Llanddewi Abergwesin, is a chapel to
Llangammarch
(St.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v3
Regard- ing this as a just visitation of Providence for his rapine, he ordered the church property taken to be restored again to the bishop.
In presence of the latter, he deplored his misfortune, saying that St.
David had inflicted a just punishment on him.
And with these complaints he expired.
"
A certain Welshman, who belonged to the Diocese of Menevia, together with a German, had been captured by the Saracens and bound with an iron chain. Day or night, the Welshman did not cease crying out in his native
" me " Inashort David, help ! time,
dialect,
wareth,"
means,
"Dewi
which
this Welshman obtained his liberty, and returned to his own country, where,
in recognition of his miraculous release, Gervasius," Bishop of Menevia, re- ceived him into his house. As the German was suspected to have connived at this escape, he was exposed to stripes, and kept in stricter confinement. Meantime, he recollected, that the Welshman had often used the words "Dewiwareth. " TheGermanoftenrepeatedthesewords,likewise,although hedidnotknowtheirmeaning. Suddenly,heseemedtohavebeenbrought tohisownhome,andinawayhecouldnotunderstand. Hevainlysought, for some time, to learn the meaning of those words. At last he went to Paris, where he met a Welshman, who explained them. The German gave God thanks, and resolved to set out on a pilgrimage to St. David's shrine, in Menevia. Here, he met his former companion, who kissed him with much affection. They mutually related those adventures, which might well be re- garded as miraculous. A great plague having prevailed throughout Anglia, and many persons having fallen victims to it, in various places, it was generally resolved, that every bishop should immerse the relics of his church in holy water. It was hoped, that the use of this water, by aspersion or drinking, would have procured its cessation ; but, the mortality still continued to be very great. Last of all came the Bishop of Menevia, bearing the arm of St. David. When it had been immersed in the water, this liquid appeared as if covered with some rich unctuous substance, and over it gleamed a golden cross. The people flocked in crowds to taste this water, when the mortality soon disappeared. Joy and health were immediately diffused throughout the whole country. ^3
The situation of modern St. David's or old Menevia is so depressed by surrounding hills, that a traveller approaching from the eastward cannot see any of its buildings, until he actually finds himself entering its principal street. ** Notwithstanding the present very wretched appearance of this city,
" A little lowly hermitage it was,
Down in a dale, hard by a forest's side,
Far from resort of people that did pass In travell to and fro : a little wyde
There was an holy chapelle edifyde, "Wherein the Hermit dewly wont to say
His holy things each morn and eventyde ; Therebye a christall streame did gently
play,
Which from a sacred fountaine welled
forth alway. "
—See "Circle of the Seasons," p. 61.
'° " Id est vallem Hodheni," says Harps- feld.
" See, Harpsfeld's "HistoriaAnglicana," &c. , p. 41,
^^
the Bollandists, to have been Gervasius de Castro, Bishop of Bangor, who is said to have enjoyed such dignity, from A. D. 1366 to 1370.
'3 See, Capgrave's "Nova Legenda An-
This bishop is thought, however, by
glise. " Kalendas Martii, Ixxxiiii. , Ixxxv. , Ixxxvi.
fol. Ixxxiii. ,
46 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March i.
there are evidences of its former consequence remaining. Traces of old
streets may be found, and the foundations of walls, with many other objects
of antiquity. St. David's is now only an insignificant village, situated on a
small eminence, near a projecting headland, terminating in a pile of rocks. These obtain the denomination of St. David's Head. The whole country
around is wild, picturesque, unwooded, and rather thinly inhabited. In a deep hollow, beneath the town, and greatly sheltered from the winds, which occasionally sweep around these rugged sliores, the cathedral and its surround- ing ecclesiastical buildings are to be seen. The cathedral tower is finely carved in fretwork, and a Gothic ornam^tal choir contrasts with Saxon pillars and arches in the great aisle. There is a ceiling of Irish oak, which is greatly admired, together with a fine Mosaic pavement. ^5
The Episcopal See of St. David's is situated at the western extremity of Pembrokeshire, sixteen miles distant from the market and county town of Haverfordwest. Consequently, it is placed at the extreme point of South Wales, and even on the most extreme promontory of England, with the exception of the Land's End, which projects more w-estwardly, about one- third of a degree. The peculiar position of the cathedral hinders it from being at all a prominent object, at any distant point of view. It lies in a deep hollow, immediately below the town of St. David's ; and, consequently,
from most directions, the body of the church is hardly visible. The great
tower alone indicates its existence.
'•• The old poet Drayton, in his pleasing
us with a correct local de- lines, supplies —
scription, as the city stood in his time :
" As crescent-like the land her breadth here
inward bends,
From Milford, which she forth to old
Nothing can be more striking than a
Into that channel cast, whose raging cur- rent wars
Betwixt the British sands and the Hiber- nian shores :
Whose grim and horrid face doth pleased
heaven neglect,
And bears bleak winter still in his more
sad aspect :
Yet, Gwyn and Nevern near, two fine and
fishful brooks,
Do never stay their course, how stern so
e'er he looks ;
Which with his shipping once should
seem to have commerst,
When Fiscard as her floods doth only
grace the first.
To Newport falls the next : then we
awhile will rest
Our next ensuing song to wond'rous things
addrest. "
Menevia sends ;
Since holy David's seat ;
which of espe-
cial grace
Doth lend that nobler name, to this un-
nobler place.
Of all the holy men whose fame so fresh
remains,
To whom the Britons built so many sump-
tuous fanes,
This saint before the rest their patron still
they hold,
Whose birth their ancient bards to Cam-
bria long foretold,
And seated here a see. hisbishopric of yore, Upon the farthest point of this unfruitful
shore ;
Selected by himself that far from all
resort
With contemplation seem'd most fitly to
comport ;
That, void of all delight, cold, barren,
bleak and dry,
No pleasure might allure, nor steal the
wand'ring eye :
Where Ramsey with those rocks, in rank
that order'd stand
Upon the farthest point of David's ancient
land,
Do raise their rugged heads (the seaman's
noted marks)
Call'd of their mitred tops the bishop and
"
;
Poly-Olbion. " TheFifthSong.
his clerks ;
'3 A writer of the last century,
St. David's Cathedral, says : "This church is far superior to that of LlandafTe in its pre- servation, and has received ample justice from the attention and expense bestowed on it by its modern proprietors, the whole being in good repair, and the west front having lately been rebuilt in a taste perfectly co—r-
with the rest of the structure. " Skrine's "Two Successive Tours through- out the whole of Wales, with several of the adjacent English Counties, so as to form a comprehensive view of the picturesque beauty, the peculiar manners, and the fine remains of antiquity, in tlvit interesting part of the British Island. " Tour in South
Wales, chap. iv.
responding
treating
on
March i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 47
descent, from the main streets of this decayed village, upon its magnificent remains of ecclesiastical splendour. Viewed from without, the cathedral dis- plays no great architectural magnificence. Exposed as it is to the blasts of ocean, external ornament would have been worse than useless. Its decora- tion, therefore, is Avisely confined to the interior. In point of size, this minster is one of the second order, as compared with other great English cathedrals, although far surpassing anything of its kind in Wales. The ground plan, in complication, perhaps even surpasses Winchester or St. Alban's. The profusion of the chapels and surrounding buildings, including a college dedicated to St. Mary, the bishop's palace—of which it is not too much to say, that it is unsurpassed by any similar residence in Britain—has
the advantage of restoring the picturesque effect, which might otherwise have been lost, by the absence of any high-pitched roof. The whole edifice, how-
ever, is very low. From the days of Godwin downwards, antiquaries attribute the earliest portions of the existing fabric, to the time of Bishop Peter de Leia, consecrated in 11 76. This prelate is recorded to have rebuilt his cathedral, after it had been many times destroyed by Danes and by other pirates. The principal dimensions of St. David's cathedral church are as follows: Length of nave, 127 feet 4 inches; whole breadth of nave and aisles,69feet6inches; lengthoftransepts(each),44feet6inches; breadth of transepts (each), 27 feet 3 inches; length of choir, 53 feet 6 inches; breadth, 30 feet 3 inches ; total external length, 306 feet ; height of nave, 45 feet 8 inches ; total height of tower, 116 feet.
To conduct the description of the cathedral on one uniform plan is very difficult ; but, we shall suppose the visitor to have entered the church on the west. Then we may follow^ out in detail each subordinate part. The west front is modern, and it is almost the worst form of modern-antique. Here we may remark, that the whole structure combines Romanesque, Decorated, and Perpendicular architecture. The external view of nave and aisles calls not for much remark. These portions of the building form a long, low, regular structure. The internal features of the nave are Romanesque, or perhaps more accurately speaking, Transitional. The general effect is very striking, from the remarkable gorgeousness of architecture ; in fact, few structures of the same size equal this cathedral, in the richness and elaborateness of execu- tion, upon this portion of the interior. The flooring of the nave rises from easttowest,atamostperceptibleslope. Thispeculiarityisprobablydueto the builders having followed a natural slope in the ground, but the practical result is to give the building an effect of greater apparent length. The central tower is naturally one of the most striking features of this cathedral, in an external view. Within, the four grand arches which support the tower are of very noble proportions, and they are richer than usually found in large churches. The transepts without present a tolerably uniform design. Within they are Transitional Romanesque. The choir is now the only portion of this building, east of the tower, and retained as part of the church. With a small exception, it is the only part which retains its roof. The aisles of the choir, like the chapels beyond, are nearly ruinous. They are blocked offfromthechoirandroofless. Theinternalviewofthechoirisregardedas one of the most attractive features belonging to the church. There is no lack of ornament ; but, the simplicity of composition forms a decided contrast to the over-complicated design of the nave. The Lady Chapel, like that of Hereford Cathedral, stands behind the high altar. Beside are the remains of the ancient palace of the former bishops of St. David. '^
The body of St. David was interred in this church, and it seems to have been enclosed within a portable shrine. It was even the object of royal
pilgrimage. We read, that William the Conqueror, Henry II. , Edward I,
48 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March
and Queen Eleanor made pilgrimages thereto. The extent of the bishop's lands, as shown in 1326, informs us, that the burgesses of St. David's were bound to follow the bishop in time of war, one day's journey in either direction, with the shrine of St. David. In the same church, there was also
Ancient Porch of Bishop's Palace, St. David's, Wales.
a shrine, devoted to the remains of St. Caradoc, whose body is supposed to have been there interred. ^7
In the six counties of North Wales there is not one church that bears St.
David'sname—aswearetoldbyRev. RiceRees. *^ Thisverylearnedpro-
vincial antiquary, after very minute investigation, asserts, that the following churches were dedicated—as had been generally assumed—to St. David, in the southern shires. Yet, he does not positively affirm such a statement. On the contrary, he proposes an emendation of the list. ^9 These letters R. V. P. C. affixed to benefices, denote Rectory, Vicarage, Prebend, Curacy.
In the Diocese of St. David's, Pembrokeshire, we find the Cathedral (dedi-
has *° 5 dependent chapels.
V. Llanuch-
cated to SS. David and
Whitchurch, V. Prendergast, R.
llwydog, R. , has i dependent chapel. ^' Llanychaer, R. Llanddewi Felffire, R. and V. Maenor Deifi, R. In Cardiganshire, Llanddewi Brefi, C, has 4 dependent chapels. ^' Blaenporth, P. Bangor, R. , has i dependent
to have been the founders of Churches in Wales," sect, ii. , p. 45.
'*
porch is drawn by William F. Wakeman, and engraved by George A. Hanlon.
The accompanying illustration of its
'7 See, "The History and Antiquities of St. David's," by William Basil Jones, M. A. In this work, continual reference is made to Giraldus Cambrensis, to "Anglia Sacra," BrowneWillis,andMen. Sac,&c. ,&c.
'* In an " on the Welsh or Essay Saints,
the Primitive Christians usually considered
=°
These are Gurhyd
Non (St. Non)
;
Andrew)
Brawdy,
Hubberston, R. Bridell, R.
'9 Ibid. , pp. 52, S3, 54.
Padrig (St. Patrick) ; Pistyll; and Stinan
" This is called Llanllawen. ThesearecalledBettwsLleicu; Blaen-
(St. Justinian). ^'
pennal (St. David); (St. Gwenfyl).
Gartheh
; Gwenfyl.
;
MARCH I. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 49
chapel. =^3 Henfynyw, C. Llanddewi Aberarth, P. Henllan, chapel to Bangor (St. David). Blaenpennal, chapel to Llanddewi Brefi (St. David). In Carmarthenshire, Henllan Amgoed, R. , has i chapel. ^4 Meidrym, V. , has I chapel. ^5 Capel Dewi is a chapel to Llanelly (St. EUyw). Llanarthneu,
^^
Abergwilly, or Abergwyli, V. , 3 chapels. ''^ Bettws, Llanydyfeisant, C. In Brecknockshire, Garthbrengi, P. Trallvvng, P. Llywel, V. , has i chapel. ^^ Llanfaes, V. Maesmynys, R.
Llanddewi Abergwesin, is a chapel to Llangammarch (St. Cammarch).
Llanwrtyd is also a chapel to Llangammarch (St. Cammarch). Llanddewi'r Cwm, C. In Radnorshire, Heyop, R. Whitton, R. Llanddewi Ystrad Enni is a chapel to Llanbister (St. Cynllo). Cregruna, R. , has i chapel. ^9 Glascwm, V. , has 2 chapels. 3° Colfa is a chapel to Glascwm (St. David). Llanddewi Fach is a chapel to Llywes (St, Meilig). Rhiwlen is a chapel to Glascwm (St. David). In Glamorganshire, Llanddewi in Gower.
In the Diocese of Llandaff, Glamorganshire, Bettws and Laleston are both chapels to Newcastle (St. Illtyd). In Monmouthshire, Llanddewi Sgyryd, R. Llanddewi Rhydderch, V. Llanddewi Fach, C. Bettws, a chapel to Newport (St. Gwynllgw). Trostrey, alias Trawsdre, C. Llan- gyniow, C. Qu. Llangyfyw?
In the Diocese of Hereford, Herefordshire, Kilpeck, C. (dedicated to St. Mary and St. David). Dewchurch Magna, V. Little Dewchurch chapel to
Lugwardine (St. Peter).
Thus do we find, no less tha—n 40 churches and 13 chapels enumerated in
the dioceses already mentioned in all 53. 3^ Their foundation is popularly
ascribed to St. David himself; but, probably many, if not nearly all, belong
to a much later period, and were only subsequent dedications to the great
Welsh patron saint. Four endowments, in the foregoing list, are of the first
class, having a plurality of chapels dependent on them ; seven more have onechapeleach; andmostofthesesubordinatechapelsarededicatedtoSt.
David himself, or to Welsh saints, his contemporaries. The chapels dedi- cated to St. David are subject to churches, attributed to the same person, or to other Welsh saints of an older or of a contemporary date. Out of the 13 chapelries, assigned to St. David, 1 1 are parochial. 3^ But, it may be urged against the antiquity of the beneficed churches, that only 4 out of 40 have endowments of the first foundation. A review of the list, however, compared with a map of the country, and some knowledge of its localities, will show that the majority of these benefices do not stand singly, in th—eir situations.
P. and v. , I chapel. C. Llanycrwys, C.
They are joined by two, and sometimes by three, together
;
Thus Whit-
church is contiguous to St. David's, Llanuchllwydog and Llanychaer are adjoining parishes. The same may be said of Maenor Deifi and Bridell. Henfynyw and Llanddewi Arberarth are contiguous ; so are Trallwng and Llywel\ Maesmynys and Llanddewi'r Cwm; as well as Glascwm and Cregruna. BrawdyandWhitchurch,thoughnotcontiguous,arenearerto each other, than many detached chapelries. The same may be said of Hen- llan Amgoed and Llanddewi Felffre, and also of Llanddewi Brefi and Llany- crwys. Garthbrengi and Llanfaes are so situated with respect to each other,
'3 Henllan (St. David),
=^*
Eghvys Fair a Churig,
"^ Llanhangel Abercywyn (St. Michael).
30 Colfa (St. David); and Rhiwlen (St. David. )
31 See, ibid. , pp. 43, 44, 45. The fore- going list is taken from Ecton's Thesaurus, edited bv Browne,
32 Ascertained from the returns population
for 1831, printed by order of the House of Commons.
33 See, a poem, which he wrote in honour D.
^*
^7
Llanlleian.
L'anfihangelUvsrch Gwyli (St. Michael) ;
Llanpumsant ;
Llawddog). ^^
and
Llanllawddog (St.
Rhydybriew.
"9 Llanbadam y Garreg (St. Padarn).
50 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March i.
that it is probable they were first separated in arrangements, made by the followers of Bernard Newmarch, a Norman adventurer, who took forcible
possession of the county of Brecknock, about a. d. 1090, Similar remarks apply to others in Monmouthshire, and to the three churches in Hereford- shire. Heyop and Whitton belong to a district, which was one of the first subjected to the Lords Marchers. From the disposition of these churches in clusters, it may be supposed, that the parishes of each cluster formed origi- nally a single endowment, in support of one church, or perhaps of two churches, to which the rest served as so many chapels. Light may be borrowed, on such a subject, from the testimony of Gwynfardd Brycheinwg, a bard who lived between 1160 and 1230. 33
All but 5 chapels are in that district, over which St. David was Arch-
bishop of Caerleon or Menevia. The Cathedral of St. David is in the former
territory of his maternal grandfather. The neighbourhood of Henfynyw appears to have been the property of St. David's father ; while, Llanddewi
Brefi is situated on that spot, where St. David refuted the Pelagian heresy. 34 These churches, however, are not the only ones dedicated to St. David, Patron of Wales, within the British Islands, It may not be possible to pre- sent a complete list. A church has lately been erected, in his honour, at Neath. This is built in a style of Gothic, characteristic of the thirteenth
century. It is regarded, as being excellently and tastefully designed, with a French treatment of detail and ornament. 3s For an account of certain other
churches, dedicated or specially relating to St. David, the writer feels indebted for the following enumeration, furnished by the Very Rev. Bede Vaughan, formerly Prior at Hereford, and at present Archbishop of Sydney, Australia.
Thus, in Cornwall, do we find memorials of this holy prelate. Although St. David is justly regarded, as the glory of the Welsh nation and their own patron saint, their Celtic brethren on the opposite shores of the Severn sea may venture to claim a share in his renown ; for, we are told, by William of Worcester,36 that he was a native of Cornwall, and that Albernon, or Alter- nun, was the place of his birth. There is a church, dedicated to his mother Nonna, or Nonnita. 37 Leland asserts, that his mother was the daughter of a Cornish chief. If those statements are reliable, we may almost use the words, which the men of Israel addressed to the men of Judah, concerning his
:
Hebrew namesake " David belongeth more to me than to thee. "3^ But,
apart from those statements by William of Worcester39 and Leland,4° which, it must be admitted, are somewhat incompatible with the general tradition of the saint's nativity, there is abundant evidence, that he was intimately con- nected with Cornwall, and that we may fairly reckon him amongst the fore- most apostles of the ancient Cornish Church. There is, in the Deanery of Trigg Major, a parish, which from time immemorial has claimed St. David as its founder. Adjoining it is Alternun, and at Davidstow, there is a church dedicated to St. David. '^ Again, in Devonshire, we find at Little Ashpring-
of St. David, and which has been published in " Welsh Archaiology," vol. i. , p. 270.
"
Essay on the Welsh Saints," sect, ii. , pp. 45 to 56.
35 For a more complete architectural des- cription and a woodcut engraving, the reader may consult the " London Illustrated News"
^s ii_ Kings, xix. , 43.
3' William of Worcester went into Corn- wall A. D. 1478, and travelled as far west as St. Michael's Mount. The above note is one of the memoranda, which he copied from the register of the Mount.
*° " Nonita, mater Davidis, fuit ut aliqui adfirmant, filia Comitis CoriniiE. " See
s'* See, Rev. Rice Rees'
of October 3rd, 1S68, vol. lii. , No. 1504.
3* " In Kalendario ecclesise Mont Myg- " Collectanea," vol. ii. , 107.
hell. " *' See the
37 Sancta Nonnita mater Sancti David. nish Saints," No. v. St. David. By Rev.
jacet apud ecclesiam villse Alternonise per 6 miliaria de Launceston, ubi natus fuit Sane- tus David. "
John Adams, M. A. , Vicar of Stockcross, Berks. "Journal of the Royal Institution
of Cornwall," No. xi. 1870.
interesting
" Chronicles of Cor-
March i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 51
ton, there stood a chapel, formerly dedicated to St. David, now to St. Mary. At Bradstone, there is a church, dedicated to St. Nonna, mother of St. David. At Exeter, there is a new church, dedicated to St. David, and consecrated Sep- tember,1817. AtThelbridge,thereisachurch,alsodedicatedtoSt. David. -*^ The Catholic churches and chapels, at present dedicated—to our saint, as
in the
" Catholic
are as follows
In Gla- Wales,
given
Swansea, t—here is a church, dedicated, in like manner, to this great saint.
Flintshire At Mold, there is a church, dedicated to St. David. The fore- going, we have reason to believe, nearly exhausts the number of churches and chapels, which claim David of Wales as their titular saint, in the Welsh Principality. In England, so far as we can ascertain, there are no Catholic Churches or Chapels, dedicated to St. David. Those bearing the title of David, in Scotland, appear to have been erected in honour of the holy king, who ruled over that country, in the twelfth century.
It was only natural, the ancient Welsh colonists should desire their chief patron, St. David, to be regarded as titular of Naas, in Ireland. Accord- ingly, at an early period, no doubt, such an honour awaited the church first raised there, to the invocation of this beloved and venerated patron.
The site of the old church of St. David, at Naas, is in the centre, and on the east side of the town. It is popularly agreed, that the present walls of this church, with an ancient tower on the south-west end, are repaired portions of the old parochial church of St. David. '»3 There were three chantries formerly within it, viz. : that of the Holy Trinity, of St. Mary, and of St. Catherine. The Church of St. David is surrounded by a cemetery, where Catholic families still continue to bury their dead. Some remains of old tombs and armorial bearings, carved in stone, are found within this grave- yard enclosure. The soil seems to have accumulated to a considerable height over the foundations, owing chiefly to interments continued for centuries past. No very ancient monuments, however, can be found there at present.
The old parish church, now appropriated and re-modelled for the purposes of Protestant worship, appears to rest on a part only of its original founda- tions. Near the side walls, traces of extension may be discovered, so as to indicate,thatithadprobablybeencruciformindesign. Thefoundationsof one lateral transept are visible. It was known as the Lady Chapel. Another transept probably corresponded with it, on the opposite side, where a poorly-designed porch now extends. 't+ Internally, as well as externally, it is an easy matter for the antiquarian and architect to discover alterations, from a much purer type of building. Hardly in any one instance can the morerecentmodificationsberegardedasimprovements. Thewallsareof extreme thickness. The interior contains some tablet memorials, a rich stainedglasswindow,anorgan,&c. ; but,itisdeformedwithacumbersome gallery, high pews, and other unsightly obstructions and designs.
The present building has evidently undergone many alterations. It is near the site of an old castle, which, in a great measure, has been modernized, and at present serves to form a rectorial residence. It is still known as St.
*=>
My respected informant adds, that the dated Naas, November 9th, 1837, p. 148. above list has been taken from the "Monas- * On occasion of a former visit, in com-
ticon Dioecesis Exoniensis," by George pany with the late Rev. James Hughes,
English
Directory^^
:
morganshire—At Cardiff, there is a church, dedicated to St.
A certain Welshman, who belonged to the Diocese of Menevia, together with a German, had been captured by the Saracens and bound with an iron chain. Day or night, the Welshman did not cease crying out in his native
" me " Inashort David, help ! time,
dialect,
wareth,"
means,
"Dewi
which
this Welshman obtained his liberty, and returned to his own country, where,
in recognition of his miraculous release, Gervasius," Bishop of Menevia, re- ceived him into his house. As the German was suspected to have connived at this escape, he was exposed to stripes, and kept in stricter confinement. Meantime, he recollected, that the Welshman had often used the words "Dewiwareth. " TheGermanoftenrepeatedthesewords,likewise,although hedidnotknowtheirmeaning. Suddenly,heseemedtohavebeenbrought tohisownhome,andinawayhecouldnotunderstand. Hevainlysought, for some time, to learn the meaning of those words. At last he went to Paris, where he met a Welshman, who explained them. The German gave God thanks, and resolved to set out on a pilgrimage to St. David's shrine, in Menevia. Here, he met his former companion, who kissed him with much affection. They mutually related those adventures, which might well be re- garded as miraculous. A great plague having prevailed throughout Anglia, and many persons having fallen victims to it, in various places, it was generally resolved, that every bishop should immerse the relics of his church in holy water. It was hoped, that the use of this water, by aspersion or drinking, would have procured its cessation ; but, the mortality still continued to be very great. Last of all came the Bishop of Menevia, bearing the arm of St. David. When it had been immersed in the water, this liquid appeared as if covered with some rich unctuous substance, and over it gleamed a golden cross. The people flocked in crowds to taste this water, when the mortality soon disappeared. Joy and health were immediately diffused throughout the whole country. ^3
The situation of modern St. David's or old Menevia is so depressed by surrounding hills, that a traveller approaching from the eastward cannot see any of its buildings, until he actually finds himself entering its principal street. ** Notwithstanding the present very wretched appearance of this city,
" A little lowly hermitage it was,
Down in a dale, hard by a forest's side,
Far from resort of people that did pass In travell to and fro : a little wyde
There was an holy chapelle edifyde, "Wherein the Hermit dewly wont to say
His holy things each morn and eventyde ; Therebye a christall streame did gently
play,
Which from a sacred fountaine welled
forth alway. "
—See "Circle of the Seasons," p. 61.
'° " Id est vallem Hodheni," says Harps- feld.
" See, Harpsfeld's "HistoriaAnglicana," &c. , p. 41,
^^
the Bollandists, to have been Gervasius de Castro, Bishop of Bangor, who is said to have enjoyed such dignity, from A. D. 1366 to 1370.
'3 See, Capgrave's "Nova Legenda An-
This bishop is thought, however, by
glise. " Kalendas Martii, Ixxxiiii. , Ixxxv. , Ixxxvi.
fol. Ixxxiii. ,
46 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March i.
there are evidences of its former consequence remaining. Traces of old
streets may be found, and the foundations of walls, with many other objects
of antiquity. St. David's is now only an insignificant village, situated on a
small eminence, near a projecting headland, terminating in a pile of rocks. These obtain the denomination of St. David's Head. The whole country
around is wild, picturesque, unwooded, and rather thinly inhabited. In a deep hollow, beneath the town, and greatly sheltered from the winds, which occasionally sweep around these rugged sliores, the cathedral and its surround- ing ecclesiastical buildings are to be seen. The cathedral tower is finely carved in fretwork, and a Gothic ornam^tal choir contrasts with Saxon pillars and arches in the great aisle. There is a ceiling of Irish oak, which is greatly admired, together with a fine Mosaic pavement. ^5
The Episcopal See of St. David's is situated at the western extremity of Pembrokeshire, sixteen miles distant from the market and county town of Haverfordwest. Consequently, it is placed at the extreme point of South Wales, and even on the most extreme promontory of England, with the exception of the Land's End, which projects more w-estwardly, about one- third of a degree. The peculiar position of the cathedral hinders it from being at all a prominent object, at any distant point of view. It lies in a deep hollow, immediately below the town of St. David's ; and, consequently,
from most directions, the body of the church is hardly visible. The great
tower alone indicates its existence.
'•• The old poet Drayton, in his pleasing
us with a correct local de- lines, supplies —
scription, as the city stood in his time :
" As crescent-like the land her breadth here
inward bends,
From Milford, which she forth to old
Nothing can be more striking than a
Into that channel cast, whose raging cur- rent wars
Betwixt the British sands and the Hiber- nian shores :
Whose grim and horrid face doth pleased
heaven neglect,
And bears bleak winter still in his more
sad aspect :
Yet, Gwyn and Nevern near, two fine and
fishful brooks,
Do never stay their course, how stern so
e'er he looks ;
Which with his shipping once should
seem to have commerst,
When Fiscard as her floods doth only
grace the first.
To Newport falls the next : then we
awhile will rest
Our next ensuing song to wond'rous things
addrest. "
Menevia sends ;
Since holy David's seat ;
which of espe-
cial grace
Doth lend that nobler name, to this un-
nobler place.
Of all the holy men whose fame so fresh
remains,
To whom the Britons built so many sump-
tuous fanes,
This saint before the rest their patron still
they hold,
Whose birth their ancient bards to Cam-
bria long foretold,
And seated here a see. hisbishopric of yore, Upon the farthest point of this unfruitful
shore ;
Selected by himself that far from all
resort
With contemplation seem'd most fitly to
comport ;
That, void of all delight, cold, barren,
bleak and dry,
No pleasure might allure, nor steal the
wand'ring eye :
Where Ramsey with those rocks, in rank
that order'd stand
Upon the farthest point of David's ancient
land,
Do raise their rugged heads (the seaman's
noted marks)
Call'd of their mitred tops the bishop and
"
;
Poly-Olbion. " TheFifthSong.
his clerks ;
'3 A writer of the last century,
St. David's Cathedral, says : "This church is far superior to that of LlandafTe in its pre- servation, and has received ample justice from the attention and expense bestowed on it by its modern proprietors, the whole being in good repair, and the west front having lately been rebuilt in a taste perfectly co—r-
with the rest of the structure. " Skrine's "Two Successive Tours through- out the whole of Wales, with several of the adjacent English Counties, so as to form a comprehensive view of the picturesque beauty, the peculiar manners, and the fine remains of antiquity, in tlvit interesting part of the British Island. " Tour in South
Wales, chap. iv.
responding
treating
on
March i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 47
descent, from the main streets of this decayed village, upon its magnificent remains of ecclesiastical splendour. Viewed from without, the cathedral dis- plays no great architectural magnificence. Exposed as it is to the blasts of ocean, external ornament would have been worse than useless. Its decora- tion, therefore, is Avisely confined to the interior. In point of size, this minster is one of the second order, as compared with other great English cathedrals, although far surpassing anything of its kind in Wales. The ground plan, in complication, perhaps even surpasses Winchester or St. Alban's. The profusion of the chapels and surrounding buildings, including a college dedicated to St. Mary, the bishop's palace—of which it is not too much to say, that it is unsurpassed by any similar residence in Britain—has
the advantage of restoring the picturesque effect, which might otherwise have been lost, by the absence of any high-pitched roof. The whole edifice, how-
ever, is very low. From the days of Godwin downwards, antiquaries attribute the earliest portions of the existing fabric, to the time of Bishop Peter de Leia, consecrated in 11 76. This prelate is recorded to have rebuilt his cathedral, after it had been many times destroyed by Danes and by other pirates. The principal dimensions of St. David's cathedral church are as follows: Length of nave, 127 feet 4 inches; whole breadth of nave and aisles,69feet6inches; lengthoftransepts(each),44feet6inches; breadth of transepts (each), 27 feet 3 inches; length of choir, 53 feet 6 inches; breadth, 30 feet 3 inches ; total external length, 306 feet ; height of nave, 45 feet 8 inches ; total height of tower, 116 feet.
To conduct the description of the cathedral on one uniform plan is very difficult ; but, we shall suppose the visitor to have entered the church on the west. Then we may follow^ out in detail each subordinate part. The west front is modern, and it is almost the worst form of modern-antique. Here we may remark, that the whole structure combines Romanesque, Decorated, and Perpendicular architecture. The external view of nave and aisles calls not for much remark. These portions of the building form a long, low, regular structure. The internal features of the nave are Romanesque, or perhaps more accurately speaking, Transitional. The general effect is very striking, from the remarkable gorgeousness of architecture ; in fact, few structures of the same size equal this cathedral, in the richness and elaborateness of execu- tion, upon this portion of the interior. The flooring of the nave rises from easttowest,atamostperceptibleslope. Thispeculiarityisprobablydueto the builders having followed a natural slope in the ground, but the practical result is to give the building an effect of greater apparent length. The central tower is naturally one of the most striking features of this cathedral, in an external view. Within, the four grand arches which support the tower are of very noble proportions, and they are richer than usually found in large churches. The transepts without present a tolerably uniform design. Within they are Transitional Romanesque. The choir is now the only portion of this building, east of the tower, and retained as part of the church. With a small exception, it is the only part which retains its roof. The aisles of the choir, like the chapels beyond, are nearly ruinous. They are blocked offfromthechoirandroofless. Theinternalviewofthechoirisregardedas one of the most attractive features belonging to the church. There is no lack of ornament ; but, the simplicity of composition forms a decided contrast to the over-complicated design of the nave. The Lady Chapel, like that of Hereford Cathedral, stands behind the high altar. Beside are the remains of the ancient palace of the former bishops of St. David. '^
The body of St. David was interred in this church, and it seems to have been enclosed within a portable shrine. It was even the object of royal
pilgrimage. We read, that William the Conqueror, Henry II. , Edward I,
48 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March
and Queen Eleanor made pilgrimages thereto. The extent of the bishop's lands, as shown in 1326, informs us, that the burgesses of St. David's were bound to follow the bishop in time of war, one day's journey in either direction, with the shrine of St. David. In the same church, there was also
Ancient Porch of Bishop's Palace, St. David's, Wales.
a shrine, devoted to the remains of St. Caradoc, whose body is supposed to have been there interred. ^7
In the six counties of North Wales there is not one church that bears St.
David'sname—aswearetoldbyRev. RiceRees. *^ Thisverylearnedpro-
vincial antiquary, after very minute investigation, asserts, that the following churches were dedicated—as had been generally assumed—to St. David, in the southern shires. Yet, he does not positively affirm such a statement. On the contrary, he proposes an emendation of the list. ^9 These letters R. V. P. C. affixed to benefices, denote Rectory, Vicarage, Prebend, Curacy.
In the Diocese of St. David's, Pembrokeshire, we find the Cathedral (dedi-
has *° 5 dependent chapels.
V. Llanuch-
cated to SS. David and
Whitchurch, V. Prendergast, R.
llwydog, R. , has i dependent chapel. ^' Llanychaer, R. Llanddewi Felffire, R. and V. Maenor Deifi, R. In Cardiganshire, Llanddewi Brefi, C, has 4 dependent chapels. ^' Blaenporth, P. Bangor, R. , has i dependent
to have been the founders of Churches in Wales," sect, ii. , p. 45.
'*
porch is drawn by William F. Wakeman, and engraved by George A. Hanlon.
The accompanying illustration of its
'7 See, "The History and Antiquities of St. David's," by William Basil Jones, M. A. In this work, continual reference is made to Giraldus Cambrensis, to "Anglia Sacra," BrowneWillis,andMen. Sac,&c. ,&c.
'* In an " on the Welsh or Essay Saints,
the Primitive Christians usually considered
=°
These are Gurhyd
Non (St. Non)
;
Andrew)
Brawdy,
Hubberston, R. Bridell, R.
'9 Ibid. , pp. 52, S3, 54.
Padrig (St. Patrick) ; Pistyll; and Stinan
" This is called Llanllawen. ThesearecalledBettwsLleicu; Blaen-
(St. Justinian). ^'
pennal (St. David); (St. Gwenfyl).
Gartheh
; Gwenfyl.
;
MARCH I. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 49
chapel. =^3 Henfynyw, C. Llanddewi Aberarth, P. Henllan, chapel to Bangor (St. David). Blaenpennal, chapel to Llanddewi Brefi (St. David). In Carmarthenshire, Henllan Amgoed, R. , has i chapel. ^4 Meidrym, V. , has I chapel. ^5 Capel Dewi is a chapel to Llanelly (St. EUyw). Llanarthneu,
^^
Abergwilly, or Abergwyli, V. , 3 chapels. ''^ Bettws, Llanydyfeisant, C. In Brecknockshire, Garthbrengi, P. Trallvvng, P. Llywel, V. , has i chapel. ^^ Llanfaes, V. Maesmynys, R.
Llanddewi Abergwesin, is a chapel to Llangammarch (St. Cammarch).
Llanwrtyd is also a chapel to Llangammarch (St. Cammarch). Llanddewi'r Cwm, C. In Radnorshire, Heyop, R. Whitton, R. Llanddewi Ystrad Enni is a chapel to Llanbister (St. Cynllo). Cregruna, R. , has i chapel. ^9 Glascwm, V. , has 2 chapels. 3° Colfa is a chapel to Glascwm (St. David). Llanddewi Fach is a chapel to Llywes (St, Meilig). Rhiwlen is a chapel to Glascwm (St. David). In Glamorganshire, Llanddewi in Gower.
In the Diocese of Llandaff, Glamorganshire, Bettws and Laleston are both chapels to Newcastle (St. Illtyd). In Monmouthshire, Llanddewi Sgyryd, R. Llanddewi Rhydderch, V. Llanddewi Fach, C. Bettws, a chapel to Newport (St. Gwynllgw). Trostrey, alias Trawsdre, C. Llan- gyniow, C. Qu. Llangyfyw?
In the Diocese of Hereford, Herefordshire, Kilpeck, C. (dedicated to St. Mary and St. David). Dewchurch Magna, V. Little Dewchurch chapel to
Lugwardine (St. Peter).
Thus do we find, no less tha—n 40 churches and 13 chapels enumerated in
the dioceses already mentioned in all 53. 3^ Their foundation is popularly
ascribed to St. David himself; but, probably many, if not nearly all, belong
to a much later period, and were only subsequent dedications to the great
Welsh patron saint. Four endowments, in the foregoing list, are of the first
class, having a plurality of chapels dependent on them ; seven more have onechapeleach; andmostofthesesubordinatechapelsarededicatedtoSt.
David himself, or to Welsh saints, his contemporaries. The chapels dedi- cated to St. David are subject to churches, attributed to the same person, or to other Welsh saints of an older or of a contemporary date. Out of the 13 chapelries, assigned to St. David, 1 1 are parochial. 3^ But, it may be urged against the antiquity of the beneficed churches, that only 4 out of 40 have endowments of the first foundation. A review of the list, however, compared with a map of the country, and some knowledge of its localities, will show that the majority of these benefices do not stand singly, in th—eir situations.
P. and v. , I chapel. C. Llanycrwys, C.
They are joined by two, and sometimes by three, together
;
Thus Whit-
church is contiguous to St. David's, Llanuchllwydog and Llanychaer are adjoining parishes. The same may be said of Maenor Deifi and Bridell. Henfynyw and Llanddewi Arberarth are contiguous ; so are Trallwng and Llywel\ Maesmynys and Llanddewi'r Cwm; as well as Glascwm and Cregruna. BrawdyandWhitchurch,thoughnotcontiguous,arenearerto each other, than many detached chapelries. The same may be said of Hen- llan Amgoed and Llanddewi Felffre, and also of Llanddewi Brefi and Llany- crwys. Garthbrengi and Llanfaes are so situated with respect to each other,
'3 Henllan (St. David),
=^*
Eghvys Fair a Churig,
"^ Llanhangel Abercywyn (St. Michael).
30 Colfa (St. David); and Rhiwlen (St. David. )
31 See, ibid. , pp. 43, 44, 45. The fore- going list is taken from Ecton's Thesaurus, edited bv Browne,
32 Ascertained from the returns population
for 1831, printed by order of the House of Commons.
33 See, a poem, which he wrote in honour D.
^*
^7
Llanlleian.
L'anfihangelUvsrch Gwyli (St. Michael) ;
Llanpumsant ;
Llawddog). ^^
and
Llanllawddog (St.
Rhydybriew.
"9 Llanbadam y Garreg (St. Padarn).
50 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March i.
that it is probable they were first separated in arrangements, made by the followers of Bernard Newmarch, a Norman adventurer, who took forcible
possession of the county of Brecknock, about a. d. 1090, Similar remarks apply to others in Monmouthshire, and to the three churches in Hereford- shire. Heyop and Whitton belong to a district, which was one of the first subjected to the Lords Marchers. From the disposition of these churches in clusters, it may be supposed, that the parishes of each cluster formed origi- nally a single endowment, in support of one church, or perhaps of two churches, to which the rest served as so many chapels. Light may be borrowed, on such a subject, from the testimony of Gwynfardd Brycheinwg, a bard who lived between 1160 and 1230. 33
All but 5 chapels are in that district, over which St. David was Arch-
bishop of Caerleon or Menevia. The Cathedral of St. David is in the former
territory of his maternal grandfather. The neighbourhood of Henfynyw appears to have been the property of St. David's father ; while, Llanddewi
Brefi is situated on that spot, where St. David refuted the Pelagian heresy. 34 These churches, however, are not the only ones dedicated to St. David, Patron of Wales, within the British Islands, It may not be possible to pre- sent a complete list. A church has lately been erected, in his honour, at Neath. This is built in a style of Gothic, characteristic of the thirteenth
century. It is regarded, as being excellently and tastefully designed, with a French treatment of detail and ornament. 3s For an account of certain other
churches, dedicated or specially relating to St. David, the writer feels indebted for the following enumeration, furnished by the Very Rev. Bede Vaughan, formerly Prior at Hereford, and at present Archbishop of Sydney, Australia.
Thus, in Cornwall, do we find memorials of this holy prelate. Although St. David is justly regarded, as the glory of the Welsh nation and their own patron saint, their Celtic brethren on the opposite shores of the Severn sea may venture to claim a share in his renown ; for, we are told, by William of Worcester,36 that he was a native of Cornwall, and that Albernon, or Alter- nun, was the place of his birth. There is a church, dedicated to his mother Nonna, or Nonnita. 37 Leland asserts, that his mother was the daughter of a Cornish chief. If those statements are reliable, we may almost use the words, which the men of Israel addressed to the men of Judah, concerning his
:
Hebrew namesake " David belongeth more to me than to thee. "3^ But,
apart from those statements by William of Worcester39 and Leland,4° which, it must be admitted, are somewhat incompatible with the general tradition of the saint's nativity, there is abundant evidence, that he was intimately con- nected with Cornwall, and that we may fairly reckon him amongst the fore- most apostles of the ancient Cornish Church. There is, in the Deanery of Trigg Major, a parish, which from time immemorial has claimed St. David as its founder. Adjoining it is Alternun, and at Davidstow, there is a church dedicated to St. David. '^ Again, in Devonshire, we find at Little Ashpring-
of St. David, and which has been published in " Welsh Archaiology," vol. i. , p. 270.
"
Essay on the Welsh Saints," sect, ii. , pp. 45 to 56.
35 For a more complete architectural des- cription and a woodcut engraving, the reader may consult the " London Illustrated News"
^s ii_ Kings, xix. , 43.
3' William of Worcester went into Corn- wall A. D. 1478, and travelled as far west as St. Michael's Mount. The above note is one of the memoranda, which he copied from the register of the Mount.
*° " Nonita, mater Davidis, fuit ut aliqui adfirmant, filia Comitis CoriniiE. " See
s'* See, Rev. Rice Rees'
of October 3rd, 1S68, vol. lii. , No. 1504.
3* " In Kalendario ecclesise Mont Myg- " Collectanea," vol. ii. , 107.
hell. " *' See the
37 Sancta Nonnita mater Sancti David. nish Saints," No. v. St. David. By Rev.
jacet apud ecclesiam villse Alternonise per 6 miliaria de Launceston, ubi natus fuit Sane- tus David. "
John Adams, M. A. , Vicar of Stockcross, Berks. "Journal of the Royal Institution
of Cornwall," No. xi. 1870.
interesting
" Chronicles of Cor-
March i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 51
ton, there stood a chapel, formerly dedicated to St. David, now to St. Mary. At Bradstone, there is a church, dedicated to St. Nonna, mother of St. David. At Exeter, there is a new church, dedicated to St. David, and consecrated Sep- tember,1817. AtThelbridge,thereisachurch,alsodedicatedtoSt. David. -*^ The Catholic churches and chapels, at present dedicated—to our saint, as
in the
" Catholic
are as follows
In Gla- Wales,
given
Swansea, t—here is a church, dedicated, in like manner, to this great saint.
Flintshire At Mold, there is a church, dedicated to St. David. The fore- going, we have reason to believe, nearly exhausts the number of churches and chapels, which claim David of Wales as their titular saint, in the Welsh Principality. In England, so far as we can ascertain, there are no Catholic Churches or Chapels, dedicated to St. David. Those bearing the title of David, in Scotland, appear to have been erected in honour of the holy king, who ruled over that country, in the twelfth century.
It was only natural, the ancient Welsh colonists should desire their chief patron, St. David, to be regarded as titular of Naas, in Ireland. Accord- ingly, at an early period, no doubt, such an honour awaited the church first raised there, to the invocation of this beloved and venerated patron.
The site of the old church of St. David, at Naas, is in the centre, and on the east side of the town. It is popularly agreed, that the present walls of this church, with an ancient tower on the south-west end, are repaired portions of the old parochial church of St. David. '»3 There were three chantries formerly within it, viz. : that of the Holy Trinity, of St. Mary, and of St. Catherine. The Church of St. David is surrounded by a cemetery, where Catholic families still continue to bury their dead. Some remains of old tombs and armorial bearings, carved in stone, are found within this grave- yard enclosure. The soil seems to have accumulated to a considerable height over the foundations, owing chiefly to interments continued for centuries past. No very ancient monuments, however, can be found there at present.
The old parish church, now appropriated and re-modelled for the purposes of Protestant worship, appears to rest on a part only of its original founda- tions. Near the side walls, traces of extension may be discovered, so as to indicate,thatithadprobablybeencruciformindesign. Thefoundationsof one lateral transept are visible. It was known as the Lady Chapel. Another transept probably corresponded with it, on the opposite side, where a poorly-designed porch now extends. 't+ Internally, as well as externally, it is an easy matter for the antiquarian and architect to discover alterations, from a much purer type of building. Hardly in any one instance can the morerecentmodificationsberegardedasimprovements. Thewallsareof extreme thickness. The interior contains some tablet memorials, a rich stainedglasswindow,anorgan,&c. ; but,itisdeformedwithacumbersome gallery, high pews, and other unsightly obstructions and designs.
The present building has evidently undergone many alterations. It is near the site of an old castle, which, in a great measure, has been modernized, and at present serves to form a rectorial residence. It is still known as St.
*=>
My respected informant adds, that the dated Naas, November 9th, 1837, p. 148. above list has been taken from the "Monas- * On occasion of a former visit, in com-
ticon Dioecesis Exoniensis," by George pany with the late Rev. James Hughes,
English
Directory^^
:
morganshire—At Cardiff, there is a church, dedicated to St.
