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glish, Normans, and Flemings;—were they destroyed, or did he omit them from patriotic indignation, because Dewi was not then the owner of them? The multiplied number near Brecon may be due to Bernard Newmarch, who, according to the usual mode, may have subdivided the endowment, and converted the chapels into churches; and even the Bard alludes to certain circumstances of hostility, from which he either hopes, or predicts, that the churches of Llanfaes and Llywel should be spared. Gwynfardd ascribes also to St. David the churches of Llangyfelach, Glamorganshire, Llanarth, Cardiganshire, and Llangadog, Carmarthenshire; but if any dependence can be placed on the names of these churches, the first and last must have had a double dedication. With respect to Llangadog this is highly probable, as there is a place in the parish called Llwyndewi; but there is evidence to the fact in the "Greefes of Rees Vachan of Stratywy," printed in Latin and English at the end of Warrington's History of Wales, in which occurs the following passage:

"In the church of S. Dauid, which they call Lhangadoc, they made stables, **** and took awaie all the goods of the said church, and burning all the houses, wounded the preest of the said church before the high altar, and left him there as dead."

Cyfelacht was the name of the twenty second Bishop of Llandaff, but whether Llangyfelach is so called from him, or

* Rees Vachan, or rather Rhys Fychan, was a chieftain of the Vale of Towy, who, in the reign of Edward the First, presented to the Archbishop of Canterbury a statement of grievances, or acts of oppression committed in his territories by the English.

+ See Godwin, De Præsulibus and states that he died A. D. 927. (Vol. II. page 473,) states that he was killed in battle at Hereford A. D. 754; but this assertion is probably a mistake, as it is unsupported by the testimony of three other chronicles in the same collection.

Angliæ, who calls him "Cimeliauc,"
A chronicle in the Welsh Archaiology

from another person, is doubtful, as he lived about three centuries after the era in which nearly all the Welsh Saints flourished; it is possible, however, that he either rebuilt the church, or enlarged its privileges: but the connexion of St. David with that place is more certain, for it is recorded by Giraldus Cambrensis, and Ricemarchus, a still older authority, that he was the founder of the "Monastery of Llangyfelach in Gower." Browne Willis attributes Llanarth to St. Vystygy, which is, perhaps, an error, as the name does not occur elsewhere. For the "Llanadneu" of Gwynfardd may be read Llanarthneu from Ecton's list, as it harmonizes admirably with the preceding word in the original, according to the laws of the metre; and there is no place in the Principality which bears the name of Llanadneu. By Henllan in Gwynfardd may be understood Henllan Amgoed, and not the chapel of that name subject to Bangor. Llanddewi y Crwys is Llanycrwys in Carmarthenshire, which, in the Charter of the Abbey of Talley, is called "Landewicrus." The rock of Vuruna, or Craig Furuna, is Cregruna in Radnorshire; and the order of succession would lead to the supposition, that by Ystrad Fynydd is meant the cluster in the neighbourhood of Builth. The cluster of Llanuchllwydog, being in the territory of the Lords of Cemmaes, is omitted. The clusters of Hereford and Abergavenny‡ were at that time subject to the Lacies, Lords of Ewyas, and the cluster of Trostrey‡ was probably in a similar situation.

Ricemarchus, or Rhyddmarch, was Bishop of St. David's from A. D. 1088 to 1098. A Life of St. David by Giraldus, and fragments of another by Ricemarchus, are printed in the second volume of Wharton's Anglia Sacra.

It has been remarked that modern fairs have, in many instances, succeeded to wakes or festivals; and, in support of the testimony of Gwynfardd, it may be stated that a fair is held at Llanarth on the twelfth of March, or St. David's Day, Old Style.

Qu. Was not the circumstance of their being included in the Diocese of Llandaff, the reason of their omission?

The list compiled from Ecton is very imperfect, and use has been made of it in order to shew that the inferences of this Essay are drawn from premises generally acknowledged. The list, as proposed to be amended, is as follows.

The Cathedral of St. David's.

Whitchurch, V. (St. David.) Brawdy, V. (St. David.) Capel Gwrhyd;* Capel Non (St. Non.) Capel Padrig (St. Patrick.) Capel y Pistyll; Capel Stinan (St. Justinian.)

Llanuchlwydog, R.

Llanychaer, R. (St. David.) Llanllawen chapel.

Maenor Deifi, R.

Bridell, R. (St. David. Cilfywyr chapel.

Llanddewi Brefi, C.

Llanycrwys, C. (St David.) Blaenpennal chapel (St. David.) Capel Bettws Lleicu (St. Lucia.) Capel Gartheli (St. Gartheli.) Capel Gwenfyl (St. Gwenfyl.)

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Llanina chapel (St. Ina.) Capel Crist (Holy Cross.) Henllan Amgoed, R.

Eglwys Fair a Churig (St. Mary & St. Curig, or Cyrique.) Llanddewi Felffre, R. & V. (St. David.) Henllan, in the parish of Llanddewi.

Meidrym, V.

Llanfihangel Abercywyn, C. (St. Michael.)

Llanarthneu, P. & V.

Llanlleian chapel; Capel Dewi (St. David.)
Abergwyli, V.

Llanpumsant (Sts. Celynin, Ceitho, Gwyn, Gwynno, and
Gwynnoro.) Llanllawddog (St. Llawddog.) Llanfihangel
Uwch Gwyli (St. Michael.) Bettws Ystum Gwyli; Capel
Bach.

Llangadog, V.

Llanddeusant, (St. Simon & St. Jude.) Capel Gwynfai;
Capel Tydyst.

Llangyfelach, V.

Llansamled, C.

* The chapels printed in Italics are decayed or extinct.

Garthbrengi, P.

Llanddew, C. (Holy Trinity.) Llanfaes V. (St. David.)
St. Nicholas's church.

Llywel, V.

Trallwng, P. (St. David.) Capel Rhydybriw; Dolhywel* (St. David.)

Maesmynys, R.

Llanynys, R. (St. David.) Llanddewi'r Cwm, C. (St. David.) Llanfair in Builth, C. (St. Mary.)

Glascwm, V.

Colfa chapel (St. David.) Rhiwlen chapel (St. David.)
Cregruna, R.

Llanbadarn y Garreg chapel (St. Padarn.) Llannon (St.
Non.)

Llanddewi Sgyryd, R,

Llanddewi Rhydderch, R. (St. David.)

Rhaglan, or Ragland, V.+ Monmouthshire.

Trostrey, or Trawsdre, C. (St. David.) Llangyfyw. Qu. Dewchurch Magna, V. Herefordshire.

Little Dewchurch (St. David.) Kilpeck, C. (St. David.) Dewshall, V. (St. David.) Callow, (St. Michael,) chapel to Dewshall.

Prendergast, R. in the country of the Flemings, chapels unknown. Hubberston, R.

Llanddewi in Gower

Blaenporth, P.

ditto

ditto

Llanddewi Fach, C. Monmouthshire.

Llanthony, or Llanddewi Nant Honddu, C. Monmouthshire.+

The hamlet of Dolhywel is now included in the parish of Myddfai; but in the foundation Charter of Talley, the church is called, "Ecclesia sancti David de Dolhowel," as if it was formerly an independent benefice. It was situated on the confines of the parish of Llywel. (See Dugdale's Monasticon.)

According to Browne Willis, Ragland is dedicated to St. Cadocus; but it is here assigned to St. David on the authority of Ricemarchus and Giraldus Cambrensis.

Llandyfeisant, C. Carmarthenshire, is omitted in this list, as there are grounds for the supposition that it was so called from Tyfei, the nephew of St. Teilo. There was formerly a chapel, dedicated to St. David, in the castle of Dinefwr, in the same parish; which, in the Charter of Talley, is called "Ecclesia sancti David de Dinewr," and is mentioned separately from "Ecclesia de Lantevassan." The former, from the circumstance of

The chapels of St. David, subject to churches of other Saints, are also occasionally grouped.—

Llanddewi Abergwesin, Llanwrtyd, and another Llanddewi in ruins are subject to Llangammarch, (St. Cammarch,) Brecknockshire. Bettws, and Laleston, subject to Newcastle, (St. Illtyd,) Glamorganshire.

Heyop, and Whitton, subject to Llangynllo, (St. Cynllo,) Radnorshire.

Llanddewi Ystrad Enni, to Llanbister, (St. Cynllo,) Radnorshire. Capel Dewi, to Llanelly, (St. Ellyw,) Carmarthenshire.

Bettws, C. Carmarthenshire. The original parish church destroyed; dedication uncertain.

St. David's chapel, in the castle of Dinefwr, subject to Llandyfeisant, (St. Tyfei,) Carmarthenshire.

Capel Dewi, subject to Llandyssul, (St. Tyssul,) Cardiganshire. Llanddewi Fach, chapel to Llywes, (St. Maelog,) Radnorshire. Bettws, chapel to Newport, (St. Gwynllyw Filwr,) Monmouthshire.

This list, if its arrangements be correct, presents a series of extensive endowments; and it will readily be allowed that the churches, which, in the several groups, are considered as the parents of the rest, belong to a class of foundations the most ancient in the Principality. In what age, or by whom, these parent churches were endowed with the tithes of the surrounding districts is unknown; for none of the documents extant, which relate to the history of Wales, have recorded the event. But the precise period is immaterial to the present question, for the original church might have been supported by the offerings of the people long before a perpetual endowment was granted. The way is, therefore, clear for the belief, that the most ancient churches of Wales were founded by the persons to whom they are usually attributed; and the word "foundation" may be taken to mean the first erection of a

its being called "ecclesia," must have been a free chapel, or exempt from ordinary jurisdiction. (See the word "Chapel" in Burn's Ecclesiastical Law.)

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