Account of Monmouthshire in 1602. 16 OWEN'S ACCOUNT OF WALES, 1602. HAVING been indulged by a valuable Correspondent with the use of an unpublished volume compiled by G. Owen, in 1602, showing the state of Wales at that period, we propose to give a County occasionally, till the whole is published. They may hereafter prove interesting when compared with the Compendiums of County History, now in course of publication in our Magazine.-EDIT. WALES. THE number of the Hundreds, Castles, Parish Churches, and Fairs; together with the names of all the chief Lordships, Market-towns, Forests and great woods, Deer-parks, Ports, Havens, chief Mountains and Hills, notable Rivers, Monasteries, Priories, Frieries, and Nunneries, in all the shires of Wales. And also the names of divers the chief gentlemen of every of the said shires, and the names of their wives and dwelling places. With brief notes of the nature of the soil, quality of the people, and government in every shire; and the present state of the chiefest towns. Lastly; the length, breadth, and a near guess of the contents and bigness of every shire, reduced into square [July, White Castle. gavenny, Newport, Usk, Caerlin, ChepMarket-towns, 9.-Monmouth, Berstowe, Raglan, Grismond, Magun. Forests and great Woods, 5.-Grismond, Wyeswood, Moukwood, Wentsworth, Earleswood. Parks, 7.-Llandillo, Crasdaw, Raglan, 2, 3, 4, Ionygroes, St. Julians, Gwernycleppe, Machen. Ports and Havens, 2.-Chepstowe, Newport. Chief Mountains and Hills, 4.Shyrrid Maur, Bloreus, Tombarlom, Thoiton Beacon. Chief Rivers, 9.-Wye, Usk, Mon, Trothy, Cefney, Ebwith, Aran, Olwy, Rumney. Monasteries, 5.-Tintern, Lantony, Lantarnam, Goldcliff, Crasdwy. Priories, 4.-Bergavenny, Newport, Chepstowe, Monmouth. Nunneries, 2.-Usk, St. John in Bergavenny. Mansiones. Raglan. Colebrock. Lanternan. Beetwelthy. Lanvair. Lanwern. Lanover. Werncleppa. Lanwarrow. St. Peers. Bergavenny. Bergavenny. William Baker. David Morgan. PATRIA. Soil. Very fertile, and very foul ways.-People. Well governed, but many thefts, too common in most parts. Towns.-Monmouth, an indifferent good town. Abergavenny, fine town, wealthy and thriving, the very best in the shire. Chepstowe, a little town, indifferent good; other towns decayed. 1823.] NA 17 Account of Navestock Parish, in Esser. Mr. URBAN, July 8. wards established themselves at Borley, TAVESTOCK Parish is situated in Essex, of which manor and estate in the Hundred of Ongar, and they remain to this day the proprietors) County of Essex, at the distance of was a principal officer in the household about four miles and a half from of Princess Mary, subsequently Queen Brentwood; nearly the same from of England, and therefore was deemed Chipping Ongar; eight from Epping; a proper person with Sir Robert Roand seven from Romford. Its boun- chester, his uncle, and Sir Francis daries on the East, are the parishes of Englefield, to be employed by King Doddinghurst and Kelvedon Hatch; Edward the Sixth and his council, in on the South, South Weald and Rom- forbidding Mass in the house of the ford; towards the West, Stapleford said lady, which at that time was Abbots; whilst the Roding river di- Copt Hall, near Eppings and these vides it from Stanford Rivers on the gentlemen, for their failure herein, North. The soil in general is rich, incurred the King's displeasure to such though of different sorts, nor are the a degree, that he committed them in the houses numerous, and husbandry ap-first instance to the Fleet Prison, and pears to be the chief employment of the inhabitants. Its original name, like that of most others, is written various ways in the old records. We are advised by. Mr. Morant, that King Edgar granted an es tate in this parish to the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, London; but, although the authenticity of this donation has been questioned by Mr. Newcourt, it appears undeniable, that St. Paul's possessed lands in this parish anterior to the Conquest; of which having been despoiled, William the Conqueror restored them to the Church on the day of his Coronation, with an exemption as before from tribute and taxes, with the exception of the three accustomed ones, viz.: For military expeditions, or for the building or repairing either castles or bridges. From -King Edward the Second it likewise obtained this immunity or privilege, that from within its precincts, no corn should be taken for the personal service of his Royal household. At the Reformation, King Henry the Eighth Church in 1544, in lieu of an equivalent hitherto undiscovered, it re mained for nine years in the tenure of the crown; at length, Queen Mary the First, in the year 1553, granted not only the Manor of Navestock, but also the Rectory and Advowson of the Vicarage, to Sir Edward Waldegrave, Knt. and in his descendant the Earl of Waldegrave it continues to the present day, being a period of 270 years in their possession. Sir Edward Waldegrave (descended from a family originally resident at, and giving name to the parish of Wal degrave, in Northamptonshire, after GENT. MAG. July, 1823. thence removed them to the Tower of Waltham, or Epping Forest. In 1558 ained up to the tune of his death, on the first of September 1561, aged 44 years. The reverse of policy and religion pursued by the two Sisters, ob |