Tenby 
Contents
TENBY
From
From Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of Wales
(1833)
History
TENBY (DYNBYCH Y PYSCOED), a parish, including the In-Liberty and
the Out-Liberty (each of which separately maintains its own poor),
the former constituting the borough, and comprising the sea-port
and market town of Tenby, and having exclusive jurisdiction, though
locally in the hundred of Narberth, county of PEMBROKE, SOUTH
WALES, 11 miles (E.) from Pembroke, 20 (S. E.) from Haverfordwest,
and 245 (W.) from London, containing 2128 inhabitants, of which
number, 1942 are within the limits of the borough. This place was
at a very remote period occupied by the ancient Britons as a
fishing town, for which its situation on the coast rendered it
extremely favourable; and from this circumstance it obtained its
Welsh name, of the first part of which its present appellation is
an obvious modification. According to George Owen, an eminent
antiquary of the reign of Elizabeth, whose manuscript history of
Pembrokeshire is now in the library of the British Museum, the
origin of the present town is attributable to the settlement of the
Flemings in this part of the principality by Henry I, who placed
them under the protection and control of Gerald de Windsor,
governor of Pembroke castle, whom he ordered to provide them with
habitations, on condition of their garrisoning the castles which
the king then had in Wales, and which were erected by the Normans
for the security of the territories which they had usurped by
conquest. In order to protect themselves from the repeated attacks
of the native Welsh, and to maintain possession of the lands which
had been assigned to them, they soon found it necessary to build
the towns of Tenby, Pembroke, and Haverfordwest, which they
fortified with strong and lofty walls; and from that time Tenby
began to assume a high degree of importance as a strongly fortified
military post, and progressively to enjoy, from its advantageous
situation, considerable prosperity as a maritime and commercial
town. In the year 1150, Cadell, eldest son of Rhys ab Grufydd,
Prince of South Wales, being on a hunting excursion in the
neighbourhood, was suddenly attacked by a party of the inhabitants
of Tenby, who lay in ambush for that purpose, and who, rushing from
their concealment, soon put to flight the unarmed retinue by which
he was attended: but Cadell resolutely defended himself against the
assailants, of whom he killed several, and, though severely wounded
in the conflict, ultimately effected his escape. Two years after
this event Meredydd and Rhys, brothers of Cadell, in order to
avenge this outrage, assembled all their forces, and, advancing to
Tenby, scaled the walls of the town, surprised the castle, and put
most of the garrison to the sword. During the minority of Isabel,
Countess of Pembroke, the several castles in her earldom were
entirely neglected, and the castle of Tenby, being unprovided with
a sufficient garrison, was attacked by Maelgwyn and Hywell, sons of
Rhys ab Grufydd, who, coming against it with an overwhelming force,
destroyed the fortress, burned the town, and put many of the
inhabitants to the sword. It was a considerable time before Tenby
recovered from the devastation it suffered upon this occasion: the
castle was repaired, and its fortifications strengthened, by
William Marshall, who, espousing Isabel, was created Earl of
Pembroke; but the town remained for a much longer time in ruins.
William, had five sons, who all succeeded in turn to the
palatinate: of these, Walter, the fourth son, gave orders for
restoring the town and building a church and an almshouse; but
dying before his intentions were carried into effect, Warren de
Mountchensy, who married his sister, and succeeded in her right to
the earldom completed the plans of his predecessor, and made to the
church a valuable present of plate and jewels.
During the wars of the houses of York and Lancaster, the
fortifications were repaired and strengthened by Jasper Earl of
Pembroke, who, in the 36th of Henry VI., caused the platform along
the summit of the walls to be widened for the greater facility of
posting soldiers on the battlements, and the moat by which they
were surrounded to be much increased in depth and breadth. Henry
Earl of Richmond, and his mother, sought shelter in the castle of
this place, to which they were brought by David ab Thomas, one of
the brothers of Sir Rhys, a zealous adherent of the House of
Lancaster, from Pembroke castle, where they had been besieged. Here
they received due attention from the mayor of the town, and
embarked for Britanny under the protection of Jasper Earl of
Pembroke, and uncle of Henry, who accompanied them to the
continent. In the reign of Elizabeth, a memorial was presented by
the Bishop of St. David's, and the principal persons of the county,
praying that fit persons might be sent to inspect the castle and
fortifications of Tenby, preparatory to putting them into a state
of defence against the threatened invasion of the Invincible Armada
of Spain. The walls were consequently restored by order of the
queen, whose initials, with the date 1588, are still visible. At
the commencement of the civil war in the reign of Charles I., the
castle and the town were garrisoned for the king; but in 1644,
Colonel Laugharne, with a strong body of parliamentary forces, laid
siege to the place, which was resolutely defended by Colonel Gwyn,
the governor, for three days, when a breach being made in the
walls, it was taken by storm, and the governor, the high sheriff,
and three hundred men were made prisoners. In 1647, the castle and
town were seized for the king by the same Colonel Laugharne, who,
in conjunction with Colonel Poyer, who had been made governor of
Tenby by the parliament, and Colonel Powell, had abandoned the
parliamentarian cause, and embraced the royal interests;and from
the strength of the garrison, composed of three hundred men, with
twenty - five pieces of ordnance, and the abundant store of
provisions and ammunition with which it was supplied, it proved a
formidable obstacle to the entire subjugation of the country to the
authority of the parliament. Cromwell, who was soon after
despatched into South Wales with an army of eight thousand men,
sent a detachment of twelve hundred, under the command of Colonel
Read, to besiege this place. For five days it held out against all
the efforts of the united forces of Colonel Read and Colonel
Constable, by whom the former had been joined, until, the suburbs
having been taken by storm, and a breach made in the walls, the
garrison was compelled to surrender at discretion, and among the
prisoners were numerous gentlemen of the surrounding country.
The Town
The town is romantically situated on the eastern and southern sides
of a rocky peninsula stretching out into the Bristol channel, and
rising to an elevation of one hundred feet above the level of high
water: it consists of one principal street, and several smaller
ones diverging from it, which latter are, in some instances,
inconveniently narrow. The houses are in general well built and of
respectable appearance, and several of recent erection command some
fine views over the sea. Considerable improvement has been made of
late years, among which may be noticed the erection of a new
markethouse by the corporation, and the formation of a new line of
road, by which the approach to the town has been greatly
facilitated, by avoiding a steep and dangerous descent from
Narberth and the eastern parts of the adjacent country, and which
was opened to the public in 1831. The principal street is well
paved, but not lighted, and the inhabitants are provided with water
from conduits in the town, supplied by pipes from a reservoir, into
which it is conveyed from springs in the neighbourhood: these works
were constructed at the expense of the corporation, on a plan
recommended to their adoption by Sir William Paxton, who, having
purchased a considerable portion of land in the borough, caused a
survey of the adjacent country to be made, with a view to supply
this desirable and important accommodation, from the want of which
the inhabitants had previously suffered great inconvenience. The
reservoir, however, fails to afford a sufficient supply once in
about every ten years, for five or six weeks together, during which
time the inhabitants are obliged to supply themselves from a brook
at nearly the same distance as the reservoir. The surrounding
scenery is romantically beautiful and picturesque: the majestic
masses of rock, of various forms and hues, which line the coast;
the numerous bays and distant promontories stretching into the sea;
the receding coasts of Carmarthenshire, with the projecting
headland of Gower, enclosing the great bay of Carmarthen, on the
western boundary of which the town is situated; the small islands
of Caldey and Lundy, with the distant shores of Somersetshire and
Devonshire, combine to impart a high degree of interest, variety,
and beauty to the sea view, which is pleasingly enlivened by the
frequent passing and repassing of vessels navigating the Bristol
channel. On one side of the town there is a drive of eleven miles
to the ancient town of Pembroke, through a fine champaign country,
studded with churches, villages, and gentlemen's seats surrounded
with plantations and pleasure grounds; and on the other the country
is agreeably diversified with swelling eminences, clothed with
verdure, and small valleys richly wooded. The beautiful situation
of the town, the fine beach and firm and smooth sands, the
transparency of the sea-water, and the pleasant walks and extensive
drives in the vicinity, have rendered it a fashionable place of
resort for sea-bathing, and, since the close of the last century,
raised it from the decline into which it had for many years
previously fallen, to a high rank among the most favourite watering
places on the coast. Many good lodging-houses have been built for
the accommodation of visitors, and several respectable private
houses are appropriated, during the season, to the reception of
families. Baths, provided with every convenience, were erected by
Sir William Paxton under the castle hill, and are supplied from a
capacious reservoir filled from the sea at every tide: this
establishment comprises two spacious pleasure baths, one for
gentlemen and one for ladies, four small cold baths, and also warm
sea-water and vapour baths, with apparatus for heating them to any
degree of temperature required. The same building contains also
lodging-rooms for the accommodation of such invalids as may find it
inconvenient to be at a distance from the baths, and a general room
as a promenade, and for the purpose of taking refreshments. The
exterior of the building is neat, but without any pretension to
architectural style, and an excellent carriage road has been made
to the house, which commands a fine view over the sea, on one side,
and, on the other, of the shipping in the bay. A neat small theatre
was erected about the year 1810; but dramatic performances not
being much encouraged here, it has never been made an architectural
ornament to the place. A private reading-room and subscription
library are in general well attended, and balls and concerts
occasionally take place under the direction of a master of the
ceremonies. The sands afford delightful promenades, and abound also
with shells of various descriptions, not less than one-half of the
British collection of six hundred varieties having been found on
this coast, on which many valuable shells, commonly esteemed
foreign, have also been found.
The Harbour
Soon after the settlement of the Flemings at this place, the small
harbour of Tenby was greatly improved for the convenience of the
shipping employed at the port, the trade of which, from that time,
progressively increased; and a very considerable part of its
population was employed in carrying on the woollen manufacture,
which was introduced by these settlers, and continued to flourish
here for many years. From what cause the commercial and
manufacturing importance of the town first began to decline has not
been clearly ascertained, but its manufactures have been
discontinued for a great length of time, and the only trade at
present consists in exporting to the western and southern coasts of
England the coal, culm, and limestone raised in the Out-Liberty of
the parish, and which are chiefly shipped from Saunder's Foot,
three miles to the north, to which place a tram-road from the
different works is now in progress; and in the importation of shop
goods from Bristol, between which place and Tenby a regular
communication is maintained by means of a steam-packet, which
conveys goods and passengers twice in the week during the season.
The harbour, which, according to the custom-house regulations, is a
creek to the port of Milford, is dry at low water, and is sheltered
from the south and west winds by the lofty peninsula on which the
town is situated; while on the east it is protected by the castle
hill, and on the north by a small but handsome pier of ancient
erection, which, stretching north-westward from the castle hill, in
an irregular curve, terminates in a kind of circular bastion, the
whole forming a remarkably picturesque object: the mouth of the
harbour is daily cleared by a body of water retained each tide by
flood-gates: the coal is never shipped here except when the weather
will not permit vessels to receive it at Saunder's Foot, at which
place a pier is now in progress of erection, and is almost
completed, which will afford increased facilities for shipping coal
and culm. The adjacent bay of Carmarthen abounds with almost every
species of fish, and is frequented by vessels from all the
neighbouring and opposite coasts, which frequently put into this
harbour, as being the nearest place of safety to the fishing
stations. The market days are Wednesday and Saturday, and the fish
market, which is plentifully supplied with excellent fish is opened
daily. Fairs are held annually on May 4th, Whit-Tuesday, July 1st.,
October 2nd, and December 4th: that called St. Margaret's fair may,
by charter, continue for three days; but since the establishment of
the fair at Narberth, in the reign of Charles II., in consequence
of the more central situation of that place, the fairs of this town
have been on the decline, and are now but very thinly attended. A
new market-place, as noticed above, was constructed in the
High-street, at the expense of the corporation, in 1829: it is
commodiously arranged, and has a handsome facade, with the arms of
the borough sculptured in relief, on a shield of white marble, in
the tympanum of the pediment above the entrance.
Administration
The inhabitants were first incorporated by William de Valence, with
the consent of his consort Johanna, by whose right he had succeeded
to the palatinate: this nobleman's charter, ordaining that the
burgesses should choose annually from among themselves two
portreeves, and that they should have free common over all his
lands from mowing and reaping times until the Feast of the
Purification, is still extant, and was confirmed and enlarged by
his son, Aymer de Valence, and by Laurence de Hastings, successive
Earls of Pembroke. Under the charter of these noblemen the
government of the borough was vested in two equal provosts.
Humphrey Duke of Gloucester and Earl of Pembroke extended the
privileges of the burgesses; and all the charters granted by the
earls, as well as those granted by the reigning sovereigns, were
confirmed by their successors from the time of Edward II. to the
reign of Elizabeth. Henry IV., by charter granted in the year 1402,
first vested the government in a mayor and two bailiffs, to be
elected annually. Elizabeth, in the 23rd of her reign, confirmed
all preceding charters, and incorporated the inhabitants under the
designation of "the mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses of the borough
of Tenby," granting them power to elect a second justice of the
peace from among the aldermen, who, with the mayor, should hold
courts of quarter session, with authority to punish for all
felonies, trespasses, and misdemeanours, not affecting life or
limb. Charles I, by charter, added a third justice of the peace,
and two serjeants at mace, one to be nominated by the mayor, and
the other by the bailiffs, whom he made keepers of the common gaol
and house of correction, and also charged with the execution of all
writs. Under these charters the government of the borough is vested
in a mayor (who is also coroner), two bailiffs, two justices, and
an indefinite number of common-councilmen and burgesses, assisted
by a town-clerk, two serjeants at mace, and other officers. The
mayor and bailiffs are annually elected by the existing mayor and
the common council, and submitted to the approval of the burgesses
in common hall assembled. The justices, who are styled aldermen,
and, with the mayor, exercise exclusive magisterial authority
within the borough, are elected by the mayor and common- councilmen
alone: the common- councilmen are elected by the mayor and a
majority of their own body from among the burgesses, and the
burgesses are chosen by the mayor and a majority of the
common-councilmen. This borough, with Wiston, was, by the 27th of
Henry VIII., made contributory to Pembroke, in the return of one
parliamentary representative: by the recent act to amend the
representation, Milford is added to that district of boroughs,
while Tenby retains its ancient right with unaltered limits. The
elective franchise has heretofore been vested in the burgesses at
large, in number nearly four hundred, of whom about one hundred and
thirty are resident; and by such of these latter alone, and of the
£10 householders, as are duly registered, will the right of
voting now be exercised: the present number of houses within the
limits of the borough, of value sufficient to qualify their
tenants, is two hundred and twenty-two. Tenby is one of the places
at which the poll is appointed to be taken at county elections. The
corporation hold quarterly courts of session for the borough, on
the Friday after the county sessions are held, in which the mayor
and the two justices preside, for the trial of all offenders, of
whom the punishment does not affect life or limb; a court of record
for the recovery of debts to any amount above the sum of forty
shillings, called the monthly court, which is held before the mayor
on the first Thursday in every month, and has power to issue
process to hold to bail in actions for debt; and a court every
fortnight, on Monday, in which the mayor presides, for the recovery
of debts under the amount of forty shillings. The jurisdiction of
these courts extends over the entire In-Liberty of the parish,
constituting the borough, in which neither the county magistrates
nor the sheriff have any authority. The borough prison is a neat
edifice, consisting of two wards, one called the common gaol, and
the other the house of correction, both under the jurisdiction of
the bailiffs, and the superintendence of the gaoler, who is
appointed by the mayor: it is used only as a place of temporary
confinement, prior to the committal of prisoners to the county gaol
at Haverfordwest.
The Parish
The living consists of a consolidated rectory and vicarage, in the
archdeaconry and diocese of St. David's: the rectory is rated in
the king's books at £26. 10. 10., and the vicarage, which is
discharged, at £13. 6. 8.: the benefice is in the patronage
of the King, as Prince of Wales. The church, dedicated to St. Mary,
is a venerable and spacious structure, principally in the early
style of English architecture, with a square embattled tower
surmounted by a lofty spire, one hundred and fifty-two feet in
height: being situated in the centre of the town, it forms a
prominent feature in the view of it from the sea and the
surrounding country. It was erected in the year 1250, by Warren de
Mountchensy, Earl of Pembroke, after the destruction of the town by
the sons of Rhys ab Grufydd: the body consists of a nave, north and
south aisles, and a chancel, and is richer in sepulchral monuments
than any church in South Wales, excepting the cathedrals. Of these,
the most remarkable are the monuments of John and Thomas White,
brothers, and eminent merchants of this place, which are
sumptuously embellished and elaborately sculptured: each has the
effigy of the deceased, in the costume of the time, and in each
also are four compartments, containing those of other members of
the family, of whom was Griffith White, mayor of the borough when
Henry Earl of Richmond embarked at this port for the continent, and
to whom, after his accession to the throne, that monarch, in
recompense for his services, granted a lease of all the crown lands
in the vicinity of the town. The western entrance to the church is
beneath an arch surmounted with the inscription, in characters of
the thirteenth or fourteenth century, "Benedictus Dominus in
Domis Suis." The ceiling of the nave is of neatly carved
wainscot, and that of the chancel is of wainscot much more richly
ornamented. According to Mr. Fenton, three chantry priests were
appointed to officiate in this church, one at the altar of Jesus,
another at that of St. Anne, and a third at the "Rood of Grace;"
for these services lands producing at that time £13. 3. per
annum, together with thirteen shillings and four pence for lamps,
were settled on the church. There are places of worship for
Calvinistic and Wesleyan Methodists; and a building on the pier,
said to have been dedicated to St. Julian, and used as an oratory,
in Roman Catholic times, by seamen, prior to their setting out on a
voyage, is occasionally used by the Dissenters as a marine chapel.
A Sunday school is supported by subscription; and it is in
contemplation to establish a National school, under the patronage
of the principal residents, for the gratuitous instruction of poor
children.
Charities
A hospital in this town, dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, was
founded at a very early period, but by whom is unknown: about the
year 1236, it was endowed by Gilbert Marshall, Earl of Pembroke,
with lands for the relief of the lepers therein, and its revenue at
the dissolution was valued at £3. 5. Queen Elizabeth, in the
23rd year of her reign, vested them in the corporation, in trust
for the benefit of the poor; and in the 43rd of the same reign, by
an act of parliament for the better regulation and support of the
poor, these estates were transferred from the former trustees to
the overseers and churchwardens of the parish of St. Mary, Tenby.
The present annual income arising therefrom is about £50 per
annum; but, on the expiration of the present leases, which were
granted many years ago, the annual income will be much increased.
The corporation are trustees for seventeen twenty-seventh parts of
a farm bequeathed to the poor of this parish, by Mrs. Bowen, the
rents of which she appropriated for distribution, in equal shares,
among three aged and decayed housekeepers of this parish, each of
whom now receives £5. 13. 4. per annum: this farm was let
about sixty years ago, upon a lease for lives, on the falling in of
which the property will be greatly increased in value. Two marks,
or £1. 6. 8. per annum, are paid to the poor by the
proprietor of the estate of St. Botolph's, in the parish of
Steynton; being a bequest made about the year 1633, by Richard
Budd, in consideration of his having been saved from shipwreck by
taking refuge within Tenby pier. William Risam, in 1633, bequeathed
the sums of £50 and £200, to be lent without interest
to young tradesmen, which are now lost, having been improvidently
lent. Anne Lloyd, in 1619, bequeathed £40, and Thomas Barret,
in 1623, left £10, to the poor. Dr. John Jones left in trust
to his brother, the Rev. William Jones, certain property, to be
applied to such charitable uses as he might think proper; and, in
1703, the latter gentleman appropriated £413, to be vested in
the purchase of land, now producing £63. 1. per annum, for
apprenticing poor children, and towards the maintenance of such
poor persons as cannot support their families by their own labour.
Elizabeth Pict, in 1639, bequeathed £10; Thomas Wyat, in
1657, bequeathed £60; and Richard Gethin and nine other
benefactors left various small sums, now producing together
£6. 12. per annum, to the poor of this parish.
The Castle and the Surroundings
The remains of the ancient castle are very considerable, though
mostly in a dilapidated condition: this fortress formerly comprised
within its defences the whole of the little rocky peninsula which,
projecting eastward from the eastern extremity of the town, forms
the southern limit of the small bay of Tenby. The only portions now
sufficiently entire to convey any idea of its original strength and
importance are, a bastion and a square tower, which are in
tolerable preservation, some portions of the walls, and the
principal gateway entrance. The state apartments may still be
traced among the ruins, and they exhibit the appearance of a
splendid baronial residence, rather than the features of a military
fortress. On the north of the grand entrance are the ruins of a
once stately hall, one hundred feet in length, and twenty feet
wide; and near the gateway are the remains of another apartment,
eighty feet long and thirty feet wide: attached to this are smaller
rooms, which appear to have been offices and barracks for the
garrison: a portion of the keep still remains, occupying the most
elevated part of the castle hill, and has an appearance of great
antiquity. The ancient walls by which the town was surrounded are
still in some places entire: the path along their summit, from the
northern extremity of the fortifications to the south gate, may be
traced; and the pointed arches by which the platform for manning
the battlements was supported are still discernible: there yet
remain two of the towers by which they were defended, the
battlements of which are supported by corbels; and likewise the
south gate, surmounted by a low semicircular bastion of great
strength: besides these, some other towers of smaller dimensions,
chiefly circular, and a square turret near the eastern extremity,
are in tolerable preservation. Several of these towers are richly
mantled with ivy, and the whole convey an imposing idea of the
ancient strength and importance of this fortress. Numerous
specimens of ancient domestic architecture, formerly existing in
the town, have been removed within the last few years, for the
purpose of widening the streets, and otherwise improving the town;
but there are sufficient remaining to give some idea of the style
of architecture prevailing in it during its occupation by the
Flemings. Several beautiful engravings of remains of ancient
military and domestic architecture, now entirely destroyed, are
preserved in the "Etchings of Tenby," by C. Norris, Esq., published
in 1812. Among the ecclesiastical establishments formerly existing
at this place were, an hospital or free chapel, dedicated to St.
John the Baptist, founded by William de Valence, which, at the
dissolution, had an endowment of £9. 3. 2. for an officiating
priest; and a convent founded by John de Swinemor, in 1399, for
Carmelite friars, and dedicated to St. Mary. Near the coast to the
east of the town are several gentlemen's seats, some of them of
very ancient date: among these are, Cilgetty, the residence of the
ancient family of Canon; Hên Castle, the seat of Thomas
Stokes, Esq.; Merrixton, belonging to Charles Swan, Esq.; and
Bonville Court, the seat of the family of Bonville. To seaward are
some insulated rocks of romantic appearance, in which some curious
natural caverns have been excavated by the action of the winds and
tides: some of these are accessible on foot at low water, and one,
off the castle point, called St. Catherine's island, has been
completely perforated by the action of the waves, and presents a
curious and interesting appearance; and about two miles from the
main land is Caldey island, which is described under its own head.
Robert Loughor, L.L.D., distinguished by his literary attainments,
and by the offices which he filled in the university of Oxford, was
a native of this town, in which he died in 1585. Robert Record, M.
D., also a native of Tenby, is mentioned by George Owen as having
been greatly renowned for his works on cosmography, arithmetic, and
geometry: he died in the reign of Queen Mary. The average annual
expenditure for the support of the poor in the entire parish
amounts to £212. 18., of which sum, £193. 8. is
assessed on the In-Liberty, and £19. 10. on the Out-Liberty.
Gareth Hicks, 9 Jan 2000
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