Caernarvonshire – an old map by John Speed

Book 2. Chap. 4. 103

CAERMARDEN-SHIRE
CHAPTER IV.

(1) CAERMARDEN-SHIRE, so called from the chief Town Caermarthen, lieth bordered upon the North with Cardigan-shire, upon her East, by Brecknock, and Glamorgan-shires upon the South, with a Bay of the British Seas; and upon the West with Pembroke-shire.

(2) The form of this County is long, and shooteth it self from the South-west into the North and by East, betwixt whose furthest bounds are thirty five English miles, and in her broadest part twenty; the whole in circumference about one hundred and two miles.

(3) This Shire is not altogether so pestered with hills as her bordering neighbours are: and those that be, neither so high nor so thick, and therefore is better for Corn and Pasturage, and even in Woods also; so that for Victuals this Country is very well stored, which the stomach of man will digest, the air being wholesome, temperate, and pleasing.

(4) Anciently these parts were possessed by the Dimetae, as Ptolemy, Gildas, and Ninnius do name them: though Pliny holds opinion that they were part of the Silures, with whom no doubt they were subdued to the Romans yoke by Julius Frontinus, who then subdued with the rocky Hills into the Southern parts. And this County is accounted by Writers to be the very strength of South-Wales. In the West thereof, at Kilmanllidol (as it should seem) their Legions kept, where lately an earthen Pot hoarded with store of Roman Coins, was by the spade digged up, being stamped upon the life of Commodus unto the first Tribunship of Gordian the third, which tell us the repair of Christ two hundred forty three years after: and amongst them were the Coins of Helvius Pertinax, Marcus Orellius, Antoninus Diadumenianus, Julius Verus Maximus, the Son of Maximinus, of Celius Balbinus, of Clodius Pupienus, of Aquilia Severa, the wife of Heliogabalus, and of Sall. Barbia Orbiana, pieces rarely found.

(5) The Commodities of this Shire chiefly consist in Cattle, Pit-coal, Fowl, and Sea-fish, whereof the Salmon is common among them, and that of such greatness and plenty, as no place is better furnished therewith than the Shire-Town Caermarthen is.

(6) Which Town by Ptolemy is called Maridunum; by Antonine the Emperour, Muridunum; by the Britains, Caerfyrddin; and by us, Caermarthen. It is pleasantly seated upon the South-West side of the River Towy, that runneth through the midst of this Shire, and falleth South from hence into the British Sea, where beforetimes was a convenient Haven for Ships arrrivage, but now is over-pestered with Sands and Shelfs: notwithstanding some small Vessels ascend up the River, even unto the Bridge of this Town, which is fairly built of free-stone. And over the same, upon a hanging Rock, standeth a very large Castle, from whose stone-wall another intermingled with brick runneth about the Town, being in circuit one thousand and four hundred paces. The Inhabitants of this place do not a little glory of their Merlin, who (as they say) was therein born, the Son of a bad Angel, or of an Incubus spirit, the Britains great Apollo, whom Geffrey ap Arthur would rank with the South-saying Seer, or rather with the true Prophets themselves; being none other then a meer Seducer and phantastical Wizard: which howsoever Alan de Insulis in his Commentaries hath laboured to unloose those dark and hidden Similies, wherewith his Book is perfited and full, yet was it not without cause forbid the reading by the Council of Trent, as vain, and not worthy of countenance or credit.

At the entrance of the Normans this Town was brought under their obedience; and for a long time was distressed with the calamities of War, yet afterwards was made by the English Princes the Chancery and Exchequer for all South-Wales: and at this day is largely governed by a Mayor, who ever after is an Alderman and Justice of the Peace, two Sheriffs elected out of sixteen Burgesses, all of them in scarlet, a Sword-bearer, a Town-Clerk, and two Sergeants with Maces: from whence the Pole is raised 52 degrees 15 minutes in Latitude, and for Longitude in the degrees 15 and 30 minutes from the first point in the West, according to Mercator.

(7) East from this place are the ruines of Carreg-Castle, which stood mounted on a high hill, under the which many Vaults and spacious Caves are into the ground are seen, wherein though the people unable to fight, were therein secured in time of their Wars. Where also is a Well (take the report from Giraldus who writeth it) that in this place twice in four and twenty hours ebbing, and twice flowing, resembleth the variable motions of the main Sea.

(8) This Shire is watered with twenty eight Rivers and Rivulets of name, freighted with ten Castles, traded in eight Market-Towns, divided into five Hundreds, wherein are seated fourscore and seven Parish-Churches; whose names are inserted in the Table following.