Emulation, enkindled by deeds of his fathers, While his herd and his flock on the mountain he gathers, Though glorious his mountains, though lovely his vales; The land of his love, and St. David of Wales ! Ever sweet is its praise, though the dear "mountain Greek" MORFA RHUDDLAN. Sweet Music's voice of thought Then first this plaintive melody arose When Saxon Offa's vengeance woke the strain, Our nation's quenchless hope, Gives power with wrongs to cope,- When Norman robbers, bent on Cambria's spoil, Was drenched with sacred streams of native blood. These mournful measures flow Whate'er the heart's distress, And, consecrate to woe, Will ours express. Yet still the buoyant spirit of our land Breathes in the very lay of Cambria's tears, And tells of strength, oppression to withstand, Talgarth, 6th June, 1846. J. W. REPRESENTATIVES IN PARLIAMENT FOR THE COUNTY OF MERIONETH. So early as 151 Edward II. a writ was addressed to the Earl of Arundel, justiciary of Wales, directing him to cause twenty-four discreet persons to be chosen from the north, The 15th year of Edward II. commenced upon July 8th, 1321, and ended on July 7th, 1322. and as many from the south of that principality, to serve in 456. And we find a simiparliament. Rot. Parl. vol. i. p. 456. Îar writ in the 20th of the same king.- Prynne's Register. 4th part, p. 60; Hallam's Middle Ages, vol. ii. p. 299, note. To the latter of these writs a return is in existence, from which it appears that for the county of Merioneth four persons were chosen, namely: Eignion Vaghan, Jevan ap Gurgmm (Gurgeneu,) It would seem, however, that those upon whom this distinction was conferred, showed no great readiness to attend to the duties attached to it; for, from the return of Griffith ap Rees, Knt., the sheriff, who also was ordered to attend the parliament, "quod erit ad Parliamentum si tempus fuerit commode, et prædictus Eynon et alii aliquam manucaptionem de veniendo invenire nolebant.2 It is believed that from this time no writs were issued for the return to parliament of representatives for any counties or boroughs in Wales, until after the passing of the statute of 27 Henry VIII. cap. 29, in which it is enacted, "that for this present parliament, and all other parliaments to be holden or kept for this realm, one knight shall be chosen for every of the shires of Brekenoke, Radnor, Montgomery, and Denbigh, and for every other shire within the country or dominion of Wales, and for every burrough, being a shire within the said country or dominion of Wales, (except the shire-town of the foresaid county of Merioneth,) one burgess." "The said knights and burgesses shall be elected and enjoy like priviledges and fees as knights and burgesses of England." All the parliamentary returns from 17 Edward IV. to 1 Edward VI. except an imperfect bundle of 33 Henry VIII. (and it contains the name of the member for Merionethshire in the Parliament of that year,) are lost; but of the repre 1 Willis's Notitia Parl., Vol I., pages 7 and 169. 2 The 20th year of Edward II. commenced upon July 8th, 1326, and ended on January 20th, 1327, on which day that King was deposed. 3 Parliament. Returns, 20 Edward II., in the Tower Record Office. ▲ Statutes at Large, and Vaughan's Practica Walliæ. sentatives for the county of Merioneth, from the 1st Edward VI. inclusive, to the present time, I have been enabled to compile probably a complete series, which is subjoined. Parliament at Westminster, 16th January, 1541-2, (33 Henry VIII.,) Edward Stanley, of Harlech. Parliament at Westminster, 8th November, 1547, (1 Edward VI.,) Lewis Owen, of Dolgelley, Esq. Parliament at Westminster, 1st March, 1552-3, (7 Edward VI.,) Lewis Owen, of Dolgelley, Esq. He was murdered near Dinas-Mowddwy, in October, 1555, being then vice-chamberlain, and baron of the exchequer of North Wales. Parliament at Westminster, 5th October, 1553, (1 Mary,) John Salesbury, of Rûg, Esq, Parliament at Westminster, 2d April, 1554,' (1 Mary,) Lewis Owen, of Dolgelley, Esq.2 Parliament at Westminster, 21st October, 1555, (2 and 3 Philip and Mary,) Ellis Price, LL.D., of Plas Iolyn, in Denbighshire. Parliament at Westminster, 20th January, 1557-8, (4 and 5 Philip and Mary,) Ellis Price, of Plas Iolyn, LL.D. Parliament at Westminster, 25th January, 1558-9, (1 Elizabeth,) Ellis Price, of Plas Iolyn, LL.D. Parliament at Westminster, 12th January, 1562-3, (5 Elizabeth,) Ellis Price, of Plas Iolyn, LL.D. Parliament at Westminster, 2d April, 1571, (13 Elizabeth,) Hugh Owen, of Caerberllan, Esq. Parliament at Westminster, 8th May, 1572, (14 Elizabeth,) John Lewis Owen, of Dolgelley, Esq., (afterwards of Llwyn.) Parliament at Westminster, 23d November, 1584, (27 Elizabeth,) Cadwallader Price, of Rhiwlas, Esq. 1 Browne Willis, in his Notitia Parliamentaria, says that the Parliament of April, 1544, was summoned to meet at Oxford on the 2nd of that month, but adjourned to Westminster, "where it sate from April 5th to May 5th, and was then dissolved." In the heading to the acts of that Parliament, in the Statutes at Large, no notice occurs of its being summoned to meet at Oxford. It is there referred to as the Parliament begun and holden at Westminster the 2nd day of April, &c. 2 Willis incorrectly names David Jennings, gent., as representative for Merionethshire in this Parliament: I have been enabled to correct his misstatement by a record in the Crown Office; Jennings was probably M.P. for the borough of Montgomery, in which county was a family of that name. According to Willis, Lewis Owen represented Montgomeryshire in the Parliament of 2nd of April, 1554; but I am inclined to think that Edward Herbert was then member for it; certainly, Lewis Owen was not. Parliament at Westminster, 29th October, 1586, (28 Elizabeth,) Griffith Nanney, of Nanney, (now Nannau,) Esq. Parliament at Westminster, 4th February, 1588-9, (31 Elizabeth,) Robert Salesbury, of Rûg, Esq. Parliament at Westminster, 19th February, 1592-3,1 (35 Elizabeth,) Robert Lloyd, of Rhiwgoch. Parliament at Westminster, 24th October, 1597 (39 Elizabeth,) Thomas Middleton, Esq. Parliament at Westminster, 27th October, 1601, (43 Elizabeth,) Robert Lloyd, of Rhiwgoch, Esq. Parliament at Westminster, 19th March, 1603–4, (1 James I.,) Sir Edward Herbert, Knt., afterwards the celebrated Lord Herbert, of Cherbury. Parliament at Westminster, 5th April, 1614, (12 James I.) Robert Lloyd, of Rhiwgoch, Esq. Parliament at Westminster, 30th of January, 1620-1, (18 James I.) William Salesbury, of Rûg, Esq. Parliament at Westminster, 19th of February, 1623-4, (James I.) Henry Wynn, of Rhiwgoch, Esq. Parliament at Westminster, 18th of June, 1625, (1 Charles I.) Henry Wynn, of Rhiwgoch, Esq. Parliament at Westminster, 6th of February, 1625-6, (1 Charles I.) Edward Vaughan, Esq. Parliament at Westminster, 17th of March, 1627-8, (3 Charles I.) Richard Vaughan, of Cors-y-gedol, Esq. Parliament at Westminster, 13th of April, 1640, (15 Charles I.) Henry Wynn, of Rhiwgoch, Esq. Parliament at Westminster, 3rd of November, 1640, (16 Charles I.,) the "Long Parliament.” 2 William Price, of Rhiwlas, Esq. Disabled 5th February, 1643, for deserting the service of the house; being in the King's quarters, and adhering to that party. Writ issued 8th of December, 1646; Roger Pope, Esq. elected. He died. Writ issued 26th of 1 An incorrect date is given to the commencement of this Parliament in Willis. 2 This Parliament continued sitting till April 20th, 1653, when it was dissolved; but notwithstanding this dissolution, and the summoning no less than four Parliaments by the usurping powers, this Parliament seems still to have been looked upon as such; for in the Commons' Journal, Vol. VII., p. 880, is this entry::-"Mar. 16, 1659, A Bill of the Dissolution of the Parliament begun at Westminster Nov. 3, 1640; and for calling another Parliament, April, 25, 1660.”—Willis. See also note upon Parliament of 27th January, 1658-9. August, 1647; John Jones, of Maes-y-garnedd, Esq. (afterwards one of the regicides) elected. Parliament at Westminster, 5th of July, 1653, called "the Little" or "Barebones Parliament." Browne Willis says, of this Parliament, that "no Burgesses or Representatives for any cities or boroughs, were summoned to it, except for London; and only some few returned out of each county in general." The following persons are named as members for Wales, but the Welsh counties for which they severally were elected, are not mentioned; and the majority of the names, are certainly not those of families of North Wales; probably Merionethshire had no member in this Parliament:-Bussey Mansell, James Philips, John Williams, Hugh Courtenay, Richard Price, John Brown. Parliament at Westminster, 3rd September, 1654. John Vaughan, of Cefn-bodig, Esq. ' 1 Parliament at Westminster, 17th September, 1656, Col. John Jones, "the Regicide." He appears to have been chosen also, to represent Denbighshire, in this parliament. Parliament at Westminster, 27th of January, 1658-9.2 Lewis Owen, of Peniarth, Esq. Convention Parliament, 25th of April, 1660. Edmund Meyrick, of Ucheldre, Esq. Parliament at Westminster, 8th May, 1661. (13 Charles II.) Edmund or Henry Meyrick, Esq., it is almost certain the former, but there is no list of this Parliament in the Crown Office. Edmund Meyrick, Esq., was, at this time, the representative of his family, in the pedigree of which the Christian name of Henry does not occur, and it will be seen that he sat for the county in the preceding Parliament. Parliament at Westminster, 6th March, 1678-9.(30 Charles 1 At the election for this Parliament, the representation of the county was contested by the above mentioned John Vaughan, Esq., and Rice Vaughan, of Gelligvch, in the county of Montgomery, Esq., a branch of the family of Vaughan of Cors-y-gedol. The election was held at Bala, and this is believed to be the only instance in which the county member was chosen at any other place than Harlech. 2 This Parliament was dissolved on the 22nd of April, 1659. On the 7th of May, the Long Parliament reassembled, and continued sitting till October 13th, on which day their meeting was forcibly prevented by General Lambert. They assembled again upon December 26th, and sat till March 16th, 1659-60, when they passed an act for dissolving themselves and calling a new Parliament to meet upon the 25th of April, 1660. Willis's account of these transactions is somewhat obscure. ARCHÆOL. CAMB. VOL. I.] SS |