Antiquitates Parochiales.

De Paræciis et Villulis Commoti de Mane.

Hic tractatus ad calcem perductus est circa annum 1710. Nonnihil aliquando mihi, de antiquis Monæ Insula villis pareciisque (res siquidem remotioris ævi retinendi causa, e memoria hominum ocius evolantes) sigillatim dicturo: commotus de Mæne primus et ex sex hujus insulæ commotis, facile principalis, parsque una e cantreda Rossiriana, maneriisque ejus, feudali jure astrictus, nunc reponendus occurrit.

Regio hæc, etiamsi ad australe insulæ latus quam maxime sita sit, suas tamen habet portiunculas subsultim quasi et per vices, per totam insulam, et pene per mediam disterminatas; Rhoscolyn nimirum in occiduo angulo; Sybylltir in medio; Llivon et Bryn Gwallan inter tres commotos, collocatas. Ex quo equidem, quod rarius evenire constiterit, hunc commotum de Mæne, quem enarrandum accipio, omnes hujus insulæ commotos, uno vel altero loco, sibi sociare conterminos adnotare libet. Maxima vero hujus disterminationis portio, una et indivisim sub propriis jacet terminis; sese videlicet exporrigens ab Abermæne ex una parte, ad Coedane in altera longitudine quatuordecim circiter milliaria complectens: in latitudine autem circa mediam partem prope Rhydywraig uno fere milliario se colligit, tametsi quo maxime lata est, octies et decies mill. pass. haud possit comprehendi.

DISTERMINATIO.

Hic commotus de Mæne, ubi se latius diffundi patitur, his ab aliis separatus dignoscitur cancellis, viz. primo ascendendo ab Aber-y-pwll y

Parochial Antiquities.

Of the Parishes and Townships of the Commot of Mane.

THIS tract was completed about the year 1710. When I had determined to say something about each of the ancient townships and parishes of the Island of Mona, (in order that I might preserve the memory of things of a rather remote period which are apt to escape too quickly from the recollection of man,) the Commot of Mæne first, and certainly the chief of the six commots of this island, a part of the Cantref of Rossir, with its manors, as divided by feudal law, occurred at once to my notice.

This district, although situated on the southern side of the island, has some small portion separated from it by jumps and intervals, as it were, throughout the whole island, and some almost in the middle. Rhoscolyn for example, placed in the western corner; Sybylltir in the middle; and Llivon and Bryn Gwallan between three commots. From which circumstance, and it is one of rare occurrence, it will be observed that this commot of Mæne, which I am going to describe, joins on to all the other commots of the island, as conterminal in one place or another. The largest portion of this district, however, lies within its own limits, one and undivided; stretching itself from Abermæne in one direction, to Coedane in another, being in length about fourteen miles; while in width, although about the middle, near Rhyd y wraig, it is contracted to the space of a mile, yet where it is widest, it can hardly be less than eighteen miles across.

BOUNDARIES.

This commot of Mæne, where it stretches itself out to the greatest extent, is known to be separated from the shore by the following marks, viz.

ffanogl per alveum æquoris Mæne ad ostium ejus, Abermæne; exinde per littus huc illuc divergens usque ad nasum Llanddwyn; hinc sinuoso variatur limes littore usque dum ventum sit ad Porthddwynwen. Ab hinc per medium promontorium ad rupem Carreg Gwladus. Ab hac rupe utriusque commoti limes, scil, Mæne et Malltraeth, non (sicut assolet) pedibus calcatur; sed visu deprehenditur; hoc est vel si quis steterit ad hanc rupem, oculoque visum direxerit ad rotam molendini de Rhyd y wraig, quod (inquam) cadit sub linea visuali ab hac rupe usque dum oculi radius fossam quandam perlingat et intersecet collimitatim, accolis bene notam apud Tregarnedd Ucha, limitem inter binos commotos esse ab antiquis traditur; et ab eo iterum loco, per oculum collimato, juxta illam fossam vergit limes ad amnem Gevenney prope Ynys Gevenney, indeque per medium Gevenney ad Nant-hwrfa, ex quo per Rhos Tre-hwva ad Rhyd y spardyn; ex hoc rivulum Gevenney juxta Afrogwy, inde per amnem Gevenney ad Llangwillog; exinde ad Neuadd Coedane; hinc per Treysgawen ad Llidiart Twrcelyn; exinde ad Pontrhyd-owen, ex quo loco ad Rhosy-groes; hinc per Rhos-y-Meirch ad Bryn y crogwydd; ex inde per Carreg Eurgan ad fontes rivuli defluentis per Rhyd y wraig; a quo loco circumeundo parochiam de Llanffinan itur ad molendinum Geraint, vulgo melin Pentraeth; exinde ad rivulum Keint, et per eundem rivulum ad Rhydgeint; inde ad stagnum Corslwyd; ab hoc stagno ad Cerrig Brudyn; illinc per lapides, pro terminis seriatim positos juxta Nant-y-crwtt, ad amnem Braint; inde per medium Braint, circumeundo Llwyn ogen, usque ad Aber pwll y ffanogl, a quo circuitum incepimus.

First, in going up the course of the Mæne from Aber y pwll y ffanogl to its mouth Abermæne; thence trending away by the shore as far as Llanddwyn point; and thence the boundary winds along a curving shore until it arrives at Porthddwynwen; after this, through the middle of the promontory to the rock Carreg Gwladus. From this rock the boundary of either commot, of Mæne that is to say and of Malltraeth, is not to be walked over by feet, (as is usually the case) but is determined by the sight; that is to say, if any one were to stand at this rock and with his eye were to direct his sight towards the mill wheel of Rhyd y wraig, whatever falls under the line of vision, from this rock until the line of the eye runs along and intersects a certain ditch at Tregarnedd Ucha, well known to those who live on the spot, is handed down by ancient tradition to be the boundary between the commots. From this spot again, the line being determined by the eye, the boundary runs near that ditch up to the river Gevenney, near Ynys Gevenney; and thence through Gevenney to Nant-hwrfa; from whence by Rhos Tre hwva to Rhyd y spardyn; from this to the rivulet Gevenney, near Afrogwy, thence by the river Gevenney to Llangwillog: from thence to Neuadd Coedane; hence by Treysgawen to Llidiart Twrcelyn; from thence to Pont-rhyd-owen; from which place to Rhos-y-groes; hence by Rhos-y-meirch to Bryn y crogwydd; from thence by Carreg Eurgan to the source of the stream running down through Rhyd y wraig; from which spot, making a circuit round the parish of Llanffinan, it goes to Geraint mill, commonly called Melin Pentraeth; from thence to the stream of Keint, and along the same stream to Rhydgeint; from thence to Corslwyd pool; from this pool to cerrig Brudyn; thence by some stones, set up in a line, as marks, near Nant-y-crwtt, to the

DIVISIO. Quod vero ad divisionem attinet, hunc territorioli Mænensis tractum, hisce consignatum terminis, ut exigit tractandi methodus, in hunc modum dispertire liceat: scil, primo in rectorias et parœcias; secundo in villas et hamlettas; tertio in allodia et messuagia; ignoscas hujus modi verbis, ita enim e jurisperitis nuncupatur. Ex quibus partitarum capitibus primæ dignitate, etsi æva longe inferiores sunt parochiæ et rectoriales præcinctus; subque his, villæ, hamlettæ, aliæque terrarum classes, quas recensere proposui: jam sigillatim hoc ordine recensendæ disponentur.

1. Llanddwyn, una parochia et præbenda.

2. Llanbedr, vel Novus Burgus, una parochia et rectoria.

3. Llangeinwen et Llangaffo, una rectoria.

4. Llanidan, Llanedwen, Llanddaniel et Llanfair y Cwmwd, rectoria impropriata cum vicaria.

5. Llanfihangel et Llanffinan, parochia appropriata decano Bangor

ensi.

6. Llangefni et Tregaian pars, una rectoria.

7. Llangwillog pars, parochia impropriata.

8. Rhoscolyn, una parochia et pars rectoriæ.

Sybylltir, Bryngwallan et Caernen, hamlettæ sunt et partes rectoriarum in aliis commotis existentium, &c.

LLANDDWYN.

Hæc Monæ insulæ australior pars est, ad extremum æquoris Menei affluxum parva Chersonesa exporrecta. Tota fere etiam arenarum mole obruta

ARCHEOL. CAMB. VOL. I.]

river Braint; and thence through the Braint, making a circuit round Llwyn ogen, as far as Aber pwll y ffanogl; from which spot we began the circuit.

DIVISIONS.

As for divisions, this tract of the small Mænensian territory, marked out by these boundaries, may be divided, as the due method of treating it requires, in this manner. Firstly, that is to say, into rectories and parishes. Secondly, into townships and hamlets. Thirdly, into allodial estates and messuages-excuse these words, they are so named by the lawyers. Amongst which chief divisions the first in dignity, though far inferior in point of date, are the parishes and rectorial precincts; and next to them the townships, hamlets, and the other classifications of lands which I have

proposed to enumerate. They will be therefore thus arranged, to be treated of singly:

:

1. Llanddwyn, a parish and prebend.

2. Llanbedr, or Newborough, a parish and rectory.

3. Llangeinwen and Llangaffo a rectory.

4. Llanidan, Llanedwen, L.andaniel, and Llanfair y cwmwd, an impropriate rectory with a vicarage.

5 Llanfihangel and Llanffinan, a parish appropriated to the dean of Bangor.

6. Llangefni and part of Tregaian, a rectory.

7. Llangwillog, part of, an impropriated parish.

8. Rhoscolyn, a parish and part of

est, fusioribus utique ventis hasce arenas ab oppositis Arvoniæ ripis, procellarum rabie elisas in hanc oram cumulate impingentibus; quæ quidem arenulæ in hunc locum disjectæ hic non ut in aliis planiciebus mari vicinis, æquali farragine disperguntur, sed hoc loco in aridam fluctibus depositæ, ad crebros ibi saxorum colliculos, flatibus hinc inde contrariis inglomeratos ut plurimum acervos passim congerentur, eo sane loci infortunio, ut domicilia, maceria, arva, prata, pascua, cætera id genus olim ibidem degentibus propria, quæ quidem ubertate (ut videtur) luxuriante et solo fertiliori præpollebant, plurimisque competebant Laribus, jam altâ sub his arenarum monticulis sepultura reconduntur; ita nihilominus ut aliquando eorum nonnulla arenariis hujus modi cumulis turbinum ferocitate revulsis atque e loco amotis, aprico iterum et aperto cælo, quod sæpius videre licuit, conspecta sunt, moxque vicissim, sub aliis hujus modi cumulis, ea est reciprocatio loci, eadem quam altissime recondi, per seculum forte in apricum haud reditura, visuntur. Parœcia hæc ni fallor, una tantum villa erat nomine Llanddwyn Antistitis Bangorensis ditioni subjecta; tenentes quoque ejus terrarum quotquot sunt ipsi episcopo clientelares, redditus et mulctas solitas, cum acciderint, liquido solvunt. Longa juxta et lata, hæc admodum deserta regiuncula duo plus minus milliaria complectitur; nec nunc præter sex aut septem, suo calculo, exhibet messuagia, et quod mirari subit, non plusquam octo numeravit mansionales domus (weles vocitabant) tempore Edwardi Regis 3c, ut ex extenta episcopi Bangorensis, quæ tunc confecta erat, plane videatur. Nihilominus ad Hen. 8i tempus et longe retro, unum fuisse editissimis hujus agri beneficiis, tum ex regio libro ecclesiastici computi tunc temporis compaginato,; tum ex claritate et existimatione personarum sæpius ibidem ministrantium, viz. Richardi Cyffin, Wilhelmi Owen ap Meurick,

almost, has been overwhelmed with a mass of sand, inasmuch as the violent winds have blown from the opposite coast of Arvonia sand raised up by the force of tempests and thrown upon this shore; which sand being cast down upon this spot, is not, as in other flat countries near the sea, arranged in a level manner, but being thrown up on the dry shore by the waves, is piled up every-where, by the winds blowing from various quarters, into heaps against little mounds of stones, which occur there in numbers. And this, too, has been so much the more disastrous to the place since dwellings, enclosures, fields, meadows, pastures, and other things of the kind belonging to persons formerly living here, and which indeed, it seems, excelled in luxuriance and fertility of soil, and sufficed for the maintenance of many families, are now buried deeply beneath these monticules of sand; but in such a manner that at times some of them, when the sandy heaps are torn up and removed from their places by the fury of the winds, are seen in the bright and open daylight, as, indeed, has often been witnessed; and afterwards are again buried deeply

- such is the reciprocation of the spot- under other hillocks of the same kind, not to come to the light of day again for perhaps a century. This parish, if I mistake not, formed one township under the name of Llanddwyn, subject to the authority of the bishop of Bangor; and the tenants of its lands, as many as depend upon the bishop, pay to him the rents and the usual fines whenever they fall due. In length and breadth this most desolate little district comprises about two miles, more or less, each way; and at the present time, according to its own reckoning, shows not more than six or seven messuages; what, too, is extraordinary, it did not number more than eight dwelling-houses (Weles, as they used to call them), in the time of King

aliorumque virorum imprimis spectatorum, facile constiterit. Addo et cultum et venustatem Ecclesiæ ibidem consitæ, dum sarta tecta colebantur, valde spectabilem. Ex quibus cuivis recolligenti, liquido apparebit. Redditus et proventus hujus Ecclesiæ, quales fuerint, aliaque emolumenta, non tam ex decimis, quæ exiles certo et dudum satis tenues sint, oportet, quam ex omne genus oblationibus a superstitiosa plebe, uti tunc moris erat, statis temporibus affluenter abductis, incumbentem ditasse et fabricam decorasse. His adjungam, neque defuere cruces, ossa sacra, fontes fatidici, castitatis ordealia, xvoμavTea, loca salutifera, aliaque hujus modi caliginis deliramenta, quæ e longe devotas plebeculas superstitiosâ vertigine confluentes mirum in modum irretiverunt; eoque pacto quæstum divitiasque loci maxime adauxerunt, beneficiumque insignioris notæ reddiderunt; quæ omnia et nunc dierum obsoleta ita nec memoratu digna æstimantur. Hanc Ecclesiam e Bangorensis cathedræ præbendis olim fuisse unam; etsi aliis forsan aliter res visa fuerit, ex hac tamen chartula certo certius constat.

Chartula de Llanddwyn. Pateat universis per præsentes,

Edward III., as may be plainly seen, by an extent of the bishop of Bangor made at that period. It appears, however, certainly that in the time of Henry VIII., and long before, this was one of the principal benefices of the district, as well from the book of ecclesiastical values, then drawn up, as from the renown and reputation of the persons who often administered there; viz. Richard Cyffin, William Owen ap Meurick, and other notable men. Add to this the style and remarkable beauty of the church built there, while the roof was kept in good repair; and this will be evident to any one putting these circumstances together. The rents and produce of the church, whatever they were, together with the other emoluments, which went for the support of the incumbent and the decoration of the fabric, were derived not so much from tithes, which certainly for a long time must have been poor and scanty, as from oblations of all kinds brought by the superstitious common people, flocking hither at stated times as was once their custom. To this I may add that there were not wanting crosses, sacred bones, fortune-telling wells, ordeals of chastity, xovoμarreia, salutiferous places, and other similar vain fancies of darkness, to ensnare devout women of the lower orders, who, in the madness of their superstition, used to flock hither from distant places in a surprising manner. By these means they greatly increased the gain and profit of the place, and made the benefice one of great note; all which things, as they are now-adays obsolete, are hardly thought worthy of being mentioned. That this church was once one of the prebends of Bangor cathedral, although the matter may have seemed otherwise to some, appears certain from the following charter :

"A Charter of Llanddwyn. "Be it known to all by these pre