Welsh Journals

THE PREBENDS OF RADNORSHIRE. By W. H. HOWSE, F.S.A. Among the archives of Major J. R. H. Harley of Brampton Bryan is the indenture of an agreement dated 4th October, 1630, relating to the Prebend of Llangunllo. The agreement was made between James Price of Pilleth, Elizabeth his wife, and John his son and heir, on the one part; and Richard Jones of Trewem (Llanfihangel Nant Melan) and James Rodd of the city of Hereford on the other part. Under its terms the former parties granted to the latter their interest in "all that the Prebend and Church of Llangunllo with the Chappell of Pilleth, parcell of the said Prebend, acquired under an indenture of lease dated 20th March, 1613, from the Rev. John Skull at a yearly rental of £ 22 payable at the Feast of St. Peter which is called ad vincula." Defined as covered by the lease were all the messuages, glebelands, tenements, meadowes, leasowes, pastures, tithes and tenths of all manner of come, graine and hay, lambes, wooll, and cheeses, and all oblations, fruits, advantages, emoluments and profitts whatsoever, with th'appurtenances unto the said Church or Prebend in any manner of wise belonging or appertayninge." Something will be said later in this paper about the above agree- ment. My main purpose, however, as indicated by the title of the paper, is to examine what is signified by the word Prebend." In the History of Radnorshire by Jonathan Williams (written about 1815) it will be found that no fewer than 11 parish churches are referred to as Prebends. The list is as follows :-Boughrood, with its annexed curacy of Llanbedr Painscastle; Clyro; Cwmdauddwr; Llanbister, with its Chapels of Llananno, Llanddewi Ystradenni, and Llanbadarn Fynydd Llandegley Llandeilo Graban; Llandrindod; Llanelwedd; Llangunllo, with its Chapel of Pilleth Llansantffraid-in-Elfael and St. Harmons. In each case the prebends are described as in the Collegiate Church of Breck- nock and the annual value of each is stated as given in the Liber Regis," i.e. the book of the king (Henry VIII), generally known as the Valor Ecclesiasticus of 1535/6 (27 Hen. VIII). I confirmed the above list by referring to the Valor itself, in which, however, there is an important difference, inasmuch as the prebends are described as in the Collegiate Church of Abergwili. The Valor also named Llowes as a prebend. This is not mentioned as such by Williams, nor did the Valor specify to what church or college it was attached. Another Radnorshire prebend, not included in the Valor or recorded by Williams, was Beguildy, which is mentioned in the Inventory of the Early Chancery Proceedings concerning Wales by E. A. Lewis (pp.287 and 291). This I traced through the "Statutes of