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Kenfig through the Ages - 17th Century
Life in 17th Century KenfigIn the early 1600's, the population of Kenfig was around 200. A church and village at Maudlam, a few scattered houses
at Ton Kenfig and Sker Farm. In 1607 there was a great storm and many people lost their lives in the county when lowland
areas became flooded. ( Anniversary of 1607
tsunami - 30 January 1607 - BBC Coverage )
At Kenfig, the sand made further inroads - times were also hard; there were bad harvests in the 1620's and 30's
due to excessive rain. This also caused increased mortality of livestock, thus pushing up the price of all foodstuffs.
Homes at this time were often workshops, peasant farmers having to exploit every means possible to make ends meet.
Cottage IndustriesLooms were set up in cottages where the whole family would help with the spinning, combing, weaving and stocking-knitting.
People made their own clothes and also sold garments at local fairs and markets. Tanning was also often carried in
conjunction with small-scale farming. It required a plentiful supply of oak bark, water and lime, all of which were available
within the Kenfig area.
Some local PeopleWilliam Reese of Pyle and Kenfig was a cordwainer (Shoemaker) who also owned a cow, horse, lambs and ewes, grain and
corn. Richard Thomas of Kenfig was able to earn his living solely by being a cordwainer. In 1634 tanned hides were regulary
exported from Newton.
In 1654 John Leyshon held a lease of all veins and mines of coal in Rugge (Cefn Cribbwr) lying 'Within the liberty of
the Borough of Kenfig'. He was a registered seaman and it is thought that coal was transported on the backs of horses or
mules from Cefn to Newton to be shipped out. The coal would have been cut out of the bottom of shallow bell pits and
carried in baskets up ladders to the surface.
Kenfig during Civil War Years (1642)When Charles I became King in 1625 he believed he could rule by divine right without advice from Parliament.
When civil war broke out between his supporters and Oliver Cromwell's Parliamentarians, Wales was mostly Royalist in
sympathy, the Kenfig area being no exception.
After Cromwell's death in 1658 his son failed to maintain politcal stability and Charles II was welcomed back from
exile since people were tired of the restrictions imposed by Puritan rule. By the summer of 1659 there had been a weeding
out of political figures in Glamorgan who had supported Cromwell's Protectorate.
In 1662 the Act of Uniformity was passed, compelling people to conform to rules of the Established Church and to use
the Book of Common Prayer. Lewis Aylward (Portreeve of the Kenfig Borough) was an ardent non-conformist and his house
(either present day Kenfig Farm or Pool Farm), was used for meetings after the passing of the Act.
In 1664, a troop of soldiers arrested Jacob Christopher, a preacher at the house but he was later released. He
continued to use Aylward's house for meetings from 1672-75 but died a year later and was buried at Maudlam.
James II became King in 1685 and was unpopular with many people and with Parliament because he was suspected
of trying to revert the country to the Catholic faith. When the Duke of Monmouth tried to displace James, the same
Lewis Aylward, along with Thomas Lougher of South Cornelly (Constable of Kenfig Castle), was imprisoned in Chepstow
Castle on the grounds he was sympathetic to Monmouth's cause. After Monmouth was beheaded in 1685 they were both freed.
Some Roman Catholic priests were executed for their faith in James' reign. Parliament ordered the local Justices
of the Peace to seek them out. Philip Evans was arrested at Sker House (Owned by Christopher Turberville) in 1678 and was later
hung, drawn and quartered in Cardiff. He was canonized in 1970.
Saint Philip Evans (1645-1679)Died at Cardiff, 22 July 1679 - beatified in 1929, canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1970 as two of the Forty
Martyrs of England and Wales. Philip Evans was born in Monmouthshire in 1645 and educated at Saint-Omer, he joined
the Society of Jesus when he was 20 and was ordained at Liège, Belgium, in 1675.
Father Philip was sent back to Wales to minister to the Catholics in the southern part of the country.
For several years he zealously ministered to his flock unmolested, but the civil authorities turned a blind
eye until November 1678 - although John Arnold, a justice of the peace and hunter of priests, offered a
200 pound bounty for his arrest, Father Evans refused to leave his flock untended.
On 04 December 1678, Father Evans was arrested at the home of Christopher Turberville at Sker, Glamorgan.
When he refused to take the Oath of Supremacy, he was imprisoned alone in Cardiff Castle. He had been
arrested in the hysteria of the Titus Oates plot to kill King Charles II.
After five months the priest was brought to trial but when no evidence of his complicity could be produced, he
was charged with being a priest (which was illegal in the realm) - few were willing to serve as witnesses. He was
convicted on the evidence of two poor women who were suborned to say that they had seen Father Evans celebrating Mass.
He was executed on Gallows Field (north eastern end Richmond Road, Cardiff) - Father Evans addressed the onlookers
in Welsh and English - He was executed along with John Lloyd saying 'Adieu, Mr Lloyd, though for a little time,
for we shall shortly meet again '. The feast day of St. Philip Evans is on 25 October.
The 1660 SurveyIn the mid 17th century it is known that only one cottage near the old Kenfig castle was occupied. A survey
of the Borough was made in 1660 for it's lord, the
Earl of Pembroke, by a jury of burgesses.
It defined the Borough's boundaries.
At this time burgesses were sworn in by the portreeve without payment. Anyone could be a burgess as long as the
portreeve and his aldermen agreed. The portreeve, sergeant, constable of the castle, heyward and two ale-tasters were
elected each year by all the burgesses. This resulted in rather a confused situation, especially when several
burgesses were sworn in at the same time.
The jurors admitted they did not know how many burgesses were within the Borough who ought to perform their
'suit of court' obligation. Furthermore, they did not know how many houses or how many acres in the Borough had been
overcome by sand.
Within the Borough and under the Lordship were two manors of free socage tenure
(socage = rent; free socage tenure meant held by free men on payment of rent)
These were the Paschall Hill holding (129 acres) and another unnamed holding of 145 acres. There were 19 people
who rented various acreages of the Paschall Hill holding at two and a half pence per acre.
The 145 acres was divided between 20 tenants who again held various amounts at the nominal rent of one red rose
and three peppercorns a year. The tenants of the above holdings may or may not have been burgesses.
The 1660 survey also stated that one third of Kenfig Down (at Sker) which had been held by the monks of Neath Abbey
was now held by Thomas Turberville and enclosed. The rent of this unknown acreage was five shillings a year and paid
to the Earl, but Thomas Turberville received the profit and benefit of that land.
The other two-thirds of the Down had been rented by the burgesses for ten shillings a year 'time out of mind'
but now some of it was enclosed by them and they could rent it to non-burgesses and receive the profit. They held
an unknown quantity of enclosed land in the common called Rugge (Cefn Cribbwr) in the same way. The fishing rights
of Kenfig Pool were also theirs.
The Beginning of The Margam EstateThe Earl of Pembroke sold his manor of Kenfig to Sir Edward Mansel of Margam for five hundred and twenty five pounds
in 1668. It included decayed castle, all property, lands, woods, mineral rights at Cefn Cribbwr, waters, warrens, fishing,
rents and other rights.
Sir Edward's descendants, the Mansel-Talbots inherited these until the estate was broken up and sold in 1941.
Manorial Courts at KenfigEarly records of manorial courts held in the Pyle and Kenfig district begin in 1676. They were presided over by the
stewards and portreeve and there were three types:
Petty offences included selling ale at short measure, not grinding corn at the mill where 'suit of mill'
licence was held, not repairing the highway, not assisting in planting sedges and shooting partridges within the Borough
precinct. The courts continued in the area until 1816.
Court Records
Wigmore was the burning of seaweed to provide fertiliser for the land. It is also known that lime-burning
went on at Cornelly - there being a plentiful supply of limestone as well as coal not too far away. Often lime
was applied far too liberally as it was thought of as a fertiliser.
Local FashionsDuring this century of Stuart rule fashions changed considerably. Men's hair was long and curled, cavalier's
dress was elaborate with long lace collars and cuffs, loose breeches with ribbons at the knees and wide leather boots.
Women's skirts were high waisted and often looped up. The puritans, in marked contrast wore plain dark garments
with white collars and aprons. They wore their hair short. When Charles II came to the throne, rich people dressed even
more elaborately and expensively but the poor still wore simple wollen garments.
The homes of the poor were draughty and smokey as chimneys were dispensed of due to Chimney Tax. Glass was also
taxed so windows were made with paper soaked in oil. The better off people had comfortable homes with four-poster beds
and padded chairs in contrast.
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Saint Philip Evans(1645-1679)
Roman Catholic priest arrested at Sker House in 1678 - executed at Cardiff, 22 July 1679
in the hysteria of the Titus Oates plot to kill King Charles II.
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Acknowledgements
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| Photos: Prince of Wales Inn, Kenfig | Steve Parker | Ton Kenfig, Bridgend | ||||
| Information: 17th Century Kenfig | Bridgend County Borough Council Education | www.bridgend.gov.uk | Bridgend |
