Madog ap Llywelyn
Madog ap Llywelyn | |
---|---|
Welsh revolt of 1294–95 | |
Family | House of Aberffraw |
Father | Llywelyn ap Maredudd, Lord of Meirionydd |
Madog ap Llywelyn (died after 1312) was the
Lineage
Madog was the son of
Revolt against King Edward I
On Michaelmas (29 September) 1294, Madog put himself at the head of a national revolt in response to the actions of new royal administrators in north and west Wales and the imposition of taxes such as that levied on one fifteenth of all movables.
Edward's fortresses attacked
In north Wales, attempts were made by many English landowners to retrieve the situation. The lord of Denbigh,
In December 1294 King Edward led an army into north Wales to quell the revolt, stopping at Wrexham, Denbigh, Abergele, and elsewhere on his way to Conwy Castle, which he reached shortly before Christmas. His campaign was timely, for several castles remained in serious danger—Harlech Castle was defended at one point by just 37 men. Edward himself was ambushed and retreated to Conwy Castle, losing his baggage train. The town of Conwy was burnt down and Edward besieged until he was relieved by his navy in 1295.[7]
Battle of Maes Moydog and defeat
The crucial battle between Madog's men and those of the English crown occurred at the battle of Maes Moydog in Powys on 5 March 1295. Surprised by an army led by the Earl of Warwick, the Welsh army regained their composure and successfully defended against an English cavalry charge by using the "porcupine" pike men formation, or schiltron, a formation favoured by the Scots armies against English knights. However, arrows from English archers inflicted heavy losses, and in a pursuit of the Welsh from the battlefield, many Welsh soldiers drowned trying to cross a swollen river.[8]
Madog barely escaped from this episode with his life and was a fugitive until his capture by Ynyr Fychan of Nannau and hand over to John de Havering in Snowdonia in late July or early August 1295.[9] He was subsequently taken to London, where he seems to have been kept in captivity for the rest of his life; he was still alive in 1312. He was survived by his sons.
The revolt of 1294–95 elicited a harsh response from Edward I in the form of humiliating and punitive ordinances further restricting the civil rights and economic and social opportunities of the Welsh. However, it was not long before
Issue and succession
This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2020) |
Madog was not the last of the House of Gwynedd; two sons survived him. Additionally, the children of Rhodri ap Gruffudd, a brother of Llywelyn the Last's, survived in exile. A grandson of Rhodri's, Owain ap Thomas, or
Madog ap Llywelyn is known to have had the following children:
- Maredudd ap Madoc ap Llywelyn (died c. 1334)
- Hywel ap Madoc ap Llywelyn (died c. 1352) who had descendants who got confused on who Madog was and claimed he was an unknown son of Llywelyn the Last as per P.C. Bartrums Welsh genealogies.
In popular culture
The plot of The Bastard Executioner partially involves the fallout from the real-life Welsh revolt of 1294–95 against English rule, led by Madog ap Llywelyn.[10][11]
The historical romance The Welsh Lord's Convenient Bride is set against the background of Madog's Rising in 1294-95, and involves the marriage of Rhun, a Welsh Marcher lord, to Eleanor, daughter of an English knight. Madog ap Llywelyn and Cynan ap Maredudd feature as characters. Rhun fights at the battle of Maes Moydog.[12]
The revolt features in the 2010 historical novel
References
- ^ Smith 1998 p.155
- ^ Griffiths 1955 p. 14.
- ^ Griffiths 1955 p.13
- ISBN 9781786831361.
- ^ Evans 1992 p. 240
- ^ Jones 2008 p.93
- ^ Griffiths 1955 p.17
- ^ Jones 2008 p.166
- ^ Jones 2008 p.189
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (24 February 2015). "FX's 'The Bastard Executioner' Cast Includes Kurt Sutter, Katey Sagal, Stephen Moyer". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Rosenfeld, Laura Rosenfeld (14 September 2015). "The History Behind 'The Bastard Executioner' Is As Complex As Kurt Sutter's New Show". Tech Times.
- ISBN 9780008919825.
Bibliography
- Evans, Gywnfor (1992). Land of my Fathers. Y Lolfa.
- Griffiths, John (1955). "The Revolt of Madog ap Llywelyn, 1294–5". Transactions of the Caernarfonshire Historical Society. 16: 12–24.
- Jones, Craig Owen (2008). Compact History of Welsh Heroes: The Revolt of Madog ap Llywelyn. Gwalch.
- Lloyd, John Edward (1911). A history of Wales from the earliest times to the Edwardian conquest. Longmans, Green & Co.
- "Madog ap Llywelyn, rebel of 1294". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales.
- Smith, J. Beverley (1998). Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Tywysog Cymru.