Wales and its History

  Llywelyn the Great was a truly powerful ruler, some say the most powerful of all Welsh princes and kings, here is some examples of that power. In 1217 Reginald de Braose of Brecon and Abergavenny, who had been allied to Llywelyn and had married his daughter Gwladus Ddu, was induced by the English crown to change sides. Llywelyn responded by invading his lands, first threatening Brecon, where the burgesses offered hostages for the payment of 100 marks, then heading for Swansea where Reginald de Braose met him to offer submission and to surrender the town. He then continued eastwards to threaten Haverfordwest where the burgesses offered hostages for their submission to his rule or the payment of a fine of 1,000 marks. In his war with his father-in-law king john of England he had the support of Pope Innocent III, made an alliance with Philip II Augustus king of France then allied himself with the barons who were in rebellion against John, marching on Shrewsbury and capturing it withou

  Is this really the face of the greatest of all Welsh rulers? It was found at Deganwy castle and is said to be the face of Llywelyn the great, the recognised principle ruler of all Wales , a man who was so powerful the marcher lords would rather pay him than go to war with him Reginald de Braose of Brecon and Abergavenny, who had been allied to Llywelyn and married his daughter, Gwladus Ddu, was induced by the English crown to change sides. Llywelyn responded by invading his lands, first threatening Brecon, where the burgesses offered hostages for the payment of 100 marks, then heading for Swansea where Reginald de Braose met him to offer submission and to surrender the town. He then continued westwards to threaten Haverfordwest where the burgesses offered hostages for their submission to his rule or the payment of a fine of 1,000 marks Hostilities broke out with William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, in 1220. Llywelyn destroyed the castles of Narberth and Wiston, burnt the town of

Treatment of the Welsh at the start of Glyndwrs wars, where all of Wales had enough. This treatment of the Welsh only added numbers to Glyndwrs armies. A mistake often made by England over the years.  In 1400 Henry IV, on his way back from invading Scotland, heard of an uprising in Wales, he soon  turned his army towards Wales. Henry led his army around North Wales. He was harassed constantly by bad weather and the attacks of Welsh guerrillas. When he arrived on Anglesey, he harried the island, killing anyone they come across, burning villages and monasteries, including the Llanfaes Friary.  Rhys ap Tudur led an ambush of the king's forces at Rhos Fawr. After they were engaged, the Englishmen fled back to the safety of Beaumaris Castle. In 1401 Henry IV   marched across Wales again but this time it was through south Wales to Strata Florida Abbey. Here his troops camped in the abbey, robbing its relics, mocking and killing monks and stabling their horses at the high altar. Monks alo

 Throughout medieval times Gwynedd seemed to be the most powerful of Welsh kingdoms, there were times when Deheubarth took the crown , for example hywel dda and Rhys ap Gruffydd but for the vast majority of times it was Gwynedd. Why though? Was the population of Gwynedd higher than the other kingdoms, so they had bigger armies?  Rhodri Mawr gwynedd Hywel Dda Maredudd ab Owain Llywelyn ap Seisyll Gwynedd, Powys, and Deheubarth Bleddyn ap Cynfyn Gwynedd 1063–1075 Powys 1063–1075 Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Gwynedd 1039–1063 Powys 1039–1063 Deheubarth 1055–1063

Laws of Hywel also known as Welsh law,  Was the legal system which applied to all of Wales throughout the Middle Ages until it was abolished by the Acts of Union in 1536, where Wales was annexed by England.  Here is The introduction to the Book of Blegywryd version of the laws "Hywel the Good, son of Cadell, by the grace of God, king of all Wales... summoned to him from every commote of his kingdom six men who were practised in authority and jurisprudence... to the place called the White House on the Taf in Dyfed. ... And at the end of  Lent  the king selected from that assembly the twelve most skilled laymen of his men and the one most skilled scholar who was called Master Blegywryd, to form and interpret for him and for his kingdom, laws and usages." The Iorwerth versions, produced in Gwynedd, have exactly the same attribution of the law to Hywel and the council at Whitland as do the southern versions. It is more likely that Hywel's name was used to lend some form of “a

  This small vignette from the St. Alban’s Chronicle (MS 6, f. 167v) purports to show the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, last native Prince of Wales, on 11 December 1282.  Although the image shows a formal execution scene with a priest in attendance, the text of the Chronicle relates that Llywelyn was killed in an ambush or scuffle:  And when  Ƿ e prince Lewellin his bro Ƿ er  Ƿ at wist he was sore abashed for he had no power to may[n]teyn werre  And  Ƿ en he fled & wend wele to haue scapid but Thomas mortymer in a morning w t  v. knightes met hym alone & hym clipped round about & toke hym and smote of his hed and it presented to  Ƿ e king. And  Ƿ us was Lewellyn hedid & he & his heires disherit for eu[er]more be rightfull Jugement. (f.169).

Abergavenny massacre Sometime in the 1160s Henry Fitzmiles, the Norman Lord of Abergavenny, was killed fighting against the forces of Sytsylt ap Dyferwald, a native Welsh ruler of the area, in 1172 The same Welshman besieged and captured the Norman castle at Abergavenny but was soon returned to the Normans. With Henry dead there was no male heir to take over the de Balun lands so these passed to the evil Norman lord William de Braose, a court favourite of King John of England, a man who was said to be the most vicious of all the Marcher lords. At Christmas 1175 de Braose invited Sytsylt, his son Geoffrey and all of the leading chieftains from Powys and Gwent to a feast at Abergavenny Castle. The intention, he declared, was to meet and spend the Christmas period in each other's company, They would feast and celebrate and make a lasting reconciliation following the death of Henry Fitzmiles. Unsuspecting, Sytsylt accepted the invitation, happy to bring peace to the land, but Willi