TENBY (DYNBYCH-Y-PYSCOD), a parish, including the In-Liberty and the Out-Liberty, the former constituting the borough, and
comprising the sea-port and market-town of Tenby, and having exclusive jurisdiction, though locally in the hundred of
Narberth, in the union of PEMBROKE and county of PEMBROKE, SOUTH WALES, 1) miles (E.) from Pembroke, 20 (S. E.) from
Haverfordwest, and 245 (W.) from London; and containing 2803 inhabitants, of whom 2512 are within the limits of the
borough. This place was at a very remote period occupied by the ancient Britons as a fishing town, for which its situation
on the coast rendered it extremely favourable; and from this circumstance it obtained its Welsh name, of the first part of
which its modern appellation is an obvious modification. According to George Owen, an eminent antiquary of the reign of
Elizabeth, whose manuscript history of Pembrokeshire is now in the library of the British Museum, the origin of the
present town is attributable to the settlement of the Flemings in this part of the principality by Henry L, who placed
them under the protection and control of Gerald de Windesor, governor of Pembroke Castle, whom he ordered to provide them
with habitations, on condition of their garrisoning the castles the king then had in Wales, erected by the Normans for the
security of the territories which they had usurped by conquest. In order to protect themselves from the repeated attacks
of the native Welsh, and to maintain possession of the lands that had been assigned to them, they soon found it necessary
to build the towns of Tenby, Pembroke, and Haverfordwest, which they fortified with strong and lofty walls; and from that
time Tenby began to assume a high degree of importance as a strongly fortified military post, and progressively to enjoy,
from its advantageous situation, considerable prosperity as a maritime and commercial town. In the year 1150, Cadell,
eldest son of Rh$'s ab Grufydd, Prince of South Wales, being on a hunting excursion in the neighbourhood, was suddenly
attacked by a party of the inhabitants of Tenby, who lay in ambush for that purpose, and who, rushing from their
concealment, soon put to flight the unarmed retinue by which he was attended: but Cadell resolutely defended himself
against the assailants, of whom he killed several, and, though severely wounded in the conflict, ultimately effected his
escape. Two years after this event Meredydd and Rhts, brothers of Cadell, in order to avenge this outrage, assembled all
their forces, and, advancing to Tenby, scaled the walls of the town, surprised the castle, and put most of the garrison to
the sword, During the minority of Isabel, Countess of Pembroke, the several castles in her earldom were entirely
neglected, and that of Tenby, being unprovided with a sufficient garrison, was attacked by Maelgwyn and Hywel, sons of
Rhys ab Grufydd, who, coming against it with an overwhelming force, destroyed the fortress, burned the town, and put many
of the inhabitants to the sword. It was a considerable time before Tenby recovered from the devastation it suffered upon
this occasion: the castle was repaired, and its fortifications strengthened, by William Marshall, who, espousing Isabel,
was created Earl of Pembroke; but the town remained for a much longer time in ruins. William had five sons, who all
succeeded in turn to the palatinate: of these, Walter, the fourth son, gave orders for restoring the town and building ' a
church and an almshouse  but dying before h intentions ntentions were carried into effect, Warren de Mountchensy, who
married his sister, and succeeded in her right to the earldom, completed the plans of his predecessor, and made to the
church a valuable present of plate andjewels. During the wars of the houses of York and Lancaster, the fortifications were
repaired and strengthened by Jasper, Earl of Pembroke, who, in the 36th of Henry VI., caused the platform along the summit
of the walls to be widened, for the.greater facility of posting soldiers on the battlements, and the moat by which they
were surrounded to be much increased in depth and breadth. Henry, Earl of Richmond, and his mother, sought shelter in the
castle of this place, to which they were brought by David ab Thomas, one of the brothers of Sir Rhs, a zealous adherent of
the House of Lancaster, from Pembroke Castle where they had been besieged. Here they received due attention from the mayor
of the town, and embarked for Brittany under the protection of Jasper, Earl of Pembroke, and uncle of Henry, who
accompanied them to the continent. In the reign of Elizabeth, a memorial was presented by the Bishop of St. David's, and
the principal persons of the county, praying that fit persons might be sent to inspect the castle and fortifications of
Tenby, preparatory to putting them into a state of defence against the threatened invasion of the Invincible Armada of
Spain. The walls were consequently restored by order of the queen, whose initials, with the date 1588, are still visible.
At the commencement of the civil war in the reign of Charles I., the castle and the town were garrisoned for the king; but
in 1644, Colonel Laugharne, with a strong body of parliamentary forces, laid siege to the place, which was resolutely
defended by Colonel Gwyn, the governor, for three days, when, a breach being made in the walls, it was taken by storm, and
the governor, the high sheriff, and three hundred men were made prisoners. In 1647, the castle and town were seized for
the king by the same Colonel Laugh-erne, who, in conjunction with Colonel Poyer, who bad been made governor of Tenby by
the parliament, and Colonel Powell, had abandoned the parliamentarian cause, and embraced the royal interests; and from
the strength of the garrison, composed of three hundred men, with twenty-five pieces of ordnance and the abundant store of
provisions and ammunition with which it was supplied, it proved a formidable obstacle to the entire subjugation of the
country to the authority of the parliament. Cromwell, who was soon after despatched into South Wales with an army of eight
thousand men, sent a detachment of twelve hundred, under the command of Colonel Read, to besiege this place. For five days
it held out against all the efforts of the united forces of Colonels Read and Constable, by whom the former had been
joined, until the suburbs having been taken by storm,nd a breach made in the walls, the garrison was compelled to
surrender at discretion, and among the prisoners were numerous gentlemen of the surrounding coun try. The TOWN is
romantically situated on the eastern and southern sides of a rocky peninsula, stretching out into the Bristol Channel, and
rising a hundred feet above the level of high water; it consists of one principal street, and several smaller ones
diverging from it, which latter are, in some instances, inconveniently narrow. The houses are in general well built and of
respectable appearance, and several of recent erection command some fine views over the sea. Considerable improvements
have been made of late years, among which may be noticed the erection of a new market-house by the .corporation, add the
formation, at a cost of £900, of a line of road, by which the approach to the town has been greatly facilitated, and a
steep and dangerous descent from Narberth and the eastern parts of the adjacent country avoided, and which was opened to
the public in 1831. The main street is well paved, and lighted, and the town is amply supplied with water, brought o the
different houses, at the expense of the corporation, for which the occupiers pay from 10s. to 30s. a year, according to
the value of their houses. The surrounding scenery is romantically beautiful and picturesque: the majestic masses of rock,
of various forms and hues, which line the coast; the numerous bays and distant promontories stretching into the sea; the
receding coasts of Carmarthenshire, with the projecting headland of Gower, inclosing the great bay of Carmarthen, on the
western boundary of which the town is situated; and the small islands of Caldey and Lundy, with the shores of Somerset and
Devon, combine to impart a high degree of im terest, variety, and beauty to the sea view, which it pleasingly enlivened by
the frequent passing and repassing of vessels navigating the Bristol Channel On one side of the town is a drive of eleven
mils to the ancient town of Pembroke, through a fine champaign country, studded with churches, old castles, villages, and
gentlemen's seats surrounded with plantations and pleasure-grounds; and on the other the country is agreeably diversified
with swelling eminences, clothed with verdure, and small valleys richly wooded. The beautiful situation of the town, the
fine beach and firm and smooth sands, extending two miles in length to the south, and one mile to the north, the
transparency of the sea-water, and the pleasant walks and rides in the vicinity, have rendered it a fashionable place of
resort for sea-bathing, and, since the close of the last century, raised it from the decline into which it had for many
years previously fallen, to a high rank among the most favourite watering-places on the coast. Many. good lodging-houses
have been built for the accommodation of visiters, and several respectable private houses are appropriated, during the
season, to the reception d families. Baths, provided with every convenience, were erected by Sir William Paxton under the
made hill, and are supplied from a capacious reservoir filled from the sea at every tide. The establishment comprises two
spacious pleasure-baths, one for gentlemen and one for ladies, four small cold-baths, and also warm sea-water and vapour
baths, with appends! for heating them to any degree of temperature required; and the same building contains also
lodgingrooms for the.accommodation of such invalids as may find it inconvenient to be at a distance from the baths, and a
general room as a promenade, and for the purpose of taking refreshments. The exterior of the edifice is neat, though
without any pretension to architectural style; and an excellent carr rvad has been made to the house, which commands fine
view over the sea, on one side, and, on the other, of the shipping in the bay. A small theatre was erected about the year
1810; but dramatic performances not being much encouraged here, it has never been made an ornament to the place. Private
reading-rooms and subscription libraries are in general well attended; and balls weekly, and concerts occasionally, take
place under the direction of a master of the ceremonies. The sands afford delightful promenade, and abound also with
shells of various description°, not less than one-half of the British collection of six hundred varieties having been
found on tins coast, on which many valuable shells, commonly esteemed foreign, have also been found. Soon after the
settlement of the Flemings at this place, the small HARBOUR of Tenby was greatly unproved for the convenience of the
shipping emploYed at the port, the trade of which, from that time, Pr.: gressively increased; and a very considerable pop'
its population was engaged in carrying on the woollen manufacture, which was introduced by these settlers, and continued
to flourish here for many years. From what cause the commercial and manufacturing importance of the town first began to
decline has not been clearly ascertained, but its manufactures have been neglected for a great length of time, and the
only trade at present consists in exporting to the western and southern coasts of England the coal, culla, and limestone
raised in the Out-Liberty of the parish, and which are chiefly shipped from Sauaderis Foot, three miles to the north, to
which place a tram-road from the different works has been recently constructed; and in the importation of shop wares from
Bristol, between which city and Tenby a regular communication it maintained by means of a steam-packet, that conveysand
mengers twice in the week during Igre season. The harbour, which, according to the custom- house regulations, is a creek
to the port of Milford, is dry at low water, and is sheltered from the south and west winds by the lofty peninsula on
which the town is situated; while on the east it is protected by the castle hill; and on the north by a small but band-
some pier of ancient erection, which, stretching north-westward from the castle hill, in an irregular curve, terminates in
a kind of circular bastion, the whole forming a remarkablisj?icturesque object. The mouth of the harbour is  y cleared by
a body of water, retained each tide by flood-gates; but the coal is never shipped here except when the weather will not
permit vessels to receive it at Saunder's Foot, at which place a pier has been lately erected, affording increased
facilities for shipping coal and culla. The adjacent bay of Carmarthen abounds with almost every species of fish, and is
frequented by vessels from all the neighbouring and opposite coasts, which frequently put into this harbour, as being the
nearest place of safety to the fishing stations. The market-days are Wednesday and Saturday, and the fish-market, which is
plentifully supplied with excellent fish, is opened daily. Fairs are held on May 4th, Whit-Tuesday, July 1st, October 2nd,
and December 4th: that called St. Margaret's may, by charter, continue for three days; but since the establishment of the
fair at Narbeith, in the reign of Charles IL, in consequence of the more central situation of that place, the fairs of
this town have been on the decline, and are now but very thinly attended. A new market-place, as noticed above, was
constructed in the High-street, at the expense of the corporation, in 1829, on a site purl chased for £450; it is
commodiously arranged, and has a handsome facade, with the arms of the  borough sculptured in relief, on a shield of white
marble, in the tympanum of the pediment above the entrance. The rateable annual value of the parish is £4431. 15., of
which £3635 15. is returned for the In, and £796 for the Out, Liberty. , The inhabitants' were first INCORPORATED by
William de Valence, with the consent of his consort Johanna, by whose right he had succeeded to the palatinate; and this
nobleman's charter, ordaining that the bur should choose annually from among themselves veeestwo portreeves, and that they
should have free common over all his lands from mowing and reaping times, until the Feast of the Purification, is still
extant, and was acknowledged and enlarged by his son, i/ymer de Valence, and, in the 16th of Edward III., by Laurence de
Hastings, Earl of Pembroke. The earl's charter was confirmed by Edward himself in the 49th year of his reign; Humphrey,
Duke of Gloucester and Earl of Pembroke, extended the privileges of the burgesses, and made the mayor an independent
justice; and all the charters granted by the earls, as well as those bestowed by the reigning sovereigns, were ratified by
their successors from the time of Edward III. to that of Elizabeth. Henry IV., by charter conferred in the year 1402,
first placed the government in a mayor and two bailiffs, to be elected annually; and in the 23rd of Henry VI., the crown
granted to the mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses, that they should be free from all murage, pontage, &c., at the port of
Bristol. Elizabeth, in the 23rd of her reign, confirmed all preceding charters, and incorporated the inhabitants under the
designation of the " Mayor, Bailiffs, and Burgesses of the borough of Tenby," granting them power to elect a second
justice of the peace from among the aldermen, who, with the mayor, should hold courts of quarter-session, with authority
to punish for all felonies, trespasses, and misdemeanors, not affecting life or limb. Charles I., in his 6th year, added a
third justice of the peace, and two sergeants-at-mace, one to be nominated by the mayor, and the other by the bailiff*
whom he made keepers of the common gaol and house of correction, and also charged with the execution of all writs; and
under these various charters the control was vested in .a mayor (who was also coroner), two bailiffs, two justices, and an
indefinite number of common-councilmen and burgesses, assisted by a town-clerk, two sergeants-atrmace, and other officers.
By the act of the 5th and 6th of William IV., c. 76, however, the corporation is now styled the " Mayor, Aldermen, and
Burgesses," and consists of a mayor, four aldermen, and twelve councillors, together forming the council of the borough,
of which the municipal and parliamentary boundaries, including about 600 acres, are the same. The council elect the mayor
annually on Nov. 9th, out of the aldermen or councillors; and the aldermen triennially out of the eoutkeiliers, or persons
qualified as such, one-half going out of office every three years, but re-eligible: the councillors are chosen annually on
Nov. 1st, by and from among the enrolled burgesses, one-third retiring every year. The aldermen and councillors must have
each aproperty qualifica. tion of £500, or be rated at £15 annual value. The burgesses consist of the occupiers of houses
and shops who have been rated for three years to the relief of the poor, if resident householders within seven miles; and
a valid title to be a burgess is acquirable by descent, marriage, marriage- settlement, devise, or promotion to any
benefice or office, in which case occupancy and the payment of rates by the predecessor may be reckoned. Two auditors and
two assessors are elected annually on March 1st, by and from among the burgesses; and the council appoint a town-clerk,
treasurer, and other officers, on Nov. 9th. The income of the borough in 1810 was £287, in 1820 £572, and in 1830 £616;
and according to the report of the Municipal Commissioners in 1834, it then amounted to £801. 10. 10., of which £622 were
derived from lands and houses, £64 from tolls, £10 from water rents, and about £105 from harbour dues. An idea, also, may
be obtained of the importance of the property belonging to the corporation from the mention of the circumstance, that
during the period of 22 years, commencing in 1810, about £7300 were expended in general improvements; namely, £1700 for
the erection of a market; £1297 for supplying the town with water; £309 for paving and repairing the streets; and about
£4000 for improving the place, removing obstructions, and for labour. Of the sumpaid for obtaining a due supply of water,
£100 were for a reservoir, and £700 for pipes. The borough, with Wilton, was, by the 27th of Henry VIII., made
contributory to Pembroke, in the return of a parliamentary member: by the act of 1832, to "Amend the Representation,"
Milford was added to the district of boroughs, while Tenby was allowed to retain its ancient right with unaltered limits.
The elective franchise was in the burgesses at large, in number nearly four hundred, of whom about a hundred and thirty
are resident; and by such of these latter alone, and of the £10 householders, as are duly registered, the right of voting
now is exercised: the present number of houses within the limits of the borough, of value sufficient to qualify their
tenants, is two hundred and twenty. Tenby is one of the places at which the poll is appointed to be taken at county
elections. The corporation hold quarterly courts of session for the borough, on the Friday after the county sessions are
held, for the trial of all offenders, of whom the punishment does not affect life or limb; a court of record for the
recovery of debts to any amount above the sum of forty shillings, called the monthly court, which is held on the first
Thursday in every month, and has power to issue process to hold to bail in actions for debt; and a court every fortnight,
on Monday, for the recovery of debts under forty shillings. The jurisdiction of these courts extends over the entire In-
Liberty of the parish, constituting the borough, in which neither the county magistrates nor the sheriff have any
authority; the total number of borough justices is three. The town prison is a neat edifice, consisting of two wards, one
called the common gaol, and the other the house of correction, under the superintendence of a gaoler appointed by the
mayor; it is used only as a place of temporary confinement, prior to the committal of prisoners to the county gaol at
Haverfordwest. The LIVING consists of a consolidated rectory and vicarage, in the gift of the Crown; the rectory rated in
thelting's books at £26. 10.10., and the vicarage, which is discharged, at £13. 6. 8.: the tithes have been commuted for a
rent-charge of ,E236; and there is a glebe of 15 acres, which, with a house, is valued at £58 per annum. The church,
dedicated to St Mary, is a venerable and spacious structure, principally in the early style of English architecture, with
a square embattled tower surmounted by a lofty spire, one hundred and fifty- two feet in height; being situated in the
centre of the town, it forms a prominent feature in the view of it from the sea and the surrounding country. It was
erected in the year 1250, by Warren de Mountchensy, Earl of Pembroke, after the destruction of the town by the sons of
Rhts ab Grufydd; the body consists of a nave, north and south aisles, and a chancel, and is richer is sepulchral monuments
than any church in South Wales, excepting the cathedrals. Of these, the most remarkable are the monuments of John and
Thomas White, brothers, and eminent merchants of this place, which are sumptuously embellished and elaborately sculptured;
each has the effigy of the deceased, in costume of the time, and in each also are four compartments, containing those of
other members of the family, of whom was Griffith White, mayor of the borough when Henry Earl of Richmond embarked at this
port for the continent, and to whom, after his accession to the throne, that monarch, In recompense for his services,
granted a lease of all the crown lands in the vicinity of the town. The western entrance to the church is beneath an arch
surmounted with the inscription, in characters of the thirteenth or fourteenth century, 46 Benedictus Drs' nun in Domis
Sums." The ceiling of the nave is of neatly carved wainscot, and that of the chancel is of wainscot much more richly
ornamented. According to Mr. Fenton, three chantry priests were appointed to officiate in this church, one at the altar of
Jesus, another at that of St. Anne, and a third at the "Rood of Grace;" for which services lands, producing at that time
£13. 3. per annum, together with thirteen shillings and fourpence for lamps, were settled on the church. There are places
of worship for Calvinistic and Wesleyan Methodists; and a building on the pier, said to have been dedicated to St. Julian,
and used as an oratory, in Roman Catholic times, by seamen, prior to their setting out on a voyage, Is occasionally used
by the dissenters as a marinechapel. A National school, containing about 140 chit' dren, is entirely supported by
subscription, and held in rooms, towards the erection of which the Incorporated Society granted £35. There are also five
day schools, in which about 85 children are taught at their parents' expense: and two Sunday schools are gratuitously
conducted by dissenters; one contains about 45 males and females, books being provided by collections and donations; and
in the other are about 35. An hospital in the town, dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, was founded at a very early period,
but by whom is unknown: about the year 1236, it was endowed by Gilbert Marshall, Earl of Pembroke, with lands for the
relief of the lepers therein, and its revenue at the dissolution was valued at £2. 5. Queen Elizabeth, in the 23rd year of
her reign, vested them in the corporation, in trust for the benefit of the poor; and in the 43rd of the same reign, by an
act of parliament for the better regulation and support of the poor, these estates were transferred from the former
trustees to the overseers and churchwardens of the parish of St. Mary, Tenby. The present income is about £14 per annum;
but on the expiration of the leases, which were granted many years since, the revenue will be much increased. Two marks,
or £1. 6. & per annum, are paid to the poor in a monthly gift of bread, by the proprietor of the estate of St. Botolph's,
in the parish of Steynton; being a bequest made, about the year 1633, by Richard Budd, in consideration of his having been
saved from shipwreck by taking refuge within Tenby pier. William Risam, in 16:33, bequeathed £50, and £200, to be lent
without interest to, and to provide coal for, the poor, and for putting out apprentices; which sums are now lost, having
been improvidently lent; as was likewise a bequest of £10, by Thomas Barret, in 1623. Dr. John Jones left in trust to his
brother, the Rev. William Jones, certain property, to be applied to such charitable uses as he might think proper  and, in
1703, the latter gentleman appropriated i413, to be vested in the purchase of land, now producing £63. 1. per annum, for
apprenticing children, and towardsthe maintenance of such persons as cannot support their families by their own labour; to
which purpose is also applied the interest of a bequest of £40, by Anne Hitchings, in 1813. Of the charities administered
by the corporation, the principal are a bequest of £250, by Abra Bowen, in 1679, another of £40, by Mrs. Anne Lloyd, and a
third of £6, by Mrs. Hunt; with which certain lands were purchased, now yielding £27 per annum, the chief part of which is
divided among three aged natives of the town, and the residue among the poor generally; together with the produce of £50,
left by Mary Lewis, in 1783, in money and bread. The charities under the control of the churchwardens, exclusively of
Budd's gift, noticed above, consist of donations in bread, arising from some small bequests for the 39purpose, together
with a church property of £57. 2. 2. per annum, the rents of ten houses and several closes of land; and among the
overseer? charities, besides the hospital lands, are some fields in Knowle Park, purchased many years since with a bequest
of £50, by Thomas Wyatt, in 1644, and now let at £15 per annum; and a rent of £2. 16. from Upper Cwm Park, bought with
bequests of £10, by Elizabeth Pint, in 1656, and £45, by Anthony W& liams, in 1696. There are also funds for the repair
and maintenance of the quay, pier, and harbour, consisting of nominal rents for houses, stores, and pieces of land, near
the shore and in other parts of the town. The remains of the ancient CASTLE are very considerable, though mostly in a
dilapidated condition. The fortress once comprised within its defences the whole of the little rocky peninsula which,
projecting eastward from the eastern extremity of the town, forms the southern limit of the small bay of Tenby; but the
only portions now sufficiently entire to convey any idea of its original strength and importance are, a bastion and a
square tower, which are in tolerable preservation, some portions of the walls, and the principal gateway entrance. The
state apartments may still be traced among the ruins, and they exhibit the appearance of a splendid baronial residence,
rather than the features of a military fortress. On the north of the grand entrance are the ruins of a once stately ball,
a hundred feet in length, and twenty feet wide; and near the gateway are the remains, of another apartment, &Way feet
long, and thirty wide; attached to which are smaller rooms, that appear to have been offices and barracks for the
garrison: a portion of the keep also remains, occupying the most elevated part of the castle hill, and has an appearance
of great antiquity. The ancient walls, by which the town was surrounded, are still in some places entire: the path along
their summit, from the northern extremity of the fortifications to the south gate, may be traced; and the pointed arches
by which the platform for manning the battlements was supported are also discernible. There yet remain two of the towers
by which they were defended, the battlements of which are supported by corbels; and likewise the south gate, surmounted by
a low semicircular bastion of great strength: and besides these, some other towers of smaller dimensions, chiefly
circular, and a square turret near the eastern extremity, are in tolerable preservation. Several of the towers are richly
mantled with ivy, and the whole convey an imposing idea of the ancient strength and importance of this fortress. Numerous
specimens of old domestic architecture, formerly existing in the town, have been removed within the last few years, for
the purpose of widening the streets, and otherwise improving the town; but there are sufficient remaining to give some
idea of the style prevailing in it during its occupation by the Flemings; and several beautiful engravings of remains of
early military and domestic architecture, now entirely destroyed, are preserved in the " Etchings of Tenby," by C. Norris,
Esq., published in 1812. Among the ecclesiastical establishments that existed at the place were, an hospital or free
chapel, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, and founded by William de Valence, which, at the dissolution, had an endowment
of £9. 3. 2. for an officiating priest; and a convent instituted by John de Swinemor, in 1399, for Carmelite friars, and
in honour of St. Mary. Near the coast to the east of the town are several gentlemen's seats, some of them of very ancient
date; among which are, Cilgetty, Hen Castle, Merrixton, Bonville's Court, and Amroath Castle. To seaward are some
insulated rocks of romantic character, in which curious natural caverns have been excavated by the action of the winds and
tides; some of these are accessible on foot at low water, and one off the Castle point, called St. Catherine's island, has
been completely perforated by the force of the waves, and presents a very interesting appearance: about two miles from the
main land is Caldey Island, which is described under its own head. Robert Loughor, LL.D., distinguished by his literary
attainments, and by the offices which he filled in the university of Oxford, was born at this town, where he died in 1585.
Robert Record, M.D., also a native of Tenby, is mentioned by George Owen, as having been greatly renowned for his works on
cosmography, arithmetic, and geometry; he died in the reign of Queen Mary.