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Welsh Towns & Manors

Trefi a Maenorau - The Settlements and Estates of Medieval Wales

Understanding Welsh Settlement Structure

Below the level of commotes and cantrefi, medieval Wales was organized into smaller administrative and territorial units. Trefi (townships) and maenorau (manors) formed the basic building blocks of Welsh rural society, each with its own customs, obligations, and governance structures.

Settlement Hierarchy: Welsh settlements ranged from simple farming townships (trefi) to complex manorial estates (maenorau) with their own courts and administrators. Market towns (trefi marchnad) and royal vills (trefi brenhinol) had special privileges and responsibilities within the territorial system.

These settlements were often centered around churches, courts, or defensive positions, and many preserved ancient boundaries that reflected tribal territories and family lands. Understanding these smaller divisions is crucial for Welsh genealogy, as they often determined legal status, marriage patterns, and inheritance rights.

Key Welsh Terms:

  • Tref - Township, the basic unit of rural organization
  • Trefi - Townships (plural)
  • Maenol - Manor or estate, often with its own court
  • Maenorau - Manors (plural)
  • Tref Farchnad - Market town with trading privileges
  • Llys - Court or palace, administrative center
  • Gwelyau - Hereditary land holdings within townships

Each settlement type had distinct characteristics: townships were typically agricultural communities, manors were larger estates often held by nobility, and specialized settlements included mill towns, mining communities, and coastal fishing villages.