Welsh Journals

Among the factors which led to the anglicization of the Welsh gentry a high place must be assigned to Shrewsbury School. It is unfortunate that neither the Shrewsbury School Registrum Scholar- ium, 1562-1635, printed in 1902 by E. Calvert, nor the Shrewsbury School Register, 1636-64, printed in 1917 by the Rev. J. E. Auden, gives much help with the personal identifications. 8 The school benefited from the presence of the Council of Marches at Ludlow, and it is likely that an examination would reveal a tendency among some of the richer squires to avoid education at the local grammar school with a view to sending their sons later to the Inns of Court. From an early date Shrewsbury was an outpost of English influence, but throughout the first half of the seventeenth century the Welsh had their strong footholds in both the universities they centred respectively upon Jesus College, Oxford, and St. John's College, Cambridge. There was also a certain division between North and South Wales, Jesus being especially favoured by the well- established gentry from Glamorgan and Carmarthen. Brasenose had also its Welsh contingent dating back to the days of Humphrey Llwyd.9 Some families divided their sons between these colleges. The Mansells of Margam, led by Sir Robert Mansell who is described as "the only valiant man whom King James ever loved," tended to favour Brasenose,10 while the Carmarthenshire branch went to Jesus,11 Francis Mansell who was principal from 1630 until his ejection in 1648 being a cadet of the Muddlescombe line. In the last years of James I the Stradlings of St. Donat's were likewise divided,12 two brothers going to Brasenose and two to Jesus. The Vaughans of Golden Grove, including the first Earl of Carbery and his brother Sir William Vaughan of Llangyndeyrn, had gone up to Jesus College in the last years of Elizabeth 1.13 8 In the earlier volume the notes are generally confined to "gen. f." and "gen. f. et h." There is an occasional "arm. f. et h." and, in one instance, Edward Price admitted on 28 January 1633 is described as "Baronetti f." Lewys Blaynie is described as "arm. fil. et h." In 1633 twelve out of thirty- nine boys admitted were mentioned as "gen. fil. Calvert, op. cit., p. 307 and pp. 327-8. 9 Humphrey Llwyd (1527-1568), the author of The Breviary of Britain and Cambriae Typus, graduated from Brasenose College in 1551. 10 Sir Robert Mansell, son of Sir Edward of Margam, matriculated at Brasenose on 8 December 1587 aged 18,. his nephews Sir Lewis Mansell and Henry entering the same college on 30 January 1600 and 22 May 1601. 1 Antony Mansell, son of Richard of St. Ismael, co. Carmarthen, arm., matriculated at Jesus College on 8 September 1634. Sir Edward Stradling of St. Donat's matriculated at Brasenose on 16 June 1615 aged 14, his next brother Thomas matriculating at that college on the same day. The younger brothers Edward and George Stradling matriculated at Jesus College on 30 April 1624 and 27 April 1638. Cf. Joseph Foster, Alumni Oxonienses, IV, pp. 1432-3. John Vaughan, later first Earl of Carbery, and his brother William, matriculated at Jesus College on 4 February 1592, aged 17 and 16 respectively ibid., IV, p. 1536.