Before The
New Turnpike Road And Bridge Were Made Across Tredegar Park, The Old
Road Led To A Ford Lower
Down the river, and may still be travelled
as far as Cardiff; and was probably the ford mentioned in the
Text,
as three old farm-houses in its neighbourhood still retain the names
of Great Pencarn, Little Pencarn, and Middle Pencarn.
{80} Robert Fitz-Hamon, earl of Astremeville, in Normandy, came
into England with William the Conqueror; and, by the gift of William
Rufus, obtained the honour of Gloucester. He was wounded with a
spear at the siege of Falaise, in Normandy, died soon afterwards,
and was buried, A.D. 1102, in the abbey of Tewkesbury, which he had
founded. Leaving no male issue, king Henry gave his eldest
daughter, Mabel, or Maude, who, in her own right, had the whole
honour of Gloucester, to his illegitimate son Robert, who was
advanced to the earldom of Gloucester by the king, his father. He
died A.D. 1147, and left four sons: William, the personage here
mentioned by Giraldus, who succeeded him in his titles and honours;
Roger, bishop of Worcester, who died at Tours in France, A.D. 1179;
Hamon, who died at the siege of Toulouse, A.D. 1159; and Philip.
{81} The Coychurch Manuscript quoted by Mr. Williams, in his
History of Monmouthshire, asserts that Morgan, surnamed Mwyn-fawr,
or the Gentle, the son of Athrwy, not having been elected to the
chief command of the British armies, upon his father's death retired
from Caerleon, and took up his residence in Glamorganshire,
sometimes at Radyr, near Cardiff, and at other times at Margam; and
from this event the district derived its name, quasi Gwlad-Morgan,
the country of Morgan.
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