English: Identifier: annalsantiquitie01nich

Title: Annals and antiquities of the counties and county families of Wales; containing a record of all ranks of the gentry ... with many ancient pedigrees and memorials of old and extinct families Year: 1872 (1870s) Authors: Nicholas, Thomas, 1820-1879 Subjects: Publisher: London, Longmans, Green, Reader Contributing Library: Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center Digitizing Sponsor: Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center

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Text Appearing Before Image: who has also inherited this, like CarmarthenCastle, by gift to his predecessor from Vaughan of Golden Grove, sees that it is meatelywell kept up. Cydweli Castle is said to have been first built by William de Londres, one of the twelveadventurer Norman knights who assisted Fitzhamon to reduce Glamorgan. The date a.d.1094 is usually given for its foundation, and this would be about the time when Fitzhamon, 2SO CARMARTHENSHIRE. having made good his footing at Cardiff, could spare his assistants to go forth and reducelands for themselves. This William—why he was called of London it is difficult to say ;possibly, like many others of his country, he had already sunned himself in that light ofroyal favour shown by Edward the Confessor to the Normans—had been located on a partof Glamorganshire called Ogmore (Aberogwr); but being ambitious of a wider field andgreater power, he had pushed his way further west, pitched his tent, and then built his castleat the mouth of the Gwendraeth Valley.

Text Appearing After Image: Cydweli Castle. The view we give from the pencil of Mr. Coleman is happily taken, combining thesituation and chief parts of the fortress ; but, for this very reason, unable to render a distinctidea of the details, as multitudinous as beautiful, of this magnificent pile. On entering, andobserving the immense space included within its walls, one recalls the remark of Johnson toBoswell, that one of the castles in Wales would contain all he had seen in Scotland. An elaborate and careful description of the plan and dimensions of this castle has beenpublished by G. T. Clark, Esq., of Dovvlais, who has confined himself to architectural workand detail, to the too great exclusion of historical comment. But it must be confessed thatthe unknown in relation to the subject is much more extensive than the known. That it hashad an eventful history no one can doubt; but the circumstances of the times, the destructionof public documents, and the sullen disposition on the part of the wronged and oppres

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