PEMBROKESHIRE, a maritime county of South Wales. It forms a peninsula at the south-west corner of the principality, and is surrounded by the sea every where but on the eastern side, where it is bounded by Carmarthenshire, and by Cardiganshire. Its shape is very irregular, which makes it difficult to ascertain its exact extent. Its extreme length is thirty, and its extreme breadth twenty-seven miles. Its area is estimated, but with no decided accuracy, at 575 square miles.
It is generally an undulating country, composed of plains, with hills of no great elevation, except in the northern part, where a range of mountains is stretched out to the extent of nine or ten miles; the loftiest points of this group are Precelly Top, 1754 feet, and Brennin-Vaur, 1285 feet above the level of the sea. Few of the hills in the other parts of the county attain a greater height than 290 feet. As the greater part of the country is destitute of woods, it has a bare and bleak appearance, except in the valleys, where the numerous brooks that flow through them impart a pleasing verdure to the bordering meadows.
The most considerable rivers are the Eastern Cleddaus, which forms at first the dividing line between this county and Carmarthenshire; and the Western Cleddaus, which traverses a considerable portion of Pembrokeshire. These two rivers unite, and form the admirable estuary of Milford Haven, which is considered to be the best harbour in the British islands. It is sufficiently capacious to contain the whole navy of England; is so completely sheltered as to be secure from all winds; has good holding ground, and competent depth of water. These natural advantages have induced the Lords of the Ad-
miralty to establish a dock-yard on its banks, where ships of the line and frigates are built, and where the town of Haberdene has in a few years sprung up, and grown to considerable importance. It is the place whence the packets for the south part of Ireland sail, and to which, on that account, numerous passengers resort. The other rivers are of inconsiderable note; namely, the Newgall, the Solva, the Alan, the Gwyn, the Nevern, the Cuch, and the Teivi. Besides Milford Haven, St Bride's Bay and Fishguard Bay deserve notice, as affording secure anchorage for large ships, and possessing good landing-places. This circumstance induced the government of France, in the year 1797, to land some troops from two frigates under General Tote, which in a few days surrendered to the inhabitants, who hastily collected with such arms as presented themselves. It was generally supposed that the men were criminals of the worst description, whom the French took this extraordinary method of discharging from their prisons.
The soil of the county is generally a red loam, in many parts resting on a calcareous subsoil, and admirably adapted for the growth of corn. In some places the surface is covered with porous stones, which are supposed to imbibe and retain the salt from the saline air, and to render the land highly prolific. The principal grain consists of wheat, barley, and oats, but in some parts of the county rye is extensively cultivated. The modes of cultivation are commonly the same as prevailed in remote ages in this island; that is, growing wheat, barley, and oats in succession, till the land was so exhausted as to yield no increase, when it was suffered to return to its natural state, under the idea of recovering itself by rest.
Pembroke-shire. Very little attention is given to the preservation of manure; the barns and farming erections are very badly constructed, and the agricultural implements, especially the ploughs, are of a rude and antique form. Such is the description of the greater part of the agricultural state of the country, but there are splendid exceptions, affording specimens of improvement that would have been more extensively followed, but for the general depression of agriculture, which has been experienced within the last few years. The size of the farms varies from fifty to five hundred acres; the average extent of them is estimated to be about two hundred: some of the occupiers are annual tenants, but many hold from the lords of manors by leases for three lives at an agreed rent, but without any fine on the renewal of a life, as is customary in England, and on the lands in Pembrokeshire belonging to the church.
Cattle. The black cattle of this county are of an excellent race, and are annually distributed over the south of England in droves, which travel from fair to fair, till the whole are sold. They are commonly sent to market when they are in calf the first time. Some valuable horses are bred here. The sheep are small, and yield little wool, but the mutton is very highly esteemed.
Minerals. At no very remote period, silver was found in the parish of St Elwys, or St Bride's Bay. The mine, which was discontinued in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, was resumed a few years ago, but not with such success as to induce perseverance. Some excellent lead ore is found on the banks of the Tawe, but the mines are not worked with any degree of spirit. The most important production of the mines is coal. It is confined to a district of narrow extent on the southern side of the county. The veins lie near the surface, and the quality is not very good. The inhabitants use the small coal mixed with clay, and formed into balls; it is sulphureous, and highly offensive to strangers.
Manufactures and Commerce. The manufactures of this county are very inconsiderable. Some speculators, indeed, were induced, by the excellent streams of water, to erect mills for spinning cotton, and for making tin plates; but these schemes, though conducted with much spirit, were found to be unprofitable, and finally abandoned. The principal commerce of the county is a coasting trade, and the conveyance of coals from Tenby to the opposite shores of Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall, where they are principally used for burning lime, and drying malt. Under the auspices of the late Honourable Charles Greville, and with the sanction of a special act of Parliament, some American fishermen formed an establishment at Milford for the purpose of carrying on the southern whale fishery, upon the plan of the crew being sharers with the owners in the result of the fishing, as is practised in the United States. The concern was conducted with success for several years, but has been recently abandoned from various circumstances, none of them connected with the local position, which was ascertained to be favourable.
Language. The inhabitants are of two distinct races. If a line be drawn through the whole county, cutting
Pembroke-shire. through the centre of the town of Haverfordwest, it will be found that on one side of the line nothing but English is spoken, and on the other side only Welsh. This is so definite, that in the town of Haverfordwest, the one language is spoken in the upper and the other in the lower part of it; and there are two markets, one frequented by the English, the other by the Welsh peasantry. The part where the English live, called commonly "Little England, beyond Wales," was originally peopled by a colony of Flemings, who have kept themselves distinct since the first colonization. They are allowed to speak the English language with more purity than is to be found among the lower classes in any other part of the island.
Two members are returned to Parliament from Pembrokeshire; one for the county, and one for the boroughs of Pembroke, Tenby, and Wiston. The divisions are into seven hundreds, which contain one cathedral, one hundred and forty-five parishes, and several chapellries.
St David's, the see of a bishop, is a miserable collection of cottages, in the midst of traces of ancient, extensive, and numerous buildings. The object deserving of most notice is the cathedral, whose antiquity is very great, having been originally built about the year 1180, and enlarged in 1280 and 1328. This venerable pile has been much repaired and improved by the prelate who at present fills the see. The bishop's palace is a magnificent pile, not far from the cathedral, on the opposite side of the river Alan. It was originally a quadrangular building of great extent, of which at present only one side remains entire.
Among the ancient buildings in this county, the most remarkable are, Carew Castle on a creek of Milford Haven; Manorbeer, the mansion of the Barri family, of which Giraldus Cambrensis was a member; and Killgarran, on the river Tywy, whose massy towers and fragments of bastions present a most imposing spectacle.
The picturesque beauties of this county, and the mildness of the air, have induced many gentlemen to select it as the place of their residence, and the number of their seats is considerable; among them are Pieton Castle, Lord Milford; Hen Gastell, Thomas Stokes, Esq.; Slebeck Hall, N. Phillips, Esq.; Orielton, Sir John Owen, Bart.; Johnston, Lord Kensington; Trecoon, J. F. Barham, Esq.; Fynonean, John Colby, Esq.; Stockpool Court, Lord Cawdor; Begelty Hall, James Child, Esq.; Lawrenny, Hugh Barlow, Esq.; Tal y Bort, John Meares, Esq.; Payston, (the late) General Pieton; Plas Newydd, Sir Watkin Lewis; and Pentree, Dr Davies.
The population of the county, by the census of 1811, was 60,615 persons, viz. 27,453 males, and 33,162 females; the militia are not included. The principal towns are Haverfordwest, with 3093 inhabitants; Pembroke, 2415; St David's, 1816; Tenby, 1176; Fishguard, 1608; Newport, 1487, and Hubberston, 754.
See Malkin's South Wales, and Fenton's Pembrokeshire. (w. w.)