Rhyd-y-gors Castle

The name Rhyd-y-gors or Rhydygors has been associated with two historic sites near the market town of Carmarthen in Southwest Wales. The first was the Norman Rhyd-y-gors Castle and the other was Rhyd-y-gors Mansion, home of the Edwardes family.

History of Rhyd-y-gors

A perfectly preserved Bronze Age coating from an ancient British shield was found in the marsh at Rhyd-y-gors. The shield would originally have been made of wicker, with the decorative bronze plating attached to the front. This shield is slightly more than two feet in diameter and is decorated with concentric circles and many small brass knobs. It became part of the extensive collection of arms and armour acquired by Samuel Rush Meyrick 1783–1848, known as the Meyrick Collection. Following Meyricks' death, the collection was dispersed, and the shield is now displayed in the British Museum.

In AD 75, a Roman fort was established at Carmarthen, it evolved into the Roman settlement of Moridunum. It was the tribal capital of the Demetae, the Celtic tribe that inhabited the area. Various archaeological artefacts have been uncovered locally, and can be seen in the County Museum.

Rhyd-y-gors Castle was constructed on the order of King William II 1087–1100, known as ''Rufus'', by the Norman invader William Fitz Baldwin, Sheriff of Devon, in the late 11th century (1093–1094). It was situated on a bluff overlooking the River Towy, about one mile South of Carmarthen. The castle was located on the East bank of the ''Towy'', at a place where there was an ancient ford in the river. The word Rhyd-y-gors in Welsh means "Ford of the Marsh". The castle is thought to have been a timber structure surrounded by earthworks, but all trace of it is now gone.

At his untimely death in 1099, King Llywelyn ap Cadwgan was an under-King of William II. Llywelyn issued the only known coins of a Welsh ruler. At King William's mint at Rhyd-y-gors, he struck coins bearing the legend, 'Llywelyn ap Cadwgan, Rex'.

Rhyd-y-gors Castle was an important centre for the Norman invasion and subsequent control of Southwest Wales. William Fitz Baldwin held the castle until his death in 1096, at which point it was abandoned. William's brother Richard re-established the castle in 1106, and it remained an important focal point until Henry I 1068–1135 built the more permanent Carmarthen Castle by 1109. It seems Rhyd-y-gors Castle had outlived its purpose and slowly crumbled. In the late 19th century, the line of the Great Western Railway was constructed through the site, and any remains were obliterated.

Rhyd-y-gors Mansion

The second use of the name Rhyd-y-gors refers to the now demolished Gentry house, Rhyd-y-gors Mansion, located on the opposite side of the river to the site of the castle. The house was positioned near a bend, above the bank of the ''Towy'', near the ancient crossing that Rhyd-y-gors derives its name from. The first family to have inhabited the site were named Winter, and are believed to have arrived during the reign of William II, and were part of the train of forces headquartered at Carmarthen Castle. An Ancient Story Ends in Ruin

Progression of ownership

As the medieval period drew to an end, a new house was built at the site and passed to a Welshman, Meredith Lewis Meredith, upon his marriage to Joan, daughter and heiress of Morgan Winter. Meredith and Joan lived at Rhyd-y-gors and bore an only daughter, Mary, who married John ap Ieuan before 1500. The eldest son of this union was Edward ap John. As was becoming common in Tudor times, Edward ap John adopted his Christian name as their patronymic, and their surname became Edwards or Edwardes. Edward ap John bore a son David Edwardes, who became an Alderman of Carmarthen, Town Bailiff in 1570, and Mayor in 1606.Historic Carmarthenshire Homes and their Families, (Francis Jones 2006, Brawdy Books, Pembrokeshire)

During the period 1779 – 1785, Admiral David Edwardes Esq, of Rhyd-y-gors, let the house to the Carmarthen Presbyterian College, under the rule of Revd. Robert Gentleman, who had 28 pupils in his care.

Following the death of Captain David John Browne Edwardes (30th Regiment) in 1876, his wife Elizabeth Caroline (Betha) Edwardes ''Nee Warlow'' 1833–1931, (great niece of Sir Thomas Picton), and their children David John William (Willie) Edwardes 1864–1936 and John Picton Arthur (Picton) Edwardes 1865–1937 moved to another property they owned, St Regulus, near Southampton, in Hampshire, and Rhyd-y-gors was tenanted once again.

In October 1878, the Court of Quarter Sessions ordered that the Committee of Lunacy be authorised to rent Rhyd-y-gors Mansion for three years at a rent not exceeding £100 and rates and taxes. In 1890, Lord Emlyn gave notice that he would ask the Court's sanction to be given to the Joint Counties Lunatic Asylum for taking Rhyd-y-gors for 21 years, at £100 per annum.

In 1911, Rhyd-y-gors was finally sold. This was the first time the estate had changed ownership, other than by inheritance, in recorded history. The house was occupied by various tenants, including housing Belgian refugees during World War I. It was then occupied until about 1960, after which it became ruinous and was finally demolished in 1971Report – Employment and Regeneration Sites
by the commercial firm who owned the estate, and had built a creamery on the front portion of the land. In 2003, all that remained was a large stone wall, which originally encircled the garden, and a stone cottage, which would have acted as a gatehouse to the main residence.

The creamery has since been demolished, and part of the grounds of the estate are now covered by Amex Park, a commercial business park, accessed from Llansteffan Road, Johnstown. The name lives on with the Rhyd-y-gors Special School and Rhyd-y-gors House, in Amex Park.

Architecture and construction of Rhyd-y-gors

Rhyd-y-gors Mansion was a tall imposing house of roughcast stone, coloured red. The house was of three storeys, each with a range of five windows, and an attic storey with three dormer windows in the roof. On each gable end were massive chimneys. A South wing was added in the 17th century.The Lost houses of Wales, (Thomas Lloyd, 1987, Save Britains Heritage, London)

The plain façade gave little hint of the excellent carpentry within. The large panelled hall, wide stairs and a huge doorcase (Pictured at right), similar to the entrance door of the Great House at Laugharne, were of excellent quality. Some inventive 19th century work had been undertaken, particularly an archway of beehive outline and gothic door, both with a hint of India.

Two stone gargoyles from the site are located in the Carmarthen Museum, at Abergwili.

The Edwardes Family of Rhyd-y-gors

The Edwardes family has produced numerous notable contributors to Carmarthenshire history and have held high office in both town and county, including Mayors on four occasions, Town Sheriffs on six occasions and once in 1754, High Sheriff of the county. They have also consistently contributed officers to the British army, and on occasion to the Royal Navy. The Edwardes family held the tradition for many generations of naming their first-born son David, this tradition causes certain confusion when tracing the family genealogy.

David Edwardes Esq, was mayor in 1651, Town Sheriff in 1640 and died 1664. His brother Thomas Edwardes, a scholar, became Senior Fellow of Queens' College, Cambridge and left property to his college in his will, proved in 1684. The previous David Edwardes' son, also David Edwardes, was Borough Sheriff in 1680 and is credited with bringing order and system to Welsh genealogy, and was largely responsible for the manuscripts known as the Golden Grove Books. He was a noted Actuary, and in 1684 was appointed Deputy Herald of Clarenceux King-of-Arms, and he compiled a large collection of pedigrees and coats-of-arms, many of which are still preserved in the College of Arms. He died in 1690, and left realty in Trelach and Llanwinio to his uncle's Cambridge college. Rhyd-y-gors passed to his cousin Captain John Edwardes (See portrait in Gallery at end of article), who was the grandfather of Admiral David Edwardes RN 1716–1785.

In 1754, Admiral David Edwardes RN, held the office of High Sheriff of Carmarthenshire.The National Library of Wales :: Dictionary of Welsh Biography
/ref> Admiral Edwardes and his wife Anne (See portrait in Gallery at end of article), are interred in Cowbridge Church, Glamorgan, and a plaque also commemorates them in St Mary's church, Llanllwch.Carmarthen and its Neighbourhood, (William Spurrell, 1860) Admiral Edwardes' youngest son, the Revd. John Edwardes (1765–1847), married Margaret Willis of Gileston Manor, near Cowbridge, and by inheritance, Revd. Edwardes inherited Gileston Manor from his wife's father, the Revd. William Willis A.M.A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland, (Sir Bernard Burke, 1862, Harrison, London.) The Revd. John Edwardes had a daughter Elizabeth, who married Judge John Johnes 1800–1876, of the Dolaucothi Estate, Carmarthenshire. Judge Johnes was notoriously murdered at Dolaucothy, by his butler, on 19 August 1876, using his master's shotgun. Judge Johnes' younger daughter Elizabeth married Lieutenant General Sir James Hills-Johnes V.C. G.C.B.

Another Captain David John Edwardes ( Royal Horse Artillery) 14 Oct 1787-14 Apr 1866, grandson of Admiral Edwardes, served in the Peninsula War and was present at the Battle of Waterloo. He is credited with nearly capturing Joseph Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon, after the Battle of Vittoria. Joseph escaped, but Captain Edwardes souvenired a set of razors, a carriage clock and some other personal items from his carriage, which are still held by descendants of the family. Captain David Edwardes served in the Royal Horse Artillery with Captain Henry Forster (1789–1855) of Southend, Kent.

Following their return to England after the Battle of Waterloo, David Edwardes married Henrys' sister Caroline Forster. Henry Forster went on to marry Elizabeth Fitzgibbon and his grandson become Henry William Forster (First and Last Baron Forster, Governor-General of Australia

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