twenty-nine years later, the price of corn is still given as six shillings and eightpence, but oats were here higher by the sum of sixpence, and sold at three shillings. The long connexion of the family of the Pulestons with the counties of Anglesey and Carnarvon is a matter of common knowledge. It is from an account of Roger de Pywelesdon, knight, who was sheriff of these counties then, that the facts last mentioned have been taken. A little strip of parchment sewn to the membrane of a later account tells us something more of the personal history of this ancient scion of the Puleston family, namely, that he was slain in the king's service in Wales somewhere between 1291 and 1295; that before this event he was in arrear to a large amount in the sums he ought to have paid into the king's exchequer from the proceeds of his shrievalty, and that he had been allowed to make an arrangement to pay off his debt by easy instalments of forty marks per annum. But not many of these payments had been made at the moment when he met his soldier's death, and the king then, in acknowledgment of the knight's good service, in August, 1295, wiped out the debt, and freed his heirs and executors from the burden of it, although it amounted to the large sum of two hundred and sixty-seven pounds.

A roll full of detailed information is the Compotus of Gruffi ap Rees, sheriff of Carnarvon, for the six months April to September, 1301, in the twenty-ninth of King Edward, the first year that Edward of Carnarvon, his son, held the principality of Wales. From this roll, however, I will take but one set of statements-of labourers' wages. Attention has already been called to similar facts for an earlier time and a different part of the country; but in Carnarvonshire in the first year of the fourteenth century wages ruled at the following rates :

Haycutters, threepence a day; to the men-they are said to be men-who, coming after, tossed the hay to catch the drying breeze, three halfpence; the same to the men who turned it, a different lot apparently, at any rate a larger number working at a different time (perhaps the clouds of heaven had in the interval discharged abundant moisture); the same to the band of men who gathered it together; but one penny per diem only to another band who collected it; then came the fourteen men with the fourteen carts, who carried the hay, and they, like the cutters, took each threepence.

If I add just this one further item, that in Merionethshire, two or three years later, the justice of Wales, visiting Aberdovey, found-by uncomfortable experience possibly that the boat at the ferry there was old and crazy and unseaworthy, and sternly ordered the person concerned to provide a new one, and that it cost the sheriff of the county thirty shillings to comply with the justice's commands, I shall probably have put before you enough to show you how varied is the information these records furnish, and what side-lights they throw upon the life and occupations of our Welsh ancestry in every rank of life. I have occupied you with the merest glance at the contents of a few of the earliest in date, but they exist in numbers for the centuries that follow, and I have no doubt that a minute study of them-which, while it would be tedious would yet be fascinating-would yield historical results of great value, social and economical.

APPENDIX.

TRANSCRIPT (the abbreviations having been extended) of "MINISTERS' ACCOUNT", Portfolio 1158, No. 1, preserved in the Public Record Office, London.

[Membrane 1.]

COMPOTUS domini Rogeri de Meolis a festo Natalis Domini anno regni Regis Edwardi sexto usque Pascha proxime sequens anno eodem.

Ídem reddit compotum de iiij. li. ix. s. viij. d. receptis de Madoco preposito de Generglin per ij. tallias Et de iiij.li. iiij. s. viij. d. receptis de Ivor bedello de Comod Perveth per ij. tallias Et de vj. li. xv. s. vj. d. receptis de Madoco ap Griffit ballivo de Creurdyn Et de xiiij.li. v. s. viij. d. receptis de Madoco Vauchan preposito de Mevenit Et de viij. li. xij. s. j. d. receptis de Philippo Vauchan preposito de Henninioch Et de xxvj. s. ij. d. receptis de Gilberto preposito burgi de Lampader.

Idem reddit compotum de xl. s. receptis de fine Morgan ab Eynon Et de xxvj.s. viij. d. receptis de hominibus de Lamdemeda pro meremio trahendo. Et de xvj. s. receptis de Oweno ap Griffit ap Morgan Et de xx. s. receptis de Madoco ap Troindon Et de xiij. s. iiij. d. receptis de Oweno Du Et de x. s. receptis de Griffino ab David Et de x. s. receptis de Meillero Gouch Et de xj.s. receptis de Kedivor Gouch Et de xxx. 8. receptis de Wyllim ap Joruard pro pace domini Regis habenda.

Summa xlviij. li. v. s. ix. d.

Idem Rogerus reddit compotum a Pascha anno regni Regis Edwardi sexto usque festum Sancti Petri in Cathedra anno Edwardi septimo.

Idem reddit compotum de xxviij. s. x. d. receptis de David preposito de Lampader de exitu ballive sui per predictum tempus per iiij. tallias Et de xxj.li. vij.s. iij. d. receptis de Madoco ballivo de Ginerglin per visum et testimonium Griffini ap Madoc per xij. tallias Et de xl. li. iiij.s. ij. d. receptis de Ivor bedello de Comot Pervith per viij. tallias Et de xlj. li. xv. s. iij. d. quad.

receptis de Iuan preposito de Creurdin et de Griffino ap Madoc bedello ejusdem commoti per predictum tempus per xj. tallias Et de ciij. s. receptis de eisdem sine tallia Et xliiij.li. xvj. s. viij. d. receptis de Madoco preposito de Mevenit et de Howel ap Willim ballivo ejusdem commoti per viij. tallias Et de xvij. s. receptis de David preposito de Lanhylar et Kedivor ap Kedi ejusdem loci ballivo per ij. tallias Et de xxxvi. s. ij. d. receptis de Philippo preposito de Henhinioc et Philippo ap Haur ballivo ejusdem loci per predictum tempus per xj. tallias. Et de vij. s. iij. d. receptis de Adam ap Andrev preposito de Lanrusti per j. talliam Et de xxxiij. s. ix. d. receptis de Willelmo preposito de Trevileyn Et de viij. li. v. s. receptis de Gilberto preposito burgi de Lampader per ij. tallias Et de xiij. s. iiij. d. receptis de tolletis nundinarum de Strata Meyric sine tallia per visum procuratoris de Specerwestic Et de xvj. s. receptis de quodam bosco qui vocatur Gleys. Et est notandum quod ille boscus non est domini Regis sed cujusdam veri heredis ad dicti domini Regis pacem venientis Et de xl. s. receptis de Adam ap Howel et fratribus suis pro pace domini Regis habenda. Et de xl. s. receptis de iij. hominibus de Generglin pro eodem Et de xiij.s. iiij.d. de iiij. hominibus de Crewerdin pro eodem Et de xiii. s. iiij. d. receptis de David ap Cadugan Du pro eodem Et de v. s. receptis de Cadugan Fol pro eodem Et de xiij. s. iiij. d. receptis de Griffit ap Howel pro eodem eodem Et de xx. s. receptis de David ap Griffit pro eodem Et de xx. s. receptis de Res ap Eynon pro eodem Et de xiij. s. iiij. d. receptis de Meybon Gethin pro eodem Et de x. 8. receptis de Wronou ap Iuwan pro eodem Et de xvj.li. xiiij. s. viiij. d. receptis de Griffino preposito de Carwedros de redditibus placitis et perquisitis a festo Sancti Valentini anno regni Regis Edwardi sexto usque festum Sancti Martini anno eodem Et de xliiij. s. viij. d. receptis de perquisitis sine tallia anno eodem Et de iiij. li. receptis de Griffit preposito prenominato de Keys sine tallia Et de viij.li. xiii. s. v. d. de Win bedello de Ganhunit de redditibus placitis et perquisitis Et de xl.s. receptis de eodem de Keys sine tallia. Et de lxvj. s. viij. d. receptis de quodam pro pace domini Regis habenda Et lxvj. s. viij. d. receptis de duobus doleis vini

venditis.

Summa-ccxlix. li. iiij. s. xj. d. ob.

Expensa inde.

Idem Rogerus reddit compotum a Pascha anno regni Regis Edwardi septimo usque festum Sancti Petri in Cathedra anno octavo.

Idem reddit compotum de xx. li. vij. s. vj. d. receptis de Madoco bedello de Generglin et Griffino ap Madoc ejusdem commoti per predictum tempus ballivo per x. tallias Et de lvj. s. viij. d. receptis de eisdem sine tallia Et de xij. s. receptis de eisdem similiter sine tallia Et de xvj.li. viij. s. iij. d. receptis de Ivor ap Madoc et Griffit ap Madoc ballivis de commoto Perveth per vij. tallias Et de xxi.j.li. xvij. s. v. d. receptis de Iuwan preposito et Griffino bedello de Crewerdin per ix. tallias Et de xxxviij. li. xviij. s. vij. d. receptis de Madoco preposito de Mevenit et Howelo ballivo ejusdem per vj. tallias Et de vj. li. iiij. d. receptis de eisdem sine tallia Et de xiij.s. vij. d. receptis de David preposito de Lanhinar per ij. tallias Et de xxviij. li. ij. d. receptis de Philippo preposito de Heninioc et Philippo ap Heur bedello ejusdem commoti per vij. tallias Et de x. s. receptis de Adam ap Andreu preposito de Lanrusti per ij. tallias Et de 1.s. viij. d. receptis de predictis ballivis de Heninioc sine tallia Et de xxxv. s. ij. d. receptis de Willelmo preposito de Trevileyn p. viij. tallias Et de xxviij. s. viij. d. ob. receptis de David preposito de dominico de Lampader Et de lxix. s. iij. d. receptis de Gilberto preposito burgi de Lampader Et de xliij. s. vj. d. receptis de nundinis de Stratameuric. Summa-cxlix. li. xiij. s. x. d. ob.

Summa summarum iiij xlvij. li. iiij. s. vij. d.

Idem dominus Rogerus computat liberata clv.li. vij.s. j.d. Radulpho clerico per vj. tallias. Sed memorandum quod Radulphus de Broucton non oneratur se de j. tallia in qua continentur xv. li. xix. s. iiij. d. que in predicta summa comprehenduntur eo scilicet quod dictos denarios idem Radulphus de Griffin ap Madoc recepit tempore domini Pagani, videlicet, ante Nativitatem Domini anno regni Regis Edwardi sexto.

Summa-clv.li. vij. s. j.d.-Et sic debet cciiij.li. xvij.s. vj. d. de quibus petit allocacionem de xlviij. li. v.s. ix.d. receptis infra Nativitatem Domini et Pascha anno regni Regis Edwardi sexto quas clamat habere de dono domini Regis, que non allocantur Item petit allocacionem de vj**.li. pro feodo suo, et allocantur Et de xvij.li. ix.s. ij.d. (et