Welsh Journals

ap Rhosser. From the year 1422, when he was appointed to the office of Constable of the castle of Huntingdon, until his death in the battle of Edgecote in 1469, he took an active part in civil and military affairs. But although he served the English crown, Thomas ap Rhosser did not neglect the customs, language and traditions of his own people. During his lifetime and that of his son, Watkin, Hergest Court, and the hospitality and generosity of its owners were the inspiration of poems that will live as long as the Welsh language. One of these poems describes the burial of Thomas, and how his widow, Elen Gethin of Llinwent, erected a tomb to his memory in St. Mary's Church, Kington, causing both their effigies to be placed thereon. I have already referred to the poet Hywel ap Syr Mathew of Llanfair Waterdine. In a historical chronicle written by him he mentions the death at the battle of Edgecote of this Thomas ap Rhosser as follows :—" And Thomas ap Rhosser was killed and Elen Gethin fetched his body home and buried him with honour in Kington Church." Thomas's widow, Elen Gethin, was of the family of Philip Dorddu, being a sister to the Dafydd Fychan of Llinwent to whom I have already referred. After the death of her husband she retired to a property of hers at Nash, near Presteign. While there in April, 1474, she obtained an indulgence for those who would pray for the soul of her late husband. When ultimately she too died, the famous poet Llawdden, who was the family bard of her kinsman Meredudd of Maeliennydd, commemorated her in a very fine elegy. There is no time at present to speak further of this family that did so much to foster the native Welsh culture so I will pass to the fourth of the great tribes of the district, that of Crug Eryr. Crug Eryr, as you all know, is a motte-and-bailey castle, situated on a spur of Radnor Forest, by the side of the road leading from Penybont to Forest Inn. The earliest reference to Crug Eryr that I have seen occurs in the Itinerary of Giraldus Cambrensis. You will remember that Giraldus and Archbishop Baldwyn stayed there one night at the start of their famous journey through Wales, and that Maelgwn ap Cadwallon, prince of Maeliennydd, was among the company present. Another exceedingly interesting reference to the place occurs in a manuscript written by a Radnorshire genealogist in the year 1588. He tells us that a former owner of the place was Einon Sais who dwelt in the place known as Crug Eryr Tomen (or Mound) This Einon Sais was not the Einon Sais of Brecknock but Einon Sais of Y Graig and of Y Fforest Glyd," one of whose descendants Llywelyn Crug