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Concise History of Llandeilo - Part 4
from Llandeilo
by Eirwen Jones, 1984
The Middle Ages
Marked changes occurred in the history of Llandeilo at this period. Time helps to give a clearer perspective of confused events. It becomes apparent that two towns existed. The Llan was sited much on the land of the present town; there was also the separate 'new town' - Newtown - near Dynevor Castle. The latter had the status of a bwrdeisdref or borough. In 1363 it was granted a charter by the Black Prince. Spasmodic rivalry arose between the two settlements. By the 16th century Newtown had lost much of its prestige and it was designated as merely a manor. Some remains are discernible near Dynevor Castle.
The feudal system and the accompanying economy characteristic of the Norman Conquest prevailed. Cognisant of its natural strategic position, the Normans made the town a centre of administrative and social life. When marcher lords took possession of wide districts, the royal sovereigns preserved Llandeilo in their own interest. There was never a move to make it a capital town for a marcher lord; it was assigned a higher status. It developed into a focal centre where in neighbouring lordships were administered in the interests of the Crown.
Strife
Dispute, aggression and warfare characterised the history of Dynevor Castle inflamed by family feuds and the Celtic tradition of division of land by the law of gavelkind [whereby each legitimate son inherited an equal portion]. There existed also the bitter rivalries between Normans, Flemings and English and there continued a deep-seated hatred of the native Welsh against the immigrants, 'Y dynion dwad'. Medieval documents record the story. The records of the 13th century are more minute than those of the 12th. They reveal the growing and finally the permanent establishment of English influence. This turbulent period was replaced by a state of tranquillity in the reign of Edward I. The dominance of the old Welsh castles however remained. Edward gave this priority in his Welsh policy. Consequently Dynevor Castle was the principal administrative centre of West Wales during the 14th and 15th centuries.
The Wars of the Roses
During the Wars of the Roses, Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, mustered an army of fourteen thousand Welshmen in West Wales. When he reached Llandeilo-fawr, a special service was held in the parish church. The earl made his will on the altar, thus ensuring its validity. He reserved four hundred marks for himself in order to meet his expenses. Prayers were said and then the great Earl led the way to Banbury. Lord Strafford, at the head of eight hundred bowmen, joined him. A dispute arose between the leaders concerning lodgings and the fiery Welshman hazarded a battle. On the next day, at Danesmore, while fighting bravely with a pole-axe, the Earl of Pembroke was beheaded. Many of the men of the Towy Valley who had worshipped with him in Llandeilo church also perished in the battle.
Tudor and Stuart times
Information concerning the life of the town during the Tudor period and during the early years of the Stuart dynasty is obtainable from the writings of the Welsh bards.
The wool staple
Carmarthen was the wool staple for Wales. Llandeilo, situated only fifteen miles away, in the centre of a rich agricultural valley, enjoyed a measure of reflected glory. Lewis Glyn Cothi wrote ecstatically of the floods in the Vale of Towy. He gloried in their splendour. There were but few fords across the river. One of marked importance existed at Llandeilo. The coracle was a vessel much in use. Lewis Glyn Cothi was troubled about its frailty. He ends one of his poems with an earnest prayer that a bridge be built over the River Towy "in his own life-time."
Agriculture
Agriculture was the main means of subsistence. Fluctuations in crops caused distress. Plagues were common, following on famine. The grain crop was all-important. Carmarthen was a prosperous grain port.
George Owen records that in 1602 there were seven inland market towns in the shire of Carmarthen. In his Brief Account of Wales, he says that the seven authorized markets were at Llandeilo, Carmarthen, Llandovery, Llangadog, Llanelli, Kidwelly and Laugharne. In these there was a total of thirty-nine annual fairs.
Commercial and social life
Commercial and social life centred around these fairs. At Llandeilo, as elsewhere, turmoil arose readily and there were many problems concerning the maintenance of public order. Magistrates had to deal with piracy which affected inland as well as coastal towns. Privateers from the Bristol Channel travelled far inland. Farmers in the Towy Valley complained bitterly about the loss of sheep. The writings of Ieuan Derlwyn, William Egwad and Vicar Prichard as well as those of Lewis Glyn Cothi give information concerning the social conditions pertaining at the time. Much of Vicar Prichard's work belongs to post-Tudor times but it can be assumed that changes came but slowly to the Towy Valley. The cleric's writings are suffused with local colour. A margin - possibly a wide one - must be allowed for his denunciation of contemporary evils and allowance made for his reforming zeal.
He wrote in simple Welsh in order to be understood. The vernacular Bible had appeared in 1588 but copies were rare and costly. Moreover, the populace, in general, was illiterate. The reforming vicar maintained that the daughters of an English tinker were better educated than the daughters of a Welsh squire.
He denounced fiercely non-observance of the Sabbath day, the laxity of the clergy and popish doctrines.
The guild system
At this time there were rigid stratas of society. Members of the artisan class were controlled by the rules of the guild system. This had a stronghold in the borough town of Carmarthen. The rules and regulations obtaining there reached out to contemporary life in Llandeilo.
The guild system contributed much to civic life, ensuring public order and harmonious living. Traffic problems of the time came under its scrutiny. In order to prevent undue crowding in narrow streets, "All persons resorting to the market-place with horses laden with any kinde of victuals, corne, grayne, coales, truffles or any other manner of lading" … "must after the discharging thereof, avoid the streets and not stand and pester about."
Bailiffs exacted tolls which were fixed definitively. There were additional fines for non-compliance.
Magistrates sorted out troubles caused by the diversity of weights in use. Direct breaches of the law were treated with considerable severity.
Preserving the peace was a foremost priority. It is significant that the early type of watchman, the forerunner of the policeman, was called a "heddgeidwad" - the keeper of the peace.
Excitement and passion rose at election time. Public voting at hustings in the church square drew great crowds. Careful measures were taken beforehand to maintain the peace. Ale houses in the town - and there were many - were under strict watch. Several rules were made for election day.
No citizen or any other person shall make any clamorous disturbance or turmoil or lifting up of any person on his or their shoulders or backs.
All burgesses were - "to yield their voices in quiet, honest and decent sorte whensoever they wished."
Sabbatarianism was creeping in. There were complaints that during divine service there was too much walking about in the churchyard. There were further complaints that innkeepers in the town were allowing people "to sit tippling within the same during divine service."
Fines were imposed for such "lewd conduct."
Authority was given to the church wardens to "have very good regard to the imposition of these fines" otherwise they would be fined themselves.The Civil War - l7th century
During the period of civil war in Stuart times, the neighbour hood in general was royalist in sympathy. William Nicholson, a vicar at Llandeilo, received his reward with the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. He was made Bishop of Gloucester.
To the peace and tranquillity of Golden Grove came Jeremy Taylor after a period of imprisonment in Cardigan Castle. It was there that he wrote his book, destined to become a classic, Holy Living and Holy Dying.
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