"WELSH POOL TO OSWESTRY. ICI 



the Norman sera. The Britons and Saxons gave 

 their fortrelTes this fpecies of elevation. The Nor- 

 mans built on the finn and natural foil, or rock; 

 but often made ufe of thefe mounts, which thty 

 found to have been the fite of a Saxon caille. Thi« 

 appears to have been the cafe with that in quef- 

 tion *. 



In the year 12 14, a complaint was laid to the 

 ^rchbilliop of Canterbury by Llewelyn ap Grlfuth 

 ap Madoc, againfi the conftable of Ofweflry caftle, 

 for compelling him to put to death two young 

 noblemen^ in derogation of their birth and extrac- 

 tion ;. " which difgrace (he ft ates) their parents 

 would not have undergone J^r three hundred poiiuch 

 jierl'ing^r^ He alleges alfo, that the conftable had 

 twice imprifoned fixty of his men, when each man 

 wa'S compelled to pay toxi fliilliugs for his liberty j 

 and that when the Welih people came to Ofweiiry 

 fair, the conftable would feize their cattle, by driving 

 them into the caftle, and refufe to make any fatis- 

 iadion {. 



Two years after this the town was deftroyed by 

 order of king John, on account of Llewelyn, prince 

 of Wales, having refufed to aid him in the conten- 

 tions with his barons. It experienced a fimilar dif- 



* Pennant, i. 264. 



■|- This is a fi!igular valuation of parents of the lives of two 

 ci^ildrtii. 



\ Pliillips'ii Hiilory of Slirewlbury, Appendix, 236. 



H 3 after 



