Ancient and Modern Denbigh: a descriptive history of the castle, borough, and liberties, etc

Front matter

: A DESCRIPTIVE HISTORY OF THE CASTLE, BOROUGH, AND LIBERTIES; WITH SKETCHES OP THE LIVES, CHARACTER, AND EXPLOITS OF THE FEUDAL LORDS AND MILITARY GOVERNORS OF THE FORTRESS, TO ITS FINAL SIEGE AND REDUCTION ; NOTICES OF ANCIENT LOCAL FAMILIES AND EMINENT NATIVES, MUNICIPAL OFFICERS AND CORPORATE RECORDS, ANCIENT GUILDS, MILITARY AND ECCLESIASTICAL REMAINS, &C, &C, &C. BY JOHN WILLIAMS. DENBIGH : PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY J. WILLIAMS, VALE STREET, 1 85 6 . DEDICATED BY PERMISSION TO THE WORSHIPFUL THE MAYOR AND MAGISTRATES, ALDERMEN, COMMON COUNCIL, TOWN CLERK, AND BURGESSES, OF THE S*mni Birring^ us fimkigjr, BY THEIR OBEDIENT AND OBLIGED SERVANT, THE AUTHOR.

Preface

. Having spent nearly five years in coUecting the historical materials for this Work, and, owing to adverse circumstances, more than three years in bringing it through the press, the Compiler has, at length, reached the limits prescribed, and now humbly presents the fruit of his labours to his indulgent subscribers, and the public in general. Tho delay, has, however, rendered the book itself far more complete and correct than it otherwise could have appeared. The Work, together with the copyright, has passed out of the Author's hands, leaving him the mere— though, perhaps, the purer gratification of having successfully accomplished what has been to him a great, laborious, and difficult task ; not for his own personal advantage, but as a voluntary and humble service to the town and locality.

Indeed, if the volume now laid before the reader has any merit at all, it must arise simply from the fact that, unlike most other books of the present day, it ha3 not been "written expressly for the trade," as a business speculation, but for the preservation of our local and municipal records, and this must be the only reason why the production of an obscure pen has attracted the notice of the highest Literary, Antiquarian, and Archæological publications of the day — merely for the intrinsic value of the mass of historical matter contained therein. Not only have most of the nobUity, gentry, and clergy connected with the Bo rough and County of Denbigh, as well as hundreds from other parts of Wales aud England, sent in their names as subscribers to the Work, but the Author has been favoured with every assistance that could be desired in the shape of historical com munications, free perusal of local records, loan of manuscripts, family pedigrees, deeds of private property, rare and valuable books, and a great number of ancient documents, &c, See.

Thus, the compiler has become especially indebted to Richard Williams, Esq., town-clerk, and through him to the corporate authorities; to the Rev. Alfred Butler Clough, B.D., Rector of Braunstone, Daventry; W. Wynne Ffoulkes, Esq.; barrister-at-law; William Owen, Esq., Tan-y-girt; Richard Peake, Esq., Chepstow; Robert Chambre Vaughan, Esq.. Burlton Hall, Salop; the Rev. Sir Charles John Salusbury, Bart., Llanwern, Monmouth; the late Right Hon. Lord Bagot; Miss Angharad Llwyd of Rhyl ; Captain Ffoulkes of Eriviatt Hall; the Rev. E. L. Barn weU, Head Master of Ruthin School; Ignatius Williams, Esq., of the Grove; the Rev. Edmund Williams, Pentremawr Hall; John Myddelton, Esq., of Clifton, Bristol; James Conway, Esq., Liverpool; Mr. Jones, soUcitor, correspondent of the Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald; Price Morris, Esq, of the Abbey; Townshend Mainwaring, Esq., Galltfaenan; Samuel Edwardes, Esq. of Denbigh; the Rev. Lewis Lewis, Rector of Denbigh ; William Hughes, Esq. . soUcitor, Rhyl ; Mr. Edwards, Fron Cottage, Denbigh, &c, and to the Venerable Archdeacon Newcome, for permission to copy, at length, from hi3 valuable work.

The Author, has, however, to regret that he has not been able, within the limits and time prescribed, to make use of all the information thus furnished, especially of the pedigrees, &c, procured from the British Museum; much less to avail himself of all the assistance offered ; as, for instance, of those valuable documents at Comber mere Abbey, touching the history of the Salusburies of Lleweni, as kindly suggested by Field Marshal the Lord Viscount Combermere. Printers are now growing too discreet to point out to every eye the " errors of the press," and, indeed, the proof-sheets have passed through so many correcting hands, that the work is less " damaged" with typographical imperfections than most

PREFACE.

. productions of ita size and character ; yet, it is not altogether " perfect ;" the errata, however, are mostly of that kind which the intelligent and educated reader will readily detect as "such," or occur only in some of the earlier copies; as, in terrorem" for in terror ; page 3 : "per terra" for pro terra; page 18 : " Ed ward Mortimer" for Edmund Mortimer, twice ; page 69: "intestive commotions" for intestine commotions ; page 85 : " Cilicia" for Cecilia ; page 148 and 149 : this Lordship for his Lordship; page 170: " 1840" for 1640; page 161 : "oppor tunas" for opportunilas ; pagelS2: "1461" for 1561 ; page 204 : "recapitula tion" for capitulation; page 214: "Sen. gleb." for terr. gleb., page 350 ;"clesestones" for clerestories ; page 330 : " 1875" for 1575; page 343; and, perhaps, some few more.

Instead of "who was treasurer for the county in 1753," read who was son to the treasurer, &c, page 252 ; and for " but he had two daughters," read but Col. Evans had &c, page 253. Mr. Bailiff Foulkes (page 116) was not of Eriviatt. No Peake has been resident at Perthewig since the close of the seventeenth century. W. Hughes, Esq., Rhyl, points out several facts which had escaped our notice, as, that the celebrated " Owen Tudor, had in 38 Henry VI., (1459), a grant of the Parks of Moylewike, Caresnodeoke, Kilford, Baghan, and Posty in the Lordship of Dynby in North Wales, with the woodwardship of the same." — Rymer, Vol. 5, par. 11., p. 91. This will explain Jasper Tudor's connection with Denbigh. That the annual expense of maintaining the garrison of Denbigh Castle, page 78, " estimated according to the present value of money, was not much less than ;£20,000 !"

That Edmund Mortimer, (page 79) being then only 10 years of age, could not have conceived a passion for Glyndwr's daughter, as is generally stated by writers on those times. That the Earl of Richmond, afterwards Henry VII, was born in 1456, and was, therefore, an infant when Denbigh was burnt, page 86. There are other questions pressed by antiquarian correspondents which we cannot again open, except in the Appendix ; as, whether the Salusburies came first from Salzburg in Germany, or from Salebury in Lancashire ; whether the Welsh pedigrees are correct or not, in deriving the Pigots from Picot de Saye, and that he was ancestor to the Bigods, Earls of Norfolk ; whether Pennant has any authority or not for charging the Earl of Leicester with having executed two of the Salusburies of Lleweni.

We think it sufficiently plain that Sir Wilham, Sir John, and Sir Robert Peake, "were not of the Welsh family" — page 198; and must leave all notes, omissions, &c, for the Appendix. — Peakes, Heatons, Cloughs, Ffoulkes', &c, &c. The Rev. A. B. Clough having, very kindly and unsoUcited, got up a subscription for copies of those very ancient and valuable records in the Tower of London touching Denbigh, the Author hopes to be able, ere long, to pubUsh a rather large Appendix, containing so much of those records as may be desirable, — a list of the Representative Burgesses of Denbigh, from the earliest parliaments in which they were privileged to sit, to the present time, with sketches of the Uves and character of the most eminent, &c. ; a continuation of the municipal, parochial, and local history, from the reign of Charles II. down to the present time ; criticisms, emenda tions, index, reference, &c. ; a sketch of the rise and progress of the Dissenting Denominations in this neighbourhood, &c, and, if possible, to make up for the de fective iUustrations.

When the Appendix is added, few other provincial towns, will be possessed of so complete a history — to which not only the antiquary and genealogist may refer for every historical fact connected with the locality, but the practical man of business find every requisite information on matters of municipal and parochial importance, foundation and government of every local institution, &c, &c. The issuing of the contemplated Appendix must, however, depend upon the will and pleasure of the subscribers, and the sale of the Work as it now appears. THE AUTHOR. Denbigh, October 10th, 1856.

Chapter I. Early History Of Denbigh And The Vale Of Clwyd

The etymological derivation of the name Denbigh, ( called in Welsh Dinbych), has given rise to much diversity of opinion.* Its ancient * It is admitted that the first syllable den or din is synonymous with the Saxon don or dun, signifying, literally, an eminence, and conventionaUy a fortress or a fortified town, because such were the usual sites of ancient cities. But the precise meaning of the latter syUable is unknown. According to the popular tradition, Bigh or By eh was the proper name of a beast or monster, which once inhabited those high precipitous cliffs on the eastern side of the Castle, and long held the surrounding country in terrorem ; but was at last slain by " Syr John y Bodiau," or Sir John Salusbury of Llewency, whose effigy, and that of his lady, may be seen in Whitchurch, with a representation of a non-descript animal lying at their feet, which the rustic will point out to you as the image of the Bych in miniature.

" Syr John" acquired, as we are told, the popular surname of "Bodiau," or Thumbs, from the fact that nature had not only endowed him with a double portion of Samson's strength, but had likewise furnished him with an extra thumb on each hand, and two great toes on each foot. He performed greater exploits if we must believe popular tradition, than even " Guy of Warwick," who slew tho Dun-cow. He destroyed the Bych, by which great feat, he bestowed upon the town, or "city," the eternal name of " Dim Bych," or no Bigh ; and slew the " Great White Lioness," in the Tower of London, "at one blow with his naked fist," by which daring deed he acquired for his estate the name of Lleweney ; and came off victor at a wrestling match with the giant, " Edward Shon Davydd," the celebrated builder of Pont y Ddol, whose walking-stick was the axle-tree of a cart, with a huge crow-bar driven into one end and bent for a handle, which he flourished about his head to the great dismay of Oliver Cromwell, whilst he crushed the Usurper's great silver goblet into a cake between the fingers of the other hand, after quaffing its contents to the health of King Charles.

As a further trial of strength, " Syr John," meeting the giant at the BuU Inn, Denbigh, carried him on his shoulder in a great arm-chair, long after preserved as " Cadair Syr John y Bodiau," in which our hero, when he came to town, always sat to enjoy his " pipe and pot," and which no other man, but Edward Shon Davydd, ever dared to occupy. He also engaged to twist withes with the giant, and out-did him by twisting forest B name was Cledsryn, or Caledfryn yn Rhos, which signifies a rocky hill, in the hundred of Rhos. But the fact that the signification of trees up by the root. He performed many other Herculean labours. Before his time, the town was caUed Dinbach, or the little city, but " Syr John" dignified it with the title of Dimbych, afterwards written Dinbych. Such is the popular tradition.

In some ancient records, wo find it written Dinbech, as in tho foUowing alUter ated Une : — " Har/ee/< a Dinbech bob dor ;" which might be a corruption of Dinbach. Nor can it be doubted that the original fortress was small, wlulstthe ancient town enclosed within the walls was diminutive, and built upon a little hUl — smaU in comparison with the neighbouring heights. But some will have it to be derived from buch, a cow, now written buwch ,- but stUl making its plural in buchod. They suppose it to imply cow or cattle hill, and to have been so called from the herds which might once have grazed thereon. The etymology given by the late Aneurin Owen, Esq., was "precipitous hill," from Din, a hill, and pyeh or bych an obsolete word for precipice. There can bo no question as to the orthography, for the place is so spelt (in a list of places) at the time of Llewelyn ab Gruffydd.

There is, indeed, a Byehlyn in FUntshire. Others maintain that the word bych once signified fair or beautiful, and make it to mean a fair hill ; which is, certainly, very graphic, there being no fairer hill, or emiuence overlooking a fairer vale, in all Cambria. It has been Ukewise conjectured that bych is nothing more than the ancient plural of bwch, a buck or stag, now written byehod, bucks ; and that Dinbych impUes deer hill, lying on the outskirts of the ancient forest of Lleweni, once well-stocked with wild deer, which, from their instinctive habits of climbing and congregating, would continuaUy muster on this fair hiU, and that Sir John Salusbury might have either exterminated the breed, by being too eager for the chase, or from some other motive; or he might have hunted down some famous roebuck, whose fleet feet had hitherto defied the intrepidity of many a daring sportsman, and which might have been considered very fierce and dangerous by the more timid townsfolk.

It does, indeed, appear very plausible, as well as possible, that the English name Denbigh, the " den of the bigh or bych,'' may have taken its rise from the Welsh legend aUuded to ; but the fact that the town was called Denbigh many ages before the time of the Sir John Salusbury whose monument is seen at Whitchurch, leads us to conclude cither that he was not the real " Syr John y Bodiau," or that his exploits have become confounded with those of some other hero of a much earUer age, who might have destroyed the wild beasts which then made this hill their den. Others suppose the bych to be the hound couching in front of the Castle, seen on the Corporate Seal and Town Arms. The vulgar provincial pronunciation is always Dinbach, or Dimbacli, (n being sounded as m before b), except in this neighbourhood, where a is pronounced as e, and has become a "sibboleth," as " e Dinbech."

According to Peter Elhs, the first John Salusbury of Lleweny died in ] 089, his father being settled here in the time of the Conqueror, with whom the founder of the famUy came over. If so, the "real original" "Syr John y Bodiau" may, indeed, have been tho founder of Denbigh Castle and Town, and may have extirpated the name Denbigh is long since lost, proves its high antiquity as a fortress and city ; and if the origin of its name lies buried " 'neath the dust of ages," its early history is involved in still deeper obscurity. In Roman times, it formed a part of the country called Tegenia, (Tegeingl?), and stood opposite to Varis, now Bodfari.* The direction of the Roman road from Varis to Conovium, (Conway) is not known, but it probably ran through Bodfari, or Bwlch Agricola, f up the pass of Denbigh towards Caerhun.

This country was then in habited by the Ordovices, (Gordovigion) a powerful tribe of the Britons. In A.D. 58, Suetonius Paulinus was sent over by the Em peror Nero, and was, perhaps, the first Roman general who led an army into the Vale of Clwyd. He encamped at a place near St. Asaph, still called Bryn Paulin, or the hill of Paulinus, from whence he penetrated as far as Anglesea, subdued that island, and massacred the Druids, &c. ; but hearing of the revolt of Boadicea, he suddenly retraced his steps towards London, leaving such garrisons as he could spare to keep possession of this part of the country. In A.D. 78, Julius Agricola, (in the reign of Vespasian,) seems to have passed this way at the head of a Roman legion, on his way to Mona, or Anglesea, leaving his name to that very remarkable Pass in the Yale Mountains, still called "Bwlch Agricola."

Many pieces of Roman coin have, a few years since, been discovered in the neighbourhood of this Pass. In the course of seven victorious summer cam paigns, he extended the Roman rule over all England and Wales, and spent the winters in ameliorating the condition of the Britons, and instructing them in the arts of civilized life ; in building cities, forts, and stations, and laying down roads, or viarum strata, in various some wild beasts which then infested the place. But as he was a German noble man, (of royal Uneage, descended from the Emperor Charlemagne), the question forces itself upon us — Is it not possible that the name Dinbych, for which we find no certain Celtic origin or etymology, after weighing the opinions of the highest Welsh authorities, may, after all, be a Welsh corruption of Denbige, derived from the German den, a valley, and bige, bighe, or bigh, a bay, nook, or bend ; Denbigh being, when viewed from Lleweney, especially, situated just in such a bend, bay, or bight of the Vale ? *The site of the Roman Varis, (which Antoninus mentions as being 19 miles from Conovium, and 32 miles from Deva) had been sought in vain, until the late eminent antiquary and Celtic scholar, Aneurin Owen, Esq., son of our great Unguist, Dr. Owen Pughe, discovered the foundation waUs of that long-sought station between Bodfari and the Clwyd, near Pontriffith, where they are dis tinctly visible. f But Mr. Ffoulkes, however, supposes the name of the pass, as given by Pennant, and in the Ordnance maps, to be a corruption of Bwlch y grug glas, or the Pass of green heather.

B directions through a wild trackless country. Ystrad-Clwyd,* or the Roman road across the Vale of Clwyd, was probably his work originally. In after times, this part of the country fell by heirship to St. Helena, the mother of Constantino the Great ; but when her progeny became extinct, it devolved upon Cynedda Wledig, her nephew, king of the Ystrad-Clwyd Britons, in whose illustrious family it continued, with some httle interruption hereafter explained, until the British * It is the author's humble opinion that all the Welsh ystradau arc derived from the viarum strata ; and hence we may infer that Afon Ystrad, Pont Ystrad, Plas Ystrad, &c, in the immediate vicinity of Denbigh, indicate the direction of the ancient Roman road across the Vale, probably towards Mynydd-y-Gaer, near Llannefydd.

Camden, in his Britannia, (Sussex, page 356), has this observation : "From Dunmow to Colchester is a direct road, wherein are stiU, in some places, to be seen the remains of an old Roman way, &c, called the street; the very word (strata) used by our countryman Bede, to signify a Roman road. In an old "Perambula tion of the Forest," in tho time of King John, it is said, " Super stratum ducen tem a Dunmow versus Colccstriam." Ystrad Marchell in Montgomery, on a branch of the great Roman road called Watliug-street, is known, in English, as Street Marcel. And all tho ystradau in Wales, Uko tho numerous EngUsh Strattons and Strettons, are lying on some old Roman road, mostly upon the great Sam Helen, as Ystrad Gwy, Ystrad Towy, Ystrad Meirig, and Ystrad Flur, Straifleur or Strata Florida, so caUcd, not because the abbey was situated " on the plain near the Flur" as even that great antiquary Sir Samuel Meyrick beUeves, but because it stood near the place where the Roman road crossed that river.

When Old Cambria was yet but ono wUd waste, and an almost trackless and impenetrable forest, those places where the viarum strata formed a junction with some known river, became the most remarkable points or stations on those ancient roads. Strath-Alun, Strath-Clyde, &c, or Ystrad-Alun and Ystrad-Clwyd, originally indicated nothing more than the junction of those roads with the rivers mentioned, and their direction across or along their vaUeys. In process of time, indeed, ystrad and especially strath, in Scotland, by conventional Ucense, became the name of whole " commots" and districts, and even of petty states. Again, if ystrad is a pure Welsh word, signifying a valley or plain, as our lexicographers teU us, it is unaccountable that we have no instance, so far as the author's recoUecbon goes, of its ever being used by our ancestors as a common substantive - and its only accredited relatives are ystrawd, a course; and ystryd, a street • whilst Its presumed "originators," are traed and trawd, going along the ystrawd' ystrad or ystryd, with the eternal idea of tread and trot.

Nor need the Welsh reader be remmded that in "olden time" it was always written ystrat. But if it be not a genuine British word, we may now safely plead « the Statute of Limitation" for its legal retention, as the parent of our modern ystryd. To signify a Roman road, ystrad was better than any genuine Celtic term • but or every other purpose, it was and still continues, perfectly useless to a people 'whose anguage already abounds .ndyffrynoedd, gwastededdau, glynnoedd, eymmydd,nen. tydd, rhosydd,gweunydd, dolydd, and every other geographical and geological term blood royal became extinct, "as to sovereignty," in the person of David ap Griffith, the last Welsh Prince of Wales and lord of Denbigh. In 887, after the lapse of 800 years, " The remains of the Strath- Clyde Britons," says Warrington, " having been harassed by the Danes, Saxons, and Scots ; and after severe conflicts with them, having lost Constantine their king, in battle, applied to Anarawd for an asylum in his dominions."

The reader must understand that Anarawd, was the eldest son of Roderic the Great, and that he obtained the princedom of North Wales, and the title of supreme king of all Wales. This prince told the ambassadors that he had no unoccupied lands at his disposal, but that if they could dispossess those Saxons who then held that part of his rightful dominions which lay between the Dee and the Conway, it should be their' s ; whilst he would render them all the assistance in his power to that end. Being dismissed with this gracious reply from a prince of their own blood, they returned privily to the north, to concoct measures for the expe dition, which they immediately undertook, under the conduct of a brave leader, called Hobart, and falling thus suddenly and unexpect edly upon the Saxons, they put them to the sword.

Few saved their lives by flight, their communication with England being cut off by the invaders, and their retreat further into Wales than the Conway prevented by Anarawd. These northern Britons now took possession of the Vale of Clwyd, Rh6s, and all the country before possessed by the Saxons. " These people," observes our author, " remained for a time in quiet possession of their new kingdom, until Eadred, the Earl of Mercia, mortified by the disgrace his arms had sustained, made preparations to recover the country which had been so easily torn from him. The Britons having early intelligence of his design, removed their cattle and other valuable effects beyond the river Conway. To support his allies, and expel from the bosom of his country its hereditary enemies, Anarawd exhibited a spirit and activity suitable to the importance of the occasion ; and having encountered the Saxons at Cymryd, about two miles from Conway, by his own gaUantry, and the bravery of his troops, he gave them an entire defeat.

Pursuing their victory, the Welsh followed the Sax ons into Mercia, laid waste their borders, and returned into their own country loaded with valuable spoils. These northern Britons, by an unaccountable and singular policy, were allowed to establish a separate state in the Vale of Clwyd, in Rhos, and in the conquered country. Part of this country had been called Tegenia by the Ro mans, Englefield by the Saxons, and Tegeiugl by the Welsh ; but being now united with the other territories, the northern Britons gave their new kingdom the name of Strath-Clwyd, part of it being situated on the banks of the river Clwyd." Camden also observes, — " Marianus makes mention of a king of the Strath-Cluid-Welsh ; and at this day 'tis called Dyffryn Klwyd, i. e. the Vale of Cluid; whence, as some authors have deliver'd, certain Britains, coming out of Scotland, planted a kingdom, having first driven out the Enghsh which were seated there."

Caledfryn yn Rhos, or Dinbych, situated near Ys trad and the river Clwyd, was the centre, and possibly the capital of the new Ystrad-Clwyd kingdom, and from these " Britons of Scot land" descended the present inhabitants of Denbigh, and the Vale of Clwyd, as well as of all the country from Chester to Conway ; but with a considerable admixture of Saxon and Norman blood introduced in later times. This petty kingdom lasted nearly a century, " when," we are told, " Dunwallon, the last prince of the Strath-Clwyd Britons, who had settled here, intimidated by the cruel ravages of the Danes, or influ enced by the pious spirit (?) of that age, retired to Rome, and engaged in a religious life," On his abdication, this small state became re-united to the kingdom of North Wales. It may be worth mentioning that this king of the Vale was, as it appears, one of those three inferior Welsh princes (Dunwallo, Sifre thus, and Ithel,) who rowed Edgar the Pacific up the Dee, after that Saxon king's invasion of this country, and ita amicable termination in A. D. 965.

St. Patrick is said to have been a Strad-Cluid Briton. In A.D. 1063, Harold, the son of Earl Godwin, at the head of a formidable army, made himself master of the Vale of Clwyd, and all the level country; and falling suddenly upon Prince Griffith ap Llew elyn, who then held his court at Rhuddlan Castle, he took that fortress, and set the Welsh " ships of war," which were lying in the river, on fire, save that in which Griffith escaped " to some foreign land." In the mean time, Toston, Tosti, or Tostig, Harold's brother, arrived with a strong body of horse, with which he was left to keep possession of the Vale and Rhos, whilst Harold led the infantry into Snowdonia. The Welsh, unprepared for war, taken by surprise, and without their leader, were forced to submit to the conqueror on his own terms, and to pay tribute.

Harold set up monuments of his victories in several places, with this inscription, " Hie fuit victor Haroldus " ; but does not appear to have taken possession of any lands. On the murder of Griffith ap Llewelyn, who returned the next year, Harold gave North Wales to Bleddyn and Rhiwallon, taking hostages for the payment of the enforced tribute, and enacting that if any Welshman came to England, without the King's licence, and was taken on the eastern side of Ossa's Dyke, his right hand should be cut off; and so departed. In A.D. 1115, Denbigh is said to have been the scene of a sanguinary battle between Howel ap Ithel, Lord of Rhos and Rhufoniog, and the sons of Howel ap Edwin, who were, it would seem, in pos session of the Vale of Clwyd. The besiegers are supposed to have taken up their post near Goppy, at the top of Henllan-street, where the fight was sharp and cruel on both sides ; until at length Ap Edwin's party, and their Norman confederates, the De Lacy bands of Chester, were put to flight.

Howel ap Ithel was stabbed in the affray, and, in the course of seven weeks, died of the wound. Llywarch ap Owen ap Edwin, Iorwerth ap Meredith,and several other brave chiefs, fell in the same conflict. Denbigh became the patrimony of the Welsh princes, by the marriage of Llewelyn the Great with Tangwystl, daughter of Llywarch Goch, Lord of Rhos and Rhufoniog. Llewelyn gave his son Griffith, when heir apparent, the cantrefs of Dyffryn Clwyd, Rhos, Rhufoniog, and Englefield. In A.D. 1247, Denbigh, the Vale of Clwyd, Rhos, Rhufoniog, and Englefield, were "ceded for ever," as the terms went, to Henry III. by whom the territory was bestowed upon his son Edward, and let out to farm to Alan de la Zouch, * for 1 100 marks. He superseded John de Gray, who was to have held it for 500 marks. * Alan took his surname from Ashby de la Zouch in Leicestershire, and was, according to Camden, descended from Alan, Viscount of Rohan, in Little Britain, and Constantia his wife, daughter of Conan le Grosse, Earl of Britany, and Maude his wife, the natural daughter of Henry I. The Hollands afterwards took the name of Zouch.

Alan married a daughter and heiress of Roger dc Quincy. And it is worthy of remark that Henry de Lacy was descended from the Quincies, Earls of Winchester and Leicester, and inherited their estates. This may have been bis title to Denbigh, and the reason for giving Prince David's right shoulder to the city of Winchester. "King John," says Camden, "made Saer Quincy Earl of Winchester. To him succeeded Roger, his son ; but he dying without issue male, the honour was extinct in him; he maiTy'd the eldest daughter and co-heir, by a former wife, of Alan Lord of GaUoway, in Scotland, in whose right he was Constable of Scotland. But, by her, he had three daughters, of whom, the eldest was marry'd to William de Fer raries, Earl of Derby, the second to Alan de la Zouch, and the youngest to Conan, Earl of Buchanan, in Scotland.