quod nos Griffinus Young, decretorum doctor, archidiaconus de Merionydd, procurator originalis venerabilis viri Domini Wilhelmi Vaughan, canonici Ecclesiæ Bangorensis, et præbendarii ecclesiæ prebendalis de Llanddwyn, cum potestate alium vel alios procuratorem vel procuratores loco nostri substituendis sufficienter constituti: Dilectis nobis in Christo magistro Evano ap Bleddyn, archidiacono Anglesey, Meredydd ap Tud'r,' et Meredydd ap Cynvrig, scutiferis episcopi Bangorensis, salutem. De vestræ circumspectionis industria plurimum confidentes, vos conjunctim et divisim ad percipiendem fructus, oblationes et emolumenta quæcunque ad Ecclesiam præbendalem de Llanddwyn prædictam pertinentia, juxta vim formam et effectum procuratorii, nobis per eundem canonicum et præbendarium in hac parte facti; procuratores substituimus per præsentes et attornatos, cum potestate implacitandi etiam coram judicibus sæcularibus quibus cunque, quendam Jorwerthum Vychan, rectorem de Llanddoget Asaph. Dioc. se prætendentem prætextu oblationum Ecclesiæ præbendalis prædictæ per seipsum violenter et sacrilege ablatarum, et quoscunque alios in hac parte culpabiles, prout justum fuerit, etiam prosequendi; in cujus rei testimonium sigillum nostrum præsentibus est appensum. Dat. in castro Llanbadern 19 Jan. A.D. 1404. Ex hac chartula palam et paræciam hanc non e minimis præbendarum Bangorensium olim extitisse unam, nec reticendum duco, quod, ut fama crebra est, in hoc ipsissimo angulo, celeberrimus aliquando vir Richardus Cyffin, decanus Bangorensis dignissimus et hujus ecclesiæ forsan præbendarius suos coluit lares, suosque ex hinc in Richardum ejus nominis regem Angliæ, subdolos, more loci, 1 Proavo Hen. 7. 2 De Porthymael. sents, that we, Griffin Young, doctor of decrees, archdeacon of Merionydd, original proctor of the venerable man, Dom. Wilhelm Vaughan, canon of the church of Bangor, and prebendary of the prebendal church of Llanddwyn, being duly furnished. with the power of nominating any other or others proctor or proctors in our stead to our beloved in Christ, Master Evan ap Bleddyn, archdeacon of Anglesey, Meredydd ap Tud'r, and Meredydd ap Cynvrig,2 esquires of the bishop of Bangor, greeting:-Being fully confident in the industry of your circumspection, we, by these presents, do substitute you, conjointly and separately, as proctors and attorneys, according to the force, form, and effect of the proctorship in this part granted to us by the same canon and prebendary, for collecting the fruits, oblations, and emoluments, whatsoever pertaining to the aforesaid prebendal church of Llanddwyn; with the power of impleading, even before any secular judges whatsoever, a certain Jorwerth Vychan, rector of Llanddoget, in the diocese of St. Asaph, who pretends to have a right to the oblations of the aforesaid prebendal church, violently and sacrilegiously carried off by him; and also of prosecuting certain others culpable in this matter, according as the law shall decree. In testimony of which thing our seal has been appended to these presents. "Given at our castle of Llanbadern, 19 Jan., A.D. 1404." From this charter I think it appears that this district and parish could not have been one of the least of the prebends of Bangor, and I also think it ought to be mentioned that, according to common opinion, in this very corner [of the island] a man, once greatly celebrated, Richard Cyffin, a most worthy dean of Bangor, and perhaps prebendary of this church, had his residence and car 1 Great Grandfather of Hen. VII. egit cuniculos. Quinetiam in hoc abditiori recessu huic Richardo Cyffin (ut vulgo habetur) cum Rheso ap Thomas et aliis primariis Richmondiani comitis, in Armorica tunc exulantis, amicis sæpius conventum ac conjuratum erat in tyrannidem, eo tempore late et viriliter grassantem; literisque eo pacto, clanculum hinc inde per naviculas piscatorias, eidem Richmondiano comiti sæpius missis remissisque, donec auspicato nisu, gens oppressa, hunc suum ex sua prosapia heroem, summoto a regno et vita tyranno, ad summum tandem (sic Deo placuit) collocaverat principatum, regem principemque suum benignissimo, Henrici 7mi nomine, gratulabunda salutaverat. Hoc fanum Llanddwynwen, cujusdam Brychani unius Colideorum nostratium (vulgo Culdees) filiæ Donwennæ dictæ invenio dedicatum. Hujus Brychani Giraldus Cambrensis in suo itinere meminit. Multos habuit filios filiasque quibus passim per Cambro Britanniam templa a divorum et divarum nomine inscribuntur. In medio peninsula (ita enim se porrigit promontorii caput, ut tumescente æstu, a reliquo quasi per collum separatur et undis circumluitur) in medio, inquam, hujus peninsula in gratissimo et spectatissimo plano, rupibus quaqua versus vallato, Ecclesia hæc lugibri vultu, integumentis spoliata, fatiscenti vetus tatis labe corruitura jacet; ædibusque ibi prebendarii, quæ ab Ecclesia non multum dissident, jam peritus prostratis et in rudera collapsis, cum ipsi Ecclesiæ rerum edax tempus mitius erat, magisque pepercerit, suas quippe parietes nullis dehiscentes rimis erecteque et firmiter adhuc stantes sustinet, quamvis tecta cum plumbis et lignis jampridem (ut fertur) ad usus domesticos, raptoribus vix auspicatos (sic sacri ried on his crafty intrigues from this spot against Richard, King of England. Moreover, in this lonely retreat a convention and conspiracy was formed by this Richard Cyffin, as is commonly said, with Rees ap Thomas, and other leading adherents. of the Earl of Richmond, who was at that time living in exile in Britany, against the power of the tyrant which was then advancing widely and rapidly. Letters also, with the same object, were frequently transmitted from hence in fishing boats to the same Earl of Richmond, and received from him, until at length the oppressed nation with a happy effort, the tyrant being deprived of his kingdom and his life, raised that hero of their own race to the highest dignity of the state (for so it pleased God) and saluted him as their king and most gracious prince, by the name of Henry VII. I find that this church of Llanddwynwen was dedicated to a daughter, called Donwenna, of a certain Brychan, one of our native Colidei (commonly called Culdees). Giraldus Cambrensis makes mention of this Brychan in his Itinerary. He had many sons and daughters, to whom every where, throughout the Cambrian portion of Britain, churches are dedicated under the names of saints. In the middle of the peninsula (for the head of the promontory stretches out in such a manner that when the tide rises it is separated from the rest of it by a neck of land, and is washed by the waves round its sides) in the middle of this peninsula, on a pleasant and open spot of level ground, surrounded by rocks, as by a wall, on every side, lies the church, of melancholy appearance, stripped of its roof, and doomed to fall into ruin from the destructive effects of age. The prebendary's house, which is not far from the church, is now altogether fallen down, and a mass of ruins; but time, edax rerum, has been legos stringit nemesis) nihilo interim fani præter saxa relicto, proh scelus! prorsus auferebantur. Hunc etiam locum omni ex parte æquore cinctum, ideoque maxime solitarium olim fuisse arbitrabar, antequam angusto illo freto jam arenis intercluso, decurrente æstu ex insula peninsula facta est; hujusmodi vero latebris nostrates antiquioris notæ, sanioris sanctiorisque vitæ, Colidei (sic vero in Britannia majori et minori olim nuncupati) scilicet Cebius, Tysilio, Genivenna, cum hac Donwenna, admodum affecti, et quasi fascinati videbantur, in quibus angulis abditisque e strepitu hominum recessibus, otiis ideo et negotiis suis mire adblandientibus, hi rerum mundanarum contemptores, devotionis vix dubium et solitudinis ergo, proseuchas suas constituerunt, Deo impense invigilarunt ac profundissima quiete cum omnimodâ securitate potiti sunt, et placide perfruebantur. Ad alteram parochiæ partem quod attinet, tota est arenosa, hispida et inculta, si paucula excipias prope Novumburgum tenementa frugibus haud incommoda, e quibus quia nullus ibi institutus parochus, nullæ eliciuntur decimæ. Cæteram alioquin hujus villæ terram cuniculis suffossam juncisque marinis, tegetibus texendis funibusque torquendis, incolis Noviburgi suppetias ministrantibus, oppletam; e familia Bodoeniana episcopi cujusdem Bangorensis concessione, pro vivario teneri jamdudum contigisse notum est. Porro mihi nunc more lenient to the church, and has spared it more, since it has its walls still standing firm and upright, without any chinks in them; although the roofs with their lead and timber were long since, as it is said, taken away for domestic purposes, yet with bad luck to the despoilers, (such is the retribution that attends upon sacrilege!) so that now, alas! there is nothing left of the church except the stones. I am of opinion that this place was once entirely surrounded by the sea, and therefore must have been exceedingly solitary, previously to its being converted from an island into a peninsula by the filling up of the narrow channel with sand through the setting in of the tide. Our native Colidei (for so they were formerly named in the greater and the lesser Britain) who were of ancient fame and of pure and holy lives, such as Cybi, Tysilio, Genivenna, and this Donwenna, seem to have been particularly fond of, and as it were fascinated by, lonely abodes such as this; for in such corners and recesses, removed from the noise of men, and therefore admirably suited to their peaceful life and habitual pursuits, these despisers of worldly affairs, no doubt for the sake of devotion and solitude, built their oratories, waited diligently upon God, and obtained and peacefully enjoyed the most profound tranquillity as well as security. With regard to the other portion of the parish it is entirely sandy, rough, and uncultivated, if you except a few holdings near Newborough, which are not unsuitable to the cultivation of grain; but from which, since there is no parish priest appointed there, no tithes are collected. The remaining land, however, of this township, as is well known, being full of rabbit burrows and covered with sea rushes, which being twisted into mats and ropes. give employment to the inhabitants of Newborough, belongs to the de raris conchyliis, quibus hæc littora scatent, et aliis hujus loci observatu dignis, dicendi ansa non datur; potius ego hunc bestiolis relinquens locum, me ad proximam hominibus colendam terram describendam accingo. Bodowen family, having been granted by some bishop of Bangor, to be held as a warren. I have not the means of saying anything about the rare shells with which these shores abound, nor about other points concerning this place which are worthy of note; but preferring to leave this spot in the occupation of the little animals (that hold it,) I betake myself to the description of the nearest land fit for cultivation at the hand of man. NOTES. Llanddwyn consisted of eight messuages in the year 1305, of which no traces exist at present. The presentation to it appears to have been vested in the Crown, and in the form of institution it is styled "Ecclesia Parochialis Sanctæ Diniwenne." Feast of dedication January 25. William Vaughan above mentioned was suceeded by Thomas Barneby, on whose resignation in 1414, it was presented by Henry V. to Richard Praty, Cler; and two years afterwards to John Himond, Ċler. Dean Kyffin had for his successor William Owen, son of Owen Meyrick of Bodowen, by Ellen, daughter of Rhees ap Meredydd of Glynllifon. The last incumbent was Edmund Prys, archdeacon of Meirion, who was instituted April 16, 1580. [The view of the Church of Llanddwyn, at the head of this article, was taken in 1844. An architectural description of the building will be given in part of the series of Mona Mediæva. - EDS. ARCH. CAMB.] ANTIQUARIAN QUESTIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS. No I. CELTIC REMAINS. THIS paper is the first of a series which we intend to publish for the use of our correspondents, and of antiquaries generally; in which, by the proposing of questions, and the pointing out of objects worthy of remark, in the various branches of their enquiries, we hope to aid those who are really desirous of making sound archæological researches. materials whereof we compose these questions, &c., have been derived partly from the "Instructions" and the "Questionnaire" issued by the Comité Historique in France; partly from personal observation; and partly from the kindness of The correspondents. We do not put forth these instructions in a dogmatical sense of the word, but rather in an inquisitive; nor do we by any means suppose them to be so complete as they ought to be; but we hope by these means to direct attention to the subject, and to stimulate the zeal of those who are anxious to make antiquarian enquiries, yet want to be put upon a proper method of so doing. It will be obvious that papers of instructions or questions such as the following, if filled up for each parish of a county, would constitute the basis of a most valuable antiquarian work, and would of themselves form an important record.1 1. Name of the parish, county, &c. where the observation is made; date, name of observer, name of the owner of the ground, &c. (These points should be accurately specified in all cases.) 2. Are there any rocks or stones which are the objects of popular tradition or superstition? What are their local names? 3. Are they natural rocks in situ? or have they been brought there by the hand of man? Do they appear like diluvial boulders? What is their geological and mineralogical character? How are they related to the local geological formation? 4. Are there any solitary stones, (Meini Hirion,) or stones placed two or more together-arranged in a circular, elliptic, or oblong form? Are they erect or prostrate? Give a plan, and the dimensions of the stones in feet. The scale of the plan or drawing should be specified.2 5. Are there any rocking stones? turning stones? or stones that may have been such, and have been put out of equilibrium? 1 We earnestly solicit our numerous correspondents to communicate these instructions to their friends; and we shall be glad to give the result of their observations to the world through the medium of the Archeologia Cambrensis. Should any addition, or corrections of these present instructions, occur to the reader, he will confer an obligation upon the editors by writing to them upon the subject. In No. III. we intend publishing instructions for Roman remains; and as they make an extensive and difficult branch of national antiquities, we shall be thankful for any illustrative observations which may be communicated to us before the 1st of June, inasmuch as we may be thereby enabled to make our set of instructions or questions more complete. In matters of this kind the greater the number of observers the better. The most minute points sometimes prove to be of importance; and we can hardly ever have too much light thrown upon such subjects. Should any thing like a general wish be expressed for them, we would print these sets of questions in a cheap form, for distribution by our antiquarian friends. 2 We need hardly caution our correspondents not to let their imaginations lead them astray, and make them see in every stone put up by a farmer for his cattle to rub themselves against, a real Maen Hîr, nor to confound modern parochial boundary stones with ancient memorials. H |