Cardiff Records, Volume II, Chapter I
NOTES ON THE MANORS OF THE CARDIFF DISTRICT

Transcribed by Pat Sewell 1995
email: pat.sewell@btopenworld.com
www: http://www.btinternet.com/~pat.sewell/

Last Modified: 9 April 1996

Note: Cartae = G. T. Clark's "Cartae et alia munimenta quae ad Dominium de Glamorgan pertinent"

MANOR OF ROATH KEYNSHAM

This comprised the estates in Kibbor of Keynsham Abbey (Somersetshire)--founded by William, Earl of Gloucester, between 1167 and 1172. The grant of the estates constituting the manor of Roath Keynsham was by Gilbert de Clare (1217- 30).

1250 (c) In a pledge of five acres of meadow in Eastmore called Stockecroft, a rent of 2d. was reserved to the Earl of Gloucester and the Abbot of Keynsham. (cartae I., p. 157.)

1275. King Edward confirmed Earl Gilbert's grant to Keynsham of (inter alia ) "the whole Park of Rumeya and the whole fishery and fishing of Rumeya, and both the vivaries of Raz (Roath), with the mill and the great vivary below Kibur to the west, and all the lands (landas) of Raz, and the whole forest of Kibur." (Cartae I.,p. 190)

1291. In the Taxatio of Pope Nicholas, the Abbot of Keynsham has a carucate of land in Roath, with certain rights and rents, a weir and a water mill.

After the dissolution this manor was purchased by Sir Edward Lewis of the Van, and held in capite as church land.

1563. Lands originally part of this manor were granted by the Crown to William Morgan esq. and William Moris gent.

1593. Thomas Lewis of the Van died seised (inter alia ) of the manor of Roath Keynsham, held of the Queen; annual value 8s.

1596. Edward Lewis of theVann, esquire, was the lord. The manor had demesne and copyholds of indenture for three lives.

1650. William Lewis of the Van, esquire, was presented as the undoubted lord of the manor of Roath Keynsham.

1661. William Lewis died leaving a son, Edward Lewis, and a brother Richard. Edward Lewis died about 1674, having left his Welsh estates to his uncle Richard.

Richard Lewis, at some date between 1674-80, sold the manor to William Morgan, Esq., of Tredegar.

Lord Tredegar is the present Lord.

1650. "The Survey and Presentment of the Manor of Roath Keynsham in Glamorgan"

(Arch. Camb. 1883, p. 109), sets forth in detail the mears and bounds of the manor. The boundaries cannot be described without a plan, the manor being in so many scattered portions.

The principal tenements named in this Survey are the following:-

Roath Mill.

Field called Ystafell-y-cwn (or Stabell-y-cwm).

Llwyn-y-Grant.

Tir-y-Capel, in Llanedern, in the tenure of Thomas Mathew (held in fee under the College of Saint Austin on the Green, Bristol, and forming parcel of the estate called Coed-y-gores).

Wedal Uchaf, in the parish of Llandaf.

Cefn Coed.

1703. A Survey of the manor adds the following tenements:-

Cwrt Bach.

Pengam ; bounded east by the river Rhymny, and south-west by lands of the Lord of the Friars.

The Back, alias Abbot's Land.

Pedair Erw Twc.

Goose Lease.

The Survey further states that there is a pinfold or pound belonging to the manor ; and that all the tenants are entitled to free pasture on the commons there, called Mynydd Bychan, Y Waun Ddyfal and Treoda. Mynydd Bychan is called in English the Great Heath;

Y Waun Ddyfal is the Little Heath, and Gwaun-treoda is termed Whitchurch Common.

Coed-y-gores was anciently the home of a branch of the old Morgan family, the last of whom, David Morgan ("the Pretender's counsellor"), was beheaded at Kennington in 1746, and his estates forfeited for high treason.

Cefn-coed is an old abode on the top of the hill, north of Pen-y-lan.

Cwrt Bach, now called Roath Court Farm, is situate a little to the south of Roath Church.

Pengam is an ancient farmhouse on the margin of Roath Moor, a little south of the high road to Newport.

Pedair Erw Twc was a messuage and land between Roath and Llanishen, on the west side of the Nant Mawr ; the messuage has been demolished.

Goose Lease is now the name of a goose pasture by Roath mill and the Deri farm.

In this manor is Ty Gwyn (otherwise Pen-y-lan Farm), now the Convent of the Good Shepherd.

In the latter part of the 17th century, William Morgan of Tredegar bought Roath Keynsham from Richard Lewis of the Van, and Lord Tredegar is now Lord of the Manor.