The Rev. Lewis Williams on the same occasion abused (in his absence) the Knight of Berw, calling him "a boobie, and a Jew, and that he had ever been a Jew, and would die a Jew." These amenities passed just when King Charles and his parliament were in arms against each other, and "in almost every shire in the kingdom two hostile factions appeared in arms." The magistrates seemed to regard the dispute as more alarming than a mere assault would be, and forthwith issued a warrant to the Sheriff and constables to arrest the offenders, and put a stop to their mutinous meetings, which, they said, "if not speedily supprest maie procure a dangerous consequence." We do not find that Sir Thomas Holland took an active part in the civil war on either side. He was Sheriff for the second time in 1622, and not afterwards, nor did any other Holland of Berw hold that honourable office after him.

It has been mentioned that one of the Misses Holland married Cadwalader Wynn of Voelas, and another Hugh Gwyn of Cromlech. With both of these families Sir Thomas had enough to do. The former marriage took place in 1592, but Mr. Wynn must have died not long after, because in 1608 his widow appointed Sir Thomas guardian over her son Robert. Again neither of the two daughters of his sister Mrs. Cromley, or Gwyn of Cromlech, were to be married without his consent, a matter which seems to have given him much anxiety. He was also a party to the settlement made on the marriage of his favourite sister Mary Holland in 1630, with Mr. Arthur Williams, of Llanbadrig. Mary married again five years later, Mr. Richard Dryhurst, of Denbigh, mercer. She survived him, and finally married Mr. Richard Williams, of Llysdulas, sometime M.P. for the County, who had been one of the trustees of her first settlement, and was a relation of her first husband. Mary died in 1654.

Besides looking after his sister's affairs, the knight had some occupation found him by his brothers. Edward was a lawyer, and at one time Clerk of the Peace;

nevertheless in 1642 Sir Thomas was called upon to assist in defending him in a criminal information which had been laid against him and Thomas Prichard for certain "felonies and transgressions." Another brother, Richard, gave him a bond for £100, voidable on this curious condition: "yf the sayd Richard Holland shall happen to have a wedded wyfe with hym lawfully coioyned in matrimony att the tyme of hys death, or otherwyse shal happen to have a child by hym begotten and living att the said tyme of his death." A third brother Robert, who had an annuity of five pounds charged upon Berw, sold it to Sir Thomas in 1612 for £100 down. Tristram seems to have been the most independent of the younger sons of Owen Holland. He made an agreement with one Hugh ap William by which, for certain considerations, the latter was to "mayntaine and keepe the s tristram holland with meate, drinke, lodging, and washinge in convenient manner, upon the costs and charges of the said Hugh, at his house at Dinam.”

The latter part of Sir Thomas' life was much embittered by a series of law-suits with Thomas Chedle, who, first a servant and next a lessee of Sir Richard Bulkeley -Sir Thomas' first cousin-afterwards married his widow and obtained virtual possession of the Baronhill estates. A certain boundary river in Malltraeth marsh was a source of endless contention; Chedle living at one time at Lledwigan, and diverting the stream of the Cefni so as to encroach upon Holland's lands. Failing to get peace here, the knight raked up all the charges he could against Chedle, and even accused him of having murdered his wife's former husband. The matter seems to have been hushed up, but it is an important item in the history of the Bulkeley family; and would probably never have come to light but for the exertions of Sir Thomas Holland. Doubtless, in endeavouring to preserve from waste the Baronhill Estates, he was repaying the kindness and aid he had received from the former owner of them. In the course of the quarrel Chedle commenced proceedings for conspiracy against

the knight in the Star Chamber, and Sir Thomas, "by reason of his age and unwildiness to travel," had to apply for and pay the costs of a commission to come and take his evidence. When the commissioners arrived with their interrogatories, Chedle "rushed into the roome" and stopped them. Sir Thomas, in a petition to the king, adds, "for that Chedle would make yo' subiect come up to London to answere, and by that means he the said Chedle did hope yo' subiect would dye by the journey."

Sir Thomas Holland added to the family estates by the purchase of lands both at Gaerwen and near Beaumaris. The Hamptons sold him lands near Henllys and in Llanfaes. A very curious series of title deeds relating to Gaerwenganol purchased by him, are still preserved. One Thomas Phelippe sold the place in 1582 for "twenty-six pound in a leather bagge." So with the coals; the knight was well aware of their value. He obtained a lease to himself from Griffith Bagenall of the Bagenall moiety for sixty years, if Griffith should so long live, and so became for a time at least the owner of the whole township. He was afterwards accused of having taken advantage of that opportunity to "committ great waste and spoile, and greatly encroach upon the parte whereof he was only lessee." Probably he did no more than any other mining lessee would have done, but raised and sold as much coal as he possibly could. Sir Thomas sold the fine farm of Carnan to John White, a connection of the Whites of Fryars. Some idea of the roads in Sir Thomas' time may be gathered from evidence given on the trial of an action in the Court of the Marches at Ludlow, in which Mr. Prythergh, of Myfyrian, obtained judgment against the knight as to a right of way which he claimed over Ynys Ferw. “It is usual in Anglesey," says one witness, "when the high or common ways prove foull or dangerous in winter, to break open gapps into the hedges adjoining, thereby to avoyd the foulnes and danger of the highwaies by going over and along the closes or ground adjoyninge.'

Another mentions that it took "fortie oxen to drag a shaft or post to the plaintiffs windie mylne from the sea near defendants house." This house was one which Sir Thomas had built on his lands at Trefarthen, nearly opposite Carnarvon, and which he called Tai cochion. Just below it he had a warehouse, at which were landed stores, etc., for use at Berw, and, perhaps, elsewhere. Sir Richard Bulkeley used to import wine, fish, and various goods, and so, perhaps, did Sir Thomas Holland. Mr. Rowlands says of the latter that," being a clever man, he carried on the trade of merchandize." Unfortunately his business books have not been preserved. He seems to have spent a portion of every year at Tai cochion, at the same time having on his own hands, not only the family mansion at Berw, but also the house at Beaumaris. The latter is described as being in his own occupation, in a settlement dated in 1642. A lease, signed by him in 1643, seems to be one of the last deeds he lived to execute, for his nephew and heir Owen Holland was in possession of the estates in 1644; so that the old knight, though he had suffered much annoyance from the seething of those angry passions which soon became civil war, scarcely lived long enough to see actual hostilities in Anglesey. He must have been about sixtyseven years old. It is remarkable that no tomb or monumental memorial is known to exist of any of these Hollands, either at their parish church, Llanidan, or elsewhere.

Amongst other law proceedings Sir Thomas seems to have been called to account for some offence against the laws of heraldry and to have received the sanction of Sir John Borough Garter King of Arms to bear “azure, a lyon rampant gardant between five flowers de lice argent." The following letter relates to this matter. It is written by Mr. William Bold, some time Sheriff of Anglesey, but has no address :

"Worthy Sir, give me leave, I pray you, to acquainte you with my proceedings in these partes; being desirous to understand Sir Thomas Hollands descent, for y' better satisfaction,

after some conference I obtained to see his evidence; whear I found that in these parts his ancestors formerly hadd beene powerfull men, but in the tyme of Henry the 4th Henry 6th Henry 7th & Henry 8th and soe to these tymes, for their coate they have not beene such curious preservers of it, or at least it appears so unto me as I have direct proofe of it. Only they receave it by tradition from tyme to tyme preserved by our antiquaries and gentlemen curious in petegrees. Nor do I find that the rest of his family derive themselves from the Duke of Excester but from the Hollands of Lankeshire, wch in all likelihood may be soe, for in those turbulent tymes, I find that manye Englishe out of Cheshire and Lankeshire were transferred heare to places of Judicature and keeping of forts: wch I might very well instance my own name as in the Pickmen, Spicers, and many others: I find his error to be that being on a suddaine called on he relyed to much on Mr. Hughes yo1 officer's knowledge, not sending, as he ought to have done, to the rest of the family; but now, upon conference with them he waves Mr. Hughes his opinion; I dout not but to give you satisfaction therein; and soe desirous he is of it that in person he intends as I hear say to doe it. My cozen Jo: Griffith presents his love and service to you, and both of us doe ioyntlie intreat you that there may be noe proceedings against him till one of us come to towne, whiche, God willing, will be shortlie this terme." The letter, like the grant of arms, bears date in 1635.

Sir Thomas Holland never having been married, his estates descended to the eldest son of his next brother, Owen Holland, by his wife Mary, the daughter of Michael Evans. This son was also named Owen, and he had one brother only, Edward Holland, of Maes-y-wrach. Shortly before the death of the old knight, Owen Holland the third had married Jane, daughter of Pearce Lloyd of Llugwy Esq., who survived him many years, and died at Taicochion in 1708; his possession was inaugurated by a chancery suit brought by Dame Magdalene Tyringham, the widow of Arthur Bagenall, to recover that moiety of Eskeiviog which Griffith and Arthur Bagenall had leased to Sir Thomas, and which Owen refused to give up, although Griffith Bagenall was dead, for whose life the lease had been granted. Mrs. Tyringham does not hesitate to accuse Mr. Holland of "taking advantage of the distractions of the times" to