One of the first group of people to settle the land that was to become called the "Welsh Marches" were the Celts. Thought to have arrived between 500 B.C.- 400 B.C., they brought their family groups and special skills to manage iron production. New settlements began to sprout up around the growth of barley corn, wheat, and rye, thus giving the potential to stay longer in one location rather than chase those four-legged critters. Their skill with iron certainly helped them control the land about their settlements.
Livestock became an important aspect of this settled environment, bringing sheep, cattle, and pigs into a much closer relationship. Grazing land became more important as the settlement and family grew. Following the sheep up to the best grazing land high in the hills and mountains, they soon came to realize that this was not such a good location during the winter months. They would return to their home base, leading them back to a better setting to survive until the spring season returned.
Much later, the early Welsh culture maintained this routine calling their summer dwelling "hafod" and their winter settlement "hendre". It was this activity that gave the area their fame as the best fleece (wool) in the land. It was the Inigo Sr./Jr. and my own Jones family that had the same lineal descent.
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