Archaeological Journal/Volume 3/Notices of New Publications: Original Charters, and Materials for a History of Neath and its Abbey

 

Notices of New Publications.

 

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Original Charters, and Materials for a History of Neath and its Abbey, with illustrations, now first collected by George Grant Francis, F.S.A., Hon. Secretary for South Wales to the Archæological Institute, &c. Swansea, not published, 8vo. 1845.

Numerous are the sources of information valuable to the historian and the archæologist, still left in obscure neglect in the principality of Wales; the labours of a few zealous investigators have scarcely sufficed to enumerate, or call attention to the various ancient remains which present themselves at every step in that interesting country. The recently established periodical, indeed, devoted exclusively to the illustration of the antiquities of Wales, must be hailed as a presage of a spirit of more earnest and careful research in that fertile, although neglected, field of enquiry^[1]. Much commendation is due to the intelligent labours of those, who, like Mr. Grant Francis and Mr. Dillwyn, have toiled with little hitherto of the tide of public opinion in their favour, and to whose zealous endeavours we are indebted for various valuable contributions to local or personal history.

The materials for a History of Neath and its Abbey form an important addition to the collections, connected with the antiquities of Glamorganshire, put forth by Mr. Francis, and they hold out an encouragement to anticipate the extension of his researches in so interesting a locality. The mass of curious facts and traditions, still unsearched, and almost inaccessible in MSS., to which the taste and attention of recent times has but imperfectly been drawn, constitutes only a portion of the vestiges of antiquity in Wales. An important monument, in connexion with the political and civil institutions of that country, has recently been given to the public, in the ably edited compilation of its Ancient Laws, one of the most valuable productions which have appeared under the auspices of the Commission on the Public Records. The appearance of such authentic materials would encourage the hope that some writer competent to the task, may, ere long, be stimulated to undertake that desideratum in our historical literature, the ancient Annals of Wales and its Marches. The neglected traditions regarding those, whose labours and sufferings aided in the diffusion of Christianity in early times, are full of interest, as tending to throw light upon the establishment of the faith in these kingdoms, by the ministration of men whose memory has been regarded as holy, although their sainted names may not be enregistered on the calendar of Rome. Some materials towards Welsh Hagiography have, indeed, been collected by Mr. Rees, but much remains for investigation. Many evidences might, doubtless, be elicited by a careful survey of those early sculptured and inscribed memorials, crosses reared by the way-side or in the cemetery, still attesting in their simple yet impressive character, the existence of a pure faith established in those remote parts of our island at a very early period. We may hope that Mr. Westwood, whose accurate and skilful pencil, united with an intimate acquaintance with the distinctive character of ornament at different periods, well qualify him for the task, may shortly carry out the investigation of these curious memorials, so happily commenced^[2].

The remains of a later period, the monastic structures and churches of Wales, are replete with interest, but thither more especially should the investigator of military architecture resort. The picturesque and instructive examples of the Edwardian castle, in the northern counties, with their varied details, yet uniform principles of constructive adaptation, are well known; whilst in South Wales, at Pembroke and Manorbeer, at Ogmore, Neath, Caerphilly, and Cydweli, the enquirer may find specimens of successive periods, and trace advancing perfection in the science of military defences, in vain to be sought in other parts of the realm. These, indeed, reared by the hands of the Norman conqueror, may not be the objects of hoar antiquity to which the first care of the Welsh archæologist will be addressed, but they supply admirable illustrations of a neglected subject of enquiry, intimately connected not merely with the history of architecture, but with the usages of daily life, the character and habitual feelings of former times.

Neath is generally admitted to have been the Nidum of Antoninus, and the "via Julia maritima," as also the Sarn Helen, lead towards the town. It is, however, remarkable that no coins, or vestiges of the Roman period, have been hitherto found there, although many traces of Roman occupation have been noticed on each side of Neath. Amongst these the inscribed stones discovered at Port Talbot and at Pyle, on the road to Bovium, deserve notice, and Mr. Francis has kindly communicated the fac-similes, carefully designed by himself. The latter, rescued by his hands from destruction, and deposited amongst the antiquities in the Royal Institution at Swansea, has been explained as bearing the name of Victorinus, one of the thirty tyrants, slain A.U.C. 1019. The inscription at Port Talbot, preserved in the Harbour Office, bears on one side the name of Maximian, which occurs also in an inscription found in Cumberland, given by Horsley^[3]. On the other side appears a sepulchral memorial, probably of later date, written, as on other early slabs existing in Wales and in Cornwall, in a perpendicular direction. Coins of both these emperors are of frequent occurrence in this country, and a number of coins of Victorinus were found near Neath in 1836^[4].

The remains of the castle of Neath, erected, as it is supposed, by Richard de Granavilla, to whom, in the reign of Henry I., the lordship was allotted,

INSCRIBED STONES FOUND BETWEEN NIDUM AND BOVIUM, ON THE LINE OF THE VIA JULIA MARITIMA.

consist of a gateway flanked by two massive rounders, portions of the curtain walls, and of a tower which appears to have commanded an ancient passage across the river Neth^[5].

A. Principal Entrance. portcullised.

B. Tower, supposed to have commanded an ancient ford or bridge.

C. Supposed to be a modern wall.

D. Portion of the ancient wall.

E. Ancient wall, faced with modern work.

F. Supposed Sally port, or second entrance.

The annexed plan, for the use of which we are indebted to the kindness of Mr. Francis, shews the general arrangement of the works, which were of no considerable extent. The principal bailey consisted of an area of irregular form, measuring in diameter about 85 feet in either direction. The remains of this structure, although less important than some of the fortresses of South Wales, may be examined, as likewise the ruins of the adjoining abbey, with no ordinary interest, on account of the curious record of the architect employed by the founder, as preserved in the Myvyrian Archæology. Richard de Granavilla, one of the twelve Norman knights who accompanied Fitz-hamon, assisting him in the

ENCAUSTIC TILES.
Discovered in the Conventual Church of Neath Abbey, Glamorganshire.

conquest of Glamorganshire, returned to Wales about A.D. 1111. He had visited the Holy Sepulchre, and brought with him from Palestine a man eminent in the art of construction, named Lalys, to whose skill the most noted structures in the county, both of a sacred and military character, have been attributed. The relation adds that he built Lalyston, called after his name, and, that having gone to London, he became architect to Henry I., and taught his art to many of the Welsh and English^[6]. The remains of Neath abbey, founded, as Mr. Francis supposes, about the year 1129, are considerable: he has given an interesting plan of the conventual church and adjacent buildings. Their aspect is not of that picturesque character which attracts notice to many monastic ruins, but the vestiges of the structure, which, as Leland remarks, "semid to him the fairest abbay in all Wales," well merit attention. In the year 1803 some excavations were, with Lord Dynevor's permission, undertaken by the Rev. H. Knight, and part of the eastern end of the church having been cleared, a pavement of decorative tiles was brought to light, of which Mr. Francis has enabled us to submit a representation to our readers. This pavement cannot be regarded as coeval with the Norman founder; its character is that of the period, termed, in regard to architectural remains. Decorated: and it supplies a pleasing example of design in the general arrangement, which may be attributed to the times of Edw. II. Lewis Morganwg, a poet of the latter part of the reign of Hen. VII., has described in glowing terms the painted glass, the richly decorated ceiling, and floor "wrought of variegated stone," which were then to be seen in the abbey church. His ode, addressed to Lleision, abbot of Neath, is included amongst the collections printed by Mr. Francis.

Seal of the Abbey of Neath.

The tiles exhibit the single bearing of England, with those of Clare, earl of Gloucester, Turbervile, and Mowbray, or, possibly, Fitz-hamon. John de Mowbray, lord of Gower, granted to the abbey a charter of confirmation, A.D. 1334, given by Mr. Francis from a document in the possession of Mr. Thomas Faulkner, and the connection of the Turbervile family with the affairs of the monastery, about the same period, is clearly shewn. The patronage of the abbey was in the great family of the Clares, earls of Gloucester and lords of Glamorgan, and the three chevronels were, doubtless, displayed in various decorations. The arms attributed to de Granavilla, three rests, which appear on the common seal of the abbey, those also of Le Despenser and Montacute (?) have occurred on tiles, found at Neath by Mr. Dillwyn.

The materials for a history of Neath comprise many other memorials of interest to which we are here unable to advert. The ichnography of the town, taken in the reign of Elizabeth, from the original in Lord Dynevor's possession, may well deserve notice, as also the memorials extracted from the contemporary account of the progress of the duke of Beaufort, as Lord President, in 1684, and communicated from the archives at Badminton.

In conclusion, we can only express regret that Mr. Francis should not have been disposed to extend the impression of this interesting little volume to a number of copies, more in accordance with the growing taste and demand for such publications. The days are, we hope, passed, when a provision, limited by the Roxburghe standard, or even extended to fifty copies, as in the present case, can prove adequate to meet the desire to possess any volume of sterling materials connected with matters of national antiquity.

 

1. Archæologia Cambrensis, a record of the Antiquities, Historical, Genealogical, Topographical, and Architectural, of Wales and its Marches. London, 8vo. Pickering. Two quarterly parts, with a Supplement, have already appeared.
2. See representations of the crosses of Nevern and Carew, from drawings by Mr. Westwood, Archæol. Journal, iii. 70.
3. Brit. Rom., p. 192, N. 40.
4. Dillwyn's Swansea, p. 56. Numism. Journal, i. 132.
5. Representations of the castle, as also of Neath abbey, as they appeared about 1725, have been preserved amongst Buck's Views. A view of the castle gateway is given by Woolnoth, in his work on the Castles of England and Wales.
6. See Sir Richard Hoare's Notices of Neath, in his edition of Giraldus, Itin. i. 162.