Dictionary of Welsh Biography

ADAM OF USK (Adam Usk; 1352? - 1430), lawyer He drew his origin from the town of Usk, on the river of that name. He owed his start in life to Edmund Mortimer, 3rd earl of March, who held the lordship of Usk as part of the inheritance of his wife, Philippa, and who in 1369 gave Adam the means to study civil and canon law at Oxford. In due course, he took the degree of doctor of laws and settled as a teacher of law in the university, where
ADAM USK - see ADAM OF USK
ALLGOOD family A family of this name was for more than 150 years identified with the japanning industry at Pontypool and at Usk. The series begins with THOMAS ALLGOOD I (c. 1640 - 1716), a Northants Quaker who was invited by his friend Richard Hanbury to establish copperas works at Pontypool. He turned his attention to the possibility of producing lacquer from the by-products of coal. He died 8 May 1716, and
ANDREWS, JOSHUA (c.1708 - 1793), Baptist minister Nothing is known of his beginnings, but in 1732 or 1733 he became a member of Pen-y-garn congregation, under Miles Harry. In 1736, he went to Bristol Academy; he was one of six Welshmen there, another being Caleb Evans. He returned to serve as a lay preacher at Pen-y-garn; and about 1740 was ordained to assist Harry, with special charge of the cause at Usk; but he was not a man of popular gifts
ARNOLD family Llanthony, Llanvihangel Crucorney, he was later alleged to have been engaged in seditious designs. In September 1679 he unsuccessfully contested Monmouth borough against Worcester's heir, but unseated him on petition (26 November 1680) on the ground of the exclusion of the out-boroughs. Meanwhile (April 1680) an alleged Catholic-inspired attempt on his life (now believed to be a fabrication, although John Giles of Usk was convicted
ARTHUR (fl. early 6th century?), one of the leaders of the Britons against their enemies Monmouth - his court is at Celli-wig in Cornwall. In Geoffrey's Historia, c. 1136, a prominent place is given to the 'history' of Arthur : he is crowned by archbishop Dubricius or Dyfrig, he establishes his court at Caerleon-on-Usk, he defeats the Saxons in a series of battles, and then turns against the Picts and the Scots. Having pacified the island, he marries Guinevere and then conquers Ireland and
BAILEY family Nant-y-glo, creating a demand for rails. Besides the tramway from Rhymney to Bassaleg, and the Aberdare branch of the Taff Vale Railway, he made a new line of tramway from Beaufort and Nant-y-glo down to the Clydach valley to Llanfoist, to join the Brecon and Abergavenny canal. In 1852 he promoted a railway from the Forest of Dean, by Coleford, Monmouth, and Usk to Pontypool, etc. By indenture dated 2 February 1867
CHERLETON family Northumberland and lord Bardolf, rebels and allies of Glyn Dwr, 1406, and was the friend of Adam Usk. In November 1417 Sir John Oldcastle was captured at Broniarth, near Welshpool, by Sir Gruffydd Vaughan and his brother Ieuan ap Gruffydd, aided by Hywel ap Gruffudd ap Dafydd ap Madog and Deio ap Ieuan ap Iorwerth ab Adda, two yeomen. These men surrendered Oldcastle to their overlord Edward Cherleton, whose
CLARE family in the history of south-east Wales. Richard's son, GILBERT III (died 1230), remembered as one of the barons of Magna Carta, was therefore earl of Gloucester and of Hertford, and lord of Tonbridge, Clare, Glamorgan, and Caerleon on Usk; his wife Isabel was daughter of William Marshal and thus a member of branch B (below) of the Clares. GILBERT III fought battles in Wales, and had to struggle with
CLARK family, printers and publishers 1903 to Enoch Williams. James Clark died 12 June 1859. A fortnight after The Chepstow Weekly Advertiser began to appear, another Monmouthshire newspaper started its career - The Illustrated Usk Observer; this was printed and published at Usk by JAMES HENRY CLARK (1818 - 1913), another son of James Clark. J. H. Clark and his elder brother GEORGE A. CLARK (who, however, died at Chepstow 12 April 1835
CRADOC, WALTER (1610? - 1659), Puritan theologian established himself at Usk, thus displaying moderation in his views upon tithe. His moderation was equally in evidence when Vavasor Powell was impelled by the failure of the ' Parliament of Saints ' to publish the petition A Word for God and so to manifest his opposition to Cromwell. Cradoc came into the open as the principal supporter of Cromwell in Wales, and a loyal petition, The Humble Representation
DAFYDD GAM (d. 1415), Welsh warrior was the son of Llywelyn ap Hywel Fychan, a Brecknock landowner of the stock of Einon Sais, whose castle stood at Pen-pont on the river Usk. His byname signified that he squinted or had lost an eye. Tradition averred that he fled from his homeland after killing his relative, Richard of Slwch, in the High Street of Brecon. He first appears, as a king's esquire, in April 1400; in this capacity he

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