Welsh Journals

where the immediate success was likely to outweigh the ultimate consequences. Turbulent and ill-disciplined, they were ever too ready to appeal to arms and desperate expedients. The unquiet state of the county is fully illustrated by the fact that in 1583 Eynon Phillips was able to send a band of thirty armed retainers from Cemais and other parts of Pembrokeshire to assist his cousin-german Morgan Phillipps in the destruction of a park erected by Sir John Perrot at Laugharne.1 Occasionally cases of wrongful imprisonment would arise, though this was an action likely to bring the offender before the Star Chamber. In 1594, for instance, Roger Middleton, a prominent draper of Haverford- west, was locked in irons and kept in a dark dungeon for four or five days after implicating the constables of the town in the pilfering of his shop." The spate of plots against the Queen and the tension attendant upon the Spanish danger often enabled the culprits to justify their actions on grounds of state welfare. Thus after the fall of Essex in 1601, John Bird, a notary public and Teifyside J.P., who had quarelled bitterly with John Lewis, a fellow magistrate, arrested the latter's tenant, although he was sick in bed, bound him with ropes, dragged him to the wooden bridge of Llechryd for examination before another J.P., and committed him in irons to Cardigan jail, where he was soon followed by his landlord.3 His innocence was beyond all doubt. Attempts were also made to deprive men of their properties by acquiring their title deeds through chicanery or force. Two instances are recorded when Sir John Perrot attempted coups of this nature. In 1562 Walter James leased Hodgeston rectory with its barns, stables, orchards, and outhouses to William Loughor, but the indenture fell into Perrot's hands and he entered into possession so that James had to appeal to the Court of Chancery for redress.4 In 1579 no less a person than George Owen of Henllys was involved.5 In that year William Gwyn, a henchman of Perrot's who was being prosecuted by Owen for an offence concerning the wardship of Elizabeth, heiress of Rees Morgan Bowen of Nevern, wrote to the Privy Council alleging that the antiquary had counterfeited the seal of William, Earl of Pembroke, and had affixed it to certain documents. The Privy Council then issued a warrant authorising four of Perrot's allies-Charles Powell, John Wogan of Boulston, Eynon Phillipps, and Morgan Phillipps-to search Henllys for the counterfeit seal and for certain blank deeds to which Owen was supposed to have affixed the seal of the chancery of Pembroke and the royal arms of England. Late in the evening of the 26th November they entered his house, armed, and rifled it for hours. They failed to find what they were searching for, but eventually forced Owen to show the purchase deeds of his barony. While reading them Gwyn tried to slip several important documents under his cloak, but Owen spied him and saved them. Morgan Phillipps then tried to take away certain documents 1 Star Chamber Proceedings. Elizabeth, P53/14, fo. 5. Star Chamber Proceedings, Elizabeth, Ml 7/32. I Star Chamber Proceedings. Elizabeth. H47/38. 4 P.C.C. Evans, Sir John Perrot, p. 46. 5 Owen's Penbrokshire, vol. II, pp. 510-15.