Bay and building the castle of Newport at Trêfdraeth, won for himself the extensive lordship of Kemes (Cemmaes) between the river Teifi and the Preselley Mountains. The systematic planting of Flemish settlers in the hundred of Rhos, or Roose, in or about the years 1106, 1108 and 1111 with the approval of Henry I., and again in 1156 under Henry II., marks an all-important episode in the history of Pembrokeshire. The castles of Haverfordwest and Tenby were now erected to protect these aliens, and despite the fierce attacks of the Welsh princes their domain grew to be known as “Little England beyond Wales,” a district whereof the language, customs and people still remain characteristic. In 1138 Gilbert de Clare, having previously obtained Henry I.’s permission to enjoy all lands he might win for himself in Wales, was created earl of Pembroke in Stephen’s reign with the full powers of an earl palatine in Dyfed. The devolution of this earldom is dealt with in a separate article.
In 1536, by the Act of Union (27 Henry VIII.), the king abolished all special jurisdiction in Pembrokeshire, which he placed on an equal footing with the remaining shires of Wales, while its borders were enlarged by the addition of Kemes, Dewisland and other outlying lordships. By the act of 1536 the county returned to parliament one knight for the shire and two burgesses; one for the Pembroke boroughs and one for the town and county of Haverfordwest, both of which since 1885 have been merged in the Pembroke-and-Haverfordwest parliamentary division. The Reformation deprived the county of the presence of the bishops of St Davids, who on the partial dismantling of the old episcopal palace at St Davids removed their chief seat of residence to Abergwiliy, near Carmarthen. Meanwhile the manor of Lamphey was granted to the family of Devereux, earls of Essex, and other episcopal estates were alienated to court favourites, notably to Sir John Perrot of Haroldstone (1517–1592), afterwards lord-deputy of Ireland. During the Civil Wars the forces of the parliament, commanded by Colonel Laugharne and Captain Swanley, reduced the royal forts at Tenby, Milford and Haverfordwest. In February 1797 some French frigates appeared off Fishguard Bay and landed about 1400 Frenchmen at Llanwnda. The invaders soon capitulated to the local militia, practically without striking a blow. The 19th century saw the establishment of the naval dockyard at Paterchurch and the building of docks and quays at Neyland and Milford. In 1906 extensive works for cross-traffic with Ireland were opened at Fishguard Harbour.
Many of the old Pembrokeshire families, whose names appear prominent in the county annals, are extinct in the county itself. Amongst these may be mentioned Perrot of Haroldstone, Devereux of Lamphey, Barlow of Slebech, Barrett of Gilliswick, Wogan of Wiston, Elliot of Amroth and Owen of Henllys. Amongst ancient families still existing are Philipps of Lydstep and Amroth (descendants of the old Welsh lords of Cilsant); Philipps of Picton Castle (a branch of the same house in the female line); Lort of Stackpole Court, now represented by Earl Cawdor; Scourfield of Moate; Bowen of Llwyngwair; Edwardes, Lords Kensington, of St Brides; Meyrick of Bush; Lort-Philipps of Lawrenny; Colby of Ffynone; Stokes of Cuffern; Lloyd of Newport Castle (in which family is vested the hereditary lordship of the barony of Kemes); Saunders-Davies of Pentre; and Gower of Castle Malgwyn.
Antiquities.—There are few remaining traces in the county of the Roman occupation of Dimetia, but in British encampments, tumuli, cromlechs and monumental stones Pembrokeshire is singularly rich. Of the cromlechs the best preserved are those at Longhouse, near Mathry; at Pentre Evan in the Nevern Valley; and at Llech-y-dribedd, near Moylgrove; whilst of the many stone circles and alignments, that known as Pare-y-Marw, or “The Field of the Dead,” near Fishguard, is the least injured. Stones inscribed in Ogam characters are not uncommon, and good examples exist at Caldy Island, Bridell, St Dogmells and Cilgerran. There are good specimens of Celtic floriated churchyard crosses at Carew, Penally and Nevern. Interesting examples of medieval domestic architecture are the ruins of the former episcopal mansions at Llawhaden, St Davids and Lamphey, the two latter of which were erected by Bishop Gower between the years 1328–1347. With the exception of the cathedral at St Davids and the principal churches of Haverfordwest and Tenby, the parish churches of Pembrokeshire are for the most part small, but many are ancient and possess fine monuments or other objects of interest, especially in “Little England beyond Wales.” Amongst the more noteworthy are the churches at Stackpole Elidur, Carew, Burton, Gumfreston, Nevern, St Petrox and Rudbaxton, the last-named containing a fine Jacobean monument of the Hayward family. Pembrokeshire has long been famous for its castles, of which the finest examples are to be observed at Pembroke; Manorbier, built in the 12th century and interesting as the birthplace and home of Giraldus Cambrensis; Carew, exhibiting many interesting features both of Norman and Tudor architecture; and Picton, owned and inhabited by a branch of the Philipps family. Other castles are the keep of Haverfordwest and the ruined fortresses at Narberth, Tenby, Newport, Wiston, Benton, Upton and Cilgerran. There are some remains of monastic houses at Tenby and Pembroke, but the most important religious communities were the priory of the Augustinian friars at Haverfordwest and the abbey of the Benedictines at St Dogmells. Of this latter house, which was founded by Martin de Tours, first lord of Kemes, at the close of the 11th century, and who owned the priories of Pill and Caldy, considerable ruins exist near the left bank of the Teifi about 1 m. below Cardigan. Of the ancient preceptory of the Knights of St John at Slebech scarcely a trace remains, but of the college of St Mary at St Davids founded by Bishop Houghton in 1377, the shell of the chapel survives in fair preservation. Pembrokeshire contains an unusually large number of county seats, particularly in the south, which includes Stackpole Court, the residence of Earl Cawdor, a fine mansion erected in the 18th century; Picton Castle; Slebech, once the seat of the Barlows; Orielton, formerly belonging to the Owens; and Ffynone, the residence of the Colby family.
Customs, &c.—The division of Pembrokeshire ever since the 12th century into well-defined Englishry and Welshry has produced two distinct sets of languages and customs within the county. Roughly speaking, the English division, the Anglia Transwalliana of Camden, occupies the south-eastern half and comprises the hundreds of Roose, Castlemartin, Narberth and Dungleddy. In the Welshry, which includes the hundreds of Dewisland and Cilgerran together with the old barony of Kemes, the language, customs, manners and folk-lore of the inhabitants are almost identical with those of Cardigan and Carmarthen. The old Celtic game of Knappan, a pastime partaking of the nature both of football and hockey, in which whole parishes and even hundreds were wont to take an active part, was prevalent in the barony of Kemes so late as the 16th century, as George Owen of Henllys, the historian and antiquary, records; and the playing of knappan lingered on after Owen’s day. Amongst the settlers of the Englishry, who are of mingled Anglo-Saxon, Flemish, Welsh and perhaps Scandinavian descent, many interesting superstitions and customs survive. The English spoken by these dwellers in “Little England beyond Wales” contains many curious idioms and words and the pronunciation of some of the vowels is peculiar. Certain picturesque customs, many of them dating from pre-Reformation times, are still observed, notably in the neighbourhood of Tenby. Such are the sprinkling of persons with dewy evergreens on New Year’s morning; the procession of the Cutty Wren on St Stephen’s day, and the constructing of little huts at Lammastide by the farm boys and girls. As early as the opening years of the 19th century, cripples and ophthalmic patients were in the habit of visiting the ancient hermitage at St Gowan’s Head to bathe in its sacred well; and Richard Fenton, the county historian alludes (c. 1808) to the many crutches left at St Gowan’s chapel by grateful devotees. Belief in ghosts, fairies, witches, &c., is still prevalent in the more remote places, and the dress of the fishwives of Langwm near Haverfordwest is highly picturesque with its short skirt, scarlet shawl and buckled shoes.
