ABER-FRAW (ABER-FRAW), a parish (formerly a market town), partly in the hundred of MENAI, but chiefly in the hundred of
MALLTRAETH, county of ANGLESEY, NORTH WALES, 13 miles (S. E. by S.) from Holyhead, containing 1367 inhabitants. This
place, which derives its name from its situation at the month of the small river Fraw, was distinguished at a very early
period as the principal residence of the ancient princes of North Wales, by one of whom, Caswallon Law HI; a palace was
built, about the middle of the fifth century. Caswallon's successors having removed the seat of government to Caer Seiont,
now Carnarvon, it was re-established at Aberfraw, in the year 870, by Roderic the Great, after his defeat of Burrhed, ;the
Mercian prince, who had invaded his dominions. Roderic fixed his supreme court of judicature at this place, which, until
the death of Llewelyn, in 1282, continued to be the ordinary residence of the Welsh sovereigns. During that period, one of
the three copies of the celebrated code of laws compiled, about the year 940, under the auspices of Hywel Dda,, was
deposited here. In 966, the palace was destroyed by the Irish, in one of their descents upon Anglesey, but was
subsequently rebuilt; and soon after the commencement of the twelfth century, during the sovereignty of Grufydd ab Cynan,
it afforded an asylum to Grufydd, son of RhYs ab Tewdwr, late prince of South Wales. The Welsh sovereign, shortly after
paying a visit to Henry I., at London, was prevailed upon to promise that, on his return, he would deliver up the fugitive
to the English monarch; but the young prince, fearing this treacherys withdrew from the palace with his brother Hywel ;
and Grufydd ab Cynan, determined to perform his promise to Henry, having discovered the place of his retreat, despatched a
body of horsemen to arrest him, in which attempt however, they did not succeed; for the young prince, being timely
apprised of their design, again had recourse to flight, and, although closely pursued, effected his escape. Aberfraw has
since this period dwindled into a mere village, and exhibits no remains of its former importance: it is pleasantly
situated on the shore of St. George's channel, at the influx of the river Fraw, which has its source in two fine lakes
just above the village, and, after flowing through the parish, falls into the sea, about three miles from one of the
lakes, called L13,n Coron, forming at its mouth a small harbour, capable of receiving vessels of forty tons' burden,
which, at a very moderate expense, might be rendered highly commodious, having anciently been an excellent haven. The
parish comprises about six thousand two hundred acres of land, which with the exception of five hundred acres of common,
are enclosed and in a good state of cultivation: the soil is sandy, and well adapted to the production of grain, of which
great quantities, especially of oats and barley, raised in the parish and in the surrounding country, are annually shipped
from this small port, which is considered a creek within the limits of the port of Beaumaris: the inhabitants are
principally employed in agriculture and in fishing. The market, formerly held on Thursday, has been discontinued for
several years: fairs are appointed to be held on the 7th of March, the Tuesday after Palm-Sunday, Wednesday after
Trinity-Sunday, August 15th, October 23rd, and December 11th. The living is a rectory, in the archdeaconry of An. glesey,
and diocese of Bangor, rated in the king's books at 420. 15. 10., and in the patronage of the King, as Prince of Wales.
The church, dedicated to St. Benno, is an ancient and spacious structure, in the decorated style of English architecture,
consisting of two spacious parallel aisles, separated by lofty pillars and finely pointed arches: the tower was
demolished many years ago, but there is a handsome pointed arch, formerly leading into it from the church, still in a very
perfect state of preservation. In the tything of Dindryval anciently stood a chapel, called Capel Mair, or "St. Mary's
chapel." There are places of worship for Baptists, Independents, and Calvinistic and Wesleyan Methodists. A ruined church,
called Eglwys y Beili, was rebuilt for a school, in 1729, by Sir Arthur Owen, Bart., who endowed it with £4 per annum for
the instruction of six poor children in the Welsh language. A National school has been recently built, and is supported by
subscription, in which about one hundred children of both sexes receive gratuitous instruction. Mr. John Pugh Gwilym, in
1633, bequeathed 453. 6. 8., and the Rev. John Thomas, in 1642, bequeathed a portion of land, to the poor; and various
other sums by different benefactors, amounting nearly to £70, secured formerly on the turnpike trust of the county, were
appropriated to the same purpose, but they are either lost, or, by misapplication, are not now available for the uses to
which they were originally given. At present there are no remains of the ancient palace, nor of any of the buildings
connected with it, although some of the oldest inhabitants remember slight vestiges of it in the walls of a barn; and at
the south-western extremity of the village there is an enclosure, called Gardd y LlYs, or "the Palace Garden." In this
parish are frequently found the amulets called Gleiniau Nadroedd, or " snake gems," supposed to have been made by the
Romans, and bartered with the ancient Britons for the produce of their country: they are composed of glass, and are of a
rich blue colour, some streaked, and others plain, and are now superstitiously used by the vulgar as charms for certain
disorders, and in assisting children to cut their teeth. The Eisteddvodau, or triennial assemblies of the bards of this
district, were held at Aberfraw, so long as it continued to be a royal residence. According to Mr. Rowlands, the historian
of Anglesey, this is the birthplace of Walter, afterwards named Steward, or Stuart, who, going into Scotland, there
founded the powerful family of that name, which afterwards enjoyed the sovereignty both of England and Scotland. The
average annual assessment for the support of the poor amounts to £583. 19.