CARDIFF (CAERDYDD), a sea-port and borough and market-town, having separate juristdiction, locally in the hundred of
Kibbor, county of GLAMORGAN (of which it is the shire town), SOUTH WALES, 158 miles (W.) from London, containing 6187
inhabitants. This place is by most antiquaries supposed to have been originally built by Morgan ab Hywel ab RhYs, on or
near the site of an ancient station, or fort, occupied probably by Aulus Didius, who succeeded Ostorius in the command of
the Roman legions in Britain and, with great probability, to have derived from that circumstance its Welsh name of
Caerdydd. This opinion is strengthened by the discovery of Roman relics within the walls of the castle, the direction of
the Roman road between the stations Isca Silurum and Bovium, and by other corroborative circumstances. The Roman station
anciently occupying this site is supposed by Camden to have been the Ratostabius, or Ratostibius, of Ptolemy, from which
the adjoining parish of "Rath," called by the English " Roath," is said to have obtained its name; and, by others, to have
been the Tibia Amnis of Antonine, which Richard of Cirencester places near this town, between the stations Isca Silurum
and Boylan. Others think that the present name of Cardiff is modernized from Caer-ddf, signifying "the fortified place on
the river Tit" which equally shows it to have been a fortified town, or military post, from a period of remote antiquity;
but the arguments adduced in support of these two opinions are in favour of the former etymology. From the departure of
the Romans from Britain till the conquest of Glamorgan by Fitz-Hamon, only a few slight notices are found of this place,
scattered in ancient manuscripts, according to which it appears that, to avoid the frequent predatory incursions of the
Saxons into the kingdom of Gwent, the seat of government was transferred, on the death of the renowned King Arthur, by his
son Morgan, from Caerlleon to this place, which became the capital of the kingdom called from that prince Morganwg, a
district including only that portion of Gwent which was situated to the west of the river Usk, and so continued till its
destruction by Cadwaladr, after which it was rebuilt by Morgan ab Hywel, about the year 900; but having been again
destroyed, it was, according to Caradoc of Llancarvan, rebuilt, in 1080, by Iestyn ab Gwrgan, who also erected here a
strong castle. Iestyn, the last native sovereign of Morganwg, between whom and Rhys ab Tewdwr, Prince of Dinevor, a series
of retaliating inroads had been commenced, entered into a compact with Einon ab Collwyn, one of the leaders of an
unsuccessful insurrection against Rhs, pledging himself to give him his daughter in marriage, with the lordship of Miskin,
provided that the latter would secure the assistance of some of the Norman knights with whom he had served abroad under
the Conqueror. Einon accordingly repaired to London, and having engaged the services of Robert Fitz-Hamon, a relation of
the king's, aided by other Norman knights, lestyn and his auxiliaries commenced active hostilities against Rh9s, whom they
defeated, with the loss of nearly all his troops, on an extensive common called Hirwaun Wrgan, and, according to the Welsh
Chronicle, afterwards beheaded in a secluded valley, some miles to the southward, whither he had fled for concealment. But
Mr. Jones, in his history of Brecknockshire, is of opinion that Rhjrs fled, after the battle, to the territory of his
brother-in-law, Bleddyn ab Maenarch, and was present at the battle fought between the latter and Bernard Newmarch, near
Caer Bannau, after which he was beheaded at a place called, from that circumstance, Penrhjts. lestyn, having thus subdued
and slain his enemy, refused to fulfil his contract with Einon; whereupon the latter hastened to Fitz-Hamon, who was
preparing to embark his forces for England, and having represented to him the faithless conduct of lestyn, and shewn the
facility of obtaining possession of his dominions, induced the Norman commander to retrace his steps. Being joined by
other native chieftains, whose fidelity and allegiance the tyrannical and unprincipled conduct of lestyn had alienated,
the confederated forces advanced against him, and found him posted near Cardiff, with the few forces which the suddenness
of the revolt had enabled him to muster. A short conflict then took place, which ended in the defeat of the Welsh prince,
who was obliged to seek safety in flight ; and having for a short time been a destitute wanderer in his former dominions,
he found an asylum in a neighbouring convent, where he passed the remainder of his days, and died at the advanced age of
one hundred and twenty-nine. Fitz- Hamon, having this acquired possession of lestyn's territories, parcelled them among
his followers and allies, retaining to himself the towns, castles, and manors constituting the „body of the lordship of
Morganwg, of which Cardiff was the chief place; and is said to have enlarged and almost rebuilt the town, and to have
taken down the castle built by the Welsh sovereign, which was of wood, erecting in its place that durable and magnificent
structure, the present remains of which are of so highly interesting a character. In this castle the lords of Glamorgan,
who exercised jara regalia throughout their lordship marcher, held their county courts and courts of chancery and
exchequer; and here also the twelve knights, who owned the different baronies subject to this paramount lordship, were
obliged by their tenures to attend on a certain day in every month, each having separate apartments for his accommodation
in the outer ward of the castle. On the day after holding the county court, at which the sheriff presided and the knights
attended, the chancellor was accustomed to sit in the chancery of the castle, to determine causes of equity arising within
his jurisdiction; on which day also the knights gave attendance on their lord, and on the next withdrew to their
respective baronies, where they held their own courts, each having a distinct jurisdiction, similar to that of the
lordship marcher, except that, in cases of supposed wrong decision, the unsuccessful suitor had the privilege of appeal to
the court of the latter. The strict servitude of the feudal tenures, thus introduced into the newly-established lordship,
being ill suited to the independent spirit of the native landowners, and the Norman settlers continuing to extend their
conquests westward into Gower, the Welsh of Glamorgan rose in great force, in the year 1094, and, under the command of
Payne Turberville, one of FitzHamon's feudal knights, having seized upon several castles, and put the garrisons to the
sword, advanced to the castle of Cardiff, in which they surprised Fitz-Hamon, who, unprepared for effectual resistance,
was obliged to grant a restoration of their ancient laws and customs. Robert Duke of Normandy, having unsuccessfully
endeavoured to maintain his right to the English crown, and being made prisoner by his younger brother, Henry I., was
committed to the custody of Fitz-Hamon, and immured in this castle, where, as it has been related, after being deprived of
his eye-sight for attempting to escape, he lingered out a miserable captivity of twenty-eight years; but this act of
barbarity is denied by the most respectable historians. One of the towers over the principal entrance served as his
prison, and he is said to have obtained a release from close confinement, and liberty of twelve miles round the castle,
through the intercession of Ivor ab Cadivor, called also Ivor Bitch, or the Little, a chieftain who resided among the
hills to the north of Cardiff. Robert Earl of Gloucester, natural son of King Henry, having succeeded to the lordship of
Glamorgan, by marriage with Mabel, Fitz-Hamon's only daughter and heiress, attempted to enforce the feudal system among
his tenants, whose spirit being again roused, they advanced, under the command of Ivor ab Cadivor, to besiege the castle
of Cardiff, which they took by storm, and made the earl and his lady prisoners, but released them, in pursuance of terms
entered into with the English monarch, on condition that the Welsh of Glamorgan should be allowed the unmolested enjoyment
of their ancient usages. To protect himself against further insurrections, the earl immediately began strengthening the
defences of Cardiff; and having built a wall round the town and castle, he encompassed the whole with a ditch,
communicating with the river Tif both above and below the town. In 1172, Henry II. passed through Cardiff, on his
expedition against Ireland, and again, shortly afterwards, on his return. In the reign of Henry IV., the town and castle
were besieged, in 1404, by Owain Glyndwr, who assumed to himself the sovereignty of Wales, and burnt and laid waste the
possessions of all who adhered to the king's cause. Having obtained possession of the town, he destroyed the whole, with
the exception only of one street, in which was situated the convent of the Friars minor, a religious fraternity who had
publicly espoused his cause. He then made him.; self master of the castle, which in a great measure he destroyed, carrying
off a considerable quantity of treasure, that had been deposited for security in it. In the year 1570, a congress of the
bards of Glamorgan assembled at this castle, under the auspices of William. Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, for the purpose of
collecting and digesting the laws of their order. During the parliamentary war the castle was garrisoned for the king, and
was assaulted by Cromwell in person, by whom it was bombarded for three successive days; but the garrison made a valiant
and spirited defence, and all his efforts might have been unavailing, but for the treachery of a deserter, by whom his
forces were introduced by a subterraneous passage communicating with the open country, and whom Cromwell caused to be
hanged, as a warning to his own troops. Charles I. slept three nights in the castle, in August, 1645, and thence wrote a
letter to Sir Edward Nicholas, then Secretary of State. The town is situated in an extensive plain, on the eastern bank of
the river Tif, over which it has a handsome stone bridge of three arches, with two smaller land arches to carry off the
water in floods, which are here very violent, and by which two unfinished bridges, from designs by the same architect, Mr.
Parry, had been previously destroyed. The site of the present structure, which was finished in 1796, has been judiciously
selected, and the new entrance which it has opened to the town is among the principal recent improvements. The situation
of the town, within a distance of three miles from the sea, and in a tract of country remarkable for its fertility and the
beauty of its scenery, renders it desirable as a place of residence. Its appearance is highly prepossessing: the streets
are regularly formed and well paved, the houses handsome and well built, and the town is lighted with gas and abundantly
supplied with excellent water: it was formerly surrounded with a moat and defended by high walls, in which were gates in
the direction of the four cardinal points, at the entrance to the principal thoroughfares. The suburb of Crockerton, or
Crockherbtown, which forms the eastern entrance, is a spacious street, consisting entirely of handsome hmises, adapted to
the residence of opulent families. The theatre, erected by a proprietary of twenty-seven shareholders of £60 each, is a
neat edifice, ornamented with a handsome receding portico of Grecian architecture, but has not, for the last four years,
been used for dramatic performances. The armoury belonging to the Glamorganshire militia, a neat plain building, is
situated in St. Mary's-street. The Glamorganshire races were formerly held annually on Cardiff heath, and continued for
two days; but they have not taken place since the year 1830. A horticultural society has recently been formed, under
favourable auspices, but it is yet only in its infancy. , The environs abound with interesting scenery, and a fine
promenade, planted with shrubs and evergreens, is open to the public on the ramparts of the castle. The trade of the port,
which comprises within its jurisdiction the creeks of Barry, Sully, and Aber-thaw, consists in the exportation of iron,
tin-plates, and coal, to a very considerable extent; and in the importation of various articles of general consumption,
necessary for supplying the surrounding district, in addition to some timber. During the year 1830, notwithstanding the
great depression of the iron trade, the quantity of iron brought down the Glamorganshire canal, to be shipped at this
port, was eighty-seven thousand three hundred and seventy-two statute tons; of coal one hundred and thirteen thousand
seven hundred and fifty-three tons; and more than fifty thousand tons of miscellaneous articles. The custom-house is a
plain neat building, well adapted to the purpose; and, though no exact entry is kept of the number of vessels which enter
inwards and clear outwards in every year, it appears that one thousand vessels of two hundred and fifty tons' burden each
were employed, in the year 1830, to ship off the various articles brought down the canal only, during that year. Cardiff
is indebted for its commercial prosperity to its facility of communication with the manufacturing districts in the vale of
Thf and places adjacent, by means of the Glamorganshire canal, since the completion of which, in 1798, the place has
considerably increased in importance and extent. The Glamorganshire, or, as it is sometimes called, the Cardiff, canal
commences about a mile and a half below the town, near the entrance of the river Tat' into Penarth harbour, and extends to
Merthyr-Tydvil, a distance of twenty-five miles. In its course, which is nearly parallel with the river, it passes by the
city of Llandaf, and is carried over the TV by an aqueduct, within a short distance of which it is joined by the Aberdare
canal, and then, winding round the base of the TwynMawr hills, is continued to Merthyr-Tydvil: at its junction with the
tideway of the river Taf there is a floating-dock, sixteen feet deep, with a sea-lock, capable of admitting vessels of
three hundred tons' burden. The proprietors are limited to eight per cent. on the capital subscribed, after dividing
which, and reserving an adequate sum for necessary and incidental expenses, the remainder is to be returned to the parties
freighting goods. The freight is fixed at fivepence per ton per mile on iron and manufactured goods, and threepence per
ton for ore, coal, culm, and other raw produce; the amount remitted to the freighting parties, in the year 1830, was ni
per cent. on the gross payments. In 1830 an act of parliament was obtained for constructing the Bute Ship canal, at the
sole expense of the Marquis of Bute, which, however, had not been commenced in the middle of 1832. The main object of this
undertaking is to construct a safe basin, into which ships of great burden can be admitted, to receive the whole of their
cargoes, and from which they may sail at half-tides: it is intended to commence near the mouth of the river Di, where it
is to have a sea-lock and flood-gates, to keep the surface water forty-one feet above low water mark in Cardiff harbour at
spring tides, and will proceed to the south side of the town, where a basin, fifteen hundred yards in length, and twenty
feet deep, is to be formed, from which there will be two communications with the Glamorganshire canal: the whole is to be
supplied by a feeder from the river Di, about a mile north of Cardiff castle, passing through some of the streets in the
town, in its course to the basin. This design, when carried into effect, will greatly facilitate the conveyance of coal
from the banks of the rivers Thf and Cynon to the London market, and materially promote the trade of the town. The only
manufacture at present carried on in the town is that of iron, for which there is a foundry conducted by Messrs. Moggridge
and Towgood, affording employment to about fifty men; also an establishment on a smaller scale, for lighter castings. The
glass-works, established here a few years since, by Messrs. Guest & Co., have been recently discontinued. There are weekly
markets on Wednesday and Saturday; that on the former day is now but thinly attended, but on the latter there is an
abundant supply of corn and provisions of every kind, besides various articles of merchandise: the shambles for butchers'
meat are commodiously ranged in two long avenues leading out of High-street: hardware and vegetables are exposed for sale
in the open street in front of the guildhall. The fairs are on the second Wednesday in March, the second Wednesday in
April, the second Wednesday in May, June 29th, September 19th, and November 30th, all of which are great cattle fairs, and
are numerously attended. The town received a charter of incorporation either from Iestyn ab Gwrgan, the last of the native
sovereigns of Glamorgan, or from the first of its Norman lords: the oldest charter extant is one of Hugh le Despencer, in
the reign of Edward II., dated October 14th, 1338, confirming the grants and privileges of his predecessors, Lord William
de la Zouche and Elinor his wife. The most recent is that of James I., dated July 18th, 1608, by which the government is
vested in a constable of the castle (who holds his office during the royal pleasure, and is the chief member of the
corporation), a steward or recorder, twelve aldermen (of which two are chosen bailiffs), twelve common-councilmen, and an
indefinite number of burgesses, assisted by a town-clerk, two common attorneys (one of whom is a capital, and the other a
common, burgess), two serjeants at mace, a water-bailiff, two ale-tasters, and other officers. The constable of the castle
is appointed by the Marquis of Bute, who is lord-lieutenant of the county; the bailiffs are chosen annually at Michaelmas,
by the aldermen and common-councilmen, who nominate four aldermen, out of which number the constable of the castle, or his
deputy, elects two, and swears them into office: vacancies in each of the other bodies are filled up, by a majority of
themselves, from those next in succession. The constable of the castle, the bailiffs, and the senior alderman, are
justices of the peace within the borough, which, with its liberties, is co-extensive with the parishes of St. John and St.
Mary, and the boundaries of which are given in the Appendix to this work. The borough is divided into four wards, for each
of which three constables are annually appointed, and sworn into office by the bailiffs. Conjointly with Cow-bridge and
Llantrissent it returns one member to parliament: the right of election was formerly in the burgesses at large, but is
now, by the late act for amending the representation of the people, vested in the resident burgesses only, if duly
qualified according to the provisions of the act, and in every male person of full age occupying, either as owner or as
tenant under the same landlord, a house or other premises of the annual value of not less than ten pounds, provided he be
capable of registering as the act directs: the number of houses in the borough worth ten pounds per annum and upwards is
four hundred and sixty-four: the bailiffs are the returning officers. Prior to the passing of the late bill of reform,
Aberavon, Kenvig, Loughor, Neath, and Swansea, were united with the above-mentioned boroughs in the return of a member to
parliament; but these places now constitute a district to which a separate representative has been given. The freedom is
inherited by birth, acquired by servitude of seven years' apprenticeship to a resident freeman, by marriage with a
freeman's daughter, or by gift of the corporation at large. The corporation, under their charter, hold a court of record
in the guildhall, every alternate Thursday, for the recovery of debts to any amount, at which the bailiffs and senior
alderman preside, assisted by the town-clerk: by a provision enacted in the 3rd of James H., this court might be held
before the steward and bailiffs, but the steward seldom acts, and the processes are generally issued under the former
officers: at this court also burgesses, of whom there are at present upwards of three hundred and fifty, are admitted and
sworn in. The assizes and the Epiphany sessions for the county are also held in the guildhall, a plain modern building,
comprising one court-room and a record and a jury room on the upper story, underneath which are the corn and dairy
markets, and two apartments appropriated as a borough prison. The county gaol, a respectable edifice fronted with
freestone, and constructed on the plan of Mr. Howard, being too small for the increased population of this manufacturing
district, a new building upon a more enlarged scale was commenced in 1827, which will be open for the reception of
prisoners at the close of the present year (1832). The new gaol, which occupies an airy situation to the south of the
suburb of Crockherbtown, is a substantial stone edifice, surrounded by a lofty wall with 'a massive gateway entrance, over
which is the place of execution. The governor's house is in the centre of the area, and communicates by cast-iron bridges
with three detached wings; on one side of the entrance are the apartments of the turnkey, and on the other the committee-
rooms for the meeting of the magistrates. The gaol, which is capable of accommodating eighty prisoners, including twenty
debtors, is well adapted to their classification, and comprises day-rooms, work-rooms, and airing-yards: it includes also
a house of correction for the eastern parts of the county: the whole expense of the building is estimated at £10,000.
Cardiff consists of the parishes of St. John the Baptist and St. Mary, the livings of which are discharged vicarages
consolidated, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Llandaf, the former rated in the king's books at £13. 4. 61., and the
latter at £4. 5. 10., and in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter of Gloucester. The church of St. John, formerly a
chapel to that of St. Mary (which was a large cruciform building, with a square tower, situated near the margin of the
river, at the south-western extremity of the town, and was destroyed by an inundation in 1607), is a spacious and handsome
structure, in the early style of English architecture, with a lofty square embattled tower in the later style, and equally
remarkable for the elegance of its design and the symmetry of its proportions. It was built in 1443, by Hart, the
architect of Wrexham church, and of St. Stephen's, Bristol: the tower is crowned with an embattled parapet of delicate
tracery, with angular pinnacles of open work of light and beautiful character, and the doorway and belfry windows are
ornamented with finely pointed and richly moulded arches. The interior of the church consists of two aisles, separated by
a range of lofty and sharply pointed arches, resting on massive pillars, and a chancel, of which the roof has been lowered
to admit light into the body of the church, which had been darkened, about twenty years since, by the erection of two
galleries, containing five hundred additional sittings. Among the monuments is one, in a dilapidated condition, to the
memory of two brothers of the family of Herbert of Swansea, whose effigies in a kneeling posture are represented under a
canopy of white marble, supported by four Corinthian pillars of black marble, one in the habit of an ecclesiastic, and the
other in military attire: a Latin inscription, now nearly obliterated, records that the younger brother, Sir John
Herbert, was principal secretary to Queen Elizabeth and James I., and ambassador at the courts of Frederick H. and his son
Christian, kings of Denmark, Sigismond of Poland, and Henry IV. of France. There are places of worship for English and
Welsh Baptists and Wesleyan Methodists, Independents, and Presbyterians, the last of which has an endowment of £300, and
the interest of £100 bequeathed by Mr. Arthur, to be distributed among the poor of that congregation. In 1710, Mr. Cradock
Wells, alderman of the borough, left by will certain freehold houses in Cardiff, and lands at Canton, in the parish of
Llandaf, in trust to the corporation, for the establishment of a free school for instructing poor children of the borough
in reading, writing, and arithmetic. This school having been discontinued since the year 1790, application was made to
Chancery in 1819, and a decree obtained in 1821, appointing the aldermen for the time being trustees of the property,
which is applied to the education of six boys and six girls in the National school, which was established in 1815, under
the patronage of the Marquis of Bute: these children are annually clothed, and, when of proper age, placed out
apprentices, with suitable premiums. An equal number of children, who are also instructed in the same school, are clothed
annually from funds invested for that purpose by the Marquis of Bute. Two capacious school-rooms were erected at
Crockherbtown, in 1818, on ground given by the Marquis, who also contributed £52. 10. towards defraying the expense of the
building, which cost £700, of which the corporation gave £300. A house for the master and mistress, with a committee-room,
has since been built, at an expense of £600, of which the Marquis of Bute contributed £50, and the corporation £100. Mrs.
Jane Herbert gave £500 to be invested in the purchase of land, for the establishment of a school for the instruction of
fifteen poor children; but this object has not yet been carried 'into effect, in consequence of which an application has
been made to the Lord Chancellor. A dispensary, situated in Union-street, was established in 1823, and is supported by
subscription: an addition of £266. 16. 64. was made to its funds by a ladies' bazaar, opened at the time of the races in
1828, with which the present building was purchased. An institution for the relief and assistance of poor lying-in women
during their confinement has been recently formed, called the "Cardiff Charitable Midwifery Institution." A Sympathetic
Society was established in 1794, for the benefit of widows: there are at present seventy-nine members, and nineteen
widows are now receiving annuities of £15 each from the funds, which, in 1829, were vested in the purchase of A4300 New
four per cent. annuities. There are no fewer than eight benefit societies. A rent-charge of A8, paid by the Mackworth
family, another of A S. 10. left by Mr. William Jones, A100 Navy five per cents by the late Mr. John Rice, and various
other charitable bequests and donations, are distributed among the poor. On the north-east side of the town was anciently
a convent of Grey friars, founded in 1280, by Gilbert Earl of Clare, who dedicated it to St. Francis, and made it a cell
to the monastery of Bristol: at the dissolution its site was granted to the Herberts, a branch of the Swansea family:
the walls are still remaining, but in a dilapidated state. Without the Westgate was a convent of Black friars, founded by
Richard de Clare, about the year 1250; and two other religious houses, of which there are no vestiges, are noticed by
Tanner, one supposed to have been that of the friars minor, founded by Robert, first Earl of Gloucester, and which, as
noticed above, was spared, together with the street in which it was situated, when Owain Glyndwr burnt the rest of the
town. Among the remaining antiquities of this place are portions of the town walls, which seem to have been built on the
site of Roman fortifications. The castle still forms an interesting object, though greatly altered by being converted into
a modern castellated mansion. The west front, which is flanked by a massive octagonal tower of great strength, is seen to
advantage from the great western road to the town. On the summit of a circular mound within the walls are the ruins of the
ancient keep, commanding an extensive prospect over the surrounding country: this tower was used as an armoury during the
parliamentary war. The moat by which it was surrounded has been filled up, and the whole area has been converted into a
fine lawn: the acclivities of the ramparts have been planted with shrubs and evergreens, and on the summit a fine gravel
walk has been formed, which is carried round the whole enclosure, and is open to the public as a promenade. On the west
side of the gateway is the Black Tower, in which Robert Duke of Normandy is said to have been confined, during his
captivity here. At the south-west angle of the court, the remains of a Roman hypocaust were exposed to the view about
eighty years ago; and a coin of the Emperor Trajan has been found within the castle. The eastern part is distinguished by
the insertion of small pointed windows, behind which were discovered, a few years ago, the remains of a series of
interesting Norman arches, probably coeval with the original structure; and great alterations have been made, to adapt the
habitable part of this ancient fortress to the uses of a mansion. The apartments contain several good portraits of the
ancestors of the house of Bute, and some fine paintings by Kneller, Vandyke, Dahl, Romney, and other eminent artists.
According to the testimony of the Liber Llandavensis, the renowned King Arthur was a native of this place. Among
distinguished natives of more modern times may be mentioned William Cadogan, member of the privy council of Charles I.,
and governor of the castle and borough of Trim in Ireland, who was born in 1601. The Rev. Mr. Erbury, who was vicar of
this place during the usurpation of Cromwell, was author of a volume of sermons and other tracts, addressed to his
parishioners, which present a curious specimen of the divinity of that period. Nathaniel Thomas, B. A., editor of an
Abridgment of Ainsworth's Latin Dictionary, and other school books, and subsequently editor and proprietor of the St.
James' Chronicle, was born in this town, in 1730. Cardiff gives the inferior title of baron to the Marquis of Bute. The
average annual expenditure for the support of the poor amounts to A1351. 9.