Abbot Richard of Strata Florida.—Can you or any of your antiquarian readers solve me the following. It is stated in vol. i. p. 100. of Lewis Dwnn's Heraldic Visitation into Wales, &c., art. "Williames of Ystradffin in the county of Caermarthen":—
"William ab Thomas Goch, Esq., married Joan, daughter and sole heiress to Richard the Abbot of Strata Florida, county of Cardigan (temp. Henry VII.), son of David ab Howel of Gwydyr, North Wales."
From this I naturally expected to find some connecting link between the Abbot and the ancient family of Wynn of Gwydyr, derived from Rhodri Lord of Anglesey. In their lineage, however, the name of David ab Howel does not occur; but about the aforesaid period one of their progenitors named Meredith ab Sevan, it is stated, purchased Gwydyr from a David ab Howel Coytmore, derived through the Lord of Penymachno from Prince David, Lord of Denbigh, the ill-fated brother of Llewelyn, last sovereign prince of North Wales. Is it not therefore likely that the said Abbot Richard was son to the above David ab Howel (Coytmore), the ancient proprietor of Gwydyr; that his surname was Coytmore; and the arms he bore were those of his ancestor David Goch, Lord of Penymachno, viz., Sa. a lion ramp., ar. within a bordure engr. or.
W.G.S.J.
Cardinal Chalmers.—Can any of your readers give me some information about a Cardinal Chalmers,—whether there ever was a cardinal of the name, and where I could find some account of him? I have the boards of an old book on which are stamped in gilding the Chalmers arms, with a cardinal's hat and tassels over them. If I remember correctly, the arms are those of the family of Chalmers, of Balnacraig, in Aberdeenshire.
I have some reason to believe that the boards were purchased at the sale of the author of Caledonia.
S.P.
Armorial Bearings (Vol. ii., p. 424.).—My note of the coat-armour in question stands thus: "Three bars between ten bells, four, three, two, and one." And I have before now searched in vain for its appropriation. I am consequently obliged to content myself with the supposition that it is a corruption, as it may easily be, of the coat of Keynes, viz. "vair, three bars gules," the name of the wife of John Speke, the great-great-grandfather of Sir John Speke, the founder of the chapel; and this is the more probable as the arms of Somaster, the name of his grandfather's wife, appear also in the roof of the same chapel.
J.D.S.
[J.D.S. is right in his blazon; and we had been requested by J.W.H. to amend his Query respecting this coat.—ED.]