524 
PEMB 
the Arrow; with a manufafture of woollen cloth, a 
weekly market on Tuefday, and fairs May 12 and Nov. 
zz. The number of houfes, in the year 1821, was 288, 
and of inhabitants 1138. It is fifteen miles north-north- 
weft of Hereford, and 145 north-weft of London. Lat. 
52.19. N. Ion. 2.48. W. 
PEM'BRIDGE POI'NT, a cape on the eaft coaft of 
the Ifle of Wight. Lat. 50. 42. N. Ion. 1. 56. W. 
PEM'BROKE, a townlhip of America, in Plymouth 
county, Maflachufetts : thirty miles fouth by eaft from 
Bofton; incorporated in 1752, and containing 2051 in¬ 
habitants. Some veflels have been built here.—'Alfo, the 
Siuicoofioi the Indians, a townlhip of Rockingham coun¬ 
ty, New Hampfhire, on the eaft fide of Merrimack river, 
oppofite to Concord ; incorporated in 1759, and contain¬ 
ing 1153 inhabitants. 
PEM'BROKE, a borough and market town in the 
county of Pembroke, South Wales, fituated on a fingular 
neck of land, dividing the fmall eftuary of Down-Pool, 
which flows from Milford-haven. It is the county-town 5 
and, next to Caermarthen, is one of the largeft and rich- 
eft towns in the fouthern divifion of the principality. 
The period of its foundation is unknown ; but it is cer¬ 
tainly of great antiquity, and is fuppofed to have derived 
its name from the Britifh word Penfro, fignifying a cape, 
or promontory. It was anciently fortified, and protected 
by a moft magnificent caftle, the vaft ruins of which ftill 
give it an appearance of uncommon grandeur ; and was 
Jikewife defended by a ftrong wall, ftill nearly entire, on 
the northern fide, where it is flanked by numerous baf- 
tions of grfcat thicknefs and ftrength. Through this 
wall were formerly three gates, on the eaft, north, and 
weft, fides ; befides a fmall poftern on the fouth fide, 
leading to the marfii. Of thefe gates, that facing the 
north is the only one nowftanding; the other two hav¬ 
ing been long fince delfroyed. The eaft gate, which re¬ 
mained in Leland’s time, is defcribed by him as confid¬ 
ing of folid iron, and as being highly ornamented and 
fortified. 
The corporation of Pembroke is compofed of a mayor 
and council, two bailiffs and ferjeants at mace, and 
about 1500 burgefles. The mayor holds a court every 
fortnight for the decifion of civil caufes arifing within 
his jurifdidfion. Here are alfo held the petty fellions for 
the hundred of Caftle-Martyn. The markets are on 
Wednefday and Saturday; and the fairs on the 14th of 
May, Trinity Monday, St. Peter’s day old ftyle, and 25th 
of September. Pembroke, in conjunction with the neigh¬ 
bouring boroughs of Tenby and Wifton, fends one mem¬ 
ber to the Britifh parliament: the mayor is the returning 
officer. The voters are eftimated at 500 in number; and 
thefe boroughs have been reprefented by the family of 
Owen, of Orielton-houfe, barts. and byperfons nomina¬ 
ted by them, ever fince the reftoration of Charles II. in 
1660. This family having become extindt in the direct 
male line, their eftates have been bequeathed to John 
Lord, efq. a grandfon in the female line, who has aflumed 
the name of Owen, and was created a baronet in 1813. 
This gentleman is at prefent member for the county, and 
patron of this diftrict of boroughs. 
According to the population-returns of i8n,this town 
contained 501 houfes, and 2415 inhabitants; in 1821 it 
had 4925 inhabitants. The houfes are ranged principally 
in one long ftreet, which extends from eaft to weft along 
the ridge of a hill, and is terminated by the caftle at the 
weft end ; bearing in general appearance, but on a fmaller 
fcale, a ftrong refemblance to the towns of Edinburgh 
and Stirling in Scotland. The public buildings are a 
town-hall, a free gramtnar-fchool, and two parochial 
churches, dedicated to St. Mary and St. Michael. St. 
Mary’s church Hands near the centre of the town, and 
coniiils of a nave, chancel, and north aide, with a fmall 
chapel to the fouth. St. Michael’s bears evident marks 
of great antiquity. The architecture is a rude fpecimen 
of the Norman ftyle, the arches being maffive, and round- 
R O K E. 
ed, and entirely deftitute of ornament. Both thefe 
churches are confolidated with that of Monckton in one 
vicarage, the impropriation and prefentation of which 
belong to vifcount Hereford, as proprietor of Monckton- 
priory and its eftates. Attached to St. Michael’s was a 
chapel, or hofpitium, dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen, 
the ruins of which are now vulgarly known by the nabie 
of the Marian’s Chapel. St. Mary’s had likewife its cha¬ 
pel, called St. Anne’s; but this edifice is now nearly de- 
molilhed. 
The caftle, as already mentioned, forms the weftern ex¬ 
tremity of the town, occupying a rocky termination of 
the rid^e on which it is placed. It is a noble ruin, and 
exhibits, in certain points of view, one of the fineft fub- 
jeCls for the pencil which Wales can boaft of. The for- 
trefs, according to Caradoc of Llancarvon, was founded 
in 1092, by Arnulph de Montgomery, foil to the earl of 
Shrewlhury, on the fcite of a more ancient Britifh work. 
It feems, however, to have received great additions in the 
reigns of Henry I. and Giraldus even refers its founda¬ 
tion to that period ; though he acknowledges the exift- 
ence of another much more (lender eredtion of anterior 
date. During the wars with the Wellh it was frequently 
befieged ; but, owing to its great artificial ftrength, and 
almoft impregnable natural pofition, it feems to' have re¬ 
filled fuccefsfully ail the efforts of the affailants to reduce 
it. Oliver Cromwell alfo befieged it in perfon, and com¬ 
pelled its garrifon to furrender, after a long and vigorous 
attack. From the period of its furrender, Pembroke caf¬ 
tle has been much neglected, and is now fo ruinous as to 
be uninhabitable. It is divided into two parts, called the 
inner and outer wards; the former of which comprifes 
the keep and the Hate apartments; and the latter, the 
buildings formerly appropriated to the garrifon; though 
over the principal gateway from the town, and within it, 
there are alfo fome very handfome apartments. Here, 
according to Leland, was “ the chambre where king 
Henri VII. was born, in knowlege whereof a chymneny 
is new made, with the arms and badges of king Henri 
VII.” This honour, however, is traditionally given to a 
room in a very fplendid fuite of apartments built over “ the 
marvellous vault, entitled theWogan, or Hogan,” which is 
cut out of the folid limeftone rock, and forms one of the 
moft extenfive and lofty excavations of its kind in Great 
Britain. Its figure approaches that of a circle, the dia¬ 
meter from north and fouth being 76 feet 8 inches, and 
from eaft to weft 57 feet 4 inches. The natural opening, 
which was of great width, is built up, and contracted 
into a fmall door-way, that appears to have been once 
ftrongly barricaded. Above are the marks of four loop¬ 
hole windows, and of another door-way, now flopped up. 
Of the ufes to which this vault was applied there is no 
account upon record, but it was moft likely a depot for 
ftores of every kind; “ the ftuffura of the garrifon.” At 
its fouth eaft corner is an adit, traditionally faid to com- 
municate with Tenby ; and under the fouth-eaft baftion 
of the caftle is another very curious paflage, in fome parts 
fpacious, and in others extremely narrow, which has 
been explored to a conliderable diltance, but its termina¬ 
tion is not known. This laft is doubtlefs, however, in a 
great meafure a natural dudt; apertures of a fimilar kind 
frequently appearing in moft limeftone rocks. It is fup¬ 
pofed by fome to penetrate under the keep that rears its 
proud head in the centre of this magnificent ruin, termi¬ 
nating, as Leland obferves, “ with a rofe of ftone, almoft 
in conum, the toppe whereof is keverid with a flat mill- 
Itone.” This building is 75 feet in height to the dome, 
and in girth 163 feet 7 inches at the bafe, the mean thick.- 
nefsof the wall being about 14 feet. It is divided into 
four ftories. 
Pembroke is diftant from Caermarthen thirty miles, 
Haverfordweft ten, Narbeth fifteen, Tenby ten, Coffiefton 
two, Jamefton four, St. Florence eight, Lamphey two, 
Hundleon two, Pwllchrochan fix, Templeton twelve, 
Hubberftone eight, Angle ten, Lawrenny four, Maner- 
bear 
