Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 1.djvu/491

Rh CAEDIGANSHIRE. 481 CARDIGANSHIRE. before Aberystwith Castle. Tho province was several limes invaded and laid waste in 1135 and following year* i,y On.-iin Gwynedd and Cadwalader, princes of North Wales. On one of these occasions Aberystwith and several other Norman castles were burnt down. Aboui 1170 the territory of Cardigan was granted by Henry II. to Rhys ap Gruffyd. This prince held a great Irstival in Cardigan Castle at Christmas, in the year 1176, at which all the bards attended, besides a large number of English and Normans. Fresh disputes arose ifter the death of Rhys, in 1196, whose son and suc-
 * essor Gruffyd was attacked and made prisoner by

iiis brother Maelgwyn, tho latter taking possession of
 * he whole territory. Early in the following century

it was taken from Maelgwyn by Llewellyn ap lor- wertli, who, with other chieftains, were compelled to lo homage to King John in 1212. After the death of
 * Llewellyn, Cardigan Castle was taken by Gilbert Marshal

Earl of Pembroke. About 1250 Llewellyn ap Gruffyd, Prince of North Wales, entered the district, and recovered possession of the estates which Prince Edward (after- ivards Edward I. ) had taken from the chieftains. The jinal subjugation of Wales was effected about 1280 by Edward I., who soon after divided it into counties, and Annexed it to England. During the revolt of tho Welsh sinder Owain Glyndwr, at tho beginning of the loth
 * entury, Aberystwith Castle was taken and held for

several years by that chieftain. In the civil war of tho 17th century, tho castles of Cardigan and Aberystwith were at first held for the king, but were soon taken by tho parliament. No other important conflicts took place in this county. Cardiganshire is for the most part a mountainous country, having Plinlimmon at the north-eastern extremity, from which lofty chains of hills extend westward and southward. The sea-coast is 'levatixl, except at the northern and southern extremities, and at tho mouths of the rivers. The only considerable tract of level ground is in the south-western quarter. The highest points in the county are at Plinlimmon, rising to the height of 2,463 feet ; Tregaron Down, 1,747 feet; Talsarn, 1,142 feet; and Capel Cynon, 1,046 feet. The .ispect of the hilly regions is nigged and dreary, gene- rally unrelieved by woods, and a very large extent of Hie surface is unenclosed, being incapable of cultivation. There is, however, some fine scenery along the courses of the rivers : these are the Teify, the Rheidol, the Ystwith, >n, and other smaller streams. The Teify has its
 * iiirce in Llyn Teify, on tho border of Radnorshire, and

running south-westward, past Tregaron to Lampeter, forms thence the S. boundary of the county, and passing 'y Newcastlc-Emlyn, falls into the sea at Cardigan, .'he Ystwith and Rheidol rise on the border of Mont- gomeryshire, and running westward fall into the sea at (Vberystwith. The river Towy skirts the county on the E. There are a great number of small lakes in Car- liganshire, of which the principal are Llyn Teify, Llyn jynon, Llyn Egnant, and Llyn Ruddon Vawr, forming, nith others, a cluster at the head of the river Teify. There is a remarkable waterfall at the Devil's Bridge, ivhere the small river Mynach runs over a series of nrecipices into the Rheidol. The rocks, which are npstly slate, belong to the transition series, and con-
 * ain no fossil remains. Grey mountain stone is quarried

n some places for building purposes, but there is no imestono nor coal. Lead and zinc are found, and
 * he former contains a large proportion of silver. Tho

mines were profitably worked after tho middle of tho 1 6th century, under a patent granted by Queen Eliza- beth, and after being for some time neglected have been reopened with good success. Tho Mines Royal were leased to Sir Hugh Myddelton by the original corpora- tion, and from the working of them he realised his mmcnse fortune. Thomas Bushel, a subsequent lessee of the mines, had a license from Charles I. to establish i mint at Abcrystwith. Cwm Synlog was one of the iipst valuable of these mines. The rich mine at Esgair lir, the property of the Pryscs, was discovered in 1690. ine quantity of silver obtained varies from 40 to 80 'iinces for every ton of lead; and in the mine at VOL. I. Llanvair, the proportion has been known to rise to 100 ounces per ton. The climate of this mountainous dis- trict is cold, wet, and stormy. The snow lies late on the hills, and tho harvest begins late. Along the coast the temperature is more equable, and during the summer and autumn the air is dry and healthful. The soil is generally poor and meagre, being only a thin covering to the slate and shale, which form the substratum of nearly the whole county, except in the river valleys, where good loam occurs. The valleys of the Ystwith, Teify, and Aeron are well cultivated, and yield good crops. Wheat is grown in some parts, hut the chief crops are barley, black oats, and rye. Peas, beans, and potatoes are also cultivated. Lime, brought from Pembrokeshire, and seaweed, washed up in immense quantities after a gale, are largely used for manure. The farms are mostly of small size, varying from 50 to 150 acres, and the methods and implements of tho farmer, as well as the dwellings of the labourer, though less rude than formerly, still need improvement. Cardiganshire has a breed of small, hardy, black cattle, and a breed of very small mountain sheep, the fleece of which weighs about two pounds. Other breeds of sheep are also reared. A considerable quantity of butter is made, and pigs are exported in great numbers. The fuel most commonly used is peat, of which there are some beds of great thickness. Cors Goch is said to yield the best, and it has been there dug to the depth of 20 feet.' For the purposes of civil government the co. is divided into 5 hunds., tho names of which are Geneu'r Glyn, liar, Moyddyn, Penarth, and Troedyraur. It was anciently divided into 3 cantrefs. The co. contains 68 pars., of which 5 are market towns, viz., Cardigan (the county town), Aberystwith, Aberaeron, Lampeter, and Tre- garon ; these are all, except Aberaeron, corporate towns. One member is returned to parliament for the co. and one for Cardigan conjointly with the other boroughs. Cardigan is the place of election both for the co. and the boroughs, and a polling-place, with Aberystwith, Lampeter, and Tregaron. The co. is divided into 5 Poor-law Unions : those of Aberaeron, Aberystwith, Cardigan, Lampeter, and Tregaron ; and into 5 County Court districts : those of Aberaeron, Abcrystwith, Car- digan, Lampeter, and Llandeilofawr. Cardiganshire is included in the South Wales Circuit, and in the Home military district. Cardigan is the assize town. The quarter sessions are held there, or at Aberyst- with, except at Easter, when they are held at Lam- peter. The local government is vested in a lord- lieutenant, high sheriff, and a body of about 50 magis- trates. For ecclesiastical purposes tho co. is in the dioc. of St. David's, in the prov. of Canterbury, and con- stitutes, with parts of the cos. of Carmarthen and Pembroke, the archdeac. of Cardigan. No important manufactures arc carried on in this county, the pursuits of the inhabitants being chiefly agricultural. A small number of persons arc employed in the manufacture of flannel and coarse hosiery, hats, and gloves. Many are employed in the mines, and others in the coasting trade and in the fisheries. The antiquities of Cardiganshire consist chiefly of the remains of fortresses and military works, which are numerous. Among them are thoso of the Roman station at Llanio, presumed to be tho ancient Loventiitm ; camps at Lampeter and Llanwcnog, and traces of the great Via Occiikntalis, now called tho Sarn Helen (originally Sam Xleoii, signifying " Way of Legions"); remains of two British encampments near Llandysilio-Gogo ; one with a triple rampart at Llanfi- bangel Penbryn, and several others. The principal ruins of castles are thoso of Aberystwith, Cardigan, Castel-Gwalter, and Ystrad Meirig. There are traces of others at Aberaeron, Lampeter, Llandyssil, Blaen- portb, and other places. The ecclesiastical remains ire few and unimportant, consisting of those of the abbey at Ystrad-Flur, or Strata Florida, and the priory it Lampeter. Remains of primitive stone circles are bund in several places, and there are many cairns. Tho 'ormer are at Yspytty Cynvyn, Carrog, near Llanwch- airn, and Alltgoch, near Lampeter. The principal