Welsh Journals

of whom, Elizabeth, married Henry de Pembridge before April 1254.12 Prudently Henry fined 100 marks to have custody of the lands of the two other daughters, Lucy and Euphemia, of the lands of Godfrey de Gamages and to have their marriages for his sons.13 The Pembridges were con- stantly called upon to vindicate their claims to the barony both against the de Tony family and one of the men of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, as the Welsh Assize Roll of 1277-1284 testifies.14 An inquisition was called in 1254 to decide that the barony of Boughrood-Trewern was a separate barony and not of the honour of Painscastle.15 In a plea before Walter de Hopton and his fellows at Boughrood in 1278, Elizabeth, formerly the wife of Henry de Pembridge "claims against Rhys ap Rosser the lands of Boughrood and Trewern, with the appurtenances, as her right and free marriage which she claims to hold of the king in chief whereof she says that her father, Godfrey de Gamage, whose heir she is, gave her his right to this land at the church door in free marriage and confirmed by his charter, and that she was in seisin of it by the grant and feoffment for several years until, in time of war, she was ejected by the force and power of the Welsh". The jury acknowledged her right.16 It was claimed, un- successfully, in 1287 by Ralph de Tony of Painscastle.17 Elizabeth's claim in 1278 must indicate that she has recovered the honour after a previous loss in 1265, when the king offered pardon to "all and singular the men of Bochredtrewern" if they would come in force to "our faithful Mathew de Gamages",18 This Mathew was probably the same man as obtained the manor of Leye in Worcestershire upon the imprisonment of Henry de Pembridge after 1265.19 The identity of this Mathew de Gamages is unclear but he cannot be related to the Mansell Gamage family. The Pembridges, however, seem to have recovered their estates and remained in enjoyment of the Gamage lands. There are no clues as to how Boughrood came into the possession of the Gamages family. They may have acquired it under the auspices of the Lacys though this family was not active in this part of Elfael. The list of Bernard de Neufmarche's vassals as benefactors of the new priory at Brecon does not include them.20 Perhaps they found favour with Reginald de Braose who held Radnor and Builth until the close of Henry I's reign. We know that Hugh Mortimer of Wigmore re-conquered Elfael and Maelienydd in 1144.21 The native ruler of Elfael, Einion Clud, died in 1177 and was succeeded by his son, Einion o'r Porth, who seems to have acknowledged the authority of the Lord Rhys. Einion's death in 1191 enabled William de Braose to occupy the cantref of Elfael and to erect the two castles of Colwyn and Painscastle.22 The Lord Rhys recaptured the castles and the fall of the de Braose family after 1208 meant that they rested with the Welsh until the district was granted to Ralph de Tony in 1233. The death of Roger de Tony in 1264 enabled Llywelyn ap Gruffydd to take over Elfael until he was dislodged in 1276 and Ralph de Tony given seisen.23 A solution to the problem of the Gamage acquisition of Boughrood therefore seems unattainable. A personal preference is the theory that Boughrood was a royal grant (it was held in chief) to Godfrey de Gamages in 1158 (when Henry II made a brief but successful expedition to south Wales) and that it may be hidden by the "15 solidates" of land for which Godrey, and later Mathew, answered on the Pipe Rolls in "Herefordshire in Wallia".