Poetry Magazines - The best collection of poetry magazines online - Simon Armitage

Founded by Hywel ab Iorweth
Lord of Caerleom

colonised
from Strata Florida

EMSANTARNAM

where I have instituted
the white monks

in the monastery which is called Deuma
in the glen of Teyrnon

Dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary
& Mary Magdalene, on her feast-day,
July 22nd 1179

Properties of the Abbey:

Shrine of Our Lady of Pen Rhys
at the healing well, FFynon Fair,
offerings of alms & a taper

The image taken down
on Cromwell’s orders
Sept. 26th 1538
& burnt in London

St Derfel’s chapel
on the slopes of Mynydd Maen
3 miles NW of the Abbey
passed by an old road
Hewle-y-Fforest
deeply sunken through long usage

History:

1272, possessions stolen
by Gilbert de Glare, Earl of Gloucester

Ca 1398, serious fire.

1405, Owain Glyndwr attacked Usk
Abbot John ap Hywel killed in the battle

In the 16th Century the poet Sawnder Sion
(who lived at Llangovan but was a protegé of Llantarnam)
was buried in the neighbouring church
of Llanfihangel Llantarnam

The Glamorgan poet Dafydd Benwyn
wrote on Sion’s death:

In the choir of St Michael
Is a bed. I shall weep.
There is poetry there
And great learning and choice knowledge.
And there went the lion of the monastery
Of Deuma yesterday to our regret.

Work:

Never wealthy, its lands
were hill land, common pasture
between Rhondda & Taff
except for the great common
of Hirwaun Wrgan

Clearance of woodland
Draining & enclosing
Corn mills
Cloth & fulling mills
Fishing (in the Afon Llwyd
from the New Bridge
to the River Usk
& in the Usk itself
every ninth day)

At Dissolution:

1536-7: £15
paid to plumbers, carpenters, tilers and labourers
for cutting down the bells
removing the lead and melting it
and weighing the lead and bells

The lead weighed
4 fothers 307 lbs

(1 fother being
2000lbs)

There were 4 bells

(says the vicar of Six Bells)