father's estates before 20 Edward II. He died in 1335 without issue, leaving his brother, Humphrey, his heir. The inquisition' on his death states that Humphrey, late of Hereford and Essex, held of the king in chief, by baron's service, the castle of Hay with its appurtenances, worth yearly £50, and that he died on 15th October 1362, leaving his nephew, Humphrey, his next heir. He united in himself the titles of Earl of Hereford, Essex, and Northampton. The inquisition on his death states that the castle of Hay was of the value of £51, and that he died on the 16th January 1372, leaving his daughters, Eleanor, of the age of six years, and Mary, of the age of three years, his next heirs. His estates thereupon fell into the king's hands during their minority, and Roger Poleyn was appointed receiver. We thus gain interesting particulars relative to Hay for two successive years, ending November, 47 Edward III, from the minister's accounts for the lordship. During the first year, John Gardyner, appointed by the late Earl, was bailiff; David ap William and Philip, his brother, the foresters; and Madoc ap William the Welsh receiver. The rents of assize, or fixed rents, due from the free tenants, amounted to £16 9s. 3d.; they included 4d. from 1 lb. of cummin as the rent of John Waleweyn, and a sum of money arising from the Welsh custom of Comortha at Clammey, payable every other year at the feast of the Invention of the Cross, in addition to cowyield. Among the new rents, mention is made of Mortimer's mote, probably a traditionary record of Mortimer's temporary occupation; of land in the Walsherye held by Ieuan Bagh ap Ieuan ap Gwasmaur, and of land on the mountain, called Lokedemerschere, held by H. ap Ieuan ap Seissild; under "Advocaria", receipts from vassals for the protection of 1 1 March, 37 Edward III. 220th Sept., 47 Edward III. 3 3rd Kalend Maij. A like custom prevailed in the lordships of Brecon, Builth, Elvael, and Huntingdon. ✦ A name suggested, perhaps, by the view it afforded of the March country. ap their Lord, sums varying from 4d. to 8d. were paid by The burgage-rents, common oven, tolls of ale, fairs, and markets of the town, were let at £40; two watermills, with the fishery in the pool of the river Wye, at £9 6s. 8d.; a fulling-mill at £1 6s. 8d.; a dove-cote at 3s. 4d.; a garden at 20s. £6 13s. 4d. was received for the pasture and attachments in the forest, and £1 6s. 8d. for the boat over Wye. Under "Exitus Manerii”, the pannage of Welsh swine ("moket") is mentioned. Of land let for sowing in the Forestfield, twenty acres realised 8d. per acre, and nine acres, 3d. per acre. Sixtyfour acres of the lord's land in Churchefeld were let at 7d. per acre, and five acres in Forestfeld at 5d. per acre. Moneys were received for the sale of the common of pasture (“arentata communiter") of Maysdorgloth (Maes Arglwydd), Triscalhem, and Wenallt; and from the sale of the pasture of the Bottes at Brodemede and at Poukedyche, Geneley, near the river; the Hame, near Brodehok; Berlonde, and the meadow reaching to Loghesford. Other meadows, Lakemede, Brodelake, Puttemede, and Derneforthmede, are also mentioned. The pasture of Whetmede was eaten by the lord's bullocks. A composition of £1 6s. 8d. was received for the customary Welsh works at the winter and Lent ploughings, and 1d. per work for one hundred and ninety-two harvest works. In addition to other courts, two hall-moots, representing the court-leet, were held during the year. The lord's flock numbered three hundred and ninetyfive sheep, including eighty-seven ewes; but there were no lambs, as the ewes were barren. 2d. per score was charged for shearing three hundred and thirty-five sheep. Allowances were made of payments for tar and red stone for marking them. The lord's herd of cattle consisted of twenty-two cows and as many calves (received this year for the Comortha), and of fourteen oxen. Three hundred and eighty-four Welsh customary works of reaping, for a day one hundred and twentyeight acres of grain, are charged at 14d. each. The crops consisted of wheat, oats, and peas. The wages of the porter (janitor) of the Castle were 8d. per week, with an allowance of 6s. 8d. in addition for his expenses of the year. An allowance of £3 6s. 8d. was made in the account by the direction of Robert de Teye, chief steward, for a sum charged under the head of perquisites of courts, in 39 Edward III, and continued for the past seven years, as gold found in the purse of Geoffrey Dun, accidentally drowned in the river Wye, on the ground that the lord was not entitled to it as the goods of an intestate, because Geoffrey was a free burgess and an Englishman; which shows that the burgesses enjoyed under their charter the privilege of succeeding to the goods of a deceased relative. The sureties for payment of what was found due on the account were-Dominus Walter Deveros,1 Richard Serjant, and William Simon, bailiff of Roil, now Clirow. The second year's account was rendered by Richard Mogholom, bailiff of the Castle, John ap Ithel being the bailiff of the town. The entries throw but little further light on the subject. on the subject. A charge is made for an iron chain and a lock, to secure the lord's boat over the Wye. There were probably few bridges over the Wye at this period, for the river was crossed by boats at Bredwardine and Builth as at Hay. Charges were also made for locks for the doors of the Castle gate and the 2 1 Walter Devereux, a descendant, married Anne, daughter and heir of William Lord Ferrers, and in 2 Edward IV was summoned to Parliament among the Barons as Walter Devereux de Ferrers. From him the Viscount Hereford is descended. (Dugdale, Baronage, i, p. 266, and Nicolas, Hist. Peerage.) In the survey of the last Duke of Buckingham's lands it is stated, "the Lord Ferrers holdeth half a knight's fee, called Llan Thomas, in Hay lordship." 2 This name occurs under different forms in the rolls of the lordship of Huntington, where a farm is still known as Mahollam. lord's chamber. One of the mills is called Broke Mill, which seems to show that it was on the Dulas. Twelve Hundred courts were held during the year. A question seems to have been raised by the Welsh tenants as to the cow-yield. They contended that they were only liable to pay 7s. for each cow, or render a cow with a calf, at the lord's election. Soon afterwards (51 Edward III) the King granted to his son, Thomas of Woodstock (ultimately Duke of Gloucester), the wardship of the castles of Brecon, Hay, Huntington, Caldecote, and Newton, with the manors and lands of the late Earl, during the minority of his daughters. Thomas of Woodstock afterwards married Eleanor, the eldest daughter. Mary, the younger daughter, married Henry Earl of Derby, afterwards Henry IV. On the division of their inheritance, the lordships of Brecon, Hay, and Huntington, fell to the lot of Eleanor, who died leaving an only daughter, Anne Plantagenet, successively married to Thomas and Edmund, the third and fifth Earls of Stafford. Few events caused so general a disturbance among all classes throughout the Principality as the insurrection of Owen Glendower. The ruin of the Castle of Hay, and the decay of the town, are ascribed by Leland and general tradition to Owen and his followers. It is unfortunate that scarcely any particulars of Owen's movements have come down to us. After his defeat of Sir Edmund Mortimer at Brynglase, near Pilleth, on the 12th of June 1402,' Owen, wasting the country on his way, marched with his followers into Glamorganshire. There is every reason to suppose that it was on this expedition that he took the Castle of New Radnor, and proceeded through the lordship of Huntington, burning a mill and destroying the toll-gate there, to the valley of the Wye and Hay, where he destroyed the Castle and part of the town; for in the commission issued 8th of Sept. 1403,3 the custody of the neigh 1 Carte, History of England, vol. ii, p. 654. bouring castles of Painscastle and Royle was committed to the Earl of Warwick; and of Huntington, to Anne Countess of Stafford, who had lost her husband, the fifth Earl, on the 21st of July preceding, at the battle of Shrewsbury; but no mention is made in it of Hay Castle, which was probably then ruinous and defenceless. Owen appears to have had many supporters in Brecknockshire, for on the 15th of Sept. in the same year,1 the King issued, at Defynoc, a mandate to Sir John Oldcastle, John ap Harry, and John Fairford, clerk, empowering them to receive into the King's peace and favour the Welsh rebels of Brecknock, Builth, Cantrecelly, Hay, Glynbough, and Dinas, on condition that they laid down their arms, and took an oath of fealty. The Countess had issue by the fifth Earl a son, Humphrey, who was created Duke of Buckingham on the 14th of Sept. 1444. He was killed at the battle of Northampton on the 10th of July 1460. In the inquisition2 taken on the 30th of Oct. following, the Castle of Hay is described as ruinous, and destroyed by the Welsh rebels, and of no value. The rents of assize of the free tenants are stated to be £23 13s. 4d.; and of the tenants at will, £5 13s. 4d. One hundred and nineteen acres of demesne land are valued at 1s. 6d. per acre, and twenty acres of pasture at 6d. per acre. The remaining items (except the Comortha) show a great falling off in value. The two water corn-mills and a fulling mill are valued at 40s. only; the herbage of the forest at 4 marcs; the tolls of fairs and markets at £4; pleas and perquisites of courts at £4; the customary cow-yield, when it happened, at £10. The Duke had issue, a son, Humphrey Earl of Stafford, who was killed at the battle of St. Albans, leaving a son Henry, who succeeded his grandfather as second Duke of Buckingham. Want of space prevents more than a reference to the 1 Rymer's Foedera, vol. viii, p. 332. 2 38 and 39 Henry VI, No. 59, m. 23. |