Welsh rebellions against English rule
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A series of
End of an independent Wales
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Llywelyn ab Iorwerth was the first ruler to unite Wales, forcing other Welsh princes to submit to him, and in 1218 Henry III of England formally recognised him as Prince of Wales in the treaty of Worcester.[1] However, his son, Dafydd ap Llywelyn gave up all his lands outside Gwynedd.[1] It was left for his nephew, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, to reunite Wales once more under his reign. He ruled from 1246-1282, and used the title Prince of Wales from 1258 with Scottish recognition.[2]
In November 1276, Edward I King of England declared war on Llywelyn ap Gruffudd over a series of disputes,[3] and in 1277 led 15,500 men into Wales. Realising his position was hopeless Llywelyn surrendered without battle. Edward negotiated a settlement, rather than a conquest.[4] War broke out again in 1282, as a result of a rebellion by Llywelyn's brother Dafydd ap Gruffydd, who was discontented with the reward he had received from Edward in 1277. Edward I was sucked into war again and this time he turned to a war of conquest.[5]
The war turned in Edward's favour when Llywelyn ap Gruffudd unexpectedly marched out of North Wales towards
Following the deaths of Llywelyn and Dafydd, Edward ended
Rhys ap Maredudd
In 1277, Rhys ap Maredudd submitted to English king Edward I, and surrendered the castle of Dinefwr, but was allowed to retain Dryslwyn. In 1282 Llywelyn ap Gruffydd presented "grievances" on the behalf of Rhys against the royal officers in west Wales. Rhys abstained from the revolt in West Wales and assisted Edward in attacking Llanbadarn and patrolling Ceredigion on behalf of the English king in the absence of the royal commander.[13]
After 1283 Rhys was recognized as ' dominus de Estretewy ' and granted homage of Welsh chieftains in north Carmarthenshire. He married Ada de Hastings in 1285, receiving the castle of Newcastle Emlyn. He revolted against Edward, 8 June 1287 in Iscennen expelling Giffard, he continued across west Wales to Llanbadarn and possibly Brycheiniog. The regent directed royal troops to Dryslwyn, which was taken from Rhys around the 5 September and eventually Newcastle Emlyn on 20 January 1288. He was on the run in 1289 and a writ wrote that he was likely to attempt an escape to Ireland. Rhys was eventually caught and executed in 1292 at York.[13]
Madog ap Llywelyn
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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.[18]
The crucial battle between Madog's men and those of the English crown was 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.[18] 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.[19]
Llywelyn Bren
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Owain Lawgoch
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In May 1372 in Paris, Owain Lawgoch announced that he intended to claim the throne of Wales. Owain set sail from Harfleur with money borrowed from Charles V.[22] Owain first attacked the island of Guernsey,[23] and was still there when a message arrived from Charles ordering him to abandon the expedition in order to go to Castile to seek ships to attack La Rochelle.[24][25]
In 1377 there were reports that Owain was planning another expedition, this time with help from Castile. The alarmed English government sent a spy, the Scot John Lamb, to assassinate Owain, who had been given the task of besieging Mortagne-sur-Gironde in Poitou.[23][24][25] Lamb gained Owain's confidence and became his chamberlain,[citation needed] which gave him the opportunity to stab Owain to death in July 1378, something Walker described as 'a sad end to a flamboyant career'.[22] The Issue Roll of the Exchequer dated 4 December 1378 records "To John Lamb, an esquire from Scotland, because he lately killed Owynn de Gales, a rebel and enemy of the King in France ... £20".[26] Owain was buried at the Church of St. Leger, near Cognac, France.[23]
With the assassination of Owain Lawgoch the senior line of the House of Aberffraw became extinct.[25][27] As a result, the claim to the title 'Prince of Wales' fell to the other royal dynasties, of Deheubarth and Powys. The leading heir in this respect was Owain Glyndŵr, who was descended from both dynasties.[22][27]
Welsh Revolt led by Owain Glyndŵr
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The immediate and initial cause of Owain Glyndŵr's rebellion is likely the incursion onto his land by
The immediate response of the English was to pass a series of
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In 1404, Glyndŵr captured Aberystwyth and Harlech castles, formed an agreement with the French and held a
His legacy at the time was the penal laws, which remained in force long after the rebellion. Although never consistently enforced, their presence had the effect of making the Welsh second class citizens in their own nation, until they were obsoleted by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542.[33][34] With hopes of independence ended, there were no further wars or rebellions against English colonial rule.[35]
See also
- Wales in the Middle Ages
- List of Anglo-Welsh wars
- Welsh Revolt
- Wars of Scottish Independence
- Irish War of Independence
References
- ^ a b Pierce 1959b.
- ^ Moore 2007.
- ^ Powicke 1962, p. 409.
- ^ Prestwich 2007, p. 151.
- ^ Davies 2000, p. 348.
- ^ Prestwich 2007, p. 155.
- ^ Davies 2000, p. 353.
- ^ Long 2007.
- ^ Jones 1969.
- ^ a b Pilkington 2002, pp. 23–24.
- ^ Walker 1990, p. 139.
- ^ Griffiths 1966, pp. 121–143.
- ^ a b Jenkins 1959.
- ^ Pierce 1959c.
- ^ Griffiths 1955, p. 13.
- ^ Jones 2008, p. 113.
- ^ Evans 1992, p. 240.
- ^ a b Griffiths 1955, p. 17.
- ^ Jones 2008, p. 189.
- ^ a b Jones 2007.
- ^ Pierce 1959a.
- ^ a b c Walker 1990, pp. 165–167.
- ^ a b c Pierce 1959d.
- ^ a b Turvey 2010.
- ^ a b c Carr 1995, pp. 103–106.
- ^ The Society of Cymmrodorion 1900.
- ^ a b Davies 2000, p. 436.
- ^ "BBC Wales - History - Themes - Chapter 10: The revolt of Owain Glyndwr". BBC. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ Williams 1993, p. 10. "It seems very likely that there was never any intention of literally enforcing these measures at all times. They were, essentially, an emergency measure, not to say an act of desperation, designed to allay the hysterical fears aroused in the English by the Rebellion".
- ^ The National Archives n.d.
- ^ Williams 1993, p. 10.
- ^ "The Pennal Letter". owain-glyndwr.wales. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
- ^ Williams 1993, p. 274.
- ^ Jenkins 2007, pp. 118–119.
- ^ Jenkins 2007, pp. 107–119.
Bibliography
- Carr, Anthony D. (1995). Medieval Wales. ISBN 0312125097.
- ISBN 0198208782.
- 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.
- Griffiths, R. A. (1966). "The Revolt of Rhys ap Maredudd, 1287-88". Welsh History Review. 3 (2): 121–143 – via The National Library of Wales.
- Jenkins, Geraint H. (2007). A Concise History of Wales. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-82367-8.
- Jenkins, Robert Thomas (1959). "RHYS ap MAREDUDD (died 1292), lord of Dryslwyn in Ystrad Tywi". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 2023-01-13.
- Jones, Craig Owen (2007). Compact History of Welsh Heroes: Llywelyn Bren. Llanrwst: ISBN 978-1845270988.
- Jones, Craig Owen (2008). Compact History of Welsh Heroes: The Revolt of Madog ap Llywelyn. Gwalch.
- Jones, Francis (1969). The Princes and Principality of Wales. University of Wales Press. ISBN 9780900768200.
- Long, Tony (2007). "Oct. 3, 1283: As Bad Deaths Go, It's Hard to Top This". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
- Moore, David (10 January 2007). The Welsh Wars of Independence. The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7524-9648-1. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
- Pierce, Thomas Jones (1959a). "LLYWELYN ap GRUFFYDD or LLYWELYN BREN (died 1317) nobleman, soldier and rebel martyr". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales.
- Pierce, Thomas Jones (1959b). "Llywelyn ap Iorwerth ('Llywelyn the Great', often styled 'Llywelyn I', prince of Gwynedd)". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales.
- Pierce, Thomas Jones (1959c). "MADOG ap LLYWELYN, rebel of 1294". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
- Pierce, Thomas Jones (1959d). "OWAIN ap THOMAS ap RHODRI (' Owain Lawgoch '; died 1378), a soldier of fortune and pretender to the principality of Wales". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales.
- Pilkington, Colin (2002). Devolution in Britain today. Manchester University Press. pp. 23–24. ISBN 978-0-7190-6075-5.
- ISBN 978-0-19-82-1708-4.
- ISBN 978-0-19-822844-8.
- "The National Archives - Exhibitions - Uniting the Kingdoms?". The National Archives. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
- "Owain Lawgoch". owain-glyndwr.wales.
- The transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion 1899-1900. London : The Society of Cymmrodorion. 1900.
- Walker, David (1990). Medieval Wales. Cambridge University Press. p. 139. ISBN 978-0-521-31153-3.
- Williams, Glanmor (1993). Renewal and Reformation: Wales C. 1415-1642. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780192852779.