Archæologia Cambreusis. THIRD SERIES, No. XXIII.-JULY, 1860. ON SOME OLD FAMILIES IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF LAMPETER, CARDIGANSHIRE. (Read at Cardigan.) THE materials of this account have not been obtained without some research and labour, and I trust that it will be interesting to those connected by blood with the families of the county of Cardigan, if not to the archæological inquirer. I wish, before going any farther, to acknowledge my obligations, for valuable assistance in compiling the paper, to the Rev. H. R. Lloyd, Vicar of Owersby, Lincolnshire, and to Mr. Gwynne Stedman Thomas, of the town of Caermarthen. I am also indirectly indebted to Mr. Walter Lloyd, of Caermarthen, for some particulars in the later history of Peterwell. It was one of Voltaire's sneers, that heraldic knowledge is "the science of fools with long memories;" and a Welshman's fondness for pedigree has always been the subject of ridicule; yet no one will deny that genealogical memoranda are valuable aids to history. But the Welshman's predilection arose from the state of the law with regard to property. The Welshman's pedigree was his title-deed, by which he claimed his birthright in the country. Every one was obliged to show his descent through nine generations in order to be acknowledged a free native, and by which right he claimed his portion of land in the community. He was affected, with respect to legal process, in his collateral affinities through nine degrees. For instance, every murder committed had a fine levied on the relations of the murderer, divided into nine parts; his brother paying the greatest, and the ninth in 1 1 "Nid wyf fi yn perthyn iddo o fewn i'r nawfed ach," is a common saying in these parts. ARCH. CAMB., THIRD SERIES, VOL. VI. Z affinity the least. This fine was distributed in the same way among the relatives of the victim; an ordinance which, if liable to objection on the score of justice, was admirably calculated to insure a diminution of crime. A person passed the ninth descent formed a new pencenedl, or head of a family. Every family was represented by its elder, and these elders from every family were delegates to the national council. The origin of this system is buried in the depths of antiquity, for it was found to be in existence at the early part of the tenth century, when Howel the Good revised the laws of his country. (Sir Samuel Rush Meyrick's Preface to Lewys Dwnn's Heraldic Visitation of Wales). To those acquainted with all this, the Welshman's predilection for pedigree does not appear at all a subject for wonder. It has been said-I am not able to say how far correctlythat fewer estates have descended in a direct line in the Principality than in any part of the kingdom. Some of those here present will, I doubt not, be able to say how far this is correct, and to put their finger on the causes that may have contributed to this effect. With regard to the old families in the neighbourhood of Lampeter, any one tracing their history cannot fail to notice how completely most of them have disappeared from among the generations of the children of men. The families in this neighbourhood, as appears from the pedigrees of Lewys Dwnn, "Deputy Herald-at-Arms for Wales and parts of the Marches" in the time of Queen Elizabeth and James I., were of the best blood of the Principality. One of the most flowery pedigrees in Dwnn's Visitation is that of Thomas Griffith, Lord of Lampeter. Lampeter is one of the ancient manors of the county of Cardigan, the lord of which enjoyed, and still enjoys, divers inalienable rights and privileges. The worthy lord of Lampeter, I need scarcely observe, was not a peer of the realm. Thomas Griffith is thus heralded by Lewys Dwnn,-"Thomas Gruffydd, Arglwydd Llanbedr Pont Esteven Mawr, a Saint Kler, ag Aberaeron, a ar Dustus or Pies ar Kwrwm," that is to say, in plain English, "Thomas Griffith, Lord of Lampeter Pont Stephen the Great, and Saint Clear's, and Aberaeron, and Justice of the Peace and Quorum.' The pedigree runs up to Roderick the Great, Prince of Wales in the ninth century-Rodri Mawr Towyssog-through Cadifor ap Dinawal. Thomas Griffith was entitled to quarter no less than thirteen shields in his escutcheon, so many streams of noble 2 Rev. Rowland Williams's Sermon on the Death of Thomas Phillips, 1851. 3 The more correct way of spelling this name would be Dyfnwal. Welsh blood met in his veins; and there is no question but that he was a man of great territorial possessions and influence, this worthy lord of Lampeter. I have said that Thomas Griffith, Lord of Lampeter, was descended from Cadifor ap Dinawal. A great number of the county families trace their origin to Cadifor, and he is connected with the town of Cardigan by an act of bravery that will transmit his name to the latest posterity. He was the Picton of his day. In a MS. formerly preserved at Alltyrodin, we have the following: "Cadifor ap Dinawal, a man of great valour and conduct, having taken the castle of Cardigan from the Earl of Clare and the Flemings by scalado, was honoured by his prince, who was also his first cousin (viz., the great Lord Rhys, Prince of South Wales), for that service, with these arms (viz.)—sable, a spear's head embrued between three scaling ladders argent, on a chief' gules a castle triple-towered of the second. He was also rewarded with divers territories, and entitled Lord of Castell Hywel, Pantstreimon, and Gilfachwen, in the parish of Llandyssil, in the county of Cardigan; he married Catherine, daughter of the said Lord Rhys."5 With saying that the taking of Cardigan Castle, here referred to, took place probably about 1164, in the reign of Henry II., we bid the gallant knight adieu for the present, and return to Cadifor's descendant, Thomas Griffith, lord of Lampeter, whose pedigree we give in full, as it is seen in Dwnn's Visitation of Wales, vol. I. p. 65. Llanbedr Pont y Steven. Gwehelyth Tomas Gruffydd Sgwier ag Arglwydd Llanbedr Pont Esteven mawr a Saint Kler ag Aberaeron a ar Dustus or Pies ar Kwrwm. 1588.-Tomas mab ag aer Gruffydd ap Ieuan ap David ap Llewelyn ap Gwilim Lloyd ap Gruffydd goch ap Rys ap Rydderch ap Kydivor ap Dinawal ap Gwynn ap Aelaw ap Alssur ap Tudwal ap Rodri Mawr Towyssog. Y Priodossau ynt yr rain. 1. Kydivor ap Dinawal, arglwydd Kastell Howel a briododd Katrin v. yr Arglwydd Rys. 2. Rydderch ap Kydifor a briododd Sioned v. Syr Aaron ap Rys ap Bledri o Vorganwg, marchog oedd Syr Aaron hwn o grefydd. 4 Vide Note in Lewis Glyn Cothi's Works, Dosp. IV. iv. 5 It is right to say that Sir Samuel Rush Meyrick remarks that it may be justly questioned whether the event was not thus commemorated in later times, as such a charge is far too complicated for the period to which it is assigned. 3. Rys ap Rydderch a briododd Gwenllian v. Llewelyn ap Owain arglwydd Iskoed kerdin ag i Dewdwr o dad i dad. 4. Gruffydd goch ap Rys a briododd Katrin v. Syr Elidur ddu marchog o grefydd; ag ef oedd o Vrien Reged o dad i dad. 5. Gwilim ap Gruffydd goch a briododd Dyddgu v. Tomas ap Llewelyn ap Rys ap Llewelyn ap David o Gaio. 6. Gwilim Lloyd ap Gwilim a briododd Gwyril v. ag aeres i Gruffydd gethin ap Mredydd ap Llewelyn ap Rys ap Hoelwyn o Fuellt, ag ef oedd dad i dad o Lystan brenin Fferlex nai Henfordd. 7. Llewelyn ap Gwilim Lloyd a briododd Lleuku v. Ieuan Lloyd ap Ieuan ap Gruffydd hir o Waithvoed dad i dad. 8. David ap Llewelyn ap Gwilim a briododd Lleuku v. Ieuan ap Siankyn Lloyd o Gemais ap Ieuan Vychan ap Ieuan Lloyd ap David voel ap Einion ap Owain ap Robart. 9. Ieuan ap David_ap Llewelyn a briododd Gatrin (aeres Llanbedr) v. Jankyn Rys ap David ddiwaethaf ap Tomas ap David ap Gronwy goch arglwydd Llangathen. Mam Gatrin hono Marged v. Gruffydd ap Nikolas. Mam Marged hono merch Syr Tomas Perot marchog. Mam Siankyn ap Rys ap David merch (aeres y Gilvachwen) Siankyn ap Rys ap David ap Howell goch ap Rys Voel ap Rys ap Rydderch ap Kydivor ap Dinawal. merch Mam hono a gwraig Siankyn ap Rys oedd ag aeres Gruffydd ap Rys Gwinionydd ap Rys ap Llewelyn ap Hoelwyn o Fuellt ag i Lystan. Griffith ap Iouan ap David-Katrin v. Ieuan Lloyd vachan sgwier ap David ap Llewelyn ap David vychan ysgwier ag i Waithvoed David Elen v. Gruffydd ap David o dad i dad Thomas Gruffydd David o Gydivor Vawr Ieuan ap David Gruffydd Elsbeth v. Jams ap Ieuan 1 Thomas Katrin v. 2 Gruffydd 3 David Gwenllian 4 Richiart 5 Sion Arvau Tomas Gruffydd Ysgwier yw-1. Pais Kadivor ap Dinawal; ail pais Tudwal ap Rodri, 3. Rodri, 4. Gruffydd Gethin o Lystan, 5 pais yw Gronwy, 6 Elystan, 7 Dinawal, 8. Gruffydd ap Rys Gwinionydd, Elystan 9 Rys ap Llewelyn Chwith, 10 Mredydd ap Tomas ap Llewelyn Esgwier ap Owen, 11. Ffylib Ivor, Gwaithvoed, 12. Llewlyn ap Gruffydd ap Llewelyn ap Ierwerth Drwyndwn, 13. Owain Gwynedd. Dated 3 dai off Desember Ano R. R. Elsbeth 34 Ano D' 1591. THOMAS GRIFFYTH. In the list of the sheriffs of the county of Cardigan we find the name of "Thomas Grifith, of Maes y velin, Esq.," in the year 1575, in the reign of Elizabeth. This is probably Thomas Griffith, Senr., who appears in the above pedigree of Lewys Dwnn. The principal residence of the lords of Lampeter was called Mynydd Hywel, which stood on the western side of the river Croyddin, near the farm now called Pontfaen, a little below the town of Lampeter. Tradition points out the remains of a causeway, from the western door of the church, that led by a stone bridge to the mansion-house. In a MS. containing the genealogies of the principal families of Cardiganshire, Caermarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, the property of Mr. Evans, of Llyswen House, near Aberaeron, we have the pedigree of Mynydd Hywel. It agrees in part with that of Lewys Dwnn, given above, and is materially the same as the one seen in Meyrick's History of Cardiganshire. The lords of Lampeter had, perhaps, by the year 1575, when Thomas Griffith was sheriff, removed from Mynydd Hywel to Maesyfelin, or they may have kept both places in hand.6 We shall now cite the genealogy of the Lloyds of Castell 6 In the works of Lewis Glyn Cothi, who flourished in the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., Richard 111., and Henry VII., there is a poem addressed to one Hopcyn ap Sion, of Llys Newydd, on the banks of the Tawy, from which it appears that Hopcyn was lord of Lampeter. We cannot find his name in the genealogies which we have seen. The lines referring to the lordship of Lampeter, and his other territories, run thus, "I Hopcyn, er hyn, y rhawg |