1809. ] 
ment; and asimilar administration ofjus- 
tice was adopted as was used in this 
kingdom. All the Welsh laws, and most 
of the peculiar customs and tenuges, 
were by this statute entirely gbolished.”~ 
3 
By this statute also, (sincethe whole of 
Wales was divided into no. more than 
eight counties, and since there was much 
of the country that was not included in~ 
any of these counties,) four new counties 
were madé; namely, those of Radnor, 
Brecknock, Montgomery,and Denbigh. By 
the same act, and by another inthe thirty- 
fourth bf Henry the Eighth, the whole of 
thes counties were also subdivided into 
huadreds The Marches now became 
annexed, partly to Engiand, and partly 
to the above new counties of Wales. 
This was done principally, (since nearly 
all the Baronics Marches were at’ that 
time in the hands of the king), on account 
of the murders, riots, and enormities 
that were continually committed there, 
and the difficulty of punishing the offend- 
ers, froin their escaping from one Barony 
into another. 
It was also ordained of the said coun- 
ties, that each should send one knight, 
and each county-town should send one 
burgess, to the English parliament. 
By the act of the 34th Henry VIII. the 
twelve counties of Wales were placed 
under the following jurisdiction: 
The counties of Flint, Denbigh, and 
Montgomery, were under the jurisdiction 
of the Chief Justice of Chester, who had 
an annual allowance of one hundred 
pounds. 
The counties of Caernarvon, Anclesey, 
and Merioneth, were placed in the jurts- 
diction of the Justice of North W ales, 
/ who had fifty pounds per annum. 
The counties of Radnor, Brecknock, 
and Glamorgan, had their own Justice, 
who had fifty pounds. 
The counties of Caermarthen, Pem- 
nd Cardigan, had also their own 
Just swho fad likewise fifty pounds per 
an aét of parliament passed in the 
4 Qe Elizabeth, another Justice was 
» added to each of the above. 
/ 
FY judges, the same authority was annexed, 
— as that possessed by the court of King’s- 
* bench, in England: with this exception, 
that in these courts, pleas of every de- 
scription were allowed to be heard and 
determined, 
he Yo each of the circuits was allowed a 
seal for the sealing of all writs, commis- 
sions, &c. issued in the setpentive circuits, 
~ Montury Mac, No. 188, 
To the respective courts of these. 
Government of the Marches of Wales. 49 
> 
The seal for the @ounties of Flint, 
Denbigh, and Montgomery, was directed 
to be kept by the chamberlain of the 
county of Denbigh. 
., That for Caernar von, Merioneth, and 
vlesey, was to be lodged with .the 
mberlain of North Wales. 
“Phe seal for the counties of Radnor, 
Bréeknock, and Glamorgan, was com- 
mitted to the care of the: steward, and 
chamberlain of Brecknock. 
The seal for Caermarthenshire, Pem- 
brokeshire, and C ardiganshire, was 
lodged with the chamberlain of South 
Wales. 
The justices were directed to visit each 
of the counties of their respective cir- 
cuits, twice in the year, and in each to 
sit six days, for the hearing and determin- 
ing of causes, &c. The place of sit- — 
ting was to be appointed by them, and to 
be proclaimed fifteen days before. These 
sittings were to be called the Great Ses- 
_sions. In case of erroneous judgment, 
an appeal would lie to the court of 
King’s-bench, at Westminster. 
The following were the officers, &c. 
ordained for the said Great Sessions, in 
each of the circuits. 
A chamberlain, who was the treasurer 
of the prince’s revenue, and tne keeper of 
the seal. 
An attorney and solicitor-general. 
A prothonotary, or chief register, who 
drew all the pleadings, and entered and 
ingrossed all the fines. 
A clerk of the crown, who drew and 
ingrossed all judgments and proceed- 
ings in criminal causes, This, and the 
above office, were in the gt ee of 
the king. 
A marshal, to attend the persons of the 
judges from court to court. 
, A cryer of the court, to call such per- 
sons into court whose appearance was 
necessary, and to peep silence in the 
court, 
In each of the « rents there were also 
created, by commission under the great 
seal of England, justices of the peace. 
The chief of these was called custos 
rotulorum: he had the care of all the 
records, &c. of the county. Two of 
these justices, one of them of the quorum, 
were to hold petty sessions, for the pu- 
nishment of smalier oscnces. 
Besides the above officers, there was 
also ordained for each county, a clerk of 
the peace, for the entering and ingrossing 
of all the proceedings before these 
Justices. - 
Each county had its sheriff, (that is, 
G according 
