A description of Wales by Sr John Prise Knight.

Roderike Molwynoc. Roderike or Rodri, the Sonne of Edwal Ywrch.

ROderike began his Reigne over the Brytains An. 720.* 1.1 against whom Adelred, King of Westsax raised a great Army, and destroying the Country of Devon∣shire entred Cornwall, where Roderike with the Brytains gave him Battell, wherein the Brytains were Con∣querours.* 1.2 The yeare after the Brytains obtained two other victories against the Saxons, one in Northwales at a place called Garth Maelaw••, and another in Southwales at Pencoet. At this time Belin the sonne of Elphin a Noble man amongst the Brytains dyed. The year following died Celredus King of Mercia and Ethelbaldus was made King after him, who be∣ing* 1.3 desirous to annex the fertile soyle of the Country lying between Severne and Wye to his Kingdome of Mercia, ga∣thered an Army, and entred into Wales, and destroying all before him, he came to the Mountaine Carno, not farre from Abergevenny, where a sore battell was fought between him* 1.4 and the Brytains in the year 728.

The yeare 733 died Beda a Priest, brought up in the Abbey* 1.5 of Wyrnetham, a great Clerke that wrote many works, a mong which, there is one intituled, The Ecclesiasticall Histo∣ry of the English Nation, Dedicated unto Cleolwolf King of Northumberland. This yeare Adelard King of Westsex, and Ethelbald King of Mercia joyned their powers against the* 1.6 Brytains, and gave them battell, and after a long fight and great slaughter on both sides, obtained a bloudy victory. The yeare 735. Adelard King of Westsex died, and Cudred* 1.7 reigned in his stead. And the yeare following dyed* 1.8. Edwyn

King of the Picts. And in the yeare 746. there was a great* 1.9 battell fought at Hereford betwixt Cudred and Ethelbaldus, where after a long ••ight Cudred had the victory. Also the next yeare ensuing he gave the Brytains an overthrow and dyed shortly after.

{fleur-de-lys} The Brytains seeing they could prevaile but little a∣gainst* 1.10 the Saxons joyned in league with Cuthred King of the West Saxons, who then was out with Ethelbald King of Mercia, whereupon the said Ethelbald entred into Wales with a strong ar∣my, and the Brytains met him, and were there discomfited. After that Cuthred and Ethelbald met in the field, where Ethelbald was put to flight: but anon after they two were made friends, & joy∣ned together their powers against the Brytains and overcame them.

After Cudred in the yeare 749. was Sigebert created King,* 1.11 who for his evill behaviour was expelled by his Nobles out* 1.12 of his Kingdome, and was miserably slaine by a swinebeard,* 1.13 after whom Kenulph was made King of the West Saxons the year 750. About the same time died Theodor the sonne of* 1.14 Belin, a man of great estimation among the Brytains. Not long after there was a great battell fought betwixt the Bry∣tains and the Picts at a place called* 1.15 Magedawc, where Da∣largan King of the Picts was slaine. Within a little after, Roderi or Roderike Molwynoc was driven by the Saxons to forsake the West country, and to come to seek his own inheri∣tance in Northwales, where did rule at that time the Children of Bletius or Bledericus Prince of Cornewal and Devonshire (who was one of them that gave Adelred and Ethelbert the o∣verthrow at Bangor upon the river Dee who had enioyed the government of Northwales ever since Cadvan was chosen King of Brytaine untill this time.

{fleur-de-lys} By this History it should seem that the Brytains continued their Government in the West part of Loegria untill this time. But certainly the consent (in a manner) of all writers is, that the Bry∣tish Kingdome ended in Cadwalader, after whom the Brytains had nothing to doe beyond Severne, being con••••rained to keep themselves within the Countries of Cambria and Cornubia. It is also written by diverse, that Ivor and Ynyr at their first arriving in Brytaine, were repelled by the Saxons, and driven to Wales, where Ivor ruled as Prince many years, whom this Roderi or Ro∣derike the sonne of Edwal the sonne of Cadwalader succeeded.

When Roderike King of the Brytains had reigned about 30 years he dyed the yeare 750. leaving two sonnes after him, Conan Tindaethwy, and Howel.

¶ Tho. Maelor saith Rodri Molwynoc founded and endowed the Monastery of Ynys Enlli (in English Bardsey) adjoyning to Llyn in Carnarvonshire. Reedify and augment it he might, but it seems to be of an ancienter foundation, for we find in our Records mention of a Monastery and an Abbot there before his time. S. Dubricius Arch-Bishop of Caerleon resigning his ••ishoprick to S. David went to Bardsey from the Synod of Brevi, which was held against the Pelagians about the yeare of Grace 522, with most of the Clergy of that Synod along with him, there to spend the remainder of their dayes in a Monastery, where be∣ing remote from the World they might the more entirely and unanimously devote themselves to the service of God. One La••datus was then Abbot of Bardsey, who is taken notice of, that being summoned to that Synod he did not appeare. A∣neyrin gwawdydd mychdeyr•• Beirdh, that is, Aneirin the Sa∣tyrist King of Bards (brother to Gildas Albanius the British Historian who dyed about the yeare 512,) writes thus of the retirement of St Dubric and his followers to Bardsey,

Pan oedd Saint Senedd Bhreui Drwy arch y Prophwydi Ar ol gwiw bregeth Dewi Yn myned •• ••nys Enlli &c.

This further relation following we have in a MS. remaining with the Auditor of North-Wales, which was written by one that had the keeping of the Records at Carnarvon.

BARDESEYA.

Notet hic lector quoddam & mirabile & sanctum & inter mira∣bilia Walliae in Chronicis annotatum. Ad primam autem Mo∣nasterii hujus Insulae fundationem Dominus ipse Deus qui petitio∣nes cordis justorum implet, ad deprecatum Sancti Laudati primi Abbatis ejusdem Monasterii inivit pactum cum ipso Sancto, sta∣tuitque ei & miraculose confirmavit sibi & successoribus sui•• clau∣stralibus ibidem sanctè & miraculose victuris in perpetuum certum, & praestitutum ordinem & successum (mirabile dictu) seriatim

moriendi: videlicet, quòd eorum major natu, vel aetate grandae∣vior prius, ut ex tepore solis ardoribus maturata priùs ab arbori∣bus vindemiantur. hoc mortis instinctu praemonitus ipse maturior aetate hujus loci quisque Canonicus vigilaret utique quâ horâ fur hujus vitae venturus esset, ut omni horâ praeparatus à corporis ergastulo fratribus valedicens eis in coelum praevolaret. Istudque pactum ipse fidelis Deus ut quondam Israelitis irruptum servavit, donec claustrales praedicti religiose vivere desierunt, & sanctuari∣um Dei ibidem stupro & sceleribus nefandè profanarunt, ob id quidem rupto Dei faedere, nunc minor, nunc major, nunc eorum medius aetate, incertâ morte, incerto mortis tempore, communi mor∣tis jure hac vita defungitur, cessavit{que} religio & vita monacha∣lis, cessavitque & miraculum. Tu autem Domine miserere no∣stri.

Laudatus the first Abbot of Bardsey was the sonne of Nudd hael ap Senyllt of the Tribe of Maxen Wledig or Maximus the tyrant: His mother was Thevoi daughter to Lotho King of the Picts, called in our British antiquities, Llewddyn lwyddawc ô ddinas Euddyn yn y Gogledd, that is, Lotho the popular, or ruler of hosts from Edenborough in the North. S. Beuno and Kentigern Bishop of Glasco in Scotland and of Llanelwey (now S. Asaph) in Wales were his Cousin-germans, their Mothers being sisters.

Rich: Powel of Ednop Esq. saith that Marchweithian Lord of Isaled in Rhyvonioc in Denbigh land and one of the fifteen Tribes of Gwyneth lived in Prince Rodri Molwynoc's time 720.* 2.1

The Armes of Marchweithian.

He beareth G. a Lyon rampant A. armed B.

Isaledi Baro Marchution, primaevus ab illo Saltantem rubro niveum gerit orbe leonem, Tempore Roderici Molwynoc floruit Ille, Hinc genus Isaledi generosa prosapia manat.

His inheritance was Carnedd synydd, Dincadvael, and other lands within the hundred of Isaled, as appears by the extent of the Lordship of Denbigh, which was made 8. Edv. 3. at what time Cynwric Vaughan being the ninth in descent from March∣weithian lived: from thence it may be conjectured when Marchweithian lived. St Tho. ap William's booke.

Families descended from Marchweithian. The family of

Berain in Denbighshire now incorporated into the family of the Salesburys of Lleweni by the marriage of Katharine of Be∣rain the daughter and Heire of Robert Vaughan of Berain Esq. with Iohn Salisbury the sonne and Heire of Sr Iohn Salisbury Knight, by whom she had Sr Iohn Salisbury of Lleweni Knight who lived in the reigne of K. Iames and was much noted for his great strength of body. Katherines second husband was Rich. Clough of Denbigh Esq. and a Merchant of Hamborough. Her third husband was Maurice Wynne of Gwedir Esq. and af∣ter his decease she married Edward Thelwall of Plâs y ward Esq.

Robert ap Rees (Chaplain to Cardinall Wolsey) and his sonne Ellis Price of Plâs Iolyn Dr of Law descended from this Tribe, and were in their time men of great Power in their Country. Dr Ellis Price is supposed to be one of those Cambridge Scho∣lars that disputed at Cambridge with Throgmorton and other Oxford Scholars A. D. 1532. which Caius in his first book of the antiquity of Cambridge speaketh of. William Price of Rhiwlâs in Merionethshire Esq. now living a Colonell for his late Majesty King Charles the first, and one of the Members of the long Parliament that sate at Oxford descended from the forementioned Rob. ap Rees. So also Rob. Price D. D. now Bishop of Fernes and Laghlin in Ireland. Wynne of Voelas Esq. Price of Plas Iollyn in Denbighshire Esq. Henry Vaughan of Pantglas in Carnarvanshire Esq. who was slaine in his late Ma∣jesties service at the taking of Hopton Castle in Shropshire 1643 descended from him. Thomas Vaughan Esq. his son doth now inherit both his Fathers estate and Loyalty.

In the old Text we read A. D. 754 Rodri dyed, three years after that dyed Edpald King of the Saxons.

Notes

• * 1.1

  720.
• * 1.2

  This battell is called Gwaeth Heilyn.
• * 1.3

  Ethelbald King of Mercia.
• * 1.4

  723.
• * 1.5

  733. Or Jarew.
• * 1.6

  734 Wastald was Bishop of Hereford.
• * 1.7

  735.
• * 1.8

  Ywen.
• * 1.9

  Hol. pa: 193
• * 1.10

  H. Hunt. Hol. pag. 189. & 193.
• * 1.11

  Math. West.
• * 1.12

  749
• * 1.13

  Sigebert King of Westsex. Kenulph.
• * 1.14

  750
• * 1.15

  Mictant
• * 2.1

  A. D. 720.