The county
was made a conquest about the end of the eleventh century, by Sir Robert
Fitzhamon (a relation of Henry I.) whose aid had been first called in by
one of the petty princes of Glamorgan, in some of the intestine feuds
which agitated South Wales. Fitzhamon, after entirely defeating the
Welsh, kept Cardiff Castle and the surrounding district in his own
possession, and divided the rest of the county amongst twelve Norman
knights, his principal followers--between whom and the inhabitants of
the hills there long existed a sort of Guerilla warfare. The Normans
were almost obliged to confine themselves to their castles in
consequence; and the Welsh joined Owen Glendower, when he invaded
Glamorgan, for which they afterwards suffered heavily. It was not till
the reign of Henry VIII. that Wales became tranquillized.
The population of the county of Glamorgan, in 1821, comprised 101,727
persons.
To return to Gower. The first English or Norman conqueror of this
lordship was Henry de Newburgh, Earl of Warwick, who, in the reign
of Henry I. (1099), progressively defeated and drove out the sons of
Caradoc ap Jestyn, the Welsh possessors of Gower; and to secure his
conquest, built the castles of Swansea, Loughor, Llanridian, Penrice,
&c.
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