pounding with the rich, and applying the money he took of them towards buying books for the library of St. Asaph. Afterwards he procured an Act of Parliament for setting aside the custom by settling on the see a living of a very considerable income, in lieu thereof.

"In 1291, the tythe for the parish was 15 marc et dimid;" about £15.

BENEFACTIONS.

1581. Peter Conway, archdeacon of St. Asaph, and rector of Northop, in his will, dated December 10, 1581, appointed 20 marks for the use of the parish.

1606. William Smith, A.D. gave £30 a year for the use of the school. Only £20 a year of this money is received by the schoolmaster of Northop, and £2 by two boys each; and it is paid by the trustees of the late Richard Wilding, esq. Llanrhaedr hall.

1608. Dr. David Ellis, rector of this parish, left £5 a year for the use of the school. This sum is paid by the same persons.

1640. Henry Kenrick gave to decayed householders, twenty shillings a year, the produce of land called Acrfran, in the parish of Flint.

1646. Catherine Hanmer gave to decayed householders £2 a year, the produce of money.

1648. Hugh Price Wynne gave to decayed householders £1 a year, the produce of land.

1658. Owen Jones left by will, dated February 14, 1658, £36 per annum for ever, for the use of the parish; and "£5 towards the amending and enlarging of the porch of the church, and paving well with flag-stones of the breadth of two yards between the said porch and the western gate of the churchyard." This legacy is well laid out, but in what year is uncertain, as the inscription on the porch is now obliterated. According to a decree made in Chancery in 1816, £4 10 is given yearly to the minister of Northop; £10 a year to the schoolmaster; £3 10 to the churchwardens; and £6 to each of twelve poor boys for five years. The remainder of the rents, amounting to about £40 a year, is distributed among decayed householders, and other poor persons. The property from which this income is derived, consists of 102 acres of land, called Tir y Tlodion, or the poor's land, situated south-east of the village, and about half a mile distant. The original £36, bequeathed in 1658, is now, in 1829, £130 per annum. 1696. Barb. Hughes gave £20 in money. What is become of this legacy is not known.

1700. John Lloyd and his wife left £10, the interest of which to be given to the poor not receiving parish relief.

1700. Margaret Ellis gave £50 in money, the interest thereof to be applied to the education of poor girls.

* John Ball gave £64 in money, the interest to be expended in the education of poor girls.

1710. Anne Jones left £80, producing £3 4 a year, for clothing the poor. 1714. Peter Moel gave £3 To decayed householders not receiving parish relief.

1726. Robert Christopher, £10 1727. Bishop Wynne

1730. William Ball

This money was laid out, in new lead10ing the steeple, at five per cent. and the interest paid by the churchwardens yearly.

.

10

1758. Thomas Ball

1761.

£10 To decayed householders not receiving parish relief. This money is out at five

Edwards. 10 per cent.

Wenlock, £1 yearly, to buy godly books for the poor parishioners.

David Ellis, of Halkin,

gave donations; the amount not

Thomas Edwards, of Chester, ascertained.

There are no particular sports in the parish at present, excepting the wakes, which are observed on the first Sunday after the feast of St. Peter, and kept up with spirit for about four days, in feasting, dancing, and making merry. A horserace generally takes place on that occasion, for a silver cup of no great value. Strength, courage, and activity, have always been the characteristics of the men of this parish.

About the year 1793, a coiting club, consisting of the more respectable persons of this and of the adjoining parishes, used to meet every fortnight at the Swan, for that exercise, and to enjoy the pleasures of conviviality and good fellowship, in clouds of smoke, over Sir-John-Barleycorn; this has been broken up many years ago.

Rhos Esmor, till of late, a common in the upper part of the parish, formerly was the frequent scene of those athletic sports of our forefathers; such as leaping, running, wrestling, throwing the lever, football, prison-bars, &c. Interludes used to be

performed here also.

Till about 1794, a custom prevailed to assemble at church on Christmas-day, before break of day, for divine service, and to welcome the festival in singing carols on the nativity of our Saviour. It is called, in Welsh, Plygain, or more properly, Pylgain, which signifies the morning twilight; owing to the disorderly conduct of the lower orders, this custom has been discontinued. But the carol singing is still a favorite part of the devotion of the evening service; the singers are rewarded by the churchwardens.

The

Conspicuous in the upper part of the parish, is Caerallwch, called probably after a chieftain of the name of Allwch. elevation on which it stands, is called Moel Gaer; signifying the fortified eminence. It is a rampart enclosing a circle of 196 yards diameter: within its precinct is a small artificial mount, from whence, as some assert, our ancient heroes used to harangue their followers. The entrance is left open on the north side, where the ascent is easiest; a circumstance which, together with the absence of water generally in these places, might lead to the supposition that these intrenchments were not originally intended as places of long abode; and that they were ill calculated as a rendezvous for warlike purposes, or posts for the defence of the country against invasion.

NO. XIV.

P

About the year 1410, the valiant Hywel Gwynedd, who sided with Owen Glyndwr21 against Henry IV., was, in a negligent hour, surprised by his adversaries from the town of Flint, and within this spot beheaded. In 1814, a fire beacon was erected here, which, at the termination of the war with Napoleon, was discontinued. From the summit of this hill, is a most charming view; in one direction the distance gradually fades away from the eye, and is lost in a mellow hue; and in all others, the sight is gratified with variety.

Not far from the foot of the hill is a respectable farm-house, called Caervallwch, the late residence of the Hanmers, and other families of note. It is asserted that "Caswallawn Law Hir, lord of North Wales, and one Ywein, (Owen,) of Caer Vallawc, or of Chester, attended at King Arthur's coronation, or feast of inauguration,' " which was about A.D. 517. We read also of one Avallwg, in Maelgwn Gwyned's time, but whether they had any connexion with this spot is doubtful: one thing is pretty certain, that the rampart must have existed long anterior to that period. About a mile north of the village are the remains of the ancient pile of Llys Edwin, celebrated only as the late residence of Edwin, the only son of Grono ab Owain, ab Hywel Dda23, ab Cadell24, ab Rhodri Mawr25, ab Mervyn Vrych, ab Gwiriad, ab Elidyr, ab Sanddev, ab Alcwn, ab Tegid, ab Gwyar, ab Diwg (or Dwyawg), ab Llywarch Hen27, ab Elidyr Lydanwyn28, ab Meirchion Gul29, ab Grwst (or Gorwst), Ledlwm, ab Cenau, ab Coel Godebog30, ab Tegvan Glof, ab Deheuvraint, ab Tudbwyll, ab Eurben, ab Gradd, ab Rhuddvedel, ab Rhydeyrn, ab Eiddigant, ab Eurdeyrn, ab Einydd (or Enid), ab Ennos (or Endos), ab Enddolau, ab Avallech, ab Lludd31, ab Beli3 2 Mawr, ab Manogan33, ab Cai, ab Por, ab Sawl Benisel34, ab Rhydderch35, ab Rhodawr, ab Eidal36, ab Arthvael37, ab Sitsyllt38, ab Owain39, ab Cafo40, ab Bleiddyd41, ab Meirion+2, ab Gorwyst43, ab Clydno**, ab Clydog45, ab Ithel, ab Urien 46, ab Andryw47, ab Ceraint48, ab Por, ab Coel+9, ab Cadell50, ab Geraint51, ab Elydnog52, ab Morudd53, ab Dan54, ab Sitsyllt55, ab Cuhelyn56, ab Gwrgant57 Varvdrwch, ab Beli58, ab Dyvnwal59 Moelmud, ab Dyvnvarth (or Dyvynarch) Hen, ab Prydain, ab Aedd Mawr61, the first monarch of the isle of Britain.

Edwin was one of the fifteen peers61* of North Wales, and king of Tegeingl; namely, Cwnsyll, Rhuddlan62, and Prestatyn. "He married Gwerydd, (Ewerydd, or Iwerydd, according to some MSS.) daughter of Cynvin ab Gwerastan, and sister to Bleddyn ab Cynvin, prince of Powis. He lived at Northop and Lianhasa. He was at last slain by Rhys, ab Rhydderch, ab Owen, anno 1073." On the top of a hill called Bryn y Castell, * Vol. 2288, Harl. Ms. fo. 175, and 2299, fo. 199.

in the parish of Llanhasa, is to be seen the site of Edwin's Castle, where no doubt he occasionally resided; I have not been able to trace the founder, but most probably it was built by his grandfather, Edwin, the earl of Mercia. Rhual, near Mold, was the residence of Edwin when he died, for it is recorded that "Edwin of Rhual was buried in Northop, in 1073,"* and Rhual,+ or more properly Rhial, from rhi and gal, which means the fair spot of the chief, very likely derived its name from the occupier. “He bore argent a cross flory engrailed sable, inter four Cornish choughs." He had two sons and a daughter, viz. Owain, Uchtryd, and Eweryd. Owain, called Owain Vradwr, was chief counsellor and father-in-law of Grufydd ab Cynan; he is justly styled Owain the traitor, for he invited Hugh Goch, or Red-haired, Hugh de Montgomery, earl of Arundel and Salop, Hugh Vras, or the fat earl of Chester, and other nobles to invade North Wales: he himself assisting them with all his power. They proceeded with a large army as far as Anglesea, where Hugh, earl of Salop, was shot in the face by an arrow, of which he died. Hugh, earl of Chester, on his return to England, after driving Grufydd ab Cynan to Ireland, A.D. 1096, left Owain a prince in the land, which was gained by his treachery. His wife was Morvydd, daughter to Ednywen Bendew, of Llys Coed y Mynydd, Bodfari. He died of a consumption in 1103: he had children, Gronow, Ririd, Meiler, and Angharad, who married Gryfyd ab Cynan.

Uchtryd, Edwin's other son, "lived anno 1094, he married Elen, daughter to Tudor Mawr, prince of South Wales, widdow to Bleddyn ap Meinach, prince of Brecon; (Harleian мs. 2288, fo. 175,) another мs. says he married a daughter of Rees Sais. He was one of four Welsh persons of distinction appointed by Richard, Bishop of London, and warden of the Marches, in Henry I., 1108, to destroy Dyved, and to take or kill Owain ab Cadwgan, to avenge the dishonor he had done to the king, for which great rewards, besides the rule of the country, were promised them. But Uchtryd sent privately to warn the people of their danger, and, instead of destroying them, saved all that fled to him; and, by a stratagem, impeded the speed of the enemies in order that Cadwgan and his son Owain might have time to escape to Ireland. Uchtryd's inheritance was in Merionyddshire, he built Cymmer Castle in that county, which was demolished in 1113, by Einion 63 ab Cadwgan, and Grufydd ab Maredydd, ab Bleddyn.

Edwin's father, Grono, had two wives, Angharad, daughter to Meiric ap Idwal Voel, king of North Wales, and Elfled, daughter

Cambrian Register.

The present mansion was built in 1634.

After the Saxons had conquered Man, in 968, they called it Anglesie, that is, the Saxon Island. Brut y T.

to Edwin, earl of Chester, and widow of Edmund Ironside, king of England, (Harleian мs., 228, fo. 175,) as others, Jane, heiress to Edwyn, earl of Chester, and the last earl of Mercia, who owned all this tract of Flintshire, and under whom Edwin held his possessions. At the Conquest, William dispossessed the earl of Mercia of his possessions here, and bestowed them on Hugh Lupus, to whom he granted North Wales in farm, at the rent of £40 per annum, besides Rhos and Rhyvaniog.

Mr. Pennant says that Llys estate continued in the family till the death of a descendant of his, Hywel Gwynedd, who lost his life in the cause of Glyndwr, when his forfeited estates were bestowed, by Henry IV., on one Bryan Saxton. His posterity possessed them till the 17th year of Henry VI.,† who granted them to Sir John Stanley, groom of the bedchamber. “ Angharad, daughter of Howel ap Tudyr, descended from Edwin, was heiress of Llys: (temp. Ed. IV.) afterwards her son, William Stanley, by her second husband, Edm. Stanley, came in possession of that place, and other lands in Llaneurgain Parish." Sir Edward Stanley,t of Flint, married to a daughter of George Lord Stanley, about the latter end of the reign of Henry VII., was probably owner of this place, for it remained in the Stanley family till Cromwell's time, when a Colonel Roger Whitley, one of those agents of sequestration, came to possess the lands on which the old palace stood, which became afterwards, by marriage, the property of the earl of Plymouth, it now belongs to earl Grosvenor, of Eaton Abbey, Cheshire.

Descended from Edwin are Lloyds, of Isfarm; Edwards, of Stansky; Wynns, of Copper Leni; Parrys, of Llaneurgain and Caervallwch; Pryse, of Aelwyduchav, &c., Thomas Owen, a Judge of the Common Pleas, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, father of Sir Roger Owen, late of Cundover, knight, was descended from Edwin. Also, Sir Thomas Powell, one of the Judges of the King's Bench, in the time of William III.; the family of Nanteos, in Cardiganshire; and the Gwyns of Monachdy, in the same county. • Henry IV. reigned from 1399 to 1412.

+ Henry VI. ditto

1422 to 1461.

"Edward

In old мss. we often meet with Stanleys of Evlo or Ewloe. Llwyd ap Davyd Llwyd married Cath. Vuch Pierce Stanley of Ewloe." § Henry VII. reigned from 1485 to 1509.

(To be continued.)

TRIAD.

From the Welsh, by the late EDWARD WILLIAMS, of Glamorgan.

THREE things have I lov'd, and would die for their sake;

Stern virtue's keen lash that keeps reason awake;

Bold liberty's frown that bids tyranny cease,

And wisdom's wide circle that centers in peace.