Cylchgronau Cymru

SKENFRITH, AND WHITECASTLE. 311 about 1538 : " The Castle of Skenfrith standeth 5 miles above Monmouth towne, on Mone river, on the very ripe of it (secundum decursum fluvii) ; and in times past, by all likelihood, the river did goe about the Castle dike. Much of the utter ward of this Castle yet standeth. The site of it somewhat lowe. There is a stone bridge over Mone a little above the Castle. " The Castle of Grossemount standeth a 3 miles above Skenfrith, on the right hand of Mone (secundum de¬ cursum fluvii), half a mile from the ripe. It standeth strongly on a rocky hill, drye ditched, and a village of the same name by it. Most part of the Castle walles yet stand. " The third castle of the lordship of Tirty, or 3 toAvnes, is called Whitecastle, 3 miles flat south from Grosse- mounte.' This Castle standeth on a hill, and is drye motid. It is made almost of great slate stones, and is the greatest of the three." We add to his account the notes which R. Symonds made in his Diary1 a century later: " Cas Gwyn, or white castle : Marquis of Worcester owes it : ruined. Gresmond : idem owes it : ruined. Skenfrith : idem owes it : ruined. These three last were belonging to the Dutchy of Lancaster." R W. B. ©fcttuarg. John Johnes, Esq., M.A., of Dolaucothy.—It is otir painful office, on this occasion, to chronicle the death, by an assassin's hand, of Mr. Johne3 of Dolaucothy. Descended from John ap Gruffydd ap Nicholas of the princely stock of Dinefawr, he was born in 1800, the eldest son of John Johnes, a Magistrate and Deputy Lieutenant of Carmarthen, High Sheriff in 1803; educated at Lampeter and Carmarthen Grammar Schools; graduated B.A. at Brasenose Col¬ lege, Oxford, in 1826, and M.A. in 1829; called to the bar at the Inner Temple in 1831; appointed Judge of the County Court, 1847; Recorder of Carmarthen, 1851; Chairman of the Quarter Sessions for the County, 1853. Having discharged these and several other public duties with eminent faithfulness and ability, he retired from public life in 1872. To archajologists he was more especially known 1 Symonds' Diary (Camden Society), p. 206. 4th seb. vol. vii. 20