143 THE VAIRDRE BOOK. THE Vairdre Book is a collection of antiquarian notes written at the end of the sixteenth and the beginning of the seventeenth century, by-or under the direction of George Owen, the historian of Pembrokeshire, who had gathered round him a band of antiquaries, among whom were Robert Holland, George Owen Harry, and George Owen, the York Herald; the last two have often. been confounded with the historian (see Arch. Camb 4th Ser., vol. iv, p. 385; Fenton's Pembrokeshire, p. 563 ; and the life of G. O. Harry in the D. N. B. The book obtained its name from having at one time got into the possession of Lloyd of Vairdre, in Llandyssul, Cardigan; and it was apparently bound up in its present state by Robert Vaughan (see Cambrian Register, vol. ii, p. 81). It now belongs to Sir Marteine Lloyd, Lord of Kemes. I Extracts from the book have been published, not with entire accuracy, in the eighth and thirteenth volumes of the third series of this Journal, and also in the Supplement to the Baronia de Kemeys; several others will be found in Owen's Pembrokeshire. propose from time to time to publish in this Journal such further extracts as will be of general interest. Many papers from the Vairdre Book were copied by George Owen into the Fragmentes of Wales, Pembrock and Kemes, and other of his works. Poyston. I. HENRY OWEN. (ff. 19a.) This shold be subscribid under the mapp of Wales. (8 May, 1610.) Wales at the tyme of the conquest consisted of so muche land as ys now in the xiij sheres of Wales vzd in the sheres of And so many Lordeshipps as by the statute of 27 H. 8 ar anexed to the Counteyes of Gloucester, Hereford and Salop. Willm the conqueror p[re]sently after his conquest of England began to make warr upon the prince of Wales and wan som. lips next audioynig England. Wm Rufus did the like & in the 11 yere of his Raing slew prince Rees ap theodor1 prince of South Wales, & then came all south Wales to the kinge posession and then the Kinge gave most of yt to divse noble me of England & kept lytele in his possession vzd Carm then & Cardigan sheres. H. 3. Creatud his sonne prince of wales but this was but of South Wales for North Wales was then wholely in the prince of North Wales' handes. By composition between H. 3 & prince Llm2 the king hadd 4 cantredes yelded unt him by the prince vzd Rose & Ryvonuog3 now the lipp of Denbigh, Diffrin Clwid that is now the lip of Ruthin and the cantred of Englefeld in Flint shere. (f. 19. b.) E. I gave the ij first to Lacy erle of lincolne & the third, Diffryneloyd, to grey & mad him Lo. of Ruthin. E. i having in his posession most pte of the Countey of carm then ever seithens the conquest of Rees ap Theuder & all Cardigan in the ij yere of his Raing slew prince llñ of north wales and tooke rest (?) unto his hande the principalyty of Northwales vzd Anglesey, Carnvon & mioneth & then mad his sonne E borne at Carnvon prince of wales & gave unt him so much Landes as he hadd in handes both in Northwales & South wales vzd so much as ys composed wth 7 collor in this mapp all the rest of Wales, being the far greter & better pte, was in the handes of sundry Lordes mches whose auncesters had 1 Rhys ap Tewdwr. 3 Rhos and Rhyvoniog. 5 Tegeingl. 2 Llywelyn ap Gruffydd. 6 Edward gave these lordships in 1282 to Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, and to Reginald, Lord Grey de Wilton. 7 Blank in MS. eyther conquerid the same from the Welshmen ar hadd yt by the kinge gift being first conquerid by the king or yeldid to him by composition & that apereth in this mapp being compasid about wth 1 coller. (f. 20 b.) Endorsed. 1610. 8 Maij. Wales. What yt was at the conquest how the princeipaly tye was made & how yt was subduid. A subscription for the mapp of Wales. II. (F. 46 b.) (17 July '98.) You shall find many decayed townes in Wales & the cause is for that all the townes in wales were built for maunteyning of the Lordes marchers garrisons wch thei were dryven to kepe there of Englishmen & Normans and when so many townes were builded in wales, as ys to be seene, thei were all well inhabited whiles the contrey was disobedient as ys said before but when the contrey grew to be civell & peaceable then such of those townes as stoode convenient eyther to serve as a throwfare or a convenient place for a markett towne or ells hadd som good port or harborow fytt for trading by sea those townes fell to some good trade & so florished & dothe yett vphold them selves in som Resonable welth, the rest being placed in wild & obscure places vnapt for any trade fell into Ruinne & vtter decaye. besyde the cause of the decaye of townes aforesaid Owen Glindwr in his warres dyd burne spoyle diuerse townes wch then were Inhabyted by englishmen and Rased them to the grounde that thei were never Reedifyed nor never cold be able to Recouer theire former estate as some for example Welsh poole in Montgomeryshire new Radnor grismonds the haye endorsed-Of the decaye of townes & Castells in Wales. 1 Blank in MS. 2 The earlier part of this tract was published in Arch. Camb., 3rd Ser., vol. xiii, p. 133. Owen in his rough hand. 3 Grosmont. The above is a later addition by George 4 Caersws. 146 REPORT OF PORTMADOC MEETING. (Continued from page 78.) ROUTES OF THE EXCURSIONS. EXCURSION NO. 1.--TUESDAY, AUGUST 18th LLYSTYN GWYN AND CRICCIETH. Route.--Members left the Town Hall at 9 A.M., and proceeded by carriage north-west through Dolbenmaen to Llystyn Gwyn (near Brynkir Railway Station); then south through Llanystumdwy to CRICCIETH; and east back to PORTMADOC. The following objects of interest were visited : Penmorfa (Church of St. Beuno). Gesail Gyfarch (Inscribed Stone). Dolbenmaen (Church and Mound). Brynkir Hall (The Property of Mr. R. M. Greaves). Ystum Cegid (Cromlech). Llystyn Gwyn (Inscribed Stone). Rhos-y-Lan (Cromlech). Llanystumdwy (Church). Criccieth (Church and Castle). Ystumllyn (Ancient Historic House, the Property of Colonel O. Lloyd J. Evans). The members were hospitably entertained to LUNCHEON at Brynkir Hall by kind invitation of R. M. Greaves, Esq., and to Tea at Ystumllyn by invitation of Colonel O. Lloyd J. Evans. 1 EXCURSION NO. 2.--WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19th. Route. Members left the Town Hall at 9 A.M., and proceeded by carriage south through Harlech to LLANBEDR; then east through Cwm Bychan to the ROMAN STEPS; returning again to LLA NEEDR, and taking the train from Pensarn Station back to PORTMADOC, The following objects of interest were visited : Glyn Cywarch (Ancient Mansion, the Residence of Lord Harlech). Harlech Ty Eiddow (An Old Church converted into Cottages) Cym Bychan (Roman Steps). Llanbedr (Church and Stone, with Incised Spira! The members were hospitably entertained to LUNCHEON in the courtyard of HARLECH CASTLE by the kind invitation of the President, R. H. Wood, Esq., and to TEA at WERN GRON FARM by Randal Casson, Esq. EXCURSION NO. 3.—THURSDAY, AUGUST 20th. TRECEIRI AND LLANGYBI. Route.-Members left the Town Hall at 9 A.M., and proceeded by carriage west through Criccieth and Chwilog to FOUR CROSSES; then north to LLANAELHAIARN; returning through Llangybi and Criccieth to PORTMADOC. The following objects of interest were visited :— Llanaelhaiarn (Church and Inscribed Stone). Treceiri (Ancient British Fortress). Llangybi (St. Cybi's Church and Well). The members were hospitably entertained to LUNCHEON in the Board School-Room at LLANAELHAIARN by kind invitation of J. E. Greaves, Esq., the Lord-Lieutenant of Carnarvonshire; and to TEA at GLASFRYN by kind invitation of Mrs. Williams-Ellis. EXCURSION NO. 4.-FRIDAY, AUGUST 21st. BEDDGELERT AND NANT GWYNANT. Route.-Members left the Town Hall at 9 A.M., and proceeded by carriage north through the Pass of Aberglaslyn to Beddgelert (making a détour south-east from Prenteg to HAFOD GARREGOG and the BRIDGE OF ABERGLASLYN); then north-east to HAFOD LWYFOG in Nant Gwynant; returning again through Beddgelert to PORTMADOC. The following objects of interest were visited: Hafod Garregog (Once the Residence of the Welsh Bard, Rhys Goch O Eryri). Bwlch Gwernog (Ancient Road and Hut-Circles). Beudy Newydd (Camp). Ty Mawr (Old Chapel). Beddgelert (Church) Muriau'r Dré (Hut-Circles). Hafod Lwyfog (Old House belonging to Colonel Mainwaring). LUNCHEON was provided for the members at BEDDGELERT, and they were hospitably entertained to afternoon TEA at HAFOD LWYFOG by Colonel Mainwaring. |