{67} Hamelin, Son Of Dru De Baladun, Who Came Into England With
William The Conqueror, Was The First Lord Of Over-Went, And Built A
Castle At Abergavenny, On The Same Spot Where, According To Ancient
Tradition, A Giant Called Agros Had Erected A Fortress.
He died in
the reign of William Rufus, and was buried in the priory which he
had founded at Abergavenny; having no issue, he gave the aforesaid
castle and lands to Brian de Insula, or Brian de Wallingford, his
nephew, by his sister Lucia.
The enormous excesses mentioned by
Giraldus, as having been perpetrated in this part of Wales during
his time, seem to allude to a transaction that took place in the
castle of Abergavenny, in the year 1176, which is thus related by
two historians, Matthew Paris and Hollinshed. "A.D. 1176, The same
yeare, William de Breause having got a great number of Welshmen into
the castle of Abergavennie, under a colourable pretext of
communication, proposed this ordinance to be received of them with a
corporall oth, 'That no traveller by the waie amongst them should
beare any bow, or other unlawful weapon,' which oth, when they
refused to take, because they would not stand to that ordinance, he
condemned them all to death. This deceit he used towards them, in
revenge of the death of his uncle Henrie of Hereford, whom upon
Easter-even before they had through treason murthered, and were now
acquited was the like againe." - Hollinshed, tom. ii. p. 95.
{68} Landinegat, or the church of St. Dingad, is now better known
by the name of Dingatstow, or Dynastow, a village near Monmouth.
{69} [For the end of William de Braose, see footnote 34.]
{70} Leland divides this district into Low, Middle, and High
Venteland, extending from Chepstow to Newport on one side, and to
Abergavenny on the other; the latter of which, he says, "maketh the
cumpace of Hye Venteland." He adds, "The soyle of al Venteland is
of a darke reddische yerth ful of slaty stones, and other greater of
the same color. The countrey is also sumwhat montayneus, and welle
replenishid with woodes, also very fertyle of corne, but men there
study more to pastures, the which be well inclosed." - Leland, Itin.
tom. v. p. 6. Ancient Gwentland is now comprised within the county
of Monmouth.
{71} William de Salso Marisco, who succeeded to the bishopric of
Llandaff, A.D. 1185, and presided over that see during the time of
Baldwin's visitation, in 1188.
{72} Alexander was the fourth archdeacon of the see of Bangor.
{73} Once at Usk, then at Caerleon, and afterwards on entering the
town of Newport.
{74} Gouldcliffe, or Goldcliff, is situated a few miles S.E. of
Newport, on the banks of the Severn. In the year 1113, Robert de
Candos founded and endowed the church of Goldclive, and, by the
advice of king Henry I., gave it to the abbey of Bec, in Normandy;
its religious establishment consisted of a prior and twelve monks of
the order of St. Benedict.
{75} [Geoffrey of Monmouth.]
{76} The Cistercian abbey here alluded to was known by the several
names of Ystrat Marchel, Strata Marcella, Alba domus de Stratmargel,
Vallis Crucis, or Pola, and was situated between Guilsfield and
Welshpool, in Montgomeryshire. Authors differ in opinion about its
original founder. Leland attributes it to Owen Cyveilioc, prince of
Powys, and Dugdale to Madoc, the son of Gruffydh, giving for his
authority the original grants and endowments of this abbey.
According to Tanner, about the beginning of the reign of king Edward
III., the Welsh monks were removed from hence into English abbeys,
and English monks were placed here, and the abbey was made subject
to the visitation of the abbot and convent of Buildwas, in
Shropshire.
{77} Cardiff, i.e., the fortress on the river Taf.
{78} Gwentluc - so called from Gwent, the name of the province, and
llug, open, to distinguish it from the upper parts of Wentland, is
an extensive tract of flat, marshy ground, reaching from Newport to
the shores of the river Severn.
{79} Nant Pencarn, or the brook of Pencarn. - After a very
attentive examination of the country round Newport, by natives of
that place, and from the information I have received on the subject,
I am inclined to think that the river here alluded to was the Ebwy,
which flows about a mile and a half south of Newport. 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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