We can trace Pembroke's beginnings back to 10,000 BC when its first inhabitants lived in the caves below Pembroke Castle and Monkton. The history of Pembroke as a town began with the Norman Conquest and the founding of the Castle in 1093. A great Earldom, Pembroke was also the birthplace of the Tudor Dynasty. Pembroke played an important part in the Civil War, instigating the Second Civil War when its Mayor John Poyer switched sides in support of the King. After the devastation of the Civil War, Pembroke became prosperous again during the Georgian era and a major port.