — Llanstephan  was  reached  soon  after  eleven 
o'clock,  and  in  the  Church  the  Rev.  J.  M.  James  read  an  exceed- 
ingly interesting  Paper  regarding  that  edifice.  At  its  conclusion, 
Archdeacon  Thomas,  in  proposing  a  vote  of  thanks,  said  they  were 


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214  CAMBKTAN  ARCH^OLOGICAL  ASSOCIATION. 

reminded  that  they  were  very  near  Pembrokeshire  by  seeing  the  arches 
cnt  out  of  the  walls,  a  featare  very  common  in  that  coanty.  There 
was  also  a  sqnint  in  the  north  wall,  by  which  those  who  sat  in  the 
transept  won  Id  be  able  to  see  the  elevation  of  the  Host. 

Llanstephan  Castle. — From  the  Church  to  the  Castle  the  walk 

was  interrupted  by  a  heavy  shower  of  rain,  bnt  reaching  the  rnin 

the  party  entered  an  ancient  room,  where  Colonel  W.  LI.  Morgan 

gave  particulars  as  to  the  architecture  of  the  building.     They  had 

heard,  he  said,  that  the  Castle  was  last  destroyed  in  1256.     He 

divided  the  Castle  into  two  parts — the  old  and  the  new — and  1256 

was  the  dividing  date  between  the  two.     The  new  Castle  was  built 

after   1256,  and  the  question   was   how   much   of  the  old   Castle 

remained  to  the  present  day.     They  had  heard  the  previous  night  of 

the  number  of  times  the  Castle  was  destroyed.     They  would  see 

outside  there  was  undoubtedly  part  of  the  older  Castle  in  existence. 

The  lower  part  of  the  walls  was  undoubtedly  different  from  any  of 

the  newer  part.    It  was  impossible  to  tell  from  the  masonry  whether 

it  was  earlier  or  not  than  1256 ;  but  as  there  was   work    which 

undoubtedly  was  done  after  that  particular  date,  he  thought  they 

would  all  agree  that   earlier  than   that  would   belong  to  the  old 

Castlo  that  was  so  often  burnt  and  destroyed.     The  wall  of  what 

had  been  called — erroneously  he  thought — the  "keep'*  was  the  old 

Castle  of  Llanstephan.     From  outside  they  would  see  the  outline  ot 

the  wall  most  distinctly,  far  better  than  on  the  insida    There  might 

be  some  question  whether  the  square  tower  was  old  or  not.     In 

those  early  days  they  did  baild  towers,  but  all  he  had  known  had 

been  very  dififerent  from  this.     He  thought  it  represented  the  old 

peel  tower  of  the  Castle.     The  greater  part  of  the  wall  had  been 

destroyed,  but  they  could  see  where  it  went  into  the  ground,  and 

the  area  given,  although  small,  would  still  represent  the  Castle  of 

those  days.     Inside  the  Castle  there  were  alterations  made  when  it 

was  restored,  and  most  peculiar  and  distinctive  work  they  found 

there.     When  the  Castle  was  restored,  the  place  in  which  they  were 

standing  was  the  main  gateway.     They  could  see  the  remains  of 

the  portcullis,  and  outside  it  was  defended  by  a  shoot  extremely 

well   preserved,   and   the    lancet    loops    were   very   characteristic 

of  the  reign   of    Henry  III,   or   at   all    events   early   in    that   of 

Edward  I.     Lancet  loops  were  quite  as  characteristic  as  tracery  in 

the  windows.     It  would  be  1270  most  likely  when  the  Castle  was 

restored.     There  were  several  points  of  great  interest  about   this 

that  he  should  like  to  argue  out.     The  room  up  above  was  a  rather 

fine  room,  but  insignificant,  and  had  got  a  very  large  fireplace  in  it, 

and  therefore,  he  thought,  the  kitchen.     The  top  room  of  all  was  a 

magnificent  room,  and  was  the  State  hall.     They  would  find  a  very 

good  fireplace  indeed,  witli  beautiful  carvings  of  the  Early- Englisli 

date.     There   were   two   windows ;  the   tracery   of  one   was   well 

preserved,  and  the  other  had  been  destroyed.    It  was  characteristic 

of  between   1270  and   1300.     The  rooms  each  side  of  where  they 


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CARMARTHEN   MEBTING. — EXCURSIONS.  215 

were  standing  were  guard-rooms,  and  that  comprised   the   main 
gateway. 

At  some  other  time  either  the  garrison  had  been  reduced,  or  tbej 
did  not  want  to  maintain  the  number  of  men  necessary  to  keep  the 
gateway  going,  so  they  started  a  new  gateway  on  the  other  side 
that  could  be  worked  and  guarded  by  a  very  much  less  number  of 
men.  When  that  was  done  was  quite  problematical.  He  certainly 
thought  from  the  arrangement  of  the  gateway  it  was  not  very  long 
after  the  Castle  was  actually  restored — probably  within  100  years. 
After  the  original  owners  had  died  out,  and  it  had  got  into  the 
hands  of  the  Crown,  the  place  would  be  left  in  the  hands  of  a 
Gt)yernor,  who  turned  that  main  gateway  into  his  own  apartments. 
He  blocked  it  up  by  two  walls.  It  was  totally  incompatible  with 
even  tbeir  Welsh  taste  that  that  could  have  been  done  when  a  good 
owner  was  in  the  Castle.  It  seemed  a  very  flimsy  way  of  doing  it. 
The  next  tower  had  been  called  the  chapel  tower ;  the  upper  room  had 
got  good  windows  in  it,  and  it  had  all  the  appearance  of  a  chapel, 
except  that  it  had  got  a  fireplace  in  it.  There  was  no  other  place 
that  could  have  been  a  chapel  of  the  Castle,  and  there  must  have 
been  a  chapel,  therefore  he  thought  that  might  have  been  it.  The 
room  underneath  was  the  priest's  room.  The  tower  on  the  right 
was  the  guard-room.  It  was  a  very  remarkable  thing  how  very 
well  this  Castle  was  laid  out,  because  the  ramparts  and  also  the 
roof  could  be  sentried  and  guarded  by  men  from  the  guard-room 
without  any  connection  whatever  with  the  state-rooms.  Those  were 
apparently  kept  quite  distinct.  The  sentry  walk  was  quite  distinct 
from  the  walk  to  the  chapel  tower,  and  that  was  why  he  thought  it 
must  be  the  chapel,  because  they  could  go  from  the  state-rooms  to 
the  chapel  without  going  into  the  inner  court.  The  further  tower 
had  no  roof  to  it,  but  was  put  there  t*o  guard  the  angle  of  the 
chapel.  Several  points  of  that  wall  were  worth  going  to  see.  The 
Castle  was  surrounded  by  a  very  good  ditch,  and  on  the  outside  to 
the  west  there  were  some  very  fine  earthworks.  The  date  of  them 
was  rather  problematical.  They  would  naturally  think  they  were 
put  up  in  the  time  of  the  Civil  War,  but  they  found  so  many  of 
them  in  these  Welsh  castles  that  played  no  part  in  the  Civil  War 
that  they  must  be  condemned  for  that  purpose.  He  was  not  sure 
that  they  were  not  of  the  time  of  Owen  Glyndwr,  but  they  seem  to 
be  intimately  connected  with  the  building  of  the  Castle.  If  they 
looked  at  Buck's  print,  1740,  it  showed  a  very  different  state  to 
now.  He  showed  a  fine  wall  outside  that  would  really  turn  that 
part  of  the  Castle  into  a  concentric  castle,  fie  thought  he  was 
right  there,  and  that  these  outworks  were  really  coeval  with  the 
date  of  the  restoration  of  the  Castle.  The  only  thing  he  could  not 
understand  was  where  they  got  their  drinking  water.  It  seemed  to 
him  utterly  impossible  that  they  could  have  had  water  at  all. 
There  might  have  been  a  tank  underneath  that  building;  but  if 
there  was  the  only  place  was  in  one  of  the  gpmrd-rooms,  which 
showed  some  approach  to  a  tank. 


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216  CAMBKIAN  AKCHifiOLOaiCAL  ASSOCIATION. 

The  Pilgrims'  Church  at  Llanfihangel  Abercowin. — The  mined 
oharch  is  situated  a  quarter  of  a  mile  south-east  of  Trefentj,  in  the 
angle  formed  by  the  junction  of  the  Afon  Oywyn  with  the  fiiver 
T4f.  On  arrival  at  the  church,  the  Rev.  W.  Davies,  vicar,  read  the 
following  Paper : — 

The  time  at  my  disposal  here  this  afternoon  is  limited,  though  I 
have  much  ground  to  cover.  However,  my  Paper  will  not  be 
long,  and  my  remarks  brief  and  concise.  I  believe  this  is  the  first 
time  the  Cambrian  Arch»ological  Association,  or  any  other  body  of 
experts,  have  ever  coma  to  thb  interesting  old  Church  of  Llanfi- 
hangel Abercowin,  which  is,  as  you  see,  in  ruins.  So  we  feel  our- 
ourselves  greatly  honoured  by  having  a  visit,  in  a  very  out-of-the- 
way  place,  from  such  a  distinguished  company  as  we  have  here  this 
afternoon. 

The  church  is  known  by  another  name,  the  Pilgrim's  Church,  in 
consequence  of  the  legend  connected  with  the  pilgrims  who  are 
supposed  to  lie  buried  here.  As  the  name  of  the  parish  signifies, 
the  church  is  dedicated  to  St.  Michael.  The  Welsh  prefix  "  Llan" 
means  an  enclosure.  In  Welsh  place-names  it  generally  signifies  a 
church,  probably  including  the  churchyard.  The  name  Abercowin 
is  evidently  added,  from  its  position  at  the  mouth,  or  estuary,  of  the 
River  Cowin.  Aber  means  the  confluence  of  a  smaller  river  into  a 
larger  one,  or  any  river  entering  the  sea.  According  to  Place-Names 
in  Wales,  the  River  Cowin,  or  Cy wyn,  flows  into  the  River  T&f  at 
the  place,  hence  the  name.  The  popular  word  Cumu — rising — comes 
from  the  verb  Cywynu — to  rise,  to  mount  up.  The  water  at  the 
month  of  the  river  rises  twice  a  day  by  means  of  the  tide  from  the 
sea.  Churches  dedicated  to  St  Michael  were  often  celebrated  places 
for  pilgrimages ;  hence,  perhaps,  the  great  attraction  for  pilgrimages 
to  Llanfihangel  Abercowin,  to  implore  the  aid  of  angels  in  times  of 
persecution,  and  also  of  destitution. 

The  fact  of  the  church  being  dedicated  to  Mihangel,  or  St. 
Michael,  is  one  presumption  of  its  great  antiquity.  Probably  it 
takes  us  back  to  a  period  immediately  succeeding  the  year  700. 
Churches  and  parishes  dedicated  to  St.  Michael  represent  the  later 
Christianising  of  districts  which  lay  out  of  the  beaten  track,  in 
places  inaccessible  by  reason  of  their  mountainous  or  marshy  char- 
acter. Even  the  ruin  in  which  we  are  gathered  hardly  represents 
the  first  Christian  building.  In  those  early  days  the  churches  were 
made  of  wattle,  or  wicker-work,  covered  with  mud.  So,  when  and 
by  whom  the  church  was  founded  is  enveloped  in  the  mist  of  the 
far  and  distant  ages.  It  is  not  improbable  that  the  foundation  leads 
back  to  one  of  the  early  centuries,  when  Christianity  and  Roman 
occupation  marched  together  amongst  the  early  Britons. 

I  am  not  going  to  describe  the  architecture  of  the  building,  nor 
call  your  attention  to  the  difierent  historical  features  that  are  in  it, 
and  that  for  two  reasons. 

In  the  first  place,  time  will  not  allow  me,  and  in  the  second  place, 
Mr.  D.  C.  Evans,  F.  O.  S.,  of  St.  Clears,  has  kindly  done  so  in  an 


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.  CARMARTHEN    MEETING. — EXCURSIONS.  217 

able  and  interesting  Paper,  which  I  find  is  distributed  among  the 
members  here  this  afternoon.  I  personally  feel  mach  indebted  to 
Mr.  Evans  for  his  kindness  in  taking  off  a  good  share  of  the  work 
that  would  naturally  have  devolved  upon  myself. 

The  great  attraction  to  this  church — which  causes  so  many  visits 
to  it — is  the  three  pilgrims*  tombs  in  the  churchyard  ;  hence  the 
name  **  Pilgrims'  Church'*  given  to  it 

In  Black's  Guide  to  Wales  the  following  reference  is  made  to  the 
graves  : — "  Tradition  relates  that  three  holy  palmers,  meeting  here 
in  great  destitution,  prepared  three  graves,  agreeing  that  two  should 
be  put  to  death,  and  that  the  third,  after  burying  them,  should  lie 
down  in  the  remaining  grave,  and  pull  over  him  a  large  stone :  and 
this  was  done.  As  far  as  I  am  aware,  there  is  no  historical  evi- 
dence for  the  story  ;  it  is  tradition,  but  tradition  often  carries 
some  truth  with  it" 

For  the  reasons  already  given,  I  am  not  going  to  explain  the 
monumental  slabs,  with  their  effigies,  and  the  carved  symbols  of  the 
respective  trade-guilds  to  which  probably  they  may  have  belonged. 
Besides,  I  hope  light  will  be  thrown  upon  those  points  by  some  who 
are  present  this  afternoon,  and  well  versed  in  such  subjects.  There 
are  more  graves  than  these  three,  in  which  pilgrims  are  said  to  have 
been  buried.  The  reader  of  this  Paper  discovered  two  more  twenty 
years  ago,  having  practically  been  covered  under  the  open  surface 
of  the  soil,  which,  at  that  time,  was  also  overgrown  with  weeds  and 
brambles. 

Besides  the  five  recumbent  monuments  lying  in  the  churchyard, 
there  is  a  much  smaller  one,  which  was  also  found  by  the  writer,  in 
the  hedge  on  the  east  side  of  the  church.  This  is  now  lying  within 
the  ruined  walls  of  the  church. 

There  is  another  curious  local  tradition  prevalent,  to  the  effect 
that  if  the  pilgrims'  graves  were  disturbed  or  neglected,  that  the 
peninsula  on  which  the  church  and  churchyard  are  situated  would 
become  infested  with  venomous  reptiles.  There  seems  to  be  some 
truth  in  this  tradition,  for  it  is  a  well-known  fact  in  the  parish  that 
during  the  dark  age  in  the  history  of  the  place,  venomous  reptiles 
were  so  numerous  in  the  churchyard  that  they  were  a  living  plagae 
and  a  terror  to  any  who  might  come  near.  But  we  are  in  a  position 
to  know  that  now,  since  the  peaceful  repose  of  the  deed  has  been 
asserted,  and  the  graves  of  the  holy  palmers  restored  and  properly 
looked  after,  these  venomous  reptiles  have  almost,  if  not  entirely, 
disappeared.  So  no  one  present  need  get  alarmed  by  hearing  the 
story  of  the  snakes. 

Apart  from  its  architecture  and  legendary  associations,  however, 
the  ancient  edifice  possesses  an  abiding  interest  for  many.  The 
Rev.  Thomas  Charles,  of  Bala,  was  born  in  the  parish  at  a  farm- 
house called  Pantdwfn,  about  a  mile  distant,  between  here  and  St. 
Clears.  At  the  old  font,  which  used  to  be  here,  he  was  baptised  on 
October  26th,  1755,  when  twelve  days  old.  From  the  pulpit,  the 
base  of  which  can  be  seen  on  the  south  side,  close  to  the  arch  leading 


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218  CAMBRIAN  ARCHJEOLOGICAL  ASSOCIATION. 

into  the  chancel  (and  on  which  I  stand  at  present)  the  same  Thomas 
Charles  preached  his  first  recorded  sermon  on  Sunday,  August  16th, 
1778,  after  his  ordination  on  the  previous  Trinity  Sunday.  The 
English  and  Welsh  Bibles  that  were  on  the  pulpit  on  the  occasion, 
together  with  the  English  and  Welsh  Prayer  Books  that  were  in 
use  at  the  time,  are  still  in  my  possession.  The  English  Bible  bears 
the  date  of  1680,  and  so  it  is  226  years  old  ;  the  Welsh  Bible,  1690 ; 
the  English  Prayer  Book,  1768;  and  the  Welsh  Prayer  Book,  1770. 

There  is  an  old  chalice  still  in  existence  which  bears  this  inscrip- 
tion : — **  Poculum  eclessie  de  Llanfihangel  Abercowin.''  No  date  is 
given  on  it;  but,  according  to  the  opinion  of  two  gentlemen  who 
have  lately  seen  it,  and  who  are  well  versed  in  church  plate,  it  is  a 
1574  one,  and  so  332  years  old. 

With  regard  to  the  old  font  to  which  I  have  just  referred,  it  is  a 
Norman  one,  of  much  beauty,  as  well  as  of  great  antiquity.  It  was 
removed  from  here  in  1848,  and  is  now  placed  in  the  new  church, 
and  is  still  in  use.  Those  who  may  wish  to  inspect  it  shall  have  an 
opportunity  of  doing  so  on  their  way  home  this  evening.  It  is 
supposed  to  be  800  years  old.  The  old  books,  the  old  chalice,  and 
other  church  plate  may  also  be  seen  at  the  new  church. 

Some  here  may  naturally  ask,  Why  has  this  old  church  been 
allowed  to  get  into  and  remain  in  this  ruinous  state  ?  I  will  try  and 
explain.  In  the  year  1848,  Mr.  Richard  Richards,  of  Trecadwgan, 
in  this  parish,  built  at  his  sole  expense  a  new  church  some  three 
miles  distant,  in  a  more  populous  and  a  more  central  part  of  the 
pai-ish,  for  the  convenience  of  the  people.  As  this  new  church  was 
Rubstituted  for  the  old  one,  and  became  in  every  sense  the  parish 
church,  the  old  building  was  neglected,  and  at  last  abandoned,  as 
you  see  it  now.  It  has  been  crumbling  gradually,  and  falling  into 
decay  for  the  last  fifty-eight  years,  and  so  far  no  attempt  has  been 
made  for  its  restoration,  inasmuch  as  its  services  are  no  longer 
required  since  the  building  of  the  new  church.  The  new  church 
was  consecrated  on  October  3rd,  1848,  by  the  late  Bishop  Thirlwall, 
and  no  services  have  been  held  here  since :  with  the  exception  of  the 
memorial  service,  which  is  held  annually  in  the  open  air,  either  on 
the  last  Sunday  or  the  last  but  one  in  July.  The  first  of  these 
services  was  started  in  1882,  and  this  year  marked  the  completion  of 
the  first  quarter-century  of  its  existence.  This  is  a  very  popular 
institution,  and  people  for  miles  around  look  forward  to  it  every 
year.  Hundreds  of  people  gather  together  from  a  wide  area,  and 
the  scene  in  and  around  the  roofless  edifice  is  most  impressive  and 
unique  in  character.  And  the  reverent  conduct  of  the  people  during 
these  services  is  a  feature  to  be  greatly  commended,  and  it  is  to  be 
hoped  will  be  continued  for  future  generations.  But  something  is 
intended  to  be  done  before  very  long  to  prevent  the  falling  of  the 
old  building  into  further  state  of  decay.  Mr.  Weir,  from  the  Society 
for  the  Preservation  of  Ancient  Buildings,  visited  the  place  two 
years  ago,  and  reported  thereon.  Mr.  Weir's  report,  we  are  pleased 
to  state,  meets  with  the  Society's  entire  approval.    It  is  not  intended 


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CARMAKTHEN    MEETING. — EXCURSIONS.  219 

to  restore  the  old  church:  only  prevent  the  walls  and  the  tower  from 
suffering  further  from  the  destructive  ravages  of  the  elements.  The 
approximate  cost  of  the  necessary  repairs  to  the  fabric,  pointing  the 
walls  with  cement,  and  protecting  top  surface,  would  probably 
amount  to  the  sum  of  ^100.  So  far,  only  a  few  pounds  are  now  in 
hand,  being  the  profits  from  the  sale  of  some  views  connected  with 
the  old  place.  And  we  cannot  expect  much  help  (in  the  way  of 
money)  for  the  repairs,  only  from  those  who  take  interest  in  such  old 
relics  of  the  past,  and  are  desirous  of  preserving  them  from  total 
oblivion.  Early  next  year  Mr.  Clark,  of  Llandaff,  intends  to  make 
casts  of  the  stones  which  are  on  the  pilgrims*  graves,  with  the 
object  of  placing  them  in  the  Welsh  National  Museum  at  Cardiff. 
Also,  we  have  been  advised  by  experts  that  the  stones  should  after- 
wards be  fixed  in  their  place  in  concrete,  so  as  to  avoid  the  possibility 
of  their  being  lost.  They  (the  stones)  are  unique  throughout  Wales, 
and  have  a  national  value. 

The  field  on  the  east  side  of  the  church  is  called  Paro-y- Parsonage, 
in  which  may  be  seen  to-day  raised  embankments  running  in  dif- 
ferent directions.  There  is  a  tradition  that  there  was  once  a  village 
here,  and  the  raised  embankments  may  bear  the  traces  of  the 
buildings  and  the  garden  enclosures.  It  is  quite  possible  that  there 
was  also  a  parsonage-house  somewhere  in  the  field,  hence  the  name 
Parc-y-  Parsonaga 

Two  fields  distant,  on  the  north-west  side,  there  is  an  ancient  and 
historic  farmhouse,  called  Trefenty.  In  its  very  centre  may  be  seen 
to-day  the  old  passage  through  which  it  is  said  the  parishioners  had 
to  pass  on  their  way  to  church,  and  there  record  their  names. 
Probably  this  was  a  device  to  preserve  private  interests  The 
people  were  asked  to  go  through  it  only  on  special  occasions,  and 
once  a  year.  There  was  no  right-of-way  ;  and  to  prevent  that 
being  created,  the  people  had  to  be  occasionally  subject  to  the  yoke  of 
the  passage.  The  funeral  processions  passed  through  for  the  same 
reason,  and  the  offertory  was  taken  there  at  one  time  at  least,  but 
not  during  the  latter  half  of  the  eighteenth  century. 

For  carrying  the  dead  to  the  churchyard,  instead  of  the  bier  or 
hearse  of  to-day,  the  parish  possessed  a  horse-bier,  horse-litter,  or 
corpse-litter — in  Welsh  elorfeirch — which  occurs  in  the  Bible  in  the 
last  chapter  of  Isaiah.  A  description  of  this  horse-litter  is  given  in 
the  Arc/i,  Camb,  for  last  April,  p.  136:  "It  had  long  arms,  or 
shafts,  behind  and  before,  into  which  the  horses  were  put,  one  in 
each  shaft,  and  secured  by  specially-made  gear.'*  Some  people  who 
lived  in  the  parish  fifty  or  sixty  years  ago  remember  speaking  to 
old  people  who  had  seen  this  horse-litter  in  use,  though  for  many  years 
previous  it  had  gone  out  of  use.  I  believe  it  was  peculiar  to  this 
parish  only  in  this  part  of  the  country.  It  was  generally  used  in 
some  district  in  North  Wales.  This  kind  of  bier  was  very  necessary, 
not  only  because  of  the  long  distances  (for  some  funerals  came 
many  miles  outside  the  parish),  but  also  because  of  the  badness  of 
the  roads  of  those  days. 


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220  CAMBRIAN  ARCHiEOLOGICAL  ASSOCIATION. 

Trefenty  farmhouse  is  sapposed  to  ocoapj  the  site  of  a  moaasterj. 
(Curtis,  253.) 

I  find  the  time  is  going,  and  I  shall  only  touch  very  briefly  on  a 
few  more  points  of  interest 

Opposite  the  front  of  the  house,  i.e.,  Trefenty,  there  is  a  site  of  an 
old  encampment,  or  earthwork.  Here,  tradition  says,  a  great 
battle  was  once  fought.  In  the  same  field,  within  living  memory, 
there  was  to  be  seen  an  entrance  to  a  subterranean  passage,  or 
a  fine  arched  cave,  which  was  supposed  to  pass  to  Laugharne 
others  say  to  Llangunnock,  and  even  so  far  as  Abergwili.  The 
mouth  of  this  cave  was  closed  some  sixty-five  years  ago,  being  a 
constant  danger  to  animals  to  fall  into.  I  might  have  dwelt  on  the 
beautiful  well  that  was  once  on  the  north  side,  inside  the  churchyard, 
and  on  the  tradition  attached  to  the  same,  (it  was  closed  in  my 
time,  some  twenty  years  ago) ;  on  the  state  of  the  fences  here 
twenty-five  years  ago,  and  the  large  sums  of  money  that  have  from 
time  to  time  been  spent  on  the  same,  in  order  to  keep  out  the 
animals,  which  were  once  allowed  to  graze  here  ;  on  the  briars, 
thorns,  and  nettles  that  grew  in  wild  luxuriance ;  on  clearing  and 
levelling  the  ground,  and  planting  it  with  ornamental  trees  and 
shrubs ;  on  the  number  of  headstones  that  were  found  in  the 
hedges  and  ditches  and  in  the  surrounding  farmhouses,  but  which 
now  have  been  replaced  in  God*6  Acre. 

I  had  better  not  dwell  any  longer  on  this  matter — it  is  such  a  sad 
history.  The  church  and  churchyard  pi*esented  a  picture  of  great 
neglect  and  desolation  not  easily  imagined.  However,  I  think  I 
ought  to  call  your  attention  to  the  church  of  St.  Teilo,  Llandeilo- 
Abercowin,  which  stands  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  and 
which  some  have  visited  this  afternoon,  or  at  least  intended  to  do 
so.  It  is  a  plain  building,  but  is  supposed  to  be  very  old — older 
than  this  one.  The  renewed  GriflBth  Jones  held  the  rectory,  to^ 
gether  with  that  of  Llandowror,  for  nearly  fifty  years.  There  is  an 
ancient  building  near  the  church  which  bears  marks  of  great  age. 
The  lower  part  of  the  building  is  now  used  for  a  dairy. 

In  conclusion,  I  wish  to  say  that  what  we  see  left  of  this  old 
building  can  only  be  described  as  a  fragment,  yet  a  fragment 
that  testifies  to  the  grandeur  of  the  building  in  ages  past.  History, 
written  and  unwritten,  bears  ample  testimony  to  the  fact;  the 
church  and  churchyard  have  truly  shared  in  the  joys  and  sorrows  of 
the  parishioners  for  centuries,  and  afibrded  them,  regardless  of 
wordly  rank  and  station,  a  peaceful  resting-place  from  their  various 
labours — and  "  May  they  rest  in  peace.*' 

Archdeacon  Thomas  said  the  church  would  originally  be  an 
oratory  on  a  pilgrim-route.  They  were  close  to  the  Laugharne 
river ;  and  although  he  did  not  know  the  geography  of  the  place, 
he  had  very  little  doubt  there  was  a  pilgrim-road  running  from 
there  probably  to  St.  David's,  and  taking  Whitland  on  the  way. 

Rev.  J.  Thomas,  Laugharne,  said  there  was  a  *'  H^n  Ff ordd " 
leading  down  to  the  river. 


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CARMARTHEN    MKETING. EXCURSIONS.  221 

Archdeacon  Thomas  went,  on  to  say  that  the  stones  belonged  to 
pre-Norman  days,  and  he  took  it  that  the  font  to  which  their 
attention  had  been  drawn  was  earlier  than  Norman.  It  had,  of 
course,  the  ronnd  circles  and  the  subdivision  into  the  acnte  arch, 
bat  there  were  many  features  about  it  that  belonged  to  the  earlier 
period,  and  were  more  characteristic  of  the  ornamentation  they 
found  in  Anglo-Saxon  drawings  and  carvings.  He  thought  their 
attention  was  not  drawn  to  the  two  brackets  on  the  east  wall 
under  the  window,  where  probably  there  might  have  been  altar- 
lights,  or  possibly  images ;  but  on  both  sides  they  noticed  there  was 
a  high  recess,  and  that  on  the  north  side,  he  fancied,  and  that  on  the 
south,  formerly  contained  shrines.  The  remark  made  about  the 
field  on  the  right-hand  side  being  called  Parc-y- Parsonage  rather 
implied  that  in  the  early  days,  when  Palmers  passed  that  way  they 
must  have  had  lodgings,  and  if  they  could  only  dig  below  the 
surface  they  might  find  the  foundations  of  the  Palmer's  houses. 

The  question  was  asked  whether  there  was  any  evidence  that  the 
Palmers  were  bound  for  Whitland  or  St.  David's,  and  Archdeacon 
Thomas  said  St.  David's  would  be  the  ultimate  destination.  In 
North  Wales  they  had  pilgrim  roads  in  many  parts  towards  the 
Island  of  the  Blest — Bardsey.  Witli  regard  to  the  horse-bier,  there 
were  two  in  existence :  one  between  Towyn  and  Barmouth,  in 
a  church  now  disused ;  and  another  in  a  church  on  the  banks  of 
Bala  Lake,  looking  exactly  as  described  in  the  Paper. 

Mr.  E.  Laws  remarked  that  the  headstones  they  had  examined 
were,  to  his  mind,  the  most  valuable  seen  in  Wales.  Those  on  the 
top  had  beasts  on  them,  something  resembling  the  ones  at  Penally. 
Those  at  the  bottom  had  got  mounted  men.  He  believed  if  they 
looked  at  them  they  would  see  they  were  things  which  ought  to  be 
very  carefully  copied  for  their  Joui^nal, 

Rev.  W.  Da  vies  said  there  would  be  casts  taken  of  them  by  next 
year. 

Mrs.  Allen  said  she  was  there  fifty  years  ago,  when  the  roof  .was 
on  the  buildiTig,  and  the  gravestones  were  not  in  the  place  where 
they  are  now.  There  were  three  gravestones  to  the  west  of  the 
tower,  then  in  an  upright  position,  and  not  as  they  are  now  in 
divisions.  She  thought  she  had  a  drawing  somewhere  of  the  church, 
with  the  roof  on,  that  she  made.  She  rode  there  on  horseback 
to  see  the  pilgrims'  graves,  and  it  made  an  impression  on  her. 

Archdeacon  Thomas  supposed  the  pilgrim  stones,  as  they  were 
now,  represented  a  good  many  more  than  three. 

Mrs.  Allen :  There  were  three  upright  then. 

Bev.  W.  Da  vies  said  some  people  in  the  parish  remembered  sixty 
years  ago,  and  he  never  heard  of  the  upright  stones  from  them. 

Colonel  G Wynne  Hughes  :  Is  there  any  idea  of  the  approximate 
age  of  the  stones  ? 

Archdeacon  Thomas :  If  I  ventured  to  guess,  I  would  say  about 
the  year  800. 

The  party  then  proceeded  to  farther  inspect  the  interesting  stones, 


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222  CAMBRIAN  ARCHiEOLOOICAL  ASSOCIATION. 

and  subsequently  left  Trefenty,  where  they  had  had  tea,  by  the  kind 
inritation  of  the  Vicar  and  Mrs.  Davies,  for  the  new  church  of 
Llanfihangel  Abercowin,  where  the  Norman  font  of  the  old  church 
was  seen,  and  rubbings  taken  of  ifc;  also  the  ancient  Bibles  and 
Prayer  Books  referred  to  in  the  Vicar's  Paper,  as  well  as  the  church 
plate.  The  drive  home  was  on  the  St.  Clears  road,  passing  at  a 
distance  Bwl-y-Seiri  (a  British  camp),  Castell-y-Qtier,  Derllys  Court, 
and  Llanllwch. 

With  regard  to  the  fund  started  for  the  preservation  of  the  ruins 
of  the  Pilgrims'  Church,  we  may  state  that  there  was  collected  on 
the  spot,  £5  158.  ;  and  donations  have  since  come  to  hand  of 
£3  6s.  9(£.,  making  the  total  £9  Is.  9d.  Included  among  the  donors 
were  Rev.  J.  G.  Swainson,  M.A.,  £1  lOs,  ;  Rector  of  Wistanstow, 
£1  1$.  ;  Mrs.  Pnghe  Evans,  £1 ;  "Antiquary,"  £1  ;  Mr.  Stepney- 
Gulston,  10s  ;  and  Mr.  Foulkes  Roberts,  Denbigh^  10«.  Besides 
these,  £2  78.  8d.  was  realised  by  the  sale  of  views  connected  with 
the  old  church,  sold  on  the  day,  making  a  grand  total  of  £11  14«.  5d, : 
an  excellent  start  of  a  fund  for  a  very  deserving  object.  Sab- 
scriptions  may  be  sent  to  Mr.  P.  J.  Wheldon,  National  Provincial 
Bank,  Carmarthen  (Treasurer)  ;  or  to  the  Rev.  W.  Davies,  Vicar  of 
LlanBhangel- Abercowin,  St.  Clears. 

The  following  drawings  by  Mr.  D.  C.  Evans,  F.G.S.,  of  St.  Clears, 
were  exhibited  in   the   Temporary   Museum    formed    during    the 
meeting : — 
Sketches  of  "  Pilgrim  Stones,"  Llandowror : 

a.  Grave  i.    Face.  b.  Grave.    Reverse.  c.  Grave  ii. 

[These  two  stones  had  been  taken  out  of  the  ground  for  this 
visit;  the  sketches  show  the  entire  stones.] 
Sketches  of  "  Pilgrim  Stones,*'  Llanfihangel-aber-Cywyn  : 

a.  Grave  i. 

[E£5gy  with  crossed  arms;  headstone  with  two  concentric 
circles;  plain  footstone,  modern.] 

b.  Grave  ii. 

[Effigy  with  crossed  arms ;  on  either  side  of  head,  an  animal, 
left,  a  stag  (?)  or  goat  (?) ;  right,  a  stag-hound  ;  right 
hand  grasps  a  javelin  or  spear;  headstone  with  cross- 
formed  in  raised  circle  ;  footstone  weathered.] 

c.  Grave  iii. 

[Coped  slab ;  along  ridge  lies  main  beam  of  a  calvary ;  head- 
stone has  a  wheel  cross ;  part  of  footstone  missing.] 

d.  Grave  iv. 

[Slab  almost  identically  the  same  as  iii ;  headstone  has  plain 
face,  edge  ornamented  with  lines  in  chevron  pattern ;  foot- 
stone very  dilapidated.] 
Grave  v. 

[Seems  to  be  incorrect  copy  of  No.  i,  much  broken,  portion 
carrying  head  is  missing;  head-  and  foot-stones  each  bear 
figure  of  man  or  woman  on  horseback ;  edges  ornamented 
with  cable  pattern.] 


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CARMARTHEN    MEBTrNG. — EXCURSIONS. 


223 


Grave  yi. 

[Small  stone,  now  loose  in  nave  of  rained  charoh  ;  figare  of 
a  child  in  long  robe,  bar  across  the  hips.  All  these  stones 
are  fully  described  by  the  draughtsman  ^Mr.  D.  C.  E7ans 
— and  these  sketches  are  reproduced,  with  the  articles,  in 
Transactions  of  C.  A.  S.,  vol.  ii.] 


Fig.  1. — Norman  Font  from  the  Old  Church  of  Llanfihangel  Abercowin, 
now  removed  to  the  New  Church. 

The  New  Church  of  Llanfihangel  Abercowin. — This  is  situated 
3  miles  north  of  the  old  church,  on  the  high  road  from  St.  Clears 
to  Carmarthen,  at  the  point  where  the  branch  road  from  Trefenty 


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224  CANfBKIAN  ARCHiEOLOCIICAL  ASSOCIATION. 

joins  it.  The  new  church  was  built  in  1848,  in  the  revived  Gothic 
stjle  of  that  period.  The  only  object  of  interest  here  is  the  arcaded 
Norman  font  (Fig.  1)  removed  from  the  old  church. 


EXCOBSION  NO.   2.— WEDNESDAY,   AUGUST   15th. 
LAUGHARNE. 

Boute. — The  members  assembled  in  the  Guildhall  Square  at 
8.45  A.M.,  and  were  conveyed  by  carriage  to  St.  Clears  (10  miles 
west) ;  thence  through  Llandow^or  to  Bglwys  Cymmyn  (5  miles 
south-west  of  St.  Clears) ;  and  on  through  Llandawke  to  Laugharne 
(5  miles  east  of  Eglwys  Cymmyn), 

The  return  journey  was  made  through  St.  Clears  (A^  miles  north 
of  Laugharne)  without  any  stops. 

The  members  were  entertained  to  luncheon  at  Cwmbrwyn  by 
invitation  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  R.  M.  Thomas,  and  to  tea  at  Laugharne 
by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  M.  Power. 

St.  Clears. — On  reaching  the  gates  of  St.  Clears  Church,  where 
the  fine  Norman  arch  was  to  be  inspected,  there  was  a  torrential 
downpour  of  rain,  which  caused  those  in  the  rear  vehicles  to  dart 
into  the  doorways  of  houses  and  shops,  to  await  a  cessation  before 
they  could  proceed  into  the  church.  Here,  in  the  absence  of  the 
Vicar  (Rev.  C.  F.  Owen,  M.A.),  Archdeacon  Thomas  read  an  inter- 
esting Paper  prepared  by  him,  dealing  with  the  history  of  the 
church  and  priory,  and  also  the  meaning  of  the  name  St.  Clears. 

Commenting  upon  it,  the  Archdeacon  said  they  were  very  glad  to 
have  this  compendious  summary  of  the  history  of  the  church,  in 
which  there  was  a  very  good  Norman  arch,  but  of  such  a  very 
depressed  type  as  was  unusual.  He  did  not  remember  seeing  one 
in  that  form  before.     On  the  capitals  was  some  curious  carving. 

It  being  too  wet  to  go  to  Banc-y-Beili,  Mr.  D.  0.  Evans,  P.G.S., 
St.  Clears,  gave  a  description,  inside  the  church,  of  this  old  "  motte 
and  bailey"  Castle.  He  said  there  had  beeu  some  misapprehension 
as  to  the  site  of  the  old  Castle  of  St.  Clears.  Of  course,  most 
writers  referred  to  the  mound  there  as  having  probably  formed  a 
part.  However,  a  few  writers,  some  years  ago,  made  out  that  the 
Castle  was  situated  up  the  town,  at  that  part  where  the  *'  Blue 
Boar*'  was.  But  he  thought  it  was  not  only  probable,  but  quite 
certain,  the  Castle  was  situated  down  there  where  they  saw  the 
mound.  It  was  probably  a  **  motte  and  bailey"  Castle,"  that  was, 
an  earthwork  surrounded  by  a  structure  of  timber.  The  "  keep " 
was  placed  on  top  of  the  mound.  If  they  went  to  the  top  of  the 
mound  and  looked  across  the  field,  they  would  see  permanent 
railings,  and  he  had  measured  them,  and  found  them  enclosing  a 
space  of  56  yards  long  and  44  yards  wide.  That  was  probably  the 
inner  "bailey."     If  they  looked  round  to  the  Co  win,  they  would 


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CARMARTHEN    MEETING. — EXCURSIONS.  225 

find  there  was  a  ridge,  which  was  probably  the  onter  rampart 
enclosing  the  onter  wall.  On  the  left  there  was  a  smaller  monnd, 
which  probably  carried  a  small  turret  to  defend  the  gateway  between 
the  small  mound  and  the  bigger  wall.  This  he  called  the  Water-gate, 
for  just  at  that  point  the  River  Co  win  came  up  close,  so  that  this 
gate  could  be  entered  either  by  water  or  by  land.  The  rampart  on 
the  eastern  side  might  be  traced  for  some  distance  straightforward 
towards  the  junction  of  the  Co  win  and  the  T&f,  but  the  southern 
part  of  it  had  been  made  use  of  as  a  backing  for  limekilns,  which 
have  now  disappeared.  At  the  corner  of  the  field  there  was  a  rise, 
which  suggested  there  was  a  smaller  mound  there,  probably  defend- 
ing another  corner  of  the  outer  wall.  Immediately  north  of  the 
mound  there  wore  traces  of  other  ramparts,  showing  ramparts 
coming  round  to  the  *'  keep,"  and  approaching  very  nearly  to  the 
smaller  of  the  two  mounds.  It  was  probable  there  was  a  little 
turret  there  as  well,  to  cover  the  gate  he  had  mentioned  Other 
onter  ramparts  had  existed,  but  had  disappeared.  They  had  probably 
been  levelled,  and  now  tho  site  was  occupied  by  gardens  and  cottages. 
He  examined,  some  time  ago,  the  structure  of  the  ground  about 
there,  and  he  found  there  was  a  small  hill  there  previous  to 
these  works  being  carried  out,  and  this  small  hill  was  a  very 
convenient  place  for  the  Norman  to  erect  his  castle.  These  mounds 
and  ramparts  had  been  constructed  from  material  immediately 
at  hand,  at  a  minimum  of  cost  and  labour.  The  first  mention  of 
the  Castle  was  by  Giraldus  Cambrensis,  who  passed  there  in  1187 
with  Archbishop  Baldwin.  The  Castle  had  probably  changed  hands 
several  times  during  the  short  time  of  its  existence.  It  had  been 
suggested  to  him  it  was  improbable  the  Castle  was  there,  because  of 
the  higher  ground,  from  which  it  could  easily  be  taken.  It  was,  in 
fact,  taken  very  frequently,  and  burnt  very  frequently,  which  seemed 
to  indicate  very  clearly  the  Castle  was  buUt  of  something  very  com- 
bnstible. 

Llandowror  Church. — Leaving  St.  Clears  the  party  journeyed  to 
Llandowror,  where  the  church  was  interesting,  because  of  its  asso- 
ciation with  the  Rev.  Griffith  Jones,  "the  'morning  star'  of  the  Welsh 
Reformation,  and  the  founder  of  the  itinerary  schools."  Here  a 
most  instructive  Paper  was  read  by  Mr.  D.  C.  Evans,  who  referred 
to  the  two  so-called  pilgrim  tombstones  to  be  seen  in  the  field  close 
to  the  churchyard.  He  said  there  were  some  genuine  pilgrim 
monuments  to  be  met  with  occasionally,  but  here  there  was  nothing 
but  tradition  to  uphold  the  theory.  The  first  slab  was  of  local 
stone,  which  appeared  to  have  been  exposed  to  the  weather,  if  not 
water- worn  befere  being  made  use  of  as  a  gravestone.  There  was  no 
trace  of  tooling,  except  the  sculpture  of  a  cross — one  on  the  back 
and  one  on  the  face.  The  number  of  crosses,  as  well  as  the  character 
of  the  workmanship,  seemed  to  suggest  they  were  not  of  the  same 
age,  and  that  they  indicated  three  separate  burials.  The  second 
slab  had  no  inscription  of  any  kind  either,  and  it  was  quite  evident 
6ru  sBtt.,  VOL.  VII.  II 


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226  CAMBRIAN  ARCHiEOLOOICAL  ABSOOTATION. 

from  the  plaoe  of  the  cross  these  were  intended  to  be  upright,  and 
not  recnmbent.  A  woald  be  idle  to  estimate  as  to  the  age,  but  thej 
were  older  than  any  portion  of  the  churoh  as  it  now  stood,  and 
marked  the  burial-place  of  some  of  the  earlj  sons  of  that  district. 
This  was  not  the  church  in  which  GriflBth  Jones  was  wont  to 
officiate.  He  concluded  with  some  particulars  of  the  Rev.  Griffith 
Jones's  connection  with  the  district. 

Archdeacon  Thomas  wished  he  could  hare  told  them  somethiug 
more  about  the  old  church,  but  they  were  under  the  influence  of 
Griffith  Jones,  and  Wales  owed  a  great  debt  of  gratitude  to  his 
noble  serrice,  and  to  the  great  Society  which  enabled  him  to  do  so 
much  good  work — the  Society  for  the  Promotion  of  Christian 
Knowledge.  He  should  like  to  know  what  special  pilgrim  marks 
Mr.  Evans  referred  to,  the  absence  of  which  made  him  doubtful 
as  to  the  age  of  those  stones. 

Mr.  Evans  replied  they  were  usually  marked  with  a  wallet  or* 
scrip,  a  staff,  scallop-shells,  and  branches  of  palm,  and  various  other 
things  indicating  the  fact  that  they  were  pilgrims. 

Archdeacon  Thomas :  I  do  not  think  those  marks  belong  to  that 
period.  These  stones  must  have  been  of  earlier  date.  I  have  no 
doubt  of  that.  There  is  nothing  to  show  they  are  pilgrim  stones, 
but  they  are  very  ancient  stones. 

On  an  examination  of  the  stones,  Mr.  A.  Stepney- Gulston  said 
they  were  found  very  nearly  where  they  now  stood,  and  that  field 
was  probably  part  of  the  churchyard.  There  used  to  be  three  of 
them,  but  one  had  been  broken  or  lost,  but  it  was  hoped  it  would  be 
recovered. 

A  good  deal  of  interest  was  taken  in  the  chair  that  belonged  to 
Madam  Bevan,  a  financial  helper  of  Griffith  Jones,  which  was  on 
exhibition  outside  the  Old  Tavern.  It  was  incidentally  mentioned 
that  Madam  Bevan  was  a  sister  of  Mr.  Stepney  Gnlston's  grand- 
mother in  the  fifth  degree.     The  party  then  preceded  to  Cwmbrwyn. 

Gwmbrwyn. — Continuing  the  journey,  a  short  drive  brought  the 
party  to  a  spot  where  a  lane  led  off  from  the  road,  and  was  believed 
to  be  a  short  cut  to  Cwmbrwyn.  It  turned  out  to  be  a  muddy, 
winding  path,  and  those  who  kept  to  the  road  had  the  best  of  the 
walk.  Arriving  at  the  farm  owned  by  Mr.  Bo  wen,  they  made  an 
inspection  of  finds  at  thesite  of  a  Roman  settlement  then  being 
excavated  by  the  Carmarthenshire  Antiquarian  Society,  with  the 
assistance  of  Mr.  John  Ward,  Curator  of  the  Welsh  National 
Museam,  Cardiff.  These  included  fragments  of  stone  querns  or 
handmills,  portions  of  upper  stones  of  common  Roman  form;  a 
bronze  coin  of  Carausius,  a.d.  286-93 ;  stone  spindle-whorl ;  frag- 
ments of  Samian  pottery,  fine  and  coarse  buff  and  reddish  ware, 
with  coarse  black  and  grey  waves ;  window  glass ;  fragments  of 
red  roofing-tiles,  consisting  of  fragments  of  flat  tegulce  and  half- 
round  imbrices ;  part  of  bronze  handle  of  backet-like  vessel  or 
tittUa,  similar  to  those  found  at  Pompeii :  fragments  of  flue- tiles, 


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CARMARTHEN   MEETING. — EXCURSIONS.  227 

and  roof-riates  of  common  Roman  form.  With  these  Owmbrwyn 
finds,  Mr.  Ward  exhibited,  with  the  kind  permission  of  the  owner, 
Mr.  HugheS'Garbett,  of  Bristol,  the  Roman  bronze  sancepan-like 
patella  and  the  strainer  which  were  found  at  Kyngadle,  near 
Laugharne,  some  time  ante  1889.  They  represent  one  of  the  chief 
Roman  finds  in  Wales,  and  were  fnlly  described  and  illustrated  by 
Mr.  J.  Romilly  Allen,  F.S.A.,  in  ArchcBologia  Cambrmsis  about  six 
years  ago.  The  patella  was  first  described  as  a  "  sacrificial  censer" 
in  the  Gentleman's  Magazine  of  1839.  When  found,  the  patella  con- 
tained many  coins,  mostly  of  Carausius  (ld.  286  to  293),  which  have 
long  been  lost. 

On  the  excavated  site  of  the  Roman  settlement  Mr.  Ward  gave  an 
extremely  lucid  account  of  the  discoveries  made  there.  He  said  he 
remembered,  some  few  years  ago,  showing  a  lady  friend  a  field  like 
*  that :  a  larger  site,  with  magnificent  excavated  trenches  and  pitfalls, 
•  and  afterwards  asking  her,  '*  What  do  you  think  of  it  all  ?"  **  Well," 
she  replied,  **  I  think  it  is  a  good  field  spoiled."  He  was  afraid 
their  good  friend,  Mr.  Bowen,  would  have  in  his  own  mind  pretty 
much  the  same  feeling.  He  had  been  very  good,  not  only  in  giving 
permission,  but  rendering  every  assistance,  and  taking  the  greatest 
interest  in  the  work.  The  site  was  about  240  ft.  long,  north  to  south, 
in  exterior  length,  and  about  140  ft.  internal  length.  It  was  ur  - 
rounded  by  a  rampart,  which  was  formed  of  the  stuff  thrown  up 
from  the  ditch,  and  the  ditch  was  of  the  usual  Roman  V-shaped 
form,  about  17  ft.  wide,  and  8  ft.  6  ins.  deep,  cutting  down  into  the 
rock  at  the  bottom.  Between  the  ditoh  and  the  rampart,  which  was 
originally  15  ft.  wide^  was  a  space  of  6  ft.  or  7  ft.  It  was  impossible 
to  say  how  the  rampart  was  constructed  beyond,  that  it  consisted  of 
the  stone  and  clay,  etc.,  out  of  the  ditoh ;  they  could  find  no  sign  of 
a  retaining  or  external  wall,  but  on  the  inner  edge  they  found  here 
and  there  tumbled-down  stones,  which  might  be  the  remains  of  an 
inner  retaining  wall  to  support  the  foot  of  the  rampart ;  or,  possibly, 
i^e  rampart  itself  might  have  been  surmounted  by  a  wall,  and 
that  might  account  for  the  large  amount  of  stones  they  found  roll- 
ing down  the  sides  of  the  ditch,  and  also  the  stones  on  the  inner  side 
of  the  rampart.  But  it  was  quite  impossible  to  say.  They  had 
looked  for  any  kind  of  a  base  or  support,  to  support  the  earth  of  the 
rampart.  As  they  saw  the  rampart  now  it  was  spread,  and  not 
much  more  than  2  ft.  high  anywhere,  and  it  had  partly  filled  the 
ditch — the  ditch  and  rampart  showing  a  slight  hollow  and  a  slight 
rise  30  ft.  wide.  On  the  west  side  was  the  single  entrance,  with  side 
walls,  of  which  they  had  the  foundations  still  left,  with  an  opening 
about  11  ft.  or  12  ft.  wide.  Through  the  opening  came  the  track- 
way or  road  which  extended  across.  They  would  see  some  remains 
of  the  paving  or  foundation  of  the  road.  On  each  side  of  that  they 
had  a  yard,  and  the  yard  was  gravelled.  About  that  corner  they 
saw  a  tumbled  amount  of  stones,  which  suggested  buildings  or  sheds 
of  some  kind.     Along  the  back  was  a  long  building  about  110  ft. 


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228  CAMBRIAN  ARCHAEOLOGICAL  ASSOCIATION. 

by  28  ft  wide.     That  extended  the  full  length  of  the  back,  and 
behind  that  was  the  back  rampart  and  the  back  ditch. 

On  the  other  side  they  had  a  cnrions  bit,  very  ronghly  laid,  of 
stonework,  which  they  thonght  was  the  well,  but  they  found  out  after- 
wards that  it  was  cut  into  the  rock,  and  there  it  stopped.     It  was 
very  likely  that  was  a  cesspool  to  catch  drainage.    Below  that  was  a 
small  flue — two  little  walls  about  9  ins.  high,  with  a  space  between 
of  1  ft,  and  an  open  space  in  front  where  the  fire  was  kindled. 
Such  a  little  flue  had  been  found  in  Silchester  and  Gaerwent,  and 
had  been  used  to  heat  coppers  and  other  things.      At  the  back 
was  a  very  rough  patch  of  pitching,  covered  with  earth  and  cinders, 
where  there  was  a  little  wooden  building — a  smithy,  or  something 
of  the'^kind.     The  long  building  had  a  little  building  at  the  end, 
which  appeared  to  have  been  tacked  on,  probably  at  a  more  recent 
date.    The  main  building  was  a  parallelogram,  of  which  the  founda* 
tions  remain,  bat  not  entirely,  and  the  floor  of  the  building  where- 
ever  exposed  was  formed  of  the  natural  soil,  mixed  with  gravel,  and 
rammed  down  very  hard,  and  no  doubt  mixed  with  lime.     Many 
years   ago,  Mr.   Bo  wen   made  some  cattings  there  for  the   sake 
of  the  stone ;  and  as  far  as  one  could  see  there  might  have  been  a 
hypooaust,  or  some  arrangement  for  heating  the  place.     They  went 
down  a  depth  of  2  ft  or  3  ft.  from  the  main  floor  to  a  hard  sarface, 
and  nearly  all  those  plain  tiles  came  from  that  part.     As  to  what 
the  long  building  was,    he   really  could    not    tell  them.      There 
appeared  to  be  no  cross  walls,  but  all  the  heating  was  done  from  one 
end.     The  fortified  enclosure  was  not  square — and  Roman  forti- 
fications were  almost  invariably  square — ^yet  there  was  some  sem- 
blance of  squareness  along  the  back  and  side.     He  thought  at  first 
it  might  be  a  villa,  but  they  did  not  find  villas  with  fortifications  as 
large  as  some  of  the  largest  schemes.     It  was  obvious  nobody  would 
go   to   the  trouble   of  fortifying   a  house   to  this  extent.     (R«v. 
J.  Thomas  :  In  Wales  ?).     Well,  perhaps  the  wild  Welshmen  were 
very  troublesome.     It  was  not  a  Roman  fort,  becaase  it  was  al- 
together too  small  ;    but  then  he  thought  it  might  be  a  Roman 
mansio.     According  to  classical  writers,  along  the  lines  of  Roman 
main  roads  there   were  stations  and  mansiones.     These  mansiones 
were  to  all  intents  and  purposes  imperial  posting-stations,  where 
relays  of  horses  were  kept,  and  where,  in  a  partly-subjected  country, 
they  might  keep  a  detachment  or  "  century"  of  soldiers  to  the  neigh- 
bouring station.    The  only  difficulty  was,  there  was  no  indication  of 
a  main   Roman  road.     His  attention  had  since  been  called  to  the 
Roman  camp  on  that  side  of  St.  Clears,  and  it  was  just  possible  this 
little  work  might  be  really  a  sort  of  redoubt  connected  with  that 
fort  or  camp — ^assuming  it  to  be  one — about  two  miles  away.    They 
got  on  Hadrian's  Wall  a  succession  of  stations  and  small  fortlets,  to 
which  daily  or  weekly  detachments  could  be  sent  from  the  main 
fort.    The  long  building  tended  to  confirm  that  view.    In  all  Roman 
forts  of  which  they  had  plans,  they  would  find  barracks  consisting 
of  a  long  building,  120  ft.  to  150  ft,  to  accommodate  a  '*  century' 

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CARMARTHEN   MEETING. — EXCUHSIONS.  229 

— eightj  men,  with  a  centurion  and  nnder-offioers.  It  was,  of 
conrse,  much  smaller  than  that  at  Gelligaer,  which  was  a  cohort 
camp,  where  they  found  eight  of  these  buildings.  It  struck  him  as 
being  connected  with  some  larger  camp,  to  which  they  might  send 
a  **  century  "  of  men  to  occupy  it  periodically.  In  such  a  case  the 
open  space  in  front  would  be  very  useful  for  massing  a  body  of  troops. 
All  the  6nd8  were  de6nitcly  Roman,  and  this  was  no  doubt  a 
Roman  site.  But  towards  the  end  of  the  building,  where  the 
ground  was  very  much  disturbed,  were  things  which  might  be  very 
much  later,  of  medisBval  date :  an  ale-pot  of  1 700,  or  earlier,  and 
rather  deep  down  what  appeared  to  be  an  ordinary  wine-bottle  of 
100  or  150  years  ago.  Mr.  Bowen  said  he  believed  there  used  to  be 
a  small  cottage  built  out  of  the  ruins  where  he  found  the  ground 
disturbed.  There  was  no  evidence  of  the  site  being  pre- Roman,  and 
they  had  slight  evidence  it  might  have  formed  just  a  little  domain — 
a  small  cottage  —  but  one  find  threw  an  interesting  light  upon 
the  whole  thing :  that  was  a  single  small  bronze  coin  of  the 
Imperator  Carausius,  who  seized  the  sovereignty  of  Britain  in  286, 
and  came  to  the  end  of  his  tether  in  298.  That  was  in  a  very  fresh 
condition,  and  very  sharp,  so  it  could  not  have  been  long  in  circula- 
tion. That  rather  suggested,  at  any  rate,  that  about  the  close  of  the 
fourth  century  this  site  was  in  occupation.  It  might  have  been 
200  or  300  years  earlier.  He  daresay  they  saw  also  the  very  inter- 
esting bronze  saucepan,  or  patella,  with  a  little  colander,  or  sieve, 
which  came  from  Kingaddle,  that,  according  to  the  discoverer, 
about  a  century  ago  contained  coins  of  Carausius. 

Rev.  J.  Thomas  :  In  the  south  transept  of  Laugharne  Church  an 
urn  was  found  with  a  great  number  of  coins  of  Carausius. 

Mr.  E.  Laws :  Coins  of  Carausius  are  common  in  Pembrokeshire. 

Mr.  Ward  said  in  the  time  of  Carausius  our  shores  were  very 
seriously  raided  by  successive  attacks  on  the  east,  by  the  Irish  on 
the  west,  and  by  the  Scotch  on  the  north.  It  was  during  that 
period  that  we  got  our  coast  forts,  like  Cardiff  Castle,  Richborough, 
and  others.  It  was  just  possible  this  might  be  a  late  Roman  fort- 
let,  having  been  connected  with  keeping  off  pirates  from  the 
sea.  He  believed  there  was  some  evidence  that  Laugharue  itself 
was  a  Roman  station ;  and  if  that  was  so,  this  might  very  easily  be 
a  sort  of  outpost  of  Laugharne.  Shortly  there  would  be  a  full  report 
published,  so  they  would  have  an  opportunity  of  following  out  his 
stat-ement  in  detail. 

Archdeacon  Thomas  proposed  a  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  Ward  for 
his  interesting  and  instructive  address.  They  would  not  only  be 
able  to  look  around  them  with  intelligence,  but  look  forward  with 
great  interest  for  the  fuller  account  he  had  promised.  He  took  this 
opportunity  of  congratulating  the  Carmarthenshire  Antiquarian 
Society  on  being  so  vigorous  and  so  active,  and  taking  a  work  of 
this  kind  in  hand.  He  also  congratulated  them  upon  having  as 
their  exponent  such  an  expert  aa  Mr.  Ward.  He  had  further  to 
thank  them  for  giving  the  Cambrian  Association  that  opportunity 


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230  OAMBECtAN  AtlOHJSOLOQtCAL  ASSOCtATtON. 

of  seeing  what  they  were  doing,  and  learning  about  Cwmbrwyn. 
Reference  had  been  made  to  the  work  that  was  formerly  done  there, 
and  he  thoaght  Mr.  Laws  knew  something  of  that,  and  perhaps  he 
would  tell  them  a  little  about  what  was  done  then.  Then  of 
Colbren,  which  was  not  excavated;  he  believed  Colonel  Morgan 
.could  tell  them  something,  and  they  had  also  among  them  a  very 
able  expert  upon  ancient  camps  ;  and  he  hoped  Mr.  Willoughby 
Gardner  would  have  a  word  on  the  subject 

Mr.  E.  Laws  snid  he  heard  of  the  digging  up  there  some  years 
ago,  and  came  and  spent  a  few  hours  there.  They  dug  at  one  end, 
and  they  saw  and  left  in  sight  a  little  heap  of  hypocanst  tiles.  That 
was  all  he  saw,  and  all  he  could  tell  them  about  it 

Colonel  Morgan,  referring  to  Colbren,  in  Brecon  shire,  on  the  road 
between  Neath  and  Brecon,  said  they  had  discovered  there  certain 
things  that  had  not  been  found  at  any  other  Roman  station  before. 
In  all  other  stations  the  foundations  for  the  rampart  had  been  found 
to  be  either  stone  walls  or  stone  paving.  In  this  case  he  found  the 
most  beautiful  log  pavements,  sometimes  1  ft  3  ins.  in  diameter, 
extending  under  the  wall  of  the  rampart,  and  running  the  whole 
length  of  it.  It  was  in  a  beautiful  state  of  preservation — some  very 
nearly  turned  into  bog  oak  ;  but  they  could  see  perfectly  plainly  the 
marks  of  the  axe.  On  the  outside  was  a  very  wide  brim,  and  it 
showed  the  outer  entrenchments  extremely  accurately.  Beyond 
that  they  found  two  trenches — not  of  great  importance  as  far  as 
size  was  concerned,  but  showing  a  particular  stage  of  Roman  forti- 
fication not  very  much  studied  in  England.  .They  found  obstacle 
trenches,  and  they  found  obstacles  in  the  shape  of  oak  spikes  as 
perfect  as  the  day  they  were  put  in,  sharply  pointed,  only  not  in  9itu 
because  they  had  tumbled  down.  They  found  a  very  large  number 
of  them  in  that  ditch,  and  any  amount  of  them  could  be  found  there 
now.  Sucb  works  were  only  occupied  a  short  time — about  thirty 
years — and  they  had  not  time  to  replace  them  by  stone  walls.  In 
England  all  the  early  Roman  entrenchments  were  afterwards  con- 
verted into  stone-walled  camps,  and  obstacle  trenches  were  done 
away  with.  He  hoped,  if  they  had  a  little  better  weather  this 
autumn,  he  might  be  able  to  make  a  fuller  report  of  what  he 
thought  would  turn  out  one  of  the  most  interesting  stations  in 
Wales. 

Mr.  Willoughby  Gardner,  speaking  of  the  Cwmbrwyn  discovery, 
said  he  never  saw  anything  quite  the  same  as  this  before.  It  was 
unique  of  its  kind.  All  he  could  do  was  to  congratulate  Mr.  Ward 
and  the  members  of  the  Association  on  what  they  had  done.  It  was 
very  remarkable  and  interesting. 

Eglwys  Gymmyn. — Continuing  the  journey,  the  party,  after  a 
pleasant  drive,  arrived  at  Eglwys  Cymmyn  Church,  where  it  was 
disappointing  to  learn  that  Mr.  G.  G.  T.  Treherne,  of  London,  who 
has  made  the  antiquities  of  what  he  calls  "  Laaghameshire'*  his 
special  study,  was  unable  to  be   present  owing  to   indisposition. 


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CAtlMA&THBN    M^firmO. — teXOXTRStONS.  231 

Unfortanafcely,  too,  the  Papers  which  Mr.  Treherne  had  promised  to 
read,  thoagh  thej  had  been  posted,  had  gone  astray  in  transit ;  bat 
the  diflScolty  was  got  over  by  some  observations  on  Eglwys  Cyramyn, 
Parc-y-Cerig  Sanctaidd,  and  Landawke,  by  Archdeacon  Thomas 
and  other  speakers.  With  regard  to  the  ancient  Oh  arch  of  Eglwys 
Cymmyn,  Archdeacon  Thomas  said  it  was  evident  this  was  a  very 
early  church,  becaase  of  the  extremely  sharp-pointod  vanlted  roof, 
and  the  chancel  arch  was  very  rude,  being  simply  cat  out  of  the 
wall.  There  was  no  timber  or  pillar,  or  anything  of  the  kind. 
It  was  of  the  Pembrokeshire  type,  and  like  what  they  had  seen  in  one 
or  two  places  already.  The  porch  was  also  vaalted,  and  it  was 
very  carions  to  see  another  door  so  close  to  the  original  one.  He 
did  not  know  how  that  was  to  be  accoanted  for.  In  the  side  of  the 
chancel  was  a  piscina  with  a  ledge,  and  under  the  window  they 
wonld  see  in  a  glass  case  a  small  vessel  of  glassware  that  was 
found  close  to  the  church,  when  some  parts  of  it  were  being  repaired 
or  rebuilt.  Then  there  was  an  Ogam  stone  at  the  west  end  of  the 
church  inside  a  box.  There  were  also  stained  windows  of  St. 
Margaret  of  Antioch,  St.  Margaret  of  Scotland,  and  St.  Margaret  of 
Marros,  the  daughter  of  Guy  de  Brian. 

The  Bev.  Geo.  Eyre  Evans  said  that  thirty  years  ago  he  was 
in  the  church,  and  they  would  hardly  know  it  was  restored,  so  well 
had  the  work  been  carried  out.  They  had  there  an  example  of 
what  could  be  done,  using  restoration  in  the  right  sensa  He  had 
remembrance  as  a  child  of  seeing  what  was  now  missing — a  silver 
chalice.  That  chalice  had  disappeared.  There  had  been  rumours 
of  its  whereabouts,  and  possibly  it  might  be  recovered.  But  it  was  one 
of  a  very  beautiful  series,  of  which  they  had  so  many  in  Carmarthen- 
shire, dated  1574.  No  one  could  tell  how  much  that  church  owed 
to  Mr.  Treherne — how  much  and  how  wisely  he  had  worked  there. 
They  had  got  a  master-hand  who  saw  how  things  should  be  rightly 
and  properly  done;  and  the  glass  case  in  the  chancel  preserving  a 
relic  was  an  object-lesson  to  all  of  them  as  to  what  they  might  do  in 
some  way.  In  Cardiganshire,  Bishop  Morgan's  Bible  was  put  in  a 
glass  case,  in  a  dry  part  of  the  church,  where  all  could  see  it.  They 
found  evidence  all  round  of  great  taste  in  restoring  the  building. 
It  was  intended  to  put  a  window  on  the  site  of  the  old  door,  but  it 
would  be  put  in  so  that  people  would  know  a  door  was  there. 

Archdeacon  Thomas  said  the  church  stands  in  an  old  earthwork, 
or*'i-ath." 

The  Rev.  J.  Thomas  :  We  are  now  standing  within  the  boundary 
of  the  fort.  This  was  an  old  British  track  which  led  by  Tavern 
Spite  on  to  Menapia.  He  therefore  thought  the  Roman  fort  would 
be  on  the  burrow. 

Mr.  Egerton  Phillimore  said  this  cair  would  have  nothing  to  do 
with  the  boundary  of  the  land  of  Llandowror.  The  name  cair  was 
the  name  of  a  brook. 

Professor  Anwyl  proceeded  to  explain  the  inscription  on  the 
Ogham  stone.     He  saw  the  Ogham  was  fairly  plain,  and  the  Latin 


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232 


CAMBRIAN  AUCHi^JOLOGlCAL  ASSOCIATION. 


was  a  translatdon  of  the  Ogham.  The  words  of  the  Ogham  are 
Avitoriges  (the  g  probably  not  being  pronounced)  inigina  Gunigniy 
and  the  Latin  read  Avitoria  filia  Cunigni,  that  was  to  say, 
"  Avitoria,  the  daughter  ot  Cynin" — Cunignos  at  that  time.  Avi- 
toriges  soemed  to  be  a  compound  word,  meaning  the  granddaughter 


Fig.  2. — Inscribed  Stone  at  Eglwys  Cymmyn,  Carmarthenshire. 
[Prom  a  Photograph  by  T.  Mansd  Pranlderty  Esq.) 

of  Toros.     Further,  the  name  Cunignos   was  the  same  as  Cynin, 
which  they  got  in  Eglwys  Cymmyn. 

Parc-y-Cerig  Sanctaidd. — Leaving  Eglwys  Cymmyn  for  Lang- 
hame,  a  halt  was  made  at  Parcy-Gerig  Sanctaidd,  where   some 


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CARMARTHEl^   MEETING. — EXCURSIONS.  2^3 

disonssion  took  place  in  regard  to  the  "  holy  stones."  Mrs.  Allen 
thoaght  the  round  stone  was  the  ba£(e  of  a  cross.  She  woald 
like  to  know  whether  there  had  been  a  battle  anywhere  there, 
because  sometimes  they  erected  a  cross  on  the  '*  field  of  sorrows*' 
after  a  fight.     There  was  one  in  North  Wales. 

Rev.  J.  Thomas  said  in  a  field  near  there  was  a  large  tumulus 
ploughed  down,  and  they  were  surrounded  by  very  ancient  habita- 
tions. The  tradition  of  the  locality  was  that  when  funerals  came 
along  the  road  to  Llansadwrnen  they  used  to  go  round  there  to 
rest  the  coffin,  and  use  that  hollow  stone  as  a  stoup  for  holy  water. 

Mr.  E.  Laws  pointed  out  that  if  they  looked  under  the  stone  with 
a  cross  they  would  find  a  lot  of  small  white  stones.  In  any  sepul- 
chral place  he  had  opened  he  had  found  them. 

The  Rev.  J.  Thomas  said  they  were  commonly  called  "  cursing 
stones." 

Mr.  Ward  said,  so  far  as  he  understood,  these  stones  did  not 
occupy  quite  the  same  position  as  they  did  formerly.  According  to 
the  late  Miss  Curtis,  in  her  gossipy  little  book  on  Laugharne,  she 
mentioned  these  stones  as  resting- stones.  When  coffins  passed 
there  to  church,  they  rested  upon  these  stones  while  they  repeated 
the  Lord's  Prayer,  or  something.  The  parish  boundary  went  along 
there  ;  and  Mr.  Treherne  and  himself  went  very  carefully  over  the 
ground,  and  had  reason  to  think  a  direct  lane  to  the  parish  church 
passed  over  there,  so  that  the  present  road  was  probably  modern. 
That  was  the  highest  point  of  the  road,  and  what  more  natural  than 
that  there  should  be  there  a  wayside  cross — these  crosses  were 
common  thi*oughout  the  country  in  pre- Reformation  times — and  it 
was  preceded  by  a  pre-Norman  cross  for  the  very  same  purpose ;  or 
it  may  have  marked  the  tomb  of  somebody,  and  placed  near  the 
wayside.  According  to  that,  the  four  stones  were  simple  founda- 
tions.    The  cross  was  a  thirteenth-  or  fourteenth-century  cross.^ 

Mr.  E.  Laws  thought  it  was  sepulchral. 

Llandawke. — Proceeding  to  Llandawke,  the  party  inspected  the 
church  and  an  Ogam  stone  kept  therein,  Professor  Rhys  giving  a 
description  of  the  stone.  He  said  it  was  peculiar  in  several  respects. 
Generally,  when  they  had  an  inscription  in  two  languages  on  stones 
in  this  part  of  the  country,  one  was  more  or  less  a  translation  of  the 
other,  but  in  this  case  it  was  not.  The  Latin  was  ^'  Barrivendi  filius 
Vendubari,"  and  there  was  ''  Hie  jacet "  on  the  edge  of  the  stone. 
The  man  must  have  thought  he  had  not  room  to  write  "  Hie  jacet," 
and  in  the  early  copy  of  the  inscription  that  was  not  seen.  He  first 
saw  the  stone  as  a  threshold,  and  the  end  had  been  smashed.  A 
big  piece  had  been  splintered  away,  which  ought  to  be  found  yet, 
and  the  surface  was  a  good  deal  polished,  and  many  of  the  strokes 
worn  by  the  feet  of  the  parishioners.  It  commemorated  the  son  of 
the  son  of  somebody,  and  was  one  of  the  earliest  inscriptions.  He 
should  say  it  went  iMok  to  the  fifth  century. 

*  It  appears  to  us  to  be  much  earlier. — Ed. 


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234 


CAMBRIAN  ARCH^OLDGtOAL  AS800IATlO>^. 


Laughame. — The  day's  work  was  broufifht  to  an  and  at  Laag- 
hame,  where  the  Castle  was  gone  over,  and  Mr.  Power  gave  some 
explanatory  notes  as  to  its  constraction  and  history.  The  earliest 
part  is  the  round  tower,  and  it  was  the  military  base  to  cover  the 


Fig.  3.— Pre-Norman  Cross  at  Laugharne,  Carmarthenshire. 
{Prom  a  Photograph  by  T.  Mantd  PranJdeny  Etq.) 

constrnction  of  the  main  castle  against  attack.  The  portion  called 
Sir  John  Perrott's  gateway  was  added  to  the  Castle  by  him  in  1560, 
and  no  doubt  represented  the  best  apartments.  It  was  besieged  by 
Cromwell  for  somewhere  about  a  month,  and  eventually  lost,  largely 
from  the  same  cause  that  reduced  Pembroke— the  cutting-off  of  the 


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OARMAftTHtlN   MBBTlNG. — EiClTRSIONS.  ^^S 

water-supply.  The  Governor  of  the  Castle, — General  Langhame  — 
wan  first  a  ParliamentariaD,  and  aabseqnentlj  held  the  Castle  for  the 
King.  The  garrison  made  a  sortie  from  the  gateway,  and  oat  to  the 
lane  to  recover  the  water-supply,  bat  were  defeated.  The  attackers 
rashed  the  gate,  and  then  Cromwell  ordered  the  place  to  be  dis- 
mantled. Like  every  other  castle,  it  had  served  as  a  qaarry  for  the 
town,  and  that  had  done  more  harm  than  anything. 

In  the  Town  Hall  the  Recorder  of  Laugharne,  Mr.  Jeremy,  gave 
some  particulars  of  the  government  of  the  town  by  the  ancient  Cor- 
poration, stating  the  same  method  as  two  hundred  years  ago  was 
still  carried  on.  He  mentioned  that  in  1731  a  bai'gess  would  not 
take  the  oath  of  allegiance,  so  was  not  elected  Portreeve.  Ancient 
deeds  were  produced  and  inspected,  as  well  as  an  old  Winchester 
measure  and  some  tally-sticks.  The  property  of  the  Corporation 
consisted  of  some  cottages  and  725  acres  of  land,  some  portions  of 
which  were  divided  among  seventy-six  senior  burghers  and  held  by 
them  for  life.  There  was  an  annual  beating  of  the  boundaries,  with 
certain  halting-places  for  refreshments,  and  for  hoisting  and  whip- 
ping the  boys.  The  Portreeve  of  1864  was  the  last  to  act  as 
magistrate. 

The  Church  was  also  visited,  and  here  the  Rev.  J.  Thomas  read  a 
Paper,  and  a  large  quantity  of  silver  plate,  some  dating  from  1600, 
was  on  view,  and  including  a  silver  flagon  and  paten  presented  to 
the  church  two  years  ago.  After  a  long  day,  the  party  reached 
Carmarthen  at  ten  o'clock  p.m. 


BXCITASION  NO.  3.— THUASBAT,  AUaiTST  16th. 
CARJdARTHEN   AND   KIDWELLY. 

iRoute. — The  members  assembled  at  St.  Peter's  Church,  and  spent 
the  morning  in  inspecting  the  antiquities  of  the  town  of  Carmarthen. 

After  luncheon  the  members  assembled  at  the  Great  Western 
Railway  Station  at  1  p.m.,  and  were  conveyed  by  train  to  Ferry  side 
(eight  miles),  and  thence  by  carriage  through  Llansaint  to  Kidwelly 
(four  miles  south-east  of  Ferryside). 

The  return  journey  was  made  by  carriage  through  Llandefeilog. 

The  members  were  entertained  to  tea  at  Kidwelly  by  the  Mayor 
and  Mayoress  (Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  E.  Smart). 

Carmartheit — St.  Peter's  Church,  the  old  Castle,  and  other 
historic  remains  in  Carmarthen,  occupied  the  attention  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Cambrian  Archaeological  Society  on  the  morning  of 
Thursday,  August  16th.  The  assembly  was  at  the  Church,  and 
here  Mr.  T.  E.  Brigstocke,  whose  knowledge  of  the  subject  is  pro- 
fuse and  sound,  read  a  Paper  on  the  ancient  edifice.  He  pointed 
out  the  features  of. interest,  including  the  tomb  of  Sir  Rhys  ap 
Thomas  and  Dame  Eva,  his  second  wife,  which  was  originally  in 


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236  CAMBRIAN  ARCHJIOLOGICAL  ASSOCIATlOK. 

the  monastery  of  tbe  Grey  Friars,  in  Lammas  Street^  and  was 
removed  therefrom  some  350  years  ago  to  the  chancel  of  thechnrch, 
and  afterwards,  on  the  erection  of  the  organ,  placed  in  its  present 
position.  He  raised  an  interesting  point  in  regard  to  the  plainness 
of  the  architectnre  of  a  chnrch  of  sach  dimensions  and  importance, 
suggesting  that  possibly  it  included  the  remains  of  a  still  earlier 
edifice. 

Archdeacon  Thomas  referred  to  a  picture  he  had  seen  of  the 
church,  in  which  a  very  curious  feature  was  shown  by  the  south 
door,  namely,  a  little  corner  walled  off  which  was  called  the 
"  charnel-house,"  or  Golgotha,  where  in  former  times  the  bones 
collected  in  the  churchyard  were  placed.  Those  who  had  been  in 
Brittany  would  remember  what  a  great  feature  the  Golgotha  was 
there.  The  iiesh  turned  to  dust,  but  the  bones  were  collected 
together  and  placed  in  these,  while  the  skulls  were  put  on  raised 
shelves  in  the  cemeteries. 

In  the  absence  of  Mrs.  Dawson,  daughter  of  Archdeacon  Bevan, 
her  Paper  on  St.  Tewdrig  was  read  by  the  Rev.  Charles  Chidlow. 

Archdeacon  Thomas  said  the  life  of  Tewdrig  belonged  more  to 
Tiutern  than  to  Carmarthen,  It  certainly  did  not  fit  in  with  the 
conclusions  brought  before  them  by  Professor  Lloyd,  in  his  Paper 
on  Monday  evening,  that  it  was  the  Church  of  Teilyddog.  He  did 
not  think  St.  Tewdrig  had  anything  to  do  with  Carmarthen. 

Passing  through  the  churchyard  to  the  Vicarage,  the  ladies  of 
Dolaucotbi  were  exceedingly  amused  by  the  specimen  of  colloquial 
**  Welsh"  used  by  a  native  of  Carmarthen,  in  response  to  a  question 
as  to  what  they  were  doing  to  the  paths.  "  Ob,"  he  replied,  "  we 
buildo  yr  wall  all  round." 

In  the  Vicarage  garden  the  members  inspected  a  Roman  domestic 
altar,  another  carved  stone  with  a  boss,  and  a  third  built  into  a 
wall  inscribed  "  R.  P.  Nato,"  which  were  briefly  described  by  Mr. 
Walter  Spurrell. 

Proceeding  to  the  Castle,  the  party  inspected  the  outer  wall,  and 
then  being  admitted  through  the  prison  gates,  ascended  to  the  top 
of  the  old  mount,  where  Mr.  W.  Spurrell  read  a  Paper  by  Mrs. 
Armitage,  who,  he  said  was  particularly  interested  in  the  early  Nor- 
man castles,  and,  as  many  of  them  knew,  had  rather  strong  views  as 
to  the  age  of  these  fortifications.  She  did  him  the  honour  of  calling 
upon  him  when  visiting  the  town  ;  and  when  he  asked  Mr.  Holmes 
to  prepare  a  Paper  on  the  Castle,  he  thought  he  would  write  to  Mrs. 
Armitage,  and  ask  her  what  conclusion  she  had  arrived  at  as  to  the 
Castle  mound  on  which  they  were  standing.  Mr.  Holmes's  Paper 
took  the  form  of  a  criticism  of  Mrs.  Armitage*s  Paper  and  other 
authorities.  In  her  Paper  Mrs.  Armitage  said  she  had  considerable 
doubts  about  the  stone  keep,  as  to  whether  it  was  an  abutment  of 
the  upper  portion  of  the  *'  motte,"  or  whether  it  stood  on  the  original 
top,  and  hfikd  been  filled  with  soil.  Outside  there  was  a  considerable 
rise  of  tower,  but  from  the  inside  none.  After  the  introduction 
of  artillery,  it  became  usual  to  construct  a  wall  and  fill  up  with  earth 


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CARMARTHEN  MEBTINO. — EXCURSIONS.  237 

to  resist  shot.  She  would  be  sfratefnl  to  know  whether  there  was 
evideDoe  of  an  old  entrance.  Basement  entrances  were  rare  before 
the  thirteenth  centnry.  The  best  "  motte"  she  saw  in  the  neigh- 
bonrhood  of  Carmarthen  was  at  Wistou,  in  Pembrokeshire.  It  was 
a  wall  apfainst  which  lean-to  buildings  in  wood  were  supposed  to  be 
erected.  In  1096  Ehydy^ors  was  abandoned  to  the  Welsh,  but 
restored,  and  afterwards  they  never  heard  of  it  again  ;  but  in  1113 
they  heard  for  the  first  time  of  the  Castle  of  Carmarthen.  Where 
was  the  castle  of  Rhydygors  ?  It  had  been  sought  for  and  placed 
at  a  farmhouse  called  Rhydgors,  near  Carmarthen,  opposite  to 
which  there  are  earthworks  :  some  think  the  embankments  of  the 
river.  The  Castle  of  Carmarthen  was  for  many  centuries  a  royal 
castle,  and  it  was  extremely  probable  that  it  was  built  by  order  of 
William  Rufus.  Undoubtedly  the  mound  was  the  "  motte"  of  the 
typical  early  Norman  castles.  These  castles  were  not  of  stone,  but 
of  earth,  with  wooden  superstructures.  More  than  90  per  cent,  of 
the  castles  built  by  the  Normans  were  of  this  description.  The  date 
of  the  castle  stone  keep  was  difficult  to  determine,  as  both  keep  and 
**  motte"  are  so  travestied  by  modern  arrangements,  that  it  would 
be  difficult  to  plan  them  out  correctly.  Carmarthen  Castle  was 
razed  to  the  ground  in  1215,  and  it  was  possible  this  keep  repre- 
sented the  rebuilding  which  followed  that  event.  The  gate-house 
was  of  the  Perpendicular  period,  and  probably  there  was  no  masonry 
older  than  Henry  III ;  it  was  not  unlikely  there  was  no  masonry 
building  there  until  the  fourteenth  century. 

The  Paper  by  Mr.  H.  S.  Holmes,  B.Sc.,  B.A.,  Vice-Principal 
of  the  Training  College,  Carmarthen,  tended  to  show  that  the 
structure  was  much  older  than  Mrs.  Armitage  put  it.  Qiraldns,  in 
1204,  described  the  town  as  an  ancient  city  with  walls.  If  the  town 
was  enclosed  by  strong  walls,  the  castle  would  be  more  than  an 
earth-and-timber  block  house,  built  by  the  Normans  to  keep  in  check 
the  Welsh  guerillas.  In  1273  the  walls  were  stated  to  be  in  a 
mined  condition.  The  town  was  sacked  in  1244,  and  again  in  1246  ; 
but  the  castle  was  apparently  too  strong ;  or,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
attacks  on  the  town  were  merely  raids.  Therd  was  no  record  of 
remains  having  been  found  within  the  area  of  these  walls,  but  con- 
siderable Roman  remains  of  different  kinds  had  been  found  east 
of  the  town  wall. 

Colonel  Morgan  being  called  upon  to  give  his  opinion,  said  that 
was  undoubtedly  a  stone  revetment  against  a  moated  mound,  and 
he  did  not  put  the  revetment  anterior  to  Charles  I.  He  thought 
there  were  innumerable  signs  this  was  of  the  date  of  the  Civil  War. 
Then  the  face  was  made,  and  he  could  see  no  break  in  the  other 
part;  so,  though  there  might  have  been  a  shell- keep  that  was 
older,  the  greater  part  of  the  stone  revetment  was  not  earlier  than 
Charles  I. 

Rev.  J.  M.  Phillips  asked  if  there  was  any  reason  to  suppose  that 
the  Castle  built  at  Carmarthen  could  be  called  the  Castle  of  Rhydy- 
gors? 


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238  CAMBBIAN  AROH^OLOGICAL  ASSOCIATION. 

Archdeacon  Thomas  :  I  do  not  think  it  is  an  nmianal  thing  when  a 
castle  is  replaced  by  another  one  close  by,  or  within  a  short  distance 
of  it,  for  the  second  one  to  take  the  name  of  the  former.  It  supple- 
ments the  first. 

Mr.  J.  M.  Phillips  :  But  if  there  was  no  castle  down  at  Rhydygors 
originally,  why  should  the  name  be  attached  to  the  castle  here,  as 
Mrs.  Armitage  suggested  ? 

The  question  was  asked,  how  far  they  were  from  the  ford ;  and 
the  Rev.  J.  M.  Phillips  replied,  half  a  mile. 

Mr.  A.  LI.  Davies  :  There  is  a  ford  just  down  here. 

Mr.  Egerton  Phillimore  remarked  that  these  names  did  get  mis- 
placed, and  he  mentioned  a  place  on  the  Severn,  the  name  of  which 
was  taken  by  a  farm  a  mile  and  a-half  from  the  Severn  now. 

Colonel  Morgan  :  A  short  distance  from  here  you  have  got  the 
remains  of  outworks  of  Charles  Fs  time,  quite  unique,  not  only  in 
England,  but  in  the  whole  of  Europe.  They  are  beautiful  specimens 
of  the  bastion  traces  of  Charles  I's  time,  which  have  been  destroyed 
everywhere  with  the  exception  of  at  Carmarthen. 

The  party  then  went  round  the  southern  wall  of  the  Castle, 
taking  note  of  a  portion  which  served  as  an  outer  wall  to  a  modern 
dwelling-house,  and  inspecting  the  rooms  above  the  fine  old  gateway. 
Afterwards  they  proceeded  to  the  Diocesan  Registry  Qjice,  where 
they  viewed  underneath  the  offices  an  extensive  crypt  and  vault, 
which  are  supposed  to  have  formed  a  portion  of  an  early  church — 
Prince  Edward's  Chapel.  Mr.  T.  W.  Barker  had  laid  out  in  his 
rooms  a  portion  of  a  stone  cross  and  column,  lent  by  Mr.  Victor 
Jones,  which  came  from  the  old  Priory  of  St.  John.  Here  also  were 
to  be  seen  the  early  manuscripts  of  episcopal  acts,  including  the 
earliest  book,  which  was  lent  by  permission  of  the  Record  Office, 
and  dated  from  1399 ;  also  other  books  and  articles  of  value  con- 
nected with  the  diocese.  Visits  of  inspection  were  subsequently 
paid  to  Bishop  Ferrar's  tablet  in  Nott  Square,  the  vault  beneath  the 
Sheaf  Inn,  the  town  walls  in  Quay  Street  and  Blue  Street,  the 
sculptured  stone  at  the  rear  of  the  Town  Hall,  and  the  remains  of 
the  Grey  Friars'  Monastery  in  Lammas  Street.  They  then  went  to 
the  Dyke  and  Ditch  behind  Christ  Church,  upon  which  Colonel 
Morgan  dilated  at  some  length.  He  considered  this  to  be  one  of 
the  most  valuable  possessions  of  the  borough.  At  the  time  of  the 
Civil  War,  he  said,  it  was  decided  to  fortify  the  town  of  Carmarthen, 
and  the  ramparts  they  then  saw  were  the  remains  of  works  that 
originally  went  all  round  the  town.  The  last  remaining  of  the 
works  were  destroyed  about  ten  or  fifteen  years  ago,  when  Francis 
Terrace  was  mada  These  works  were  quite  the  finest  specimens  of 
the  bastion  traces  as  executed  in  the  time  of  the  Civil  War  in 
England,  and  probably  even  on  the  Continent.  The  system  of 
fortification  here  introduced  had  been  first  started  by  an  engineer 
of  the  name  of  Erard,  who  published  his  works  in  1594.  They 
seem  to  have  been  adopted  up  to  the  time  of  the  end  of  the  Civil 
War,  when  they  were  supplanted  by  a  style  of  Count  d©  Pargon, 


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CARMARTHEN   MEETING. — EXCURSIONS.  289 

-who  published  his  works  in  1665 ;  so  that  these  particnlar  ramparts 
must  have  been  executed  some  time  between  1594  and  1665.  The 
characteristic  feature  of  the  Erard  system  was  that  the  flank  was 
placed  at  right  angles  to  the  curtain,  while  de  Pargon  had  it  at 
right  angles  to  the  face  of  the  bastion.  He  showed  how  the  defen- 
ders could  sweep  down  this  earthwork  to  clear  the  attacking  partj. 
Nothing  of  this  style  remained  on  the  Continent. 

Llansaint. — In  the  afternoon  the  members  proceeded  by  train  to 
Ferryside,  where  brakes  were  in  readiness  to  convey  them  to  Llan 
Ishmael.  This  was  one  of  the  most  interesting  churches  visited 
during  the  tour,  and  a  Paper  was  read  by  the  Kev.  G-eorge  Eyre 
Evans,  dealing  with  its  chief  characteristics. 

The  drive  was  continued  to  Llansaint,  in  the  same  parish,  passing 
on  the  road  the  buried  village  of  Hawton,  demolished  by  a  tidal 
wave  about  1639,  and  marked  on  Speed's  Map  of  1610.  The  party 
entered  the  chapel,  where  there  was  one  of  the  largest  gatherings  of 
the  Association,  under  the  presidency  of  Sir  John  Williams.  Here 
a  Paper  was  read  by  the  Rev.  George  Eyre  Evans  on  the  newly- 
discovered  inscribed  stone,  which  he  read — 

CIMESETLI   AVICATI, 

and  another  and  larger  stone,  4  ft.  6  ins.  in  length,  which  is  given 
by  Westwood  as  reading — 

VBNNISETLI   PIUVS 
EROAOMI. 

Much  interest  was  taken  in  the  newly-discovered  inscribed  stone, 
and  Professor  Rhys  complimented  Mr.  Evans  upon  his  find.  He 
said  he  was  not  going  then  to  say  very  much  about  the  stone,  as 
he  hoped  to  have  an  occasion  to  say  something  more  at  length  that 
evening.  He  had  examined  the  stone,  and  had  some  trouble  in 
copying  the  inscription,  which  was  upside  down.  The  other  stone 
was  all  right ;  but  he  got  definite  evidence  from  a  man  in  the 
village— whom  the  young  fellows  called  an  old  man — he  was  only 
69,  and  he  (Professor  Rhys)  did  not  agree  with  them — that  both 
stones  were  taken  out  of  the  walls  of  the  previous  chui-ch,  forty-five 
or  forty-six  years  ago.  That  was  a  fact  that,  he  supposed,  could  be 
easily  ascertained  when  the  restoration  took  place.  He  remembered 
distinctly  that  stone  being  put  like  that,  upside  down,  and  then  2  ft. 
built  on  it,  when  there  was  a  great  fuss  and  controversy  about  the  stone 
having  been  put  upside  down.  They  wanted  to  get  it  out,  but  the 
contractor — a  certain  Wm.  Matthias — would  not  undo  the  wall,  as 
that,  he  (Professor  Rhys)  supposed,  would  cost  money.  That  was 
definite  evidence  that  the  stones  had  been  moved  from  the  walls  of 
the  earlier  church,  but  he  could  not  ascertain  whether  they  were 
inside  the  church  or  outside. 

The  Vicar  said  the  man  told  him  they  were  outside.  The  wall 
was  taken  down  with  a  view  of  throwing  out  a  vestry  there,  and 
the  stones  were  in  the  original  wall  of  the  building.     When  the 


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240  CAMBBIAN  ARCHjEOLOOICAL  ASSOCIATION. 

vestry  was  thrown  out  they  were  removed,  and  placed  where  they 
are  now. 

Professor  Rhys  :  Rogers  did  not  know,  according  to  his  deliberate 
statement  to  me,  whether  they  were  inside  or  ontside. 

At  the  Evening  Meeting  on  that  day,  Professor  Rhys  gave  a 
learned  address  of  over  an  hoar's  duration,  apon  the  various  inscribed 
stones  visited  during  the  meetings  of  the  Association  in  South 
Wales.  Referring  to  the  recent  discovery  made  by  the  Rev.  George 
Eyre  Evans,  Aberystwith,  of  the  inscribed  stone  inserted  upside 
down  in  the  wall  of  Llansaint  Church,  which  had  hitherto  been 
covered  with  ivy,  he  said  that  the  lettering,  "Cimesetli  Avicat," 
seemed  to  imply  a  place  or  monument  to  "  a  man  of  ransomed  life  " 
— son  of  Avi  Caton  (that  is,  "  one  admired  as  a  warrior").  Dealing 
with  the  name  "  Llansaint,"  Professor  Rhys  suggested  that  it  was 
dedicated  to  two  relatives  whose  names  ended  in  *'  Setli,"  who  were 
probably  Irish  saints. 

Kidwelly. — Proceeding  further  towards  Kidwelly  there  were  to 
be  seen  the  ivy-clad  ruin  of  Penalit  Priory,  and  Clomendy,  a  well- 
preserved  old  pigeon-house,  which  probably  belonged  to  the  Priory. 

Arriving  at  the  corporate  borough,  the  party  were  welcomed  at 
the  Castle  by  the  Mayor  and  Mayoress  (Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  B.  Smart). 
An  interesting  history  and  description  of  the  architecture  of  the 
ruin  was  given  by  Colonel  Morgan. 

Some  photographs  of  the  group,  which  have  resulted  in  excellent 
pictures,  were  taken  by  the  ex-Mayor  (Mr.  A.  Stephens,  Broomhill). 

An  adjournment  was  made  to  the  Town  Hall,  where,  at  the 
invitation  of  the  Mayor  and  Mayoress,  tea  was  partaken  of ;  after 
which 

Canon  Morris  proposed  a  vote  of  thanks  to  them  for  their  hos- 
pitality. It  was  very  important  to  their  Society,  and  archoeology 
generally,  that  they  should  have  the  support  of  the  authorities  in 
the  various  towns  ;  and  it  was  very  gratifying  to  know  in  every 
place  they  had  been  to  they  found  this  hearty  welcome,  and  this 
readiness  to  help  them  in  preserving  monuments  and  other  interest- 
ing things  in  connection  with  the  past  history  of  the  country. 

The  Mayor  said  his  wife  and  he  were  extremely  obliged  to 
them  for  the  vote  of  thanks  for  the  little  they  had  done.  He 
could  assure  the  Association  they  were  exceedingly  pleased  to  have 
had  the  opportunity  of  entertaining  them.  He  was  sorry  that  the 
Corporation  had  not  much  to  show.  The  old  charters  had  been 
lost,  and  they  had  tried  many  times  to  find  them.  Although  they 
had  not  succeeded,  they  had  not  given  up  the  search,  and  they 
hoped  in  time  the  charters,  which  had  somehow  or  other  been  lost 
or  mislaid,  would  be  found.  They  had  the  two  silver  maces  of  the 
borough,  copies  of  one  of  the  old  charters  (but  the  wording  of  it  was 
not  interesting),  and  the  borough  seal.  Also  a  piece  of  old  cloth 
dated  1759,  and  having  on  it  the  name  of  Griffith  Jones,  Mayor, 
which  used  to  be  on  the  magistrates'  bench. 


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CARMARTHEN   MEETING. — EXCURSIONS.  241 

The  parish  church  was  then  risited,  and  here  a  Paper  on  the 
stmofcare  was  read  by  the  Rev.  D.  D.  Jones,  Vicar,  and  listened  to 
with  much  interest. 

Canon  Owen  proposed  a  vote  of  thanks,  and  Mr.  E.  Laws  secon- 
ded, remarking  he  had  seen  a  great  many  charches,  bnt  he  did  not 
know  anyone  that  had  such  interesting  features  in  it  as  this  one.  He 
conid  not  lielp  thinking  there  was  Early  Engh'sh  work  in  the  arch. 
Sir  Gilbert  Scott  notwithstanding.  More  than  that,  they  had  two 
tombs,  one  to  the  Lady  Ysoude,  and  the  other  a  civilian  holding  his 
glove  in  his  hand.  He  thons^ht  they  ran  into  Early  English  times, 
too,  and  that  rather  backed  him  np  in  his  heresy.  One  of  the  most 
significant  things  was  the  enormous  number  of  staircases.  There 
was  a  staircase  to  the  rood-loft,  anotlier  going  to  the  room  over  the 
sacristy,  and  there  was  a  very  interesting  little  wall- window  above, 
for  the  priest  to  look  down  apon  the  altar,  in  order  to  ring  the  bell 
on  the  elevation  of  the  Host.  There  was  a  staircase,  which  the 
Vicar  thought  went  to  a  stone  pulpit,  which  had  disappeared,  and 
still  another  staircase ;  also  a  beautiful  piscina  and  sedilia,  and  a 
charming  little  window  decorated. 

After  spending  an  interesting  half  honr  inspecting  the  chnrch,  in 
the  vestry  being  seen  an  elaborate  alabaster  figure  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  and  Child,  which  was  for  years  buried  in  the  churchyard,  the 
party  drove  home  vid  Llandefoilog,  where  the  Rev.  Peter  Williams, 
theedit  or  of  the  first  Welsh  annotated  Bible,  printed  by  John  Ross, 
in  1770,  is  buried. 


BXCXTRSION  NO.  4.— FRIDAY,  AITOirST  17th. 
WHITLAND. 

Route.  —  Members  assembled  at  the  Great  Western  Railway 
Station  at  9.50  a.m.,  and  were  conveyed  by  train  to  Whitland 
(18  miles  west),  and  thence  by  carriage  to  Parcau,  Gwarmacwydd, 
and  Llandyssilio  (seven  miles  north-west  of  Whitland). 

The  return  journey  was  made  by  carriage  to  Clynderwen  Railway 
Station  (two  miles  south  of  Llandyssilio),  and  from  there  back  to 
Carmarthen  by  train. 

The  members  were  entertained  to  luncheon  at  Gwarmacwydd  by 
invitation  of  Mrs.  Bowen  Jones,  and  to  tea  at  Llandyssilio  by  the 
Vicar,  the  Rev.  0.  Jones  Thomas. 

Whitland. — On  Friday  morning,  August  17th,  members  travelled 
by  train  to  Whitland,  where  they  were  met  by  conveyances,  and 
driven  to  the  Abbey  (Ty-Gwyn-ar-Daf),  where  an  able  Paper  was 
read  by  Mr.  E.  Ltiws,  Tenby,  and  an  interesting  discussion  took 
place  regarding  the  name,  which  Archdeacon  Thomas  said  was  a 
curious  study  in  philology.  The  old  name,  Ty-Gwyn-ar-Daf,  meant 
the  white  house  on  the  h^nks  of  the  Taf  River.  That  got  translated 
6th  ber.,  vol.  vii.  16 


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242 


CAMBRIAN  ARCH:fiOLOGICAL  ASSOCIATION. 


first  of  all  with  the  omission  of  the  definite  article,  and  they  Bad 
Tygwyn-landaf.  Then  they  got  Alba  Landa ;  the  house  was  left 
ont,  and  they  had  white  and  landa,  which  became  misleading — 
it  was  white  on  the  banks  of  the  Taf.  Then  came  another  stage, 
the  English  of  Alba  Landa — Whiteland,  the  Taf  was  lost  altogether. 
Tlien  came  another  change,  the  dropping  of  the  **  e"  in  the  white 


Fig.  4. — Inscribed  Stone  at  Parcau,  Carmarthenshire. 

— Whitland,  and  when  they  got  to  Whitland  they  got  to  the  reverse 
of  Lantwit,  from  which  Paulinas  was  said  to  have  come. 

The  Rev  George  Eyre  Evans  asked  if  anything  was  known  of  the 
small  circular  gold  vessel  dug  up  twenty-three  years  ago  in  the 
garden  in  which  they  were  standing  ?  He  had  spoken  to  the  man 
who  saw  it  dng  up. 

Mr.  D.  0.  Evans  said  he  had  made  enquiries,  but  could  not  find 
it  The  name  had  led  people  astray,  and  placed  this  spot  in  the 
Isle  of  Wight, 


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Fig.  6.     Inscbibed  Stone  from  Castbll  Dwyban,  now  at  Gwarmacwydd, 

Ca  RM  ARTHEN8HIBF. 

{From  a  Photograph  by  J.  E.  Omoer,  7,  Laminas  Street,  Carmarthen.) 


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CARMARTHEN   MEETING.— EXCURSIONS.  243 

Mr.  Egerton  Pbillimore  said  G-iraldns  Cambrensis  made  it  too. 
There  was  not  the  slightest  gronnd  for  belieWng  that  Panlinas  had 
e^er  anything  to  do  with  Whitland.  He  had  looked  at  all  the 
manascripts  he  oonld  get  at  Oxford  on  the  *'  Life  of  St.  David ;" 
and  in  the  latest  version  by  Usher,  the  word  he  had  to  copy  was  so 
difficult  and  so  unintelligible,  that  he  said  an  "  insula  quadem" — a 
certain  island.  In  the  twelfth  century  it  was  written,  '^  insula 
inwincdi  lantquendi ;"  some  of  the  later  manuscripts  say,  **  insula 
whitlandi ;"  others  say,  "  insula  whit."  Professor  Rhys  thought 
**  lantquendi"  did  not  stand  for  Whitland.  He  (Mr.  Phillimore)  did 
not  think  it  did  before  the  time  of  HywelDda.  He  could  not  believe 
'*alba  landa"  had  anything  to  do  with  the  Taf ;  the  place  had  been 
put  in  Whitorn,  in  Galloway.  The  latest  manuscripts  say  "  insula 
whit."  In  some  of  the  later  manuscripts — in  some  of  the  Irish  ones 
— these  names  were  corrupted  into  "  delanda  bendi." 

Mr.  D.  C.  Evans  remarked  that  there  was  a  hill  close  by  called 
Castle  Hill,  which  to  some  extent  had  been  quarried  away.  When 
digging  the  ground  twenty-five  skeletons  were  come  across,  showing 
that  the  graveyard  went  that  way. 

A  short  time  was  spent  in  examining  the  surroundings,  where 
remains  of  ironworks  and  earthworks  are  to  be  seen ;  and  consider- 
able interest  was  taken  in  a  beautiful  piece  of  white  marble,  with 
designs  in  relief,  which  had  been  found.  The  coat-of-arms  over  the 
hall-door  of  the  present  residence  also  received  attention,  showing 
a  Tudor  rose,  portcullis,  dog  and  griffin,  fleur-de-lis,  and  lions, 
quartered. 

Parcau  and  Owarmacwydd. — Leaving  Whitland,  the  party  pro- 
ceeded to  Parcau,  where  the  inscribed  stone  "  Quenvendani  fili 
Barcuni"  was  seen  (Fig.  4),  and  on  to  Gwarmacwydd.  Here,  encircled 
by  a  wooden  fence,  was  the  Ogam  stone  with  Latin  inscription, 
*'  Memoria  Voteporigis  protictoris  "  (Fig.  5)  ;  and  several  members 
busied  themselves  in  taking  a  rubbing  of  the  Ogam.  This  stone  was 
removed  from  Castelldwyrau  churchyard. 

Llandyssilio. —  Afterwai*ds  the  party  resumed  the  journey  to 
Llaudyssilio,  where  the  parish  church  was  visited,  and  a  great  deal 
of  interest  was  taken  in  the  three  inscribed  stones  to  be  found  in 
the  outer  south  wall  of  the  edifice  (Figs.  6,  7,  and  8).  Inside  the 
church  a  silver  cup,  dated  1636,  was  inspected,  and  another  of 
Early  Elizabethan  period,  also  a  register  dated  from  1720  to  1814. 

Archdeacon  Thomas  said  the  present  church  was  modern ;  but  in 
the  old  church  there  was  what  they  did  not  often  see,  the  font 
brought  up  near  the  chancel,  whereas  its  proper  position  was  at  the 
entrance  to  the  church.  It  was  symbolic,  as  so  many  parts  of 
the  church  were,  to  the  gradual  growth  of  the  Christian  life,  and 
the  means  of  grace,  leading  up  from  the  entrance  by  the  font  to  the 
Lord's  table.  There  was  on  the  south  side  of  the  chancel  a  small 
piscina.     It  was  very  simple,  but  was  large  enough  for  the  purpose 

16 « 


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244 


CABfBRIAN  ARCHAOLOGIOAL  ASSOCIATION. 


for  which  it  was  used — the  rinsing-ont  of  the  sacred  vessels.  The 
ohanoel  and  the  chancel  arch  had  not  been  touched  at  all ;  it  was  a 
plain  rude  pointed  arch,  cut  out  of  the  wall  apparently,  and  on  the 
north  side  there  are  two  depressed  arches  separating  the  chancel 
from  what  was  now  the  vestry-room,  bat  which  he  had  no  doubt 
was  at  one  time  a  chantry  chapel ;  very  plain  and  rude,  and  cut  out 
of  the   wall,  as  in  the  neighbouring  churches  of  Pembrokeshire. 


CtVT© 


Fig.  6.— luscribed  Stone  No.  1,  at  LlandyMUio,  Pembrokeshire. 
Scale,  T^y  linear. 

There  was  a  very  curious  book  there :  a  small  diary  kept  by  a  former 
curate,  who  was  the  Vicar  of  Llan-y-cefn,  John  Griffiths.  No  doubt 
he  had  his  full  duties  to  do  on  the  Sunday,  and  he  (the  Archdeacon) 
was  quite  sure  he  had  a  great  deal  more  than  he  ought  to  have 
undertaken  or  laid  upon  him  daring  week  days  :  because  in  the  little 
diary  book,  which  he  seemed  to  have  carried  about  with  him,  and 
filled  in  day  by  day,  he  jotted  down  marriages,  birtlis,  and  deaths 
in  the  different  parishes  during  the  week  day,  representing  his 
secular  duties.     He  was  sorry  to  say  that  the  aggregate  of  those 


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GA&MAJElTfiEK   MtHSTtNO. — EXCURSIONS. 


245 


pan'sliefl  in  which  be  had  to  do  duty  during  the  week  day  was  no 
fewer  than  twenty- six.  A  thing  of  that  kind  was  a  great  abuse. 
He  had  heard  of  three  or  four  parishes  worked  together,  but  twenty- 


Fig.  7. — Inscribed  Stone  No.  2,  at  Llandysdlio,  Pembrokeshire. 
Scale,  ^  linear. 


Fig.  8.— Inscribed  Stone  No.  8,  at  Llandyssilio,  Pembrokeshire, 
discoyered  by  Mrs.  Thomas  Allen.    Scale,  i  linear. 

six  was  almost  incredible.  That  was  what  they  were  told  in  the 
diary,  if  he  understood  it  aright.  The  Communion  plate  dated 
from  1651,  and  it  was  rare  to  find  Communion  plate  of  that  date; 
it  was  during  the  interregnum  of  the  Commonwealth.     The  then 


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246         CAMBRIAK  ARCH^OLOGICAL  ASSOCIATION. 

Vicar  remained  in  charge,  he  anppoBed ;  but  not  having  registers 
going  back  so  far,  they  could  not  say  for  certain. 

Bev.  J.  M.  Phillips  :  I  do  not  think  he  did. 

Archdeacon  Thomas :  Yon  believe  he  was  deprived  ? 

Bev.  J.  M.  Phillips :  I  believe  he  was. 

Archdeacon  Thomas  said  the  chalice  or  Communion  cup  of  Egre- 
mont  was  also  there  for  inspection^  and  that  was  a  much  earlier  one 
than  the  Llandyssilio  cup.  It  was  an  Elizabethan  cup,  but  was  not 
dated.  It  had  the  form  and  the  characteristic  band  which  was 
invariably  found  on  Elizabethan  cups. 

Mr.  Stepney- G-ulston  said  the  date  of  the  cup  belonging  to  that 
church  was  1651,  but  the  hall  mark  was  1632  or  1684  probibly.  It 
was  interesting  to  show  that  the  date  upon  it  was  subsequent  to  the 
time  of  its  original  making. 

Mr.  Egerton  Phillimore  made  some  very  interesting  remarks  upon 
the  inscribed  stones. 

Mr.  T.  E.  Morris  referred  to  the  small  book  in  the  church,  which 
he  said  was  highly  interesting  in  these  days  of  public  libraries : 
inasmuch  as  it  said  that,  as  early  as  the  year  1761  there  was 
in  that  parish  a  circulating  libi*ary,  and  it  gave  the  names  of 
all  the  books  in  the  library.  He  found  that  in  the  year  1761 
there  were  in  the  possession  of  the  parish  as  many  as  800  books, 
among  others  some  of  the  best  and  well-known  Welsh  books — Bardd 
Ctosg  and  Drych  y  Prif  OeB-oedd,  There  was  also  a  catalogue  giving 
the  price  of  some  of  the  books,  and  he  saw  there  was  paid  the  sum 
of  \8,  for  Bardd  Ctrng.  It  also  gave  the  names  of  the  persons  to 
whom  the  books  were  lent  from  time  to  time.  There  were  also  a 
number  of  very  interesting  sentiments  and  toasts — he  was  not  going 
to  give  any  extracts — but  anyone  who  was  curious  would  be  amply 
rewarded  if  he  looked  through  that  book. 

Archdeacon  Thomas  thought  in  a  large  number  of  parishes  they 
found  Dr.  Bray's  libraries — possibly  in  each  deanery. 

Owing  to  the  time  having  expired,  Egremont  Church,  where 
there  is  an  inscribed  stone,  had  to  be  left  out  of  the  programme,  and 
the  members  returned  by  train  from  Clynderwen. 


ALTERNATIVE    EXCITESION    NO.    4a.— FBIDAT, 
ADOITST  17th. 

CLAWDD  MAWB. 

Route. — The  members  assembled  in  Guildhall  Square  at  9  A.M., 
and  were  conveyed  by  carriage  up  the  Valley  of  the  Gwili  to  Conwil 
Elvet  (seven  miles  north),  and  then  four  miles  further  north  along 
the  road  to  Llandyssyl,  which  follows  the  course  of  the  Afon  Duad^ 
to  the  earthwork  called  Clawdd  Mawr,  opposite  Nant-yr-hyddod. 


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^Q^. 


Fig.  9.     Inscribed  Stone  No.  1  at  Traws  Mawr,  Carmarthenshire, 

Removed  from  Newchurch,  aud  now  u.sed  at*  the  Pedental  for  a  Sundial. 

{From  a  Photograph  hy  T.   Maimd  FranUen,  Es<j.) 


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CARMARTHEN   MEETING. — fiXCURSlOJJS.  247 

The  return  journey  was  made  through  Conwil  Elvet  and  New- 
church  (four  miles  north  of  Carmarthen). 

Luncheon  was  provided  for  the  members  at  Conwil  Elvet. 

Glawdd  Mawr. — The  party  proceeded  through  the  Vale  of  Gwili 
to  Conwil,  and  thence  to  Clawdd  Mawr,  an  ancient  earthwork 
composed  of  a  dyke  and  ditch,  about  a  mile  and  a-half  long. 
Opposite  Nant-yr-hyddod  Farm  a  longitudinal  section  of  the  earth- 


Fig.  10. — Inscribed  Stone  No.  2,  at  Traws  Mawr,  Carmarthenshire. 

work  was  examined  by  Mr.  Walter  Spurrell,  Mr.  Glascodine,  and 
Colonel  Morgan.  About  10  ft.  above  the  base  of  the  section  a 
horizontal  layer  of  peaty  material,  about  3  ins.  in  thickness,  was 
observed,  affording  evidence  that  this  was  at  one  time  the  surface  of 
the  ground. 

Traws  Mawr. — After  lunch  at  Conwil,  and  a  visit  to  the  neigh- 
bouring church,  the  company  proceeded  to  Traws  Mawr  to  view  two 
inscribed  stones,  and  a  stone  with  an  incised  cross,  standing 
upright  in  the  private  grounds  of  the  mansion.     On  one  of  the 


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248  CAMBRIAN  AitCHiSiOLOGICAL  ASSOCIAtlON. 

upright  stones  was  the  ioscription,  "  Severini  iili  Severi*'  (Fig.  9), 
and  on  the  other  "Cunegni"  (Fig.  10).  The  inscription  on  the 
"  Severini "  stone  has  every  appearance  of  having  been  re-cat  and 
otherwise  tampered  with. 

From  Traws  Mawr  the  party  visited  *•  Castell-y-Gaer,"  an  ancient 
earthwork,  with  a  saucer-shaped  hollow  on  top,  about  90  ft  in 
diameter.  Bound  this  mound  there  runs  a  wide  ditch,  but  not 
filled  with  water  in  the  manner  of  an  ordinary  castle  moat. 


Fig.  11. — Rude  Pillar  Stone,  with  Incised  Cross,  at  Traws  Mawr, 
Carmarthenshire. 

Owing  to  the  heavy  rain,  it  was  found  impossible  to  visit  Gum 
Fawr  and  the  Caturus  stone  in  the  Church  of  Merthyr  Monach. 
The  party  returned  through  Trevaughan,  reaching  Carmarthen 
soon  after  5  p.m.,  having  spent  on  the  whole  a  delightful  day. 


Note. — This  report  has  been  compiled  chiefly  from  the  account 
given  in  the  Welshman. 


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CARMARTHEN   MltBTlNG. 


24d 


CAMBRIAN  ARCHiBOLOGICAL  ASSOCIATION. 
Carmarthen  Mbbtino,  August,  1906. 

Subtcriptiofu  to  Local  Fund, 

Sir  John  Williams,  Bart.,  President 

Earl  Cawdor 

Alan  Stepnej-GulstoD,  Esq,,  Chairman 

T.  W.  Barker,  Esq.      ... 

Henry  Owen,  Esq.,  D.C.L. 

R.  H.  Wood,  Esq. 

Colonel  W.  L.  Moi^gan... 

R.  E.  Jennings,  Esq.    ... 

Sir  James  ffills-Johncs,  V.C.,  G.C.B. 

Lady  Hills-Jolmes 

Mrs.  Johnes 

Rey.  J.  Thomas 

Rev.  W.  Davies 

H.  Meuric  Lloyd,  Esq. 

Rev.  T.  R.  Walters     ... 

Rev.  W.  W.  Poole  Hughes 

Rev.  W.  Done  Bushell 

H.  S.  Holmes,  Esq.      ... 

Mrs.  D.  Pugh  Evans     ... 

Miss  C.  M.  C.  Stepney 

Dr.  W.  W.  Leigh 

Charles  Lloyd,  Esq.     ... 

Rev.  D.  D.  Evans 

Miss  Evelyn  Lewis 

Dr.  Charles  Spurrell    ... 

Colonel  H.  Davies-Evans 

Miss  Thursby  Pelham  ... 

R.  E.Williams,  Esq.    ... 

D.  Moi-gan,  Esq. 

F.  W.  Gibbins,  Esq.    ... 

John  fVanoii,  Esq. 

Mrs.  Olive... 

Yen.  Archdeacon  Owen  Evans 

Pepyat  Evans,  Esq.      ... 

Misses  Grifiath 

Mrs.  Gwynne-Hughes... 

Miss  Rickard 

Sir  Lewis  Morris 

R.  M.  Thomas,  Esq.     ... 

Mrs.  W.  J.  Williams    ... 

T.  Morse  Thomas,  Esq. 

D.  C.  Evans,  Esq. 

Colonel  Gwynne-Hughes 

Rev.  Sir  George  Cornwall,  Bart. 

W.  LI.  Williams,  Esq.,  M.P. 

J.  Lewes  Thomas,  Esq. 

Miss  Penman 

Miss  S.  A.  Evans 

David  Gethin,  Esq. 

B.  A.  Lewis,  Esq. 

Carried  forward    ... 


£  <. 

d. 

.  10  0 

0 

3  8 

0 

2  2 

0 

2  2 

0 

2  2 

0 

.   2  2 

0 

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0 

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0 

1  1 

0 

1  1 

0 

.   1  1 

0 

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0 

1  1 

0 

1  1 

0 

1  1 

0 

0  10 

6 

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250 


CAMBRTAN  ARCH^EOLOaiCAL  ASSOCIAtIoK. 


Brought  forward 
Rev.  T.  Lewie 
Miss  H«nry 

Ernest  Collier,  Esq.     ... 
D.  Hamer,  Esq. 
MissPlatts 
John  Lewis,  Esq 
W.  R.  Evans,  Esq.       ... 
Mrs.  Stacey  Jonee 
Mrs.  John  Snow 
A.  Llewelyn  Davies,  Esq. 


BALANCE   SHEET. 
Reckipts. 


To  subscriptions  received  as  per  list 


EXFKMBITURB. 


By  Hire  of  Wagon 
„  Ditto    Furniture  ... 
„  Ditto    Assembly  Rooms 
„  Ditto    Brake 
„   Ditto    Rooms 
„  Gratuities  to  Assistants 
„  Secretary's  Postages 
„  Ditto  Sundry  Disbursements 
„  Paid  Reporter 
„  Excavating  for  Remain** 
„  Choque  Book 
,,  Balance  in  Hand    ... 


Examined  and  found  correct. 

A.  Llewelyn  Davibs,  Auditor. 

Alan  Stepney- Gulston,  Chairman  of  Local  Committee. 


A*  $. 

d. 

54  0 

0 

1  1 

0 

0  7 

6 

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0 

0  7 

6 

0  7 

6 

0  12 

0 

0  12 

0 

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0 

0  7 

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60  18 

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February  25th,  1907. 


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254 


iaetotetos;  anH  Botitti  of  Soo&s;. 

Leland*s  Itinerary  in  Wales.      Arranged  and  Edited  by   Lucy 

ToDLMiN  Smith.  London  :  George  Bell  and  Sons,  1906. 
It  was  a  Lappj  idea  of  Miss  Tonlmin  Smith  to  pnblisli  the  portion 
of  John  Leiand's  famoos  Itinerary  that  relates  to  Wales  in  a  volume 
to  itself;  and  as  she  has  added  some — though  by  no  means  all — of 
the  notices  of  the  Principality  contained  in  the  Collectanea,  the  book 
will  prove  almost  indispensable  t()  the  Welsh  antiquary.  The  text 
has  been  collated  with  the  original  manuscript,  which  is  now  in  the 
Bodleian,  so  that  we  probably  have  as  perfect  an  edition  as  it  is 
possible  to  produce.  In  the  mere  reproduction  of  an  important 
volume  like  the  Ithieraiy,  this  is  much  to  be  thankful  for,  but  it  is 
hardly  sufficient  for  an  exacting  age.  Leland*s  bald  topographical 
details  are  in  many  places  no  more  than  parts  of  a  badly-articulated 
skeleton,  the  bones  of  which  require  to  be  decently  stuffed  and 
clothed  by  a  painstaking  and  encyclopsBdic  editor.  Miss  Toulmin 
Smith  has  not  attempted  to  bring  Leland  up  to  date.  She  has 
preferred  to  leave  him  pretty  severely  alone,  her  notes  being  for  the 
most  part  oonBned  to  trifling  textual  details.  The  really  important 
work  required  in  a  modern  edition  of  the  Itinerary  is  that  which 
should  be  given  to  a  careful  examination  and  identification  of  Leland*s 
topographical  forms ;  and  for  this  Miss  Toulmin  Smith  obtained  the 
assistance  of  Dr.  Gwenogfryn  Evans.  We  much  regret  that  we 
cannot  speak  with  unqualified  praise  of  the  manner  in  which  that 
gentleman  has  executed  his  task.  There  are  plenty  of  perfectly 
obvious  identifications  which  are  hardly  required  for  the  enlighten- 
ment of  the  densest  of  Saxons.  What  is  gained  by  a  note  identi- 
fying '  Place  Newith '  with  *  Plas  Newydd, '  unless  it  is  that  it 
affords  an  opportunity  for  Dr.  Evans  to  introduce  his  topographical 
fad  of  a  barred  *  d  *  for  the  regularly-used  double  *  d  *  of  ordinary 
Welsh  orthography  ?  It  is  the  same  affectation  of  superior  accuracy 
that  doubtless  leads  Dr.  Evans  to  identify  '  Mouthey*  with  ^  Mow- 
ddwy'  (with  the  usual  barred  'd'),  though  the  modern  spelling  is 
universally  'Mawddwy.*  Leland's  *Gurnay*  is  throughout  given 
by  Dr.  Evans  as  *  Gurvei,'  whereas  the  ordinary  style  is  *  Gwirfai  *  (or 
*  Gwyrfai  *),  which  indeed  is  the  spelling  adopted  by  Leland  himself 
on  another  occasion.  The  castle  two  miles  from  Usk,  called  by 
Leland  '  Trergreg,*  is  identified  by  Dr.  Evans  as  *  Tre  y  grug,*  but 
that  form  was  never  in  use  for  the  well-known  manor  of  the  lordship 
of  Usk  known  as  '  Trergrug.*  *  Gogarth  *  is  not  the  Welsh  name 
for  the  Great  Ormc*s  Head,  but  for  a  particular  part  of  that  pro- 
montory. It  is,  however,  not  so  much  the  erroneous  identifications 
that  we  regret — for  these,  after  all,  are  not  numerous— so  much  as 
the  many  really  difficult  place-names  in  the  text  that  are  left  uniden- 
tified altogether.  There  is  hardly  a  page  that  does  not  contain 
some  word  that  calls  for  explanation,  for  which  no  explanation  is 
even  attempted.     Thus,  on  p.  43,  Leland  says  that  a  point  marking 


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REVIEWS  AND  NOTICES  OP  BOOKS.  255 

the  ntmost  limits  of  Wales  in  one  direction  was  *  Port  Hojger  by 
Holihed  in  Anglesey,'  which  enables  ns  to  identify  the  name  with 
that  of  the  Forth  Wygyr  of  the  Triads,  and  to  locate  it  somewhere 
on  the  northern  coast  of  Anglesey.  It  should  have  been  pointed 
out  that  Leland's '  Lng  Harneis'  was  more  frequently  called  '  Leigh 
Hames.'  The  river  at  Wrexham,  now  covered  over  in  its  coarse 
throngh  the  town,  and  so  in  danger  of  being  forgotten  save  when 
it  takes  its  revenge  npon  the  olfactory  nerves  of  the  citizens  dnring 
hot  weather,  is  given  by  Leland  as  the  *Wenbro,*  which  a  note 
should  have  explained  was  intended  to  represent  '  Gwenfro/  In 
the  neighbourhood  of  Wrexham,  too,  a  branch  of  the  Pnlestous 
was  seated  at  a  residence  called  by  Leland  *'  Marsche.'  Surely  Dr. 
Owenogfryn  Evans  should  have  known  that  these  were  the  Pule- 
stons  of  Berse. 

Notwithstanding  the  blemishes  which  we  have  pointed  out  for 
correction  by  those  who  possess  the  book,  and  many  others  which 
our  space  will  not  allow  us  to  indicate,  we  can  honestly  recommend 
our  members  to  obtain  it.  Indeed,  we  heartily  trust  it  will  find  its 
way  into  popular  favour,  so  as  to  enable  a  fresh  edition  to  be 
produced  ;  and  we  would  then  recommend  the  able  editor  to  obtain 
the  assistance  of  the  one  man  in  Wales  (or  elsewhere)  capable  of 
nnravelling  Leland's  conundrums  in  notes  that  would  prove  at  once 
the  admiration  and  the  despair  of  every  Welsh  antiquary,  Mr. 
Egerton  Phillimore. 


Edward  n  im  Glamorgan:  Thb  Stoet  op  the  Dov^npall  op  the 
PiEST  Prince  op  Walks,  etc.  By  the  Eev.  John  Griffith. 
London,  1904.     Price  5s. 

This  is  a  book  of  257  pages  (with  57  additional  pages  of  Appen- 
dices), which  would  have  been  all  the  better  for  considerable  com- 
pression. There  is  still  some  obscurity  about  the  events  of  the  last 
few  months  of  the  unfortunate  Edward  II's  life,  and,  as  most  of 
that  time  was  spent  in  Wales,  it  was  a  happy  idea  on  Mr.  Griffith's 
part  to  study  the  episode  of  the  King's  wanderings  from  the  point 
of  view  of  the  Welsh  historian.  We  cannot  say  that  he  has  succeeded 
in  advancing  our  knowledge  of  the  deepening  tragedy  of  the 
monarch's  death  ;  but  the  story  was  well  worthy  of  reconsideration, 
and,  if  possible,  of  reconstruction,  in  the  light  of  Welsh  history  and 
tradition.  Instead,  however,  of  writing  his  book  in  a  style  that  was 
appropriate  to  the  dignity  and  pathos  of  the  events  which  he  records, 
Mr.  Griffith  has  adopted  a  method  which  we  cannot  but  regard  as 
unworthy  and  inappropriate.  He  is  a  perferrid  Welshman  of  the 
most  "  Nationalist"  type,  and,  like  many  another,  thinks  the  proper 
medium  for  the  display  of  his  patriotism  is  abuse  of  the  other  fellow. 
Such  hysterical  emotion  as  Mr.  Griffith  too  frequently  indulges  in 
may  be  charitably  regarded  as  an  excusable  incident  of  the  National 
Eisteddfod,  but  is  quite  out  of  place  in  a  serious  work  of  history — 
and  we  trust  that  Mr.  Griffith  is  desirous  of  having  his  little  book 
regarded  as  such.   The  chief  merit  of  our  author  is  that  he  recognises 


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256  REVIBWS  AND  NOTICES  OF  BOOKS. 

the  sovereign  importance,  in  an  inquiry  snch  as  be  is  instituting,  of 
reliance  upon  original  authorities  for  his  facts.  He  has  worked  through 
the  printed  volumes  of  the  "  Patent  and  Close  Rolls"  with  diligence 
and  good  results,  and  this  must  be  counted  unto  him  for  righteous- 
ness ill  a  sphere  where  the  imagination  still  exercises  too  potent 
a  sway.  He  is  exceedingly  fond  of  quotation;  but,  amid  many 
"  authorities"  who  are  frequently  not  authoritative  upon  the  points 
upon  which  they  are  quoted,  Mr.  Griflfith  rightly  places  in  his  first 
rank  the  late  Bishop  of  Chester  and  Professor  Tout ;  and  if  he  is 
not  sufficiently  careful  in  his  use  of  so  charming  and  picturesque  a  * 
volume  as  Mr.  0.  M.  Edwards's  Wales,  it  must  \^  admitted  that  the 
passages  therefrom  add  to  the  eminent  readableness  of  his  book.  Why 
Mr.  Griffith  has  encumbered  his  volume  with  chapters  upon  **The 
Ancient  Gods  of  Glamorgan,"  "  The  Picts  and  P  and  Q  Celts,"  and 
others  that  have  no  possible  connection  with  his  subject,  it  would  be 
difficult  to  conjecture  ;  they  may  be  skipped  by  the  reader  with  no 
loss  of  interest  in  Eang  Edward's  fate,  and  a  considerable  saving  of 
his  time  and  patience. 

The  author,  notwithstanding  his  diligence,  has  not  been  able  to 
throw  any  fresh  light  upon  the  events  that  led  up  to  the  unfortunate 
Eang's  capture.  English  authorities  are  inclined  upon  good  grounds 
to  regard  Llantrissant  as  the  place  where  he  fell  into  the  hands  of 
his  enemies.  Mr.  Griffith,  relying  upon  a  chronicle  which  he  thinks 
was  written  by  a  Welshman,  argues  with  much  plausibility  in  favour 
of  Penrhys,  in  the  Rhondda  Valley;  though  he  prints  a  note 
producing  a  hitherto  unnoticed  authority  whicb  specifies  Neath 
as  the  scene  of  the  King's  surrender.  Nor  has  Mr.  Griffith  been 
more  fortunate  in  penetrating  the  darkness  that  broods  over 
the  shocking  murder  of  the  King.  He  contents  himself  with 
a  long  extract  from  Bishop  Stubbs'  preface  to  his  edition  of  the 
Chronicle  which  that  great  authority  attributed  to  Thomas  de  la 
Moor,  but  which  is  now  recognised  as  the  work  of  Geoffrey  le  Baker, 
and  rather  tamely  continues :  "  Now  that  the  archives  of  the  Vatican 
and  of  the  Continent  generally  are  rummaged  and  calendared  by 
English  experts,  under  the  supervision  of  the  Master  of  the  Rolls, 
we  may  hear  of  other  documents  bearing  on  the  historic  doubt " — 
the  mystery  of  the  King's  death.  We  may  inform  Mr.  Griffith  that 
there  lurks  at  the  Public  Record  Office  the  record  of  some  judicial 
proceedings  which  arose  incidentally  out  of  the  crime,  and  in  which 
Edward's  strong  partisan,  Rhys  ap  Gruffudd,  plays  an  interesting 
part  We  are  in  hopes  that  this  valuable  contribution  towards  the 
elucidation  of  one  of  the  minor  points  in  our  history  may  be  given 
to  scholars  through  the  medium  of  this  Journal.  And  we  also  trust 
that  with  enthusiasm  unabated,  but  with  style  somewhat  more 
chastened,  Mr.  Griffith  may  give  us  further  evidence  of  his  un- 
doubted capacity  for  the  popularisation  of  history.  Wo  should  like 
to  have  made  some  remarks  upon  the  Appendices,  which  are  the 
most  valuable  part  of  his  book,  but  our  space  is  exhausted,  and  we 
can  do  no  more  than  recommend  them  in  general  terms  to  our 
members. 


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^n:h»^0l00t»  (I{»mIrr^nHtH. 


SIXTH  SERIES.— VOL.   VII,  PART  III. 


JULY,    1907. 

NOTES  ON  EGLWYS  CYMMYN,  PARC-Y-CERYG 
SANCTAIDD,  AND  LLANDAWKE. 

By  G.  G.  T.  TREHERNE,  Esq. 
{Bead  duriff^g  L(mgha/me  Excursion,  Augutt  16th,  1906.) 


Eglwys  Cymmyn. 

The  ancient  little  mountain  church,  Eglwys  Cymmyn, 
is  of  singular  interest  in  its  situation,  history,  construc- 
tions, and  dedication ;  and,  indeed,  in  spite  of  its  rude 
and  unpretentious  appearance,  presents  in  itself  an 
epitome  of  Welsh  ecclesiastical  history.  It  stands 
in  a  commanding  position  in  a  circular  "  rath,"  or 
encampment  (of  about  250  yards  in  diameter,  faced 
with  stone  and  surrounded  by  an  outer  ditch  and 
rampart),  which  forms  the  centre  of — and  is  probably 
connected  historically  with — a  group  of  earthwork  forts 
contained  within  the  territory  formerly  known  as 
Swydd,  or  Cwmwt,  Talacharn,  and  now  represented  by 
the  comparatively  modern  Lord-Marchership  of  Laug- 
harne.  Space  forbids  further  reference  to  this  group  of 
forts,  of  which  I  have  had  careful  surveys  made,  and 
from  which  I  hope,  with  the  aid  of  pick  and  shovel,  to 
extract  much  information ;  but  now  I  can  call  atten- 
tion only  to  the  important  promontory  fort  of  Pencoed, 
in  this  parish.  Lewis  and  Carlisle  both  refer  to  the 
parish  as  the  scene  of  a  great  battle  and  subsecjuent 
treaty,  as  alluded  to  by  Sir  John   Price  in  his  History 

6th  skr.,  vol.  VII.  17 

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258        NOTES  ON  EGLWYS  CYMMYN,  PARC-Y-CERYG 

of  the  Welsh  Wars.  I  cannot  find  any  work  by  Sir 
John  Price  with  this  title,  neither  can  I  find  any  refer- 
ence to  Pencoed  in  any  of  his  works.  Cath  Pencoed 
is  one  of  the  three  decisive  battles  fought  by  Rhodri 
Melynog  in  the  eighth  century,  and  in  the  farm  called 
Pencoed,  in  this  parish,  are  two  fields,  called  respec- 
tively Pare  y  Castell  Vawr  and  Vach :  the  former 
containing  an  important  promontory  fort,  with  a  broad 
and  level  field  adjoining  on  the  north  side,  called  Pare 
yr  Hedd — **  The  Field  of  Peace" — which  has  been  tmns- 
mogrified  by  English  scribes  into  **  Pease  Field."  This 
Battle  of  Pencoed,  or  Cath  Pencoed,  opens  out  a  wide 
field  of  inquiry,  upon  which  I  must  not  enter  to-day, 
except  to  say  that  I  am  glad  to  observe  a  note  on  p.  206 
of  Dr.  Henry  Owen's  new  volume  of  Pembrokeshire  on 
Cath  Pencoed,  which,  although  it  does  not  directly 
mention  our  Pencoed,  indirectly  tends  to  favour  the  sug- 
gestion that  this  was  the  scene  of  the  battle  in  question. 
This  Territory  or  Lordship  of  Laugharne,  bounded  on 
the  south  by  the  sea,  on  the  east  and  north  by  the  River 
Taf,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Pembrokeshire  frontier,  was 
until  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII  included  in  the  County 
of  Pembroke.  The  parish  of  Eglwys  Cymmyn  is  co- 
terminous with  the  manor  of  the  same  name,  held  of  the 
Superior  Lordship  of  Laugharne,  and  the  church  and  its 
surroundings  probably  occupy  the  site  of  the  head- 
quarters of  the  chief  of  the  territory  or  tribal  district 
which  was  subsequently  converted  into  a  Norman  manor 
and  an  ecclesiastical  parish.  The  name  Eglwys  Cymmyn 
in  itself  is  remarkable,  as  offering  a  key  to  the  history 
of  the  church.  Taking  first  the  generic  "  Eglwys,**  and 
bearing  in  mind  that  in  the  Clergy  List  of  to-day, 
"  Llan '  appears  as  the  proenomen  of  more  than  four 
hundred  Welsh  churches,  and  '*  Eglwys"  of  only  some 
half  dozen  cn^cient  churches,  it  is  curious  that  no  serious 
explanation  of  this  remarkable  fact  has,  so  far  as  I  am 
aware,  been  attempted. 

As  a  result  of  much  inquiry,  and  personal  visits  to 
most  (if  not  all),  of  the  ancient  Eglwys  churches,  I  am 


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SANCTAlDD,  ANt>  LLANDAWKB.  259 

inclined  to  offer  the  following  explanation,  which  may 
at  all  events  call  attention  to  the  paradox,  and  possibly 
result  in  further  and  better  suggestions.  The  early 
missionaries,  who  presumably  spoke  Greek  as  the 
ecclesiastical  language,  would  naturally  on  landing  in 
this  country  ask  the  chief  man  of  the*  district  for  a 
piece  of  land  on  which  to  build  their  little  church,  and 
this  they  would  naturally  call  their  **  Eccleeia,"  of  which 
"  Eglwys"  would  be  the  Welsh  expression.  The  mis- 
sionary having  built  his  church  would  gather  round 
him  his  followers,  who  in  turn  would  form  themselves 
into  a  monastic  settlement,  or  religious  tribe,  and  would 
occupy  an  enclosed  territory,  or  *'  Llan,"  the  prototype 
of  the  modern  parish.  Thus  we  get  the  full  title  of  the 
church  of  the  religious  tribe  as  Eglwys  Llan  Teilo,  (or 
whoever  the  saint  might  be)  Sant,  **  Tne  Church  of  the 
Religious  Tribe  or  Community  of  St.  Teilo."  By  a 
natural  process  of  abscission  the  head  and  tail  of  the 
lengthy  sentence  would  perish,  leaving  the  kernel  sur- 
viving as  "  Llan  Teilo."  If,  however,  this  explanation 
is  accepted,  the  question  remains,  why  do  any  ancient 
churches  retain  the  name  of  **  Eglwys"  and  omit  that  of 
"  Llan."  I  suggest  that  "  Eglwys,"  as  applied  to  an 
ancient  church,  denotes  the  chapel-royal  of  the  head 
man  of  the  religious  (or,  indeed,  secular)  tribe ;  and  my 
inquiries  into  the  incidents  of  the  few  ancient  "  Eglwys" 
churches  remaining  tend  to  confirm  this  suggestion. 
Confining  our  attention  more  particularly  to  the 
church  now  under  consideration,  we  find  that,  apart 
from  the  circular  fort  in  which  the  church  is  situated, 
and  which  probably  formed  the  headquarters  of  the 
chieftain,  we  have  adjacent  to  the  north-east  rampart 
enclosing  the  churchyard  the  remains  of  the  old  buildings 
of  "  Manor  Court,"  a  name  which  is  still  retained  by  the 
farm,  although  new  buildings  were  erected  further  from 
the  church  late  in  the  eighteenth  century.  Next  we 
haye  a  custom,  surviving  to  within  the  last  few  years, 
for  the  principal  parishioners  to  maintain  and  repair 
each   an  allotted  portion  of  the  churchyard  wall   or 

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260        NOTES  ON  BGLWYS  OYMMYN,  f  ARC-Y-CERYO 

rampart ;  and  you  will  find  still  remaining  on  the  face 
of  the  wall  the  initials  of  each  farmer  incised  and 
marking  the  limit  of  the  particular  portion  allotted  to 
his  care  :  a  custom  which  may  well  be  a  survival  of  the 
liability  attaching  to  the  tenants  of  an  ancient  Welsh 
manor,  to  repair  the  walls  of  their  lord's  fortress 
(Seebohm's  Tribal  System  in  Wales,  p.  12). 

This  leads  me  to  the  specific  name  **  Cymmyn."  As 
you  are  aware,  the  church  contains  a  remarkable  bi- 
lingual Ogam  stone,  notes  on  and  illustrations  of  which 
will  be  found  in  the  Arch.  Camh.,  5th  Ser.,  voL  vi 
(1889),  p.  224.  It  is  also  described  by  Mr.  Romilly 
Allen  in  his  Monumental  History  of  the  nritish  Church, 
S.P.C.K.,  1889,  pp.  76,  etc.  We  have  the  good  fortune 
to-day  to  have  Professor  Rhys  with  us;  and  in  the 
hope  that  he  may  explain  to  us  the  speci^i  details 
of  value  of  this  famous — and  in  some  ways  unique — 
monument,  I  will  only  say  a  few  words  by  way  of 
introduction,  and  confine  myself  to  the  part  taken  by 
this  stone  in  the  history  of  the  church.  When  I  first 
found  this  stone,  in  or  about  the  year  1880,  it  was  one 
of  two  steps  on  the  right  of  the  path  leading  from  the 
entrance-gate  to  the  south  porch  of  the  church  (the 
other  still  remains  in  situ),  which  gave  access  from  the 
pathway  to  the  higher  level  of  the  churchyard  to  the 
east  of  the  pathway.  It  was  brought  into  the  church, 
but  subsequently  removed  and  lost  sight  of,  till  dis- 
covered a  second  time  in  the  rectory  garden.  On  the 
occasion  of  repairing  the  nave  in  1901,  under  the  care 
of  the  Society  for  the  Protection  of  Ancient  Buildings, 
much  and  anxious  consideration  was  given  to  the  best 
mode  of  putting  an  efiectual  check  on  the  stone's 
erratic  propensities  ;  and  it  was  finally  decided  to  build 
the  strong  oaken  chest  for  it  in  which  it  now  rests 
under  the  west  window,  securely  safeguarded  by  lid, 
bar,  and  padlock,  while  giving  the  reverent  inquirer 
easy  access  and  fairly  easy  view.  This  stone  com* 
memorates  Avitoria,  the  daughter  of  Cynin  ;  and 
Professor  Rhys  some  time  since  formed   an   opinion, 


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SANOTAIDD,  AND  LLANDAWKE.  261 

which  he  tells  me  he  has  no  reason  to  alter,  that  in  the 
name  **  Cymmin*'  we  have  a  mis-spelling  of  **  Cynin ;  " 
and  although  we  cannot  find  any  documentary  evidence 
in  support  of  this  theory,  it  must  be  rememoered  that 
we  have  no  document  earlier  than  1248,  the  date  of 
a  conveyance  of  the  Manor  of  Eglwys  Cymmyn  by 
the  then  Bishop  of  St.  David's,  Thomas  Wallensis, 
as  a  marriage  portion  for  his  niece  :  so  that  if  we  take 
the  date  of  the  stone  to  be  not  later  than  the  fifth 
century,  we  have  a  period  of  at  least  700  years  in 
which  the  transposition  of  "  n"  to  "  m"  may  have  taken 


In  a  MS.  in  the  British  Museum  of  Edward  IIFs 
time,  the  church  is  described  as  ^'  Ecclesia  de  Santo 
Cumano."  On  the  other  hand,  in  s^n  Inq,  post-mortem 
of  1  Edward  II,  which  I  have  very  carefully  examined 
at  the  Record  OflBce,  the  parchment  is  so  rubbed  that 
the  third  letter  of  the  word  *'  Cymin"  may  quite  well  be 
an  "  n"  and  not  an  "  m.*'  The  transmutation  of  *'  n" 
and  **  m"  is,  of  course,  not  uncommon,  e.g.,  to  quote 
iDcal  instances,  *'  Penfro"  and  "  Pembroke,"  "  Lampeter" 
and  "Llanpedr,"  but  it  is  objected  that  there  is  no 
instance  of  such  a  mutation  between  two  flanking 
vowels.  The  name  of  a  church  in  Radnorshire,  Llan 
Anno,  which  is  sometimes  found  as  **  Amo,"  is  the  only 
instance  of  this  which  I  have  come  across,  and  it  is  not 
very  convincing;  but  we  have  no  time  to-day  for 
etymological  discussions.  At  any  rate,  it  is  beyond 
question  that  Cynin,  whether  or  no  he  gave  his  name 
to  the  church,  was  a  very  considerable  person  in  the 
district ;  and  it  is  probable  that  the  church  which  we 
have  come  to  see  stands  on  the  site  of  his  chapel-royal. 
We  have  in  the  parish  a  farm  called  **  Pare  Cymmin," 
which,  if  Professor  Rhys's  theory  is  correct,  should  be 
"  Cynin."  (As  an  instance  of  English  free  translation, 
the  farm  immediately  adjoining  the  churchyard  on  the 
west  is  called  Common  Church,  a  translation  of  the  same 
character  as  that  which  converted  the  neighbouring 
hamlet  of  "  Rhos  Goch"  into  ''  Red  Roses.")    At  Tavern 


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262        NOTES  ON  EOLWYS  CYMMYN,  PARC-Y-OERYG 

Spite,  three  miles  or  so  to  the  westward,  we  have  Castell 
Gynin,  a  few  miles  to  the  north-east  of  us  we  have  a 
church  and  parish  called  Llanginning,  and  in  that 
parish  a  farm  known  as  "  Llangarth  Gynin ;  *'  then  a 
little  further  east  the  River  Ginning,  which  we  crossed 
to-day  in  coming  from  St.  Clears,  and  at  Trawsmawr, 
still  further  to  the  north-east,  we  have  a  stone  which 
we  are  to  see  on  Friday,  which  is  inscribed  **  Cunegni," 
and  which  probably  records  Cynin's  burial.  In  the 
parish  in  which  Trawsmawr  is  situated  there  are  three 
farms  bearing  his  name ;  and  far  away  in  Cardigan- 
shire, in  the  parish  of  Llanbadarn  Fawr,  he  has  given 
his  name  to  a  district,  **  Brogynin,"  in  or  over  which 
he  presumably  had  interest  or  influence.  Now,  who 
was  this  "  Cynin  V  Mr.  Fisher  has  very  kindly  given 
me  his  full  Notes  and  References,  but  I  have  not 
time  to  quote  them  now  ;  suffice  it  to  say  that  Cynin 
appears  to  have  been  a  distinguished  member  of  a 
distinguished  family,  the  saintly  family  of  Brychan,  a 
fact  to  which  I  shall  have  to  araw  particular  atten- 
tion when  we  are  visiting  the  Pare  y  Ceryg  Sanc- 
taidd  ;  and  that  he  is  said  by  Rees  (in  his  Essay) 
to  have  been  a  Chorepiscopus  (whatever  that  may 
precisely  mean)  of  the  fifth  century.  At  all  events, 
he  appears  to  have  been  a  leading  member  of  the 
Church  Militant  in  his  day ;  and  the  fact  that  Llan- 
ginning is  described  in  the  Myvyrian  ArchcBology  as  the 
Church  of  Cynin,  **  a'  i  Weision  neu  a'  i  Feibion"  (his 
servants  and  his  sons)  suggests  that  it  was  his  monastic 
foundation,  as  distinct  from  his  headquarters  and  chapel- 
royal  at  Eglwys  Cymmyn.  The  author  of  an  Ode  to 
King  Henry  VII,  given  in  the  lolo  MSS.  314,  suppli- 
cates Cynin,  amongst  other  saints,  to  grant  the  King  a 
long  life,  and  Lewys  Glyn  Cothy  (fifteenth  century)  in 
his  poems  frequently  invokes  this  saint.  The  Irish  form 
of  the  name,  "  Coinin,"  appears  as  the  name  of  a  bishop 
in  the  Martyrology  of  Donegal.  It  is  interesting  to 
remember  that  three  miles  or  so  to  the  north  of 
Eglwys   Cymmyn   we   have  '*Tygwyn   ar    Daf"  (now 


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SANCTAroO,  AND  LLANDAWKB.  263 

Whitland),  the  site  of  Paul  Hdn's  famous  monastery  ; 
that  David  and  Teilo  were  amongst  the  students  in  the 
monastery ;  that  Eglwys  Cymrayn  is  one  of  the  several 
parishes  mentioned  as  the  birthplace  of  Teilo  ;  that  the 
church  of  the  adjoining  parish  of  Kyffijf  appears  as  a 
Teilo  Church  in  the  Book  of  Llan  Dav ;  and  it  does  not 
require  much  eflfort  of  the  imagination  to  suggest  that 
Eglwys  Cymmyn  has  been  honoured  with  the  presence 
of  these  leaders  of  the  early  Church  ;  and  that  the  place- 
name  Brogynin  may  suggest  (dates  permitting)  that 
Cynin  accompanied  Saints  David  and  Teilo  to  the  Synod 
of  Llanddewi  Brefi.  I  cannot  find  a  trace  of  any  local 
saint  of  the  name  of  **  Cymin." 

Another  suggestion  for  the  origin  of  the  name  Eglwys 
Cymmyn  is  the  **  Church  of  the  Communion,"  and  in 
support  of  this  there  is  a  tradition  that  on  Communion 
Sundays,  "  in  olden  times,"  a  flag  was  hoisted  on  the 
church  so  that  the  people  might  flock  from  far  and 
near  :  a  tradition  consonant  with  the  pre-eminence  which 
seems  to  have  distinguished  the  church  throughout  the 
ages,  and  which  may  have  arisen  from  the  fact  that  the 
church  was  served  by  a  bishop,  who  in  the  early  days 
of  the  Church  would  alone  have  had  authority  to  con- 
secrate and  administer  the  sacred  elements.  Another 
suggestion,  **  The  Church  of— or  on — the  Common,"  is 
scarcely  worth  notice ;  and  still  less  a  suggestion  by 
Carlisle  that  the  incription  on  an  Elizabethan  chalice 
(1574),  '*  Poculum  ecclesia  de  Eglos  Skymine,"  gives  the 
correct  name  of  the  church,  *'  Sky  mine"  meaning 
**  bleak,"  the  church  standing  on  high  ground,  bare  of 
trees.  This  chalice,  I  regret  to  say,  disappeared  thirty 
years  ago,  and  all  efibrts  to  recover  it  have  failed.  A 
similar  chalice,  and  of  even  date  (1574),  still  exists  in 
Cynin 's  other  church,  Llanginning.  In  later  times,  the 
church  was  attached  to  the  Benedictine  cell  of  Monckton, 
by  Pembroke,  founded  by  Arnulph  de  Montgomery,  who 
presumably  created  the  Norman  Manor  of  Eglwys  Cym- 
myn. Monckton  (being  held  of  the  alien  Priory  of  Seez 
founded  by  Arnulph  s  fether,  Robert),  and  its  dependent 


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264       NOTBS  ON  EGLWYS  CyMMYN,  PARC-Y-OERYG 

churches,  on  the  occasion  of  the  frequent  wars  with 
France  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Crown  ;  consequently, 
Eglwys  Cymmyn  was  presented  by  Henry  VI  to  his 
uncle,  "  the  good"  Duke  Humphrey,  who  in  turn  gave  it 
to  St.  Alban's  Abbey.  It  is  now  in  the  gift  of  the  Lord 
Chancellor.  On  a  panel  at  the  west  end  of  the  church 
you  will  find  the  names  of  all  the  rectors  of  the  church 
whom  we  have  been  able  to  ascertain,  from  1329  to  the 
present  day.  Among  them  is  Philip  Marios  (1389),  of 
whom  I  shall  have  something  to  say  when  we  visit 
Llandawke  on  leaving  Eglwys  Cymmyn.  He  subse- 
quently became  Vicar  of  Ciistle  Martin,  co.  Pembroke, 
which  was  also  attached  to  Monckton  Priory ;  Michael 
Owen  (1677),  of  whom  you  will  find  mention  on  a  tablet 
in  Laugharne  Church;  John  Evans  (1730),  the  no- 
torious author  of  a  scurrilous  pamphlet  defaming 
Griffith  Jones,  of  Llandowror ;  and  who  turned  adriu 
his  curate,  Peter  Williams,  the  editor  of  the  first 
Welsh  Annotated  Bible,  who  was  born  at  Laug- 
harne and  buried  at  Llandefeilog,  which  we  visit  to- 
morrow. 

With  regard  to  the  construction  of  the  church,  I 
have  here  a  plan  prepared  by  Mr.  Weir,  who  was 
appointed  by  the  Society  for  the  Protection  of  Ancient 
Buildings  to  superintend  and  carry  out  the  recent 
repaii-s,  and  which  shows  very  clearly  the  probable 
dates  and  order  of  building.  The  oldest  detail  in  the 
church  is  the  small  square-headed  window  in  the  north 
wall,  to  the  west  of  the  north  door,  which  does  not 
seem  to  have  been  glazed,  and  the  original  use  of  which 
is  doubtful,  but  it  may  possibly  have  been  the  window 
of  an  anchorage.  The  wall  between  this  and  the  interior 
of  the  church  was  apparently  thickened  at  the  time  of 
the  vaulting  of  the  church,  so  as  to  make  the  interior 
surface  level  for  carrying  the  vaulting,  which  seems  to 
have  been  added  late  in  the  fourteenth  century,  when 
the  window  in  the  north  wall  against  the  pulpit  was 
inserted.  In  the  south  wall  and  to  the  west  of  the 
porch  is  a  low  archway,  now  walled  up,  which  it  is 


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SANCTAIDD,  AND  LLANDAWKE.  265 

difficult  to  account  for,  unless  it  were  a  barrow-hole, 
through  which  the  earth  on  which  the  vaulting  was 
built  was  removed.  This  is  Mr.  Micklethwaite's  sug- 
gestion. To  the  east  of  the  south  porch  is  an  ancient 
doorway,  probably  the  priest's  door  to  the  older  church. 
There  are  traces  of  an  older  west  window,  the  present 
window  having  been  substituted  at  the  time  of  the 
thickening  of  the  north  wall  and  the  vaulting  of  the 
nave. 

The  present  chancel  is  modern,  having  been  built  in 
1877-78.  The  chancel-arch  is  of  curiously  rude  con- 
struction (the  details  are  shown  in  Mr.  Weir's  plan), 
and  is  very  similar  to  that  at  Llandawke  Church, 
which  we  shall  see  this  afternoon.  Both  churches  have 
a  smaller  arch  in  the  east  wall  of  the  nave,  and  to  the 
north  of  the  chancel-arch,  giving  access  to  the  rood- 
loft.  Here  this  arch  was  walled  up  at  the  time  of  the 
rebuilding  of  the  chancel.  At  Llandawke  the  archway 
and  a  portion  of  the  stairs  still  remain. 

It  is  noteworthy  that  under  the  entrance  slabs  of  the 
north  doorway,  which  appears  to  be  older  than  the 
southern  porch,  we  found  five  water-worn  *' nine-pin'' 
stones,  or  **  muUers/'  similar  to  but  smaller  than  that 
forming  the  Ogam  stone.  Similar  stones  were  found 
under  the  chancel-arch,  and  a  large  stone,  of  very  much 
the  same  dimensions  and  quality  as  the  Ogam  stone, 
was  found  built  into  the  east  wall  of  the  nave,  to  the 
south  of  the  chancel  arch,  and  there  it  remains.  These 
stones  are  all  shown  in  Mr.  Weir's  plan,  which  is  safely 
deposited  in  the  church  chest.  As  will  be  noticed,  on 
looking  at  the  gable  of  the  west  wall  from  the  outside, 
the  roof  covering  the  vaulting  was  at  one  time  of  a 
more  acute  pitch,  and  very  likely  covered  with  thatch. 
The  present  bell-cote  was  probably  added  when  the 

E resent  out;er  roof  was  built.  The  font  is  old,  and  may 
e  an  adaptation  of  an  original  Norman  font,  cut  down 
to  its  present  dimensions.  The  base  is  new.  Against 
the  east  wall  of  the  nave,  and  over  the  chancel  arch, 
is  a  tablet  in  memory  of  Sir  John  Perrott,  at  one  time 


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266        NOTES  ON  EGLWYS  CYMMYN,  PAJIC-Y-OBRYO 

lord  of  the  Lordship  of  Laughame  and  of  the  Manor  of 
Eglwys  Cymmyn.  It  is  worth  notice,  for  the  quaint- 
ness  of  the  composition  and  the  neatness  of  the  letter- 
ing. The  large  slab  in  the  chancel,  to  the  north  of  the 
chancel-arch,  commemorates  the  Shewen  family  of 
Rhosgoch,  in  this  parish.  The  name  appears  several 
times  in  the  registers  of  Llanelly  parish  church.  In 
the  church  chest  there  are  two  coins  found  in  the 
churchyard — a  silver  halfpenny  of  Edward  I  reign,  and 
a  copper  Bristol  token. 

On  the  north  wall  of  the  nave  are  the  remains  of 
four  successive  mural  paintinffs.  The  oldest  shows 
traces  of  polychromatic  figured  design ;  over  that  red 
Tudor  lettering  and  scroll  border,  and  over  that  again 
two  paintings  in  black  lettering— one  in  English,  the 
other  in  Welsh — of  the  Ten  Commandments.  The  new 
memorial  lectern  is  the  work  of  Mr.  Jack,  and  will 
repay  inspection. 

In  the  tabernacle,  on  the  south  wall  of  the  chancel, 
will  be  found  a  small  cruet,  of  English  glaze  ware, 
3f  ins.  in  height,  which  was  found  embedded  in  the 
south  wall  of  the  old  chancel  (near  where  the  taber- 
nacle is  hung),  on  the  occasion  of  its  rebuilding  in 
1877-8.  Its  use  is  unknown,  and  the  authorities  of  the 
British  Museum  know  of  only  one  other  in  England,  of 
which  a  photograph  and  description  will  be  found 
hanging  on  the  south  wall  of  the  chancel,  close  to  the 
cruet.  On  the  north  wall  of  the  chancel  will  be  found 
a  facsimile  representation  in  colour  of  a  mural  painting 
of  Queen  Margaret  of  Scotland,  which  still  exists  on 
the  north  wall  of  Binstead  Church,  by  Arundel,  co. 
Sussex,  and  the  story  of  the  painting  is  told  in  the 
printed  description  hanging  by  the  side.  This  painting, 
and  the  Margaret  Memorial  Window  lately  erected  in 
the  east  wall,  are  connected  with  the  singular  dedica- 
tion of  this  and  the  two  neighbouring  churches  of 
Llandawke  and  Pendine,  in  honour  of  St.  Margaret 
Marios  :  a  unique  dedication,  said  to  have  been  given  to 


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8AN0TAIDD,  AND   LLANDAWKE.  267 

them  by  Sir  Guy  de  Bryan,  a  great  warrior,  statesman, 
and  church  builder  of  the  fourteenth  century.  He  was 
Lord  Marcher  of  Laugharne,  fifty -seventh  Knight  of 
the  Garter,  and  one  of  the  chief  benefactors  of  Tewkes- 
bury Abbey,  where  he  lies,  in  a  fine  canopied  tomb  in 
a  chapel  built  by  him  and  dedicated  to  St.  Margaret  of 
Scotland,  who  was  ancestress  and  patron  saint  of  his 
family.  Margaret  Marios  was  the  daughter  of  his 
sister  Margaret,  who  married  Sir  Robert  Marios,  a 
resident  landowner  in  this  parish.  The  Scottish  royal 
saint  was  grand-niece  of  the  Confessor,  who — and  whose 
family — held  St.  Margaret  of  Antioch  in  special  re- 
verence, and  in  whose  honour  the  Confessor  dedicated 
his  first  church  at  Westminster.  The  east  window 
commemorates  this  remarkable  Communion  of  Saints^ 
and  portrays  the  three  Margarets  of  Antioch,  Scotland, 
and  Marios.  The  time  allotted  for  this  Paper  does  not 
allow  further  reference  to  this  remarkable  and,  indeed, 
unique  dedication,  but  further  particulars  will  be  found 
in  a  pamphlet  which  I  wrote  some  few  years  ago,  and 
which  can  be  obtained  from  the  Rector  at  a  cost  of 
sixpence,  which  goes  to  the  Margaret  Memorial  Fund. 
The  window  is  the  work  of  Mr.  F.  C.  Eden,  and  has 
been  erected  chiefly  at  the  expense  of  those  bearing  the 
name  of  Margaret  throughout  the  Empire. 

A  facsimile  of  Queen  Margaret  of  Scotland's  famous 
Gospel- book  is  preserved  in  the  church  chest. 

Parc-y-Ceryg  Sanctaidd. 

The  field  in  which  we  are  standing  is  one  of  two 
bearing  the  name  of  Parc-y-Ceryg  Sanctaidd,  or  *'  The 
Field  of  the  Holy  Stones."  The  other  and  smaller  field 
of  the  same  name,  with  the  addition  of  "  Bach"  (little), 
lies  to  the  west  of  the  larger  field,  and  is  separated 
from  it  by  two  hedges  and  a  trackway.  It,  too,  con- 
tains a  longitudinal  mound  which,  so  far  as  I  know, 
has  never  been  examined.     This  field  is  partly  in  the 


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268        NOTES  ON  BGLWYS  OYMMYN,  PARO-Y-CBEYG 

parish  of  Llansadurnen  and  partly  in  that  of  Llan- 
dawke,  the  parish  boundary  running  parallel  to  the 
road  and  cutting  the  field  in  half  lengthways ;  the 
stones  which  we  are  looking  at  stand  immediately  on 
the  boundary  line. 

The  road  from  the  church  and  village  of  Llansadurnen 
on  the  south-east,  which  now  is  brought  into  the 
present  high  road  by  a  sharp  turning  to  the  north- 
west, and  forms  the  eastern  boundary  of  this  field, 
used  formerly  to  cross  the  field  on  a  line  with  the  parish 
boundary.  Immediately  to  the  north  of  the  smaller 
field,  and  separated  from  it  by  the  road,  is  a  ruined 
cottage,  with  the  strange  name  **  Tavern  diflas,"  and 
the  field  immediately  in  the  north  of  the  ruins  is  called 
"  Pare  difleis."  This  field  contains  a  tumulus,  on  the 
hithermost  side  of  which,  and  close  to  it,  a  stone  axe  of 
dolerite  was,  two  years  ago,  found  in  ploughing,  and 
is  now  in  the  possession  of  the  British  Museum. 

If,  as  I  venture  to  suggest,  "Tafarn  diflas"  is  the  Welsh 
form  of  the  English  "  Cold  Harbour"  (Tafarn,  Latin 
Tahema  ;  Diflas,  '*  insipid,  worthless"),  and  "  Tafarn" 
as  an  ancient  place-name,  indicates  the  line  of  a  Roman  ^ 
road,  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  an  ancient  trackway  ' 
leads  from  Tafarn  diflas  in  the  direction  of  Cwmbrwyn 
and  its  Roman  remains  which  we  visited  this  morning, 
and  to  this  day  affords  the  shortest  route  between  the 
two  places. 

I  read  a  Paper  on  these  stones  on  22nd  August. 
1903,  which  was  fully  reported  in  the  Welshman  of  the 
27th  August  of  that  year,  and  led  to  some  corre- 
spondence. To-day,  time  permits  of  only  a  condensed 
resumS  of  what  I  then  said. 

I  must  premise  by  saying  that  the  wall  which  you 
see  built  round  the  remains  is  of  recent  date,  and  was 
built  to  protect  our  treasures  from  cattle  and  other 
obtrusive  creatures. 

When  my  attention  was  first  called  to  these  remains, 
some  years  since,  all  that  I  could  see  was  a  low  mound  a 


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J^AKCf  Albt),  ANt)  LLANbAWKBl.  269 

few  inches  only  in  height,  of  darker  green  colour  than  the 
surrounding  humus,  and  marked  by  the  four  amorph- 
ous stones  standing  in  the  position  in  which  you  see 
them  to-day.  The  circular  stone,  with  the  cup  or 
hollow  in  the  centre,  then  lay  at  the  north-west  comer 
of  and  beyond  the  mound,  and  at  its  north-east  corner 
lay  the  panelled  stone  with  the  incised  circle  and  cross, 
which  you  see  now  placed  on  end  slantwise,  and  in 
front  of  the  larger  upright  stone  which  is  placed  erect 
behind  it.  Nothing  else  was  to  be  seen  until,  in  the 
summer  of  1890,  Mr.  Edward  Laws  and  I  set  to  work 
to  investigate  the  site.  We  commenced  operations  by 
digging  carefully  round  the  edge  of  the  mound  marked 
by  the  four  stones,  and  found  that  they  marked  the 
corners  of  a  fragmentary  building  of  roughly-dressed 
stones,  put  together  without  mortar.  We  next  drove  a 
sectional  trench,  starting  four  feet  or  so  from  the  south 
side  of  the  enclosure,  and  digging  down  into  the  bed- 
rock some  3  ft.  deep.  We  carried  our  trench  across 
the  enclosure  from  south-west  to  north-east,  without 
finding  the  slightest  trace  of  any  burial.  We  found 
that  the  enclosed  space  consisted  chiefly  of  loose  stones 
thrown  or  fallen  together,  and  mixed  with  these  we 
found  a  few  smooth  water-wora  pebbles,  in  size  and 
shape  like  potatoes,  small  and  big.  These  were  all  we 
found,  with  the  exception  of  a  small  piece  of  white 
quartz  or  crystal,  of  the  kind  usually  known  as  St. 
David's  diamonds,  and  of  about  the  size  of  a  walnut ; 
also  a  small  fragment  of  burnt  red  clay,  of  the  size  of 
a  marble.  Under  the  circular  stone  and  covered  by 
from  8  ins.  to  12  ins.  of  soil,  we  found  what  turned  out 
to  be  the  lower  portion  of  the  cross-marked  stone 
already  referred  to.  This  larger  stone  was  lying  recum- 
bent on  its  back,  and  looked  at  first  sight  very  much 
like  the  lower  half  of  the  stone  already  discovered. 
This  surmise  has  proved  to  be  correct,  Not  only  do 
the  details  of  the  fracture  along  the  upper  edge  of  the 
larger  stone  correspond  (except  where  by  weather  or 


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270        NOTES  ON  teOLWtS  CVMMYN,  tAHO-Y-CERtG 

other  agent  fragments  have  been  removed)  with  those 
of  the  fracture  along  the  lower  edge  of  the  smaller 
stone,  but  on  the  upper  part  of  the  larger  stone  traces 
of  a  cross  and  circle  similar  to  that  in  the  smaller  stone 
can  be  detected  (more  easily  by  the  eye  of  a  camera  than 
by  the  human  eye),  a  portion  of  the  upper  segment  of 
which  is  wanting,  and  is  found  on  the  upper  stone. 
The  bigger  st.one,  you  will  observe,  is  also  panelled, 
but,  owing  to  its  being  very  much  more  weathered  and 
damaged,  the  details  are  difficult  to  decipher.  It  was 
thought  better  not  to  attempt  to  re-join  the  stones,  but 
to  place  them  in  their  present  position,  so  as  to  enable 
the  spectator  to  form  a  fairly  accurate  notion  of  their 
original  appearance  when  forming  one  stone.  The  four 
amorphous  blocks  were  left  in  their  original  position. 
The  loose  stones  found  in  the  mound  were,  as  you  see^ 
placed  around  the  mound,  making  its  boundaries, 
and  in  the  limestone  slab  on  which  the  upper  part 
of  the  incised  stone  rests  a  hollow  was  made,  in 
which  the  small  stones  or  pebbles  above  referred  to 
were  placed. 

Now,  what  are  we  to  say  as  to  the  origin  of  these 
stones  ?  Local  tradition  tells  us  that  in  old  days  coffins 
on  their  way  to  burial  were  wont  to  be  rested  on  the 
cross-inscribed  stone,  and  sprinkled  with  holy  water 
from  the  cup  in  the  round  stone  ;  this  is  referred 
to  in  Miss  Curtis's  book,  Antiquities  of  Laugharne, 
Pendine,  and  their  Neighbourhood  ;  and  the  custom  of 
resting  coffins  on  convenient  stones,  or  by  roadside 
crosses,  was  not  infrequent  or  unreasonable,  especially 
in  days  when  the  journey  was  long  and  the  road 
difficult. 

Probably,  however,  these  stones  belong  to  an  age 
long  prior  to  the  use  of  coffins,  although  they  may  well 
have  been  subsequently  used  for  such  a  purpose. 

The  result  of  my  investigation  tends  to  confirm  a 
suggestion  made  to  me  by  Mr.  Romilly  Allen,  that  we 
may  possibly  have  here   the   remains   of   a   building 


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SANCTAIDD,  and  LLANDAWfefi.  271 

similar  to  the  so-called  altar  stations  (**  Altoir")  which 
stand  to  this  day  in  the  Cashel  on  the  Island  of  Innish- 
murray,  off  the  coast  of  Sligo.  (In  illustration  of  this 
possible  connection,  I  may  mention  that  Zimmer,  in  his 
Celtic  Church  in  England,  p.  35,  gives  '*Altoir"  as  one 
of  the  Irish  words  derived  from  the  Latin  through  a 
British  medium,  and  so  indicating  that  Christianity 
came  to  Ireland  from  Britain.) 

The  Innishmurray  remains  are  fully  described  and 
illustrated  in  Mr.  W.  F.  Wakeman's  Book  of  Survey 
of  the  Antiquarian  Remains  in  the  Island  of  Innish- 
murray.   I  vol.    London,  1893. 

These  Altoirs  consist  of  quadrangular  heaps  of  stones, 
5  ft.  to  7  ft.  long  by  about  5  ft.  wide  and  3  ft.  in  height, 
and  built  without  mortar,  with  a  large  stone,  or 
**  Dalian"  (in  some  cases  there  are  two  such  stones), 
standing  upright  in  the  middle  or  at  one  end  of  the 
altar,  the  Dalian  being  generally  inscribed  with  a  circle 
and  cross.  On  the  top  of  these  structures  are  found 
smooth  water- worn  stones  or  pebbles,  of  various  sizes 
and  descriptions,  in  some  cases  incised,  and  which  are 
locally  known  as  *^  cursing-stones."  It  is,  or  was  in 
quite  recent  years,  the  practice  of  the  inhabitants,  when 
in  a  prayerful  mood,  to  go  round  these  altars  from  left 
to  right  with  the  sun,  thus  forming  the  Irish  '*desiul," 
or  holy  round  ;  or,  if  revenge  was  in  their  mind,  they 
would  reverse  the  operation  by  going  against  the  sun 
"  widdershins,"  turning  the  stones  as  they  went,  and 
uttering  a  curse  against  the  particular  object  of  their 
hatred.  On  one  of  these  altars  called  '*  Altoir  beg  " 
(the  little  altar),  illustrated  at  p.  71  of  Mr.  Wakemans 
book,  are  a  considerable  number  of  small  water- worn 
pebbles,  apparently  taken  from  the  sea-shore.  On  others 
the  stones  are  larger,  and  in  some  cases  incised. 

I  have  here  a  curious  stone  which  I  found  two  or 
three  years  ago  on  the  farm  of  Beefs  Park,  in  the 
adjacent  parisn  of  Marros,  and  which  is  seemingly 
of  the  same  character  as  some  of  the  larger  cursing- 


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272         NOTEIS  01^  BQLWVS  CYMMYN,  tAfeC-Y-CERYG 

stones  found  at  Tnnishmurray.  If  this  stone  is  of  that 
class,  it  implies  the  existence  in  former  days  of  an  altar 
station  in  that  neighbourhood  ;  but  possibly  (although 
this  is  less  likely)  it  may  have  been  removed  from  here 
thither.^  I  had  every  intention  of  visiting  Innish- 
murray  this  summer,  as  in  such  cases  seeing  is  believing, 
and  it  is  diflScult  to  compare  two  objects  without  seeing 
both.  Unfortunately,  I  have  had  no  time  to  make  this 
rather  difficult  journey,  but  I  have  been  fortunate  in 
making  the  acquaintance  of  Mr.  Cuthbert  Harrison,  of 
Sligo,  who  has  visited  Innishmurray  and  phographed 
(he  is  a  professional  photographer)  the  remains  ;  and  he 
has  not  only  sent  me  some  specimens  of  his  work,  but 
has  kindly  undertaken  to  make  another  visit  to  the 
island,  in  order  to  take  photographs  of  further  details ; 
and  hopes  to  be  able  some  time  next  month  to  come 
over  and  visit  Pare  y  Ceryg  Sanctaidd,  so  that  we  may 
compare  notes.  There  do  not  appear  to  be  at  Innish- 
murray any  stones  resembling  our  circular  cup-stone  (if 
**  cup-stone"  is  the  correct  term  for  it).  Cup-stones,  as 
we  know,  are  exceedingly  rare  in  Wales,  although 
we  have  on  Pendine  Head,  two  miles  to  the  south- 
west, a  flat  recumbent  stone  with  two  cups.  Pendine 
Head,  let  me  say  in  passing,  well  deserves  a  visit, 
which  I  regret  extremely  that  time  now  forbids. 
We  must  hope  that  members  will  be  so  satisfied 
with  what  they  have  seen  in  Swydd  Talacharn  that 
they  will  individually,  if  not  collectively,  pay  another 
visit.  I  can  promise  that  their  curiosity  will  be  re- 
warded. 

The  cup,  or  hollow,  in  this  circular  stone  measures 
about  8  ins.  in  diameter  and  6^  ins.  in  depth.  Possibly 
the  stone  may  be  wholly  unconnected  with  the  other 
relics,  and  have  formed  the  base  of  a  roadside  cross 
standing  on  this  **  Holy  Ground." 

The  four  amorphous  blocks  resemble  similar  stones 

^  This  stone  is  now  in  the  Welsh  Masoum  at  Cardiff. 


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SANCTAIDD,  AND  LLANDAWKE.  273 

placed  at  one  end  of  one  of  the  Innishmurray  Altars, 
and  on  which  devout  worshippers  were  wont  to  kneel. 

If  these  remains  prove  to  be  akin  (analagous,  if  not 
actually  homologous)  to  those  at  Innishmurray,  it  fol- 
lows that  the  builders  of  both  must  have  been  con- 
nected in  circumstances  or  idea,  or  have  had  knowledge 
of  each  others'  method  of  work ;  and  here  we  may 
possibly  have  a  clue  through  the  medium  of  the  multi- 
tudinous Brychan  family.  At  Eglwys  Cymmyn,  as  we 
have  seen,  we  were  brought  vis-a-vis  a  distinguished 
member  of  this  saintly  family;  St.  Cynin.  In  the  next 
parish,  between  us  and  the  sea,  we  have  a  farm  called 
Pare  Cynog,  containing  Ffynon  Cynog,  orCynog's  Well, 
and  as  a  place-name  Merthyr  Cynog,  a  name  which 
appears  in  Glamorganshire,  and  indicates  presumably 
the  possession  of  the  relics  of  the  Saint.  The  name 
"  Cynog "  appears  amongst  the  numerous  progeny  of 
Brychan.  It  has  been  suggested  that  **  Toch,''  in 
"  Castle  Toch,"  the  name  of  an  adjoining  farm  which 
we  passed  on  our  way  hither  from  Eglwys  Cymmyn,  is 
a  corruption  of  Doch  or  Doc,  a  shortened  form  of  Cadoc, 
another  eminent  Brychanite.  The  same  origin  has 
been  suggested  for  **dawke"  in  Llandawke,  the  name 
of  the  church  which  we  shall  next  visit ;  and  we  have 
other  Brychanite  names  in  the  neighbourhood,  such  as 
Brynach,  Elidyr,  Clydwyn,  and  Pab.  Several  field-  and 
place-names  in  this  locality  also  denote  an  Irish  (to  use 
a  popular  phrase)  origin,  and  amongst  the  many  nebu- 
lous circumstances  which  surround  the  Brychan  story, 
his  connection  with  Ireland  is  sufficiently  clear.  Next, 
the  connection  of  St.  Columba  with  St.  Molaise  of 
Innishmurray  is,  I  believe,  generally  accepted ;  and  we 
find  on  Innishmurray  traces  of  Columba  and  his  so- 
called  twelve  apostles,  such,  for  instance,  as  Reilig  (the 
"resting-place"  of)  Columcil,  Reilig  Odrain,  etc.  Among 
the  twelve  apostles  whom  Columba  took  with  him  to 
Scotland  were  Rhun,  whom  Skene  in  his  Four  Ancient 
Books  of  Wales,  vol.  i,  p.  52,  identifies  as  one  of  the 

0TH  8ER.,  VOL,  Vn.  18 


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274         NOTES  ON  EOLWYS  CYMMYN,  PARC-Y-CERYG 

sons  of  Brychan  ;  and  Aedan,  whom  Professor  Rhys,  in 
his  Celtic  Bintain,  refers  to  as  the  son  of  a  daughter  of 
Brychan  ;  and  we  know  that  Rhun,  or  a  man  of  that 
name)  is  said  to  have  been  buried  at  Llandevaelog, 
which  may  possibly  be  (there  are  two  parishes  of  this 
name)  the  Llandefeilog  in  this  county,  which  we  hope 
to  visit  to-morrow. 

Now,  this  suggested  origin  of  these  remains  seems  to 
be  worthy  of  careful  considemtion  by  those  of  our 
members  whom  I  have  the  pleasure  of  addressing  to- 
day. This  theory,  if  found  to  be  justified  by  the  facts, 
would  seem  to  account  for  the  origin  of  some,  at  all 
events,  of  the  many  solitary  pillar  stones,  or  Menhir, 
found  throughout  the  Principality.  The  loose  walling 
forming  the  altar  would  naturally  disappear  in  the 
course  of  ages,  leaving  the  monolith  standing  alone  to 
tell  its  tale.  The  inaccessibility  of  Innishmurray  has, 
fortunately,  preserved  its  precious  relics  for  us ;  and  if 
these  relics  now  before  us  are  in  the  result  found  to  be 
akin  to  those  on  Innishmurray,  may  we  not  confidently 
look  forward  to  other  traces  of  similar  remains,  espe- 
cially in  those  districts  of  Wales  where  the  Brychanite 
influence  prevailed,  as  is  the  case  in  that  portion  of 
Carmarthenshire  in  which  we  now  find  ourselves. 

Since  this  Paper  was  written,  I  have  received  the 
following  letter  from  Mr.  John  Ward,  the  Curator  of 
the  Welsh  Museum  at  Cardiff : — 

**  1.  Parc-y-Ceryg  Sanctaidd. — The  hypothesis  you  refer  to  was 
suggested  by  Miss  Curtis's  view  of  the  Grist  Cross  at  Laug- 
harne.  She  shows  the  lower  fragment  of  a  raediteval  shaft 
inserted  into  a  circular  base-stone,  much  like  your  "  cup-stone*'  at 
the  above.  Circular  bases  are  unusual,  but  I  feel  sure  I  have 
seen  several  examples. 

"  By  the  half-buried  road  on  Merthyr  Mawr  Warren  are  the 
remains  of  a  wayside  cross.  If  my  memory  serves  me  aright, 
the  base-stone  is  circular,  with  a  circular  socket,  only,  unlike  the 
Grist  base,  it  is  decorated  with  a  thirteenth-century  moulding. 
The  usual  form  is  square  or  octagonal. 

"It  cannot  be  doubted  that  the   parish   boundary   through 


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SANCTALDD,  AND  LLANDAWKB.  275 

Parc-y-Ceryg  Sanctaidd  perpetuates  a  former  road  :  in  fact,  we 
found  some  indistinct  traces  of  such  a  road.  A  cross  by  its  side 
would  almost  certainly  rest  upon  a  mount  of  steps,  and  the  square 
structure  with  the  four  great  corner-stones  suggests  the  plat- 
form, or  lower  step-course.  To  put  it  another  way — it  equally 
tits  the  theory  of  a  mediaeval  wayside  cross  with  the  theory  of 
an '  altoir/ 

"  We  know  that  in  pre-Reformation  times  funerals  halted  at 
wayside  crosses  for  a  paternoster,  etc  ;  and  we  can  well  imagine 
that  after  the  cross  was  thrown  down,  or  fell  from  neglect,  and 
even  after  the  road  ceased  to  be  used  for  ordinary  traffic,  forcef 
of  long  habit  would  keep  alive  the  custom  of  funerals  passing  by 
the  site,  and  making  the  halt  for  the  Lord's  Prayer.  The  cross 
faded  from  memory,  and  the  stones,  from  the  circumstances  just 
given,  came  to  be  known  as  '  resting-stones.* 

"The  relation  of  this  supposed  mediaeval  cross  to  the  pre- 
Norman  crossed  slab  on  the  site  is  a  little  difficult.  So  far  as  I 
am  aware,  the  pre-Norman  crosses  were  sepulchral ;  but  they 
were  by  no  means  always  associated  with  churches ;  yet  there  is 
no  evidence  (that  I  am  aware  of)  that  any  of  them  were  origin- 
ally regarded  as  simply  wayside  crosses,  although  it  is  con- 
ceivable that  they  were  often  raised  near  lines  of  traffic.  We 
may  imagine  that  our  stone  commemorated  some  early  '  saint,* 
and  that  in  later  times  it  was  replaced  by  another  of  a  form 
which  would  then  more  strongly  appeal  to  the  passer-by  as  a 
cross.  Or,  possibly,  the  old  stone,  from  some  cause  or  other, 
was  broken,  as  we  now  see  it,  and  this  led  to  the  erection  of  the 
second  structure. 

"  This  second  structure  would  probably  take  the  form  of  a 
crucifix,  or  it  may  have  had  a  coped  head,  containing  a  crucifix 
on  one  side,  and,  say,  St.  Mary  on  the  other. 

"  Of  course,  this  is  only  hypothesis,  but  the  more  hypotheses 
the  more  likely  is  one  to  prove  correct.'* 

Furthermore,  since  this  Paper  vras  written,  Mr. 
Cuthbert  Harrison  has  visited  the  Parc-y-Ceryg  Sanc- 
taidd with  me ;  and  so  far  as  he  could  judge  from  the 
little  that  remains  to  be  seen,  he  was  emphatic  in  his 
opinion  that,  had  he  come  upon  these  remains  in  his  own 
(adopted)  country,  he  would  have  considered  them  to 
be  of  the  same  class  as  the  '^  altoirs"  on  Innishmurray. 
The  central  large  stone,  or  Dalian,  however,  he  states, 

18 --^ 


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27G        NOTES  ON  EGLWYS  CYMMYN,  PARC-Y-CERYO 

is  very  much  larger  than  any  at  Innishmurray,  and 
there  is  nothing  there  in  the  least  resembling  the 
circular  stone  with  central  cup  which  we  have  here. 
He  kindly  gave  me  photographs  taken  by  him  at 
Innishmurray,  and  hopes  to  take  and  send  me  more 
this  next  summer :  which  with  his  permission  I  will 
send  to  the  Journal  for  publication,  together  with 
photographs  of  our  relics  here,  for  the  purpose  of  easy 
reference  and  comparison. 


Llandawke. 

A  visit  to  this  secluded  and  picturesque  little  church 
follows  in  appropriate  sequence  our  visit  to  the  far  older 
and  historically  more  interesting  church,  Eglwys  Cym- 
myn.  We  saw  in  the  Margaret  Memorial  Window 
there  a  representation  of  Sir  Guy  de  Bryan,  holding  a 
model  of  Llandawke  Church  in  his  hands  in  the  act  of 
dedication.  Among  the  list  of  rectors  there  we  noticed 
the  name  of  "  Philip  Marios"  as  Rector  in  1389  ;  and 
here  we  have  the  reputed  eflSgy  of  Margaret  Marios ; 
and  there  is  good  reason  for  believing  Philip  and 
Margaret  Marios  to  have  been  brother  and  sister, 
children  of  Sir  Robert  Marios  and  his  wife  Margery 
(or  Margaret),  the  sister  of  Sir  Guy  de  Bryan.  Each  of 
these  two  churches  is  said  to  have  been  dedicated  by 
Sir  Guy  in  honour  of  "  St.  Margaret  Marios ; "  and  the 
tradition  that  this  little  church  was  built  in  connection 
with  a  small  religious  establishment  founded  by  Sir 
Guy,  and  presided  over  by  his  niece,  seems  to  be  justi- 
fied by  appearance  and  circumstance.  There  is  no  trace 
of  any  village  near  the  church,  or  in  any  part  of  the 
parish.  The  Rectory  House,  which  is  modern,  stands, 
as  you  see,  close  to  the  churchyard,  and  may  mark 
the  site  of  an  ancient  conventual  building ;  while  the 
fine  timber  surrounding  the  churchyard,  the  pond, 
the  extensive  range  of  buildings  now  belonging  to  the 


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SAKCTAJDt),  AND  LLANbAWKfi*  277 

Erincipal  farmhouse  or  mansion  of  Llandawke,  the  farm 
eing  co-terminous  with  the  parish,  all  tend  to  suggest 
a  settlement,  or  Home  of  Ancient  Peace. 

The  living  is  in  the  gift  of  the  Nanteos  family,  as 
also  is  the  neighbouring  church  of  Pendine,  which  is 
held  with  Llandawke. 

Miss  Curtis,  whom  I  have  already  quoted  in  my 
account  of  Parc-y-Ceryg  Sanctaidd,  writes  (in  1880) 
that  a  manor  house  once  stood  close  to  Llandawke 
church,  and  that  two  members  of  the  de  Bryan  family 
were  buried  in  the  church.  She  refers  to  the  finding 
of  a  gold  urn  of  early  date,  and  to  various  local  legends 
incident  to  the  church  and  its  surroundings.  She  also 
refers  to  the  eflSgy  as  representing  the  foundress  of  the 
church,  and  relates  a  tradition  that,  one  day,  when  she 
(the  foundress)  was  returning  from  her  house  at  Broad- 
way (a  mile  or  more  to  the  south  of  Llandawke)  from 
arranging  afiairs  regarding  the  church,  she  was  attacked 
by  robbers,  who  cut  her  into  three  pieces ;  and  that  to 
commemorate  her  martyrdom  her  eflSgy  was  divided 
into  three  separate  pieces.  This  story  was  doubtless 
invented  to  account  for  the  fact  that  the  eflSgy  is 
divided  into  three  parts  by  two  sharp  divisions,  which 
it  is  diflficult  to  account  for.  They  are  too  sharp  and 
regular  to  have  been  caused  by  a  blow,  and  there  are 
no  traces  of  saw-work.  When  I  first  saw  the  eflSgy 
(which  I  have  the  authority  of  Abbot  Gasquet  for 
saying,  is  undoubtedly  that  of  a  religious  lady  of  rank 
of  the  late  fourteenth  or  early  fifteenth  century),  many 
years  ago,  it  was  lying  covered  with  moss  and  tangle  in 
the  south-west  corner  of  the  churchyard,  and  in  1903 
was  placed  in  its  present  position  at  the  expense  of  the 
late  Mr.  Thomas  Harries,  who  owned  the  whole  parish 
(consisting  of  one  farm  and  under  thirty  inhabitants), 
and  who  also,  with  characteristic  generosity,  paid  the 
expenses  of  the  work  done  for  the  preservation  of  the 
relics  in  Parc-y-Ceryg  Sanctaidd. 

Of  the  construction  and  architecture  of  the  little 


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278         NOTES  ON  EOLWYS  OYMMYN,  PARC-Y-CERYG 

church,  the  nave  of  which  measures  83  ft.  by  17  ft., 
there  is  not  much  to  be  noted.  The  simple  chancel- 
arch  and  the  opening  in  the  east  wall  of  the  nave, 
originally  giving  access  to  the  rood-loft,  are  very 
similar  (either  copied  the  one  from  the  other  or  the 
work  of  the  same  builder)  to  what  we  saw  at  Eglwys- 
cymmyn.  Generally  speaking,  the  building  may  well 
be  of  late  fourteenth-century  (Sir  Guy  de  Bryan  died 
in  1391)  work,  and  notwithstanding  restoration,  pre- 
serves much  of  its  simple  charm  and  seemliness.  The 
windows,  particularly  that  in  the  south  wall  of  the 
chancel,  are  worthy  of  notice.  The  font  seems  to  me 
to  be  of  older  date  than  the  church,  but  it  is  difficult, 
if  not  impossible  in  Wales,  to  compute  the  dates  of 
works  of  Art  by  English  standards.  A  notable  in- 
stance of  this  is  furnished  by  the  effigy  where  we  find 
details  of  the  lady's  attire  (for  instance,  the  tight 
sleeves  with  buttons  along  the  outside  seam),  identical 
with  those  in  the  dress  worn  by  her  namesake  Margaret 
de  Camoys,  as  shown  by  her  brass  in  Trotton  Church, 
CO.  Sussex,  and  who  died  in  1310,  or  nearly  one  hundred 
years  before  our  foundressi  A  beautiful  drawing  of  the 
effigy  has  been  most  kindly  made  for  me  by  Miss 
Edwards :  who,  I  should  like  to  be  allowed  to  hope, 
may  be  induced  some  day  to  include  Carmarthenshire 
in  the  good  work  she  is  doing  in  Pembrokeshire,  in 
making  drawings  of  the  ancient  monuments  throughout 
the  county.  And  now,  before  coming  to  (in  the  eyes 
of  archseologists)  the  most  valuable  possession  of  the 
church,  I  should  like  to  invite  suggestions  as  to  the  origin 
of  the  name  Jj\a,ndaivke.  It  is  variously  spelt  "  Dawg" 
or  "  Dawke."  In  does  not  appear  in  the  Taxatio. 
In  the  Valor  it  is  Llandawke ;  in  the  Liber,  Llandawk 
(without  the  final  e).  Speed's  Map  of  Carmarthenshire, 
1662,  gives  it  as  LlanaacA.  Leland  gives  Llanrfou^ 
and  lAsindotighe  as  a  place-name  in  Glamorganshire, 
possibly  identical  with  one  of  the  two  churches  of  that 
name  (also  called  Llandoch,  or  Llandocha),  both  dedi- 
cated to  St.  Dochdwy,  who  is  said  by  Rees  {Essay^ 


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SANCTAlDD,  AND  LLANDAWKfi.  279 

p.  219)  to  haye  been  a  Bishop  of  the  sixth  century,  to 
have  accompanied  Cadvan  to  Bardsey,  and  to  have 
had  the  care  of  the  diocese  of  Llandaff  during  Teilo  s 
absence. 

If  "  Dawke  or  "  Dawg"  can  be  made  out  of  *'  Doch," 
we  may  have  here  another  instance  of  the  connection  of 
Teilo  with  this  district.  The  Glamorganshire  Llan- 
dough  appears  variously  as  Llanc?ocA,  docha,  doghe 
(1314),  aochar,  doche,  dochey.  Other  suggestions  are, 
that  in  Dawk  we  have  a  shortened  form  of  Oudoceus, 
who  succeeded  (Rees,  p.  253)  his  maternal  uncle  Teilo 
(again)  as  Bishop  of  Llandaff;  or  of  Cadog,  or  Cadoc, 
whose  name  not  infrequently  appears  in  the  shortened 
form  Doc  (another  Brychanite,  by  the  way),  who  founded 
Llangadog,  in  this  county.  The  Toch,  in  Castell  Toch^ 
— the  name  of  a  neighbouring  farm  to  which  reference 
has  already  been  made  —  suggests  a  similar  origin. 
Another  suggestion  is  that  '*  Dawke"  is  a  corrupt  ren- 
dering of  "Dog"  (in  Dogmael),  "Dog"  standing  as 
the  name  of  the  saint,  with  "  mael "  as  an  added  adjec- 
tive. We  have  "Dog"  also  as  the  first  syllable  of 
"Dogfan,"  appearing  in  the  Cognacio  as  a  son  of  Bry- 
chan,  said  to  have  been  slain  at  Merthyr  Dogfan,  in 
Dyfed,  or  Pembrokeshire,  and  that  a  church  (of  which 
no  trace  is  left,  even  the  site  being  unknown)  was 
consecrated  in  his  memory.  And  now  we  come  to  the 
Ogam  stone,  any  description  of  which  I  am  glad  to  be 
able  to  leave  to  Professor  Rhys,  who  has  already  written 
more  than  once  about  it,  and  from  whom  we  may  hope 
to-day  to  hear  his  matured  opinion.  I  will  merely  say, 
that  when  I  first  saw  the  stone,  many  years  ago,  it 
formed  a  stepping-stone  into  the  church,  whence  it  was 
removed  to  the  vestry,  under  the  tower,  and  in  1903 
to  its  present  and,  I  hope,  final  resting-place.  A  mirror 
has  been  placed  against  the  wall  opposite  and  along 
the  back  of  the  stone,  so  that  both  sides  may  be  seen 
without  removing  the  stone. 

^  "  T"  and  "  D"  would,  in  certain  circumstances,  be  interchange- 
ablo  in  Welsh. 


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280  NOTES  ON  EGLWYS  CYMMYN,  ETC. 

The  stone  is  noticed  in — 

1.  Ogam^  Inscribed  Monuments  of  the  GaedhilL    R  B.  Brash, 

London,  1879,  p.  347,  with  illustrations. 

2.  Lapidarium  Wallics,    J.  O.  Westwood,  Oxford,  1876-9,  p.  92 

with  illustrations. 

3.  Arch,  Camb,,  1867,  p.  343 ;  1874,  p.  19;  1875,  p.  413.      This 

last  was  the  date  of  the  last  visit  of  the  Society. 

4.  Y  Cymmrodor,  vol.  xviii,  1904,  p.  21.    Professor  Rhys  on  the 

Welsh  Englyn,  where  the  Latin  inscription  is  given  as  an 
instance  of  the  uge  of  "  Hexameters"  in  the  Welsh  Englyn, 
as  also  is  that  on  the  Eglwys  Cymmyn  stone. 

5.  The  Gentlemaris  Magazine  for  January  7th,   1838,  vol.  ix, 

p.  44.  . 

6.  Lectures  on    Welsh  Philology.    John  Rhys.     London^  1877, 

p.  298. 

7.  Ogham  Inscriptions  in  Ireland,    Wales,  and  Scotland,      Sir 

Samuel  Ferguson.    Edinburgh,  1887,  p.  118. 


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281 


^^;. 


CARMARTHEN    IN    EARLY  NORMAN  TIMES. 

By  Professor  J.  E.  LLOYD. 

The  story  of  Carmarthen  is,  in  certain  of  its  aspects,  a 
familiar  one,  which  has  often  been  told  and  which 
scarcely  needs  re-telling  on  the  occasion  of  this — the 
second — visit  of  the  Association  to  the  historic  centre 
of  the  Dimetian  country.  Its  legendary  connection 
with  the  wizard  Merlin,  its  importance  as  a  military 
station  in  Roman  times,  and  the  part  it  played  as  a 
royal  borough,  protected  by  a  strong  castle,  during  the 
ages  of  conflict  between  Welsh  and  English,  have  often 
been  discussed.  There  is,  however,  one  period  of  its 
history,  and  that  not  the  least  interesting,  to  which 
little  attention  has  been  given  ;  and  it  is  in  the  hope 
that  I  may  enlist  your  interest  in  this  neglected  period 
that  I  venture  to  offer  the  following  observations. 

I  refer  to  the  interval  between  the  Roman  occupation 
and  the  emergence  of  the  town  (in  1137)  as  an  important 
stronghold  of  Norman  power,  carried  by  storm  in  that 
year  by  Owain  and  Cadwaladr,  the  sons  of  Owain 
Gwynedd.  There  is,  of  coui'se,  a  great  lack  of  historical 
material  for  those  years  ;  but  the  judicious  use  of  what 
we  have  will  enable  us,  I  think,  to  reach  some  conclu- 
sions which  will  fairly  fill  the  gap  between  the  Mari- 
dunum  of  the  Romans  and  the  Carmarthen  of  the  reign 
of  Stephen.  The  first  point  is  the  identification  of 
Carmarthen  with  the  Llandeulyddog  of  the  well-known 
list  of  the  Seven  Bishop-houses  of  Dyfed.  In  that  list, 
which  is  known  to  us  from  the  Dimetian  Code  of  the 
Laws  of  Hywel  Dda,^  Llandeulyddog  stands  sixth  ;  it 
was  supposed  by  Rees,  the  author  of  the  Welsh  Saints, 

^  Ed.  Aneurin  Owen,  vol.  i,  p.  668  (Llann  Denljdawc) ;  vol.  ii, 
pp,  790,  869. 


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282  CARMAtlTHEN   tN   EARLY   NOftMAN   TtMKS. 

to  be  "  in  the  southern  part  of  Pembrokeshire' V  and 
Aneurin  Owen,  in  his  edition  of  the  Laws,  could  only 
suggest  it  was  Llandudoch  or  St.  Dogmaels.  But  in 
the  Liber  Landavensis  there  is  a  reference  to  "  lann 
toulidauc  ig  cair  mirdin,"^  and  the  allusion,  slight  as  it 
was,  did  not  escape  the  keen  eye  of  Dr.  Gwenogvryn 
Evans,  who,  in  his  Index,*  locates  this  church  definitely 
at  Carmarthen.  It  thus  becomes  plain  that  Carmarthen, 
when  the  walls  of  its  Roman  fort  had  been  dismantled 
and  its  first  military  period  came  to  an  end,  began  life 
again  as  an  important  ecclesiastical  centre.  For  the 
bishop-houses  of  this  list  were  not  ordinary  churches  or 
ordinary  episcopal  manors ;  what  is  recorded  of  them 
shows  that  they  were  churches  of  special  distinction  and 
ample  resources,  served  by  groups  of  clergy  who  in- 
herited monastic  traditions.  Whether  the  name  "es- 
gopty"  may  be  taken  as  proof  that  each  had  originally 
its  bishop,  is  perhaps  open  to  doubt ;  but  it  is  certain 
that,  when  the  list  was  drawn  up  in  its  present  form, 
Llandeulyddog  had  an  abbot,  a  man  of  wealth  and  high 
social  standing.  Now  an  abbot  implies  a  body  of 
dependent  ecclesiastics,  and  thus  we  may  proceed  to 
include  the  place  under  the  general  denomination  of 
**  Clas";  it  belonged  to  that  type,  of  which  there  are  so 
many  examples  in  the  early  Middle  Ages,  both  in  North 
and  South  Wales,  viz.,  the  primitive  monastery  still 
retaining  some  monastic  features,  such  as  the  title  of 
abbot,  but  converted  in  practice  into  a  group  of  secular 
clergy. 

Llandeulyddog  had  an  endowment  of  lands,  and  this 
partially  accounts  for  its  appearance  in  the  Liber  Landa- 
vensis. According  to  the  legend  of  St.  Teilo,  Teulyddog 
was  onQ  of  his  disciples,*  and  the  church  of  LlandafiP, 

1   Welsh  Saints,  p.  253, 

^  Ed.  Gwenogvrjn  Evans,  p.  62.  On  p.  124,  "  rairdin"  baa 
dropped  out.  3  p,  409. 

-*  Ibid.,  p.  115  (Toulidaac).  The  "dd"  is  not  only  to  be  naturally 
inferred  from  the  Old  Welsh  form,  bat  is  actually  found  in  the 
poems  of  Lewis  Glyn  Cothi. — See  the  Oxford  (1837)  edition,  p.  49  : 
**  Mac  Teilaw  iddaw ;  mae  Telyddog." 


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CAtlMARTHEK   IN  KARLY   KORMAN   TIMBS.  283 

under  the  energetic  leadership  of  Bishop  Urban,  was 
for  claiming  as  the  inalienable  property  of  that  see,  not 
only  all  the  Teilo  churches  in  South  Wales,  but  also 
those  which  bore  the  names  of  his  disciples.  The  fight, 
in  this  case  against  St.  David's,  was  waged  for  many 
years,  but  without  success ;  with  the  death  of  Urban 
in  1133  (or  1134),  all  the  spirit  died  out  of  it,  and  St. 
David's  was  suflFered  to  enjoy  without  question  its 
authority  over  the  Teilo  churches  west  of  the  Tawe, 
and,  among  them,  over  Llandeulyddog. 

Until  the  death  of  Rhys  ap  Tewdwr  in  1093,  this 
district  was  not  aff*ected  by  the  Norman  Conquest. 
But,  immediately  after  that  ciniel  blow  to  the  hopes  of 
the  men  of  South  Wales,  Norman  invaders  poured  into 
Ceredigion,  Dyfed,  and  Ystrad  Tywi.  While  the  west 
of  Dyfed  was  given  by  Rufus  to  Arnulf  Montgomery, 
the  first  builder  of  Pembroke  Castle,  its  eastern  half 
was  bestowed  upon  William  fitz-Baldwin,  who  was 
a  cousin  of  Gilbert  fitz-Richard  (the  first  Norman  Lord 
of  Ceredigion),  and  succeeded  his  father,  Baldwin  de 
Meules,  as  Sheriff  of  the  County  of  Devon.^  William, 
it  may  be  remarked,  was  not  the  only  Devonshire  man 
who  joined  in  the  attack  upon  South  Wales  during  this 
reign ;  Richard  of  Grain ville,  the  conqueror  of  the 
Neath  Valley,  was  of  Bideford  ;*  the  fitz-Martins,  who 
settled  in  Cemais,  came  thither  from  the  neighbourhood 
of  llfracombe,*  and  the  founder  of  Whitland  Abbey 
was  a  John  of  Torrington.*  The  natural  issue  of  the 
grant  to  William  was  the  building  of  a  castle  to  secure 
the  new  lordship,  and  this  was  placed,  not  at  Car- 
marthen, where  the  "clas"  were  left  for  the  time  in 

1  Brut  y  Tyurysogion,  od.  Ab  Ithel,  8.  a.  1094  (i-eally  1096) ; 
Roand,  Feudal  England,  p.  330. 

^  He  gave  a  reut  of  twenty  shillings  ia  Littlehara,  hard  by  Bide- 
ford, to  Neath  Abbey  when  he  founded  this  house  in  1130. — Afonast, 
Angl,  V,  259. 

3  Owen's  Pembroleshire,  ©d.  Dr.  Henry  Owen,  pp.  430*2. 

*  Mona^t.  Angl.  (new  edit),  v.  591 :  Royal  Charters  ofCarmnrHien, 
ed.  Alcwyn  C.  Evans  (1878),  p.  73. 


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284  CARMARTHEN   IN   feAllLY   NOtlMAN   ttMEfil. 

undisturbed  occupation  of  the  old  **  caer"  or  fort,  but  a 
mile  lower  down  the  river,  at  Rhvd  y  Gors.  For  a  few 
years,  therefore,  nothing  is  heard  of  Carmarthen,  and 
the  place  it  occupied  later  as  the  chief  stronghold  of  the 
district  is  temporarily  filled  by  Rhyd  y  Gors.  The 
history  of  this  castle  was  so  short  that,  so  far  as  I 
know,  no  remains  of  it  have  survived ;  not  even  its  site 
is  certainly  known.  In  the  general  upheaval  of  1094, 
when  the  Welsh  of  Deheubarth  rose  in  revolt  againpt 
their  new  masters,  it  was  one  of  two  castles  (Pembroke 
being  the  other)  which  survived  in  Dyfed  and  Ceredi- 

fion.  In  1096,  William  died  while  the  revolt  was  at  its 
eight;  this  so  discouraged  the  garrison  that  they 
abandoned  Rhyd  y  Gors,  probably  retiring  by  sea  to 
their  Devonshire  homes.  The  district  then  for  a  few 
years  relapsed  into  Welsh  hands.  Henry  I,  indeed, 
recognised  the  claim  of  Richard  fitz- Baldwin  to  succeed 
to  what  his  brother  had  held  in  Wales,  but  Richard 
made  no  attempt  to  enter  into  possession  until  1105, 
when  he  gave  orders  for  the  rebuilding  of  the  castle.^ 
Hostilities  now  followed  with  the  Welsh  lord  of  Kid- 
welly, a  commote  which  marches  with  Dyfed  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Towy  to  Abergwili.  Hywel  ap  Gronw 
attempted  to  destroy  the  rising  fortress  which  so 
seriously  menaced  the  peace  of  his  borders,  but  in 
vain ;  in  1106  he  was  himself  slain  by  the  treachery  of 
one  of  his  own  men,  acting  in  concert  with  the  garrison 
of  Rhyd  y  Gors.*  In  this  way  Norman  supremacy  in 
the  district  was  assured. 

This  is  the  last  mention  of  Rhyd  y  Gors  Castle,  which 
at  this  point  drops  silently  out  of  history,  together 
with  the  claims  of  Richard  fitz-Baldwin.  Though 
Richard  lived  until  1136,  and  continued  to  be  one  of 
the  great  men  of  his  county,  he  played  no  further  part 
in  the  affairs  of  South  Wales,  and  never  again  put 
forward  any  claim — so  far  as  is  known — to  exercise 
authority  in  the  valley  of  the  Towy.     When  light  is 

^  Bj-ut  y  Tywt/sogion^  s.  a.  1102. 
'  Ibid,,  8.  a.  1103. 


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CAKMAUTHEN   IN   EARLY   NORMAN  TIMES.  285 

next  thrown  on  the  affairs  of  the  district,  in  1109, 
Walter  of  Gloucester,  sheriff  of  that  county,  and  one  of 
Henry's  active  officials,  is  found  at  Carmarthen,^  and  it 
is  clear  that  the  first  steps  are  being  taken  for  the 
building  on  the  spot  of  a  royal  stronghold,  to  supersede 
Rhyd  y  Gors,  and  to  keep  Welsh  prince  and  Norman 
baron  alike  in  check  in  the  interests  of  the  Crown.  We 
next  come  to  the  year  of  the  rising  of  Giniffydd  ap 
Rhys,  who,  in  1116,  rallied  around  him  the  youth  of 
South  Wales  in  an  effort  to  regain  the  lost  crown  of 
Deheubarth.  Enthusiasm  was  on  the  side  of  Gruffydd, 
but  the  movement  did  not  commend  itself  to  the  more 
experienced  Welsh  leadera,  who  knew  the  strength  of 
Henry's  position,  and  many  of  them  took  the  king's 
side.  Among  these  was  Owain  ap  Caradog,  a  chieftain 
of  Cantref  Mawr,  who,  in  return  for  his  loyalty,  was 
entrusted  with  the  defence,  during  a  particular  fortnight, 
of  Carmarthen  Castle.  It  chanced,  unhappily  for  him, 
that  the  attack  of  Gruffydd  was  delivered  during 
Owain's  term  of  office  as  guardian  of  the  Castle. 
Advancing  incautiously  to  meet  the  foe,  he  found 
himself  without  support,  and  was  overwhelmed  and 
slain.*  The  enemy  forthwith  destroyed  the  "  rhag- 
gastell,"  or  outworks,  but  failed  to  capture  the  **twr," 
or  keep  :  a  distinction  which  shows  that  the  first  Castle 
of  Carmarthen  was  of  the  type  commonly  found  in  this 
age.  It  had  a  mote,  or  mound,  crowned  with  a  tower 
or  donjoUj  and  surrounded  by  a  ditch ;  while  an  outer 
court,  or  bailey,  adjoined  the  ditch,  having  its  own 
defences. 

Later  in  the  same  year,^  when  Owain  ap  Cadwgan, 
of  Powys,  had  taken  the  field  against  the  insurgents,  a 
party  of  them  is  found  fleeing  for  protection  to  Car- 
marthen, where  they  were  treated  with  some  indul- 
gence. Owain  himself  showed  them  no  mercy ;  but  as 
he  was  carrying  them  off  as  prisoners,  he  was  overtaken 

^  Bnit  y  Tywyiogion,  b.  a.  1106,  p.  88  (Gwallter  ncheluaer  Kaer 
lioyw). 
2  Ibid.,  pp.  124,  120.  3  Pp.  136,  138. 


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286  CARMARTHEN  JN   EARLY  NORMAN   TIMES. 

by  Gerald  of  Windsor — with  whom,  since  the  affair  of 
Cenarth  Bychan,  he  had  been  in  bitter  feud — and  a 
force  of  Flemings  from  Rhos,  and,  being  thus  taken  by 
surprise,  was  forthwith  slain.  The  chronicle  explains 
how  Gerald  and  his  Flemings  happened  to  be  at 
Carmarthen.  They  were  there  to  meet  the  King's  son 
— the  young  William  who  was  heir  to  the  Crown,  and 
who,  being  now  thirteen  years  of  age,  had  on  March  19th 
of  this  year  received  at  Salisbury  the  homage  of  the 
great  men  of  the  land.^  The  incident  is  one  more 
iUustration  of  the  fact  that  Carmarthen  had  now 
become  a  centre  of  royal  administration  for  South- 
West  Wales.  Homage  was  no  doubt  done  to  William 
here  by  the  Norman  and  the  Welsh  magnates  of  the 
district,  whose  jealous  watchfulness  of  each  other's 
doings  had  not  allowed  them  to  travel  to  Salisbury. 

The  new  castle  of  Carmarthen  had  not  been  placed 
within  the  limits  of  the  Roman  fortress,  but  on  a  height 
a  few  yards  to  the  west,  on  the  very  brink  of  the  river 
Towy.  The  little  settlement  of  foreign  tradei-s  and 
artisans  which,  under  the  name  of  a  **burgus/'  or 
borough,  was  generally  planted  at  the  foot  of  an 
important  castle,  also  lay  outside  the  old  fort  to  the 
north  of  the  castle.  Thus  arose  a  distinction  which 
persisted  until  1764  between  Old  and  New  Carmarthen, 
the  Vetus  and  the  Nova  Villa,  or  Civitas.*  New 
Carmarthen  was  a  royal  borough,  of  which  the  first 
known  charter  dates  from  the  reign  of  John,' but  which 
had  no  doubt  from  the  beginning  such  special  privileges 
as  would  attract  to  the  spot  the  settlers  so  necessary 
for  the  comfort  and  ease  of  the  garrison.  Old  Car- 
marthen remained  an  ecclesiastical  preserve,  still  under 
the  protection  of  the  venerable  and  mysterious  Teuly- 
ddog.*    In  the  corner  of  the  old  fort  nearest  to  the 

^  Florence  of  Worcester. 

2  Spnrreirs  Carmarthen,  1879,  p.  24. 

5  Royal  Charters,  p.  1. 

^  See,  for  instance,  No.  135  in  the  Cartulary  of  Carmarthen 
Priory,  in  which  **  Thomas,  prior  monasterii  Saucti  Johannis  Evan- 
geliste  de  KermerdTn,  dominns  Veteris  Yille  de  Kermerdyn," 
claims  a  number  of  franchises. 


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CARMARTHEN   IN   EARLY  NORMAN  TIMES.  287 

town  and  Castle  a  new  church  was  built  in  honour  of 
St.  Peter,  and  this  was  the  ordinary  resort,  no  doubt, 
of  the  burgesses  and  the  garrison,  though  Llandeulyddog 
continued  to  be  the  mother-church,  with  the  right  to 
receive  the  tithes  of  its  extensive  parish,  which  included 
Llan  Gain,  Llanllwch,  and  Eglwys  Newydd.  About 
1120,  however,  an  inoportant  change  took  place.  It 
was  the  policy  of  the  Norman  conquerors  to  establish 
in  their  lordships,  in  close  proximity  to  the  principal 
castle,  a  monastic  house,  generally  a  cell  of  some 
English  or  foreign  abbey,  which  would  secure  for  theui 
on  the  spot  the  advantages  of  spiritual  support  in  their 
long  and  weary  struggle  with  tne  Welsh.  It  was  also 
their  policy  to  break  up  where  they  could  the  organisa- 
tion of  the  "  clas,"  an  institution  which  made  no  appeal 
to  them,  since  its  monastic  features  had  become  attenu- 
ated almost  beyond  recognition,  and  it  corresponded 
to  no  ecclesiastical  type  of  high  repute  with  which  they 
were  familiar.  Thus  Henry  I  was  but  following  in  the 
footsteps  of  his  marcher  vassals,  when  he  gave  Llan- 
deulyddog to  the  great  abbey  of  Battle,  in  Sussex, 
which  his  father  had  founded  in  memory  of  the  victory 
of  Hastings.  The  chronicle  of  the  abbey  says  that,  in 
the  time  of  Abbot  Ralph  (110M124)  the  King,  of  his 
great  love  for  the  Abbey,  bestowed  upon  it  "  a  certain 
church  in  Wales,  founded  in  honour  of  St.  Peter  the 
Apostle,  and  situated  in  the  city  called  Carmarthen 
(Chsermerdi),  with  all  its  appendant  rights,  to  be  freely 
and  quietly  possessed  for  ever.  He  also  gave  another 
church,  founded  there  in  remote  ages  in  honour  of  St. 
Theodore  the  Martyr  (a  bold  shot  at  the  unknown 
Teulyddog !),  and  land  therewith  not  far  distant  which 
is  called  Pentewi ;  because  he  thought  this  would  be 
advantageous,  it  being  very  fruitful  in  corn."^ 

The  next  figure  who  appears  in  the  history  of 
Carmarthen  is  Bishop  Bernard,  of  St.  David's.  Bernard 
was  the  first  Norman  bishop  of  that  See,  appointed  in 

1  Chronic(yn  Monasterii  de  Bdlo^  LondoD,  1846,  pp.  55,  56, 

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288  CAKMARTHEN   IN   BARLY    NORMAN   TIMES. 

1115  in  direct  furtherance  of  Henry's  policy  of  subju- 
gating the  Welsh  church  to  the  royal  power,  so  that  its 
influence  might  no  longer  be  used  on  behalf  of  the 
Welsh  in  the  struggle  between  the  two  races.  The 
Bishop  had  a  manor  at  Abergwili,  and  no  doubt  often 
visited  Carmarthen.  He  was  anxious  to  strengthen 
the  new  colony  established  there,  and  thought  that, 
instead  of  the  little  cell  of  Battle,*  a  more  imposing 
foundation  might  be  placed  there,  and  one,  too,  more 
dependent  upon  himself  He  was  in  favour  at  Court, 
having  been  one  of  Queen  Matilda's  chaplains,  and  he 
used  his  position  to  press  this  matter  persistently  upon 
the  king,  to  the  annoyance  of  the  monks  of  Battle. 
At  last,  on  the  occasion  of  the  election  of  a  new  abbot, 
in  1125,  he  carried  his  point.  The  King  transferred  to 
Bernard  the  Carmarthen  possessions  of  Battle,  and 
gave  that  Abbey  compensation  in  Hampshire.*  Bernard 
now  instituted  at  Llandeulyddog  a  house  of  Regular 
Canons  of  the  Augustinian  pattern,  under  the  govern- 
ment of  a  prior.  There  was  a  re-dedication  of  the  church 
to  St.  John  the  Evangelist,  and  the  official  style  of  the 
place  now  becomes  '*  the  church  of  St.  John  the 
Evangelist  and  St.  Theuloc  of  Carmarthen."  Teu- 
lyddog's  name  is  in  this  form  so  abbreviated  that  some 
have  supposed  that  the  real  patron  was  St.  Teilo,  but 
there  can  be  no  doubt  in  the  mind  of  anyone  who  has 
carefully  followed  the  sequence  of  events. 

The  Cartulary  of  the  Black  Canons  of  Carmarthen 
has,  fortunately,  been  preserved  in  a  seventeenth- 
century  transcript,  now  in  the  Peniarth  collection.  It 
was  printed   from    this  MS.  (Hengim^t  MS.   440^)  by 

^  That  a  cell  was  actually  established  is  shown  by  the  langnage 
of  the  ChroDicIe  :  '*  abi  jam  fratres  ad  Deo  serTiendam  adunati 
fuerant"(p.  61). 

2  Ibid.j  pp.  61,  62.  See  also  J.  H.  Round's  volame  of  ^iicten^ 
Charters,  edited  for  the  Pipe  Roll  Society  (vol.  x,  1888),  pp.  27,  28. 

3  Described  in  Arch,  Camb,,  4th  Ser.,  vol.  ii,  p.  105.  Not  being  a 
MS.  in  the  Welsh  language,  it  is  not  calendared  in  Dr.  G-wenogvryn 
Evans's  Report, 


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CABMARTflEN  IN   EARLY  NORMAN   TIMES.  289 

Sir  Thomas  Phillips,  of  Middle  Hill,  in  1865  ;  but  the 
edition  was  a  very  limited  one/  and  copies  are  now  not 
easily  obtained.  This  is,  perhaps,  the  reason  why  so 
little  use  has  been  made  of  the  material  here  available 
for  the  history  of  the  priory,  borough,  and  district. 
The  documents  belong  in  the  main  to  the  fourteenth 
century,  but  there  are  some  of  earlier  date,  and  a  few 
which  go  back  to  the  first  years  of  the  priory's  exist- 
ence. Henry  Us  charter  of  1176-1184,  confirming  to 
the  priory  the  gifts  of  earlier  benefactors,  is  known 
from  the  collection  of  Royal  Charters  relating  to  the 
town  and  county,  published  by  Mr.  Alcwyn  Evans  in 
1878.^  But  in  the  Cartulary  several  of  the  original 
grants  are  preserved,  and  with  their  aid  it  is  possible 
to  tell  the  story  of  the  first  endowment  of  the  house. 
The  nucleus  was  furnished  by  the  first  Henry's  grant 
of  the  **Vetus  Civitas"  of  Carmarthen;  with  the 
churches  of  St.  Peter  and  of  St.  Teulyddog,  the  Castle 
chapel,  and  all  other  chapels  attached  to  these  two ; 
and  in  addition  a  carucate  of  land  at  Pentewi,  i.e., 
Pentjrwyn,  in  the  parish  of  Llanstephan,  near  the 
outlet  of  the  Taf.  In  the  Cariulam^  is  a  letter  addressed 
\rj  Bishop  Bernard  to  Maurice  fitz-Gerald,  who  was 
Lord  of  Llanstephan,^  warning  him  that  '*  Pentewi " 
has  been  given  to  the  canons,  and  that  he  must  on  no 
account  interfere  with  it.  The  bishop  was  himself  a 
donor  to  the  priory.  He  gave,  no  doubt,  out  of  the 
lands  of  the  See,  two  carucates  in  Cymau,*^  a  couple  of 
miles  to  the  west  of  the  town,  and  thus  was  established 
the  connection  commemorated  to  this  day  in  the  name 
Maes  y  Prior.  One  of  the  knights  of  the  Carmarthen 
district,  named  Alfred  Drue,  whose  lands  lay  between 

^  The  list  of  names  of  subscribers  (iDolnding  Jesas  College, 
Oxford,  and  the  Royal  Institution.  Swansea)  suggests  that  only 
twenty-three  copies  appeared.  The  printer  was  John  Lowe,  of 
Cheltenham. 

*  It  is  contained  in  an  "  inspeximus'*  of  31  Henry  III  (pp.  4-6). 
8  No.  36. 

*  Qir.  Camb.,  Dt  Behus  a  Se  Gestis,  lib.  i,  cap.  9  (Works,  i,  59). 
«  No.  26. 

6th  8KB.,  VOL.  VII.  19 


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290  CA.RMARTHEN   IN   EA.RLY   NORMAN   TIMK8. 

the  Towy  and  the  Cy wyn,  gave  the  church  of  Llangain, 
with  one  carucate  of  land.  This  became  the  property 
known  as  Maenor  Grain.^  Lastly,  a  person  whose 
identity  is  somewhat  disguised  in  the  charters,  but  who 
may  safely  be  identified  with  Bledri  ap  Cydifor,  ances- 
tor of  the  Lords  of  Cilsant,  gives,  between  1129  and 
1134,  four  carucates  in  Eglwys  Newydd,  or  Newchurch.^ 
Bledri  appears  in  the  charters  of  the  Priory  as 
''Bledericus  Latimerus,"  i.e.,  interpreter,  the  Welsh 
*'  lladmerydd."  It  is  thus  suggested  that  he  acted  as 
an  intermediary  between  the  authorities  at  Carmarthen 
and  his  fellow  countrymen,  and  the  idea  derives  con- 
firmation from  other  sources.  Bledri  was  one  of  the 
Welshmen  who  adhered  to  the  King  in  the  commotion 
of  1116  ;^  he  was  entrusted  with  the  defence  of  a  castle 
belonging  to  one  "  Robert  Lawgam,"*  or  "  Courtemain," 
as  he  is  called  by  the  compiler  of  Brut  y  Saeson,  who 
may  be  the  same  as  the  '*  Robertus  cum  tortis  manibus," 
mentioned  in  the  Liber  Landavensis,^  but  is  otherwise 
unknown.  Th6  site  of  the  castle  is  also  not  easy  to 
identify,  but  it  may  have  stood  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Cywyn.®  Bledri  further  appears  as  a  partially  Norman- 
ised  Welshman  in  another  historical  source  for  this 
period,  to  which  I  wish  to  draw  special  attention,  as  it 
is  very  rarely  used  for  Welsh  history — I  mean  the  Pipe 

1  No.  34. 

^  See  the  oonfirmatioQ  by  Henry  I  (No.  33).  The  grant  was 
renewed  by  BleHri's  Ron  Gruffydd  iu  the  time  of  Bishop  Dayid 
fitz-Gemld  (No.  32).  i.e.,  between  1148  and  1176. 

^  Brut  y  Tywy$ogion,  ed.  Ab  Ithel,  p.  126. 

^  The  'Maw^n*'  of  the  Red  Hook  of  Hergeat  (ed.  lilies  and  Evans, 
vol.  ii,  p.  297;  is  a  mistake  for  "  lawgam  "  See  the  text  of  the 
(older)  Mostyn  MS,  116,  as  given  by  Dr.  Gwenogvryn  E/ans,  in  his 
Report  (vol.  i,  p.  59). 

^  Ed.  Evans,  p.  93. 

•  Abercywyn  appears  in  Lib,  Land,,  p.  124,  as  *'Aper  couin." 
If  the  second  part  of  the  name  were  written  **oouaT,"  it  might  easily 
yield  the  **  cofwy*'  of  Mostyn  MS.  116  and  the  Red  Booh  Brut  y 
Saeson  has  "comnyn"  (Myvyrtan  Arduiioloyy,  second  ed.,  p.  673, 
col.  2). 


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CARMARTHEN   IN    EARLY   NORMAN  T[MES.  291 

Roll  of  the  thirty-first  year  of  Henry  I.^  In  this  record, 
which  shows  what  payments  were  due  from  and  made 
by  sheriffs  and  similar  officers  to  the  Royal  Exchequer 
in  Michaelmas,  1130,  a  glimpse — ^alas,  too  brief! — is 
afforded  to  us  of  the  state  of  affairs  in  South- West 
Wales  towards  the  close  of  Henry's  reign.  I  will  only 
cite  a  few  entries  of  special  interest  from  the  Car- 
marthen section  of  the  Roll :  "  Bledri  the  Welshman 
owes  twenty  shillings  in  atonement  for  the  murder  of  a 
Fleming  by  his  men."*  A  little  lower  down,  he  appears 
among  a  number  of  knights  who  owe  various  sums  for 
the  last  aid  due  to  the  King.^  Alfred  Drue,  the  bene- 
factor of  the  Priory,  has  his  place  in  the  list,  though  it 
is  said  the  debt  was  incurred  in  the  time  of  his  father, 
Anschetil.  He  has  only  just  succeeded  to  his  father's 
fief,  and  still  owes  sixty  shillings  in  respect  thereof.* 
"  Bleddyn  of  Mabudrud  (the  region  around  Pencader) 
and  his  brothers  owe  seven  marks  of  silver  for  carrying 
off  the  daughter  of  BUdri  by  force."*  And  lastly, 
"the  men  of  Cantref  Mawr  owe  40  shillings  for  the 
slaughter  of  a  man  of  the  Bishop  of  Salisbury."®  The 
powerful  Roger  of  Salisbury  is  shown  by  a  charter  of 
Kidwelly  Priory  to  have  held   the  commote  of  that 

'  Edited  for  the  Reoord  Commissioa  bj  Josepb  Hanfcer  in  1833. 

^  **  Blehericas  Waleasis  debet  xx  solidos  proconoordia  Flandreasis 
qaem  homines  sui  interfeoerant"  (p.  89). 

^  "  Bleliericus  Walensis  debet  i  roarcam  argenti  de  eodem  aaxilio" 
(ihid.), 

^  '*  Alnredas  filios  Anschetil  drine  i  maroam  argenti  de  eodem 
auxih'o  de  tempore  patris  sai"  (ibid.)  :  "  Alaredas  filias  Ansdietil 
Drine  debet  Ix  solidos  pro  terra  patris  sui"  (p.  90). 

*  **  Blehien  de  Mabaderi  et  fratres  sui  debent  vii  marcas  argenti 
pro  filia  Bleheri  quam  vi  rapuerunt"  (p.  90).  For  the  situation  of 
Mabndrnd,  which  was  one  of  the  seven  commotes  of  Cantref  Mawr, 
see  the  volume  of  Appendices  to  the  Report  of  the  Welsh  Land  Com- 
mission (fiondon,  1896),  p.  442,  and  cf.  Lewis  Dwnn,  Heraldic 
VisitatioTiSj  i,  148  (Glan  Blodenn),  where  the  text  has  ''  Mab 
Edvich." 

•  **  Homines  de  Oatmanr  [probably  for  Ca?  maur]  debent  xl 
solidos  pro  homine  episcopi  Saresburiensis  quern  occiderunt" 
(p.  90). 

192 


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292  CARMARTHEN   IN    EARLY   NORMAN  TIMES. 

name  in  the  middle  of  the  reign  of  Henry  ;^  and  as  Kid- 
welly and  Cantref  Mawr  were  contiguous  between 
Abergwili  and  Merlin  s  Hill,  it  is  not  surprising  that 
conflicts  should  have  arisen  such  as  gave  occasion  for 
the  imposition  of  this  fine. 

Thus,  when  the  "  Lion  of  Justice,"  who  had  kept 
South  Wales  so  well  under  his  control,  died  on  Decem- 
ber 1st,  1135,  Carmarthen  had  attained  the  position  it 
was  to  hold  for  so  many  centuries  as  the  chief  military 
and  administrative  centre  of  the  Crown  in  these  regions. 
Its  castle  was  built,  its  borough  settled,  its  priory 
endowed,  and  its  oflScers  installed  for  the  transaction  of 
the  King's  business 

1  Monast.  Anglicy  vol  iv,  pp.  64-5.  The  grant  here  recorded  was 
made  before  the  death  of  Bishop  Wilfrid,  of  St.  David's,  in  1115, 
and  the  promotion  of  Prior  Turstin  to  the  dignity  of  Abbot  in  1122. 


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293 


THE    CAPEL     MAIR    STONE. 

By  Professor  JOHN  RHYS»  M.A.,  D.Litt. 

Lewis,  in  his  Topographical  Dictionary  (vol.  ii,  dated 
1844),  mentions  a  chapel  of  ease  dedicated  to  St.  Mary, 
and  thence  called  Capel  Mair,  in  the  Carmarthenshire 
parish  of  Llangeler  ;  but  he  says  that  even  then  the 
chapel  had  **  been  entirely  demolished."  He  adds  the 
words  : — **  A  monumental  stone,  bearing  an  inscription 
in  rude  characters,  and  said  to  be  in  the  Welsh  lan- 
guage, is  still  remaining. *'  From  this  it  does  not 
appear  that  Lewis  had  seen  the  stone. 

In  the  year  1855  Westwood  {LapidaHum  Wallice, 
p.  93)  was  informed  by  Longueville  Jones  that  the 
stone  "  was  broken  to  pieces  by  the  farmer  who  occupied 
the  land  some  years  previously,  because  people  tres- 
passed on  his  land  to  see  it." 

The  Rev.  E.  L.  Barnwell  wrote  in  the  Journal  of  the 
Cambrian  Archaeological  Association  for  1872,  p.  67, 
that  he  was  informed  by  Mr.  R.  Randall  Roberts,  that 
the  latter  "  was  unable  to  find  any  trace  of  letters  or 
oghams  on  the  stone,  which  is  near  Capel  Mair."  He 
adds  that  **  some  of  the  residents  say  that  it  had  some 
characters  on  it,  and  that  a  wax  (?)  impression  was  sent 
to  a  gentleman  in  London,  whose  name  could  not  be 
ascertained.  It  is,"  he  goes  on  to  say,  **  in  a  farmyard 
near  Capel  Mair,  where  it  was  originally  found.  The 
stone  is  about  b^  ft.  long,  and  2  ft.  broad."  He  then 
mentions  a  **  copy  kindly  sent"  to  him  by  Mr.  Spurrell  of 
Carmarthen  ;  and,  in  passing,  he  states  that  the  stone 
was  originally  found  in  1828. 

In  September,  1875,1  wrote  to  the  Journal  of  the 
Cambrian  Archaeological  Association,  p.  371,  that  I  called 
on  Mr.  George  Spurrell  at  Carmarthen,  and  that  he  gave 
me   the   reading  of  the   Latin    version   as  deca  bar- 


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294  tHft   OAPEL   MAlR   STONE. 

BALOM  I  FiLivs  BROCAQN-,  while  the  Ogam  was  Deccai- 
hanvdihdis.  I  recognise  the  latter  as  my  own  translitera- 
tion of  the  scoring  which  he  showed  me.  I  began  my 
note  by  stating  that  Mr.  Spurrell  informed  me,  "  that 
some  time  a,go  he  handed  to  one  of  our  leading  archaeo- 
logists a  detailed  account  of  the  inscribed  stone  at 
Capel  Mair.*'  This  was  probably  the  copy  which  Mr. 
Barnwell  mentioned  in  1872,  as  received  by  him  from 
Mr.  Spurrell,  a  reference  which  I  had  forgotten,  if  I  had 
ever  noticed  it. 

In  June,  1876,  an  important  note  was  sent  to  the 
Journal^  and  pubh'shed  in  the  July  number,  p.  236,  by 
the  Rev.  Aaron  Roberts,  then  Vicar  of  Newchurch,  to 
the  following  effect: — '* About  the  year  1828  there  was 
an  inscribed  stone  near  St  Mary  s  Chapel,  Llan  Geler. 
The  inscription  was  obliterated  some  years  ago  by 
a  meddlesome  bucolic.  Fortunately,  however,  the 
Rev.  David  Morgan,  Knightsford,  Newchurch,  at  that 
time  Viciir  of  Llan  Geler,  took  a  sketch  of  the  stone 
and  inscription  thereon.  One,  in  Roman  capitals,  was 
DECA  BARBALOM  FiLius  BROCAGN.  On  the  ridge  above, 
or  rather  sideways,  was  an  inscription  in  Ogham.  As 
this  latter  appears  in  the  copy  I  have  I  cannot  make 
anything  out  of  it.  The  sketch  by  Mr.  Morgan  was 
found  among  the  papers  of  the  late  Captain  David 
Davies,  Trawsmawr,  by  his  executor,  Mr.  George 
Spurrell,  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  my  ability  to 
place  it  on  record.''  Captain  Davies  was  probably  in- 
terested in  sculptured  and  inscribed  stones  :  at  any 
rate  several  were  brought  together  in  his  grounds — 
see  Westwood's  Lap.  WallicSy  pp.  88,  89. 

It  was,  I  think,  after  the  publication  of  this  letter  of 
Mr.  A.  Roberts,  that  I  made  his  acquaintance  at  Aber- 
gwili  under  circumstances  which  I  have  forgotten  :  I 
believe  it  was  also  from  him  that  I  got  another 
reading,  beginning  with  DECAPARBEILOM.  About  that 
time  I  visited  Capel  Mair,  and  failed  to  find  anybody 
who  could  tell  me  anything  about  the  inscription.  It 
is  true  that  a  stone  was  shown  me  which  was  alleged 


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THE   CAPEL   MAIR  STONE.  295 

to  have  on^been  inscribed  and  then  to  have  had  the 
writing  on^t  effaced,  but  I  could  discover  nothing 
calculated  to  corroborate  that  story. 

From  these  statements  it  seems  that  the  inscribed 
stone  was  known  at  Capel  Mair  about  the  year  1828, 
whether  that  was  the  date  of  its  discovery  or  not. 
It  was  broken  to  pieces  some  years  before  1855,  and 
the  reason  for  the  tenant's  action  is  said  to  have  been 
the  fact,  that  people  who  came  to  see  it  trespassed  on 
his  land.  It  cannot  have  been  the  stone  in  the  farm- 
yard shown  to  me  and  others. 

There  is  evidence  which  will  be  mentioned  presently 
that  the  obliteration  story  does  not  apply  to  the  stone 
with  the  inscription  deca,  etc.  Of  this  stone  a  copy 
came  into  the  possession  of  Mr.  George  Spurrell,  who 
gave  it,  or  a  copy  of  it — probably  the  former — to  Mr. 
Barnwell,  who  passed  it  on  to  Mr.  West  wood  for  his 
Lapida/iium  WallicB,  where  it  has  been  figured  in 
Plate  47.  But  Mr.  Spurrell  kept  the  original  copy,  or  a 
copy  of  it — probably  the  latter — as  he  was  able  to  give 
Mr.  A.  Roberts  a  copy — a  bad  one,  as  the  latter  gentle- 
man suggests.  I  suspect  Roberts's  reading  of  it  was 
partly  to  blame. 

At  all  events,  the  copy  which  Spurrell  allowed  me  to 
tnmscribe  cannot  have  been  a  bad  one,  though  I  forget 
what  it  looked  like.  Mr.  Spurrell  may  have  given 
away  more  copies,  but  they  must  have  been  copies 
direct  or  indirect  of  the  one  made  by  Morgan,  the 
Vicar  of  Llangeler.  In  fact,  there  seems  to  be  no  trace 
of  the  existence  of  any  copy  independent  of  the  one  by 
Morgan.  For  the  version  decaparbeilom  is  easily  ac- 
counted for  as  a  misreading  of  one  of  Spurrells  copies, 
by  neglecting  the  lower  portion  of  the  bipartite  B 
so  as  to  bungle  it  into  P ;  and  similarly  El  was  guessed 
out  of  a  carelessly  formed  A  with  its  top  possibly 
square.  So  we  are  confined  to  the  one  copy,  namely, 
that  made  by  Morgan,  or  at  any  rate  handed  down 
by  him. 
Now,  Morgan  8  copy  having,  as  already  suggested. 


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296  THE  OA^^lL  MAlB  StON£. 

passed  through  the  hands  of  Spurrell,  Barnwell,  and 
Westwood,  has  been  deposited  among  the  Carmarthen- 
shire **  Rubbings  for  West  wood's  LapidariumWaMicB''  in 
the  Bodleian  Library.  The  shelf-mark  of  the  volume  is 
"  MS.  Top.  Caermarthenshire,  a,  l,"and  our  document 
is  on  an  open  sheet  of  notepaper,  there  paged  (in  pencil) 
258.  Below  the  sketch  of  the  stone  come  jottings  in 
pencil  by  Westwood,  one  of  which  mentions  the  fact 
that  Lewis  alludes  to  the  stone,  and  how  it  was  broken 
to  pieces ;  also  stating  that  this  copy  reached  West- 
wood  from  Barnwell  in  July,  1871.  In  the  right-hand 
bottom  corner,  in  red  ink,  one  reads  as  follows  :  **  From 
George  Spurrell,  Carmarthen,  May  4th,  1871."  This 
was  probably  written  by  Spurrell  when  sending  the 
paper  away  to  Barnwell.  In  the  left-hand  bottom 
corner  one  reads  the  following,  Fig.  2  : 

"  Found  about 

1828,  when 

Rev.  David  Morgan 

(Of  Kuightsford)  was  Vicar." 

This  is  in  black  ink,  but  apparently  in  the  same  hand 
as  the  entry  in  red.  I  take  it  that  it  was  made  by 
Spurrell  when  the  copy  came  into  his  possession.  We 
have  an  older  hand  in  the  description  of  the  copy  itself: 
"  Representation  of  a  stone  found  near  Saint  Mary's 
Chapel  in  the  Parish  of  Llangeler,  Carmarthenshire." 
This  may  be  in  Morgan's  own  hand  ;  at  any  rate,  it 
probably  dates  before  1855  and  the  final  smashing  of 
the  stone.  To  render  all  this  clear  to  the  reader,  I 
have  had  the  sheet  of  notepaper  photographed,  in- 
cluding West  wood's  attempt  (in  pencil)  to  read  the 
Ogam  scores  in  the  wrong  direction.  The  sheet  has 
been  cut  in  two  for  reproduction,  as  Figs.  1  and  2. 

The  capitals  have  the  appearance  of  forming  a  very 
s^couvixte  facsimile  of  the  original.  Fig.  1.  The  extremely 
bipartite  look  of  the  B  must  have  been  suggested  by  the 
original,  and  the  form  of  the  R  is  also  well  known. 
The  straggling  shape  of  the  M  is  familiar  elsewhere,  and 
so  is  the  sloping  top  of  the    F  ;  but  the  bottom  portion 


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a 

eS 


H       ^ 

S  "s 

n     u 

s  s 

GO        >> 

^     II 

SO  O 

it 

B  |.§ 

02     la 


•H  O 


6 
S 

s 


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triB  OAtBL   MAttt  STONE.  29^ 

of  the  s  has  incorporated  with  it  some  accidental  scratch 
which  was  no  portion  of  the  letter  as  cut  on  the  stone. 
Lastly,  a  horizontal  i  at  the  end  of  a  line  was  to  be 
expected.  I  treat  the  reading  i\a  making  the  following 
epitaph  :  piLh^^ROCAGm  ^^^'^  Decabar  Balom,  name 
and  epithet,  in  the  nominative  case,  without  the  usual 
ending  us  added  on  to  make  them  into  Latin  as 
Decabarus  Balomus, 

It  will  be  observed  that  when  the  copy  was  made, 
the  stone  appears  to  have  been  broken  at  its  lower  end. 
This  did  not  touch  the  Roman  lettering,  but  it  did  the 
Ogam,  near  its  commencement.  For,  as  usual,  the  Ogam 
read  in  the  direction  contrary  to  the  Latin,  and  a  very 
jagged  breakage  is  suggested  as  occurring  across  the 
face  of  the  stone,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  sever  the  first 
vowel  from  the  consonant  following  it.  As  it  stands, 
Morgan  gives  the  following  scores  :  — 

II    Mil  \     III    MM    .    I  MM        .  .  .  I  II    MM, 

^TT  '  '""  I  '  Mill   III  '  II     I       ""•  III! 

Deht       ca       i       ban  Vatobd       i  s 

Now,  the  third  symbol  is  not  such  :  it  has  been  copied 
as  if  sloping  backwards  to  meet  the  breakage,  and 
form  a  sort  of  delta  with  it.  Had  it  been  a  letter 
it  could  only  be  h,  but  it  should  really  be  counted 
with  the  1_LL  following,  and  with  it  form  MM,  that  is 
another  c.  We  should  thus  have  JJ_LJ_L!_U.,  cc.  It  is 
possible  that  the  inclination  of  the  two  consonants  was 
intended  to  be  diflferent,  vn\_J_LM ,  in  order  to  make 
the  reading  easier.  In  any  case  we  should  thus  have 
decc  corresponding  to  the  dec  of  the  Latin,  in  fact, 
Deccaiban  corresponding  to  decabar.  Here  one  cannot 
hesitate  long  between  n  and  r.  In  Ogam  they  are 
respectively  ppTTf  and  ////^  ,  so  one  can  hardly  doubt 
that  the  r  has  it,  or  avoid  concluding  that  the  con- 
tinuations of  the  r  scores  on  the  left  of  the  edge  had 
been  worn  away  or  so  damaged  that  they  escaped  the 
eye  of  the  copyist.     This  suggests  the  meting-out  of 


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298  THfe   CAPEL   kAltl   STONlS. 

similar  treatment  to  the  Ogam  j,  6,  and  the  regarding 
it  as  originally  r  m ;  but  one  has  no  excuse  here  for 
doing  so,  as  the  spelling  with  b  would  have  to  be 
treated  as  the  more  correct,  as  will  be  pointed  out 
later.  For  the  present,  suflSce  it  to  say  that  both  b 
and  m  would  here  have  their  mutational  value  of  v. 
Then,  as  regards  the  initials  of  balom  and  of  the  Ogmic 
valoby  one  need  only  mention  the  fact  that  in  Late 
Latin  6  had  the  values  cf  b  and  v  from  the  fourth 
century  down.  It  follows  here  that  whether  you  wrote 
BALOM  in  Roman  letters  or  valob  in  Ogam,  the  pronun- 
ciation was  approximately  valov,  possibly  for  an  earlier 
walob;  but  this  means  allowing  the  vowels  a  and  o 

Erovisionally  to  stand.  The  latter  is  suggested  by  the 
atin  spelUng  balom,  and  the  other  is  adopted  from 
the  copy  of  the  Ogam  version,  though  it  fails  conspi- 
cuously to  fill  the  space  between  the  Ogam  scores  on 
both  sides  of  it.  The  guesses  made  thus  far  may  be 
represented  as  follows : — 

I  I     ■  I  I  ■     I  I  I  I     I  I  I  I     I      I  /////  ■    '  ,  ■         I  I    ■  I  I  M 

.1.1  ......     I     .     /////     I  I  I     <      I  I      M    I  "'1.1111 

De         c        ca        i       bar        Vatobd         i  s 

One  or  two  points  may  be  mentioned  in  relation  to 
the  making  of  the  copy  of  the  Ogam  legend;  for 
instance,  there  are  traces  of  its  having  l^en  taken 
down  in  pencil  before  it  was  inked,  and  there  is  evi- 
dence of  at   least   one   correction  :   the   last  score  ot 

III   I   II — r  is  preceded  by  a  score  made  in  pencil ;  the 

pencilling  appears  to  have  been  rubbed  out,  but  the 
groove  made  by  the  pencil  remains,  and  can  be  detected 
in  the  original  photograph.  Before  proceeding  any 
further,  I  have  the  pleasure  of  introducing  a  fact  or  two 
of  another  order.  One  day,  in  the  month  of  March,  1901, 
a  Mr.  Jones,  a  Welsh  undergraduate  of  this  University, 
and  a  native  of  the  neighbourhood  of  Llangeler,  called 
and  left  me  a  copy  of  two  pieces  of  the  lost  stone,  with 
lettering  as  follows  : — 


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TUB   OAt>Bt   MAIR  STONB. 


299 


O 


Fig.  3. — Sketch  of  the  two  Existing  Fragments  of  the  Capel  Mair  Inscribed 
Stone  made  by  Mr.  Jones,  of  Llangeler. 

It  did  not  appear  to  me  then  how  the  Ogam  on  Jones's 
larger  piece  would  fit  the  Morgan  copy  ;  so  it  was  put 
by  till  the  other  day,  when  I  received  from  the  Editor 
of  this  Journal  a  cutting  from  the  Western  Mail  for 
January  23rd,  1900:  it  consisted  of  a  letter,  signed 
'*  Thomas  Williams,  Oakland,  Drefach,  Llandyssil." 
Mr.  Williams  provided  his  letter  with  a  sketch  of  the 
bigger  fragment  as  below  : — 


Fig.   4. — Sketch   of  the   bigger  of  the  same  two   Fragments  given   by 
Mr.  Thomas  Williams  in  the  Wettem  Mail  for  January  23rd,  1900. 


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306  THb  OAPEL  MAlii,  STOKB. 

The  diflFerence  between  the  two  sketches  suggested 
to  me  that  possibly  neither  was  quite  accurate,  and  I 
guessed  that  the  original  scoring  intended  was — 


1 1 


1 1 


-^  =  o6c/,  or   III   ,   I'=u6c?, 


the  d  being  the  beginning  of  Morgan's  syllable  dis. 
That  is  how  I  would  have  fitted  the  fragment  into  the 
Morgan  copy  of  the  stone  ;  but  how  mistaken  my  guess 
has  proved  will  be  seen  immediately. 

After  speculating  thus  far,  I  wrote  to  the  Rev.  W. 
James,  of  Llandyssul,  and  to  Mr.  Thomas  Williams, 
making  various  enquiries  about  the  fragments.  The 
result  was  that  Mr.  James  went  to  Capel  Mair  with 
James  Jones,  the  mason,  who  found  the  fragments 
in  1900,  when  he  was  engaged  as  head-mason  on 
the  outbuildings  of  Tan  y  Capel,  a  farmhouse  within 
earshot  of  the  supposed  site  of  old  Capel  Mair.  His 
men  were  pulling  down  the  old  cowhouse,  built 
about  1828,  in  order  to  lay  the  foundations  of  an- 
other. One  of  them  called  his  attention  to  a  piece  of 
stone  with  letters.  He  (James  Jones)  told  the  man  to 
throw  it  aside,  as  well  as  any  other  piece  that  might 
turn  up.  He  had  heard  of  the  Capel  Mair  stone,  and 
thought  that  the  whole  stone  might  be  discovered,  but 
only  the  two  pieces  came  to  light.  This  is  a  portion  of 
the  mason  s  account,  as  reported  to  me  last  February 
by  Mr.  James.  The  discovered  pieces  were,  for  a  time, 
kept  at  the  farmhouse,  but  latterly  they  appear  to  have 
been  deposited  in  the  grounds  of  the  New  Church  or 
new  Capel  Mair  (opened  in  September,  1899),  namely, 
**  just  near  the  foundation  stone."  Mr.  James  and  the 
mason  discovered  that  both  pieces  were  there  till  quite 
lately  ;  but  they  failed  entirely  to  trace  the  smaller  bit. 
The  stones  belong  to  Colonel  Lewes,  of  Llysnewydd, 
the  owner  of  Tan  y  Capel,  who  has  been  so  extremely 
obliging  as  to  send  me  the  bigger  fragment  for  me  to 
study  it  at  leisure. 

My  friend  Professor  Sol  las  describes  the  fragment 


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THE   CAPEL   MAIR   STONE. 


301 


as  grey  fine-grained  siliceous  grit,  and  it  measures 
1  ft.  4^  ins.  long  by  about  11  ins.  wide,  and  2  ins. 
or  2^  ins.  thick.  The  surface  is  rough  and  very  un- 
even. 

It  will  have  been  noticed  that  the  top  of  the  stone,  as 
represented  in  the  Morgan  copy,  is  impossible  as  a  piece 
of  sketching  :  some  of  the  lines  appear  to  me  to  be  drawn 
to  supersede  the  others,  that  is,  the  copyist  tried  to  cor- 
rect himself.  The  top  of  the  stone  is  more  as  represented 
in  Mr.  Jones's  sketch  of  the  bigger  fragment,  except 
that  he  makes  the  stone  rather  too  much  broken  to- 
wards the  right-hand  corner,  and  that  the  left-hand 
X5orner  should  appear  more  rounded,  which,  however,  is 
of  no  consequence  here,  as  it  had  no  writing.  All  these 
points  will  be  better  understood  by  glancing  at  the 
following  sketch  made  from  my  rubbing  with  the  aid 


Pig.  5.  — Extant  Fragment  of  Capel  Mair  Stone  :  View  of  Front. 
Scale,  i  linear. 


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302  THE   CAPBL   MAIR   STONE. 

of  photographs.  The  greatest  surprise  to  rae,  how- 
tver,  was  to  find  Morgan's  ' '  { { ]  j  |  ...  all  on  the  top 

edge  of  the  stone ;  so  that  his  .  ■  ■  1  i  ■    i    should  end 

at  the  corner.  Thus  Morgan  turns  out  to  have  put  all 
the  writing  on  a  single  straight  line,  which  may  have 
been  done  from  motives  of  convenience;  but  when  one 

moves  his  ' '  [  j  1 1 1  1 1 1 1  to  the  top  edge,  one  perceives 

how  greatly  his  copy  of  the  Ogam  on  the  side  edge  is 
out  of  scale.     Where,  then,  comes  the  bigger  fragment 

with  the  Ogams  represented  by  Mr.  Jones,  as  » '  i   ' '  ? 

The  vowel,  rightly  copied  by  him,  may  have  been  misread 
by  Morgan  as  yj-j-  =  v,  whicn  was  very  easy  to  do,  because 
the  edge  there  slopes  away  very  gently :  it  requires 
careful  observation  to  see  that  the  imaginary  line  of 
the  edge  is  crossed  by  the  scores.  Thus  it.  is  with 
Morgan's  j-pp  that  the  fragment  begins  :  Morgan  has 
marked  one  notch  in  the  interval  which  follows  between 
his  j-j-|  and  his  Tr  =  ^;  but,  as  already  indicated,  the 
single  notch  by  no  means  fills  the  gap,  and  there  the 
fragment  has  what  Jones  has  copied  as  a  jm  sloping 
parallel  to  the  vowel  notches  (Fig.  3)  ;  but  those  two 
scores  slope  much  more,  and  cannot  be  read,  in  my 
opinion,  as  anything  other  than  the  left  half  of  a  //  =  5^. 
From  the  imperfect  j-f  on  to  the  corner,  the-  edge  is  all 
gone,  having  evidently  been  hammered  oflp;  and  it  leaves 
a  crack  which  defines  a  flake  that  has  not  come  off.  So 
we  have  to  supply  the  two  consonants  jT  ^^^  T  ^'^^^ 
Morgan  8  copy,  and  an  intervening  o  from  his  balom  : 
thus  we  get — 

If,  as  I  hope  to  show  presently,  we  have  here  the 
Goidelic  etymological  equivalent  of  what  is  given  in 
the  Latin  version  as  BALOM,  we  have  to  complete  the 


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THE   CAPEL   MATR   STONB.  303 

legend  as  hugloh,  with  the  initial  6  of  balom  ;  or  else 
with  another  spelling  , . .  [ }  [. V . .  |  ]  .  ,  vuglob,  with  the 

jj7j  which  the  lost  bit  copied  by  Mr.  Jones  serves  to 
supply :  at  any  rate,  there  seems  to  be  no  use  for  that 
bit  elsewhere.  This  means  that  Morgan  in  his  copy  has 
accidentally  left  out  the  Ogam  for  v,  namely,  yj-i  >  unless 
one  should  rather  regard  the  omission  as  a  part  of  the 
error  which  has  yielded  us  his  yjj  for  [  j  ]  •  That  is  to 
say,  for  1 1 1 1 1 1  he  has  given  us  only  the  first  of  the  two 
sets  of  three  digits.  The  insertion  of  it  goes  now  some 
way  to  lengthen  his  line  of  scores  on  the  side  edge  of 
the  stone,  and  to  bring  his  copy  so  much  the  nearer 
to  scale. 

The  vocable  in  question,  whether  vuglob  or  some 
similar  spelling,  I  regard  as  having  occupied  the  edge  up 
to  the  right-hand  corner  of  the  stone  ;  but  the  original 
corner  and  the  adjacent  part  of  the  edge  of  the  top  of 
the  stone  have  been  hammered  off.  One  seems,  how- 
ever, to  detect  on  the  top  near  the  present  corner  of  the 
stone  just  the  left  ends  of  an  Ogam  J-L=  d;  the  broken 
edge  towards  the  left  would  have  supplied  room  for 
'  '^^  =  i,  after  which  we  come  to  traces  of 


■tki 


I  I  I  I  -7  ^* 
ese  consist  of  the  upper  ends  of  the  scores  reaching 

towards  the  edge,  for  lower  down  the  back  of  the  stone 
the  hollows  representing  them  are  very  faint  and  ill- 
defined,  because  the  stone  shows  signs  of  having  scaled 
there  :  in  fact,  there  are  still  bits  there  which  are  not  far 
from  getting  loose.  This  is  not  all,  for  the  s  scores  are 
followed  by  a  final  vowel  j  {-n-lr*,  the  notches  of  which 
are  not  hard  to  trace.  It  is  strange  that  Morgan  did 
not  copy  them  as  part  of  the  writing.  The  piece  of  the 
edge  with  these  vowel-notches  thins  out  somewhat  in  a 
weage-like  fashion,  so  the  notches  are  to  be  seen  from 
the  front  as  gaps  in  the  rim,  but  the  bottom  of  each 
hollow  has  been  smoothed  and  rounded.  The  com- 
parative thinness  of  the  edge  made  them  look  un- 
like the  other  vowels  on  the  stone  ;    certainly  unlike 


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304  THE   CAPBL   MAIR   STONE. 

the  jjj  which  Morgan  copied  as  j-pp,  where  there  was 
no  proper  edge  at  all.  This  is  probably  the  explana- 
tion  why   Morgan  did  not  regard   what  followed   his 

II 


1 1 1 1 1 


1,1,  ■ .  ■ .  as  forming  part  of  the  lettering.     Lastly, 

it  is  of  some  importance  for  the  reading  to  mention 
that  these  vowel-notches  showing  from  the  front  of  the 
stone  diflPer  in  that  respect  decidedly  from  the  upper 
ends  of  the  scores  for  5,  for  these  latter  are  situated 
distinctly  more  on  the  back.  The  whole  of  the  Ogam 
on  the  top  of  the  stone  may  be  approximately  repre- 
sented thus  :  -^  V:V:^  ,  m  !f  n  =  ^^^^• 

Helped  by  the  conjectural  emendations  which  I  have 
indicated,  and  the  corrections  warranted  by  the  frag- 
ments, the  complete  version  in  Ogam  may  be  represen- 
ted as  having  originally  read  as  follows  . — 


2     €^      CL      c    A    /    /^''r 

Fig.  6. — Ogam  Inscription  on  the  Capel  Mair  Stone  restored. 

Now  that  I  have  done  all  I  can  to  establish  the 
Ogam  text  of  the  inscription,  it  may  be  pointed  out 
that  the  fragments  found  in  the  cowhouse  walls  in 
1900  establish  the  substantial  accuracy  of  Morgan's 
copy  as  to  the  scores  which  he  jotted  down.  He  failed 
mostly  in  omitting  scores  which  a  more  experienced 
reader  could  have  readily  deciphered;  but  in  some 
instances  portions  of  the  lettering  seem  to  have  been 
merely  overlooked  by  accident  or  carelessness,  such  for 
example  as  the  initial  letter  of  Vugloh.     The  two  frag- 


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THE  CAPBL  MAIR   STONE.  305 

ments,  however,  besides  enabling  us  to  correct  Morgan's 
copy,  prove  that  the  story  as  to  a  stone  which  had  the 
writing  on  it  erased,  did  not  apply  to  this  monument. 
What  happened  to  the  latter  was,  that,  some  time 
after  it  was  discovered  and  copied,  it  was  broken  up  to 
be  used  in  the  building  of  the  walls  of  the  Tan  y  Capel 
cowhouse  ;  and  in  spite  of  the  mason's  vigilance  in 
1900,  the  walls  of  the  reconstructed  outhouse  probably 
contain  the  whole  of  the  stone  except  the  two  frag- 
ments here  in  question. 

Settinor  out  from  the  Latin  version  of  the  inscription 
DECABAR  BALOM  FiLivs  BROCAGN-,  one  may  mention  first 
the^t  Brocagn-i  h  the  genitive  of  the  name  which  meets 
us  as  Broccdn  in  the  hagiology  of  Ireland,  and  Brychan 
in  that  of  Wales  :  neither  of  those  names  requires  any 
further  notice  at  present.  We  then  come  to  balom, 
which,  as  already  suggested,  was  pronounced  Valov, 
This  we  cannot  be  wrong  in  identifying  without  hesi- 
tation with  the  modern  Irish  falamh  or  folamh  (with 
mh  sounded  t;),  meaning  **  empty,  void,  vacant,  poor, 
without  means."  The  Scotch  Gaelic  is  also  falamh  (pro- 
nounced faP-uv)  and  means  likewise  "  empty,  void,  in 
want,  unoccupied."  In  Medieval  Irish,  the  tovmfalumh^ 
occurs,  meaning  ** empty";  see  Stokes's  "Book  of  Lismore 
Saints"  (in  the  Anecdota  Oxoniensia  for  1890),  4707. 
This  use  of  a  word  meaning  poor  and  devoid  of  woidly 
goods  was  meant  to  be  complimentary,  and  reminds  one 
of  Caiman  Bochty  that  is,  *'  Colman  the  Poor,"  on  a  tomb- 
stone at  Clonmacnoise  ;  see  Miss  Stokes's  edition  of 
Petrie's  Christian  Inscriptions  in  the  Irish  Language, 
Vol.  i,  p.  16,  Plate  ii.  Fig.  4.  Thus  the  Latin  epitaph 
may  be  rendered  "  Decabar  the  Poor,  son  of  Broccd,n." 

The  Ogmic  version  has  been  approximately  estab- 
lished as  Deccaibar  Vugloh  disi,  where  the  first  diffi- 

1  The  Manx  form  is  follym,  *'  empty,"  with  an  unmatated  m .: 
some  other  instances  ot  the  kind  occur  in  that  langoage.  Tlie 
most  probable  explanation  is  ih&tjollym  owes  if  s  tn  to  the  inflaence 
of  the  adjective  cDrresponding  to  Irnsh  fo-lomm,  **  bare."  This 
would  not  be  surprising,  considering  that  some  scholars  seem  to 
regard  falumh  as  a  form  of  folomm. 


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306  THE   CAPBL   MAfR   STONE. 

culty  is  as  to  the  etymological  equivalence  of  balom 
and  Viiglob.  Assuming  that  equivalence,  we  have  to 
suppose  the  former  to  have  passed  through  a  precedinfjf 
stage,  Baglom,  with  a  soft  spirant  g  liable  to  be  eli- 
minated, which  was  here  done  in  the  Latin  spelling, 
just  as  sinum  occurs  for  signum  in  the  Whithorn 
inscription  ;  see  The  Academy  fi>r  1891,  September  5th, 
p.  201. 

In  this  word  vagloh  we  seem  to  have  u  form  in- 
volving the  Celtic  prefix  vo,  which  makes  in  later 
Goidelicyb,/u,ya,  and  in  Welsh  ivo,  gwo,  Modern  go  or 
gwa  :  the  rest  of  the  word  seems  referable  to  the  same 
root  as  the  Greek  y\d<l><o  or  yXvffxD^  "  I  hollow  out." 
With  the  Irish  word  has  been  identified  in  The  Englyn, 
p.  73»  the  Nennian  word  guoloppum,  "an  empty  space," 
and  ccctguoloph,''  a  space  empty  of  war,  that  is,  an  in- 
terval of  peace."  The  digraph  pp  could  stand  probably 
for  either  j'f  or  v,  just  as  tt  did  for  either  th  or  d,  and 
ph  bad  also  either  the  sound  of  jf' or  oft;  in  Medieval 
Welsh.  So  here,  doubtless,  the  pronunciation  intended 
was  guoloV'Um"  and  cad-ghuolov.  Moreover,  the  passage 
suggests  a  neuter  substantive  rather  than  an  adjective  ; 
but  an  adjective  could  readily  be  formed  by  means  of  the 
termination  j^o-s,  |^a,  io-n,  namely,  uolob-j^o-,  uolob-j^a; 
Needles  to  say  this  would  be  in  an  early  stage  of  the 
language,  for  later  it  would  yield  the  form  gueilyv  (to  be 
written  gweilyf),  according  to  the  analogy  ofheinif,  heini, 
"active,  agile,"  from  ho-gnim,  of  the  same  formation 
as  Irish  so-gnim,  and  gweini,  *'  the  act  of  serving,"  from 
uO'ffni :  compare  Irish  fogniu,  **  I  serve."  The  form 
gweilyf  is  not  attested,  but  we  have  the  variant 
gweilyiy  with  d  forf{  =  v),  a  substitution  not  unknown 
in  other  Welsh  words.  Dr.  Davies,  citing  gweilydd 
from  the  Welsh  Laws,  explains  it  as  "  Vacuus,  inanis, 
voluntarius,  avrofiaro^.''     In  Aneurin  Owen's  edition  it 

^  We  seem  to  hayo  this  in  anolof,  anolo,  *'  iDeffectire,  yoid,  nse- 
less;''  made  up  of  golof,  golo^  with  an  intensive  prefix  an.  See  Silvan 
Evaos's  Geiriadur,  also  Dn  Dayies's  Dictionary  :  both  cite  instance« 
from  the  Welsh  bekws, 


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THE   CAPEL    MAIR   STONE.  307 

occurs,  for  instance,  in  Volume  IT,  Bk.  xiv,  Chap,  xxiii, 
6-8  (pp.  664,  665),  where  the  editor  has  translated  it 
"absolver."  Moreover,  words  ending  in  yd  frequently 
have  an  optional  ending  i,  as  in  the  case  of  Dewyi,  now 
Detail  *^  St.  David,"  and  trefyA  or  trefi,  ** towns."  So  here, 
Dr.  Davies,  under  vacuus,  gives  gweili,  gweilydd,  anolo^ 
and  other  adjectives.  The  first  is,  in  fact,  a  living  word 
in  parts  of  North  Wales,  especially  Lleyn,  where  one  says 
trol  Weill,  "  an  empty  or  unladen  cart,"  ceffyl  gweili^  "  a 
spare  horse,"  and  the  blank  pages  at  the  end  of  a  book 
are  sometimes  called  dalennau  gweili.  For  these  details 
I  am  indebted  to  the  unpublished  dialect  studies  of  Mr. 
Glyn  Davies,  of  the  University  Library,  Aberystwyth. 

The  name  decabar  maybe  compared  in  part  with 
Calabar  or  Catahor — it  is  hard  to  say  whether  the 
ending  has  a  or  o — in  an  Ogam  inscription  in  Co.  Water- 
ford  :  Brash  has  it  at  p.  266.  It  is  at  the  first  glance 
tempting  to  identify  this  with  the  name  written  Cath- 
barr  in  the  Book  of  Leinstev  (fo.  324^  338**),  meaning 
*•  battle-head,"  and  as  a  common  noun,  **  a  helmet;"  the 
second  element  being  6aiT, ''  head  or  top,"  as  in  Barri- 
vend'i  on  the  Llandawke  stone  (Journal  of  the  Camb. 
Arch.  Assoc,  1907,  p.  77) ;  but  the  second  r  stands  in 
the  way,  and  we  seem  to  have  here  the  same  element  ns 
in  -FaZfeAar,  mentioned  in  O'Curry's  Manners  and  Cus- 
toms of  the  Ancient  Irish,  iii,  158.  In  my  Paper  (read  to 
the  British  Academy)  entitled  '*  Studies  in  Early  Irish 
History,"  p.  29,  I  suggested  that  we  have  an  early 
form  of  the  plural  of  this  name  in  that  of  the  tribe 
called  in  Ptolemy's  Geography  OveXKdfiopot,  whom  he 
places  in  the  south-west  of  Ireland  :  see  Muller's 
edition,  pp.  76-8.  He  cites  the  pseudo-Ethicus  and 
Orosius  HS  calling  them  Velahri,  which  is  probably  to 
be  emended  into  Velahori.  We  have  a  later  form  of 
the  singular — feminine,  however,  not  masculine — in  the 
Llandyssul  inscription  VELVOR  filia  BROhO.  Here  Vel- 
vor  would,  in  a  normalised  orthography,  be  Velbor, 
derived  from  a  far  earlier  Velabora.  But  the  combina- 
tion   Broh'  for   what    would    in    GoidtJic   have    been 

20^ 


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308  THK  CAPEL  MAIR  STONK. 

BrocC'y  shows  that  the  inscription  was  in  Latin  of  the 
Brjthonic  rather  than  of  the  Goidelic  description. 
That  is,  in  Brythonic  mouths  the  tendency  of  later 
Goidelic  to  substitute  a  for  o  had  been  avoided,  so  that 
we  have  the  latter  vowel  here,  as  in  the  early  Goidelic 
Vellahor-iy  while  the  a  is  found  established  in  Falbhar 
just  as  in  our  DECABAR  and  Deccaibar.  The  meaning 
of  the  element  6or-,  bar-  is  doubtful,  but  with  regard 
to  the  other,  decay  one  may  perhaps  venture  to  suggest 
that  this  may  be  of  the  same  origin  as  the  Latin  dectiSy 
**  ornament,  grace,  honour,  glory,"  and  of  the  tribe- 
name  of  the  Decantae  of  the  extreme  North  ;  also  of  the 
"  Decantorum  arx,"  the  Deganvjy  whose  ruins  stand 
near  Llandudno  and  the  river  Conwy. 

The  names  here  in  question  raise  a  number  of  difficult 
questions  which  I  cannot  discuss  at  present;  but  I 
may  call  attention  to  one  or  two  more  points  connected 
with  the  spelling.  The  Latin  version  nas  a  single  c  in 
Brocagniy  where  the  pronunciation  was  that  of  a  hard  ife, 
and  also  a  single  c  in  Decahar,  where  the  c  was  mutated 
into  the  Goidelic  guttural  spirant  ch,  which  in  some 
Ogam  inscriptions  is  represented  by  the  digraph  cc : 
that  is  how  we  have  the  c  doubled  in  the  Ogmic  spel- 
ling Deccaibar.  The  ai  of  this  last  is  of  more  doubtful 
standing.  It  would  be  rather  a  violent  emendation  to 
treat  the  notch  for  the  vowel  a  as  an  error  in  Morgan's 
copy,  though  it  would  simplify  the  form  into  Decxibar. 
But  on  the  whole  one  has,  I  think,  to  accept  the  ai,  and 
I  should  be  inclined  to  treat  it  as  a  digraph  for  the 
vowel  g,  which  the  author  of  the  epitaph  thought  was 
the  vowel  sound  which  he  detected  in  the  syllable  fol- 
lowing the  stress.  Ai^  cb,  and  e  have,  roughly  speakings 
one  and  the  same  value  in  Old  Irish  glosses;  and  what 
may  perhaps  be  still  more  to  the  point  is  that  we  have 
ai  in  other  Ogam  inscriptions,  to  wit,  in  such  names  as 
Bivaidonas^  Dovaidonay  and  others  mentioned  in  my 
paper  on  the  Kilmannin  Inscription  in  the  Journal  of 
the  Irish  Antiqiiaines  for  1907,  pp.  65-7. 

That  paper  gives  another  inatapce  of  the  use  of  th^ 


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THB  OAPEL  MAIK  8T0N£.  309 

syllable    '  HI  1 1  1 1 1 1  =■   dis,  which  has  puzzled  me  so 

long  in  Morgan's  copy  of  the  Capel  Main  Ogam.  Fo^ 
the  Kilmannin  epitaph  begins  with  ddisi,  which  I 
provisionally  analysed  into  ddis-i,  and  took  to  mean 
below,  or  here  below,  with  ddis  derived  from  Is,  "  lower." 
For  I  ventured  to  equate  ddis-  with  the  modern  Irish 
thioSt  "  below,  beneath,"  which  Old  Irish  scribes  wrote 
<&,  while,  as  I  thought,  giving  the  t  one  of  the  sounds 
of  th.  But  since  then  Dr.  Stokes^  has  written  to  roe 
that  if  anything  is  certain  in  Irish  grammar  it  is  that 
the  aspiration  in  this  and  similar  forms  is  merely  "Middle 
Irish,*  not  older,  say,  than  the  eleventh  century.  So 
for  the  present  I  give  up  the  attempt  to  explain  the 
etymology  of  ddisi  or  disi.  But  I  am  inclined  to  think 
that  the  word  meant,  if  not  **  here  below,''  at  any  rate 
"  here."  The  Capel  Mair  Ogam  might  accordingly  be 
taken  to  have  conveyed  some  such  meaning  as  *'  Dec- 
caibar  the  Poor  (lies)  here."  Perhaps,  however,  some- 
body will  find  in  disi  a  verb  of  rest  and  repose. 

Lastly,  the  Ogam  version  belongs  to  the  same  class 
as  the  Kilmannin  one,  which  I  have  ventured  to  regard 
as  dating  from  the  seventh  century.  It  is  only  a  guess, 
and  both  inscriptions  may  prove  to  be  somewhat  later. 


ADDITIONS   AND   CORRECTIONS 

RBARINO   ON   MY   PRKVIOUS    PAPBB,    PP.    70,    89-91. 

1.  My  attention  has  been  kindly  called  by  Professor  Ed. 
Lloyd  to  my  rendering  lletfer  by  "  weak-kneed  "  in  my  fonner 
paper,  p.  91.  It  should  have  been  half-vnld  or  aevii'Savcige,  as 
proved  by  a  passage  in  "  Buchedd  Gruffudd  ab  Cynan  ";  see  the 
Myvyrian  Archaiology  of  Wales,  II,  p.  586,  where  we  have 
Llymminawc  lledfei-  given  in  Latin  as  Saltus  ferinus,  with  the 
fidjective  ferinus  meaning  "of  or  belonging  to  wild  beasts,"  and 

1  In  proposing  an  etymology  for  the  Welsh  word  blew  '*  hair,"  I 
forgot  that  it  had  been  dealt  with  in  Stokes's  Urkdtischer  Sprach^ 
ichatZf  p,  187,  where  it  is  referred  by  Bezzenbergci  to  the  same 
origin  as  the  Greek  (f>koi6t,  the  "  rind  of  trees,  peel,  bark,  bass." 
For  Sanskrit  grtva  read  griva,  "  neck,"  and  for  RusFian  yrtva  read 
gritfa,  "  mane." 


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810  THB   CAPBL  MAIR   STONK. 

deriving  from  the  simpler  adjective  ferus/'  wild^' lintamed." 
This  word  ferns  was  borrowed  into  Welsh,  as  proved  by  the 
instances  given  by  Dr.  Davies  and  Dr.  Pughe  under  ffh'.  It  is 
needless  to  say  that  there  is  another  Welsh  word  ffir,  namely, 
that  which  is  used  in  North  Wales  for  "  ankle ; "  but  Pughe's 
fferu,  meaning  "  to  congeal,  to  liecome  rigid  with  cold,"  is  pro- 
nounced and  properly  written  fferriL  His  spelling  of  it  enables 
him  to  refer  it  to  one  and  the  same  origin  with  the  two 
words  ^^,  for  he  would  seem  to  have  made  the  meanings  con- 
verge on  that  of  *•  dense**  or  "  solid/*  while  Dr.  Davies  regarded 
the  adjective  as  more  or  less  synonymous  with  cadam.  Exami- 
nation of  the  uses  made  of  the  word  would  probably  result  in 
proving  it  to  have  retained  more  or  less  closely  the  sense  of  the 
Latin  ferus.  Meanwhile,  I  have  chanced  on  the  compounds 
kadfer  and  llawffer  (Skene,  ii,  56,  143). 

2.  Apropos  of  Cian  of  Nanhyfer,  I  am  I'eminded  of  Nennius's 
" Cian  qui  vocatur  Guenith  Guaut"  who  was  one  of  those  who 
were  distinguished  "in  poemate  Britannico/'  On  the  wliole,  I 
am  disposed  to  think  that  that  the  latter  was  an  earlier  man 
than  our  Neveru  Cian.  I  may  mention  that  there  was  also 
a  Cian  after  whom  Llangian  in  Lleyn  is  called.  Rees.  ia 
his  Welsh  Saints,  p.  302,  associates  him  with  Peris  of  Llan- 
beris,  and  mentions  his  day  as  December  llth.  All  this  only 
makes  it  rather  more  diflScrdt  to  say  who  Cian  of  Nanhyfer  was, 
or  to  settle  the  question  whether  he  was  a  Goidel  or  a  Brython, 
I  may  here  mention  that  the  other  name  Cu-Duilich,  in  Welsh 
Gynddylig  or  Gynddilig,  weis  borne  by  a  saint  of  whom  Rees. 
p.  281,  writes  as  follows : — "  Cynddilig,  a  son  of  Cennydd  ab 
Gildaa  His  memory  has  been  celebrated  in  the  parish  of  Llan- 
rhystud,  Cardiganshire,  on  the  1st  of  November/* 

3.  The  difficulty  as  to  the  Scots  of  Nanhyfer  coming  dros  nor, 
"  over  sea,"  depends  a  good  deal  on  the  place  of  the  battle  ;  for 
without  coming  from  Ireland  they  might  be  voyaging  from 
Neyem  or  Newport  to.some  place  on  the  coast  of  North  Wales.' 
The  weight,  however,  of  historical  opinion  inclines  to  South 
Wales,  and  the  correct  date,  I  am  told,  is  1081. 

4,.  In  connection  with  Pont  y  Gini,  Professor  Lloyd  also 
states  that  there  is  a  large  farm  called  Gim  in  the  parish  of 
Llanengan  in  Lleyn.  I  should  like  to  be  assured  whether  it  is 
Gim  or  T  Gim ,  for  the  presence  or  the  absence  of  the  definite 
;irticle  may  prove  to  be  a  difference  of  some  importance. 


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311 


THE  TOWN  OF  HOLT,   IN  COUNTY 
DENBIGH  : 

ITS   CASTLK,    CHURCH,    FRANCHISE,    AND   DKMBSNE. 

Br  ALFRED   NEOBARD  PALMEK. 

{Continued  from pagt  34.) 


CHAPTER  II  (oew^tViuoi).— SECTION   II. 

The  survey  of  Bromfield  and  Yale,  known  from  the 
name  of  the  surveyor  by  whom  it  was  executed  as 
Tidderley's  Survey,  and  now  at  the  Public  Record 
OflSce,  has  next  to  be  dealt  with.  It  is  undated,  but 
the  internal  evidence  points  to  its  beings  taken  at  the 
end  of  the  reiga  of  Henry  VIII.  First  comes  a  quaint 
description  of  "  the  towne  of  the  Lyons,  oderwise 
named  le  Holte."  *'  The  said  towne  standythe  yn  Wales 
witheyn  the  lordshipp  of  Bromefeld  and  Yale  one  di' 
[le.,  half]  mile  ffrome  the  ent'yng  towards  yt  over  a 
stouyn  [stone]  brydge  whiche  partithe  England  and 
Wales.  The  same  beyng  an  auntient  Borough  towne, 
but  slenderly  builte  with  tymber  worke  and  the 
buyldings  stondyng  yn  distance^  the  one  flFrome  the 
oder  on  the  este  side  of  whiche  towne  ther  stondithe 
the  castell  equaly  withe  the  said  towne.  And  yn  in 
the  same  towne  ther  are  ffaire  Hawles'  whereas  the 
kyng*8  tenn*"  of  Wales  witheyn  the  said  lordshipp 
haven  justice  ministred  to  theyme.  And  in  one  of 
theyme  the  Meire  and  Burgises  of  the  said  town  do  use 
to  sytte  and  kipe  theyr  courtes  whiche  Meire  and  Bur- 
geses  do  clayme  to  have  dyv's  p'vileges  and  lib'tyes  by 
the  grannie  of  a  charter  made  unto  theyme  by  [blank]. 

y  We  should,  perhaps,  suppose  some  such  word  as  '*  eveu,"  or 
''  equal,''  to  have  been  intended  here.  - 

^  The  first  of  these  fair  halls  was  the  Welsh  ooart*hoase  in  the 
castle  precinct,  and  the  other  the  Holt  Town  Hall. 


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3 12  THE   TOWN   OF   HOLT, 

"  And  yn  the  s  tid  towne  are  yerely  kept  two  feires, 
one  at  the  feast  of  sent  Barnabe  [llth  June]  And  the 
oder  yn  the  feast  of  St.  Luke  [I8th  October]  yerely 
and  eu'y  Ffrydey  a  comen  markett  yn  the  said  towne. 
The  Toll  therof  beyng  set  for  II5.  l)y  the  yereto  the 
Bailyesof  the  said  towne.  And  yn  the  said  towne  ys  a 
maire,  two  bailies,  two  leve-lookers  and  coronor."^ 

Next  follows  an  equally  picturesque  and  valuable 
account  of  '*  the  castell  of  the  Holte : "  "  The  said 
cabtell  stondithe  yn  the  este  side  of  the  said  towne  and 
northe  from  the  utter  warde  of  the  same.  A  gate 
howse  beyng  builte  withe  tymber  worke  abowte  a 
Ix  paces  from  the  castell,  wherunto  is  joyned  upon  the 
este  side  stabulls  belowe  ccc  fote  in  lenght  and  ou' 
[over]  the  same  stables  faire  loftes  for  haye.  And  west 
from  the  same  gate  a  tfaire  barne  conteynyng  in  lenght 
XXXV  paces  and  in  widenes  a  xiij  paces  westward 
adioyning  to  the  same  a  faire  courte  howse*  of  tymber 
for  the  kyng  8  justices  and  officers  do  sytte  yn  at  tymes 
of  sessions  and  courts  to  be  kepte  ther  for  all  the 
kyng's  tenn^  witheyn  the  lordshipp  of  Bromeflfeld  and 
Yale  beyng  witheoute  the  ffraunchise  of  the  towne  of 
the  Holte.  And  at  the  weste  ende  of  the  same  courte 
howse  a  pale  and  a  quyke  sett  hedge  stondyng  towards 
a  parke  adioynyng  to  the  said  castell  named  the  Litell 
Parke  witheyn  which  bwilding  hedge  and  pale  there  ys 
a  courte  betwene  that  and  the  mote  of  the  said  castell. 
At  the  whiche  zouth  ende  of  whiche  courte  there  ys  a 
garden  encloseid  w**  a  pale  and  hedge  and  at  the  est 
ende  of  the  same  courte  a  doffe  [dove]  house  of  tymber. 
And  adioynyng  to  the  mote  upon  the  lefte  hande 
ent^yng  the  castell  a  som'  howse  of  quyke  sett  trees 
like  an  arbor  made  withe  a  fframe  of  tymber.     And  as 

I  <«  Leve-lookers."  It  is  almost  certain  that  these  were  the  two 
oflBcers  yearly  elected,  who  were  afterwards  called  "appraisers.** 
There  were  "  leave-lookers*'  in  the  borongh  of  Denbigh  also,  who  in 
1827  were  orderf»d  to  inspect  the  slanghter-honses*  See  Williams's 
Records  nf  DefnJbigh  and  its  Lordship^  p.  161.  . 

.    2  ,Xhe  Welsh  court-house,  or  lordship  court.   See  note  2,  page  311, 
aad  elsewhere.  •  .       ;  • 


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m  coir!rrY  Denbigh.  313 

ye  enter  ynto  the  said  oastell  the  waye  lyythe  zouth 
esteward.  The  said  castell  stondeth  equally  withe  the 
towne  very  strongly  bwilte  upon  a  rocke.  The  waye 
ffrom  the  said  gate  to  the  enteryng  ynto  the  first  warde 
conteynythe  ffiftye  paces,  the  first  entye  beyng  ou' 
[over]  a  bridge  of  tymber  and  under  the  same  a  drye 
mote.  The  said  warde  beyng  a  square  towre^  strongly 
bwilte  with  two  strong  gates  yn  eyther  side  one  beyng 
XXX**  fote  betweene  the  said  gates,  and  at  eu'y  gate  a 
purtecules  of  tymber,  and  ffrome  the  same  warde  ent^yng 
the  castell  a  bridge  of  tymber  xx*^  flPote  of  lenght  and 
ten  in  bre**the.  The  mote  beyng  ffiftye  ffete  depe 
underneth  the  same  bridge.  The  saide  towre^  stonding 
yn  the  midds  of  the  mote  betwene  the  saide  two 
bridges.  And  then  ent'yng  the  said  castell  two  oder 
stronge  gates,  beyng  fortye  flfote  betwene  the  same 
gates  withe  a  portcules  of  iron  for  the  inner  gate,  a 
courte  paved  of  fy  ve  square  beyng  c  .  .  .  [a  blank  after 
the  first  c]  ffote  over  witheyn  tne  inner  gate.  The 
said  mote  compassyng  ffbure  squares  of  the  same  castell, 
and  the  ryver  of  Dye  [  =  Dee]  runyng  by  the  este  side 
of  the  said  castell  upon  the  wall  side  on  the  fyveth 
[fifth]  square  therof,  tne  mote  beyng  one  hundred  flfote 
yn  breathe  and  metyng  withe  tne  saide  river  on 
eyther  side.  And  witheyn  the  saide  castell  ther  are 
all  bowses  of  office  mete  for  a  prynce  to  kepe  his  house 
yn.  And  on  the  lefte  side  of  the  inner  gate  ther  ys  a 
flfaire  steres  [stairs]  of  stone  work  vii  fote  wide  goyng 
up  to  the  haule,  a  streight  steiie,  and  on  the  right 
hande  of  the  steire  heade  the  hawle,  and  at  the  lower 
ende  therof  a  buttrey,  a  pantrey,  and  a  flTaire  kychen 
withe  a  drawght  well  yn  the  same.  And  a  large 
chymney  in  the  lefte  side  of  the  saide  hawle,  And  at 
the  ou'  [over  =  upper]  ende  of  the  haule  on  the  right 
side  of  the  same  ent'yng  the  greate  chamber,  and  so 
directly   two   oder   chambers    rownde   abowte    bwilte 

-  ^  This  refers  to  the  square  Exchequer  tower,  separated  from  th^ 
castle  proper  bj  a  moat,  whioh  also  snrroanded  it  on  every  side. 
The  boilding  first  described  was  the  outer  [or  ^*  utter'^  gate*boase. 

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tli  THE   TOWK   OF  HOLT, 

beyng  the  highest  storye  castelljke,  with  chymneys  yn 
eu'y  [every]  of  theyme.  And  underneth  the  said 
hawle  and  chambers  thre  stories  for  lodgeyngs  and 
howses  of  office,  amongst  which  ther  ys  a  horse  myll  a 
stable  for  xx  horses  and  ou'  [over]  the  leadds  ther  is  a 
faire  waike  and  a  goodly  p'especte  [prospect].  The 
castell  beyng  bwilte  fy ve  square,  and  att  eu'y  square  a 
rownde  towre  of  flfy ve  stories  highe,  and  on  eu'y  story 
a  chymney  and  owte  of  eu'y  the  same  towers  a  steire 
up  to  the  leads,  and  from  the  leadds  two  seu'all 
wyndyng  steires  downe  to  the  tower  p'te  [part]  of  the 
courte.  And  aswell  the  castell  and  the  fyve  towres  as 
the  utter  warde  beyng  builte  with  ffrestone  playne 
aishelar  and  embateled.  And  a  secrete  narrow  wey 
goyng  owte  of  the  same  courte  downe  a  steres  of  stone 
and  vawted  [vaulted]  with  stone  ynto  the  saide  ryver 
of  Dye  whereto  the  warde  and  dore  ys  of  iron.  Two 
squares  of  the  leadds  of  the  said  castell  nedith  to  be 
emendyd,  the  reste  are  well  repayred.  The  parpwynte 
[parapet]  of  the  utter  wall  nyne  ffote  thycke,  the 
inn[er]  wall  [blank]  ffote.  The  said  castell  beyng  more 
strongly  bwilded  with  stone  and  tymber  then  [than] 
stately  lodgeing  or  conveyant  [convenient], 

"  And  adioyninge  the  mote  on  the  weste  side  of  the 
said  castell  an  arbor  and  adioynyng  the  same  on  the 
zoUthe  side  over  a  bride  [?  bridge]  a  litel  p'ke  [park] 
paled  abowte  lyyng  upon  the  said  river  of  Dye,  beyng 
replenyshed  with  xvi  dere  of  auntler  and  rascalP  yn  the 
kypyng  of  S'  Barye  Acoton  [Acton]  knyght,  and 
[blank]  Pylleston,  the  arbage  [herbage]  whereof  ys 
worthe  yerely  xxxs. 

"  The  saide  castell  and  towne  lyythe  %ve  miles 
ffrome  the  Cytye  of  West  Chester,*  and  yn  no  clene 
ay  re,  but  yn  a  sou  re  countrey.     The  ryver  also  beyng 

^  Rasoal,  *' a  term  of  the  ohase.  Certain  animals  not  worth 
liantiiig  were  so  called.  The  hart,  till  he  was  six  years  old,  was 
accoanted  r(wcay/tf.**— Skeat"  "  A  dear  lean  and  out  of  season." — 
Dyce. 

*  Actually;  Holt  is  aboat  8^  miles  from  Chester 


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IN   COtJNTt    DEKBIGfl.  315 

a  darke  muddy e  water  the  lere  [i.e.,  look]  of  the  zoyle 
beyng  a  redde  erthe." 

On  folio  3  is  the  following  description  of  Mersley 
Park  :  "  In  the  ffranchese  of  the  holte  and  witheyn  one 
mile  of  the  said  castell  ther  ys  a  faire  p'ke  beyng  thre 
miles  abowte  the  same  being  paled  Rownde  w"*  M  pale 
w^  pke  is  more  yn  lawnes  and  playnes  then  [than] 
cou^'te.  The  midd®  of  the  said  p 'ke  beyng  cou'te  with 
okes  and  smale  Tymber  witheout  any  oder  Cou'te. 
And  in  the  zouthe  ende  of  the  same  cou'te  a  pretve 
lodge  for  the  kyper  well  bwillte  [so  in  MS.  for  **  built ']. 
All  the  growl  ids  of  the  said  p'ke  beyng  level!  And  very 
goMe  and  depe  pasture  ground  Replenyshed  with  Ixx 
dere  of  Auntler  eight  score  dere  of  Rascall  and  foui- 
score  fiiiwnes.  Th  arbage  [herbage]  therof  worthe  to 
be  sett  beside  flpyndyng  of  the  game  yerely  [blank]. 
The  fejrping  wherof  is  graunted  by  the  kyng*  maiestye 
his  graces  lett  s  patent  to  George  cotton  knyght  for 
t'me  of  his  liffe."^ 

The  followingr  is  also  worthy  of  note  :  "The  bayly- 
wickes  of  hewlingtoii,  hem  man'm  [that  is,  Hem  manor] 
and  Rydley  are  p'cell  of  the  demayns  of  the  said 
Castell  which  iij  p'cells  are  of  the  yerely  value  of  [blank] 
herafler  p'ticularly  sett  forthe  yn  this  boke  of  Survey 
the  same  lyyng  by  the  said  Castle  being  a  veiy  good 
fertile  grownde  both  for  medowe  pasture  and  Errable 
londe  which  are  letten  to  dyu's  p'sons  for  t'me  [term] 
of  yeres  by  the  kynge's  letters  patent  as  yn  the  same 
Baylywykes  Aperithe.  ... 

"  Ther  be   thre   very   ffayre  powles*  [pools]   lyyng 

^Mersley  Park  was  the  great  park  in  Allingtou  (long  ago  dis- 
parked)  attached  to  Holt  Castle,  of  which  an  aooonnt  is  given  in 
the  "  History  of  the  Townships  of  the  old  Parish  of  Ghresford," 
pp.  145-7,  Areh.  Camh.,  1906,  pp.  195-7.  It  was  coterminous  with 
the  OoDlmon  Wood,  Holt,  bat  paled  off  from  it. 

'  These  were  the  fishpools  in  Frog  Lane  for  the  sopply  of  Holt 
Castle.  They  occupied  the  site  of  the  meadow  nearly  opposite 
Esphill,  which  nieadow  has  still  a  very  irregular  and  uneven  surface. 
The  field,  called  '*  Fishpoolfield,"  in  which  many  of  the  burgesses  of 
Holt  had  distinct  **  acres, **  probably  adjoined  the  6shpools. 


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316  TttE   TOWN   OP    HOLt, 

witheya  one  quarter  of  a  myle  to  the  Castell  which 
haven  bene  heretofore  replenyshed  with  ffreshe  water 
ffishe  the  same  being  lyke  to  be  distroyed  for  lack  of 
scowryng  and  seeing  vnto  wherby  the  kyngs  highness 
taketh  no  yerely  p'fBt. 

**Thre  miles  frome  the  Castell  of  hclte  ther  ys  a 
grownde  which  ys  a  myle  and  di*  [that  is,  a  haU] 
Abowte  callyd  I'he  Warren^  Wheryn  ther  hath  bene 
game  of  cunneys  [conies]  and  the  Custodye  therof 
corny ttyd  to  one  Edward  Breerton  [of  Burras  Hall] 
withe  the  yerely  ffee  of  1x5.  xd.  tharbage  [the  herbage] 
wherof  of  late  .  .  .  ys  graunted  to  the  said  Edward  for 
t'me  of  .  .  .  for  the  yerely  rent  of  [blank]  so  that  the 
said  Warren  ys  conu'tyd  to  A  yerely  iFerme  and  no 
game  of  cunneys  theryn  kepte.  The  same  grownde 
beyng  one  myle  and  di'  Abowte  all  couerte  and  over 
growen  with  brakes  and  Thornes  except  Thre  akers 
therof  thorowgh  which  grownde  there  are  llire  highe 
comen  wayes."  .  .  . 

*•  Witheyn  one  myle  of  the  castell  and  townt  of  the 
holte  ther  ys  a  faire  comon*  beyng  thre  quartrs  of  one 
myle  Abowte  of  good  pasture  grownde  whiche  the  bur- 
gesses of  the  holte  clayme  to  have  to  theyme  and  to 
theyr  heirs  yn  flfee  by  a  charter  made  to  theyme  by 
[blank],  sometime  lord  of  Bromfelde  and  Yale,  the 
same  comon  beyng  adjoynt  to  the  p'ke  of  marslie." 

Also,  **  ther  ys  a  ffre  Chapel  witheyn  the  Castell  of 
the  holte,  of  the  kyngs  Majestyes  gyfte,  of  the  yerely 
vaylue  of  Ten  poundes,  beyng  yeven  to  one  S'  Thomas 
Birde,  clerk,  wherunto  ther  doth  belong  the  tythe  of 
s'ten  [certain]  land,  lying  witheyn  the  Baylywyke 
of  Burton  called  Pastelande,  and  Tire  Boroughe,  the 
same  beyng  worthe  by  the  year  iii/i."* 

^  This  warren  was  Pare  CwiiiDg,  in  the  townghip  of  Bieston, 
perhaps  nsed  for  the  snpplj  of  rabhits  (conies)  to  Holt  Castle,  ns 
well  as  for  the  diversion  of  the  lord  or  his  officer  (see  my  History  of 
the  Country  Towruhips  of  the  old  Parish  of  Wrexham^  pp.  155  and 
159.  2  The  Common  Wood  of  Holt 

•  This  iigure  is  somewhat  vaguely  written.  In  Norden's  Survey 
of  the  manor  of  Borton  the  lands  belonging  to  the  casUe  chapel  ar^ 
described  as  worth  £10  in  the  time  of  Henry  VIII. 

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IN   COUNTY   DENBIGH.  317 

Whatever  is  not  quite  plain  in  Tidderley's  description 
of  the  castle  will  become  clear  when,  in  a  future  chapter, 
plans  and  views  will  be  given,  and  other  particulars 
furnished  relating  to  the  same. 

Meanwhile,  it  may  be  well  so  far  to  anticipate  the 
further  and  more  minute  description  of  the  castle  and 
its  precincts,  so  promised,  by  saying  that  an  inquiry^ 
was  made  at  Holt  on  the  30th  January,  158f,  by 
Roger  Puleston  and  George  Olive,  Esquires,  by  virtue 
of  a  writ  to  them,  and  to  Sir  Hugh  Cholmondeley, 
Knight,  directed.  Eight  witnesses  were  examined,  but 
the  only  points  that  need  be  noticed  here  are  these : 
John  Ledsum,  of  the  town  of  Lyons,  aged  72,  said  that 
"  the  first  chamb' going  up  the  store  [stair]  on  the  right 
hand  of  the  gate  coming  into  the  inner  Court  the  Con- 
stable did  use  to  leade  his  prisoners  to  a  tower  adioyn- 
ing  to  the  same,  w'^^  tower  also  the  Constable  used  to 
keepe  his  prysoners  in,  and  so  ascending  to  the  said 
stores  the  Chamb'  over  the  Gate  was  comonly  cauled 
the  Constables  Chamber,  w*^**  his  deputy  lodged  in,  and 
thother  chamber  on  the  left  hand  of  the  said  lodging 
the  Constable  used  to  laie  his  wood  and  coale  in,  and 
wherein  also  bedds  were  set";  and  so  had  been  used  for 
sixty  years.  Richard  Roydon,  of  the  town  of  Lyons, 
Gent.,  aged  68,^  testified  that  "  the  tower,  w*"^  hath  a 
chymney  in  yt,  and  adioyneth  is  the  chamber  w*'**  the 
Constable  had  his  wood  and  coale  in  was  also  app^'tain- 
ing  to  the  Constables  oflBce,  w*^**  he  hath  knowen  for 
these  xlvi  yeares  or  therabouts,  and  further  saith  that 
when  Mr.  Edward  Aimer,  being  deputie  steward,  did 
lye  in  the  said  Castle  Thomas  Powell,  who  was  then 
Cunstable,  did  locke  and  keepe  all  the  foresaid  roomes 
from  the  use  of  the  said  M'  Aimer."     William  Kitchen, 

^  I  owe  my  knowledge  of  this,  as  well  as  of  the  other  inqnirj, 
presently  to  be  named,  to  my  friend,  Mr.  Edward  Owen. 

^  See  page  319,  where,  on  80th  January,  158^,  Richard  Roydon's 
age  is  given  as  60.  Both  documents  are  correctly  copied^  bat  there 
ia  an  evident  error  in  one  of  them,  in  the  respect  noted,  68  bein^ 
written  for  60,  or  contrariwise. 


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318  THE   TOWN   OF   HOLT, 

of  the  town  of  Lyons,  aged  56  years,  said  that  the 
"chamber  over  the  gate  coming  into  the  inner  court 
hath  bene  alwaies  reputed  and  cauled  the  Ounstables 
Chamb',  and  the  next  chamber,  w**  was  called  the 
second  chamber,  and  the  tower  having  a  chymney  in 
yt,  one  Bernard  Bewley,  who  served  as  deputie  cun- 
stable,  did  use  and  occupie."  .  Robert  Powell,  alias 
Smyth,  of  the  town  of  Lyons,  smith,  aged  42,  testified 
to  the  taking  downe  of  two  portculleses  of  yron,  w***in 
the  said  Castle  by  the  com'ndem*^  of  Edward  Hughes, 
esqui*"/'  Launcelot  Bates,  of  the  Holt,  aged  60,  de- 
posed that  **  he  hath  hard  [heard]  one  iron  doore  being 
belowe  in  the  house  towards  the  Riu'  of  Dee  (in  the 
tyme  of  M'  Hughes)  ys  taken  awaie."  Being  examined 
as  to  certain  outhouses,  he  said  that  xxx"®  yeres  agoe 
[they]  were  ruynows,  but  since  M'  Hughes  his  tyme 
they  are  well  repaired,  and  the  same  nowe  holdeii  by 
M'  Hughes  and  his  assignes.  And  that  he  knoweth 
about  4  yeres  agoe  ther  was  a  slaughter  house  went  to 
decaie."  John  Bewley,  of  Allington,  aged  56,  formerly 
a  horse-smith  within  the  Castle  precincts,  spoke  of 
certain  outhouses  therein,  which  he  remembered,  since 
'taken  awaie,  but  by  whom  he  knoweth  not";  but  said 
also  that  "to  his  nowledge  the  said  castle  ys  in  better 
rep^'aco'n  then  [than]  yt  was  xlviii  yeres  agoe,  when  he 
first  did  knowe  the  same";  and  Richard  Symkins,  of  the 
Holt,  aged  74,  testified  that  *'  the  said  Castle  ys  in 
better  rep^'acon  [reparation  =  repair]  then  yt  was  when 
M'  Hughes  came  to  yt." 

The  second  inquiry  before  alluded  to  was  taken  in 
Holt  parish  church,  9th  January,  30  Eliz.,  158^,  before 
Owen  Brereton,  Thomas  Powell,  Ralph  Ellis,  and  John 
Salusbury,  the  plaintiflF  being  Launcelot  Bostock,  touch- 
ing the  right  of  Thomas  Lother  to  the  utter  [Outer] 
Gatehouse.  Some  of  the  depositions  are  interesting 
from  the  light  they  throw  on  the  condition  of  the  castle 
and  on  other  matters.  For  example  :  *'  John  Dauyes  of 
Earles"  [Erlas  Hall],  aged  42,  knew  Bernard  Bewley, 
servant   to   Richard  Eaton,  Constable  of   th^  Castle, 


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IN   COUNTY   DENBIGH.  319 

dwelling  in  the  utter  gjitehouse  ;  he  knew  also  Thomas 
Lother  dwelling  there,  as  servant  to  Richard  Eaton, 
Constable ;  he  remembered  a  letter  coming  to  his 
roaster  from  Launcelot  Bostock,  begging  that  Lother 
tnight  dwell  in  and  have  the  use  of  tlie  utter  gatehouse 
in  variance ;  and  Richard  Roydon,  of  Holt,  aged  60 
years  (see  note  2,  page  317),  remembered  John  Picker- 
ing, the  porter,  with  rooms  in  the  inner  gate  on  the 
right  hand  going  into  the  said  castle.  Pickering  never 
dwelt  in  the  utter  gatehouse,  which  the  Constable 
used  for  prisonere  for  debt  and  misdemeanours,  and 
used  the  gaol  within  the  body  of  the  castle  for  felons 
and  murderers.  The  castle  ditch  belonged  to  the  Con- 
stable, etc. 

It  may  seem  to  the  reader  that  the  foregoing  parti- 
culars of  the  inquiries  at  Holt  on  30th  January,  158^, 
and  9th  January,  158^,  have  been  dealt  with  some- 
what out  of  place.  But  many  of  the  witnesses  at  the 
inquiries  were  old  men,  and  were  examined  specially 
as  to  what  they  remembered  of  the  castle  :  four  of  them 
speaking  concerning  its  condition  thirty,  forty-six,  forty- 
eight,  and  even  sixty  years  before.  Mention  of  these 
testimonies  at  this  stage  is,  therefore,  on  reflection,  not 
so  much  out  of  order  or  by  any  way  of  anticipation  as 
it  would  at  first  seem. 

At  the  time  of  Tidderley  s  survey,  the  afternamed 
streets  and  lanes  in  Holt  were  already  well  established  : 
Frog  lane.  Castle  street,  High  street,  "  Brigestrete," 
Wrexham  lane,  mylne  lane  [Mill  lane],  GaTlow  tree 
lane  (the  Holt  end  of  Francis  lane,  properly  Franchise 
lane),  Chester  lane  and  "  Werrock  lane, '  which  appears 
to  be  another  name  for  Chester  lane,  and  should  be 
spelled  "  Weirhook  lane."  So  also  are  named  "  the 
devyn,"  or  "  devon"  [brook]  **  the  hogmore "  [now 
"  Hugmore'']  area,  and  *'  the  underwood  called  *  Cor- 
nysh.' "  There  were  four  shops  under  the  Town  Hall, 
and  there  was  a  horse-mill,  more  particularly  described 
hereafter.  The  "espyes"  were  fields  somewhere  near 
where  Esphill  now  is.     Already,  besides  the  free  bur- 


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320  THE   TOWN   OF    HOLT, 

gesses  and  those  holding  demesne  land  by  twenty-one 
years'  leases,  was  a  class  of  forty  years'  leaseholders^ 
perhaps  men  to  whom  were  granted  burgages  and  lands 
which  had  escheated  to  the  lord.  And  there  was 
nothing  in  the  way  of  a  free  burgess  holding  leasehold 
land  also.  Many  of  the  burgages  had  two  or  more 
burgages ;  and  some,  it  would  seem,  had  a  single  large 
house  occupying  the  site  of  several  adjoining  burgages. 

In  Appendix  I  will  be  found  a  list  of  the  tenants  ot 
Holt  at  the  time  of  Tidderley's  survey. 

I  have  not  yet  been  able  to  find  a  convenient  place 
to  speak  of  the  known  constables,  chaplains,  and  other 
officials  of  Holt  Castle,  and  so  supply  a  list  of  them  in 
Appendix  II  to  this  chapter. 

And  in  what  follows  this  paragraph  of  tlie  same 
chapter,  it  will  be  fitting  to  say  what  remains  to  be 
said  touching  the  history  of  the  lordship  generally  from 
the  time  of  Henry  VII  onwards. 

In  1534,  Bromfield,  Yale,  and  Chirkland  were 
granted  by  Henry  VIII  to  his  illegitimate  son,  Henry 
Fitzroy,  Duke  of  Richmond,  then  only  fifteen  yeai-s  oi 
age ;  but  the  lad  died  about  two  years  afterwards,  and 
the  lordship  came  back  to  the  Crown  once  more. 

Permant  says  that  in  the  reign  of  Eidwurd  VI 
Bromfield  and  Yale  were  **in  possession  of  Thomas 
Seymour,  Lord-Admiral,  and  turbulent  brother  to  the 
Protector  Somerset.  He  made  the  fortress  of  Holt 
subservient  to  his  ambitious  designs,  and  formed  there 
a  great  magazine  of  warlike  stores.  His  deserved  but 
illegal  execution  again  flung  Bromfield  into  the  pos- 
session of  the  Crown."  The  statement,  so  put,  implies 
that  there  had  been  a  grant  to  Admiral  Seymour  of  the 
lordship  as  such :  a  most  improbable  circumstance,  con- 
sidering all  that  is  otherwise  known.  But  the  Patent 
Roll  of  28  Henry  VIII  (1536)  proves  that  on  the  2nd 
October  of  that  year  there  was  conceded  to  Geoi^Q 
Cotton  and  Thomas  Seymour,  a  gentleman  of  the  Privy 
Council,  the  survivorship  of  the  office  of.**ma3t^ 
steward"  of  the  Castle  of  Lyons  alias  Holte,  and  of  the 


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IN   COUNTY   DENBIGH.  321 

manors  or  lordships  of  Bromefelde  and  Yale,"  void  by, 
the  attainder  of  ^William  Brereton  (Chamberlain  of 
Chester,  executed  17th  May,  1536),  with  a  fee  of  £20 
yearly,  which  was  always  the  fee  of  the  seneschal,  or 
chief  steward,  as  it  still  is.  Nq  doubt,  Seymour  as 
seneschal  could  procure  the  appointment  of  the  Con- 
stable of  Holt  Castle,  and  would  thus  have  the  control 
of  the  Castle  itself,  making  it,  as  Dugdale  says,  *'a 
magazine  of  warlike  provision";  but  the  offices  of  Steward 
of  Bromfield  atld  Yale  and  Constable  of  the  Castle  were 
distipct,;.and  a  grant  of  either  or  both  of  them  did  not 
involve  a  [grant  <if  the  lordship.  There  is  also  a  later 
grailt  (dated  1st  Edward  VI)  to  Seymour  of  various 
manors  and  l^nds  ip  the  lordship ;  and  this  grant,  no 
doubt,  led  Pennant  (or  Dugdale,  on  whom  he  probably 
relied)  to  the  mis<(^ken  assumption,  which  his  words 
imply,  that  Thomas^  Admiral  Lord  Seymour  of  Sudeley, 
was  Lord  of  Bromfield  and  Yale. 

The  next  event  in  the  history  of  Holt,  so  far  as  the 
subject  of  this -chapter  is  concerned,  was  the  accession 
of  Queen  Elizabeth;  in  the  first  year  of  whose  reign  ten 
of  the  burgesses  of  Holt  were  bound  over,  each  in  the 
sum  of  £100,  to  stand  to  such  order  as  should  be  made 
in  the  Court  of  Exchequer  at  Westminster  touching 
the  revival  of  **Decaies"  of  rent  which  had  grown 
ivithin  the  town  and  liberties.  Then,  in  the  fourth 
year  of  thet  Queens  reign^  by  virtue  of  a  commission, 
directed  on  1st  August, -1561,  to.  William,  Marquis  of 
Winchester  (Lord  Treasurer),  Sir  iiRichard  Sackville, 
Knight  (Under  Treasurer),  and  Sir  Walter  Mildmay, 
Knight  (Cheincellor  of  the,,  Exchequer),  these,  three 
appdintea  as  .sub-oommissioners  (to  make  a  surVey  oi 
the  lordship,,  revive  decayed  rents,  and  compound  with 
the  tenanjis),  Robei^t  l^oulton  (then  Auditor  of  Wales), 
John  Puleaftoii,  John  Gwynne,  John  Trevor  (of  Tref- 
^.lyn),  and  Robert  Tarbridge,  Esquires,  who  thereupon 
proceeded  to.  make  stich  a  survey  and  agreement  as 
was  from  ttiem^  requi'red.  .  So  far  as  the  town  and 
franchise  of  Holt  were  concerned,  the  burgesses  were 

6th  SkB.,  VOL.  vit.  21 


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322  THE  TOWN  OF   HOLT, 

called  upon,  according  to  a  decree  made  in  Hilary  term 
in  the  fifth  year  of  the  Queen's  reign,  to  pay  their 
ancient  rents,  which  were  more  by  £12  8^.  lOa.  than 
their  existing  rents,  and  to  perform  other  things  which 
need  not  be  here  particularised.  This  device  seems  to 
have  been  confirmed  in  the  Court  of  Exchequer  on  the 
6th  June,  fifth  year  of  James  I  (1607).  The  town  was 
also  charged  with  the  collection  of  the  borough  rents. 
But  some  simple  folk — free  burgesses  ignorant  of  their 
rights — took  forty  years'  leases  of  their  lands  from  the 
Queen;  and  in  1620  the  burgesses  asked  that  their 
descendants   might   have   the   benefit  of  the  charter 

rnted  to  them  by  Thomas,  Earl  of  Arundel,  of  which 
the  fifth  year  of  Elizabeth's   reign   the   burgesses 
obtained  a  confirmation. 

In  the  survey  of  4  Elizabeth  (1562),  the  aftemamed 
streets  and  lanes  in  Holt  are  named  :  Chester  lane, 
'*  Warrhooke  lane,*'  **ffrog  lane,"  Castle  street,  Wrex- 
ham lane,  Cornish  lane,  gallow  tree  lane,  "  hogmore 
lane,"  Pepper  street,  Bennets  lane,  *'  the  pavement 
leading  to  Comon  Wood,"  "mooregate,"  and  **over- 
whart  street."  I  have  never  elsewhere  found  any 
mention  of  the  street  last  indicated  in  Holt :  it  was 
probably  a  cross  street,  "  overwhart"  having  the  mean- 
ing of  over  against^  or  crossing.  "  Hogmore"  is  always 
so  spelled.  There  appears  as  yet  to  have  been  no 
house  at  Cornish,  or  "  Cornis,"  as  it  is  once  called. 
''Hodhill"  was  near  the  burgage  of  Thomas  Crue, 
which  burgage  is  now  represented  by  Holt  Hill.  The 
high  cross,  "high  greene,"  and  '* litle  green,"  by  fish- 
poolfield,  are  also  mentioned.  ^*  Knight  s  wood  next 
Wrexham  Lane"  is  referred  to,  also  "  the  pool  of  Dee" 
[stagnum  Dee],  The  "  devon"  brook  is  often  named. 
The  basement  of  the  Town  Hall  is  still  occupied  by 
four  shops,  and  the  site  of  the  horse-mill  described  as 
containing  60  yards,  and  having  the  Dee  on  the  east 
side  of  it,  the  land  of  John  Pickering  on  the  west, 
Saunders  liey  on  the  north,  and  the  land  of  Edward 
Aimer,  Esq.,  on  the  south.     We  may  compare  these 


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IN   COUNTY   DENBIGH.  323 

names   with  those   given   in    Tidderley's   survey   (on 
page  319). 

There  will  be  found  in  Appendix  III  to  this  chapter 
a  list  of  the  tenants  of  Holt  in  1562. 

Queen  Elizabeth  seems  to  have  neglected  to  appoint 
most  of  the  ancient  officers  of  the  lordship,  so  as  to  sav« 
expense,  and  obtained  money  by  granting  leases  of 
many  of  the  demesne  lands,  or  by  selling  them.  In  the 
second  year  of  her  reign  she  sold  outright  not  merely 
the  chantry  lands  belonging  to  Holt  Church,  but  also 
the  tithes  of  those  other  lands  which  had  been  appro- 
priated to  the  use  of  the  chaplain  in  the  chapel  of  Holt 
Castle.  As  to  the  first  of  these,  mention  will  be  made 
when,  in  a  later  chapter,  the  church  of  Holt  has  to  be 
described,  but  this  is  the  place  to  speak  of  the  last- 
named.  Those  lands  have  already  been  discussed  in 
my  Country  Townships  of  the  Old  Parish  of  Gresford^ 
p.  134,  and  a  reference  to  them  and  to  the  free  chapel 
in  the  castle  is  contained  in  Tidderley's  Survey  (see 
before,  p.  316).  But  it  is  necessary  now  to  enter  into 
further  particulars.  The  tithes  of  the  chapel  within 
{infra)  the  Castle  are  mentioned  in  April,  1451,  and 
the  chapel  itself  is  indicated  in  the  earlier  plan  of  the 
same,  hereafter  to  be  considered.  Also,  in  the  will  of 
John  Roden,  Serjeant-at-Arms,  dated  6th  March,  15  If, 
the  "  fre  chapell  of  the  castell  of  the  Holt"  is  named,  but 
only  in  such  a  way  as  to  imply  that  the  testator  was 
farmer  of  the  lands  attached  to  it.  On  the  14th  June, 
1548,  Edward  VI  leased  [the  tithes  of]  certain  lands 
and  tenements  called  bourd  [board]  lands  and  passe 
["  passe"  for  *'  past,"  that  is  '*  pastus"]  lands  in  the 
townships  of  Burton,  AUington,  Merford  and  Hoseley, 
"  lately  parcel  of  the  possessions  of  the  chantry  or  free 
chapel  within  the  Castle  of  Lyons,"  to  Thomas  Barrett, 
John  Wrighte,  and  John  Coldewell.  On  the  20th 
January,  15f^,  the  Queen  sold  these  tithes  to  John 
Norden  and  Clement  Roberts  and  their  heirs,  who  no 
doubt  speedily  conveyed  them  to  other  persons  ;  and 

21  « 


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324  THE   TOWN    OP   HOLT, 

the  said  tithes  came  ultimately  into  the  possession  of 
the  Trevors.^ 

, .  The  chapel  of  the  Castle  was  "  free/'  because  the  lord 
of  Bromfield  and  Yale  not  merely  provided  it,  kept  it 
in  repair,  maintained  the  chaplain  by  the  allotment  of 
lands,  the  tithes  whereof  went  to  his  support,  and 
appointed  that  official,  but  held  him  and  the  chapel 
free  from  the  jurisdiction  and  control  of  the  Arch- 
deacon, as  well  as  from  the  control  of  the  incumbent  of 
the  parish  in  which  the  castle  stood. 

It  seems  improbable  that  the  chapel  in  the  Castle 
was  used  as  such  after  the  tithes  appropriated  to  it 
had  been  leased,  and  certain  that  it  was  not  so  used 
after  they  had  been  alienated. 

The  Castle  chaplains  known  to  me  are  so  few  that 
they  can  soon  be  named. 

On  the  24th  January,  151^,  Sir  Anthony  Byrne  was 
granted  the  chaplaincy  of  the  Castle,  in  the  same  way 
that  William  Alom  formerly  held  it.  To  Anthony 
Byrne,  son  of  Ralph  Byrne,  Sir  Williain  Roden,  Rector 
of  Gresford,  bequeathed  (24th  June,  1526)  a  breviary, 
a  samite  hood,  and  a  surplice.  And,  according  to  the 
late  Mr.  Ellison  Powell,  Henry  VIII,  in  the  29th  year 
of  his  reign,  granted  to  Thomas  Byrde,  clerk,  the  free 
chantry  or  chapel  of  Holt  Castle ;  and  this  chaplain  was 
still  in  possession  at  the  time  of  Tjdderley^s  Survey 
(see  p.  316). 

On  the  4th  June,  1610,  in  the  8th  year  of  James  I, 
the  King  granted  the  title  of  Prince  of  Wales  and  Earl 
of  Chester  to  Henry,  his  elder  son,  and  then,  or  shortly 

^  The  lands,  still  called  "  boardlands,"  ont  of  which  the  tithes 
were  due,  or  some  of  thera,  belonp^d  to  John  Trevor  in  1523,  as 
appeal's  by  a  canons  entry  on  folio  39  of  the  Survey  of  4  Qneen  Eliz. ; 
from  which  we  learn  that  at  the  time  of  the  survey  John  Trevor  had 
a  capital  messuage  and  thirteen  acres  of  pasture  pertaining  thereto 
in  IVIerford,  Hoseley  and  TrovalliD,  premises  anciently  belonging  *' to 
the  free  chapel  of  the  castle  of  the  lordship  of  holt,"  and  obtained 
by  exchange,  formerly  the  lands  of  Jenkin  ap  David  Griffith  and 
Jbhn'ap  John  ap  Robert,  as  shown  under  the  seal  of  GHstle  Lyons, 
5th  July,  15  Henry  VIII. 


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IN  COmnT  DSNBIGH.  325 

afterwards,  gave  him  the  lordship  oi  Bronifield  and 
Yale,  the  tenants,  free  and  leasehold,  whereof  yielded 
a  mize  of  600  marks  (£400)  to  the  said  Prince  ;  having 
already,  on  the  King's  accession  to  the  throne  and  to 
the  lordship,  given  a  mize  of  like  amount  to  James. 
After  Prince  Henry's  death,  the  Principality  of  Wales 
and  the  lordship  of  Bromfield  and  Yale  were  granted 
(3rd  November,  1616)  to  Prince  Charles,  afterwards 
Charles  I,  whereupon  another  mize  of  600  marks  was 
rendered. 

On  the  3rd  of  March,  16^,  a  commission  was  made 
out  to  John  Norden  the  elder,  and  John  Norden  the 
younger,  the  Prince's  own  surveyor,  Sir  Richard  Smith 
being  in  personal  attendance  upon  Charles,  to  make  a 
new  survey  of  Bromtield  and  Yale,  and  other  the  Prince's 
possessions  in  Wales.  The  survey  of  Holt  was  begun 
on  the  11th  April,  1620,  and  is  very  valuable.  It  will 
be  dealt  with  in  another  chapter. 

Meanwhile,  I  may  say  (as  explained  in  my  History 
of  the  Country  Townships  of  the  OldPaiish  of  Wi^exham, 
p.  40)  that  James  I,  as  a  device  for  raising  money,  on 
the  27th  January,  in  the  22nd  year  of  his  reign,  162|, 
leased  Bromfield  and  Yale,  for  ninety-nine  years,  to 
commissioners,  who  were  empowered  to  sell  escheat, 
leasehold,  and  demesne  lands ;  and  to  make,  in  con- 
sideration of  the  payment  of  a  sum  of  money  (amount- 
ing in  some  cases  which  have  come  under  my  cognisance, 
to  twenty-five  years'  purchase,  calculated  on  tne  exist- 
ingrents)  freehold  or  fee-farm  estates. 

Under  the  powers  of  this  patent,  or  commission, 
many  of  the  manors,  demesnes,  leasehold  lands,  and 
rents  were  sold.  Thus,  the  Earl  of  Bridge  water  acquired 
the  manor  of  Ridley,  in  Isycoed,  at  a  reserved  rent  of 
£11  Is.  4fd.  Also,  on  3rd  July,  1628,  the  commis- 
sioners, or  patentees,  of  James  I,  as  they  may  be  called, 
conveyed  Mersley  Park,  together  with  the  Broadland 
and  ^Dushy  land,  for  £2,000,  at  a  reserved  yearly  rent 
of  £20,  to  the  same  John,  Earl  of  Bridgewater,  the 
two  last-named  pieces  being  apparently  taken  out  of 


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326  THE   TOWN   OF   HOLT, 

common  wood.  We  see,  in  short,  one  process  by  which 
landlordism,  on  the  large  scale,  was  being  built  up. 
But  many  leaseholders  also  purchased,  under  this 
patent,  the  lands  which  they  held  by  forty  years'  leases, 
and  became  small  proprietors. 

When  Charles  I  was  beheaded,  Bromfield  and  Yale 
were  treated,  for  ten  years,  as  part  of  the  public  estates 
of  the  Commonwealth  ;  and  a  survey  was  then  made,  to 
which  there  may  be  occasion  to  refer  hereafter.  But, 
save  for  these  ten  years,  the  lordship  has  remained  in 
the  hands  of  the  Crown  since  Charles  I  became  King, 
and  is  still  vested  therein,  being  administered  by  the 
Commissioners  of  Woods,  Forests,  and  Land  Revenues. 
A  steward  is  appointed  for  the  same  by  the  King,  on 
the  recommendation  of  the  Prime  Minister ;  which 
steward  receives  the  ancient  salary  of  £20  yearly,  and 
vacates  his  seat,  if  a  Member  of  Parliament,  on  accept- 
ing the  oflBce. 

William  III  intended  to  have  granted  the  lordrfxip 
to  William  Bentinck,  Elarl  of  Portland,  and  a  mighty 
pother  was  made  :  Sir  William  Williams,  Sir  Roger 
Pules  ton  of  Emral,  Mr.  Robert  Price  of  Gilar,  and 
Sir  Robert  Cotton  of  Combermere,  with  others,  ap- 
pearing before  the  Lords  of  the  Treasury  to  oppose  the 
suggested  grant.  The  concession  proposed  was  there- 
upon withdrawn,  and  the  reserved  rents,  when  they  can 
he  identified,  are  still  paid. 

So  ends  this  account  of  the  lords  of  Holt. 


APPENDIX  I.— CHAPTER  IL 

(See  p.  320.) 

List  of  the  Tenants  of  Holt  at  the  time  of 
Tiddbrley's  Sukvey. 


1. — Free  Tenants. 

John  Rodon  Lancelot  Prestlond 

John  Knyght  John  hychyn  [Hutchen] 

John  Alford  William  ap  John 

Richard  Baker  William  Pate 


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IN  OOTTNTT   DENBIGH. 


327 


Robert  Abathowe  [Ab  Atba] 

James  Gbytam  [Cheetham] 

David  Wyld 

Thomas  Grue 

WiUiam  Woddall 

John  Williams 

Ralph  Pnlforth 

John  Adjo 

Robert  hychin  [Hntohin] 

Joan  Balfer,  late  wife  of  John 

Balfer 
Owen  Breerton,  gent. 
Thomas  ap  hoell 
John  ap  Riohard 
John  Griffith 
William  ap  William 
Roger  Wylkynson 
John  Aimer,  gent 
John  Tayler 
John  Chethame 
John  Hanson 


David  ap  O  .  .  • 
William  Owdall  [Udnl] 
John  maddoc  ap  Jollvn  and 
Thomas  maddoc  ap  Jolljn 
Ralph  Bnlkelej 
hngh  hanky,  sen 
hngh  hanky,  jnn' 
Thomas  Belott 
John  Clnbbe 
Riohard  ap  Jenkyn 
Robert  Aldford 
Thomas  Barbor 
Richard  Hanson 
fflorenc  lother 
William  Smythe 
John  Roydon 
Thomas  Edgworth 
Thomas  Arodon  [Rodon] 
John  Erthley 
Edward  Aimer,  esq. 
Ralph  Rawlins,  chaplain 


2. — Tenants  at  Terms  of  Yeabs  at  samb  Time. 


John  Alford 
Richard  Baker 
John  Pykering 
Anthony  Crewe 
Ralph  Pnlforth 
William  Crewe 
William  Woddall 


Thomas  ap  hoell 
fflorenc  lother 
John  ap  Won  [?  Gwion] 
Robert  Aleford  [Aldford] 
Richard  Hanson 
Thomas  Arodon 
Robert  hyohen 


3. — Tenants  at  Will  at  same  Time. 


William  Pate 
Robert  hychin 
William  beggewvke 
William    ap    William    Segge- 
wiok 


John  Pnlforth,  lancelot  pnlforth 
and  William  pnlforth 

John  Pnlforth  and  William  Pnl- 
forth 

Lancelot  Polford 


Brian  Bayte 


APPENDIX  IT.— CHAPTER  II. 

(See  p.  320.) 

Resident  Cokbtables  or  Holt  Castlk 

The  first  Constable  of  whom  I  have  any  note  was  David 
Byton  ap  Llewelyn,  of  Upper  Eyton,  in  the  parish  of  Bangor 
is  y  Coed  His  grandfather,  Ednyfed  a^  Gruffith  ap  lorwerth, 
of  Eyton,  was  a  famous  bard,  who  was  living  in  the  twelfth  year 


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32 8  THE   TOWN   OF   HdLt, 

of  Edward  III,  when  he  appeared  in  the  Court  of  the  rhag- 
lotry.  And  this  David  Eyton  ap  Llewelyn  was  the  *'  Dauid  de 
Eyton,  Constable  of  the*  Castle  of  Lyons,"  who  occupied  that 
post  in  1391.  He  was  an  early  example  of  the  policy,*  often 
pursued,  of  appointing  the  head,  or  at  least  a  member,  of  a  great 
Welsh  family  to  an  important  Welsh  office. 

In  the  tenth  year  of  Henry  V,  Dr.  A.  E.  Lewis  infonns  me, 
Egbert  Corbet  was  Constable  of  Holt. 

I  possessed  the  names  of  three  other  Constables — Lancelot 
Lothar,  Lancelot  Bostocke,  and  Thomw  Powell — but  Mr.  Edward 
Owen  supplied  me  with  the  names  or  two  more,  obtained  from 
an  "Exchequer  Deposition"  of  1591,  which  referred  to  Richard 
Eyton  as  being  succeeded  by  I^uncelot  Bostocke  in  the  con- 
stableship  of  Holt  Castle.  It  mentioned,  also,  Lancelot  Lothar, 
Thomas  Powell,  David  Price  of  Yale,  and  Sergeant  Eyton  as 
having  been  previous  Constables.  This  would  seem  to  imply 
the  following  order:  Lancelot  Lothar,  Thomas  Powell,  David 
Price,  Serjeant  Richard  Eyton  [for  Serjeant  Eyton  and  Richard 
Eyton  were  presumably  one],  and  Lancelot  Bostocke.  And  this 
order  corresponds  with  what  is  otherwise  known.  Some  com- 
ment on  these  five  names  may  not  be  unacceptable. 

Lancelot  Lothar  was  Constable  of  Holt  in  the  twenty-first 
year  of  Henry  VII,  and  in  the  tenth  and  eleventh  years  of 
Henry  VIII.  He  was  appointed  Constable,  it  may  well  be, 
after  the  execution  of  Sir  William  Stanley,  and  in  that  com 
nmst  have  received  Henry  VII  when  that  monarch  visited  Holt 
on  the  17th  July,  1495,  on  his  way  to  visit  his  mother,  Margaret 
[Beaufort],  she  having  married  Thomas  Stanley,  Earl  of  Derby, 
brother  of  the  above-named  Sir  William  Stanley,  of  Holt 
Mr.  Hughes,  of  KJhmel,  believes  Lancelot  Lothar,  or  Lowther, 
to  have  been  a  son  of  Sir  Hugh  Lowther,  by  his  wife  Anne. 
daughter  of  Sir  Lancelot  Threlkeld,  and  there  is  much  to  .be 
urged  in  favour  of  this  suggestion.  Constable  Lothar  (for  so  he 
seems  to  have  spelled  his  name)  was  Deputy-Receiver  of  Brom- 
field  and  Yale  in  1519.  There  is  at  St.  Asaph  the  office-copy 
of  the  will  of  a  Lancelot  Lothar,  of  the  parish  of  Gres- 
ford,  dated  19th  April,  1578,  proved  19th  June  in  the  same 
year.  He  desired  to  be  buried  at  Gresford,  spoke  of  "Elyn 
nowe  my  wife,"  of  his  son,  Thomas  Lothar,*  and  of  his  cousin, 

^  A  sagaciops  policy;  not  so  much  followed,. however^ between  the 
reien  of  Henry  IV  and  that  of  Henry  VIZ. 

*^  There  was  a  Thomas  Lothar  to  whom  Constable  Richard  Ejtou 
granted  lodjfing  in  "  the  uttergate  heuse*'  of  Holt  Castle  (see  before, 
T>.  318).  He  was  afterwards  employed  in  some  capacity  by  Mr. 
I'albot,  of  Grafton.    This  information  I  owe  to  Mr.  Edward  Owen. 


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IN   COUNTY   DENBIGH.  329 

Roger  Wynn,  who  cannot  be  identified  with  certainty.  How- 
ever, this  testator  appears  to  be  another  and  later  Lancelot 
Lothar.  Lancelot  Lothar,  the  Constable,  had  undoubtedly  two 
daughters,  one  of  whom,  Catherine,*  married  the  first  Thomas 
Powell,  of  Horsley,  his  successor  in  the  constableship,  and  the 
other,  Elizabeth,  became  the  wife  of  John  Heynes,  Keceiver  of 
North  Wales,  whose  daughter,  Anne,  married  the  second  Robert 
Davies,  of  Gwysanney,  in  1620,  one  of  the  burgesses  or  free- 
holders of  Holt.  Mr.  Hughes  tells  me  that  there  was  a  double  con- 
nection between  the  Lowl^ers  and  Davieses,  which  will  be  shown 
sufficiently  by  a  note  at  tlie  foot  of  this  page.^  Mr.  Hughes  also 
tells  me  that  Ltmcelot  Lothar,  the  Constable,  married  Elizabeth, 
daughter  and  heir  of  Raudle  Minshall.  This  particular  Con- 
stable was  very  popular,  so  that  about  and  soon  after  his  time 
we  meet  with  such  names  as  Lancelot  Powell,  Lancelot  Lloyd, 
Lancelot  Roydon,  and  Lancelot  Pickering,  denominating  connec- 
tions of  his  in  the  second  generation ;  also  with  the  names 
Lancelot  Maddocks,  of  Marchwiel ;  Lancelot  Calcott,  of  Wrex- 
ham ;  Lancelot  Lewys,  of  Gwersylit,  Lancelot  Phillips,  Lancelot 
Aldford,  of  Holt;  Lancelot  Yardley,  of  Holt ;  Lancelot  Hanson, 
of  Holt ;  Lancelot  Broughton,  of  Eyton  ;  Lancelot  ap  Ellis,  of 
The  Court,  Wrexham,  and  many  others.  These  Christian  names 
gave  rise,  in  many  cases,  to  corresponding  surnames,  so  that  we 
get  presently  John  Lancelot,  of  Wrexham ;  John  and  Edward 
Lancelot,  of  Caeca  Dutton;  William  Lancelot,  of  Pickhill,  to 
mention  no  more ;  and  "  Lancelot "  has  been  ever  since  a  not 
wholly  uncommon  surname  in  this  district.    The  fee  of  Lancelot 

There  was  anotlier  Thomas  Lothar,  son  of  George  Lothar,  deceased i 
who  held  land  in  Holt  in  the  year  1562,  the  widow,  Alice,  of  the 
said  George  Lothar  being  then  married  to  John  Salasbary,  gent. 
William  Woodall,  gent.,  had  also  at  the  same  tiaie,  by  right  of  the 
said  Alice,  widow  of  George  Lothar,  a  lease  of  some  land  in  Holt. 
And  in  the  same  year  a  *'  fflorenc  lother^'  was  a  burgess  of  the  town 
(see  Appendix  I,  p.j3271,         . 

^  One  of  her  sons  was  Lancelot  Powell. 


Catherine,  dau.=j=  Robert  =(2)  Elizabeth,  dau.  of  George  Lowther,  and  relict 
of  George  Davies.  of  John  Heynee,  Receiver  of  North  Walea, 
Ravenscroft.  who  died  27th  May,  1591.      Elizabeth  was 
I  buried  at  Mold,  11th  March,  1636. 

Robert  Davies  j^Anue,  dau.  of  John  Heynes.      She  was  buried  at  Mold, 
buried  27th                                          SOth  Aug.,  1636. 
Jan.,  1688.  


Robert  Davies ;  died  Sept,  1667. 


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330  THE   TOWN   OP   HOLT, 

Lothar,  as  Constable,  was  £10,  to  which  must  be  added  his  fee  as 
Deputy-Receiver.  And  there  were  free  lodging  and  various 
perquisites. 

For  Thomas  Powell,  of  Horsley,  the  next  Constable,  son-in- 
law  to  his  predecessor,  Lancelot  Lothar,  the  reader  may  be 
referred  to  my  History  of  the  TovmBhips  of  the  Old  Parish  of 
Oresford,  Powell  pedigree,  opposite  p.  118.  While  he  lodged  in 
the  Castle,  Mr.  Edward  Aimer,  the  Deputy- Stevirard,  also  lodged 
there  (see  before,  p.  317). 

David  Price,  of  Yale,  followed  Thomas  Powell,  apparently, 
but  I  can  attach  no  date  to  him  or  identify  him. 

Richard  Etton,  Serjeant-at-Arms,  the  next  Constable  named, 
appears  to  have  been  Richard,  third  son  of  John  Eyton,  Esq.,  of 
Watstay,  but  this  identification  is  not  without  doubt  To  him 
was  leased,  "about  7  Eliz.,"  by  the  Crown  a  meadow  called 
"  Constable's  Meadow,"  still  so  called,  near  Coed  Evan,  in  the 
manor  of  Oobham  Isycoed  (township  of  Dutton  DifiFaeth). 
There  was  also  a  suit  concerning  this  meadow  in  the  thirty- 
fourth  year  of  Queen  Elizabeth.  William,  son  of  Serjeant 
Richard  Eyton,  was  baptised  at  Ruabon  in  December,  1577. 

Lancelot  Bostocke,  High  Sheriff  of  Flmtshire  in  1574,  the 
last  Constable,  appointed  as  such  in  November,  1585,  of  whom 
we  have  any  trace,  was  son  of  Robert  Bostocke,  formerly  of 
Churton,  by  his  wife  Jane,  daughter  of  Richard  Roydon,  of 

pedigree  of  bostocke  of  holt. 

Robert  Bostocke  (son  of  Robt.  ^Dorothy,  dau.  of  Sir  Geoi^ge  Cftlveley,  of  Lea, 
Bostocke,  of  Churton.  Baokford  parish,  Cheshire. 

Lancelot  Bostocke,  Constable  of=Fjane,  dau.  of  Richard  Roydon,  of  Holt,  by  Anne 
Holt  Castle,  * 'the  pensioner. '  his  wife,  one  of  the  daughters  of  the  first 
I      Thomas  Powell,  of  Horsley. 

Qeorge  Bostocke  of  Holt ;  will  dated=T=Dorothy,  dau.  of  Hugh  Calveley,  of  Lea, 
17th  Sept.,  1627,  proved  1628.  Cheshire. 


1.      I  2. 

Jane,  dau.  and  heir  of = George  Bostocke   ofsKatherine,  dau.  of  Hugh  Jones, 
David  ap  Edward,  of         Holt ;  will  dated  of  Wrexham,  widow  of  Ed- 

Dinbren,  o.  «.  p,  3rd  Aug.,  proved  ward  Jones,  of  Wrexham. 

(HaUUm  MS.)  8th  Oct.,  1668.  (HdUton  MS,) 


Dorothy.  "Thomas  Yale,  son  of      Mary.=j=Thomas  Williams  of  PlAs  Jenkin 

in  Dutton,  parish  of  Holt,  and 
of  Abenbury,  son  and  heir  of 
Roger  Williams,  of  Oswestry. 


the  first  Thomas 
Yale,  of  Plas  yn 
Yale. 

Lancelot  Williams,  alias  Bostocke,  2nd  son,  devisee  of  his  unde  Geoiige 
Bostocke  ;  buried  at  Holt,  Ist  Jan.,  166i. 

George  Bostocke,  of  Holt,  was  pardoned,  5th  Oct.,  1694,  for  killing  John  Roydon. 

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IN   COUNTY    DENBIGH.  331 

Holt,  gent.^  His  only  son  was  George  Bostocke,  of  whom 
more  in  the  next  chapter.  Mr.  Hughes,  of  Kinmel,  suggests  that 
Lancelot  Bostocke,  the  Constable  and  "  psnsiouer,"  belonged  to 
the  ''  Band  of  Gentlemen  Pensioners,"  gentlemen  of  blood  and 
coat  armour,  instituted  by  Henry  VIII,  and  now  known  as 
"  His  Majesty's  Honourable  Corps  of  Gentlemen-at-Arms." 

Sir  Richard  Lloyd,  of  Esclus,  who  defended  Holt  Castle  for 
Charles  I  during  the  Civil  War  was,  of  course.  Governor  of  the 
same,  but  he  was  so  much  else  that  his  name  is  not  put  in  this 
list  of  Constables  as  not  standing  in  the  direct  line  of  succession, 
which  had  been  brought  to  an  end  some  time  before,  and  I 
propose  to  deal  with  him  in  a  future  chapter. 

Nor  does  it  seem  fit  to  give  here  any  list  of  the  seneschals  or 
receivers,  whose  place  would  rather  be  in  a  history  of  the  Lord- 
ship generally ;  but  I  should  like  to  say  a  few  words  concerning 
one  Receiver  in  particular,  Edward  Hughes,*  who  actually  lived 
at  Holt  Castle.  He  was  High  Sheriff  of  Denbighshire  in  1582, 
and  died  on  the  23rd  October,  1592.  His  daughter,  and  ulti- 
mate heiress,  Mary,  became  the  fourth  wife  of  John  Massie,  of 
Coddington^  son  of  Roger  Massie  of  the  same.  It  has  not  been 
found  possible  to  discover  with  anything  like  certainty  the 
paternity  of  this  Edward  Hughes,  but  Mr.  Edward  Massie,  of 
Coddington,  and  Mr.  Hughes,  of  Kinmel,  state  that  Robert  Cooke, 
Clarencieux  (1567-1592),  granted  him  the  aftemamed  coat-of- 
arms :  Gnles,  a  fret  argent  on  a  canton  o?'  a  pheou  of  the  first, 
and  he  is  then  described  as  "  of  Denbighshire,  servant  to  Mr. 
Dudley."  He  also  became  Receiver  for  the  counties  of  Chester 
and  Flint.  In  his  will,  proved  at  Chester  in  1592  (a  summary 
whereof  Mr.  Hughes,  of  Kinmel,  has  given  me),  the  testator 
leaves  everything  to  his  wife,  Ann  Hughes,  trusting  that  she 
will  behave  as  a  good  mother  to  his  children,  and  begging  his 
loving  and  worthy  friend,  "  Mr.  Roger  Puleston,  of  Emmerald 

1  For  the  above-named  Richard  Bojdeo,  see  note  on  p.  31? ;  and 
the  Bostockes  of  Holt  obtained  their  lands  in  the  franchise,  or  part 
thereof,  by  descent  from  him.  In  1627,  a  Richard  Roydon  was 
living  in  Castle  Street,  Holt.  Mr.  E.  B.  Royden  tells  me  that 
Richard  Roydon,  father-in-law  of  Lancelot  Bostocke,  Constable,  had 
besides  Jane,  five  other  daughters — Dorothy,  Maud,  Mary,  Anne, 
and  Alice,  and  that  he  was  the  son  of  Thomas  Roydon,  son  of 
Richard  Roydon,  son  of  William  Roydon,  English  bailiff  of  Wrex- 
ham in  1467. 

^  Mr.  Edward  Massie  informs  me,  on  the  authority  of  Sir  Henry 
Maxwell  Lyte,  that  Edward  Hnghes  was  appointed  Receiver  for  the 
Grown  in  September,  1568,  and  that  in  March,  1569,  he  received 
authority  to  inhabit  Holt  Castle,  and  to  have  twenty  cartloads  of 
wood  out  of  Mersley  Park. 


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332  THE   TOWN   OP   HOLT, 

[Eiural],  Esq.,"  and  his  cousin,  Mr.  JoUu  Tuieston,  of  Llwyn  y 
Knottie,  to  aid  and  assist  her,  the  will  being  witnessed  by  John 
Roydon,  Thomas  Crue,  Richard  Case,  and  John  Leeche.  Mr. 
E.  B.  Royden  has  also  supplied  me  with  the  summary  of  a 
case  in  the  Court  of  Exchequer,  Trinity  Term,  1598,  in  which 
Christopher  Hughes,  son  and  heir  of  the  late  Edward  Hughes, 
Esq.,  late  Receiver-General  of  the  revenues  of  North  Wales  and 
of  the  county  and  city  of  Chester,  sets  forth  for  himself,  as  well 
as  on  behalf  of  Anne  and  Margaret  Hughes,  daughters  of  the 
said  Edward  Hughes,  that  his  father,  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
possessed  various  free  lands  in  the  parish  of  Holt,  worth  about 
£20  yearly,  certain  copyhold  lauds  there  worth  £7  yearly,  and 
personal  estate  worth  about  £2700;  and  by  his  last  will  appointed 
Anne«  his  wife,  aged  about  66,  his  sole  executrix,  and  directed 
her  therewith,  together  with  £800  then  in  his  house,  to  satisfy 
the  money  due  from  him  to  the  Crown,  or  sell  his  lands  for  that 
purpose,  and  for  the  benefit  of  his  unprovided  children.  When 
the  said  Edward  Hughes  died,  25th  October,  1592,  he  was  in- 
debted to  the  Crown  in  £1,822  odd,  whereof  the  said  Anne  paid 
within  a  year  aBout  £66,  leaving  £1,162^  unpaid.  Afterwards, 
about  Bartholomew-tide,  four  years  past,  the  said  Anne  Hughes 
married^  John  Roydon,  gentleman  [of  Isycoed],  who  entered  upon 
the  lands  of  the  late  Edward  Hughes,  got  hold  of  his  personal 
estate,  paid  into  the  Exchequer  £670  only,  leaving  £800  unpaid, 
and,  affirming  that  the  said  personal  estate  would  be  insufficient, 
sought  to  sell  the  lands  of  the  deceased.  About  four  years 
past,  Roger  Roydon  and  John  Taylor  were  authorised  to  receive 
csrtain  arrears  of  revenue  owing  to  Edward  Hughes,  and  they 
collected  about  £650,  which  they  had  accounted  for  to  the 
Exchequer,  and  the  complainant  begged  for  a  subpa^na  against 
John  Roydon,  Roger  Roydon,  and  John  Taylor.  In  reply  to 
these  ex  parte  statements,  John  Roydon  declared  in  Michaelmas 
term,  43  Queen  Elizabeth,  that  Thomas  Crew,  of  Holt,  gentle- 
man (who  was  son-in-law  of  the  said  Anne  Hughes),  and  John 
IjCach,  since  deceased,  were,  by  commission,  authorised  to  receive 
the  Crown  revenues  of  North  Wales,  Cheshire,  and  lordship  of 
Denbigh,  up  to  Michaelmas  then  last  past,  and  rendered  up 
their  account  to  the  Exchequer  on  behalf  of  Anne  Hughes,  but 
detained  thereof  the  respective  sums  of  £691,  £99,  and  £30 
odd,  for  which  John  Roydon,  as  husband  of  the  said  Anne,  was 
answerable,  who  prayed  for  a  subpcena  against  Thomas  Crew, 
and  Thomasine,  widow  of  John  Leech,*  both  **very  rich  and 

^  There  is  something  wrong  in  the  arithmetic  here. 
'  Anne,  widow  of  Edward  HugheR,  was  John  Roydon's  2nd  wife. 
3  John  L«eob,  of  Holt,  gont,  was  living  on  the  27th  Jane,  1598, 
when  he  was  about  iO  years  old.     Lands  and  goods  in  the  possession 


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IN   COUNTY   DENBIGH.  383 

wealthy  persons/'  while  he  (John  Koyden)  was  in  hia  eetatd 
decayed  by  reason  of  the  charge  he  had  been  at  in  finding  out 
the  falsehood  of  the  account  aforesaid.  Thomas  Crew  and 
Thomasine  Leech  gave  in  their  answers  on  13th  April,  1601. 
One  would  like  to  know  what  was  the  name  of  the  daughter 
of  Anne  Hughes  who  married  Thomas  Crue.  Strange  also  it  is 
that  no  mention  is  made  of  Edward  Hughes'  daughter,  Mary, 
who  married  John  Massie,  of  Coddington.  The  Massies  still 
quarter  her  father's  arms,  and  regard  her  as  his  heiress.  Perhaps 
the  other  children  named  in  the  pleas  died  without  issue,  and 
Mrs.  Massey  would  not  associate  herself  in  "the  complaint" 
with  her  brother,  Christopher  Hughes,  with  her  sisters,  Anne 
and  Margaret  Hughes,  or  with  Mr.  John  Royden,  and  so  is  not 
mentioned  in  the  bilL 

It  is.  perhaps,  worth  while  to  refer  to  a  bit  of  Welsh  verse, 
formerly  in  the  Shirburn  Collection  (Report  on  Welsh  AtSS,, 
voL  ii,  part  ii,  p.  648,  by  Dr.  Gwenogvryn  Evans),  addressed  to 
John  Salusbury,  heir  of  Lleweni,  when  he  overcame  in  the  field 
Captain  O.  Salusbury,  of  Holt,  in  1593.  It  does  not  now  seem 
possible  to  identify  either  of  the  persons  just  named.  "Mr. 
Salsburie  his  Cham  be''"  in  Holt  Castle,  is  mentioned  on  27 
June,  1598;  and,  according  to  Mrs.  Slopes,  a  Captain  Owen 
Salusbury  was  slain  in  Essex  Gallery,  London,  10  February, 
160®,  at  the  rising  of  the  Earl  of  Essex,  and  was  buried  at  St. 
Clement  Danes,  Strand. 


APPENDIX  III.— CHAPTER  II. 
(See  p.  323.) 

Tenants  of  Holt  in  the  Fourth  Year  (1562)  of 
Queen  Elizabeth. 

(1)  Free  Tenants. 

Lancelot  Yardley  William  Kethyn,  for  life  of  Robt. 

Edward  Davje  Kethyn,  his  father 

Thomas  Crewe,  senior  Randle  Pulforde 

Brian  Bate  John  hjlchyu  [Hutcheon] 

John  Wilkinson  Launcelot  Baker 

John  Grifif[ith]  Thomas  Edgworth 

John  Nuttall  Thomas  Crewe,  gent. 

of  Mr.  John  Roy  don,  formerly  those  of  Mr.  Edward  Hnghes,  were 
seized  on  the  80th  March,  1598,  to  satisfy  the  claims  of  the  Crown, 
by  Sir  Richard  Treror,  Roger  Puleston  of  Eroral,  Esq.,  and  Mor^n 
Broaghton,  Esq.,  the  estimated  valne  of  the  whole  being £od  I  13s.  4d.; 
a  total  which  included  an  ifcem  of  J&300  for  plate,  goods,  household 
sin  if,  and  jewels. 


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334 


THE   TOWN   OF   HOLT,    IN   COUNTY   DENBIGH. 


William  Woodall,  sen' 

William  Woodall,  gent 

Thomas  Caloott 

Richard  Rodon,  son  of  Thomas 
Rodon 

John  Crewe 

Thomas  Yaixleley 

Balfe  Bainvile  and  Edward  Tay- 
lor 

Edward  Allmer,  esq. 

Susanna,  lately  wife  of .  .  .  Han- 
son 

William  Bird  and  Richard  Bird 

John  Greene 

Thomas  Billot 

John  Knight 

William  Pate 


Ridiard  Aldforde 

William  ap  Batha  and  the  wife  of 

Ralph  ap  Atha 
William  Smyth 
Ralph  Bulkeley 
John  Stokeley 
Owen  Brereton,  esq.   ["William 

Briereton"  crossed  out] 
Launcelot  Bamston 
John  Clubbe 
Peter  Rodon 
Katherene,  lately   wife  of  John 

dyo 
Wife  of  Geoffry  Smyth 
Thomas  Powell 
Edward  Puleston 
William  Woodall 


(2)  Tenants  for  Term  op  Years  and  at  Will. 


John  Pickering 

Heirs  of  Thomas  lowther  [John 

Salesbury's  name  crossed  out] 
Launcelott  Prestland 
Launcelott  Hanson 
Edward  Davies 
Edward  Crew 
....  Pova 
Handle  David 
Thomas  Pulforde 
John  ap  Griff[ith] 
John  Ledsam 

William  Kethyn  [Gethyn] 
John  Goz  ap  Richard 
Randle  Pulford 
John  Hugh  Grififfith] 
William  Godson  [now  dead,  John 

Godson  his  son] 
Launcelott  Baker 
William  Woodall,  gent,  [by  right 

of  Alice  his  wife,  lately  wife 

of  George  Lowther] 
Richard  Rodon,  sun  of  Thomas 
Rodon 


Thomas  Edgworth 

David  Wilde  and  Edward  WUde 

Edward  AUmer 

Joan  Pulford,  widow,  late  wife  of 
William  Pulford  and  Thomas 
Marter 

Launcelott  Philipps 

David  Gyttyn 

John  Princeston  .[crossed  out  and 
John  heynys  substituted] 

John  Alforde 

John  Rodon 

John  ap  JeuNi  ap  dd 

John  Stokeley  [crossed  out  and  a 
name,  illegible,  substituted] 

Thomas  Maddock 

Peter  Rodon 

Thomas  Powell,  gent. 

Edward  Jones,  gent. 

1  William  Woodall  [crossed  out 
and  John  Heynys  substitu- 
ted] 

Edward  Puleston 


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385 


ST.  PETER'S  CHURCH,  CARMARTHEN. 

Br  T.  E.  BRIGSTOCKE,  Esq, 

In  writing  an  article  on  this  ancient  parish  church — a 
church  wnich  to-day  stands  as  a  noble  living  link 
between  the  Welsh  Church  of  a  thousand  years  ago 
and  that  of  the  present  time — I  propose  to  deal  chiefly 
with  matters  of  historical  and  monumental  interest 
rather  than  with  the  architecture  of  the  building, 
which  latter  I  could  only  but  very  imperfectly  describe. 

The  present  church,  replacing  no  doubt  an  earlier  one, 
is  generally  attributed  to  the  thirteenth  century,  and  to 
which  period  belong  the  lower  portion  of  the  nave  walls 
— with  the  recesses  for  altar-tombs — and  the  greater  part 
of  the  tower;  the  chancel  and  south  aisle  being  decidedly 
later.  The  church  consists  of  a  nave,  chancel,  soutn 
aisle,  western  tower,  and  north  transept.  The  north 
transept  is  probably  built  on  an  older  foundation,  and  it 
is  difficult  to  say  to  what  period  it  belongs.  The  eastern 
portion  of  the  south  aisle  is  used  as  the  Consistory  Court 
of  the  Diocese,  and  up  to  fifty  years  ago  was  separated  by 
a  screen  from  the  rest  of  the  aisle.  In  old  documents 
this  part  is  also  often  described  as  the  "  town  chancel." 
There  are  two  vestries — one  being  a  recently- built  choir 
vestry.  The  nave  is  divided  from  the  south  aisle  by  five 
lofty  arches,  resting  on  massive  buttresses  of  a  severely 
plain  character. 

The  length  of  the  church  from  entrance  door  to  the 
east  window  is  170  ft,  while  the  width  of  the  fabric 
is  50  ft. 

The  singular  site  of  St.  Peter's,  outside  the  walls  of 
"  Kaermerdin ''  (to  use  the  spelling  of  the  early 
Charter-rolls),  and  between  these  and  the  old  City 
of  Carmarthen — ^now  forming  the  eastern  portion  of 
the  town,  is  a  matter  of  much  interest.  To  quote  from 
Archdeacon  Be  van's  lecture  on  St.  Peter's  in  1884  : 


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336  ST.  petbr's  oauRou,  oakmabthbk. 

"  It  would  be  interesting  to  know  the  relations  that 
may  have  existed  between  St.  Peter's  and  the  older 
church  of  St.  Teilo,  previously  to  the  appropriation  of 
these  churches  to  the  Priory  of  St.  John,  Carmarthen, 
in  Henry  the  First's  reign  (1100-1 135),  and  ascertain  how 
it  was  that  St.  Peter's  became  the  parish  church  rather 
than  the  other  ;  to  define  the  relations,,  ecclesiastically 
speaking,  between  the  old  City  of  Carmarthen,  to 
which  St.  Peter's  was  more  particularly  attached,  and 


Fig.  1. — Interior  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  Carmarthen :  View  looking  Eafit. 
{Excelsior  Co.,  Carmarthen  Photo.) 

the  new  town,  outside  whose  walls  the  church  stood ; 
and  to  discuss  the  question  whether  St.  Peter's  was  in 
any  way  responsible  for  the  spiritual  cure  of  the  in^ 
habitants  within  the  walls."  Unfortunately,  it  seems 
very  difficult  still  to  clear  up  this  interesting  matter. 

The  visitor  on  entering  St.  Peter's  for  the  first  tim^ 
cannot  but  be  struck  with  a  certain  noble  impressiveness, 
in  spite  of  the  plainness  of  the  interior,  and  many 
architectural  defects  which  alterations  made  in  different 
periods  have  brought  about. 


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ST.    PBTBR's  church,    CARMARTHEN.  337 

Considering  the  antiquity  and  importance  of  this 
church,  its  central  position  in  the  diocese,  as  well  as 
its  contiguity  to  Norman  castles  and  influences,  one  is 
disappointed  not  to  find  any  traces  of  medisBval  or 
later  embellishments.  The  quaintly-carved  gargoyles 
of  the  tower  alone  remain  of  this  class  of  work. 
Probably  this  defect — one  which  applies  to  so  many 
of  the  churches  of  the  district — is  due  to  the  absence 
of  good  local  stone  suitable  for  the  purpose.  The  earlier 
church  on  this  site  may  possibly  have  been  burnt  and 
destroyed  in  the  fierce  Welsh  conflicts  of  the  thirteenth 
and  fourteenth  centuries ;  but  had  it  been  much  more 
ornate  than  the  present  one,  we  might  have  expected 
some  traces  of  it  to  have  been  handed  down  to  us  in 
portions  of  the  stone  work. 

The  first  mention  of  this  church  occurs  in  the 
Annals  of  Battle  Abbey,  to  which  it  was  given  by 
Henry  I  (1100-1135)  in  the  earlier  years  of  his  reign. 
The  gift  included,  as  well,  one  other  church  of  an  earlier 
origin,  named  the  Church  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist 
ana  St.  Teilo,  and  the  old  City  of  Carmarthen.  As 
St.  Peters  appears  to  have  had  chapelries  attached 
to  it  at  this  time  (Newchurch  and  Llangain),  it  favours 
the  belief  of  many  authorities  that  even  at  this  time 
the  church  wiis  an  old  one.  Bernard,  the  first  Norman 
bishop  of  St.  David's,  was  appointed  in  1115.  He 
seems  early  in  his  episcopate  to  have  taken  steps  to 
get  the  king — with  whom  he  had  considerable  influence 
— to  exchange  St.  Peter's  for  some  other  possessions  in 
Hampshire,  with  the  view,  no  doubt,  of  appropriating 
the  living  in  favour  of  the  newly-founded  Priory  of  St. 
John,  Carmarthen.  The  bishop  seems  to  have  been 
much  interested  in  this  Priory,  and  gave  it  an  endow- 
ment. The  king's  consent  was  obtained  about  1125, 
though  it  was  not  until  after  Bernard's  death  that  the 
transfer  was  confirmed  by  a  grant  from  Henry  II  in 
1180.  One  of  the  witnesses  to  this  deed  was  Peter 
de  Leia,  Bishop  of  St.  David,  and  formerly  Prior  of 
the  Cluniac  Abbey  of  Wenlock,  Salop.     In  connection 

6th  8ER.,  VOL,  VII.  22 


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883 


.9T.  Peter's  ohu«ch,  Carmarthen. 


with  this  arrangement  jthere  is  extant  a  very  curiously 
;i;irorded  deed^  showin;^  that,  as  the  results  of  the  com-: 
plaint  of  one  Richard  ap  John,  Vicar  of  St.  Peter's  in 
1278,  to  the  Bishop  of  St.  David's  (Richard  de  Carew) 
against,  the  Prior  of  St.  John,  for  making  too  scanty 
an  allowance  to  him  the  Vicar,  the  Prior  agreed  to 


Fig.  2. — Coat-of-Arms  from  St.  John's  Priory,  now  in  South- 

East  Wall  of  St.  Peter's  Carmarthen. 

{Exceltior  Co.t  Carmarthen  Photo.) 

pay  the  Vicar  in  future  ten  marks  a-year,  the  payment 
to  be  made  quarterly.  The  deed  is  dated  at  Lamphey, 
April  4,  1278,  and  in  it  occurs  the  first  reference  to 
the  vicarage.  This  arrangement  with  the  Prior,  by 
which  the  Vicar  of  St.  Peter's  got  paid  a  small  pension 
of  £6  1 3s.  4d.  out  of  the  tithes,  instead  of  a  certain 
portion  of  the  latter  being  assigned  to  him,  bore  very 


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ST.  pxtbr's  chuuch,  oaiImakthun.  339 

UQsaitisfactory  results  when  the  Priory  was  dissolved 
by  Henry  VIII,  The  latter  directed  that  the  lessee  of 
the  tithes  3hould  continue  to  do  what  the  Prior  had 
done  in  the  past— pay  a  slightly  increased  stipend  of 
Sn  to  the  Vicar ;  and,  unfortunately,  this  arrangement 
had  continued  to  modern  times,  in  spite  of  the  greatly 
increased  value  of  the  tithes,  the  latter  being  now 
worth  nearly  £1,000  a  year. 

Through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  T.  W.  Barker,  the 
Diocesan  Registrar,  I  am  enabled  to  give  the  following 
extracts  from  the  oldest  diocesan  registers  on  some 
early  appointmenta  to  8t,  Peter's  by  the  Priory  authori- 
ties. Under  date  December  20,  1403,  David  Robyn 
was  made  Vicar  on  the  presentation  of  the  Prior  and 
Convent  of  St.  John's,  Carmarthen;  July  12,  1408, 
William  Sty  ward,  Chaplain,  was  presented  to  St. 
Peter's  by  the  same  authorities  ;  February  22,  1486, 
John  David,  M.  A^,  was  collated  to  this  church  ;  July  3, 
1600,  John  Harry  to  Vicarage  vacant  by  death  of  John 
ap  David  on  presentation  by  Prior,  etc.,  of  Carmarthen  ; 
January  1,  1501,  Admission  of  Sir  David  Webbe  to 
Vicarage  vacant  by  death  of  John  Harry. 

In  1394,  we  find  by  a  Charter-Roll  of  Richard  II, 
one  Thomas  Rede,  of  Carmarthen,  received  permission 
to  assign  certain  lands  for  endowing  a  chaplain  *'  to 
daily  celebrate  Divine  service  to  the  honour  of  the 
Blessed  Marv,  in  a  certain  chauntry,  anciently  founded 
within  the  ohurch  of  the  blessed  Peter,  of  Kermerdyn," 
etc.  It  is  difficult  now  to  identify  the  position  of  this 
I^ady  Chapel;  but  on  the  supposition  that  the  earlier 
church  was  in  a  cruciform  shape,  this  chauntry  may 
have  been  on  the  south  side,  and  was  possibly  absorbed 
when  the  south  aisle  was  added.  On  the  south  wall 
may  be  noticed  a  niche  for  a  holy-water  stoup.  Speed's 
Map  of  1610  pictures  a  church  almost  identical  with 
that  of  to-day ;  but  the  fact  that  the  centre  of  the  roof 
of  the  nave  is  not  in  line  with  that  of  the  chancel 
favours  the  idea  that  either  the  chancel  arch  was  en- 
larged, or  a  south  aisle  was  added  in  the  fourteenth  or 


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340  BT.  pbtbr's  church,  carmarthsn. 

fifteenth  century.  The  steps  leading  to  the  rood-loft 
were  noticed  in  the  wall  behind  the  pulpit,  when 
alterations  were  being  carried  out  some  nfty  to  sixty 
years  ago.  The  remains  of  the  ridge  of  a  higher  roof 
may  be  noticed  on  the  north  side  of  the  tower,  but 
whether  this  lowering  was  done  by  Nash  when  re-roofing 
and  re-ceiling  the  church  in  1790  is  a  matter  of  con- 
jecture only.  Before  referring  to  just  a  few  of  the 
numerous  monuments  which  are  in  the  church,  it  may 
not  be  amiss  to  touch  on  some  historical  and  social 
incidents. 

Just  as  the  parishioners  to-day  have  a  warm  affection 
for  this  ancient  House  of  God — oonsecrated  as  it  is  to 
them  by  the  worship,  the  hopes  and  fears,  the  joys  and 
sorrows  of  many  generations  of  their  forefathers — so 
in  days  gone  by  the  same  reverent  care  was  displayed. 
In  1557  we  find  (thanks  to  the  Rev.  G.  Eyre  Evans' 
careful  researches  into  the  Old  Minutes  of  the  Cor- 
poration) by  an  entry  "  that  in  consequence  of  the 
decay  into  which  the  parish  church  had  gone  for  want 
of  care  to  provide  material,"  an  annual  rate  of  j£20 
a  year  (a  large  sum  for  those  days)  was  to  be  levied 
on  the  parishioners,  and  the  churchwardens  were  to 
account  to  the  Mayor  and  the  Council  for  the  same. 
This  attachment  further  evidences  itself  in  many  wills, 
both  where  bequests  are  left  to  the  church  or  vicar,  or 
where  directions  are  given  for  burial  there.  An  ex- 
tract from  one  or  two  wills  will  illustrate  what  I 
allude  to. 

Amongst  the  leading  citizens  in  Queen  Elizabeth's 
reign  was  Alderman  Edward  Myddleton,  whose  beautiful 
autograph  signature  might  have  been  noticed  in  the 
Old  Corporation  Minute  Book,  kindly  lent  for  the 
exhibition  at  the  Assembly  Rooms,  Carmarthen,  in 
August,  1 906.  Besides  being  Mayor  (1583),  he  seems  to 
have  been  a  merchant- trader,  ship-owner,  patriot  and 
educationist,  and  preceded  Robert  Toye  as  Mayor,  the 
latter  being  one  of  those  who  had  petitioned  Queen 
Elizabeth  for  a  grammar  school  for  Cfi^rmarthep,   From 


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ST.  pbteb's  church,  carmakthen,  341 

Mjddleton's  will,  dated  October  6th,  1537,  we  give  the 
foUowing  extract : — 

"  Edward  Myddleton,  Alderman  of  the  To.wne  and 
Cpuntie  of  Caermarthen,  being  sicke  in  body— T  <lesire 
to  be  buried  in  the  Church  of  Carmarthen  named  St. 
Peter.  To  the  repair  of  the  said  church  I  give  208.  ; 
to  the  repairs  of  the  Bridge,  lOs. ;  to  the  poore,  lOs,  ;. 
to  the  Free  Schools  of  Carmarthen,  10s.  yearly  for  ever, 
out  of  the  rente  of  my  two  Houses  in  Water  Street, 
within  the  Towne  of  Carmarthen ;  to  my  servants, 
Thomas  Cook  and  Griffith  Adkins,  the  one  haufe  of  my 
Bark  named  *  The  Margett,'  which  is  betwixt  me  and 
Griffith  Howell,  etc.'' 

Or,  again,  observe  the  curiously-expressed  desire  ot 
a  certain  Dame  Margaret  Lloyd  to  be  buried  at  St. 
Peter's  without  the  expensive  ostentation  so  usual  at 
that  time.  The  tablet  to  this  worthy  lady  may  be 
noticed  in  the  north  transept.  Her  will,  dated  December 
27,  1755,  contains  the  following  : — "  If  I  should  depart 
this  life  in  the  County,  of  Ca^*aigan,  my  Executor  shall 
provide  a  carriage  to  carry  me  to  the  Parish  Church  of 
St.  Peter's,  Carmarthen ;  and  I  beg  that  my  corpse  may 
be  there  laid  in  the  same  grave  with,  or  as  near  as 
may  be  to  my  late  dear  husband,  and  my  late  dear 
daughter,  Elizabeth  Evans ;  and  that  a  funeral  sermon 
shall  be  preached,  and  the  text  taken  from  the  88th 
Psalm,  and  the  latter  part  of  the  13th  verse ;  and  I 
hereby  desire  that  my  coffin  may  be  made  of  good 
oak,  without  any  ornament  or  covering  ;  and  that 
instead  of  scarfs  or  hatbands  at  my  Funeral,  that  twelve 
poor  old  women  be  clothed  with  black  bays  gowns,  a 
yard  of  flannel  on  their  heads,  and  each  a  pair  of 
gloves,  and  that  they  walk  before  my  corpse  to  my 
grave/' 

From  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century  this  church 
becomeis  closely  identified  with  many  of  those  whose: 
names  and  lives  live  in  history 

Had  you  en1;ered  the  church  in  February,  1555,  you 
might  have  witnessed  the  strange,  sad  spectacle  of  the 


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342  ST.  Peter's  chdkoh,  carmarthkn. 

Bishop  of  St.  David's,  Robert  Ferrar,  being  handed  over 
by  the  Sheriffs  of  the  County  as  a  prisoner  to  the 
custody  of  his  successor  in  the  Diocese,  one  Henry 
Morgan  ;  and  on  six  subsequent  occasions  Ferrar  was 
brought  up  here  for  examination.  Here  he  received 
his  final  condemnation  shortly  before  his  martyrdom  at 
the  market  cross,  on  March  30th,  1555. 

In  the  answers  which  Ferrar  gives  to  some  of  the 
charges  brought  against  him  by  his  enemies,  there  are 
frequent  references  to  this  church.  For  instance,  he 
states  that  (1)  he  had  preached  right  often  at  Car- 
marthen, the  latter  being  described  as  "  an  English 
Towne  and  the  chiefe  of  his  Diocis ;  (II)  that  **  while 
sitting  in  the  Church  in  Carmarthen  with  the  Chan- 
cellor to  hear  causes,  and  seeing  the  Vicar  with  other 
priestes,  with  song  and  lights  bringing  a  corpse  up 
to  the  Church,  he  called  forthwith  the  Vicar  and 
priestes  and  rebuked  them  in  open  courte  as  cormorants 
and  Ravens  flying  about  the  dead  carcase  for  lucr€ 
sake;''  and  (HI)  *'that  George  Constantine  having 
pulled  downe  without  any  authority  the  Communion 
Altar  in  Carmarthen  Church,  appointing  the  use  thereof 
in  another  place  of  the  Church,  not  without  grudge  of 
the  people,'  he,  the  Bishop,  fearing  tumult,  "commanded 
the  Vicar  to  set  up  the  Communion  Table  (for  the  time) 
neare  to  the  place  where  it  was  before."  The  Bishop 
evidently  shows  by  this  last  answer  that  he  wished 
to  make  changes  cautiously,  when  the  congregation 
were  so  conservative  in  their  ideas.  In  November, 
1576,  the  body  of  Walter  Devereux,  K.G.,  Earl  of 
Essex,  a  native  of  Carmarthen,  and  father  of  the  great 
Earl,  was  brought  here  for  burial,  the  Earl  having 
died  in  Ireland.  The  funeral  sermon  was  preached 
by  Richard  Davies,  Bishop  of  St.  David  s,  the  coad- 
jutor of  Salesbury  in  getting  the  New  Testament 
translated  into  Welsh.  The  remains  of  the  Earl  are 
believed  to  be  underneath  the  site  of  the  organ,  and 
Di)uovan,  in  hh  Excursions  Through  Wodes^  in  1804, 
mentions  that  the  Vicar,  the  Rev.  W.  Higgs  Barker, 


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ST.  Peter's  church,  Carmarthen.  343 

gave  him  the  following  description  of  the  coflfin,  as 
observed  by  the  sexton  when  preparing  a  fresh  grave 
near  the  chancel :  "The  outer  coffin  was  of  oak,  but  of 
singular  construction.     It  was   somewhat  cymbiform, 

Eointed  at  both  extremities,  and  strongly  bbund  with 
oops  of  iron.  The  inner  shell  was  lead,  in  which  the 
body  lay,  embalmed  in  a  pecular  sort  of  spirituous 
liquor,  that  had  retained  its  purity  in  an  astonishing 
manner,  and  was  scarcely  diminished  in  quantity  since 
the  time  the  body  was  enclosed  in  the  coffin,  being 
nearly  full  when  first  opened."  Evidently  the  Irish 
concoction  was  very  good  for  the  purpose,  or  the  remains 
could  not  have  been  so  well  preserved  at  the  end  of  two 
centuries. 

Some  half  century  after  the  burial  of  Essex,  viz.,  on 
Sunday,  September  11th,  1625,  we  find  the  stern 
Bishop  Laud  preaching  the  Assize  sermon  before  the 
judges ;  and  once  again,  on  October  9th  of  the  same 
year,  we  find  Laud  occupying  the  pulpit  of  St.  Peter's. 
On  Sunday,  August  10th,  1684,  there  was  a  State 
service  in  honour  of  the  visit  of  his  Grace,  Henry,  Duke 
of  Beaufort,  Lord-President  of  the  Council  in  Wales. 
Whether  we  consider  its  dignity  or  its  pageantry,  it 
was  probably  unrivalled  in  the  history  of  the  church. 
One  Dineley,  who  acted  as  his  Grace's  Secretary,  gives 
many  details  of  this  visit.  His  Grace  was  accompanied, 
not  only  by  his  own  retinue  of  noblemen,  including  his 
son,  the  Earl  of  Worcester,  Sir  John  Talbot,  Sir  William 
Rice,  and  many  othei-s,  but  by  the  Carmarthenshire 
militia,  a  great  number  of  the  gentry,  as  well  as  by  the 
mayor  and  aldermen  in  their  formalities.  The  pro- 
cession of  the  Corporation  itself  was  in  those  days  much 
more  imposing  than  it  is  to-day,  for  it  included — as  a 
modern  writer  tells  us — not  only  the  mayor,  recorder, 
aldermen,  and  common  councillors,  but  bailiffs,  cham- 
berlains, serjeants-at-arms,  serjeants-at-mace,  sword- 
bearers,  beadles  and  constables,  all  in  quaint  costumes. 
The  Bishop  of  St  David's  (Lawrence  Womack)  preached, 
we  are  told,  a  learned  sermon,  ''  after  which  his  Grace 


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344  ST.  pbtkr'm  chukgh,  oarmartbek. 

and  whole  company  were  nobly  entertained  in  town  by 
the  deputy-lieutenant  and  gentlemen  of  the  county  at 
the  loagings  prepared  for  him.  After  which,  and  even- 
ing prayer,  his  Grace  and  company  took  a  view  of  the 
**  key  and  towne,  and  were  nobly  coUationed." 

Dineley  gives  many  details  of  the  monuments  that 
are  still  at  St.  Peter's,  as  well  as  an  interesting  and 
unique  view  of  the  church  from  the  south  side.  In  this 
view  a  **  bone-house/'  situated  to  the  left  of  the 
Spilman  Street  porch,  is  shown,  as  mentioned  by  Arch- 
deacon Thomas  at  the  last  meeting. 

From  the  Register  we  learn  that  Sir  Richard  Steele, 
the  essayist,  was  buried  in  this  church  on  Septem- 
ber 4th,  1729,  his  remains  being  placed  in  the  vault  of 
liis  wife's  family,  the  Scurlocks.  This  is  situated  in 
the  Consistory  Court ;  and  here,  in  July,  1876,  the 
vault  was  accidentally  laid  open,  and  the  cofl&n  of  Steele 
was  noticed  in  a  very  decayed  state.  The  writer 
noticed  that  the  skull  was  very  well  preserved,  and 
bore  a  periwig,  with  a  bow  of  black  ribbon  tied  at  the 
end.  It  may  be  added  that  the  churchwardens  had  a 
small  leaden  coffin  made  for  the  skull,  and  after  in- 
scribing the  name  outside,  this  was  placed  back  in  the 
vault.  The  latter  is  now  covered  over  by  the  tiling  of 
the  Consistory  Court,  the  spot  being  about  8  to  10  fl. 
from  the  entrance  porch.  Of  events  in  the  eighteenth 
century  there  is  little  to  record,  though  it  is  interesting 
to  recall  that  John  Wesley  was  present  on  July  13th, 
1777,  and  again  on  August  22nd,  1784,  at  the  Sunday 
morning  services,  and  commended  the  sermons.  In  1797, 
many  of  the  French  prisoners  en  route  from  Fishguard 
were  detained  for  a  snort  time  in  the  church,  owing  to 
the  want  of  room  in  the  prison  and  town  hall.  In  the 
last  century  Bishop  Thirlwall  nearly  always  occupied 
the  pulpit  on  Christmas  morning,  as  well  as  on  many 
other  occasions ;  whilst  amongst  others  who  preached 
there  were  Bishop  Tait  (afterwards  Archbishop),  when 
Bishop  of  London,  and  Archbishop  Benson. 

The  Registers  date  from  1671  ;  the  bells  from  1722, 


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ST.    PETEU'S   CHURCH,    CARMAKTHEN.  345 

though  nearly  all  the  latter  have  been  reciust  since,  and  a 
full  peal  provided.  The  communion  plate  is  compara- 
tively modern,  the  exception  being  the  cover  of  a  chalice, 
inscribed :  "  Poculum  Ecclesie  Santi  Petri  Carmarthen, 
1 577."  The  old  colours  of  the  23rd  Royal  Welsh  Fusiliers 
were  impressively  handed  over  (which  now  adorn  the 
chancel  in  this  church)  to  the  custody  of  the  Mayor,  for 
preservation,  in  the  year  1846.  Many  Peninsular 
veterans  were  present  on  the  occasion. 

Of  the  numerous  monumental  remains,  a  few  only 
can  be  noticed.  The  oldest  is  undoubtedly  the  stone 
cofl&n-lid  discovered  some  fifty  years  ago,  in  one  of  the 
recesses  in  the  north  wall  of  the  nave.  For  a  long 
period  the  latter  had  been  concealed  by  the  tiers  of 
pews,  which  ran  back  against  the  wall,  until  the  church 
was  re-pewed  at  the  period  referred  to. 

The  inscription  on  the  bevelled  edges  at  the  head 
and  on  the  right  side  is  now  much  worn  and  difficult  to 
decipher.  Fortunately,  in  Spurrells History ofCanfnar- 
then,  we  have  the  letters  as  noted  some  years  ago,  viz.  : 

RICAR   KG 
B   BER  ICl   DEV    DE    l'aLMP   EIT   MERCI 

The  late  Mr.  Spurrell  attributed  it  to  the  eleventh  or 
twelfth  century.  On  the  surface  there  is  a  head,  in 
relief,  with  a  floriated  cross  below,  as  shown  in  Miss 
Edwards'  admirable  sketch.  Mr.  Edward  Lawes  care- 
fully examined  the  lid  at  the  last  meeting  of  the 
Cambrian  Archaeological  Association  ;  and  judging  from 
the  mode  in  which  the  hair  is  dressed  inclined  to  the 
opinion  that  the  figure  represented  a  civilian  of  the 
latter  part  of  the  tnirteenth  century,  or  early  in  the 
fourteenth  century.  Possibly  the  lid  belongs  to  the 
coffin  of  some  important  man  originally  buried  at  the 
Priory  of  St.  John  or  at  the  Grey  Friars'  Monastery, 
and  removed  here  at  the  Dissolution ;  while  on  the 
other  hand  the  original  resting-place  of  the  coffin  may 
have  been  the  recess  where  it  was  found. 

In  an  adjoining  recess  there  is  a  half-length  stone 
effigy  of  a  man  with  one  arm  folded  across  his  chest. 


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346 


ST.    PETER^S   CHURCH,    CAJIMARTHKN. 


Fig.  3.— Sepulchral  Slab  of  Richard in  St.  Peter's  Church, 

Carmarthen. 

{Drawn  by  Mist  Emily  JET.  Edward^,) 


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ST.    PfiTEk's   OrtUROH,    CARMARTHKK. 


347 


but  of  the  history  of  this  little  is  known.  In  the 
chancel  wall,  near  the  vestry  door,  there  is  a  portion  of 
an  early  but  much-worn  effigy,  plastered  into  the  wall. 
Originally,  it  seems  to  have  covered  a  vault  under  or 
near  the  chancel  arch,  where  the  organ  now  is. 
The  most  interesting   monument  in   St.  Peter's 


IS 


Fig.  4.— Tomb  of  Sir  Rhys  ap  Thomas  in  St.  Peter's  Church, 
Carmarthen. 

{Excelsior  Co,^  Carmarthen  Photo.) 


undoubtedly  the  stately  tomb  of  Sir  Rhys  ap  Thomas, 
K.G.,  in  the  south  aisle,  with  the  recumbent  effigies  of 
Sir  Rhys  in  chain  armour,  and  his  second  wife,  Janet, 
surmounting  it.  Sir  Rhys  was  the  third  son  of  Thomas 
ap  Gruffydd)  of  the  illustrious  House  of  Dynevor,  and 
famous  for  his  successful  efforts  in  supporting  the  claim 


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348  ST.  Peter's  church,  Carmarthen. 

of  Henry  Tudor,  Earl  ot  fiicbmond,  afterwards  Henry 
VII,  to  the  throne  of  England. 

Sir  Rhys  died  in  1527,  aged  76,  and  was  buried  at 
the  Grey  Friars'  monastery  of  Carmarthen.  On*  the 
dissolution  of  the  monastery  in  1537,  the  remains  of 
Sir  Rhys  and  his  wife  were  removed  to  St.  Peter's,  and 
were  placed  within  the  communion  railings  on  the 
north  side.  Here  they  remained  from  1539  to  1865. 
Unfortunately,  Sir  Rhys'  banner,  armour  and  helmet, 
as  well  as  the  iron  railings,  disappeared  at  the  time,  or 
after  the  removal  to  the  church.  The  indenture  in  the 
Record  Office  as  to  the  dissolution  of  the  Grey  Friars' 
monastery  at  Carmarthen,  dated  August  30,  1539, 
after  stating  that  one  "  John  Trahern  "  was  warden  of 
the  Convent,"  "  Makethe  mencyon  of  all  the  stufis  of 
the  Grey  Frieres  of  Karmardein  receyved  by  the  Lorde 
Visitor,  under  the  Lorde  Prevey  Scale  for  the  King's 
Grace,  and  delyvered  to  mv  Lorde  William,  Bishop  of 
Seinthe  David  and  Thomas  rrichar.  Vicar  of  Carmarden, 
to  se  and  order  to  the  King's  use  with  the  House  and 
all  the  appurtenances  tille  the  King^s  pleasure  be  further 
knoweing,  and  *  Mr.  Meyer '  to  have  ye  oversithe  of  the 
same."     Among  the  "  stuflfe  "  referred  to  are  ; 

Item.  '*  A  Paule  of  clothe  of  tussey  for  the  Erie  of 
Richemunde  tumbe."  (This  fine  tomb  was  removed  to 
St.  David's  Cathedral  from  the  monastery.) 

Item.  "  A  goodlye  tumbe  for  Sir  Rhys  ap  Thomas 
with  a  grate  of  yron  abouthe  him." 

Item.  '*  A  stremer  banner  of  his  armys  with  his  cote 
armer  and  helmit." 

In  the  autumn  of  1865  it  was  deemed  desirable  to 
have  the  tomb  removed  to  a  more  convenient  site 
under  the  arch  between  the  chancel  and  Consistory 
Court ;  and  the  expense  of  removing  and  restoring  it 
was  borne  by  the  fourth  Baron  Dynevor,  a  descenoapt^ 
of  Sir  Rhys. 

It  was  with  much  interest  that  one  watched  the 
opening  of  the  tomb  on  September  11,  1SQ5,  and  the 
discovery  of  the  remains  of  the  old  warrior  knight. 


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ST.  pbt£r's  chuech,  cabmarthen.  349 

The  skull  and  most  of  the  bones  were  found  under  a 
slab  level  with  the  floor  of  the  chancel.  The  remains 
were  carefully  collected,  and  later  on  plax^ed  in  a  stone 
sarcophagus  within  the  tomb.  The  interior  of  the  body 
of  the  tomb  was  filled  up  with  pieces  of  stone,  some  of 
them  coloured,  earth,  mortar,  and  portions  of  old 
tesselated  pavement. 

The  tomb  may  be  said  to  follow  after  the  design,  on 
a  much  simpler  and  more  modest  scale,  of  that  of 
Henry  the  Seventh's  tomb  at  Westminster  Abbey :  the 
monarch  whom  Sir  Rhys  served  so  faithfully  in  his 
lifetime. 

The  inscription  around  the  tomb  was  added  at  the 
restoration,  and  commences — "  Here  rest  the  remains 
of  Sir  Rhys  ap  Thomas,  K.G.,  who  fought  at  Bosworth 
Field,  and  of  Dame  Eva,  his  wife,"  etc.  (It  should  be 
Dame  Jknet.)  A  few  years  ago  the  tomb  was  once 
more  removed  to  its  present  position,  so  as  to  provide  a 
more  convenient  site  for  the  organ. 

In  the  south  wall,  opposite  the  back  of  the  organ 
and  adjoining  the  monuments  to  Bishop  Ferrar  and 
Greneral  Sir  William  Nott,  as  well  as  Sir  Richard  Steele's 
tablet,  may  be  noticed  a  stone  slab  inserted  in  the  wall, 
and  bearing  a  carved  armorial  shield  (see  illustration, 
p.  338).  Tnis  was  found  in  1878,  when  repairing  some 
cottages  adjoining  the  site  of  St.  John's  Priory,  the  stone 
being  used  as  a  hearthstone  in  a  cottage,  but  fortu- 
nately with  the  carved  face  underneath.  From  Spur- 
relFs  History  of  Carmarthen^  we  find  that  it  carries  "the 
armes  first  borne  by  Henry  V,  when  Prince  of  Wales, 
and  by  other  Princes  of  Wales,  up  to  Edward  VI .  The 
shape  of  the  shield  indicates  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth 
century-T-^emp.  Henry  VI — and  the  arms  are  those  of 
his  only  son,  Edward.  The  latter  was  born  in  1453, 
seventeen  years  after  the  destruction  of  the  Priory  by 
fire.  Possibly  his  arms  were  placed  on  a  part  of  the 
building  not  restored  until  after  his  birth." 

In  a  niche  in  the  chancel  is  a  beautiful  recessed 
rnonum^nt — being  the  eflSgy  of  a  kneeling  lady.     It  is 


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350  ST.    PSTBa's  OHUBCB,   CARMAttTH^K. 

the  monument  of  Anue,  the  liady  Vaughan.  who  is 
portrayed  kneeling,  owing  to  her  having  been  found 
dead  in  the  attitude  of  prayer  at  her  beapide.  There 
is  the  following  quaint  epitaph  beneath  to  this  chari- 
table  lady  : 

'*  Kinde  Reader  nnderneath  thii  Tomb  doth  Ije 
Choice  Blizar  of  mortalitie 
By  carefall  proTidence  Create  wealth  did  store 
For  her  relations  and  the  Poore. 
In  Essex  borne  bat  Mpent  her  gainfnl  dajes 
In  Terra  Coed  to  her  eternall  prajse 
Where  bj  her  loanea  in  spit  of  adrerse  fates 
She  did  preserve  men*8  persons  and  estates. 
A  Create  Exemplar  to  onr  nation 
Her  to  imitate  in  Life  and  action 
Would  joa  then  know  who  was  this  good  woman, 
*Twas  rirtnoDS  Anne,  the  Lady  Vanghan." 

**  She  died  May  15, 1672.     Being  aged  84  years.'' 

It  may  be  mentioned  here  that  below  the  chancel 
and  Consistory  Court  the  church  is  so  honeycombed 
with  vaults  containing  the  remains  of  old  citizens  and 
representatives  of  old  Court  families,  that  St.  Peters 
may  well  be  called  the  "  Abbey  "  church  of  the  district. 
Space  will  only  allow  of  my  calling  attention  to  a  few 
other  monuments  of  interest  Some  of  the  most 
beautiful  and  delicate  sculpture  work  in  the  church 
may  be  noticed  on  the  mural  tablet  affixed  to  the  wall 
behind  the  pulpit  in  memory  of  George  Lewis,  Armiger, 
who  died  December  21,  1715.  The  cherubs'  heads  in 
white  marble  are  worthy  of  careful  inspection.  The 
handsome  memorial  pulpit  of  carved  wood  and  stone  was 
the  gift  of  the  family  oi  the  late  Rev.  Latimer  M.  Jones, 
B.D.,  who  was  for  fourteen  years  the  devoted  Vicar  of 
the  parish.      The  Lych-gate  at  the   entrance  is   the 

Earishioners'  memorial  to  the  same  Vicar ;  while  the  fine 
rass  lectern  is  the  gift  of  the  relatives  of  the  late 
Mr.  Valentine  Davis,  Registrar  of  the  Diocese.  The 
latter  gentleman  was  a  munificent  contributor  to  the 
repair  and  beautifying  of  St.  Peter's. 

The  living  of  St.  Peter's  is  in  the  gift  of  the  Bishop, 


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ST.  peteh's  ohxjbch,  cakmarthen.  351 

and  is  worth  £282  with  a  vicarage.  This  is  not  a  large 
income  for  the  vicar  of  so  large  and  important  a  churcn  ; 
while  it  was  very  much  less  than  this  until  the  middle 
of  the  last  century.  This  poverty  of  the  vicarage  may 
be  directly  traced  to  the  very  much  one-sided  settle- 
ment referred  to  in  this  article,  when,  for  the  sake  of 
peace,  in  1278,  Richard  ap-John,  the  then  Vicar,  agreed 
to  take  ten  marks  yearly  from  the  Prior  of  St.  John 
for  his  share  of  the  tithe. 

Much  might  be  said  about  the  many  thousands  of 
parishioners  who  sleep — ^high  and  low,  rich  and  poor — 
in  the  broad  Grod's  acre  surrounding  the  church,  but 
space  will  only  permit  me  to  conclude  with  a  few  lines 
by  Henry  Kingsley  on  another  parish  church,  but  which 
may  well  apply  to  St.  Peter's. 

"  Eight  hundred  years  of  memory  are  crowded  into 
this  dark  old  church,  and  the  flood  of  change  beats 
round  the  walls  and  shakes  the  doors  in  vain,  but  never 
enters.  The  dead  stand  thick  together,  as  if  to  make 
a  brave  resistance  to  the  moving  world  outside,  which 
jars  upon  their  slumber." 


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352 


NOTES  ON  THE    EAST   WINDOW   OF   THE 
CHURCH  OF  ALL  SAINTS,  GRESFORD. 

By  thb  Rkv.  E.  A.  FISHBOURNE,  M.A. 

The  church  of  Gresford  is  fortunate  in  many  ways, 
but  most  fortunate  in  that  so  much  of  its  ancient  glass 
remains  to  show  us  something  of  its  former  glory.  The 
east  window  and  one  in  the  north  aisle  chapel  are 
complete,  while  others  have  remnants  of  great  interest. 
The  great  size  and  lofty  position  of  this  east  window, 
filled  with  beautiful  glass,  seen  beyond  and  above  the 
dark  oak  screen,  render  it  the  most  striking  object  in  a 
church  of  no  mean  beauty. 

As  it  was  restored  by  Messrs.  Clayton  and  Bell  in 
1867,  the  window  having  become  quite  unintelligible, 
filled  with  confused  remnants  of  glass,  and  much  of  it 
also  having  been  destroyed,  it  appears  to  me  very 
desirable  to  put  on  record  what  was  done  at  the  time, 
hence  the  following  notes. 

The  church  was  practically  rebuilt  in  the  closing  years 
of  the  fifteenth  century ;  the  window  is  therefore 
in  the  latest  style  of  Perpendicular,  with  flattened 
arch.  It  is  21  ft.  in  height  by  14  ft.  in  breadth,  and 
is  of  seven  lights.  The  glass  was  given  by  Thomas 
Stanley,  Earl  of  Derby,  in  the  year  1500,  when  the  art 
of  glass- painting  was  at  its  best.  The  following  is  a 
description  of  the  window  as  it  is  to-day.  In  the 
tracery  above  there  is  a  Tree  of  Jesse,  culminating  in 
the  Virgin  and  Child.  The  tone  of  tJiis  part  of  the 
window  is  rather  darker  than  the  rest.  Along  the 
upper  half  of  the  lights  there  is  a  row  of  six  single 
figures,  the  seventh  light  containing  two,  enclosed  in 
vesicas  of  broad  yellow  rays.  Above  them  are  small 
attendant  angels.  In  the  centre  light  stands  God  the 
Father.  He  is  triple-crowned,  and  holds  the  orb  and 
sceptre.  Towards  the  left  is  the  sitting  figure  of  God 
the  Son.     He  also  is  triple-crowned,  the  lowest  being 


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CHURCH   OF   ALL   SAINTS,    GRfcSFOKD.  353 

the  crown  of  thorns.  His  hands  are  extended,  and 
show  the  wound  prints.  His  right  foot  is  placed  on  a 
globe.  Between  His  knees  the  Virgin  Mother  is  seated 
on  a  lower  throne,  her  hands  upheld  in  front,  and  her 
right  foot  is  also  placed  upon  the  globe.  Further  to  the 
left  is  St.  John  the  Evangelist,  and  next  to  him  the 
Blessed  Virgin,  carrying  on  one  arm  the  lily,  and  on  the 
other  either  the  gillyflower,  or  the  palm  of  light  which  the 
angel  brought  to  her  from  Paradise.  On  the  other  side 
of  the  central  figure  is  God  the  Holy  Ghost,  seated 
and  wearing  a  triple  crown.  Further  to  the  right  are 
the  angel  Gabriel  and  the  Blessed  Virgin,  designating 
the  Annunciation. 

Beneath  these  figures  there  are  five  rows  of  three- 
quarter  figures,  one  hundred  and  eight  in  number — 
apostles,  martyrs,  virgins,  angels,  and  seraphim.  These 
rows  are  marked  off*  by  the  corresponding  words  of  **  Te 
Deum  laudamus,"  making  it  what  is  called  a  Te  Deum 
window.  Positive  colour  is  very  sparingly  introduced 
into  this  lower  division,  and  consequently  the  upper 
figures  stand  out  with  all  the  greater  brilliancy  and 
splendour.  The  whole  conception  is  very  fine,  and  calls 
forth  the  admiration  of  all  experts. 

As  for  its  history  since  it  was  erected,  we  know 
but  little.  Two  windows  only,  on  the  north  side  of 
the  church,  appear  to  have  been  destroyed  in  conse- 
quence of  the  orders  of  1547,  for  there  were  seventeen 
still  remaining  in  1574.  In  1634,  Anthony  Lewis,  of 
Burton,  bequeathed  **  a  somme  of  one  hundred  pounds 
to  mende  and  make  clean  the  fayre,  costly  and  curious 
painted  glasse  windowes  in  Gresford  Church  that  I 
sawe  was  falling  in  decay,  to  be  mended  neatly  with 
couUered  glasse,  where  a  head,  arme,  body,  legg  or 
coate  of  tne  Personages  be  broken  or  inscripcion  gone, 
to  mende  them  art  like  in  shape  and  proper  couller." 

It  must  be  remembered  that  this  represented  a 
bequest  of  from  five  to  six  hundred  pounds  at  the 
present  value. 

After  this  repair,  it  would  seem  that  all  windows 
were  allowed  to  perish  from  sheer  neglect;  and  pro- 
6th  sbb.  yoL.  vn.  23 

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354  NOTES   ON   THE   EAST    WINDOW   OP   THE 

bably  it  was  by  mere  good  fortune  that  the  Madocks 
chapel  window  lived  through  this  time.  The  east 
window  must  have  been  patched  anyhow  with  the 
pieces  which  fell  from  it  from  time  to  time,  and, 
perhaps,  with  fragments  from  other  windows.  It  was 
described  in  1845  as  being  "  entirely  filled  with  confused 
remnants  of  painted  glass,  from  the  Abbey  of  Basing- 
werk,  in  Flintshire.  A  figure  of  a  pope,  with  triple 
crown,  and  one  of  the  Virgin,  are  perfect,  also  heads  of 
apostles." 

Those  now  who  remember  it  before  1867  say  that  it 
was  impossible  to  make  out  any  design,  and  that  a 
considerable  portion  of  the  lower  part — about  two- 
thirds — waa  completely  destroyed,  and  replaced  by 
plain  glass. 

When  Archdeacon  Wickham  undertook  the  renova- 
tion of  the  church,  this  window,  together  with  the  east 
window  in  the  Madocks  chapel,  was  sent  to  London ; 
and  its  restoration  by  Messrs.  Clayton  and  Bell  was  so 
excellently  carried  out  that  it  is  difficult  even  for  an 
expert  to  distinguish  in  every  case  the  new  from  the 
old.     Now  for  the  object  of  these  notes. 

While  reasoning  lately  on  the  d  priori  ground  that 
it  was  improbable  a  Te  Deum  window  would  be  erected 
to  express  the  All  Saints  idea,  I  became  convinced  that 
the  words  from  the  Te  Deum  were  inserted  by  Messrs. 
Clayton  and  Bell,  and  that,  consequently,  all  the  angels 
and  cherubim  were  also  new.  This  was  but  a  slender 
thread  to  go  by,  but  it  led  to  definite  results.  To  set 
the  matter  at  rest,  I  wrote  to  the  firm  for  information, 
on  the  chance  of  some  record  having  been  kept.  They 
most  kindly  gave  me  all  the  information  in  their  power  ; 
and  as  they  had  but  little  to  go  upon  before  them,  they 
sent  Mr.  Clement  Bell  to  inspect  the  window,  and 
point  out  to  me  what  was  new  and  what  was  old. 
They  wrote  :  '*  We  think  the  words  from  the  Te  Deum 
were  certainly  new,  as  we  have  no  knowledge  of  a 
window  being  made  in  this  country  in  illustration  of 
the  Te  Deum  until  very  long  after  the  date  of  the 
original  east  window  glass;  although  attempts  have 

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efltJKOH   OF   All  SAlNtS,   GRfeSFOBD.  365 

been  made  to  prove  the  contrary  on  the  evidence  of 
saints,  martyrs,  etc.,  as  in  the  case  of  the  sculptured 
figures  on  the  west  front  of  Wells  Cathedral." 

It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  true  principles  of 
•*  restoration"  were  not  thoroughly  understood  forty 
years  ago,  and  the  window,  which  originally  expressed 
only  the  thought  of  the  adoration  of  all  the  saints  (the 
church  itself  being  dedicated  under  the  name  of  All 
Saints)  was  altered  to  express  a  rather  wider  idea,  not 
quite  so  appropriate  as  the  first. 

Mr.  Bell  informed  me  that  the  Tree  of  Jesse  in  the 
tracery  was  also  a  new  idea,  though  some  five  or  six 
heads,  and  some  of  the  drapery  here  and  there  are 
old,  which  were  worked  into  the  new  design.  Of  the 
great  figures,  he  said,  that  of  the  Virgin  on  the  left  is 
entirely  old.  The  St.  John  is  almost  entirely  new  ; 
only  the  feet,  and  a  portion  of  the  green  robe  near  the 
feet,  are  old.  There  is  nothing  to  show  that  the  original 
figure  was  St.  John,  but  who  else  could  be  more 
suitably  placed  there  ?  In  the  next  light  the  head  of 
the  Virgin  is  new,  and  to  this  I  wish  to  direct  par- 
ticular attention.  In  a  diagram  of  the  window  which  I 
have,  Messrs.  Clayton  and  Bell  call  this  subject  (see 
pp.  352-3  for  description)  The  Assumption  ;  but  as  the 
Virgin  is  seated  in  front  of  the  seated  figure  of  our 
Lord,  and  each  has  the  right  foot  on  the  same  globe,  it 
appears  to  me  that  this  subject  represents  the  divine 
Son  displaying  His  Mother  to  the  universe  as  Queen  ot 
Heaven ;  and  that  originally  the  figure  was  a  crowned 
figure,  as  it  is  in  other  places  in  the  church — above  the 
porch  door,  upon  the  font,  on  one  of  the  misiHres,  and 
in  the  window  of  the  Madocks  chapel. 

To  strengthen  this  surmise,  I  may  state  that  in  the 
north-east  window  of  the  Madocks  chapel  we  have 
represented  there — first,  the  funeral  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  with  its  episode  of  the  wicked  Jew  ;  then  her 
burial  in  the  Vale  of  Jehosophat,  where,  in  the  clouds 
above,  the  sacred  Trinity  are  seen  taking  part:  the 
divine  Son  with  His  hand  raised  in  blessing,  and  the 
Holy  Spirit  sending  down  His  divine  influence.     The 

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356  NOTftS   ON   tHE    fcAST   WtNDOW   Of   TH* 

figure  of  the  Father  is  now  altogether  missing.  Next 
to  this  is  the  Assumption,  where,  "clothed  with  the 
sun,"  and  the  girdle  falling,  the  Blessed  Virgin  ascends 
to  heaven,  surrounded  by  angels.  After  this  comes  the 
Coronation  in  heaven,  now  almost  entirely  shattered 
and  confused. 

The  scene,  then,  in  the  great  east  window  carries  the 
subject  on  to  the  final  stage  of  her  glory  :  where,  seated 
enthroned  as  Queen  of  heaven  and  of  the  universe,  she, 
as  "  the  Mediatrix  of  Intercession,"  is  "  placed  between 
Christ  and  the  Church."  [See  Encyclical  Letter  of 
Pius  IX,  1849.] 

All  this  fits  in  with  the  supposition  I  have  put 
forward  elsewhere  :  that  the  great  object  of  veneration 
in  this  church  was  an  image  (probably  a  wonder-working 
image)  of  the  Virgin,  which  stood  in  the  now  empty 
niche  of  what  was  then  the  Lady  Chapel,  an  object  of 
devotion  to  pilgrims,  from  whose  "  oflFrryngs  .  .  .  the 
churche  of  the  sayd  parysche  was  strongely  and 
beautyfully  made  erecte  and  buylded." 

From  this  digression  I  return  to  the  description  of 
the  present  condition  of  the  window. 

Of  the  central  figure — God  the  Father — the  face  is 
new  ;  the  remaining  two  have  a  good  deal  of  new  work, 
including  the  faces ;  and  about  two-thirds  of  the  lower 
figures  are  new,  which  include  all  the  angels  and 
seraphim,  and  all  the  words  from  the  Te  Deum. 

An  interesting  suggestion  was  made  by  Mr.  Bell  : 
among  the  angels  there  is  one  figure  without  a  halo, 
wearing  a  cap  and  an  ermine  tippet.  He  is  of  opinion 
that  this  represents  the  donor  of  the  window — Thomas, 
Earl  of  Derby. 

Archaeologists,  I  am  sure,  will  agree  with  me  that  it 
is  well  thus  to  put  on  record  what  little  is  known  of 
the  history  of  this  beautiful  window,  possibly  now 
unique,  in  order  to  prevent  mistakes  in  the  future.  1 
append  a  diagram  of  the  lowest  division,  giving  the 
names  of  the  saints ;  it  will  show  in  what  way  it  has 
been  altered. 


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CettRCH   OJ*   ALL   SllNfS,   GRBSFOilD. 


35? 


JU      .      .      .      . 

^00  QQ  OQ  GO 


ja  3  S  a 


'OQOQOQSO 


8 


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358 


^Ircbaeologtral  ^otta  ann  (Qiimta. 

Remains  of  A.ncient  Bkidgb,  Carnarvon. — On  Angast  5th  last, 
Mr.  J.  Issard  Davies  wrote  informing  me  that  the  demolition  of 
Messrs.  Pierce  and  Williams'  drapery  stores,  for  the  purpose  of 
erecting  a  new  Lloyd's  hank,  had  disclosed  one  or  two  perfect 
arches  not  previonsly  known. 

I  took  an  early  opportunity  of  going  over  to  Camanron  to  examine 
the  discovery. 

The  site  of  the  new  hank  is  on  the  north  side  of  East  Gate  Street.f 
between  the  railway  catting  and  the  town  wall,  and  is  abont  120  ft. 
distant  from  the  East  Gate. 

The  arches  are  situated  under  the  pavement  and  roadway,  imme- 
diately in  front  of  the  new  pt*emi8e8.  The  face  of  the  ancient 
walling  was  exposed  when  the  ground  was  being  excavated  for  the 
purpose  of  obtaining  foundations  and  building  walls  below  the  level 
of  the  adjoining  streets. 

The  accompanying  illustration  shows  the  ancient  work  in  plan, 
and  elevation,  together  with  sections  of  the  two  arches. 

The  entire  face  of  the  eastern  arch,  A,  was  visible,  bat  only  about 
half  of  the  western  arch,  B,  as  the  remaining  portion  was  nitnated 
in  front  of  the  adjoining  premises.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the 
crown  of  the  latter  arch  is  more  depressed  than  that  of  the  former. 
Although  probably  there  was  an  original  difference  between  the 
heights  of  the  two  arches,  I  think  the  difference  has  been  increased 
by  subsequent  compression  of  the  western  arch.  Each  archway 
consists  01  an  inner  order  of  massive  ribs,  supporting  an  outer  order. 
When  I  visited  the  plaee  three  ribs  only  were  visible  in  connection 
with  each  arch.  The  foreman  employed  on  the  building,  however, 
told  me  that  there  was  a  repetition  of  similar  ribs  extending  nnder 
the  roadway.  The  sections  of  the  two  arches  differ  slightly.  In 
both  oases  the  outer  order  is  chamfered  on  the  face.  All  the  ribs  of 
arch  A  are  of  a  sqnare  section,  while  the  outer  rib  of  arch  b  is 
double-chamfered,  and  its  ribs  are  further  apart  than  those  of 
arch  A.  The  chamfers  of  the  outer  order  of  arch  A  were  stopped 
above  the  springing-line.  The  foreman  told  me  that  the  arches,  or 
responds,  started  several  feet  below  the  level  at  which  I  saw  them. 
He  further  added  that  he  had  to  go  down  to  a  depth  of  about  18  ft. 
below  the  level  shown  on  the  drawing,  to  obtain  a  good  foundation. 
He  considered,  for  this  depth,  that  the  ground  was  made,  though  it 
is  quite  possible  it  was,  in  reality,  a  river  deposit. 

The  foundations  of  a  return  wall,  at  right  angles  to  the  bridge, 
could  be  traced  for  a  distance  of  15  ft. 

When  Camarron  was  first  constructed  as  a  walled  town  there 


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ARCHAEOLOGICAL    NOTB8   AND    QUERIES. 


359 


were  two  main  entrances  :  the  one  tbe  East  Gate — Forth  Mawr,  or 
Land  Gate  ;  the  other  seaward,  known  as  the  West  Gate,  or  Forth 
jr  Anr.  The  High  Street,  or  Stryd  Fawr,  connected  these  two 
gateways.     The  East  Gate  Street  is  the  continuation  of  the  High 


SEXITIONOFARCH.A.  SECTION  OF ARCH.B 


^ELEVATION.- 


ANCiEivrr  wSll. 


Xrcrb 


^MODERN- 


-r  REAxXiNS  or  Xncieint  bridce 

LEADING  TO  EASTCyVTE,CARNARMON 


Street  without  the  walls,  and  terminates  in  an  open  space,  where 
several  roads  meet,  which  has  been  known  at  varioas  periods  as 
the  Oatmeal  Market,  Fentice  Grounds,  and  Turf  Square.  In 
Leland's  Map  of  1610  the  town  is  shown,  excepting  for  one  small 
neck  of  land,  surrounded  by  water. 

The   River  Cadnant,  on    the   east   side,  passes  below  the  road 
between  the  Square  referred  to  above  and  the  East  Gate,  and  flows 


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360  ARCHiBOLOOICAL   NOTES    AND   QUERIES. 

into  tbe  Menai  Straits.  Leiand  shows  a  bridge — possiblj  intended 
for  a  drawbridge — connecting  tha  East  Gate  with  some  outworks. 
With  reference  to  these  oater  defences,  W.  H.  Jones,  in  Old 
Kamarvon  (an  undated  book),  tells  us,  on  p.  103,  that  there  were 
two  bastion  towers,  and  while  rebuilding  the  cabinet- maker's  shop 
in  East  Ghite  Street,  some  years  ago,  the  workmen  came  across  the 
foundation  of  one  of  these  towers,  and  the  prodigious  thickness  of 
the  walling  and  solidity  of  the  work  necessitated  the  use  of  gun- 
powder to  remove  it. 

The  other  tower  must  have  been  opposite  this  one,  and  un- 
doubtedly the  foundations  will  be  discovered  when  the  houses  here 
are  rebuilt.  The  archjes  lately  discovered  are  those  of  a  bridge  on 
the  land  side  of  the  outer  gateway.  The  bed  of  the  Cadnant,  I  am 
informed,  is  now  coiiBned,  underground,  to  a  position  immediately 
to  the  west  of  the  site  of  the  new  bank.  In  Old  Kamarvon,  p.  86, 
we  are  told  that  the  course  of  the  Cadnant  is  difficult  to  trace,  as 
it  has  been  arched  over. 

I  think  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  formerly  the  bed  of  the 
river  was  spread  over  a  much  larger  area,  and  that  the  arches  lately 
discovered  carried  the  road  over  soma  of  its  branches  or  swampy 
margins.  In  Old  Karwirvoriy  p.  85,  we  are  informed  that  many 
years  ago  the  river  was  diverted  at  some  distance  above  the  town, 
and  that  this  so  greatly  reduced  the  flow  that  it  was  fouud  practi- 
cable to  fill  in  the  bed  of  the  river  immediately  above  an  old  bridge 
which  connected  Tnrf  and  Castle  Squares. 

29th  August,  1906.  Harold  Hughbs. 


Annual  Mbbtino  op  the  Association. — The  Annual  Meeting  of 
the  Association  for  this  year  will  take  place  at  Llangefni,  Anglesey, 
on  Monday,  Augnst  26th,  and  foar  following  days,  under  the 
presidency  of  Sir  Richard  H.  Williams-Bulkeley,  Bart 


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SIXTH  SERIES.— VOL.   VII,  PART  IV. 

OCTOBER    1907. 

THE  EARLY  SETTLERS  OF  CARMARTHEN. 

By  Propessob  ANWYL. 

The  present  Paper,  like  those  of  the  writer  which  have 
preceded  it,  aims  at  giving  a  succinct  account,  on  the 
basis  of  the  scattered  information  hitherto  recorded, 
of  the  condition  of  man  in  Carmarthenshire  in  pre- 
historic times,  so  that  future  investigators  may  have,  at 
the  commencement  of  their  task,  a  bird's-eye  view  of 
the  material  already  obtained.  The  counties  of  Wales 
with  which  the  writer  has  already  dealt  in  this  way  are 
Breconshire,  Carnarvonshire,  and  Cardiganshire,  A 
comparative  study  of  the  prehistoric  antiquities  of  the 
Welsh  counties  from  this  point  of  view  has  the  advan- 
tage of  bringing  into  relief  the  salient  characteristics 
of  the  diflFerent  great  epochs  of  early  civilization,  and  of 
showing  the  effects  upon  that  civilization  of  similar 
geographical  and  climatic  conditions.'  For  this  purpose, 
the  consideration  of  the  antiquities  of  the  present  day 
county  areas  is  but  a  conventional  one,  and  the  modem 
county  areas  are  only  adopted  as  geographical  units  for 
the  sake  of  convenience,  and  in  order  to'  prevent  over- 
lapping in  the  arrangement  of  the  facts.  In  the  present 
instance  the  consideration  of  prehistoric  man  in  Car- 
marthenshire is  but  a  small  part  of  the  larger  problem 
of  the  life  of  early  man  along  the  north  coast  of  what 
is  now  the  Bristol  Channel,  and  indeed  of  that  of  the 

6th  skb.,  vol.  vil  2i 

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Ji62  tflE   EARLY   SfiTtLEltS   OF   CAllMAlltHftt^. 

life  of  man  in  the  Bristol  Channel  district  and  in  South- 
West  Britain  generally.  We  might  even  go  further, 
and  say  that  we  have  here  before  us  the  wide  and 
difficult  problem  of  man  in  Western  Europe  generally, 
at  a  time  when  Britain  was  joined  to  the  Continent, 
and  when  Europe  itself  was  linked,  by  means  of  land- 
bridges,  to  the  north  coast  of  Africa.  It  may  be  said  at 
the  outset  that  in  this  remote  period  the  area  now 
covered  by  the  Bristol  Channel  was  a  fertile  plain, 
watered  by  a  river  which  ultimately  flowed  into  the 
sea  near  Cape  Clear.  The  conditions  under  which  man 
lived  in  Carmarthenshire  and  elsewhere  at  this  remote 
period  will  be  shown  later. 

Before  we  proceed,  however,  to  deal  with  the  life  of 
prehistoric  man  in  Carmarthenshire,  perhaps  it  might 
be    well    to    explain    what    modern    Carmarthenshire 
is.     In   his  well-known   work  on  Pembrokeshire,  Mr. 
George  Owen  expresses  a  complaint  that  Carmarthen- 
shire had   in  his  time  encroached   on  Pembrokeshire. 
His  words  are :  "  but  in  all  this  tracte  betweene  the 
both  shires,   Carmarthenshere   hath    encroached  upon 
Pern  brokesh ere  ;  makeinge  itselfe  lardger   and  demin- 
nisheinge  Pembrokeshere."    In  his  Taylor^s  Cushion  he 
attributes    the   encroachment   to   Sir   Thomas   Jones, 
Knight  of  the  Parliament  for  Pembrokeshire.     In  this 
connection,  as  bearing  on  the  topography  of  Carmar- 
thenshire,   it    may   noted  that    nearly    the    whole  of 
Cantref  Gwarthaf — one   of  the    "seven   hundreds  of 
Dyfed  " — and  half  of  Emlyn,  another  hundred,  are  now 
parts   of  Carmarthenshire.      The   portion   of  Cantref 
Gwarthaf  not  included   in  Carmarthenshire  is  Efelfre, 
or  Velfrey.       The  district  of  Elfed,  as  Mr.    Egerton 
Phillimore  points  out,  was  in  Cantref  Gwarthaf,  not  in 
Emlyn.     It  was  in  this  cantref,  too,  that  the  district 
of  Pelunyawc   (Peuliniog) — called   after  a  Peulin   (of 
Cape]   Peulin),   or  Paulinus — had  its  situation.     This 
district  of  Peulinyawc,  in  the  Red  Book  of  Hergest,  in 
the  story  of  Kulhwch  and  Olwen,  is  wrongly  called 
Pelumyawc.     It  should  be  observed  that  in  later  times 


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fHE   EAttLY   SKtTLEKS   Of   OARMAltTH^IN.  363 

the  "cymmwd,"  or  "commote,"  of  the  old  Welsh  came 
to  be  the  lordship  of  the  manor,  while  the  cantref  in 
turn  became  the  mediaeval  **  hundred."  There  is  one 
district  of  Carmaithenahire — Derllys — which  is  thought 
by  Principal  Rhys  to  have  a  Goidelic  name,  the  equi- 
valent of  the  Irish  Durlas.  At  the  present  day  it  forms 
a  modern  hundred  of  Carmarthen.  As  an  indication  of 
the  artificiality  of  the  modern  boundary  on  the  west 
side  of  Carmarthen,  it  may  be  noted  that  the  Church 
of  Castell  Dwyran  is  in  Carmarthenshire ;  while,  on 
the  other  hand,  the  churches  of  Llanfallteg,  Llandyssilio, 
and  Llangan  are  in  Pembrokeshire.  Castell  Dwyran 
and  Egremont  churches,  again,  are  situated  in  a  re- 
markable kind  of  peninsula  of  Carmarthenshire,  which 
projects  into  Pembrokeshire.  It  is  three  miles  in  length, 
but  has  a  neck  whose  breadth  is  only  a  quarter  of  a 
mile. 

Our  leading  authority  on  Welsh  topography,  Mr. 
Egerton  Phillimore  (in  a  note  in  Owen's  Pembrokeshire, 
p.  199),  points  out  that,  in  the  beginning  of  the  twelfth 
century,  the  eastern  portion  of  Dyfed  was  (roughly 
speaking)  bounded  by  a  line  drawn  from  the  Towy  at 
Carmarthen  to  the  Teifi  at  Llangeler,  and  including 
within  Dyfed  both  these  parishes ;  and  similarly  those 
of  Penboyr,  Trellech,  and  Abernant.  Previous  to  about 
750  A.D.,  Dyfed  included  Cantref  Mawr  ;  that  is  to  say, 
the  portion  east  of  the  boundary  line  of  modern  Car- 
marthenshire north  of  the  Towy.  There  is  no  evidence, 
Mr.  Phillimore  says,  that  in  post-Roman  times  Dyfed 
included  any  part  of  Ceredigion  (now  Cardiganshire). 
We  are  further  told  that  the  district  of  Cedweli 
(Kidwelly)  was  a  commot  of  the  third  hundred  of  Ystrad 
Tywi  (said  to  have  been  called  Cantref  Eginog),  and 
that  it  obtained  its  name  as  a  tribal  derivative  of 
Cadwal,just  as  the  name  Arwystli  comes  from  Arwystl. 
The  name  Cadwal  is  the  Welsh  equivalent  of  the  Irish 
Cathal,  from  an  original  Catu-uallos.  This  district  of 
Cedweli  was  bounded  on  the  east  by  Carnwyllon  and 
Iscennen  ( the  latter  a  *'  cwmmwd  "  of  Cantref  Bychan). 

242 


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364  THE   EARLY    SETTLERS   OF  GARMARTHl^K. 

CarnwjUon  lay  between  Cedweli  and  Gwyr,  or  Gower, 

the  latter  being  bounded  on  the  west  by  the  Llychwr. 

Llanelly,  it  may  be  noted,  was  included  in  the  ancient 

Carnwyllon,  the   name  of  which  is  still  preserved  in 

those  of  two  farms  called  "  CarnawUon,"  and  **  Cam- 

awllon  Fach,"  near  Pontyberem,   on  the  Gwendraeth 

Fawr.     Gwyr,  or  Gower,  which  lay  between  the  rivers 

Llwchwr  and  Tawe,  Brycheiniog  and  the  sea,  was  in 

the  old  district  of  Ystrad  Tywi,  and  consisted  of  the 

modern   hundreds   of    Swansea  and   Gower   (English 

Gower),  and  a  part  at  least  of  that  of  Llangyfelach  (or 

Welsh  Gower).    In  this  name  (/yfelach,  again,  Professor 

Rhys  detects  a  Goidelic  survival  of  a  name  equivalent 

to  the  Welsh  Cyfeiliog,  as  he  also  does  in  Tachlowmon 

for  the  older  Telich  Clowmon,  near  Llandeilo.    The  three 

commotes  of  Cedweli,  Carnwyllon,  and  Gower  made  up 

the  third  "cantref"  of  *' Ystrad  Tywi,"  the  other  can- 

trefydd  being  "  Cantref  Mawr"  and  •*  Cantref  Bychan." 

As  the  result  of  some  later  division,  however,  the  lowest 

of  the   three   commots   of  Cantref  Bychan,   that    ot 

Iscennen,  came  to  be  substituted   for   Gower  in    the 

grouping.     On  the  other  hand,  it  may  be  noted  that 

the    Deanery   of  Kidwelly  consisted  of  Cedweli    and 

Carnwyllon,  but  did  not  include  Iscennen.    It  included 

the  parish  of  Llangyndeyrn  (a  daughter-church  of  Llan- 

dyfaelog),  but  not  tnat  of  Llanddarog,   which  was  in 

the  Deanery  of  Ystrad  Tywi  (later  on  known  as  that  of 

Llandeilo  and  Llangadock),  and   therefore   in  Cantref 

Bychan  (Owen's  Pemhrokeshirey  p.  206).    Another  name, 

Talacharn,  now   the  Welsh  designation   of  Laughame, 

was  originally,   as  Mr.    Phillimore  points   out,  in   all 

|)robability  that  of  a  district,  the  old  name  of  the  site 

of  the  castle  or  town  of  Laugharne  being  Aber  Coran. 

This  old  commot  of  Talacharn  doubtless  lay  between 

the  estuary  of  the  Taf  and  the  eastern  boundaiy  of  the 

hundred  of  Pen  fro,  which  ran  from  EglwysFair,  on  the 

Taf,    to    the   coast   at   Amroth    Castle.     Its  northern 

boundary  was  probably  the  Taf,  so  that  it  would  thus 

include  Llanddowror,  but  not  St.  Clears.     The  name 


^ 


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THE  BABLY   SETTLERS   OP  CARMARTHEN.  365 

Talacharn  is  probably  made  up  of  "  tal" — a  forehead  or 
end — and  "acham" — an  intensive  of  "earn,"  a  cairn, 
just  as  "  achas"  is  the  intensive  of  "  cas." 

Another  point  of  topography  that  should  be  noted  is 
that  the  lordship  of  Llanstephan  is  approximately  iden- 
tical with  the  old  Welsh  commot  of  Penrhyn,  bracketed 
with  that  of  Derllys,  which  bounded  it  on  the  north. 
Both  of  these  districts  formed  part  of  Cantref  Gwarthaf. 
It  may  be  further  mentioned,  too,  that  Llanddowror  had 
at  one  time  a  double  name,  Llandeilo  Llanddyfrwyr,  or, 
as  it  is  spelt  in  the  Book  of  Llan  Dav^  Lanndubrguir. 
From  these  considerations,  it  will  be  seen  that  modern 
Carmarthenshire,  which  is  treated  as  a  unit  for  the  pur- 
pose of  the  present  Paper,  consists  substantially  of  the 
ancient  Welsh  division  of  Ystrad  Tywi,  but  with  two 
exceptions  that  are  of  importance :  1st,  that  it  does  not 
include  the  commot  of  Gower ;  and  2ndly,  that  it 
includes,  with  the  exception  of  the  little  district  of 
Velfrey,  and  possibly  the  district  of  Peuliniog  (not  yet 
identified),  the  whole  of  Cantref  Gwarthaf,  the  largest 
of  the  seven  hundreds  of  Dyfed.  The  whole  of  the 
two  chief  cantrefs  of  Ystrad  Tywi,  viz.,  Cantref  Ma wr, 
north  of  the  Tywi,  and  Cantref  Bychan  (south  of  it), 
are  in  Carmarthenshire. 

With  regard  to  the  references  already  made  to  pos- 
sible traces  of  a  Goidelic  population,  in  addition  to  the 
Ogham  inscriptions,  Professor  Rhys  mentions  not  only 
Derllys  (Durlas),  but  also  Llethrach  (from  Leitir), 
identified  by  him  with  the  Irish  Leitrioch  or  Leatracha 
Odhrdin  (of  St.  Oran),  now  Latteragh,  near  Nenagh, 
county  Tipperary.  Of  other  possible  Goidelic  traces, 
whether  of  survivals  from  the  Bronze  Age,  or  of  later 
settlers  in  Roman  or  post-Roman  times,  it  may  be  noted 
that  there  is  a  Llwyn  Gwyddel  in  Lampeter  Velfrey, 
and  a  Pant  y  Gwyddel  in  Llanfyrnach.  Cerfciinly, 
from  the  evidence  of  the  Ogham  inscriptions  and  of 
Nennius,  Goidelic  settlements,  whatever  may  have  been 
their  origin,  existed  in  some  districts  in  post-Roman 
times.     Nennius  (Hist  Brit,  Section  14)  says  :   "  Filii 


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366  THE   EARLY   SETTLERS   OF   CARMARTHEN. 

autem  Liethan  obtinuerunt  in  regione  Demetonim  et 
in  aliis  regionibus,  id  est,  Guir  et  Cetgueli,  donee 
expulsi  sunt  a  Cuneda  et  a  filiis  ejus  ab  omnibus  Brit- 
tanicis  regionibus."  The  situation  of  these  districts 
seem  to  suggest,  as  in  the  case  of  the  D^si,  a  settlement 
from  the  sea. 

After  this  preliminary  topographical  statement,  we 
come  now  to  the  subject  of  the  present  Paper,  namely, 
the  life  of  man  in  Carmarthenshire  in  prehistoric  times. 
It  is  a  commonplace  of  anthropology  that  the  forms 
which  man's  development  took  were  largely  determined 
by  geological,  geographical,  climatic,  and  economic  con- 
siderations. In  some  parts  of  the  area,  such  as  at 
Coygan,  near  Laugharne,  we  have  most  valuable  re- 
mains of  animal  life,  which  go  back  to  as  remote  a  time 
as  any  similar  remains  in  Europe.  In  other  portions  of 
the  area,  the  earlier  vestiges  have  disappeared,  and  the 
presence  of  early  man  is  a  matter  of  indirect  inference. 
As  a  rule,  it  is  only  when  his  most  convenient  materials 
were  of  stone  that  traces,  of  him  are  still  distinctly 
visible.  When  his  shelter,  where  he  had  it,  consisted 
of  the  trees  of  the  forest,  nothing  now  remains  to 
reveal  his  former  presence  with  any  degree  of  cer- 
tainty. Of  late,  however,  special  attention  has  been 
called  to  the  survival  of  prehistoric  hearths ;  and  the 
search  for  these,  to  which  reference  will  be  made  later, 
has  opened  up  a  new  and  fruitful  field  for  inves- 
tigation. 

The  distribution  of  early  man,  like  that  of  man  in  all 
ages,  was  conditioned  by  economic  considerations,  and  the 
governing  considerations  were  the  accessibility  of  food 
and  water.  The  geologist,  the  zoologist,  and  the  botanist 
could,  from  a  joint  survey  of  a  given  district,  give  a  very 
shrewd  guess  as  to  the  places  where  early  man  would 
be  likely  to  cluster  his  communities  together,  and  those 
for  whose  possession  the  stress  of  competition  would  be 
greatest.  In  the  remotest  times  mining  formed  no  factor 
in  the  distribution  of  the  population,  but  the  "  Gogofau" 
of  Dolau  Cothi  show  that  there  came  a  time  (when,  is 


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THB  EARLY  SBTTLERS  OF   CARMA.RTHBN.  367 

very  uncertain)  when  mining  (not  improbably  for  gold) 
had  its  share  in  the  economical  development  of  the 
county,  even  in  the  dim  period  of  antiquity. 

Though  some  of  the  later  problems  of  the  population 
of  Carmarthenshire  in  early  times  have,  for  certain 
reasons,  already  been  anticipated,  yet  it  will  be  con- 
venient in  the  remainder  of  the  Paper  to  trace  in  order 
the  great  stages  of  prehistoric  civilization,  and  to  see 
what  relics  they  have  here  left  behind.  In  the  case  of 
the  Coygan  cave  we  have  traces  of  the  conditions  of 
life  under  which  lived  the  cave  man  of  Palaeolithic 
times,  much  as  we  find  them  in  the  caves  of  the  Vale 
of  Clwyd  and  of  other  districts  where  they  afforded 
shelter  to  man  and  beast ;  while  in  the  "  kitchen- 
middens"  near  Pendine  we  have  the  remains  of  early 
man's  diet  of  shell- fish.  The  caves  of  the  Bristol 
Channel  area  continued  in  use  during  Neolithic  times ; 
and  consideration  will  be  given  to  these  and  to  the 
conditions  which  they  reveal  in  connection  with  that 
period.  In  the  case  of  stone  implements  it  is  not 
always  easy  to  be  sure  of  the  period  to  which  they 
belonff,  because  the  introduction  of  bronze,  and  even  of 
iron,  aid  not  mean  that  the  use  of  stone  was  abandoned 
for  implement-making,  especially  in  the  districts  which 
were  least  accessible  to  commerce,  or  were  least  econo- 
mically flourishing.  This  caution  should,  consequently, 
be  borne  in  mind  in  considering  the  following  records 
of  the  finds  of  stone  implements  and  other  relics  ap- 
parently of  the  Stone  Age.  In  Arch.  Camb.  for  1851 
(p.  334),  there  is  an  account  of  a  stone  celt  found  on 
the  Henllan  demesne,  and  exhibited  at  the  Tenby 
Meeting  of  the  Association  by  J.  Lewis,  Esq.,  of  Henllan. 
A  stone  hatchet  was  also  found  in  a  rab-quarry,  em- 
bedded in  the  rab  at  Llan,  in  the  parish  of  Llanfallteg. 
In  Arch.  Camb.  for  1853  (p.  262)  there  is  an  account 
of  "  Y  Gam  Goch ''  (a  fortress  certainly  much  later  than 
the  Stone  Age),  by  Mr.  John  Williams,  of  127,  King's 
Road,  Brighton,  wherein  mention  is  made  of  certain 
triliths  on  a  small  scale,  said  to  be  still  visible  there. 


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368  THE   EARLY  SETTLERS   OP  CARMARTHEN. 

It  is  not  impossible  from  their  cromlech-like  character 
that  they  may  prove  to  be  of  the  Stone  Age,  and  older 
than  the  fortification  itself.  In  Arch.  Camb.  for  1856, 
p.  103,  there  is  an  account  of  a  cromlech  known  as 
GwS,l  y  Filiast,  Carmarthenshire;  and,  on  p.  107  of 
the  same  volume  there  is  mentioned  a  circle  of  8tx>ues 
called  Buarth  Arthur,  as  well  as  another  called  Meini 
Gwyr.  It  is  of  interest  to  note  that  the  writer  who 
makes  reference  to  them  is  the  late  Mr.  T.  Stephens,  of 
Merthyr,  the  distinguished  author  of  The  Literature  of 
the  Kyminf.  This  cromlech,  like  others,  probably  has 
come  down  from  the  Stone  Age,  but  stone  circles  aro 
usually  the  relics,  not  of  the  Stone  but  of  the 
Bronze  Age,  and  generally  surround  the  tumuli  of  that 
period.  Again,  in  Arch.  Camb.  for  1858,  p.  371,  there 
is  a  Paper  by  the  late  Mr.  T.  O.  Morgan,  of  Aber- 
ystwyth, on  a  series  of  cairns  on  Craig  Cwm  Twrch, 
which  are  designated  on  the  Ordnance  Survey  as  Cam 
Carnau,  Carn,  Cam  Fawr,  and  Cam  Fach  respectively. 
On  the  line  of  these  cairns,  Mr.  Morgan  says  that  there 
is  an  immense  stone  called  Maen  Prenvol,  or  Penfoel, 
near  Lluest  y  Bwlch  and  Esgair  Ddu  on  Waun  Cellan, 
which  appears  to  have  been  the  capstone  of  a  cromlech, 
but  to  have  fallen  from  its  original  position.  It  is  16  ft. 
in  length,  and  24  ft.  in  circumference,  and  lies  upon  a 
moated  tumulus  of  earth.  About  two  yards  from  it 
was  a  walled  erection  and  some  scattered  stones.  Mr. 
Morgan  thought  that  the  whole  once  formed  a  crom- 
lech. The  existence,  however,  of  the  moated  tumulus 
of  earth  suggests  that  further  investigation  is  needed 
before  this  view  is  adopted.  In  Arch.  Camb.  for  the 
same  year,  p.  371,  mention  is  made  of  a  monolith  called 
Hirfaen  Gwyddog,  which  stands  16  ft.  above  ground  ; 
but  we  are  under  no  necessity  of  assigning  this  to  the 
Age  of  Stone.  In  Arch.  Camb.  for  1864,  in  the  account 
of  the  temporary  Museum  at  Haverfordwest,  reference 
is  made  to  a  stone  celt  from  Llethr,  in  Brawdy  parish  ; 
but  as  there  is  another  from  a  tumulus  near  Llanrhian 
(which  tumulus  is  most  probably  from  the  Bronze  Age), 


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THE    EARLY   SETTLERS   OF  CARMARTHEN.  369 

it  IB  not  impossible  that  both  really  belong  to  that 
period.     In  Arch.  Camb.  for  1875,  p.  415,  we  have  an 
account  of  a  stone  celt  found  on  Caerau  Gaer,  in  the 
parish  of  Llanddewi  Velfrey  ;  and  again  in  Arch.  Camb. 
for  1876,  p.  236,  there  is  an  account  of  a  very  curious 
cromlech  at  Ffynnon  Newydd,  in  the  parish  of  Llan- 
gunnog.     The  three  supporting  stones  are  said  to  form 
a  parallelogram-shaped  chamber,  open  on  the  west,  while 
the  capstone  leans  on  the  northern  support,  with  one 
end  resting  on  the  ground.      This  is  called  **Twlc  y 
Viliast."     A  few  yards  to  the  east,  there  is,  we  are 
told,  a  semicircular  rock  known  as  "  Bord  Arthur."    In 
Arch.  Camb.  for  1877,  p.  81,  the  late  Rev.  E.  L.  Barn- 
well has  a  Paper  on  "  Early  Remains  in  Carmarthen- 
shire,"  dealing   mainly   with   "  Y   Clawdd    Mawr"   in 
Cynwyl  Elfed.     Of  this  the  writer  says  :  "  The  object 
was  evidently  that  of  defence  from  attack  from  the 
opposite  heights,  or  to  command  the  road  in  the  valley 
below  ;  and  neither  of  these  motives  could  have  acted 
on  a  leader  whose  great  end  was  to  get  over  the  ground 
as  soon  as  he  could."  Mr.  Barnwell  thought  that  the  work 
"  was  probably  connected  with  the  adjoining  Megalithic 
remains,  formerly  of  a  much  more  extensive  and  impor- 
tant character  than  they  are  at  present."     Here,  again, 
it  would  be  extremely  rash  to  assign  these  remains  to 
Neolithic  times.     In  view  of  their  elaborate  character, 
it  is  impossible  not  to  suspect  that  they  are  of  a  much 
later  period  than  the  Stone  Age ;  and  it  would  not  be 
surprising  if  they  proved  to  be  Late  Celtic,  like  Y  Garn 
Goch  and  Tre'r  Ceiri ;  or  they  may  be  even  later,  as 
Mr.    Phillimore    suggests,  in   Owen's   Pembrokeshire. 
Owing  to  this  uncertainty  about  the  period  to  which 
they  belong,  judgment  should  be  suspended   until  a 
fiirther  investigation  of  them  is  made.     Mr.  Barnwell 
thought  that  a  certain  group  of  stones  formed  a  crom- 
lech, but  he  remarks  :  **  It  is  very  rare  to  find  the 
actual  supporters  of  a  capstone  more  than  four."     Mr. 
Barnwell  held  that  the  chambers  of  Clawdd  Mawr  were 
once  covered  up. 


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370  THE   EARLY  SETTLERS   OF   CARMARTHEN. 

In  the  article  in  question  we  are  further  told  that, 
on  the  way  to  Ystrad,  on  the  left-hand  of  the  road 
leading  to  Carmarthen,  are  four  stones,  one  of  which  is 
smaller  than  the  others.  The  stone  to  the  right  is  of 
coarse  grit ;  the  small  one  and  the  stone  next  to  it  are 
of  quartz  conglomerate,  the  largest  one  being  of  old  red 
sandstone.  The  three  largest  ones  formed  the  walls  of 
a  chamber,  and  may  have  aided  in  supporting  the  cap- 
stone. Their  denudation  is  complete  ;  nor  is  there  the 
slightest  vestige  of  the  former  mound. 

These  are  Mr.  Barnwell's  words: — "Within  the 
grounds  of  Ystrad  are  one  or  two  pillar-stones,  one  of 
which  was  said  to  have  been  Roman,  but  is  an  ordinary 
menhir.  They  are  not  remarkable  as  regards  dimen- 
sions. No  other  remains  exist  near  them.  They  may 
perhaps  have  been  ancient  boundary  stones,  but  are 
more  likely  to  be  ordinary  meini  hirion."  On  the  left- 
hand  of  the  road  from  Llanboidy  Church  to  Dolwilym 
is  a  more  important  group  (Fig.  5),  concealed  by  a  high 
and  thick  hedge  from  the  road.  The  stones  lie  in  a 
field  called  "Parcy  Bigwrn,"  a  portion  of  Pensarn  Farm. 
The  original  chamber  is  easily  made  out,  though  only 
two  of  its  stones  remain  erect.  The  fallen  ones,  with 
the  exception  of  one,  have  not  been  removed,  so  that 
their  original  position,  when  upright,  is  easily  ascer- 
tained. The  stones  average  about  7  ft.  high  above  the 
ground,  with  an  average  thickness  of  3  ft. ;  the  longest, 
that  lying  apart  under  the  hedge,  measuring  more  than 
8  ft.  The  chamber  was  nearly  perfect  within  human 
memory,  and  seems  to  have  been  broken  up  about  sixty 
years  ago.  It  had  no  doubt  been  deprived  of  its  cover- 
ing of  earth  or  stone  ages  before,  as  our  informant  never 
saw  any  indications  of  such  a  mound,  although  the 
cromlecn  or  chamber  was  perfect  in  his  early  days. 
This  man,  John  Jones,  of  80  years  of  age,  a  man  of  good 
character,  had  lived  close  to  the  spot  all  his  days.  His 
memory  was  remarkably  clear,  and  his  veracity  never 
suspected.  He  does  not  remember  the  covering  stone 
in  its  original  horizontal  position,  for  at  the  time  he 


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THE   EARLY   SETTLERS   OF   CARMARTHEN.  371 

speaks  of,  it  had  been  tipped  over  and  shifted  from  its 
western  bearer,  one  end  resting  on  the  ground.  He 
had,  however,  often  been  told  by  his  seniors  that  it  was 
once  horizontal,  and  known  as  "  The  Table" — a  term 
that  proved  its  former  position.  Six  horses  and  ten 
men  were  required  to  draw  the  stone.  From  all  indi- 
cations the  chamber  in  question  was  a  cromlech,  and  as 
such  may  well  have  belonged  to  the  Stone  Age.  The 
cromlech  may  be  regarded  as  a  kind  of  artificial  cave  in 
which  burial  generally  of  a  number  of  bodies  took  place, 
as  it  did  in  the  natural  caves.  Even  natural  caves  in 
France  have  been  found  to  contain  burials  of  thePolished 
Stone  or  Neolithic  period,  and  the  traces  of  funeral  rites 
found  in  them  were  identical  with  those  found  in  arti- 
ficial chambers.  In  some  instances  the  chambers  are 
only  partly  natural.  Sometimes,  in  France,  they  have 
been  simply  excavated  out  of  the  rocky  ground  to  a 
certain  depth,  and  covered  up  with  a  large  stone  slab. 

Mr.  Barnwell  quotes  some  observations  of  M.  Bert- 
rand  on  the  cave-burial  of  Belport,  in  France,  discovered 
in  1876,  when  some  quarry  men  laid  bare  a  cavern  ;  and 
also  of  M.  Duport  on  the  famous  cave  called  "  Le  Trou 
de  Frontal,*'  found  at  Furfooz,  in  Belgium,  and  described 
in  that  writer's  work  called  VHomme  Pendant  les  Ages 
de  la  Pierre  (p.  195,  Second  Edition).  These  were 
burials  in  a  place  of  shelter — or  recess — rather  than  in 
a  cave.  With  the  type  of  chambered  cromlech  in 
question,  Mr.  Barnwell  compares  the  Henblas  cromlech 
of  Anglesey.  As  for  the  distribution  of  cromlechs  in 
Europe,  the  best  statement  is  that  of  Sir  John  Evans, 
at  the  Stockholm  International  Meeting,  when  he  said 
that  "  their  distribution  depended  on  the  distribution 
of  their  materials."  To  the  foregoing  may  be  added 
the  Llwyndu  cromlech,  that  has  lost  its  capstone, 
which  is  near  the  road  from  Carmarthen  to  Llan- 
stephan. 

In  the  Arch.  Camh.  for  1878,  p.  321,  there  is  a 
reference  to  the  Lampeter  Meeting,  at  which  Miss 
Johnes,  of  Dolau  Cothi,  exhibited  some  objects  found 


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372  THE   EARLY   SETTLERS   OP  CARMARTHEN. 

in  her  neighbourhood,  such  as  a  stone  celt  and  some 
spindle- whorls,  which  may  possibly  have  belonged  to 
Neolithic  times.  In  the  Journal  of  the  Society  for 
1879  (p.  55),  there  is  an  interesting  article  on  "Pre- 
historic and  Other  Remains  in  Cynwil  Gaio,"  by  the 
Ven.  Archdeacon  Thomas,  M.A.  Mr.  Worthington 
Smith  and  Archdeacon  Thomas  had  availed  themselves 
of  an  invitation  of  the  Rev.  Charles  Chidlow  to  go  to 
spend  a  few  days  at  Caio,  for  the  purpose  of  explorin^f 
some  curious  remains  on  Craig  Twrch,  and  some  cists  and 
barrows  on  the  hills  of  Mallaen.  None  of  these  appear, 
however,  to  belong,  with  any  certainty,  to  the  Stone 
Age  ;  but  some  may  belong  to  the  Bronze  Period.  In 
the  Arch.  Camh.  for  1884,  the  Rev.  E.  L.  Barnwell  has 
given  an  account  among  the  cromlechs  of  South  Wales 
of  Longhouse  (p.  141),  Llanwnda(p.  137),  and  Dol wily m, 
near  Whitland,  and  of  the  latter  a  picture  is  given. 

Valuable  light  is  thrown  on  the  conditions  of  life  of 
prehistoric  man  in  Carmarthenshire,  notably  on  the  sea- 
border,  by  the  investigations  of  Mr.  Edward  Laws, 
Professor  Boyd  Dawkins,  and  others,  into  the  caves  of 
South  Pembrokeshire,  and  the  adjoining  caves  of  Car- 
marthenshire. Mr.  Laws  has  embodied  the  results  of 
his  researches  mainly  in  his  well-known  volume  on  the 
History  of  Little  England  beyond  Wales.  In  this  he 
deals  with  the  bone-caves  of  Hoyle's  .Mouth,  Caldy 
Island,  Coygan,  etc. ;  and  at  this  stage  it  would  be  well 
to  pause  for  a  moment  to  consider,  in  the  light  of  his 
discoveries,  what  were  the  conditions  of  life  on  the  north 
shore  of  the  Bristol  Channel  in  the  remotest  times. 
This  account  is  well  given  in  the  words  of  Professor 
Boyd  Dawkins,  who  says  that  the  islands  and  cliflEs  of 
South  Wales  were  hills  overlooking  a  vast  fertile  plain, 
occupying  what  is  now  the  Bristol  Channel,  where 
ample  sustenance  would  be  found  to  feed  the  herds  of 
elephants,  horses,  and  reindeer.  The  Towy  and  similar 
valleys  would  form  adjuncts  of  this  ancient  plain,  and, 
so  to  speak,  extensions  of  it.  Mr.  Laws  gives  it  as  his 
opinion  that  Hoyle  s  Mouth  was  inhabited  by  man  in 


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tttE  £ARLY   SBTTLKlRS   Ot  CAttMARTflEN.  37^ 

Palaeolithic  times.  At  the  Coygan  cave  he  found  an 
awl  and  two  flint  flakes  in  tne  undisturbed  earth 
beneath  the  stalagmite,  associated  with  the  bones  of 
the  rhinoceros,  ana  therefoi'e  of  the  Palaeolithic  Age. 
Professor  Boyd  Dawkins  also  suggests  that  the  same 
may  have  been  the  case  with  the  Gower  caves.  The 
latter,  in  his  work  on  Cave  limiting,  says  : — **  We  must 
therefore  picture  to  ourselves  a  fertile  plain  occupying 
the  whole  of  the  Bristol  Channel,  and  supporting  herds 
of  reindeer,  horses,  bisons,  many  elephants  and  rhino- 
ceroses, and  now  and  then  being  traversed  by  a  stray 
hippopotamus,  which  would  afford  prey  to  the  lions, 
bears,  and  hyaenas  inhabiting  the  accessible  caves,  as 
well  as  to  their  great  enemy  and  destroyer  man.  It 
appears,  too,  that  prehistoric  remains  are  occasionally 
dredged  up  from  Carmarthen  Bay.  A  large  river  prob- 
ably flowed  into  the  sea  past  Lands  End.''  On 
p.  6  of  his  book,  Mr.  Laws  says  : — *'  We  never  came 
across  human  bones  or  human  handiwork  in  the  Hoyle 
Cave  that  were  attributable  to  Palaeolithic  Man."  In 
a  letter  to  himself  from  Professor  Boyd  Dawkins,  which 
Mr.  Laws  quotes,  he  says  : — "  I  never  dug  out  any  flint 
or  horn-stone  implements  with  my  own  hands  in  asso- 
ciation with  Pleistocene  beasts  in  this  cave.  I  believe, 
however,  that  Mr.  Ayshford  Sandford  found  them  in 
association  with  bear,  under  the  stalagmite  and  near 
the  entrance,  on  the  right-hand  side,  along  with  frag- 
ments of  charcoal  and  splinters  of  bone  :  these  I  con- 
sider Pleistocene.  Hoyle's  Mouth  seems  to  me  to  have 
been  used  by  hyaenas  during  the  old  Stone  Age.  In 
Neolithic  times  it  became  both  a  dwelling  and  a  ceme- 
tery for  men."  Similarly  of  the  Little  Hoyle :  "  In 
Pleistocene  days  this  was  a  hyaena  den."  A  rich 
Neolithic  harvest  was  here  found  by  Mr.  Laws  and  his 
friends. 

Of  the  caves  of  this  series  Mr.  Laws  says : — **  The 
most  interesting  ossiferous  cave  in  West  Wales  is  the 
Coygan,  near  Laugharne,  in  Carmarthenshire ;  and,  as 
this  comes  within  the  zone  of  the  modern  county,  an 


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3?4  THE   EARLY  SETTLERS   OF   CAkMARtHEN. 

account  of  it,  based  on  the  investigations  of  Mr.  Edward 
Laws,  may  be  given  here  :  *  It  is  excavated  from  an 
outlying  hill  of  mountain  limestone,  which  stands  about 
a  mile  from  the  sea,  flat  marsh  land  and  sand  burrows 
intervening.     There  can  be  little  doubt  that  in  com- 

Earatively  recent  days  the  sea  washed  the  foot  of  this 
ill.    The  entrance  to  the  Coygan  is  extremely  low  and 
narrow,  but  soon  opens  out  into  a  lofty  and  extensive 
chamber.' "     So  far  as  Mr.  Laws  knew,  there  had  been 
no  discovery  of  Neolithic  remains  in  this  cave  (but  this 
is  probably  accidental).      It  was  deemed  by  the  late 
Professor  Rolleston  to  be  the  most  perfect  instance  of 
a  hyaena  den  he  had  ever  met  with.     Mr.  Laws  found 
hyaena  bones    in    position.     The   other  remains   were 
similar  to  those  found  in  Black  Rock  and  Caldy,  but 
were  more  plentiful,  in  good  condition,  and  much  scored 
by  teeth-marks.    Mr.  Laws  further  says  : — "In  addition 
to  these  ordinary  cave-bones,  I  had  the  good  fortune 
to  find  under  rhinoceros  bones  which  were  overlaid  by 
stalagmite,  a  piece  of  bone,  whittled  and  rounded  into 
the  shape  of  an  awl,  lying  alongside  of  two  flint  flakes: 
one  of  which  had  indubitably  been  manipulated ;  the 
other  was  a  pebble,  which  had  been  broten,  whether 
by  natural  or  artificial  means  it  is  impossible  to  say. 
These  are  in  the  Tenby  Museum,  and  constitute  the 
sole  proof  of  Pleistocene  Man  in  West  Wales  discovered 
by  me."     The  Pleistocene  fauna  appear  to  have  been  of 
three  classes  :  Northern,  Temperate  and  Southern  ;  but 
the  curious  state  of  things  is,  that  as  these  remains  are 
found  in  the  closest  association  together  in  the  caves, 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  they  ranged  the  land  to- 
gether.   As  it  is  important  for  the  purpose  of  picturing 
the  life  of  man  in  the  remotest  times  in  Carmarthen- 
shire to  know  with  what  animals  he  lived,  some  of  these 
may  be  enumerated.  We  have,  first,  the  Northern  fauna, 
the  first  of  which  is  the  mammoth  or  elephas  primi- 
geniu^,  which   fed   on    the  woody  fibre   of  trees,    for 
example  the  larch.      Mr.   Laws  points   out  that  the 
Pembrokeshire  mammoths  of  the  caves  were    mostly 


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tHE   EAitL^   SEWLerS   O^  CAtlMARTbEN.  3^5 

calves.  Next  we  have  the  woolly  rhinoceros  {R.  Ticho- 
rhinus),  whose  nostrils  were  divided  by  a  long  ridge. 
The  British  rhinoceros  had  a  thick  woolly  coat  composed 
of  short  hair  of  a  cinereous  grey  colour,  from  1  in.  to 
3  ins.  long,  with  here  and  there  a  black  hair  longer  and 
stiffer.  The  rhinoceros  fed,  like  the  mammoth,  on  the 
twigs  of  the  larch  and  other  trees.  It  can  scarcely  be 
doubted  that  both  these  beasts  roamed  at  will  at  one 
time,  right  into  the  Towy  Valley.  Other  Northern 
beasts  whose  remains  have  been  found  in  the  West 
Wales  caves  are  the  reindeer  and  the  elk  ;  but  in 
English  caves  there  have  been  also  found  remains  of  the 
musk-ox,  the  lemming,  the  tailless  hare,  the  marmot, 
and  the  Arctic  fox.  Of  the  beasts  of  the  Temperate 
group,  the  following  have  been  found  :  the  wolf,  the 
fox,  the  cave  and  the  brown  bear,  the  horse,  the  ox, 
the  bison,  the  Irish  elk,  and  the  red  deer.  All  these, 
except  the  cave-bear,  have  survived  from  the  prehistoric 
period.  The  cave-bear  had  some  points  of  contact  with 
the  polar  bear,  though  generally  he  is  considered  the 
prototype  of  the  American  grizzly.  The  animals  of  the 
Southern  group,  which  roamed  in  the  area  of  the  Bristol 
Channel,  were  the  lion,  the  hyaena,  and  the  hippopota- 
mus. The  cave-hyaena  was  of  a  heavier  type  than  that 
of  South  Africa.  At  that  time  Britain  was  joined  to 
the  Continent  of  Europe,  and  migration  was  constant. 
The  junction  of  Britain  to  Europe  probably  made  a 
great  difierence  to  the  climate  ;  and  further,  some  of 
the  animals  in  question  may  have  been  able  to  adapt 
themselves,  as  man  has  done,  to  the  zone  in  which 
they  chanced  to  live.  The  coast  of  the  Bristol  Channel 
is  surrounded  by  a  belt  of  submerged  land.  It  is  not 
improbable  that  the  first  settlers  of  Carmarthenshire 
formed  the  northern  fringe  of  the  men  of  the  Bristol 
Channel  area,  who  penetrated  into  the  adjoining  val- 
leys. Though  there  are  no  remains  from  Carmarthen- 
shire itself  to  illustrate  the  life  of  these  men,  the  re- 
mains of  the  adjoining  Pembrokeshire  caves  afford 
abundant  indications  of  its  character.     From  the  Little 


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8i^6  THE   EARLY  SETTLERS  OK  CARMARTttEl^. 

Hoyle  in  Longbury  Bank,  Penally,  the  following  re- 
mains were  unearthed  by  Mr.  Laws,  Mr.  Wilmot  Power, 
the  late  Professor  Rolleston,  and  the  late  General 
Pitt-Rivera,  in  1876,  1877,  and  1878  :  (1)  The  remains 
of  certainly  nine,  if  not  eleven,  human  beings ;  (2)  large 
quantities  of  the  bones  of  domestic  and  wild  animals  ; 
(3)  birds  ;  (4)  shells ;  (5)  pottery ;  (6)  charcoal ;  (7) 
stone  and  bone  implements.  These  were  mixed  up  with 
black  earth  and  angular  stones  in  a  sort  of  hotch-potch. 
The  precise  explanation  of  this  hotch-potch  is  doubtful ; 
but  as  for  the  crania  themselves.  Professor  Rolleston 
said  that  they  were  dolichocephalic,  with  a  remarkably 
low  cephalic  index  of  69,  and  with  a  pear-shaped  contour 
when  viewed  from  above,  due  to  a  rapid  tapering  from 
the  level  of  the  parietal  tubera  forwards.  Among  the 
natives  of  Carmarthenshire  measured  by  some  of  my 
colleagues  at  Aberystwyth  and  by  myself,  I  remember 
none  that  was  found  with  so  remarkably  low  a  cranial 
index  as  69* 

The  picture  of  the  life  of  Neolithic  Man  in  the 
northern  side  of  the  Bristol  Channel  is  best  completed 
by  the  following  account  given  by  Mr.  Edward  Laws, 
who  has  studied  the  conditions  of  his  life  with  the 
closest  attention.  In  the  History  of  Little  England 
Beyond  Wales,  Mr.  Laws  says,  speaking  of  Eiirly  Man's 
weapons :  '*  The  projectile  weapons  were  javelins,  ar- 
rows tipped  with  flint  or  bone,  and  slings  ;  their  side- 
arms,  polished  stone  celts,  some  heavy  and  some  light, 
set  in  wooden  handles.  Their  clothing  consisted,  no 
doubt,  partly  of  cloth,  for  a  carding-comb  found  in 
Hoyle's  Mouth  and  the  stone  spindle-whorl  from  Stack- 
pole  proves  that  they  were  weavers.  Still,  the  nu- 
merous flint  scrapers  show  that  the  preparation  of  hides 
was  a  very  important  business  ;  while  the  bone  needle 
found  in  the  Little  Hoyle  is  well  adapted  to  sew  skins 
together.  Poundera  and  mullers  of  com  for  rubbing 
corn  into  meal  are  found."  They  probably  had  wheat, 
barley,  oats,  and  rye.  The  cultivation  of  these  was 
probably  women's  work.     These  men  of  the  Neolithic 


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THE    BARLY   SE1TLERS   OF  CARMARTHEN.  377 

period  turned  out  strong,  serviceable  ware.  In  the 
Little  Hoyle  Mr.  Laws  found  shards  made  of  old  red 
sandstone,  ground  fine  and  mixed  with  clay.  This  ware 
WAS  not  turned  on  a  wheel,  but  fashioned  by  the  hand. 
They  were  rich  in  oxen,  sheep,  goats  and  swine,  all, 
however,  of  a  small  breed.  The  horses  of  these  men 
were  comparatively  scarce,  but  they  had  fine  dogs,  and 
one  from  the  Little  Hoyle  was  as  large  as  a  mastiflf. 
These  hounds  hunted  the  brown  bear,  the  red  deer,  the 
roebuck,  hares,  and  foxes.  The  wild  boar  seems  to  have 
been  scarce,  and  wolves  and  beavers  are  conspicuous  by 
their  absence.  The  woods  were  inhabited  by  black 
game,  and  the  hill-sides  with  partridges.  The  same 
learned  archaeologist  remarks  that  oysters,  cockles, 
periwinkles,  whelks,  pectens  and  the  like  were  used  in 
great  numbers  ;  also  an  occasional  crab,  but  he  found 
no  remains  of  lobster.  The  fish  was  probably  collected 
by  women  and  children.  Some  of  the  cave-men  took 
fish,  e,g.^  the  conger-eel,  ray,  and  angler  fish.  A  dug- 
out canoe  (either  of  the  Neolithic  or  the  Bronze  Age)  was 
also  found  close  to  the  Hoyle's  mouth. 

Coming  now  to  further  remains  that  may  be  Neo- 
lithic, we  may  note  the  following.  In  Arch.  Camh.  for 
1893  (p.  157)  there  is  an  account  of  the  exhibition  of 
a  nether  millstone  found  by  Mr.  Stepney-Gulston  on 
Carreg  Sawdde,  near  Llangadock,  in  1871.  Further,  on 
p.  163,  there  is  a  Paper  on  the  Craig  Derwyddon  Bone 
Caves  (near  Pant-y-llyn,  Llandybie,  Carmarthenshire), 
read  upon  the  spot  on  August  11th,  1892,  by  Mr.  Alan 
Stepney-Gulston,  of  Derwydd,  to  whom  archaeology  in 
Carmarthenshire  owes  a  deep  debt  of  gratitude.  This 
Paper  deserves  attention.  In  1878  Professor  Rolleston 
visited  these  caves,  and  collected  all  the  information 
then  available.  Mr.  Stepney-Gulston  quotes  Professor 
Rolleston  as  saying  :  **  Many  years  ago — in  fact,  in  the 
month  of  August,  1813 — ten  or  eleven  skeletons  were 
found  in  a  cave  near  Llandybie.  One  skull  from  the 
find  we  have  in  the  Oxford  University  Museum.  It  is 
filled  with  crystalline  loaf-sugar-like  stalagmite,  which 

6th  bkb,,  vol,  Til.  i^ 

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378  THE   EARLY   SETTLERS   OF   CARMARTHEN. 

has,  of  course,  preserved  it  in  its  original  outlines  .  .  . 
This  skull  was  carried  oflF  by  the  Lord  Dynevor  of  the 
time  being,  and  by  him  was  transferred  to  the  hands  of 
Dean  Buckland,  and  so  into  our  Museum  .  .  .  the  rest 
of  the  human  bones,  together  with  the  bones  of  elk  and 
wild  boar,  were  re-interred  in  a  pit  dug  for  their  re- 
ception close  by.  The  site  of  this  pit  I  hope  to  identify." 
Mr.  Alan  Stepney-Gulston  had,  however,  by  careful 
investigation,  been  able  to  explore  and  excavate  the 
ancient  sepulchre  of  the  place.  His  words  were  as 
follows:  **This  piece  of  the  'living  rock'  which  you 
see  here  still  standing  was,  it  seems,  left  as  a  mark  of 
the  whereabouts  of  the  actual  site.  The  vault  itself, 
lying  to  the  north  side,  was  entered  by  a  lateral 
opening,  some  30  ft.  in  length,  which  had  become  so 
entirely  blocked  up  (whether  through  the  silting-up 
action  of  time,  or  perhaps  through  the  direct  action  of 
those  who  chose  this  solemn  retreat  as  a  sepulchre, 
must  remain  a  matter  for  speculation),  that  the  work- 
men were  not  aware  of  even  the  existence  of  the  cave 
until  they  broke  into  it  from  above  in  the  ordinary 
course  of  their  workings."  The  part  of  the  cavern  which 
was  used  for  sepulture,  and  which  was  entered  from 
the  north  side,  seems  to  have  measured  from  16  ft.  to 
17  ft.  in  length  by  12  ft.  to  13  ft.  in  width,  and  was  of 
an  ovate  form,  the  irregular  vaultings  of  the  roof 
averaging  about  4  ft.  high  in  the  centre. 

**  There  were  twelve  skeletons  in  all,  the  first  seven 
lying  with  their  feet  towards  the  entrance,  and  their 
heads  towards  the  west.  In  juxtaposition  were  three 
other  skeletons,  placed  transversely,  with  their  heads 
lying  towards  the  south ;  and  lastly,  at  a  point  about 
10  yards  further  into  that  part  of  the  cave  that 
extended  towards  the  south,  were  two  other  skeletons 
of  great  size,  lying  also  with  their  heads  towards  the 
south.  It  is  remarkable  that  they  all  lay  with  their 
faces  turned  upward,  and  with  their  heads  brought 
slightly  forward  on  to  their  breasts,  the  skulls  in  every 
case  resting  on  a  solid  ledge  of  rock,  some  6  ins.  higher 


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THE   EARLY   SBTTLBRS   OF  CARMARTHEN.  379 

than  the  level  plane  upon  which  the  rest  of  the  skeleton 
lay,  and  the  arms  extending  flat  down  each  side  of  the 
body,  which  was  laid  straight  out  and  face  upwards, 
the  whole  of  the  floor  being  covered  by  what  is  described 
as  fine  sand,  one  of  the  skeletons  only  having  been 
subjected  to  the  incrustation  of  the  stalagmite  referred 
to  by  Professor  Rolleston."  Mr.  Stepney-Gulston  then 
proceeds  to  give  an  account  of  what  had  happened  to 
these  "  precious  prehistoric  relics.'*  To  the  skull  de- 
posited in  the  Oxford  Museum  reference  has  already 
been  made.  Several  others  of  the  skulls  were  taken 
away  by  a  gentleman  of  the  name  of  Wrey,  then  living 
at  a  place  called  Thornhill,  some  four  miles  distant ; 
which  place  was  sold  in  1880  by  a  Miss  Fosset,  when  all 
traces  of  the  skulls  were  lost  sight  of,  a  huge  stalag- 
tite  only  being  still  to  be  seen  as  an  ornament  upon  the 
lawn  there. 

3.  A  portion  of  the  bones,  together  with  the  stalag- 
mite found  there,  were  burned  in  an  old  lime-kiln, 
which  pre-existed  on  the  site  of  the  present  kiln,  now 
marked  with  a  stone,  showing  the  date  of  1823:  namely, 
ten  years  later  than  the  find. 

4.  The  whole  of  the  remainder  of  the  bones,  Mr. 
Stepney-Gulston  was  told,  both  of  the  human  remains 
and  also  of  the  elk-horns  and  teeth  of  the  wild  boar, 
which  latter  were  only  found  among  the  dihris  which 
stopped  up  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  were  thrown  away, 
and  were  gradually  covered  up  by  the  *'  talus'*  or  "  spoil" 
from  the  quarry.  Mr.  Stepney-Gulston  also  says : — 
"I  have  also  been  informed  that  certain  'copper' 
utensils  were  known  to  have  been  found  together  with 
the  skeletons  ;  and  I  have  great  hopes,  should  this 
prove  to  be  a  fact,  that  one  or  more  of  them  may  yet 
be  recoverable.  If  bronze  implements  were  found,  it  is 
probable  that  we  may  have  here  some  unburnt  burials 
of  the  Bronze  Age.  All  the  skulls  are  described  as 
being  exceedingly  large,  and  there  exists  a  tradition 
that,  at  the  time  of  their  exhumation,  the  hat  of  the 
largest-beaded  bystander  proved,  upon  trial,  to  be  too 

25  » 

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380  TH£   EARLY   SBTTLEBS   OF   CARMARTHEN. 

small  for  the  smallest  of  the  ancient  skulls.''  In  a 
memorandum  of  September  7th,  1892,  Mr.  Stepney- 
Gulston  states  that  by  inquiry  from  an  old  quarryman, 
who  was  present  at  the  find,  the  spot  where  a  number 
of  the  bones  had  been  re-interred  had  been  identified. 
It  would  not  be  at  all  surprising  if  this  proved  to  be 
a  Late-Bronze  Age  or  Late-Celtic  burial.  Mr.  Stepney- 
Gulston  has  rightly  called  attention  also  to  the  im- 
portance of  a  thorough  exploration  of  the  Carreg  Cennen 
cave. 

In  the  Arch.  Camb.  for  1894  (p.  78),  there  is  an 
account  of  the  identification  by  Horatio  Thomas  (twelve 
years  of  age),  son  of  Mr.  Cerridfyn  Thomas,  B.Sc,  of  a 
finely-shaped,  large-sized,  and  well-preserved  celt,  so 
smooth  that  it  might  almost  be  called  polished  ;  10  ins. 
long,  8  ins.  round  in  the  thickest  part  and  3j  ins.  along 
the  knife-edge  end.  It  was  made  of  grey  granite,  in 
which  some  specks  of  felspar  and  mica  were  visible.  It 
was  found  by  the  boy's  uncle,  Mr.  John  Morris, 
of  "  Rwyddfa  Gatw"  farm,  in  the  pariah  of  Llanegwad, 
Carmarthenshire,  in  the  first  week  of  October,  1893, 
while  extending  a  pond  into  the  peaty  soil  adjoining. 

The  most  important  contribution  recently  published 
connected  with  prehistoric  Carmarthenshire  is  that 
published  in  the  Arch.  Camb.  for  this  year,  entitled 
"Note  on  the  Discovery  of  Prehistoric  Hearths  in 
South  Wales,"  by  Mr.  T.  C.  Cantrill,  B.Sc,  and  Mr. 
O.  T.  Jones,  B.Sc,  B.A. ;  the  latter  is,  I  am  glad  to  say, 
a  distinguished  old  student  of  the  University  College  of 
Wales,  Aberystwyth,  and  of  the  University  of  Cam- 
bridge. To  some  researches  by  the  former  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  referring  in  my  Paper  on  '*  The  Early  Settlers 
of  Brecon. *'  These  hearths  appear  to  have  been  prehis- 
toric cooking-places.  I  have  had  the  good  fortune  to 
identify  a  new  one  of  the  kind  in  Cardiganshire,  and  on 
inquiry  to  find  that  there  are  more,  which  I  hope  at  some 
time  to  describe.  The  general  description  of  them  is 
as  follows  : — These  hearths  consist  of  small  heaps  of 
broken  and  burnt  stones,  generally  near  streams,  espe^ 


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tflE   iiAHLY  SEtTLKftS   OF   CARMARTHEN.  381 

cially  where  these  arise  from  a  strong  spring  close  by. 
Occjisionally,  the  stream  is  found  to  have  cut  into  one  of 
the  banks  in  such  a  way  as  to  expose  a  complete  section 
of  the  heap,  which  is  seen  to  consist  of  a  muss  of  stones 
— generally  pieces  of  sandstone  or  grit — broken  to  the 
size  of  road-stone  and  evidently  burnt,  inasmuch  as 
they  were  friable  and  reddened  by  heat.  The  inter- 
stices between  the  stones  were  found  to  be  iSlled  with 
fine  soil,  in  which  charcoal-dust  and  fragments  were 
abundant ;  the  heap,  of  course,  being  covered  with  grow- 
ing turf.  The  mounds  in  question  were  associated  with 
supplies  of  good  drinking-water,  and  especially  with 
springs.  They  have  been  found  in  Carmarthenshire,  in 
the  following  places.  Several  have  been  found  in  the 
parish  of  Gwynfe,  and  seem  to  indicate  the  presence  in 
that  district  of  a  flourishing  prehistoric  community. 
The  following  is  a  brief  summary  of  the  spots  in  Car- 
marthenshire where  these  sites  have  been  found.  For 
a  fuller  account,  see  Mr.  Cantrill  and  Mr.  Jones's 
article. 

Prehistoric  Hearths  in  Carmarthenshire. 

1.  In  Carmarthenshire,  E.  bank  of  lane,  100  yards  S.E.  of 
Ty-brych  Farm,  IJ  mile  S.W.  of  Llanddeusant,  near  Llan- 
gadock. 

2.  400  yards  W.  of  Llan  Farm,  2  miles  E.  of  Gwynfe,  uear 
Llangadock. 

3.  K  side  of  Nant-dwfn,  at  PwU-y-fuwch  Farm,  1  mile  S.S.W. 
of  Capel  Gwynfe,  Llangadock. 

4.  S.E.  side  of  stream,  400  yards  N.E.  of  Pare  Owen  farm, 
2^  miles  N.W.  of  Capel  Gwynfe,  Llangadock. 

5.  Bank  of  small  stream  at  foot  of  Cylchau,  and  550  yards 
K  by  S.  of  Llwyn-y-Wennol  Farm,  2  miles  E.S.E.  of  Capel 
Gwynfe,  Llangadock. 

6.  Side  of  small  stream,  250  yards  N.  of  Llygad  Llwchwr,  near 
Forge  Llandyfan,  4  miles  S.E.  of  Llandeilo.  A  small  flint  flake 
was  found  a  yard  or  so  away. 

7.  Side  of  same  stream  as  N"o.  9,  and  70  yards  farther  up  the 
stream,  300  yards  E.N.E.  of  Llygad  Llwchwr. 

8  and  9.  450  yards  N.W.  of  Llygad  Llwchwr. 
10.  S.E.  side  of  small  pond,  in  middle  of  the  upper  camp  on 
Gram-G6ch,  Llangadock. 


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36i  THE  EARLY  SETTLERS  OF  CARMARTHEN. 

11.  Side  of  stream,  400  yards  S.  by,  W.  of  Cwm-fTrwd  Farm, 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  N.  of  Glanamman  Kailway  Station, 
Amman  Valley. 

12.  Edge  of  pond,  50  yards  W.  of  Gelli-fawnen  Farm,  1  mile 
W.  by  N.  of  Glanamman  Railway  Station. 

13.  Side  of  path,  200  yards  N.W.  of  Hafod  Farm.  Lower 
Clydach  Valley,  4  miles  N.W.  of  Pontardawe. 

14  and  15.  S.W.  side  of  stream,  300  yards  S.S.W.  of  Tresgyrch- 
fach  Farm,  3|  miles  N.W.  of  Pontardawe. 

16.  Side  of  stream,  450  yards  S.  by  E.  of  Tregib  House, 
Llandeilo. 

17.  W.  slopes  of  Cennen  Valley,  S.  of  Meusydd  Mill,  2  J  miles 
S.W.  of  Llandeilo. 

18.  E.  side  of  stream,  350  yards  W.  of  Penrhiw,  J  of  a  mile 
E.  of  Derwydd  Koad  Station,  3  miles  S.  of  Llandeilo. 

19.  A  few  yards  below  a  spring  (marked  and  named  on  the 
6-in.  map)  close  to  Nant  Gwyddfau,  J  mile  S.S.E.  of  Garn- 
bica  Farm,  1 J  mile  E,  of  Llandybie. 

20  to  23.  Side  of  small  stream,  300  yards  S.W.  of  Cilcoll 
Farm,  1^  mile  E.  of  Llandybie. 

24.  350  yards  S.  of  Castell-y-Graig  Farm,  1  mile  W.  by  N. 
of  Llandybie. 

25.  400  yards  E.  of  Gelli  Siffor  Farm,  1  mile  N.  by  W.  of 
Ammanford. 

26. Within  the  southern  edge  of  a  wood,  170  yards  E.  of  Gelli 
SifiTor  Farm. 

27.  (?)  Side  of  stream  at  N.  end  of  a  wood,  400  yards  S.K 
of  Gelli  SifiFor  Farm. 

28.  300  yards  N.N.B.  of  Glyn-gl&s  Farm,  1  mile  S.W.  of 
Llandybie. 

29.  300  yards  N.  of  Pl^s-Mawr,  2^  miles  S.W.  of  Ammanford. 

30.  10  yards  W.  of  the  well  at  Llwyn  Ifan  Parry  Farm,  Banc- 
y-Mansel,  8  miles  E.S.E.  of  Carmarthen. 

31.  350  yards  N.K  of  Garn  Farm,  If  mile  N.  of  Ponty herein. 

32.  Side  of  stream,  150  yards  N.N.W.  of  Tor-y-coed-isaf  Farm, 
J  mile  E.  of  Llaugyndeyrn,  5  miles  S.E.  of  Carmarthen. 

33.  250  yards  S.S.E  of  Blaenau  Farm,  If  mUe  B.NJbL  of 
Llaugyndeyrn. 

34.  In  a  dingle  between  Cwm-y-dwrandCil-carn-fach  Farms, 
I  mile  W.N.W.  of  Pontyberem. 

35.  About  300  yards  S.W.  of  Llwyn-gwyn  Farm,  1^  mile  S.W. 
of  Llangain,  3  miles  S.W.  of  Carmarthen. 

36.  Side  of  stream,  200  yards  S.E.  of  Pengelli-isaf  Farm, 
li  mUe  W.S.W.  of  Llangain. 


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tHE   EARLir   SETTLEJRS   OP   CARMARTHEN.  ^83 

37.  Side  of  stream,  100  yards  N.W.  of  Pen-picillioii  Farm, 
1 J  mile  N.E.  of  Llanybre,  6  miles  S.W.  of  Carmarthen. 

38.  250  yards  S.E.  of  Maes-gwyn  Farm.  IJ  mile  E.N.E.  of 
Llanybre. 

39.  Side  of  stream,  200  yards  S.W.  of  Maes-gwyn  Farm. 

40.  400  yards  S.W.  of  Maes-gwyn  Farm. 

41.  On  E.  side  of  stream,  120  yards  S.W.  of  Cwmllyfrau  Farm, 
1  mile  N.N.E.  of  Llanybre. 

42  and  43.  Side  of  stream,  60  yards  below  Ffynnon-olcwm, 
\  mile  E.  of  Llanybre. 

44.  In  a  hedge,  100  yards  S.E.  of  Ffynnon-dagrau,  near  the 
Vicarage,  Llangynog,  5  miles  S.W.  of  Carmarthen. 

45.  100  yards  W.S.W.  of  Gelli  Farm,  1^  mile  N.E.  of  Llan- 
dilo-Abercowin,  near  St.  Clears. 

49.  In  a  coppice,  500  yards  E.  by  N.  of  Llandilo-Abercowin 
Church. 

50.  In  a  thicket,  450  yards  E.  by  S.  of  Llandilo-Abercowin 
Church. 

51.  300  yards  E.N.E.  of  Ty'r  Gate  Farm,  I  mile  E.  of  Lower 
St.  Clears. 

52.  Side  of  stream,  50  yards  N.E.  of  Broadmoor  Farm,  1  mile 
S.  of  Lower  St.  Clears. 

53.  N.  bank  of  stream  in  deep  valley  (transversely  the  Pem- 
broke road)  400  yards  S.E.  of  Parcau  Farm,  1  mile  S.W.  of 
Llanddowror,  St.  Clears. 

54.  E.  side  of  small  pond,  300  yards  W.  of  Blaeu-gors  Farm, 
^  mile  S.W.  of  Llangynin  Church,  St.  Clears. 

55.  In  corner  of  field  and  by  side  of  stream,  400  yards  S.E.  of 
Sabulon  Farm,  2  miles  W.  of  Blue  Boar,  St.  Clears. 

56.  S.  side  of  small  pond,  350  E.N.E.  of  Forest  Farm,  li  mile 
W.  of  Whitland. 

57  and  58.  150  yards  E.S.E.  of  Coleman  Farm,  IJ  mile  W.  of 
Kidwelly. 

59.  80  yards  S.E.  of  first  milestone  from  Dryslwyn  Ford,  on 
the  Castell  Rhingyll  road,  W.  of  Llandeilo. 

60.  Side  of  stream  280  yards  N.E.  of  Crug-y-felin  or  Crui^-y- 
fifetan-fawr,  1^  mile  E.  of  Eed  Roses,  3  miles  S.  of  Whitland. 

61.  Side  of  footpath,  200  yards  S.W.  of  Cwmfawr  Farm,  J  mile 
N.E.  of  Eed  Eoses. 

62.  Side  of  stream,  600  yards  S.S.E.  of  Eed  Eoses,  at  head  of 
stream  which  flows  southwards  between  Westpool  and  Sich 
Farms.     A  strong  spring  breaks  out  100  yards  N.  of  the  hearth. 

63.  K  side  of  stream,  150  yards  S.E.  of  Mountain  Farm, 
Tavernspite,  3  miles  S.S.W.  of  Whitland. 


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384  trie   tARLlr    SBTTLEftS   01*   CAftMARTBtBl^. 

We  now  come  to  the  antiquities  of  the  Bronze  Age 
period.  In  the  Arch.  Camb.  for  1851  (p.  159)  there  is 
a  reference  to  Allt  Cynedda,  near  Kidwelly,  of  a  very 
perfect  but  ancient  encampment,  with  two  barrows  or 
tumuli  to  the  eastward  of  it.  The  larger  of  these  two 
barrows  was  raised  about  300  yards  from  the  camp,  and 
measured  56  ft.  in  diameter,  but  wns  only  elevated 
about  5  ft.  from  the  surrounding  turf.  Two  feet  below 
the  original  surface  of  the  soil  there  was  a  large  stone, 
cut  into  a  hexagonal  figure  like  an  old  shield.  The 
stone  measured  8  ft.  4  ins.  in  length  and  7  ft  across, 
and  12  ins.  to  15  ins.  in  thickness.  A  cist  was  found, 
in  which  there  lay  the  bones  nearly  entire  of  a  very  tall 
human  skeleton.  The  skull  was  almost  perfect,  but 
was  singularly  flat  and  depressed  in  front,  with  a  cir- 
cular opening  upon  the  left  hemisphere,  as  if  beaten  in 
by  the  blow  of  a  slingstone  or  pointed  mace  ;  another 
chin-bone  was  very  projecting.  The  teeth  were  entire, 
but  had  fallen  out  of  the  mouldered  jawbone.  This 
tumulus,  which  is  called  Banc  Benisel,  has  a  circular 
depression  at  the  apex  about  5  ft.  or  6  ft.  in  diameter. 
In  the  Arch.  Camb.  for  1855  (p.  297),  there  is  an 
account  of  the  discovery  of  urns  on  Y  Garn  Goch.  We 
are  told  that  several  urns  were  laid  bare,  the  greater 
part  of  which  were  ornamented  with  a  more  complex 
and  decorative  pattern  than  is  usually  found  in  sepul- 
chral urns  of  this  character.  All  these  urns  were  in- 
clined outwardly,  all  at  the  same  angle ;  but  this  was, 
as  the  writer  remarks,  probably  due  to  the  pressure  of 
the  superincumbent  central  mass  of  stones.  There  was 
also  an  inner  circle,  not  concentric  with  the  outer  one. 
Smaller  urns  were  discovered  in  juxtaposition,  which 
were  supposed  to  have  contained  food  for  the  departed 
spirits,  for  their  support  during  their  transit  to  their 
new  abodes  (p.  298).  Mr.  Babington  observed  that  the 
position  of  the  urns  was  usually  inclined,  Smaller 
urns  (the  so-called  incense  cups)  were  often  found  in 
close  proximity  to  larger  ones.  In  the  Arch.  Camb. 
for  1856  (p.   107)  there  is  a  reference  to  a  circle  of 


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fHE   tJARLY   SETtLBRS  OF   CARMARTHEN.  386 

stones  called  "Buarth  Arthur,"  and  another  called 
"  Meini  Gwyr."  These  were  mentioned  by  the  late 
Mr.  T.  Stephens,  of  Merthyr  Tydfil,  in  November,  1855, 
and  may  have  been  stone  circles  surrounding  Bronze 
Age  burials.  In  the  Arch.  Camb.  tor  1879  (p.  155) 
there  is  an  account  of  prehistoric  and  other  remains 
in  Cynwil  Gaio,  by  the  Ven.  Archdeacon  D.  R.  Thomas. 
In  this  article  Archdeacon  Thomas  points  out  that  at 
the  base  of  Cerrig  Cestyll  lie  the  scattered  remains 
of  a  cairn.  Cairns,  he  says,  are  very  numerous 
on  the  hill  ;  the  largest,  he  says  (p.  58),  is  that 
of  "  Y  Garn  Fawr,"  a  great  stone  mound  raised  on  the 
highest  point  of  Craig  Twrch.  The  base  of  the  cairn 
appears  to  have  measured  30  ft.  in  diameter,  or, 
including  the  enclosing  dyke,  a  diameter  of  52  ft.  The 
upper  portion  has  fallen  away,  and  another  part  has 
been  employed  in  the  construction  of  an  abutting 
sheepfold  (p.  58).  At  the  base  of  the  slope,  on  the 
western  side  of  Cerrig  Cestyll,  is  a  group  of  no  less 
than  five  cairns,  of  which  only  the  bases  now  remain. 
All  of  them  have  been  disturbed,  and  some  of  them 
almost  entirely  removed.  They  have  no  surrounding 
ditch,  and  their  average  diameter  is  about  25  ft.  In 
one  only  was  a  cist  found,  and  in  that  a  double  grave 
with  a  bottom  of  prepared  clay,  but  no  sepulchral  re- 
mains of  any  other  kind  (p.  59).  The  most  curious 
feature  was  the  portion  of  a  series  of  rough  slabs  placed 
edgeways  close  together,  and  pointing  towards  what 
was  probably  the  most  important  portion  of  the  cairii. 
A  somewhat  similar  arrangement  of  stones,  laid  to  rest 
on  each  other  in  rows,  and  sloping  towards  the  cist,  had 
existed,  we  are  told,  in  Carn  Trawshant  on  the  Mallaen 
range.  They  had,  however,  been  removed  some  fifty 
years  before,  and  the  cist  exposed  ;  and  all  that  now 
remains  of  it  were  the  containing  slabs  of  the  grave, 
2  ft.  9  ins.  in  length  and  2  ft.  in  breadth.  The  bed  of 
the  grave  appears  to  have  been  a  yellowish  clay,  from 
which  all  stones  had  been  carefully  removed,  and  this 
formed  a  layer  upon  the  natural  soil.     '*  West  of  this, 


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386  THE    EARLY  S^TtLBRS   OF  CAEl^AR^HiK. 

at  no  great  distance,  is  a  circular  mound  of  earth,  25  ft. 
in  diameter,  and  to  all  appearance  undisturbed,  and 
so  presenting  a  most  favourable  field  for  further  ex- 
ploration. A  third  mound,  somewhat  smaller,  measur- 
ing 18  ft.  in  diameter,  lay  to  the  south  of  this  last ;  but 
it  has  been  almost  entirely  cleared  off."  There  is  also 
mentioned  the  cairn  called  "Y  Garn  Fawr,"  to  the 
north-west  of  the  farmhouse  of  Bryn  Aran.  This  is  a 
large  stone  platform  about  50  ft.  in  diameter,  with  a 
raised  cairn  in  the  centre,  in  which  it  is  probable, 
Archdeacon  Thomas  says,  the  cist  may  be  found  undis- 
turbed, although  the  surrounding  portion  has  been 
carted  away  for  walling  and  road-metal.  A  smaller 
one  of  25  ft.  diameter,  a  little  to  the  south,  has  been 
almost  entirely  carried  away  ;  and  near  it  is  an  ellipti- 
cal arch  about  45  ft.  by  36  ft.  at  the  greatest  length, 
formed  by  a  stone  rampart  6  ft.  in  width.  In  the  Arch. 
Comb,  for  1886  (p.  348)  there  is  an  account  of  a  sepul- 
chral urn  of  rude  pottery,  exhibited  in  the  Swansea 
temporary  museum  by  Sir  J.  T.  Dillwyn  Llewelyn, 
M.A.,  F.L.S.  This  was  found  in  Y  Gam  Goch,  and 
bore  upon  it  the  impression  of  twisted  thongs  or  rushes. 
It  has  thus  the  usual  characteristics  of  Bronze-Age 
sepulchral  urns. 

In  the  Arch.  Camh.  for  1890  (p.  41),  there  is  an 
account  by  Mr.  G.  G.  T.  Treherne  of  the  opening  of  a 
tumulus  at  Castle  Hill,  Carmarthenshire.  In  this 
account  we  are  told  that  the  tumulus  lay  in  the  south- 
east corner  of  a  field  called  "  Pare  y  Twmp,"  on  the 
southern  slope  of  a  farm  called  '*  Castle  Hill,"  in  the 
parish  of  Kiffig,  Carmarthenshire.  It  was  circular  in 
form,  and  measured  roughly  70  paces  in  circumference. 
It  is  25  paces  in  diameter,  and  its  depth  to  the  clay 
floor  was  6  ft.  6  ins.  in  the  centre.  Mr.  Treherne  gives 
the  account  as  follows  : — "  We  drove  an  adit  4  ft.  wide 
from  the  south  side,  and  found  no  trace  of  the  usual 
stone  circle.  There  was  a  thin  floor  of  clay  level  with 
the  field  surface,  apparently  much  trampled,  and  covered 
with  a  thin  covering  of  black  ash.    Rather  to  the  south- 


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tflfi   l&ARVi   SteMLERS  Oi*  CARMARTHEN.  38? 

east  of  the  true  centre  there  seemed  to  be  an  artificial 
depression  or  hole  in  the  floor,  and  this  was  filled  with 
black  ash,  fragments  of  charcoal,  slight  traces  of  disin- 
tegrated bone,  and  patches  of  red  earth ;  these  last 
possibly  the  remains  of  the  original  urn.  There  were 
no  implements,  shells,  or  anything  beyond  the  burnt 
materials.  This  was  of  a  distinctly  greasy  character." 
The  mound,  Mr.  Treherne  says,  is  formed  of  earth  and 
rubble  (mostly  rubble  In  the  centre),  not  homogeneous 
with  the  soil  of  the  field  surrounding  it.  We  replaced 
the  ashes  in  situ,  and  partly  filled  up  the  trench.  In 
connection  with  the  same  account,  Mr.  Treherne  says 
that  at  a  distance  of  50  paces  to  the  south,  in  an 
old  red  sandstone  quarry,  the  party  found  a  flint  flake, 
evidently  artificially  worked.  It  is  difficult,  however, 
to  be  certain  to  what  period  the  flint  flake  belonged. 

In  Arch.  Camb.  for  1893,  p.  89,  there  is  an  account 
of  an  artificial  mound  between  the  two  lakes  at  Talley, 
or  Talyllychau,  to  which  attention  was  called  by  tne 
Rev.  Charles  Chidlow.  An  account  of  it  was  sent  to 
Dr.  R.  Munro,  author  of  The  Lake'Diuellings  of  Europe, 
but  all  that  he  said  of  it  was  :  "  We  are  here  dealing 
with  a  lake-dwelling,  or  fort,  of  unique  character,  pre- 
senting special  features  I  have  not  hitherto  observed  in 
any  of  our  Scottish  or  Irish  crannogs.  This  mound  at 
Talley  is  said  to  be  riddled  through  and  through  with 
rabbit-holes,  but  these  have  brought  to  light  no  trace 
of  human  occupation." 

That  Carmarthenshire  shared  further  in  the  Late- 
Celtic  civilisation  is  made  highly  probable  by  the  dis- 
covery of  various  Late-Celtic  objects  just  outside  its 
two  extremities.  For  example,  some  enamelled  horse- 
trappings,  which  are  now  in  the  Cardiff  Museum,  were 
found  at  Seven  Sisters,  near  Neath,  and  a  fine  Late- 
Celtic  collar,  similar  to  the  one  at  Wraxhall,  was  found 
at  LlandyssuL  As  they  certainly  were  worked  in  Roman 
times,  it  is  not  improbable,  too,  that  the  Dolau  Cothi 
mines,  which  are  thought  to  have  contained  gold,  were 
worked   in   Late-Celtic   times.      Then,  and   doubtless 


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,188  TJttE    EARLY   SETTLERS   OF   CARMARtHEl^. 

earlier,  the  district  lay  on  one  of  the  trade-routes  to  the 
South  of  Ireland,  and  thus  participated  in  the  com- 
mercial prosperity  of  the  South  Wales  coast.  The 
Late-Celtic  objects  from  Kyngadle,  near  Laugharne, 
are  also  an  indication  of  the  same  type ;  and  it  may 
well  be  that  a  thorough  investigation  of  Y  Garn  Goch 
would  tend  to  place  it  in  the  same  Late-Celtic  period 
as  TreV  Ceiri,  where  a  Late-Celtic  bead  and  some  traces 
of  iron  were  found.  The  only  scientific  way  to  deter- 
mine the  true  age  of  ancient  remains  is  by  patient  and 
judicious  excavation.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  one  result 
of  the  present  meeting  will  be  to  lead  to  a  more 
thorough  exploration  of  the  ancient  remains  M  the 
county.  It  is  possible  that  the  folklore  of  the  county, 
both  mediaeval  and  modern,  if  we  only  had  the  key  to 
it,  would  yield  valuable  ethnological  results ;  but  the 
difficulty  is  to  distinguish  in  these  stories  the  kernel  of 
fact  from  the  added  embellishments.  The  reader  who 
is  interested  in  the  folklore  of  Carmarthenshire  cannot 
do  better  than  consult  Rhys'  Celtic  Folklore,  where  the 
ethnological  bearing  of  the  mediaeval  and  modern  folk- 
lore is  discussed.  It  is  not  impossible  that  each  stratum 
oF  the  early  settlers  left  in  local  tradition  some  memory 
of  itself.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  excellent  Anti- 
quarian Society  of  the  county  will  keep  a  careful  record 
of  all  material  that  will  throw  light  on  the  ethnology 
of  the  district. 


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389 


THE  TOWN  OF   HOLT,   IN  COUNTY 
DENBIGH  : 

ITS   CASTLE,    CHURCH,    FRANCHISE,    AND    DEMESNE. 
Bt  ALFRED  NEOBARD  PALMER. 
{Continued  from  page  334.) 


CHAPTER  III.— NO RD EN'S  SURVEY  OF  1620. 

It  is  proposed  here  to  deal  with  Norden's  Survey  of 
Kolt^Harleian  MS.,  vol.  3696).  I  have  myself  made 
many  notes  and  extracts  from  this  Survey  at  the 
British  Museum,  and  for  the  rest  am  dependent  upon 
a  part  copy  transcribed  for  the  late  Chevalier  Lloyd, 
collated,  wherever  required,  by  Mr.  Edward  Owen. 
The  men  sworn  as  jurors  to  assist  John  Norden  were: 
George  Bostock,  Esq, ;  David  Speed,  gent.  ;  Thomas 
Calcott,  gent.;  Thomas  Pate,  gent.;  William  Wyld, 
gent. ;  Francis  Pickering,  gent. ;  John  Yardley,  gent.  ; 
John  Wilkinson,  Randolph  Hutchins,  Thomas  Wilkin- 
son, Thomas  Pulford,  Roger  Edgworth,  John  Wright, 
William  Batha,  Geor^^e  Wright,  Richard  Vernon,  and 
Roger  Greene — seventeen  in  all,  concerning  whom  it  is 
noticeable  that  one  only — William  Batha — bore  a  Welsh 
surname.  The  same  seventeen  were  also  sworn  in  as  a 
ury  of  survey  for  the  manors  of  Hewlington  and  Cob- 
lam  Isycoed.  Some  portions  of  their  presentment  will 
^e  quoted  in  full,  preserving  the  spelling  actually  used, 
and  other  portions  will  be  omitted,  or  only  briefly 
summarised. 

The  jurors  say  that  **  there  is  in  the  Towne  of  Lyons 
als  Holt  in  the  countie  of  Denbigh  one  Castle  builded 
with  Stone  consisting  of  five  Squares  and  of  five  Towers, 
covered  with  lead,  having  foure  Gates^  at  y®  entrie  into 

^  These  were  the  onter  and  inner  gates  of  the  main  entrance, 
together  with  the  two  portcullises,  or  else  those  two  gates  and  the 
inner  and  outer  gates  of  the  Exchequer  Tower, 


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390  THE   TOWN   OP   HOLT, 

y  same,  w**  Castle  is  nowe  in  great  decay  and  some 
parte  of  the  Roofe  thereof  fallen  dowue  and  much  of 
the  timber  rotted,  and  y*  lead  likewise  decaying  and 
worne  thinne.  Neverthelesse  the  Lead^  of  the  said  Castle, 
and  other  materialls,  if  the  same  should  be  demolished, 
are  worth  to  be  solde  about .  . .  poundes  besides  ye  Stone. 
There  is  adioyning  to  y*  said  Castle  at  the  first  entrance 
into  y®  same  one  Tower  or  building  of  Stone  commonlie 
called  y*  Excheq'  where  y®  Recordes  touching  the  Lord- 
shipps  of  Bromtield  and  Yale  are  and  have  been  vsuallie 
kept  w^^  is  likewise  covered  with  lead.  There  are  di- 
verse Howses  of  Office  belonging  to  y®  said  castle,  all 
builded  w**  timber  as  namely,  one  Gatehouse  called  the 
Outward  Gate,  Garners  for  Corne^  Barnes,  stables  for 
Cattell,  Killne,  Brewhouse  and  one  Pidgeon  howse  all 
decayed  conteyning  by  estimac'on  .  .  .  Bayes.  There 
are  within  the  precinct  of  the  saide  Castle  certaine 
parcells  of  Land  as  namely  one  plott  or  parcell  wherein 
the  said  Castle  standeth  called  the  Castle  ditch  one 
parcell  called  y®  outward  gate  or  Court,  one  garden 
place,  one  parcell  called  y®  greene  Court,  and  one  par- 

^  Elsewhere,  on  the  back  of  the  ^ound  plan  of  the  castle,  Norden 
inserts  his  estimate  of  the  valae  of  the  same,  thns  : — 

FooU. 
"  The  lead  ouer  the  5  towers  con tayne        ...  ...  ...  ...         4,650 

The  lead  ouer  the  mayn  lodginges  yet  remayninge  and  falne  downe 

with  the  timber  cont*  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...      14,250 

Ouer  the  gatehouse  that  stands  to  little  yse,  p'  est.  ...  ...  320 

19,220 
which  Although  it  be  the  most  part  very  mnch  worn  and  very  thjn, 
yet  onn  with  another  it  may  be  valned  at  iiiid  p'  foote  which  will 
amount  vnto  occl**  or  thereaboats.''  He  adds  :  "  Mnch  of  the  timber 
abont  the  Castle  is  yet  very  sounde,  but  decayes  daylie  theawgthe 
[thronji^h]  the  defect  of  the  Leades.  One  mayn  floore  fell  the  very 
night  I  came  to  the  holt,  the  timber  and  Leade  doth  lye  now  very 
confusedly ;  mnch  of  the  reste  is  so  weake  as  it  is  dangerous  to 
adnentnre  vpon  it.  To  re-edifie  will  cost  much  new  timber  and 
Leade,  the  Lead  that  now  is  being  worne  so  thyn  that  being  oast 
new  will  yelde  mnch  drosse,  as  it  doth  now  much  duste;  yet  fit 
eyther  timelie  to  be  repaired,  or  the  materialls  to  be  taken  downe, 
kepte,  or  soulde." 

*  Against  these  words  underlined  is  written :  "  These  were  leased 
to  Kdward  Hughes  at  viij«.  iiijo?.  p.  ann. 


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IN   COUNTY   DENBIGH.  391 

cell  called  y®  Orchard  conteyning  in  y®  wholle  by  es- 
timac'on  Three  acres.*  There  is  one  Howse  or  buildinof 
upon  y*  westside  of  the  Court  called  Green  court 
commonlie  called  y®  Welshe  Courthowse  with  a  loft 
over  y®  same  conteyning  .  .  .  Bayes  w°**  is  appurtenant 
to  y®  said  Castle  where  y*  twoe  great  Leete  Courtes  for 
the  Lordshippes  of  Bromfield  and  Yale  have  heretofore 
been  vsuallie  holden  and  kept,  w°**  are  discontinued.* 
There  is  one  stable  place  and  an  vpper  Roome  at  the 
Northend  af  the  said  Welsh  Courthowse  with  a  smithie 
or  smithes  shoppe  therevnto  adioyninge  demised  to 
Thomas  Crew  Gent,  for  Forty  yeares  dat :  Primo  die 
Junii  Anno  Rn  e  Eliz.  35  ^  wherevppon  y®  yearlie  Rent 
of  Two  shillinges  is  reserved  heretofore  charged  within 
y*  BaylifFes  charge  of  the  Manno'  of  Hewlington.  There 
is  also  at  y®  southend  of  y®  said  Welshe  Courthowse  one 
Large  Bay  now  vsed  for  a  Barne  in  the  holding  of  one 
William  Burgeny  or  his  ass's  [assigns]  w*'**  hath  been 
charged  heretofore  in  the  Bayliffes  Accouraptes  for  y* 
Manno'  of  Hewlington."  Concerning  the  last  two  sen- 
tences, a  correction  is  made  afterwards  in  the  following 
words  :  '*  Memorand  :  there  is  one  Chamber  and  a 
Lowe'  Roome  vnd'  the  same  now  vsed  for  a  Stable  and 
a  Smithie  or  Smithes  fforge  adioyninge  to  the  North 
end  of  the  Welsh  Court  howse  in  y®  Towne  of  Lyons 
als  Hoult  w**is  graunted  to  Thomas  Crue  gent,  for  40 
years  by  Lease  dated  primo  die  Junij  35  Eliz.  Rn'e 
w^  we  finde  to  bee  within  the  Survey  of  Holt  as  an 
Appurtenaunt  to  the  Castle  &  within  y*  precinct  of  the 

^  Probably  customary  acres.  If  so,  eqaal  to  nearly  6J  statute 
acres. 

'  Two  discrepant  statements  are  made  in  tlie  Survey  of  1620 
concerning  the  holding  of  these  leet  courts /or  the  whole  lordship:  one 
statement  made  doubtless  by  the  jurors,  and  the  other  by  the  sur- 
veyor. According  to  one  statement,  the  two  great  courts  in  the 
year  formerly  held  were  at  the  time  of  the  Survey  discontinued ; 
according  to  another,  they  were  still  kept.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
they  were  discontinued,  but  from  another  point  of  view  the  eonrt- 
honse,  however  decayed,  was  still  there  ready  to  accommodate  the 
Brom6eld  and  Yale  tenants  who  owed  suit  and  service  there,  if  the 
steward  or  bis  deputy  should  duly  summon  them. 


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392  THE   TOWN   OP   HOLT, 

same  as  by  the  particulars  belonging  to  the  said  Castle 
in  the  p'sentment  for  y®  said  Castle  appeareth.  There 
is  also  another  part  of  y®  said  Welsh  Court  howse  at  y® 
south  end  of  y®  same  now  vsed  for  a  barne  in  the 
houlding  of  humphrey  hanraer,  Gentleman,  in  right  of 
his  wief,  y*  late  wief  of  Anthony  Burgeney  at  Will  w** 
we  find  likewise  appurtenaunt  to  y®  said  Castle  and  no 
part  of  J®  Bayliffes  charge  of  this  Manner  [Hewlingtou] 
as  wee  supposed/'  Nevertheless,  it  is  probable  that  the 
first  presentment  is  right,  for  in  the  Survey  of  1562 
these  buildings  ai'e  declared  to  be  in  the  manor  of 
Hewlington. 

Before  proceeding  further  with  our  extracts  from  the 
Survey,  it  is  necessary  to  discuss  the  sketches  and  plans 
of  the  Castle  and  its  precincts,  given  by  Norden  and 
others.  These  illustrations  have  appeared  before,  either 
in  Pennant,  Powys  Fadog,^  or  elsewhere ;  but  it  would 
be  impossible  to  present  a  history  of  Holt  without 
giving  therewith  the  illustrations  just  named;  which, 
moreover,  it  seems  to  me,  have  never  hitherto  been 
studied  with  sufficient  care,  although  they  raise  as 
many  problems  as  they  solve. 

The  Castle  is,  of  course,  of  a  far  earlier  period  than 
the  earliest  pictorial  description  of  it;  but,  unfortu- 
nately, it  has  never  come  under  the  critical  eye  of  a 
master  of  military  architecture,  such  as  that  of  the  late 
Mr.  G.  T.  Clark.  But  as  its  main  features  probably 
continued  unchanged  down  to  the  early  part  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  we  may  confidently  commence 
our  description  of  it  with  the  accounts  of  eye-witnesses 
who  had  seen  the  Castle  before  it  became  the  common 
quarry  for  buildings  in  the  neighbourhood.  It  should, 
however,  be  borne  in  mind  that  not  a  single  one  of  the 
early  illustrations  referred  to  (including  Buck's  view  of 
17  .  .)  are  characterised  by  the  strict  accuracy  of  a 
modern  surveyor's  drawings,  nor  were  they  intended 

^  I  desire  to  acknowledge  my  indebtedness  to  Mrs.  Lloyd- Veruey, 
of  Clochfaen,  for  permission  to  reproduce,  fron»  Pourys  Fadog,  one 
of  the  plans, 


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r 


i^  cdi/j^Tr  t)fiNBmH. 


393 


by  their  authors  to  be  so.  They  are  none  the  less 
of  great  value,  and  enable  us  to  reconstruct  the  build- 
ing of  the  ^^'arrennes  more  perfectly  than  would  have 
been  possible  from  an  examination  of  the  heaps  of  ruins 
which  now  alone  remain. 

The  elevation  and  ground  plan,  marked  3  and  4, 
were  made  evidently  by  Norden  in  1620,  and  represent 
the  form  and  condition  of  the  Castle  and  its  precincts  at 
the  time  of  his  Survey.-    But  there  are  two  other  illus- 


^e? 


^j' 


!    fl     !<.>.! 


W     .1 '»  .  v.- 


Fig.  1.— Early  Sketch  of  Holt  Castle. 

trations  of  the  Castle,  preserved  in  vol.  2073,  Harleian 
MSS.,  flF.  112  and  113,  which  I  believe  to  be  earlier 
than  1620.  The  first  of  these  (Fig.  1)  is  a  rough  sketch 
of  the  exterior.  Daniel  King,  of  Chester,  used  this 
sketch  in  1656,  passing  it  oflF  as  his  own,  and  made  an 
engraving  of  it  (see  Harleian  MSS.  2073,  594  B, 
fo.  126),  with  the  intention  of  illustrating  Camden's 
Britannia}  It  may  be  urged,  reasonably  enough  at 
first  seeming,  that  if  King  used  the  sketch,  this  would 

^  It  did  not  appear  in  Gbngh's  edition  of  that  work,  1695. 

6TU  8£R.,  VOL.  VII.  26 


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394  TriE   TOWN   OF   HOLt, 

show,  at  any  rate,  that  the  Castle  was  as  represented 
by  him,  he  having  probably  seen  the  building  before 
the  siege.  But  the  truth  seems  to  be  that  when  King 
first  saw  the  Castle  it  was  recently  dismantled  ;  and  as 
he  wished  to  give  a  drawing  of  it,  he  used  this  sketch 
(probably  collected  by  one  of  the  Randle  Holmes), 
which  was  the  only  representation  available*  to  him.  If 
this  opinion  be  accepted,  Daniel  Kings  authority  for 
the  drawing  disappears.  But  the  drawing  itself  re- 
mains, and  the  ground  plan  corresponds  with  it.  And 
the  more  the  one  and  the  other  are  considered,  the 
more  will  it  appear  that  both  represent  an  earlier 
arrangement  than  that  which  Norden  represented : 
perliaps  the  arrangement,  which  Sir  William  Stanley 
found  when  the  grant  was  made  to  him.  It  does  not 
seem  possible  to  specify  the  date  more  exactly. 

Assuming,  then,  that  figures  1  and  2  show  a  much 
earlier  state  of  things,  in  respect  of  the  Castle,  than 
figures  3  and  4,  we  will  now  proceed  to  discuss  the  first 
two  illustrations. 

These  (Figs.  1  and  2)  reveal  an  irregular  pentagonal 
castle  of  small  size,  enclosing  a  court,  also  in  form  a 
pentagon.  At  each  corner,  on  the  outside,  but  con- 
nected internally  with  the  main  body,  was  a  round 
tower,  higher  than  the  battlements  of  the  pentagonal 
portion.  To  one  of  the  five  towers,  the  next  south- 
eastwards  to  the  tower  east  of  the  entrance,  was 
attached  an  external  rectangular  addition,  of  equal 
height  with  the  tower,  containing  in  its  lower  portion 
the  chapel.  On  each  of  the  towers,  except  on  the 
chapel  tower,  was  also  a  small  conning-  or  watch-tower, 
which  apparently  contained  a  chimney.  The  entrance 
was  between  the  two  towers  on  the  north  side,  and 
there  was  a  wooden  bridge  thrown  over  the  inner 
ballium  between  this  entrance  and  the  *'  Chequers"  or 
Exchequer  tower,  which,  according  to  the  plan,  was 
then  a  low  building.  Another  wooden  bridge  spanned 
the  foss  on  the  other  side  of  the  Exchequer  tower,  and 
led  to  the  outer  gate.     Over  the  main  entrance  of  the 


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m   COUNTT    DBNBIGli. 


395 


Castle  was  sculptured  a  Hon  passant-guardant  (see  ch,  i, 
vol.  1906,  p.  221). 

Coming  now  to  the  ground  plan  of  the  castle  of  the 


Fig.  2.— Early  Ground  Plan  of  Holt  Castle. 

earlier  date,  as  shown  in  Fig.  2,  it  may  be  well  foi*  the 
benefit  of  those  who  find  old  writing  diflBcult  to  read, 
to  give  the  description    of  the  building,   court,   and 

26  « 


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


396  THE    TOWN    OP    HdLt, 

lowermost  chambers  in  modern  print.  Here  it  is  : — 
"  The  castle  fine  [five]  square  eu'y  [every]  way  with 
square  in  the  inside  51  foot  betweene  wall  and  wall, 
being  the  breadth  of  all  the  romes  [rooms],  about 
22  foot  the  in'er  wall foot,  the  outerd  [out- 
ward] wall  ....  foot,  the  castle  three  storyes  high  : 
the  tower[s]  fowre  beside  en  [every]  watch  towre  w"^** 
mak'  tiue  [five]  chappell  12  foote  broade  and  15  foote 
Longe  /  the  ditch  20  yards  (and  in  some  places  more) 
broad.' 

Between  the  entrance  and  the  tower  flanking  it  on 
the  east  was  the  well-house.  The  whole  of  the  side 
between  this  and  the  chapel  tower  was  occupied  in  the 
basement  by  a  stable,  as  was  also  the  side  between  the 
chapel  tower  and  the  tower  next  southward  or  south- 
eastward. On  the  next  side,  towards  the  west,  were 
**  oflSce  romes  [rooms]  for  cook  and  Butler/*  and  on  the 
remaining  side,  between  the  tower  last  named  and  the 
tower  on  the  west  flanking  the  entrance,  was  the 
kitchen. 

Across  the  ground-plan  of  the  interior  court  are 
written  these  words  :  "  fro  the  court  to  the  battlem**  of 
the  castle  but  two  storyes  high  all  these  romes  being 
under  ground." 

At  a  later  date,  perhaps  in  Sir  William  Stanleys 
time,  considerable  structural  alterations  were  made  in 
the  Castle.  The  Exchequer  was  converted  into  a  strong, 
square  tower  with  an  upper  room.  The  square  addition 
to  the  chapel  tower  was,  if  the  plan  is  to  be  truMed^ 
removed,  and  the  tower  restored  to  its  round  form.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  next  or  south-east  tower — that  one 
whose  base  abutted  on  the  river — was  made  wholly 
square.*     And  a  well   was  dug  in  the  middle  of  the 

^  It  may  be  well  to  observe  that  my  friend  Mr.  Edward  Owen, 
after  a  harried  examination  of  the  rnins,  does  not  agree  with  the 
above.  The  internal  towers  have  completely  disappeared,  so  that  it 
is  impossible  to  decide  the  particular  point  in  question.  Bat  his  in- 
spection of  the  Castle,  with  the  varions  illastrations  in  band,  revealed 
so  many  discrepancies  in  the  latter,  not  only  from  each  other  bat  in 


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IN   COUNTY   DENBIGH. 


397 


court.  But,  perhaps,  the  best  way  will  be  to  set  out,  in 
fair  modern  print,  the  several  descriptions  contained  in 
Norden's  ground  plan  of  the  Castle  and  precincts,  as 


C/2i%'%J^ 


^f'  :  I-  - 


\  Sir; -t.  , 
/ 

i 

-^Vy  r-'V' *'-*•'' 


\       /A- ,-:-'-' '"•• 


ri.r,!..|».--..  ♦..lu,.,^•^f• 
,    *  r,/,   J.///,/|».,..^'/r,/.   (. 


Fig.  3.— Elevation  of  Holt  Caatle  in  1620. 

all  from  th^  rniDS  of  the  Castle  itself,  that  he  is  disposed  to  Consider 
the  absence  of  the  square  projection  from  the  chapel  tower  in  one 
plan,  and  the  transformation  of  a  round  into  a  square  tower  in 
another,  as  no  more  than  the  errors  of  the  artists,  who  probably 
completed  their  sketches  far  from  the  spot  they  are  intended  to 
portray 


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398 


THB   TOWN   OP   HOLT, 


shown   in  Fig.  4.      The   elevation,   Fig.  3,  needs  no 
comment. 

The  four  round  towers  are  indicated  on  the  plan 
(Fig.  4)  as  supplied  "  with  manie  Lodginges  and  Chim- 
neyes  couered  as  is  all  the  Castle  that  yet  standes  with 
Leade."  Then  with  respect  to  the  square  tower,  this  is 
what  is  said  :  '*  There  is  a  vaulte  under  this  square 


i 


/Mw2«  4^1.^/.  •«*«-^ 


n*     t^^P^^-^^ 


Fig.  4.— Ground  Plan  of  Holt  Castle  and  Precincts  in  1620. 

towre  secretly  to  come  to  the  river  at  23,  were  is  an 
Iron  gate  as  is  sayde."^ 

We  come  now  to  speak  of  the  interior  of  the  several 
sides  of  the  pentagon.      The  side  between  the  tower 

*  In  Tidderley's  description  (see  Ch.  ii,  p.. 814)  this  secret  narrow 
passage,  yaulted  with  stone,  is  mentioned  as  leading  oat  of  the  court 
by  steep  stairs  to  the  river,  "  whereto  the  ward  and  dore  ys  of  yron." 
In  the  inquiry  made  at  Holt  Castle  on  30th  January,  158^  (see 
Gh.  ii,  p.  318),  this  "  iron  doore  being  belowe  in  the  house  towards 
the  Riv'  of  Dee,"  is  spoken  of  as  having  been  taken  away  during  the 
time  of  Mr.  Edward  Hughes,  then  receiver,  and  resident  within  the 
castle. 


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IN   COUNTY   DENBIGH.  399 

east  of  the  entrance  and  the  next  tower  south-eastward 
was  occupied  by  the  hall,  reached,  as  we  know  from 
Tidderley's  account,  by  a  straight  stone  stair,  7  ft. 
wide,  leading  up  from  the  inner  gate.  The  side  be- 
tween the  hall  and  square  tower  contained  ''  Butteries, 
Pantries,  kitchene,  etc.,"  and  the  side  westward  be- 
tween the  square  and  the  next  tower  included  the 
''Great  Chamber  and  other  chambers";  while,  on  the 
fourth  side,  to  the  tower  west  of  the  entrance  there  is 
noted  :  "  At  this  place  timber,  Lead  and  all  inwarde 
materiall  fallen  down."  And  over  the  entrance,  as  we 
learn  from  the  inquiry  of  30th  January,  158f ,  the  con- 
stable's chamber,  also  u  chamber  adjoining  in  which  the 
constable  kept  his  coal  and  wood. 

At  A  (Fig.  4),  between  the  near  entrance  gateway 
and  the  Exchequer  tower,  '*the  mote  [was]  30  foote 
deepe  vnder  the  bridge  and  [there]  was  a  drawbridge." 

As  to  the  Exchequer  tower  (c),  it  is  recorded  :  "  In  a 
lofte  over  c  lye  all  the  records,  and  was  auntiently  the 
Chequers,"  all  being  surrounded  by  **  A  mote  or 
Trenche.  A  verie  deepe  ditche  within  which  the 
Castle  stands  hewed  out  of  the  same  rocke  wheron  the 
Castle  is  most  strongly  situate." 

The  outer  gate  of  the  Castle  yard  is  also  shown,  west 
of  which  were  first  "  Barnes"  and  next  "  The  Shire  hall 
longe  out  of  use."^  Again,  east  of  the  outer  gate  and 
abutting  on  it  were  ''  olde  stables  [and]  cowhouses" ; 
while  at  right  angles  to,  but  detached  from,  these  were 
other  "  olde  buildings."  Also,  in  the  yard  east  of  the 
Castle  was  **  a  decayd  doue-house  fine  square." 

An  account  of  the  Castle  yard  given  on  the  plan  is 
as  follows  : — **The  Castle  yarde  of  noe  benefite  to  his 
highnes,  for  that  it  is  a  comon  passage,  as  it  is  per- 
mitted for  all  the  townesmen  to  driue  there  Cattle  to 
the  water  hauing  manie  other  Wayes,  begininge  now  to 
Challendge  this  by  prescription  the  outer  gate  standing 
nighte  and  day  open,  by  which  all  kind  of  cattle  and 

^  The  Shire  Hall,  or  Welsh  Court  Hoase  was,  as  we  otherwise 
learn,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Green  Court. 


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400  THE   TOWN   OP   HOLT, 

swyne  haue  free  entrance."  This  account  refers  to  the 
east  part  of  tJie  yard,  and  as  to  the  north-west  part 
we  have  this  further  description  : — "  A  little  peece  of 
the  Castle  groundes  unclosed  wher  the  people  now 
challendge  freedom  to  sport  in  and  doe  already  pre- 
scribe to  be  proper  vnto  them  for  that  vse,  so  the 
P[rince]  shall  have  litle  or  no  profite  by  the  same  if  it 
be  not  reformed  ;  the  whole  Castle  yarde  with  the  mote 
contaynes  about  2^  English  or  Statute  acres." 

West  of  the  yard,  the  east  portion  of  the  "  litle  park 
demaynes  in  the  time  of  H.  8,  and  in  his  owne  vse 
stored  with  deere,  now  in  the  disposinge  of  the  E. 
of  Bridgwater,  claymed  as  is  sayde,  in  righte  of  his 
oflSce,  being  stewarde  of  Bromfeilde  and  Yale,  as  he 
hath  also  certayne  groundes  called  the  Pooles,  som- 
tiraes  fishpondes,  now  freme  Land  all  worth  per  ano. 
St.  xviZi.  The  fee  of  the  stewarde  in  H.  8  time,  both 
for  Holte  and  Chirklande,  is  but  x\li.  ;  but  there  are 
since  added  I  know  not" 

And  with  regard  to  "The  Ryuer  of  Dee"  is  this 
note  : — '*  The  overflo  winge  of  this  riuer  is  a  great  annoy- 
ance of  the  Prince  8  and  other  mens  Lands,  confininge 
being  barred  back  by  a  Causeway  at  Chester" ;  and  as 
to  which  it  may  be  said  that  many  inquiries  were  made 
and  commissions  held,  but  no  practical  remedy  ever 
devised,  and  ultimately  the  causeway  was  ordered  to 
stand. 

Meanwhile,  it  is  most  necessary  to  dispel  an  opinion, 
firmly  and  generally  held  at  Holt,  and  based  upon 
misunderstood  and  imperfect  data,  that  the  outer  gate 
of  the  Castle  stood  in  Castle  Street.  This  opinion  is 
due  wholly  to  the  fact  that  Pennant,  in  his  reproduc- 
tion of  the  plan,  omitted  descriptions  of  buildings  and 
areas,  and  especially  failed  to  record  the  points  of  the 
compasSy  all  of  which  are  given  in  the  original  (see 
p'ig.  4).  Now,  if  the  outer  gate  stood  in  Castle  Street, 
it  would  be  due  west  of  the  Castle  ;  but,  as  a  fact,  as 
shown  in  the  figure,  it  stood  due  north  of  the  same,  and 
was  on  a  line  with  the  Exchequer  tower,  the  ruins  of 


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IN   COUNTY   DENBIGH.  401 

which  can  still  be  identified.  The  outer  gate  stood 
at  the  bottom  of  the  present  lane  to  the  Castle,  past 
the  schools.  This  lane  one  would  expect  to  be  broader 
than  now,  for  it  was  the  chief  approach  from  the  town 
to  the  outside  of  the  outer  gate.  In  any  case,  the  lane 
is  old,  for  it  is  mentioned  in  Tidderley's  Survey  (end  of 
reign  of  Henry  VIII)  in  1562  and  in  1620.^  It  opened 
on  a  road  proceeding  directly  from  the  outer  gate  of  the 
Castle  to  the  ford  above  the  bridge,  and  to  the  bridge 
itself,  passing  the  back  of  Church  Street  and  the  front 
of  the  church  tower.  Traces  of  this  old  road  are  yet 
to  be  seen,  a  bit  of  it  being  in  the  western  end,  or  new 
portion,  of  the  churchyard,  and  it  is  mentioned  in 
1562.* 

It  has  been  urged  in  support  of  the  view  that  the 
outer  gate  of  the  Castle  was  in  Castle  Street,  that  in 
Pennant's  plan  a  ^ve-sided  figure  shown  thereon  is 
evidently  the  Town  cross,  but  the  cross  is  eight-^xdiedi ; 
and  on  referring  to  the  original  plan  this  figure  is  actu- 
ally marked  as  *'  a  decayd  aouehouse  fiue-square," 
standing  within  the  Castle  yard  and  outside  the  gate  of 
the  Castle  itself. 

It  does  not  follow  from  this  that  there  was  no  com- 
munication from  Castle  Street  to  the  inside  of  the 
Castle  yard  itself.  A  road  is  said  to  have  been  laid 
bare  some  yeai^  ago  by  Mr.  George  Redrope,  3  ft. 
beneath  the  surface.     It  started  from  a  point  opposite 

*  In  1620  Sir  Richard  Trevor  is  described  as  haying  a  curtilage 

*•  noare  the  Castle  gate extending  towards  the  Riuer  of  Dee.** 

Also,  in  tlie  same  year,  Lawreuce  Welles  held  a  piece  of  land  "  neare 
ynto  the  Castle  gate  in  a  Lane  leading  from  the  pavem^  towardes  the 
Riyer  called  Mill  Dee."     See  also  next  note. 

^  In  1562  Edward  Aimer  is  described  as  haying  a  messuage  with 
curtilage  near  Castle  gate,  in  length  from  **  the  royal  way  leading 
from  the  castle  of  the  town  of  Lions  to  the  church  or  chapel  of  the 
said  town,  and  in  breadth  from  a  stable  of  the  said  castle  towards 
the  way  leading  from  the  said  payement  towards  the  horse  mill 
there."  The  payement  was  apparently  the  paved  way  or  footpath 
near  the  cross,  and  the  horse  mill  was  by  the  river  ;  and  it  is  quite 
clear,  therefore,  that  the  main  Castle  gate  was  not  in  Castle  Street, 
but  in  the  lane  leading  towards  the  Dee, 


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402  THE    TOWN   OP   HOLT, 

Mrs.  Baker's,  and  entered  the  Castle  yard  at  a  dip  in 
the  crag,  which  could  easily  be  closed,  and  passed  pre- 
sumably beneath  the  rock  where  the  higher  ground 
still  is  to  the  front  of  the  Exchequer  tower. 

Pennant's  plan  is  imperfect,  and  must  be  used  with 
discretion  and  considerable  hesitation. 

We  are  now  prepared  to  continue  our  extracts  from, 
or  summaries  of,  the  text  of  Norden's  Survey.  These 
will  illustrate  further  the  statements  made  by  the  sur- 
veyor on  Fig.  4,  as  to  the  Little  Park,  Pools,  etc. 

Rent,  30«. 

There  is  one  parcell  of  land  adioyniiig  to  ye  Castle, 
commonlie  called  the  little  Park,^  nowe  in  the 
tenure  of  John  Earle  of  Bridgewater,  or  of  his 
assignes,  conteyniug  by  esfcimao'on,  great 
measure  ...  ...  ...  ...     9  0  0  0* 

One  close  or  parcell  of  land  within  y*  said  Towne, 
called  The  Pooles,  adioyning  to  the  Highway 
or  pavements  leading  from  the  Holt'  towardes 
the  Common  Woode,  nowe  in  the  tenure  of  the 
said  John  Earle  of  Bridgewater,  or  his  assignee, 
con teyning  by  estimac'on,  great  measure        ...     7  0  0  0^ 

One  meadowe  called  Crackstringes,  aU,  Crack- 
stones  meadowe,  conteyning  by  estimac'on    ...     7  0  0  0^ 

^  This  '' Little  Park"  was  that  now  in  three  parts,  called  re- 
spectively ••Top  Park"  and  "Bottom  Park,"  extending  between  the 
Castle  on  the  north  and  the  Qus  Works  on  the  south,  and  between 
the  riyer  on  the  east  and  Castle  Street  on  the  west. 

^  In  statute  measure  about  19  acres. 

8  On  the  south  side  of  Common  Wood  Lane,  next  the  pound  and 
nearly  opposite  Esphill,  is  a  meadow  called  "The  Pools."  The 
unusual  configuration  of  the  surface  of  this  meadow  suggests  at  once 
that  fishponds  had  formerly  been  kept  here,  as  indeed  the  Survey  of 
1620  elsewhere  declares,  doubtless  for  the  supply  of  fish  to  the 
Castle.  The  lane  itself  is  cobble-paved,  and  on  one  or  the  other 
sides  of  it  are  five  or  six  fields  or  meadows  called  "  Pavement  Field" 
or  "  Pavement  Meadow,"  illustrating  the  statement  of  the  Survey 
concerning  "  Pavement  Lane,"  between  Frog  Lane  and  Common 
Wood  Lane,  and  confirming  the  identity  of  the  meadow  now  known 
as  "  The  Pools"  or  *'  Pool  Meadow,"  with  that  described  in  1620 
under  the  same  name.  There  was  another  Fishpool  field,  probably 
adjoining  this  one,  in  which  various  burgesses  of  Holt  had  acres. 

^  Over  14|  statute  acres. 


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IN   COTTNTT   DENBIGH.  403 

Odo  other  paroell  of  lande  commonlj  oalled  the 
Heye,  als.  Saunders  Hey,  in  the  tenure  of  the 
said  John  Flarle  of  Bridgewater,  conteyning  by 
estimac'on  ...  ...  ...     6  0  0  0* 

The  jurore  then  go  on  to  refer  to  the  Friday  market 
and  to  the  two  fairs,  one  held  on  St.  Barnabas'  day  in 
suramer,  and  the  other  on  St.  Luke's  day  in  winter 
(see  Ch.  ii,  p.  312),  the  toll  of  which  market  and  fairs 
was  let  for  thirty-one  years  to  Sir  Peter  Warburton, 
one  of  the  burgesses  of  Holt,  at  a  yearly  rent  of  22s., 
payable  to  the  Prince. 

A  list  of  the  lands,  houses,  and  one  burgage  set 
aside  for  the  sustentation  of  a  lady- priest  to  celebrate 
within  the  church  or  chapel  of  Holt  is  next  given. 
These  had  been  sold,  and  will  be  referred  to  in  a  future 
chapter.  On  the  north  of  the  main  road  from  Wrex- 
ham to  Holt,  by  Deevon  Bridge,  is  a  field  still  called 
"  Priest's  field."  And  in  1620,  "  St.  Mary's  lands"  are 
named,  which  may  be  the  "  Mary's  loons"  of  the  Tithe 
Assessment  Map  to  the  north  of  the  Bible  meadow. 
These  fields  are,  it  is  possible,  part  of  the  lands  so  sold, 
formerly  belonging  to  Holt  Chureh.  The  separate 
items  of  the  yearly  rents  of  these  lands  in  my  copy  add 
up  to  £6  10^.,  but  the  total  given  seems  to  be  £5  78. 
These  lands,  or  part  of  them,  as  will  hereafter  be  shown, 
had  been  bequeathed  in  1523  by  Thomas  ap  David  ap 
Deio,  of  Holt. 

The  jurors  of  1620,  in  their  presentment,  next  recite 
the  terms  of  the  charter  granted  them  by  Thomas,  Earl 
of  Arundel  and  Surrey,  in  the  thirteenth  year  of 
Henry  IV,  declare  the  decay  of  rent  since  that  time, 
and  the  revival  of  it  in  the  fifth  year  of  Queen  Eliza- 
beth. They  deny  that  any  fine  is  due  from  them  on 
the  marriage  of  their  daughters,  stand  upon  their 
charter,  and  refer  to  "  an  extent  made  in  the  fifteenth 
yeare  of  Richard  the  Second,"  which  extent,  unfor- 
tunately, does  not  now  seem  to  be  in  existence.  Next, 
they  say  that  "  there  is  within  the  Towne  of  Holt,  one 
Howse  builded  of  timber  &  covered  with  shingles  com- 

^  Oyer  12^  statnte  acres. 

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404  THE    TOWN   OF   HOLT, 

raonly  called  the  Townehall,  where  the  Courtes  I  name- 
ly the  Borough  Courts]  are  holden  and  kept  by  the 
Maio'  everie  three  weekes,  and  two  great  Leet  Courtes 
likewise  holden  and  kept  by  the  Steward  aforesaid  for 
matters  happening  within  the  said  Towne  and  Liberties 
are  vsuallie  kept,  w**  is  the  Princes  bowse,  the  repaire 
whereof  from  tyme  to  tyme  as  occasion  shall  require 
belongeth  vnto  the  Prince  his  Highness."  The  lower 
story  or  ground  floor  of  the  Town  Hall  was  then  divided 
into  four  shops. 

Then  comes  a  list  of  all  the  freeholders  and  burgesses 
of  Holt  in  1620,  with  an  exact  and  full  description  of 
their  burgages,  houses,  and  lands.  I  made  a  copy  of 
this  list  and  a  summary  of  the  description.  This  sum- 
mary wiH  be  presented  towards  the  end  of  the  chapter, 
as  it  seems  desirable  to  give  first  a  copy  of  the  rental 
[crown  rents]  of  Holt  in  1620,  and  then  of  the  peram- 
bulation of  the  town  and  franchise  in  the  same  year. 


The  totall  sum  of  the  rente  of  the  Holte  is  IzxiVt. 

xim.  iud. 
Whereof  to  be  dedncted  for  Certaine  Landes  grann- 

ted  to  the   Earl  of  Bridgwater  in  fee,  viZt.  xii<. 

So  remajnes  with  the  toll  of  the  Market  and 

bridge 

The  BoroDgh    Rent  as   appeares    bj   the   Rentall, 

Ixii/t.  iiitf.  ixe^. 
Besides  the  Castell  houses,  yixis.  iiWd, 
Besids  for  Crackstones  meadowe  and  Saunders  Heath 

p.  ann.,  xxx^.j 
The  Toll  of  the  bridge  and  Market  xxii«. 


Ixv^t.  xii<. 


lX7./i. 

iiii^.  \d. 


The  above  totals  do  not  agree  exactly  with  the  sums 
which  compose  them  :  a  slight  error  in  the  copy  is  to 
be  presumed. 

The  bounds  of  the  town  and  liberties  of  Holt  are 
described  [fo.  43]  in  these  words  :  **  The  Towne  of  Lyons 
als  Holt  with  the  Liberties  and  Franchises  of  the  same 
is  meered  and  bounded  as  followeth.  First  from  the 
Bridge  called  Holt  Bridge  w^  is  the  passs^e  of  the 
River  of  Dee  divideing  the  Countie  of  Denbigh  and  the 
Countie  of  Chester,  at  the  Northside  of  the  said  Towne 


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IN    CO0NTY    DENBIGH.  405 

it  extendeth  itself  along  to  the  said  River  vnto  a  place 
called  Moore  Dee  w**  joineth  vnto  a  Meadowe  called 
the  Lords  Meadowe  beeing  parcell  of  the  Manno'  of 
Hewlington  vppon  y®  soutnside  of  the  said  Towne  and 
so  along  the  skirt  of  the  said  Meadowe  and  other 
landes  therevnto  adioyning  called  the  five  acres  and 
Tier  garreggs  vnto  the  lane  called  Hewlington  lane 
vppon  the  west.  Then  it  extendeth  a  long  that  Lane 
towardes  the  North  vnto  the  lane  called  the  Gallow- 
tree  field  lane,  and  so  vpwardes  or  alonge  that  Lane 
Westward  vnto  another  lane  leading  towardes  the 
Manor  of  Iscoeyd  vnto  certen  landes  there  adioyning 
vpon  the  said  Lane  called  the  Gorstifield  in  the  tenure 
01  David  Sped  parcell  of  the  Manner  of  Hewlington 
vpon  y®  East,  and  soe  along  the  said  lane,  including  a 
parcell  of  Land  called  Kae  Stockley  and  two  Tenements 
in  the  holding  of  Peers  Spencer  and  John  Goze  [i.e., 
John  Goch,  Red  John~\  adioyning  to  the  vpper  end  of 
the  said  lane  vppon  the  East.  From  the  head  of  that 
Lane  it  then  extendeth  itselfe  towardes  the  West  vnto 
the  Manner  of  Ridley,  and  excludeth  one  tenement  and 
lands  in  the  tenure  of  Richard  Prestland  and  one  Cot- 
tage and  certaine  other  parcells  part  of  the  said 
Manner  of  Ridley  lying  upon  the  Northside  the  Lane 
which  leadeth  towards  Crossyockin  Lane  upon  the 
West.  From  Crossyockin  Lane  w**  is  called  Hugmore 
lane  or  Wrexham  Lane,^  and  from  the  head  of  the  same 
I^ne  called  Hugmore,  then  it  extendeth  itselfe  againe 
towardes  the  North  after  the  Hedge  lying  upon  the 
west  w^  divideth  the  Towneshippes  of  Gourton  and 
Boras  at  the  west  and  of  the  landes  of  Owen  Jones  Gent., 
Owen  Breerton,  George  Bostock  Esquires  and  William 
Botha  [Batha]  as  they  are  particularly  mentioned  in 
the  verdit  or  presentment  of  the  said  jury  for  Holt, 
and  from  the  lands  of  the  said  William  Batha  it  exten- 

^  The  meaning  here  is  that  from  the  head  of  Croes  locjn  Lane, 
otherwise  called  Hagmore  Lane,  the  bonndarj  then  extends  itself, 
etc.  The  bead  of  Hagmore  Lane  was  in  Wrexham  Lane.  We  are 
not  to  understand  that  the  two  lanes  last  named  were  one. 


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406  THt   TOWN   OF   HOLt, 

deth  along  the  lane  leading  from  Borras  to  the  Common 
wood  upon  the  East^  and  so  includeth  parcell  of  y* 
great  Parke  called  Mercley  [Mersley]  Parke  adioin- 
ing  to  the  Mannor  of  Burton  vpou  tlie  North  ;  w** 
parcell  or  parcells  are  called  the  Bushell  [Bushy]  and 
Broade  land  and  extendeth  from  the  vpper  Parte 
of  the  said  broad  Land  w****  adioyneth  vnto  the  land 
leading  from  the-  Common  wood  upon  the  North, 
towardes  AUington  vnto  the  landes  called  Woerhookes 
lying  within  the  Mano'  of  Hem  vpon  y*  said  North 
parte.  And  also  along  the  said  groundes  called  Wer- 
hookes  unto  a  passage  or  bridge  over  the  Brooke  called 
Devon  Commonly  called  Werhook  bridge,  neare  vnto 
the  River  of  Dee  upon  the  North,  and  so  is  bounded 
with  the  said  River  of  Dee  towardes  the  Eaat  vnto  the 
Holt  bridge  where  first  it  begun." 

The  foregoing  account  of  the  boundaries  of  the  liber- 
ties and  franchise  of  Holt  is  for  the  most  part  clear 
enough,  knowing  as  I  do  many  of  the  lands  designated 
by  names  now  forgotten,  or  almost  forgotten.  How- 
ever, let  us  understand  that  the  present  Parliamentary 
borough  or  parish  of  Holt  is  made  up  practically  of  the 
old  franchise  and  the  manor  of  Hewlington.  The 
bounds  of  the  old  franchise  are  then  recognisable 
directly  upon  the  east,  west,  and  north,  and  only 
somewhat  uncertain  on  the  south.  But  when  we  come 
to  deal  with  Hewlington,  the  perambulation  of  that 
manor  by  the  jury  of  1620  will  be  presented,  and  then 
some  of  the  ambiguity  relating  to  the  limits  of  the 
franchise  on  this  side  will  disappear.  Suppose,  however, 
an  attempt  be  here  made  to  describe,  in  modem  terms, 
the  bounds  of  the  liberties  of  Holt  as  they  were  in 
1620.  The  northern  boundary  of  Hewlington  will  then 
itself  become  more  intelligible. 

The  boundary  of  the  old  franchise  of  Holt  starts 
southward  from  the  borough  bridge  along  the  Dee, 
which  nears  the  liberties  on  the  eastern  side,  until  it 
reaches  the  first  bend  on  the  river  above  the  Little 
Park  and  the  meadow  called  the  Moore  Dee,  along  the 


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W   COUNTY    DENBIGH.  40? 

south  side  of  which  it  proceeds,  leaving  Lord's  Meadow 
in  Hewlington  on  the  left  hand,  and  so  by  the  north 
side  of  the  northernmost  Tir  y  garreg  [^Land  of  the 
stone,  now  called  "  Tithe  Garret "]  to  Hewlington  Lane, 
which  leads  from  Sutton  to  Holt,  then  northwards  to 
Gallowtree  Lane,  and  westwards  by  Gallowtree  Lane  to 
Franchise  Lane  (now  called  "Francis  Lane"),  and  by 
that  lane  westwards  on  the  whole  to  Hugmore  Lane, 
formerly  sometimes  known  as  '*  Croes  locyn  Lane," 
along  which  it  proceeds  in  a  northerly  direction,  until 
it  marches  with  the  eastern  boundaries  of  Gourton  and 
Burras  RiflFii  to  Common  Wood  Lane,  a  continuation 
westwards  of  Frog  Lane.  Eastward  along  that  lane  it 
runs  until  it  reaches  the  roadway  to  Red  Hall,  opposite 
the  end  whereof  it  strikes  in  a  north-easterly  direction, 
touching  the  AUington  boundary,  having  The  Lodge 
just  north  and  Plas  Devon  just  south  of  it,  and  so 
reaches  the  Devon  near  Wearhookes  Bridge ;  and  fol- 
lowing the  Devon  and  AUington  boundary  comes  to 
the  Dee,  and  so  southward  to  Holt  Bridge  again. 

Next  follows  a  list  of  all  the  freeholders  and  bur- 
gesses of  Holt  in  1620,  with  a  summary  of  the  descrip- 
tion in  the  Survey  of  their  burgages,  houses,  and  lands. 
But  the  names  of  the  freeholders  are  here  arranged 
alphabetically y^  so  that  they  can  better  be  referred  to, 
and  there  is  given,  under  the  names  of  the  more  import- 
ant men  a  short  history  of  the  families  to  which  they 
belonged  :  it  being  thought  that  this  is  the  most  con- 
venient place  to  present  what  could  hardly  be  intro- 
duced elsewhere.  There  were  sixty-five  freeholders  and 
burgesses  in  all,  tenants  of  the  Prince,  namely  : — 

Owen  Brereton,  Esq.,  was  of  Burras  Hall  (see  pedigree  of 
the  Breretons  of  Burras,  opposite  page  162,  of  my  History  of 
the  Country  Townahips  of  the  Old  Parish  of  Wrexham),  He 
had  two  burgages  in  Frog  Lane,  of  which  one  was  *'  neere  vnto  ye 
Crosse,"  and  the  other  "  neere  the  Pinfold/'  and  about  130  cus- 
tomary— or  275  statute — acres  of  land  within  the  franchise. 

George  Bostocke,  Esq  .  had  his  capital  messuage  somewhere 
in  the  town  of  Holt,  which,  with  the  bams,  outhouses,  garden, 
^  The  arrangement  in  Norden's  Sw^ey  is  not  alphabetical. 


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408  THE    TOWN   O*    HOLt, 

and  orchard  appurtenant  to  the  same,  represented  the  site  of  six 
burgages.  He  had  also  nine  other  several  burgages,  in  1620,  in 
Pepper  Street,  Castle  Street,  and  elsewhere  in  the  town,  and 
much  land  in  the  franchise,  the  exact  area  of  which  is  uncer- 
tain, though  it  was  undoubtedly  considerable.  He  belonged  to  a 
notable  family — the  Bostockes  of  Churton — of  whom  no  account 
is  given,  under  Churton,  in  Helsby's  Onnerod'a  Cheshire,  later 
than  the  time  of  Henry  VIII,  although  they  were  seated  there 
long  afterwards,  for  George  Bostocke,  of  Churton,  Esq.,  was 
buried  at  Famdon  4th  March,  165|.i  The  above-named  George 
Bostocke  was  Mayor  of  Holt  in  1620,  and  buried  there  24th 
December,  1627,  being  son  of  Lancelot  Bostocke,  by  Jane  his 
wife,  daughter  of  Richard  Roydon,  of  Holt,  Mr.  H.  R.  Hughes, 
of  Kinmel,  confirmed  this  account  of  the  parentage  of  George 
Bostocke,  and  sent  me  a  pedigree  copied  from  one  of  the  Halston 
MSS.,  which  I  have  abbreviated,  added  to,  aud  already  presented 
in  Appendix  II,  Chapter  II.  His  will  is  dated  17th  September, 
1627,  whereby  he  bequeathed  to  his  "  nobell  and  good  frend.  Sir 
Robert  Chumley,  baronett,"  and  his  brother-in-law,  "  Henrie  lea 
esquire,"  all  his  burgages,  messuages,  lands,  etc.,  "  in  the  town 
and  liberties  of  lions,  alias  Houlte,*'  in  the  holding  of  various 
persons  named ;  also  "  one  House  in  the  Castell  Streete  wherein 
Richard  Roydon  dwelleth,"  half  an  acre  "  in  the  place  called  the 
sent  marie  loundes  vsed  to  the  said  house,"  one  croft  called 
**  the  kichen  aker,"  and  **  a  croft  called  the  intake  ajoining" ;  so 
that  by  the  sale  of  a  part  thereof  they  might  pay  what  he  owed, 
namely  £365  10s.  to  the  daughters  of  Sir  George  Calveley,  knight, 
deceased,  unless  (leorge  Bostocke,  his  son  and  heir,  or  any  other 
that  at  his  death  might  be  his  heir  or  heirs,  should  take  upon 
him  or  them  the  payment  of  the  said  sum.  And  he  gave  to  his 
wife  Dorothy  [who  was  perhaps  the  *'  Mrs.  Dorothy  Bostocke" 
buried  at  Holt  3rd  November,  1678]  the  rest  of  his  goods  and 
chattels.  The  Mr.  George  Bostocke  whose  will  has  just  been 
summarised  appeai^s  to  have  been  followed  at  Holt  by  his  son 
George.  In  any  case,  we  find,  a  few  years  afterwards,  a  George 
Bostocke,  of  Holt,  Esq.,  a  captain  of  the  local  levies  raised  for 
Charles  P,  concerning  whom  Philip  Henry  writes  in  his  diary, 

^  It  may  be  permitted  to  give  here  a  few  other  extracts  from 
Farndon  Registers  relating  to  the  Bostockes  : 

3  Nov.,  1620.  Mr.  George  Bostocke,  baried  [of  Churton]. 

19  May,  1682.  Katherine,  wife  of  George  Bostocke,  Esq.,  buried. 

30  Aog.,  1634.  Ann,  da'  of  George  Bostocke,  Esq.,  buried. 

16  Oct.,  1658.  Mrs.  Elinor  Bostocke,  widow,  buried. 

*  Mr.  W.  M.  Myddelton,  of  St  Albans,  tells  me  that  Mr.  Bos- 
tocke, on  23rd  April,  1663,  certified  that  Thomas  Sowne,  of  Isooed, 


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IN   COUNTY   DENBIGH.  409 

under  date  14th  August,  1663,  thus :  "  Mr.  George  Bostock  dyed. 
His  death  occasioned  by  a  surfet  of  drink  which  hee  took  at 
y«  time  of  y®  quarter  sessions  at  Uanrust,  whether  hee  had 
bound  over  certain  of  y«  Inhabitants  in  and  about  Wrexham 
who  were  deprehended  at  y®  meeting,  to  their  no  small  trouble. 
And  now  just  before  the  Assize  y^  lord  hath  taken  him  away 
by  a  remarkable  stroke,"  etc.  Whether  he  died  of  a  surfeit  of 
drink  or  not,  Mr.  Bostocke's  death  was  certainly  sudden.  In 
his  will,  dated  3rd  August,  1663,  in  which  he  describes  himself 
as  of  "  Plas  Bostock  within  the  Libertyes  of  Lyons  als.  Holt,"  he 
desired  to  be  buried  "  in  my  vsuall  burying  place  in  my  Chan- 
cell  within  ye  parrish  Church  of  Lyons  ak.  Holt."  He  gave  to 
his  "  cozen  John  Pulford's  wife  of  Wrexham"  his  mare ;  to  his 
friend,  Richard  Alport,  of  Overton,  Cheshire,  Esq.,  his  "  gray 
nagge ;  40«  to  his  friend,  John  Jeffreys,  of  Acton,  etc.,  and  all 
his  lands  and  tenements  to  his  well-beloved  nephew,  Lancelot 
Williams,  second  son  of  his  brother-in-law,  Thomas  Williams, 
of  Abenbury  vawr,  gent,  [the  Plas  Jenkin  estate  extended  into 
Abenbury  Fychan  and  Dutton  Dififaeth,  and  included  Cae 
Mynach],  provided  that  the  said  Lancelot  assumed  the  surname 
and  quartered  the  arms  of  Bostocke  ;  and  in  defect  of  heirs  male, 
to  the  third,  fourth,  or  fifth  sons  of  the  said  Thomas  Williams,  and 
to  their  heirs  male  respectively."  Lancelot  Bostocke,  alias 
Williams,  the  devisee,  died  apparently  unmarried  and  without 
issue,  and  was  buried  at  Holt,  1st  January,  166f .  It  is  not 
possible  to  speak  with  any  certainty  as  to  the  subsequent 
history  of  Mr.  George  Bostocke's  estate.  The  "  Mr.  Robert  Bos- 
tocke, of  Iscoyd,**  who  died  13th  November,  1670,  may  have 
come  into  the  property,  and  been  another  younger  son  of  Mr. 
Williams.  Also  a  second  Lancelot  Bostocke  was  baptised  at 
Holt  in  April,  1665.  A  Thomas  Williams,  of  Sutton,  Gent., 
probably  the  father  of  Lancelot  Williams,  alias  Bostocke,  re- 
nounced his  interest  in  the  will  of  George  Bostocke  on  14th 
October,  1664.  This  was  perhaps  the  Thomas  Williams,  of  Plas 
Jenkin,  who  was  buried  at  Holt,  12th  January,  16|f .  However 
this  may  be,  I  have  seen  the  will  of  another  Thomas  Williams 
of  Place  Jenkin,  Esq.,  dated  20th  February,  170|^,  proved  17th 
March,  170|-,  who  directed  his  body  to  be  buried  in  his  chancel 
within  the  parish  church  of  Lyons,  alias  Holt,  and  left  all  his 
landed  estate,  subject  to  certain  legacies,  to  his  son  and  heir, 
Peter  Williams,  who  succeeded  him,  and  to  his  lawful  heirs 
male,  or  in  default  to  testator's  nephews,  Lancelot  Bostocke,  Esq,, 
and  John  Evans,  gent,  equally  to  be  divided  among  them,  or  in 

had  been  a  foot-soldier,  and  Thomas  Holt  a  sergeant  in  bis  company 
in  Sir  John  Owen's  regiment. 

6Ta  s£B,  VOL.  vn.  27 


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410  .THE    TOWN    OF    HOLT, 

(iefanlt  to  his  own  right  heirs.  To  his  said  sou  Peter  all  his 
personal  estate  whatever,  and  the  debts  due  to  him  by  virtue 
of  the  will  of  testator's  brother,  John  Williams,  Esq.,  deceased, 
son  Peter  to  be  executor,  and  to  be  assisted  by  Mr.  Richard 
Jhomas,  of  Borras  Rififri,  and  Mr.  Andrew  Floyd,  of  Sutton. 
The  testator  bequeathed  small  legacies  to  his  sister,  Mary  Evans, 
his  nephew,  John  Evans,  and  his  niece,  Elizabeth  Evans., 
Provision  was  made,  in  1717,  for  the  tuition  of  Thomas  Williams 
of  Plas  Jenkin.  After  this  I  cannot  find  Plas  Jenkin  so  much 
as  mentioned,  except  as  the  name  of  a  field.  In  order  to  cast 
some  light  on  the  connections  of  the  Churton  Bostockes,  and  as 
illustrating  their  relation  to  William  Burganey,  it  may  be  said 
that  in  The  Cheshire  Sheaf  for  1891,  page  57,  a  letter  is  printed 
from  George  Bostocke,  of  '*  Ohorton^*  [Churton],  dated  18th 
March,  1642,  in  which  he  speaks  of  his  cousin,  William  Bur- 
ganey, as  having  a  son  at  Oxford.  This  son  the  late  Mr.  J.  P. 
Earwaker  identified  as  William  Burganey,  son  of  William 
Burganey,  and  grandson  of  Anthony  Burganey,  of  Pulford  [and 
Holt],  who  matriculated  from  Corpus  Christi  College,  7th  July, 
1637.  In  the  same  letter  Mr.  George  Bostocke  mentions  "a 
kynsman  of  myne,"  "  Mr.  Bostockes  sonne  of  Acton,  a  minister." 
This  was  Nathaniel  Bostock,  who  matriculated,  Mr.  Earwaker 
found,  from  Brasenose  College,  Oxford,  28th  March,  1617, 
aged  sixteen,  son  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  Bostock,  of  Acton,  Nant- 
wich.  Mr.  George  Bostock  says  further  that "  my  Cosin  Burgayny 
[that  is,  William,  son  of  Anthony],  his  granmother  was  my 
Grandfather  Bostockes  sister."  Here  is  a  clue  for  whomsoever 
has  the  opportunity  to  follow  it  up.  The  wills  at  the  Chester 
Probate  Court  and  the  entries  in  the  Farndon  registers  should 
also  be  consulted. 

William  Batha. — This  William  Batha  held  seven  parcels  of 
land  "  on  the  vpper  end  of  Common  Wood,  lying  together,  to- 
gether with  all  buildings  therevnto  belonging,  conteyning 
Eleaven  Acres*'  (about  23  statute  acres),  possibly  where  Bed 
Hall  now  is. 

George  Buckley  had  a  burgage  and  curtilage  near  the  bridge, 
and  a  curtilage  near  "  the  Church  Ashe.'* 

Thomas  Bithell  had  a  burgage  and  a-half  in  Frog  Lane,  late 
of  John  Yardley. 

Richard  Bithell,  alias  Howell,  had  also  a  burgage  and  a-half, 
late  land  of  John  Yardley. 

William  Burganey  had  two  burgages  near  the  pinfold  and 
seven  acres  (or  nearly  15  statute  acres)  called  "  The  Bottoms"  in 
the  lane  leading  from  Frog  Lane  towards  Common  Wood.    He 


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IN    COUNTY   DENBIGH.  411 

was,  probably,  the  son  of  the  "Anthony  Burganey  of  Holt/'^  an 
inventory  of  whose  goods,  taken  in  1611,  is  in  the  Chester  Pro- 
bate Office  (see  also  above,  under  George  Bostock),  and  is  to  be 
identified  with  William  Burganey,  whose  grandson,  also  named 
William  Burganey  (son  of  the  William  who  died  in  1732), 
married  Rachel,  daughter  of  Handle  Holme,  of  Chester.  The 
grandson  of  this  last-named  William  Burganey,  namely,  John 
•Burganey,  of  Pulford  (son  of  John,  son  of  William),  married  at 
Gresford  "  Miss  Anne  Pate,"  of  Croes  Howel,  in  Burton,  county 
Denbigh ;  from  which  marriage  the  Burganeys  appear  to  have 
obtained  Llyn  Tro  and  other  messuages  and  lands  in  Burton  and 
Llai. 

Thomas  Calcott,  Gent.,  had  two  burgages  in  High  Green, 
one  burgage  in  Smithfield,  and  another  in  Castle  Street,  Holt, 
but  does  not  appear  to  have  lived  in  any  one  of^  them.  He  had 
also  a  piece  of  land  in  or  near  Wrexham  Lane,  called  **  Annes 
hey  goch"  [that  is, "  Ynys  hey  goch,"  or  perhaps  Ynysau  cochion] 
(see  next  page).  He  was  son  of  Handle  Calcott  of  Caldecote, 
often  pronounced  "Calcott,"  or  even  *'  Cawkott,"  Cheshire,  by 
his  wife,  Jane,  daughter  of  Alban  Butler,  and  was  Mayor  of 
Holt  in  1631.  He  married  Dorothy,  daughter  of  John  Dod,  and 
had  a  sou  of  the  same  name,  probably  the  "  Thomas  Caldecot  of 
Caldecot,  Gent,"  who  was  buried  at  Farndon,  1st  October,  1672. 
But  there  were  so  many  branches  of  this  family,  and  so  many 
Calcotts  bearing  the  same  Christian  name,  that  it  is  difficult  to 
speak  with  any  confidence.  However,  it  seems  certain  that  Thomas 
Calcott,  or  Caldecot  of  Caldecot,  had  a  son  William,  who  died  a 
few  years  after  his  father  (in  December,  1677),  and  that  the 
"Mr.  Caldecott  of  Caldecott"  mentioned  on  I6th  June,  1690, 
was  Robert  Caldecott.  I  give  four  extracts  relating  to  the 
Caldecotts  from  the  Holt  registers ;  and  there  are  many  more  in 
these  and  in  those  of  Farndon  which  it  is  not  worth  while  to 
reproduce : — 

Thomas,  son  of  WUliam  Caulcot,  of  Holt,  Qent.,  bapt.  5th  June,  1675. 
William  Caldecotte,  of  Caldecotte,  Qent.,  died  in  Holt,  and  was  buryed  in 

Farndon,  30th  December,  1677. 
Richard  Craven,  of  Ridlej,  G't.,  aad  Mrs.  Caldecote,  of  Isacoyd,  married  2nd 

June,  1699. 
Thomas  Caldecote,  of  Holt,  buried  30th  January,  170J. 

Edward  Clough,  of  Common  Wood,  a  small  holder. 

Edward  Crew,  Gent.,  had  in  Holt  one  burgage  *'  in  Midding 
streete,  neare  the  Crosse,  where  his  Mansion  house  standeth" ; 
three  other  burgages  in  the  same  street,  "  wherevpon  a  Barne 

*  Anthony  Burganejr'p  widow  married,  before  1620,  Humphrey 

Hanmer,  Qont. 

272 


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412  THE    TOWN    OF    HOLT, 

standeth/'  one  parcel  of  land  near  the  Cross  containing  one  bur- 
gage, and  the  House  called  "y®  Comon  Backhouse*'  (Bake- 
house), and  21  customary  or  nearly  45  statute  acres  of  free 
lands,  and  about  6  acres  of  leasehold  land  called  "  the  Ladies 
Landes."  At  the  same  time,  an  Edward  Crew,  possibly  the 
same  person,  held  a  dwelling-house  in  Receiver's  Street  (now 
Queen  Street),  Wrexham,  and  much  land  in  the  same  town. 
Edward  Crew  was  buried  at  Wrexham,  19th  January,  163|* 
More  will  be  said  as  to  the  Crews  of  Holt  in  the  next  entry. 

Thomas  Crew,  or  Crue,  Gent — This  Thomas  Crue  lived  in  his 
capital  messuage  near  Holt  bridge,  with  another  burgage,  belong- 
ing to  him,  adjoining  it ;  five  other  free  burgages  and  one  leasehold 
burgage;  and  among  his  lands  were  the  Dovehouse Croft,  the  Stony 
Croft,  "The  Wallock  conteyning  six  Acres'*  (equal  to  about  12 J 
statute  acres) ;  "  hilton  croft  or  Cases  Croft,  of  2  [customary] 
acres" ;  the  Bottoms  adjoining  Chester  Lane ;  several  parcels 
called  "Gillwall,"  an  acre  adjoining  called  ''Agnes  hey  Gough'*; 
a  parcel  of  land  in  a  close  called  "  The  Espes,"  etc.  It  is  clear 
to  me  that  his  house  was  that  now  represented  by  Holt  Hill. 
The  Crews,  or  Cnies,  formed  an  important  family,  originating  at 
Crew-by-Farndon,  and  establishing  themselves  at  Holt,  Wrex- 
ham, and  elsewhere.  I  have  in  my  possession  sheafs  of  notes 
concerning  them,  which  do  not  seem  capable  of  being  woven  into 
a  consistent  or  satisfactory  pedigree.  A  Thomas  Crew,  Gent,  of 
Holt,  was  aged  51  in  1597.^  Another  of  the  same  name  was 
buried  at  Holt  in  October,  1(513,  being  perhaps  he  who  dis- 
covered and  destroyed  the  "  Roraane  monument"  described  in 
the  Appendix  to  Chapter  I ;  and  to  the  memory  of  another 
"Thomas  Crue,"  who  died  on  the  12th  August,  1666,  age  27; 
his  kinsman,  Silvanus  Crue,  of  Wrexham,  engraved  the  remark- 
able brass  aflSxcd  to  the  east  end  of  the  north  wall  in  Holt 
Church,  of  which  brass  a  reproduction  will  be  given  hereafter. 
Yet  another  Thomas   Crue,  Gent,  was   buried  at  Holt,  28th 

*  Mr.  Edward  Owen  enables  me  to  go  still  further  back,  by  supply- 
ing me  with  a  reference  to  a  complaint  of  William  Holstooke,  Gent, 
against  John  Oruwe  of  the  town  of  Lyons,  and  also  the  answer  of 
Thomas  Crue  to  the  same,  wherein  the  respondent  refers  to  an 
indenture,  dated  7th  May,  13  Hen.  VII,  1498,  between  John  Crewe 
and  Robert  Troutbeck,  in  view  of  the  marriage  of  Thomas,  sou  of 
John  Crewe,  and  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Robert  Troutbeck.  Thomas 
Crewe  also  speaks,  in  his  answer  of  his  mother,  Margaret  Further, 
in  the  Survey  of  Holt,  23  Hen.  VII,  the  following  names  appear : — 
Thomas  Crewe,  William  Crewe,  and  the  heir  [or  heirs]  of  John 
Crewe.  A  Thomas  Crewe,  Gent.,  was  also  one  of  the  jurors  in  the 
jury  of  survey  for  Holt,  4th  year  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  and  had  pretty 
nearly  the  same  lands  as  had  the  Thomas  Orue  of  1620. 


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IN  couKtt  Denbigh.  413 

November,  1699  (see  also  under  Thomas  ffoster's  name,  p.  415). 
And,  on  28tb  July,  1749,  Samuel  Crew,  of  Common  Wood,  Gent., 
was  party  to  a  deed  wherein  he  is  described  as  eldest  son  and 
heir-at-law  of  Thomas  Crew,  of  Holt,  Gent.,  deceased  (buried  at 
Holt,  28th  June,  1741),  and  as  having  two  sisters,  Eebecca  (with 
whom  £600  had  been  paid  as  marriage  portion),  married  to 
Thomas  Dod,  of  Edge,  Esq.,  and  Christian,  who  afterwards 
married  Mr.  John  Jones,  of  Pentref,  and  was  a  widow  on  6th 
June,  1752.  It  is  possible  that  Holt  Hill,  one  of  the  houses  of 
the  Holt  Crews,  came  to  the  Joneses  of  Ynysfor,  Penrhyn  Deu- 
draeth,  through  the  marriage  last  named.  Samuel  Crew,  Gent., 
then  tenant  of  Cornish,  was  buried  at  Holt,  18th  January,  1770. 
However,  it  is  almost  as  dangerous  to  speculate  as  to  the  Crews, 
who,  according  to  the  proverb,  were  as  "  common  as  crows,"  as 
it  is  dangerous  to  speculate  as  to  the  Joneses. 

George  Cowes  had  a  burgage  and  curtilage  in  Frog  Lane, 
also  a  close  of  land  "neere  vnto  Devon,"  in  1620. 

Egbert  Davies,  Esqr.  was  of  Gwysaney,  near  Mold,  son  of 
the  first  Robert  Davies  of  the  same.  He  married  Anne,  only 
daughter  of  John  Heynes,  by  Elizabeth  his  wife,  which  Eliza- 
beth was  one  of  the  daughters  and  co-heiresses  of  Lancelot 
Lothar,  of  Holt,  Constable  of  the  Castle.^  He  held,  in  1620, 
three  of  the  four  shops  underneath  the  Town  Hall.  On  28th  of 
October,  1664,  Thomas  Speed  declared  by  deed  that  what  title 
he  might  have  to  a  certain  pew  in  Holt  Church  was  subject  to 
the  right  of  Robert  Davies,  Esq.,  of  Gwysaney,  in  the  same  pew 
(see  Arch.  Camb.,  1878,  p.  147). 

WiLUAM  Davies  held  a  burgage,  wherein  he  dwelt,  in  Midd- 
ing  Street. 

William  Davies,  tanner,  had  also  a  burgage  in  Midding 
Street,  "  an  acre"  adjoining,  and  a  parcel  of  land  in  *'  ifishpoole** 
[field]. 

Egger  Decka  held  a  curtilage  in  Smith  field  Green. 

Roger  Edgworth  held  a  free  burgage  in  Wrexham  Lane, 
wherein  he  dwelt,  and  a  parcel  of  land  in  fishpool  field.  He 
had  also  two  parcels  of  leasehold  land  in  Hewlington,  namely. 
Cunning's  land  and  "ynys  croft  dyon,"  formerly  in  the  tenure 
of  Thomas  Edgworth,  The  Edgworths  constituted  a  noted  local 
family,  which  branched  out  afterwards  to  Wrexham,  Hoseley, 
March wiel,  and  elsewhither;  Thomas  Edgworth,  of  Bryn  y  grog, 
Marchwiel,  becoming  the  first  Mayor  of  Wrexham  in  1857.  In 
1784,  the  messuage,  bam,  and  other  property  in  Holt  then  lately 

^  It  was  through  this  marriage,  perhaps,  that  Mr.  Davies  became 
a  freeman  of  Holt,  and  acquired  lands  there  (see  under  Richard 
Hooker,  below). 


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414  THE   TOWN   Of   HOLf, 

belonging  to  Mr.  Thomas  Edgworth,  deceased,  were  ofifered  for 
sale  at  the  "  Red  Lion"  there,  the  family  thus  denoting  their 
final  severance  from  Holt.  There  is  a  fuller  account  of  the 
Edgworths  on  pp.  194-197  of  my  History  of,  the  Town  of  Wrex- 
ham, etc.  The  will  of  the  Roger  Edgworth  named  in  the  list  of 
1620  was  proved  at  Chester  in  1629.  He  was  followed  by 
another  Roger  Edgworth,  "  gent.,  and  public  notary,"  who  was 
an  official  for  one  of  the  Parliamentary  Committees  during  the 
Protectorate,  and  died  in  May,  1668. 

Sir  Richard  Egerton,  knight. — He  had  a  house  at  Common 
Wood,  in  occupation  of  Roger  Green,  and  a  little  over  14  cus- 
tomary acres  appurtenant  there ;  a  burgage  iu  Smithfield  Green ; 
3  other  free  customary  acres,  and  various  leasehold  lands  in 
Hewlington,  of  which  a  map  is  given  in  Norden's  Survey, 
namely,  Maddock's  Moor,  Dolvawr  or  Dolwern,  and  the  Elties 
or  Elthie.  He  was  son  of  Ralph  Egerton,  of  Ridley,  Cheshire 
(who  died  in  1619),  and  grandson  of  another  Sir  Richard  Egerton, 
whose  widow,  Mary,  Lady  i^erton,  speaks  in  her  will,  dated 
18th  October,  1597,  of  her  lands  in  "  Holte,  als,  the  Towne  of 
Lyons,  Alington,  als,  Trevalyn,'*  eta  The  Sir  Richard  Egerton 
of  1620  died  at  Ridley,  24th  February,  1627,  and  was  buried  at 
Bunbury  (see  Ormerod's  Cheshire).  Peter  Egerton,  half-brother 
of  Sir  Richard,  son  of  Ralph  Egerton,  was,  possibly,  the  Lieut.- 
Col.  Peter  Egerton  who  helped  to  capture  Holt  Bridge  for  the 
Parliamentary  party  in  November,  1643. 

William  Fisher  had  a  burgage  in  Midding  Street,  and 
3  customary  acres  of  land. 

John  ffL etcher  had  three  burgages,  forming  the  site  of  a 
house  in  Wrexham  Lane,  10^  customary — or  about  22  statute — 
acres  of  land  iu  Croes  locyn  Lane,  and  certain  lands  "  of  ancient 
demesne"  set  by  lease  to  him. 

Thomas  ffosTER,  Gent.,  had  one  burgage  in  Castle  Street  and 
no  other  holding  in  Holt.  There  were  two  Thomas  ffosters,  the 
elder  and  the  youuger,  of  Parkside,  Allington  ;  see  my  History 
of  the  Townships  of  the  Old  Parish  of  Gresford,  pp.  147  and 
179,  where  I  have,  by  mistake,  made  the  elder  ffoster's  wife, 
Dorothy,  to  be  a  daughter  of  Richard  Roydon,  of  Holt.  She 
was,  in  fact,  a  daughter  of  John  Roydon  of  Jsycoed  by  his  wife, 
Anne,  daughter  of  Richard  Chambers,  of  Sussex,  as  shown  in  the 
College  of  Arms  pedigree.  The  Thomas  flfoster  of  1620  was 
probably  the  elder,  and  he  whose  will  was  proved  at  Chester  in 
1636.  Thomas  ffoster,  the  younger,  afterwards  lived  at  Holt, 
where  he  bought  various  houses  and  lands,  and  served  the  oflBce 
of  Mayor  in  1642 ;  his  will  is  dated  23rd  December,  1675,  and 
was  proved  17th  January,  167f .     He  desired  to  be  buried  in  the 


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IN   COUNTY   DENBIGH.  415 

upper  end  of  the  south  aisle  of  the  parish  church  of  Holt ;  and 
left  the  messuage  in  which  he  lived  and  all  his  messuages  and 
lands  in  the  town  and  liberties  of  Holt,  purchased  of  Soger 
Edgworth,  Mr.  Samuel  Davies,  Thomas  Taylor,  Peter  Taylor, 
subject  to  legacies,  fo  his  wife  Jane,  whom  he  appointed  sole 
executrix.  He  bequeathed  to  his  cousins,  the  brothei*s  and 
sisters  of  his  cousin  Handle  Crue,  of  Holt,  £160  ;  namely,  to 
Samuel  Crue,  £20  ;  to  William  Crue,  £100 ;  to  Dorothy,  wife  of 
John  Gough  (see  below),  £20,  and  to  Elizabeth,  wife  of  John 
Powell  (see  p.  421),  £20,  etc. ;  he  bequeathed  also  to  his  niece, 
Elizabeth,  relict  of  Christopher  Dutton,  £4  a  year  for  life,  to 
issue  out  of  the  further  hall  field  ;  to  his  cousin,  Elizabeth,  wife 
of  John  Jones,  of  Darland  Green,  40«. ;  and  besides  some  minor 
bequests,  625.  yearly  to  twelve  of  the  more  aged  and  indigent 
poor  of  the  town  and  liberties  of  Holt  for  ever,  to  take  effect 
immediately  after  his  own  decease,  and  to  be  distributed  every 
sabbath  day  in  bread,  the  said  52«.  to  be  secured  on  a  field 
called  "  The  two  acres,"  alias  **  The  Espes."  Then,  after  the 
decease  of  testator's  wife,  all  his  estate,  goods  and  chattels,  were 
to  go  to  his  cousin,  Handle  Crue,  of  Holt  [a  son,  apparently,  of 
a  Thomas  Crue  of  the  same]  for  life,  and  afterwards  to  Samuel, 
son  and  heir  apparent  of  the  said  Handle  and  his  lawful  issue 
male,  or  in  default  to  Thomas  Crue,  Handle's  second  son,  and  Ms 
lawful  issue  male  ;  or  in  default  to  William  Crue,  a  younger 
brother  of  the  said  Handle ;  or  in  default  to  Handle's  right  heirs  for 
ever.  Mr.  Thomas  ffoster  was  buried  at  Holt,  31st  December, 
1675,  and  his  goods  were  valued  on  5th  January,  167|-,  by  Joseph 
Powell  and  Thomas  Edgworth,  at  £345  17^.  8d.  Mrs.  ffoster, 
the  widow,  was  buried  at  Holt,  5th  June,  1689. 

Jane  Gerard  was  daughter  of  William  Aimer,  Esq.,  of  Pant 
locyn,  and  widow  of  Gilbert  Gerard,  of  the  same,  son  of  Sir 
William  Gerard,  knight.  She  had,  in  1620,  two  burgages  in 
Castle  Street,  one  burgage  in  Frog  Lane,  and  16  customary — or 
nearly  34  statute — acres  of  land  in  Holt. 

John  Godson  had  a  burgage  near  the  bridge,  next  that  of 
George  Buckley,  on  the  south  side  of  Church  Street. 

John  Gough  had  two  burgages  in  Frog  Lane,  and  another 
John  Gough,  or  the  same,  had  a  few  acres  of  free  land. 

HoGER  Greene,  besides  being  Sir  Hi  chard  Egerton's  tenant 
at  Common  Wood,  had  12  customary  acres  of  leasehold  land 
between  Common  Wood  and  Wrexham  Lane. 

Edward  Griffith  had,  in  1620,  "one  Burgage  wherevpon 
the  Mansion-house  late  of  William  GriflBth  standeth,"  one  other 
burgage  and  18  customary — or  38  statute — acres  of  free  land. 

Richard  Hooker,  clerk,  "holdeth  one  Aere  and  a  half  of 


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416  THE   TOWN   OB*  BtOLT, 

Land  wherevpon  a  Howse  now  standeth  with  all  buildings  to 
the  same  belonging,  sometimes  the  landes  of  George  Lothar, 
late  the  Landes  of  John  Henry  and  Robert  Davies  Esquire  and 
Anne  his  wief,  and  late  of  Edward  Warmingham  f  also  a  kiln 
near  thereto. 

Randolph  Hutchins. — His  capital  messuage  stood  on  the 
site  of  three  burgages.  He  had  one  other  burgage,  26^  cus- 
tomary acres  of  land,  "  in  Huejmore  and  Cornish,"  4  customary 
acres  "in  ffishpoolefield,"  etc.  He  died  17th  July,  1624,  leaving, 
by  his  wife  Margaret,  a  son,  Thomas  (see  Owen's  Catalogue  of 
Welsh  M8S.,  etc.,  Part  II,  p.  135).  This  son,  Thomas  Hutchins, 
gent.,  and  Dorothy,  his  wife,  were  parties  to  a  fine  levied  17th 
October,  1660,  on  a  farm  at  Hugmore,  now  known  as  *' Hayes* 
Farm/'  at  the  corner  of  Hugmore  Lane  and  Wrexham  Road.  In 
the  23rd  Henry  VII,  **  John  hychen"  was  a  freeholder  of  Holt, 
and  '*  hychen"  is  merely  the  Welsh  way  of  spelling  "  Hutchen." 

John  Jenison  lield  6  customary — or  about  12^  statute— acres, 
part  of  the  30  acres  late  the  lands  of  Thomas  Pulford. 

Owen  Jones,  gent,  of  Glan  y  pwU  (see  my  History  of  the 
Country  Townships  of  the  Old  Parish  of  Wrexham,  p.  158,  £md 
elsewhere.  He  had  9  customary  acres  of  free  land  in  Hugmore, 
and  5  customary  acres  of  leasehold  land. 

Thomas  John  Lewis,  of  Burton,  had  three  burgages  in  Frog 
Lane. 

Edward  Maddock  had  a  dwelling-house  in  Pepper  Street, 
his  curtilage  adjoining  the  pinfold,  late  the  land  of  Peter  Roy- 
don  ;  a  burgage  adjoining  the  garden  of  Greorge  Bostock,  Esq.; 
a  parcel  of  land  called  "  The  Espes  adioyning  to  the  pavement 
leading  from  fifrog  lane  towardes  the  Common  Woode,''  and  one 
of  the  four  shops  under  the  Town  Hall. 

William  Nicholl  had  three  burgages  and  J  of  an  acre  be- 
tween Smithfield  Green  and  Fishpool  field,  late  the  lands  of 
Edward  Puleston. 

Thomas  Pate,  gent. — He  had,  in  1620,  three  burgages  repre- 
sented by  his  house,  and  5  customary  acres  near  Hall  field ;  one 
other  burgage  and  27  customary  acres  of  land ;  a  parcel  of 
land  "  in  hie  greene,"  with  cottage  built  thereon,  lying  in  breadth 
between  Wrexham  Lane  and  the  said  green,  containing  half  a 
burgage  and  the  twelfth  part  of  a  burgage.  And  in  the  manor 
of  Hewlington  he  had  four  closes  of  leasehold  land  called  "  Tier 
garregge,"  that  is,  '*  Tir  y  garreg,^'  or  Land  of  the  stone,  now 
known  as  the  **  Tithe  garrets.^'  A  certain  Thomas  Pate,  of  Holt, 
gent,   deposed,  in   1597,^   that  he  was  then  fifty  years  old. 

^  Jankyn  Pate,  senior,  Alice  his  mother,  and  Richard  Pate  are 
also  named  among  the  tenants  of  Holt  in  the  28rd  year  of  Hen.  VII, 
and  William  Pate  among  those  of  4  Queen  Elizabeth. 


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IN  CotTN'TY  Denbigh.  417 

The  will  of  the  Thomas  Pate  of  1620,  mayor  of  the  town  in 
1618,  was  proved  at  Chester  in  1621.  Also,  another  Thomas 
Pate,  of  Holt,  married  Martha,  one  of  the  daughters  of  John 
Powell  of  Holt,  the  fighting  Puritan.  The  Pat^s  were  a  family 
of  considerable  local  influence,  established  not  merely  in  Holt, 
but  in  Allington,  Burton,  Wrexham,  Farndon,  Shocklach,  and 
elsewhere.  In  Holt  itself  were  two  branches  of  them.  On  the 
11th  April,  1625,  William  Pate,  of  Holt,  gent.,  entered  into  a 
prenuptial  agreement  with  Thomas  Edge,  of  Hope  Owen,  Flint- 
shire, in  view  of  his  marriage  with  Grace  Edge,  which  marriage 
soon  after  took  place;  and  on  18th  October,  1622,  William 
Pate'  settled,  in  trust  for  his  wife,  upon  Thomas  Edge  and  John 
Meredith,  of  Allington,  gent,  among  other  lands,  *'Gwern 
Saeson,"  in  Cobham  Isycoed,  "  the  tieth  garregs"  in  Hewlington, 
and  various  quillets  of  land  and  meadow  in  Caeca  Button. 
Later  on,  we  find  Ferdinando  Pate,  of  Holt,  gent,  (whose  wife's 
name  was  Mary),  in  possession  of  the  abovenamed  lands,  which 
afterwards  were  purchased  for  the  poor  of  Wrexham.    The  son, 

1  The  abovenamed  Grace,  wife  of  William  Pate,  was  buried  2l8t 
March,  1664,  and  her  hasband  29th  March,  1675.  Alno  the  Thomas 
Pate,  senior,  who  was  buried  3rd  March,  166|^,  is  described  dis- 
tinctly as  brother  to  William  Pate,  gent. ;  so  that  the  Thomas  Pate, 
of  Holt,  who  was  buried  8th  February,  170f,  was  very  likely  a  son 
of  Thomas  Pate,  senior,  and  nephew  of  William  Pate.  [Since 
writing  the  foregoing,  I  have  seen  a  copy  of  the  will  of  Thomas 
Edge,  of  Hope  Owen,  father  of  Mrs.  Grace  Pate,  dated  26th  Decem- 
ber, 1634,  proved  Ist  March,  164J,  wlierein,  after  bequeathing  varions 
sums  of  money  to  his  nephews  and  nieces  surnamed  Edge,  he 
devised  to  his  grandchild,  Thomas  Pate,  son  of  William  Pate,  of 
Holt,  all  that  dwelling-house,  with  the  buildings  and  lands  thereto 
belonging,  *'  in  the  hoult  afoi*esaid  for  the  purchase  whereof  I  have 
paied  Nyne  pounds  in  earnest  vnto  John  Presland  and  Lancelott 
Presland  of  the  holt  aforesaid ;"  or  if  the  said  bargain  came  to  no 
effect,  then  he  bequeathed  to  the  said  Thomas  Pate  £86.  Whether 
this  bargain  of  sale  was  ever  realised  does  not  appear.  But  the 
testator  left  his  wife,  Custance,  all  his  leasehold  lands  and  tene- 
ments, she  bringing  up,  maintaining,  taking  order  for  her  learning 
and  preferring,  his  granddaughter,  Elizabeth  Pate,  daughter  of  the 
said  William  Pate :  and  if  the  said  Elizabeth  Pate  declined  to  live 
with  his  wife,  Custance,  by  reason  of  marriage,  or  any  other  cause, 
then  the  testator's  will  was  that  all  his  lands — leasehold  and  pur- 
chased— should  be  divided  into  two  equal  parts,  whereof  the  one 
part  should  be  enjoyed  by  his  wife  for  the  term  of  her  life,  and  the 
other  by  said  Elizabeth  Pate,  who,  on  his  wife's  death,  should  have 
both  the  parts,  to  hold  to  her  and  the  heirs  of  her  body,  or  in  default, 
to  the  said  Thomas  Pate,  and  the  heird  of  his  body  ;  or  ia  default, 
to  William  Pate,  son  of  the  said  William  Pate.] 


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418  TUB   TOWN  O^   ttOLT, 

Ferdinando,  of  this  Ferdinando  Pate,  was  baptised  26th  Auj^ust, 
1723,  and  died  at  Poulton,  26th  January,  1812,  being  ninety 
years  old  ;  and  one  of  his  sons,  John  Pate,  of  Chester,  upholsterer, 
married  24th  January,  1814,  Sarah  Pate,  thus  uniting  the  two 
Holt  branches  of  the  Pate  family.  This  Sarah  Pate  was  a 
daughter  of  the  Thomas  Pate  of  Holt  who  died  22nd  Decem- 
ber, 1816,  aged  seventy -nine,  and  a  sister  of  the  Thomas  Pate 
of  Holt,  mayor  of  the  borough  in  1819,  who  died  6th  November, 
1823,  aged  fifty-two.  Mary,  daughter  of  the  last-named  Thomas 
Pate,  by  Sarah,  his  wife,  married  Moses  Steven,  of  Chester,  and 
the  present  Mr.  Thomas  Pate  Steven  is  their  grandson,  being  son 
of  John  Pate  Steven,  who  died  in  February,  1875.  The  house 
of  the  Thomas  Pate  branch  still  survives  opposite  Ainsdale,  on 
the  Wrexham  road,  and  will  be  described  hereafter. 

Margerie  Phillips  had  three  customary  acres  of  free  lands 
in  Hugmore,  sometime  land  of  Lancelot  Pulford,  and  then  late 
of  William  Batha;  12  acres  of  leasehold  land  between  Common 
Wood  and  Wrexham  Lane ;  and  over  5  acres  called  "  says  hey 
lands.*' 

Francis  Pickering,  gent,  had,  in  1620,  three  burgages  repre- 
senting the  site  of  his  mansion-house  near  the  churchyard  :  the 
little  Wallock  (see  Chap.  I,  p.  11) ;  the  "  little  annes  hey  "  [*'  Yr 
Ynysau*' — the  holmes]  on  north  side  of  Wrexham  Lane ;  and 
a  parcel  of  land  appurtenant  to  his  mansion  house,  whereon  a 
barn  was  built,  adjoining  the  castle  ditch.  Mr.  Francis  Pickering 
was  mayor  of  the  town  in  1632,  married  Margaret,  sister  of 
Robert  Worrall,  and  died  3rd  September,  1635,  leaving  a  sou, 
Francis,  who,  a  mere  youth,  was  one  of  the  garrison  in  Holt 
Castle  when  it  was  held  for  Charles  I,  and,  after  its  surrender, 
was  fined  £70  by  the  Sequestration  Committee.  This  Francis 
Pickering  the  second,  leased  for  eleven  years,  on  24th  Decem- 
ber, 1640,  a  parcel  of  land  called  "Annesse  gouch  "  (Ynys 
goch — the  red  holme)  then  or  lately  in  the  tenure  of  Koger 
Edg worth,  of  Holt,  to  Thomas  Baker,  of  Wrexham.  He  was 
still  living  in  J  656.  Yr  ynys  Goch  is  on  the  north  side  of 
Wrexham  Road  (see  the  map  prefixed  to  Chap.  I).  A  John 
Pickering  was  doorkeeper  of  Holt  Castle  in  the  21st  year  of 
Henry  VII,  and  in  the  10th  and  11th  years  of  Henry  VIII ; 
and  in  the  14th  year  of  the  first-named  king  there  was  ap- 
pointed, as  Receiver  of  Bromfield  and  Yale,  Sir  Edward  Picker- 
ing, who,  as  Mr.  Hughes  of  Kinmel  thinks,  must  have  been  son 
of  Sir  Christopher  Pickering,  of  EUerton,  Yorkshire,  by  his 
second  wife  (Ellen,  daughter  of  Sir  Richard  Haryngton,  knight). 
Sir  Christopher's  first  wife  was  Mary,  daughter  of  Sir  Robert 
Lowther.     The  surname  "  Pickering  "  still  survives  at  Holt 


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IN   COUNTY   DENBIGH.  419 

John  Platt,  glover,  had  a  burgage  and  a  half  near  the  Town 
Hall. 

John  Presland  had  a  burgage  and  some  land  in  Holt.  There 
was  a  Richard  Presland  who  lived  in  the  manor  of  Isycoed,  next 
adjoining  the  franchise,  at  the  same  time.  Doubtless,  John  Pres- 
land was  related  to  him,  and  the  Preslands  of  Ridley  and  the  Pres- 
lands  of  Presland  and  Wardle. Cheshire,  were  of  the  same  stock, the 
eldest  son — or  one  son  at  least,  in  almost  every  generation — being 
called  Richard.  When  the  Earl  of  Bridgwater  purchased  the  manor 
of  Ridley  from  the  Crown,  he  seems  to  have  ignored  entirely 
the  composition  made  by  the  forty  years*  leaseholders  with  the 
Queen's  officers,  and  the  right  of  renewal  by  the  tenants  of  their 
leases,  treating  them  as  tenants-at-will,  or  giving  them  leases 
for  lives  at  arbitrary  fines.  In  October,  1622,  the  Earl  granted 
a  lease  to  Richard  Presland,  the  elder,  of  the  house  and  lands 
he  then  held  in  Ridley,  for  ninety-nine  years,  if  he,  the  said 
Richard,  Robert  Presland  his  son,  and  Katherine  his  daughter, 
should  live  so  long.  Katherine  Presland  just  named  became 
afterwards  the  wife  of  Captain  Edward  Taylor  (second  son  of 
Thomas  Taylor,  of  Dutton  Diffaeth,  yeoman),  a  famous  Par- 
liamentary officer,  who  had,  with  his  wife,  the  reversion  of  a 
lease  of  one  of  the  farms  called  "  Parkey,"  in  Bedwall.  These 
Preslands  and  Taylors  were,  at  the  time  of  the  Civil  War  and 
afterwards,  strong  Presbyterians.  Richard  Presland,  the  elder, 
had,  among  other  children,  Richard  Presland,  the  younger, 
Nathaniel  Presland,  and  Mary  Presland.  His  widow,  Katherine, 
became  the  second  wife  of  Edward  Thomas,  of  Wrexham,  one 
of  the  local  officials  of  the  Parliamentary  Sequestrators,  who 
had,  by  his  first  wife,  two  sons,  namely,  Jonathan  Edwards, 
who  was  afterwards  Vice-Chancellor  of  Oxford,  and  Samuel 
Edwards,  often  mentioned  by  Philip  Henry  in  his  diary.  Nearly 
all  these  particulars  have  been  gleaned  from  Presland  deeds 
perused  by  me.  A  Thomas  Presland  was  bailiff  of  Hewlington, 
by  Holt,  in  the  10th  year  of  Henry  VIII :  perhaps  the  same 
Thomas  who  was  one  of  the  witnesses  to  the  will  of  John  Roden, 
Rector  of  Gresford,  made  24th  June,  1506.  There  was  also  a 
certain  Lancelot  Presland,  son  of  John  and  Alice  Presland,  who 
was  living  in  the  44th  year  of  Queen  Elizabeth ;  and  a  John 
Presland  and  Lancelot  Presland  sold  before  26th  December, 
1634,  to  Thomas  Edge,  of  Hope  Owen  (see  p.  417,  note),  a 
messuage  and  lands  in  Holt. 

Makgaret  Pova  had  a  burgage  in  Wrexham  Lane,  between 
the  burgages  of  John  Read  and  John  ffletcher. 

John  Powell  had  a  burgage  in  Frog  Lane,  Holt,  where  he 
lived,  formerly  belonging  to  Edward  Aimer,  William  Aimer, 


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420 


THE   TOWN   OP   HoLt, 


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IN   COUNTY   DENBIGH. 


421 


^^^a'^l 

?fc 

, 

Si 

Pow 
othc 
IdreE 

a.S  ^,|  §.3 

John 
and 
chi 

» 

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P^ 

llilli 

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beth, 
omas 
>lt,  G 
d  26 
J  bur 
,15  J 
1706. 

zabetl 
Holt, 
176 

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=  Eh-7^1 
of  Th 
of  H( 
marr* 
1671 
Holt 

fi- 

ij 

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^00 

il 

i 

|i 

o 
X 

rtha,  bur'd        John  Powell  of 
t  Holt,  30           Holt,  the  Non- 
ug.  1699.          conformist,  and 
benefactor  to 
the  poor  of 
Holt;  died 
29  Sept.  1706. 

CO  CO 

1? 

'4% 

li 

II 

li 

1715/,  Mayor        25  Sept.  1720 
buried  there,        29  July,  1807, 

Had  issue. 

ishe  of  Howlte."-A.  N.  P. 
of  Sutton,  in  the  Parish  of  the 
.P. 

f" 

well  of  H 
hester.  So 
t,  28  April, 
It,  1747  ;  1 
[y,  1763. 

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k."— A.  N 

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Feb.  1685. 

born    23 
64. 

} 

CO 

1 

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e 

cS 
5 

himself  in  his  will  "  John  a 
himself  in  his  will  "  Harry< 
nvericke"  for  "  Cynwrig,"  o 
Hugmore  Lane." — A.  N.  P. 

-Anne. 

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land  of 
m'd  16 

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Oct.  16 

il 

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422  THE   TOWN   OP   HOLT, 

and  Jane  Gerrard,  and  no  other  lands  there.  Nor  was  there,  in 
1620,  any  other  freeholder  of  Holt  bearing  that  name.  He  was 
afterwards  a  Parliamentary  soldier,  his  will  being  dated  18th 
November,  1644,  and  not  proved  until  3rd  December,  1664. 
There  was,  it  would  appear,  another  John  Powell  of  the  parish 
of  Holt  living  at  this  time,  but  he  called  himself  "John  ap 
Howell,"  and  was  not  a  burgess.  Both  these  were  derived, 
according  to  the  late  Mr.  Ellison  Powell  (see  annexed  pedigree), 
from  an  earlier  John  Powell,  who  is  said  to  have  been  a 
younger  brother  of  the  first  Thomas  Powell,  Esq.,  of  Horsley ; 
and  so  late  as  1904,  when  I  sent  to  the  press  my  pedigree  of 
the  Powells  of  Horsley  (in  my  History  of  the  Townships  of  the 
Old  Parish  of  Gresford,  opposite  p.  118),  I  accepted  this  deriva- 
tion without  reserve.  But  further  investigation  gave  rise  to 
grave  doubts.  Mr.  Ellison  Powell  spent  an  immense  amount  of 
labour  in  tracing  the  origin  of  these  Holt  Powells;  and  in 
justice  to  him,  as  well  as  to  show  the  point  of  the  criticisms 
about  to  be  made,  I  print  the  accompanying  abbreviated 
pedigree,  compiled  almost  entirely  from  Mr.  Ellison  Powell's 
book,  in  which  pedigree  the  two  possible  John  Powells  of  1620 
are  indicated  by  putting  their  names  in  italics.  Indeed,  the 
pedigree  is  correct  beyond  doubt,  if  we  start  in  the  one  case 
from  John  Powell  whose  will  was  proved  on  15th  December, 
1638,  and  in  the  other  from  Harry  Powell,  who  is  said  to  have 
been  his  brother.  But,  first  of  all,  I  cannot  find  any  evidence  to 
show  that  these  two  were  really  brothers:  there  is  certainly 
nothing  in  their  wills  pointing  to  any  such  relationship  Next, 
in  1589,  the  aforesaid  Harry  does  not  call  himself  "  Powell"  at 
all,  but  simply  "  Harrye  ap  John  ap  Howell,'*  naming  his 
brother  "  William  ap  John  ap  Howell,"  and  his  own  two  sons 
*^  John  ap  Harrye  and  "Rauf  ap  Harrye,"  although  John  ap 
Harrye,  after  his  father's  death,  seems  to  have  adopted  **  Powell " 
as  a  surname,  and  become  John  Powell,  the  Parliamentary 
soldier  aforesaid.  But  the  fact  that  he  took  this  surname  does 
not  prove  that  he  was  of  the  Horsley  stock,  nor  does  his  father's 
name — "  Harrye  ap  John  ap  Howell  " — establish  a  derivation 
of  the  sort  indicated.  Finally,  there  is  no  hint  in  any  of  the 
wills  of  the  Powells  of  Horsley,  known  to  me,  pointing  to  any 
relationship  with  the  Powells  of  Holt,  of  either  stock.  I  feel 
bound  to  make  these  criticisms,  although  the  possibility — ^the 
bare  possibility — may  be  admitted  of  some  earlier  will  coming 
to  light  which  shall  prove  the  connection  for  which  Mr.  Ellison 
Powell  contended :  and  am  glad  that  these  "  historic  doubts"  did 
not  occur  to  me  during  that  gentleman's  lifetime,^  and  so  have 

1  The  fact  that  Joseph  Powell,  of  Cornhill,  London  (son  of  Caleb, 


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IN    COUNTY    DENBIGH.  423 

possibly  interrupted  a  long,  valued,  and  most  fruitful  corre- 
spondence. A  few  notes  of  the  principal  bequests  contained  in 
the  will  (made  27th  June,  1706,  proved  15th  March,  1707)  of 
John  Powell,  of  Holt  (son  of  Alexander  Powell)  may  be  in- 
teresting here.  The  testator  gave  to  the  poor  of  Holt  for  ever 
"  all  that  parcell  of  land  adjoining  southward  to  the  lande  of 
Thomas  Passnage  the  Elder,  of  Holt  aforesaid,  Ralph  Churton 
of  Aldford,  in  the  County  of  Chester,  and  other  land  along  the 
Ditch  to  the  land  of  Caleb  Powell  afores**,  westward  to  a  lane 
called  Chester  Lane,  and  on  the  north  and  east  parts  thereof  to 
other  lands  I  lately  purchased  of  Mr.  Eddowes,  Ironmonger,  of 
Whitchurch,  in  the  county  of  Salop,  together  with  the  s<*  parcell 
of  land,  the  rents,  issues,  and  profits  thereof."  He  bequeathed 
also  two  other  parcels  of  land,  purchased  from  the  said  Mr. 
Eddowes,  to  **  Master  Long,  now  a  Nonconformist  Minister  of 
the  lately  new-built  Chappell  in  Wrexham"  [Chester  Street]  for 
life,  and  to  his  successors,  ministers  of  the  said  chapel,  for  ever. 
He  left  all  his  personal  estate  to  his  kinsman,  Mr.  Thomas  Crue, 
and  to  Mr.  Thomas  Billington,  both  of  Holt,  and  appointed  them 
his  executors.  Thomas  Billington,  gent.,  was  buried  at  Holt, 
3rd  April,  1734.  The  house  of  the  Powells  still  stands  in  Frog 
Lane,  Holt,  although  divided  into  three  or  four  tenements.  In 
1843  it  belonged  to  Mary  Powell,  who  had  in  the  borough 
nearly  29  acres  of  land. 

.  Thomas  Pulford,  of  Barton,  and  Thomas  Pulford,  of  Holt. — 
Thomas  Pulford,  the  elder,  of  Barton,  was  buried  at  Farndon  in 
April,  1628.  The  Pulfords  were  a  wide-branching  family, 
originating,  doubtless,  at  Pulford,  but  connected  mainly  with 
Holt,  Farndon,  and  Wrexham.  An  account  of  them  is  given  on 
pp.  20,  34-36,  and  186,  187  of  my  History  of  the  Tovm  of 
Wrexham,  etc.  To  this  account  I  might  append  many  additions, 
but  will  only  make  a  few  here.  About  the  year  1546,  John 
Pulford,  Lancelot  Pulford,  and  William  Pulford  held  at  the  lord's 
will  30  acres  of  pasture  in  5  closes  in  Hugmore,  John  and  William 
Pulford  6  acres  of  pasture  on  the  north  side  of  "gallowtree 
lane,"  and  Lancelot  Pulford  10  acres  of  land  and  pasture  in 
three  closes  next  "  Comen  Wood,"  and  5  acres  of  land  and  8  of 
meadow  on  the  south  side  of  Wrexham  Lane.  And  in  1620 
Thomas  Wilkinson,  of  Farndon,  Richard  Vernon,  and  John 
Jenison  had  each  a  part  of  60  customary — or  nearly  127  statute 
— acres,  once  the  lands  of  Thomas  Pulford  and  of  Alice  and 
Joan  Pulford,  one  of  whom  was  the  wife  of  William  Pulford. 

grandson  of  the  first  Caleb  Powell),  bore  in  1766  the  arms  of  the 
Powells  of  Horsley,  need  not  regarded  as  Qonqlosive. 


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424  THB    TOWN    OF    HOLT, 

In  1620,  Thomas  Pulford  [of  Holt]  held  by  lease  the  Clayfield 
in  Hewlington,  in  succession  to  John  Pulford,  whose  estate  he 
had.  There  was  also  a  Eichard  Pulford,  gent.,  who  had  lands 
called  ''  Cae  hicke'*  in  Holt,  and  died  28th  February,  1630, 
leaving  a  son,  Ferdinand  (see  Owen's  Catalogue  of  iJie  MSS, 
relating  to  Wales  in  the  British  Museum,  Part  II,  p.  185)  whom 
I  cannot  trace.  A  Mr.  Thomas  Pulford,  of  Wrexham,  was  in 
Holt  Castle  at  the  time  of  its  surrender  to  Colonel  Mytton.  In 
the  will  of  this  Thomas  Pulford  (made  1st  December,  1657, 
proved  22nd  December,  1660),  the  testator  speaks  of  his 
daughter,  Katherine  Weld,  and  of  his  only  son,  John  Pulford. 
The  John  Pulford  just  named  married  Ursula,  daughter  of 
Alexander  Walthall,  of  Wistaston,  Cheshire,  and  had  several 
children,  among  whom  was  Alexipider  Pulford,  of  Wrexham, 
gent.,  whose  mother,  Ursula,  married  secondly  George  Gold- 
smith, of  Wrexham,  gent.  Two  of  Alexander  Pulford's  sons 
were  John  Pulford,  the  Prothonotary,  and  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Pulford.  These  latter  remarks  are  made  so  as  to  clear  up  some 
uncertainty,  since  dissipated,  which  I  felt  when  writing  the 
History  of  the  Town  of  Wrexham, 

John  Bead  had  four  burgages  in  Wrexham  Lane,  whereon 
his  mansion-house  stood,  2  acres  of  land  in  "  ffishpoolefield,"  and 
a  parcel  of  land  called  Knight's  Wood,  adjoining  Wrexham 
Lane. 

Thomas  Rogers,  alias  Cooke,  had  one  burgage  in  Frog  Lane. 

John  Rogerson  had  two  burgages  in  Wrexham  Lane,  whereon 
his  dwelling-house  stood,  and  three  customary  acres  of  "  ancient 
demesne.*' 

William  Rogerson  had  a  burgage  and  three-quarters  of  a 
curtilage  in  High  Green,  also  IJ  acre  (customary)  of  free  land 
in  "  little  Annes  goz  "  [Ynys  goch]. 

"  Roger  Roydon,  Esq.,  holdeth  Two  Burgages  whereon  his 
Capitall  Messuage  standeth  in  Castle  streete*'  (Norden's  Survey, 
A.D.  1620).  **  The  same  holdeth  seaven  Burgages  adioyninge  to 
the  said  Messuage  where  his  oi*chard  place  is."  "The  same 
holdeth  one  Burgage  in  the  said  Castlestreete  where  his  stable 
standeth  late  the  landes  of  Thomas  Billot ;"  also  the  "  Moore 
hall  field"  and  "  lefft  hall  field ''  (28  acres,  customary,  the  rent 
of  the  two  fields  being  reckoned  at  one  shilling  an  acre) ;  also 
Mill  hey  and  a  meadow  adjoining  (the  rent  of  which  last  three 
were  reckoned  at  2s.  an  acre  (that  is  the  site  of  nine  burgages  and 
46J  customary — or  over  98  statute — acres  of  land.  "  The  same 
holdeth  one  parcell  of  land  called  Ridley  wood  contayning 
23  acres  [=45 J  statute  acres]  late  the  landes  of  Launcelot 


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IN   COUNTY   DENBIGH.  425 

Aldford.**  And  it  is  added  in  the  Survey  that  the  lands  last 
mentioned  were  ancient  freehold  lands,  granted  by  the  charter, 
but  then  held  by  lease.  Mr.  Roger  Roydon  had  also  until 
recently  held  various  parcels  of  leasehold  land  in  Hewlington, 
containing  48  customary — or  101 J  statute — acres  ;  which,  how- 
ever, had  been  assigned  on  the  22nd  March,  161f  to  Mr.  David 
Speed.  Mr.  Roger  Roydon  was  the  eldest  son  and  heir  of  John 
Roydon,  Esq.,^  of  Isycoed,  by  his  first  wife  Anne.  Roger  married 
firstly  Jane,  daughter  of  Thomas  Powell,  of  Horsley,  Esq.,  and 
among  his  sisters  were  Dorothy,  wife  of  Thomas  fifoster,  and  Joan, 
wife  of  Edward  Crewe,  both  named  above.  It  is  intended  to  deal 
with  the  Roydons  at  greater  length  when  treating  of  the 
chapelry  of  Isycoed.  , 

John  Sivedale  had  an  acre  and  a-half  of  free  land,  part  of 
little  "  Annes  hey  goz,"  near  Knight's  Wood. 

David  Speed,  gent,  had  two  burgages,  whereon  his  mansion- 
house  stood^  one  other  burgage,  and  over  17  customary — or  about 
36  statute — acres  of  free  land,  besides  the  leasehold  land  in 
Hewlington  mentioned  above ;  also  the  Gallowtree  field  there 
(on  lease),  and  an  estate  at  the  Rossett.  The  Speeds  were  a 
notable  Holt  stock,  although  which  house  was  the  head  of  their 
estate  there  it  is  not  yet  possible  to  point  out.  John  Speed,  the 
antiquary,  is  said  to  have  been  born  at  Farndon  in  1552,  and  to 
have  been  a  member  of  this  family.  "  David  Speed,  of  the 
Holt,  gent,"  was  buried  11th  April,  1633,  and  his  will  proved  at 
Chester  in  1639.  This  man  it  was  who  appeared  on  Norden's 
jury  of  1620  ;  and  it  is  probable  that  to  his  nimble  brain  and 
sound  knowledge  is  due  the  exposition  of  the  case  of  the  forty 
years'  leaseholders  as  it  stands  in  the  preamble  to  the  present- 
ment of  the  jurors  of  Hewlington  ;  the  jury  for  Holt  and 
Hewlington  being  composed  of  the  same  persons,  and  he  being 
named  among  the  jurymen,  next  after  the  mayor  of  Holt  He 
was  followed  by  another  David  Speed,  recorder,  who  was,  most 
likely,  the  David  Speed  who  married  at  Farndon,  25th  June, 

^  In  the  Survey  of  4  Elizabeth,  1562,  John  Roydon,  the  father  of 
Roger,  is  described  as  having  in  the  town  of  Holt  one  messuage, 
two  burgages,  the  fourth  part  of  one  burgage,  an  orchard,  in  which 
formerly  were  seven  burgages,  and  five  parcels  of  land  called 
"morehalfield,  lesehallfield,  milnehey,  harbors  hey,"  and  a  parcel  of 
meadow  lying  next  said  milnehey,  lately  in  tenure  of  John  Roydon, 
his  fieither.  Bat  "  morehalfiold  **  was  assigned,  in  November,  37th 
year  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  by  John  Roydon  and  Roger  his  son  to 
John  Hare. 

6th  sbb.,  vol.  vn.  28 


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426  THE    TOWN   OF    HOLT, 

1623,  *'  Sydney  P  . .  .  bill"  This  second  David  made,  with  three 
others,  the  Parliamentary  Survey  of  16^.  I  have  seen  his 
nuncupative  will,  made  I3th  July.  1660,  the  day  before  he 
died,  in  which  he  describes  himself  as  of  Hewlington,  appoints 
Sidney,  his  wife,  his  executrix,  and  mentions  his  son,  Thomas 
Speed.  The  inventory  of  his  goods  was  made  on  the  18th  of 
the  same  month  by  Mr.  Thomas  Humberston  and  John  ap 
Edward,  who  designate  the  deceased  as  "  David  Speede  gent, 
of  the  towne  of  Hoult."  His  son,  Thomas  Speed,  was  buried  at 
Holt,  9th  November,  1664;  and  there  was  a  David  Speed,  son  of 
John  Speed,  gent.,  who  was  also  there  buried  26th  December, 
1681. 

Thomas  Spencer,  of  Farndon,  had  6  customary  acres  of  land 
adjoining  Knight's  Wood  [in  Wrexham  Road],  formerly  the 
lands  of  John  Aldford. 

EoQER  SucKLEY  had  a  burgage  next  the  bridge,  next  that  of 
John  Godson. 

Sir  John  Trevor,  knight,  had  a  burgage  in  Castle  Street,  two 
burgages  and  one  curtilage  in  Cross  Green,  both  formerly  in 
the  holding  of  Edward  Aimer  and  Jane  Aimer,  widow;  a 
parcel  of  land,  containing  by  estimation  half  a  curtilage,  whereon 
a  house  was  built,  and  about  31  customary  acres  of  free  land. 
He  was  of  Pl&s  Teg,  county  Flint. 

Sir  Richard  Trevor,  knight,  had  a  curtilage  near  the  Castle 
gate,  whereon  a  house  was  built,  extending  towards  the  River 
Dee.  He  was  of  Trefalyn  Hall,  and  the  elder  brother  of  the 
aforesaid  Sir  John  Trevor  (see  the  Trevor  pedigree  opposite 
page  100  of  my  History  of  the  Townships  of  the  Old  Parish  of 
Chresford). 

Richard  Vernon  had  6  customary  acres  of  land,  whereon  a 
house  was  built,  part  of  the  30  acres  formerly  belonging  to 
Thomas  Pulford.  Richard  Vernon's  will  was  proved  at  Chester 
in  1629. 

John  Welles  had  a  burgage  in  Midding  Street,  between 
the  burgage  of  William  Davies  and  that  wherein  William  Cork 
dwelled  (see  also  under  William  Wilde). 

Lawrence  Welles  had  a  burgage  in  Castle  Street,  m  the 
holding  of  Jane  Warburton  ;  six  free  customary  acres  "  beyond 
devon ;"  five  leasehold  parcels  containing  1 1  customary  acres  in 
"  Cross  yockin  [lane] ;"  and  a  leasehold  piece  of  land  "  in  Holt 
neare  vnto  the  Castle  gate  in  a  lane  leading  from  the  pavem^ 
towardes  the  River  called  Mill  Dee,  wherevpon  a  Cottage 
standeth  conteyning  the  third  part  of  a  curtilage."    Mr.  Hughes, 


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IN   COUNTY   DKNBIflH.  427 

of  Kinmel,  tells  me  that  a  Laurence  Wells  married  Elizabeth, 
daughter  and  heir  of  Owen  floydon,  son  of  Peter  Roydon,  son  of 
John  Roydon,^  a  drover  (see  also  under  the  next  entry). 

"  William  Wilde,  ^ent,  holdeth  nyne  Burgages,  viz.,  three 
wherevpon  his  Mansion  howse  standeth  with  the  orchard, 
garden,  and  backside  therevnto  belonging,  one  Croft  over  against 
the  said  howse  conteyning  foure  burgages,  and  two  burgages  are 
adioyning  to  the  orchard  of  Randolph  Hutchiiis."  "  The  same 
holdeth  one  parcell  of  land  lying  neare  devon  platt^  adioyning 
to  the  pavement  w<*  leades  to  the  Coraon  Wood  conteyning 
three  Acres."  The  same  holdeth  one  parcell  of  land  at  Bspehill 
called  The  Bspes,  conteyning  two  Acres.  The  same  holdeth 
a  Curtilage  adioyning  to  the  howse  called  the  pavement  howse 
in  the  hie  Qreene ;"  making  iu  all  nine  burgages,  and  over 
28  customary — or  over  59  statute — acres  of  free  land.  Mr. 
William  Wilde  belonged  to  a  very  ancient  family,  members  of 
which  were  among  the  earliest  mediaeval  English  settlers  in 
Bromfield.  John  le  Wylde,  clerk,  was  one  of  the  witnesses  to 
an  Allington  charter  of  1391,  as  I  learn  from  Mr.  Edward  Owen. 
Richard  de  Wylde,  son  of  John  de  Wylde,  of  Holt,  married, 
according  to  Poivys  Fadog  (vol.  iii,  p.  91),  Margaret,  daughter  of 
John  Lowther,  of  Holt ;  and  their  great-great-grandson,  Thomais 
de  Wylde,  purchased  the  house  and  lands  of  leuan  and  Howel, 
sons  of  David  Llwyd,  forfeited  for  their  share  in  Owen  Glyndwr's 
rebellion.  This  account  of  the  date  of  the  forfeiture  is  not 
quite  in  accord  with  chronological  facts,  but  in  the  23rd  year  of 
Henry  VII  {seq,  1508),  Thomas  the  Wylde,  and  others  were 
actually  in  possession  of  land  in  Hewlington,  "formerly  the 
land  of  Madoc  ap  leuan  ap  Madoc,  Jankyn  his  brother  [and] 
leuan  and  Howel,  sons  of  David  Lloyd,  John  Wele  was  seneschal 
or  steward  of  Bromfield  and  Yale  in  1411,  and  one  of  the  wit- 

1  Mr.  E.  B.  Roydon  has  sent  me  a  copy  of  the  will  of  John 
RoydoD,  of  Holt,  dated  20th  May,  1560,  and  proved  on  the  16th 
Jnne  following,  in  which  the  testator  names,  among  other  children, 
his  son  Peter.  Mr.  Roydon  thinks  that  the  father  of  the  Elisabeth 
Roydon  who  married  liaarenoc  Wells  may  have  been  Owen  Roydon, 
son  of  the  abore-named  Peter  Roydon,  son  of  John  Roydon.  I  find 
that  Peter  Roydon  released,  on  15th  December,  25  Qneen  Elizabeth, 
1582,  to  Owen  Roydon,  his  son,  his  Holt  lauds. 

2  This  shows  that  the  brook  crossing  Common  Wood  Lane  was 
called,  in  1620,  "  The  Devon ;"  as  a  passage  snbseqnently  to  be 
quoted  (under  John  Wilkinson)  shows  that  the  same  brook  was 
then' called  Devon,  and  not  **  Ugg,"  at  the  point  it  crossed  Wrexham 
Road. 

28« 


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428  THE   TOWN   OF   HOLT, 

nesses  of  the  Holt  charter.^  The  name  of  this  family  came  to 
be  spelled  in  later  times  "  Weld  "  and  "Wells,"  or  "  Welles,"  as 
well  as  "  Wylde,"  "  WUde,"  and  *'  Wilds."  One  branch  remained, 
or  became  Boman  Catholic ;  and  a  Richard  Weld,  of  Holt,  was 
"  presented  "  as  "  a  recusant,"  and  buried  by  night  at  Tarporley, 
Cheshire,  20th  Aus^ust,  1626.  Samuel  Wilds,  of  Wilds  Green,  wcw 
mayor  of  Holt  in  1624.  And  a  "  William  Wild,  son  to  Edward 
Wild,  gent/'  was  buried  at  Holt  22nd  February,  166}.  Other 
Welds,  amon«^  whom  may  be  named  Mr.  Peter  Weld  and  Mr. 
Rolph  Weld,  both  of  High  Street,  Wrexham,  were  Presbyterians. 
Thomas  Weld,  citizen  and  grocer,  of  London,  and  of  Richmond, 
Surrey,  in  his  will  of  1678,  speaks  of  "  nephew  Peter  Weld  of 
Wrexham,"  This  Peter  was  buried  at  Wrexham,  16th  July, 
1688.  Mr.  Ralph  Weld,  before  the  Restoration,  Lieutenant 
Ralph  Weld,  buried  at  Wrexham,  28th  August,  1681,  was 
a  fast  friend  to  Philip  Henry,  leaving  him  £5  by  his  will ; 
which  bequest  was  delivered  by  his  nephew,  also  named 
Ralph  Weld,  probably  the  Rev.  Ralph  Weld,  rector  of  Great 
Saxham,  Suffolk,  who  died  21st  September,  1721,  leaving  £100 
to  Wrexham  Grammar  School.  Tj^  Mr.  Peter  Weld,  of  Wrex- 
ham, who  died  in  1 688,  is  called  tn  the  Parish  Registers,  at 
different  times, "  Weild,"  "  Welds,"  and  "  Wells,"  but  he  described 
himself  consistently  as  "  Peter  Weld.'*  The  representatives  of 
the  family  who  spelled  their  surname  "  Wells"  and  "  Welles" 
are  represented  in  the  1620  list  of  Holt  freeholders  by  John  and 
Laurence  Wells. 

John  Wilkinson  had  three  burgages,  where  his  dwelling- 
house  stood,  with  barns,  etc. ;  a  burgage  in  Frog  Lane ;  a  bur- 
gage and  a-half  near  the  Cross ;  a  burgage  near  Cross  Green  ; 
and  another  burgage  ;  also  "  one  parcell  neare  Devon  bridge  in 
Wrexham  Lane;"  a  close  called  "The  Espes,"  another  near 
Devon,  about  23  customary — or  48 J  statute — acres  of  free  land, 
an  acre  of  leasehold  land  called  "  Y  Pase,"  and  6  customary — or 
12  J  statute — acres  of  leasehold  land,  including  the  little  (Jallow- 
tree  field,  in  Hewlington. 

Thomas  Wilkinson,  of  Farndon,  had  a  house  and  18  cus- 
tomary acres,  part  of  the  30  customary  acres  formerly  of  Thomas 
Pulford,  etc.,  and  3  other  like  acres  of  leasehold  land. 

John  Wright  had  "one  curtilage  neere  vnto  the  Crosse 
adioyning  to  y«  pavement  leadinge  from  the  said  Crosse  towardes 

1  To  this  may  be  added  that  Jankyn  Wylde  and  William  to 
Wylde  were  tenants  of  Holt  in  the  23rd  year  of  Henry  Ylly  and  in 
1564  David  and  Edw^ard  Wilde  had  nine  bargages,  eta,  at  Holt. 


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tN  coxmrr  t)BNBiGtt.  429 

frog  lane  where  his  dwelling  howse  standeth  with  all  buildings 
there vnto  belonging  late  the  landes  of  Edward  Puleston/' 
12  customary  aeres  of  free  land  and  more  of  leasehold  land  in 
the  franchise  of  Holt,  and  Thomas  Lothar*s  estate  in  Hewlington, 
being  a  leasehold  customary  acre  demised  to  Thomas  Xiothar, 
deceased,  on  10th  December,  1580  (see  also  under  next  entry). 

Georgb  Wright  had  13  customary — or  25J  statute — free 
acres  of  land  whereon  his  dwelling-house  stood,  formerly  the 
land  of  Thomas  ap  Madoc  ap  lolyn,  late  of  Sutton,  and  14  like 
acres  of  leasehold  land  called  "  Kay  Robbin/'  The  will  of  George 
Wright,  of  Holt,  was  proved  at  Chester  in  1623.  Thomas 
Wright,  of  Holt,  gent.,  was  buried  there  in  November,  1679, 
and  Katherine,  daughter  of  George  Wright,  was  married  about 
1693  or  1694  to  Koger  Roydon,  of  Calcott  (Caldecote),  Cheshire. 
On  16th  November,  1641,  Thomas  Niccoe,of  Holt,  yeoman,  and 
Jane  his  wife,  sold,  in  consideration  of  £37  10s,,  to  Thomas 
Wright,  of  Holt,  yeoman,  a  close  of  3  acres  adjoining  the  land 
of  George  Bostocke,  Esq.,  on  the  east ;  the  laud  of  Arthur  Wright, 
brother  of  the  said  Thomas  Wright,  on  the  west ;  the  land  of 
Sir  John  Trevor,  knight,  on  the  north,  and  the  King's  highway 
on  the  south.  In  the  will  tf  Joseph  Wright,  of  Tarvin  (dated 
26th  February,  1767,  proved  26th  March,  1774),  the  testator 
speaks  of  his  two  messuages,  etc.,  in  Holt ;  of  his  nephew,  John 
Speed,  of  the  same ;  of  his  niece,  Elizabeth  Powell,  widow  [of 
John  Powell  and  daughter  of  John  Speed;  see  the  Powell 
pedigree,  before] ;  of  his  niece,  Mary  Speed,  etc. 

Thomas  Williams  had  7  customary  acres  of  land,  with  house 
and  other  buildings,  "  in  Crosse  Yockin  Lane." 

John  Yakdley,  gent.,  had,  in  1620,  three  burgages,  whereon  his 
dwelling-house  stood,  one  other  burgage,  and  17  cui?tomary  acres 
of  free  land.  The  Yardleys  were  well  known  in  Holt,  Farndon, 
and  elsewhere  in  the  neighbourhood,  about  this  time.  In  1562, 
Lancelot  Yardley  was  a  free  tenant  of  Holt.  In  1597,  Thomas 
Yardley,  Mr.  Edward  Owen  told  me,  had  a  dispute  with  John 
Roydon  concerning  the  right  and  title  to  lands  in  Hewlington 
called  "  the  Fourteen  Acres,"  and  land  in  Ridley  Wood,  late  of 
John  Yardley,  plaintiffs  father ;  the  point  at  issue  being  whether 
these  lands  were  left  in  trust  to  Alice,  John  Yardley's  wife.  Sir 
George  Calveley,  knight,  Thomas  Calcott,  and  others,  for  the 
payment  of  his  debts,  and  sold  by  them  to  the  defendant,  John 
Roydon,  without  condition  of  redemption.  And  I  have  since 
seen  a  series  of  depositions,  furnished  me  in  summary  by  Mr. 
E.  B.  Roydon,  of  Bromborough,  relating  to  this  dispute,  which 
seems  to  have  been  a  very  complicated  one.     I  need  only  say 


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iSO  ttfE  Hovmt  Off  rioLt, 

that  Thomas  Tardley,  the  complainant,  of  Orew  and  Famdon, 
was  in  1597  about  sixty  years  of  age ;  that  when  his  father,  John 
Tardley,  died,  he,  Thomas,  was  about  nine  years  old,  and  iu 
ward  to  John  Roydon,  his  uncle.  On  the  29th  day  of  the  eleventh 
month,  1659  [January,  16fJ],  John  Yardley,  of  Holt,^  and 
Elizabeth  Farmar,  of  Shrewsbury,  were  married  at  the  place  last 
named,  after  the  fashion  of  Friends ;  and  in  1682  a  piece  of  land 
in  Cross  Green,  Holt — ^still  called  "  Quakers'  Yard  " — formerly 
the  properly  of  John  Yardley,  was  vested  in  trustees  as  a 
Friends'  burial  ground.  A  "  John  Yardley,  gent,"  was  buried  at 
Holt,  22nd  January,  167^,  and  a  "  a  Thomas  Yarley,''  of  Holt, 
on  14th  March  14th,  167f     • 

The  Mayor  and  Citizens  of  Chester  held  2|  customary — 
or  5^  statute — acres  of  land,  with  a  house  thereon  built,  late 
belonging  to  Alderman  Valentine  Broughton,  of  Chester,  de- 
ceased, and  left  by  him  to  feoffees  for  charitable  uses. 

The  foregoing  extracts,  or  summaries  of  extracts,  give 
a  most  vivid  and  instructive  picture  of  the  town  of 
Holty  as  it  was  in  1620.  Many  of  the  old  burgages 
then  remained,  probably  very  much  in  the  same  con- 
dition as  when  first  built  and  set  out,  each  with  its 
curtilage  in  front  and  with  its  croft  behind,  along  Castle 
Street,  Wrexham  Lane  (now  Wrexham  Road),  near  the 
bridge  (now  Church  Street),  Midding  Street,  Pepper 
Street,  and  Frog  Lane  (in  which  the  pinfold  was) ;  also 
around  Cross  Green,  Smithfield  Green,  and  High  Green. 
But  in  a  great  number  of  cases,  two  or  more  burga^es,^ 
had  made  way  for  larger  houses,  and  for  the  gardens, 
stables,  and  other  buildings  appurtenant  to  them.  It 
mattered  not  at  all  to  the  lord  how  far  this  process 

^  This  was,  perhaps,  the  John  Yardley  the  younger,  of  Holt,  son 
of  John  Yardley  the  elder,  who  on  the  12th  Janaary,  166f ,  left  all  hit 
estate^ezcept  some  trifling  legacies — to  his  wife,  Elizabeth ;  which 
Elizabeth,  his  widow,  on  18th  December,  1663,  renoanced  all  her 
interest  in  the  executorship  of  her  late  husband's  will  to  her  trusty 
friend  Charles  Bradshaw,  the  yoanger. 

^  Mr.  Wilde's  house,  orchard,  stable,  and  crofb  occupied  the  site  of 
seven  burgages ;  and  Mr.  Boydon's  house,  orchard,  and  stable  the 
site  of  nine  burgages  in  Castle  Street.  There  is  no  need  to  cite 
other  examples. 


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IN   COUNTY   DENBIGH.  431 

was  carried,  so  long  as  it  was  duly  recorded  that 
the  holding  of  so-and-so  represented,  say,  seven  bur- 
gages, from  which  seven  times  the  rents  and  ser- 
vices were  to  be  rendered  as  were  due  from  a  single 
burgage.  In  1620,  125  ancient  burgages  were  remem- 
bered in  Holt ;  or  rather  the  rents  ("  crown  rents,*'  as 
they  are  now  called)  were  remembered.  Of  course,  all 
these  oldest  burgages  have  long  ago  vanished,  but  I 
I  myself  recollect  some  queer  -  looking  half-timbered 
thatched  cottages  in  Church  Street  and  elsewhere  in 
the  town,  pemaps  as  old  as  the  time  of  Norden's 
Survey,  which  gave  a  very  fair  idea  of  what  an  old 
burgage  was  like,  but  these  have  been  much  altered 
in  recent  years :  windows  enlarged,  or  the  thatch 
covered  with  corrugated  iron,  so  that  all  picturesque- 
ness  is  gone  from  them.  The  burgages  were  built 
across  the  width  of  long  narrow  strips,  aoout  two  chains 
in  length,  and  containing,  so  far  as  can  be  made  out, 
a  little  over  a  rood  of  ground,  the  area  varying  slightly. 
A  few  Holt  houses,  although  modern,  represent,  so  far 
as  their  site  and  the  size  of  their  gardens  are  concerned, 
exactly  the  area  of  the  old  burgages,  with  their  Cur- 
tilages and  crofts.  But  we  have  to  calculate  with  care, 
for  in  Norden's  Survey  we  are  told  distinctly  of  ttuo 
adjoining  houses  which  represented  three  burgages ; 
while  in  another  case  it  appears  as  though  three  modem 
cottages  stood  on  the  site  of  tvx)  burgages,  the  crofts  at 
the  back  being  divided  into  as  many  gardens  as  there 
are  cottages ;  and  other  disturbing  factors  have  been 
introduced. 

Suppose  we  now  try  to  picture  to  ourselves  the  open 
spaces,  streets,  and  lanes  in  Holt  at  the  date  of  Norden's 
Survey. 

And  first  let  us  take  the  open  spaces. 

**  Smithfield  Green"  denotes  the  same  place  that  is 
still  so  called. 

Church  Green  is  not  named,  but  it  is  quite  clear  that 
what  is  now  so  called  was  in  1620,  and  later,  known  as 
Cross   Green."     It   is   easy  to   prove   this.     I  have 


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i€ 


432  THE   TOWN    Olf   HOtf, 

seen  the  original  deed  recording  the  sale  (28th  Feb- 
ruary, 168^)  to  "the  Friends"  of  the  piece  of  ground 
at  the  comer  of  Bridge  Street  and  Church  Green, 
Holt,  for  the  purpose  of  a  Quakers'  burial-ground. 
Now,  this  piece  of  land,  the  position  of  which  is  exactly 
known,  is  described  as  **  adjoyning  thereto  a  greene 
called  Crosse  Greene."  Unless  there  were  once  two 
crosses  standing  in  the  town  of  Holt,  it  seems  very 
probable  that  the  Cross  Green  was  at  an  early  date 
continuous  with  what  is  now  known  as  "  The  Cross 
Bank ;"  in  other  words,  that  it  extended  over  the  site 
of  Holt  Hall  and  gardens,  and  other  intervening  houses. 
However,  there  was  only  one  cross  in  Holt  in  1620, 
several  houses  being  described,  as  though  that  descrip- 
tion were  suflScient,  as  being  '*near  the  cross."  Never- 
theless, I  do  not  doubt  but  that  this  cross,  standing  on 
Cross  Bank,  gave  its  name  to  Cross  Green,  now  called 
Church  Green,  and  that  all  houses  between  represent 
aucient  encroachments,  or  enclosures,  made  before 
1620. 

**  High  Green"  was  another  open  space  in  1620.  I 
feel  certain,  from  the  references  to  it  in  the  Survey , 
that  it  was  the  enclosed  triangular  space  between  the 
point  where  the  Wrexham  Road  and  Gallowtree  Lane 
(now  Francis  Lane)  enter  Holt,  and  it  is  still  called, 
Mr.  Edwin  Bellis  informs  me,  "The  Intak.'*  The 
Pavement  House,  and  at  least  five  burgages,  stood 
around  it,  or  **in"  it,  to  use  the  exact  preposition 
employed  in  the  Survey. 

The  identification  of  High  Green,  proposed  in  the 
last  paragraph,  with  what  is  now  known  as  "  The 
Intak,"  may  explain  a  fact  which  has  always  been  a 
puzzle.  Holt  being  a  town  laid  out  in  accordance 
with  a  definite  plan,  and  almost  at  one  time,  the 
streets  in  it  are  almost  parallel  to  each  other,  or  at 
least  straight. 

The  roads  leading  into  it  were  also  continuous  with 
its  streets,  or  opened  on  unenclosed  spaces,  with  one 
conspicuous  exception  —  the  present  Wrexham  Road, 


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IM    COCNtT   DENBIGH.  43.^ 

• 

which  enters  Castle  Street,  Holt,  at  a  sharp  angle. 
But  it  is  probable  that  in  1620  and  before,  Wrexham 
Road  did  not  enter  Castle  Street  as  it  does  now,  but 
debouched  upon  High  Green,  as  other  roads  in  Holt 
debouch  on  open  areas. 

The  reference  to  Wrexham  Road  just  made  leads  to 
a  consideration  of  the  Holt  roads,  streets,  and  lanes 
mentioned  in  the  Survey  of  1620. 

"  Wrexham  Lane,"  as  Wrexham  Road  was  then 
called,  contained  three  or  four  good  houses,  among 
them  the  Pate  house  and  a  few  single  burgages,  one  of 
which  was  the  burgage  of  Roger  Edg worth.  The  bridge 
over  the  Devon  in  Wrexham  Lane  was  known  as 
•*  Devon  Bridge." 

In  Castle  Street  were  many  burgages,  and  at  least 
one  large  house,  that  of  Mr.  Roger  Roy  don,  with  its 
extensive  orchard  (see  before  under  Roger  Roydon). 

Cross  Bank  is  not  mentioned  under  that  name  in 
the  Survey^  but  various  burgages  are  described  as 
*'  near  the  Cross,"  amongst  them  that  of  John  Wright 
(see  before). 

Many  burgages  stood  in  Midding  Street,  amongst 
them  those  of  EdwardCrue,  gent.,  and  William  Davies, 
tanner. 

Also  two  burgages  were  in  Pepper  Street. 

The  names  "Pepper  Street  "  and  "  Midding  Street" 
have  long  ago  been  forgotten,  "Green  Street"  having 
apparently  absorbed  them  both. 

It  looks  as  though  Frog  Lane  contained  more  single 
burgages  than  any  other  street  in  Holt.  Between  Frog 
Lane  and  Common  Wood  Lane,  by  the  Fishpools,  the 
road  was  called  "  The  Pavement."  Three  burgages  in 
Frog  Lane  are  described  as  "  near  the  pinfold."  The 
Powell  house  was  here  also.  Further  along  the  lane 
was  "  Devon  platt " — the  flat  bridge  over  the  Devon. 

Many  burgages  are  described  as  "  near  the  Bridge" — 
that  is.  Holt  Bridge — and  a  large  house,  that  of  Francis 
Pickering,  gent.,  was  "  near  the  churchyard,"  and  a 
barn,  appurtenant  to  his  mansion-house  adjoined  the 


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434  THE   TOWN   OP   HOLT,    IN   COtTNTY   DENfilGfi. 

Castle  ditch.  George  Buckley  had  also  a  curtilage  near 
"  the  Church  Ashe. 

As  to  the  lane  leading  towards  the  Castle,  enough 
has  been  already  said. 

"  Hiefield  Lane"  cannot  at  present  be  identified.  Sir 
Richard  Egerton  had,  in  1620,  3  acres  called  **  Spencer's 
Acres"  adjoining  it. 

What  is  said  by  Norden  concerning  Hewlington  will 
be  reserved  for  another  chapter. 


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435 


laetotetDfit  anH  Jt^ottcest  of  Soofest. 

Thb  History  op  the  Dioobsb  of  St.  Asaph  :  Gknbral,  Cathedral, 
AND  Parochial.  By  Ven.  Arohdeacoa  D.  R.  Thomas.  New 
Edition.     Part  If 

Wb  are  glad  to  welcome  Part  I  of  a  new  edition  of  the  History  of  the 
Diocese  of  St  Asaph,  by  the  learned  and  accomplished  Chairman  of 
Committee  of  the  Cambrian  Archaoological  Association.  The  first 
edition  of  this  valaable  work  was  published  in  1874.  This  new 
edition  is  not  merely  a  reissae  of  the  original  work,  bat  contains  a 
large  addition  of  interesting  material ;  while  the  illastrations  (if  we 
may  jndge  from  those  gi^en  in  the  Part  before  as)  promise  to  be 
vastly  superior  in  execution  and  archaoological  interest  to  those 
included  in  the  older  volume.  Amongst  these  may  be  mentioned 
an  excellent  reprodaction  of  the  original  Charter  (preserved  in  the 
Shrewsbury  Museum)  granted  by  Bishop  Reiner  (1186-1225);  two 
views  of  Guilsfield  Church,  nave  and  gallery,  showing  the  ritual 
arrangements  and  pews  of  all  shapes  and  sizes ;  the  nnique  wooden 
font  at  Efenechtyd ;  the  dog-tongs  preserved  at  Llanynys ;  Capel 
Trillo  in  Rh6s,  an  unique  illustration  of  the  primaoval  oratories 
(like  that  of  Ghtllerus,  at  Kilmalkedar  in  Ireland)  which  formed  the 
type  of  the  earliest  British  Churches. 

As  an  instance  of  the  care  which  has  been  taken  by  the  author  to 
bring  the  work  up  to  date,  we  have,  on  page  21,  an  interesting 
reference  to  the  English  Church  History  Exhibition,  held  at  St. 
Albans  in  1905,  when  a  copy  of  the  Missale  ad  Usum  EcdesioB  Ban- 
goriensis,  circa  1400,  was  shown,  with  the  inscription  :  *'  This  Booke 
was  geven  to  the  hye  alter  of  the  Paryshe  Churche  of  Oswestry  by 
Sr  Morys  Griffith  prist." 

Among  the  minor  improvements  is  the  relegation  to  the  foot-notes 
of  quotations  from  the  original  Latin  and  Welsh,  the  convenience  of 
the  reader  being  considered  by  an  adequate  and  scholarly  rendering 
in  English  in  the  text. 

Although  the  work  purports  to  be  a  History  of  one  of  the  Four 
Welsh  Dioceses,  there  is  much  in  the  earlier  part  which  is  of  distinct 
use  and  interest  to  all  members  of  the  Church  of  England  at  the 
present  crisis.  Chapter  I  dealing  with  the  Origin  of  the  See  ; 
Chapter  II  describing  the  early  foundation,  constitution,  and  cas- 
,tom8  of  the  British  Charch;  Chapter  III  setting  forth  the  land- 
marks in  its  early  history,  and  the  ecclesiastical  policy  of  the  Lords 
Marchers  and  others ;  Chapters  IV  and  V,  giving  the  history  of 
the  annexation  and  subjection  of  the  Welsh  Churches  to  the 
Province  of  Canterbury,  contain  valuable  statemente  of  historical 


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436  REVIEWS  ANl)  NOtlCfcS  0*"  feOOfeS. 

fact,  carefully  supported  by  eTidenee,  duly  marsballed  and  set  forth 
with  sound  judgment  and  in  scholarly  style. 

The  author  deals  with  the  great  and  abiding  evils  of  appropria- 
tion, commencing  witb  the  Norman  rulers,  which  has  been  the  very 
bane  of  the  Church  from  their  time  downwards  :  a  sad  story  of  the 
plundering  of  Church  revenues,  which  was  repeated  generation 
after  generation.  He  does  not  omit,  however,  while  recording  this 
grievous  treatment  of  property  bestowed  for  sacred  purposes,  to 
refer  to  the  period  after  the  Wars  of  the  Roses  as  marked  by  "  a 
spirit  of  church  building  and  restoration  that  endeavoured  vigor- 
ously to  repair  the  damage  of  the  past** ;  and  he  mentions  '*  notably 
the  Stanley  series— as  they  are  sometimes  called — at  Moid,  Holywell 
(St.  Winifred's  Chapel),  Holt,  and  Northop,  to  which  may  be  added 
Gresford,  Llangollen,  and  many  others"  (p.  70). 

It  is  worthy  of  note  how  differently  **  gallant  little  Wales*'  was 
regarded  by  those  in  power  during  the  mediesval  period,  for  the 
ordination  of  Welshmen  to  any  but  the  lowest  order  was  prohibited 
(p.  48) ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  when  the  question  of  an  Italian 
nominee  of  the  Pope  was  raised,  and  '*a  reservation"  of  the 
Bishopric  of  St.  Asaph  had  been  made  for  a  foreigner — no  doubt  an 
Italian — this  intrusion  of  Roman  influence  was  opposed,  and  '*  an 
Indult  was  issued  to  the  Dean  and  Chapter,  notwithstanding  the 
reservation,  to  elect  a  bishop  of  their  own,  (u  the  people  of  Wale$ 
were  too  savage  to  be  governed  by  a  foreigner  *  (p.  6  J). 

This  preliminary  notice  must  close  with  the  briefest  allusion  to 
the  numerous  side-lights  thrown  on  the  survival  of  Pagan  customa 
(p.  22) ;  mistaken  renderings  of  Welsh  words  (p.  2) ;  the  value  and 
importance  of  pilgrimages  to  St.  Winifred's  Well  and  elsewhere 
(p.  80).  Page  30  contains  a  most  instructive  table  of  tithe  appro- 
priations at  successive  intervals,  covering  600  years,  at  the  time  of 
the  Norwich  Taxation,  1253;  the  Lincoln  Taxation,  1291;  the 
Dissolution  of  the  Monasteries ;  and  the  Commutation  of  Tithes, 
1836. 

We  have,  on  pp.  14,  62,  and  153,  instances  of  the  free-will 
offerings  to  Parish  Priest  and  Bishop,  consisting  of  particular 
kinds  of  produce,  varying  in  different  localities.  Such  were  **  blith 
y  ddafad,"  or  J^ctualia ;  '*  cnu'r  person,"  the  parson's  fleece; 
'*  blawd  y  gloch  "  and  *'  ysgub  y  gloch,"  the  clerk's  sheaf  and 
flour,  from  each  tenement  in  the  parish,  and  **  offrwm  rhaw,"  or 
spade  money,  made  at  the  grave  on  the  extended  spade  to  the  clerk 
for  his  services. 

We  look  forward  to  ihe  issue  of  Part  II,  which  is  promised  before 
the  close  of  the  year. 


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437 


9[rc|)aeological  JlBotesE  anH  (Bntvits. 

Pembrokeshire  Association  for  the  Preservation  of  Ancient 
Monuments  :  Annual  Report,  1906. — A  committee  meetings  of  the 
Association  for  the  Preservation  of  Ancient  Monaments  in  the 
County  of  Pembroke  was  held  on  Taesday  at  the  Temperance  Ball, 
Haverfordwest.  The  Dowager  Ladj  Kensington  presided;  and 
amongst  those  present  were  Dr.  Henry  Owen,  Mr.  E.  Laws,  Mr.  T. 
L.  James,  the  Rev.  J.  Llewellii^  Mr.  A.  J.  Wright,  etc. 

The  following  report  was  read  by  the  hon.  secretary,  Mr.  J.  W. 
Phillips  :— 

"  Llawhaden  Castle. — Some  farther  repairs  have  been  found  neces- 
sary to  the  square  tower,  in  consequence  of  a  fresh  crack  above  a 
window  opening  on  the  west  side.  The  abutments,  of  which  very 
little  remained,  and  the  arch  above,  have  been  rebuilt,  and  cement 
g^ont  ran  into  all  cracks.  The  ivy  and  growth  on  the  walls  require 
catting  again,  and  your  committee  recommends  that  a  sufficient  sum 
be  spent  upon  it  next  spring.  The  place  still  continues  to  be  visited 
by  a  considerable  number  of  people,  and  it  would  be  of  advantage  if 
some  safe  means  of  ascending  the  octagonal  tower  could  be  devised, 
as  the  view  it  commands  is  well  worth  the  climb. 

"  Gilgerran  Castle, — Your  committee  wishes  again  to  call  attention 
to  this  castle.  Nothing  has  as  yet  been  done,  and  its  condition  is  a 
disgrace  to  the  neighbourhood. 

**  Castell  Cock  Castle. — Nothing  has  been  done  with  this  building. 
A  small  sum  spent  in  removing  the  trees  growing  on  the  walls 
would  preserve  this  interesting  building  from  farther  destruction. 

"  Carew  Castle, — Mr.  and  Mrs.  Trollope,  the  owners  of  this  his- 
toric castle,  have  most  carefully  and  successfully  preserved  the 
eastern  window  in  Sir  John  Perrot's  banquettidg-hall  from  further 
decay.  Railway  iron  was  introduced  at  the  top  of  the  window, 
which  relieved  the  pressure  caused  by  the  battlements,  and  prevented 
outwArd  movement.  The  decayed  places  were  built  up  with 
masonry,  or  strengthened  with  cement  grouting.  Substantially  the 
suggestions  made  by  Mr.  Caroe  were  carried  out.  This  window  is 
safe,  but  many  others  require  immediate  attention  if  they  are  to  be 
preserved.  N.B. — The  cause  of  this  premature  collapse  was  the 
jerry-builder  who  put  deal  lintels  into  the  windows,  while  Sir  John 
Perrot  was  confined  in  the  Tower  of  London. 

"  St.  David's  Cathedral :  St,  Nicholas'  Ghapel.^ThiB  chapel  has 
been  carefully  restored  and  roofed  over.     The  ceiling  of  carved  oak 


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438  ARCH^OLoaiCAL  notbs  and  queries. 

IB  of  good  design,  and  the  work  has  been  skilfnllj  execnted,  but  it 
does  not  harmonise  with  its  sarronndings. 

^^  Herhranston  Church. — This  charch  has  been  carefally  restored. 
The  early  Norman  font  has  been  repaired  and  cleaned,  a  new  bowl 
of  Nolton  stone,  copied  from  the  Rndbaxton  font,  having  been 
added.  This  was  necessary,  as  the  original  had  been  broken,  and  a 
wooden  bowl,  lined  with  lead,  snbstitnted. 

'*  St.  Mary's,  Haverfordwest, — The  naye  of  this  church  has  been 
reseated  and  reopened  for  divine  service.  The  beautiful  arcade  on 
the  north  side,  which  had  loug  been  disfigured  by  many  coats  of  pahit, 
has  been  carefully  and  skilfully  cleaned  and  repaired.  The  pillars 
were  found  to  be  loosely  built,  and  new  ashlar  work  had  to  be  worked 
round  the  bases  ;  cement  grout  was  run  into  each  pillar,  until  it 
would  hold  no  more,  some  of  them  taking  as  much  as  twenty-five 
pailf uls.  The  south  wall  of  the  tower  had  to  be  carefully  shored- 
up,  and  the  remains  of  the  arch  underneath  taken  down  and 
rebuilt.  Every  stone  of  the  old  arch  that  could  be  used  was  in- 
corporated in  the  reconstructed  arch.  The  walls  of  the  tower  on 
the  south  and  west  sides  showed  some  very  bad  cracks.  These 
have,  where  necessary^  been  carefully  cross-bonded  and  run  full  of 
grout.  The  chancel-arch  has  been  cleaned,  but  has  not  yet  been 
repaired.  Much  of  the  bases  of  the  piers  and  some  of  tbe  inner 
mouldings  are  of  Roman  cement,  but  funds  do  not  yet  admit 
of  its  restoration.  The  windows,  except  one,  are  all  in  a  very  bad 
state,  but  the  restoration  committee  are  quite  unable  to  attempt 
anything  more  at  present.  The  ancient  carved  bench-ends,  with 
two  of  the  original  oak  stalls,  have  been  fixed  in  the  chancel.  The 
stone  groining  under  the  tower  has  been  cleaned,  but  has  not  been 
restored.  Some  of  the  intermediate  ribs  are  of  wood,  the  floor  of 
the  clock-chamber  above  has  been  laid  with  wood  blocks,  and  the 
walls  and  buttresses  of  the  tower  thoroughly  repaired. 

"  Ambleston  Church, — This  church  is  now  under  restoration,  and  it 
is  to  be  hoped  that  its  original  features,  especially  the  ancient  font, 
will  be  carefully  preserved. 

**  Tregidreg  Cross. — This  cross  has  been  removed  from  Tregidreg 
farm,  and  built  into  the  wall  of  Mathry  churchyard. 

'^  Mesur-y-Dorth  Cross. — This  cross,  being  small  and  dose  to  the 
roadside,  is  in  some  danger  of  being  damaged  by  passing  traffic,  and 
should  be  protected. 

**  Trekenny  Maenhir, — This  stone  has  been  fixed  upright  again  upon 
a  strong  concrete  foundation  in  its  original  position.  Some  difficulty 
was  experienced  in  getting  the  work  done,  as  the  stone  weighed 
more  than  five  tons. 

**  Cilgerran  Ogham  Stone. — This  stone  will  be  protected  where  it 
is,  as  there  is  no  room  for  it  inside  the  church  or  porch. 


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ARCH^OLOOICAL   NOTES    AND   QUERIES.  439 

**ir«wr»  Ogham  Stone. — This  stone  has  been  moyed  nnder  the 
aaspioes  of  your  oommittee>  and  Professor  Rhys  has  been  able  to 
read  both  the  Ogham  and  the  Latin  inscriptions.  It  is  to  be  desired 
that  this  stone,  and  the  scalptared  stone  near  by,  should  be  moved  so 
that  they  both  can  be  seen. 

^^  Tenby  Church. — The  old  Perpendicular  font  has  been  moved 
from  the  churchyard  into  St.  Anne's  Chapel  by  Mrs.  Thomas  Allen. 
In  the  course  of  the  investigations  by  Mr.  Edward  Laws,  another 
window  in  the  church  has  been  opened,  making  seven  in  all  opened 
bprhim. 

^^  Caldy  Island. — This  Ogham  stone  has  been  moved  by  the  Rev. 
Done  Bushell  from  its  inconvenient  position  in  the  lower  chapel  to  a 
much  better  site  in  the  Priory  Church,  close  to  the  place  where  it 
was  first  discovered. 

^^Pembrokeshire  ArcluBological  Survey. — This  survey,  which  has 
occupied  some  members  of  the  Association  for  many  years,  is  now 
approachiug  completion.  As  a  record  of  the  ancient  monuments  of 
the  oounty,  it  will  be  of  the  greatest  value.  Pembrokeshire  has  in 
this  instance  again  led  the  way. 

'*  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  members  will  endeavour  to  find  out  what 
antiquities  exist  in  their  neighbourhood,  and  will  inform  the  hon. 
secretary  if  any  of  thess  require  attention,  or  of  any  damage  likely 
to  be  done  to  them.*' 


Banoor's  ANTiQaiTiBS :  Special  Committee's  Report. — Colonel 
Piatt,  C.B.  (the  Mayor),  presided  at  a  recent  meeting  of  the  Bangor 
City  Council,  and  proposed  a  vote  of  sympathy  with  the  Dowager 
Lady  Penrhyn  and  the  Penrhyn  family  on  the  death  of  the  late  Lord 
Penrhyn,  by  whose  death  the  Council,  as  representatives  of  the  city, 
and  Wales  generally,  had  sustained  a  great  loss. 

The  motion,  seconded  by  Alderman  Thomas  Lewis,  was  adopted. 

Alderman  Mathews  read  the  report  of  the  special  committee  as  to 
the  sale  of  antique  furniture  recently  reported. 

Tour  committee  have  the  honour  to  report  to  the  Council  that 
they  think  it  extremely  regrettable — 

1.  That  the  sale  should  have  been  carried  out  at  all,  without 
sufficient  inquiry  as  to  the  proper  value  of  the  articles  sold. 

2.  That  the  negotiations  should  have  been  carried  through  with- 
out the  knowledge  or  sanction  of  the  Council ;  and 

8.  That  the  clerk  of  the  Museum  Committee  should  have  omitted 
to  submit  the  important  resolution  of  the  committee  for  confirma- 
tion by  the  Council,  and  should  not  have   reported  to  the  City 


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440  ARCHiBOLOGICAL   NOTES    AND   QUERIES. 

Treasarer  the  manner  in  whiob  the  Town  Olerk  adrised  that  the 
parchase-monej  shonld  be  devoted  :  though  this  latter  fact  maj  be 
accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  the  Town  Clerk's  advice  was  g^ven 
twelve  months  previously. 

Tour  committee,  therefore,  recommend  : — 

1.  That  no  sale  of  any  further  effects  belong^g  to  the  Museum 
shall  take  place,  except  after  the  fullest  inquiry  and  investigation  as 
to  the  true  valae  of  any  articles  proposed  to  be  sold,  and  without 
the  fall  knowledge  and  sanction  of  the  Council. 

2.  That  a  proper  schedule  of  all  the  effects  of  the  Coancil  should 
be  made  without  delay,  and  that  the  University  authorities  should 
be  asked  to  render  such  assistance  as  they  can  in  the  classiScation 
of  such  effects ;  and 

3.  That  a  letter  be  written  to  Mr.  Duveen,  in  the  name  of  the 
Council,  thanking  him  for  his  offer  to  re-sell  the  furniture  to  the 
Council,  but  at  the  same  time  intimating  that  they  are  unable  to 
accept  such  offer. 

Mr.  Mathews  moved  the  adoption,  and  Mr.  Vincent  seconded. 
The  report  was  adopted  without  dissent 


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441 


^bitttarp. 

JOHN  ROMILLY  ALLEN,  F.S.A.,  and  F.S.A.  Scot. 

John  Romillt  Allen  was  the  eldest  son  of  Mr.  George  Bangh  Allen, 
Barrister-at-Law  of  the  Inner  Temple,  of  Cilrhiw,  Narberth,  Justice 
of  the  Peace  and  Depnty-Lientenant  of  the  Coantj  of  Pembroke. 
Born  in  London  in  June,  1847,  he  was  educated  first  at  King's 
College  School,  then  at  Bngbj,  and  at  King's  College,  London. 
Having  a  strong  mechanical  bent,  he  was  articled  to  Mr.  G.  F. 
Lester,  Engineer-in- Chief  to  the  Mersey  Dock  Board;  and  later  on 
he  was  engaged  in  engineering  work  in  Persia,  and  he  has  embodied 
some  of  his  ideas  on  that  science  in  his  *'  Design  and  Constmction 
of  Dock  Walls."  Bat  he  had  a  still  stronger  inclination  to 
archaeology,  to  which  he  devoted  the  energies  of  his  after  life.  It 
was  at  the  Carmarthen  Meeting  in  1875  that  Mr.  Romilly  Allen 
joined  onr  Cambrian  Association,  and  became  a  contributor  to  our 
Journal ;  and  in  1887  he  took  the  place  of  Archdeacon  Thomas 
as  joint  editor  with  Canon  Trevor  Owen,  F.S.A.,  and  finally 
became  sole  editor  in  1892.  He  wrote  much  and  ably  on  many 
subjects,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  appended  list  of  his  articles,  but  his 
favourite  subject  was  that  of  Celtic  Art  and  Ornamentation,  which 
he  illustrated  with  his  facile  pencil.  He  was  a  keen  and  scientific 
archfldologist,  and  in  1889,  on  his  appointment  as  Rhind  Lecturer 
in  ArchflBology  in  Edinburgh  University,  he  took  for  his  subject 
"The  Early  Elhnology  of  the  British  Isles,  and  more  especially 
Scotland,  treated  from  the  point  of  view  of  Languages,"  which  he 
published  under  the  title  of  "  Early  Christian  Symbolism  in  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland."  Another  work  which  appeared  the  same 
year  (1889)  was  "  The  Monumental  History  of  the  Early  British 
Church,"  published  by  the  S.P.C.K.  He  was  also  the  author  of 
**The  Early  Christian  Monuments  of  Scotland,"  and  he  edited  The 
Reliquary  till  his  death.  In  1898  he  was  appointed  Yates  Lecturer 
in  Archaeology  at  University  College,  London. 

Indifferent  health  tended  to  develop  in  him  a  tone  of  moroseness 
and  an  irritable  temper,  and  a  roughness  of  manner  caused  no  little 
friction  at  times  between  him  and  the  officers  of  the  Association  and 
the  contributors  to  the  Journal ;  but  all  recognised  his  ability  and  his 
devotion  to  his  subject.  Of  late  years  he  had  become  much 
more  mellowed,  and  his  attendance  at  our  Annual  Meetings  gave 
pleasure  and  instruction.  His  ready  and  lucid  addresses  on  his 
tavonrite  subjects  on  the  excursions  always  commanded  attention 
and  respect.  As  Editor  he  maintained  the  high  standard  of  the 
ArchcBologia  Cambreiuis^  and  was  always  jealous  for  the  reputation 
6th  sbb.  vol.  vn.  29 


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442  OBITUARY. 

of  the  AssociaiioD.  At  the  last  AnnDal  Meeting  at  Llangefiii  a 
generons  acknowledgment  of  his  seryices  was  made,  and  a  vote  of 
Hjmpathy  with  his  brother  and  sisters  was  passed  nnanimoiisly. 


A  List  of  Papers  contributed  to  this  Journal  by 
Mr,  RomUly  Allen. 

1876    Notes  on  Forth  Kerry  Church,  Qlamorganahire,  with  Special  Refen;noe  to 
the  Churchyard  Cross. 

1876  On  an  Inscribed  Ogham  Stone  at  Little  Trefgame. 

1877  Camrose  Church. 

1878  Pembrokeshire  Churches,  Johnston. 

1883  Crouses  at  St.  Edren's  Churcli,  Pembrokeshire.  . 

1884  The  Past,  Present,  and  Future  of  Archeology. 

1888  Notes  on  a  Roman  Steelyard  and  other  Objects  found  at  Strettbn  Qrandi- 

*on,  Herefordshire. 

1889  The  Inscribed  and  Sculptured  Stones  at  Llantwit  Major,  Olamorganshire. 

1889  Recent  Discoveries  of  Inscribed  Stones  in  Carmarthenshire  and  Pembroke- 

shire. 

1890  On  the  Organisation  of  Archieological  Research. 

1891  Notice  of  a  Mediaeval  Thurible  found  at  Penmaen  in  Qower. 
1893     Celtic  Art  in  Wales  and  Ireland  Compared. 

1893    The  Cross  of  Guidon,  Gk>lden  Qrove,  Carmarthenshire. 

1893    lolo  Morgan wg's  Readings  of  the  Inscriptions  on  the  Crosses  at  Llantwit 

Major. 
1895    Catalogue  of  the  Elarly  Christian  Inscribed  Monuments  in  ComwalL 

1895  Note  on  the  Carew  Inscription. 

1896  The  Trawsfynydd  Tankard. 

1 896  Catalogue  of  the  Early  Christian  Monuments  in  Pembrokeshire. 

1896  Notes  on  Late-Celtic  Art. 

1899  Early  Christian  Art  in  Wales. 

1900  Some  Dolmens  and  their  Contents. 

1901  Two  Kelto-Roman  Finds  in  Wales. 

1901  Some  Carved  Wooden  Spoons  made  in  Wales. 

1902  Old  Farm  Houses  with  Round  Chimneys  near  St  DavidV 

1902  The  Chevron  and  its  Derivatives. 

1903  Pre-Norman  Cross-Bade  at  Llangyfelach,  Glamorganshire. 

1903  Note  on  a  Perforated  Stone  Axe- Hammer  found  in  Pembrokeshire. 

1904  The  .Cross  of  Irbic  at  Llandough,  Glamorganshire. 

^905    The  Discovery  of  an  Early  Christian  Inscribed  Stone  at  Treflys,  Carnarvon- 
shire. 

1905  Find  of  Late-Celtic  Bronze  Objects  at  Seven  Sisters,  near  Neath,  Glamor- 

ganshire. 


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443 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX  OF  CONTENTS. 

VOL.  Vn.      SIXTH  SERIES. 


Aber  Goran  ^Laugharne),  364 
**Advowry,     Persons  in  =  W.,  Ar- 

ddelwyr  ;  L.,  Advocarii,  21 
Aldeford,   John  de,    24 ;      Aiken 

(Hawlkyng)  Church,  64 
Allen,  J.  RomiUy  (Obituary),  441 
Aimer,  Edward,  317  ;  John,  23,26  ; 

WUliam,  26 
Alport,  Richard,  401,  409 
Allt  Cunedda,  Camp  with  Barrows 

and  Cist,  384 
Altoir      (Innishmurray),      Similar 

Stones  at  Eglwys  Cymmyn, 

271,276 
Amobr  in  Bromfield,  6 
Ancient    Bridge,    Carnarvon,   Re- 
mains, 368,  369 
'^Annesse  Gk)uch,"  Corruption  of 

"Yny8Goch,"418 
Annual    Meeting    of   Association, 

Notice,  360 
Anwyl,  Professor— The  Early  Set- 
tlers of  Carmarthen,  361-388 
Archaeological  Notes  and  Queries, 

368-360 
Arundel,  Earl  of,  Richard  Fitzalan, 

11 ;  Thomas,  13 
Beatrix  of  Portugal,  Widow  of 

Thomas,  16 


Baker,  Jeffirey,  24 

Banc  Bemsel  (Allt  Cunedda),  384 

Banc  y  Belli,  224-6 

Band  of  Gentlemen  Pensioners,  331 

Bangor's  Antiquities,  439 

Barre,  Joan  de,  10 

Barrett,  Thomas,  323 

Basingwerk  Abbey,  Old  Glass,  364 

Bastion,    Traces   at    Carmarthen, 

Unique  Example,  238 
Bates,  Launoelot,  318 
Batha,  William,  389 


Battle  Abbey,  Llandeulyddog  given 
to,  287 

Beaufoit,  Henry,  Duke  of,  Visite 
Carmarthen,  343 

Bentinck,  William,  Earl  of  Port- 
land, his  Grant  Opposed,  326 

Bernard,  Bishop  of  St.  David's, 
Endows  Priory  of  St.  John, 
Carmarthen,  337 

Bevan's  Chair,  Madam  (Llanddow- 
ror),  226 

Bewley,  Bernard  and  John,  318 

Bird,  Sir  Thomas,  Clerk,  316 

BitheU,  Richard,  410 ;  Thomas,  410 

Bledri  ap  Cydifor  (Bledericus  La- 
timerus),  290 

Bostocke  of  Holt,  Pedigree,  330; 
George,  389,  407-9  ;  Launce- 
lot,  318,  330,  409 

Boundary  of  Carmi^henshire,  363  ; 
Of  Dyfed,  363 

Brandon,  Sir  Charles,  Duke  of 
Suffolk,  24 

Brereton,  Owen,  318, 407  ;  William, 
Chamberlain  of  Chester,  321 

Bridgewater,  John,  Earl  of.  Ac- 
quires Manor  of  Ridley,  325, 
402 

Brigstocke,  T.  E.,  St.  Peter's 
Church,  Carmarthen,  336- 
361 

Bristol  Channel  once  a  Vast  Fertile 
Plain,  372,  373 

Brogynin,  261 

Bromfeud,  9 

Bromfield  in  Two  Commotes,  2 ; 
Taken  by  Hugh  Cy  veilioc,  2  ; 
A  Part  of  Powys  Fadog,  3  ; 
Commote  of  Yale  added  to, 
3 ;  "Amobr"  in,  6  ;  Welsh 
Names  of  Freemen,  6  ;  Con- 
nected with  House  of  Lan- 
caster, 10 


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444 


ALPHABKTICAL  INDBX  OF  CONTEKTS. 


Bromfield  and  Yale  Grant  Aid  to 
£arl  Warrenne,  4 ;  Granted 
to  John  de  Warrenne,  8 ; 
Sub-granted  to  William  de 
Warrenne,  9;  Vested  in 
Crown,  17 ;  Granted  to  Sir 
William  Stanley,  17  ;  to 
Henry  Pitzroy,  Duke  of 
Richmond,  320  ;  to  Prince 
Henry,  325  ;  Prince  Charles, 
325  ;  Part  of  Commonwealth 
EsUtes,  326  ;  Grant  to  Wm. 
Bentinck,  Earl  of  Portland, 
Opposed,  326 ;  Thomas,  Duke 
of  Norfolk,  Justice  of,  17 ; 
Foresters  of,  12  ;  Tidderley's 
Survey,  311 ;  New  Survey, 
325 ;  Sub-Commissioners  for 
Survey,  321 

Bronze  Age  in  Carmarthenshire, 
384-387  ;  Stone  Circles,  Re- 
lics of,  368 

Bronze  Celts  (Coelbren),  137  ;  Pa- 
tella and  Strainer  (Eyngadle), 
227-230;  Torque  (gold-pla- 
ted). 40,  52  ;  Pin,  47 

Bryan,  Sir  Guy  de,  267 

Buckley,  George,  410 

Burgeny(Burganey),  Anthony,  392; 
WUliam,  391,  410,  411 


Carmarthen  in  Early  Norman  Times 
—Professor J.  E.Lloyd,  281- 
292 

Carmarthen  and  Llandeulyddog 
Identified,  281,  282  :  Old 
and  New,  286  ;  Castle  or 
Caer  at  Rhyd  y  Gors,  284  ; 
Castle  Defended  by  Owain 
ap  Caradog,  285 ;  Secures 
Norman  Supremacy  in  Car- 
marthenshire, 284  ;  First 
Charter,  286 ;  Homage  to 
Prince  William,  286  ;  Gerald 
of  Windsor  at,  286  ;  Chapel 
of  St.  John  the  Evangeust 
and  St.  Theuloc,  288  ;  Alfred 
Drue  gives  Llangain  Church 
to,  289  ;  Maes  y  Prior,  289 ; 
**  An  English  Towne,"  342  ; 
Castle,  236,  237;  Bastion 
Traces,  Unique,  238 ;  Mayors, 
340,341 


Carmarthen,  St.  Peter's  Church — 
T.  £.  Brigstocke,  336-351  ; 
First  Mention  in  Annals 
of  Battle  Abbey,  287,  337  ; 
Chapelries,  Newchurch  and 
Llangain,  337 ;  Vicars  of 
(Richard  ap  John,  1278 ; 
David  Robyn,  1403  ;  William 
Sty  ward,  1408 ;  John  David, 
1486  ;  John  Harry,  1500  ; 
David  Webbe,  1501 ;  Thomas 
Prichatxi,  1539),  338,  339; 
Body  of  Walter  Devereux, 
Eirl  of  Essex,  Brought  for 
Burial,  342 ;  Richard  Davies, 
Bishop  of  St.  David^s,  Prea 
ches,  342  ;  Bishop  Laud,  343 ; 
Bishop  Lawrence  Womack, 
343 ;  John  Wesley,  344  ; 
French  Prisoners  Detained 
in  the  Church,  344 ;  Sir 
Richard  Steele  Buried,  344 ; 
Chalice  Cover,  1577,  345; 
Stone  Coffin  Lid,  345 ;  Effigy, 
347,  349  ;  Monuments— Bis- 
hop Ferrar,  General  Sir  W. 
Nott,  Sir  Richard  Steele, 
349 ;  Sir  Rhys  ap  Thomas's 
Tomb,  347;  Earl  of  Rich- 
mond's Tomb  Removed  to 
St.  David's  Cathedral,  348 

Carmarthen  Meeting,  1906,  Report, 
103-128;  Excursions,  2ia- 
248 ;  Mayor's  Address  of 
Welcome,  105,  106;  Preei- 
sident's  Address  (Llanstep- 
han  Castle),  108-118 ;  Sub- 
scriptions to  Local  Fund, 
249,  250 ;  Accounts,  253 

Cadwal  =  Irish  Cathal,  363 

Caer  at  Rhyd  y  Gors,  284 

Caerlleon,  Welsh  Name  for  Holt 
Castle,  10 

Caerwent  Roman  Gateway,  184 

Calcott,  Thomas,  389,  411 

Cdintref  Bychan,  364 ;  Gwarthaf, 
362;  Mawr,  364;  Ystrad 
Tywi,  364 

Cantrill,  T.  C— Geological  Notes 
on  Roman  Remains,  Cwm- 
brwyn,  176 

Capel  Mair  Stone  —  Professor  J. 
Rhys,  293-310 

Cardiff  Castle,  North  Gateway, 
184 


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ALPHABETICAL  IKDBX  OP  CONTENTS. 


445 


Carmarthenshire,  Early  Settlers  in 
—Professor  Anwyl,  361388 ; 
Bronze  Age,  384-387  ;  Traces 
of  Groidelic  Population,  365 ; 
Prehistoric  Hearths,  380-383; 
Modem  Boundary  Artificial, 
363 

Carnarvon  Ancient  Bridge,  358, 
359 ;  Oatmeal  Market,  Pen- 
tice  Qrounds,  Turf  Square, 
359 

Cam  Comal,  132 

Camwyllon,  364 

Castell  y  Gaer,  248 

Castrum  Leonum,  Holt  Castle,  9 

Cath  Pencred,  258 

Cedweli  (Kidwelly)  Derivative  of 
Cadwal,  363 

Chalicd,  Elizabethan,  218,  246,  263 ; 
Cover,  1577,  345 

Charles  of  Bala,  Thomas.  218 

Chilston,  Sir  John  K.,  24.  25 

Cholmondeley,  John,  12  ;  Sir  Hugh, 
317 

Ciau  of  Nanhyfer,  310 ;  Ciml)  = 
Ransom  Money,  70 

Clawdd  Mawr,  247  ;  Late  Celtic  ? 
369 

Clawdd  y  Fanweu,  132,  153 

Clear's  (St.)  Church,  Norman  Arch, 
224 

Clive,  George,  317 

Coelbren,  Report  on  Excavations 
at  —  Col.  W.  U.  Morgan, 
R.E.,  129-174  ;  The  Gaer, 
136 ;  Ramparts,  138  ;  Layer 
of  Logs,  1:38-143  ;  Their  Pur- 
pose, 149  ;  Ditches,  149-153  ; 
Entrances,  153- 15H  ;  The  In- 
terior, 156-159;  Finds  (chief- 
ly Roman),  159-167  ;  Con- 
clusions—not  a  Walled  Town 
— houses,  if  any,  not  stone  ; 
traces  of  roads  —  remains 
typical  of  second  or  third  cen- 
tury ;  many  memorial  stones 
on  line  of  road,  172 

Coffin  Lid  Stone,  345 

Coiniu,  262 

Coldewell,  John,  323 

**  Communion  Sunday  Flag,"  263 

Corbet,  Robert,  328 

Corpse  Litter  (Elor  feirch),  219,  220 

Cotton,  George,  320 ;  Sir  Robert, 
of  Combermere,  326 


Coygan  Cave,  373,  374 

Craig  Derwyddon  Bone-caves  — 
Skeletons  found.  Mode  of 
Burial,  Large  Skulls,  377- 
380 

Crew  (Cme;,  Thomas,  391,  412; 
Edward,  411 

Cromlech,  Ffynnon  Newydd,  369  ; 
Pare  y  Bigwrn,  370,  371 

Curious  Cmet  English  Glaze,  266 

Cursing-stones,  271 

Cwmbrwyn  Roman  Remains — John 
Ward,  175-212,  227-230;  Ex- 
ploration of  Interior,  186- 
200 ;  The  Finds :  Quern,  Pot- 
tery, Mortaria,  Amphorse, 
200 ;  Tank,  194  ;  Roofing- 
slates,  188  ;  Roman  Glass, 
Coins,  Bronze  Fragment, 
204, 205 ;  Flue-tiles,  189, 193 ; 
a  MansiOf  or  Outpost  of  a 
Roman  Fort,  208 

Cyfekch  =  Cyfeiiiog,  364 

Cynin,  261,  262 

Cynog  Ffynnon,  273 

Cynwrig  ap  Codflawd,  4 

Cyttiau  Gwyddelod,  Tre'r  Ceiri,  35 ; 
Compared  with  Primitive 
Houses  in  Ireland,  36 

Cyveilioc,  Hugh,  takes  Bromfield,  2 

Dalian,  271,  275 

David,  John,  Vicar  of  St.  Peter's, 

Carmarthen,  1486,  338 
Davies,    Richard,    Bishop   of    St. 

David's,  342 
Davies,  Robert  (of  Gwysaney),  413 
Davies,  Rev.  W..  Paper  on  **Llan- 

fihangel    Abercowin,"    216, 

217 
**Dawke"  (Llandawke),  273 
Dawkins,  Professor  Boyd,  Note  on 

Tre'r  Ceiri,  35-37,  124,  125  ; 

on  Gower  Caves,  373 
Decca,  John,  Forester  of  Bromfield, 

12  ;  Roger,  413 
Dee  River  and  Holt  Castle,  400 
Derllys  =  Irish  Durlas,  363 
Devereux,    Walter,    E.    of    Essex, 

brought  to  Carmarthen   for 

Burial,  342 
Devon  Bridge  (Holt),  433 
Dinas  Bran  Castle  granted  to  John 

de  Warrenne,  8 
Dochdwy,  St.,  279 


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446 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX  OF  COKTftNTS. 


Dolichocephalic  Skulls,  376 

Dove-house  (Holt),  399 

Drue,  Alfred,  gives  Llan  gain  Church 

to  Carmarthen,  289 
Dyfed,   Persistence  of  Irish  Lan- 

gu^e  in,  91 ;  Boundary,  363 
Dynulle  (Cinhinlle),  4 


Early  Man,  Distribution  of,  how 
Conditioned,  366 

Early  Settlers  in  Carmarthenshire 
—Professor  Anwyl,  361-388 

Eaton,  Richatxi,  318 

Edgworth,  Roger,  389,  413 

Edward  II  in  Glamorgan— Rev.  J. 
Griffith— Reviewed,  265,  266 

Effigy  (Anne,  Lady  Vaughan)  in  St. 
Peter's,     Carmarthen,    347, 
349 
Llandawke,  277 

Eglwys  Cymmyn,  Pare  y  Ceryg 
Sanctaidd,  and  Llandawke, 
Notes  on— G.  G.  Trehem»*, 
268-275 
Eglwys  and  Llan  distinguished, 
268,  259  ;  Ogam,  260  ;  Fon% 
266  ;  Mural  Paintings,  266  ; 
Stones  similar  to  Altoir  in 
Innishmurray,  271,  276 

Ellis,  Ralph,  318 

Epigraphic  Notes — Professor  John 
Rhys  -  Llansaint.  Llan- 
dawke, Nevein,  Treflys,  Lly- 
st>n  Gwyn,  66-76 

Evans,  Rev.  Geo.  Eyre,  Llansaint, 
63-66 

Exchequer  Tower,  Holt,  390,  394 

Eyton,  David,  327  ;  Richard,  330 


Fagan,  Robert,  Built  St.  Asaph 
Cathedral,  12 

Ferrar,  Robert,  Bishop  of  St. 
David's,  Imprisonment  and 
Martyrdom,  342  ;  Monu- 
ment, 349 

Fishboume,  Rev.  E.  A. — Notes  on 
East  Window,  Gresford 
Church,  362-357 

Fitz-Baldwin,  Richard,  284 

Fitz-Gerald,  Maurice,  Lord  of  Llan- 
stephan,  289 

Fitzroy,  Henry,  Duke  of  Richmond, 
320 


Font,  Eglwys  Cymmyn,  266  ;  Llan- 
dawke,   278  ;    Llanfihangel 
Abercowin,  216,  217 
Base  (Ystrad  House),  213 

French  Prisoners  Detained  in  St. 
Peter's,  Carmarthen,  344 

Funerals  Halt  for  Lord's  Prayer, 
276 

Gaer  at  Coelbren,  136 

Gam  Fawr  (Craig  Twrch),  386,  386 

Gam  Goch,  Urns,  384 

Gateways  of  Roman  Cities  and 
Forts,  183-186 

Gavelkind,  Welsh,  6 

Gavells  (Gafaelion),  Holdings,  6 

Gelligaer  (Walled  Town),  Aban- 
doned, A.i).  90,  172;  Gate- 
way, 184 

Gerard,  Sir  William,  416  ;  Gilbert, 
416 

Goidelic  Population,  Carmarthen, 
Traces,  366 

Greene,  Roger,  389 

Gresford  Church,  Notes  on  East 
Window,  362-357  ;  Glass 
given  by  Thomas  Stanley, 
Earl  of  Derby,  352,  365  ; 
Money  Bequeathed  for  Win- 
dow, 353  ;  Old  Glass  from 
Basingwerk  Abbey,  364  ; 
Madocks  Chapel,  354 ;  "  Te 
Deum"  Window,  366. 
Sir  Wm.  Roden,  Rector  of, 
324 

Gruffith,  Thomas  ap  David  ap,  24 

Gwelys  (Gwelyau)  =  Holding  of  a 
Kindred,  6 

Gwestfa,  4 

Gwyddel,  Llwyn,  366  ;  Pant  y, 
365  ;  Traces  of  Goidelic 
Population  in  Carmarthen- 
shire, 366 

Gwynne,  John,  Sub-Commissioner 
to  Survey  Bromfield  Lord- 
ship, 321 

Hanmer,  Humphrey,  392 

Harry,  John,  Vicar  of  St.  Peter's, 

Carmarthen,  338 
Hawton,  239 

Hearths,  Prehistoric,  380-383 
Henry  VII  at  Holt  Castle,  23 
Hewlyngton,  7 
Hirfaen  Gwyddog,  368 


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ALPHABETICAL  INDEX  OP  CONTENTS. 


447 


History  of  the  Diocese  of  St,  Asaph 
— Ven.    Archdeacon  D.   R. 
Thomas  (Reviewed),  4x$5 
Hodeslea  (Hoseley),  in  Land  of  Earl 

of  Chester,  2 
Hogmore,  322 

Holt— Town,  Castle,  Church,  Fran- 
chise, and  Demesne — A.  N. 
Palmer,  1-34,  311-334,  389- 
434 

Commote  Welsh  in  Language, 
Customs,  Tenure,  adopts  En- 
glish Customs,  1,  2,  5 

Norden's  Survey,  389-404 
Holt  Castle =Chastellion,  Castrum 
Leonum,  9 

Welsh  Name,  Caerlleon,  10 

Date  of  Building,  10 

Annexed  to  Earldom  of  Ches- 
ter, 13 

Defended  by  Sir  Richard  Lloyd 
of  Esclus,  331 

Richard  II  at,  13 ;  Henry  VII, 
23 

Officials  (21  Hen.  VII),  23; 
Resident  Constables,  327  ; 
Dove-house,  399 

Chaplains,  324 ;  Free  Chapel, 
324  ;  Lady  Priest,  403 
Holt,  Charter  granted,  13;  Missing, 
13 ;  Importance  of,  14 

Charter,  Thomas,  Earl  of  Arun- 
del's, 26-31 

Bounds  of  Town  and  Liberties, 
404-407 

Courts  Leet,  20,  391 ;  Welsh 
Customs,  4,  5 ;  English  v. 
Welsh  Burgesses,  15 

Anglicising  adjoining  Parts  of 
Wales,  24  ;  Cymricised  by 
Inflow  of  Welsh,  24 ;  English 
Procedure  ousts  Welsh  Me- 
thods, 21 

Illicit  Opinions,  26,  26  ;  Privi- 
leges of  Burgesses,  15 ;  Bai- 
liffs, 24 

Levelookers,  312  ;  Names  of 
Tenants,  31-34 ;  Tidderley's 
Survey,  326,  327  ;  Tenant's, 
1562,333 

"The  Common  Wood,"  15; 
*»The  Chekers"  (Exchequer 
Tower),  16,  390,  394 

**  Le  Quarrer,"  17  ;  Werrock 
Lane(  Weirhook,  Warrhooke), 
319 


Holt,  Devon  Brook,  322, 433 ; "  Over- 
whart"  Street,  322;  Hog- 
more,  322 
"  Parse"  Lands,  323  ;  Priest's 
Field,  403  ;  Llewelyn  and 
Grufl^dd  Drowned  under 
Bridge,  8 
Thomas  Cholmondeley  Custo- 
dian of  Bridge  and  Passage, 
12 

Howel,  David  ap,  23,  25 

Howland,  Isabel  de,  10 

Hoyle,  Little,  Remains  Unearthed, 
376 

Hoyle's  Mouth,  373 

Hughes,  Edward,  High  Sheriff  of 
Denbigh-hire,  331 

Hughes,  Harold,  Report  on  Exca- 
vations at  Tre'r  Ceiri,  38-62 

Hutchins,  Randolph,  389,  416 

lolyn,  Edward  ap  David  ap,   24 ; 

Morgan  ap,  25 
Irish  Language  in  Dyfed,  I^ersist- 

ence  o^  91 
Tsycoed,  Five  Townships  of,  3 
Ithel,  David  ap,  23,  25 
Itinerary  in  Jrales,  Leland's,  Edited' 

by  L.  T.  Smith— Reviewed, 

254,  255 


John,    Richard  ap,   Vicar  of    St. 
Peter's,  Carmarthen,  338 


Kidwelly  Castle,  240  ;  Church,  241 
Kitchen,  William,  318 
Knyght,  Thomas,  24 

Lake  Dwelling,  Tally,  387 

Late-Celtic  Objects,  387,  388 

*'Latymer,"  26 

Laud,     Bishop,    Preaches    at   St. 
Peter's,  Carmarthen,  343 

Laughame,  General,  235 

Church,    235  :     Pre  -  Norman 

Cross,  235 
Castle,  234  ;  Winchester  Mea- 
sure, TaUy  Sticks,  235 

Lawgam,  Robert  ^Courtemain),  290 

Laws,  E.,  on  Prehistoric  Man,  125, 
126,  374 

Leech,  John,  of  Holt,  332 

Legh,  Geoffrey,  23 

L'Estrange,  Roger,  7 


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448 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX  OF  CONTENTS. 


Leland's  Itinerary  in  Wales,  Edited 
L.  T.  Smith,  Reviewed,  264, 
255 

Lewis,  Anthony,  of  Burton,  Bequest 
to  Gresford,  353 

Llan  and  Eglwys,  258,  259 

Llandaff,  Oudocetis,  Bishop  of,  279 

Llandawke  Church,  233,  276; 
Effigy  Legends,  277  ;  Font, 
278 ;  Origin  of  Name,  278, 
279 ;  Stone,  76 

Llanddowror  =  Llanddyfrwyr,  365  ; 
Church,  225 ;  Pilgrim  Stones, 
226  ;  Rev.  Griffith  Jones, 
226  ;  Madam  Be  van's  Chair, 
226 

Llandtulyddog  and  Carmarthen 
Identified,  281,  282  ;  Given 
by  Henry  I  to  Battle  Abbey, 
287 

Llandyssilio  Church,  243-246 -In- 
scribed Stones,  Chalice,  Vi- 
car's Diary,  Communion 
Plate,  1651,  Circulating  Li- 
brary. 

Llanfihangel  Abercowin,  Pilgrim's 
1  hurch,  216,  217  ;  Tombs, 
217  ;  Chalice,  Font,  218 ; 
Pilgrim  Stones,  222  ;  Road, 
220 

Llansaint,  Rev.  George  Eyre  Evanj>, 
63-65,  66-76  ;  Inscribed 
Stones,  239,  240 

Llanstephan  Church,  213 ;  Castle, 
108-118,  214,  215  ;  Maurice 
Fitzgerald,  Lord  of,  289 

**  Lletfer,"  meaning,  309 

Lletrach=  Irish  Leitrioch,  365 

Lleweljm  apGruffydd  Breaks  Truce, 
Storms  Aberystwith  and  Ha- 
warden  Castles,  Attacks 
Rhuddlan  and  Flint  Castles, 
7 

Lloyd,  Professor,  J.  E. — Carmar- 
then in  Early  Norman  Times, 
281-292 

Lloyd,  Sir  Richard  of  Esclus,  De- 
fends Holt  Castle,  331 

Llwyn  Gwyddel,  365 

Llystyn  Gwyn  Stone,  96-102 

Lothar,  Lancelot,  23,  24,  328,  329  ; 
Thomas,  318,  328 

Maddock,    Edward,   416 
Madoc,  Einion  ap,  4  ;  Fychan,  P 


Maen  Prenvol,  368 

Maes  y  Prior,  289 

Mainweyring,  William,  24 

Marford  (Merford)  and  Hoseley 
Annexed  to  Flintshire,  ^ 
Henry  VIH,  19 

Marios,  St  Margaret^  266,  267  ; 
PhUip,  264 

Mollington,  John,  Forester,  of 
Bromfield,  12 

Morgan,  Col.  W.  LI.— Report  on 
Excavations  at  Coelbren,  129- 
174  ;  On  Llanstephan  Castle, 
214,  215;  Bastion  Traces,  238 

Moulton,  Robert,  Auditor  of  Wales, 
321 

Mural  Paintings,  266 

M>ddleton,  Edward,  Mayor  of  Car- 
marthen, 340,  341 

Neolithic  Man :  Conditions  of  Life, 
Weapons,  Clothing,  Pottery, 
Food,  376,  377 

Nevern  Stone,  81  92 

Norden,  John,  323-325  ;  Sur\'ey  of, 
1620,  389-407 

Norfolk,  Thomas  Duke  of,  Justice 
of  Brooi  field,  17 

Norman  Arch  (St.  Clear's),  224; 
Font,  218 

Norman  Supi-emacy  secured  in  Car- 
marthenshire, 284 

Norman  Times,  Carmarthen  in 
Early,  281-292 

Notes  on  East  Window,  Gresford 
Church— Rev.  E.  A.  Fiah- 
boume,  352-357 

Nott,  General  Sir  William  :  Monu- 
ment, 349 

Ogam     (Barrivendi),     232,     233; 

Gwarmacwydd,  243  ;  Eglwys 

Cymmyn,  260 
Llandawke,  279, 280;  Deccaibar 

Vuglob,  297-306 
Oudoceus,  Bishop  of  Llandaff,  279 
Owain  ap  Cadwgan,  285  ;  Ap  Cara- 

dog     Defends     Carmarthen 

Castle,  285 

Palmer,  A.  Neobard — ^The  Town  of 
Holt :  Castle,  Church,  Fran- 
chise, 1-34,  311-334,  389-434 

Pant  y  Gwyddel,  365 

Pare  Owning,  316 


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ALPHABETICAL  INDEX  OP  CONTENTS. 


449 


Pare  y  Ceryg  Sanctaidd,  232,  233, 
258,  267-276 

Pare  y  Parsonage,  219 

Pate,  Thomas,  389,  416,  417 

Pedigree— Bostocke  of  Holt,  330 ; 
PoweU  of  Holt,  420,  421 ; 
Powys  Fadog,  8 

Pelunyawc  CPeulini<^,  Pelumawc), 
from  Peulin,  Paalinus,  362 

Pembrokeshire  Archaeological  Sur- 
vey, Treasurer's  Statement, 
252 

Pembrokeshire  Association  for  the 
Preservation  of  Ancient 
Monuments,  437 

Pembrokeshire,  Encroachments  by 
Carmarthenshire  on,  362, 
365;  Attributed  to  Sir 
Thomas  Jones,  M.P.,  363 

Perrott,  Sir  John,  Tablet,  266 

Pickering,  John,  22,  25,  319,  418  ; 
Francis,  389,  418 ;  Sir  Ed- 
ward, 418 ;  Sir  Christopher, 
418 

Pilgrim  Stones,  222,  226 ;  Road,  220 

Pont  y  Cim,  310 

Porter,  Hugh,  23,  26 

Powell,  Thomas  (of  Hoseley),  317, 
318, 330  ;  Pedigree,  420,  421 

Powys  Fadog,  Pedigree  of  Later 
Princes,  8 

Prehistoric  Hearths  in  Carmarthen- 
shire, 380-383 

Prestland,  Thomas,  24,  419  ;  John, 
Lancelot,  and  Richard,  419 

Priceof  Yale,  David,  330;  Robert, 
326 

Prichard,  Thomas,  348 

Puleston,  John,  23,  25  ;  John,  jun., 
23,  26,  321 ;  Roger,  317 
Sir  Roger  Opposes   Grant  to 
William  Bentinok,  Earl   of 
Portland,  326 

Pulford  of  Barton,  Thomas,  423 ; 
Of  Holt,  389,  423;  John, 
Lancelot,  William,  409,  423 

Quaker's  Yard  (Holt),  430 

Reviews  and  Notices  of  Books,  264- 

266,435 
Rhyd  y  Gors  Castle,  237  ;  Caer,  284 
Rhys,  Professor  John — Epigraphio 
Notes,    66-76 ;    The    Capel 
Mair  Stone,  293-310 

6th  8BB.,  VOL.  VII. 


Richard  11  at  Holt  Castle,  13 

Roberts,  Clement,  323 

Robyn,  David,  338 

Roden,     Sir    William,    Rector    of 

Gresford,  324 
Roydon,   John,   23  ;   Richard,  24, 

317  ;  R<ier,  424,  425 

Salisbury,  Ro^er,  Bishop  of,  291, 292 

Salusbury,  John,  318 

Sam  Helen  wholly  Roman,  much 
used  till  Norman  Times,  then 
disused,  130 

Sayce,  Professor,  on  Scientific  Ex- 
cavation, 126 

St.  David's,  Bishop  of,  Bernard, 
Institutes  House  of  Augus- 
tinian  Canons,  287,  288;  En- 
dows St.  John's  Priory,  Car- 
marthen, 337 
Thomas  Wallensis,  261 ;  Wil- 
frid, 292  ;  Peter  de  Leia,  337 

Scrope,  William  le.  Earl  of  Wilt- 
shire, Justice  of  Chester,  13 

Seymour,  Thomas,  320  ;  Thomas, 
Lord  Admiral,  320 

Speed,  David,  389,  425  ;  John  (An- 
tiquary), 425 

Stanley,  Thomas,  Earl  of  Derby, 
352,  356  ;  Sir  WiUiam,  Chief 
Justice  of  Wales,  Chamber- 
lain of  Chester  —  Wealth, 
Execution,  21,  22 ;  Has  Grant 
of  Bromfield  Lordship,  17 

Stansty  Abbatis,  19 

Steele,  Sir  Richard,  Buried  in  St. 
Peter's,  Carmartlien,  344  ; 
Monument,  349 

Stone  Circles,  Relics  of  Bronze  Age, 
368 

Stone  Coffin  Lid,  345  ;  Implements, 
367 

Stones,  Cursing,  271 ;  Resting,  275 

Stones,  Inscribed,  65-68 ;  Llan- 
dawke,  76  ;  Nevem,  81-92  ; 
Llystin  Gwyn,  96-102  ;  Tref- 
lys,  92-96 ;  Penymynydd, 
134;  Llansaint,  239,  240; 
Parcau,  243 ;  Llandyssilio, 
243-246  ;  Traws  Mawr,  248. 
See  also  "Ogam." 

Survey  of  Bromfield  and  Yale, 
Tidderley's,  311  ;  Norden's 
(Holt),  389 

Symkins,  Richard,  318 

30 


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450 


ALPHABETICAL  INDBX  OP  CONTENTS. 


TachlowmonsTelich  Clowmon,  364 

Tafam  Diflas,  268 

Talacharn  (Laugharne),  364,  365 

Tally  Sticks  (Laugharae),  235 

Tarleton,  Thomas,  23 

•*  Taylor's  Cushion,"  362 

**Te  Deum"  Window,  355 

Teulyddoff,  282 

Tidderley  s  Survey  of  Bromfield  and 
Yale,  311 

"Tir  y  Grarreg,"  corrupted  into 
**  Tithe  Garret,"  407 

Toch  Castle,  273 

Tomb,  Sir  Rhys  ap  Thomas's,  347 

Toye,  Robert,  Mayor  of  Carmar- 
then, 340 

Trahem,  John,  Warden  of  Grey 
Friars,  Carmarthen,  348 

Tranmoll,  John,  Forester  of  Brom- 
field, 12 

Treasurer's  Accounts,  1906,  C.  A.  A„ 
251 ;  Pembrokeshire  Survey, 
252 

Trefenty — Passage,  219  ;  Encamp- 
ment, 220 

Treflys,  Note  by  Professor  Rhys,  92 

Treheme,  G.  G.  T.,  Notes  on 
Eglwys  Cymmyn,  Parc-y- 
Ceryg  Sanctaidd,  and  Llan- 
dawke,  257-280 

Tre'r  Coiri — Introductory  Note  by 
Professor  Boyd  Dawkins,  36- 
37,  124,  125 
Relation  to  other  Fortifica- 
tions, 35 ;  Cyttiau  Gwyddel- 
od,  35 
Compared      with       Primitive 

Houses  in  Lreland,  36 
Report    on    Excavations   at — 

Harold  Hughes,  38-62 
Details  of  Finds,  40-57 ;  Bronze 

Torque,  40,  52  ;  Pin,  47 
Entrances,  57-60 

Treth  Dan  (**  Fyre  Silver"),  21 

Trevor,  John,  321  ;  Sir  John,  Kt., 
426;  Sir  Richard   426 

Tumulus,  Castle  Hill,  Kiffig,  386, 
387  ;  Banc  Benisel,  384 

Turbridge,  Robert,  321 

Turstin,  Prior,  292 

Twlc  y  Viliast,  Cromlech,  Ffynnon 
Newydd,  369 


Ty  Cwrdd  (Meeting  House),  75 
Ty  Gwyn  ar  Daf,  241-243 


Vernon,  Richard,  389 


Walter  of  Glo'ster,  285 
Warburton,  Sir  Peter,  Burgess  of 

Holt,  403 
Ward,   John — Roman  Remains  at 

Cwmbrwyn,  175-209,  226 
Warrenne,  John  de,  Bromfield  and 

Castle  of  Dinas  Bran  granted 

to,  8 ;  Dies  1304,  9 
Warrenne,  William  de,  9 
Webbe,    Sir  David,   Vicar  of    St. 

Peter's,  Carmarthen,  338 
Welsh    Court    House,    Holt,   391, 

392,399 
Wesley,  John,  at  Carmarthen,  344 
Whitland  Abbey,  241-243 
Wilde  (Weld,  Wells,  Welles,  Wild), 

389,  426,  427,  428 
Wilkinson,  John  and  Thomas,  389, 

428 
Williams,  Sir  John,  Bart.,  Presi- 
dent's Address,  108-118 
Sir  W.,  Opposes  Grant  to  Wm. 

Bentinck,  Karl  of  Portland, 

326 
Lancelot,  409 
Peter,  264 
Winchester    Measure,   Laugharne, 

235 
Wodehay,  Richard  de,  24 
Womack,  Lawrence,  Bishop  of  St. 

David's,  343 
Wren,  John,  25  ;  Thomas,  25 
Wrexham,  Abbot,  19 
Wrexham  (Wrightesham,  Wristles- 

ham),  2,  11 
Wrighte,  John,  323,  389 ;  George, 

389,429 
Wristlesham  (Wrexham),  Castellum 

de,  2 
Wysham ,  John  de,  9 


Yardley,  John,  389,  429 
Ystrad  House,  313 ;  Pillar  Stones, 
370 


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451 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

Report  on  the  ExcaTations  carried  out  at  Tre'r  Ceiri  in  1906  : 

Plan  (Plate)  ......       38 

Fragments  of  Lance-head,  Bronze  Plates,  Earthenware 

Vessels,  etc.  .....  41-51 

Plan  of  South- West  and  North-West  Entrance    .  .    *  68 

Inscribed. Stones  at  Llansaint,  Carmarthenshire  (Two  Plates)       64 

Epigraphic  Notes  : 

Inscribed  Stone  at  Llansaint,  Carmarthenshire    .  .67 

Inscribed  Stone  at  Llandawke,  Carmarthenshire  .  .  77 

Lintel  Stone  with  Interlaced  Work  at  Nevern     .  .  82 

Inscribed  Stone  No.  2  at  Nevorn,  Pembroke         .  .  84 

Inscribed  Stone  at  Trefljs,  Carnarvonshire            .  .  92 

Inscription  on  Stone  at  Treflys,  Carnarvonshire   .  .  94 

Inscribed  Stone  at  Lljstyn  Gwjn,  Carnarvonshire  .  98 

Latin  and  Ogam  Inscnption  on  the  Llystyn  Gwyn  Stone  99 

Excavations  at  Coelbren  : 

Map  showing  Position  of  Camp     ....     131 
Plan  of  Camp  (Plate)        .  .  .  .  .136 

Sections  of  Camp  ....  138-150 

Pottery  and  Glass  found  at  Coelbren        .  .  160-1  (>6 

Roman  Remains  at  Cwmbrwyn,  Carmarthenshire  : 

Section    of    6-in.   Ordnance    Map   of    Carmarthenshire 

(Plate) 176 

Plan  before  Excavation  (Plate)     .  .  .  .     1 78 

Plan  after  Excavation  (Plate)       .  .  .  .180 

Plan  of  Building  and  Sections  of  Rampart  and  Ditch 

(Plate)  .  .  .  .  .  .182 

View  of  the  Gateway  looking  to  the  North  (Plate)  .     182 

Various  Articles  found,  etc.  .  .  .  184-205 


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452  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAOB 

Norman  Font  in  Llanfihangel  Abercowin  Church        .  .     223 

Inscribed  Sbone  at  Eglwys  Cymmjn,  Carmarthenshire  232 

Pre-Norman  Cross  at  Langhame,  Carmarthenshire     .  .     234 

Inscribed  Stone  at  Parcan       .....     242 

Inscribed  Stone  from  Castell  Dwyran  (Plate)  .  .     244 

Inscribed  Stones  at  Llandjssilio,  Pembrokeshire  .       -.   244-245 

Inscribed  Stone  at  Traws  Mawr,  Carmarthenshire  (Plate)       .     246 

Ende  Pillar  Stone  at  Traws  Mawr        .  .  .  .248 

Capel  Mair  Inscribed  Stone  : 

Sketch  of  (Two  Plates)  ....  296,  297 

Existing  Fragments  ....  299, 301 

Ogam  Inscriptions  .....     304 

St.  Peter's  Church,  Carmarthen  : 

Interior  View,  looking  East  ....     336 

Coat-of-Arms  from  St.  John's  Priory        .  .  .     338 

Sepnlchral  Slab  of  Richard  ....     346 

Tomb  of  Sir  Rhys  ap  Thomas       .  .  .  .347 

Remains  of  Ancient  Bridge,  Carnarvon  :  Plan  and  Elevation  .     359 

The  Town  of  Holt,  in  County  Denbigh  : 

Early  Sketch  of  Holt  Castle          .  .  .  .393 

Early  Ground  Plan  of  Holt  Castle  .  .  .395 

Elevation  of  Holt  Castle  in  1620  .  .  .  ,     397 

Ground  Plan  of  HoU  Castle  in  1620  .  .  .398 


LONDON : 
PHUmCD  AT  TQE  BBDPOIU)  PRESS,  20  AND  21,   BBDFOROVURT,  W.C, 


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1907. 

♦    LIST  OF  MEMBERS. 


9atron0. , 

^  HIS  MAJESTY  THE  KING. 

The  Right  Hon.  the  EiiBL  of  Powis 

The  Right  Hon.  the  Earl  of  Cawdor 

The  Right  Hon.  Earl  op  Plymouth  (President,  1898  and  1899) 

The  Right  Hon.  Viscount  Trkdboar  (President,  1885) 

The  Right  Rev.  the  Lord  Bishop  of  St.  David's 

The  Right  Rev,  the  Lord  Bishop  of  Llandaff 

The  Right  Hon.  Lord  Dynevor 

The  Right  Hon.  Lord  Kenyon 

The  Right  Hon.  Lord  Mostyn  ( President y\H90) 

The  Right  Hon.  Lord  Penrhyn  (President,  1894) 

The  Right  Hon.  Lord  Aberdare  (President^  1900) 

The  Right  Hon.  Lord  Harlech 

The  Right  Hon.  Lord  Llamoattock 

The  Right  Hon.  Lord  Swansea 

Sir  John  Williams,  Bart. 

]E)re»nrent«eU(i. 
Sir  Richard  H.  Williams  Bulkelsy,  Bart. 

H.  R.  Hughes.  Esq.,  Lord  Lieutenant  of  Flintshire 

Sir  John  Evans,   D.C.L.,  F.R.S.,  V.P.S.A. 

Sir  C.  E.  G.  Philipps,  Bart.  {President,  1880  and  1883),  Lord  Lieutenant 

of  the  Town  and  County  of  HaverJPordwest 
R.  H.  Wood,  Esq.,  F.S.A.,  F.R.G.S.  (President,  1903) 
Sir  John  Talbot  Dillwyn  Llewelyn,  Bart.,  M.A.,  F.L.S.  (President, 

1886) 
Lient.-Col.  C.  S.  Mainwaring  (President,  1887) 


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2  LIST   OF  MEMBERS. 

M.  k  Dr.  DE  Olosmadeuc  (Pretidmt,  1889),  Prudent  de  la  Soci^t^ 

Polymathique  da  Morbihan 
JohN  Rhys,  Esq.,  M.A.,  LL.D.  (President,  1891),  Professor  of  Celtic, 

and  Principal  of  Jesas  College,  Oxford 
W.  Boyd  Dawkins,  Esq.,  M.A.,  F.R.S.,  F.S.A.,  Professor  of  Geology, 

Owens  College,  Manchester 
The  Rev.  A.  H.  Sayce,  M.A.,  LL.D.,  Professor  of  Assyriology,  Oxford 
The  Rev.  Hugh  Pbiohabd,  M.A. 

The  Yen.  Archdeacon  Thomas,  M.A.,  F.S.A.  (President,  1906) 
Sir  Jambr  Williams  Drummond,  Bart,  (/'reairfen^,  1892),  Lord  Lieutenant 

of  Carmarthenshire 
Sir  Owen  H.  P.  Scourfiild,  Bart.  (President,  1897) 
Edward  Laws,  Esq.,  F.S.A. 
The  Rev.  Canon  Rupert  Morris,  D.D.,  F.S.A. 
J.  W.  WiLUs-BuND,  Esq.,  F.S.A.  (President,  1905) 
Henry  Owen,  D.C.L.,  F.S.A. 
The  Rev.  Prebendary  Garnons- Williams,  M.A. 
Tlie  Rev.  8.  Baring-Gould,  M.A. 

W.  R.  M.  Wynne,  Esq.  (Lord  Lieutenant  of  Merionethshire). 
Sir  John  Williams,  Bart. 

Committee. 

The  President,  with  all  those  who  have  held  that  office  ;  the  Yioe-Presi- 
dents ;  the  Treasurer  ;  the  General  and  Local  Secretaries  ;  and  the 
Editorial  Sub-Committee,  with  the  following  : 

Yen.  Archdeacon  Thomas,  M.A.,  F.S.A.,  Chairman, 


Thos.  Mansel  Franklen,  Esq. 

Rev.  John  Fisher. 

Rev.  E.  J.  Newell. 

Professor  Anwyl. 

Professor  Lloyd. 

Professor  Powel. 

Iltyd  NichoU,  Esq.,  F.S.A. 


H.Harold  Hughes, Esq..  A.R.LB.A. 
J.  Romilly  AUen,  Esq.,  F.S.A. 
J.  Ward,  Esq.,  F.S.A. 
Mrs.  Allen. 
Edward  Owen,  Esq. 
A.  N.  Palmer,  Esq. 


SHitot. 
J.  Romilly  Allen,  Esq.,  F.S.A.,  28,  Great  Ormond  Street,  W.C. 

^Iritotial  J^ttb^Committre. 

Professor  Rhys,  M.A.,  LL.D. 

The  Rev.  Canon  R.  Trevor  Owen,  M.A.,  F.S.A. 

!Dtaug(t0man. 
Worthington  G.  Smith,  Esq.,  F.L.S. 

Creafutet. 
Col.  W.  L.  Morgan,  R.E.,  Brynbriallu,  Swansea. 

Ctii0tee». 

R.  H.  Wood,  Esq.,  F.S.A. 
W.  R.  M.  Wynne,  Esq. 
Colonel  W.  Gwynne- Hughes 


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


LIST  OK   MEMBEnS. 


3 


ffenetal  3^ttt$tsti$§. 

Rev.  Canon  R  Trevor  Owen,  M.A.,  F.S.A.,  Bodelwjddan  Vicarage, 

Rhaddlan  (Flintshire),  S.O. 
Bey.  Gharles  Chidlow,  M.X,  Llawhadon  Vicarage,  Narberth 

Corre»9onlriitg  ^tttttavi$%, 

France — Mons.  Oharles  Mettier,  F.S.A.,  Oaen 

Brittany — M.  de  Keranfleo'h  Kernezne,  Oh&tean  de  Qn^l^neo,  Mar  de 

Bretagne,  Cdtes  du  Nord,  France 
Scotland — Joseph    Anderson,    Esq.,    LL.D.,    Mosenm    of    Antiquities, 

Edinburgh 
Ireland— R.  Cochrane,  Esq.,  I.S.O.,  F.S.A.,  17,  Highfield  Road,  Rathgar, 

Dublin 
Cornwall — Edwyn  Parkyn,  Esq.,  Royal  Institute,  Truro 

Rev.  S.  Baring-Gould,  Lew  Trenchard  Rectory,  N.  Devon 

Aonotars  MtmUn. 

M.  Alexandre  de  Bertrand,  Paris 

Mons.  Charles  Hettier,  F.S.A.,  Caen,  France 


floral  ^tn$tati$%, 

Anglesey  ....    J.  E.  Griffith,  Esq.,  F.R.C.S.,  P.L.S.,  Bryn  Dinas, 
Upper  Bangor 

Professor  J.  Morris  Jones,  Tycoch,  Llanfair,  P.G. 
CamarvoTishire  .     .     Edw.  Roberts,  Esq.,  M.A.,  H.M.I.S.,  Carnarvon 

T.  E.  Morris,  Esq.,  LL.M.,  Lombard  St.,  Portmadoo 
Denbighshire  .  .  A.  Foulkes-Roberts,  Esq.,  34,  Vale  Street,  Denbigh 
Flintshire      .     .     .     Rev.  W.  LI.  Nicholas,  M.A.,  Rectory,  Flint 

L.  J.  Roberts,  Esq.,  H.M.I.S.,  Rhyl 
Merionethshire   .     .     Rev.  J.  E.  Davies,  M.A.,  The  Rectory,  Llwyngwril 
Montgomeryshire    . 
Brecknockshire  .     .    Lieut. -Col.   R.   D.   Garnona- Williams,    Ty  Mawr, 

Brecon 
Cardiganshire    .    .     Professor  Anwyl,  M.A.,  Univ.  College  of   Wales, 
Aberystwyth 

J.  H.  Davies,  Esq.,  M.A.,  Cwrtmawr,  Aberystwyth 

H.  M.  Vaughan,  Esq.,  Plas,  Llangoedmore,  Cardigan 
Carmarthenshire     .     Alan  Stepney-Gulston,  Esq.,  Derwydd,  Llandebie 

Rev.    D.    D.  Evans,  B.D.,   Llangunnor  Vicarage, 
Carmarthen 
Olamorganshire      .     Thos.  Powel,  Esq.,  M.A.,  University  College,  Cardiff 

C.Wiikin8,Esq.,F.G.S.,  Springfield,  Merthyr  Tydfil 

C.  H.  Glascodine,  Esq.,  Cae  Pare,  Swansea 

D.  Lleufer  Thomas,  Esol,  Hendre,  Swansea 
Pembrokeshire   .     .     Herbert  J.  Allen,  Esq.,  Norton,  Tenby 

Rev.  James  Phillips,  Haverfordwest 
Radnorshire  .     .    .     Rev.  E.  H.  Day,  D.D.,  Abbey  Cwm  Hir,  Penybont 
Monmouthshire  .     .     A.  E.  Bowen,  Esq. ,  Town  Hall,  Pontypool 
Hie  Marches      .     .    JamesDavies,  Esq.,  Gwynfa,Broomy  Hill,  Hereford 

Rev.  C.  H.  Drinkwater,  M.A.,  St.  George's  Vicarage, 
Shrewsbury 

Henry  Taylor,  Esq.  F.S.A.,  Curzon  Park,  Chester 


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


LIST   OF   MEMBERS. 


MEMBERS.'' 

ENGLISH  AND   FOREIGN.    (94) 


His  Majesty  the  Kino    . 
Swansea,  The  Rt.  Hon.  Lord 
Allen,  Mrs.  Thomas    . 
Allen,  W.  Bird,  Esq.,  M.A. 
Allen,  J.  Romilly,  Esq.,  F.S.A. 
Alien,  Rev.  W.  Osborn,  M.A.     . 
Asher,  Messrs.,  and  Co. 
Baring-Gould,  Rev.  S.,  M.A.     . 

Baynes,  E.  Neil,  Esq. 
Biblioth^ue  Nationale 

Birmingham  Free  Library  . 
Blundell,  Joseph  Hight,  Esq. 
Bond,  F.  Bligh,  Esq. 
Boston  Public  Library,  U.S.A.  . 

Bridger,  E.  K.,  Esq. 
Brownrigg,  The  Very  Rev.  Dean 
Bumard,  R.,  Esq.,  F.S.A.  . 
Obambres,  Rev.  G.  C,  M.A.     . 
Chetham  Library 
Cochrane,  REsq.,  F.S.A.,I.S.O., 

Hon.  Sec.  Royal   Society  of 

Antiquaries,  Ireland 
Columbia  University . 


Cnnliffe,  Major  J.  Williams 
Cunnington,  B.  Howard,  Esq., 

F.S.A.Scot 

Cunnington,  Mrs.  B.  Howard 
Davies,  Timothy,  Esq.,  M.P.     . 
Dawkins,  W.  Boyd,  Esq.,  M.A., 

F.R.S.,  F.S.A. 
Dawson,  Mrs. 

D'Arbois  de  Jubainville,  M. 
De  Keranflec'h  Kemezne,  M. 

Detroit  Public  Library 


Buckingham  Palace,  S.W. 

24,  Motcombe  St.,  Belgrave  Square,  W. 

42,  Connanght  Square,  W. 

158,  Portsdown  Road,  Maida  Vale,  W. 

28,  Great  Ormond  Street,  W.C. 

83,  St.  George's  Road,  S.W. 

13,  Bedford  St.,  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 
Lew  Trenchard  Rectory,  Lew  Down, 

N.  Devon 
120,  Warwick  St.,  Eccleston  Sq.,  S.W. 
Paris  (c/o  Continental   Export    Co., 
4,  High  Street,  Bloomsbury,  W.C.) 
Birmingham  (c/o  A.  Capel  Shaw,  Esq.) 
157,  Cheapside,  E.G. 
Star  Buildings,  Bristol 
(c/o  Messrs.  Stechert  &  Co.,  Star  Yard, 
Carey  Street,  Chancery  Lane,  W.C. 
Berkeley  House,  Hampton-on -Thames 
Booking,  Braintree 
Huccaby  House,  Princetown,  S.  Devon 
Grammar  School,  Wigan 
Manchester  (c/o  W.  T.  Browne,  Esq.) 

17,  Highfield  Road,  Rathgar,  Dublin 

New     York,     U.S.A.     (c/o     Messrs. 

Stechert  &  Co.,  Star  Yard,  Carey 

Street,  Chancery  Lane,  W.C.) 

17,  Inverness  Terrace,  Hyde  Park,  W. 

Devises 

Devizes 

Pant  y  Celyn,  Putney 

Fallowfield    House,    Fallowfield, 

Manchester 
Hartlington  Hall,  Skipton 

84,  Boulevard  Mont  Pamasse,  Paris 
Ch&teau  de  Qu^l^nec,  Mur  de  Bre- 

tagne,  Cdtes  du  Nord,  France 
(c/o  Mr.  B.  F.  Stevens,  4,  Trafalgar 
Square,  W.C.) 


*  Members  admitted  since  the  Annual  Meeting.  1906,  have  an  asterisk  prefixed  to 
heir  names. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


LIST  OF   MEMBERS. 


Edwards,  J.  Watkin,  Esq. . 
Evans,  Sir  John,  F.R.S.,  K.C.B. 
Evans,  E.  Vincent,  Esq.  (Hon. 

Sec,  Honourable  Society  of 

Cymmrodorion)  *  . 
Fryer,    Alfred,     Esq.,    Ph.D., 

M.A.,  F.S.A. 
Gabriel,  J.  R.,  Esq.,  M.A. 

Gordon,  Mrs 

Griffiths,  Joseph,  Esq.,  M.D.     . 
Guildhall  Library,  E.G.       . 
Harford,  Mi&s     .... 
Hartland,   Ernest,    Esq.,  M.A., 

F.S.A 

Hartland,  E.  Sidney,  Esq.,  F.S.A. 
Harvard  College  Library   . 


Hereford  Free  Library 

Ho  worth.     Sir    Henry     H., 

K.C.LE.,  F.R.S.,  F.S.A.      . 
Humberston,  Mrs.  — 
Jackson,  J.,  Esq. 
James,  0.  R.,  Esq.,   . 
Jesus  College  Library 
Jones,  E.  Alfred,  Esq. 
Jones,  Rev.  G.  Hartwell,  M.A. . 
Jones,  Lawrence,  Esq. 
Jones,  Robert,  M.D.,  F.R.C.S.  . 
Jones,  W.  E.  T.,  Esq. 
*Jones,  J.  Prichard,  Esq.  . 
Joseph-Watkin,   T.   M.,   Esq.    . 

{PoricullU) 
King's  Inns'  Library 
Lewis,  William  F.,  Esq.     . 

Liverpool  Free  Public  Library  . 
Lloyd,  Alfred,  E8q.,F.C.S.,F.E.S. 
London  Library 
Manchester  Free  Library  . 
'"'Masterman,  John  Story,  Esq.   . 
Melbourne  Public  Library  . 

Morris,  The  Rev.  Canon  Rupert 

H.,  D.D.,  F.S.A.      . 
Morris,  T.  E.,  Esq.,  LL.M. 
McClure,  Rev.  Edmund,  M.A.    . 
New  York  Library      .         •        • 


46,  Albert  Terrace,  Middlesbrough 
Brittwall,  Berkhampstead,  Herts 

64,  Chancery  Lane,  W.C. 

13,  Eaton  Crescent,  Clifton,  Bristol 
Technical  College,  Swindon 
9,  St.  German's  Place,  Blackheath,S.E. 
1,  St.  Peter's  Terrace,  Cambridge 
(c/o  Edward  M.  Borrajo,  Esq.) 
Blaise  Castle,  Henbury,  Bristol 

Hardwick  Court,  Chepstow 

Highgarth,  Gloucester 

Cambridge,  Mass.,  U.S.A.  (c/o  Messrs. 
Kegan  Paul,  Triibner  A  Co., 
43,  Gerrard  Street,  Soho,  W.C.) 

Hereford 

30,  CoUingham  Place,  S.W. 
ll,Pelham  Crescent,  Kensington,  S.W. 
25,Leazas  Terrace,  Newcastle-on-Tyne 

5,  Raymond's  Bldgs.,  Gray's  Inn, W.C. 
Oxford 

Hampden  House,  Phoenix  Street,  N.W. 
Nutfield  Rectory,  Redhill 

6,  Water  Street,  Liverpool 
Claybury,  Woodford,  Essex 

6,  Stone  Buildings,  Lincoln's  Inn,  W.C. 

76,  Canfield  Gardens,  Hampstead,  N. 

Herald's  College,  Queen  Victoria  Street, 
E.C. 

Dublin  (J.  Carter,  Esq.) 

2109,   Walnut    Street,    Philadelphia, 

U.S.A. 
Liverpool  (c/o  Peter  Cowell,  Esq.) 
The  Dome,  Upper  Bognor,  Sussex 
St.  James's  Square,  S.W. 
Manchester 

St.  Margaret's,  Dorking 
c/o  Agent-General  for  Victoria,  142, 

Queen  Victoria  Street,  E.C. 
St.   Gabriel's    Vicarage,   4,  Warwick 

Square,  S.W. 
8,  Fig-Tree  Court,  Temple,  E.C. 
80,  Eccleston  Square,  S.W. 
New   York  (c/o  Mr.  B.  F.  Stevens, 

4,  Trafalgar  Square,  W.C.) 


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


6 


U8T  OP  KEMBBKS. 


Nonnan,  George,  Esq.,  M.D. 
Owen,  Edward,  Esq.  . 
PenQsylvania  Historical  Society 

Peter,  Tharstan  C,  Esq.     . 
Preece,  Sir  W.  Henry,  K.C.B., 

F.R.S 

Price,  Hamlyn,  Esq.  . 

Price.  — ,  Esq 

Pritchard,  John  Jones,  Esq. 

Pritchard,  L.  Jones,  Esq.  . 

Prichard,  Rev.  R.  W.,  M.A. 

Prichard-Morgan,  W.,  Esq. 

Rennes,  Biblioth^qae  Universi- 
taire 

Rhys,  John,  Esq.,  M.A.,  LL.D., 
Professor  of  Celtic  and  Princi- 
pal of  Jesns  CoUege 

Roberts,  Sir  Owen 

Rock,  J.  Dennis,  Esq. 

Sayce,  Rev.  A.  H.,  LL.D.,  Prof. 

of  Assyriology 
Smith,    Worthington    G.,  Esq., 

F.L.S 

Sydney  Free  Public  Library 

Taylor,  His  Honor  Judge,  K.C.  . 
Thomas,  Lieut. -Col.  G.  T. 
Thomas,  Rev.  W.  Mathew,  M.A. 

Toronto  Public  Library 

Vaughan,  H.  F.  J.,  Esq.     . 

Vaughan- Williams,  F.,  Esq. 

Willis-Bund,  J.  W.,  Esq.,  F.S.A. 
Williams,  Miss  M.  C.  L.     . 
♦Wynne,  0.  M.  E.,  Esq.    . 


12,  Brock  Street,  Bath 

India  Office,  Whitehall,  8.W. 

(c/o  Messrs.  B.  F.  Stevens  &  Brown, 

4,  Trafalgar  Square,  W.C.) 
Redruth,  Cornwall 

Gothic  Lodge,  Wimbledon 

lo.  King  Street,  St.  James's  Square, 

S.W. 
43,  Pall  Mall,  London,  S.W. 
6,  Stanley  Road,  Waterloo,  Liverpool 
Menai  Lodge,  Chiswick,  W. 
Stoke  Vicarage,  Chester 
1,  Queen  Victoria  Street,  E.G. 

Rennes,  Ille-et-VilaiDe,  France 


Jesus  College,  Oxford 
Horley  Park,  Guildford 
Oharlemont,  Eliot  Park,  Blackheath, 
S.E. 

Queen's  College,  Oxford 

121,  High  Street  North,  Dunstable 
(c/o  Messrs.  Truslove,  Hanson  &  Co., 

163,  Oxford  Street,  W.) 
4,  Harcourt  Buildings,  Temple,  E.C. 
The  Bush,  Walton-on-Thames 
Billingboro'    Vicarage,    Folkingham, 

S.O.,  Lincolnshire 
(c/o  Messrs.  C.  D.  Cazenove  &  Son,  26, 

Henrietta  St.,  Covent  Garden, W.C.) 
30,  Edwardes  Sq.,    Kensington,  W., 
and  Humphreston  Hall,  Salop. 

HoUyhurst,  Barton  under  Needwood, 

Burton-on-Trent 
15,  Old  Square,  Lincoln's  Inn,  W.C. 
6,  Sloane  Gardens,  S.W. 
67,  Torrington  Square,  W.C. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


NORTH    WALES. 


ANGLESEY.    (17) 


Beade,  Lady        .... 
Bulkeley,      Sir     Biohard       H. 

Williams,  Bart.,    Lord    Lieu- 

tenaot  of  Anglesey. 
Meyrick,  Sir  George,  Bart. 
Vemey,  Sir  Edmund,  Bart. 

Adeane,  Miss      .... 
Evans,  Rev.  Evan 
Griffith,  Rev.  Ellis  Hughes 
Hall,  Rev.  W.  E.  Scott      . 
Hampton-Lewis,  Mrs. 
Jones,  Professor  J.  Morris 
Lloyd  Theakstone,  Mrs.     . 
^Massey,  Miss  .... 
^Massey,  Miss  Gwendolin . 
Prichard,  Rev.  Hugh,  M.A. 
Prichard,  Thomas,  Esq. 
''^ThomaB,     Fleet  -  Surgeon     J. 

Lloyd,  R.N 

Williams,  Rice  R.,  Esq.     . 


Carreg-lwyd,  The  Valley,  S.O. 


Baron  Hill,  Beaumaris,  S.O. 

Bodorgan,  Llangefni,  S.O. 

Claydon  House,  Winslow,  Bucks ;  and 

Rhianva,  Menai  Bridge 
Plas  Llanfawr,  Holyhead  [S.0 

Llansadwm  Rectory,  Menai  Bridge, 
Llangadwaladr  Vicarage,  Llangefni, 
Plas,  Llanfaelog  [S.O. 

Henllys,  Beaumaris,  S.O. 
Tycoch,  Llanfair  P.G.,  S.O. 
Fir  Grove,  Menai  Bridge,  S.O. 
Comely,  Beaumaris,  S.O. 
Comely,  Beaumaris,  S.O. 
Dinam,  Gaerwen,  S.O.  [S.O. 

Llwydiarth  Esgob,  Llanerchymedd, 
Denmor,    Penmon    Beaumaris ;    and 

Royal  Naval  Barracks,  Chatham 
Stanley  House,  Holyhead 


CARNARVONSHIRE.    (57) 


Greaves,    J.    E.,     Esq.,     Lord 
Lieutenant  of  Carnarvonshire 
Mostyn,  The  Lady  Augusta 
Penrbyn,  Rt.  Hon.  Lord     . 
Arnold,  Professor  E.  V.,  M.A.   . 
Breese,  Charles  E.,  Esq.     . 
Davids,  Miss  Rose 

Davies,  John  Issard,  Esq.,  M.A. 

Davies,  J.  R.,  Esq. 

Dodson,  William  M.,  Esq.  . 

Evans,  Colonel  O.  LI.  G.    . 

Evans,  Mrs.  Lloyd 

Foster,  W.  A.,  Esq. 

Gardner,      Willoughby,      Esq., 

F.L.S.,  F.R.G.8.   . 
Griffith,  J.  E.,  Esq.,  F.R.A.S., 

F.L.8 

Hughes,      H.      Harold,     Esq., 

A.R.LB.A 

Job,  Rev.  J.  T 

Jones,  C.  A.,  Esq. 


Bron  EijQon,  Criccieth 

Gloddaeth,  Llandudno 

Penrhyn  Castle,  Bangor 

Bryn  Seiriol,  Bangor 

4,  Marine  Terrace,  Portmadoc 

Greenhall,  High  Blantyre,  N.B.  ;  and 

Plas  Llanwnda,  Carnarvon 
Llysmeirion,  Carnarvon 
Ceris,  Bangor 
Bettws-y-coed,  S.O. 
Broom  Hall,  Chwilog,  S.O. 
Broom  Hall,  Chwilog,  S.O. 
Glyn  Menai,  Bangor 

Y  Berlfa,  Deganwy 

Bryn  Dinan,  Upper  Bangor 

Aelwyd,  Bangor 
Bethesda,  Bangor 
Carnarvqn 


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


8 


List   O^  MBMBfiRS. 


Jones,  L.  D.,  Esq.     . 
Jones,  Bey.  Canon,  M.A.  . 
■^Lewifl,  ReT,  J.  P.    . 
Lloyd- Jones,  Miss 
Lloyd,  Prof.  John  Edward,  M.A. 
Morrice,  Rev.  J.  C,  B.A. 
North,  Herbert  L.,  Esq. 
Owen,  Cledwyn,  Esq. 
Parry,  R.  Ivor,  Esq. 
*Pany,  W.  H.,  Esq. . 
Roberts,  E.,Esq.,  H.M.I.S.,M.A. 
Roberts,  T.  E.,  Esq. 
Thomas,  Owen  Edward,  Esq. 
University  College  Library 
Watts-Jones,  Mrs.  H. 
^Williams,  Mrs.  Ignatius  . 
Williams,  W.  P.,  Esq. 
Williams,  J.  A.  A.,  Esq.    . 
Waiiams,  Rev.  J.  E. 
Wyatt,  J.  W.,  Esq.   . 


3,  Edge  Hill,  Garth,  Ban((or 

The  Vicarage,  Llaudegai,  Bangor 

Llanystumdwy  Rectory,  Criocieth 

Pennillt,  Penmaenmawr,  S.O. 

Waen'Deg,  Bangor 

5,  Brynteg  Terrace,  Bangor 

Llanfairfechan,  S.O. 

PwllheH,  S.O. 

Pwllheli,  8.0. 

Pabo  Isaf,  Conway 

Plas  Maesincla,  Carnarvon 

Plas-y-Bryn,  Carnarvon 

301,  High  Street,  Bangor 

Bangor 

Glyn,  Penmaenmawr 

Hendregadredd,     Pentrefelin,     Port- 

Cae'r  Onnen,  Bangor  [madoc 

Aberglaslyn,  Beddgelert,  Carnarvon 

The  Vicarage,  Portmadoc 

Bryn  Gwynan,  Beddgelert,  Carnarvon. 


DENBIGHSHIRE.    (34) 


^Dundonald,  The  Countess  of,    . 
Williams- Wynn.  Lady 
Williams -Wynn,    Sir    Watkin, 

Bart.,   C.B.,  Lord   Lieut,    of 

Montgomeryshire 
McLaren,  Sir  Chas.  B.  B.,  Bart., 

K.O.,  M.P 

Barnes,  Mrs 

Behrens,  George  B.,  Esq.  . 
Berkeley,  A.  E.  M.,  Esq. 
Darlington,  James,  Esq.     . 
Davies,  D.  S..  Esq.    . 
Davies,  John,  Esq.    . 
Ellis,  Rev.  E.  Lodwick       . 
Fisher,  Rev.  John,  B.D.    . 
Foulkes-Roberts,  A.,  Esq.  . 
Foulkes,  E.  A.,  Esq. 
Halhed,  Wm.  B.,  Esq. 
Harrison,  8.  H.,Esq.,  F.R.G.S., 

F.R.S.A 

Hughes,  Edward,  Esq. 
Hughes,  J.  0.,  Esq. 
Hughes,  Rev.  Meredith  J. 
Jones,  T.  E.,  Esq.,  M.D.    . 
Jones,  A.  Seymour,  Esq.    . 


Gwyrch  Castle,  Abergale,  S.O. 
Llangedwyn,  Oswestry 

Wynnstay,  Rhnabon 

Bddnant,  Eglwysfach,  S.O. 
The  Quinta,  Chirk,  Rhuabon 
Caerfedwen,  Trefnant,  S.O. 
Gredington,  Whitchurch,  Salop 
Black  Park,  Rhnabon 
Castle  House,  Denbigh 
Bryn-y-Parc,  Denbigh 
Bettws  Vicarage,  Abergele 
Cefn  Rectory,  St.  Asaph 
34,  Vale  Street,  Denbigh 
Eriviatt,  Denbigh 
Brynderwen,  Llanrwst 

Cartrefle,  Abergele,  S.O. 
Glyndwr,  Bersham  Road,  Wrexham 
Estate  Office,  Llangedwyn,  Oswestry 
Brynymaen  Vicarage,  Colwyn  Bay 
Henar,  Llanrwst 
Pendwr,  Wrexham 


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


UST  OF  MEMBEBS. 


9 


Jones-Bateman,  Bey.  B.,  M.A. 
Kyrke,  B.  V.,  Esq.     . 
Lloyd,  Humphry,  Esq. 
Lynch,  Francis,  Esq. 
Mainwaring,  Lieot.-Gol. 
Morris,  £.,  Esq.,  M.A. 
Morris,  John,  Esq. 
Palmer,  A.  N.,  Esq.    . 
Boberts,  Bev.  C.  F.,  M.A. 
Sandbaoh,  Colonel 
Trevor- Parkins,      The      Wor. 
Chancellor 

Williams,  Thomas,  Esq. 
Wynne,  Mrs.  F. 


Pentre  Mawr,  Abergele 
Nant-y-firidd,  Wrexham 
Morannedd,  Llanddulas,  Abergele,  S.O. 
Glasooed,  Wrexham 
Galltfaenan,  Trefnant,  S.O. 
Walmer  Villa,  Wrexham 
Lletty  Llansannan,  Abergele,  ,3.0. 
1 7,  Bersham  Boad,  Wrexham 
Llanddnlas  Bee  tory,.  Abergele,  S.O. 
Hafodunos,  Abergele,  S.O. 

Glasfryn,  Gresford,  Wrexham 
Llywesog,  Denbigh 
Ystrad  Cottage,  Denbigh 


FLINTSHIRE.    (30) 
Hughes,   Hugh    B.,  Esq.,  Lord    Kinmel    Park,  Abergele,   S.O.  (Den- 


Lieutenant  of  Flintshire 
Kenyon,  Bight  Hon.  Lord 
Mostyn,  Lady    . 
Mostyn,  Bight  Hon.  Lord 
St.  Asaph,  Very  Bev.  Dean  of 
Davies,  Bev.  W.  J.,  B.A. 
Felix,  Bev.  J.     .        .        . 
Godsal,  Philip  T.,  Esq.       . 
Hook,  Bev.  Paul 
Jones,  Bev.  D.,  MA. 
Lewis,  W.  A.,  Esq.,  M.A. 


bigluhire). 
Gredington,  Whitchurch,  Salop 
Talacre,  Bhyl  ^ 

Mostyn  Hall,  Mostyn 
Deanery,  St.  Asaph 
Bryntirion,  St.  Asaph 
Cilcain  Vicarage,  Mold 
Isooed  Park,  Whitchurch,  Salop 
St.  Mary's  College,  Holywell 
The  Vicarage,  Gorsedd,  Holywell 
Glangwynedd,  Bhyl 


♦Meredith,  W.  F.,  Esq.     .        .     St.  Mary's  College,  Holywell        Mi/e) 


Mesham,  Colonel 
Morris,  Dr.  —  •         •         . 

Nicholas,  Bev.  W.  LI.,  M.A.      . 
Owen,  Bev.  Canon  B.  Trevor, 

M.A.,  F.S.A 

Pennant,  Philip   P.,  Esq.,  M.A. 
Powell,  Bev.  E.  W.,  M.A. 
♦Price,  W.  Fred.,  Esq.       . 
Bawlina,  F.  L.,  Esq. 
Bichardson,  Mrs. 
Boberts,  L.  J.,  Esq.,  H.M.LS.    . 
St.  Beuno*s  College  Library 
St.  DeinioUs  Library, 
Storey,  W.  J.  P.,  Esq. 
Tayleur,  C.  Bichard,  Esq. 
Vaughan-Jones,  Bev.  W.,  M.A. 
Williams,  Bev.  B.  0.,  M.A. 
Williams,  P.  Mostyn,  Esq. 


Pontruffydd,  Trefnant,  S.O.  (Denbigh- 
Bodowen,  Holywell 
The  Bectory,  Flint 

Bodelwyddan  Vicarage,  Bhuddlan,  S.O. 

Nantllys,  St.  Asaph 

St.  Asaph 

Fron  Haul,  Bodfari,  Trefnant,  S.O. 

Bhyl  {Denbigh$hire) 

Bhyl 

Tegf an,  Bussell  Boad,  Bhyl 

St.  Asaph 

Ha  warden,  Chester 

Preswylfa,  Bhyl 

Brynllithrig,  St.  Asaph,  S.O. 

Mostyn  Vicarage,  Holywell 

Bose  Hill,  St.  Asaph,  S.O. 

Bhyl 


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10 


LIST  OF   MEMBERS. 


MERIONETHSHIRE.    (14) 


Wynne,  W.  R.  M.,  Esq.,  Lord 
Ideutenant  of  Merionethshire 
Owen,  Lady 
Davies,  Rev.  J.  E.,  M. A. 
Davies,  R.  O.,  Esq.  . 
Dodd,  F.  R.,  Esq.      . 

Griffith,  Edward,  Esq. 
Griffith,  Miss  Lucy  . 
Leigh-Taylor,  John,  Esq. 
Morris,  R.  Jones,  Esq. 
Owen,  Rev.  William 
Owen,  Owen,  Esq. 
Vaughan,  Rev.  T.  H.,  B.A.,  . 
Wynne- Williams,  Kor  O.,  Ebq.  . 
Wood,  R.  H.,  Esq.,  F.S.A., 
F.R.G.S. 


Peniarth,  Towyn,  S.O. 
Cae'r  Ffynnon,  Talsamau,  S.O. 
The  Rectory,  Llwyngwril,  S.O. 
The  Square,  Blaenau  Festiniog 
Intermediate  School,    Blaenau  Festi- 
niog 
Ooedcymmer,  Dolgelly 
Arianfryn,  Dolgelly 
Penmaen  Uchaf ,  Dolgelly 
Tycerrig,  Talsamau,  S.O. 
Llanelltyd  Vicar*ige,  Dolgelly 
Llys  Dorvil,  Blaenau  Festiniog 
Glyndyfrdwy  Vicarage,  Llangollen 
Bronwylfa,  Llanderfel,  Corwen 
Belmont,   Sidmouth,  S.   Devon  ;  and 
Pant-glas,  Trawsfynydd 


MONTGOMERYSHIRE.    (18) 


PowiB,TheRightHon.theEarlo^ 
Lord  Lieutenant  of  Shropshire 

Pryce-Jones,  Lady    . 

Dugdale,  J.  Marshall,  Esq.,  M. A. 

Jones,  Pryce  Wilson,  Esq. 

Jones,  R.  E.,  Esq. 

Leslie,  Mrs. 

Lewis,  Hugh,  Esq  ,  M.A. 

Lloyd  Vemey,  Mrs.  . 

Lomax,  J.,  Esq. 

^Macnair,  Mrs. 

Mytton,  Captain 

Phillimore,  Egerton,  Esq. 

Pughe,  Mrs.  Arthur 

Rees,  Dr.  . 

Temple,  Miss    . 

Thomas,  Yen.  Archdeacon,  M.^., 
F.S.A 

Turner,  E.  R.  Horsfall,  Esq      . 

Willans,  J.  Bancroft,  Esq. 


Powis  Castle,  Welshpool 
Dolerw,  Newtown,  Mont. 
Llwyn,  Llanfyllin,  Oswestry 
Gwynfa,  Newtown,  Mont 
Cefn  Bryntalch,  Abermule,  S.O. 
Bryntanat,  Llansantfraid,  Oswestry 
Glan  Hafren,  Newtown,  Mont. 
Clochfaen,  Llangurig,  Llanidloes 
Bodfach,  Llanfyllin,  Oswestry 
Pennal  ToWer,  Machynlleth 
Garth,  Welshpool 
Penrhos  Arms,  Cemmaes,  S.O. 
Gwyndy,  Llanfyllin,  Oswestry 
Caersws,  S.O.,  Mont. 
Llandysilio,  Oswestry 
Llandrinio  Rectory,  Llanymynech,  Os- 
westry; and  The  Canonry,  St.  Asaph 
Llys  Efrog,  Llanidloes,  S.O. 
Dolforgan,  Kerry,  Newtown,  Mont. 


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SOUTH   WALES. 


BRECKNOCKSHIRE.    (9) 

Bradley,  Mrs Cefn  Pare,  Brecon 

Dawson,  Mrs Scethrog,  Bwlch,  S.O 


Evans,  David,  Esq. 

Oamons- Williams,  Lt.-Col.  R.D. 

Jebb,  J.  A.,  Esq. 

Jones,  Rev.  M.  H.,  B.A.  . 

Price,  Rev.  John,  M.A.      . 

Williams,  Rev.  Preb.  G.,  M.A. 

Wood,  Thomas,  Esq. 


Ffrwdgrech,  Brecon 
Tyraawr,  Brecon 
Watton  Mount,  Brecon 
Trevecca  OoUege,  Talgarth,  Brecon 
Uanf eigan  Rectory,  Brecon 
Abercamlais,  Brecon 
Gwemyf ed  Park,  Three  Cocks  Junc- 
tion, S,0. 


CARDIGANSHIRE.     (25) 


Davies-Evans,  Lieut.-Col.  H., 
Lord  Lieut,  of   Cardiganshire 

Lloyd,  Right  Rev.  John,  D.D., 
Bishop  Suffragan  of  Swansea 

Anwyl,  Prof essor,  M.A. 

Bebb,  R«v.  J.  M.  LI.,  M.A.       . 

DavieB,  J.  H.,  Esq.,  M.A.    . 

Davies,  John,  Esq.     . 

Ellis,  Thomas,  Esq. 

Evans,  Captain  E.  W.  W. 

Evans,  Rev.  George  Eyre  . 
Francis,  J.,  Esq. 
Hughes,  Joshua,  Esq. 
Lewes,  Miss  Evelyn  . 
Lloyd,  Charles,  Esq.,  M.A. 
Phillips,  Rev.  T. 
Pritchard,  Dr.  ... 

Pritchard,  Mrs. 
Rees,  Rev.  R.  J.,  M.A.     . 
Roberts,  T.  F.,Esq.,  M.A.,  Prin- 
cipal of  Univ.  ColL  of  Wales  . 
Rogers,  J.  E.,  Esq.     . 
St.  David's  Coll.,  ThoLibrarian  of 
Samuel,  David,  Esq.,  M.A. 
Vaughan,  Herbert  M.,  Esq. 
Waddingham,  T.  J.,  Esq.  . 
Williams,  Ven.  Archdeacon,  M,A. 
Yerward- James,  W.  E.,  Esq.     . 


Highmead,  Llanybyther,  S.O. 

The  Vicarage,  Lampeter 

Univ.  Coll.  of  Wales,  Aberystwyth 

St.  David's  CoUege,  Lampeter 

Cwrtmawr,  Aberystwyth 

Bridge  Street,  Lampeter 

Glascoed,  Aberystwyth 

Blenheim  Club,  12,  St.  James*  Square, 

S.W.  ;  and  Camnant,  Llandyssul 
Ty  Tringad,  Aberystwyth 
Wallog,  Borth,  S.O. 
Rhosygadair  Newydd,  Cardigan 
Ty-Glyn  Aeron,  Ciliau  Aeron,  Cardigan 
Waunifor,  Maes  y  Crugiau,  S.O. 
Aberporth  Rectory,  Cardigan 
The  Priory,  Cardigan 
The  Priory,  Cardigan 
Rhos,  Aberystwyth 

Aberystwyth 

Abermeurig,  Felinfach,  Cardiganshire 

Lampeter 

Aberystwyth 

Plas  Llangoedmore,  Cardigan 

Havod,  Devil's  Bridge,  S.O. 

Abergeldie  House,  Aberystwyth 

Cae  Morgan,  Cardigan 


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12 


LIST  OF  MEMBERS. 


CARMARTHENSHIRE. 
WilliamA-Drammond^Sir  J.,Bart., 

Lord  Lieat.  of  Carmarthenshire 
St  David's,  The  Lord  Bishop  of 
Dyneyor,  The  Bight  Hon.  Lord 
Williams,  Sir  John,  Bart.,  M.D. 
Barker,  T.  W.,  Esq.  . 
Bishop,  His  Honour  Judge 
Brigstocke,  T.  £.,  Esq. 
Bnokley,  Captain  James 
Camber- Williams,    Rev.    Canon 

R.,  M.A 

Collier,  Ernest,  Esq.,  M.S.A.     . 
Davies,  A.  Llewelyn,  Esq. 
Davies,  Rev.  D.  H.    . 
Davies,  Rev.  Wm. 


(36) 


Edwinsford,  Llandeilo,  S.O. 

The  Palace,  Abergwilly,  Carmarthen 

Dynevor  Castle,  Llandeilo,  S.O. 

Plas  Llanstephan,  Carmarthenshire 

Diocesan  Registry,  Carmarthen 

Dolygarreg,  Llandovery 

54,  King  Street,  Carmarthen 

Castell  Gorfod,  St.  Clears,  S.O. 


Evans,  Mr^.  Colby 
Evans,  Rev.  D.  D.,  B.D.    . 
Gwynne-Hughes,  Colonel  W. 
Hughes,  John,  Esq.    . 
James,  Daniel,  Esq.  . 
Jones,  John  D.,  Esq* 


The  Parade,  Carmarthen 

4,  Quay  Street,  Carmarthen 

Brynderw,  Carmarthen 

Ffinant,  Newcastle  Emlyn 

Vicarage,     Llanfihangel     Abercowin,. 

St.  Clears 
Guildhall  Square,  Carmarthen 
Llangunnor  Vicarage,  Carmarthen 
Glancothy,  Nantgaredig,  S.O. 
Belle  Vne,  Llandeilo 
Vrondeg,  lilandeilo 
Post  Office*  Carmarthen 


Johnes,  Mrs Oolancothy,  Llanwrda,  S.O. 


Lloyd,  H.  Mearic,  Esq.»  M.A. 
Morgan,  J.  B.,  Esq.  . 
Morris,  Rev.  J.,  M.A. 
Poole-Hughes,  Rev.  W.  W.,M.A. 
Spurrell,  Walter,Esq. 
Stepney*Gulston,  Alan  J.,  Esq. 
Thomas,  Rev.  Griffith 
Thomas,  Rev.  John,  M.A. . 
Thomas,  Rev.  O.  Jones 
Thomas,  Mrs.  R.  M. 
Treheme,  G.  G.  T.,  Esq.    . 
Wheldon,  J.  P.,  Esq. 
Williams,  Rev.  J.  A.  . 
WUliams,  Rev.  R. ,  M.  A.     . 
Williams,   W.    Llewelyn,  Esq., 

M.A.,  M.P 

Williams,  Mrs.  W.  J. 


Delfryn,  Llanwrda,  S.O. 

50,  New  Road,  Llanelly 

Vicarage,  Llanybyther,  S.O. 

The  College*  Llandovery 

Carmarthen 

Derwydd,  Llandebie,  S.O. 

Troedybryn,  Carmarthen 

Laugharne  Vicarage,  St.  Clears,  8.0. 

Llandyssilio  Vicarage,  Clynderwwn 

Llanddowror,  St.  Clears,  S.O. 

7,  Bloomsbury  Square,  London,  W.O. 

National  Provincial  Bank,  Carmarthen 

Llangathen  Vicarage,  Golden  Grove, 

Vicarage,  Llandeilo  [S.O. 

Lamb  Buildings,  Temple,  E.C. ;    and 

Glansawdde,  Llanipeuiock 
21,  Picton  Terrace,  Oarmarthea 


GLAMORGANSHIRE.    (98) 


.  Plymouth,  The  Rt.  Hon.  Earl  of. 
Lord  Lient.  of  Glamorganshire 

«Bute,  The  Most  Noble  the 
Marquis  of      ...        . 

Llandaff,  The  Lord  Bishop  of    . 


St.  Pagan's  Castle,  Cardiff 

The  Castle,  Cardiff 
The  Palace,  Llandaff 


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List  Olr   ItiEHBEttS. 


13 


Aberdare,The  Right  Hon.  Lord  . 
Lewis,  Sir  W.  T.,  Bart.      . 
Llewelyn,     Sir    John     Talbot 

Dillwyn,  Bart.,  M.A.       . 
Llandaff,  Very  Rev.  the  Dean  of 
Benthall,  Ernest,  Esq. 
Bloflse,  E.  F.  Lynch,  Esq. 
Cardiff  Free  Library  . 
Cathedral  Library 
Clark,  Godfrey  L.,  Esq. 
Corbett,  E.  W.  M.,  Esq.    . 
Corbett,  J.  Stuart,  Esq.     . 
David,  W.  W.,  Esq.,  M.D. 
Da  vies.  Rev.  David,  M.A. 
Davies,  Dr.  .... 

Davies,  C.  Morgan,  Esq.    . 
Davies,  Rt-v.  H.  C,  M.A. 
Edward8,W.,E8q.,M.A.,H.M.I  8. 
Edmondes,  Yen.  Arch.,  M.A.     . 

Edmondes,  Mrs 

Evans,  Rev.  A.  F.,  M.A. 
Evans,  Pepyat  W.,  Esq.     . 
Evans,  Rev.  W.  F.,  M.A. 
Evans,  W.  H.,  Esq.   . 
Evanson,  Rev.  Morgan,  B.Sc.    . 
Franklen,  Thos.  Mansel,  Esq.     . 
George,  Isaac,  Esq.    . 
Gibbins,  Wm.,  Esq.   . 
Glascodine,  C.  H.,  Esq.      . 
Gordon,  Mrs.  R.  W.  . 
Gray,  Thomas,  Esq.  . 
Griffith,  Rev.  John    . 
Griffiths,  W.,  Esq.      . 
Halliday,G.E.,E8q.,F.R.LB.A. 
Hybart,  F.  W.,  Esq.    . 
James,  C.  H.,  E^sq.    . 
James,  Frank  T.,  Escj. 

Jenkins,  Mrs 

Jones,  D.  W.,  Esq.    . 

Jones,  Edmund,  Esq. 

Jones,  Evan,  Esq. 

Jones,  Miss  Ada 

Jones,  Oliver  Henry,  Esq.,  M.A. 

Jones,  Edgar,  Esq.,  M.A.   . 

Jones,  Rhys,  Esq. 

Jones,  J.  Amallt,  Esq.,  M.D.   . 

Kirkhouse,  Mrs.  Herbert 


Dyffryn,  Aberdare 
Mardy,  Aberdare 

Penllergare,  Swansea 

Deanery,  Llandaff 

Glantwrcb,  Ystalyfera,  S.O. 

Coytrehen,  Aberkenfig,  S.O. 

Cardiff 

Llandaff 

Talygarn,  Llantrisant,  Glam.,  S.O. 

PwU-y-pant,  Cardiff 

Bute  Estate  Office,  Cardiff 

The  Glog,  Pontypridd 

Canton  Rectory,  Cardiff 

Bryn  Golwg,  Aberdare 

112,  High  Street,  Merthyr  Tydfil 

St.  Hilary  Rectory,  Cow  bridge 

Courtland  House,  Merthyr  Tydfil 

Nolton  Court,  Bridgend 

Old  Hall,  Cowbridge 

Vicarage,  Neath 

33,  Newport  Road,  Cardiff 

The  School,  Cowbridge  [Cardiff 

Llanmaes    House,    Llantwit    Major. 

Merthyr  Mawr  Rectory,  Bridgend 

St.  Hilary,  Cowbridge 

The  Grove,  Mountain  Ash 

Gktrthmor,  Neath 

Abingdon  Gardens,  Kensington,  W. 

Nottage  Court,  Bridgend,  Glam. 

Underbill,  Port  Talbot,  Glam. 

Llangynwyd,  Glamorgan  * 

Pencaemawr,  Merthyr  Tydfil 

19,  Castle  Street,  Cardiff 

Conway  Road,  Canton,  Cardiff 

64,  Park  Place,  Cardiff 

Penydarreu  House,  Merthyr  Tydfil 

Gellystone,  Llandaff 

Galon-uchaf,  Merthyr  Tydfil 

The  Forest,  Glyn  Neath,  Glam. 

Ty-mawr,  Aberdare 

Maindy,  Ynyshir,  Pontypridd 

Fonmon  Castle,  Cardiff 

County  School,  Barry 

Godrecoed,  Neath 

Heathmont,  Aberavon,  Port  Talbot 

Hazelwood,  Cathedral  Road,  Cardiff 


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14 


LIST  OP  MEMBERS. 


Knight,  R.  L.,  Esq.    . 
Lawrence,  Arthur,  Esq. 
Leigh,  Dr. 
Lewis,  Rev.  Canon 

Lewis,  Arthur,  Esq.    . 
Lewis,  Rev.  Daniel 
Lewis,  Lieut.-Colonel  D.  R. 
♦Lewis,  Mrs. 
Linton,  H.  P.,  Esq.   . 
Llewellyn,  R.  W.,  Esq. 
Metford,  Miss     . 
Moore,  G.  W.,  Esq. 
Moore-Gwyn,  J.,  Esq. 
Morgan,  Colonel  W.  L.,  R. 
Morgan,  J.  Llewellyn,  Esq 
Morgan,  Taliesin,  Esq, 


E. 


NichoU,  Iltyd,  Esq.,  F.S.A. 
Nicholl,  J.  L  D.,  Esq. 
Owen,  J.  Trevor,  Esq.,  M.. 
Phillips,  Rev.  T.  0.  . 
Powel,  Professor  Thomas,  M.A. 
*Pughe- Jones,  J.  E.,  Esq. 
Rees,  Hoirell,  Esq.,  M.D. 
Reynolds,  Llywarch,  Esq.,  M.A. 
Richards,  J.  E.,  Esq. 
RUey,  W.,  Esq. 

Royal  Institution  of  S.  Wales    . 
Ryland,  C.  J.,  Esq.     . 

Salmon,  Principal  David    . 
Seaborne,  George,  Esq. 
Stockwood,  8.  H.,  Esq. 
Swansea  Free  Library 
Talbot,  Miss        .        .        .        . 
Thomas,  A.  C,  Esq.  . 
Thomas,  D.  Lleufer,  Esq.,  M.A. 
Thomas,  J.  Lynn,  Esf^.,  C.B.    . 
Thomas,  Rev.  J.  L.,  M.A. 
Thomas,  Trevor  F.,  Esq.    . 
♦Thomas,  Lewis  D.,  Esq.  . 
Thompson,  Herbert  M.,  Esq.     . 
Traherne,  L.  E.,  Esq. 
Tyler,  Mrs.  Trevor    . 
University  College  Library 
Vachell,  C.  T.,  Esq.,  M.D. 


Tythegston  Court,  Bridgend,  Glam. 
6,  Park  Place,  Cardiff 
Glynbargoed,  Treharris,  Glam. 
Ystrad  -  y  -  f odwg   Vicarage,    Pentre, 

Glamorgan 
Tynewydd,  Llandaff 
Rectory,  Merthyr  Tydfil 
Phw  Penydarren,  Merthyr  Tydfil 
Greenmeadow,  Tongwynlais,  Cardift 
Llandaff  Place,  Llandaff 
Baglan,  Briton  Ferry 
Glasfryn,  Dinas-Fowys,  Cardiff 
Pen  lUtyd,  Palace  Road,  LUndaff 
Dyffryn,  Neath 
Brynbriallu,  Swansea 
Bryn  Teilo,  LUndaff 
12,  Queen's  Chambers,  Queen  Street, 

Cardiff 
The  Ham,  Cowbridge 
Merthyr  Mawr,  Bridgend,  Glam. 
Grammar  School,  Swansea 
Skewen  Vicarage,  Neath 
University  College,  Cardiff 
43,  Trafalgar  Terrace,  Swansea 
Glyndwr,  190,  Newport  Road,  Cardiff 
48,  Glebeland  Street,  Merthyr  Tydfil 
Woodlands,  Neath 
Newcastle  House,  Bridgend 
Swansea 
Cardwell    Chambers,    Marsh    Street, 

Bristol;   and  Southemdown 
Training  College,  Swansea 
Brynheulog,  Hengoed,  Cardiff 
Bridgend,  Glam. 
Swansea 

Margam  Park,  Taibaoh 
103,  Cathedral  Road,  Cardiff 
Hendre,  Swansea 
21,  Windsor  Place,  Cardiff 
Pont-neath-Vaughan,  Neath 
Ely  Rise,  Cardiff 
27,  Rope  Walk,  Neath 
Whitley  Batch,  Llandaff 
Coedriglan  Park,  Cardifl 
Llantrythid,  Cowbridge 
Cardiff 
11,  Park  Place,  Cardiff 


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LtSt  Ot  M1SMBSR6. 


16 


Ward,  John,  Esq.,  F.S.A.  . 
WheatJey,  J.  L.,  Eaq. 
♦Wniiams,  W.,  Esq.,  M.D. 
WiUiamB,  Mrs. 
Wilking,  Charles,  Esq.,  F.G.S. 


Public  Maseum,  Cardiff 
174,  Newport  Road,  Cardiff 
Ponarth,  Glam. 
Cartrefle,  Hirwain,  Aberdare 
Springfield,  Merthyr  Tydfil 


PEMBROKESHIRE.    (26) 


Cawdor,  The  Right  Hon.  Earl, 
Lord  Lientenant  of  Pem- 
brokeshire       .... 

Philipps,  Sir  C.  E.  G.,  Bart., 
Lord  Lieutenant  of  the  Town 
and  County  of  Haverfordwest . 

Scourfield,SirOwenH.  P.,Bart. 

Alien,  Miss  Mary 

AUen,  Herbert,  Esq. 

Bancroft,  J.,  Esq.,  H.M.I.S. 

Bowen,  Rev.  Preb.    . 

Bushell,  Rev.  W.  Done,  M.A.    . 

Cathedral  Library 
Chidlow,  Rev.  C,  M.A.      . 
Green,  Francis,  Esq. . 
Hilbers,  Yen.  Archdeacon,  M.  A . 
Jones,  E.  D.,  Esq.     . 

Laws,  Edward,  Esq.,  F.S.A. 
Leach,  A.  L.,  Esq.     . 


Lewis,  Rev.  T 

♦Lloyd,  Richard,  LI.,  Esq. 
Owen,Henry,E8q.,D.C.L.,F.S.A. 

Phillips,  Rev.  James 
PhiUips,  J.  W.,  Esq. 
Phillips,  Rev.  J.         .         .         . 
Samson,  Louis,  Esq.,  F.S.A. 
Thomas,  A.  H.,  Esq.,  A.R.LB.A. 

Thomas,  Rev.  O.  Jones 
Thomas,  Mrs.  James 
Wade-Evans,  Rev.  A.  W.  . 


Stackpole  Court,  Pembroke 


Picton  Castle,  Haverfordwest 

Williamston,  Neyland 

c/o  C.  F.  Ecerton  Allen,  Esq.,  Hill 
Cottage,  Tenby 

10,  The  Norton,  Tenby,  and  Winton 
House,  Leamington 

Somerset  House,  Tenby 

Monkton  Priory,  Pembroke 

The  Hermitage,  Harrow  ;  and  Caldy, 
Pembroke 

St.  David's,  Pembroke 

Llawhaden  Vicarage,  Nar berth 

Glanymor,  St.  David's 

St.  Thomas  Rectory,  Haverfordwest 

6,  Addison  Road,  Kensington,  W., 
and  Fishguard 

Brython  Place,  Tenby 

Giltar,  Shrewsbury  Lane,  Plumstead, 
S.E.  ;  (Tenby  and  Co.,  News  Office, 
Tenby) 

Lampeter  Velfrey  Rectory,  Narberth 

Pen ty park,  Clarbeston  Road,  S.O. 

44,  Oxford  Terrace,  Hyde  Park,  W. ; 
and  Poyston,  Pembroke 

Haverfordwest 

Haverfordwest 

Uzmaston  Vicarage,  Haverfordwest 

Scotch weU,  Haverfordwest 

County  Surveyor's  Office,  Haverford- 
west 

Llandyssilio  Vicarage,  Clyndtrwen 

Rook  House,  Haverfordwest 

41,  Goldsmith  Avenue,  Acton,  W., 
and  Fishguard,  Pembroke 


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16 


LIBT  OP  MfiMBEES. 


RADNORSHIRE.    (8) 

Day,  Rev.  E.  Hermitage,  D.D.  .  Bryn  Moel,  Abbey  Cwm  Hir,  Peny- 
Jones,  John,  Esq.  .  .  .  Ash  Villa,  Rhayader  (bont,  R.S.O. 
Sladen,  Mrs Rhydoldog,  Rhayader 


Thomas,  Rev.  J.  J.,  B.A. 
Thomas,  R.  Wellings,  Esq. 
Venables-Lle  welyn,  Charles,  Esq. 
Williams,  Mrs. 
Williams,  Rev.  Preb.  T.,  M.A. 


The  Manse,  Rhayader 

County  Surveyor's  Office,  Uandrindod 

Llyadinam,  Newbridge-on-Wye 

Penralley,  Rhayader 

Llowes  Vicarage,  Hereford 


MONMOUTHSHIRE,    (ii) 

Tredegar,  Right  Hon.  Viscount, 
Lord  Lieut,  of  Monmouthshire 
Llangattock,  The  Kt.  Hon.  Lord 
Jackson,  Sir  U.  M.,  Bart.  . 
Anthony,  Miss  .... 
Bowen,  A.  E.,  Esq. 
Bradney,  Joseph  A.,  Esq. 
Hanbury,  J.  Capol,  Esq. 
Martin,  E.  P.,  Esq.    .  .     The  Hill,  Abergavenny 

Rickards,  R.,  Esq.       .  .     The  Priory,  Usk 

Secretary,  The  ....     Public  Library,  Newport,  Mon. 
Williains,  Albert  A.,  Esq.  Penyparc,  Llangibby,  Newport^  Mon. 


Tredegar  Park,  Newport 
The  Hendre,  Monmouth 
Llantilio  Court,  Abergavenny 
The  Grove,  Caerphilly,  Mon. 
The  Town  Hall,  Pontypool 
Tal-y-Coed,  Abergavenny 
Pontypool  Park,  Mon. 


THE   MARCHES.    (29) 


Harlech,  The  Right  Hon.  Lord . 
Banks,  W.  H.,  Esq.,  B.A.  . 
Bulkeley-Owen,Rev.T.M.,M.A. 
Corrie,  A.  Wynne,  Esq. 
Davies,  James,  Esq.    . 
Drinkwater,  Rev.  C.  H.,  M.A.   . 
Gleadowe,  T.  S.,  Esq.,  H.M.LS. 
Lloyd,  Edward,  Esq. 

Longley,  Mrs 

Newell,  Rev.  E.  J.,  M.A. 
Nicholson,  A.  C,  Esq. 
Owen,  John,  Esq. 
Parry- Jones,  J.,  Esq. 
Pilley,  Walter,  Esq.     . 
Sitwell,  F.  Hurst,  Esq. 
Summers,  H.  H.  C,  Esq.  . 
Swainsun,  Rev.  J.  G. 

Taylor,  Henry,  Esq.,  F.S.A. 
Woodall,  Edward,  Esq. 


Brogyntyn,  Oswestry 

Hergest  Croft,  Kington,  Herefordshire 

Tedsmore  Hall,  West  Felton,  R.S.O. 

Park  Hall,  Oswestry 

Gwynva,  Broomy  Hill,  Hereford 

St.  George's  Vicarage,  Shrewsbury 

11,  Stanley  Place,  Chester 
Meillionen,  Hoole,  Chester 
Dinhara  House,  Ludlow    [timer, Salop 
Neen  Solars  Vicarage,  Cleobury  Mor- 

12,  Salop  Road,  Oswestry 
Tawelan,  Newton  Lane,  Chester 
Plas,  Glyn,  Rhuabon 

The  Barton,  Hereford 

Ferney  Hall^  Craven  ArmF,  Shropshire 

Picton  Villa,  Oswestry 

Wistaiistow   Rectory,  Craven     Arms, 

S.O.,  Salop 
12,  Curion  Park,  Chester 
Wingthorpe,  Oswestry 


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CORRESPONDING    SOCIETIES.  17 


CORRESPONDING    SOCIETIES. 

The  Society    of   Antiqaaries,  Burlington    Hoase,  London  (c/o  W.   H. 

St.  John  Hope,  Esq.) 
The  Society  of  Antiquaries  of  Scotland,  Queen  Street  Museum,  Edin- 
burgh (c/o  Joseph  Anderson,  Esq.,  LL.D.) 
The  Royal  Society  of  Antiquaries,  Ii-eland  (c/o  R.  H.  Cochrane,  Esq., 

F.S.A.,  6,  St.  Stephen's  Green,  Dublin) 
The    British    Archseological  Association,  Brooklyn  Lodge,   Mill   Hill, 

Barnes,  S.W.  (c/o  R.  H.  Forster,  Esq.) 
The  ArchsBological  Institute  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  20,  Hanover 

Square,  W.  (c/o  The  Secretary) 
The  Royal  Society  of  Northern  Antiquaries,  Copenhagen 
The  Royal  Institution  of  Cornwall,  Truro  (c/o  Major  T.  Parkyn) 
The  Cambridge  Antiquarian  Society,  Cambridge 
The  Bristol  and  Gloucestershire  Archasological  Society  (The  Society's 

Library,  Eastgate,  Gloucester) 
The  Chester  Archaeological  and  Historical  Society  (c/o  I.  E.  Ewen,  Epq., 

Grosvenor  Museum,  Chester) 
The  Shropshire  Archaeological    and  Natural  History   Society   (c/o   F. 

Goyne,  Esq.,  Shrewsbury) 
The  Cumberland  and  Westmorland  Antiquarian  Society,  Kendal 
Society  of  Antiquaries  of  Newcastle-on-Tyne  (R.  Blair,  Esq.,  F.S.A.) 
La  Soci^t^  d'Arch^ologie  de  Bruxelles,  Rue  Ravenstein  11,  Bruxelles 
The  Smithsonian  Institution,  Washington,  D.  C,  U.S.A. 
The  Library,  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  Washington,  D.C.,  U.S.A. 
Kongl.  Vitterhets    Historic    och    Antiquitets    Akademien,   Stockholm 

(c/o  Dr.  Anton  Blomberg,  Librarian). 


All  Members  residing  in  South  Wales  and  Monmouthshire  are 
requested  to  forward  their  subscriptions  to  the  Rev.  Charles  Chidlow, 
M.A.,  Llawhaden  Vicarage,  Narberth.  All  other  Members  to  the  Rev. 
Canon  R.  Trevor  Owen,  F.S.A.,  Bodelwyddan  Vicarage,  Rhuddlan, 
Flintshire,  S.O. 

As  it  is  not  impossible  that  omissions  or  errors  may  exist  in  the  above 
list,  corrections  will  be  thankfully  received  by  the  General  Secretaries. 

The  Annual  Subscription  is  One  Cruinea^  payable  in  advance  on  the  first 
day  of  the  year. 

Members  wishing  to  retire  must  give  six  months*  notice  previous  to  the 
first  day  of  the  following  year,  at  the  same  time  paying  all  arrears. 

All  communications  with  regard  to  the  Archceologia  Ca/mhrensis  should 
be  addressed  to  the  Editor,  J.  Romilly  Allen,  F.S.  A.,  28,  Great  Ormond 
Street,  London,  W.C. 


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18  lAWS. 

LAWS 

OF  THB 

Cambrian   ^Ircbaeologtcal   ^tssociation. 


ESTABLISHBD    1846, 

In  order  to  Examiney  Preserve,  and  Illustrate  the  Ancient  Monuments  and 

Remains  of  the  History,  Language,  Manners,  Customs, 

and  Arts  of  Wales  and  the  Marches. 


CONSTITUTION. 

1.  The  AsBOoiation  shall  consist  of  Subsoribing,  Corresponding,  and  Hono- 

rary  Members,  of  whom  the  Honorary  Members  must  not  be  British 
subjeote. 

ADMISSION. 

2.  New  members  may  be  enrolled  by  the  Chairman  of  the  Committee,  or  by 

either  of  the  General  Secretaries ;  but  their  election  is  not  complete 
nntil  it  shall  have  been  confirmed  by  a  General  Meeting  of  the  A^ocia- 
tion, 

GOVBBNMENT. 

3.  The  Goyemment  of  the  Association  is  vested  in  a  Committee  consisting 

of  a  President,  Vice-Presidents,  a  Treasurer,  a  Chairman  of  Committee, 
the  General  and  Local  Secretaries,  and  not  less  than  twelve,  nor  more 
than  fifteen,  ordinary  subscribing  members,  three  of  whom  shall  retire 
annually  according  to  seniority. 

ELECTION. 

4.  The  Vice-Presidents  shall  be  chosen  for  life,  or  as  long  as  they  remain 

members  of  the  Association.  The  President  and  all  oti^er  officers  shall 
be  chosen  for  one  year,  but  shall  be  re-eligible.  The  officers  and  new 
members  of  Committee  shall  be  elected  at  the  Annual  General  Meet- 
ing. The  Committee  shall  recommend  candidates ;  but  it  shall  be 
open  to  any  subscribing  member  to  propose  other  candidates,  and  to 
demand  a  poll.  All  officers  and  members  of  the  Committee  shall  be 
chosen  from  the  subscribing  members. 

THE  CHAIB. 

5.  At  all  meetings  of  the  Committee  the  chair  shall  be  taken  by  the  Presi- 

dent, or,  in  his  absence,  by  the  Chairman  of  the  Committee. 

CHAIRMAN  OF  THE  COMMITTEE. 

6.  The  Chairman  of  the  Committee  shall  superintend  the  business  of  the 

Association  daring  the  intervals  between  the  Annual  Meetings ;  and 
he  shall  have  power,  with  the  concurrence  of  one  of  the  G^nerid  Secre- 
taries, to  authorise  proceedings  not  specially  provided  for  by  the  laws. 
A  report  of  his  proceedings  sl^ll  be  laid  before  the  Committee  for  their 
approval  at  the  Annual  General  Meeting. 


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LAWS.  19 


BDITORIAL  SUB-COMMITTEB. 

7.  There  shall  be  an  Editorial  Snb-Oommittee,  oonsiBting  of  at  least  three 

members,  who  sliall  saperintend  the  publications  of  the  Association,  and 
■hall  report  their  proceedings  annually  to  the  Committee. 

I 

8UB8CBIPTI0N. 

8.  All  Subsoribing  Members  shall  pay  one  guinea  in  advance,  on  the  1st  of 

January  in  eaoh  year,  to  the  Treasurer  or  his  banker  (or  to  either  of 
the  General  Secretaries). 

WITHDBAWAL. 

9.  Members  wishing  to  withdraw  from  the  Aissociation   must  g^ive  six 

months'  notice  to  one  of  the  General  Secretaries,  and  must  pay  all 
arrears  of  subscriptions. 

PUBLICATIONS. 

10.  All  Subscribing  and  Honorary  Members  shall  be  entitled  to  receive  all 

the  publications  of  the  Association  issued  after  their  election  (except 
any  special  publication  issued  under  its  auspices),  together  with  a 
ticket  giving  free  admission  to  the  Annual  Meeting. 

SEOBBTABIBB, 

11.  The  Secretaries  shall  forward,  once  a  month,  all  subscriptions  received 

by  them  to  the  Treasurer. 

TBEASUBER. 

12.  The  accounts  of  the  Treasurer  shall  be  made  up  annually,  to  December 

Slst;  and  as  soon  afterwards  as  may  be  convenient,  they  shall  be 
audited  by  two  subscribing  members  of  the  Association,  to  be  appointed 
at  the  Annual  General  Meeting.  A  balance-sheet  of  the  said  accounts, 
certified  by  the  Auditors,  shall  be  printed  and  issued  to  the  members. 

BILLS. 

1 3.  The  funds  of  the  Association  shall  be  deposited  in  a  bank  in  the  name 

of  the  Treasurer  of  the  Association  for  the  time  being ;  and  all  bills 
due  from  the  Association  shall  be  countersigned  by  one  of  the  General 
Secretaries,  or  by  the  Chairman  of  the  Committee,  before  they  are  paid 
by  the  Treasurer. 

OOMMITTBE-MBBTIKO. 

14.  The  Committee  shall  meet  at  least  once  a  year  for  the  purpose  of  nomi- 

nating officers,  framing  rules  for  the  government  of  the  Association, 
and  transacting  any  other  business  that  may  be  brought  before  it. 

GBNBBAL  MEETIKG. 

15.  A  General  Meeting  shall  be  held  annually  for  the  transaction  of  the 

business  of  the  Ajssociation,  of  which  due  notice  shall  be  given  to  the 
members  by  one  of  the  General  Secretaries. 

SPECIAL  MEETING. 

16.  The  Chairman  of  the  Committee,  with  the  concurrence  of  one  of  the 

General  Secretaries,  shall  have  power  to  call  a  Special  Meeting,  of 
which  at  least  three  weeks*  notice  shall  be  given  to  each  member  by 
one  of  the  G^eral  Secretaries. 

QUOBUM. 

17.  At  all  meetings  of  the  Committee  five  shall  form  a  quorum. 


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20  LAWS. 

CHAIRHA.N. 

18.  At  the  Annual  Meeting  the  President,  or,  in  his  absence,  one  of  the 

Vioe-Presidents,  or  the  Chairman  of  the  Ck>mmittee,  shall  take  the 
chair ;  or,  in  their  absence,  the  Committee  may  appoint  a  chairman. 

CASTINa  VOTE. 

19.  At  all  meetings  of  the  AjBsociation  or  its  Committee,  the  Chairman  shall 

have  an  independent  as  well  as  a  casting  vote. 


20.  The  Treasurer  and  other  officers  shall  report  their  proceedings  to  the 

General  Committee  for  approval,  and  the  General  Committee  shall 
report  to  the  Annual  General  Meeting  of  Subscribing  Members. 

TICKETS. 

21.  At  the  Annual  Meeting,  tickets  admitting  to  excursions,  exhibitions, 

and  evening  meetings,  shall  be  issued  to  Subscribing  and  Honorarj 
Members  g^tuitously,  and  to  corresponding  Members  at  such  rates  as 
may  be  fixed  by  the  officers. 

ANNUAL  MEBTINO. 

22.  The  superintendence  of  the  arrangements  for  the  Ajinual  Meeting  shall 

be  under  the  direction  of  one  of  the  General  Secretaries  in  conjunction 
with  one  of  the  Local  Secretaries  of  the  Association  for  the  district, 
and  a  Local  Committee  to  be  approved  of  by  such  General  Secretary. 

LOCAL   EXPENSES. 

2.S.  All  funds  subscribed  towards  the  local  expenses  of  an  Annual  Meeting 
shall  be  paid  to  the  Joint  account  of  the  General  Secretary  acting  for 
that  Meeting  and  a  Local  Secretary  ;  and  the  Association  shall  not  be 
liable  for  any  expense  incurred  without  the  sanction  of  such  General 
Secretary. 

AUDIT  OF  LOCAL   EXPENSES. 

24.  The  accounts  of  each  Annual  Meeting  shall  be  audited  by  the  Chairman 

of  the  Local  Committee,  and  the  balance  of  receipts  and  expenses  on 
each  occasion  be  received,  or  paid,  by  the  Treasurer  of  the  Ajssociation, 
such  audited  accounts  being  sent  to  him  as  soon  after  the  meeting  as 
poFsible. 

ALTERATIONS  IN  THE  RULES. 

25.  Any  Subscribing  Member  may  propose  alterations  in  the  Rules  of  the 

Association  ;  but  such  alteration  must  be  notified  to  one  of  the  G^eral 
Secretaries  at  least  one  month  before  the  Annual  Meeting,  and  he  shall 
lay  it  before  the  Committee ;  and  if  approved  by  the  Committee,  it 
shall  be  submitted  for  confirmation  at  the  next  Meeting. 

(Signed)        C.  C.  Babington, 
Augfust  17tb,  1876.  Chairman  of  the  Committee, 


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"32101  063966^1 


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