Welsh Journals

are obvious errors in the passages quoted from; Caeach flows into Taf not Rhymni and "the very high hill called Tuin Barlwm (Twyn Barllwm)" which, says Leland, "is in the middle ground between Remney (Rhymni) and Ebbouith (Ebbw) "is, of course, across the Ebbw, beyond the far bank. Errors of this sort and the omission of any reference to a church at Risca indicates that Leland did not visit Risca (Gwent). Historical Occurrence of the Name "Risca". With the exception of the foregoing, most of the historical references to Risca are to Risca (Gwent). Risca Church In 1102* Robert de Haia and his wife Gunfreda "gave to God and the Church of St. Mary in Glastonbury (i.e. the Benedictine monastery) the church of Bassaleg with its tithes and alms and bodies of the dead belonging to the parish of Bassaleg". Risca is not mentioned in this document which gives the names of a number of daughter churches of Bassaleg including Machen, Bedwas and Mynyddislwyn. But when the above grant was confirmed in 1146 by Roger de Berkerolles,5 two of the witnesses were "Kadmor de Risca" and his brother Wilfred. Risca is mentioned in a document of 1230-406 in which Michael, Bishop of Glastonbury, leased the lands of the church of Bassaleg and its associated chapels to Elias, Bishop of Llandaff for 35 marks per half year. It is not mentioned in the Taxato Ecclesia of 1291 where it is apparently covered by the term "Bassaleg and its chapels" but in the Valor Ecclesiasticus of 15357 it is recorded that the Vicar of Bassaleg received from the Chapel of Risca the sum of 53s. 4d. "by ancient custom". Over the years 1535-1696 there are no references to Risca in the ecclesiastical documents which have so far come to light. 8 Newport Assize Roll Risca is mentioned twice in the Newport Assize Roll of 1476. Two men from Risca were charged with others of being "nightwatchers and common waylayers by day and night."9 There were also indictments against "Ieuan, late of Risca" and others for "abducting the King's bailiff and robbing him of his money". 1 0 Land Transactions In records of land transactions involving the Tredegar estates, the earliest reference to Risca is in a document of 1540.1 Risca or Riska is found 41 times in abstracts of documents of 1600-1700. 1 Rishka is also found (1674). 13 Rhyscae, Rhyskae, Riskae and Riskay appear 17 times in the abstracts of documents of 1607-1700.14 Letter of Edward Lhuyd In a letter to the Master of University College, Oxford written in 1706,1 5 Edward Lhuyd remarks "the people of Rhysky in Mon. are the jest of