This charter is clearly written, upon parchment 21 in. broad by 15 in. deep, occasionally worn away by frequent folding, but otherwise fairly legible.

The seal, now much chipped and worn, has been a very handsome one, of about 31 in. diameter, cut with unusual clearness and boldness, and formed of very durable green wax. The margin is gone, but the central part is tolerably perfect. Upon the one side is an armed knight riding to the proper left, and upon his small full-bottomed shield the arms of Beauchamp and Newburgh (called Guy, Earl of Warwick), quarterly. The caparisons of the horse have been emblazoned, but are worn so nearly smooth that only traces of le Despencer quartering de Clare can be detected.

Upon the reverse is a large broad, though pointed, shield. It bears quarterly of four grand quarters, 1. and Iv. Beauchamp, impaling Newburgh, Earl of Warwick; II. and III. de Clare impaling le Despenser.

The Charter is endorsed-"At Mr. Draper's house in Cardiff, the 27th day of October, 1662, this parchment writing was by us the Commissioners subscribed shewed the day, time and place above-mentioned unto William ap Evan at the time of his examination before us.

THOMAS THOMAS.

JOHN CARNE.

HEN. BASSETT."

Richard Beauchamp was the head of that branch of the great family of the name that descended from Walter of Elmley Castle temp. Hen. I., and, upon the extinction of the lines of Bedford and Eaton, became chief of the whole race, of which he was the most powerful and the most distinguished member.

ance.

Richard was g.-g.-g.-grandson of Wm. Beauchamp, who married Isabel, sister and heir of Wm. Mauduit, Earl of Warwick. His father, Earl Thomas, died 2 Hen. IV., 1401. Richard was born at Salwarp, in Worcestershire, 28th Jan., 5 Ric. II., and 4 Hen. IV. had livery of his inheritHe at once took part with the King against Owen Glendwyr, and was present at the battle of Shrewsbury. He afterwards visited Palestine, travelling thither through France and Italy in great state, and returning through Muscovy and North Germany. He then became Captain of Calais, and attended the Council of Constance at the head of the English deputation, escorted by 800 horse. He afterwards took a distinguished part in the wars of Henry V. in France, and aided at the siege of Rouen.

Under King Henry's will he became guardian of the infant Henry VI., whom he served faithfully for sixteen years, dying at Rouen 30th April, 17 Hen. VI., 1439. He was particularly celebrated for his personal strength and courage, and for the magnificence of his mode of life. He was a principal in most of the great jousting matches of his day, and seems to have been unsurpassed as a skilful and courteous Knight.

The Earl married first Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Thomas Lord Berkeley, by whom he left daughters only. His second wife, married 6th March, 1423, was Isabel, daughter and heiress of Thomas Lord le Despenser, Earl of Gloucester, Lord of Glamorgan and Morgan, and widow of Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Worcester, and of Lord Abergavenny, his uncle's son. She died within a few months after her husband, her will being proved 4th February following. Their son was Henry Duke of Warwick.

The Farl's usual style was "Comes de Warrewyk et de Aumarle Signor de Lisle et Capitaine de Rouen," but in the Harleian Charter, 53 H. 17, the legend on his seal is Comes Warwici et Albemarle, Dominus Despenser. In Glamorgan he retained his main title only, and added to it those acquired by his marriage. He was created Earl of Aumarle or Albemarle in 1417, for life only.

The arrangement of the quarterings upon the Llantrissant seal is somewhat peculiar. The Earl's paternal arms are quartered with those of his wife, but the contents of each quarter are

impaled, probably to give greater space, and therefore more boldness to the bearings. Beauchamp, the Earl's own coat, impales Newburgh, the accepted coat of the Earldom of Warwick, and to de Clare, as the greatest of the families which have held the Lordship of Glamorgan, is given the precedence before le Despenser, the paternal coat of the Countess. The seal of the Harleian Charter, cited above, bears quarterly Beauchamp and Newburgh, and on a shield of pretence, quarterly, Clare and Despenser. Crest, a swan's head and neck. Supporters, à bear and a griffin.

The present Charter confirms and recites four others: I. That by Richard Earl of Worcester, Countess Isabel's first husband, dated 24th Aug., 9 Hen. V., 1421. II. That by Thomas le Despenser, Lord of Glamorgan, &c., Countess Isabel's father, dated 18th February, 20 Ric. II., 1397, before his promotion to the Earldom of Gloucester. III. That by Edward le Despenser, Lord of Glamorgan, &c., the father of Earl Thomas. It is dated 2nd July, 32 Edw. III., 1358. IV. That by Hugh le Despenser, Lord of Glamorgan, &c., uncle to Lord Edward, dated 4th May, 20 Edw. III., 1346. This last is, of course, the containing Charter.

As to the witnesses of the several documents. Sir Mathew or Mayo le Soor, knighted after 1840, and Sheriff 1346, was Lord of Peterston and St. Fagans. He witnessed Cardiff Charters in 1338 and 1340. The family came from Backwell, Co. Somerset, and had long been in Glamorgan. Sir Mathew was the last. He married Maud, daughter and heiress of Philip Huntley, and his three daughters married Wolfe of Wolfes Newton, Howell ap Griffith, and Peter de Vele, which last had St. Fagans. Le or La Warde is unknown in the Lordship. Sir John le Norreis was of Penlline and Llanvihangel. He witnessed, before knighthood, Cardiff Charters of 1338 and 1340, and after knighthood in 1358. His ancestor, Sir Robert, was Sheriff under Robert Consul and William, Earl of Gloucester. Sir John left four daughters, co-heiresses, of whom Lucy, the second, carried Penlline to the Turbervilles of that place. Sir Thos. ap Aaron was of Brigan, and son of Aaron ap Howell vachan by Bettine, daughter and heiress of Sir Simon Walsh, of Llandough by Cowbridge, by Elizabeth Bawson, of Brigan. He was knighted after 1338, and married Jane, daughter of Llewelyn ap Kynfrig, and had Sir Jenkin, whose daughter carried Brigan to the Thomases. Pagan de Turberville was of Coyty Castle, and head of a family who, though "Advenæ," often married with, and always sided with, the Welsh. Pagan married Gwenllian, daughter of Sir Richard Talbot. On the failure of his male heirs, his four daughters inherited, and Katherine, who married Sir Roger Berkerolles, had Coyty. Llewelyn vachan, or the little, may be of Senghenydd, ancestor to the Lewises of Van, but is more probably the second son of Llewelyn ap Kynfrig ap Howell ap Madoc ap Jestyn. His father was of Llantrithyd and Radyr, according to the Welsh pedigrees, and married a daughter of Sir Ralph Mayloc. He himself was of Miscin. Madoc ap David is lost.

Sir Gilbert de Ellesfield is unknown in Glamorgan, save as High Sheriff in 1348 and 1358, but it appears by an Inquisition of 18 Edw. III., that one of his name had lands in Berks and Wilts. Sir Richard Turberville witnessed a Cardiff Charter in 1358; he may be either the father or the second son of Pagan, probably the latter. William Fleming, who appears also in 1358, was no doubt a member of the Flimston family, John Bassett of that of St. Hilary or Beaupré, and John Wallys, or Walsh, one of a family who came from Somerset, and whose connection with Llandough has been mentioned. John Walsh seems to have held Hatton, Co. Somerset, of the honour of Gloucester. Orewell was an ecclesiastic; the others are Welsh.

Sir John St. John, Sheriff in 1397, was of Fonmon, and acquired the adjacent castle of Penmark by marriage with the heiress of Umfraville. Sir Lawrence Berkerolles, the last of the name, was a

knight of Somerset and Monmouthshire, but seated at East Orchard in Glamorgan. His name appears amongst the tenants of the honour of Dunster, and he had Coyty from his mother, the coheir of Turberville. His sister Gwenllian carried East Orchard to the Stradlings, and Sir William, the next witness, was probably her son. The rest are ecclesiastics, and unknown.

Sir John Stradling, younger brother of Sir Edward, was Sheriff in 1421, and as such a witness to the Earl of Worcester's Cardiff Charter. He was seneschal of Havod-y-Porth, Margam 1425, and Kenfig 1460, and ancestor of the Stradlings of Wilts. He married the Dauntsey heiress, and was of Winterbourne-Dauntsey, Wilts. He afterwards took orders, and became Archdeacon of Llandaff and Rector of Merthyr Mawr. Sir John St. John was probably the great grandson of Sir John St. John and Elizabeth Umfraville. Watkyn Morton was probably an English burgess of Cardiff with Welsh connexions. Jenkyn ap David ap Llewelyn vachan seems to have been the great grandson of the Llewelyn vachan already mentioned. Of the Matthews, there were three brothers, David, Robert, and Lewis Mathew, of Llandaff, the first generation who adopted that surname. Robert was ancestor of the Mathews of Castel-y-Mynach, and David, then knighted, is said to have been standard-bearer to Edward IV., at least forty years after the date of this Charter. Howell ap Grono ap Ivor was of Llansannor, which, on his death childless, passed to Elinor, his sister, who married Richard ap Howell (Herbert) of Perthir, and had John Gwyn, ancestor of the Gwyns of Llansannor. Llewelyn ap Jevan Madoc seems not unlikely to be the Llewelyn ap Jevan Mady of the Welsh pedigrees, sixth in descent from Madoc ap Jestyn. He was of Abergorky. Morgan ap Llewelyn ap Jevan was probably seventh in descent from Madoc ap Jestyn, and his elder representative. He was of Radyr, and married Eva, daughter of Evan Gethyn. Catherine, their daughter and coheir, seems to have carried Radyr to her husband, Thomas Mathew.

In the containing Charter of 1424, the Sheriff, Sir Oliver St. John, knighted before 1421, is of Fonmon, and probably brother of the next witness.

Of the places named in these Charters, Llantrissant, guarded by its triple hagiocracy, still remains, perched high up in a notch between two still higher summits, much resembling a Greek town in its position, its white exterior, and in some other particulars within. One fragment of the castle still predominates over the whole, and the meadow is still pointed out where Edward II. was captured. The town retains something of the constitution granted by its ancient Lords, and preserves its one remaining parchment with religious care. To it, as to its sister borough of Cowbridge, was accorded a share, with Cardiff, in the somewhat doubtful advantage of returning a member to Parliament. Formerly the parish was of vast extent, but by degrees the chapels have become churches, and the Vicar of Llantrissant is responsible for a diminished though not unimportant area. Glyn Rothney, or Rhondda and Miskyn, are two extensive Lordships granted to the Herberts by the Crown, and still held by Lord Bute. Llwyn-Crwn is the present name of two houses upon the northern boundary of the borough, and the Manor of Clun remains to its southwest. Housbote and heybote and the right of pannage in the woods of Miskyn are no longer of value, the woods having been exhausted by the infant manufactory of iron in the reign of Elizabeth.

The boundaries of the borough are not followed out in the usual way. Only the extreme points at the four quarters seem to be indicated.

It is remarkable that the Charter of Hugh le Despenser here preserved, and dated 1346, is silent as to any previous charter of incorporation. Nevertheless, such there evidently was, as it

takes for granted the existence of Burgesses, Burgages, and elected officers of the borough. "Confirmasse" also supports this view. Cardiff is in a similar case, its earliest Charter from its Lords being by Hugh de Despenser in 1338. With him, however, concurs his wife, the de Clare heiress.

The privileges either granted or confirmed in 1346 are,—

1. The burgesses, as their ancestors were, and as their successors will be, are free throughout the Lord's dominions in England and Wales: free with their merchandize and chattels from toll, wall-tax, bridge-tax, pavage, pickage, and quay-tax, and from all other customs.

2. Any burgess may will any burgage tenements or rents by himself acquired to whom he shall please.

3. No burgess to be constrained for any purpose to pass beyond the ancient liberties and bounds of the town as laid down.

4. Burgesses not to be receivers of the Lord's taxes, save those proceeding from the bailiwick of the town.

5. None shall keep stall or shop or tavern in the town save those paying scot and lot, or members of a guild within the liberties.

6. Burgesses may form a guild.

7. Burgesses not to be distrained for another's debt unless they have become bail.

8. The Lord's bailiffs are not to distrain or summons within the liberties. This can only be done by the Constable of the Lord's castle or by the bailiff elected by the burgesses.

9. Traders with goods to traverse the towns only by the highways, so that the Lord's customs be not evaded.

10. No burgess who can find bail may be imprisoned, save for felony when taken in the fact, or when it affects specially the Lord or his household.

11. In all lawful inquisitions relating to the property of the burgesses the inquisitors to be burgesses.

12. Burgesses not to be called upon to watch for any fugitive taking refuge in a church.

13. The Lord's Constable may make proclamation of assize of bread and ale, and of all matters touching the town when necessary.

14. The Constable to hold Hundred Courts for the town monthly for all pleas, as hue and cry, bloodshed, debts, &c.; but pleas of the Crown, forestal or forfeiture, honesoken or manslaughter, and pleas of the land are excepted.

To which franchises are added by Edward le Despenser;

15. Housebote and heybote and reasonable rights to dead wood in the forests of Miskyn and Glyn Rhondda.

16. The usual right of free tenants to Stonputhe in the lord's mills of Miskyn.

17. Right of pannage of hogs in Miskyn and Glyn Rhondda, saving only to the lord and his heirs, for each great pig, 1d.; for each pig six months old, d.; for porcioles and porcelli of under growth, nothing.

18. Burgesses' cattle to have free pasturage on the waste, without tallage or rent.

19. No stranger bailiff to fill the office of coroner within the liberties, save only the constable of the castle.

"Locamum et scotatum" are scot and lot, assessment to the town contributions. "Assisa panis et cervisiæ," the fixing the price of bread and ale. "Clamor hutesii" is the hue and cry, or pursuit