Monmouthshire South East Wales, British Isles

The Itinerary of Archbishop Baldwin through Wales: Book 1 Chapter 4. We leave to others the relation of those frequent and cruel excesses which in our times have arisen amongst the inhabitants of these parts, against the governors of castles, and the vindictive retaliations of the governors against the natives. But king Henry II. was the true author, and Ranulf Poer, sheriff of Hereford, the instrument, of the enormous cruelties and slaughter perpetrated here in our days, which I thought better to omit, lest bad men should be induced to follow the example; for although temporary advantage may seem to arise from a base cause, yet, by the balance of a righteous judge, the punishment of wickedness may be deferred, though not totally avoided, according to the words of the poet, -

"Non habet eventus sordida praeda bonos."

For after seven years of peace and tranquillity, the sons and grandsons of the deceased, having attained the age of manhood, took advantage of the absence of the lord of the castle (Abergevenni), and, burning with revenge, concealed themselves, with no inconsiderable force during the night, within the woody foss of the castle. One of them, name Sisillus (Sitsylt) son of Eudaf, on the preceding day said rather jocularly to the constable, "Here will we enter this night, pointing out to him a certain angle in the wall where it seemed the lowest; but since

" - Ridendo dicere verum

Quis vetat?"

and

" - fas est et ab hoste doceri,"

the constable and his household watched all night under arms, till at length, worn out by fatigue, they all retired to rest on the appearance of daylight, upon which the enemy attacked the walls with scaling-ladders, at the very place that had been pointed out. The constable and his wife were taken prisoners, with many others, a few persons only escaping, who had sheltered themselves in the principal tower. With the exception of this stronghold, the enemy violently seized and burned everything; and thus, by the righteous judgment of God, the crime was punished in the very place where it had been committed. A short time after the taking of this fortress, when the aforesaid sheriff was building a castle at Landinegat [Map],⁶² near Monmouth, with the assistance of the army he had brought from Hereford, he was attacked at break of day, when

"Tythoni croceum linquens Aurora cubile" [Leaving the saffron bed of Tythonian Aurora.]

was only beginning to divest herself of the shades of night, by the young men from Gwent and the adjacent parts, with the descendants of those who had been slain. Through aware of this premeditated attack, and prepared and drawn up in battle array, they were nevertheless repulsed within their intrenchments, and the sheriff, together with nine of the chief men of Hereford, and many others, were pierced to death with lances. It is remarkable that, although Ranulf, besides many other mortal wounds, had the veins and arteries of his neck and his windpipe separated with a sword, he made signs for a priest, and from the merit of his past life, and the honour and veneration he had shewn to those chosen into the sacred order of Christ, he was confessed, and received extreme unction before he died. And, indeed, many events concur to prove that, as those who respect the priesthood, in their latter days enjoy the satisfaction of friendly intercourse, so do their revilers and accusers often die without that consolation. William de Braose, who was not the author of the crime we have preferred passing over in silence, but the executioner, or, rather, not the preventer of its execution, while the murderous bands were fulfilling the orders they had received, was precipitated into a deep foss, and being taken by the enemy, was drawn forth, and only by a sudden effort of his own troops, and by divine mercy, escaped uninjured. Hence it is evident that he who offends in a less degree, and unwillingly permits a thing to be done, is more mildly punished than he who adds counsel and authority to his act. Thus, in the sufferings of Christ, Judas was punished with hanging, the Jews with destruction and banishment, and Pilate with exile. But the end of the king, who assented to and ordered this treachery, sufficiently manifested in what manner, on account of this and many other enormities he had committed (as in the book "De Instructione Principis," by God's guidance, we shall set forth), he began with accumulated ignominy, sorrow, and confusion, to suffer punishment in this world.⁶³

Note 62. Landinegat [Map], or the church of St. Dingad, is now better known by the name of Dingatstow [Map], or Dynastow, a village near Monmouth.

Note 63. [For the end of William de Braose, see footnote 31.]

Flowers of History by Roger of Wendover 1233. How the proscribed nobles attacked the king's army at Grosmont [Map].

The king had by this time collected a powerful army at Gloucester, with which he advanced towards Hereford in Wales, where he invaded the marshal's territory, endeavouring by all the means in his power to deprive him of his inheritance, and to seize his person. That cautious soldier had, however, before the king's approach, withdrawn all the cattle and provisions, wherefore the king, not being able to stay there, owing to the failure of his provisions, turned off with his army to the castle of Grosmont [Map]. After he had stayed there some days, the marshal and his proscribed confederates found out by means of their spies that the king passed the night inside that castle while his army were encamped outside the walls. The whole body of them therefore, except the marshal, who refused to attack the king, marched for that place with the Welsh chiefs and a larse army a little after dusk on Martinmas day, and rushing on the king's troops who were lying asleep in their tents, took possession of more than five hundred horses, with all their baggage and equipments, the men themselves taking to flight nearly naked in all directions. The conquerors however did not wish to wound or make prisoners of any of them, and there were only two knights slain out of the whole number. They then took all the waggons and carts containing the money, provisions, and arms, and having carefully disposed of their booty, returned to their safe hiding-places. The following nobles all were witnesses of this occurrence, namely, Peter bishop of Winchester, Ralph bishop of Chichester, Stephen Segrave (age 61) the justiciary, Peter de Rivaulx the treasurer, Hugh Bigod earl of Norfolk, William earl of Salisbury, William Beauchamp (age 47), William Daubeney the younger, and many others, who fled nearly naked, losing all their property; great numbers of the king's army then, and especially those who had lost their horses and all their money, went away in great trouble and returned to their homes. The king, who nad been thus left as it were alone, in the midst of his enemies, then put his Poictevin freebooters in charge of the castles of Wales, to repel the attacks of his enemies, and gave the command of his army to the nobles, John of Monmouth, and Ralph de Thoeny, to the latter of whom he also gave the castle of Matilda, which belonged to him by old right; whilst he himself, after making these arrangements, returned to Gloucester.

Archaeologia Cambrensis 1909 The Early Settlers of Monmouth. The clear traces of cromlechau," or dolmens, as they are often called by English and foreign archaeologists, in Monmouthshire are very few, but in the Arch. Camb. for 1846, p. 277, there is a reference to a cromlech at Gaer llwyd [Map] (or Gaer lwyd), Newchurch, near Caerwent [Map]. Of this it is there said "The upper or incumbent stone of this ancient relic is 12 ft. long, and, at a mean, 3½ ft. broad. The uprights or supports are from 4 ft. to 5 ft. high, and the whole seems to have been surrounded by a slight trench and bank." The cromlech in question was discovered some years ago by T. Wakeman, Esq., of Graig, Monmouthshire, who, seeing when at some distance off what he thought was a cottage, went to it, and was agreeably surprised on finding it different from what he expected. Since then the account he gave of it has caused it to be visited by several individuals and, when a new road was about to be made in the neighbourhood, he interested himself to preserve it from being broken for road materials, as a Maen Hir near Monmouth had shortly before been broken for the purpose." Last September, through the kindness of Mr. A. E. Bowen, of Castle Vale, Usk, the writer had an opportunity of visiting this undoubted cromlech in the company of Mrs. Bowen and Mr. A. J. Bowen. A photograph of the cromlech in question, kindly taken by Mr. A. J. Bowen, is appended.

In the Arch. Camb. for 1854, p. 14, there is an account of prehistoric remains in Monmouthshire, which takes the form of additions to Coxe's Historical Tour. The tumuli and earthworks which Mr. Wakeman here mentions were not necessarily of a sepulchral character. In fact, they would seem to be rather of the nature of military fortifications. In the absence of excavations, it will be difficult to assign to them their true character. It is significant, as Mr. Wakeman points out, that a very large portion of the district, including Trelleck and several of the adjoining parishes, down to a comparatively late period was a dense forest, chiefly oak, called the Forest or Chase of Wyeswood.

[Photo here to dark be of use!]

The Itinerary of Archbishop Baldwin through Wales: Book 1 Chapter 5. At the castle of Usk [Map], a multitude of persons influenced by the archbishop's sermon, and by the exhortations of the good and worthy William bishop of Landaf,⁶⁵ who faithfully accompanied us through his diocese, were signed with the cross; Alexander archdeacon of Bangor⁶⁶ acting as interpreter to the Welsh. It is remarkable that many of the most notorious murderers, thieves, and robbers of the neighbourhood were here converted, to the astonishment of the spectators. Passing from thence through Caerleon [Map] and leaving far on our left hand the castle of Monmouth [Map], and the noble forest of Dean, situated on the other side of the Wye and on this side the Severn, and which amply supplies Gloucester with iron and venison, we spent the night at Newport [Map], having crossed the river Usk three times.⁶⁷ Caerleon [Map] means the city of Legions, Caer, in the British language, signifying a city or camp, for there the Roman legions, sent into this island, were accustomed to winter, and from this circumstance it was styled the city of legions. This city was of undoubted antiquity, and handsomely built of masonry, with courses of bricks, by the Romans. Many vestiges of its former splendour may yet be seen; immense palaces, formerly ornamented with gilded roofs, in imitation of Roman magnificence, inasmuch as they were first raised by the Roman princes, and embellished with splendid buildings; a tower of prodigious size, remarkable hot baths, relics of temples, and theatres, all inclosed within fine walls, parts of which remain standing. You will find on all sides, both within and without the circuit of the walls, subterraneous buildings, aqueducts, underground passages; and what I think worthy of notice, stoves contrived with wonderful art, to transmit the heat insensibly through narrow tubes passing up the side walls.

Note 65. William de Salso Marisco, who succeeded to the bishopric of Llandaff, A.D. 1185, and presided over that see during the time of Baldwin's visitation, in 1188.

Note 66. Alexander was the fourth archdeacon of the see of Bangor.

Note 67. Once at Usk, then at Caerleon, and afterwards on entering the town of Newport.