The Scituation, Foundation, and Auncient Names of the Famous Towne of Sallop/The Scituacion, Foundation, and auncient Names of the famous Towne of Sallop

by Oliver Mathews

 

The Scituacion, Foundation, and auncient Names of the famous Towne of Sallop, not inferiour to manie Citties in this Realme, for Antiquitie, godlie Goverment, good Orders and Wealth. The Lord so continue yt, to his good pleasure and theire good. Amen. By Oliver Mathews, gen. Julie 1616.

HIS most auncient and famous Towne was first fownded by the noble and victorious kinge of Brutaines, Dyffenwall Moell myd, whom the Romanes, Saxons, Normanes and Danes called Mulmutius Dunwallo. The which Fowndation was first begonne abouts 669. yeres after Brutus first entraunce into Brutaine, which before was called Albion, anno mundi 3525. before the Incarnation of our Savioure Christe 438. This most noble kinge, Dyffenwall Moell myd, made the Castle there, and the North Gate, and a Wall from the Castle to Seaverne, and also from the Castle to Seaverne on the North side, leavinge Seaverne to be a Wall and a Defence to the Towne round abouts, savinge the Wall before mentioned, and called the Towne by her first Name Caer Odder yn hafren which is, by enterpretation, the Cittie or the Towne of fallinge or slydinge ground within the wombe of Seaverne. Which most famous river, beinge the second navigable river in the realme of Brutaine, descendeth or beginneth out of the highe and pleasaunt hill Plimhimon or Plimonia, with her twoe Sisters, cominge from the said Hill, Gowe or Wy and Ryndiocke or Ryed wely. Seaverne descendinge, as aforesaide, from ^[1]Plimhimnon, beinge in the furthest part of Mountgomery shire adjoyninge to Cardigan shire and Merioneth shire, cometh to Arnstlie, and by the most auncient decaied Cittie Caer Souse or Caer Souswen throughe Redewen in Powys, and so to Sallop, and from thence to Rockcestre, to Bridgenorth, to Bewdley, Worcestre, Gloucestre, and not farr from the Cittie of Gloucestre it ebbeth and floweth. Betwixte Walshe, Devonshire and Cornewall it beareth the name of Seavrne or Hafren Sea, and was the olde division or partition betwixt Lloiger and Cambria from Roccestre or Caer Belin to the Sea at Cornewall. In the old tyme of the Brutaines Goverment all the land above the Ryver belonged to Camera, nowe called Walshe, of Idwall, sonne to kinge Caddwalader, and was enjoyed by the Canmer Brutaines, and all under the River was called Lloyger. The Towne of Sallop was repayred by the fiftie Christian brethren, which were of the Christian Fraternity of Bangor in old Powies; which fiftie Christian bretheren escaped from the wicked pagan kinges of Saxons, called Ethelridus kinge of Northumberland and Alured kinge of Kente, and Gurmundus the Irishe African, which pagan kings were in mortall warrs with the Christian Browchwell, kinge or prince of Old Powys and Bangor, did kill and murther a thowsand Christian brethren of the Fraternitie of Bangor, bicause they praied for the prosperous successe of the prince Broughwell, and for his preservation from the forenamed pagan kinges. For as longe as the Christian brethren praied for prince Broughwell, the pagan kings could not obtaine aine victory against him: therefore the foresaid pagan kings divelishlie and most cruellie commaunded theire armed men, to kill and murther the unarmed Christian brethren, beinge kneelinge upon their knees at prayer, and some of them barefooted, wearinge next theire skins shirts of haire. Some of them escaped to Lichfield, and there were murdered by the pagan Saxons, and Irishe pagans, and the rest of the thowsand were in like cruell manner slayne, without mercy, of the forenamed enemies at Westchester and Bangor. All which furious pagan enemies, sett on by the bloudy Romaines, destroied the Towne and Universitie of Bangor, and burnte theire most auncient Brittaine librarie, more precious then gould. The bookes therein were the workes of the learned Brutaines Assur, Beda, Gildas sapiens, Geraldus Camberensis, Alfridus de Beverley, Gulielmus de Mawmbry, and the auncient learned bookes of all the auncient learned Brutaines, especiallie of Northwalshe. But from the said cruell and bloudy massacre and murther, there escaped, as before is said, fiftie of the Christian brethren of Bangor, and cam with theire prince Broughwell to Sallop, beinge then the chiefest place or pallace of the Kinge or Prince of old Powys, and then called Pen gwerne Powys, bicause there did then growe a greate nomber of Oller trees, and bicause that the king’s house did stand at the upper end, or head end, of the same Oller trees. And after theire cominge to Sallop, the said fiftie brethren did build them fower Sinagouges or Churches, after the manner as the Christian Jewes did build and make theire Churches. Theis Christian brethren did build and make the said Churches with theire owne handes, without the helpe or assistaunce of anie other, and there dwelt and contynued the space of five hundred and twentie yeres, before theire religious houses were suppressed. And after they had made theire temples, they served the Lord there, and wrought with theire owne hands, and with the sweate of theire browes gote theire livinges, and preached and served the Lord, according as theire predeceassors had taught them, and had learned of Josephe of Arimathea, a disciple of our Saviour Christe, who buried his blessed bodie, and was conversaunte with Christ’s appostles, disciples and Sainctts, where and when they learned the true religion, and did understand the lawes of Christe and his blessed Gospell, as Josephus afirmeth, and came into this land of Brutaine abouts xvien. or xvii. yeres after our Saviour Christ’s Ascention. The worthie Mr. Foxe recordeth the same at large. And nowe to retorne to the fiftie brethren of Sallop, after they had escaped the cruell pagan mortheringe enemies the Saxons and Irishe men, sett on by the Romaines, and had bin in the Towne a tyme, and there had kepte and shrowded themselves from theire mortall enemies, they tourned the name of the Towne from Penne gwerne Powys to Shrowsbury, because they there kepte and shrowded themselves, as aforesaid, from theire enemies, and scithence to this daie the Towne hathe bin and is called Shrowsbury. The said fiftie brethren were called, or named, by the names of Saints, or sainted, to the end the difference might be knowen betwixt them and the vulgar or comon sorte of people. And after they remained and contynued there in peace and quietnes, and had forgon all anger, which they counted a dangerous estate to remaine and contynue in, they beinge learned Brittaines named the Towne in the Brittaines langwage Ymwythige or Ymygige, which is by enterpretation to saie, we have forgon anger, or wee will no more be angrie, and so the auncient Brittaines call the Towne to this daie Ymythyge, or shire Ymythige. The Towne then beinge smallie builded, and the Walls verie sclender, and most parte unwalled, saveinge on the North side, as before I have said, by the Castell, the said late Bangorian brethren cast trenches abouts the Towne betwixt Seavron and the Towne, to keepe that the water should not waste the Ground above the Trenches, which they made abouts the Water side for savegard of the Ground, and they sett Sallie trees or Withie trees to growe all abouts the Towne, and when the said Sallies were growen bigge, and were verie manie abouts the same Towne, they afterwards called the Towne Sallopsbury or Saliopsbury, of Sallopia, or shorter Sallop, all which last names were meant and derived of the aboundaunce of Sally trees, thereaboutes growinge. This famous Towne of Sallop was formerlie repayred and augmented by kinge Malquin Gwynyth, and the said Browghwell y scydroe prince of Powys, which Broughwell brought with him to Sallop the fiftie brethren from Bangor, as aforesaid. And afterwards in the tyme of Prince Llewellin vawr, or Llewellin Magnus, and others, the Towne was repayred and augmented, but especiallie by Llewellin the greate, who was also called Llewellin Drowin Donne, who made the Westbridge over the River of Seavron, and built the worthy Tower thereon, and caused his Monument or Picture to be made and putt upon the same Tower on the Welshbridge, with his face lookinge towards Northwales, of which Countrie he was Prince; and likewiese he made a stone wall, with divers Towers thereupon, abouts the same Towne, from the Walshbridge unto the Stone gate. And after wards Edward the first kinge of England after the Conquest, beinge a deadlie guilefull and cruell morthering enemie of the Brittaines nobles and princes, to deface the auncient Monument and Picture of Llewellin Drowin Don, caused the armes of England to be drawen on the picture of Prince Lewellin; but bicause of the Nose of Prince Llewellin Drowin Don, which was flatt, they could not alter the Picture, but the Picture of the flatt Nose still remayneth, and is yet to be seene, and that was the Cause whie the Picture was not altered, as more at large yt may appeare in the Englishe Chronicles recorded. But to retorne to the fiftie brethren of Bangor, abouts anno Christi 1220, the said godlie brethren were examined by Comission from the Pope and the Archbishop of Caunterbury, whether they would obey the Pope’s Lawes, Ceremonies and Decrees, or not. The which to doe theis godlie brethren refused to doe, bicause they sawe and well perceived, that those Lawes and Ceremonies, which the Pope mainteyned, were not agreeable, but farre differed from those lawes, which they had learned from theire predecessors, and which theire predecessors had learned of Josephe of Arimathea, who had bin a Disciple of our Saviour Christ, and had bin conversaunt with his Disciples and Appostles, and had learned theire faithe and religion, which did verie much differ from that faithe and religion, which the Pope and his Adherents professed, which was the onlie cause, why they refused to submitt themselves to the Pope’s hereticall Lawes, Ceremonies and Ordinaunces. Upon which refusall of the godlie Christian brethren, one Austen a fryer procured a Comission from the Pope and from the said Archbishop of Caunterbury, for the disolution of theire houses, and to confiscate theire said houses and theire goodes, and to discharge the said godlie brethren of Sallop thence, alleadginge against them, that they were infected with the Pelagian Heresie, which was nothinge soe, but onlie a Cloke to cover the cruell and unjust Dealinge of the Romaines. For the Pelagian Heresie first began in Roome in the tyme of Constantius, Father to Constantine the Greate, who was sonne to the sanctified Hellen, the Brutaine Queene. So that this Heresie beinge begunne at Roome, might by the Pope have there bin staied from cominge into England, as yt is well knowen all or most Heresies doe begin and arise at Roome. And althoughe theis Christian bretheren were driven quite from theire houses, as aforesaid, yet the reliques and monnements of theire fower houses doe remaine, and are yet to be seene in Sallop in the places where they stood, and the said brethren, havinge no other meanes to gett theire livings, did worke and labour for the same in Masons worke, and bestowed their tyme in makinge of Churches and Steeples, and there are divers Churches in Wales which they made, and cauled them after theire owne Names, as one called Syllyn made a Churche, and called yt Llan Syllyn; another called Dryneo made Llan Dryneo; and another called Gyrryge made Llangyrryge; and so throughe Northwales they made manie Churches, and called them after theire owne names, as yt appeareth and is well knowen amongst the auncient Brutaines. But of the godlie lives, usages, and behaviour of the said godlie brethren, I meane, at some other tyme, to write more at large. But yet, to speake somwhat more at large of the cruell and deceitfull dealinge of the said Edward the first, which he used towards the Brutaines, the said Edward the first, after that his Father Henry the third, and kinge John, had cruellie slaine the Princes and Nobilitie of Wales, and dispossessed them of theire lands and livings, placinge Normans and Saxons in theire Castles, Lands and Livings, especiallie in Northwales, the said Edward the first guilefullie and deceitfullie procured the noble men of the Brutaines, to consent, that he should name one to be theire Prince of Wales, provided allwaies, that he should be borne in Wales, and one that could not speake anie Englishe. Whereupon he priviley and guilfullie caused his wieffe to be kepte and brought to bed at Caernarvon Castle, where shee was delivered of a Sonne named Edward, whom his Father kinge Edward the first nominated to be Prince of Wales, and so by his wily Craftines frustrated the expectation of the Brutaines, who onlie expected a Prince of theire owne Nation. And yet notwithstandinge all theis coseninge feats, and that the said kinge Edward had, by fraudulent meanes, so made his sonne Edward Prince of Wales, yet could he not therewith be contented, but contynued furth still his bloody minde towards them, murtheringe theire noble men and chieffe men of theire Countrey, and makinge straite lawes against them and theire children, as the lawe for the Division of lands amongst theire sonnes, of purpose to bringe them and theire children to beggerie (as he and the Normans thought.) And the Brutaines lookinge for theire Deliveraunce from the cruell bondage, wherein the Normans and Saxons deteyned them, trusted to the Prophecy of the Eagle at Caer Septer, alias Shaftsbury, in the tyme of kinge Hudibras or Ryon balader bras, the eight kinge after Brutus, 237. after Brutus first entraunce, and also to the Prophecy of Merlin Dall Yesin, who prophesied of theire deliveraunce, which caused them to make manie insurrections against the Normans, lookinge for theire Deliveraunce before the tyme, which wrought them much sorrowe. Yet at the last, when yt was thought past all hope, yt pleased thallmightie to send them a Moses to deliver them, kinge Henry the seaventh and his worthie sonne kinge Henry the eight. But yet concerninge Edward the second, borne at Carnarvon, as is beforesaid, by treacherous meanes, after that he became Prince of Wales, he shewed not himself like a Welshman, nor like unto a man borne in Wales, but followinge the steps of his Auncestors, bothe he and kinge Henry the fowerth made cruell, straite and servile Lawes against the Brutaines, debarringe them from all liberties, makinge them and theire Children verie bondmen unto the Saxons and Normans. The like did kinge Richard the second; and so they contynued in vile servile slaverie, untill (as before I have said) yt pleased the Allmightie, to send kinge Henry the 7. and his sonne kinge Henry the eight, to deliver them from bondage, who made them as free as anie of theire enemies, either Saxons or Normanes.

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But nowe yf there be anie Brittaine, that demaundeth of us, wher be the Aucthors for this my Work, I referr him to the most worthy Brittaine records of Assur and Beda or Bedoe, and the learned Brittaine Gildas, and he shall finde this most true, yf he can have their auncient records in the auncient Brittaines langwage; or yf he be a Saxon or Norman, let him learne the Brittaines language, and then peruse the forenamed Aucthors, and the truthe will appeare to be as I have said.

 

THE AUNCIENT NAMES OF SALLOP.

Caer Odder yn Hafren.
Penne Gwerne Powys.
Shroudsbury.
Ymythyge, derived of anger.
Sallop or Sallopia, of the sallie trees there growinge.

1. Sic.