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The Black Death in Wales

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2009

William Rees
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Extract

The epidemics of the fourteenth century have been the subject of much discussion by eminent scholars, whose investigations have been supplemented by detailed studies of various localities. No considered attempt, however, has been made to trace the course of the disease within Wales, which, by reason of its isolated position and mountainous character, is frequently regarded as having largely escaped the visitation. The study of the effects of such an agent upon a society predominantly pastoral offers a subject of special interest.

Type
Research Article
Information
Transactions of the Royal Historical Society , Volume 3 , December 1920 , pp. 115 - 135
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Historical Society 1920

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References

page 118 note 1 Evidence of reduction in rents must necessarily be regarded as of doubtful value unless such reduction is recorded as being due directly to the pestilence. The writer has endeavoured to keep this in view throughout this paper.

page 118 note 2 E.g., Werneryth: There used to be of rents of assise £13 10s. 3 1/2d. and now remain £1 14s. 6d. because of mortality.

Trefgoythel: Rents of assize used to be £3 10s. 6 3/4d. but now only 6s. because of the mortality.

page 118 note 3 Rot. Orig. 24 E. Ill, mem. 8.

page 118 note 4 Inq. p.m., C. Edw. Ill, File 96 (14).

page 119 note 1 Inq. p.m., C. Edw. Ill, Files 95 (7); 98 (2); 98 (3); e.g., Whittington: Michaelmas, 1349, two watermills, formerly worth £2, now only £1 yearly because the tenants are dead in the present pestilence. Rents of freemen formerly £3, now only £1.

page 119 note 2 Ministers’ Accounts, Bundle 783, Nos. 1, 15, 16, 17, including Escheators’ Accounts.

page 119 note 3 Min. Acc., Bundle 671, Nos. 10810 et seq.

page 120 note 1 Min. Acc., Bundle 783, Nos. 1, 15, 16, 17; e.g., Chelmondeston: 4s. 4d. issues of I place of land in the lord's hand because acquired without licence. Now the place lies uncultivated because of the pestilence, and is common.

Min. Acc., Bundle 1186, Nos. 4, 5, 11, 23. Account of the Ringild of Hopedale: Park of Lloetcoet; £1 5s. 10d. agistments of the Park, and no more because of the Pestilence in the previous year.

page 120 note 2 Min. Acc., Bundle 1182, Nos. 3, 5 passim; e.g., Uwchalet Commote: Account of Griffith ap Madoc, Ringild. Allowed £2 14s. id. from the customs of divers tenants of the “ villatae” of Barrok and Petrual, in the lord's hands because the tenants died in the time of the Pestilence and their heirs are unable to pay for the inheritance.

Min. Ace, Bundle 1183, No. 2, 3.

page 120 note 3 Court Rolls, Portfolios 217, 218, 219.

page 121 note 1 Court Rolls, Portfolio 218, No. 4. Also the jurors say that Madoc ap Ririd and Kenwric his brother came by night in the Pestilence to the house of Aylmar after the death of the wife of Aylmar and took from the same house one water pitcher and basin, value is., old iron, vafue 4d. And they also present that Madoc and Kenwric came by night to the house of A Imar in the vill of Rewe in the Pestilence, and from that house stole 3 oxen of John the Parker and 3 cows, value 6s.

page 121 note 2 “E.g., Min. Ace, Bundle 1158, No. 2.

page 122 note 1 Min. Ace, Bundles 1149, 1150 passim; e.g., Commote of Malltraeth: Decay of rents of Davy dd Moil of the vill of Trefdisteinydd 5s. 4d.; Gronow With 3s. 4d; Turlach 22s. 4d.; Cadwgan ap jfak of Trefithon etc. (30 other like entries), whose land were in the lord's hands for lack of tenants and because the lord's tenants in the same vills are incapable (im£otentes et insufficientes) of holding the said lands.

Commote of Turkelyn: Allowed 11s. 6d. part of £2 12s. 10d. rents of the Villeins of Bodevyney in the extent of Bodenawyn because there are now only two tenants there—one “ native ” and one advowry.

page 123 note 1 Min. Ace, Bundle 1171, passim. E.g., Commote of Cruthyn (Creuddyn). Account of the Rhingyll of the Commote, Michaelmas, 24–5 Edw. III. Advowry 8d.—Advowry of Blethin ap Madoc and David ap Madoc etc.... and no more because the remainder are dead by the Pestilence.

Farm.—Farm of the Rhaglawry, used to be £2 3s. i, d. before the Pestilence.— Nothing, because let by the Justice's Deputy and the Chamberlain to Madoc Blodeyth for £1 6s. 8d.

Commote of Cafflogion. Allowed £8 2s. id., viz., £4 2s. 2d. for this year and the last two years for the lands of divers freemen lying empty and uncultivated.

Arllechwedd Isaf. Remittance of 5s. 2d. annual rent of the customs and services of the villeins of the king for 13 bovutes of land with easements which were handed over to oblivion on the making of the extent.

page 123 note 2 Court Rolls, Portfolio 219/1. Ruthyn: Edmund ap Madoc ap David qui tenuit unum Burgum in Novo Vico decessit in Secunda Pestilencia.

page 124 note 1 Min. Ace, Bundle 1186, No. 23; Bundle 1187, Nos. 11, 12.

page 124 note 2 Min. Ace, Bundle 1182, No. 5; Bundle 1183.

page 124 note 3 Min. Ace, Bundle 1206, No. 3.

page 124 note 4 Min. Ace, Bundle 928, passim.

page 125 note 2 Inq. P.M., C. Edw. Ill, File 253.

page 127 note 1 E.g., Grosmont: £4–farm of the Mill of Grosmont let to William atte Hulle, from Michaelmas 36 Edw. Ill for 12 years, the lord to find the heavy timber, and millstones only for repairs and to pay half the expenses.

page 127 note 2 E.g., Min. Ace, Bundle 1209, Nos. 5, 11, 12, 13, 14; Bundle 1236, Nos. 4, etc.

page 128 note 1 E.g., 2s. increased rent of 2 acres of “ native ” land late of Wm. Macy in decay, let to John Saith to be held freely by him and his heirs for ever.

page 129 note 1 Rentals and Surveys. 13s. 8d. Jenan ap Griffith holds 4 acres of free land by extent and when it was native land he rendered thence at Michaelmas is. zd. and for works at Michaelmas 101/2d.

page 130 note 1 Min. Ace, No. 9056. 111/2d. increase of rent ofjfenan Vachanfor three parts of one rood of “ native ” land of his own land to hold for himself and heirs in one burgage.

page 130 note 2 Min. Ace, 924/18.

page 130 note 3 E.g., Min. Ace, Bundle 1182, No. 3; 1183, No. 2. Denbigh Lordship, Keymerch Commote: Respited £1 4s. 6d. for this year and the two preceding years, viz., 8s. 2d. a year, for customs and services of 7 nativi, viz., for each is. 2d., because they are included in the 31 “ nativi” above, and there are only 24. Respited 3s. 41/2d. for the services of 9 freemen, viz., for the same years, is. 11/2d., because they are included in the 45 tenants and there are only 36.

Uwchdulas: Decay of rents and services of various “gavells” with other rents £4 17s. 51\2d.

Uwchalet: Whence he allows (to the computer) for “ tune” and custom, of butter from 2 “gavells ” of land in Llechtalhaern, because they are in the lord's hands for lack of service of the tenants, £10s. 10d.

Min. Ace, Bundles, 1149, 1150. Min. Ace, Bundle, 1171. Commote of Eifionydd: In decay of rents of the “vill” of Redemknelyn which was in the hands of villeins, vacant since the Pestilence, extended at £1 8s. for 8 “ crannogs ” of oatmeal and 3 vessels of butter, for which the computer is charged above 5s. Respited £1 8s. 11/2d. part of £1 17s. 31/2d. rents of lands and tenements of free tenants in the lord's hands because there are no heirs neither could anything be raised from the same.

page 131 note 1 Min. Ace, Bundle 1171, No. 7. Carnarvon, Commote of Creuthyn: 8d. advowry fine of Blethin ap Maddoc and David ap Maddoc... and no more because the remainder are dead by the.Pestilence. Of the reliefs of “advowry” tenants dead, from whom the lord has from each half a mark, and from the goods of the same which the lord shall haveif–they die without heir.

page 131 note 2 Court Rolls, Portfolio 217, No. 14. Ruthin. Court of Colyan: Llewelyn Seys who held English lands died in the Pestilence, from whose death came to the lord, 1 horse. And afterwards Jenan his son came and sought to be admitted to hold the said lands to whom it was granted,... saving the rights of the lord, and.he paid for relief 9s. 2d. and for rent 9s. 7d. Jeuan ap Heylin who held from the lord hereditary lands and lands “ in acres “ died... from whom there came heriot and “gobrestin ”. (The nearest heir claimed and paid relief £1). David ap Maddoc who held from the Lord “native ” land and 3 acres of free land in Wernlydyr died in the Pestilence. Because he has no heirs it was conceded that Wladus his widow should hold it for life, performing the various services due therefrom. And she pays no'heriot or relief.

page 132 note 1 E.g., Min. Ace, Bundle 1182, No. 4. Talabryn.

page 132 note 2 E.g., Min. Ace, Bundle 1149, No. 1—Commote of Turkelyn.

page 132 note 3 Ibid.—Commote of Talybolion.

page 133 note 1 Min. Ace, Bundle 1149, No. 1 (mem. 3)—Commote of Malltraeth.

Commote ot Talybolion. “ Native” Land; 14s. 6d. herbage of Villein land in Aberalaw which Madoc ap Philip, Eynon ap Philip, and 3 others (named), nativi, held for £1 12s. 2d., because the nativi who were surviving after the Pestilence were not “ sufficient” on account of their inability to hold the said lands.

page 133 note 2 Court Rolls, Portfolio 218, No. 4.

page 133 note 3 Min. Ace, Bundle 1171, Nos. 7 and 8—Commote of Creuthyn.

Store of the Prince (Staurum Principis): 5s. 4d., received from half of the value of 2 cows which the community of the Commote (viz. the Villains and. men of advowry) used to give to the lord's lardar for munitioning the castle of Conway —a cow appraised 5s. 4d. this year. Nothing received from half the value of one ox which the lord was accustomed to have from the community for the same store, because it was remitted owing to the poverty and fewness of the tenants. Sum 5s. 4d.

Text of Remission: “Edward, etc.. Prince, to the Deputy of the jfustice of North Wales and to the Chamberlain there.

Because of our especial grace and by the advice of the Council, We have respited to our bond tenants and the people of our advowry, the money for which our Auditors of Accounts have charged them to find for the “garnestures” of our castles in your bailiwicks, since the time of the pestilence. We ask you to cease to levy the said money until further command.

Given under our privy seal, London, 30 jfuly, 26, E. III.“

page 134 note 1 Ministers' Accounts and Court Rolls during these years record long lists of lands and tenements transferred.

Min. Ace, 1182/3. Isalet: Allowed “ Tunk “ and other customs of J part of 1 “gavell” of land of Cadarn within the parts of Lewenny wheh Thomas ap Lowarch held there and which came into the lord's hands. The lord gave it to John de le More to hold in the English manner for rent.