Welsh Journals

dissolved by King Henry VIII. The establishment then comprised the prior and four monks. The priory, being dissolved, became the property of James Gunter. The name Gunter, though by its sound it would hardly appear to be so, is of French origin, being a shortened form of gaunt d'or (the golden gauntlet), the first of the name having been Sir Peter de Gaunt d'or, who came with Bernard Newmarch to the conquest of Brycheiniog, the lord of which was the well-known Bledd- yn ap Maenarch. Sir Peter de Gaunt d'or received for his services the manor, which was called after his name Tre-Gunter. The arms of Gunter are-Sable, a chevron between three dexter gauntlets or. James Gunter then fixed his residence here, where his descendants remained for seven generations in the male line. Walter Gunter resided here when King Charles I., on his journey from Hereford to Raglan, after escaping from the Battle of Naseby, came to Abergavenny. In this house King Charles stayed the night of the 1st of July, 1645, as the guest of Mr. Gunter, and it is to be regretted that there are no details recorded of his visit. The room in which the king slept is said to be the bedroom over the northern end of this hall, while the smaller room adjoining is said to have been occupied by his attendant. On the staircase landing is the frame of an ancient bed, which is said to have been the one on which the king slept, but it appears to me to be of more recent date than the 17th century, and not to be sufficiently elaborate for the bed that would be provided for a king. King Charles paid a second visit to Abergavenny, but on this occasion only for the day. This was on Friday, 12 September, 1645, when he came from Raglan; and it was probably in this hall that on that day four leading gentlemen of the county appeared before his majesty on the charge of being the chief hinderers to the royal cause in the counties of Monmouth and Glamorgan. These gentlemen were Sir Trevor Williams, of Llangibby; Henry