Welsh Journals

of commotes. By 1353 at the latest, the office in Perfedd, Creuddyn, Mabwynion and Caerwedros was granted to the steward as a means of augmenting his income. The importance of the rhaglaw in 1400 lay more in his fees than in his work as a commotal officer, so the king or prince of Wales could use the office as a royal favour without affecting adversely the administration of Cardiganshire. The attraction of the office grew when it was resolved to appoint one rhaglaw for the whole county. Henry Benet obtained this office from Henry VI on 6 June 1424. Welshmen were also favoured, Rhydderch ap Rhys ap Llywelyn and Thomas ap Gruffydd ap Nicholas were granted the rhaglawship jointly in 1456-8, while throughout the Yorkist period, except for the years 1463-4, Welshmen held the office.10 The Tudors increased the profitability of the office by leasing it at a nominal rent as a reward for service. Prince Arthur gave the rhaglaw- ship in 1491-2 to Richard Phillips 'in consideration of his service during his life' at the small rent of 20 shillings a year.11 Henry VIII granted, on 4 June 1529, the office for the same reason to Griffith Rede and Sergeant Peers Mutton for the life of the longer of them. There is no evidence that any of the tenants refused the dues before the death of Griffith Rede, but when Peers Mutton held the office alone, he was forced to prosecute a number of reluctant tenants, viz., Richard ap David Lloyd and three others, Ieuan ap Llewelyn ap Meredith and eight others, William Jankyn and others, in the Court of Augmentations. 12 We can date these actions only to the period between the foundations of Augmentations and a new grant of the rhaglawship, 1547-51. Peers Mutton bequeathed this situation to his successor, George Mutton (the coincidence of surname suggests a relationship), who was granted the rhaglawship for life by Edward VI on 20 June 1551.13 As George Mutton was involved in legal action against Herle's tenants before this date, Edward VI's grant confirmed and extended Mutton's possession of the office. George Mutton distrained a number of the inhabitants but eventually agreed to stop while the dispute was examined by a commission headed by Sir Thomas Johnes and Sir John Woogan. Meanwhile Mutton sub-leased the office to David Vaughan and two others, all justices of the peace, who distrained 60 men on 2 May 1551 and continued this action against others during the following days. Thomas ap David and two others complained on behalf of the inhabitants to the Court of Augmentations. The commission confirmed Mutton's claims but the Cardiganshire men refused to yield, for John Vaughan ap Rhydderch and three others brought an action in Augmentations against Philip Williams, the collector of the rhaglaw's revenues in the commote of Genau'r Glyn, who, when faced with non-payment, had distrained the livestock of over 200 persons in the commote. The animals were still