Welsh Journals

DEC, 1377. THE CAMBRIAN REMEMBRANCER. 17 enchanting view of the casole and town of Denbigh— a city built on a hill ; as well as of the majestic heights which flank the Vale, especially on its eastern side. The original house was built in a d. 720. This venerable and interesting mansion was taken down for materials to build K niuel Palace The old Lleweni Library (a collection of ancient, curious, arid rare works, valuable M SS. connected with the history of the Salusbury family and the annals of Denbigh Castle ; paintings of old masters, &c), became either scattered or lost." Some of the MSS. were taken away to Combermere Abbey,in Cheshire, when Sir Robert Cotton disposed of Lleweni to Mr Fitzmaurice. Lord Dinnrbeu had at one time a vast number of L'eweni manuscripts »nd primed books in his possession, and the late Edward Pariy, of Chester, was once engaged in preparing a catalogue of th-m. Some of the hmdc* «ot into the hands ■ f Sir Robert Williams Vanghau Hart, and were pur¬ chased at the Rhug sale by a Bristol bookseller. Bookworm. QUERIES. XXXVIII. Pakton Hall, Denbigh.—I picked up a cutting from a newspaper, about this place, it reads thus :— " Pan ton Hall (a small street) still preserves the name of a family no longer existing in Denbigh. The hall has long disappeared. It was, probably, loUiing more than the private residence of John Panton, Esq., architect, and recorder of Denbigh al¬ though popular tradition states it to have been the Gui'd Hail, and speaks of a gaol which once stood somewhere near the Old Factory, and that the skeletons of executed malefactors have at different times been exhumed in cutting the foundation of the buildings which cover the spot at present." I cannot remember at the moment where the Pan- tons hailed from, but the John Panton mentioned above is, no doubt, the gentleman of whom several of our authors have written, as a person of consequence. Mr Pennant stys of him :—"Near it (Foxhall) up¬ started a new Foxhall, part of a magnificent design conceived by Mr John Panton, recorder of Denbigh and member for the borough in 1592 and 1601. One wing only was built. The ambition of the founder vas to eclipse the other Foxhall; but he brctra* bankrupt, and was obliged to sell the unfinished house and the little estate which belonged to it to the very neighbour whom he wished to outshine. He died in 1614, and was buried a. Henlian." Where was he born at ; are the Anglesey Pan tons decend- ants yf his 1 Caledjryn. XXXIX. Edward of Carnarvon.—The recorded story of j his life tells us that he was born at Carnarvon Castle, j on the 25th of April. 12*4, in a small room within the R'»tde'Tofter.; The late Wfr llartuhmw denied this, and said that if lie was born at Carnarvon at all, it I o-iust have been in some room upon the site of «;he present Sportsman Hnrr-J. Sir Llewelyn Turner his been engaged, we are told, upon a new history of the castle, and can, I suppose,give some valuable inform* ation upon this very question. Will he kindly do so in your Remembrancer column % The unfortu- nat e king was murdered at Berkeley Castle, in Sep¬ tember, 1327. J. W. P. DECEMBER 1st, 1877. NOTES. The Denbighshire Clotjghs- -For more than three hundred years this eminent family have oc¬ cupied a respectable position in the annals of our country. They have seen many ups and downs, but in each successive generation we find one or more of them who have left their mark upon the page of history, and we can justly boast of them as among the worthies of our native land. Sir Richard Clough is the founder of the family, and some writers have given us fabulous accounts of his life, his wealth, and his services. All admit his clos" relationship to the celebrated Sir Thomas Greshani, and the following letter from him to that eminent man is worth re¬ printing :— "Xms. f'd 31st de Dyssember, a° 1561, in Andwarpe. " Ryght worsheptull Sir, " Ytt maye please you to unders-ande that I sent you my last by oure Engglishe post, wherein I wro*te you of all thyngs att large. Syns the which, I have received your m«stershepps, of the 20th date ; well understanding the effecte thereof " First, whereas, your pleasure is that I shall make inquiry amongst your frynds here for the order, and how they do youse the matter in hyrying outt of their toll or Coustom here, with the wholl systeme thereof,—1 have (thru' the frendeship of your gissepp, Crystofer Prowne, now beyng Treasurer of I he towne of Andwarpe) gotten outt in Doche the pryncypall partyculars thereof; the menyng whereof Is in Endtelesbe as here after foloweth," &c. This leter occupies more than twenty Mdes of folio paper. Farther on he writes, " Sir, L am glad to heare that (hys thyng is callyd for, hoping that suche order shalle be takyn therein, that it shade be for the Qitenes Majesties protett, and the honour of rhe r< dme. For as the matter iei now yoused, it is a' aynst conscyence to hear the tallke that goeth, howe the Quene is disseved; which must needs be tf we, consyderyng the order that they do youse (whioh is to no resone); [namely] that the Quencs coustomes must stande uppon the leportt of v. or vi. serchers (more or lesse), whiche serchers are men knowne to be men that wyll be coropptyd for raoneye. For, in the openyug of a fatt full of syllks, some tymes I doubt it is broughtt over to the coustom house for fustyans, or suche other ware. * * " They wryte allso that the Pope makyth grett labore to have a generalle counsel I ; and that there ys all redy att Trentt above c c. Besshops. As towchy- ing all other your afiaires, I wrotte you att large yesterdaye by the Enggleshe post; having not ells to wrytt you att tbys presentt, butt preying God to send your worsheppe, with my Lady, grace, helthe