or CARMARTHENSHIRE (Welsh Caerfyrddin), a maritime county in South Wales, is bounded on the north by Cardigan, on the east by Brecon, on the south by Glamorgan and the Bristol Channel, and on the west by Pembroke. Its greatest length is from S.W. to N.E., about 52 miles; its greatest breadth, S.E. to N.W., about 29 miles. It possesses an area of 947 square miles, or 606,331 acres, and is thus the largest of all the Welsh counties. It contains 77 parishes, and is in the diocese of St David's. It derives its name from Merlin (Welsh Myrddin) the famous wizard, who was a native of this county.
The whole of the northern, and by far the largest portion of Caermarthenshire, is chiefly occupied by the Silurian geological formation. To the south of this, and crossing the county in a direction from S.W. to N.E., there stretches a belt of the old red sandstone, varying in width from 1½ to 4 or 5 miles. This is succeeded on its southern edge by narrow belts of the carboniferous limestone, and the millstone grit; south of which the whole remaining portion of the county is occupied by the coal measures, forming part of the great South Wales coalfield.
In the S.E. there is a range of bleak and somewhat lofty mountains, called Mynydd du, or the Black Mountains. In the east, adjoining the border of Breconshire, the Caermarthenshire Van, the third highest mountain in South Wales, rears its lofty summit. The rest of the county is thickly studded with rounded green hills; but few of these exceed 1000 feet in height.
The valleys of the Teivy (Welsh Teify) and the Towy (Welsh Tywi) present scenes of great beauty and interest. From Grongar hill and the ruins of Dynevor Castle the picturesque beauties of the vale of the Towy are seen to great advantage. The whole of the county is intersected in every direction by narrow valleys and deep glens, from which the hills rise abruptly. The scenery in the neighbourhood of Caerma rthen is seen to great advantage from Abergwili, the residence of the bishop of St David's, about two miles from the town.
The principal rivers are the Towy (Welsh Tywi), which rises in Cardiganshire, and enters the county at Capel Ystradflin in the N.E.; thence it flows S.W., and in its course passes through the towns of Llandovery, Llangadock, Llandeilo-fawr, and Caermarthen; and after forming the harbour of the latter place, falls into Caerma rthen bay in the Bristol Channel. The Teivy (Welsh Teify) rises in Llyn Teifi in Cardiganshire, and forms the boundary between Caermarthen and Cardigan shires, from Lampeter to Cenarth, near Newcastle Emlyn. The Tave (Welsh Taf), which rises in Pembrokeshire, near Llanfirmach, enters the county near its western boundary, and flows S. and S.E.; and after forming the harbour of Laugharne, falls into Caerma rthen bay. Besides these, there are several smaller streams, as the Cothi, the Dewi, the Feni, the Gynin, the Gwili, the Dulais; the Gwendraeth Fawr, which forms the port of Kidwelly; and the Llwchwr, which separates the county from Glamorganshire for about ten miles, and forms the port of Llanelli.
The bay of Caerma rthen is the finest in the Bristol Channel. It is about 18 miles across its mouth, from the Worm's head in Glamorgan on the east to Giltar head in Pembroke on the west. It is about 12 miles in depth, and affords good anchorage and shelter for vessels navigating the channel. There is an inlet of the sea in this bay on the east, called the Burry river, which leads up to the port of Llanelli. Between the Burry and the mouth of the Towy, there is a somewhat dangerous sand-bank called Cefn Sidan.
The port of Caermauthen is only frequented by small coasters, owing to the difficulties of the navigation, and the bar at the mouth of the Towy; but at Llanelli vessels of 600 or 700 tons can enter, and a vigorous trade in coals, iron, copper, and copper ore is carried on.
The climate is mild, except in the very elevated parts of the county; but the annual fall of rain is very great. Agriculture is generally in a very backward condition; but there is now some progress being made in efficient drainage under the provisions of the drainage acts, and better modes of agricultural practice will no doubt follow. The soil varies very much; but in the southern parts of the county, and in the larger valleys, it is exceedingly fertile. The cultivated crops consist of wheat, oats, barley, turnips, and potatoes. There is a good deal of cultivation on the lower hills; but the more elevated are chiefly in heath or mountain pastures. The breed of horses is celebrated; and these, with cattle, sheep, wool, butter, and pigs, are largely exported to the neighbouring districts. It is calculated that about two-thirds of the lands only are inclosed.
In the S.E. there are extensive and valuable coal and iron mines, and there are also some important lead mines in the county. Limestone is also abundant in the south.
The South Wales railway traverses the county in the S. and S.W.; and there is also a line from Llanelli to Llandeilo-fawr, with several branches. There are besides numerous canals and tramways for the accommodation of the mines. The principal towns are Caermauthen, Llandeilo-fawr, Llangadock, Llandovery, Newcastle Emlyn, Langarne, Llanelli, and Kidwelly. The county has returned two members to parliament since 1832, having only had one from 1536 up to that time. The political influence is chiefly in the hands of Lord Cavdor, although Lord Dynevor has much weight in the county. Constituency in 1852, 4791. The average gross estimated rental of the county is 10s. Id. per acre. The annual value of real property paying income-tax is £396,915.
The population of the county at the last census was 110,632, giving an average of 117 persons to a square mile, or 55 acres to each person. Of the total number, 53,076 were males and 57,556 females. The number of inhabited houses was 22,465; uninhabited, 1176; and building, 99; giving an average of 24 inhabited houses to a square mile, and 49 persons to a house. The following table gives the census returns for the last 50 years:
| YEARS | Increase of population per cent. in fifty years | |-------|-----------------------------------------------| | 1801 | 67,317 | | 1811 | 77,217 | | 1821 | 90,239 | | 1831 | 100,740 | | 1841 | 106,326 | | 1851 | 110,632 |
It is calculated that about one-fifth of the whole population are in the condition of labourers, servants, &c. About fourteen per cent. live by agriculture, and rather more than eight per cent. by trade, manufactures, &c. Nearly four thousand persons possess independent means, while seven hundred follow professions.
In 1847 the total number of children of the working classes at day schools within the county was 7191. The total number of schools was 179; of which 61 were Church or National, with 3170 scholars; 4 British and Foreign, with 456 scholars; 8 Baptist, with 308 scholars; 15 Independent, with 581 scholars; 5 Calvinistic Methodist, with 133 scholars; 1 Wesleyan, with 10 scholars; 75 Adventure or Private, with 2186 scholars; 5 Workhouse schools, with 138 scholars; 2 Workmen's, with 95 scholars. The average annual income of each school was £23, 5s., and the average annual income of the teachers from all sources only £20, 15s. ld. The total number of scholars attending Sunday-schools was 28,313. The total number of Sunday-schools was 308; of which 48 were Church of England, with 3837 scholars; 78 Calvinistic Methodist, with 7411 scholars; 110 Independent, with 11,962 scholars; 55 Baptist, with 4006 scholars; 14 Wesleyan, with 983 scholars; 3 other denominations, with 114 scholars. In 140 of these schools instruction was given in Welsh only, in 19 in English only, and in 149 in both tongues.
Welsh is the language commonly spoken by the lower orders, and in the northern parts of the county the manners and customs of the people are as purely Welsh as in any part of the principality. It was in this county that the remarkable "Rebecca" insurrection originated in 1843-4. The multiplicity of toll-gates seemed to be the original cause of this singular conspiracy. Parties of five or six hundred men, mostly mounted, armed with pickaxes, sledges, hatchets, and guns, used nightly to traverse the counties of Caermauthen, Pembroke, Cardigan, and Brecon, headed by a tall man dressed in women's clothes, throwing down the toll-gates, and committing other excesses; and so well did the rioters keep counsel, and so secretly did they manage their forays, that despite the exertions of the magistrates, assisted by large bodies of military sent into the districts, no effectual check could be put upon their proceedings for many months. The course usually pursued by them was to assemble quickly and secretly in the neighbourhood of some obnoxious toll-gate; the leader then addressed to them the inquiry, "My children, this gate has no right to be here, has it?" Upon which the attack commenced, and in a few minutes not a vestige of gate or toll-house remained standing. From pulling down toll-gates, the rioters proceeded to redress all other real or imaginary grievances. On one occasion they destroyed a weir in the Teifi, about which there had been a long feud between the proprietor and the fishermen. On another occasion they murdered a poor old woman who kept a toll-gate. The daring and courage with which they executed the commands of their leaders, and the ingenuity they displayed in outwitting those sent against them, form altogether a remarkable episode in the history of the principality. On more than one occasion they destroyed the restored toll-gates within earshot of the military sent to protect them; and having discovered the secret signals agreed on between the magistrates and military, they used to harass the latter by exhibiting them at the most unseasonable hours. Thus a magistrate having arranged that if his house were attacked he was to exhibit three lights, the Rebeccaites, who had discovered this, gave the signal so often in the night, that the patience of both officers and men was fairly exhausted with the false alarms.
Caermauthenshire is rich in antiquities, and possesses the remains of three important Roman roads.
Caermauthen, or Carmarthenshire (Welsh Caerfyrddin), the capital of the county of the same name, a market and borough town 183 miles north by west from London, beautifully situated in the vale of the Towy. The river is navigable up to the town, and there is a considerable export trade carried on in tin-plates, cast-iron, slates, timber, and agricultural produce. Owing to the disgracefully neglected state of the river, only vessels of moderate draught can enter; and indeed, masters of vessels have generally an objection to freights for this port. It is now probable, since the South Wales railway has been opened, that the shipping trade of Caermauthen will fall into a state of decay.
The streets are generally narrow, but the houses are well built, and altogether the town has the appearance of a place of considerable importance. The church of St Peter's is a venerable edifice, and contains some curious monuments, among which is that of the celebrated Sir Rhys ap Thomas and his lady. Sir Richard Steele is also buried here. There is another church belonging to the Establishment called St David's, a plain structure. There are two Baptist, two Wesleyan, two Independent, one Unitarian, and two Calvinistic Methodist chapels. There is a large and well-conducted training college here for Welsh teachers; and there are two grammar-schools on public foundations. There are also two infirmaries, and a literary and scientific institution, the lectures at which are well attended. The town also possesses a county-hall and a handsome new music-hall. The county gaol is built on the site of the very ancient castle. There is a granite obelisk erected to the memory of Sir Thomas Picton, and a bronze statue to General Nott, who were both natives of the town.
Caernarthen has figured as an important place from the earliest period. It was the Mariadunum of the Romans, and is supposed to have derived its present name from Caer, a fortified place, and Myrddin, the British name of the celebrated wizard Merlin, who was a native of the place. It gives the title of Marquis to the Duke of Leeds.
The corporation consists of a mayor, 6 aldermen, and 18 councillors. It returned a member to parliament for itself from 1536 to the period of the Reform act. Since that time it has been associated with Llanelli in returning one member; constituency in 1832, 684; in 1852, 849. The political influence is chiefly in the hands of Earl Cawdor. The assessed taxes yield annually £2,192, and the annual value of real property paying income-tax is £55,250. There are markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and several fairs in the course of the year. The quarter sessions and assizes are held here. Pop. in 1851 10,524; inhabited houses 1800.