#samuel lewis

KENVIG (CEFN-Y-FIGYN), LOWER, with Pyle, a parish, comprising the greater portion of the borough of Kenvig, in the union of Bridgend and Cowbridge, hundred of Newcastle, county of Glamorgan, South Wales, 11½ miles (S. S. E.) from Neath; containing, exclusively of Pyle, and including Skeir, 297 inhabitants. This place, which is of considerable antiquity, derives its name from its situation on a ridge of ground above a bog. It was anciently of much more importance. As forming part of the great lordship of Glamorgan, it passed by right of conquest, with the other possessions of Iestyn ab Gwrgan, the last Prince of Glamorgan, to Fitz-Hamon, the Norman invader, who included Kenvig among the estates reserved to himself and not apportioned to his companions. Under FitzHamon, his descendants, and their successors, the town increased in importance; and in the reign of Edward II., its immunities were augmented through the influence of this monarch’s favourite, the younger Spencer, who obtained for it, in common with other towns in his lordship of Glamorgan, a new charter from the crown. The castle, town, and lordship of Kenvig, about the middle of the fourteenth century, formed part of the dower of the widow of Hugh le Despencer, on her marriage with Guy de Brien. The charter endowing the place with municipal privileges was confirmed by Thomas le Despencer, lord of Glamorgan, in 1360, and renewed by his son Edward, in 1396, and by his daughter Isabel, in 1423. According to the Annales Marganenses, the town was attacked by the Welsh in 1232.

The decay of the old town, castle, and church are ascribed to an overwhelming inundation of the sea, which took place about the middle of the sixteenth century, and covered with sand an extensive tract in the neighbourhood of the coast. From the desolating effect of this calamitous event the town has never since recovered; it now forms only a small straggling and insignificant village, near the open coast of the Bristol Channel. Kenvig contains about 750 acres of inclosed land, and 800 acres of waste, which latter are principally composed of sandbanks and rabbit warrens, about twelve miles in extent, reaching from Skeir rocks to Briton-Ferry. These sand-banks have been planted with the arundo arenaria, in order to bind them: and, on taking a farm on the adjoining moor, the tenant usually covenants in his lease to give annually the labour of a day or more, in proportion to the extent of his farm, for planting it. The bog referred to in the etymology of the name of this place has, from time immemorial, formed a lake, which is nearly two miles in circumference, and, though situated close to the seashore, and encompassed with sand, never imbibes any muriatic properties. Prior to the desolation caused by the furious encroachment of the sea, the road from Cardiff to Swansea and Carmarthen passed through the town; it was subsequently diverted so as to pass about a mile and a half to the north.

Kenvig still retains its municipal privileges, and is governed by a constable of the castle, a portreeve, an unlimited number of aldermen, a recorder, hayward, two ale-tasters, and an indefinite number of burgesses. The constable of the castle is appointed by the lord of the manor; and the portreeve is chosen by the constable out of three burgesses selected by the aldermen at the court leet held at Michaelmas: the aldermen consist of persons who have served the office of portreeve. The recorder and hayward are named by the portreeve; the sergeantat-mace is appointed by the constable from a list of four burgesses returned to him by the jury at the October court leet, and the ale-tasters are chosen by the same officer. The burgesses are elected by the portreeve and a jury of eight burgesses, who may be sworn in at any time, and may confer the freedom on whomsoever they please, and of whom, according to ancient municipal regulation, the freedom can only be claimed by the sons of burgesses born after their father’s admission. All the burgesses are entitled to common pasture, without stint, upon the extensive wastes belonging to the borough, of which there are about 250 acres that are fit for pasture; and the revenue of the corporation is about £25 per annum. The borough comprises within its jurisdiction the whole of Lower Kenvig, the whole of the hamlet of Higher Kenvig, and part of that of Trissient, the two last being in the adjoining parish of Margam. It also forms a lordship of itself, with a superior manorial jurisdiction over North Cornelly, South Cornelly, and Scarveur.

This borough, which is one of the most ancient in Wales, prior to the passing of the act of 1832, for “Amending the Representation of the People,” was contributory with Cardiff, Aberavon, Cowbridge, Llantrissent, Loughor, Neath, and Swansea, in the return of a member to parliament; the right of election here being in the burgesses at large, resident and non-resident, in number 230. It is now contributory with Swansea, Aberavon, Loughor, and Neath, which have been raised into an independent district, returning one member. The right of election is vested in the old resident burgesses, and in every male person of full age occupying, either as owner, or as tenant under the same landlord, a house or other premises of the annual value of not less than £10. The number of tenements of this value within the limits of the borough is very inconsiderable. The mayor of Swansea is the returning officer. The town-hall, of which the lower part has been converted into a public-house, was built about the beginning of the present century, at an expense of £400. Two fairs were formerly held annually; the first commenced on Whit-Tuesday, the second on the eve of St. James the Apostle, and each continued eight days. The line of the great South Wales railway passes in the vicinity of Kenvig.

The living is a discharged vicarage, with that of Pyle consolidated, rated in the king’s books at £4. 8. 11½., endowed with £800 royal bounty and £800 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of the Lord Chancellor; present net income, £95; impropriator, C. R. M. Talbot, Esq. The ancient church, dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, was confirmed and granted, with its appurtenances, about the commencement of the thirteenth century, to the abbey of Margam, by Henry, Bishop of Llandaf, on the petition of Walter, abbot of Tewkesbury. The present parish church is at Pyle. Of the castle, there are no other remains than part of one of the towers, rising to the height of about twelve feet above the sand, beneath which the remainder is buried; and some vestiges of the moat that surrounded it. About 300 yards to the south of it were the ancient church and cemetery, where human bones are frequently exposed to view by the drifting of the sands. The Roman Via Julia Maritima is supposed to have taken its course by this place, between which and the village of Margam is an inscribed stone, about five feet in height and one in diameter, on which are the words Punpeius Carantorius, with some curious characters that have exercised the ingenuity of antiquaries. On the south-east side of the parish is a large extra-parochial farm, called Skeir, containing 21 inhabitants, the boundary line between which and Kenvig having been covered with sand by the storm above noticed, a commission was held for ascertaining it, pursuant to an act obtained in 1554, relating to the destruction caused by the seasand in Glamorganshire.

COWBRIDGE, a borough and market-town (having exclusive jurisdiction), and, jointly with Bridgend, the head of a union, locally in the hundred of Cowbridge, county of Glamorgan, South Wales, 12 miles (W.) from Cardiff, and 170 (W.) from London, on the main western road through the county; containing 1080 inhabitants. The Welsh name of this place is Pont-Vaen, a corruption of Pont-yVôn, of which latter the English name is a literal translation. The town is supposed to have been originally an appendage to the castle and lordship of St. Quentin; and was surrounded, in 1090, by Robert St. Quentin, one of Fitz-Hamon’s knights, with a stone wall, having three gates, which in Leland’s time were all entire, but of which only the south gate now remains. Its situation, though low, is salubrious, and its appearance prepossessing. The town consists principally of one spacious street, extending for nearly half a mile along the turnpikeroad; the houses are in general well built, and several of them are handsome. It is neither paved nor lighted, but well supplied with water from springs, and from the small river Ddaw, which passes through the centre of Cowbridge. The old townhall, shambles, and market-house, which stood in the centre of the principal street, obstructing the thoroughfare, have been removed, and the old county bridewell, situated at this place, has been converted, chiefly by subscription, into a neat town-hall, with jury-rooms and other apartments. The market days are Tuesday and Saturday; the market on the latter is chiefly for butchers’ meat and other provisions. Fairs, principally for cattle, are held on the first Tuesday in February, the Tuesday before March 25th, on May 4th, June 24th, and September 29th: there are also two great markets on the first Tuesdays in August and December.

The government of the town is regulated by a charter of incorporation, which was confirmed in the 33rd of Charles II., whose charter recites that the burgesses had enjoyed divers liberties, franchises, and immunities, as well by means of grants of former kings of England and lords of Glamorgan as by prescription, and bestows upon the corporation all privileges, fairs, tolls, and lands which they then held, or had previously enjoyed, by virtue of any charter or by prescription. The control is vested in the constable of the castle of St. Quentin, two bailiffs, twelve aldermen, and twelve capital burgesses, assisted by a town-clerk, a treasurer, two serjeants-atmace, two clerks of the market and shambles, and six constables. Of these, the constable, commonly called mayor, is appointed by the Stuart family, Marquesses of Bute. The bailiffs are annually chosen, on Michaelmas eve, from among the aldermen, of whom four are nominated for that purpose by the burgesses, out of which number the mayor selects two; the aldermen are elected from the burgesses, by a majority of their own body, as vacancies occur. The capital burgesses are elected out of the body of burgesses, by the bailiffs, aldermen, and capital burgesses, in their corporate capacity as the common council and governing body of the borough. The town-clerk is appointed by the Stuart family, the treasurer by the common-council, and the remaining officers by the bailiffs.

Cowbridge was formerly one of the eight contributory boroughs within the county, which returned a member to parliament, the right of election being in the burgesses at large, in number between seventy and eighty, of whom about one-half were resident. It is now, by the act of 1832, for “Amending the Representation of the People,” contributory with Cardiff and Llantrissent in the return of a member; and the right of election is vested in the old resident burgesses only, if duly registered according to the provisions of the act, and in every male person of full age occupying, either as owner, or as tenant under the same landlord, a house or other premises of the annual value of not less than £10, provided he be capable of registering as the act directs. The present number of houses of this value, situated within the limits of the borough, which comprise an area of little more than thirty-three acres, and were not altered by the late boundary act, is about eighty. The bailiffs make a return for Cowbridge to the mayor of Cardiff, who is the returning officer for the three boroughs.

The freedom is acquired by an apprenticeship of seven years to a resident freeman, inherited by birth by all sons of freemen born after their father’s admission, or obtained by marriage with a freeman’s daughter, or by gift of the common-council, who may confer the privilege on whomsoever they please. All persons who have thus become burgesses, possess the right of exemption from toll within the borough. The revenues of the corporation amount to about £130 per annum, of which about a third is derived from houses and land, and the remainder from the tolls of the markets and fairs, with the exception of an inconsiderable item composed of fines on the admission of freemen. The mayor and bailiffs are justices of the peace, exercising exclusive jurisdiction, and having, according to the charter, power to inquire of all “delays, defects, and articles,” within the town, as justices of the peace in England, provided they do not proceed “to the inquiry, trial, and determination of any treason, misprision of treason, murder, felony, or any other thing, touching the loss of life or limb.” No general or quarter sessions, however, seem to have taken place since the year 1812, and even for some time prior to that date they appear to have been seldom and very irregularly held. The bailiffs may also hold a court of record every Thursday in every third week, for the trial of actions under £5, in as ample a manner as in any other court of record in England; but this court has like the other fallen completely into disuse, the last summoning of it having taken place on the 30th of August, 1777. Nor are petty-sessions for the borough regularly held, the magistrates merely assembling from time to time for the despatch of business as occasion requires. The petty-sessions for the hundred take place here every Tuesday, and the Easter quarter-sessions for the county are held here.

Cowbridge is commonly reputed a parish, but, like many other parishes, has no distinct incumbency: the church, which was originally a chapel of ease to the church of Llanblethian, is still served by the vicar of that parish, who performs morning service at the one, and evening service at the other, alternately every Sunday. The tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of £17. 3., payable to the incumbent. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is an ancient and venerable structure, and contains several handsome monuments of modern erection, and two of more ancient date, one to the memory of the Carnes, of Nash, and the other to that of the Jenkins family, of Hensol, near Cowbridge. The windows and some other parts of the building have been lately restored. There are places of worship for Baptists, Wesleyans, and Calvinistic Methodists.

The free grammar school, which is of considerable repute, is supposed by some to have grown out of the ruins of an ancient establishment at Lantwit-Major, and to have been removed to this place in the reign of Elizabeth. It is under the superintendence of the Principal and Fellows of Jesus’ College, Oxford, who appoint the master. The endowment was granted by Sir Leoline Jenkins, Knt, Judge of the Admiralty in the reign of Charles II., who was educated in the school, and died in 1685, founding by will in Jesus’ College two fellowships to supply clergymen for the navy and foreign plantations, two scholarships, and one exhibition, which are limited to natives of the dioceses of Llandaf and St. David’s, with a preference cæteris paribus for those educated at this establishment. After devising to the Principal, Fellows, and Scholars, certain lands and tenements, and also “the free school and school-house,” he charged the property with the payment of £70 per annum, for the following uses, viz., £20, with the schoolhouse, orchards, &c., to be given to the schoolmaster, for instructing gratis ten youths of the town and neighbouring parishes, and five pensioners (now named monitors), the latter to be paid £6 each for four years; after that period, three out of the five to be sent to Jesus’ College, and have an exhibition of £10 each for four succeeding years; and two of these last to be regarded as scholars on Sir Leoline’s foundation, and to have the preference cæteris paribus in the selection of the two fellowships he had founded in the college. For the purpose of carrying the intentions of the benefactor into effect, the college transmits to the master annually £50 for himself and the monitors; together with £20 assigned by Sir Leoline, for apprenticing poor children born in the parishes of Llantrissent and Llanblethian, the town of Cowbridge, and the parish of Ystrad-Owen, or for clothing aged poor people in the same places. The two fellowships are now worth about £300 a year, and the scholarships £20. The five pensions, which do not appear to be limited to Cowbridge or its neighbourhood, have been constantly filled up; but there is only one other free boy: the number of scholars not on the foundation is considerable. The school is very flourishing as a classical academy for pay-scholars, under the superintendence of the Rev. Hugo Daniel Harper, Fellow of Jesus’ College, assisted by two other masters, and a drawing and French master. The premises have been recently rebuilt by the college in a handsome manner and on a larger scale. Vice-Chancellor Sir J. L. Knight Bruce, Knt., was educated in this establishment. A National school, commenced here in 1839, for the benefit of Cowbridge, Llanblethian, and Llantrissent, is supported by subscription, aided by the produce of a bequest of £200 left by John Fraunceis Gwyn, Esq., of Ford Abbey, Devon, by will dated 1845, to be invested in the funds, for the use of “the National school of the three consolidated parishes.” There are also several Sunday schools.

Some charitable benefactions to the town are respectively managed by the corporation, and by the parochial authorities. Among the former is a grant of two acres of land, situated south of the East-gate, devised by Mary Wilcox, and now yielding a rent of £8. 8. per annum, subject to a small payment for land-tax and repairs. A rent-charge of £4 on land called the Paddocks, was devised by Walter Williams in 1796: this bequest was void under the statute of Mortmain; but the owner generously purchased stock in the three per cents., and invested it in the name of trustees to secure the amount of the gift, and carry it into execution. The produce of these two bequests is distributed in small sums, by the bailiffs, among poor parishioners. Of the charities under the management of the parochial officers, is a bequest by Catherine Williams in 1682 of £100, the interest to be applied to clothe six of the poorest and most aged parishioners; the amount is in the hands of the corporation, who pay interest at five per cent. Rebecca Wyndham bequeathed a similar sum, with which, and the accumulated interest, a moiety of a tenement and some land, called Pencoed, in the parish of Llanilid, was purchased, now yielding £20 per annum, which sum is applied in apprenticing poor children as directed by the donor. Other sums arising from trifling rent-charges on houses in different parts of the town, and a charge of 12s. on a field in the parish of Llanblethian, the gift of William Thomas in 1710, producing altogether £2. 8. per annum, are distributed in bread to the poor. Daniel Jones, Esq., of Beau Prè, in the parish of St. Hilary, by will dated 1840, gave £10 per annum, the dividends of stock in consols, for the benefit of the poor of Cowbridge for ever, to be distributed in money, or in clothing, bedding, or firing, by the minister. The aged poor, also, of the town, regularly receive £20 in clothing every fourth year from the master of the grammar school, under Sir Leoline Jenkins’ grant above-mentioned.

Some Roman coins have been discovered at this place: one, which was of brass, bore the inscription Cæsar Traianvs; the reverse, Pont Max … . sii; the exergue, Britanni. At the distance of about two miles, in a field that adjoins the road from London to Haverfordwest, on the southern side, and close to the common called the Golden Mile, is a square intrenched camp of small dimensions, supposed to be Roman; and on the south side of that common are vestiges of a similar work, both probably indicating the course of the Roman road called the Via Julia Maritima.