Welsh Journals

the mine in the former's absence, to arrange for the carriage of several tons of weighed ore from the mine to Lodge Park-some four miles distant. Dame Dorothy Pryse contended that her late husband, Sir Thomas Pryse, Bart., was in his lifetime seised in fee of the manor of Genau'r Glyn wherein is Esgair Hir. About fourteen years previously Sir Thomas had granted this manor unto John Robinson and others for a term of sixty years in trust, among other things, for her benefit should she survive. And Sir Thomas, being so seised in the revers- ion and inheritance of the manor which had been continued for many generations in his family, devised it to the use of Sir Carbury Pryse, who was his nephew and heir at law, and his heirs, or in default to Edward Pryse, and finally to his brother Richard Pryse. Shortly after the death of Sir Thomas, and when Dame Dorothy had entered upon the manor, certain miners of their own accord, and without any permission whatsoever, in March 1690, commenced digging at Esgair Hir, and having found some ore informed her and offered to come to terms with her. She refused their offer, whereupon they applied to Sir Thomas Williams, who, with others, claimed to have a right to some Mines Royal within the county of Cardigan by virtue of a grant from the Crown. They informed him that they had struck upon rich or royal ore. Consequently they raised several quantities of ore, claiming that the mine belonged to the Crown. The Lady of the Manor, however, rejected this claim and insisted that it was poor lead or other common ore, and ought therefore to belong to her. She forbade the miners to dig further. Both Dame Dorothy Pryse and John Lloyd admitted that about 10 October 1690, Sir Carbury Pryse caused about one hundred and thirty tons of ore to be carried away from the mine to Lodge Park where it still remained. The following July, Sir Carbury, finding the mine opened and left by the workmen and agents of the patentees, and no person working therein, without any resistance or oppos- ition whatsoever, entered it and employed several miners or other workmen to raise ore there. Cornelius le Brun, Edward Pryse, Simon Pryse, and Evan Evans, conjointly supported the evidence of previous witnesses regarding the manor of Llanfihangel Genau'r Glyn. Edward Pryse further stated that Sir Thomas Pryse in his will dated 2 May 1682 devised the manor in trust for Sir Carbury, and then to him (the witness) and his heirs and thereafter to his brother Richard Pryse. Edward Pryse admitted that he was to receive one-twentyfourth part share in the mine at Esgair Hir, and that he was employed to manage the said mine, to employ miners and carriers as required. On occasion he had forbidden the workmen and agents of Sir Thomas Williams to dig ore there or carry any away, and had himself agreed with several carriers to convey about 130 tons of ore from Esgair Hir to the Lodge at a rate of 6s. per ton. An interesting episode is revealed in the evidence of Cornelius le Brun, a German who had lived for some years in Cardiganshire. Upon hearing of the discovery of lead at Esgair Hir he went there out of curiosity to view the place at a time when carriers were weighing and carrying away some of the ore for Sir Carbury Pryse. 'Finding the weighers of the said oare undexterously handling