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as he says, to have been contemporary with the last abbot. This had long been decayed; and the vast remains of the hollow trunk have been lately removed to the seat of the Mostyn family at Talacre, where they are placed in the park, and where a young oak, planted inside, grows within the coat of its aged congener; while a circular trace in the field still shows the site of the abbot's tree. Near this, at the corner of the fence where the abbey field is approached from Holywell, is a small building, with a Tudor-headed doorway, that might well have been part of the porter's lodge, or else a portion of one of the abbatial mills. The barns are now tenanted for a tan-yard. The field in which the church is situated is open to the public; cattle graze among the ruins, and all except the barns is in as neglected a state as can be conceived. Not very long before Pennant's time, some of the abbatial buildings were used as a dwelling house, and even the present tenant remembers the remains to have been much more perfect than they now are. This cruel abandonment of an historical monument is much to be lamented, more especially since the property belongs to one of the oldest and noblest families of Wales, and one which, from its steady adherence to the ancient faith of its ancestors, might be expected to take a warm interest in the preservation of all memorials of what was once solemnly consecrated to the service of God. A small degree of care, and a trifling expenditure of money, would, under proper guidance, suffice to check the decays of time as here manifested, and might preserve the existing remains for many future ages.

The following are all the historical notices, chronologically arranged, which we have been able to glean in reference to the abbey of Basingwerk.

The first, as already intimated, is that in which Richard, son of Hugh Lupus, is represented as taking shelter in it from the assault of a party of Welsh. On that occasion, says Bradshaw, he applied to St. Werburg for relief, who miraculously raised certain sands between Flintshire and Wirral, and thus gave means to his Constable to pass to his assistance, which sands from that time were called the Constable's sands.

In 1131 Ranulph bestowed considerable benefactions upon the establishment. They are not specified, but are supposed to consist chiefly in the erection of new buildings for the

accommodation of the inmates, who until now had only a chapel here. It was this Earl Ranulph who was poisoned, A.D. 1155, by William Peverel.

About the same time Ranulph, earl of Chester, and some Barons endowed it with Holywell, Fulbrook, the old Chapel, with the mills and their appurtenances. Ranulph, more

over, made to it a donation of Holes, a moiety of Lecche, and one hundred shillings of the revenues of Chester. He is also associated with his brother Eneas in the grant of the land which lay before the doors of the monastery. Robert Banastre is mentioned in the charter of Henry II. as having, probably about this date, made a grant of Kethlenedei to the abbey of Basingwerk.

We come now to Henry II., who reigned A.D. 1154-1188. He confirmed the above donations by Ranulph, the other Barons, and Robert Banastre; and granted, moreover, ten librates in Longdendale in Derbyshire, with the church of Glossope, and all its appurtenances; also Calders with its inhabitants. A copy of the original charter in which these gifts and confirmations are made, is printed in Dugdale's Monasticon. The following is a translation of the same:

Confirmation of Grants by King Henry the Second. H. King of England, and Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, and Count of Anjou, to the Archbishops, Bishops, &c. Greeting. Know ye that I have given and confirmed, and by the present Charter have confirmed, to God, and St. Mary and the Monks of Basingwerk, for a free and perpetual eleemosynary gift, ten librates of land in Longedene dale; that is to say Glossope with the church that is there, with all the lands and things thereto pertaining, according as William Peverell held them fully in the time of King Henry my grandfather. And I moreover do grant and confirm to them all their tenements which Ranulph Earl of Chester, and other Barons, have given to them and by this Charter confirmed; that is to say, Halliwelle and Fulibroch, and the Chapel of Basingwerk, in which they at first dwelt, with the mills and all their appurtenances. And Kethlenedei, by the gift of Robert Banastre. And Holes with the half of Lecche; and one hundred shillings out of the revenues of Chester which Earl Ranulph gave them. Also Calders, with the men, and things, and lands, and all its appurtenances, and whatsoever has been reasonably given to them. Wherefore I will, &c.

Witnesses. Thomas, Chancellor: Richard Humest, Constable: and R. de Dunstanvill, Jocelin de Bailoil, and William Fitz Hamon : at Chester.1

1 The translations of this and the two subsequent charters are taken from

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The principal accounts which are found of Henry the Second's connection with Basingwerk abbey are the following. Matthew Paris, under the head of A.D. MCLVII. says,— "Eodem anno Rex Henricus magnam paravit expeditionem, ita ut duo milites de tota Anglia tertium invenirent, ad expugnandum Wallenses per terram et per mare. Intrans ergo Walliam Rex, extirpatis sylvis nemoribusque succisis atque viis patefactis, castrum Roelent firmavit, alias munitiones antecessoribus suis surreptas potenter revocavit, castellum etiam Basingewerc restauravit, et, Wallensibus adlibitum subjectis, cum triumpho Angliam repetivit." "Roelent" here signifies, no doubt, Rhuddlan, often called "Rothelan" in ancient documents. Hollinshed, after relating the king's expedition and discomfiture, says, "About the same time King Henry builded the castell of Rutland, and also the castell of Basingwerke, and one house also of Templers." Speed notes that Henry recovered the castle of "Ruthlan," and "repaired the castle of Basingwerke." Stowe also states that Henry "reedified the castle of Basingwirke," but says nothing of the religious house. Leland, in Collectan. vol. i. p. 101, edit. Hearne, has the following entry, Basingwerk Abbat: Cisterc: com. Flint. Henricus 2. fundatur originalis ;" and Ralph Higden the monk, of Chester, as quoted in the same edition of Leland, Collect. vol. ii. p. 375, says, "Rex Henricus duxit primo exercitum in Walliam et firmavit castellum de Rudlande et fundavit monasterium de Basingwerke." It is said by Powell, from whom Pennant probably took it, that Henry II. founded here a house for templars. But the only good authority for such a statement seems to be that of Tanner, who says this is mentioned in a MS. of Bishop Humfrys. The learned author of the Notitia Monastica does not say what this MS. was, nor what was its date; and therefore we may be allowed to doubt the validity of the statement, which we suspect depends on no other authority than a misinterpretation of the text of Holinshed quoted above, which is the earliest allusion made to any house of the kind. It was extremely improbable that two religious orders should be joined in one estab

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the texts as they stand in Dugdale's Monasticon; an opportunity not having yet been afforded of examining the Record Offices at London for the originals. The same remarks will apply to the other documents quoted from the

same source.

lishment; and as we know that the superior of Basingwerk was styled "abbat," temp. Edw. I. and therefore anterior to the suppression of the templars, whereas the superior of the templars never bore such a title, we are inclined to think that Henry the Second's charter was made to Cistercian monks, and to them only. If Henry II. founded a house of templars, it was probably near Rhuddlan—a more important military position; for Browne Willis, in speaking of the vicars of the latter place, (St. Asaph, vol. i. p. 413,) says, "Here are the remains of an abbey, the religious of which are said to be of a military order." The term abbey is perhaps derived from this house having been given to the religious of some other order after the suppression of the unfortunate knights.1 As for the building at Basingwerk called by Pennant, Grose, &c., the templars' chapel, it may be pronounced with tolerable certainty not to have been a chapel at all. It is built north and south, and has no trace of an altar, nor of any of the other adjuncts of Christian worship.

Hugh Cyveiliog, earl of Chester, who died A.D. 1181, is supposed to have conferred upon the monks of Basingwerk the hospital or chapel of Sponne, near Coventry, which he had founded.3

Owain Brogyntyn, lord of Dinmael and Edeyrnion, gave them the village of Wenhewm, with all its inhabitants and appurtenances. He also made a grant of "a certain water in Penthlinn, called Thlintegid, or Pemblemere, and all the pasture of the said land of Penthlin." This was witnessed by Reyner, who was bishop of St. Asaph from 1186 to 1224, and by Ithel, Owain's chaplain.5

A.D. 1188, Giraldus Cambrensis, in the train of Archbishop Baldwyn on his progress through Wales to preach the Crusade, lodged a night at this monastery, which he calls “cellula de Basingwerk.”

6יי

Llewelyn ab Iorwerth, who succeeded to the Principality of Wales, A.D. 1194, gave by charter the land of Meredydd

1 In the will of Bishop Gervase de Castro, of Bangor, probat. 1370, this bequest occurs: "Item Fratribus Predicatorum de Rethland 60s."-Browne Willis;-Bangor, p. 220.

2 Query, Son of Madog ab Meredydd and brother of Owain Cyveiliog, Prince of Powys?

3 Dugdale's Warwickshire, i. 197. 4 Llyn Tegid or Bala Lake.

5 Sebright MSS.

ARCHEOL. CAMB. VOL. I.]

6

Itin. Camb. lib. ii. c. 10.

I

Wawor in Holywell; Fulbrook; a community of pasturage on the mountains; Hanot de le Wecch; and Creicgraft, with all their appurtenances. He also confirmed all the donations of his ancestors, particularly the site of the abbey, the mill before the gate, and the land before the doors.

Charter of Llewelyn ab Iorwerth, Prince of North Wales. Lewelin,2 Prince of North Wales, to all the sons of Holy Mother Church, present as well as to come, in Christ Greeting. Let the present age of living men and the universal posterity of all future ones know, that I, Lewelin, do grant and confirm to God and St. Mary and the Monastery of Basingwerk, and the Monks serving God therein, all the donations which my predecessors have conferred on the above Monastery for the sake of their souls, free and quit of all land service and secular exaction: that is to say, that place in which their Abbey is founded, together with the mill which they have before the gate the land which lies before their doors which Ranulphus and his brother Eneas gave to the above-named Monks. Also the land which Meredith Wavver held in Haliwell, and in the open country of that township, Also Fulebroc with all its appurtenances, and the common right of mountain pasturage with others, and Hanot de le Wecch, and Creicgraft with all its appurtenances in lands, and waters and pasturages and all other easements. Lest therefore any one shall rashly dare to contravene this our page, I corroborate it with my seal, and by witnesses. These are witnesses:

:

Richard son of Kadwalad: Horm son of Ulf: Meiler son of Kadugan Hitel son of Kenred: Griffin son of Wskenen: Kenwreech son of Meredit: William son of Ierwerth.

3

His son and successor, David, by another charter dated AD. 1240, which we subjoin, confirms the gifts of his father, and adds the lands of Huttred, brother to Meredydd Wawor; the grange of Fulbrook; the church of Holywell and the chapel of Colsul, and the land and pasturage of Gelli, before granted by his father. He likewise empowers the monks to buy and sell everything toll-free in all his territories, for the use of their house; also he gives them the fifth part of the fish taken in his fisheries at Rhuddlan, and the tenth of the fish belonging to him in other parts. He confirms to them all the village of Wenhewm, with all its inhabitants and appurtenances, being the gift of Owain Brogyntyn, and confirmed by Helysus. He at the same confirms the lands and pasturage in Penllyn, the donation of his father, Llewelyn.

3 Pennant

1 Probably the same as Lecche. 2 Sic apud Dugdale. thinks that this place was Flint, called in the Domesday Book, Coleselt.

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