Carnarvon Traders - The Town Through Guide Books

The deaths of Lewellin, prince of Wales, and his brother Gryffith, having put king Edward I. into quiet possession of the whole country of Wales, he, in order to secure his conquest, erected several strong holds and castles; among which was this of Caernarvon. He began it about the year 1283, together with the town, to which this castle is a kind of citadel, occupying all the west side of it. For the defraying the expences of this undertaking, it is said Edward appropriated the revenues of the Archbishop of York, then vacant. The town is encompassed by a wall garnished with towers; whence, according to some, it takes its name, Caer-ar-fon, in the British language signifying a walled town. It is pleasantly situated on the south bank of the Straits of Menai, which divides Caernarvonshire from the island of Anglesea.

Upon this stretrum (says Camden) stood the city of Segontium, mentioned by Antoninus; of the walls of which I have seen some ruins, near a small church built in honour of St. Publius. It took its name from a river that runs by it, called to this day Sejont, which issues out of the lake of Lhyn Paris; in which they take a particular fish not seen elsewhere, called by the inhabitants, from its red belly, Torgoch. Now, seeing the ancient copy of Ptolemy places the heaven of Setantii on this coast, which other copies remove much farther off; if I should read it Segontiorium Portum, and should say it was the mouth of this river, perhaps I should come near the truth; at least, a candid reader would pardon the conjecture. Ninnius calls this city Kaer Kystenydh; and the author of the life of Grufydh ap Kynan tells us, that Hugh, earl of Chester, built a castle at Hen Gaer Kystenin; which the Latin interpreter renders, "The ancient city of the emperor Constantine:" Moreover, Matthew of Westminster hath recorded (but herein I will not vouch for him), that the body of Constantius, the father of Constantine the Great, was found here in the year 1285, and honourably interred in the church of the new tower, by command of King Edward I. who at that time built the town of Kaer'n Avon.

Here, anno 1284, in a tower called the Eagle Tower (from the representation of that bird carved upon it), Eleanor, queen of Edward I. was brought to bed of a son, created by his father Prince of Wales; being the first of English blood who enjoyed that title. He was afterwards king, by the name of Edward II.; and is frequently, from the place of his birth, styled Edward of Caernarvon. The reasons which induced Edward to contrive that his queen should be delivered here, are thus related in Powell's History of Wales: "King Edward perceiving the Welch to be resolute and inflexible, and absolutely bent against any other prince than one of their own country, happily thought of this politic, though dangerous expedient. Queen Eleanor was now quick with child, and ready to be delivered; and though the season was very severe (it being the depth of winter) the king sent for her from England, and removed her to Caernarvon castle, the place designed for her to lie-in. When the time of her delivery was come, King Edward called to him all the barons and chief persons throughout Wales to Rhuthlan, there to consult about the public good and safety of their country; and being informed that his queen was delivered of a son, he told the Welsh nobility, That, whereas they had oftentimes entreated him to appoint them a prince, he having at this time occasion to depart out of their country, would comply with their request, upon condition they would allow of and obey him whom he should name. The Welsh readily agreed to the motion; only with the same reserve, that he should appoint them a prince of their own nation. King Edward assured them he would name such an one as was born in Wales, could speak no English, and whose life and conversation nobody could stain; whom the Welsh agreeing to own and obey, he named his own son Edward, but little before born in Caernarvon castle.

This expedient did not, however, satisfy the Welsh; for in the year 1294, in an insurrection headed by Madoc and Malgon, "They brent (says Stowe) the castle of Caernarvon, slaying a great number of Englishmen." When, or by whom the damage done in this insurrection was repaired, is not mentioned in any of the accounts I have seen.

This town and castle had diverse privileges and immunities granted them by Edward II. and confirmed to them by the different sovereigns down to Elizabeth. The most material of them are these: That Caernarvon shall be a free borough; that the constable of the castle shall be the mayor of the borough; and that the burgesses may elect two bailiffs.

They had likewise their own prison for all petty transgressions; which prison was not to be subject to the sheriff of the county; also a merchants' guild, with this peculiar privilege, If the bondsmen of any person belonging to it dwelt within this town, having lands, and paying scot and lot for a year and a day, after that time he should not be claimed by his lord, but should remain free in the said town. The inhabitants were, besides, exempt throughout this kingdom from toll, lastage, passage, murage, pontage, stallage, danegelt, and from all other customs and impositions whatsoever; and by the same charter Jews were not permitted to reside in the borough. The princes of Wales had here their chancery, their exchequer, and their justiciary of North Wales. This place send one member to Parliament, and has a good market on Saturdays, and four fairs in the year.

In the 4th year of King Charles I. anno 1628, Robert lord Dormer was created Earl of Caernarvon; and in 1643 was succeeded by his son Charles, who dying without issue, the honour of Caernarvon expired with him; but was revived by K. Geo. I. in the first year of his reign, who designed it for James Bridges, lord Chandois; but he dying before the patent passed, it was conferred on his eldest son James Bridges, lord Chandois, who was created earl, and since marquis of Caernarvon and duke of Chandois.

During the last civil war the town and castle were held for K. Charles; but surrendered June 2d, 1646; probably in obedience to a general order obtained from the king by the Scots, whereby he commanded all the governors of his garrisons to surrender them to the parliament upon fair and honourable conditions. - This view, which represents the N. W. aspect of the castle, was drawn anno 1773.

CAERNARVON CASTLE (Plate II.)

Carnarvon Castle, 1773

The former Plate gave the general appearance of the whole castle, as seen from the opposite shore; this presents a nearer and more particular view of the Eagle Tower, where may be distinguished on the battlements the figures of eagles, from whence it obtained its appellation.

From what point or at what distance soever it is viewed, it has an air of dignity that at once pleases and commands respect from its beholders; added to which, the tall and slender turrets or watch-towers wherewith it is crowned, rendered seemingly more slender by their contrast with the tower itself, give it both a romantic singularity, and an apparent height double that of its real measure.

The property of this castle is at present in the Crown, where it has been for near a century. It formerly was held by the families of the Wynns of Glynllivon, the Wins of Gwideri, the Buckleys of Baron Hill in Anglesea, and also by the Mostyns of Gloddeth in the county of Caernarvon.

The cradle of the unfortunate Edward II. born in this tower, is still preserved. It is now in the possession of the Rev. Mr. Ball of Newland in Gloucestershire; to whom it descended from one of his ancestors, who attended that prince in his infancy, and to whom it became an honorary perquisite. A drawing of it is published in the London Magazine for March 1774, together with the following description:

This singular piece is made of heart of oak, whose simplicity of construction and rudeness of workmanship are visible demonstrations of the small progress that elegancy had made in ornamental decorations. On the top of the uprights are two doves; the cradle itself is pendent on two staples driven into the uprights, linked by two rings to two staples fastened to the cradle; and by them it swings. The sides and ends of the cradle are ornamented with a great variety of mouldings, whose junctions at the corners are not mitred, but cut off square without any degree of neatness, and the sides and ends fastened together by rough nails. On each side are three holes for the rockers to secure the uprights from falling; and the whole is rendered steady by cross pieces for feet on which it stands. Its dimensions are three feet two inches long, one foot eight inches wide at the head, and one foot five inches wide at the foot; one foot five inches deep, and from the bottom of the pillar to the top of the birds is two feet ten inches."

A gentelman who has seen this cradle, thinks the birds, in the description called doves, are intended to represent eagles; either would be properly allusive; a dove, as significant of the innocence of the infant contained; the eagle, as an emblem of his royalty, or perhaps in conformity to the appellation and ornaments of the tower wherein he was born. - This drawing was made anno 1773.

INSIDE OF CAERNARVON CASTLE (Plate III.)

Carnarvon Castle, 1777

The inside of that venerable and picturesque ruin, the castle of Caernarvon, with the entrance into the Eagle tower, is there shewn, which tower, as has before been related, was the birth-place of king Edward II.

In the rolls of the parliament held the 31 Edw. I. are petitions from the following persons, viz. Two of the masons, and another workman whose occupation is not specified, soliciting the payment of different sums due to them from the king, for work done at this castle, authenticated by certificates from Hugo de Leomynstre, chamberlain of Caernarvon, delivered into the royal exchequer. - Henry de Aynsham, mason, XIX l. vs. q. - Walter de Hereford, master-mason, CXXXI l. vs. q. - Henry de Allerton, XXX l. XV. vd.

Proper warrants were directed to be made out for the payment of these several demands, which sums were ordered to be charged to the said Hugo de Leomynstre, chamberlain of Caernarvon. From the same authority it is shewn, that, A. D. 4 Edw. IV. John Newburgh was keeper of the artillery in this castle, and gunner of all the towns and castles of North Wales for life.

Mr. Pennant, from the information of the Sebright manuscript, says, this castle was built within the space of one year, by the labour of the peasants; and also adds, with the concurrent testimony of that of Gladdaeth, that one Hen. Ellerton, or de Elreton, was appointed master-mason of the castle, which, though it at first seems to be contradicted by the parliamentary rolls above cited, may be easily reconciled with them, by supposing Elreton to have held that appointment, either before or after Hen. de Aynsham; the sum due to him seeming too great to authorize the supposition that he was only a master-mason of the town of Caernarvon, working under the orders of Elreton. Tradition says, much of the lime-stone used in its erection was brought from Twr-kelyn in Anglesea; and of the grit-stone, from Vaenol in this county. The Menai greatly facilitated the carriage from both places.

The following elegant and accurate description of its present state, is given by Mr. Pennant in his journey through Wales.

The external state of the walls and castle are at present exactly as they were in the time of Edward: the walls are defended by numbers of round towers, and have two principal gates: the east facing the mountains: the west upon the Menai. The entrance into the castle is very august, beneath a great tower, on the front of which appears the statue of the founder, with a dagger in his hand, as if menacing his newly-acquired unwilling subjects. The gate had four portcullises and every requisite of strength. The court is oblong: the towers are very beautiful; none of them round, but pentagonal, hexagonal, or octagonal: two are more lofty than the rest. The Eagle Tower is remarkably fine, and has the addition of three slender angular turrets issuing from the top. Ed. II. was born in a little dark room in this tower, not 12 feet long, nor 8 in breadth: so little did, in those days, a royal consort consult either pomp or conveniency. The gate through which the affectionate Eleanor entered to give the Welch a prince of their own, who could not speak a word of English, is at the farthest end, at a vast height above the outside ground, so could only be approached by a draw-bridge. In his sixteenth year the prince received the homage of his duped subjects at Chester, invested as marks of his dignity with a chaplet of gold round his head, a golden ring on his finger, and a silver sceptre in his hand.

The walls of this fortress are about seven feet nine inches thick, and have within their thickness a most convenient gallery with narrow slips for the discharge of arrows. The walls of the Eagle Tower are near two feet thicker. The view from its summit is very fine, of the Menai, Anglesey, and the nearer parts of the British Alps.

The first whom I find appointed by Edward to be governor of the castle, was John de Havering, with a salary of 200 marks; for which he was obliged to maintain constantly, besides his own family, 80 men, of which 15 were to be cross-bow men, one chaplain, one surgeon, and one smith; the rest were to do the duty of keepers of the gates, centinels, and other necessary offices. In 1289, I find that the king had appointed Tho. de Wetenhall to the same important office.

The establishment for town and castle, was as follows: The constable of the castle had sometimes 60l. at other only 40l. The captain of the town had 12l. 3s. 4d. for his annual fee; but this office was sometimes annexed to the former, and then the fee was 60l. for both. The constable and the captain had 24 soldiers allowed them for the defence of the place, at the wages of 4d. per day each. Surely this slight garrison was only during peaceful times. The porter of the gates of the town had for his annual fee 3l. 10s. I can discover no more than two instances of this place having suffered by the calamities of war. In the great insurrection of the Welsh under Madoc, in 1294, they surprised the town during the time of a fair, and put many English to the sword, and, according to Mr. Carte, took the castle, that of Snowdon (Conway), and made himself master of all Anglesea.

In the last century, Captain Swanly, a parliamentarian officer, took the town in 1644, made 400 prisoners, and got a great quantity of arms, ammunition, and pillage. The royalists afterwards repossessed themselves of the place. Lord Byron was appointed governor; was beseiged by General Mytton, in 1646, and yielded the place on most honourable terms. In 1648, the general himself and Colonel Mason, were besieged in it by Sir John Owen; who hearing that Col. Carter and Col. Twisstelton were on the march to relieve the place, drew a party from the siege, in order to attack them on the way. The parties met near Llandegay: Sir John was defeated and made prisoner, and after that all North-Wales submitted to the parliament." - This view was drawn anno 1777.

Francis Grose - The Antiquities of England and Wales. By Francis Grose. London, 1776. Vol. 7 of 8.

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