iraculous details, probably took
place early in the 6th century, when at a largely attended meeting of
the Welsh clergy held at Brefi, near the source of the Teifi, St David's
eloquence for ever silenced the champions of the Pelagian heresy. In the
10th and 11th centuries the coast of Ceredigion suffered much from the
inroads of the Danes, and in later times of the Normans and Flemings;
but on the whole the native inhabitants seem to have maintained a
successful resistance. By the close of the 11th century most of
Ceredigion had been reduced by the Normans, and during the 12th and 13th
centuries it formed a favourite battle ground between the Welsh princes
and the English forces. By the Statutes of Rhuddlan (1284) Edward I.
constituted Ceredigion out of the former principality of Wales a shire
on the English model, dividing the new county into six hundreds and
fixing the assizes at Carmarthen. By the act of Union in the reign of
Henry VIII., the boundaries of the county were subsequently enlarged to
their present size by the addition of certain outlying portions of the
Marches round Tregaron and Cardigan, and the assizes were assigned to
the county town. During the rebellion of Owen Glendower in the opening
years of the 15th century, the county was again disturbed, and Owen for
a short time actually held a court in Aberystwyth Castle. In the year
1485, according to local tradition, Henry of Richmond marched through
South Cardiganshire on his way to Bosworth Field, and he is stated to
have raised recruits round Llanarth, where the old mansion of Wern,
still standing, is pointed out as his halting-place on this occasion.
Under Henry VIII. Cardiganshire was for the first time empowered to send
a representative member to parliament, and under Mary the same privilege
was extended to the boroughs. During the Great Rebellion the
county--which possessed at least three leading Parliamentarians in the
persons of Sir John Vaughan, of Crosswood, afterwards chief justice of
the common pleas; Sir Richard Pryse, of Gogerddan; and James Philipps,
of Cardigan Priory--seems to have been less Royalist in its sympathies
than other parts of Wales. At this time the castles of Cardigan and
Aberystwyth, both held in the name of King Charles, were reduced to
ruins by the Cromwellian army. In the 18th century the Methodist
movement found great support in the county; in fact, Daniel Rowland
(1713-1790), curate of Llangeitho, was one of the chief le