Welsh Journals

Marshfield is called Marshfeud in a charter of 1295 and takes its name from the marshy land of which the parish is composed. In Welsh it is called Meiryn, the meaning of which is somewhat doubtful. Meirion ap Tybiawn ap Cunedda, a chieftain in the fifth century, slain fighting the Irish, from whom Meirionydd (Merioneth) takes its name,1 may have been the founder of the church here. The parish contains 1,271 acres of land and 2 of water. The rateable value in 1815 was £ 1,916. The population has been as follows: Year No. of inhabitants 1801 395 1811 419 1821 483 1831 455 1841 503 1881 520 1891 564 Cacwn Llaneurwg Malwod y Llan Dau o'r plwyf Meiryn A wadwn nhw i gann [The wasps of St Mellons The snails of Llan Two of Marshfield parish Will beat them to flour.] The manors The manors of Marshfield, Hengwrt and St Brides, mesne manors held of the lords of Wentllwg, were purchased in 1706 by John Morgan of Rhiwperra from Sir Edmund Thomas of Wenvoe, at the same time as Pencarn.2 It is probable that these manors had come from the Flemings to the Morgans of Pencam and so to Sir Edmund Thomas. They now belong to Lord Tredegar. The manor of Dowlais was divided into Welsh and English Dowlais,3 and in Welsh Dowlais is the park called Pare newydd or New Park runnung up to an ancient camp. Tre-ddu, now generally called Black Town, is in the manor of Rumney. Marshfield There was another manor called Oldtown, which belonged in early times to the de Berefords: Sir John ap Thomas was the lord in 1486. In 1553 William Morgan of Tredegar was lord.3 Walter Waleran owned land here about 1250 to Payn de Turberville.4 Marshfield is in the manor of Dowlais or as it appears in deeds Deviles. This was one of the many manors of Edward Stafford duke of Buckingham who was attainted and executed in 1521. With the rest of the ducal property it became shortly afterwards in the hands of William Herbert first earl of Pembroke of the second creation. The survey of Henry 2nd earl of Pembroke made 13 September 1570 as to this manor is as follows: Manerium de Deviles Supervisio et renovacio rentalis ibidem die et anno predictis coram dictis commissionariis per sacramentum tenencium videlicet Lodovici Avan, Richardi Langley, Alexandri Gayner, Roberti Goole, Joh'is Durban, Joh'is Harry Blethin et Henrici Will'ms qui jurati dicunt et presentant ut sequitur, videlicet quod Liberi tenentes {in pencil: old Eng} Rolandus Kemishe, generosus, tenet libere iiij acras terre et reddit per annum ixd. Thomas William, tucker, tenet libere xv acras et reddit xvs. Rowlandus Kemishe tenet alias terras, prius Thome Wm. Hopkin ixd. Milo Morgan, 15 acres ijs. id. Idem, in Welsh Deviles, Tyre blyte vs. iiijd. Idem, terras vocatas Tyre butler et tyre kenyllyn vs. viijd. Idem, certas terras vocatas Grono baghe sub redditu xvd., xv acras in Weyne John Browne sub redditu iijd., et reddit xviijd. Idem, iiij acras xvd. Idem, certas terras in manibus Morgani John ll'n ijs. iijd. Idem, certas terras in manibus Thome Richard viijd. Rowlandus Morgan, armiger, xiij acras vijs. Edwardus Kemishe, generosus, v acras, prius Joh'es Ievan d'd xijd. Thomas Lawrence, v acras ijs. ixd. Ph'us Lawrence, quinque acras ijs. ixd. Barnet Brewer, ij acras iiijd. Edmondus Morgan, armiger, iiij acras viijd. Rowlandus Morgan de Lanvedo, generosus, ix acras ijs. iijd. Idem Rowland, iiij acras vijd. Milo Morgan pro terris prius Joh'is Thomas, viij acras viijd. Will'mus Kemyshe, iij acras ixd.