i;02 T^'FLSH POOL TO OSWESTRY. 



afler in the reign of Henry III., in being burned 

 during an iafurreclion of the WehTi*. 



In the fubfequent reign, that of Edward I., Of- 

 weflry was furrounded with walls, that it might be 

 lefs liable to fuffer from the plundering excurfions of 

 this people. 



Thefe, however, do not appear to have altogether 

 reftrained them, for during the rebellion of Owen 

 Glyndwr, in the beginning of the fifteenth century, 

 it was again plundered and burnt. --^Ofweftry has- 

 likewife thrice fuffered dreadfully by accidental fires 

 in the fpace of thirty years. In 1542, two long 

 ih-eets were thus confumed ; two years afti^rwards 

 there was a fire more deftruclive than this ; and in 

 1567 two hundred houfes were burnt to the ground, 

 namely, a hundred and forty within the walls, and 

 fixty in the fuburbs, in only two hours, betwixt twa 

 and four o'clock in the morning f. 



The contefls, robberies, and diflurbances in the 

 marches of Wales, appear to have been continued 

 with little interruption till a very late period. Both 

 Welfli and Englifn feem to have confidered every 

 thing as lawful plunder which they could feize in 

 each others territory. In confequence of this, the 

 ftewards, the conftable, and the lieutenant of Oi- 

 weflry, and Powys, entered into covenants in the 

 year 15345 to r'.ftrain thefe plundering excur- 



* Powcl, 287, 288. 



f Harleian MSS. in the Britilli Mufeum, No. 198T, 



fions., 



