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Pwllheli, the best town in
this country, and the magazine of good which supplies all this tract. It
lies close on the shore, and has a tolerable harbour for vessels of about
sixty tons.
The entrance is by a high
rock called the Gimlet, a mile from land, to which it is joined by a range
of sand-hills. This place was made a free borough by the Black Prince, by
charter, dated the 12th ; year of his principality, at Caernarvon, in
compliment to Nigel de Loryng or Lohareyn, one of the gentlemen of his
bedchamber, on whom he had bestowed Pwllheli and Nefyn, in consideration of
his great service in Gascony, and particularly at the battle of Poitiers. He
entitles him to Servitiis : quorumcunque tenentium tam liberorum quam
nativorum; by which it may be presumed that he did not include the Welsh in
the privileges. What those were I do not learn; but they were the same which
the burgesses of Rosfair in Anglesey enjoyed: and for them Pwllheli was to
pay to Nigel fourteen pounds a year, and Nefyn thirty-two.
This borough and Nefyn he
freely bestowed on him, with all its appertenances, together with four
librates of land, towards the repair of his manors; and for all these he was
only to pay an acknowledgement of a rose, in lieu of all services. If he
died without issue, the whole was to revert to the crown. Edward III.
afterwards confirmed these grants at Sandwich. |
