Footsteps from the Past

As part of the Duchy of Lancaster Llanelli would have been administered by Agents – usually men from Welsh nobility loyal to the Crown. These Agents would have been richly rewarded with grants of land for their loyal services.

King Edward I died in 1307 and his son became Edward II of England, reigning from 1307 to 1327. It was during his reign that a residence known as New Castle, of Llanelli was first mentioned. It is thought to have been a fortified structure situated near the ancient church and was probably on the site of the castle built to replace the old castle burned by Rhys Grug in 1215, on or near the ancient Roman Marching Camp, bordered by John Street, Murray Street and Station Road today. Building works undertaken during the industrialisation of the 18th and 19th centuries obliterated any evidence of the castle.

New Castle or ‘Castro Novo’, was the home of Morris ap Elidir, said to be a descendant of Elystan Glodrudd. It was Elystan Glodrudd’s grandson, Hywel ap Goronwy, ruler of Ystrad Tywi whose territory had been divided between Henry de Newburg, Roger le Poer, and Bishop Roger of Salisbury, by Henry I in 1106.

Morris ap Elidir who was also known as Morris Castle or Morris de Castro Novo of Llanelli, married a daughter of John Wiltshire, Captain of Dinefwr Castle in 1318 or 1319. Morris Castle and his wife had three sons, and the eldest, Walter, settled with his family in Llanelli.

During this period, Carmarthen would have been the largest borough in the area – with less than 1,500 inhabitants. Cydweli was more important than Llanelli, which would have been just a small hamlet with a few dwellings either side of a main street, around the church. The small hamlet which had grown up around the ancient church, in the shadow of the new castle, began to develop into an important trading centre, and it is thought that by the year 1310, Llanelli had been granted a Royal Charter which gave it borough status. With its Royal Charter Llanelli began to grow in status until the Plague of 1348 to 1350, known as the bubonic plague or Black Death, reached the town. The Black Death began in Central Asia, and made its way along the trade routes into Europe, reaching Britain at Melcombe Regis near Weymouth in 1348. The plague spread rapidly through one community after another and by the end of March 1349 it had reached Carmarthen. Llanelli would also have been affected as small towns were devastated and one-third of the population of Wales was wiped out.

Before the Plague, land had been at a premium and it was easy for Land Agents to find tenants, but after the devastation, it was a different story. With the drastic reduction in the population there was a surplus of land and it was difficult to find tenants to farm it. It did not take long for some enterprising survivors to buy up vacant tenancies, which in turn led to the growth of large new estates. With the reduced population Crown revenues fell and landowners looked for alternative sources of income. The Cistercian Monks, who had been given massive grants of land by 12th century rulers, had been the real pioneers of sheep farming, and enterprising landowners began to copy their ideas, by concentrating on sheep and cattle farming. As much of the arable land was turned over to livestock rearing, this led to the increased production of wool, cloth, and leather goods, all products that were profitable for both the home and export markets.

Some of the small lowland coastal towns, including Llanelli, established themselves . . .

Manorbier Castle

Order

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