Llywelyn Bren

Llywelyn Bren (c. 1267 – c. 1317),

Llywelyn Bren was a Welsh nobleman of the minor royal house of the cantref of Senghenydd, (previously Cantref Breiniol) and Miscin,^[3] and was also a descendant of Ifor Bach, his great-grandfather.^[5] His father was Gruffudd ap Rhys.^[2] Llywelyn is thought to have been born before 1267,^[1] as Gruffudd was dispossessed of the lordship of Senghenydd in that year by Gilbert de Clare, 7th Earl of Gloucester and then imprisoned in Ireland. There is no record of him returning to Wales. Llywelyn married Lleucu (died 1349). They produced at least seven sons, who also took part in the revolt.^{[citation needed]}

Background of the revolt

Before the outbreak of Llywelyn's revolt in 1316, there had already been violence in the Welsh Marcher lands of south-east Wales. The

Llywelyn denounced the new administration of de Turberville, however he was accused of sedition.[3] Llywelyn the appealed to King Edward II to call off or control his self-interested agent. But Edward ordered Llywelyn to appear before Parliament to face the treason charge. The king stated that if the charges were found true, Llywelyn would be hanged.^{[citation needed]} Bren was called 'Son of death' by the King of England, and summoned to Lincoln for 27 January 1316, but secretly fled home, and had no problems starting a revolt with the general discontent throughout Wales.^[2][3]

After returning to Wales, Llywelyn's revolt begun on 28 January 1316 with a surprise attack on

Betrayal and death

Realising the fight was hopeless, on 18 March 1316 Llywelyn surrendered to the Earl of Hereford^[2] at Ystradfellte,^{[citation needed]} Llywelyn had gathered his forces in the hills and told them the revolt was his fault and he would surrender, he pleaded that only he should be punished and his followers spared.^[3] This gallant behaviour earned him the respect of his captors, including Roger Mortimer, one of the witnesses to his surrender.^{[citation needed]} Hereford and Mortimer both promised to try to intercede on Llywelyn's behalf. Bren was sent as a prisoner first to London in July 1316, and the Tower of London from 27 July 1316 to 17 June 1317.^[3] Hereford and Mortimer urged the King to pardon Llywelyn and his family and it seems likely that their influence won a pardon for many of Llywelyn's men.

In 1317 Llywelyn became the prisoner of the ruthless Hugh, the younger Despenser,^[2][3] one of King Edward's favourites at court, who had become Lord of Glamorgan in November 1317 and so the largest landowner in South Wales and a great rival of Mortimer. Without the king's direction,^{[citation needed]} he took Llywelyn Bren to Cardiff Castle, where he had him hanged, drawn and quartered with conspicuous judicial process.^[3] After parts of his body had been exhibited in various parts of the county he was buried in the Grey Friars at Cardiff. Llywelyn's lands were seized by Despenser. The action was condemned at the time and later used as example of the growing tyranny of Despenser, who also imprisoned Lleucu and some of her sons in Cardiff.^{[citation needed]}

The aftermath

As antipathy to the Despensers grew, Llywelyn's death united the native Welsh and

With the Despensers' return to Edward's court, Lleucu and her sons were again imprisoned, this time in Bristol Castle, but their actions soon aroused more resistance. In October 1326 a successful rebellion led by Roger Mortimer gave the Despensers and Edward further cause to regret their actions in Glamorgan after being forced to flee there. Their attempts to raise troops locally were an unsurprising failure. It led to their capture in November. Hugh, like Llywelyn, was then hanged, drawn and quartered; Edward was deposed, imprisoned, and probably murdered.

With the overthrow of Edward II, the estates in Senghenydd were restored on 11 February 1327 to Llywelyn Bren's sons – Gruffydd, John, Meurig, Roger, William and Llywelyn.^[2][3] The Earls of Hereford (sixth creation) continued to pay at Brecon an allowance to their mother Lleucu until 12 April 1349.

References

Bibliography

• Griffiths, R. A. (1994). Conquerors and Conquered in Medieval Wales.
• Jones, Craig Owen (2007). Compact History of Welsh Heroes: Llywelyn Bren. Llanrwst:
  ISBN 978-1845270988
  .
• Lee, Sidney, ed. (1893). "Llywelyn ab Rhys" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 34. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 21–22.
• Mortimer, Ian (March 2006). The Greatest Traitor. Thomas Dunne Books.
  ISBN 0-312-34941-6
  .
• Pierce, Thomas Jones. "LLYWELYN ap GRUFFYDD or LLYWELYN BREN (died 1317) nobleman, soldier and rebel martyr". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales.