TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: —Obvious print and punctuation errors were corrected. A BOOK OF NORTH WALES UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME BY S. BARING-GOULD A BOOK OF DARTMOOR A BOOK OF THE WEST--TWO VOLUMES VOL. I. DEVON VOL. II. CORNWALL A BOOK OF BRITTANY BY F. J. SNELL A BOOK OF EXMOOR [Illustration: CONWAY CASTLE] A BOOK OF NORTH WALES BY S. BARING-GOULD WITH FORTY-NINE ILLUSTRATIONS METHUEN & CO. 36 ESSEX STREET W.C. LONDON 1903 PREFACE CONCERNING the purpose and scope of this little book I have but to repeat what I have said in the prefaces to my other works of the same nature--_A Book of the West_, _A Book of Dartmoor_, _A Book of Brittany_--that it is not intended as a Guide, but merely as an introduction to North Wales, for the use of intending visitors, that they may know something of the history of that delightful land they are about to see. Welsh history is a puzzle to most Englishmen; accordingly I have made an attempt to simplify it sufficiently for the visitor to grasp its outlines. Without a knowledge of the history of a country in which one travels more than half its interest is lost. I have to return my warmest thanks to kind friends who have helped me with information, notably the Rev. J. Fisher, B.D., of Cefn, S. Asaph; Mr. J. E. Griffith, of Bryn Dinas, Bangor; the Rev. E. Evans, of Llansadwrn; Mr. C. H. Jones, of the Public Library, Welshpool; Mr. A. Foulkes-Roberts, of Denbigh; Mr. D. R. Daniel, of Four Crosses, Chwilog; and Mr. R. Williams, of Celynog, Newtown. I am also much indebted to Mr. R. J. Lloyd Price, of Rhiwlas, for kindly allowing me to reproduce the portrait of Catherine of Berain in his possession; and to Mr. Prys-Jones, of Bryn-Tegid, Pontypridd, for sending me a photograph of the painting. But, indeed, everywhere in Wales I have met with general kindness and hospitality; and if I have failed to interest readers in the country and people the fault is all mine. It is a glorious country, and its people delightful. S. BARING-GOULD LEW TRENCHARD, N. DEVON _May 17th, 1903_ CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. THE WELSH PEOPLE 1 II. THE ENGLISH CONQUEST 12 III. ANGLESEY 22 IV. HOLYHEAD 46 V. BANGOR AND CARNARVON 63 VI. SNOWDON 90 VII. LLEYN 106 VIII. CONWAY 125