t in religion, the chief denominations being
the Baptists, Calvinistic Methodists and Congregationalists. Besides an
endowed grammar-school (Christ College) at Brecon, there are in the
county four secondary schools, established under the Welsh Intermediate
Education Act 1899, viz. separate schools for boys and girls at Brecon,
and dual schools at Builth and Brynmawr. Most of the county institutions
are in the town of Brecon, but the joint asylum for the counties of
Brecon and Radnor is at Talgarth. It was opened in February 1903. At
Trevecca, near the same town, was a theological college for ministerial
students attached to the Calvinistic Methodist body, but in October 1906
the institution was removed to Aberystwyth, and the buildings have since
been utilized for a preparatory school belonging to the same body.

_History._--There are no traces or record of Breconshire being inhabited
before the Neolithic period, but to that period may be ascribed a number
of cairns, menhirs and one cromlech (near Glanusk). In Roman times the
eastern half of the county formed part of the territory of the Silures,
a pre-Celtic race, whose governing class at that time probably consisted
of Brythonic Celts. But an earlier wave of Celtic invasion represented
by the Goidels had passed westwards along the valleys of the Usk and
Wye, leaving traces in place-names (_e.g. llwch_, lake), and in the
Ogham inscribed stones found at Glanusk, Trallwng and Trecastle, and
probably surviving into historic times around the Beacon range and
farther south even to Gower and Kidwelly. The conquest of the district
by the Romans was effected between about A.D. 75 and 80, and they
established a frontier fort (which some have called Caer Bannau,
identifying it as Bannium) some 3 m. out of the present town of Brecon,
with smaller stations on roads leading thereto at Y Gaer near
Crickhowell, and at Capel Colbren in the direction of Neath. On the
departure of the Romans, the Goidelic hill-tribes, probably with help
from Gower and Ireland, seem to have regained possession of the Usk
valley under the leadership of a chieftain of their own race, Brychan,
who became the ancestor of one of the three chief tribes of hereditary
Welsh saints. His territory (named after him Brycheiniog, whence
Brecknock) lay wholly east of the Eppynt range, for the lordship of
Buallt, corresponding to the modern hundred of Builth, to the west,
remained independent, probably till the Norman i