Through The Ages: " Of Llwyn-Onn"

       Titles given to locations often have special meanings, especially to those who choose the name. My Jones surname ancestors selected a name that became a symbol for generations to come. Translated from the Welsh, it means "Ash Grove". Now to give an idea of the number of generations so tagged, the figure taken from a well-known Welsh genealogist is shown [Nicholas, Vol. I, p.355]. The generations that were to identify with this descriptor is shown by the red circle with pink marking. 

      Wow, just count the generations that followed Iorwerth Fychan (JI-1), who is described as being the first named as of Llwyn-Onn in the county of Denbighshire [p.354]. That's right, the next 15 generations!  There must have been something very special about this name and, a significant reason why it was passed down from one generation to the next for more than 250 years. Hum, let's see. First is the Ash tree.

      It looks like any other tree to me and, it was valued at the bottom of the lists for trees in the Welsh laws of the day [see post Well Stockaded of August 15th]. It certainly could be used as lumber, but an Oak tree would be much stronger. It could be used for firewood and, it is recognized as producing fewer sparks at the fireplace, but a grove of them.  A grove is defined as a small wood without under-brush and, why clean it out if you were only going to chop it down and burn it up? Got to be something else it would seem to my reasoning? What about a memory in song? Here are the words to an ancient Welsh song and, you know my Welsh ancestors loved to sing. Also, my Dad was the song leader for more than 50 years in the Church of Christ of my childhood. In those days, A cappella was the only way allowed to sing [see post of November 3rd, 2010].

                                                                                                                                                                            The words to an ancient Welsh song titled, The Ash Grove:

                            

                        "Down yonder green valley, where streamlets meander, when twilight is fading

                          I pensively rove or at the bright moontide in solitude wander, amid the dark

                          shades of the lonely ash grove; 'Twas there, while the blackbird was

                          cheerfully singing, I first met my dear one, the joy of my heart! Around us for

                          gladness, the bluebells were ringing. Ah! then little thought I how soon we

                          should part 

                          Still glows the bright sunshine o're valley and mountain,

                          still warbles the blackbird its notes from the tree; still trembles

                          the moonbeam on steamlet and fountain, but what are the beauties of nature

                          to me? 

                         With sorrow, deep sorrow, my bosom is laden, all day go mourning in search

                         of my love; Ye echoes, oh tell me, where is the sweet maiden?

                                            "She sleeps, 'neath the green turf down by the ash grove"

                   

   Seems like a song to remember through the ages down the branches of my Jones surname family tree.                                        

Chronology of Death

       Date of birth and, date of death are two events that every genealogist hopes to record correctly on each individual placed among the branches of their family tree. Now, recording only the date of death for each individual might be a little suspect as to the goals being utilized. However, the recorders of the earliest Welsh genealogist seem to give only dates of death. What is up with this, was often my thought, when climbing around the branches of some of the earliest generations of my own Jones surname family tree.

      To illustrate this phenomena, the following charts are drawn to show the first 400 years of Welsh kindred leadership as translated by Lloyd (see post July 6th, 2023). The districts of Gwynedd (Royal Tribe I) colored blue, Deheubarth (Royal Tribe II) colored green and, Powys (Royal Tribe III) colored orange, are represented by the squares drawn for each individual named by Lloyd pp. 273 - 277 titled "Genealogical Tables". Each chart is drawn in chronological order for ten year periods. Significant events are listed in yellow.  My family, from Tudor Trevor (JC-1) to Iorwerth (JI-1), are represented by the squares outlined in red. So, hold on to your seat belt and let's go, starting from 900 A.D.! 

      The first chart begins with the law giving years of Hywel Dda (EB-15) and end with his death 950 A.D. He died representing Deheuabarth (Square colored green), and his son-in-law Tudor Trevor (JC-1) had already died two years before. It was not until the sons of Hywel Dda (EB-15) began their own quest for recognition that the laws of cooperation began to decay. Folks from the north seem to battle against folks from their south trying to get their date of death into my chart. 

      Just after the start of the next 100 years [1039 A.D.], a fellow named Gruffudd ap Llywellyn (ED-28) made his own way upon the stage. He certainly made a distinct pathway around all the kin groups until his death in 1063 A.D. led by an individual named Harold II (M-39). This Harold has been portrayed often as "the last of the Saxons" [see page 494 in the book by Ashley discussed in post 20 Feb. 2023]. Now the walls of all came tumbling down after 1066 A.D. when those French speaking folks from across the Channel introduced William I (SD-7). You can certainly see the impact that this had upon all the dying, with Powys now coming into the charts along with all those green colored fellows. Cynrig (JF-1) was killed 1073 A.D. just about in the middle of all the other deaths.

       Henry I (O-3) [p. 508 Ashley], gave his debut the very start of the next 100 years. The death dates took their climb to new heights (n=33) almost totaling more than the first 400 years together. Jeuaf (JH-1) was given his name by its Norman spelling, and the death chronology shows why Iorwerth (JI-1) might have wanted to make the family's move to the hills [see last post]. The last chart to be shown starts in the year 1200 A.D.  These dates begin after the next in my family tree are to be named.

      You can see that the dates of death are at their highest number (n=38) after Henry III (SB-19) started his play in this dance of death. [Ashley p. 531] My ancestors are shown only by their code numbers at this point but, their names are yet to be listed. The Welsh genealogists began their kindred family trees starting around 1150 A.D. and, you can certainly see why it could be called a chronology of death.

A Contemporary View

      From the Vale of Dee, to the Vale of Clwyd, was the change of address that my Jones surname family most likely made during the reign of Henry II [1154 A.D.- 1189]. Previous posts have presented a number of reasons this move was made and, much more is to be discussed. However, few maps of this geographic area are available to show one of the major aspects of the day. The following image is one of the closest depictions of this area discovered to date, and it demonstrates the important aspects of this land's topography.

      Here you have it. The river Clwyd is center, passing through Ruthin, flowing down from the mountains that form a horseshoe shaped "ring of protection". One way in and one way out, what a catcher's mitt for Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd just a few miles south of Ruthin and, the future address for my family yet to be. It was the location for many generations to come. A contemporary view it is.

      Now just how many motte and bailey castles were placed about the land of Wales?  The following figure shows the distribution of the early castles modified from the fun book by AA/Wales titled history.spectacle.romance  Castles In Wales, published 1998, p. 15. The Vale of Clwyd is circled in red, and the river Clwyd is colored blue. Each black square is the location of a known castle of the motte and bailey type.

      Let's all head to these hills!
 

A Recap

       The branches of the family tree can get twisted and entwined fairly quickly. Starting from the top or, starting from the bottom of one's tree, an individual can get easily caught among the branches. For my own Jones surname family tree, starting from the top, i.e., from the earliest branches, the following figure is shown to help place the branches in my line of descent. From Gadforch (JA-1) to Jeuaf (JH-1), this group of great...grandfathers lived in the same geographic region (Vale of Dee) for their first eight generations. In the law books of Hywel Dda, a generation is defined as 30 years. On p. 112 it reads: 

                               "Law does not close between a person and his entitled land in a lesser period than three ancestor's lifetimes on each side, and that in peace. This is three ancestor's lifetimes: nine score years, three score years in each lifetime".

      This would be 240 years by the thoughts of the day.

      As given in the last post, the son of Jeuaf (JH1), Iorweth Fychan (JI-1) moved the family to a new location in the Vale of Clwyd. Llwyn Onn was its name and, much more will be given but, now it is a recap.

                  

Well Stockaded

       After the lance and the sword, the motte and bailey castle served as the straw that broke the camel's back. The first items listed above took the land of my ancestors and, the second kept the land. Well palisaded was the key word applied to these versatile-advanced fortifications. A palisade was a line of stout posts set firmly to form a defense. Each long, strong stake was to be pointed at the top and set close together. Anyway, the last post certainly commented on the amount of wood it must have taken to build. The woodlands around each castle must have been shaking in their boots [guess it should be their trunks] as each of their friends were chopped and tumbled to the ground. Now, of course, the occupiers dismantled all the standing structures around them made of wood which increased all the dismay among the local folks. Structures like the house [benches, lintels, side posts, doors, porches, rafters], cowhouse, sheepcote, pigsty, harvest house, and kiln would have all been dismembered. 

      The significance of this activity to my ancestor's heart is better understood looking into the accepted social norms of the day. "The Justices' Test Book", starting on page 141 and ending on page 210, describes how justice was to be determined among the kin groups of the day. [The law books are presented in the post of May 16, 2023] A host of relationships are discussed including 1. Homicide, 2. Theft, 3. Fire, 4. Value of Wild and Tame, and then, 5. Trees.  The issue of trees, p.188-190, is followed by 6. Houses, 7.  Equipment, 8. Human Body (p. 196), 9. Joint Ploughing and, 10. Corn Damage. Can you believe it, trees were placed between killings and plowing. 

      Compensation was the decision that was to be decided by the judges to all these issues of life.  The value of such items are given in pence, such as an oak tree was worth "six score pence". A scrub-oak was worth (bears no fruit) 24 pence. [pence = penny] A holy yew tree worth a pound. [1 pound = 100 pence] On page 189 it states:

      "Every tree which is planted for shelter is worth twenty-four pence to its owner, whether he plants it in gardens or as shelter for his house. Every tree which does not bear fruit, except a yew, is worth fourpence - such as an ash or an alder or a willow. ... The value of the trees goes to the owners of the woodland." 

       "Every builder on open land is entitled to have three timbers from him to whom the woodland belongs, whether the woodlander will or no: a roof-tree and two roof-forks."

    Now, an article by Dana Huntley in the 1997 March issue of "Special History Edition, British Heritage" p. 14, states a Celtic "Great Round House" for its construction would take 220 trees or roughly 16 tons of wood. Just think how many trees would be needed for a well stockaded motte and baily!

      The motte and bailey as it stood when my own Jones family visited the ancient townlands of the Vale of Dee in 1998 is shown. The motte stands the same as when it was built some 900 years past. Of course, the stone keep standing on the top, would have been of wood. How many pence would it have cost to the forefathers of the day? Their hearts would have been broken. But hey, it would have been well stockaded.

None May Survive

     Who are these guys? What in the world are they trying to do? Cutting down all the trees and making great mounds of earth, but for what? These, not so gentlemen, are taking all the wood around the place in order to build their bailiwicks! Also, pounds and pounds of dirt are all being piled into a big hump some 30-40 feet high. Then, on top of this mound of earth, they use all the cut wood to build a tower some 10 to 12 feet high just to look around the place. Next, they dig a deep dich around this mound, fill it with water, and let people come up to the tower at the top by one sloping ramp. At the bottom of this ramp, there is some funny looking gate that goes up and down over the water filled ditch seeming to be the front door. Not only this, they add a rectangular side area, also surrounded by wood and another ditch. This area is to house all the things they want to keep away from the resentful local folks who had just lost all they had to these dich diggers. Wow, life or death seem to be the only option for our family. What are we to do?

     Life and death circles us all. For my ancestors during this corridor of time, death would seem the closest circle. As it turns out, the next in direct line of descent from Jeuaf (JH-1) is his son Iorweth Fychan (JI-1) "Of Llwyn-Onn".  For the first time in the family tree a labeled "Of Llwyn-Onn" appears. It seems that the family made a move to a new homeland, after the first seven generations, to try and move the circle of life a little closer to the center. For my own understanding, the following figure was used to place all the locations in relationship to one another.

      From the Vale of Dee to the Vale of Clwyd, it was. As shown in the last post, the invasion plans of the Normans are outlined again in green. Thus, moving to the Dyffryn Clwyd area (colored orange) would place the family right between the two green arms (north and the south branches) of the Norman invasion. It would be about the safest place to hide out in the hills looking in this window of time. The name Llwyn Onn means Ash Grove. What a deal! Even to remember all those trees being lost to these new folks who are here to stay. To move this generation is so that some may survive.

      The following diagram places Iorwerth Fychan (JI-1) [fychan means the younger or smaller] in the family tree.