BUILTH, or LLANVAIR-YN-MUALLT, a market town and parish (anciently a borough), in the hundred of BUILTH, county of BRECKNOCK, SOUTH WALES, 15 miles (N.) from Brecknock, and 170 (W. N.W.) from London, containing 1034 inhabitants. The proper name of this parish, both as applied by the native inhabitants, and as used in legal documents from the earliest times, is Llanvair yn Muallt, or " St. Mary's in Builth." The name Buiith,by which the place is more commonly known, and which is more correctly written Buallt or Muallt, implying a " land of boscage used for pasture," and more especially for the pasture of oxen, is with strict propriety applied generally to the territory within which the town is situated, and is derived from the Welsh Bu, "an ox," and Allt, " a wooded eminence," at once descriptive of the face of the country and the use to which it was appropriated. The origin of the town is involved in very great obscurity: some writers, judging from the course of the Roman road from Dena, now Chester, to Bannium, near Brecknock, and strengthened in their opinion by the resemblance of the names, have fixed the Roman station Bulletin Silurum at this place. But, though a Roman road may have passed by Builth, and some military post have been established in the neighbourhood, no remains have been discovered to corroborate such an opinion; and many writers, of respectable authority, altogether deny that any part of the present county of Brecknock was ever comprehended within the ancient province of Siluria. The present town appears to have arisen subsequently to the erection of a castle here, probably by the Norman invaders of this part of the principality, under the command of Bernard Newmarch, about the year 1098. The first historical notice of this place occurs in an account of the marriage of Maud, second daughter of Milo Fits-Walter, Lord of Brecknock, to Philip de Breos, one of Bernard's followers, who, having attacked and conquered the territories of Elystan Glodrhitdd, which bordered on the river Wye, established in them the lordship of Builth, from which circumstance he is designated, in the account of his marriage above referred to, "Lord of Builth, which he obtained by conquest." Frequent mention of this castle occurs in the annals of South Wales, but its history is nevertheless very imperfectly known; and neither the name of its founder, nor the exact time of its erection, has been precisely ascertained. The lordship of Builth descended, together with the lordships of Brecknock and Hay (the latter in right of his mother), to William, son of Philip de Breos, upon whose subsequent attainder they became forfeited to the crown. King John restored part of the vast possessions of that nobleman to his son, Giles de Breos, Bishop of Hereford, but retained in his own possession the remainder, in which were included the lordship and castle of Builth. These, however, the bishop soon after recovered, and took possession of all the ancient estates of his family, which were subsequently confirmed to him by the king. Giles was succeeded in them by his younger brother, Reginald de Breos, who, in 1221, being besieged in his castle at Builth by Llewelyn ab Iorwerth, despatched messengers to Henry III., to apprise him of his danger; and that monarch, coming to his assistance, compelled Llewelyn to raise the siege and retire. After the death of Reginald, who had married a daughter of Llewelyn's, the lordship of Builth and his other possessions descended to his eldest son, William de Breos, by a former marriage; and this nobleman, preferring the English interest, notwithstanding Lhis father's connexion with the family of Llewelyn, remained a steadfast adherent to the government of Henry III., and became involved in the wars which that monarch carried on against the Welsh, in one of which he was made prisoner by Llewelyn, to whom the lordship of Builth, with a large sum of money, was given for his ransom. The castle having, after the death of William, reverted to the English crown, was held under Prince Edward by Sir Roger Mortimer, who was appointed governor; but during his absence on a summons to attend the English parliament, in 1260, it was surprised in the night by Llewelyn ab Grufydd, Prince of North Wales, who at-. tacked it on pretence that Sir Roger Mortimer, contrary to his oath, had violated the neutrality which he had promised to observe, and supported the English cause. The conduct of Mortimer upon this occasion gave great umbrage, on the other hand, to the English government; and being suspected, from his near affinity to Llewelyn, of partiality to the interests of that prince, he was summoned before the English council, by whom he was fully acquitted of any participation or connivance in the loss of the castle, though much to the dissatisfaction of Prince Edward, who formally entered his protest against the decision of that assembly. In 1282, this town and its neighbourhood were the scene of the last struggles for Welsh independence, to which a period was finally put by the death of the gallant and unfortunate Llewelyn, the last of the native sovereigns of Wales: to this melancholy catastrophe, the inhabitants of this town and neighbourhood are accused of having materially contributed, either by their cowardice, or by their treachery. No two writers give the same account of this melancholy event; some authorities representing the castle to have been at that time in the possession of the Welsh prince, and others in that of the English monarch, with whose subjects in the marches Llewelyn is said to have held a treasonable correspondence; but all concur in stating that the object of his visit to South Wales, after the brilliant success which had attended his arms at the Menai straits, was to hold a conference with some of the chieftains in this district. Llewelyn, for this purpose, came to Aberedw, about four miles below this town, where he had a castle or mansion, and there passed the night. During his stay he was alarmed by the approach of the enemy, who had received intelligence of his movements and present situation; and, being nearly surrounded by the forces of the English, under the command of Sir Edmund Mortimer and John Giffard (who had marched from Herefordshire, or, according to other writers, only from Builth, to surprise him), he, as is commonly stated, caused his horse's shoes to be reversed, in order to mislead his pursuers by their impressions on the snow, which then covered the ground. This stratagem, however, being treacherously discovered to the English, by Madoc Goch Mtn Mawr, the blacksmith whom Llewelyn had employed, a pursuit was commenced. Llewelyn fled towards Builth, crossing the bridge over the Wye, which he caused to be demolished, before his pursuers came up, who were, consequently, compelled to return to a ford eight miles lower down on the river, where they effected a passage. Meanwhile Llewelyn had sought succour from the garrison at Builth, which being refused, either from dread of the presence of an English force, or from treachery, he led his party westward up the vale of Irvon, and crossed that river a little above Llimynis church, by a bridge called Pont y Coed, where he stationed his men. The English, on coming up, made an unsuccessful attempt to obtain possession of the bridge and discovering a ford at a short distance, a small party of them secretly crossed it, and falling upon the Welsh unawares, put them to the rout. The Welsh prince was slain in a small dell, since called Cwm Llewelyn, or "Llewelyn's dingle," a short distance from the scene of action, by one Adam de Francton, who, ignorant of his quality, immediately joined his countrymen in the pursuit; but returning, probably for the sake of plunder, he discovered that his victim was the Prince of Wales, and on his person he found a letter in cypher and his privy seal. He then cut off his head, which he sent to the King of England, then at Aberconway; and the body, being afterwards dragged a short distance from the spot, was buried on the banks of the Irvon, in a place since called Cevn bedd Llewelyn, " the ridge of Llewelyn's grave." The conduct of the inhabitants of Builth, in thus refusing shelter to the last of the native sovereigns of the principality, in this expiring struggle for liberty, has procured for them the opprobrious appellation of Bradwyr Buallt, or the "Traitors of Builth." John Giffard, who had distinguished himself in this last engagement, was appointed governor of the castle of Builth, under the crown, as appears from the records in the Exchequer: this office he continued to hold till the 25th or 26th of Edward I.; but, towards the close of the reign of Edward IL, the castle and lordship of Builth were either granted to Roger Mortimer, Earl of Wigmore, or, having been restored to the family of de Breos, were obtained by that nobleman on his marriage with Maud, daughter of the third William de Breos: from this time they remained in the possession of that family, till the attainder of the last Earl of March, when they again reverted to the crown, to which they continued an appendage till the reign of Charles I. In the year 1691, the town was nearly destroyed by an accidental fire, which broke out on the 20th of December, in that year: the loss sustained by the sufferers who applied for relief under this calamity was estimated at E10,780, and by persons of more independent property, who did not make application for assistance, about £2000 more. Letters patent were granted by the crown, authorising the distressed inhabitants to gather alms from charitably disposed persons throughout the kingdom, and, under this authority, a few hundred pounds were collected; but the money was so misapplied that only one house in the town was rebuilt from that fund. In this instrument, which is illumined with the portraits of King William and Queen Mary, and with the arms of England, Scotland, Ireland and France, highly emblazoned, it is stated that " the fire raged for five hours, and that, from the boisterousness of the winds, it consumed the dwellings of forty-one substantial families, with all their corn, furniture, effects and merchandizes, to the great impoverishment of the adjacent country, and decay of trade, it being a very considerable market town, and having no other market kept within ten miles of it." The present town is romantically situated on the river Wye, the banks of which, throughout the whole of its varied course, are crowned with picturesque beauty: it is irregularly built, consisting principally of two streets, which, meeting in an acute angle, unite and afterwards extend for a considerable distance along the road leading to Llandovery. Several neat houses occupy the space between the river and the churchyard, nearly parallel with the course of the former, over which is a handsome stone bridge of six arches, connecting the counties of Brecknock and Radnor, and erected in 1770, at their joint expense: there are also some well-built houses of respectable appearance in detached situations. The surrounding scenery is eminently distinguished for its richly diversified and highly picturesque character: the adjoining hills, in some places approaching to mountainous elevation, are interspersed with groves of thriving plantations, alternated with lofty and boldly projecting masses of rock, overhanging the river; and others, clothed with flourishing timber from the base to the summit, combine, with partial appearances of sterility and rugged grandeur, the softer and more pleasing features of cultivation and verdure. The approach to Builth from Brecknock is exceedingly interesting; the contrast between the high state of cultivation in the vicinity of the town, and the barren mountains which are traversed in approaching it, is peculiarly striking; the prospect being adorned with the meandering course of the Wye, a variety of beautiful scenery in the foreground, and a long range of mountains in the distance, which, although lofty, present a soft and delicate outline. The soil around the town is very superior to that in the remainder of the hundred: the lands are enclosed, and in an excellent .state of cultivation; and the climate is milder, and the crops are earlier than in other parts of the county. Owing to the improvements recently made in the high roads, this town now occupies a situation on the direct line of communication between North and South Wales; and, from the numerous other local advantages which it possesses, it is capable of great improvement. The Wye, and its several tributary streams, by which it is amply supplied with water, abound with excellent trout; and, within a mile and a half of the town, there are some excellent mineral springs, combining the medicinal properties of those at Llanwrtyd and Llandrindod. These springs are situated about half a mile from the banks of the Wye, in the parish of Llanvihangel-Br9m-Pabuan, and within a mile and a half of this town; but though, from their well-established reputation, they would be a powerful attraction to visitors, yet no more than three or four houses in the town or neighbourhood are found which offer any accommodation or encouragement to visitors, of whom many leave the town in disappointment. The market, which is very numerously attended, is on Monday; and fairs, which are much frequented, are annually held on June 27th, October 2nd, and December 6th, for the sale of agricultural produce and wares. It is in contemplation to erect a commodious market-house, near the bridge, on a piece of ground belonging to E. D. Thomas, of Wellfield House, Esq., and also a small lock-up house for the confinement of petty offenders, with apartments for the constables. This place is said to have been anciently a borough, and to have received a charter of incorporation from its Norman lords, and in all ancient documents the inhabitants were styled the " Burgesses of Builth ;" but they at present enjoy no municipal privileges, and the town is under the jurisdiction of the county magistrates. Two petty constables are appointed at the court leet of the lord of the manor, held annually at Maesycynfordd, in this hundred. The living is a perpetual curacy, with that of Llanddewi'r Cwm annexed, in the archdeaconry of Brecknock, and diocese of St. David's, endowed with £200 private benefaction, £400 royal bounty, and £600 parliamentary grant, and in the alternate patronage of - Pocock, and Bell Price, Esqrs. The tithes of these consolidated parishes formerly belonged to the priory of Brecknock, upon the dissolution of which they were purchased by Sir John Price, and continued for some time in the possession of his heirs, but many years ago they were purchased by Richard Price, Esq., of Knighton. Attached to the living are nineteen acres of glebe land, and half an acre of garden ground; but the parsonage-house fell into decay more than a century ago, and has not since been rebuilt. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, and, with the exception of the ancient tower, rebuilt in the year 1793, at the expense of the parishioners, is a neat plain structure: within the chancel are the remains of a monument, with the mutilated effigy of John Lloyd, of Towey, Esq.; and on a brass plate in the north wall just above it is an inscription, setting forth that he was a servant to Queen Elizabeth, whose father he had also served in Scotland and other places, and that he was the first sheriff and justice of peace that ever dwelt in this lordship after the division of Wales into counties. There are places of worship for Baptists, Independents, and Calvinistic and Wesleyan Methodists. Thomas Prichard, a native of this town, who had acquired an ample fortune in London by trade, in 1752, bequeathed £1800 New South Sea annuities to certain trustees, to apply the dividends annually to such charitable purposes, for the benefit of this parish, as they and the principal inhabitants should deem most beneficial. In 1759, a bill, in the nature of an information, was filed by the Attorney-General to establish this will; and in 1760, the money was directed to be laid out in the building of a school-house, the payment of a master's salary, and the placing out of apprentices; any remaining surplus to be applied to the relief of the poor. No school -house was erected under this decree; but a very good building for the purpose has been erected by voluntary subscription of the parishioners, on a piece of ground let by the late Thomas Price, Esq., on lease, at a pepper-corn rent. The income arising from this bequest is £57 per annum, to which has been added A5 pet annum, the interest of £100 bequeathed by the Rev. Benjamin Lawrence, in the year 1829, and now secured on mortgage. Of these united sums, £36 per annum is paid to a schoolmaster, for teaching thirty-six boys, and £12 per annum to a mistress for teaching twelve girls: £5 per annum is paid to a clerk for managing the business of the charity, and the remainder is expended in the necessary repairs of the building, and in providing books for the use of the scholars. There is no surplus for distribution among the poor, nor will the funds, after defraying the expenses of the school, afford any thing for the apprenticing of children. Margaret Powell, in 1715, bequeathed £20, due to her upon the mortgage of a tenement called Hengwm, to the poor of the parish. ' Of the ancient castle the only remains, occupying a gentle eminence above the river Wye, are a small fragment of the north wall, which appears to have been of unusual strength and thickness, though the quality of the stone was not very durable: the deep trenches by which it was surrounded still show the original form and extent of this once important fortress, which commanded the river, over which was originally a bridge, nearly opposite to it. The keep was on the summit of a steep conical mound, fifty yards in circumference at the base, and entirely surrounded with a deep moat. The state apartments and other buildings were chiefly on the south-west side, where an outer moat communicates with the inner moat *by a deep cut: both of these trenches appear to have been occasionally filled with water, for the better defence of the fortress. The circuit of the whole is about three hundred and fifty paces. On a precipitous eminence, rising from the bank of the river Irvon, at a short distance from its junction with the Wye, is a mound of earth, which is said to have been anciently the site of a mural fortress, called Castell Caer Beris; but nothing either of its origin or history is known, and the only memorials existing at present are the name and the site. About a mile to the west of the town is a small brook, called Nant yr Arian, or the "Money brook," from the circumstance of its having been a place of guarded intercourse between the inhabitants and the country people during the prevalence of the plague in the town. At that time the people of the adjoining districts are said to have deposited at this place the provisions with which they supplied the town, and the inhabitants to have thrown their money into the brook, that it might not communicate the infection. The average annual expenditure for the support of the poor amounts. to £304. 8.