CARNARVON TRADERS

The Repository of all Things Historical for the Ancient Welsh Town of Carnarvon

  Castle Square, Carnarvon. Published by Williams & Hughes, Bridge Steet, 1850


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CASSEY'S DIRECTORY
1878


Carnarvon, one of the most important and flourishing towns in North Wales, is a borough, corporate and parliamentary, - returning in conjunction with the contributory boroughs of Bangor, Conway, Criccieth, Nevin, and Pwllheli - one member to the Imperial Parliament. It is the county and assize town of Carnarvonshire; the head of a Poor-law Union and County Court district in the parish of Llanbeblig, and Hundred of Is Gorfair, beautifully situated on the banks of the Menai Straits, 4 miles from St. George's Channel, 9 S. by W. from Bangor, 30 S. E. from Holyhead, 70 W. from Chester, 244 N. W. from London, 8 from Llanberis, 13 from Beddgelert, 21 from Portmadoc, 20 from Pwllheli, 8 from Pen-y-Groes, and 9½ from Nantlle. A section of the London and North Western Railway affords direct communication with all parts of the kingdom; there are also branches from this line to the slate quarries in the Nantlle valley and to Llanberis, by which means slate are brought direct from quarries to the side of the vessel for shipment at Carnarvon; steamers also ply regularly between the port and Liverpool, calling en route at Bangor and Beaumaris, and a ferry steamer also several times daily between the town and the opposite shore of the Isle of Anglesey. Carnarvon is the market town for an extensive district on both sides of the Straits, the streets of the town on Saturday (market day) presenting a crowded and animated appearance. Upwards of 100,000 tons of slate are annually shipped from the port, in addition to the large quantities forwarded by rail, and there is also a considerable importation of timber. The manufacture of writing slates is largely carried on in the district by numerous firms; in fact, this may be considered the principal seat of this branch of business in the kingdom; there are also works for the manufacture of slate chimney pieces, tombs, monuments, and other articles. There are two extensive iron foundries and engineering establishments in the town, and several corn mills in the immediate neighbourhood; the main thoroughfares are lined with respectable and handsome retail establishments, and several excellent hotels. Carnarvon is from its situation a favourite place of resort for travellers, tourists, and other visitors, who make it their headquarters, as it is within easy distance by rail or road from the most striking and romantic scenery in Wales.

HISTORY - The name of this leading town in North Wales, looked upon as the capital of the Principality, is derived from Caer, a walled or fortified town, yn, in, and Arvon, a district so called from its situation; and taken from ar, opposite, and Mon or Mona, the island of that name. The town was raised on the ruins of Segontium. Caer Segont, or old Carnarvon, was anciently the seat of the princes of North Wales, for King Cadvan resided here about the year 625, where also Cadwall, his son, who was so great a scourge to the Saxons, and his grandson, Cadwaladr, successively resided. Caradog also, and his son Octavius, who was made Governor of Britain by Constantine the Great, resided here prior to that time; and Helen, wife of the emperor Maximus, and daughter of the said Octavius, was born at Caer Segont. Publicius, the founder of Llanbeblig, is said to have been the son of Maximus and Helen; and Cynan Meriadog, cousin to Helen, succeeded his uncle Octavius as Duke of Cornwall.

The site of the Roman Segontium is at Llanbeblig, within half a mile of Carnarvon. It occupies a quadrangular area of about seven acres, on the summit of an eminence gradually sloping on every side, and was defended by strong walls of masonry, of which, on the south side, there are extensive portions in a tolerably perfect state. Several very interesting discoveries were made, in 1845, in excavating the foundations of a new vicarage house, and others subsequently. A Roman villa and baths have been traced; and the list of coins found includes the most interesting, one struck when Judea was subdued bearing the inscription:- "Imp. Caes. Vespasian. Aug. P.M. T.R. PPP - cos." The reverse is not well preserved, but its legend may be easily traced. The word "Capta" is very legible. Judea is represented sitting under a palm tree weeping, verifying the prophecy of Isiah, "And she being desolate shall sit upon the ground." Near the Seiont was a strong fort, intended to secure a landing place at high water, two sides of the walls of which are entire. There are traces of other outposts on the opposite side of the Seiont. Near Hen Waliau, in the vicinity, there is a well still known by the name of Ffynnon St. Helen, or St. Helen's Well. Dinas Dinlle, a conspicious circular artificial mount of great strength, on the sea shore, was the chief outpost of Segontium. Coins have been found there. Giraldus Cambrensis mentions having passed through Carnarvon in 1188, and Hugh, Earl of Chester, erected a fortress here denominated Hen Gaer Custenni. Llywelyn the Great also dates a charter granted to the Priory of Penmon from it in the year 1221.

CARNARVON CASTLE forms an era in the history of this part of the country. After the completion of his conquest, Edward 1. undertook this great work. The first who received the high responsibility of this place was John de Havering. Sir Roger de Pulesdon was probably afterwards constable, as, in 1284, he was appointed sheriff and keeper of Anglesey, and resided at the mansion called Plas Pulesdon. In 1294 a war tax was imposed upon the Welsh, when they seized upon Sir Roger and caused him to be hanged. Afterwards the insurgents, under their leader Madoc, an illegitimate son of the unfortunate Llywelyn, atacked Carnarvon, massacred all the English inhabitants in cold blood, and set fire to the place. It was not repossessed till the king, in person, commanded the army. In 1402 the town was blockaded by Owen Glyndwr, and was defended for King Henry by Jevan ab Meredydd, who died during the siege. In the times of the civil wars Carnarvon was seized, in behalf of the Parliament, by Captain Swanley in 1644; and, in 1646, it was repossessed by Generals Mytton and Langhorne. In 1648 Mytton was besieged in turn by Sir John Owen, and hearing that Colonels Carter and Twisselton were advancing, he raised the siege and marched to meet the rebels. Near Llandegai a furious encounter ensued, in which Sir John was defeated and made prisoner. At the annual meeting of the Cambrian Archaeological Association, held at Carnarvon, in September, 1848, a paper was read by the Rev. C. H. Hartshorne, of Cogenhoe, Northamptonshire, in which he has been enabled, by earnest research into old records, to correct errors that had previously prevailed respecting the history of the castle. The substance of that paper, as then reported, we subjoin:-

"After the execution of Prince David, Edward determined to conquer Wales. Conway Castle preceded that of Carnarvon in its commencement. Block plans of several Welsh castles were produced to illustrate the dates of their erection; and a multiplivity of public records were referred to in proof of the points to be substantiated. It was probable that the Roman station enabled Edward to commence his castle, and furnished materials to complete it. Its constable was mayor of the town. It was impossible to state when the castle was begun; but it occupied many years, and was not completed in one year, as had been stated. Its immensity, and the circumstances under which it was built, adequately prove this. Its erection occupied two reigns. This would be shown by documents, as also would be the dates in which certain portions were erected. 1285 and 1286 were proved to be years in which lead, &c., were brought from Criccieth to the castle for building it. Carats of lead, apparently 1 cwt. each, were referred to in order to show the quota of each borough towards the task-work, and sums of money were specified, as also the kinds of material supplied. £3036 in the first year of his reign were exacted for task-work on the castle. £5000 was spent in the eleventh year of his reign on Conway Castle. Criccieth Castle was repaired at the same time. From the thirteenth year to the eighteenth the work went on at Carnarvon. By the second chamberlain of the castle, the wall of the castle was built in the year 1286, when a new constable of the castle was appointed. On August 4th, in the fourteenth year, distinct mention is made of charges for the progress of the works. William de Britain was the artilleryman or overlooker, probably of the war engines. In the years 1284 and 1285 also great progress was made. £122,913 was exacted by Edward to fight against Llywelyn, a sum now equal to £1,800,000. In 1284, on April 1st, Edward I. entered the town, and on the 25th of the same month his son was born, but whether in the castle or not cannot be shown; but it can be shown that the birth did not take place in the room to which tradition had attached the fact. The learned gentleman traced the progress of Edward from month to month, and proved all his points by direct or indirect reference to public records. In the nineteenth and twenty-first years of Edward's reign but little was contributed towards Carnarvon Castle; but still some money tribute for that purpose was levied on the Welsh. The castle was taken by the insurgent Welsh, under Madoc, a legitimate son of David, who soon made it unfit for use by the king, as was subsequently shown by a writ issued to the mayor of Chester to send men to repair Carnarvon Castle. Want of money delayed the completion of the walls until the 26th of February, in some period between the twenty-third and twenty-fifth years of the reign of Edward. That part of the wall next the town was distinctly proved to be then built by a bill of charges for its erection. Dearth of funds seems to have been the cause of every delay in the rebuilding. Four hundred and twenty-nine men were employed on the works between June and July, which shows how heavy the expense must have been, and what progress must have been made. Edward did not live to see its completion. After his demise large sums were ordered by his successor to be levied for the progress of the works. Numerous instances of this were cited. In 1295 the castle of Beaumaris was commenced, and a series of records proved that the works at Carnarvon were proceeding in concurrence, although they proved that there was not adequate funds for an equal advance in both. Thomas de Estall was chamberlain of the castle at the death of Edward, and his accounts show that the work was then going on with some rapidity. It was, however, very far from being complete, although in a great state of advancement. The minister's accounts, only a few of which exist, were referred to to prove the mode in which the works were subsequently advanced. Sunday, October 10th, 1316, to May, 1st, 1317, is a period of time during which records exist of the number of men employed, the rate of wages paid, and the amount of work done. The tradition of the birth of Edward II. in a certain chamber has become a point of historical belief, but records in the national archives prove that the Eagle Tower itself was not finished in the reign of the first Edward, and not until the second Edward was thirty years old, and in the tenth year of his reign. The entries on the record were recited to prove this startling fact; and their evidence seemed most conclusive. The crown found the iron; it appearing that the king had a large supply of this valuable metal. (A gyve was produced as found in the castle during this day.) In March. 1317, an entry of charge is made for erecting the eagle on the Eagle Tower; and all the previous entries of wood, iron, work, and material (including coal, lime, a boat, &c.), evince that the tower was not being repaired, but actually built for the first time. The low charges are of the most striking kind. Mr. Hartshorne went on to show the use made of every portion of the building, and showed that the effigy of the king was put up in front, in the last week of April, 1320, and the thirteenth year of Edward II.; and the building was perfectly finished in 1322, having lasted from 1284, a preiod of thirty-eight years. In 1343, a writ was issued to inquire into the state of the Welsh castles, and the jury estimated the damages to each. In the Beaumaris estimates, mention was made of 40 lbs. of gunpowder. This was two years before the battle of Cressy. Specimens of guns found in Carnarvon Castle were shown. £295 10s. was the estimate of the repairs in the castle and its munition."

It had been generally considered by historians, that Edward I. began the castle in or about 1282-3 A.D., and completed it within a year or two afterwards. Mr. Hartshorne, it will be seen, declares that upwards of thirty years elapsed before the vast pile was completed; whilst a record, formerly belonging to the Excheqeur of Carnarvon, states decisively, that its erection occupied only twelve years. It is quite clear, however, that a building of such magnitude and architectural beauty could not have been completed within so short a period as one or two years. Probably a large portion of it was finished in a few years, and perhaps some apartments were made fit for the reception of visitors; but we are induced to believe that the entire structure was not completed until a very long period after Edward had commenced upon it. The notion of building so immense a fortress within one, or even three or four years, especially at that rude part of our history, is little less than preposterous. Henry de Elreton was master-mason, and perhaps architect of the castle, as it is well known that Edward I. employed him in the erection of Conway Castle, built about the same time. No one can view this old feudal structure without admitting its strength and fair proportions. Mr. Cliffe thinks that it does not present "so beautiful an outline" as "its rival of Conway." "The little turrets," he adds, "as well as the great towers from which they spring, are angular and irregularly placed; those at Conway are circular and arranged at equal intervals, hence the more pleasing appearance of the latter. As a whole, however, or in its several parts, Carnarvon Castle is exceedingly grand and imposing. The massive and lofty walls, the deeply-arched gateways, the Eagle Tower, the stately apartments and corridors are scarcely to be equalled." The castle covers about two and a half acres, and forms an oblong irregular square. The external walls are very lofty, and have within them a lofty series of galleries, with numerous oeillets or arrow slips. There are thirteen great towers, of pentagonal, hexagonal, and octagonal designs. The very massive pentagonal Eagle Tower, guarding the south of the Seiont, is so called from a now shapeless figure of that bird, brought, it is alleged, from the ruins of Segontium; but an eagle was one of Edward's crests. This majestic tower has three turrets, and its battlements, display a mutilated series of armour heads of the time of Edward II. In front of the august Gothic main entrance is a mutilated statue of Edward I., sheathing a sword, with a defaced shield under his feet. The grooves of four portcullises remain. On the east side of the castle is the Queen's gate, so called, according to tradition, because Queen Eleanor entered this way; it is now much above the level of the ground, but a very high bank existed opposite to it, from which a drawbridge was let down. The interior, which is greatly dilapidated, is divided into an outer and an inner ward; and the state rooms were fitted with spacious windows and elegant tracery, of which little is left. Several dungeons may still be traced; the only person of note confined here was the well known Prynne, in Charles I.'s reign. At the north-east corner was a deep well, and water was conveyed throughout the structure by leaden pipes. The only staircase that remains perfect is that to the Eagle Tower (158 steps), and this ought to be ascended, if only for the splendid views which it commands. Edward II.'s supposed birth-place is a gloomy room, twelve feet by eight feet. The castle has recently undergone very extensive repairs, by order of the Commissioners of Woods and Forests. The repairs were made by Mr. Salvin, of London, who has displayed both taste and judgement in the task assigned him.

Edward I. bestowed on Carnarvon its first royal charter, and made it a free borough. Among other privileges, none of its burgesses could be convicted of any crime committed between the rivers Conway and Dovey, unless by a jury of their own townsmen. The ancient portion of the town is built in the form of a square, and partly surrounded by the massive remains of its ancient walls, flanked and strengthened by semi-circular towers. The modern town has been extended in several directions; terraces and villa residences have been erected, commanding extensive views of the surrounding beautiful scenery. The Town Hall, in High-street, was pulled down a few years ago and re-constructed, and is now a handsome building. The trustees of the port have effected considerable improvements in the quays and harbour at great cost. A dock has been formed, and a granite pier several hundred yards in length constructed on the banks of the Menai, forming a delightful promenade. Vast quantities of slate are shipped into vessels in the estuary of the river Seiont, which falls into the Straits at this point. Ship and boat building and repairing of vessels is extensively carried on; a patent slip for hauling up vessels affords facility for these operations. The Court-house and Police-station are handsome buildings in Castle Ditch, and immediately in rear of the Court-house is the County Gaol. In the centre of Castle-square a beautiful fountain has been erected, which, when playing has a very pretty effect. PATERNOSTER BUILDINGS, in Castle-square, is an extensive and highly respectable establishment, and an ornament to this respectable part of town. Here is a Fine Art Gallery. It is the property of H. Humphreys, Esq., publisher, and present mayor of Carnarvon. The Royal Welsh Yacht Club have their club-house at the ancient Golden Gate. The annual regattas of the club have long been famed among yachtsmen. An excellent view of the sailing and other races is obtained from the roof of the club-house, and from the ancient walls. Sir Llewelyn Turner is Commodore of the club. There are two banking establishments in the town; the Old Bank, Messrs. Williams & Co., who have also establishments at Chester and Bangor, and the North and South Wales Branch Bank. There are three excellent newspapers published here weekly, which have a great and wide-spread circulation, The Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald, The Herald Cymraeg, printed in Welsh, and The Llandudno Register and Herald. The places of worship are numerous and very well attended. The parish church at Llanbeblig is about half a mile from the town, beautifully situated in a valley; in this church is a curious marble monument with two recumbent figures of Sir William and Lady Griffith, of Penrhyn. The living is a vicarage of the annual value of £330, in the gift of the Bishop of Chester. A Chapel-of-Ease, situated in the north-west corner of the town walls, was originally built for the use of the garrison: the interior is tastefully fitted up, and contains a fine-toned organ, the gift of the Marquis of Anglesey. A large and handsome edifice has been erected in North-road, adjoining the railway station, and another church has been recently erected at Twthill. The Calvinistic and Wesleyan Methodists, Baptists, Congregationalists, and other dissenters, have places of worship. Service in English language at the churches in the town every Sunday and at several of the dissenting places of worship. There are schools on the National and British plan in the town, also a training college for educating and qualifying young men to become masters of National schools. This and other schools in connection with the church were founded principally through the exertions of the Rev. Thomas Thomas, a former vicar of the parish. The town is governed by a mayor, borough magistrates, and corporation, and is well supplied with water, pronounced by an eminent analyist to be the purest water possible to be obtained. The corporation, by Act of Parliament, have also obtained the gas works, formerly in the hands of a private party. The town, owing to excellent drainage, &c., is one of the most healthy in the kingdom. The market is held on Saturday, and fairs March 4th, May 15th, June 26th, August 11th, September 23rd, November 9th, and the first Friday in December, the latter for cattle and hiring servants. At the election of Members of Parliament for the county, Carnarvon is the polling place for voters resident in the parishes of Llanbeblig, Llanwnda, Bettws-Garmon, and Llanfagdalen. The population of the parish of Llanbeblig in 1851 was 9,883, in 1861, 9,937, in 1871, 11,039, of which last number 9,363, were resident in the borough.


Cassey's Directory of Chester and the Chief Towns in North Wales. Chester. 1878

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