So Mr. Carew calls it (fol. 115), “Carybullock,” saith he “some time a
parke of the Duke’s, but best brooking that name now it hath lost its
qualitie, through exchanging deere for bullocks.” Sir John Dodridge
(History of Wal. and Corn. p. 84, &c.) calls it Kerry-bollock; but
what if I should say the right name was Caer-bollick, and did signify
the intrenched inclosure on the river?――the situation would exactly
answer this derivation; but, since the writing of this, I find
(Salmon’s Survey of England, vol. II. p. 714) that Mr. Baxter, in
Bullœum or Buelt (according to Mr. Camden) in Brecknockshire,
interprets it to be Caer-Bulack or “Principis Domus,” the Prince’s
town or inclosure, which (if true) would suit very well with this.
[This is a judicious application of one of Mr. Baxter’s etymons to the
present place; Bulœum, as Baxter says the name is written in the
superior copies of Ptolemy’s Geography, Baxter thinks with Lhwyd to be
the modern Caer Phylli. Bel, he says, is properly a head, and
figuratively a king. This makes Caer Bulack, “quod ara est Regia.”
“Certe,” he adds, very usefully, “vel ipsi novimus in Montegomerica
nostra Regione Domunculam antiqua Rhesi filii Theodori progenie
nobilem;” ennobled by the birth of Rhys ap Tudor, “vel hodie nominatam
Caer Bulach, tanquam Principis dicatur domus.” In proof of Mr.
Baxter’s seemingly unfounded interpretation of Bel, Bol, or Bul, a
head and a king, we may observe the name of the sun Beal, in the
Beal-tine of Cornwall and the Beil-tine of Ireland for the fires on
May-day in honour of the sun; Beal, Bil (I.) a mouth; Bil (W.) the
mouth of the vessel; Bollog (I.) a shell, a scull, the top of the
head; Fal (I.) a king or great personage; Folar (I.) to command;
Folarthoir (I.) an emperor; Folladh (I.) government; Ffelaig (W.) a
general, a captain, a leader; Belee, plural Belein (C.) a priest or
priests; Belek (A.) a priest; Pol-kil (C.) the hinder part of the head
or the top of the neck; and in Belinus, Cunobelinus, and the
promontory Bolerium of the ancient Britons; and Caer-Bulack, as a
royal house is called equally in Wales, would in the Cornish mode of
pronunciation be Cerry-bullock, as Car-hayes is Carry-hayes at
present. W.]
Which since its being disparked by King Henry VIII. has been set out
at lease to several gentlemen, and is now held by Sir John Coryton, of
Newton, Bart.