LOST EARLDOM.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3, 1 May 1912, Page 2

LOST EARLDOM.

A curious story of a dream that came true was recently told in Cardiff with a wealth of romantic and circumstantial detail. Oil the last Friday of the old year the office staff of tlic Powell Duffryn Steam Coal Co. at Cardiff Docks left their various duties as usual, Mr Evan Lloyd (the chief accountant), .Mr K. M. Cedrycli (the chief cashier), and Yiv \V. Francis (of the accountant's department) leaving about seven o'clock, somewhat later than usual owing to the half-yearly balancing. They were in good health. The three gentlemen named were well known and highly respected in the city. Mr Lloyd went home to Cathedral Road, Mr Cedrycli to Llaubleddian Gardens, and Mr Francis to Ryder Street. Each of them has been forty years and over in the service of the Powell Duffryn Co., and a trio of mdrc reliable men of punctual habits it would be difficult to meet. This is said in order to emphasise.

Ths Qgnuinsnsss of the; Story. Shortly after nine o'clock on the following morning Mr Francis arrived ' at the office as usual, and when on- ' gaged with other members of tlie ' staff in getting out the hooks for the day's work Jie remarked in a smiling way, "What do you think? 'I had ;: ] strange dream last night. I dreamed j that Mr Gediych was dead." The ■ remark raised a laugh of incredulity. "They smiled at such an idea, because I Mr Gedrych was one of the most regular attendants at the office for the ; past thirty-five years or more, and j he v. as in good health, although by no means robust." The strange thing was to follow. ] Five minutes later a telphonic message came to the office from Mrs God- ' ryeh at Llanbleddian Gardens, to the effect that her husband was dangerously ill, and asking if Mr Lloyd, the chief accountant, would kindly run up to see him. This message was passed on by a subordinate to Mr Lloyd, who had not at this time heard a word about Mr Francis's dream. He hurried to Llanbleddian Gardens, and was there told that Mr Gedrych had died suddenly, with hardly a warning, about four o'clock that morning. Deeply stirred by the sad news of the death of an old and dear colleague, Mr Lloyd returned to the office and related the surprising news, and no sooner had he done so than there was a chorus of references by the clerks to Mr Francis's dream related earlier in the day. Inquiries proved that the dream and Mr Gedrych's death were coincident in point of time. The death of Mr Gedrych revives the romantic story of a lost earldom, with all that it meant in privilege-: and property. Mr Godrych claimed to be—and there appears to be more than prima, facie evidence for the contention—that direct descendant from Sir David MatJiew, of Llandaff Court, the standard-bearer of Edward i\\, who in 1125 had a grant of 22-32 acres of land, now known as Canton, a district which at that time extended down to the sea. Then Sir George Mathew, K.C., of the lladyr branch of. the same family, received the manor of Llandaff from Bishop Kitchen, and there is evidence that in 1777 that manor belonged to Francis James Mathew, Karl of Llandaff. Story cf Lost Earldom. The story is a long one to unravel, for it naturally means the unearthing of the pedigrees of the various families, and by the way, this has Li=en brought up" to date by Mr William Gedrych, of Canton, who was the first cousin of the late Mr Charles Gedrych. Mr William Gedrych's father had been concerned in some litigation in regard to the matter, but the actions did not affect the main issue, and ,as a fact, the real ownership of the title of Llandaff—which became extinct early in the century—has not been tested. Mr William Gedrych states the case in the following way: "The first that was granted the manor of Llandaff was Tilo ap Enllen, Bishop of Llandaff, and lie had the grant of the manor of Llandaff by King Meuric in 553. Bishop Kitchen granted the manor of Llandaff to Sir George Mathew, of Radyr, K.C., his heirs and assigns for ever. In 1777 the manor of Llandaff belonged to Francis James Mathew, Earl of Llandaff. It comprised the whole of Llandaff, Ely, Fairwater, Canton, Piasturton, Caibalya, Mynaclity, Llystaly'bont, Maindy, East Lhuiishen, Splott, and Caira. The peowho had the right to turn cattle on the foreshore, as the common was known at that time, were tenants of the Earl of Llandaff, and according to the acreage of land they held they were allowed to turn so many head of cattle on the foreshore for so long a period and there are documents to that effect belonging to some of the old inhabitants of the neighbourhood at present. In 1808 the belonging extended over the whole parish: of Llandaff. which parish comprises the hamlets of Canton, Ely, Eairwater, Caibalva, East LlanJshcn and Llystalybont, also including the common or waste lan;' called ...Llandaff Common, which is, now Victoria Park, Canton Common, Waingron, Ely Green waste on Fly, and all waste in the manor, together with the fishery in the Taff within the : parish of Llandaff, extending fro;,-! the confines of the parish of lladyr, near Llandaff, to the River Taff, north to the sea, towards the south; and a i fishery in the River Ely from the con- : fines of Leckwith parish to the conj fines of St. Fagan's parish, held by Anthony Mathew, Esq., his heirs and I assigns for ever, at the yearly rental , | of ss, also all the tolls and pickage [ of the fair held at Llandaff and Ely \ in the County of Glamorgan, and aha j pounds and other hereditaments by lease. In April, 1817, Anthony Ma- ; tliew proved his rights to the remain- ! ing part of the common in the par-

ig'fl of Leckwith in the Hie!; Court of Sessions of Glamorgan, held at Cardiff." The more recent history of the family is explained in this way, Anthony Mathew, son of Thomas Mathew, of Fairwater, died without issue, and, his only sister married William John. There were two daughters of this marriage, Elizabeth and Mary. The former married William Matthew, and died without issue, and Mary hecame the wife of John Gedryeh, who had three sons and a daughter. Mr Charles Gedryeh, who has just passed away, was the great-grandson of the John Gedryeh referred to, and MiWilliam Gedryeh is the grandson, the latter being the sou of Mr John Gedryeh —a second son of the first Gedryeh mentioned in the pedigree.