The customs of the commotes are described in the Domesday accounts of the border earldoms of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire. The principal commotes described in Domesday were Archenfield, Ewias, and the commotes of Gwent in the south; Cynllaith, Edeirnion, and Iâl (Shropshire accounts); and Englefield, Rhos and Rhufoniog (Cheshire accounts).
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Most of the former lordship now lies in the county of Powys. Medieval commotes of Wales (the Swydd y Waun commotes of Cynllaith and Nanheudwy are shown) Swydd y Waun was the name of a cantref in the medieval Kingdom of Powys. It contained the commotes of Cynllaith and Nanheudwy.
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Land in medieval Wales was divided into cantrefi, which were themselves divided into smaller cymydau (commotes). The word cantref is derived from cant ("a hundred") and tref ("town" in modern Welsh, but formerly used for much smaller settlements). The cantref is thought to be the original unit, with the commotes being a later division. Cantrefi could vary considerably in size: most were divided into two or three commotes, but the largest, the Cantref Mawr (or "Great Cantref") in Ystrad Tywi (now in Carmarthenshire) was divided into seven commotes.
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The Red Book of Hergest (1375–1425) provides a detailed list of commotes in the late 14th and early 15th century., Red Book of Hergest, Cantreds and Commotes of Wales. The list has some overlaps and is ambiguous in parts, especially in the Gwynedd section. It should also be borne in mind that the number and organisation of the commotes was different in the earlier Middle Ages; some of the units and divisions listed here are late creations.
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Syllepte commotes is a moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by Tams in 1935. It is found on Samoa.
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Lloyd, p. 253–254. The cantref was divided into four major commotes, whose boundaries are unclear: Treflys, Pebuellt, Dinan, and Is Irfon. Most of Buellt's major sites were located along the Irfon, including the courts of the commotes and the major church at Llanafan Fawr, dedicated to Saint Afan Buellt, the cantref's chief saint.Lloyd, p. 253.
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The Domesday Book has entries for those commotes that in 1086 were under Norman control, but still subject to Welsh law and custom. However, it refers to them using the Anglo- Norman word "commot" instead of hundred, the word used at the time for the equivalent land division in England. The commotes mentioned in the Domesday book, in general, represented recent Anglo-Norman advances into Welsh territory. Although the commotes were assessed for military service and taxation, their obligations were rated in carucate (derived from Latin for cattle or oxen), not in hides as on the English side of the border.
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The former is an English name, and the "commotes" correspond to the Norman lordships. The northern part of Hwlffordd commote was sometimes distinguished as Roch commote (a French name). None of these is likely to be a real native Welsh subdivision, and the small Cantref of Rhos was probably not actually divided into commotes. The fragmentary Norman lordships are shown in the map.
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Caerwedros was a medieval commote () in the south of the Kingdom of Ceredigion. With Mebwynion, Gwynionydd and Is Coed, Caerwedros was one of three cantref Is Aeron commotes. Caerwedros was a coastal commote, which lay on the shores of Cardigan Bay. It boarded Anhuniog commote in the north (in the Uwch Aeron cantref), Mebwynion commote to the east, and Gwynionydd and Is Coed commotes to the south.
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Historically, the river was an important boundary, dividing the Hundred and Cantref of Cemais into the commotes of Cemais Is Nyfer (to the north) and Cemais Uwch Nyfer (to the south).
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Map of commotes Dinieithon (; also known as Dineithon or Cefnllys) was a commote within the cantref of Maelienydd, in the medieval region of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren () in Wales. It was situated near the modern town of Llandrindod Wells. The southernmost of the four commotes in Maelienydd, it was also the most important due to its arable land and the presence of the region's administrative centre at Cefnllys. It bordered Gwrtheyrnion to the west and Elfael to the south.
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Medieval commotes of Wales Penllyn (head of the lake i.e. Bala Lake or ) was a medieval cantref originally in the Kingdom of Powys but annexed to the Kingdom of Gwynedd. It consisted of the commotes () of Edeyrnion, Dinmael, and ( signifying 'below' and 'above' the River Tryweryn). On the north and west it bordered Gwynedd (the cantrefi of Tegeingl, Rhufoniog, Dunoding and Meirionydd); it bordered the Powys cantrefi of Maelor, Mochnant and Cyfeiliog on the east and south.
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Each cantref was further divided into commotes, with Penychen made up of five such commotes, one being Glynrhondda.William Rees (1951), An Historical Atlas of Wales from Early to Modern Times, Faber & Faber Relics of the Dark Ages are rare in the Glamorgan area and secular monuments still rarer. The few sites found have been located in the Bro, or lowlands, leaving historians to believe the Blaenau were sparsely inhabited, maybe only visited seasonally by pastoralists.Davis (1989), p. 18.
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The kingdom was administered under Welsh custom through 13 cantrefi (hundreds, plural of cantref), each containing, in theory, one hundred settlements or trefi. Most cantrefi were divided further into cymydau (English: commotes).
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The boundaries of commotes, or in some cases cantrefi, were in many cases subsequently more accurately represented by church rural deaneries than by the hundreds issuing from the sixteenth century Acts of Union.
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Cantrefi of Medieval Wales Cedewain (or Cydewain) was a medieval cantref in the Kingdom of Powys. It possibly consisted of the commotes (cymydau) of Cynan, Hafren and Uwch Hanes. Other sources give the commotes as Cedewain, Eginlle and Ceri. It lay at the south of the kingdom, bordering with the cantrefi of Caereinion and Ystlyg to the north across the river Rhiw, and the cantrefi of Arwystli (subject to disputes between Powys and Gwynedd) and Maelienydd (originally an independent kingdom) to the south.
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Medieval commotes of Wales (Llannerch Hudol and Y Gorddwr shown as question marks to the south and east respectively of Ystrad Marchell) Ystlyg () was a medieval cantref in the Kingdom of Powys. It lay at the east of the kingdom on the border with England. It consisted of the commotes (cymydau) of Deuddwr in the north, Ystrad Marchell in the centre, Llannerch Hudol (also written Llannerchwdwl, Llanerchydol or Llannerchudol) in the south, and Y Gorddwr (or Corddwr) in the east beyond the River Severn and Offa's Dyke. Ystad Marchell, Llannerch Hudol and Deuddwr formed the Teirswydd (English: three [commotes] (literally, swydd is post as in an office)) which were among the lands restored into the possession of Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn in return for his homage and fealty by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd at Ystumanner in 1263.
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Medieval commotes of Wales Ystrad Marchell sometimes Strad Marchell () was a medieval commote (cwmwd) in the cantref of Ystlyg in the Kingdom of Powys. It roughly coincides with the parish of Welshpool. St Marcella's Church, Eglwys Wen, Denbigh It lay at the east of the kingdom, bordering the cantref of Caereinion to the west and south, and the cantref of Mechain to the north- west. Within Ystlyg the other commotes were Deuddwr to the north, Llannerch Hudol to the south and Y Gorddwr (or Corddwr) to the east.
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Map showing the possible cantrefs and commotes of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren discussed (Cwmwd Deuddwr is shown as Elenydd) The name Rhwng Gwy a Hafren appears in various medieval lists of cantrefs and commotes, and is rendered in Latin in the works of Gerald of Wales.Lloyd, p. 252. The name means "between the Wye and the Severn", and those two rivers were its most important boundaries. However, the territories associated with it are not always consistent: generally, the lists include the cantrefs of Elfael and Maelienydd and the commote of Gwrtheyrnion.
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Together with Llannerch Hudol and Deuddwr it formed the Teirswydd ("three commotes") which were among the lands restored into the possession of Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn in return for his homage and fealty by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd at Ystumanner in 1263.
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There were three commotes in Rhufoniog, namely Upper Aled, Lower Aled and River Aled as a border between them, and the commote Ceinmerch (also known as 'Cymeirch' or 'Ystrad') in the north-east between the River Lliwen and the River Clywedog.
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Medieval commotes of Wales Mochnant, a name translating as "the rapid stream", was a medieval cantref in the Kingdom of Powys. In the 12th century it was divided into the commotes of Mochnant Is Rhaeadr (in the north) and Mochnant Uwch Rhaeadr (in the south) (Is signifying 'below' and Uwch 'above' the River Rhaeadr). Its north-west border was with the cantref of Penllyn, originally in Powys but which became annexed to the Kingdom of Gwynedd during the time of Owain Brogyntyn. It bordered the cantrefi of Caereinion and Mechain to the south, and Maelor to the north-east.
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In legal usage, the English word 'commote' replaced cwmwd following the Edwardian conquest of Wales in the 13th century, when English was made the official language for all legal documents. The Welsh, most of whom knew not a word of English, naturally continued to use cwmwd and still do so today. In much of Wales, commotes had become more important than cantrefs by the mid-13th Century and administration of Welsh law became the responsibility of the commote court rather than the cantref court. Owain Glyndŵr called representatives from the commotes for his two parliaments during the rising of 1400–1409.
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Charles, B. G., The Placenames of Pembrokeshire, National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, 1992, , p 779 Its area was about . Unlike the other Dyfed cantrefi which were divided into two (or fewer) commotes, Cantref Gwarthaf was divided into eight commotes: Amgoed, Derllys, Efelfre, , Penrhyn, Peuliniog, Talacharn, and Ystlwys. Its civil headquarters were at Carmarthen. Its ecclesiastical centre (and perhaps, in the Age of the Saints, the seat of a bishopWilliams, A. H., An Introduction to the History of Wales: Volume I: Prehistoric Times to 1063, UoWP, 1941, pp 120-121) was probably also Carmarthen, although the churches at Llanddowror and Meidrim were also important.
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His court would have been situated in a special tref, referred to as a maerdref. Here, the bonded villagers who farmed the chieftain's estate lived, together with the court officials and servants., The Welsh People Commotes were further divided into maenorau or maenolydd.
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The king had ordered an inquiry into the rents and other dues to which the princes had been entitled, and these were enforced by the new officials. At the local level, commotes became hundreds, but their customs, boundaries and offices remained largely unchanged.
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II p. 762. The small commotes of Ceri in Maelienydd and Cwmwd Deuddwr north of Buellt (and also across the Wye) were located in this area and appear in some sources, but are not included in the lists of divisions.Lloyd, p. 253.
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Medieval commotes of Wales Chapel at Deuddwr Deuddwr (; ) was a medieval commote (cwmwd) in the cantref of Ystlyg in the Kingdom of Powys. It lay at the east of the kingdom, bordering England to the north, the cantref of Mechain to the north-west and, within Ystlyg, the commotes of Ystrad Marchell to the south and Y Gorddwr to the east. It is also between the River Vyrnwy in the north-east and the River Severn in the south-east, they meet at the east of the commote, hence its name. The cantref of Ystlyg (excluding Y Gorddwr) corresponds to the later hundred of Deuddwr.
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Llanfihangel-y-Creuddyn viewed from the north. Creuddyn was a medieval commote (Welsh: cwmwd) and, later, a lordship in Ceredigion, Wales. It was located between the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol,The Vaughans of Trawsgoed, p. 22 and was one of the three commotes of Cantref Penweddig.
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The title "dean" (Latin decanus) may derive from the custom of dividing a hundred into ten tithings, not least as rural deaneries originally corresponded with the hundreds or commotes or cantrefi in Wales. Many rural deaneries retain these ancient names.Cross, F. L., ed. (1957) The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church.
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Medieval commotes of Wales The Maelor originated as a cantref of the Kingdom of Powys, focused on the monastic settlement of Bangor-on-Dee and containing the commotes of Maelor, Yale (Iâl), the Alyn Valley (Ystrad Alun) and Hope (Yr Hob). Most of the area fell under control of the Kingdom of Mercia during the eighth century, with Offa's Dyke delineating the new border. By the time of the 1066 Norman conquest of England, its eastern areas were recorded as held by Edwin, Earl of Mercia: they were later granted to the Norman magnate Hugh d'Avranches, Earl of Chester. The lands of the Maelor were only reincorporated in Powys during the reign of Stephen of England (1135–54) by Madog ap Maredudd.
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Ancient Dyfed showing the cantref of Cemais and its commotes Pembrokeshire showing the hundred of Cemais :For the cantref of the same name on Anglesey, see Cemais (Anglesey cantref). Cemais (sometimes spelled Kemes after one of the several variations found in Medieval orthography) was an ancient cantref of the Kingdom of Dyfed, from the 11th century a Norman Marcher Lordship, from the 16th century a Hundred, and is now part of Pembrokeshire, Wales. It occupied the coastal area between the Teifi estuary and Fishguard, and the northern and southern slopes of the Preseli Hills, covering an area of approximately . The Afon Nyfer divided it into two commotes: Cemais Is Nyfer to the north and Cemais Uwch Nyfer to the south.
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Llywelyn Aurdorchog (Welsh: "of the Golden Torc"; Latin: Torquatus; c. 1005 - c. 1065) was a Welsh noble who served as the penteulu ("war-chief") of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn and was rewarded with the Lordship of Ial (English: "Yale") and Ystrad Alud, two commotes in northeast Powys. His arms were azure, a lion rampant guardant or.
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The Lordship of Bromfield and Yale was formed in 1282Rogers 1992, p. viii. by the merger of the medieval commotes of Marford, Wrexham and Yale. It was part of the Welsh Marches and was within the cantref of Maelor in the former Kingdom of Powys. The lordship was originally bestowed on the Earls of Surrey of the Warenne family.
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The genesis of the name Buchan is shrouded in uncertainty, but may be of Pictish origin. The name may involve an equivalent of Welsh buwch meaning "a cow". American academic Thomas Clancy has noted cautiously the similarity between the territory names Buchan and Marr to those of the Welsh commotes Cantref Bychan and Cantref Mawr, meaning "large-" and "small- commote", respectively.
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The subjugation of Glamorgan, begun by Fitzhamon, was completed by the powerful De Clare family.Davies (2008), p. 746. Although Gilbert de Clare had now become one of the great Marcher Lords, the territory was far from settled. Hywel ap Maredudd, lord of Meisgyn captured his cousin Morgan ap Cadwallon and annexed Glynrhondda in an attempt to reunify the commotes under a single native ruler.
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Gruffudd was given lands in Ardudwy and Merioneth by his father, though in 1221 he was removed for maladministration of those lands. In 1223 he commanded a force of his father's army, against William Marshal. His father then imprisoned him between 1228 and 1234. On his release he was again given lands, this time controlling much of the commotes of Llŷn, Ceri, Cyfeiliog, Mawddwy, Mochnant and Caereinion.
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The cantref was made part of the Norman March in the 12th century. Marcher Boroughs were established at Carmarthen, Llansteffan, Laugharne and St Clears, and many other castles were built. The commotes of Talacharn and Penrhyn became English-speaking at the time, but was subsequently re-cymricised (except for the coastal part of Talacharn). The rest of the cantref remained Welsh-speaking, as it continues today.
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The Welsh language name Llys-faen means 'Stone Court' (llys – court and faen/maen – stone). There have been several alternative spellings in the English language over the centuries such as: Lysvayen, Lucyvene, Llisuine, Lyssefayn, Lysfayn, Lucyvine, Lucyvenye, Lucyveny, Leysvayen, Les Ffayne, Lliffeni. The village probably settled on the present name from around 1630. Each early Welsh kingdom was divided into lesser administrative units, Cantrefs, which were further subdivided into Cymydau (commotes).
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Dyffryn Clwyd was a cantref of Medieval Wales and from 1282 a marcher lordship. In 1536, it became part of the new county of Denbighshire. The name means Vale of Clwyd in English and is still the name for that region of north Wales in modern Welsh. Dyffryn Clwyd was one of the cantrefi of Perfeddwlad, and itself was made up of three commotes, Colion, Dogfeiling and Llannerch.
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The River Aled is controlled, and thus so is the River Elwy, by reservoirs and Llyn Aled. In the Middle Ages the river marked the boundary between Commotes and Upper and Lower Aled. Fishing on a long section of the River Aled, both banks, is controlled by the Rhyl and St Angling Association, near to Bryn Rhyd-yr-Arian. Fly fishing here offers the chance to catch wild brown trout in truly peaceful surroundings.
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The main administrative divisions of mediaeval Wales were the cantrefs, each of which was divided into several commotes. These were of particular importance in the administration of the law. Each cantref had its own court, which was an assembly of the "uchelwyr", the main landowners of the cantref. This would be presided over by the king if he happened to be present in the cantref, or if he was not present by his representative.
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In providing for the family after his death, Gruffudd ap Gwenwynwyn made sure his Hawise's dower was preserved. In 1277 he issued a charter to his wife granting her dower interests then included the township of Buttington, the commotes of Deuddwr and Caereinion and pastures in Cyfeiliog and Arwystli.Cavell, 'Welsh princes, English wives', p. 242 Certain of these territories had also been held in dower by her mother-in-law Margaret Corbet.
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Comprising the three commotes of Rhuddlan, Prestatyn and Coleshill (Cwnsyllt), the territory originally formed part of the Kingdom of Gwynedd until, in the late 8th century, it was conquered by the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Mercia. It remained under Mercian (or English) control for over three centuries until Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd recovered it in the 12th century. Edwin of Tegeingl (d.1073) was in the 11th century described as "lord" or "prince" of Tegeingl.
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His illegitimate son, Cadwallon, was given the commotes of Llannerch Hudol and Broniarth. Owain has also long been considered a notable poet. Although only one poem ascribed to him has been preserved, this one, Hirlas Owain, is commonly rated as one of the finest Welsh poems of this period. In the poem, Owain's bodyguard are gathered at his court following a raid in 1155 to free his brother Meurig from prison in Maelor.
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The castle was situated in the Welsh territory of Powys Fadog which had formed part of the Welsh Kingdom of Powys. Following the Norman Conquest two of the commotes, Cynllaith and Edeyrnion came under the control of the Normans. There seems little doubt that Sycharth or ‘Cynllaith Owain’ was a Motte-and-bailey built by the Normans. An entry in the Domesday Book, would indicate that this had taken place before 1086.
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The name of this hundred has been corrupted to Deythur or Deytheur. The name occurs in modern placenames, e.g. the parish of Llansantffraid Deythur and the village of Deuddwr south-east of Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain. Together with Llannerch Hudol and Ystrad Marchell it formed the Teirswydd ("three commotes") which were among the lands restored into the possession of Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn in return for his homage and fealty by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd at Ystumanner in 1263.
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The genesis of the name Marr is uncertain. Mar, a Brittonic personal name, may be involved. Further possibilities include a connection with the ethnic names Marsi and Marsigni of Italy and Bohemia, or a derivation from Old Norse marr meaning "sea, marsh, fen". American academic Thomas Clancy has noted cautiously the similarity between the territory names Buchan and Marr to those of the Welsh commotes Cantref Bychan and Cantref Mawr, meaning "large-" and "small-commote", respectively.
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Cwmdauddwr (rarely referred to by its correct full name of Llansanffraid Cwmteuddwr) is a village in Powys, Wales. It is contiguous with the town of Rhayader on the opposite side of the River Wye. The village is located on the B4518 road linking Rhayader with the Elan Valley Reservoirs. Map of the Cantrefs and Commotes of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren (Cwmwd Deuddwr is shown as Elenydd) The parish of Cwmdauddwr corresponds approximately to the medieval commote of Cwmwd Deuddwr ().
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In 1282, the commotes of Marford, Wrexham and Yale were combined to create the Marcher Lordship of Bromfield and Yale. The Royal Bailiffs moved from the Rofft to reside at Wrexham. In 1284, when William de Warenne received the Bromfield seisin, he chose to do so at Wrexham rather than at the Rofft. In the mid-thirteenth century, the importance of the Chapel of St. Leonard lessened due to the foundation of the All Saints' Church, Gresford.
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Location of Cantref Gwarthaf and its commotes (dark green) in southwest Wales Cantref Gwarthaf was the largest of the seven cantrefi of Dyfed in southwest Wales. It subsequently became part of Deheubarth in around 950. It consisted of the southeastern part of Dyfed containing most of the basin of the River Tâf,Richards, Melville, Welsh Administrative and Territorial Units, UoW Press, 1969, p 81 parts of modern-day Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. The name means "upper-most zone".
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The river flows north- westwards through a deep, wooded, secluded valley, and joins the River Teifi at Abercych . Its total length is . It receives numerous small tributaries: the Sylgen, Barddi, Mamog, Dwrog and Lŵyd on the east side, and the Pedran, Cneifa and Dulas on the west side. It formed the ancient boundary between the commotes of Emlyn Is Cuch and Emlyn Uwch Cuch, and it today forms part of the boundary between Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire.
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The first reference to Arwystli occurs in the 11th-century Domesday Book, where it appears as the "hundred of Arvester". Though the cantref mostly consisted of inarable moorland, it did contain some valuable farmland in the river valleys and offered strategic access between Mid Wales and the Welsh Marches. At some point the cantref was subdivided into the commotes of Arwystli Is Coed and Arwystli Uwch Coed (Arwystli Below the Wood and Arwystli Above the Wood).Lloyd, p. 249.
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A considerable number of the names of adjacent medieval Welsh commotes contain is (meaning "lower", or "below" as a preposition) and uwch (originally uch and meaning "higher", or "above" as a preposition), with the dividing line between them being a natural boundary, such as a river, mountain or forest. Melville Richards noted that, in almost every instance where this occurs, the point of central authority was in the "is division" when the commote was named, and he suggested that such commotes were originally named in the sense of 'nearer' and 'farther' based on the location of that central authority—i.e., the terminology is for administrative purposes and not a geographical characterisation. Richards attributed the use of is and uwch to some confusion in translating Latin sub (meaning "lower") and supra (meaning "upper") into Welsh in too literal a sense, when the proper sense was to consider sub to be an administrative synonym for Latin cis (meaning "this side of"), and to consider supra to be an administrative synonym for Latin trans (meaning "the other side of").
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The basic unit of land was the tref – a small village or settlement. In theory, 100 trefi made up a cantref (literally, "one hundred settlements"; plural: cantrefi), and half or a third of a cantref was a cymwd, although in practice the actual numbers varied greatly. Together with the cantrefi, commotes were the geographical divisions through which defence and justice were organised. In charge of a commote would be a chieftain probably related to the ruling Prince of the Kingdom.
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During the Norman invasion of northern Ceredigion in the early 12th century, Ystrad Peithyll Castle (Grid Ref SN623824) was built, and a wooden tower was placed on top of a mound surrounded with a ditch. The castle was burnt by Gruffydd ap Rhys' army during the rebellion of 1116. During the Middle Ages, Trefeurig belonged to the Hundred of Penweddig. The Hundred has been divided into 3 commotes, including Genoedd Glyn (north of the River Clarach) and Perfedd (south of the Clarach).
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The ancient name of the cantref was Cantref Orddwy (or "the cantref of the Ordovices"). The familiar name coming from Meiron's kingdom. The cantref of Meirionnydd held the presumed boundaries of the previous kingdom but now as a fief of the Kingdom of Gwynedd where it continued to enjoy long spells of relative independence. It was divided into the commotes of Ystumanner (administered from Castell y Bere at Llanfihangel- y-Pennant) and Talybont (possibly centred on Llanegryn where there is a mound).
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He died in 1160 and the kingdom was subdivided amongst his heirs. By the early 13th century, when it was part of the lands of Madog ap Gruffydd, Prince of Powys Fadog, the Maelor was divided into two parts. Maelor Gymraeg ("Welsh Maelor"), also known by the English name Bromfield, lay west of the river Dee and was based on the commotes of Wrexham and Merford.An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire: II, Flintshire, Volume 2, RCAHMW, p.
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Dyfed showing Deugleddyf Cantref and its "commotes" Pembrokeshire showing Dungleddy Hundred The Hundred of Dungleddy was a hundred in the centre of Pembrokeshire, Wales. It had its origins in the pre-Norman cantref of Deugleddyf. It derives its Welsh name from its position between the two branches of the River Cleddau (Cleddyf): the English form is a corruption of the Welsh. The area of the cantref was around 185 km2: it was the smallest of the seven cantrefi of Dyfed.
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It was divided by the River Cuch into the commotes of Emlyn Is Cuch (to the west) and Emlyn Uwch Cuch to the east. Its civil headquarters were divided between Cilgerran in the lower commote and Newcastle Emlyn in the upper. Its ecclesiastical centre (and perhaps, in the Age of the Saints, the seat of a bishopWilliams, A. H., An Introduction to the History of Wales: Volume I: Prehistoric Times to 1063, UoWP, 1941, pp 120-121) was the church of St Llawddog at Cenarth.
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Y Gorddwr (or Corddwr) () was a medieval commote (cwmwd) in the cantref of Ystlyg in the Kingdom of Powys. It was on the eastern side of the River Severn bordering England, on the west it was bordered by two of the other commotes of Ystlyg - Deuddwr in the north and Ystrad Marchell in the south. Its Welsh name could mean "the upper water"; gor- "upper-", dŵr "water". After the Norman Conquest, Y Gorddwr was claimed by Roger le Corbet, the Baron of Caus within the Marcher Lordship of Roger de Montgomery.
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Following the grant of the lordship to him, the Earl of Lincoln founded the borough of Denbigh and constructed Denbigh Castle as the centre of the lordship. He also began a programme of moving the native Welsh out of key areas and giving their land to English settlers. Several discrete English communities were formed within the lordship, concentrated in the two commotes of Ceinmerch and Isaled, where, by 1334, 10,000 acres were occupied by the settlers. The Earl of Lincoln died in 1311, leaving his daughter, Alice, as his sole heir.
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Charles, B. G., The Placenames of Pembrokeshire, National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, 1992, , p 671 Its area was approximately . It was divided into two commotes: Cwmwd Penfro in the southwest and Cwmwd Coedrath in the northeast, as shown in the map. The eastern part of Cwmwd Penfro was sometimes called Cwmwd Maenorbier, and the northern part of Cwmwd Coedrath was sometimes called Cwmwd Arberth, but both these were post-Norman lordships, and were probably not genuine commotes.Charles ibid, p 671 Its civil headquarters were at Pembroke: Rhoscrowther or Penally might have been its ecclesiastical centre.
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Medieval commotes of Wales Nanheudwy was a medieval commote of Wales considered part of the ancient Kingdom of Powys in the cantref of Swydd y Waun. It was traditionally defined as the region between the valleys of the rivers Dee and Ceiriog with a mountain ridge running along its length. Its name may be from "Nannau Dwy" meaning "Glens of the Dee". From 1160 it was a part of the principality of Powys Fadog until the dissolution of that realm in 1277 when it became a marcher lordship.
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Dindaethwy was in medieval times one of two commotes of the cantref of Rhosyr, in the south-east of the Isle of Anglesey. It was between the Menai Strait and Conwy Bay (to the south), and the Irish Sea and Red Wharf Bay (to the north). It included Penmon, the easternmost point of the island, opposite which is Puffin Island (Ynys Seiriol). It bordered the commote of Menai (the other commote of Rhosyr) to the west, and the commote of Twrcelyn in the cantref of Cemais, to the north.
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The Lords of Maelor had their seat at Dinas Bran and their lands stretched north from Dinas Bran to beyond Marford with the Dee as their eastern boundary and the uplands of Hope as their western limits. The lordship was divided into two commotes each with their Maerdrefi (chief manors) at Wrexham and Marford respectively. The Wrexham commote (cymwd) was formed of the greater part of Bromfield and became known as 'Maelor Cymraeg' ('Welsh Maelor'). Under the lordship of Maelor, Welsh law was enforced in Wrexham by Welsh officials and Welsh customs prevailed.
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The Laws in Wales Act 1535 created the County of Brecknock by combining a number of "lordships, towns, parishes, commotes and cantreds" in the "Country or Dominion of Wales". The areas combined were: "Brekenoke" (Brecknock), "Crekehowell" (Crickhowell) "Tretowre", "Penkelly", "Englisshe Talgarth", "Welsshe Talgarth", "Dynas", "The Haye" (Hay-on-Wye), "Glynebogh", "Broynlles" (Bronllys), "Cantercely" (Cantref Selyf), "Llando Blaynllynby", "Estrodewe", "Buelthe" (Builth), and "Llangors". The town of Brecknock or Brecon was declared the county town. The county was divided into six hundreds in 1542: Builth, Crickhowell, Devynnock, Merthyr, Penkelly, and Talgarth.
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This would be presided over by the king if he happened to be present, or if he was not present, by his representative. Apart from the judges there would be a clerk, an usher and sometimes two professional pleaders. The cantref court dealt with crimes, the determination of boundaries, and inheritance. The commote court later took over many of the functions of the cantref court, and in some areas the names of the commotes are much better known than the name of the cantref of which they formed parts.
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The cantref was allegedly divided into two commotes. The Red Book of Hergest calls these "Castell Hu" (= modern Cas-wis or Wiston) and "Llan y Hadein" (=Llanhuadain or Llawhaden). These both appear to be post-Norman lordships and are not genuine native subdivisions. The western part of the hundred was English-speaking from the time of the Norman conquest, and formed part of Little England beyond Wales: the eastern part was part of the Lordship of the Bishop of St David's, and George Owen described it as bilingual.
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Llywelyn was careful not to provoke unnecessary hostilities with the crown or the Marcher lords; for example in 1220, he compelled Rhys Gryg to return four commotes in South Wales to their previous Anglo-Norman owners. He built a number of castles to defend his borders, most thought to have been built between 1220 and 1230. These were the first sophisticated stone castles in Wales; his castles at Criccieth, Deganwy, Dolbadarn, Dolwyddelan and Castell y Bere are among the best examples. Llywelyn also appears to have fostered the development of quasi-urban settlements in Gwynedd to act as centres of trade.
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Radnorshire () is a sparsely populated area, one of thirteen historic and former administrative counties of Wales. It is represented by the Radnorshire area of Powys, which according to the 2011 census, had a population of 25,821. The historic county was bounded to the north by Montgomeryshire and Shropshire, to the east by Herefordshire, to the south by Brecknockshire and to the west by Cardiganshire. The county was formed from the cantrefs of Maelienydd and Elfael and the commotes of Gwrtheyrnion and Deuddwr (the area formerly known as Rhwng Gwy a Hafren) by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542.
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The county was originally created under the terms of the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 following Edward I of England's conquest of the Principality of Wales and included the cantrefi of: Llŷn, Arfon, Arllechwedd and the commote of Eifionydd (the northern portion of Dunoding).Waters, W. H., The Making of Caernarvonshire, Caernarvonshire Historical Society Transactions, 1942-43 The county was divided into ten hundreds based on the existing Welsh commotes: Cymydmaen (anglicised as Commitmaen), Creuddyn, Dinllaen, Eifionydd (Evionydd), Cafflogion (Gaflogion), Llechwedd Isaf (...Isav), Llechwedd Uchaf (...Uchav), Nant Conwy (Nant- Conway), Is Gwyrfai (Isgorvai) and Uwch Gwyrfai (Uchgorvai).
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Cantrefi of Medieval Wales Caereinion (fort of Einion) was a medieval cantref in the Kingdom of Powys, or possibly it was a commote (cwmwd) within a cantref called Llŷs Wynaf. It was divided into the manors of Uwch Coed and Is Coed. It lay towards the south of the kingdom, bordering with the commote of Mochnant Uwch Rhaeadr of the cantref of Mochnant and the cantref of Mechain to the north, the commotes of Ystrad Marchell and Llanerch Hudol in the cantref of Ystlyg to the east, the cantrefi of Cedewain to the south and Cyfeiliog to the west. It roughly corresponds to the later hundred of Mathrafal.
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Map of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren Elfael was one of a number of Welsh cantrefi occupying the region between the River Wye and river Severn, known as Rhwng Gwy a Hafren, in the early Middle Ages. It was divided into two commotes, Is Mynydd and Uwch Mynydd, separated by the chain of hills above Aberedw. In the late medieval period, it was a marcher lordship. However, after the Laws in Wales Act of 1535, it was one of the territorial units which went to make up the county of Radnorshire in 1536 (the others were Gwrtheyrnion, Maelienydd and Llythyfnwg, the latter being known in English as the lordship of Radnor).
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Medieval commotes of Wales Cynllaith or Cynllaeth () was a cwmwd (commote) of north east Wales in the cantref of Swydd y Waun which was once part of the Kingdom of Powys and later part of the smaller kingdom of Powys Fadog. Cynllaith, or at least the part of it called Cynllaith Owain, was part of the inheritance of Owain Glyndŵr in 1370. The titles Baron of Glyndyfrdwy and Lord of Cynllaith Owain were used by the dispossessed former ruling family of Powys Fadog before Owain was proclaimed Prince of Wales in 1400. The episode "Monk's Hood" of the Cadfael Chronicles includes a scene in a Welsh court in Llansilin within this commote.
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Iorwerth- who was next in line of succession after his slain brother Hywel- was apportioned the commotes of Arfon and Arllechwedd, with his seat at Dolwyddelan, with Maelgwn retaining Ynys Môn, and with Cynan receiving Meirionydd.Maelgwn ab Owain secured himself on Ynys Môn following his father's death, and was strong enough to retain the island following Hywel's defeat by Dafydd. Maelgwen may have also been instrumental in supporting his full brother Iorwerth in keeping Arfon and Aellechwedd, for once Maelgwn was captured Iorwerth escaped into exile in Powys, at his wife's kinsmen's court.Lloyd suggests that despite some traditions, Iorwerth was in control of Arfon and Nant Conwy at least in 1170, given that he was buried at Penmachno.
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Shortly after the Battle of Mynydd Carn in 1081, Gruffudd was lured into a trap with the promise of an alliance but seized by Hugh d'Avranches, Earl of Chester, in an ambush near Corwen.Warner (1997), Gruffydd's seizure pg 61, Escape from Chester, Kills Robert of Ruddlan, pg 63. Earl Hugh claimed the Perfeddwlad up to the River Clwyd (the commotes of Tegeingl and Rhufoniog; the modern counties of Denbighshire, Flintshire, and Wrexham) as part of Chester, and viewed the restoration of the Aberffraw family in Gwynedd as a threat to his own expansion into Wales. The lands west of the Clwyd were intended for his cousin Robert of Rhuddlan, and their advance extended to the Llŷn Peninsula by 1090.
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In an attempt to regain the lands previously held by his father Rhodri Mawr, in 894 king Anarawd ap Rhodri of Gwynedd—together with an English force from his ally Alfred the Great—laid waste to Ystrad Tywi and Ceredigion. In 920 Hywel Dda united Seisyllwg and Dyfed to create the kingdom of the Deheubarth. In medieval times Ystrad Tywi was divided into three cantrefi: Cantref Mawr on the north bank; Cantref Bychan and Cantref Eginawc on the south bank of the river. Eginawc (comprising the commotes of Gŵyr, Carnywyllawn, and Kidwelly) was lost to the Normans in the 11th century, and for the rest of the Middle Ages only the other two cantrefi formed Ystrad Tywi.
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Accessed 18 October 2015 The intention had been for Dafydd and Owain to murder Llywelyn at his court and for Dafydd to take his place, while Owain would marry Dafydd's daughter and take the commotes of Ceri and Cydewain as a marriage settlement. Ultimately the plot failed, foiled by a snowstorm that prevented the would-be assassins from carrying out their mission, and Llywelyn's suspicions were aroused. Owain was taken into captivity. Our knowledge of Hawise's involvement comes from a confession allegedly made by Owain in the presence of the bishop of Bangor and others, and set down in a letter written by the Bangor clergy to the archbishop of Canterbury in the spring of 1276.
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Dewisland was almost identical in area to the pre-Norman cantref of Pebidiog,Charles, B. G., The Placenames of Pembrokeshire, National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, 1992, , p 197 one of the traditional seven cantrefs of Dyfed. It was said to be divided into two commotes: Mynyw (Latin: Menevia) and Pencaer.W. Rees, An Historical Atlas of Wales, Faber & Faber, 1959, plate 28 In the later centuries of the first millennium, Dyfed (including Pebidiog) was subsumed into Deheubarth. Following the Norman Conquest of England, the ruler of Deheubarth, Rhys ap Tewdwr, accepted the suzerainty of the English king, William the Conqueror, but when William died, Rhys (taking the view that his vassalage was for William's life only.
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Remains of Denbigh Castle, built by the first Lord of Denbigh As a marcher lordship, the lordship of Denbigh was not a part of the Kingdom of England and was a de facto independent territory, subject to feudal allegiance to the crown. As with the other marcher lordships created by Edward I in North Wales, it was, in fact, held as a tenant-in-chief of the Principality of Wales rather than directly from the king. The administration was conducted by a steward who presided over a Curia Baronis and the territory was divided for administrative purposes into the five commotes of Ceinmerch, Isaled, Uwchaled, Isdulas, and Uwchdulas. The Curia Baronis, with two Courts Leet, had wide jurisdiction over all criminal and civil matters.
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Medieval commotes of Wales (Llannerch Hudol and Y Gorddwr shown as question marks to the south and east respectively of Ystrad Marchell) Llanerchydol is named after and is near the northern border of Llannerch Hudol (also written Llannerchwdwl, Llannerchudol, Llanerchudol or Llanerchydol), which was a medieval commote (cwmwd) in the cantref of Ystlyg in the Kingdom of Powys. It was in the south-east of the kingdom (north Powys today), close to the border with England. It was a small commote bordering Y Gorddwr on the east beyond the River Severn, Ystrad Marchell in the north, Caereinion on the west and Cedewain south of the River Rhiw at Berriew. From the 11th century it was involved in the conflicts between the Norman Marcher Lords and the princes of Powys.
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When the kingdom of Powys was divided, after the death in 1160 of Madog ap Maredudd, the last prince of the whole of Powys, Llannerch Hudol was given to his illegitimate son Caswallon together with the commote of Broniarth, it subsequently became part of the principality of Powys Wenwynwyn. Its main centre was possibly the Welshpool motte and bailey castle (Domen Castell) built by Cadwgan ap Bleddyn in 1111, but there are at least three other motte and baileys within the small commote including Powis Castle (Castell Coch) and Ladies Mount. Together with Ystrad Marchell and Deuddwr it formed the Teirswydd ("three commotes") which were among the lands restored into the possession of Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn in return for his homage and fealty by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd at Ystumanner in 1263.
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Gruffydd ap Cynan escapes from Chester, Illustration by T. Prytherch in 1900 However, Gruffudd's victory was short- lived as the Normans launched an invasion of Wales following the Saxon revolt in northern England. Shortly after the Battle of Mynydd Carn in 1081, Gruffudd was lured into a trap with the promise of an alliance but seized by Hugh the Fat, 1st Earl of Chester in an ambush at Rug, near Corwen.Warner, Philip, Famous Welsh Battles, Gruffydd's seizure pg 61, Escape from Chester, Kills Robert of Rhuddlan, pg 63, 1997, Barnes & Noble, INC. Earl Hugh claimed the Perfeddwlad up to the Clwyd river (the commotes of Tegeingl and Rhufoniog; the modern counties of Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham) as part of Chester, and viewed the restoration of the Aberffraw family in Gwynedd as a threat to his own expansion into Wales.
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Money grew in circulation, with freemen and nobles paying their taxes in the form of money rather than in produce, at least in the more fertile of the principality's commotes. interned at the Cistercian Abbey at Aberconwy, now the parish church for Conwy Llywelyn was no less influential in matters of the Welsh Church as he was in war and politics, and demonstrated that he was open to religious reforms and "accessible to new impulses and ideas", according to Lloyd. Llywelyn lent his support to Gerald of Wales' efforts in elevating St. David's into a metropolitan archbishopric with jurisdiction over the whole of Wales, though he would not directly benefit from having the Bangor diocese subject to it. Llywelyn secured the election of Welshmen to vacant Welsh dioceses, largely filled with Anglo-Normans following the Norman invasion of Wales.
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The three northeastern parishes of Llys y Fran, New Moat and Bletherston were Welsh-speaking during the 20th century. As their names imply, the civil headquarters of the commotes were at Wiston and Llawhaden, and the latter the cantref's ecclesiastical centre, perhaps the seat of a bishop during the Age of the Saints.Williams, A. H., An Introduction to the History of Wales: Volume I: Prehistoric Times to 1063, UoWP, 1941, p 120 Dungleddy was formalised as a hundred by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542: a small part was transferred to the hundred of Dewisland, and various fragments of church land (Llandissilio, Llanfallteg, Llangan, Crinow, Henllan, Grondre and western Llawhaden) were acquired from Cantref Gwarthaf. The name continues in the present day as Daugleddau, a Church in Wales parish in the Diocese of St Davids, combining 13 former Anglican parishes of Pembrokeshire.
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The strategic position of Haverfordwest with its defensive bluff overlooking the lowest fordable point on the Western Cleddau accessible to sea traffic suggest a Roman origin probably modest in scale for the town from about 96 AD. The ecclesiastical centre (perhaps the seat of a bishop in the Age of the Saints) was probably one of the several churches of the local St. Ismael, most probably St. Ishmael's. The hundred, with its capital at Haverfordwest was the original centre of the Norman/English "plantation" in the 12th century, and it has been essentially English-speaking since then, forming the core of Little England beyond Wales. The cantref was said in the post-Norman period to be divided into two or perhaps three commotes. The Red Book of Hergest mentions Hwlffordd (Haverfordwest) commote and Castell Gwalchmei (Walwyn's Castle) commote.
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It is unclear what role Rhodri ab Owain (Dafydd's full brother) played in the campaign, whether he was allied with Dafydd or still in exile. The allies continued to win victories at Porthaethwy on the Menai and at Coedeneu on Môn. By 1195 Llywelyn controlled all of lower Gwynedd (the Perfeddwlad), with his cousin Gruffudd ap Cynan retaining Môn, and the commotes of Arfon, Arllechwedd, and Llŷn, and with Maredudd ap Cynan given Meirionydd and the lands just north as his share. Llywelyn pursued a policy of consolidation for the next five years, first with his capture of Dafydd in 1197, and then in 1198 when he sent a vanguard to the assistance of his then ally Gwenwynwyn of Powys in his campaign to take Painscastle; but it was Llywelyn's capture of Mold Castle in 1199 which was his most significant achievement at the close of the 12th century, argued Lloyd.
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The "county or shire of Monmouth" was formed from parts of the Welsh Marches by the Laws in Wales Act 1535. According to the Act the shire consisted of all Honours, Lordships, Castles, Manors, Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments, lying or being within the Compass or Precinct of the following Lordships, Townships, Parishes, Commotes and Cantrefs... in the Country of Wales: Monmouth • Chepstow • Matherne (Mathern) • Llanvihangel (Llanfihangel Rogiet) • Magour (Magor) • Goldcliffe (Goldcliff) • Newport • Wentlooge • Llanwerne (Llanwern) • Caerlion (Caerleon) • Usk • Treleck (Trellech) • Tintern • Skenfrith • Grosmont • Witecastle (White Castle) • Raglan • Calicote (Caldicot) • Biston (Bishton) • Abergavenny • Penrose (Penrhos) • Grenefield (Maesglas) • Maghen (Machen) • Hochuyslade (possessions of Llanthony Priory)Ivor Waters, Chepstow Packets, 1983, , p.34 The Act also designated Monmouth as the "Head and Shire town of the said county or shire of Monmouth", and ordered that the Sheriff's county or shire court be held alternately in Monmouth and Newport.Section 3 of the Laws in Wales Act 1535 (Hen.
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Effectively primogeniture with local variations. However, all sons were provided for out of the lands of the father and in certain circumstances so too were daughters. Additionally, sons could claim maternal patrimony through their mother in certain circumstances. Later historians refer to Owain ap Gruffydd as Owain Gwynedd to differentiate him from another Owain ap Gruffydd, the Mathrafal ruler of Powys, known as Owain Cyfeiliog.Lloyd, J.E. 0A History of Wales; From the Norman Invasion to the Edwardian Conquest, Gruffydd Gwynedd, Gruffydd Cyfeiliog, pg 93 Cadwaladr, Gruffudd's youngest son, inherited the commote of Aberffraw on Ynys Môn, and the recently conquered Meirionydd and Northern Ceredigion, that is Ceredigion between the rivers Aeron and Dyfi.Lloyd, J.E. 0A History of Wales; From the Norman Invasion to the Edwardian Conquest, Cadwaladr's inheritance, pgs 85, 93, 104Upper Ceredigion was the commotes of Penweddig and Uwch Aeron (Upper or above the Aeron river) By 1141 Cadwaladr and Madog ap Maredudd of Powys led a Welsh vanguard as an ally of the Earl of Chester as partisans for Empress Matilda in the Battle of Lincoln, and joined in the rout which made Stephen of England prisoner of the empress for a year.
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