| Disgrifiad | The plaintiffs based their claim to prisage over the whole Dominion of Wales on a patent grented by James I on 18 Sept.,1607, to certain members of the Waller family, and soon afterwards was assigned to them by Dame Anne Waller, and so gave them full authority to levy the usuel prisage at Beaumaris. Sir Richard traversed this by referring to a grant by Queen Elizabeth (8 May, 1561) to his father [the second Knight] who as Constable of the Castle and Captain of the town of Beaumaris had inherently the right to take as prize two tuns of wine out of every twenty from ships which broke their bulk within the confines of the port. By far the most interesting document is 690, which records the depositions before a local commission from the Exchequer on 30 March,1612. The witnesses examined were William Griffith of Cichle, James Owen of Llandegfan, Thomas ap William ap Rees of Llanddona, Rowland Owen of Llendegfan, Henry David ap Hugh of Penmon, Gabriel Roberts and Hugh Arthur, merchants of Beaumaris, Arthur Bulkeley of Beaumaris (aged 92), James Boulton, David ap William, and Rowland Thomas, all three of Beaumaris. Of these, again, the most piquant witness was the third [Thomas ap W.] who gave the recollections of his father who had died sixteen years before at the age of 84 (1612-16-84 = 1512), and was (his son said) et one time servant to Sir Thomas Granowe, parson of Lleniestyn and chaplain to Sir Rowland Vielleville, that base son of Henry VII who was constable of Beaumaris till his death in 1535, and who, Thomas ap Willian declared, was "on time" accustomed to allow Thomas ap Grono to take away a hogshead of the prize wine. The reference to Granowe, i.e., Grono, is supported by an entry in Mr Ivor Pryce's book (Hist. Dioc., i,3) that a Thomas ap Grono became rector of Llaniestyn (i.e., Llanfaes and chapel annexed) in Anglesey in 1518. In fact, Thomas ap Grono was one of the witnesses of his will [Arch. Camb.,1878, 149-150]. The witnesses (or the recorder) made a sad hash of Vielleville's name, writing it down as Velynel or even Vilanil. The ninth paper (692) has to do with the port of Chester rather than with Beaumaris |