Glyndŵr rebellion: Difference between revisions
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The uprising began in 1400, when Owain Glyndŵr, a descendent of several Welsh royal dynasties, claimed the title [[Prince of Wales]] following a dispute with a neighbouring English lord. In 1404, after a series of successful castle sieges and battlefield victories, Owain was crowned Prince of Wales in the presence of Scottish, French, Spanish and Breton envoys. He summoned a national parliament, where he announced plans to reintroduce the traditional Welsh [[laws of Hywel Dda]], establish an independent Welsh church, and build two universities.{{sfn|Williams|1993|p=4}} Owain also formed an alliance with [[Charles VI of France]], and in 1405 a French army landed in Wales to support the rebellion. |
The uprising began in 1400, when Owain Glyndŵr, a descendent of several Welsh royal dynasties, claimed the title [[Prince of Wales]] following a dispute with a neighbouring English lord. In 1404, after a series of successful castle sieges and battlefield victories, Owain was crowned Prince of Wales in the presence of Scottish, French, Spanish and Breton envoys. He summoned a national parliament, where he announced plans to reintroduce the traditional Welsh [[laws of Hywel Dda]], establish an independent Welsh church, and build two universities.{{sfn|Williams|1993|p=4}} Owain also formed an alliance with [[Charles VI of France]], and in 1405 a French army landed in Wales to support the rebellion. |
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The Welsh suffered their first defeat that year, when a Welsh army under the command of Owain's eldest son [[Gruffudd ab Owain Glyndŵr|Gruffudd ab Owain]] and younger brother [[Tudur ap Gruffudd]] was defeated near [[Usk]], in the south east of Wales. |
The Welsh suffered their first defeat that year, when a Welsh army under the command of Owain's eldest son [[Gruffudd ab Owain Glyndŵr|Gruffudd ab Owain]] and younger brother [[Tudur ap Gruffudd]] was defeated near [[Usk]]{{sfn|Breverton|2013|p=164}}, in the south east of Wales. Later in the year year, Owain successfully repelled a large English invasion force of 40,000 men including heavy artillery led by [[King Henry IV]].{{sfn|Breverton|2013|p=167}} Despite the initial successes of the rebellion from 1400–1406, the Welsh were severely outnumbered and the Welsh populace increasingly exhausted by an English blockade combined with pillaging and violence by English armies.{{sfn|Breverton|2013|pp=168, 181}} |
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| ⚫ | By 1407 the English had recaptured Anglesey and large parts of south Wales. In 1408 they seized [[Aberystwyth Castle]], followed by [[Harlech Castle]] in February 1409, effectively ending Owain's territorial rule, although Owain himself was never captured. He ignored two offers of a pardon from the new [[King Henry V]] and Welsh resistance continued in small pockets of the country for several more years utilising [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla tactics]]. Owain disappeared in 1415, when he was recorded to have died by one of his supporters, [[Adam of Usk]].{{sfn|Breverton|2013|p=198}}{{sfn|Williams|1993|p=5}} On 8 April 1421, his son [[Maredudd ab Owain Glyndŵr|Maredudd ab Owain]] accepted a pardon from [[King Henry V]], formally ending the rebellion.{{sfn|Breverton|2013|p=197}} |
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| ⚫ | By 1407 the English had recaptured |
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{{sfn|Davies|1997|p=293}} |
{{sfn|Davies|1997|p=293}} |
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Revision as of 20:16, 17 September 2022
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2015) |
| Welsh Revolt | |||||||||
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 Portrait of Owain Glyndŵr and Welsh rebels | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Principality of Wales Kingdom of France (until 1408) |
.svg){kind=small} Kingdom of England | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Owain Glyndŵr Sir Edmund Mortimer † Rhys Gethin † Gruffudd ab Owain Glyndŵr (POW) Tudur ap Gruffudd † Jean II de Rieux | |||||||||
The Welsh Revolt (also called the Glyndŵr Rising or Last War of Independence) was a Welsh rebellion led by
The uprising began in 1400, when Owain Glyndŵr, a descendent of several Welsh royal dynasties, claimed the title
The Welsh suffered their first defeat that year, when a Welsh army under the command of Owain's eldest son Gruffudd ab Owain and younger brother Tudur ap Gruffudd was defeated near Usk[3], in the south east of Wales. Later in the year year, Owain successfully repelled a large English invasion force of 40,000 men including heavy artillery led by King Henry IV.[4] Despite the initial successes of the rebellion from 1400–1406, the Welsh were severely outnumbered and the Welsh populace increasingly exhausted by an English blockade combined with pillaging and violence by English armies.[5]
By 1407 the English had recaptured Anglesey and large parts of south Wales. In 1408 they seized
Background
The fall of Richard II
In the last decade of the 14th century,
In 1399, the exiled
For some time, supporters of the deposed king remained at large. On 10 January 1400 serious civil disorder broke out in Chester in support of the Epiphany Rising. An atmosphere of disorder was building along the Anglo-Welsh border.
The dispute between Owain Glyndŵr and de Grey
The revolt reportedly began as an argument with
The Welsh revolt, 1400–15
Important battle
Castle garrisoned by English forces
Castle unsuccessfully besieged by Welsh forces
Castle possibly sacked by Welsh forces
Castle sacked or occupied by Welsh forces (dates held)
Welsh campaign of 1400
Welsh campaign of 1403
Franco-Welsh campaign of 1405
Possible route of 1405 campaign
On 16 September 1400, Owain acted, and was proclaimed Prince of Wales by a small band of followers
About the same time, the Tudur brothers from Anglesey launched a guerrilla war against the English. The Tudors of Penmynydd were a prominent Anglesey family who were closely associated with King Richard II. Gwilym ap Tudur and Rhys ap Tudur were both military leaders of a contingent of soldiers raised in 1396 to protect North Wales against any invasion by the French. They joined the king in his military expedition to Ireland in 1398. When Glyndŵr announced his revolt, Rhys, Gwilym and their third brother, Maredudd ap Tudur, openly swore allegiance; they were Glyndŵr's cousin on their mother's side.[17]
King Henry IV, on his way back from invading Scotland, turned his army towards Wales. By 26 September he was in
In 1401, the revolt began to spread. Much of northern and central Wales went over to Owain. Multiple attacks were recorded on English towns, castles, and manors throughout the north. Even in the south in Brecon and Gwent reports began to come in of banditry and lawlessness. King Henry appointed Henry "Hotspur" Percy – the warrior son of the powerful Earl of Northumberland – to bring the country to order.[18] An amnesty was issued in March which applied to all rebels with the exception of Owain and his cousins, Rhys and Gwilym ap Tudur.[22]
Most of the country agreed to pay all the usual taxes, but the Tudurs knew that they needed a bargaining chip if they were to lift the dire threat hanging over them. They decided to capture
Owain also scored his first major victory in the field in May or June, at
The English saw that if the revolt prospered it would inevitably attract disaffected supporters of the deposed King Richard, rumours of whose survival were widely circulating. They were concerned about the potential for disaffection in
In the same year, 1402, Owain captured his arch enemy, Reynald or
It was also in 1402 that mention of the
The revolt spreads
In 1403 the revolt became truly national in Wales. Owain struck out to the west and the south. Recreating
In the north of Wales, Owain's supporters launched a further attack on Caernarfon Castle (this time with French support) and almost captured it.[29] In response, Henry of Monmouth (son of Henry IV and the future Henry V) attacked and burned Owain's homes at Glyndyfrdwy and Sycharth. On 10 July 1403, Hotspur declared against the king by challenging his cousin Henry's right to the throne and by raising his standard in revolt in Cheshire at Chester, a bastion of support for King Richard II. Henry of Monmouth, then only 16, turned to the north to meet Hotspur. On 21 July, Henry arrived in Shrewsbury just before Hotspur, forcing the rebel army to camp outside the town. Henry forced the battle before the Earl of Northumberland had also managed to reach Shrewsbury. Thus, on 22 July, Henry was able to fight before the full strength of the rebels was present and on ground of his own choosing. The battle lasted all day, Prince Henry was badly wounded in the face by an arrow but continued to fight alongside his men. When the cry went out that Hotspur had fallen, the rebels' resistance began to falter and crumble. By the end of the day, Hotspur was dead and his rebellion was over. Over 300 knights had died and up to 20,000 men were killed or injured.
In the summer of 1404, Owain captured and garrisoned the great western castles of
Tripartite Indenture and the Year of the French
Owain demonstrated his new status by negotiating the "
Things were improving on the international front too. Although negotiations with the Lords of Ireland were unsuccessful, Owain had reasons to hope that the French and Bretons might be more welcoming. In May 1404, Owain had dispatched Gruffydd Young and his brother-in-law, John Hanmer, to France to negotiate a treaty with the French. The result was a formal treaty that promised French aid to Owain and the Welsh. Joint Welsh and Franco-Breton forces had already attacked and laid siege to Kidwelly Castle in November 1403.[29] The Welsh could also count on semi-official aid from Brittany (which was a French vassal at the time) and the then independent Scotland.[28]
The rebellion flounders
In 1406, he announced his national programme. He declared his vision of an independent Welsh state with a parliament and separate Welsh church. There would be two national
, produced no effect. The moment had passed.There were other signs the revolt was encountering problems. Early in the year Owain's forces suffered defeats at
At the same time, the English were adopting a different strategy. Rather than focusing on punitive expeditions favoured by his father, the young Henry of Monmouth adopted a strategy of economic blockade. Using the castles that remained in English control he gradually began to retake Wales while cutting off trade and the supply of weapons. By 1407 this strategy was beginning to bear fruit. In March, 1,000 men from all over
Owain remained free but now he was a hunted guerilla leader. The revolt continued to splutter on. In 1410, Owain readied his supporters for a last raid deep into Shropshire. Many of his most loyal commanders were present. It may have been a last desperate suicide raid. Whatever was intended, the raid went terribly wrong and many of the leading figures still at large were captured. Rhys Ddu ("Black Rhys") of Cardigan, one of Owain's most faithful commanders, was captured and taken to London for execution. A chronicle of the time states that Rhys Ddu was: "…laid on a hurdle and so drawn forth to Tyburn through the City and was there hanged and let down again. His head was smitten off and his body quartered and sent to four towns and his head set on London Bridge." Philip Scudamore and Rhys ap Tudur were also beheaded and their heads displayed at Shrewsbury and Chester (no doubt to discourage any further thoughts of rebellion).
In 1412, Owain captured, and later ransomed, a leading
But by then things were changing. King Henry IV died in 1413 and his son
The
- 1415 – Owain went into hiding on St Matthew's Day in Harvest (21 September), and thereafter his hiding place was unknown. Very many said that he died; the seers maintain he did not.[citation needed]
The aftermath of rebellion in Wales
By 1415, full English rule was returned to Wales. The leading rebels were dead, imprisoned, or impoverished through massive fines. Scarcely a parish or family in Wales, English or Welsh, had not been affected in some way. The cost in loss of life, physical destruction, and ruined lives was enormous. Wales, already a poor country on the border of England, was further impoverished by pillage, economic blockade and communal fines. Reports by travellers talk of ruined castles, such as Montgomery Castle and Abbeys such as Strata Florida Abbey and Abbeycwmhir. Grass grew in the market squares of many towns such as Oswestry and Welsh commerce had almost ground to a halt. Land that had previously been productive was now empty wasteland with no tenants to work the land. As late as 1492, a Royal Official in lowland Glamorgan was still citing the devastation caused by the revolt as the reason he was unable to deliver promised revenues to the King.
Many prominent families were ruined. In 1411, John Hanmer pleaded poverty as the reason he could not pay the fines imposed on him. The Tudors no longer lorded it over
A series of penal laws were put in place, intended to prevent any further uprisings. These remained until the reign of
Notes
- ^ Gwyn A. Williams, When Was Wales? A History of the Welsh (London, 1991), p. 122.
- ^ Williams 1993, p. 4.
- ^ Breverton 2013, p. 164.
- ^ Breverton 2013, p. 167.
- ^ Breverton 2013, pp. 168, 181.
- ^ Breverton 2013, p. 198.
- ^ Williams 1993, p. 5.
- ^ Breverton 2013, p. 197.
- ^ Davies 1997, p. 293.
- ^ a b c "BBC Wales – History – Themes – Chapter 10: The revolt of Owain Glyndwr". Retrieved 15 January 2015.
- ^ Parry 2010, p. 70.
- ^ Tout 1900, p. 9.
- ^ Parry 2010, p. 75.
- ^ Tout 1900, p. 10.
- ^ a b "Flint Town Council / Owain Glyndŵr". Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
- ^ Parry 2010, p. 81.
- ^ Griffiths & Thomas 1985, p. 19.
- ^ a b c d e f g Bradley, Arthur Granville (1902). Owen Glyndwr and the last struggle for Welsh independence. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
- ^ a b Griffiths & Thomas 1985, p. 21.
- ^ Griffiths & Thomas 1985, p. 17.
- ^ Parry 2010, p. 84.
- ^ a b Griffiths & Thomas 1985, p. 22.
- ^ a b ""Owain Glyndwr", The Cistercian Way". Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
- ^ Parry 2010, p. 109.
- ^ Parry 2010, p. 137.
- ^ Parry 2010, p. 360.
- ^ Parry 2010, p. 115.
- ^ a b c Pierce 1959.
- ^ a b Parry 2010, p. 183.
- National Assembly for Wales.
- ^ a b Evans 1915, p. 19.
- ^ "A royal dynasty". BBC Wales. 5 August 2008. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
- ^ Griffiths & Thomas 1985, p. 29.
- ^ Griffiths & Thomas 1985, p. 32.
- ^ Griffiths & Thomas 1985, p. 33.
References
- Bradley, A.G. (1901). Owen Glyndwr and the Last Struggle for Welsh Independence. New York: Putnam.
- ISBN 978-0-19-285336-3.
- Evans, Howell T. (1915). Wales and the Wars of the Roses. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Griffiths, Ralph Alan; Thomas, Roger S. (1985). The Making of the Tudor Dynasty. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-31250-745-9.
- Hodges, Geoffrey (1995). Owain Glyn Dŵr and the War of Independence in the Welsh Borders. Little Logaston, Woonton Almeley, Herefordshire [England]: Logaston Press. ISBN 978-1-873827-24-6.
- Latimer, Jon (2001). Deception in War. London: J. Murray. pp. 12–13. ISBN 978-0-7195-5605-0.
- Parry, Charles (2010). The Last Mab Darogan: The Life and Times of Owain Glyn Dŵr. Novasys Limited. ISBN 978-0-9565553-0-4.
- Pierce, Thomas Jones (1959). "OWAIN GLYNDWR (c. 1354 - 1416), 'Prince of Wales'". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales.
- Tout, Thomas Frederick(1900). Owain Glyndwr and his Times. Dartford: Perry and Son.
- Williams, Glanmor (1993). Renewal and Reformation: Wales c.1415-1642. Oxford: Clarendon. ISBN 978-0-19-167055-8.