Cowbridge Llanbleddian Contents

Cowbridge is a small contributory parliamentary borough, market town and parish, a polling place for, and in the County of, Glamorgan, hundred of its own name, Bridgend and Cowbridge union and county court district, rural deanery of Gro-Neath(Upper division), archdeaconry and diocese of Llandaff, distant 172 (by rail 186) miles from London, 56 from Bristol, 12 from Cardiff, 8 from Llantrisant, and 7 from Bridgend. There is a line of railway from Llantrisant station (South Wales branch) to this town.

The town consists principally of one long street from east to west, and has some well built houses, and Town Hall and Market-place, and is divided by a small stream, over which there is a stone bridge.

In the year 1091 the town was encompassed with a stone wall, by Robert de St. Quinton, who afterwards rebuilt the Castle of Llanblethian, of which only one of the gates now remain standing.

The town is supposed to have received its present name from the circumstances that, when the bridge was built, a cow, driven by dogs, took shelter under one of the arches, and her horns being so much entagled that she could not be taken out alive; the arms of the town are still the figures of the cow on a bridge. The town is governed by a mayor, two bailiffs and six aldermen, the mayor appointed by the Marquis of Bute for life, and the bailiffs elected annually by the burgesses. A court of record may be holden under the charter granted by Charles II., but the corporation do not avail themselves of the privilege. Cowbridge shares with Cardiff and Llantrisant in returning one member to Parliament.

The church of St. Mary is a handsome stone building, in the Norman style, and consists of a chancel, nave, south aisle, and gallery with an organ at the west end, also a porch, and fine square tower, with a peal of 8 bells; there is a tablet in memory of Dr. Benjamin Heath Malkin, M.A., F.R.A., the celebrated historian of South Wales, who was buried here. The church was restored in 1851 at a cost of #1,400, defryaed by contributions. The register dates from the year 1718. The living is a vicarage, with Llanblethian and Welsh St. Donatts annexed, yearly value about #300, in the gift of the Dean and Chapter of Gloucester, and held by the Rev. Thomas Edmondes, M.A. , of Jesus College, Oxford; the Rev. Owen Bowen Price, B.A., of St. David's College, Lampeter, is the curate

The church of Llanblethian (St. John the Baptist) is an old stone edifice, in the Norman style, situated upon an eminence; it has a chancel, nave, south transept, porch, and square tower, with a peal of eight bells. The register dates from the year 1660.

There are chapels for Baptists, Calvinistic Methodists, Independents and Wesleyans.

The Grammar School was endowed by Sir. Leoline Jenkins, Judge of the Prerogative Court and Secretary of State in the reign of James II.; according to his will it was purchased by him of Sir Edward Stradling, of St. Donatts Castle, and commonly called or known by the name of the 'Free School', and devised by him to the principal, fellows and scholars of Jesus College, Oxford. He founded six monitorships, each of the present value of #16 10s. The scholarships and fellowships originally attached to the school have been, as in most foundations, thrown open to competition by the Royal Commission, in granting to English boys , who have been educated in the school for four years, equal advantages with the Welsh in competing for the fellowships and scholarships of Jesus College, Oxford. The present building was erected by the fellows of Jesus College, Oxford, in the year 1847, with residence for master. There is also a National school for boys and girls.

The Town Hall and Market House is situated in the High street and is a fine building.

The county court is held at the Town Hall alternately, every month, with Bridgend. Petty sessions are held at the Police Station, and the magistrates meet every Tuesday. There are also Gas Works, by which the town is supplied.

The market is held every and is purely agricultural. The great markets are held the first Tuesday in every month, chiefly for cattle. Fairs are held the Tuesday before March 25th, May 4th, June 24th, Sept 29th and the first Tuesday in December.

The charities (a list of which is in St. Mary's church) are as follows :- Mrs. Catherine Williams, by will, dated 27th November, 1682, bequeathed the sum of #100 for ever to the town of Cowbridge, the interest whereof to be yearly paid for the relief of the poor of the said town. Sir Leoline Jenkins left, by will, dated 20th June, 1685, the sum of #20 once in every four years, towards apprenticing poor children or clothing poor people of the town of Cowbridge, at the discretion of the master ofthe Grammar School in the said town for the time being. Mrs. Mary Wilcox also left two closes of land situated in the parish of Llanblethian, the rent of which to be yearly distributed to the poor of the town of Cowbridge, at the discretion of the bailiffs of the said town for the time being. Mrs Rebecca Wyndham likewise left, by will, the sum of #100, which, together with the interest thereof, purchased the moiety of a tenement of lands called Pencoed in the parish of Llanilid, the profits of which to be applied towards appenticing poor children of the town of Cowbridge, at the discretion of the minister and churchwardens for the time being. Mrs. Cecil Thomas' house, near the Cross, in the town, Mr. Thomas Thomas' house, near the Weigh-house, Mrs Mary Morgan's house, near the Market place, and a field, called by the name of Tair Erw Heoly Smallway, in the parish of Llanblethian, are charged with the yearly sum of 12s. each, which, with 4s. from the Corporation, are left to be distributed in bread to the poor of the town on every Sunday after divine service, at the discretion of the churchwardens. Mr. Walter Williams, by a codicil to his will, dated 16th January, 1796, bequeathed the yearly sum of #4 for ever, to be issuing out of the rents and profits of a tenement of lands called "The Paddocks." situated in the Western Village of the townof Cowbridge, to be paid to the treasurer of the town, and to be distributed to the poor of the town and parish of Cowbridge, at the discretion of the bailiffs. On Nov. 24th, 1840, Daniel Jones, of Beaupre, in the parish of St. Hilary, in this county, by his will, directed his executors should purchase as much stock in Consols as would produce a yearly dividend of #10, for the use and benefit of the poor of this town for ever, the money either to be divided among the poor in equal moieties, one at Whitsuntideand the other at Christmas, by the minister for the time being, or to be laid out by such minister for the use of the poor, in clothing, bedding, or firing; the above stock stands invested in the #3 per Cent. Consols in the name of Her Majesty's Accountant-general. Dec. 11th, 1845, John Frauncies Gwyn of Ford Abbey, in the parish of Thorncombe, in the County of Devon, by his will made the following bequest :- I give and bequeath unto the minister and churchwardens of the parish of Cowbridge thesum of #200, in trust, to invest the same in their names in the public funds of Great Britian, and to apply the dividends thereof in such manner as they shall think fit, for the benefit of the National school for boys of the three consolidated parishes of Cowbridge, Llanblethian and Welsh St. Donatts. The principal residences in the neighbourhood are : Bryn Awel, the seat of Miss Entwistle; Marlboro' Grange, the seat of Mrs. Entwistle; Newton House, the seat of John Samuel Gibbon, esq., J.P.; Penlline Castle, the seat of John Homfray, esq., J.P., Penlline Court, the seat of William Salmon, esq., J.P.; The Verlands, the seat of James Ballard, esq.

The Marquess of Bute is lord of the manor of Llanblethian and borough of Cowbridge. The Earl of Dunraven; John Samuel Gibbon esq. J.P., Major William West, James Bassett, J.P., and Mrs. Entwistle are the principal landowners.

The soil is clay and gravel; subsoil, various. The chief crops are wheat, barley and pasturage, and the population in 1861 of the parish of Cowbridge was 1,047; parish of Llanblethian in 1861, was 753.

The area of the parish of Cowbridge is 69 acres; parish of Llanblethian is 3,030 acres; gross estimated rental of the parish of Cowbridge, #3,556 13s.; parish of Llanblethian, #5,515 9s.; rateable value of the parish of Cowbridge, #3, 095 10s; parishof Llanblethian, #5,083 6s.

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