Welsh Journals

OWEN'S MSS.----KEMES: DECAY OF CASTLES, ETC. 133 Rees Bowen of Richardston, Gent, died ye 3d of October 19° Eliz. 1577. Elizabeth, sole child and heiress of ye said Rees, was but a month old at her said fathers death, and died a virgin (ye great¬ est fortune in her time in ye whole county of Pembrock, being yn valued to be worth five thousand pounds) 15t0 December 30 Eliz., whereby her said aunts, ye sisters of ye said Rees Bowen, came to be heirs to her ample and lardge possessions, and ye said John Owen in ye right of his mother was intitled to six ten'ts in Meliney parish, 4 in Kevarn, 2 in Bayvill, 2 in Eglos- serow, 2 in Manachcloddy, five in Lfanvyrnoch, five in Pen¬ rith (?) parish, three in Clyddy, 2 ten'ts and a burgage in St. Dogmells, 2 in Llanychloiddog, and 1 in Manclochogg, and ye L'dship of Monington wch in all amounts to 36 ten'ts in Kernes, over and above 14 burgages and 2 closes in Cardigan, Tregibby, and Habedare, in Verwich and Penyrallt nr Llan- goedmore, being 19 more. ii December, 87. The Cause of the buildinge and decayeinge of so manie Castells in Wales as nowe are to be seen there. They were at the first built by the severall lordes m'chers of the countrey for theire owne defence, and were all built by the Normans or Englishemen upon the conquest of Wales, which continued from the conquest till the time of Ed- warde the first, and were built only for the deffence of the said Englishemen against the inhabitants of the countrey ; for as every of the said Englishe Lordes subdued some p'te of the countrey, he made thereof a manor or L'p, and built a castell, and most comonly a towne belonging to the said manor, giv- inge the chiefest parte of the countrey to his tenantes and men, and for the most parte reserved noe kinde of demesne landes except some woode or hay to be spent in his saide castle, and used his castell only as a howse of deffence, and not of pleasure or profytte; for that those Lords had theire chiefe aboade in England, and remaynid heere in Wales but upon raising or rebellion of theire tenantes; otherwise theire stewardes and other officers remayned in the castells, and the Lordes in Eng¬ land at theire owne howses, for yt ys seldome seene that there was any good demesnes of auncient tyme belonging to any cas¬ tell in Wales but the L. allwayes leveyed taxes and subsidyes and other customes, as otes for horses, etc. the perquesytes of coortes, with some small rentes, which was all the commodytyes the L. had thereoute, and so long as Wales remayned wild, and 102