GOWER, a Welsh seigniory and district in the county of Glamorganshire (q.v.), lying between the rivers Tawe and Loughor and between Breconshire and the sea, its length from the Breconshire border to Worm's Head being 28 m., and its breadth about 8 m. It corresponds to the ancient commote of Gower (in Welsh Gwyr) which in early Welsh times was grouped with two other commotes stretching westwards to the Towy and so formed part of the principality of Ystrad Tywi. Its western associations were shown by its inclusion until the formation of the diocese of Swansea and Bacon (1923) within the diocese of St. David. What is meant by Gower in modern popular usage, however, is only the peninsular part or "English Gower," lying mainly to the south of a line drawn from Swansea to Loughor.
The numerous limestone caves of the coast are noted for their animal remains, and finds of palaeolithic flints and a skeleton of palaeolithic date have been made (see W. J. Sollas, "Paviland Cave : An Aurignacian Station in Wales," Journ. Roy. Auth. Inst., 1913) . The high ground of the centre of the peninsula has megaliths and tumuli. The south coast has evidences of a Bronze Age culture, while hill-top camps seem to have been occupied by different groups up to the time of the Viking raids. In the Arthurian romances Gower appears in the form of Goire, as the island home of the dead. It is also surmised by Sir John Rhys that Malory's Brandegore (i.e., Bran of Gower) represents the Celtic god of the other world (Rhys, Arthurian Legend, 16o, 329 et seq.). Traces of the more or less temporary Scandinavian occupation are found in such place-names as Burry Holms, Worms Head and Swansea, and probably also in some cliff earth works. About 11 oo Gower was conquered by Henry de New burgh, earl of Warwick. His followers settled for the most part on the southern side of the peninsula, leaving the Welsh in habitants of the northern half of Gower practically undisturbed. These invaders were probably reinforced later by Flemings from south Pembrokeshire. Moated mounds, which in some cases developed into castles, were built for the protection of the various manors. The castles included those of Swansea, Loughor and Oystermouth. These were repeatedly attacked and burnt by the Welsh during the 12th and 13th centuries. A large section of Gower is still unenclosed common land.
About 1189 the lordship passed from the Warwick family to the crown and then to the de Braoses, in whose family it re mained practically continuously for over 120 years. In 1208 the Welsh and English inhabitants received each a charter from King John. Later the king's officers of the newly organized county of Carmarthen repeatedly claimed jurisdiction over Gower. De Braose resisted the claim and organized the English part of his lordship on the lines of a county palatine. Troubles befell the de Braose family and the region passed to John de Mowbray.
It frequently changed hands between them and the Beauchamps, representatives of the original owners (earl of Warwick). The 4th duke of Norfolk (the Mowbrays) exchanged it in 148g, for lands in England, with William Herbert, earl of Pembroke. It passed through Charles Somerset to the present owner, the duke of Beaufort. Gower was included in 1535 in Glamorgan.
The characteristically English part of Gower lies to the south and south-west of its central ridge of Cefn y Bryn. The present line of demarcation between English and Welsh is one drawn from Swansea in a west-north-west direction to Llanrhidian on the north coast. The boundary very nearly coincides with the outcrop of the coal measures, the industrial population to the north being Welsh-speaking, the agriculturists to the south English.
See J. D. Davies, A History of West Gower (4 vols., ; W. Ll-Morgan, An Antiquarian Survey of East Gower (1899) ; an article (probably by Prof. Freeman) entitled "Anglia Trans-Walliana" in the Saturday Review for May 20, 1876 ; G. T. Clark, "The Signory of Gower" Archaeologia Cambrensis (1893-94) ; The Surveys of Gower and Kilvey, ed. by Baker and Grant-Francis (1861-7o) .