The Western Mail

MAES ESYLLT, OR OLD BEAUPRfcl CASTLE. THE PREMIER'S WELSH DISSENT. [BY MORIRN.1 The name ttsssett does not occur among the Norman knight^ who came with Sir Robert Fiiz- hamon into Glamorgan in A.D. 1090. The fust of the family I have been able to trace is Sir Thurs- tane bassett, (icaud Falconer to William the Conqueror, and it is said it was his son, John de Bassett, who accompanied Fitzhamon into Glainor- gao, but not in a knightly capacity, and lie, in consequence, did not share in the spoil of territory. Thierry, in his 11 Norman Conquest" (p. 144), mentions a Sir Rulph Uassett WHO in A.D. 1124 was Lord Chief Justice, and who, with the barons of assize, at the Leicestershire Assizes condemned to deith 44 Stxons. and six others to lose their eyes for "brigandage," which was the name giveu to the desultory struggles of the poor Saxons agaiust their Norman oppiessors In England. Then there was a Hishop of London named Puke Bassett. Ho had a warn dispute with Archbishop hwaett was supported by the canons of Paul's and St. Bartholomew's. Tbe archbishop was supported by money and backed by Henry 111, The archbishop excommunicated Bishop Uassett and all the canons. The archbishop Pleaded his ease in person befon; the Tope. But the British clergy would not have him, and offered the Pope 3,000 nnrks to be txompted from the archbishop's visitation. The Pope would not listen to them, and confirmed the archbishop's visitorial powers. Bishop Bnssett then had to deal with the Pope's legato, Henry III, and the Pope bad agreed to extort a large sum of money from the British clergy and to share the plunder. The Pope's legate (Rustand) summoned a council to London in October, 1255, under a coullnission from the Pope. At the council the undaunted Bishop Bassett depend upon it Sir Philip Bas>et% of Beaupr6, was not far off-suitt u Before 1 will submit to such great servitude, injury, and intolerable oppression, I will lose my head!" All the bishops preseut then agreed unanimously that the Pope's command should not be complied with, Bor any regard paid to the rope's legate Rustand. The last'named complained to Henry HI., whu seut for Bishop Bassett, and threatened him with the severest censures of the Church. Bishop Bassett replied to the King in a most daring fashion. "The King and the Pope," said nassett with flashiug eyes, though they cannot justly, yet, as bting stronger than I, may force iny bishopric from me. They may take away the lOitr, but the hdmtt irill TtWiGik ■ VV hat a finta threat delivered in the face of a King I Does not the clerical oppo- sition to the Pope, when the litter was even backed by the King of Britain, t,) ilia domination of the See of Rome provo that the Church of Britain was even 111 the reigil or Henry Ill, (from A.D. 1216 to A.D. 1272), independent, of the See of Rome? The King was awed, and the Pope relinquished his demand. Bi»hop Bassett died of the plague in A.D. 1259, and was buried in St. Paul's. It is a very remarkable f-ict that of all the Nor' man names introduced into Glamorgan at the time of Sir Robert Huhamun not one IIRS survived to the present day in Glamorgan. Does it not appear as if the blood of the Basseits alone was endowed with sufficient stiength to hold its own in the operations ot future, and to remain unengulphed by the ancient bloud ot Glamorgan ? The question affords an interesting study for ethnologists. I dare say, were we 10 search, we would find that the Grand Falcouer of WilllatIJ the Conqueror was a puie-bloouod Breton, and that that account* for the coutinued survival ot the race in Glamorgan, alter all the other ^Nortuuus bave died out before the force of the Cymric blood. According to Arnold, that is the domin,lI1t bloud even in Kngland to-day. Now, the lIa.s8tts brauched out into the follow- ing placesBeaupre, Bonvilstou, Eglwys-Brewis, Glanelwy l" Laneiay" Uantriddyd, Llanveithryu, JMaisgyn, Porthvsgwyd (," PortskwÐt Tier1 GOv ("Treguff"), St. Hilary, Y Garu, Hitvo,), fibondda, and several other localities. In the partition of Glamorgan by Sir Robert titzhainon in a short time after A.D. 1C90—some fay three years later-Maes Esy:.t. Be "6' wa, allotted t ohotpert SL?isyli?. ?pl,! bears | the same name as tLO commander of :org:mefor:s t at ::IJdwa:! and Lian Cwy ven (" Uanquiao'') in A.D. 1032. Jt is very perplexing to attempt tO reconcile tbt? tia eS .iven to events in the chronicles of Caradoc of Lien Carvan, and one is now and the" inclined to suspect that when he penned some of those tfetes he simply guessed the probable peiiods. At the same time there may be intervening events which would explain the apparent contradictory dates. For instance, Morgan the Aped, who is said to have died in A.D. 1001, aeti 1Z0, may have resigned the government into the hands of his son Owain lonff before the end of his own life, and thus events said t,) have occuired iu toe reign of Owain may have occurred duriog his actual sovereignty, while his Royal father was still alive. The Rotpert Seisyllt who received Beaupre in the subsequent sub-divbion of Glamorgall by the Normaus was the owner of Beaupie under the name of Maes Esyllt before the coming 01 the Normans; therefore, it is evideul his own estate was simply confirmed to him. Sixty years tmU elapsed since the heroic Uutpeit had led the men of Glamorgan over the Uili of the Legio from Ysttad Owain to Llan CWJven-the liaiacJava of Glamorgan It appeal s, tll employ an Americanism, that King Iestun was an amorous old cuss. It seems that Kotoert heisyll., of Beaupre, hid a haudsome daughter named Ladv Hardden, by his wife Lady Evilian. Queen Deni" Powys had died, and King Iestun, now un Jh1 man with several grown up son?, had, like another King Davie, his eye alter Laoy Hardden of Beaupre. At last he spoke to lIer father, and intimated his wish to marry her. The hero of Ystrad Owain would not con- sent, states the Curonicle 01 the Princes of Wales, to the union, owing to the disparity in their ages. Then, intimates i tie Chronicle, the old rascal of a King watched Lady Hardden, "and acted towards her in the same kID. of manner ad he had acted towards ether daughters of noble- men, which exceedingly displeased her father." Jt appears Kotpert wa. now too old to take the field himself, and he Invited Gruffydd, his nephew, to attack the King of Gll\lDorga[J. The nphew promised to do so. He gathered an aimy, but, instead ot attacking the King of Cardiff Castle, lie went into business on hi own account., and won the kingdom of Southern Wales, or, in the words of the Chronicle, froUt the Irisli Sea to the Severn." After this we find Rhys ap Tewdwr in possession of Southern Wales, and in u bitter feud with the King of Glamorgan because the last-named had endeavoured, at an eisteddfod at Neath. b corruot Kin* Rhys's very h"n,1sl)U1. wife. The old fellow was really danserous. Rhys was at war with the Lord of Cardigan, and in the Battle of St. Dogmeil's Rhys was victorious, and II son of the Lord 01 Cardigan galloped cro" mountains and dales until lie reached Cardiff Castle. Hi? name was Eyuon np 0>llwyn, and he was a relative of the King of Glamorgan. EYllon wa. well received by the King. The King 01 Gla. morgan knew very will that now Rhys had defeated the Lord of Cardigan he would quickly, very old as he was-he was "of the Tudor line" -niarch into Glamorgan. The King of Glamorgan was much disliked by the Giamo^cau Jeadiug families, but appears to have been a favourite "ith the mns's. That is the onlv way we can account for the reluctance of the leading gentry to attack him, and also for the fact that Gruffydd, with an army gathered for the purpose of attacking him, marched elsewhere and left the King of Glamorgan alone. He was now in dlead "f the old liou of Dinevor, and said to Eynon, If you can induce the King of England to feud me assistance to re- sist Rhys of Dinevor I'll give you my daughter inces Onesta in marriage." it is worthy of observation that Iestun, differing from the usual plactice of the Welsh, had given a Latin name to his daughter, while his own name was an imita- tion of the name JU9lininn. Eynon was delighted. Here was a chance to retaliate upon Rhys for Eyuon's slaughtered kindred at bt. Dogmell\s near Cardigan town, and also to become son-in-law of the King of Glamor- gun. Eynon accepted the offer. He was soon in the Royal Court of England, and William the Rell gavo consent to Sir Robert Fitzhamon, of Gloucester, to gather as many men and knights as he thought necessary for t!IO expedition to march into Glamorgan. The Norman^ nailed down the Severn and landed at Cardiff. Meanwhile, Cadivor, Lord of Cardigan, marcned into Glamor- gan; so that really Glainoigan, especially the neighbourhood of CirditY, wus » vast camp. But the leading noblemen ot Giamorgau would not stir, and no doubt thvy secretly hoped that some misfortuno would U'tall their detested king. Among t hose noblemen wa-< Rotpert Seisyllt, of Beaupie. He had not 1 >ng to wait to see the King of Glamorgan a homeless wanderer! Meanwhile, the fiernic, Rhys, at the jiead of a powerful army, marched over the mountains, by way, as it apnears, of the top of the Neath Valley, and entered the great plain of Hirwun. Having arrived, with his centre, on the P.t where is 't.? the Aberdure Park—a spot still called Twyn Coch, or the Red Hillock, iu ieference, its it appears, to the blood shed there—he waited the develop- ment of fronts. The rabble of Glamorgan were under tho command of Eyuou; the Normans under the command of Sir Robert Pitshamon; and Cardigan under the commund of Cadivor of Cardigan. Then followed the events of Aberdare, Cynllwyndu, Pen Bhye. Cremlya Lake, and the Golden Mile, by Cowbridge. The Normans, having performed their task. re-entered their ships. Whan the King of Glamorgan thought they were gone, he jeered Lynon aud Cadivor, his brother, and refused to carry out his promise to either. Eynon was most indignant, and hurried after the Not. ships and induced Fitzhamon to return to Cardiff. He next hurried to Boaupr6, and, states the Chronicle of the Princes of Wales, "related the whole to him" (Rutpert Saisylit), "aud brought others of the nobles who disliked lestun to the same measures." Then Instun and his army were attacked on Mynydd Bychan, where the Great lIeuth stands, to the uorth-east of Cardiff. The King ot Giamorgau made his escape and died many years nher-some say K,y.?l?a. l'bcey* between B?th and Bristol; the chronicle states Llangenys Monastery. But Gruffydd, a grandson, defended Monmouthshire success- fully, aud established himself at-Caerlleon-on- Usk. There is a Llangauen near Crickhowell, which appears to have beeu once a cell under Keynshain—indeed, both places were dedicated to St. Cenen, one of the daughters of Brychan ¡¡rychel"iog, Let us hope it was in the lovely district of Crickhowell the King of Glamorgan ,p,ut life's taper to its close, allll thut he occa. sionally saw his gallant grandson, Gruffyd of CVrlleon.on-Usk, ana that in the midst of the music of holy Psalms he repented of his sins, aud eventually died in peace! As to Rotpert Seisyllt, we hear no more of him. Mr. Daniel Owen, Ash Hall, to whom I am indebted for valuable suggestions directing me in the course of the foregoing sketches, has kindly called my attention to the further particulars liS to the sub- sequent history of the Seisyllt family, as given by Dr. Lackin, Cowbridge. They are as follow:- "Rotpert Seisyllt leit a son named Sir James Seisyllt. He took part with the Empress Maud, and was killed at the siege of Walliogiord Castle. He left a son named John Seisyllt, who was taken prisoner at the siege of Lincoln Hisson was Eustace, who married Sir Walter Pembridge's daughter, by whom he had Sir Baldwin Seisyllt, who was knighted by Henry II. He was slain at the siege of Cardiff CV^tle during his father's lifetime. 'I lieu followed Gerald, who had a son named Robert Seisyllt. The next in descent was James Seisyllt, who was succeeded by Gerald. The last- n m.ed was married four times. Hisson by his first wife wa John, who was succeeded by the valiant and renowned Sir John Seisyllt, in the reign of Edward Ill. He had a son named Johu, who died in his father's lifetime, leaving a 80n named Thoma, who succeeded his grandfather. Sir John Seisyllt. Then calDe Richard, Philip, anotlJer Philip, aud David Seisyllt, from whom are descended the noble families of Salisbury and Exeter. THE PRIME MINISTER'S WELSH DESCENT. It was from the above splendid Welsh ue«cent the Most Noble Robert Arthur Talbot Cecil, or Seisyllt, Marquess of Salisbury, Prime Minister of Great Britain and Ireland, is descended, and to which he referred in his remarks at the Guild- hall, Loudon, after Lord Mayor Evans's ban- quet last November. It is most interesting to find a discendint of Rotpert, or Robert, Seisyllt, Maes KbylU, of fieauprl, Glamorgan, the valiant hero of Vsirad Owain, still bearing his glorious name, with the name of Arthur added, andoccupy- iug the splendid position of Prime Minister of the Empire of Britain. The noble marquess has daughter named Lady Gwenddolen. The lIame is pure WeM. for Sacred J.illlr. The imagiu"tionloves to roam to the Court of Queen Elizabeth, and there witness a William :s¡"yIlt- L"rd Burleigh, tile State factotum of the Queen. Elizabeth the woman amussd herself with ¡¡", bw tedJ.l's of her Court; but Ehzabeth the great Queen discussed gravely with Seisyllt, the Welshman, weighty State nffair, and regnrded him throughout her reign as her riilit. hand and pen Cvnghorwr. I find in "Burke's Peerage" that Lord Burleigh's father wrote his name Richard Cyss'¡ (vIde Exeter). Tlien followed Robert Cecil, created Earl of Salisbury, the 4th of May, 1605, and made Lord High Treasurer to K1D James 1. It is uncertain when the Seisyllts in the male line departed from Beaupre. The last name is Norman-French— Heau (Fair) Pre (Meadow). It is reported by Dr. Nicho.as tint it i said it, wos purchased of the Seisyllts by Sir Philip Bassett in the reign of Henry II. Sir Philip Baske t did not lfourish in toe r ign of that monarch, but ill thllt of Henry 1I1.nd the tradition thtlt the Magna ChaIt, wa drawn up there iridicit?? Beaupi6 was in the ha? of ?he B??ietts in a.i). 1216. It is lurther stated that Sir Philip Bas^ott was descended from ST John de Bassett, vice-comes to Sir Robert Fi'zhimon. The said John de Bassett was, as already stated, the son of Sir Thurstane Bassett, Grand Falconer to the conqueror of England, and is supposed to have been hi. near rel¡¡tive, Clark ("Glamorgan Pedigrees," p. 348) states ICSias Bassett held a half fee in the lordship ot Si. Hilary in A.D. 1264. Magna Charta was prepared before A.D. 1216. And, taking into consideration what wa have already stated, it appears the Bassetts were settled I n ros8eAion of Beuplé in the reign of King John (A.D. 1199—A.D. 1^16). It iSir John de Bassett reinftiued in the Vale "f Glamorgan. In the name Beauprl we see by it t» at it is all at tempL to render the Welsh Maes Esyllt" into Norman- l'reoch. It seelns extremely probable that we have as an explanation a charming romance. Roipeit Seisyllt was, in A.D. 1090-3, all aged cluef- tniu. He had a charming daughter named Lady Hardden (Handsome Born). Sir Payne lurber- Tille marned Lady Sarah, daughter of Morganat) Caradog, Lord of Coety Castle, and, atter the death of Lord Morgan, inherited the lordship with his wife, and became such" desperate Welsh partisan that he would only pay the noble as chief rent 10 Caradoe ab Iestun, of Aberavon, and declined to acknowledge Fiizhamon at ail. He is said to have marcheJ into Cardiff at the head of the men of Glnmorgau, and compelled Fitz- hamon to restore the Welsh laws to Glamorgan, and to have given Fiizhamon such a" clout" on the side of his head that he temporarily lost his senses through it. One would hang a wreath of roses over Sir Payne's grave as & token of regard forjgiving that "clout It is certain that in Coety was invested tt?e title ot lord, equal in dignity witH Ihnt of the Lord Para- mount of Glamorgan. ir Edward Mansel, of MargalO, states this exclusive dignity belonging io Coety Castle, as distinguished from the rights of the other p^tiy castles of Glamorgan, was lost in the time of Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick. In hi. time the Lords of Coyly lost their Royal Dominion and title of Lord." Now, Sir John tie Bassett nprears to have mar- ried Lady Hardden, of Maes Esyllt, and to have changed the name to Beaupie. The male desc en- dant of Rotpert Seisyllt, seems to have received land as a substitute in England, and to have gradually changed the old Glamorgan surname Seisyllt to Cyssel. But the gallant &ir John de Itassett fully appreciated the ancient Seisyllt family motto, namely, "Gwell aiigeu na chywilydd" ("Better death than dishonour"), and it is still on the ruined wallsot Beaupr6 Castle. And it is on the helmets of the gallant South Wales Borderers, as loftily held as it was at the tattles of Yitrad Owain and Llao Cwyven eight centuries ago! It seems, therefore, as certain as anything can be, that the Magna Charta, the foundation of our liberties to-day, was drawn np lit Beaupr6 Casde, near Cowbridge, by the hand of Sir Philip Bassett, a grandson of John de Bassett and the Lady Hardden, daughter of Lord Robert ap Seisyllt, brother of King Robert up Seisyllt; and also brother of Cynan up Seisyilt, slain at Ystrad Owain, with all his sons, in defending the liberties of Glamorgan, and awfully avenged by the heroic father of the said Lady Hardden, at Llan Cwyven the following day.