A description of Wales by Sr John Prise Knight.

Of Bangor Monachorum or Bangor Iscoed.

Bangor Monachorum (so called from the famous Monastery that was in it) lyes situate in Maelor or Bromfield not farre from Caerlleon or Westchester. Both Towne and Monastery have so felt the injuries of time, that at this day there are hardly any r••ins of them remaining; there is now only to be seen a small Village of the name, but no footsteps of the old City, save the rubbish of the two principall gates, Porth Cleis and Porth Wogan, the former looking towards England, the later towards Wales; they are about a mile distant the one from the other, so that it is easy to conjecture how large the City might be; It lay be∣tween those two Gates, the river Dee running through the middle of it; The old British Triades tell us that in the time of the British Kings there were in the Monastery of Bangor 2400 Monkes, who in their turnes (that is, a hundred every houre of the 24) continually (Night and Day) read prayers and sung Psalmes, so that the service of God went on there still without intermission.

Off a King of Mercia, and Meredith King of Dyvet dyed in the battell fought at Ruthlan 794. 796 the Saxons killed Cara∣dawc* 1.1 King of Northwales. This Caradawc could not be the sonne of Gwyn ap Collwyn, for Gwyn ap Collwyn lived 200 years and above after this time, nor yet Caradawg ap Alawg King of Pennarddal••wg (now Hawarden) who in the time of King Cadvan (200 years before) was slaine by Owen Penyverw the sonne of Tyvid in revenge of the wrong he had done to his sister S^t Wenifryd; But he may very well be Caradoc Earle of Here∣ford the only one of that name that I read of living in those times; this Caradoc descended from Coeliog Myngrudd of the

North of Brytain was fain to leave his Country, Ethelbald King of Mercia having despoyled him of his estate in the yeare of our Lord 760. Probably Roderic or his sonne Conan gave him Lands in Northwales for his support, which might be an occa∣sion why he should be called King of Gwyneth. He might well be that Caradoc, that 28 years after the battell of Hereford was slaine by the Mercians, being much enraged for the death of their King Offa. This Caradawc's sonne Lluddocca ap Caradawc had one daughter called Rhieingar mother to Tuder Trevor of Bromfield, who was in her right Earle of Hereford, and is reckoned to be the Tribe of the Marches.

In one copy of the old Text we read thus▪ A. D. 760 there was a battell fought betweene the Brytains and Saxons called Gweith Henfordd. Dyfnwal the sonne of Tewdwr dyed the same yeare. 768 the Brytains were fain to change the time of their ancient observation of Easter, and Elbodius a servant of God was the Author of the change.

775 Cubert Abbot dyed. 776 Offa destroyed South-wales. A. D. 779 (in the summer) y distrywyd y Brytanyeid gidac Offa. 790 Pagans came into Ireland and Rechren was destroyed.

Merwydd King of Buelt and Gwerthrynion (called Marmodi∣us Rex Wallensium in a Latine book at the end of Matthew Paris his History of the last edition) being in regard of his so neare neighbourhood much wronged and oppressed by King Offa became Generall of the Brytains, against him and his Saxons. The said Merwydd descended from King Vortigern.

Ranulph: Cest. lib. 1. cap. 49. Polychron: relateth that in K. Edward the Confessors time no Welshman durst with any weapon come over Offa's ditch, and that in his time both Welsh and English inhabited promiscuously without distinction on ei∣ther side of it, in the Counties of Cheshire, Salop, and Here∣ford.

Notes

• * 1.1

  794.