OUR FIRST MAR RIAGE WITH AN ENGLISHWOMAN. OUR FIRST SHE RIFF. David Pennant was the firft of us who married into a Saxon family; he took to wife Anne, daughter of John Done, of Utkinton, in Chefbire, by Anne daughter of Richard Heaton, of Heaton, in the county of Lancafter. He begat many fons and daughters, among them was the famous abbot Thomas, and alfo Sir Hugh Pennant, Offeiriad, or priest, whom the great Lhuyd, in his Archaelogia, p. 257, calls an able poet, in the time of Henry VIII.; and I find alfo, that in 1575 he was at an Eisteddfod, at Caerwis, fecondary ftudent in vocal fong, and he was the only musical man in all our line. TILL the advancement of Richard Pennant to the title of Penrhyn, our house was never distinguished by any honors beyond the most useful one, that of justice of the peace. I should blush if a Pennant fhould be found, who through lack of public fpirit, floth, or selfishness, could decline that great constitutional office! The first sheriff of our houfe was Pyers Pennant, who discharged that truft in 1612. He had the lot of marrying the daughter of a family not famed for placidity, or the milder virtues. Valde valde, irritabile genus! And from them, Tom (a moft worthy aunt of mine used often to tell me) we got our paffion;'-and frequently added the wife Welsh caution, Beware of a Breed! THE fruits of this marriage appeared very foon. Thomas, the eldest son, in a furor brevis, killed his miller: was indicted for the manslaughter, tried, and convicted; but received his pardon, dated in the first of Charles I. or the year 1625. This grace preserved him from the ignominious part of the fentence, and the more important advantage of preferving his perfonality, which would otherwife have been forfeited to the crown. THIS is fufficient to fhew that the offence did admit of every palliation; but a stronger proof than that may be drawn from the following honor having been conferred on him, when we find that in eight years afterwards, in 1633, he was intrufted with the care of the county of Flint, by having the office of high fheriff committed to his charge. He died the next year; cujus anime propitietur DEUS! This unfortunate man married a granddaughter of that nuptial-loving dame Catherine y Berran (See Tour in Wales, vol. ii. p. 29) Mary, daughter of Edward Wynn, of Yftrad, son of Morris Wynn, of Gwydir, fourth and last husband of our famous Catherine. There was no iffue from this match; fo Bychton defcended to David, the next brother. In those days, and long preceding, it was customary for the friends and neighbors of the fheriff to make prefents to him to affift in defraying the expences. I have among my papers two long rolls of gifts. To give the whole would be very tedious. I extract only a few of the most remarkable, among which are feveral in money, which his friends were not ashamed to offer: nor the sheriff to receive. The cafh received in 1612, was £. 10. 18s. 6d.; that in 1642, £. 5. A Note of fuch Prefents as were given previous to the seconde PRESENTS TO From my fifter Holande 111 hwps of wheat, and a whole Hoopes. A hoope fignified a measure answerable to the prefent peck. From To fhew that the sense of relationship was not, in those days, soon worn out, Mr. Done, of Utkinton, fent a venifon, for which the sheriff gave as a fee 6s. 8 d. to the keeper. This fheriff was in respect to the donor fifth in descent from the marriage of David Pennant ap Tudor, with Anne, daughter of John Done, of Utkinton, as near as I can guefs about the year 1440. 1642. A Note of what Prefents were fent against the Seffions. David Pennant, Sheriff.. My Lady Moftyn, 2 muttons, a gallon of facke, and 26 M' Vaughan, 3 gallons of facke. M' Ralph Hughes, a mutton, 6 rabbetts, a dozen pigeons. M' John Jones, a fugar loafe. Mr David Jones, a fugar loafe. M' Raphell Davis, a veale. M' Hugh Pennant, of Dooning, a mutton. M' William Moftyn, of Bagillt, halfe a veale, and a pigg. Nichlas. George, 2 capons. Edward ap Thomas, a veale, a pigg, a quart of hony.. Margaret Margaret Price, of Brinford, a mutton. Thomas ap Robert ap Hugh, 2 capons, and a pigg. Julius Seafar, a q' veale, and a q′ porke. Thomas ab Ellis, a mutton. Pyers Williams, 2 capons, a q' hony. William Ethell, a fugar loafe. John Price, of Calcote, 2 hoopes of oates. Robert Lloyd, a fugar loafe. Thomas Lloyd, of Mertyn, a q' veale, a q' lambe. Petter Hughes, 2 capons. Thomas Parry, of Mays guin, 2 capons, and a pigg. John ap Robert Shamber wen, halfe a veale. Thomas John Cooke, half a mutton. Barbara Parry, half a lambe. The Deputie Sheriffe, 2 turkies, and a pottle of facke. John Price, of Pentre, a q' veale, a pigg. Robert Lloyd, of Taverney Gennog, halfe a lambe. John Humfrey, a veale. M" Kyffin, a q' veale, a greate cake. Mr Roger Holland, 4 hoops of wheat. Andrew Ellis, a goose, a q' veale. Margaret ach Pyers, 2 dozen cakes. Thomas ap Thomas, a flitch of bacon, 6 q' claret, a q' veale. Ellen Foulkes, a q' veale. John |