MISCELLANEA HISTORICA, 4 JAMES I.

Magna Session. tent apud Llanydloes, 18 Aug., 4 James I.
Jenkinus Lloyd, Ar. Vic.

The same roll of magistrates as 3 James I, with these exceptions :Name added, "Rowlandus Pugh, armiger."

Names omitted, "Gruffinus Lloyd, armiger," (Maesmawr) "Carolus Lloyd,1 armiger," (Leighton); "Davidis Lloyd, armiger," (Pool and Moel y Garth).

The same Chief Stewards of Lordships as 3 James I.
Rowland Owenn,2 ar., maior de
Machynlleth.

Matheus Price,3 gen., maior de
Llanidloes.

Johes Mores, gen., maior de Caersous.

Johes Pryce' et Johes Blayney, genosi balli dei. Dni. Regis Vill. et Libbat. de Newtowne.

Robertus Brownesword et * * gen'osi balli de Mountgom'y. Davidis Peers et David Jones, gen'osi balli de Pola.

Gruffinus Kyffin et Edrus ap Richard gen'osi balli de Llanvillinge.

Jur. Magna Inquis. Maurice Owen de Rhywsaison,

(Grand Jury).

David Blayney de Maesmawr,

ar.

gen.

Although the name of Charles Lloyd of Leighton is omitted from the roll of magistrates this year, he was, nevertheless, living, and acting in the commission of the peace for the county, in the 7th James I (see "Miscellanea Historica," 7 James I).

2 Rowland Owen of Machynlleth, was sheriff in 1611.

3 Probably Matthew Price of Park, second son of John Price of Newtown, sheriff in 1566 and 1586, by Elizabeth, daughter of Rees ap Morris ap Owen of Aberbechan, sheriff in 1565.

John Price, bailiff of Newtown, was the eldest son of Edward Price of Newtown, sheriff in 1615, by Juliana, daughter of John Owen Vaughan of Llwydiarth. John Price was created a Baronet on the 15th August, 1628, and married Catherine, daughter of Sir Richard Price of Gogerddan, and widow of James Stedman of Strataflorida (Lewys Dwnn, vol. i, p. 315).

5 Griffith Kyffin, bailiff of Llanvyllin, was of Cae Coch, and the second son of John Kyffin of Glascoed, to which estate his brother, Richard Kyffin, succeeded. He married Margaret, daughter of Howell Vaughan of Coedtalog, second son of Owen Vaughan of Llwydiarth, and bailiff of Llanvyllin, 3 James I. Griffith Kyffin was the father of Watkin Kyffin of Cae Coch and Glascoed, sheriff in 1663, whose daughter and heiress, Margaret, married Sir William Williams, Speaker of the House of Commons, and Solicitor-General to James II. Their son, Sir William Williams, was the ancestor of the Williams Wynnes, baronets of Wynnstay (Yorke's Royal Tribes, pp. 112, 113, 114). Griffith Kyffin was bailiff of Llanvyllin in the 39th and 40th Eliz., with Richard Vaughan, fifth son of John Owen Vaughan of Llwydiarth, by his second wife, Margaret, daughter of Thomas ap Rees Wynne (Lewys Dwnn, vol. i, p. 291).

6 David Blayney of Maesmawr, in Llandinam parish, was the son of Edward Blayney of Maesmawr (ap Thomas ap Evan Lloyd of Gregynog), by Elizabeth, daughter of David Lloyd Jenkin of Berthllwyd, sheriff in 1574

and 1587. He married Lowry, daughter and coheir of Lewys Gwynn ap Morgan Gwynn of Llanidloes, sheriff in 1582. After his decease she married Lloyd Piers of Maesmawr and Trawscoed, sheriff in 1637, son of Edward Piers and Elizabeth Lloyd, daughter and sole heiress of Griffith Lloyd of Maesmawr, sheriff in 1581 (Lewys Dwnn, vol. i, p. 311, n. 1). David Blayney and John Lloyd appear on the sheriff's files as coroners for the county in the 9th of James I.

John Gwyn, son of Edward Maurice, of Dalebachog and Glynhavren, by his wife Catherine, daughter of John ap Hugh ap Evan of Mathavarn, married Sibley, daughter of William Lloyd of Rhiwedog (Lewys Dwnn, vol. i, p. 302).

THE ABBEY OF YSTRAD MARCHELL (STRATA MARCELLA), OR POLA.

BY MORRIS CHARLES JONES, F.S.A.

(Continued from p. 34.)
PART II.

WHEN King John came to the throne the reign of the Welsh princes was rapidly drawing to a close, and Wennunwen was constantly engaged in hostilities. In 1199 the king sent Geoffrey Fitz Peter, Chief Justice of England, to mediate between Wennunwen and his neighbour, William Brewes, the English Lord Marcher of Brecknock. The dispute led to a bloody battle fought by William Brewes, assisted by King John and others as his allies, with Wennunwen. The latter was defeated and obliged to quit his territories. The monks of Ystrad Marchell, ever alive to their own interests, immediately prevailed upon the king, the victor, to grant them two charters-one giving them freedom from toll throughout his dominions, except in the city of London, for all things which the monks required for their own use, and the other, confirming to them all the prior gifts made by Owen Cyfeiliog and Wennunwen his son. The charters were as follows:

Johannes Dei gratia &c. Sciatis nos concessisse et hac carta nostra confirmasse Deo et sancte Marie et Monachis de Stratmarchell quietanciam de theolonio per universam terram nostram preterquam in civitate Londini de omnibus hiis que ad proprios usus suos spectaverint Quare volumus et firmiter precipimus quod predicti monachi de Stratmarchell quietanciam de theolonio per universam terram nostram sic ut supradictum scriptum est habeant bene et in pace libere et quiete Hiis Testibus Willielmo Marēsc com. de Pembroc. G. filio Petri

com. Essex. Willielmo com. Sax &c. Datum per manum H. Cantuar &c. apud Wigorn xj die Aprilis anno &c.1

Johannes dei gratia &c. Sciatis nos concessisse et presenti carta nostra confirmasse Deo et sancte Marie gloriose virginis et abbati de Stratmarchell et monachis ibidem Deo servientibus omnia dona eis rationabiliter data ab Audoēno de Kivilioc et Wenoynwen filio suo et aliis donatoribus suis sicut carte donatorum quas inde habent rationabiliter testantur Quare volumus et firmiter precipimus quod predicti abbas et monachi de Stratmarchell habeant et teneant omnia dona eis rationabiliter data a predicto Audoeno et a Wenoynwen filio suo et ab aliis donatoribus suis, bene et in pace libere et quiete integre plenarie et honorifice cum omnibus rebus et libertatibus et liberis consuetudinibus ad ea pertinentibus Testibus hiis Cant. arch. Cancellario &c. R. Bangor episcopo G. filio Petri com. Essex Willielmo Maresc com. de Pembroc. Willielmo filio Alani Hughone Bard. Willielmo Briewrr (Brewes) Roberto Corbett Johanne Extraneo. Datum per manus Sim. Wellu' archid. et J. de Gray archid. Gloc. apud Wigorn xj Aprilis anno2 regni nostri primo.

G. filio Petri Com. Essex (Geoffrey Fitz Peter, Earl of Essex) and William Brewes witnessing the latter charter is a significant fact. However, Wennunwen soon regained his dominions, for in 1201 Llewelyn the Great and his army marched towards Powys against Wennunwen, but certain "learned men mediated between the parties, and hostilities were successfully avoided. It is possible the "learned men" been the monks of this abbey. However this may have However this may be, it is certain that in this year, 1201, the monks received from Wennunwen an immense grant of territory, which it seems not unreasonable to infer was an acknowledgment of their services on some such occasion. The circumstance of Geoffrey Fitz Peter, Earl of Essex, and William Brewes, being witnesses to King John's charter, also seems to favour the inference.

The year 1200 is one of the most remarkable epochs in the history of this abbey. It then founded its daughter 1 1 John, m. 16, Rot. Chart., 2 Ibid. The witnesses' names supplied from Rot. Chart., 28 Henry vol. i, p. 44. VI, m. 7.

abbey "de Valle Crucis." The foundation charter by which Madoc, son of Gruffydd, granted the Ville of Llynhequestel, since called Llanegwest, to the monks of this abbey for them to erect an abbey there, bears no date; but all the ancient authorities give the date as "about 1200." We are glad to state that an article "On the date of Foundation ascribed to the Cistercian Abbeys in Great Britain,"1 published since the first part of this paper was printed, enables us to give the precise date of the foundation of both the abbey of Ystrad Marchell and of its daughter Abbey de Valle Crucis, or at least of the entry of them respectively into the Cistercian order. In a miscellaneous collection of tracts among the Cottonian MSS. in the British Museum, there exists a list of the various abbeys of this order throughout the world, arranged in a chronological series, and in most cases referring to the actual day of incorporation of the abbeys into the ranks of the Cistercians, which list is for the first time printed in Mr. Birch's article. There is every reason to suppose that the lists were compiled from the archives of Citeaux itself, because the actual date of so many and such distant abbeys could not in those days have been procured from any other source.

The date of the foundation of this abbey, here called Abbatia de Pola," or of its entry into the Cistercian order, is given in the list as "vi idus Julij," (10th July) 1172. This is two years later than the date (1170) usually attributed to its foundation charter; but the later date may perhaps be that of its entrance into the full realisation of the privileges of the Cistercian order, it having been originally Savigniac, and having subsequently become subject to Citeaux by the filiation of Clairvaux. The date of the foundation of the daughter abbey, "de Valle Crucis," is given as "v. Kal. Februarii (25 February) 1200.

Mr. Birch also appends2 an interesting scheme origi1 By W. De G. Birch, Esq., Journal of the British Archaeological 2 Ibid., p. 367. Association, vol. xxvi, pp. 281, 289.