writers is that the Brytish kingdome ended in Cadwalader after whom the Brytaines had nothing to doo beyond Seuerne being constrained to kéepe themselues within the countries of Cambria and Cornubia It is also written by diuers that Iuor and Ynyr at their first arriuing in Brytaine were repelled by the Saxons and driuen to Wales where Iuor ruled as Prince manie yeares whome this Roderi or Roderike the sonne of Edwal the sonne of Cadwalader succéeded When Roderike king of the Brytains had reigned about 30. yeares he died the yeare 750. leauing two sons after him Conan Tindaythwy Howel Conan Tindaethwy Conan Tindaethwy the sonne of Roderike I reade that this Hylda which was the néece of Edwine King of Northumberland brought vp by Pauline and Aedan in a publike synode did withstand Wilfride and other superstitious moonks in these toies and trifles all edging for hir out of Polycrates the fact of Irenaeus who withstood Victor Bishop of Rome in that behalfe and the custome of the church of Asia obserued by S. Iohn the Euangelist Philip the Apostle Polycarpus and Melito and taught in this Iland of Brytaine by Ioseph of Arimathea who first preached the Gospell in the same In the yeare 763. was Offa made King of Mercia and Brichtrich King of West Saxons In the which yeare died Fermael the sonne of Edwal and the yeare following Cemoyd the King of the Pictes The yeare 776. the men of Southwales destroied a great part of Mercia with fire and sword And the summer following all the Welshmen gathered themselues togither and entred the Kingdome of Mercia and did much hurt there The Saxons which bordered vpon the countrie of Cambria or Wales did dailie incroch so vpon the lands of the Welshmen beyond Seauerne that they had gotten much of the same into their hands especiallie toward the south part of the countrie Wherefore the VVelshmen put themselues in armour and set vpon the Saxons and chased them ouer Seauerne againe and then returned home with a great prey and thus they did oftentimes killing and destroieng all before them and alwaies bringing home with them much cattell which thing caused Offa to conclude a peace with the other Saxon Kings and to bend his whole force against the Welshmen Wherevpon Offa King of Mercia caused a great ditch to be made large and deepe from sea to sea betwixt his kingdome and Wales whereby hee might the better defend his countrie from the incursions of the Welshmen And this ditch is to be seene in manie places as yet and is called Clawdh Offa which is Offas ditch at this daie King Offa calling to his aid the other Saxon Kings gathered a huge armie and came ouer Seauerne into Wales vpon whose comming the VVelshmen being not able to encounter with such a multitude of armed souldiers left the plaine and euen countrie by Seauerne side and the land betwéene it and the riuer VVye and withdrew themselues to the mountaines and rockes where they might be most in safetie vntill the enimies were auoided out of the countrie yet neuerthelesse continuallie they made diuers inuasions by stealth into the land of Mercia alwaies returned with aduantage so that the Saxons by keeping themselues encamped could doo no good for they durst not pursue the VVelshmen to the mountaines and woods for feare of intrapping by such as kept the streights and passages When Offa perceiued that by open warre he could do no good he expelled all the Welshmen out of the plaine and euen countrie betwéene Seauerne and Wye and planted Saxons in the same and annexing it to his owne kingdome of Mercia caused this great famous ditch whereof mention is in this place to be made to saue his people from the inuasions of the Welshmen Whervpon the seate of the Kings of Powys was translated from Pengwern now called Salop to Mathrual where it continued long after In the yeare 795. the Danes came first into England and sixe yeares after they came againe destroied a great part of Lindsey and Northumberland and ouerran the most part of Ireland and destroied Rechreyn Also about the same time there was a battell fought at Ruthlan betweene the Saxons and the Welshmen where Caradoc King of Northwales was slaine This Caradoc was the son of Gwyn the sonne of Colhoyn the sonne of Ednowen the sonne of Blethyn the sonne of Blecius or Bledricus prince of Cornewall and Deuonshire Also this yeare died Offa King of Mercia and Egfert his sonne reigned in his stead In the yeare of our Lord 800. Egbertus was made King of Westsex and Kenulphus the yeare following treated King of Mercia Arthen also the sonne of Sitsylht the sonne of Clydawc King of Caerdigan died the same yeare Likewise Run King of Dyuet and Cadelh King of Powys died in the yeare 808. This was a troublesome time and as yet no staied gouernement established in Wales and therefore such as were cheefe lords in anie countrie are heere called kings The next yeare after died Elbodius Archbishop of Northwales before whose death the sunne was sore eclipsed In the yeare 810. was the moone eclipsed vpon Christmas daie The same yeare S. Dauids was burnt by the West Saxons There was also a generall morreine and death of cattell throughout all Wales The next yeare insuing Owen the sonne of Meredyth the sonne of Terudos died and the Castell of Degaunwy was destroied with thunder Conan prince of Wales and his brother Howel could not agree insomuch that they tried the matter by battell wherein Howel had the victorie This Howel the brother of Conan King or Prince of Northwales did claime the Ile of Môn or Anglesey for part of his fathers inheritance which Conan refused to giue him and therevpon they fell at variance and consequentlie to make warre the one against the other which is vnnaturall amongst brethren Héere I thinke it fit to saie somewhat of the custome and tenure of Wales whereof this mischiefe grew that is the diuision of the fathers inheritance amongst all the sonnes commonlie called Gauel kinde Gauel is a Brytishe tearme signifieng a hold because euerie one of the sonnes did hold some portion of his fathers lands as his lawfull sonne and successour This was the cause not onlie of the ouerthrow of all the ancient nobilitie of VVales for by that meanes the inheritance being continuallie diuided and subdiuided amongst the children and the childrens children c. was at length brought to nothing but also of much bloudshead and vnnaturall strife and contention amongst brethren as we haue héere an example and manie other in this historie This kind of partition is verie good to plant and settle anie nation in a large countrie not inhabited but in a populous countrie alreadie furnished with inhabitants it is the verie decaie of great families and as I said before the cause of strife and debate And the next yeare there was much hurt done by thunder and in
diuers places manie houses burnt to the earth The same yeare died Gruffyth the sonne of Run and Griffri the sonne of Kyngen was slaine by the treason of Elice his brother Howel gaue his brother Conan another battell and slew a great number of his people wherevppon Conan leauied an armie in the yeare 817. chased his brother Howel out of the Ile of Môn or Anglesey compelling him to flie into Man And a little after died Conan chiefe King of the Brytaines or Welshmen leauing behind him a daughter called Esylht which was married to a noble man called Mervyn Vrych the sonne of Gwyriad or Vriet the son of Elidur so forth in the right line to Belinus the brother of Brennus King of the Brytaines and his mother was Nest the daughter of Cadelh King of Powys the sonne of Brochwel Yscithroc that fought with the Saxons at Bangor who was prince of Powys This Brochwel is called of the Latine writers Breciuallus and Brochmaelus of whom I find thus written in Historia diuae Monacellae Fuit olim in Powysia quidam princeps illustrissimus nomine Brochwel Yscithroc Consul Legecestriae qui in vrbe tunc temporis Pengwern Powys nunc verò Salopia dicta est habitabat cuius domicilium seu habitaculum ibi steterat vbi collegiū diui Ceddae nunc situm est That is There was sometimes in Powys a noble Prince named Brochwel Yscithroc Consul or Earle of Chester who dwelt in a towne then called Pengwerne Powys and now Salope whose dwelling house was in the verie same place where the College of Saint Chad now standeth This man with Caduan king of Brytaine Morgan king of Demetia and Bledericus king of Cornewal gaue an ouerthrow to Ethelfred king of Northumberland vpon the riuer of Dee Anno gratiae 617. of whome the ancestors of diuers in VVales liuing at this daie are knowne by ancient bookes and records to haue descended Mervyn Vrych and Esylht Mervyn Vrych Esylht the daughter of Conan THE first yeare of the reigne of Mervyn Vrych and Esylht his wife Egbert King of Westsex entred into VVales with a great armie and destroied the whole countrie vnto Snowden hilles and seised to his hands the countrie of Rhyvonioc in Denbighland About this time there was a sore battell fought in Anglesey called the battell of Lhanuaes In the yeare of Christ 819. Kenulph King of Mertia destroied West Wales and the summer following he ouerranne Powys land and did much hurt and soone after died and Kenelme reigned in his place About the same time also Howel King of Man died The yeare 825. Ceolwulph was made King of Mertia and reigned two yeares After whome Bernulph was created king who was ouerthrowne at Elledowne by Egbert king of the West Saxons who also brought to his subiection the countries of Kent and West Angles Not long after about the yeare 828. Bernulph was slaine by the East Angles After that there was a great battell fought at a place called Gauelford betwixt the Brytaines and the West Saxons of Deuonshire and manie thousands cruellie slaine vpon either side and the victorie vncertaine The yeare 829. Egbert ouerthrew Wyhtlafe King of Mertia and made him subiect to his Kingdome He also passed Humber and wan the land and so was the first Monarch of the Saxons and brought the seauen kingdomes into one and changed the name of Brytaine into England and called the people Englishmen and the language English for the people that came into this Ile from Germanie were Saxons Angles and Iuthes And of the Saxons came the people of Eastsex Southsex Middlesex and West Saxons Of the Angles came the East Angles middle Angles or Mertians and all on the North side of Humber And of the Iuthes came the inhabitants of Kent and the Ile of Wight And the seauen Kingdomes were these 1 The first Kent 2 The second Southsex containing Sussex and Southerie 3 The third East Angles containing Northfolke Southfolke and Cambridgeshire 4 The fourth Westsex containing Barkeshire Deuonshire Somersetshire and Cornewall 5 The fift Mertia containing Glocestershire Herefordshire Worcestershire Shropshire Staffordshire Chesshire Warwikeshire Leycestershire Darbishire Notinghamshire Lincolneshire Northamptonshire Oxfordshire Buckinghamshire Bedfordshire and halfe Hertfordshire 6 The sixt was East Saxon containing Essex Middlesex and the other halfe of Hertfordshire 7 The seauenth Kingdome was all the lands vpon the North side of Humber which was also diuided into two kingdomes Deyra and Bernicia Deyra was the land betwixt Humber and Tine Bernicia from Tine to the Scottish sea All these were brought vnder subiection by Egbert king of West Saxons and this realme called England the yeare after the comming of Brutus to this Ile 1968. after the comming of Hengist 383. and after the departure of Cadwalader 149. yeares Which name although it hath continued to this daie for the space of 755. yeares yet was it not verie luckie or fortunate to the Saxons inhabitours of this realme For euen vpon this change of their name and vnition of the kingdome followed the terrible and cruell inuasion of the Danes and after that the conquest of the Normanes of whome the Kings of this time haue descended But to returne to my matter againe The yeare 833. the Danes in great companies landed in diuers places of this realme and fought diuers battels with Egbert wherin sometimes they and sometimes he had the victorie Afterward in the yeare 836. they landed in West Wales and so passed through Wales to England with manie of the Brytaines which ioined with them against Egbert but they were all ouerthrowne by Egbert at Hengestdowne who died the yeare following This Egbert king of England wan the citie of Caer lhêon ar Dhowrdwy or Chester which was the chiefe citie of Venedotia out of the hands of the Brytaines in whose possession it remained vntill that time He caused also as some writers doo affirme the brasen image of Cadwalhon king of Brytaine to be throwne downe defaced commanding that no man vpon paine of death should set vp anie such againe forbidding this land to be called Brytain anie more but England and the people Englishmen He also made proclamation by the setting on of Redburga his wife who bearing malice towards the Brytaines could not abide any of that nation that no Brytaine should remaine within the confines of England commanding that al singular which were of the Brytish bloud should within sixe moneths auoide with their wiues and children out of his kingdome vpon paine of losing their heads After the death of Egbert his sonne Ethelwulph reigned in his place who gaue his daughter in mariage to Berthred his tributarie king of Mertia He had great warres and much adoo with the Danes which destroied with fire and sword the sea coast of England The yeare 841. died Idwalhon a noble man of Wales And two yeares after was the battell of Kettell betwixt Burchred king of Mertia and the
the beginning was in some distresse vntill Athelstane stepped in betwéene his father and Leofred and wounded the Dane in the arme in such sort that he being not able to hold his speare was soone taken and committed to the custodie of Athelstane In the meane time Edmund and Edred incountring with Gruffyth slew him and brought his head to their father Then Athelstane caused Leofred to be headed and so both their heads were set vp together on the top of the towre of Chester and Edward and his sonnes returned home with great triumph Then Edward after he had builded Glademutham died at Ferandyne whose sonne named Alfred died also the same time at Oxford and were buried both at Winchester Anno 924. After whose death Adelstane his base son reigned King of England which was the woorthiest prince of Saxon bloud that euer reigned He did ouercome Cudfryd the father of Reynald King of the Danes at Yorke He gathered also the second yeare of his reigne a great armie against Hawlaf King of Ireland who came with the whole power of the Scots and Danes against him and gaue him battell at Brimestburie where Adelstan gate the victorie and slue the said king Hawlaf and the king of Scots and fiue kings of the Danes and Normanes and twelue Earles so that he brought all the land of England and Scotland in subiection to him which none of his predecessors had euer attempted The yeare 933. Owen the sonne of Gruffyth was slaine by the men of Caerdigan Then Adelstan did enter Wales with a great armie and brought the kings of the countrie to subiection and receiued yearelie of tribute 20. pound in gold and 300. pound in siluer and 200. head of cattell yet the lawes of Howel Dha appointed to the king of Aberfraw to paie yearelie to the king of London no more but 66. pound for a tribute and that the prince of Dinevwre and the prince of Powys should paie a like summe 66. pound yearelie to the king of Aberfraw To this Adelstan the kings of Norwaie and France did send great and rich gifts to winne his friendship and good will In the yeare 936. died Evneth the sonne of Clydawc and Meyric the sonne of Cadelh At this time also Adelstan did remooue the Brytaines that dwelt in Excester and thereaboutes to Cornewale and appointed the riuer Cambia to be the vtter mere towards England as he had before appointed the riuer Wy to be the mere of England and Wales In the yeare of Christ 939. the noble prince Adelstan died and was buried at Malmesburie and his brother Edmund borne in wedlocke reigned in his place who in the first yeare of his reigne wan fiue cities from the Danes Leycester Darby Stafford Lincolne and Notingham Then Aulafe King of the Danes sent to Edmund to desire peace and baptisme which Edmund granted vnto him and so the Danes which then were called Normanes tooke first the christian faith Edmund being their godfather who making peace with them returned to Westsex with much honor This yeare died Abloic chiefe King of Ireland The yeare following Cadelh the sonne of Arthvael a noble Brytaine was imprisoned and Edwal Voel the sonne of Anarawd and Elise his brother were slaine in a battell which they fought against the Danes and Englishmen This Edwal had sixe sonnes Meyric Ieuaf or Ieuan Iago which is Iames Conan Edwal Vachan and Roderike After whose death Howel Dha his coosen germane ruled all Wales for his life time Elise also had issue Conan and a daughter named Trawst which was mother to Conan ap Sitsylht Gruffyth ap Sitsylht and Blethyn ap Convyn which two last were afterward princes of Wales Howel Dha Howel Dha cousen germane to Edwal Voel Howel Dha king or prince of all Wales perceiuing the lawes and customes of his countrie to haue growne vnto great abuse sent for the Archbishop of Meneuia and all the other Bishops and chiefe of the cleargie to the number of 140. prelates and all the Barons and nobles of Wales and caused sixe men of the wisest and best estéemed in euerie Comote to be called before him whome he commanded to méete all together at his house called Y Tuy gwyn ar Taf that is The white house vpon the riuer Taf. Thither he came himselfe and there remained with those his nobles prelates and subiects all the Lent in praier and fasting crauing the assistance and direction of Gods holy spirit that he might reforme the lawes and customes of the countrie of Wales to the honor of God and the quiet gouernement of the people About the end of Lent he chose out of that companie twelue men of the wisest grauest and of the greatest experience to whome he added one clearke or doctor of the lawes named Blegored a singular learned and perfect wise man These had in charge to examine the old lawes and customes of Wales and to gather out of those such as were méete for the gouernement of the countrie which they did reteining those that were wholesome and profitable expounding those that were doubtfull and ambiguous and abrogating those that were superfluous and hurtfull and so ordeined thrée sorts of lawes The first of the ordering of the kings or princes houshold and his court The second of the affaires of the countrie and common wealth The third of the speciall customes belonging to particular places and persons Of all the which being read allowed and proclamed he caused thrée seuerall bookes to be written one for his dailie vse to follow his court another to lie in his palace at Aberffraw and the third at Dinevowr that all the thrée prouinces of Wales might haue the vse of the same when néede required And for the better obseruation of these lawes he caused the Archbishop of S. Dauids to denounce sentence of excommunication against all such of his subiects as refused to obeie the same Within a while after Howel because he would omit nothing that could procure countenance and authoritie to his said lawes went to Rome taking with him the Archbishop of S. Dauids the Bishops of Bangor and S. Asaph and thirtéene other of the learnedst and wisest men in Wales where the said lawes being recited before the Pope were by his authoritie confirmed then hauing finished his deuout pilgrimage and emptied his purse he returned home againe with his companie 1 By these lawes they might not morgage their lands but to one of the same familie or kindred which were De eadem parentela 2 Euerie tenant holding of anie other than of the prince or lord of the fée paid a fine Pro defensione regia which was called Arian ardhel in Latine Aduocarij 3 No legacie of goods by will was good otherwise than those which were giuen to the church to the lord of the fée or for paiment of debts 4 Euerie man might distraine as well for debts as for rent of lands anie goods or cattell sauing horsses which were counted to
serue for a mans necessarie defense and were not distrainable without the prince his licence 5 Causes of inheritance were not heard or determined but from the ninth of Nouember till the ninth of Februarie or from the ninth of Maie vntill the ninth of August The rest of the yeare was counted a time of vacation for sowing in the spring and reaping in the haruest 6 This also is to be obserued that all matters of inheritance of land were determined and adiudged by the King or Prince in person or his speciall deputie if he were sicke or impotent and that vpon view of the same land calling vnto him the fréeholders of that place two elders of his counsell the Chiefe iustice attending alwaies in the court the ordinarie iudge of the countrie where the land laie and the priest The maner of their procéeding was thus The king or prince sate in his Iudiciall seate higher than the rest with an elder on his right hand and another on his left and the fréeholders on both sides next vnto them which for this cause as I thinke were called Vchelwyr Before him directlie a certaine distance off and a little lower sate his Chiefe iustice hauing the priest on his right hand and the ordinarie iudge of that countrie on the left The court being set the plaintife came in with his aduocate champion and Ringylh or sergeant and stood on the left side then came in the defendant in like maner with his aduocate champion and Ringylh and stood on the right side and last of all the witnesses of both parties came which stood directlie before the Chiefe iustice at the lower end of the hall vntill they were called vp to testifie the truth of their knowledge in the matter in variance The figure of the which I thought good héere to laie downe as you sée in the page next following After the hearing of the books read the depositions of the witnesses and full pleading of the cause in open court vpon warning giuen by the Rhinghylh the Chiefe Iustice the priest and the ordinarie iudge withdrew themselues for a while to consult of the matter and then Secundum allegata probata brought their verdict the court sitting Whervppon the king or prince after consultation had with the elders or seniors which sate by him gaue definitiue sentence except the matter was so obscure and intricate that right and truth appeared not in the which case it was tried by the two champions and so the cause ended This shall be sufficient for this time Now therefore let vs go forward in the historie At this time the foresaid kings Aulafe and Regnald entered the land of Edmund who gathering his strength together folowed them into Northumberland and ouercame them in plaine battell and chased them out of the land and so remained a whole yeare in those parts setting things in order and quieting of that countrie And bicause he could not by anie meanes bring the inhabitants of Cumberland to liue in anie honest order he spoiled that countrie and committed it to the rule of Malcolme king of Scotland vpon condition that he should send him succours in all his warres both by sea and land Some other write that king Edmund being accompanied with Lhewelyn ap Sitsylht which was after prince of Wales entred Cumberland and taking the two sonnes of Dummaile king of that prouince put out their eies and then gaue that countrie to Malcolme to be holden of him with condition to kéepe the North part of the realme from incursion of enimies the which condition was afterward but slenderlie perfourmed This Malcolme was the sonne of Donald King of Scotland and was the next king after Constantine the third being in number the 76. In the yeare 942. died Hubert Bishop of S. Dauids the yeare also following Marclois Bishop of Bangor and Vssa the sonne of Lhavyr died The yeare 944. the Englishmen did enter Wales with a strong armie and spoiled Strad Clwyd and returned home At which time Conan the sonne of Elise was put in danger of death by poison and Everus Bishop of S. Dauids died The yeare after Edmund King of England was slaine by treason as some writers saie vpon S. Augustines daie as he was at dinner Other saie that he espied an outlawe sitting in the hall and as he drew him from the table the outlaw slew the King with a knife And some be of opinion that as the King would haue rescued a man of his from an officer who had arrested him the same officer slue him not knowing that he was the King he lieth buried at Glastenburie After whose death Edred or Edfred his brother was crowned in his place who made an expedition to Scotland and Northumberland and subdued them both and receiued fealtie and homage of the Northumbers and Scots by oth which was not long kept In the yeare 948. died Howel Dha the noble and worthie King or Prince of Wales whose death was sore bewailed of all men for he was a prince that loued peace and good order that feared God He left behind him foure sonnes Owen Run Roderike and Edwyn betwixt whom and the sonnes of Edwal there was great warres for the chiefe rule of Wales as shall appeare in the historie following Ievaf and Iago Ievaf and Iago the sonnes of Edwal Voel AFter the death of Howel Dha his sonnes did diuide Southwales and Powys betwixt them and Ievaf and Iago the second and third sonnes of Edwal Voel ruled Northwales bicause their elder brother Meyric was not a man worthie to rule who comming of the elder house would haue had the chiefe rule of all Wales which the sonnes of Howel Dha denied them And therevpon Iago or Iames and Ievaf entred Southwales with a great power against whome came Owen the sonne of Howel and his brethren and fought together at the hils of Carno where Iago and Ievaf had the victorie and the yeare folowing the same brethren did twise enter into Southwales and spoiled Dyuet and slue Dwnwalhon the Lord thereof And within a while after died Roderike one of the sonnes of Howel Dha In the yeare 952. the sonnes of Howel gathered their strength together against Ievaf and Iago and entered their land to the riuer of Conwy where they fought a cruell battell at a place called Gwrgustu or Lhanrwst as some thinke where a great number were slaine vpon either side as Anarawd the sonne of Gwyriad or Vriet the sonne of Roderike the Great and Edwyn the sonne of Howel Dha in the which battell were ouerthrowne the sonnes of Howel whome Ievaf and Iago pursued to Caerdigan and destroied their countrie with fire and sword About this time Yarthyr the sonne of Mervyn was drowned and the yeare following Congelach King of Ireland was slaine But to returne to Edred King of England As soone as he was returned to his owne land Aulaf with a great armie landed in Northumberland and was receiued of
Owen Meredyth the sonne of Owen ap Howel Dha The yeare 987. died Ievaf the sonne of Edwal which had liued manie yeares a priuate life The same yeare also died Owen the son of Howel Dha Prince of Southwales This Owen had three sons Eneon which died in his fathers time Lhywarch which lost both his eies and Meredyth which as before is declared had wonne Northwales and after his fathers death tooke also to his possession all Southwales hauing no respect to his brother Eneon his sonnes Edwyn and Theodor or Tewdor About the same time the Danes sailed from Hampton alongst the coast spoiling Deuonshire Cornewale and so at the last landed in Southwales and destroied S. Dauids Lhanbadarn Lhanrystyd and Lhandydoch which were all places of religion and did so much hurt in the countrie besides that to be rid of them Meredyth was faine to agree with them to giue them a penie for euerie man within his land which was called The tribute of the blacke armie At this time Elwmaen the son of Abloic king of Ireland was slain a great number of people died for hunger The yeare 989. Owen the son of Dyfnwal was slaine Within a yeare after Meredyth king of Wales destroied the towne of Radnor at what time his nephew Edwyn the sonne of Eneon hauing to his aid duke Adelf and a great armie of Englishmen and Danes spoiled all the land of Meredyth in Southwales as Caerdigan Dyuet Gwyr Kydweli and S. Dauids where Edwyn tooke pledges of the chiefe men of those countries In the meane time this Meredyth with his people did spoile Glamorgan so that no place was free from sword and fire but at the last Meredyth and Edwyn fell at an agreement were made freends Soone after Cadwalhon the onelie sonne of Meredyth died Meredyth being thus occupied had so much to do in Southwales that Northwales laie open for the enimie which thing when the Danes perceiued they arriued in Anglesey and destroied the whole Ile Wherevpon the inhabitants of that countrie receiued Edwal the sonne of Meyric the right heire of Northwales for their prince in the yeare 992. After these great troubles there followed within a yeare after such famine scarsitie in Southwales that manie perished for want of food Edwal ap Meyric Edwal ap Meyric the sonne of Meredyth THis Edwal being in possession of the principalitie of Northwales studied to keepe and defend his people from iniuries and wrongs But Meredyth gathered togither all his power intending to recouer againe Northwales with whome Edwal met at Lhangwm and ouerthrew him in plaine battell where Theodor of Tewdor Mawr Meredyth his nephew was slaine who left behind him two sonnes Rees Rytherch a daughter called Elen. A litle after this Swayn the sonne of Haroald destroied the Ile of Man and entring to Northwales slew Edwal the prince therof who left behind him a sonne called Iago In the yeare of Christ 998. the Danes came againe to S. Dauids destroieng all before them and there they slew Morgeney or rather Vrgeney Bishop of that sea The same yeare also died Meredyth the sonne of Owen king or prince of Wales leauing behind him one onlie daughter called Angharad which was maried to Lhewelyn ap Sitsylht and after his death to Conuyn Hirdref or as other do thinke to Conuyn ap Gwerystan who had children by either of them which was the cause of much warre mischief in Wales as shall appeare hereafter Aedan ap Blegored Aedan the sonne of Blegored I doo not know neither could I euer find what colour or pretense of title this Aedan ap Blegored had to the principalitie of Northwales nor yet of whom he descended or who came of him whereas all the other princes are notoriouslie knowen of what families they descended and who came of them Neither yet doo I read of anie Blegored whose sonne he might be except it be that doctor of Law of whom mention is made in the lawes of Howel Dha whose estate was too meane to challenge the principalitie He is reported to haue gouerned about xij yeares Of this acts by him atchieued there is verie litle written sauing of those two battels the one wherin he ouercame Conan ap Howel and the other wherin he was ouercome himselfe and slaine with his foure sonnes by Lhewelyn ap Sitsylht In the yeare 1004. Gulfath and Vbiad Irish Lords were taken by the Scots and their eies put out which Scots did also destroie the countrie and towne of Deuelyn Likewise the Danes which had destroied againe Westwales went to England and there spoiled and burned the land all before them especiallie Somersetshire Dorsetshire and so through Hampshire and Sussex they came towards the riuer of Thames without anie let or staie and so sailed alongst the riuer to the place where the riuer Mydwey entreth to the Thames alongst which water they came to Rochester where they ouerthrew the Kentishmen that bade them battell Edelred king of England was at this time in Cumberland the chiefe denne of the Danes which land he brought to his subiection but in the meane while another armie of Danes fought againe with the men of Somersetshire and got the victorie and ruled the countrie at their pleasure Then Edelred hearing of the great worthines of Richard Duke of Normandie sent to him for his daughter Emma in mariage thinking thereby to haue succour but God intending to punish the great sinnes and enormities of the Saxons did moue the king thereto that like as they being instruments of Gods wrath vnder the colour of friends and hired soldiours had traiterouslie and cruellie slaine the Brytaines and driuen them out of their land so should the Normanes by colour of this affinitie first enter the land as friends and bring succour against the Danes and afterward come as foes and be the vtter destruction of the Saxons and Angles which was then foreseene and told the king by an Anachoret who inspired with the spirit of God sawe the plagues which he had certainelie appointed to fall vpon the Saxons But the king puffed vp with pride and hope of his affinitie did priuilie write to all the english rulers through the realme to kill the Danes in one night which then liued peaceablie which murther was cruellie executed vpon S. Brices daie at night But yet the Danes would not giue ouer so with losse Therefore the yeare following there came an armie of them to Deuonshire and ouerran the land with fire and sword sparing nothing that had life that they might reuenge the murther of their coosens They rased the citie of Excester and slue Hugh the Normane whome the Queene had appointed gouernour there Then Almarus Earle of Deuon gathered a great armie of Hampshire Wilshire and all the countrie about and met the Danes but he and his were put to flight and the Danes pursued them to Wilton and destroied it and Salisburie and returned to their
yeare Ioseph bishop of Teilo or Landaf died at Rome The land being thus quieted Gruffyth ruled al Wales without any trouble till about two yeares after the Gentlemen of Ystrad Towy did by treason kill 140. of the Prince his best soldiors to reuenge whose death the king Gruffyth destroied all Dyuet and Ystrad Towy Heere is also to be noted that such snow fell this yeare that it laie vpon the earth from the kalends of Ianuarie to the 14. of March About this time Lothen and Hyrling landed at Sandwich with a great number of Danes and after they had spoiled the towne they returned to their ships and sailed to Flanders and sold their booties and so sailed to their countrie At this time also Earle Swayne returned to England and came to his fathers house at Pevenese and humblie besought his father and his brethren Haroald Tostie to procure him the kings fauour So Earle Beorned promised to intreate the king for him and went with Swayne to his ships where he was traitorouslie murthered and his bodie left vpon the shore vntill his friends being certified of the same fetched him awaie and buried him at Winchester where his vncle king Cnute had beene buried before Swayne hauing committed this wicked fact sailed againe to Flanders and continued there till his father made peace with the king and brought him in fauour againe about a yeare after In the yeare 1050. Conan the sonne of Iago did gather an armie of his friends in Ireland minding to recouer his inheritance againe and as he sailed towards Wales there arose such a tempest that it scattered his nauie abroade and drowned the most part of his ships so that he was disappointed of his purpose lost his labour Shortlie after Robert Archbishop of Canturburie accused Earle Godwyn and his sonnes Swayne and Haroald of treason and the Queene of adulterie who bicause they refused to appeare being called before the king were banished the land and the Queene put awaie from the king wherevpon Godwyn with Swayne fled to Flanders and Haroald to Ireland Eustace Earle of Bologne the father of Godfrey hauing married Goda king Edwards sister the widow of Walter de Maunt came to England to his brother in lawe and as he was returning home againe one of his seruants kild a man at Canturburie or at Douer as Matt. Westm. hath whereof grew a great inconuenience and slaughter on both sides wherevpon Eustace returning againe made a gréeuous complaint to king Edward vpon the Kentishmen whose part Earle Godwyn tooke bicause they were of his countie But Eustace by the suggestion of Robert Archbishop of Canturburie who hated Godwyn and his sonnes so incensed king Edward against him and the Kentishmen that Godwyn and his sonnes were sent for to answer the matter before the king at Glocester Wherevpon Godwyn fearing the kings displeasure who could neuer brooke him sithence the death of his brother Alfred gathered an armie out of Kent and other countries where his sonnes ruled and so came towards Glocester reporting abroade that all this preparation was made to resist Gruffyth prince of Wales who as they affirmed was readie with an armie to inuade the marches But king Edward being certified by the Welshmen that there was no such things in hand commanded Godwyn to send backe his armie and to come himselfe to answer according to the order of law Which when he refused to doo the king by the aduise of Earle Leofrike appointed a Parliament and meeting at London to take order in these matters where the king came with a great armie out of Mercia and other westerne countries Then Godwyn remaining with his armie in Southwerke and perceiuing how that diuers of his friends disappointed him and other dailie forsooke him and went to the kings part despairing to be able to withstand the kings procéedings against him conueied himselfe awaie priuilie with his sonnes and fled out of the land Wherevpon king Edward proclamed him and his sonnes outlawes confiscated their goods and gaue their lands to other of his nobilitie Then the king gaue to Adonan the earldome of Deuonshire and Dorsetshire and to Algar sonne of Earle Leofrick the earldome of Haroald Neuerthelesse Godwyn and Swayne got men and ships in Flanders and sailed to the ile of Wight which they spoiled and so they did Portland At the same time Haroald coÌ„ming from Ireland and wafting alongst the shoare spoiling the countrie as he went at length met with his father brother who being together burned Pâ—eueneseâ—y Romney Heath Folkston Douer and Sandwich entring the Thames destroied Sheppey and burned the kings houses at Mydltowne and afterward sailed vp towards London where by the way they met with the king and so sailed with him when they were readie to fight an accord was made by meanes of Bishop Stigand in such sort that the king restored them their lands and goodes tooke home the Queene and banished the Archbishop with all the Frenchmen which had put that suspicion in the kings head Mat. Westm. writeth that about this time to wit An. 1053. Rees the brother of Gruffyth king of Wales was slaine in a place called Bulendune whose head was presented to king Edward the daie before the Epiphanie the king being then at Glocester A litle after that Oswald Earle of Northumberland when he heard that his sonne was slaine in Scotland whither his father had sent him to conquere it asked whether his deaths wound was in his brest or in his backe and they said in his brest and he answered I am right glad thereof for I would not wish me nor my sonne to die otherwise Then king Edward entred Scotland and ouercame the king in battell subdued the whole land to him selfe The yeare folowing Earle Godwyn died at the kings table choked with a peece of bread whose Earldome Haroald his sonne had and Algar Earle of Chester had the Earldome of Haroald About this time Makbeth king of Scotland caused a noble man of his named Bancho to be cruellie murthered wherevpon Fleance the sonne of the said Bancho escaping the hands of Makbeth fled to Gruffyth ap Lhewelyn prince of Wales where being ioifullie receiued and entertained courteouslie he grew into such fauor with the said Prince that he thought nothing too good for him But in processe of time Fleance forgetting the curtesie to him shewed fell in loue with the princes daughter and gat hir with child Which thing the prince tooke in so ill part that he in a rage caused Fleance to be kild holding his daughter in most vile estate of seruitude for so suffering hir selfe to be defloured by a stranger At length she was deliuered of a sonne which was named Walter who in few yeares prooued a man of great courage and valiancie in whome from his childhood appeared a certeine noblenes of mind readie to attempt anie great enterprise This VValter on a time fell out with one of his
companions who in that heat of contention obiected vnto him that he was but a bastard begotten in vnlawfull bed Which reproch so gréeued VValter that he fell vpon the other and slew him wherevpon fearing the punishment of the law he fled into Scotland where he fell into the companie of those Englishmen which were come thither with Quéene Margaret the sister of Edgar Edeling amongst whom he shewed himself so discréet and sober in all his demcanor that he was highlie estéemed of all men and so attaining to higher reputation and credit was afterward emploied in the affaires of the common wealth and at length made Lord Steward of Scotland receiuing the kings reuenewes of the whole realme Of the which office he and his posteritie reteined that sirname of Steward euer after from whom descended the most noble kings of Scotland of the familie of Stewards besides manie other Dukes Marquesses Earles and Barones of great fame and renowme Also at this time Siward that worthie Earle of Northumberland being brought to the point of death with the bloudie fluxe bewailed his mischance that he had escaped in manie a dangerous battell and now should die such a filthie and cowardlie death and calling his friends and his men about him commanded them to set him in his chaire and to arme him at all points and put his shield in the left hand and so made an end of his worthie life Whose Earldome because his sonne was within yeares was giuen to Tosty Godwyns sonne In the yeare 1054. Gruffyth the son of Rytherch ap Iestyn did gather a great number aswell strangers as others against Gruffyth ap Lhewelyn king or prince of Wales but commonlie called king of Northwales who detracting no time meeting him fought with him slew him Shortlie after Algar Earle of Chester being conuicted of treason against the king fled to Gruffyth king or prince of Wales who gathered his power to reuenge the often wrongs which he had receiued at the Englishmens hands who euer succoured his enimies against him Therefore he together with Algar entred Herefordshire and spoiled all the waie with fire and sword to the citie whither all the people had fled and they boldlie issued forth Earle Randulph being their leader and gaue him battell which Gruffyth wished for aboue anie other thing as he that had wonne fiue set fields and couragiouslie receiuing his enimies fought with them Which fight was long doubtfull till such time as Gruffyth incouraged his people with the remembrance of the prowesse worthie actes of the ancient Brytaines their forfathers saieng that they were the same enimies whose backes they had so oftentimes seene before which doubled their strength and force and so they pressed forwards that their foes were compelled to forsake the field and trust to their feete where their hands preuailed not and thought to haue taken the towne for their defense But Gruffyth and his men pursued them so hard that they entred with them and after a great slaughter returned home with manie worthie prisoners great triumph rich spoiles leauing nothing in the towne but bloud ashes and the walles rased to the ground There be some which affirme that king Edward by euill counsell as it is thought banished Algar the sonne of Earle Leofrike wherevpon he gat him into Ireland and there prouiding xviij ships of rouers returned and ioined himself with Gruffyth king or prince of Wales who both together inuaded the countrie of Mercia about Hereford where Ranulph Earle of that countrie who was sonne to king Edwards sister named Goda by hir first husband VValter de Maunt came against them with a great armie and met them about two miles from Hereford where after a sore fight by the space of thrée houres Ranulph and his armie were discomfited and about 500. of them slaine and the rest put to flight whome Gruffyth Algar pursued to Hereford and entring the towne set the cathedrall church on fire and slue the Bishop named Leogar with seauen of the canons spoiled and burnt the towne miserablie Wherevpon king Edward being aduertised héereof gathered an armie and sent Haroald the sonne of Earle Godwyn against them who pursuing the enimies to Northwales passed through Stradclwyd to Snowdon but Gruffyth and Algar being afraid to méete Haroald gote them againe to Southwales whereof Haroald being aduertised left one part of his armie in Northwales to resist the enimies there and returning with the residue to Hereford caused a great trench to be cast round about the towne with a high rampire stronglie fortifieng the gates of the same After this by meanes of a parle had with Gruffyth Algar at a place called Biligelhag a peace was concluded wherevpon Algar being pardoned by the king and restored againe to his Earledome returned home to Chester About two yeares after Algar was accused againe of treason so that he was the second time exiled the land and repaired to his old friend Gruffyth prince of Northwales by whome he was receiued ioifullie and restored againe to his Earledome by the aid of certaine strangers which came by chance frō Norwaie Whervpon king Edward being sore offended with Gruffyth sent Haroald againe with power to Northwales to be reuenged vpon him who comming to Ruthlan burned the palace of Gruffyth and his ships and then returned backe to the king at Glocester About this time Edward the sonne of Edmund Ironside came to England with his wife and children Edgar Edeling which signifieth in the Brytish toong a yong Lord or a Prince and Margaret which was afterwards Queene of Scots and mother to Mawd wife to Henrie the first king of England About two yeares after came Roderike sonne to Haroald king of Denmarke with a great armie to Wales and there being freendlie receiued of king Gruffyth ioining his power to Gruffyths entred England and cruellie spoiled and burned a great part of the land But shortlie after Roderike was compelled to returne to his ships and to saile to Denmarke and Gruffyth returned with spoiles This yeare as Haroald Godwyns sonne would haue sailed to Flanders he was driuen by force of a tempest to land in Poytiers where he was taken and conueied to William Bastard duke of Normandie to whom Haroald declared his iournie thither to be onelie to offer him his seruice in the affaires of England and tooke a solemne oth first to marrie the Dukes daughter and after the death of Edward to reserue the crowne to the dukes vse Then shortlie after receiuing rich gifts with much honor he returned to England This yeare died Owen the sonne of Gruffyth ap Rytherch Also Haroald and his brother Tosty by the procurement of Caradoc ap Gruffyth ap Rytherch and others gathered a great power and entred Southwales and subdued a great part thereof and wrought so with those that were about Gruffyth the king that assoone as he had gathered his people in Northwales tooke
his iournie to meete with Haroald he was cruellie and traitorouslie slaine by his owne men and his head brought to Haroald who appointed and placed Meredyth the sonne of Owen ap Edwyn prince and ruler in Southwales and he with his brother Tosty returned home Some doo report that Haroald about the rogation wéeke by the kings commandement went against the Welshmen and taking the sea sailed by Bristowe round about the coast compassing in maner all Wales His brother Tosty that was Earle of Northumberland met him by appointment with an host of horsemen and so ioining together they destroied the countrie of Southwales in such sort that the Welshmen were compelled to submit themselues to deliuer hostages and conditioned to paie the ancient tribute which before time they had paied The people of that countrie bicause Gruffyth their prince fled at the comming of Haroald and left them to be a prey for the enimie hated him fore whome as soone as he returned to them againe they slue and sent his head to Haroald which he sent to the king After whose death king Edward granted the principalitie of Northwales to Blethyn and Rywalhon the sonnes of Convyn brethren to Gruffyth by the mothers side who did homage vnto him for the same This Gruffyth ap Lhewelyn gouerned Wales 34. yeares valiantlie and woorthilie he neuer fought but he bare awaie the victorie he was gentle to his subiects and cruell to his foes looued of the one and feared of the other liberall to strangers costlie in apparell and princelie in all his dooings and vnwoorthie of that cruell death that the ambitious desire of rule did prouoke his vnkind subiects and vnnaturall coosens to prepare for so noble a prince and so gentle a maister as hee was Blethyn and Rywalhon Blethyn and Rywalhon the sonnes fo Convyn AFter the decease of king or prince Gruffyth Meredyth the sonne of Owen ap Edwyn which Edwyn as some writers saie was the sonne of Howel Dha did take vpon him the gouernment of Southwales and Blethyn and Rywalhon the sonnes of Convyn and halfe brethren to king Gruffyth ap Lhewelyn as they which were borne of Angharat daughter to Meredyth king of Wales did gouerne Northwales Conan the sonne of Iago being all this time with his father in lawe in Ireland About this time it fortuned that as Haroald serued the king with drinke at Windsor his brother Tofty mooued with enuie that his yonger brother should be preferred before him pulled him by the haire of the head and ouerthrewe him Then departing thence full of rancor and malice to Hereford where Haroald had prepared great cheere for the king he slue all Haroalds seruants and cut off their heads armes legs noses feet and hands and filled all the vessels of wine meath beere and ale therwith and sent the King word that he should want no powdred and sowsed meats when he came thither as for other things let him make prouision himselfe For which heinous offense the king banished him the land for euer Caradoc ap Gruffyth ap Rytherch was the first that procured Haroald for to come to Wales against Gruffyth ap Lhewelyn hoping by him to atteine vnto the gouernement of Southwales But it fell out otherwise for when Haroald vnderstood that he should not get that at the hands of Caradoc which he looked for which was a certaine lordship within Wales nigh vnto Hereford and knowing also Caradoc to be subtile and deceiptfull man compounding with Meredyth ap Owen for that lordship he made him king or prince of Southwales and banished Caradoc out of the countrie Afterward Haroald hauing obteined that lordship builded there a princelie and sumptuous house at a place called Portaslyth and diuers times earnestlie inuited the king to come to sée the same at the length the king being then at Glocester not far off granted him his request wherevpon Haroald made such preparation as is before mentioned for him which was thus most horribly abused by Tosty Soone after this wicked act the said Caradoc ap Gruffyth came to the same house and to be reuenged vpon Haroald killed all the workemen and laborers that were there at worke and all the seruants and people of Haroald that he could find and defacing the worke carried awaie those things that with great labour and expenses had béene brought thither to set out and beautifie the building Haroald and his brother were cheefe Iusticers of the land and they vsed when they saw any manor house or farme that pleased them to cause the owner to be murthered by night with all his children and houshold and then to seise the land into their owne hands Now when the people of Northumberland heard the exile of Tosty which was their Earle they reioised much for they hated him to the death Wherfore cōming to Yorke they slue all his familie aswell Englishmen as Danes Then ioining to them the men of Lincolneshire Notingham and Derbyshire they made Marcher sonne of Earle Algar their captaine and to them came his brother Edwyn with his people and a great number of Welshmen and they went burning spoiling to Hampton where Haroald met with them sent from the king to know their willes and they said they would haue Marcher Earle ouer them which the king granted confirmed Whervpon they returned the one to the North the other to Wales spoiling and burning all the countrie and lead with them manie thousand prisoners The yeare following being 1066. king Edward died and was buried at Westminster This was the last King of Saxon or English bloud that reigned in this land which from Cerdicke king of Westsaxons had continued 544. and from Egbert the first Monarch 171. yeares After the death of Edward some would haue preferred Edgar Edeling as right heire to the crowne but Haroald being of great power more rich and better freended obtained it nothing weieng his oth and promise to William Duke of Normandie which Duke calling all his nobles together declared them the wrongs he had receiued at Haroalds hands First the death of his coosen Alfred then the banishment of the Archbishop Robert and Earle Odan with all the Normanes and thirdlie his oth and promise broken declaring also the titles he had to England aswell by the former promise of Edward made to him in Normandie that if euer he enioied the crowne of England William should be his heire as also by cosinage and by the oth and promise of Haroald Which matter considered by the nobilitie of Normandie with all the dangers and difficulties of this expedition brought them to such perplexitie that the more part feared the end Then William Fitzosbert the Dukes sewer seing how they were bent dissuaded them from that viage wherfore they agreed all that he should declare their minds to the duke Then he came to him and said I with all my men and power am readie to liue and die with thee in this iournie which
Mountgomery to whom the Conqueror had giuen the Earldome of Arundell and Salopsburie or Shrewsburie entred into Powys land and wan the castell and towne of Baldwyn which he fortified and called it Mountgomery after his owne name Also this yeare William Rufus went to Normandie against his brother Robert and sent to England for 30000. footemen of whome when they came to the sea shore the king tooke ten shillings a peece and sent them home But shortlie after hee made a voiage into Northumberland against the Earle which rebelled and after he had taken Newcastell and Bamborough hee tooke the Earle at Tinmouth and returned homeward The same yeare Gruffyth ap Conan king of Northwales with Cadogan ap Blethyn who then ruled Southwales entred the land of Cardigan killed a great number of Normanes being not able anie longer to suffer their great pride and crueltie But after their returne the English captaines sent for more men to England and thought priuilie to make a roade to Northwales Which iournie was discouered to Cadogan who gathered his power and met with them in the wood or forrest of Yspys and set vpon them with great hew and crie and they defended themselues manfullie but in the end they were compelled to flee with great losse and Cadogan followed them hard and spoiled the countrie of Cardigan and Dyuet and destroied all the castels sauing two which were Penbrooke and Rydcors which he could not get and so returned to Powys with much ioy In this yeare 1093. the Normanes that inhabited the countrie of Glamorgan spoiled the countries of Kydwely and Ystrad Tywy and left them without anie inhabitors Then VVilliam Rufus being informed of the great slaughter of his subiects aswell in Chesshire Shropshire VVorcestershire and Herefordshire as within VVales which Gruffyth ap Conan and the sonnes of Blethyn ap Convyn had doone gathered his power together and entred VVales at Mountgomery which castell being latelie ouerthrowne by the VVelshmen he reedified againe but the VVelshmen kept so the straites of the mountaines with the woods and the riuers that the king did no good but lost his labour and his men therfore he returned backe to his great dishonor In the yeare 1094. died VVilliam the sonne of Baldwyn who at the kings commandement had built the castell of Rydcors after whose death the castell was forsaken by his men and the inhabitants of Gwyr Brechnock Gwent Gwentlhwc cast from their necks the burthen of the Normanes that had wonne their countries and held them in subiection and chased them out of their countries but they returned againe with great strength of Englishmen and Normanes Then the countrie men which abhorred their pride and cruell rule met with them at a place called Celly Tarvawc and fought with them manfullie so that they put them to flight with great slaughter and chased them backe againe out of the land Neuertheles the greedie Normanes would not giue ouer but doubling their strength returned againe to Brechnockshire making a vow to leaue no liuing thing within that countrie But it hapned otherwise for the people fled before them and staid at a straite and killed a great number of them About this time Roger Mountgomery Earle of Salop and Arundell William Fitzeustace Earle of Glocester Arnold de Harecourt and Neale le Vicount were slaine betwéene Cardyf and Brechnock by the Welshmen Also Walter Eureux Earle of Sarum and Hugh Earle Gourney were there hurt and died after in Normandie Therefore when the Normanes saw that they had all the losse they manned and victailed the castels which they had before time builded there and returned backe but in their returne Gruffyth and Ivor the sonnes of Ednerth ap Cadogan met them vpon the sudden at Aberlhech and falling vpon them slew the most part of them and the rest escaped to England But the Normane captaines defended the castels manfullie and kept them vntill they were driuen by force for safegard of their liues to forsake them then the ancient dwellers enioied their countries againe quietlie Moreouer certeine lords of Northwals namelie Vchthed the sonne of Edwyn ap Grono and Howel ap Grono with the children of Cadogan ap Blethyn of Powys land gathered a number of men passed through Cardiganshire to Dyuet which countrie the king a little before had giuen to Arnulph sonne to Roger Mountgomery who had builded there the castell of Penbrooke and appointed keeper and steward of the same one Gerald de Windsore and there burned spoiled and destroied all the countrie sauing the said castell of Penbrooke which they could not winne and so returned home with great bootie After the returne of these lords Gerald issued out of the castell and spoiled the lands of S. Dauids and tooke manie prisoners and returned to the castell The yeare following William Rufus returning from Normandie to England and hearing of the great slaughter of his men doone by the Welshmen gathered all his power with great pompe and pride entred Wales But the Brytaines fearing the great strength of the king put their hope onlie in the almightie Lord turning to him in fasting praier and repentance of their sinnes and he that neuer forsaketh the penitent and contrite hart heard their praiers so that the Normanes and Englishmen durst neuer enter the land but such as entred were all slaine and the king returned with small honor after he had built certaine castels in the marches The yeare following being 1096. Hugh de Mountgomerie Earle of Arundell and Salopsburie whom the Welshmen call Hugh Goch that is to saie Hugh the read headed and Hugh Vras that is Hugh the fat Earle of Chester and a great number of Nobles more did gather a huge armie and entred into Northwales being thereto mooued by certeine Lords of the countrie But Gruffyth ap Conan the Prince and Cadogan ap Blethyn tooke the hilles and mountaines for their defense bicause they were not able to meete with the Erles neither durst they well trust their owne men And so the Erles came ouer against the Ile of Môn or Anglesey where they did build a castell of Aberlhiennawc Then Gruffyth and Cadogan did go to Anglesey thinking to defend the Ile and sent for succour to Ireland but they receiued verie small Then the treason appeared for Owen ap Edwyn who was the Princes cheefe counseller and his father in lawe whose daughter Gruffyth had married hauing himselfe also married Everyth the daughter of Convyn aunt to Cadogan was the cheefe caller of those strangers into Wales who openlie went with all his power to them and did lead them to the Ile of Anglesey which thing when Gruffyth and Cadogan perceiued they sailed to Ireland mistrusting the treason of their owne people Then the Earles spoiled the Ile and slew all that they found there And at the verie same time Magnus the sonne of Haroald came with a great nauie of ships towards England minding
matter and he putting all the fault in his son excused himselfe as well as he could Then said the king to Cadogan Seeing thou canst not keepe thine owne but that thy son and thy companions shalbe receiued and succored therein in disorder I will giue it one that will keepe them out I will keepe thee at my charges all thy life charging thee vpon thine allegeance that thou enter not within Wales vntill such time as I haue taken further order And so the king gaue him twentie daies and set him at libertie to go whither he would sauing to Wales When Owen and Madoc heard this they departed to Ireland Then the king foorthwith sent for Gilbert sirnamed Strangbow Earle of Strygill which was a noble valiant and a woorthie knight to whom he said thus Thou hast beene diuerse times a suter to me to haue some lands in Wales and now I giue thee all the lands and inheritance of Cadogan ap Blethyn win it and take it Gilbert receiued it ioifullie and thanked the king and gathered all the power he might landed in Caerdigan shire and brought the countrie to his subiection without anie contradiction Then he builded two faire castels there one towards Northwales vppon the riuer Ystwyth at the sea shore a mile from Lhanbadarn another towards Dyuet vpon the riuer Teiui at a place called Dyngerant where Roger Mountgomery had begonne a castell before time And shortlie after Madoc ap Riryd returned from Ireland because he could not well awaie with the maners and conditions of the Irishmen and being arriued came to the countrie of his vncle Iorwerth who hearing that and fearing to lose his lands as his brother Cadogan had doone made proclamation that no man should dee for him but take him for his enimie Which when Madoc vnderstood he gathered to him a number of vnthrifts and outlawes and kept himselfe in the rockes and woods deuising all the meanes he could to be reuenged vpon Iorwerth for that vnkindnes and discourtesie as he tooke it and so entred freendship priuily with Lhywarch ap Trahaern who hated Iorwerth to the death Then hauing knowledge that Iorwerth laie one night at Caereneon they two gathered all their strength came about the house at midnight then Iorwerth his men awoke and defended the house manfullie vntill their foes set the same on fire which when Iorwerths men saw euerie one shifted for himselfe so that some scaped through the fire and the rest were either burnt or slaine or both Then Iorwerth himselfe seeing no remedie aduentured rather to be slaine than burned and came out but his enimies receiued him vpon sharpe speares and ouerthrew him in the fire and so he died a cruell death As soone as the king vnderstood this he called Cadogan before him gaue him his brothers land which was Powys and promised Owen his pardon willing his father to send for him to Ireland About this time king Henrie preferred his base sonne Robert to the marriage of Mabil daughter and sole heire of Robert Fitzhamon Lord of Glamorgan in whose right the said Robert was Lord of Glamorgan and was also at the same time by his said father created Earle of Glocester he builded the castell of Cardyff Now when Madoc saw his other vncle Cadogan rule the countrie he hid himselfe in rough and desert places and adding one mischiefe vpon another determined also to murther him by one waie or other Therefore after that Cadogan had brought the countrie to some staie of quietnesse and saw right and iustice ministred therein hauing euer an eie respect to the king he came to the Trallwng now called the Poole and the elders of the countrie with him and minding to dwell there began to build a castell Then Madoc pretending nothing but mischiefe hearing this came suddenlie vpon him Cadogan thinking no hurt was slaine before he could either fight or flee After this Madoc sent streight to the bishop of London the kings lieutenant at Shrewesburie praied him to remember what he had promised him before time when he chased Owen out of the land for the bishop hated Owen and Cadogan and gaue Madoc all such lands as his brother Ithel was possessed of Now Meredyth the sonne of Blethyn hearing of the death of both his brethren sped himself to the king desiring of him the lands of Iorwerth which Cadogan had latelie obteined and the king gaue him the rule thereof till such time as Owen sonne to Cadogan was come from Ireland who came shortlie after and went to the king who receiued him to his peace and gaue him his lands Wherevpon Owen promised to the king a great fine and gaue pledges for paiement of the same Likewise Madoc did fine to the king for his peace and lands neuerthelesse the king bad him take heede of the kinsfolkes of such as he had murthered vpon his owne perill In the yeare 1111. Robert de Belesmo was taken by the king in Normandie and committed to perpetuall prison in Warham too gentle a punishment for so cruell and bloodthirstie a man as hee was for all his delite was therin in so much that he put out both the eies of his owne child with his thumbes for a pastime as the boy plaied vnder his gowne The yeare after Meredyth ap Blethyn sent a number of his men to make a road into the countrie of Lhywarch ap Trahaern ap Gwyn who was Meredythes and Owens enimie as he that succoured Madoc to kill his vncles Iorwerth and Cadogan Meredyths brethren These men as they passed through the countrie of Madoc in the night they met with a man which belonged to the said Madoc whome they tooke and examined him where his maister was and he first said that he could not tell but being put in feare of death he confessed that he was not far from thence Therefore they laie quietlie there all the night and in the dawning they came suddenlie upon Madoc and his men where they slew a great number of them and taking Madoc prisoner they brought him to their Lord who was right glad thereof and put him in safe prison till he had sent word to his Nephew Owen who came thither streight then Meredyth deliuered Madoc vnto him And albeit he had slaine Owens father being his owne vncle yet Owen remembring the freendship and oth that had beene betwixt them two in times past would not put him to death but putting out his eies let him go Then Meredyth Owen diuided his lands betwixt them which was Caereneon Aberhiw and the third part of Devthwr The yeare following king Henrie prepared an armie against Wales being thereto prouoked by such as would haue the Welshmens lands that was Gilbert Strangbow Earle of Strygill to whom the king had giuen Caerdigan who made sore complaints vpon Owen ap Cadogan declaring that he receiued and maintained such as robbed and spoiled in his countrie Also Hugh Earle of Chester said no
steward of Ireland and so it was concluded for the kings going to Ireland When the king was in his iournie towards Ireland the Lord Rees came to the king who receiued him to his peace confirmed vnto him all that he had Then Rees promised the king towards his conquest of Ireland 300. horsses and 400. Oxen and gaue him 14. pledges Then the king came to Southwales entring Caerlhêon vpō Vske tooke the towne from the Lord thereof Iorwerth ap Owen ap Caradoc keeping the same to his owne vse Wherefore Iorwerth departed from the king and calling to him his two sonnes Owen and Howel whom he had begotten by Angharat the daughter of Vchtryd bishop of Landaff and his sister sonne Morgan ap Sitsylt ap Dyfnwal gathered a number of men and vpon the kings departure entred the countrie spoiling and burning as they went and tooke the towne of Caerlhêon and destroied it saue the castell which they could not get But the king kept on his iornie to Penbrooke and there he gaue Rees all Caerdigan Stratywy Arustly Eluel Then Rees being at Aberteiui which he had wonne from the Earle of Glocester and fortified of late came from thence to Penbrooke in the calends of October and spake with the king and returned againe the daie after and then chose out of the horsses which he caused to be brought thither for the king 86. and made them to be brought to Penbrooke and presented them to the king who chose out of the same 36. of the best and sent the rest backe againe with great thankes The same daie the king went to Saint Dauid and offering there dined with the bishop Dauid the sonne of Gerald coosen germaine to Rees whither Richard Strangbowe Earle of Strigule came from Ireland to speake with the king and after dinner the king returned to Penbrooke Within a while after the king being at the white house rendered to Rees Howel his sonne who had beene long for pledge with him and then also he gaue him day for the other pledges and for his tribute till his returne from Ireland The next daie being the morrowe after the feast of S. Luke the Euangelist the king tooke shipping there and had faire passage to Ireland and so landed at Dublyne where he laie quietlie that winter The Christmasse folowing Henrie the yong king kept a solemne feast where William S. Iohn procurator of Normandie and William Fitzhamon Seneshall of Brytaine and 110. besides were made knights In the yeare 1172. there fell a great plague among the kings soldiours in Ireland by reason of the change of the aire and victuals and therefore the king returned and landed in Wales in the passion weeke and remained in Penbrooke on Easter daie and the daie folowing and on tuesdaie tooke his iournie towards England Then the lord Rees met with him at Talacharn to doo his dutie The king as he passed from Cardyf by the new castell vpon Vske sent for Iorwerth ap Owen ap Caradoc to come speake with him vnder safe conduct to him his sons and freends meaning to conclude peace with him and so to quiet all VVales Wherevpon Iorwerth tooke his iournie towards the king and sent word to Owen his sonne being a lustie yoong gentleman to meete with him by the waie but as he came at his fathers commandement the Earle of Brystowes men hearing of it came forth of the new castell vpon Vske and laid wait for him by the way being vnder the kings safe conduct trusting to his promise and suddenlie set vpon him and murthered him traitorouslie and cowardlie being vnarmed and hauing but a few in his companie Which thing when his father heard by some of his men that had escaped he was verie sorie and returned home with all his freends and his sonne Howel and would neuer afterwards trust neither the kings promise nor anie Englishmans but forthwith gathered all the power freends that he could make and without mercie destroied all the countrie with fire and sword to the gates of Hereford and Glocester to auenge the death of his son Then the king made the lord Rees chiefe Iustice of all Southwales by commission and tooke his iournie to Normandie In the same yeere died Cadwalader ap Gruffyth ap Conan prince of Northwales who had by his wife Alice the daughter of Richard Clare Earle of Glocester Cunetha Radulph and Richard and by other women he had Caduan Cadwalader Eneon Meredyth goch and Cadwalhon Towards the end of this yeare Sitsylt ap Dyfnwal and Ieuan ap Sitsylt ap Riryd got the castell of Abergevenny vpon the sudden and tooke the kings garrison prisoners and the yeare ensuing was the fairest winter that euer was seene At this time there fell a variance betwixt the two kings of England the father and the sonne and there cleaued to the sonne the Queene his mother and both his brethren Geffrey and Richard and the Earle of Chester and William Patrick with the three sonnes of the Earle of Mellent Camerarius de Tancquervilla Valeran de Hibera Gilbert de Regularijs Simon de Montfort Radulph de la Haie Hugh de S. Maura and the French king with the Earle of Flanders gaue the yoong king aid who tooke Hugh Lacie and Hugh Beauchamp in the castell of Vernoyle yet the elder king was not discouraged who had Almanes and Brabanters to his soldiours Also Rees prince of Southwales sent to him Howel his sonne with a goodlie companie of men to serue him and the king was verie glad sent the lord Rees great thanks King Henrie ouerthrew his enimies diuerse times and tooke Radulph de Fulgerijs and the Earle of Chester prisoners but William Patricke and Haftulph de Hilario escaped Also the Earle of Leycester Hugh de nouo Castello as they began a stirre in England were taken at Burie by the elder kings soldiours and committed to prison In this meane time Iorwerth ap Owen brought his power against Caerlhêon and they of the towne fought with him whome he ouerthrew and tooke manie prisoners of them and wan the towne and laid siege to the castell which was yeelded him forthwith in exchange for his prisoners Then also his sonne Howel brought all Gwentîs Coet the castell onelie excepted to his subiection and tooke pledges of the inhabitants of the countrie Also at this time Dauid ap Owen Gwyneth prince of Northwales made warre against his brother Maelgon which kept the Ile of Môn or Anglesey brought his people ouer Mênai for so that arme of the sea is called which separateth that Ile from the maine land and chasing his brother out of the Ile to Ireland brought all the Ile to his subiection Also he expelled all his brethren and coosens out of Northwales and tooke all their lands to himselfe and taking his brother Maelgon as he came from Ireland kept him in close prison then Conan his brother died In the yeare 1175.
which kept the castell of Aberteiui deliuered the same vnto him vpon S. Stephens daie and the daie after he had the castell of Cilgerran from whence he returned to Northwales with great honor and triumph In the which viage these lords accompanied him to wit Howel ap Gruffyth ap Conan Lhewelyn ap Meredyth Gwenwynwyn lord of Powys Meredyth ap Rotpert Maelgon and Rees Vachan the sonnes of prince Rees Rees and Owen the sonnes of Gruffyth ap Rees and the power of Madoc ap Gruffyth Maylor lord of Bromfield The winter after was the fairest winter that euer was seene The yeare folowing the prince went to Aberteiui to make an agreement betwixt Maelgon and Rees Vachan sonnes to prince Rees on the one side and their nephues yoong Rees and his brother Owen the sonnes of Gruffyth ap Rees on the other side where he diuided Southwales betwixt them after this maner to Maelgon he gaue three Cantrefs in Dyuet Gwarthaf Penlhwynoc Cemaes and Emlyn with the castell of Cilgerran two in Stratywy Hiruryn and Malhaen and Maenor Bydvey with the castell of Lhanymdhyfry and two in Caerdigan Gwynionyth and Mabwyneon to yoong Rees and Owen his brother he gaue the castell of Aberteiui and the castell of Nant yr arian or siluer dale and three Cantrefs in Caerdigan withall And to Rees Vachan otherwise called Rees Gryc the castell of Dyneuowr the Cantref Mawr and the Cantref Bachan except Hiruryn and Mydhuey the Comotes of Cydwely and Carnwylhion This diuision being accomplished the prince returned homeward to whom by the way it was signified that Gwenwynwyn contrarie to his oth and bonds in writing had forsaken him and became againe the kings subiect which greeued the prince verie much and therefore he sent vnto him bishops and Abbots to moue him to remember his oth and promise and his pledges giuen to the prince and to shew him his owne hand and therevpon to see if he would come againe and to promise him the princes fauour but he would in no case heare of reconciliation wherefore the prince entred into Powys with fire and sword and subdued the countrie to himselfe wherevpon Gwenwynwyn fled to the Earle of Chester for succours and there remained for a while At this time Lewys sonne to the French king being called by the Barons of England landed at Tenet who receiuing to his hands all the holdes by the waie came to London and there receiued homage of the Barons and from thence went towards Winchester where king Iohn was and by the waie got the castels of Rygat Guilford and Fernam then comming to Winchester receiued the same with the castell Wherevpon king Iohn fled to Hereford in the Marches of Wales and sent to Reynold Bruse and to prince Lhewelyn desiring freendship but they would not heare him Therefore he destroied the castell of Radnor and Haye and came a long to Oswestree which towne being of the possessions of Iohn Fitzalans he burned to the earth and departed from thence northward leauing power as he went in whose companie were William de Albemarle the Earle of Glocester Philip de Albineto Iohn Marshall Foulke de Breant a noble good soldiour to whom the king gaue in mariage the daughter of the Earle Riuers with the castell of Bedford William Earle of Salisburie the kings brother William Briwer VValter Espec Also he appointed gouernors of the North Hugh Baliol and Philip Halcots He made gouernors of the citie of Yorke Robert de Veipont Geffrey Lucy and Bryan de Lysle Upon the other part Lewys coming from VVinchester tooke the castell of Odyham and came to London with great triumph where Geffrey Maundeuile Earle of Essex was slaine by misfortune running at the tilte And the Lords that mainteined the quarell were these VVilliam Erle VVaren VVilliam Earle of Arundell VVilliam Erle of Salisburie who forsooke the king at the end VVilliam Marshall the yoonger VVilliam de Maundeuile Robert Fitzwater VVilliam Huntingfield all southern men and Robert de Rose Peter de Bruse and Richard Percie northern men And all this while Hubert de Burgh kept the castell of Douer worthilie to the behoofe of the king But as king Iohn was making preparation at Newerke he fell sicke and died and lieth buried at VVorcester After the death of king Iohn Rondle Earle of Chester VVilliam Marshall Erle of Penbrooke William Earle Ferrers Philip de Albineto and Iohn Marshall crowned Henrie his sonne king of England at Glocester In the meane while Lewys besieged the castell of Douer but all in vaine Then returning to London where the citie was deliuered him he proceeded and wan the castels of Hartford and Berkamstede Wherevpon there was a truse concluded betwixt both princes for a while then Lewys returned to France This yeare Howel ap Gruffyth ap Conan died and lieth buried at Conwey The yeare 1217. manie of the nobles of England forsooke Lewys whom they had called in before and contrarie to their oth came to king Henrie as William de Albineto lord of Bealwere besides Notingham who was imprisoned in Corff William Earle Warren VVilliam de Albineto Earle of Arundell William longa Spata Earle of Salisburie William Marshall the yonger and William de Cantilupo Then Lewys shortlie after landed at Douer with a great armie and laid siege to the castell but he could doo no good from thence he went and incamped before the castell of Windsore and when he cold not get it he tooke his iournie to Lincolne whither the armie of king Henrie came against him where a cruell battell was fought wherein Lewys was put to flight a great number of his nobles taken as Saere Quincy Earle of Winchester Henrie de Bohune Earle of Hereford Gilbert de Gaunt Earle of Lincoln Robert Fitzwater Richard Montfytchet Gilbert de Clare William Mowbraye William Beuchamp VVilliam Mandit Aemer Harcourt Roger de Crescy William de Coluile William de Rosse Robert Rippeley and there were slaine Symon de Vescy Hugh de Roch Reynald Crescy constable of Chester Gerald de Furneuale and manie other Also Hubert de Burgh captaine of Douer Henrie de Turberuile and Richard Sward gaue the French nauie whereof Eustace a moonke was captaine an ouerthrow In this meane time Reynald de Bruse did agree with the king vnknowing to prince Lhewelyn and contrarie to his promise Wherefore yoong Rees and Owen his sisters sons seeing that he in whom they trusted most deceiued them rose against him and wanne all Buelht from him sauing the castell But when the Prince heard of this agreement he was sore offended withall and comming with an armie to Brechnock he laid siege to the town of Aberhodny where the burgesses of the towne came to him and by meanes of yoong Rees the Prince taking 100. markes and fiue pledges of them raised his siege and tooke his iournie ouer the blacke mountaines towards Gwyr where he lost much of his cariages And as he camped at Lhangruc
in this present vsage laid out Item I shall make satisfaction for all damages and iniuries doone by me or anie of my subiects vnto the king or his according to the consideration of the kings court and shall deliuer such as shalbe malefactors in that behalfe Item I shall restore vnto the said lord the king all the homages which the late king Iohn his father had which the said lord the king of right ought to haue especiallie of all the noble men of Wales and if the king shall set at libertie anie of his captiues the possessions of that man shall remaine to the king Item the land of Elsiner with the appurtenances shall remaine to the lord the king and his heires for euer Item I shall not receiue or suffer to be receiued within my countrie of Wales anie of the subiects of England outlawed or banished by the said lord the king or his barons of Mercia Item for confirmation and performance of all and singular the premisses on my behalfe I shall prouide by bonds and pledges and by all other waies and meanes as the said lord the king shall award and will accomplish the commandement of the said king and will obeie his lawes In witnesse whereof to this present writing I haue put my seale Dated at Alnet by the riuer of Elwey in the feast of the decollation of S. Iohn Baptist in the 25. yeare of the reigne of the said king For the obseruations of these articles the said prince Dauid and Ednyuet Vachan were sworne Also the said prince Dauid submitted himselfe to the iurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canturburie and of the bishops of London Hereford and Couentrie for the time being That all or one of them whome the king shall appoint may excommunicate him and interdict his land vpon breach of anie the said articles And therevpon he procured the bishops of S. Bangor and S. Asaph to make their charters to the lord the king whereby they granted to execute and denounce all sentences aswell of excommunication as of interdiction sent from the foresaid Archbishop bishops or anie of them The said Dauid also sent priuilie to the king to desire him that he would suffer him being his nephue and the lawfull heire of Lhewelyn his father to enioy the principalitie of Wales rather than Gruffyth which was but a bastard and no kinne vnto the king Giuing him withall to vnderstand that in case he did set Gruffyth at libertie he should be sure to haue the warre renewed Wherevpon the king knowing these things to be true and vnderstanding also that Gruffyth was a valiant stout man and had manie fréends and fauorers of his cause inclined rather to assent vnto Dauids request than otherwise to be in danger of further troubles and therefore willinglie granted the same Shortlie after Dauid sendeth his brother Gruffyth vnto the king and other pledges for himselfe for performance of the said articles which the king sent forthwith to the towre of London there to be safelie kept allowing to Gruffyth a noble a daie for his finding And within few daies after Michaelmas prince Dauid came to the kings court and did his homage and swore fealtie who for so dooing in that he was the kings nephue was sent home againe in peace When Gruffyth saw how althings went that he was not like to be set at libertie he began to deuise waies and meanes to escape out of prison Wherefore deceiuing the watch one night he made a long line of hangings couerings and shéetes and hauing gotten out at a window let downe himselfe by the same from the toppe of the towre but by reason that he was a mightie personage and full of flesh the line brake with the weight of his bodie and so falling downe headlong of a great height his necke and head was driuen into his bodie with the fall whose miserable carcase being found the morowe after was a pitifull sight to the beholders The king being certified thereof commanded Gruffyths sonne to be better looked vnto and punished the officers for their negligence Then the king fortified the castell of Dyserth in Flyntshire Also the king gaue to Gruffyth sonne to Gwenwynwyn lord of Powys his inheritance and to the sonnes of Conan ap Owen Gwyneth their lands in Merionyth Then shortlie after Gilbert Marshall Earle of Penbrooke was slaine by misfortune fighting at the Turnay at Hereford The bishop of Bangor came to the court to sue for the deliuerance of Gruffyth sonne to prince Lhewelyn but the king knowing him to be a man of great courage would in no wise grant him libertie The yeare after king Henrie went to France with an armie to succour Hugh de Brune his father in lawe meaning also to recouer some of that which his father had lost but all in vaine for the people fauoured the French king therfore hauing lost a great number of his men amongst whom was Gilbert de Clare he returned home againe Maelgon Vachan about this time fortified the castel of Garthgrugyn Iohn de Mynoc also fortified the castell of Buelht Roger Mortimer the castell of Melyenyth The summer folowing the king began to trouble the Welshmen verie sore and to take their lands by force without iust title or rightfull cause This yeare died Hugh de Albineto Earle of Arundell whose inheritance was diuided betwixt his foure sisters Whereof Isabel the eldest had maried Iohn Fitzalan lord of Oswalstree and Clun whose sonne named also Iohn Fitzalan was in the right of the said Isabel his mother created Earle of the Earledome of Arundell in the which house it remained to our time Within a while after Rees Mechylh sonne to Rees Gryc of Southwales died This yeare prince Dauid sent to Rome to complaine to the Pope how the king of England compelled him vniustlie to hold his lands of him Therefore the Pope sent to the abbots of Aberconwy and Cymer a commission to enquire of this matter After the death of Gruffyth king Henrie in the 29. yeare of his reigne as appeareth by the records in the towre intituled his eldest sonne Edward to the principalitie of Wales which thing when Dauid vnderstood he put himselfe in armour to defend his inheritance and right and knowing himselfe not able to withstand the kings force he sent to Rome with great gifts to the Pope complaining as is here mentioned and declaring withall that Lhewelyn his father had least him and the principalitie of Wales vnder the protection of the church of Rome His sute therefore to the Pope was that he would accept of the same and that Dauid and his heires might hold it of the church of Rome yéelding and paieng yearelie out of the same the summe of fiue hundreth markes for paiment of which summe he bound himselfe and his successours by solemne oth and writing executed accordinglie Which offer Pope Innocentius ex super abundanti gratia accepted Quia ecclesia Romana nunquam claudit gremium talia
ships with rich spoiles and great triumphes Some are of another opinion which affirme that the said Hugh the Norman entised and procured the Danes to come and beséege the citie of Excester which they did burne and vsed the people with great crueltie vntill in the end the said Almarus Earle of Deuon and the Gentlemen of the countrie submitted themselues and so obteined peace And the yeare folowing being 1004. Swayne a mightie prince of Denmarke to whom God predestinated the crowne of England came with a great number of sailes and laid siege to Norwich and spoiled it with whom Wolfkettel duke of the land made peace yet the Danes after they had rested a while went to Thetford which they also spoiled and returned to their ships with their praie and ouerthrewe duke Wolfkettel who had gathered and prepared an armie to fight with them and so failed to their countrie and two yeares after returned againe with their companions fire sword and spoile and landed at Sandwich and burned it and made England quake as a reed in the wind and thence sailed to Wight where they wintered till Christmas and then entred Hampshire and passed in diuerse bands alongst the land to Reding Wallingford and Colsey deuouring such victuales as they found in the houses paieng therefore with sword and fire at their departing And at their returne they met neere Essington the armie of the Westsaxons which did nothing but trouble them with killing laded them with spoile and so passed the gates of Winchester with much triumph to Wight and all this while was king Edelred at his manour in Shropshire full of cares and troubles And then the nobilitie of England bought peace of the Danes for 30000. pound In the which time of peace Edelred tooke an order that of euerie 300. hides of land through the realme there should be a ship made and furnished and of euery 8. hides a corselet and a helmet An hide containeth as much ground as a plough maie eare by the yeare Besides these the king had a nauie from Normandie which being all togither at Sandwich was one of the greatest that euer was seene in Brytaine But it hapned so that where the king had banished one Wilnot a noble man of Sussex he fell a rouing vpon the sea and troubled all passages and victualers Then Brightrych brother to the traitor Edric Erle of Mercia promised the king to bring before him Wilnot either aliue or dead but it hapned otherwise for there fell such a tempest that he was driuen of force to the shore where manie of his ships were lost and the reast Wilnot and his companie did set on fire and burned them Then Brightrych being abashed of this infortunate beginning returned againe alongst the Thames to London Shortlie after there landed a nauie of Danes at Sandwich and so passed by the land to Canturburie minding to destroie the citie but the citizens bought peace for 30000. pound And the Danes passed first through Kent Sussex Hampshire and Barkshire where king Edelred with all the power of England met them notwithstanding being persuaded by the traitor Edric he would not fight with them so that they returning backe by London which citie defended it selfe manfullie went to their ships But in the yeare folowing they landed againe at Ipswich vpon the Ascension daie there ouercame and put to flight Duke Wolfkettel who fought with them Then passsing from thence to Cambridge they met the kings sisters sonne with his armie whom they slew and with him Duke Oswyn with Edwyn Wolfrike Earles and after tooke their waie by Essex towards Thames leauing no part of crueltie vnpractised by the waie And alongst the riuer-side they went to Oxford which they had burned the yeere before and so to the three castels vpon Ouze Buckingham Bedford and Huntingdon and destroied Godmanchester which was then a faire towne and burned Northampton and at Christmas returned to their ships The next yeare folowing when they had spoiled all the land from Trent southward they laid siege to the citie of Canterburie and wan it by treason of one Almarike whom Alfege the Archbishop had deliuered from death and left nothing behind them but bloud and ashes carieng the Archbishop with other to their ships whom they cruellie slew afterward Within a while after Swayne king of Denmarke came alongst Humber to Gainesbourgh to whom Vitred Duke of Northumberland with all his people and all Lynsey with the countries North of Watlingstreete became subiects and gaue him hostages Whervpon Swayne finding his enterprises fortunate and luckie committed his nauie to Cnute his sonne and went him selfe to Oxford and Winchester which cities with all the countries about aknowledged him for their king Then he came to London where king Edelred was but the citizens defended the citie so manfullie and valiantlie that Swayne returned to Walingford and so to Bath and receiued homage of all Westsaxon and afterward comming to London receiued the citie to mercie and was called king throughtout the land Then Edelred perceiuing all things to fall against him fled to Normandie to his wife and his two sonnes Edward and Alfred whom he had sent thither before And Swayne as soone as he had brought the whole land to his obeisance died suddenlie after whose death the Danes chose Cnute his sonne for their king but the Englishmen sent for Edelred home againe who comming with a great armie destroied Lynsey bicause that prouince was become subiect to Cnute Which thing when Cnute vnderstood being at Ipswich he cut off the hands and noses of all the pledges that he had and returned to Denmarke About this time Brian king of Ireland and Murcath his sonne and other kings of that land to him subiect did gather a great power against Sutric the sonne of Abloic king of Dyuelyn and Mailmorda king of Lagenes which Sutric hired a number of strangers all armed men and rouers vpon the seas to his succour and gaue Brian battell where the said Brian and his sonne weer slaine and on the other side Mailmorda and Broderike captaine of the strangers In the yeare 1013. Cnute came againe from Denmarke and landed in Westsex and spoiled all the countrie Then Edric with Edmund king Edelreds bastard sonne gathered an armie but yet they durst not giue him battell Then went Edmund to Vitred duke of Northumberland together they spoiled Staffordshire Leycestershire and Shropshire Cnute likewise vpon the other side came downe through Buckinghamshire Bedfordshire Hutingdonshire and so by Stafford passed toward Yorke to whome Vitred came and yeelded himselfe yet he lost his life whose possessions Cnute gaue to one Egricke and made him duke in his stead wherevpon Edmund went to his father which laie sicke at London Then Cnute returned to his ships and sailed to Thames mouth and vp the riuer towards London but before he came thither Edelred was departed
the yeare following he was slaine by Howel and Meredyth the sonnes of Edwyn leauing behind him a sonne named Gruffyth ap Lhewelyn Iago ap Edwal Iago the sonne of Edwal ap Meyric ap Edwal Voel About the yeare 1031. the Irish-scots entred Southwales by the meanes of Howel and Meredyth the sonnes of Edwyn ap Eneon ap Owen ap Howel Dha who hired them against Rytherch ap Iestyn whom they discomfited and slew by that means attained vnto the gouernement of Southwales which they two ruled iointly but yet with small quietnesse for the sonnes of Rytherch gathered a number of such as were their fathers friends to reuenge his death with whom Howel and Meredyth met at Hyarthwy after long fight put them to flight But in the yeare folowing Meredyth was slaine by the sons of Conan the sonne of Sitsylht brother to the worthie prince Lhewelyn to reuenge their fathers death whome Meredyth and his brother had slaine The yeare next ensuing certaine Englishmen entred the land of Gwent with whom Rytherch ap Iestyn fought and was by them slaine Not long after died Cnute the most famous and mightiest prince in the West parts of the world as he that had vnder his dominion the great countrie of Swethen from Germanie to the Northpole with Norway and Denmarke and all the noble Ile of Brytaine After whom Haroald Harfote his son begotten vpon Alwyn the daughter of Duke Alfelyn was created king For Hardie Cnute his other sonne by Emma was then in Denmarke This Haroald in the first yeare of his reigne banished Emma his stepmother out of the realme In the yeare 1037. Gruffyth the son of Lhewelyn ap Sitsylth sometimes king of Wales raised a great number of people against Iago then enioieng the principalitie or kingdome of Northwales whome Iago likewise prouided for as well as he could but the more part and the better souldiours were of Gruffyths side for the loue they bare to his father which afterward well appeared for after the armies once met Iago was soone ouerthrowne and slaine This Iago left behind him a sonne called Conan by his wife Auandred daughter to Gweir the sonne of Pylh. Gruffyth ap Lhewelyn Gruffyth the sonne of Lhewelyn ap Sitsylht and Angharat This Howel procured Edwyn the brother of Leofrike Earle of Chester or Mercia to come with an armie of Englishmen and Danes to his aide against prince Gruffyth who met his enimies in the field and ouercame them and slue the said Edwyn but Howel escaped by flight After the which victorie Gruffyth made sundrie inuasions vpon the marches towards Hereford and alwaies returned with great spoiles When Gruffyth had brought all Wales vnder his dominion he returned to Northwales againe The yeare insuing 1038. Hernun Archbishop of Meneuia or S. Dauids died a man both learned and godlie The yeare next following Howel king of Southwales gathered a great power of his friends and strangers and entred the land intending to recouer it againe Wherefore Gruffyth like a worthie prince came with all speed to succour his people and meeting with Howel at Pencadair after he had incouraged his souldiours gaue him battell and ouerthrew him and pursued him so narrowlie that hee tooke Howels wife whome hee had brought to the field to see the ouerthrow of Gruffyth which chanced otherwise whome Gruffyth liked so well that he kept hir for his concubine About this time Haroald king of England died and his brother Hardycnute reigned in his stead a noble and a liberall prince who as it is reported caused his tables to be couered and furnished four times euerie daie for strangers and all commers and after he had reigned two yeares he died at Lambeth in the floure of his age After whose death the Englishmen sent for Alfred the eldest son of Edelred from Normandy but that message pleased not Earle Godwyn which was the mightiest man in the land because he knew the yoong prince to be couragious and stout and therefore one that would not suffer him to rule the land as he intended to doo Therefore he persuaded the people that Alfred who had come well accompanied with Normanes had promised them the whole rule of the land and therevpon they tooke all the Normanes and bound them and afterward tithed them putting euerie tenth man to death And yet they thought there were too manie wherefore they tithed them the second time and lead Alfred from Gilford where this crueltie was committed to Gillingham and there put out his eies and remoued him thence to Ely where he was pitifullie murthered Afterward they sent for Edward the yonger sonne whome they receiued as king the yeare folowing after that he had maried Godwynes daughter who in the first yeere of his reigne banished Earle Swayne sonne to the said Earle Godwyn who was receiued of the Earle of Flanders In the yeare 1041. Howel came againe to Southwales and remained there awhile and shortlie after a number of strangers landed in Westwales spoiled the countrie against whom Howel gathered a number of people and fought with them and droue them to their ships with much losse At this time Conan the sonne of Iago who had fled to Ireland to saue his life with the power of Alfred king of Deuelyn whose daughter Ranulph he had maried entred Northwales and by treason had taken Gruffyth the king and caried him towards the ships but when it was knowen the countrie vpon the sudden folowed the Irishmen and ouertaking them rescued their prince requiting their foes with much slaughter to their ships who returned streight with Conan to Ireland The yeare folowing Howel the sonne of Owen Lord of Glamorgan died being a man full of yeares Then Howel ap Edwyn called to his succour Danes and Englishmen with all the power he could make in Southwales Whereof Gruffyth being certified gathered his power togither in Northwales came couragiouslie to meete his enimies whom he had twise before discomfited and ouercame them and chased them as farre as the spring of the riuer Towy where after a long and dangerous battell Howel was slaine and his armie discomfited and so narrowlie pursued that few escaped aliue After whose death Rytherch and Rees the sonnes of Rytherch ap Iestyn aspiring againe to the rule and gouernment of Southwales which their father had once obtained gathered a great armie aswell of strangers as out of Gwentland and Glamorgan and met with Gruffyth king of Wales who after his accustomed maner detracting no time but couragiouslie animating his men with the remembrance of their former fortune and diuerse victories vnder his standard ioined battell with his enimies whom he found disposed to abide to win againt the honor which before they had lost wherfore when they met the fight was cruell bloudie continued till night which easilie departed both armies being werie with fighting and either fearing other returned to their countries to gather more strength This
tooke Roger his coosen and VValtheof whome he committed to prison and caused to be executed afterward but Radulph escaped and departed the realme Of the VVelshmen which were at this marriage VVilliam hanged some put out the eies of others and banished the rest After that in the yeare 1073. Blethyn ap Convyn king of VVales was traitorouslie and cowardlie murthered by Rees ap Owen ap Edwyn and the gentlemen of Ystrad Tywy after he had worthilie gouerned VVales 13. yeares This man was verie liberall and mercifull and loued iustice and equitie in all his reigne This Blethyn had by diuerse women manie children first Meredyth by Haer daughter to Gylhyn Lhywarch and Cadogan by another woman Madoc and Riryd by the third and Iorwerth by the fourth Trahaern ap Caradoc Trahaern the sonne of Caradoc AFter the death of Blethyn Trahaern ap Caradoc his coosen germane tooke vpon him the rule of Northwales Rees ap Owen with Rytherch ap Caradoc did iointlie rule Southwales Then Gruffyth sonne to Conan sonne to Iago or Iames right inheritour of Northwales came from Ireland with succor which his brethren Encumalhon king of Vltonia and Ranalht and Mathawn had deliuered him and he landed in the Ile of Môn or Anglesey and brought it to his subiection At this time Kynwric ap Rywalhon a noble man of Maelor or Bromefield was slaine in Northwales This yeare also Gronow and Lhewelyn the sons of Cadogan ap Blethyn did ioine their powers with Caradoc ap Gruffyth ap Rytherch against Rees ap Owen and Rytherch ap Caradoc to reuenge their grandfathers death and then fought at a place called Camdhwr where the sonnes of Cadogan obteined the victorie Shortlie after Gruffyth ap Conan passed ouer the water from Môn to the maine land and Trahaern ap Caradoc met with him at Bronyrerw where Gruffyth was put to flight and retired backe to the Ile In the yeare 1074. Rytherch ap Caradoc was slaine by treason of his coosen germane Meyrchaon ap Rees ap Rytherch and Rees ap Owen ruled Southwales alone Neuerthelesse the sonnes of Cadogan gathered their powers and came against him and fought with him the second time at Gwaynyttyd where he was put to flight but yet he gathered a new power kept the land still Then Trahaern ap Caradoc king of Northwales mooued his power against Rees who boldlie met him with all the power of Southwales at a place called Pwlhgwttic where after long fighting Rees was put to flight and after great slaughter of his men he fled from place to place fearing all things like a stag that had beene latelie chased which mistrusteth euerie noise but at the last he with his brother Howel fell into the hands of Caradoc ap Gruffyth who slue them both in reuenge of the death of the wise and noble prince Blethyn ap Convyn At this time Sulien Archbishop of S. Dauids did forsake his Bishopricke and Abraham was chosen Bishop in his place In the yeare 1077. Rees the soone of Theodor the sonne of Eneon the sonne of Owen the sonne of Howel Dha as right inheritour to the kingdome of Southwales claimed the same and the people receiued him with much ioie made him their prince The next yeare after Meneuia was all spoiled and destroied by strangers and Abraham the Bishop died after whose death Sulien was compelled to take the Bishopricke againe In the yeare folowing Gruffyth the sonne of Conan did bring a great armie of Irishmen and Scots into Wales and ioined with Rees ap Theodor as two right heires of the whole countrie Gruffyth of Northwales and Rees of Southwales descending both linealie fró Roderike the great against whom came Trahaern ap Caradoc and Caradoc Gruffyth and Mailyr the sons of Rywalhon ap Gwyn his coosen germanes for Gwyn ap Blethyn was their grandfather who in those daies were the chiefe rulers of all Wales And after they had met at the mountains of Carno they fought a cruell battell and were the more eger bicause vpon that daies worke laie the liues honor of either partie But at the length the victorie fell to Gruffyth and Rees and Trahaern with his coosens were all slaine and the most part of their people then the kingdomes of Wales came vnder the rule of the right heires againe At this time also a noble man of Wales called Vrgeney ap Sitsylht was slaine by the sons of Rees Sais which is to saie Rees the Englishman for so they vsed to name all such as had serued in England could speake the English toong Gruffyth ap Conan Gruffyth the sonne of Conan This Thrustan comming from Rome brought with him a new kind of note for the ordinarie seruice of the church which he would haue had his moonks to vse in their dailie seruice but they not willing to change their old Mumpsimus for his new Sumpsimus as the priest said to the Bishop of his masse did stoutlie withstand their Abbot and thereof came this moonkish brall wherein these thrée moonks were slaine and eightéene more hurt About this time or not long after the sepulchre of Walwey king Arthurs sisters sonne was found vpon the sea shore in the countrie of Ros the bodie by estimation vpon viewing of the bones was thought to be xiiij foote in length Walwey in his life time was a right noble and valiant warriour of verie good reputation who ruled that countrie which to this daie of him is called Walwethay And this yeare Sulien forsooke his Bishoprike the second time and Wylfred was stalled in his place At this time also the towne of Caerdyff was built In the yeare 1087. William Bastard king of all Brytaine and Duke of Normandie died when he had left neuer a noble man of English bloud within England but had robbed spoiled and slaine or banished them all and giuen their lands to his owne men for God had brought in the Normanes to reuenge his anger vpon the Angles and Saxons which Normanes were counted the cruellest people in the world for euer when they had brought their enimies to subiection that they were not able to rebell against them they commonlie destroied one another and so euer exercised their crueltie vpon themselues as it appeared in England Normandie Apulia Calabria Sicilia Antiochia which countries they brought to their subiection It is noted also by Iohn Rous and Castoreus that no Englishman bare office of anie credit or countenance in the Conquerours daies and that it was counted a great reproch and shame for a noble man or gentleman to be called an Englishman or to ioine in affinitie by mariage with the English nation they hated them so sore whereby it appéereth that all the ancient noble men and gentlemen within this land are descended either from the Normans and French or from the Brytaines When William had obtained full possession of the realme he appointed ordeined such officers as spoiled the
right Earle of VVarwick and had issue two daughters Marie married to the Duke of Clarence and Anne married first to Prince Edward slaine at Teuxburie and after his death with Richard Duke of Glocester who was afterward king of England The said Anne and king Richard being then Duke of Glocester had the said lordship giuen vnto them by the said Anne Countesse of VVarwick hir mother King Henrie the seuenth enioied the same after the death of king Richard Iasper Duke of Bedford enioied the same by the gift of king Henrie the seuenth and died without issue and by reason thereof it remained to the king againe King Henrie the eight enioied the same after his Father King Edward the sixt succéeded him therein and sold almost all the lands thereof Quéene Marie succéeded him in the Segniorie Queene Elizabeth our most dread souereigne Ladie that now is doth succéed hir in the same Segniorie and hath sold the Lordship of Neth from it so that now there remaine no more lands appertaining to the Segniorie but the moitie of the manour of Deinaspowys onelie ¶ The Petegree of Londres Lord of Ogmore one of the said twelue WIlliam Londres Lord of the castell and manour of Ogmore as is before said wan afterwards the lordships of Kydwelhey and Carnewilhion in Caermarthen shire from the Welshmen and gaue to sir Arnold Butler his seruant the castell and manour of Dunreeven in the lordship of Ogmore aforesaid The which euer sithence hath continued in the heirs male of the said Arnold Butler vntill within these few yeares that it fell to Walter Vaghan sisters sonne to Arnold Butler the last of the Butlers that was owner thereof Simon de Londres his sonne succéeded him William de Londres succéeded his father Simon and had issue one sonne Moris de Londres his sonne succéeded him and had issue one onelie daughter The said daughter married with one Seward a man of great possessions They had issue a daughter onelie married to Henrie Earle of Lancaster brother to Thomas Earle of Lancaster Henrie their sonne made afterwards Duke of Lancaster did succéed them and so the said thrée Lordships Ogmore Kydwelhey and Carnewilhion became parcels of the duchie of Lancaster euer after ¶ The Petegree of Greenefeeld SIr Richard Greenefeeld before said to whom the lordship of Neth was giuen in reward was lord of the castell and manour of Bydyford in Deuonshire at the time he came into Wales with the said Robert Fitzhamon and founded an abbaie of white moonkes in Neth and gaue the whole lordship to the maintenance of the same and then returned backe againe to Bydyford whereas the issue male of his bodie doth yet remaine and enioieth the same The Petegree of Turberuile Lord of Coyty SIr Paine Turberuile Lord of Coyty as is before said Sir Symon Turberuile succéeded him and died without issue Sir Gilbart Turberuile succéeded his brother Sir Paine Turberuile his sonne succéeded him and married Mawd daughter and sole heire to Morgan Gam one of the nephewes of the aforesaid Iestyn Sir Gilbart their sonne quartered Iestyn his armes with Turberuiles Sir Gilbart his sonne succéeded him Sir Richard his sonne succéeded him Sir Paine his sonne succéeded him who married with VVenlhian daughter to Sir Richard Talbot knight and had issue by hir two sonnes that is to wit Gilbart and Richard and foure daughters namelie Catharine Margaret Agnes and Sara Sir Gilbart succéeded Sir Paine his father Sir Gilbart his sonne succéeded him and died without issue Sir Richard his fathers brother succéeded him and hauing no issue entailed the Lordship of Coity to the heires male of Sir Roger Berkerolles knight Sir Roger Berkerolles knight sonne to Sir VVilliam Berkerolles knight and Phelice his wife one of the daughters of Veere Earle of Oxenford which said Sir Roger had married Catharine the eldest sister of the said Sir Richard And for default of such issue the remainder to the heires male of Sir Richard Stakpoole knight who married with Margaret second sister of the said Richard And for default of such issue the remainder to the heires of Sir Iohn de la Beare knight and Agnes his wife the third sister to the said Richard And for lacke of such issue male the remainder to the heires male of William Gamage and of Sara his wife the fourth sister to the said Sir Richard Turberuile The said Berkrolles Stakepoole and De la Beare died without issue male by reason whereof after the death of sir Laurence Berkerolles knight sonne to the said sir Roger and Catharine his wife the said Lordship fell to sir William Gamage sonne to Gilbert sonne to the foresaid William Gamage and Sara The said William was sonne to sir Robert Gamage knight sonne to Paine Gamage Lord of the manour of Rogiade in the countie of Monmowth The foresaid sir William had issue Thomas Thomas had issue Iohn Iohn had issue Morgan Morgan had issue sir Thomas Gamage knight and Margaret wife to Ienkin Thomas and Anne wife to Robert Raglan and Catharine wife to Reginald ap Howel and Wenlhian wife to Thomas ap Meyric The said sir Thomas Gamage had issue Robert Gamage that late was Catharine his eldest daughter wife to sir Thomas Stradling knight Marie the second daughter wife to Matthew Herebert Margaret the third daughter wife to the Lord William Howard and Elizabeth the fourth daughter wife to Richard Hogan of Penbrooke shire esquier The said Robert Gamage had issue Iohn Gamage that now is Sole heire generall to the said sir Roger Berkrolles knight and Catharine one of the foure sisters and heires generall to the aforesaid sir Richard Turberuile knight is sir Edward Stradling knight that now is Sole heire generall to the said sir Richard Stakepoole of Penbrooke shire and Margaret his wife another of the foure sisters and heires generall to the said sir Richard Turberuile knight is sir George Vernon knight Heires generall to the said sir Iohn de la Beare knight and Agnes his wife an other of the foure sisters and heirs generall of the said sir Richard Turberuile knight are Oliuer S. Iohn Lord S. Iohn of Bledso and William Basset of Glamorgan esquier that now is Iohn Gamage esquier that now is is as well heire generall lineallie descended from Sara the fourth sister and heire to the said sir Richard Turberuile knight as also heire by the entaile aforesaid to the whole Lordship of Coyty ¶ Robert de S. Quintine his Petegree SIr Robert de S. Quintine to whom the lordship of Lhanblethian was giuen and his issue male enioied the same vntill king Henrie the third his time And then or in short time after his issue male failed of whome is descended sir William Parr late Marques of Northampton ¶ Richard de Syward his Petegree SIr Richard Syward to whom the lordship of Talauan was giuen and his issue male enioied the same vntill king Edward the thirds time at which time the heires thereof hauing other lands in Somersetshire sold the said
sent for Ithel and Madoc the sonnes of Riryd ap Blethyn to whom he promised rich gifts and great rewards besides the rule of the whole countrie if they could take or kill Owen to reuenge the dishonor that he had doone to the king and to them he added Lhywarch the sonne of Trahaern ap Caradoc whose two brethren Owen had slaine and Vchtryd the sonne of Edwyn which foure promised the bishop to bring him Owen and his father either aliue or dead and therevpon foorthwith gathered their power to destroie the whole countrie but Vchtryd sent priuie word before that all such of the people as would haue their liues saued should come to him And when the countrie heard this some fled to Arustly some to Melienyth some to Stradtywy and some to Dyuet where Gerald was destroieng the countrie And at that time Walter bishop of Hereford did gather an armie to defend Carmarthyn and met with such as fled to Arustly and Melienyth and destroied a great number of them Those that went to Stradtywy were gentlie receiued by Meredyth ap Rytherch and Vchtryd saued all such as came to him and so these foure came with their powers to the castell of Rydcors and thought best to haue entred the countrie by night and to take Cadogan and Owen his sonne vnawares But Vchtryd dissuaded them from that and thought it dangerous to enter the countrie by night for feare of ambushment but counselled them to enter in by day with their men in good order In the meane while Cadogan and Owen gat a ship at Aberystwyth which was latelie come from Ireland and escaped awaie and the daie after when they entred into the land they found none of them that they sought Therefore putting all the fault vpon Vchtryd they burned and spoiled all the countrie sauing the Sanctuaries of Padarn and Lhandhewi Breui yet they tooke diuerse men out of those places and caried them prisoners to their countries and then returned to their owne castels againe Then Owen with such as had beene with him at the burning of the castell fled to Ireland to king Murcart who receiued him ioiouslie for he had beene there before in the time of the warre of the two Earles in Anglesey or Môn and had brought the king rich gifts from Wales But Cadogan kept himselfe priuilie in Powys sent to the king to declare his innocencie Tehn the king was content he should remaine in the countrie and enioy the towne and lands that he had by his wife for she was daughter to a Lord of Normandie called Pygot de Say Then Madoc and Ithel his two nephewes diuided such lands as he and his sonne Owen had in Powys betwixt them and ruled it verie euill for they could neuer agree among themselues within a while Cadogan made such freends to the king that paieng a 100. pound fine he should enioy againe his landes in Caerdigan and that the inhabitants should returne againe to their houses and till the ground for the king had giuen commandement that no Welshman nor Normane should dwell within Caerdigan When they that were in Ireland vnderstood this they returned home priuilie and hid themselues in their coosens houses and shortlie after Owen returned againe to Wales but not to Caerdigan for his father had receiued that land vpon such condition that he should not suffer Owen to come therein nor succour him either with counsell monie or men Nowbeit Owen came to Powys and would faine haue sent messengers to the king but he could get no man that durst venture to speake for him Also at that time there happened some variance betwixt Madoc ap Riryd and the bishop of London lieutenant of the Marches about certeine felons of England that had fled to him for succor whom the bishop sent for but could not get wherfore he was sore offended with him Then Riryd vnderstanding of that sent to Owen desired his freendship whose greatest enimie he was before and by this meanes they were made freends and swore either to other that none of them should betraie the other nor agree by himselfe with the king or with his officers without the other and therevpon they burned and spoiled the lands of such as they loued not destroied all things that they met withall At this time also the Emperour Henrie did send his ambassadors to entreate of a mariage with Mawd the daughter of king Henrie and had hir to his wife And shortlie after the king banished and disinherited Peter de Bruse William Mallet and William Baynard and put to death the Earle of Mayne That yeare appeared a terrible Comete Then also the king remembred Iorwerth ap Blethyn whom he had kept long in prison and sent to know of him what time he would paie to haue his libertie and he promised the king 300. pound or the worth thereof in cattell or horses then the king set him at libertie and gaue him his land againe and gaue ten pound of that monie to Henrie sonne to Cadogan by the daughter of Pygot All this while Owen and Madoc were burning and spoiling the Englishmen and Normanes and euer withdrew themselues to the land of Iorwerth which thing greeued him greatly wherevpon he sent word of his danger desiring them to spare his land Cadogans for if it were knowne that they came in anie of theirs the land was forfeited to the king When Owen and Riryd heard this they vsed his countrie more often than they were woont then Iorwerth seeing that chased them out of his countrie Then they went to the countrie of Vchtryd in Merionyth shire and the sons of Vchtryd sent word to their people to keepe them out of their countrie and so they did for meeting them by the waie they set vpon them and Owen and Madoc defended themselues manfullie but at the last they and their men were driuen backe and so they fled Owen to Caerdigan to his fathers countrie and Madoc to Powys Then Owen with his companions made diuerse roades to Dyuet and spoiled the countrie carieng awaie the men and the cattell to the ships that they came in from Ireland and after ransomed them and gathered a great number to him set vpon a towne of Flemings and burned it and returned to Caerdigan nothing esteeming his fathers danger nor the kings displeasure At this time it chansed that Owens men among other mischeefes laid wait for a bishop that was towards the king whose name was William de Brabant and slew him and all his men Then Iorwerth Cadogan were at the court to speake with the king concerning certaine businesse of their owne and as the king talked with them behold there came in a Fleming brother to the dead bishop who made an exclamation declaring how Owen ap Cadogans men had slaine his brother and a great number moe and how they were succoured in Cadogans land Then the king being therewith sore displeased asked Cadogan what he could saie to the
30000. markes and the king granted the prince a Charter to receiue from thenceforth homage and fealtie of all the nobilitie and Barons of Wales sauing one so that all the foresaid Barons should euer after hold of the prince as their liege lord and he to be called and written from thenceforth prince of Wales And in witnesse of this the king put his seale and hand to the said Charter which was likewise confirmed by the authoritie of the Pope The yeare after this died Grono ap Ednyuet Vachan a noble man and chiefe of the princes councell In the yeare 1270. died Gruffyth lord of Bromfield and was buried at Vale Crucis Here endeth the Brytish copie That which foloweth vnto the death of this Prince was collected by Humfrey Lhoyd Gentleman AT this place leaueth the Brytish booke and writeth no further of the end of this prince but leaueth him at the highest and most honorable staie that anie prince of Wales was in of manie yeares before the writer peraduenture being abashed or rather ashamed to declare the vtter fall and ruine of his countrie men wherevnto their owne pride and discord did bring them as it doth euidentlie appeare to him that searcheth out their histories But I intending to finish the historie during the gouernment of the Brytaines haue sought out in other Chronicles written in the Latine toong speciallie in the Chronicle of Nicholas Triuet who wrote from the beginning of the reigne of king Stephen to the coronation of Edward the second and such other asmuch as I could find touching this matter The yeare 1270. Iohn Earle Waren slew Alan Le Souch lord chiefe Iustice in Westminster hall The yeare folowing Edward with his brother Edmund went to the holie land where at Acon he was in danger to be slaine by a villaine vnder the colour of deliuering of a letter who gaue him fiue wounds with a knife And the yeare 1272. died Henrie king of England and Edward his sonne comming from the holie land two yeares after was crowned at Westminster king of England to which coronation the prince of Wales refused to come although he was sent for laieng for his excuse that he had offended manie noble men of England and therefore would not come in their daunger without he had for pledges the kings brother with the Earle of Glocester and Robert Burnell cheefe Iustice of England wherewith the king was sore offended but he dissembled his displeasure for that time King Edward could neuer brooke prince Lhewelyn sithence the time that he was driuen to slight by him at their méeting in the marches whereof mention is made before page 321. On the other side Lhewelyn liked no better of the king than the king did of him Againe those noble men which for their disobedience were disinherited by Lhewelyn were receiued and intertained of king Edward which things caused the Prince to feare some euill practice by those and other such as hated him if he should haue béen at the kings coronation to doo his homage and fealtie according to the writ directed vnto him in that behalfe as appeareth by an instrument sent by the said Prince to Robert Kilwarby Archbishop of Canturburie the Archibishop of Yorke and other bishops sitting then at their conuocation in the new Temple at London Anno. 1275. Wherein the causes of this warre are contained which instrument it selfe as it was then sent is extant at this daie written in parchment with the Princes great seale therevnto appendant which I haue séene and copied out of the originall verbatim being then in the custodie of Thomas Yale doctor of lawe of late Deane of the arches a great searcher and preseruer of the antiquities of Wales which I thought conuenient here to laie downe for the fuller vnderstanding of this historie Reuerendissimis in Christo patribus ac D.D. Roberto Dei gratia Archiepiscopo Cantuar. totius Angliae Primati Archiepiscopo Eborum ac eorum Suffraganeis c. TO the most reuerend fathers in Christ and Lords Robert by the grace of God Archbishop of Canturburie primate of England and the Archbishop of Yorke and their Suffraganes being now togither at London in councell their deuout sonne Lhewelyn Prince of Wales and lord of Snoudon greeting with due obedience reuerence and honor in all things Be it knowen to your reuerend Fatherhoods that where heretofore contention and discord wherof warre followed and long continued arose betwixt the king of noble memorie Henrie king of England of the one partie and vs of the other partie the same contentions and strife were at the last appeased by authoritie of the sea Apostolike and means of the reuerend father lord Otobonus Deacon and Cardinall of S. Adrian Legate into England as it appeareth in the forme of treatie and peace betwixt the said king and Edward his first begotten son lord Edward now king of England and their successors on the one partie and vs and our successors on the other partie by the corporall othes of both parties assured Which forme of peace was committed to writing by the said Legate with the seale of the said king and the seale of the said lord Edward now king and with our seale also In the which peace it is conteined amongst other things which you doo well know as we beleeue that we and our successors should hold of the king and his successors the principalitie of Wales So that all Welsh Barons should hold their Baronies and lands of vs and our successors in Capite and should doo homage and fealtie to vs and to our heires one Baron excepted for the which we and our successors should doo homage and fealtie to the lord the king and his successors It is further conteined in the same peace that neither the said king nor his successors should receiue anie of our enimies nor anie running awaie from vs or our successors nor should helpe or maintaine anie such against vs or our successors The which all are conteined in the forme of peace the tenor whereof the reuerend Fathers of Strata Florida and Aberconwey bearers hereof can shew you But see reuerend Fathers the lord Edward now noble king of England after the said peace taketh into his hands certeine Barons lands of Wales of which they and their ancestors haue beene long possessed and keepeth a Baronie in his hands which should be ours by the forme of peace other Barons of our land being from vs fugitiues running to him he keepeth helpeth and mainteineth as Dauid ap Gruffyth and Gruffyth ap Gwenwynwyn who purposed our death and destruction Notwithstanding that since their departure they haue robbed within our land committed slaughter and burning of houses and doo still dailie commit the like against the peace aforesaid although we haue often sent our greefes complaints by our solemne messengers to the said noble lord Edward as well before he was king as since yet vnto this daie he neuer did anie redresse therein
Also that which is more perilous he called vs vnto a place not to vs safe amongst our deadlie enimies our fugitiues and felons and their spies and murderers to doo him homage and fealtie to the which place we can no waies come without danger of our bodie especiallie seeing our enimies aboue said be in that place at the kings table and sometime in counsell and openlie brag themselues And though lawfull and reasonable excuses were alledged by our messengers before the king and his councell why the place was not safe nor indifferent yet he refused to allow or appoint anie other place indifferent for vs to doo our homage and fealtie which we were and are readie to doo vnto him in anie safe place by him to be appointed if he will appoint anie and to performe the other articles of the peace concluded and sworne And for that it pleased him not to come to anie place where we could with safetie do him homage we were suiters to him to send anie from him to receiue our oth and homage vntill it pleased him to appoint a place where we shall doo our homage to him personallie the which thing he vtterlie denied to doo We therfore beseech your Fatherhoods earnestlie that it please you to consider what danger should happen to the people both of England and of Wales by reason of the breach of the couenants of peace aboue said if now warres and discord should follow which God forbid attending and calling to remembrance the prohibition of the holie father the Pope latelie in the councell at Lions that no warre should be mooued amongst Christians least thereby the affaires of the holie land should be neglected that it would please you also to helpe with your counsell with the lord and king that he would vse vs and order vs according to the peace agreed vpon the which we will no waie infringe And if he will not harken to your counsell therein which God forbid that you will hold vs excused for we will no waies as much as in vs lieth procure the trouble or disquietnes of the Realme And if it may please you to giue credit to our messengers which we doo send to the king at the daie by him vnto vs appointed to alledge our lawfull excuses in those things which they by mouth shall on our part shew vnto you resting to doo your will and pleasure if it please you to write againe Dated at Talybont the 6. daie of October An. 1275. Shortlie after the king came to Chester willing the Prince to come thither and doo him homage which when the Prince detracted to doo the king gathered an armie to compell him thereto The yeare folowing the countesse of Leycester wife to Symon Montfort which remained at a Nunrie in Montargis in France sent hir daughter to Wales to marie the Prince as it was agreed betwixt them in hir fathers time and with hir came hir brother Aemerike and a goodlie companie who fearing the coast of England kept their course to the Iles of Sylle where by chance they met with foure ships of Bristowe which set vpon them and tooke them and brought them to the king who intertained the ladie honourablie sending hir brother to be kept prisoner in the castell of Corff from whence he was remooued to the castell of Shirburne Then the king prepared two armies whereof he lead one himselfe to Northwales as farre as Ruthlan and fortified that castell And the other he sent with Paganus de Camurtijs a worthie soldiour to Westwales who burned and destroied a great part of the countrie And this yere it rained blood in diuers places in Wales The yeare ensuing the lords of Southwales came to the kings peace and did him homage and deliuered the castell in Stratywy vnto the kings lieutenant Paganus de Camurtijs Then the prince vnderstanding this and seeing that his owne people had forsaken him sent to the king for peace which was agreed vpon these conditions First that all those which the Prince kept prisoners of the kings freends and for his cause should be set at libertie Item that the Prince should paie to the king for his fauour and good will 50000. markes to be paid at the kings pleasure Item that foure Cantreds should remaine to the king and his heires for euer which Cantreds I thinke were these Cantref Ros where the kings castell of Teganwy stood Cantref Ryuonioc where Denbigh is Cantref Tegengl where Ruthlan standeth and Cantref Dyffryn Clwyd where Ruthyn is Item that the lords Marchers should quietlie enioy all the lands that they had conquered within Wales Item that the prince should paie yearelie for the Ile of Môn or Anglesey 1000. marks which paiement should begin at Michaelmas then next ensuing that also he should paie 5000. marks out of hand and if the Prince died without issue the Ile should remaine to the king and his heires Item that the Prince should come to England euerie Christmas to doo the king homage for his lands Item that all the Barons in Wales should hold their lands of the king sauing fiue in Snowdon who should acknowledge the Prince to be their lord Item that he should for his life enioy the name of Prince and none of his heires after him so that after his death the foresaid fiue Barons should hold of the king and of none other Item that for the performance of these articles the Prince should deliuer for hostages ten of the best in VVales without imprisoning disinheriting or time of deliuerance determined also the king to choose twentie within Northwales which should take their othes with the Prince to performe all these articles and if the Prince should swarue from anie of them and being thereof admonished would not amend and redresse the same they should forsake him and become his enimies The Prince was also bound to let his brethren enioy their lands in VVales of whom Dauid had long serued the king whom the king had made knight contrarie to the maner of VVales and had giuen him in mariage the daughter of the Earle of Derby whose first husband was latelie deceased to whom the king gaue Denbigh in Northwales and a 1000. pound lands therewith His other brother Roderike was latelie fled to England out of prison and Owen the third was deliuered at this composition This peace was concluded in the kings absence who appointed one of his Commissioners to wit the lord Robert Tiptoft to take an oth for him and authorized the said Robert Anthonie Beke and William de Southampton Prior prouinciall of the Friers preachers Commissioners nominated on his behalfe to receiue the like oth of the said Lhewelyn for whose part Theodor or Tuder ap Ednyuet and Grono ap Heilyn were Commissioners At this time the king builded a castell at Aberystwyth and returned to England with much honor vnto whom the people granted a subsidie of the twentie part of their goods towards his
which hapned vpon S. Leonards daie Thomas Walsingham writeth that the king lost in this viage a little before this fouretéene ensignes at which time the lord William de Audeley and the lord Roger Clifford the yoonger and manie other were slaine and the king himselfe was driuen to take the castell of Hope for his safegard In the meane time was the Earle of Glocester Sir Edmund Mortimer with an armie in Southwales where were manie that serued the king and there fought with the princes freends at Lhandeilo Vawr and gave them an overthrow wherein on the kings side yoong William de Valence his coosen germane and foure knightes more were slaine And all this while the Prince destroied the countrie of Caerdigan and all the lands of Rees ap Meredyth who serued the king in all these warres But afterward the prince separated himselfe from his armie with a few and came to Buelht thinking to remaine there quietlie for a while and by chance as he came by the water Wy there were Edmund Mortimer and Iohn Gifford with a great number of soldiours and either partie were abashed of other Edmund Mortimers men were of that country for his father was lord therof Then the prince departed from his men and went to the vallie with his esquire alone to talke with certeine lords of the countrie who had promised to meete him there Then some of his men seeing their enimies come downe from the hill kept the bridge called Pont Orewyn defended the passage manfullie till one declared to the Englishmen where a foord was a little beneath through the which they sent a number of their men with Helias Walwyn who suddenlie fell vpon them that defended the bridge in their backs and put them to flight The princes esquire told the Prince as he stood secretlie abiding the comming of such as promised to meete him in a little groue that he heard a great noise and crie at the bridge and the prince asked whether his men had taken the bridge and he said Yes Then said the Prince I passe not if all the power of England were vpon the other side But suddenlie behold the horssemen about the groue and as he would haue escaped to his men they pursued him so hard that one Adam Francton ranne him thorough with a staffe being vnarmed and knew him not and his men being but a few stood and fought boldlie euer looking for their Prince till the Englishmen by force of archers mixt with the horssemen wanne the hill and put them to flight And as they returned Francton went to spoile him whome he had slaine and when he saw his face he knew him verie well and stroke off his head and sent it to the king at the Abbie of Conwey who receiued it with great ioy and caused it to be set vpon one of the highest turrets of the Towre of London This was the end of Lhewelyn beetraied by the men of Buelht who was the last Prince of Brytaines blood who bare dominion and rule in Wales So that the rule and gouernment of the Brytaines euer continued in some place of Brytaine from the first comming of Brutus which was in the yeare before Christes incarnation 1136. to the yeare after Christ 1282. by the space of 2418. yeares Shortlie after that the King had brought all the countrie to his subiection the countrie men themselues brought to him Dauid the Princes brother whome he kept in Ruthlan castell and after put him to death at Shrewesburie Then the king builded two strong holdes in Northwales the one at Conwey and the other at Caernaruan When Rees Vachan hard how all things went he yeelded himselfe to the Earle of Hereford who at the kings commandement sent him to the Towre of London to be imprisoned there And so the king passed through all Wales and brought all the countrie in subiection to the crowne of England to this daie Thus endeth the Historie of the Brytish Princes The Princes of Wales of the blood royall of England collected for the most part out of the Records in the Towre Edward of Caernaruon Then the king hauing the countrie at his will gaue whole lordships and townes in the middest of Wales vnto English lords as the lordship of Denbigh to Henrie Lacy Earle of Lincolne the lordship of Ruthyn to the lord Reginald Gray second sonne to Iohn lord Gray of Wilton and other lands to manie of his nobilitie This Henrie Lacy lord of Denbigh was the sonne of Edmund Lacy the sonne of Iohn Lacy lord of Halton Pomfret and Constable of Chester who maried Margaret the eldest daughter and one of the heires of Robert Quincy Erle of Lincolne the said Henrie married Margaret the daughter and sole heire of William Longspee Earle of Sarum and had issue Edmund and Iohn which both died yoong of whom the one perished by a fall into a verie déepe well within the castell of Denbigh and a daughter named Alicia maried vnto Thomas Plantagenet Earle of Lancaster who was in the right of his said wife Earle of Lincolne and Sarum lord of Denbigh Halton Pomfret and constable of Chester After the death of the said Thomas king Edward the second gaue the lordship of Denbigh to Hugh lord Spencer Earle of Winchester after whose death the same lordship was giuen by king Edward the third Anno Regni sui primo as appeareth of Record to Roger Mortimer Earle of March with diuerse other lordships in the Marches in performance of the kings promise while he remained in France with his mother for the prouision of a thousand pound lands of a reasonable extent for the said Roger assoone as by Gods grace he should come to the possession of the crowne and kingdome of England Within few yeares after the Earle of March being attainted the said lordship of Denbigh was giuen by the same king to the lord Montagu Earle of Sarum but shortlie after An. 29. Ed. 3. it was restored againe with the Earldome of March to the Mortimers in the which house the same remained vntill the whole inheritance of the Mortimers came with a daughter to the house of Yorke and so to the crowne as appeareth before pag. 317. And now of late it was giuen by the Quéenes Maiestie that now is An. Regni sui 6. to the right honorable Robert Earle of Leycester who was then created Baron of Denbigh it is counted now one of the greatest and best lordships in England The lordship of Ruthyn continued in the possession of the Grayes vntill in the time of king Henrie the seuenth George Gray Earle of Kent and lord of Ruthyn passed the same vpon some bargaine to the king and now it is of the possession of the right honorable the Earle of Warwicke There came the same time with king Edward to Northwales diuerse Gentlemen who grew afterward to be men of great possessions in the countrie whose posteritie doo enioy the same to this daie Rees ap
29. yeare of king Edward the first Edward prince of Wales came to Chester where he receiued the homage of the fréeholders of Wales as Henrie Earle of Lancaster did homage and fealtie for Monmouth Reginald Gray for Ruthyn Fulke Fitzwarren for his lands in VVales The lord William Martin for his lands in Cemaes Roger Mortimer for his lands in VVales Henrie Lacy Earle of Lincolne for the land of Ros and Ryuoneoc in VVales Robert lord Mount alt for his land in VVales Gruffyth lord of Poole for the lordship of Powys Sir Gruffyth Lhoyd knight Tuder ap Grono of Anglesey Madoc ap Tuder Archdeacon of Anglesey Encon ap Howel of Caernaruon Tuder ap Gruffyth Lhewelyn ap Ednyuet Gruffyth Vachan the sonne of Gruffyth ap Iorwerth Madoc Vachan Denglfield Lhewelyn bishop of S. Asaph Maister Richard de Puelesdon This man as appeareth by the Records in the Towre was made Sheriffe of Caernaruon shire during his life with the stipend of fourtie pound starling yearelie An. 12. Ed. 1. Gruffyth ap Tuder Ithel Vachan Ithel ap Blethyn c. The lord Richard de Sutton Baron of Malpas did homage and fealtie to Edward Prince of Wales and Earle of Chester for the said Baronie of Malpas Apud Ruthlan 27. Die Aprilis An. supra dicto Anianus or Eneon bishop of Bangor and Dauid Abbot of Maynan did homage and fealtie to the said Edward Prince of Wales Apud Conwey 28. Aprilis An. supra dicto Lewys de Felton the sonne of Richard de Felton did homage and fealtie to Edward Prince of Wales for the lands which the said Richard held of the prince in Maelor Saesneg Iohn Erle Warren did homage fealtie to Edward prince of VVales in the chappell of the lord Iohn de Kirkbie sometime bishop of Elie at London 25. die Iulij An. 30. E. 1. for the lordships of Bromfield and Yal The same Iohn Earle Warren swore fealtie vnto the said Prince for the lands in Hopdale The lord Edmund Mortimer the first daie of Nouember An. 30. Ed. 1. in the house of the bishop of Elie at London did homage and fealtie to Edward prince of VVales before his councell for his lands of Cery and Cydewen About the yeare 1322. one Sir Gruffyth Lhoyd knight gathered a great number of Welshmen and tooke diuers castles in Wales which were kept by the people of the lord Mortimer the elder He tooke also the castels of Mould Chirk c. The kéepers whereof comming to Prince Edward at Shrewesburie who then was king of England submitted themselues to him and were shortlie after sent to the Towre of London Edward of VVindsore THe same yeare béeing the fiftéenth of the reigne of king Edward the second Edward de Windsore the kings eldest sonne was in a parliament holden at Yorke created prince of VVales and Duke of Aquitane Edward of VVoodstoke surnamed the blacke Prince EDward borne at Woodstoke sonne and heire to king Edward the third was created Prince of Wales the twelfe daie of Maie in the xvij yeare of his fathers reigne when he was fouretéene yeares of age who in time grue to be the flowre of chiualrie of all Europe He tooke Iohn the French king prisoner at the battell of Poytiers and died his father yet liuing the eight of Iulie in the xlvj yeare of his age and the fiftie of his fathers reigne a prince of such excellent demeanor so valiant wife and politike in his dooings that the verie and perfect representation of knighthood appeared most liuely in his person for such was his towardnesse or rather perfection in princelie gouernement that if he had liued and atteined the crowne euerie man iudged that he would surelie haue excéeded the glorious renowme of all his ancestors Richard of Burdeuxe RIchard the sonne of Edward Prince of Wales was after the death of his father created Prince of Wales at Hauering at Bowre the 20. daie of Nouember in the 50. yeare of king Edward the third his Grandfather he was after the death of his said Grandfather king of England by the name of king Richard the second Henrie of Monmouth In the time of king Richard the second there was one Owen ap Gruffyth Vachan descended of a yoonger sonne of Gruffyth ap Madoc lord of Bromfield This Owen was first a student at the lawes of the Realme and became an vtter barrester or an apprentise of the law as they terme him and serued king Richard in great credit and fauour betwéene whom and the lord Gray of Ruthyn happened some discord about a péece of commons lieng betwéene the lordship of Ruthyn and the lordship of Glyndourdwy wherof Owen was owner and thereof tooke his surname of Glyndour During the reigne of king Richard Owen was too hard for the lord Gray being then a seruitour in court with king Richard with whom he was at the time of his taking by the duke of Lancaster in the castell of Flynt but after that king Richard was put downe the lord Gray being now better fréended than Owen entred vpon the said commons wherevpon Owen hauing manie fréends and folowers in his countrie as those that be great with Princes commonlie haue put himselfe in armour against the lord Gray whom he méeting in the field ouercame and tooke prisoner This was the verie begining and the cause of Owens rising and attempts Upon the taking of the lord Gray and spoiling of his lordship of Ruthyn manie resorted to Owen from all partes of VVales some thinking that he was aswell in fauour now as he was in king Richards daies some other putting in his head that now the time was come wherein the Brytaines through his meanes might recouer againe the honour and liberties of their ancestors These things being laid before Owen by such as were verie cunning in Merlins prophesies and the interpretations of the same for there were in those daies as I feare there be now some singular men which are déepelie ouerséene in those mysteries and hope one daie to méete veluet vpon London bridge with their bowes brought him into such a fooles paradise that he neuer waieng what title he might pretend nor what right he had procéeded and made warre vpon the Earle of March who was the right inheritour aswell to the Principalitie of VVales as appeareth before pag. 315. as to the kingdome of England after the death of king Richard being descended of the elder brother next to Edward prince of Wales father to king Richard Of which stirre and rebellion there insued much mischiefe to the VVelshmen For the king conceiuing great hatred against them shewed himselfe a manifest oppressor of all that nation making rigorous lawes against them whereby he tooke in a maner all the liberties of subiects from them prohibiting all VVelshmen to purchase lands or to be chosen or receiued to be citizens or burgesses in anie citie borough or market towne or be receiued or accepted to anie office of Maior Bailiffe Chamberlaine
constable or kéeper of the gates or of the gaole or to be of the counsell of anie citie borough or towne or to beare anie maner armour within anie citie borough or market towne And if anie sute happened betwéene a VVelshman and anie Englishman it was by law ordeined that the Englishman should not be conuict vnlesse it were by the iudgment of English Iustices and by the verdict of whole English burgesses or by inquests of English boroughs and townes of the Seigniories where the said sute laie also that all English burgesses that maried VVelshwomen should be disfranchised of their liberties No congregations or méetings in counsell was permitted to the VVelshmen but by licence of the chiefe officers of the same Seigniorie and in the presence of the same officers That no victuals or armour should be brought into VVales without the speciall licence of the king or his counsell That no VVelshman should haue any castell fortresse or house defensiue of his owne or of anie other man to kéepe No VVelshman to be made Iustice Chamberlaine Chancellor Treasuror Sheriffe Steward Constable of castell receiuer eschetor coroner nor chiefe forester nor other officer nor kéeper of the records nor lieutenant in anie of the said offices in no part of VVales nor of the counsell of anie English lord notwithstanding anie patent or licence made to the contrarie That no Englishman which in time to come shall marie anie VVelshwoman be put in anie office in Wales or in the Marches of the same These with other lawes both vnreasonable and vnconcionable such as no prince among the heathen euer offered to his subiects were ordeined and seuerelie executed against them Neither was it anie reason that for the offense of one man and his complices all the whole nation should be so persecuted whereby not onelie they that liued in that time but also their children and posteritie should be brought to perpetuall thraldome and miserie for these lawes were not ordeined for their reformation but of méere purpose to worke their vtter ruine and destruction Which doth euidentlie appeare in that they were forbidden to kéepe their children at learning or to put them to be apprentises to anie occupation in anie towne or borough of this realme Let anie indifferent man therefore iudge and consider whether this extremitie of law where iustice it selfe is méere iniurie and crueltie be not a cause and matter sufficient to withdraw anie people from ciuilitie to barbarisme Edward of VVestminster EDward the onelie sonne and heire of king Henrie the sixt borne at Westminster the thirtith daie of October in the 31. yeare of the reigne of his father was created prince of Wales and Earle of Chester by authoritie of parlement at Westminster the 15. daie of March in the 32. yeare of the said king his father This prince was afterwards of such towardnesse that he became skilfull in the knowledge aswell of martiall affaires as of matters of gouernment and lawes of the realme he was murthered at Teukesburie Edward of Westminster Iohn bishop of Worcester as appeareth by records of the towne Hall of Salop bearing date the tenth daie of Aprill in the 18. yeare of king Edward the fourth was president of the L. Princes counsell of the Marches of Wales who togither with the lord Anthonie Earle Riuers vncle and gouernor to the said Prince sate in the towne hall aforesaid and made certeine ordinances for the weale and tranquillitie of the said towne King Edward the fourth vsing much the faithfull seruice of the Welshmen meant the reformation of the estate of Wales and the establishing of a court within that Principalitie and therefore he sent the bishop of Worcester and the Earle Riuers with the prince of Wales to the countrie to the end he might vnderstand how to procéed in his purposed reformation But the troubles and disquietnesse of his owne subiects and the shortnes of his time suffered him to doo little or nothing in that behalfe Edward EDward the onlie sonne of king Richard the third being a child of tenne yeares of age was the foure and twentith daie of August in the first yeare of the reigne of the same king created prince of Wales Arthur Besides all this there was a commission at this time directed from king Henrie the seauenth to the Abbot of Lhan Egwest Doctor Owen Poole chanon of Hereford and Iohn King harold to make inquisition concerning the parentage of the said Owen who comming to Wales trauelled in that matter and vsed the helps of Sir Iohn Leyaf Guttyn Owen Bardh Gruffyth ap Lhewelyn ap Euan Vachan and others in the search of the Brytish or Welsh bookes of petigrées out of the which they drew his perfect genelogie from the ancient kings of Brytaine and the Princes of Wales and so returned their commission which returne is extant at this daie to be séene After that about the seuentéenth yeare of king Henries reigne Prince Arthur went againe to Wales being newlie married with whom the king sent Doctor William Smith which was afterward bishop of Lincolne to be president of his counsell appointing him other wise expert counsellors as Sir Richard Poole his kinseman which was his chéefe chamberlaine also Sir Henrie Vernon Sir Richard Crofts Sir Dauid Philip Sir William Vdall Sir Thomas Englefield Sir Peter Newton c. But before the yeare ended this noble Prince after that he had béene married to the ladie Catharine his wife the space of fiue moneths departed out of this transitorie life at Ludlowe castell the second daie of Aprill in the said yeare of his fathers reigne and with great funerall solemnitie was buried at Worcester Henrie duke of Yorke HEnrie duke of Yorke brother vnto Prince Arthur was after the death of the Prince the 18. daie of Februarie in the 19. yeare of the reigne of king Henrie the seuenth his father created Prince of Wales and was afterward king of England by the name of king Henrie the eight The said William Smith Bishop of Lincolne was L. President of his councell who continued in that office vntill the fourth yeare of this kings reigne and was the first L. President that is named in the records of that court he was founder of Brasenose college in Oxenford In the fourth yeare of this noble king Henrie the eight Geffrey Blyth Bishop of Couentrie and Lychfield was sent into Wales to be L. President of the princes councell where he continued vntill the 16. yeare of the same king Marie THe ladie Marie daughter to the same king Henrie the eight by the Princesse Catharine Dowager the widowe of Prince Arthur was Princesse of Wales And in the seuentéenth yeare of king Henries reigne Iohn Voiseie Bishop of Excester was sent by the king to be L. President of the councell of the said Princes in the marches of Wales where he continued vntill the 25. yeare of the same king This Bishop was Doctor of the lawes and verie well
ibidem taketh the gouernment vpon him 299. excommunicated 300. refuseth to deliuer his brother out of prison ibidem he submitteth himselfe to the king 304. he complaineth to the pope vpon king Henrie 308. maketh the principalitie of Wales tributarie to the church of Rome 309. putteth king Henries armie to flight 310. he dieth 313. Dauid ap Gruffyth 319. forsaketh his brother 326.335.350 his answere to the kings offer 370. he is taken and put to death 374. Dauid Fitz Gerald bishop of Meneuia 201.237 Denbigh D 10. the owners of it sithence the Dauid ap Gruffyth 377. giuen to Henrie Lacy Earle of Lincolne 377. Dial Rodri 38. Dinerth 45. Dinevowr D 6. and 17. the castell wonne 269. Donwalhon Prince of Stratclwyd 64. Dyffryn Clwyd D 10. Dyganwy D 10.262.267.326 parcell of the possession of y e Erle of Chester D 10. Dyuet D 17. destroied by the Danes 65.71 giuen to Arnulph 154. then to Iorwerth ap Blethyn 158. thirdlie to Saer 159. fourthlie to Gerald 161.272 E. EGbert King of England being the firste of the Saxons 25. he entred into Wales 24. he chaungeth the name of Brytaine into England 25. his warres against the Danes 27. he dieth ibidem his wife hated the Brytaines and caused the king to vse them hardly ibidem Elife ap Madoc 257. his lands taken from him sauing Crogen and 7. towneships ibidem Edelfled 44.47.48 Edgar king of England spoileth Northwales 61. dieth 64. Edmund K. of England 51. he is slaine 58. Ednyuet Uachan 249.306 Edwal Yoorch 7.9 Edwal Uoel 46. he is slain 51. Edwal ap Meyric 72. slain 73. Edwal Uachan the sonne of Edwal Uoel slaine 65. Edward the elder 43. he taketh London and Oxford from his sister 44. he disinheriteth his sisters daughter 49. dieth 50. Edward the Martyr 64. Edward the Confessor 92. Edward Earle of Chester 319 retireth 321. commeth to Wales 326. goeth to the holy land 328. crowned king of England ibidem he commeth to Chester 333. his offer to the Prince 364.365 his offer to Dauid ibidem he brought al Wales to his subiection 374. he giueth the lands of the Welshmen to the noble men of England 377. Edward Caernarvon 376. taketh homage of the freeholders of Wales 382. Edward of Woodstoke 384 Edward of Westminster 388. Edward of Westminster 389. Edward sonne to K. Richard the third 390. Edward the sixt 396. Elizabeth Princesse 394. Eneon ap Owen ap Howel Dha 65 he is slaine 66. Eneon ap Cadiuor 119. England and Englishmen 25. driuen out of the countrie of Senghennyth 279. they doo oppresse the Welshmen 337. Easter not kept by y e Brytains at the time appointed by the church of Rome 17.18 Esylht the daughter and heire of Conan D 16.22.24 Ethelwulphs genelogie 29. he was bishop of Winchester 32 Ethelbald maried his mother in law 32. Evneth y e sonne of Bledred 41. F. FAmine in Southwales 71. Fermael the sonne of Edwal 18. Flemings came to Dyuet 163. they desire peace 277.279 G. GAlfrid Arthur bishop of Lhanelwy 203. Gauelford 25. Geffrey Blyth bishop of Couentrie and Lichfield 392. Geffrey Langley 321. Genelogies estéemed among all nations 31. Gerald de Windsore steward of Penbrooke 154. Gilbert Strangbow Earle of Strigule 169.172 Gladys daughter to Lhewelyn ap Iorwerth 298. Gwaith y dinas newydh 47. Gwaynyttyd 113. Gwent D 19. spoiled by the Danes 42. Gwenwynwyn lord of Powys 250. getteth againe the castell of Poole 248. laieth siege to the castel of Payne in Eluel 251. discomfited 252. detained prisoner by the Counsell 260. released of his oth of obedience to the king by the pope 267. Gweythen 32. Gwyneth ¶ See Northwales Gilbert De Humfreuile 125. his heires 134. Glamorgan D 19. spoiled 71. won from the Welshmen 122 Goths whence they came 39. Grono ap Owen ap Edwyn lord of Tegengl 172. Grono ap Ednyuet vachā 327. Gruffyth ap Madoc slaine 49. Gruffyth ap Lhewelyn ap Sitsylht 90. he is slaine 101. Gruffyth ap Conan commeth to Anglesey 112. he warreth against Trahaern ap Caradoc 113. ioineth with Rées ap Theodor 114. obteineth the principalitie of Northwales 115. he maketh peace with king Henrie the first 174. dieth 190. his statute to reforme the abuses of minstrels 191. Gruffyth ap Rées ap Theodor 175. putteth himselfe in armour against the king 176. he taketh the towne of Caermardhyn 178. he dieth 190. Gruffyth ap Trahaerne ap Caradoc 162. Gruffyth Maylor L. of Bromfield 242. Gruffyth ap Rées taken by his brother Maelgon and sent to prison 250. set at libertie 252. he dieth 256. Gruffyth ap Lhewelyn ap Iorwerth 280 goeth with an army against William Marshall 282.292 disquieteth his father 297. valiant and couragious 298.307 imprisoned by his brother ibidem great sute to the K. for his inlargment 301. deliuered to the K. and sent to the towre where séeking to scape he brake his necke 307. Gruffyth lord of Dinas Bran 293.300.304.321.327 Gurmond D 15.6 Gwgan ap Meyric 34. H. HAsting the Dane 39. Henrie the first K. of England 157. he commeth into Wales 173. againe 184. he is in danger to be slaine 185. he dieth 188. Henry the second king of England 204. he commeth to Wales 206. put in danger of his life 207. he maketh peace with the lords of Wales 208. commeth to Southwales 209. againe 219. he commeth to Northwales 221. lieth incamped at Berwyn 222. in danger to be slaine ibidem he goeth the Ireland 230. returneth from Ireland againe 232. forsaketh his wife 239. he dieth 241. Henrie the third king of England 276. commeth to wales and buildeth a castell at Mountgomerie 280. commeth againe with an armie to Wales 283. againe 289. marieth 293. commeth againe to Wales 299. called to appéere before the Abbots of Aberconwy Cymer 309. he commeth again to Wales 310. he and the Earle of Chester come to Wales 322. commeth to Montgomerie and maketh peace with the prince 326. he dieth 328. Henrie Lacy lord of Denbigh and Earle of Lincolne 377. Henrie prince of Wales 392. Henrie Sidney knight of the order 400. Howel the brother of Conan Tindaethwy 22. King of man 25. Howel Dha prince of Southwales 45. prince of al Wales 52. his lawes 53. he went to Rome 54 he dieth 58. Howel ap Ieuaf 62. vseth his brother Meyric cruellie 63. ruleth Northwales 64. he is slaine 66. Howel ap Edwyn 88. he is slaine 93. Howel ap Grono lord of Stratywy Cydewen and Gwyr 159. he is traiterouslie slaine 161. Howel ap Ithel lord of Ros Ryuonioc 183. Howel ap Owen Gwyneth a valiant captaine 199. Howel ap Ieuaflord of Arustly 240. Hubert de Burgh kéepeth the castell of Douer 275. gaue the French nauie an ouerthrow 277. some of the Barons conspire against him 283. owner of Montgomerie 284. his folie 285. committed to prison 288. escapeth out of prison 289. reconciled to the King 292. Huganus lord of Westwales 47. Hugh Lupus Earle of Chester 151.155 he dieth 157. Hugh de Montgomerie Earle
The historie of Cambria now called Wales A part of the most famous Yland of Brytaine written in the Brytish language aboue two hundreth yeares past translated into English by H. Lhoyd Gentleman Corrected augmented and continued out of Records and best approoued Authors by Dauid Powel Doctor in diuinitie CVM PRIVILEGIO To the Right worshipfull Sir Philip Sydney knight IT is the maner of most writers Right worshipfull in dedicating of their bookes to praise and extoll the vertues and noble qualities of such men as they choose to be the patrons of their works whereby to winne some credit and countenance to themselues the which thing I see to be doone by a great number of writers as well strangers as countreymen who haue set out the praise and commendation of your noble gifts I am therefore at this time to direct my stile the rather to admonish you how to emploie and vse the same to that end that they are bestowed vpon you than otherwise vainelie with suspicion of flatterie to speake of them And first I would haue you to consider with your selfe that you haue receiued all the good gifts you haue at the hands of almightie God who is the giuer of all goodnesse for the which your dutie is to render most humble and hartie thanks vnto his diuine maiestie The end also for the which they are giuen vnto you is at no time to be forgotten that is the setting foorth of the glorie of God the benefit of your countrie Call also to remembrance that they be talents deliuered vnto you of credit to vse for a time for the which you must render an account whensoeuer it pleaseth the owner to call you to it the more you haue the greater your account will be for he that hath receiued fiue talents is further to be charged than he which hath receiued but one and he that hath receiued ten deeper than he that hath receiued but fiue Vse them therefore and hide them not in a napkin for they are the better for the wearing the more you vse them the more they will increase the more you laie out the richer you shalbe Haue alwaies before your eies the glorie of God neuer forget the same in anie thing you doo seeke the weale publike of your countrie labour to doo it good in anie thing you may while you haue time so to doo for you haue but a while to remaine heere awaie you must go after the common course of nature Let the remembrance of your account when your stewardships is ended be neuer out of your mind These be the cheefe points leading the right path to true nobilitie these you shall find set out at large in that booke wherewithall you are most delighted For the putting of these things in practise I am to laie downe two examples for you to imitate the which because they are domesticall ought to mooue you to be the more willing to follow them The one in your own noble father who alwaies hath beene and yet is more inclined and bent to doo good to his countrie than to benefit or inrich himselfe as Wales and Ireland beside his owne can beare him witnesse The other in your honorable father in lawe Sir Francis Walsingham hir Maiesties cheefe Secretarie a man for his zeale of Gods glorie and loue towards them that feare God vnfainedlie well knowne to the world Follow their steps with the remembrance of that noble house out of the which you are descended by your honourable mother and then you cannot doo amisse Labour by the example of your father to discouer and bring to light the acts of the famous men of elder times who with conference of the estate and gouernment of all ages will bring you to the perfect experience of those things that you haue learned out of Aristotle Plato and Cicero by your trauell in philosophie Your father with his great expenses and labour hauing procured gotten to his hands the histories of Wales and Ireland which countries for manie yeeres with great loue and commendation he gouerned committed vnto me this of Wales to be set foorth in print with direction to proceed therein and necessarie bookes for the dooing thereof And although I was vnsufficient for dooing of it yet I haue doone mine indeuour and now doo present the same vnto your worship as by good reason due to the sonne and heire of him that was the procurer and bringer of it to light desiring you to accept it with as good will as the same is offered vnto you and so following the godlie zeale loue of the common wealth and care to doo it good of so noble and worthie parents to beare countenance and fauour to the countrie of Wales which hartilie wisheth you honourable preferment in the feare of God The Lord increase his gifts in you to his glorie the benefit of the commonwealth and your endlesse comfort From my lodging in London the 25. of March 1584. Your worships readie at commandement Dauid Powel CAradoc of Lancaruan gentle Reader collected the successions actes of the Brytish Princes after Cadwalader to the yeare of Christ 1156. Of the which collections there were seuerall copies afterward kept in either of the Abbeis of Conwey and Stratflur which were yearelie augmented as things fell out and conferred together ordinarilie euerie third yeare when the Beirdh which did belong to those two Abbeis went from the one to the other in the time of their Clêra wherein were contained besides such notable occurrences hapning within this Ile of Brytaine as they then thought worthie the writing which order of registring and noting continued in those Abbeis vntill the yeare 1270. which was a little before the death of the last Lhewelyn who was slaine at Buelht These collections were copied by diuers so that there are at this daie of the same in Wales a hundred copies at the least whereof the most part were written two hundred yeares ago This booke Humffrey Lhoyd gentleman a paineful and a worthie searcher of Brytish antiquities translated into English and partlie augmented chieflie out of Matthew Paris and Nicholas Triuet but before the booke was polished hauing yet manie imperfections not onelie in the phrase but also in the matter and substance of the historie it pleased God to take him awaie in the floure of his time who if God had spared him life would not onelie haue set out this historie absolute and perfect but also haue opened vnto the world other antiquities of this land which now lie hidden and vnknowen The copie of his translation the Right honorable Sir Henry Sidney Lord President of Wales whose disposition is rather to seeke after the antiquities and the weale publike of those countries which he gouerneth than to obtaine lands and reuenewes within the same for I know not one foote of land that hee hath either in VVales or Ireland had lieng by him a great while and being desirous to haue the same set out in print sent
Brytaines wherein as some doo write Mervyn Vrych king of the Brytaines was slaine leauing behind him a sonne called Rodri Mawr that is to saie Roderike the Great Roderike the Great Roderike the Great sonne to Mervyn and Esylht The yeare 846. the Danes did ouerrunne a great part of England and fought with Athelstan king of Kent brother to Ethelwulph and remained that winter and wintered in England This yeare also was Ithel king of Gwent or Wentland slaine in fight by the men of Brechnock This yeare 854. Kongen king of Powys died at Rome being slaine of choaked as some saie by his owne men And two yeares after died Cemoyth king of the Picts Ionathan Lord of Abergeley About the yeare 856. Ethelwulph tooke his iourneie to Rome and made his kingdome tributarie to the Pope and paid the Peter pence to the church of Rome The Old Saxons doo bring the genelogie of this Ethelwulph to Adam after this maner Ethelwulph the sonne of Egbert the sonne of Alcmund the sonne of Eaffa the sonne of Eoppa the sonne of Ingils the brother of Inas the sonne of Kenred the sonne of Coelwalde the sonne of Cudwine the sonne of Ceawlin the sonne of Kenrick the sonne of Cerdicke which was the first king of the West Saxons the sonne of Esly the sonne of Gewise of whom the people were called Gwysses the daughter of Gewyn the sonne of Wingy the sonne of Freawyn the sonne of Fridagare the sonne of Brendy the sonne of Beldegy the sonne of VVoden of whose issue came the kings of manie nations the sonne of Frethewold the sonne of Freolaffe the sonne of Frethewolfe the sonne of Finny the sonne of Godulph the sonne of Geta the sonne of Teathwy the sonne of Beane the sonne of Sceldy the sonne of Seafe which reigned in a countrie called Anglia lieng betwixt the Gothes and the Saxons from whence the Angles came first to Brytaine he was the sonne of Heremod the sonne of Itermod the sonne of Hadey the sonne of VVale the sonne of Bedwy the sonne of Sem the sonne of Noe and so foorth to Adam There is another petigrée laid downe by the same author of Offa king of Mercia ascending euen to Adam not in all points agréeing with this so that the author writing the latter séemeth oftentimes to forget what he had written in the former The like also I find in Iohn Castoreus at the end of the historie of Edward the confessor And an other in Matth. Paris in the historie of King Henry .2 Anno. 1155. And these foure genelogies séeme to ascend by the same men although the names doo sometimes varie This genelogie haue I set here that the reader may vnderstand thereby that not onelie the Brytaines or VVelshmen but all other nations haue beene euer desirous to set foorth their antiquitie and progenie which was not verie hard to such nations as were not mingled with other and that had euer among them such as did onlie from time to time professe that art and customablie did write the progenie wiues and children of all such as were of any estimation in the countrie In the which two things VVales had euer passed all other countries as they which haue not mingled with anie other nations vntill of late years with Englishmen and also haue euer had such as did professe the art of genelogie who although they haue sometimes erred or rather haue willinglie flattered in learuing false genelogies yet surelie are able by their bookes to bring anie Gentlemans genelogie of that countrie to such as haue liued nine hundred yeares passed and but few further except such as descended of the kings of Brytaine The Italians before they mingled with the Vandales Gothes and Lumbards brought their genelogies to Aeneas The Spaniards to Hesperus before the Gothes and Mores ouerranne the land The Saxons to VVoden before they mingled with the Danes and Normans Yea the Frenchmen Turkes reioise at this daie to bring themselues to the Thracians and the Germanes to the children of Gwyston and it is possible they may so doo bicause they haue not mingled with anie other and haue not beene ouerrun with anie other nation Therfore let such disdainefull heads as scant knowe their owne Grandfathers leaue their scoffing and tawnting of VVelshmen for that thing that all other nations in the world doo glorie in and let them read the ancient writer Berosus to whome the wise Graecians for the knowledge they learned at his hands made an image of copper and set it vp in Athens in memorie of him and there they shall find the beginning of the most part of all the nations in the world and if they beleeue him let them not denie ours and if they credit him not let them beleeue no more but what they see with their eies or that pleaseth their fond fantasies But to the matter This yeare the Danes chased Burchred out of his kingdome who also went to Rome and there died The yeare 857. died Ethelwulph and left behind him his sonnes Athelbald King of Westsex and Athelbright king of Kent and of the East Saxons Of this Ethelwulph it is written that he was so well learned and so deuout that the clarkes of the church of Winchester did choose him in his youth to be their Bishop which function he tooke vpon him was Bishop of Winchester for seauen yeares before he was king It is reported also that he conquered the kingdom of Demetia or Southwales and gaue the same with the kingdome of Southsex to Alfred his sonne and that the said Alfred should bring a thousand soldiers out of Wales to the aid of his brother Ethelbert to Winchester and there put the Danes to flight and destroie a great number of them Athelbald the sonne of Ethelwulph after the death of his father kept his mother in lawe for his concubine and afterward married hir in the citie of Chester After Athelbald had reigned eight yeares he died and Athelbright his brother tooke the rule of his kingdome And that yeare the Danes spoiled Winchester and after a great fight were driuen out of the land but returning to Tenet they remained there for that winter and spoiled by incursions all the sea shore This yeare also was the battell of Gweythen betwixt the Brytaines and the Englishmen and a great number slaine on either side The yeare 865. died Conan Nant Niuer a worthy captaine and a noble warrior And the yeare following came Hungare and Hubba with a great armie of Danes into England In the yeare 867. died Athelbright and Ethelred his brother reigned in his stead The Danes the next yeare insuing spoiled Yorke and slew the two Kings of Northumberland Osbright and Elba and afterward they ouerran all the countrie vnto Notingham spoiling and destroieng all before them and then returned to Yorke and from thence to East Angle where they slue Edmund the King
the people with much gladnes but anon after like fickle and vnconstant men they banished him the land againe and tooke to their king one Hircius the sonne of Haroald whome likewise after three yeares they expelled and willinglie submitted themselues to Edred who after he had ruled the whole land eight yeares died and was buried at Winchester After him reigned Edwyn sonne of Edmund in whose time chanced nothing woorthie to be put in writing but that he married another mans wife hir husband being aliue This man after he had gouerned the realme foure yeares died leauing his kingdome to his brother Edgar who was crowned king of England in his stead In the yeare 958. was a woonderfull hot summer when Gwgan the sonne of Gwyriad the sonne of Roderike died After the which heate there followed a great plague in March following In those daies Iago and Ievaf by force and strength ruled all Wales as they thought good and yet for all their power Abloic king of Ireland landed in Môn and hauing burnt Holyhed spoiled the countrie of Lhyyn In the yeare 961. the sonnes of Edwyn the son of Colhoyn were slaine after they had destroied all the countrie to Towyn About this time Meyric the sonne of Cadvan Rytherch Bishop of S. Dauids and Cadwalhon ap Owen departed out of this transitorie world Not long after the countrie of Northwales was sore spoiled by the armie of Edgar king of England The cause of this warre was the non paiment of the tribute that the King of Aberffraw by the lawes of Howel Dha was to paie to the king of London In the end there was a peace concluded for king Edgar vnderstanding what hurt the countries of England and Wales receiued dailie by reason of the great multitude of Woolues that then abounded especiallie in Wales which destroied much shéepe and otherwise did great harme released the tribute in monie appointed by the said lawes of Howel Dha and bound the prince of Northwales to paie him yearelie certaine Woolues for his tribute and so to be released of that other tribute in monie which the said prince performed vntill he had left neuer a Woolfe in Wales or England In the yeare 966. Roderike the sonne of Edwal Voel was slaine by the Irishmen by whome Aberfraw was destroied The next yeare there fell a great debate betwixt the two sonnes of Edwal Iago and Ievaf which had ruled iointlie together from the death of Howel Dha to that time and shortlie after Iago hauing taken his brother Ievaf by force verie cruellie kept him in prison a long time about the which time Eneon the sonne of Owen prince of Southwales wan and seazed to himselfe the land of Gwyr And in the yeare 969. Mactus the sonne of Haroald with an armie of Danes did enter the Ile of Anglesey and spoiled Penmon These Danes were suffered by Edgar to inhabite quietlie through all England till they were as strong as the Englishmen and then they fell to such riotousnes and drinking that much mischiefe insued thereof wherevpon Edgar made a law that euerie man should drinke by measure and caused a certaine marke to be set in euerie pot how deepe they should drinke and so by these meanes he somewhat staied that immoderate ingurgitation Not long after that Godfryd the sonne of Haroald did subdue to himselfe the whole Ile of Anglesey which he inioied not long King Edgar likewise in the yeare 972. did send a great nauie to Caerlheon vpon Vsc which shortlie turned backe without dooing anie notable act The next yeare following Howel the sonne of Ievaf raised a great power against his vncle Iago for the deliuerance of his father out of prison and ouercame his vncle in fight whome he chased out of the land and tooke his eldest vncle Meyric the sonne of Edwal and put out both his eies and kept him in prison where he died shortlie after leauing behind him two sonnes Edwal and Ionaval of the which Edwal came afterward the most woorthie princes of Wales Howel notwithstanding he had set his father at libertie yet tooke vppon himselfe the whole rule of the land for his life time He had three brethren all men of great estimation Meyric Ievaf and Cadwalhon whose liues shall insue heereafter Howel ap Ievaf Howel the sonne of Ievaf They ouerranne also and spoiled the whole countrie of Deuon and Cornewale burned the towne of Bodman and the cathedrall church of S. Petrokes with the Bishops house Wherevpon the Bishops sea was remooued from thence to S. Germans where the same continued vntill the remoouing and vniting thereof vnto Crediton About this time died S. Dunstane who prophesied of much mischiefe and great destruction of the land by the Danes The yeare 981. Godfryd the sonne of Haroald did gather a great armie and landed in Westwales where spoiling all the land of Dyuet with the church of S. Dauids he fought the battell of Lhanwanoc Likewise in the yeare next ensuing Duke Alfred with a great power of Englishmen spoiled and destroied Brechnock and a great part of the lands of Owen prince of Southwales against whome Eneon the sonne of the said Owen and Howel king of Northwales did raise all their power and ouerthrew them in battell where the greatest part of Alfreds armie was slaine and the rest put to flight The yeare following the Gentlemen of Gwentsland rebelled against their prince and cruellie slue Eneon the son of Owen which came thither to appease them This Eneon was a woorthie and noble Gentleman who did manie notable actes in his fathers time and left behind him two sonnes Edwyn and Theodor or Tewdor Mawr of whome came afterward the kings or princes of Southwales In the yeare 984. Howel the sonne of Ievaf king of Wales entred England with an armie where he was fought withall and slaine valiantlie fighting This Howel had no sonne but his brethren reigned in his place Cadwalhon ap Ievaf Cadwalhon the sonne of Ievaf AFTER the death of Howel his brother Cadwalhon the second sonne of Ievaf tooke in hand the gouernance of Northwales and first made war with Ionaval his coosen the sonne of Meyric and right heire to the land and slue him but Edwal the yongest brother escaped awaie priuilie The yeare following Meredyth the sonne of Owen king or prince of Southwales with all his power entred into Northwales and in fight slue Cadwalhon the sonne of Ievaf and Meyric his brother and conquered the land to himselfe Wherein a man may see how God punished the wrong which Iago and Ievaf the sonnes of Edwal Voel did to their eldest brother Meyric who was first disherited and afterward his eies put out and one of his sonnes slaine For first Ievaf was imprisoned by Iago then Iago with his sonne Constantine by Howel the sonne of Ievaf and afterward the said Howel with his bretherne Cadwalhon and Meyric were slaine and spoiled of all their lands Meredyth ap
of the possessions of Anthonie Maunsell esquire Item to sir Gilbert Humfreuile he gaue the castell and manour of Penmarke being thrée knights fées now parcell of the possessions of the Right honorable Lord saint Iohn of Bledso Item to sir Reginald de Sully he gaue the castell and manor of Sully so since called after his name being two knights fées now diuided betwixt the Earle of Penbroke and the lord S. Iohn of Bledso Item to sir Roger Berkrolles he gaue the manour of East Orchard being one knights fée now parcell of the possessions of S. William Herbert of Swansey Item to sir Peter le Soore he gaue the castell and manour of Peterton so now called after his name being one knights fée now parcell of the possessions of the Earle of Penbroke Item to sir Iohn Fleming he gaue the castell and manour of S. George being one knights fée and holden of his posteritie the Flemings to this daie Item to sir Iohn S. Iohn he gaue the castell and manour of Fonmon or Fenuon being one knights fée and now parcell of the possessions of the Lord S. Iohn of Bledso Item to sir William le Esterling alias Stradling he gaue the castell and manour of S. Donats or S. Denwit being one knights fée now parcell of the possessions of sir Edward Stradling knight that now is Sum. Foure Lordships Members and xiiij Knights fees ITem he gaue to the aforesaid Eneon that tooke his part the Lordship of Senghennyth being an other of the said members Item he gaue the castell and Lordship of Auan an other of the said members to Caradoc Fitz Iestyn the eldest sonne of the said Iestyn Item he gaue the Lordship of Ruthyn an other of the said members to another sonne of the said Iestyn Item the rest of the foresaid Knights fées being 22. and an halfe he distributed part to Gentlemen that serued him and part to the Welshmen right owners of the same ¶ The Portion that the Lord kept for himselfe and his Heires THe castell of Cardyff and Kenfigg with the foresaid thrée market townes of Cardyff Kenfigg and Cowbrige and the Sherfée being the bodie of the said Lordship of Glamorgan and all the demeanes of the same with the rest of the said members to wit Miskyn Glynrothney Tyr Iarl and Boviarton alias Lentwit and the chéefe seigniorie of the whole the said Robert Fitzhamon kept to himselfe And in the said Lordship of Boviarton he had a large graunge or house of husbandrie with lands to the same belonging that serued him for the prouision of corne to his house He dwelt himselfe most in the said castell or towne of Cardyff being a faire hauen towne And bicause he would haue the aforesaid twelue Knights and their heires giue attendance vpon him euerie Countie daie which was alwaies kept by the Sherife in the vtter ward of the said castell on the Mondaie monethlie as is before said he gaue euerie one of them a lodging within the said vtter ward the which their heires or those that purchased the same of their heires doo enioie at this daie Also the morow after the Countie daie being the tuesdaie the Lord his Chancellor sate alwaies in the Chancerie there for the determining of matters of conscience in strife happening as well in the said Sherfée as in the members the which daie also the said Knights vsed to giue attendance vpon the Lord and the wednesdaie euerie man drew homeward and then began the courts of the members to be kept in order one after another ¶ The Petegree of Robert Fitzhamon and of his heires Lords of Glamorgan THe said Robert Fitzhamon was sonne to Hamon a great Lord and kinseman of William the Conquerour who came into the realme with him This Robert as is before said was knight of the priuie chamber with king William Rufus who as it appeareth in the Chronicles dreamed the night before the king was killed that he saw the king torne in péeces by Woolues and therefore by his persuasion he willed the king to forbeare to go abroade that forenoone But the king when he had dined there was no man able to staie him but that he would ride foorth a hunting into the new Forrest where he was slaine by Walter Tyrrell by the glansing of his arrow shooting at a red déere Mawd the onelie daughter and heire of the said Robert was married to Robert Earle of Glocester base son to king Henrie the first William Earle of Glocester sonne to the said Robert and Mawd died without issue male leauing behind him thrée daughters of the which Isabel the eldest was married to king Iohn then Earle of Oxenford and Lancaster as some Chronicles doo declare who so soone as he was made king was diuorced from hir And then she was maried to Geffrey Mandeuile Earle of Essex and died without issue as far as I can find The second daughter named Amicia was married to Sir Gilbart de Clare then Earle of Clare by whome he had the Earledome of Glocester And Mabil the third daughter was maried to the Earle of Eureux Sir Gilbart de Clare sonne to the said Gilbart was the fourth Earle of Glocester Sir Richard de Clare his sonne was the fift Earle Sir Gilbart his sonne was the sixt Earle Sir Gilbart his sonne who married Iane de Acres daughter to king Edward the first was the seuenth Earle Sir Gilbart de Clare their sonne was the eight Earle and he was slaine by the Scots in king Edward the seconds time and then the Earldome fell betwéene his thrée sisters Of the which Elianor the eldest was married to Hugh Spencer the sonne in hir right Earle of Glocester Margaret the second was married to Peires Gaueston and after to the Lord Awdeley Elizabeth the third was married first to William Lord Burgh Earle of Vlster and after to Ralph Roch Baron of Armoy in Ireland she was married the third time to Theobald L. Verdoun and lastlie to Sir Roger Damory and had issue by euerie one of them Sir Hugh Spencer had to his wiues purpartée the said Lordship of Glamorgan Sir Hugh Lord Spencer their sonne enioied the same and died without issue Edward Lord Spencer sonne to Edward brother to the said Hugh succéeded the said Hugh therein Thomas Lord Spencer his sonne succéeded him Richard Lord Spencer his sonne succéeded him and died inward Isabell sister to Richard succéeded him and married with Richard Beauchamp Earle of Worcester and Lord Burgauenny who had issue by hir a daughter onelie and died The which daughter was married to Edward the sonne of Dawraby Ralph Neuel Earle of Westmereland And after the death of the said Earle of VVorcester she said Isabell married with Richard Beauchamp Earle of VVarwick Henrie Beauchamp Earle of VVarwick after Duke of VVarwick their sonne died without issue Anne his sister of whole bloud succéeded him and married with Richard Neuel after Earle of Salisburie and in hir
of them are descended and of the said Edmond commeth Carnysoyes of Cornewal The said Edward had an other brother called William of whome Stradling of Ruthyn and others are descended the same William had a daughter named VVenlhian who by the Earle of Ryuers had a daughter married to sir Robert Poynes of whome commeth all the Poynes the Newtons Perots and others Sir Harrie Stradling knight his sonne succéeded him and married with Elizabeth sister of whole bloud to sir VVilliam Herebert knight Earle of Penbroke and had issue by hir one sonne and two daughters one of them was married to Myles ap Harry of whome Mistresse Blanch ap Harrie and hir bretheren and vncles are descended the other daughter was married to Fleming of Monton in VVales This sir Harrie in the sixtéenth yéere of King Edward the fourth went in like maner on pilgrimage to Ierusalem and receiued the order of the sepulchre there as his father and grandfather did and died in the Isle of Cypres in his comming home whose booke is to be séene as yet with a letter that his man brought from him to his Ladie wife The saieng is that diuers of his said ancestours made the like pilgrimage but there remaineth no memorie in writing but of these thrée This sir Harrie sailing from his house in Somersetshire to his house in Wales was taken prisoner by a Brytaine pirate named Colyn Dolphyn whose redemption and charges stood him in 2000. markes for the paiment whereof he was driuen to sell the castell and manour of Basselek and Sutton in Monmouthshire and two manours in Oxfordshire Thomas Stradling esquier his sonne succéeded him and married Ienet daughter to Thomas Matthew of Rayder Esquier and had issue by hir two sonnes Edward and Harrie and one daughter named Iane and died before he was xxvi yeares of age After whose death his wife married with sir Rice ap Thomas knight of the garter Harrie married with the daughter and heire of Thomas Iubb learned in the lawe and had issue by hir Francis Stradling of S. George by Bristow yet liuing Iane was married to sir William Gruffyth of Northwales knight and had issue by hir thrée sonnes Edward sir Rice Gruffyth knight and Iohn and seauen daughters The eldest married to Stanley of Houghton the second to sir Richard Buckley knight the third to Lewys the fourth to Moston the fift to Conwey the sixt to Williams the seauenth to Pers Motton and after to Simon Theloal esquier whose wife at this time she is the eight to Philips Of which daughters there be a wonderfull number descended Edward married Iane daughter to sir Iohn Puleston knight and had issue by hir thrée daughters Iane married to VVilliam Herebert of S. Iulian Catharine married to VVilliam Herebert of Swansey and an other daughter married to sir Nicholas Bagnoll knight Sir Edward Sradling knight succéeded his father and married with Elizabeth one of the thrée daughters of sir Thomas Arundell of Lanheyron in Cornewall knight The other two were married to Speke and S. Lowe and had issue foure sonnes Thomas Robert Edward and Iohn Robert married VVatkyn Locher his daughter and hath by hir manie children Edward married with the daughter and heire of Robert Baglan of Lantwit and hath also diuers children and Iohn is a priest Also the said sir Edward had two daughters Iane married to Alexander Popham of Somersetshire of whom is a great number descended and Catharine married to sir Thomas Palmer knight of Sussex who hath a sonne named VVilliam Sir Thomas Sradling knight his sonne succéeded him and married Catharine the eldest daughter to sir Thomas Gamage of Coyty knight and to dame Margaret his wife daughter to sir Iohn S. Iohn of Bledso knight by whom he hath liuing yet two sonnes Edward and Dauid and fiue daughters Elizabeth Damasyn Iane Ioice and Wenlhian Sir Edward Stradling knight that now is married Agnes second daughter to sir Edward Gage of Sussex knight and as yet in the yeare 1572. hath no issue Memorandum that of the heires male of the aforesaid twelue knights that came with sir Robert Fitzhamon to the winning of Glamorgan the Lordship aforesaid there is at this daie but the Stradling a liue that dwelleth in VVales and enioieth the portion giuen in reward to his ancestors There be yet of the yoonger brothers of the Turberuiles and Flemings Greenefeeld and Syward doo yet remaine but they dwell in England and haue doone awaie their lands in VVales The Lord S. Iohn of Bledso although he kéepeth his ancient inheritance in Wales yet he dwelleth in England ¶ Thus farre the copie of the winning of Glamorgan as I receiued the same at the hands of mistris Blanch Parrie collected by Sir Edward Stradling knight There were besides with the said Robert Fitzhamon in this voiage diuers other noble men and gentlemen some out of England some out of Dyuet and other places in Wales which came thither with the said Eneon against Rees ap Theodor of whome Robert Sitsylt was one who albeit he had no part of the said Lordship of Glamorgan that I can read of yet neuerthelesse he was in respect of his good seruice there doone preferred to the marriage of an inheritrice of great possessions in the land of Ewyas and the countrie néere adioining Of which Robert Sitsylt I find this that followeth recorded in a verie ancient writing conteining his whole genelogie of 16. descents of heires male lineallie which writing for the more credit of the historie I thought good here to insert as followeth IN the yeare of Christ 1091. Robert Sitsylt came with Robert Fitzhamon to the conquest of the countrie of Glamorgan and after wedded a Ladie by whome he had Halterennes and other lands in Hereford and Glocestershires he had a sonne called Iames Sitsylt Iames Sitsylt tooke part with Mawd the empresse against king Stephen and was slaine at the siege of the castell of Wallingford An. 4. Stephan hauing then vpon him a vesture whereon was wrought in needle worke his armes or ensignes as they be made on the toombe of Gerald Sitsylt in the Abbeie of Dore which are afterward trulie blazed in a iudgement giuen by commission of king Edward the third for the ancient right of the same armes This Iames had a sonne called Iames Sitsylt and foure daughters Iohn Sitsylt the sonne of Iames was after the death of his father in the same warres with Roger Earle of Hereford and constable of England and being taken prisoner at the siege of Lincolne Anno. 6. Stephani he paid for his ransome 400. marks and therefore sold his lordship of Beauport and all his lands in the countie of Glocester he tooke to wife a Ladie called Mawd de Frenes and had issue Eustace Eustace Sitsylt the sonne of Iohn was wedded to Elianor the daughter of Sir Walter Pembridge Knight and had by hir Baldwin and Iohn and foure daughters whereof one of them was the wife of Sir Thomas Fitzneale knight Baldwin
William of Ypres Bryan Fitzcount But within a while after that William Martell and Geffrey de Mandeuile gathered a new armie fought with the Empresse and hir brother at VVinchester put hir to flight taking Earle Robert prisoner for exchange of whom the king was set at libertie The yeare folowing the king had an ouerthrow at VVilton after the which he besieged the Empresse the same yeare at Oxford who escaping thence fled to VValingford The same yeare also Madoc ap Ednerth a man of great estimation in VVales died and the sons of Blethyn ap Gwyn slew Meredyth ap Howel Also the yeare 1142. Howel ap Meredyth ap Rytherch of the Cantref Bychan Rees ap Howel were slaine by treason of the Flemings Likewise Howel ap Meredyth ap Blethyn was murthred by his own men Then also Howel Cadogan the sons of Madoc ap Ednerth did either kill other And shortlie after there fell a variance betwixt Anarawd sonne to Gruffyth ap Rees prince of Southwales and his father in law Cadwalader the sonne of Gruffyth ap Conan and brother to prince Owen Gwyneth who from words grew to fight where Anarawd was slaine the hope and staie of Southwales For the which thing prince Owen tooke such displeasure at his brother that he and his sonne Howel gathered an armie against him and destroied all his countrie and burned his castell at Aberystwyth for Cadwalader himselfe had fled to Ireland and had hired Octer sonne to Octer and the sonne of Turkel and the sonne of Cherulf with a great number of Irishmen and Scots for 2000. markes to his succour and landed at Aberinenay in Carnaruonshire against whome the prince came with a great power but before the armies met there was a peace concluded betwixt the brethren Which when the Irishmen vnderstood then withheld Cadwalader as prisoner for their wages and he deliuered them 2000. heads of cattell besides manie prisoners and spoiles that were taken in the countrie But as soone as the prince knew his brother set at libertie he fell vpon the Irishmen and slew a great number of them and recouered all the cattell with the prisoners and other spoiles then as manie as escaped aliue returned home with great shame and losse About the same time Hugh Earle of Chester fortified his castell of Cymaron and wan Melienyth to himselfe likewise the castell of Clun was fortified by a lord Normane and all Eluel brought to their subiection At that time king Stephen tooke Geffrey Mandeuile prisoner at S. Albon where the Earle of Arundell was like to be drowned by default of his horse The Earle Mandeuile gaue to the king for his libertie the towre of London with the castels of Walden and Plassey who afterward liued by spoile of abbers and was slaine in a slurmish against the king whom he had sore anoied and his sonne Arnulph was banished the realme This yeare Hugh de Mortimer tooke Rees ap Howel in a skirmish and diuerse other with him imprisoned them At the same time Howel and Conan the sonnes of prince Owen gathered an armie against the Flemings and Normanes gaue them an ouerthrow at Aberteiui and keeping the towne returned home with great honor Also this yeare died Sulien ap Rythmarch a man of great knowledge one of the Colledge of Lhanpardarn About this time Gilbert Earle of Clare came with a great power to Dyuet and built the castell of Carmarthyn and the castell of the sonnes of Vchtryd Then also Hugh Mortimer slew Meyric ap Madoc ap Riryd and Meredyth ap Madoc ap Ednerth Cadelh the son of Gruffyth ap Rees prince of Southwales gat the castell of Dyneuowr which Erle Gilbert had built and after he and his brethren Meredyth and Rees gathered their powers and laid siege to the castell of Carmarthyn which was yeelded vnto them reseruing only the liues to those of the garrison and from thence they brought their armie before the castell of Lhanstephan where the Normanes and Flemings meeting with them had a great ouerthrow so they wan the castell Whervpon all the Flemings and Normanes inhabiting that countrie all about gathered their powers togither and their captaines were the sonnes of Gerald and William de Hay who laid siege to the same castell vpon the sudden But Meredyth ap Gruffyth to whose custodie the castell was committed encouraged his men to fight and to defend the place and that which lacked in him of strength for he was of great yeares he supplied in courage and discretion He suffred his enimies to scale the wals and when the ladders were full he gaue the watchword and his souldiours did manfullie with engines ouerturne all the ladders and maimed a great number of armed men and tried soldiours and put the rest to flight Shortlie after died Run the sonne of prince Owen of Northwales a faire and a goodlie yoong man whose death when it came to his fathers eares did so trouble him that no kind of plesure could comfort his heauie hart so that he led the night in teares and the day in heauinesse till God who tooke compassion vpon the poore leauings and remnants of the Brytaines euen as he had discomforted the prince with the death of his sonne so he did glad his sorowfull hart with the ouerthrow of his enimies for there was a castell at the Mould verie strong and well manned which did trouble the whole countrie about and had been oftentimes besieged but neuer won Prince Owen leuied a power and laid siege to it but the garrison defended it manfullie and aboad diuerse assaults but at the last mauger their heads the sight of the prince did so incourage his men that they entred by force and slew a great number and tooke the rest of the defendants and rased the fort to the earth which victorie atchieued did so please the prince that he left his solitarie plaints and fell to his accustomed pastimes At the same time king Stephen ouerthrew his enimies at Farendon But in the yeare ensuing Rondel Earle of Chester and king Stephen were made freends neuerthelesse the king tooke him prisoner and kept him so contrarie to his promise vntill such time as the Earle had deliuered to the king the castell of Lincolne with all other fortes of the kings that he had in his custodie At this time Cadelh Meredyth and Rees the sons of Gruffyth ap Rees ap Theodor did lead their powers against the castell of Gwys which after they saw they could not win they sent for Howel the sonne of Owen prince of Northwales to their succor who for his prowesse in the field and his discretion in consultation was counted the floure of chiualrie whose presence also was thought onlie sufficient to ouerthrowe anie hold who being desirous to win honor gathered his men and came to these lords before the castell of Gwys whō they receiued ioifullie Now when he had vewed the place hee
said Hawys as it séemed vnto him had more right to hir fathers possessions being in hir vncles hands than they to hirs But to make a finall end betwéene them order and composition was taken that Hawys should enioie hir inheritance in fée simple to hir and to hir heires for euer after the tenure of England And that hir vncles Lhewelyn Iohn Dauid and Gruffyth should hould their portions to them and to their heires male for euer And in default of such issue male the same to descend and remaine to the said Hawys and to hir heires for euer William Lord of Mowthwy otherwise called Wilcocke Mowthwy being the fourth sonne bicause he did not trouble his said néece Hawy about hir inheritance had his lands confirmed and assured in fée simple to him and to his heires generall male or female foreuer He maried Alianor the sister of Elen Owen Glyndowres mother the daughter of Thomas sonne of Lhewelyn sonne of Owen sonne of Meredyth sonne of Owen sonne of Gruffyth sonne of Rees sonne of Gruffyth sonne of Rees ap Theodor prince of Southwales by whome he had issue Iohn de Mowthwy Iohn the sonne of William Lord of Mowthwy had issue Elizabeth his daughter and sole heire which was maried to Sir Hugh Burgh knight Sir Hugh Burgh knight in the right of his wife lord of Mowthwy had issue Sir Iohn Burgh Sir Iohn Burgh lord of Mowthwy maried Iane the daughter of Sir William Clopton knight lord of the manours of Clopton and Radbrooke in the countie of Glocester and by hir had issue foure daughters Elizabeth Ancreda Isabell and Alianor Elizabeth maried to Thomas Newport father of Iohn father of Thomas father of sir Richard Newport knight late deceased father of Francis and Andrew now liuing Ancreda maried to Iohn Leighton of Stretton father of Sir Thomas Leighton of Watelsborough knight father of Iohn Leighton father of Edward Leighton Esquire eldest sonne and of Sir Thomas Leighton knight second sonne now liuing Isabell maried to Iohn Lingen father of Sir Iohn Lingen knight And Alianor maried to Thomas Mytton father of William Mytton father of Richard Mytton who by partition had amongst the said coheires enioied the said Seigniorie and Lordship of Mowthwy The said Iohn Charleton first of that sirname had issue by the said Hawys Iohn and died An. 1353. Iohn Charleton the second lord Powys held that Seigniorie seuen yeares and then died An. 1360. leauing behind him a sonne and heire called also Iohn Iohn Charleton the third lord Powys succéeded his father and enioied that lordship fouretéene yeares and then died An. 1374. leauing behind him two sons Iohn and Edward Iohn Charleton the fourth lord Powys possessed his fathers inheritance after him 27. yeares and then died without issue An. 1401. Edward Charleton brother and heire to the said Iohn succéeded him in the lordship of Powys and held the same 19. yeares he maried Alianor daughter and one of the heires of of Thomas Earle of Kent being the widow of Roger Mortimer Earle of March and mother to Anne countesse of Cambridge the mother of Richard duke of Yorke and had issue by hir two daughters his heires Iane eldest daughter maried to Sir Iohn Gray knight and Ioyce second daughter maried to Iohn lord Tiptoft by whome she had issue Iohn lord Tiptoft created by king Henrie the sixt Earle of Worcester who died without issue and foure daughters Philip Ioyce Ioane and Margaret the first Philip maried to Thomas lord Ros. The second Ioyce maried to Edmond Dudley sonne and heire to Iohn baron Dudley The third Ioane maried to Sir Edward Inglethorp knight who had issue Isabell maried to Iohn Neuill Marques Montague After the death of the said Alianor this Edward lord Powys maried Elizabeth the daughter of Sir Iohn Barkley knight and died An. 1420. After whose death the lordship of Powys was diuided into thrée parts first the said Elizabeth had for hir dowrie Lhannerch hudol Strat marchelh Deuthwr and Teirtref and maried to hir second husband the Baron of Dudley The said Iane the eldest daughter had for hir part Caereneon Mecham Mochnant and Plâsdinas The third Ioyce the yoonger daughter had Cyuelioc and Arustly Henrie Gray the sonne of Sir Iohn Gray knight and Iane daughter and one of the heires of Edward Chareleton lord Powys was in the right of the said Iane his mother lord Powys he was also by king Henrie the fift created Earle of Tanqueruile and maried Antigone base daughter to Humfrey duke of Glocester fourth sonne to king Henrie the fourth and had issue Richard Humfrey and Elizabeth the wife of Sir Roger Kinaston Richard Gray lord Powys maried Margaret the daughter of Iames lord Audley and by hir had issue Iohn and Elizabeth the wife of Iohn Ludlow sonne of sir Richard Ludlow knight which Iohn and Elizabeth had issue two daughters Anne and Alice Anne the elder maried Thomas Vernon second sonne of Sir Henrie Vernon of Haddon in the Peke of whom Henrie Vernon of Stokesay now liuing is descended Alice the second daughter maried Humfrey Vernon third sonne of the said sir Henrie and brother to the said Thomas of whom Iohn Vernon of Hodnet now liuing is descended Iohn Gray lord Powys had issue Iohn Iohn Gray lord Powys had issue Edward Edward Gray lord Powys maried Anne the daughter of Charles Brandon duke of Suffolke and died without lawfull issue The same yeare Cadwalhon ap Madoc ap Ednerth was taken by his brother Eneon Clyd and deliuered to Owen prince of Northwales who sent him to the kings officers to be imprisoned at Winchester from whence he escaped shortlie after and came to his countrie Henrie king of England remained in Normandie all this yeare whose sonne named also Henrie maried Margaret the daughter of Lewys king of France The yeare next folowing died Meyric bishop of Bangor Then king Henrie and the French King fell at variance wherevpon shortlie after King Henrie went to Gascoyne to chastise certeine rebels there But in the yeare 1162. there was a peace concluded betweene the kings of England and France At that time Howel the son of Ieuaf ap Cadogan ap Athlestan Glodrydh got the castell of Walwern in Cyuelioc and rased it which thing when it was told Owen Prince of Northwales it displeased him wonderfullie at the which he was so greeued that nothing could make him merrie vntill such time as he had gathered his power came to Lhanthinam in Arustly and thence fet great spoiles Then the people of the countrie came all to their Lord Howel ap Ieuaf who folowed the spoile to Seauerne side where the Princes campe was whereof the Prince séeing such an occasion of reuenge offered him was right glad and set vpon his enimies and slew the most part of them and the rest with their Lord escaped to the woods and rocks Then the Prince being ioifull of this reuenge built vp his castell againe and fortified it stronglie The
yeare folowing Owen the sonne of Gruffyth ap Meredyth named Owen Cyuelioc and Owen ap Madoc ap Meredyth got the castell of Carrechoua by Oswestrie and wasted it About the same time there was a combate fought betweene Robert Mountfort and Henrie de Essex to trie which of them had begun the flight in the voiage against the Welshmen in the marches Either of them accused the other but in the triall Henrie was ouercome and afterward disinherited shauen a moonke at Redding Then the king gathered a great power against Southwales and came himselfe as farre as Pencadayr beside Brechnock where Rees came to him and did him homage and gaue him pledges and then the king went to Ireland againe About this time Eneon the sonne of Anarawd ap Gruffyth nephue to prince Rees was murthered in his bed by a man of his owne named Lhywarch Also Cadogan ap Meredyth was slaine after the like maner by one Walter ap Riccart Then the lord Rees as he is called in Welsh or king Rees as the Latine authors name him tooke the Cantref Mawr which is a great countrie and the land of Dynevowr and enioied it And this yeare died Cadiuor ap Daniel Archdeacon of Caerdigan and Henrie ap Arthen which was the worthiest clerke that had beene manie yeares in Wales The yeare ensuing the lord Rees seeing he was not able to maintaine his estate with such lands as the king had appointed him entred the lands of Roger de Clare Earle of Glocester for by the Earles means was his nephue murthered and wanne the castels of Aberheidol and of the sonnes of Wynyaon rased them And so in short time he brought all Caerdigan to his subiection from thence he made manie roades against the Flemings and got great spoiles in their countrie Then all VVales agreed to forsake the rule of the Normanes whose treason and crueltie they could not abide and to serue princes of their owne nation This yeare Hamelyn base brother to king Henrie maried the Countesse of VVarren which was wife to VVilliam Earle of Egle base sonne to king Stephen and daughter and heire to VVilliam Earle VVarren Also this yeare died VValter Gifford Earle of Buckingham without heire therefore the Earledome fell to the kings hands In the yeare 1165. Dauid the sonne of Owen prince of Northwales did destroie all Flynt shire which was the kings and caried all the people and cattell with him to the Dyffryn Cloyd now called Ruthyn land Which thing when the king vnderstood he leuied an armie in hast and came to succour his castels and people as far as Ruthlan and after he had laine there three daies and could do no good he returned to England where he gathered another armie of chosen men through all his dominions as England Normandie Aniow Gascoine Gwyen sending for succours from Flanders and Brytaine then returned towards Northwales minding vtterlie to destroie all that had life in the land and comming to Croes Oswalt called Oswaldstree incamped there On the contrarie side prince Owen and his brother Cadwalader with all the power of Northwales and the lord Rees with the power of Southwales Owen Cynelioc and the sonnes of Madoc ap Meredyth with the power of Powys and the two sonnes of Madoc ap Ednerth with the people betwixt Wye and Seauerne gathered themselues togither and came to Corwen in Edeyrneon purposing to defend their countrie But the king vnderstanding that they were so nigh being wonderfull desirous of battel came to the riuer Ceireoc and caused the woods to be hewen downe Wherevpon a number of the VVelshmen vnderstanding the passage vnknowing to their captaines met with the kings ward where were placed the piked men of all the armie and there began a hote skirmish where diuerse worthie men were slaine on either side but in the end the king wanne the passage and came to the mountaine of Berwyn where he laie in campe certaine daies and so both the armies stood in awe each of other for the king kept the open plaines and was affraid to be intrapped in straits but the VVelshmen watched for the aduantage of the place kept the king so straitlie that neither forrage nor victuall might come to his camp neither durst anie soldiour stirre abroad And to augment these miseries there fell such raine that the kings men could scant stand vpon their feete vpon those slipperie hilles In the end the king was compelled to returne home without his purpose that with great losse of men and munition besides his charges Therefore in a great choler he caused the pledges eies whom he had receiued long before that to be put out which were Rees and Cadwalhon the sonnes of Owen and Cynwric and Meredyth the sonnes of Rees and other I find also written by diuers that in the assieging of a bridge the king was in no small danger of his life for one of the Weshmen shooting directlie at him had persed him through the bodie if Hubert de S. Clere constable of Colchester perceiuing the arrow comming had not thrust him selfe betwixt the King and the same arrow whereby he saued his maister and died himselfe for him presentlie Although Polydor writing the historie out of the same authors doo conceale the same Then after long consultation the king came the third time towards Northwales intending to haue his armie conueied by sea to land in some conuenient place of the countrie and so he came to Chester and there laie a certeine time till all his nauie was gathered togither aswell hired ships of Ireland as his owne and vpon the sudden he brake vp his campe and gaue both ships and men leaue to depart The same yeare Rees prince of Southwales laid siege to the castell of Aberteiui and wan it and made it flat with the ground and likewise wan Cilgerran rased it At which time he tooke prisoner Robert the sonne of Stephen his coosen germane sonne to Nest his aunt who after the death of Gerald had maried Stephen constable and so returned home with great honor and rich spoile About the same time died Lhewelyn sonne to prince Owen a worthie gentleman and of great towardnesse In the yeare ensuing the Flemings and Normanes came to Westwales with a great power against the castell of Cilgerran which Rees had fortified and laid siege to it assaulting it diuerse times but it was so manfullie defended that they returned home as they came and shortlie after they came before it againe where they lost manie of their best men and then departed againe The same yeare Owen prince of Northwales laid siege to the castell of Basygwerke which the king had fortified and in short time wan the same and rased it About the same time Dermot the son of Murchart was chased out of his dominion in Ireland and went to Normandie to king Henrie for succour Also Iorwerth Goch was spoiled of his lands in Powys by
will of the people all his land sauing two castels Aberteiui and Stratmeyric which his brother Maelgon by the aid of Gwenwynwyn had wrongfullie taken from him Then his brother Maelgon fearing his displeasure tooke a solemne oth before noble and religious men which were about to make peace betwixt them that if his brother Gruffyth would giue him pledges for the assurance of his owne person he would deliuer him by a day the castell of Aberteiui whervpon Gruffyth did so But assoone as Maelgon got the pledges he fortified the castell manned it to his owne vse and sent the pledges to Gwenwynwyn who hated Gruffyth to the death there to be kept in prison But shortlie after by Gods helpe they brake the prison escaped home In the yeare 1199. Maelgon sonne to prince Rees laid siege to the castell of Dynerth and getting it slew all the garrison which his brother Gruffyth had left to defend it But at the same time Gruffyth wan the castell of Cilgerran and fortified it This yeare as king Richard did vew the castell of Chaleus in the countrie of Lenuoyle he was striken with a quarell and sore wounded whereof he died the ninth of April and left by his testament Iohn his brother inheritor of all his lands hauing no respect to his brother Geffreys son Arthur duke of Brytaine who being the sonne of the elder brother was his right heire Then this Iohn surnamed Without land was crowned king of England with great triumph wherfore the French king forth with made warre against him to whom Arthur duke of Brytaine cleaued thinking thereby to obtaine the crowne of England Also the king of Scots by meanes of Hugh Bygod came to Yorke and openlie sware fidelitie to the king of England The yeare after Gruffyth sonne to Conan ap Owen Gwyneth a noble man died and was buried in a moonks cowle at the Abbey of Conwy and so were all the nobles for the most part of that time buried for they were made to beleeue by the moonks and friers that that strange weed was a sure defense betwixt their soules and hell how so euer they died And all this baggage and superstition receiued they with moonks and friers a few yeres before that out of England For the first Abbey or frier house that we read of in Wales sith the destruction of the noble house of Bangor which sauored not of Romish dregges was the Tuy Gwyn built the yeare 1146. and after they swarmed like bees through all the countrie for then the Cleargie had forgotten the lesson that they had receiued of the noble Clerke Ambrosius Telesinus who writing in the yeare 540. when the right Christian faith which Ioseph of Aremathia taught at the Ile of Aualon reigned in this land before the proud and bloodthirstie moonke Augustine infected it with his Romish doctrine in a certaine Ode hath these verses Gwae'r offeiriad byd Nys angreifftia gwyd Ac ny phregetha Gwae ny cheidw ey gail Ac ef yn vigail Ac nys areilia Gwae ny theidw ey dheuaid Rhae bleidhie Rhufeniaid A'i ffon gnwppa Which may thus be Englished almost word for word Wo be to that priest yborne That will not cleanlie weed his corne And preach his charge among Wo be to that shepherd I saie That will not watch his fold alwaie As to his office doth belong Wo be to him that doth not keepe From Romish woolues his sheepe With staffe and weapon strong And because no man should doubt of them I haue set them here as they were written by him that made them Whereby it may be proued that the Brytaines the first inhabiters of this realme did abhorre the Romish doctrine taught in that time which doctrine I am sure is litle amended now in the church of Rome and that may be to vs a mirrour to see our owne follie if we doo degenerate from our forefathers the ancient Brytaines in the sinceritie of true religion as we doo in other things This yeare Maelgon ap Rees seeing he could not well keepe Aberteiui of verie spite to his brother and hatred to his countrie sold it to the Englishmen for a small summe of monie being the keie and locke of all Wales The same yeare Madoc the sonne of Gruffyth Maylor lord of Bromfild did build the abbie of Lhanegwest called in English commonlie Vale crucis This yeare also king Iohn made peace with the French king and Arthur duke of Brytaine his nephue and married Isabel daughter and heire vnto the Earle of Angolisme which was before assured vnto Hugh de Brune Uicount of Carce wherefore the said Hugh forsooke king Iohn and became his enimie This Hugh Brune Earle of March and Turyn had this Isabel to wife after the death of king Iohn by whome he had issue William de Valence who in the right of Ione his wife daughter and heire of Warren Montchensey and of Ione the eldest daughter and one of the heires of William Earle Marshall and Penbrooke was Earle of Penbrooke as in this historie hereafter doth appeare The yeare 1201. Lhewelyn ap Iorwerth prince of Northwales being a lustie yoong man banished out of the land his coosen Meredyth the sonne of Conan ap Owen Gwyneth suspected of treason and seased the Cantref of Lhyyn and Euyonyth to his owne hands which were Conans land Then shortlie after Meredyth the sonne of prince Rees was slaine at Carnwilhion by treason whose elder brother Gruffyth seased vpon his castell in Lhanymdhyfri and all his lands This Gruffyth was a wise and discreet gentleman and one that was like to bring all Southwales to good order and obedience who in all things folowed his fathers steppes whom as he succeeded in gouernment so he did in all martiall prowes and nobilitie of mind but cruell fortune which frowned vpon that countrie suffered him not long to enioy his land This prince died vpon S. Iames daie ensuing and was buried at Stratflur with great solemnitie he left behind him a son called Rees as right inheritor of Southwales whose mother was Mawd the daughter of William de Bruse Also this yeare died Arthur duke of Brytaine at Roane not without suspicion of poison ministred by his vncles meanes who caused his sister Elianor to be conueied to England and to be kept in prison miserablie in the castell of Brystow as long as she liued Then the French king got all Normandie sauing Roane and two castels by treason of the Normanes who hated Iohn to the death The next yeare after that certeine lords of Wales got the castell of Gwerthrynion which was Roger Mortimers and made it plaine with the ground Then Lhewelyn ap Iorwerth prince of Northwales calling to memorie his estate and title and how all the other princes by the ordinance of Roderike the Great and after by the lawes of Howel Dha ought of right to acknowledge the king or prince of Northwales as their liege lord and hold
their lands of him and of none other notwithstanding that of late yeares by negligence of his predecessors they had not vsed their accustomed dutie but some held of the king of England other ruled as supreme powers within their owne countries Therefore he called a Parliament of all the lords in Wales which for the most part appeared before him swore to be his liegemen but Gwenwynwyn lord of Powys would not come thither nor take the oth of allegiance Which disobedience the prince declared to all his lords they all thought that it was meete that Gwenwynwyn should be constrained by force to doo his dutie or else to leese his lands Yet one of his lords named Elise ap Madoc would not agree to hurt Gwenwynwyn in anie case but departed awaie suddenlie then Lhewelyn came with an armie to Powys but by the meanes of certaine learned men Gwenwynwyn and the prince were made freends Gwenwynwyn became the prince his liegeman and confirmed that both by oth and writing Then Lhewelyn remembring how Elise ap Madoc had serued him seased vpon all his lands and Elise fled the countrie but afterward yeelded himselfe to the princes mercie who gaue him the castell of Crogen and seuen towneships withall And here I thinke it not vnmeete to declare the cause why the Englishmen vse to call the Welshmen Crogens as a word of reproch and despite but if they knew the beginning they should find it contrarie For in the viage that king Henrie the second made against the Welshmen to the mountaines of Berwin as he laie at Oswestree a number of his men that were sent to trie the passages as they would haue passed Offas ditch at the castell of Crogen at which place there was is at this daie a narrow waie through the same ditch for that ditch appeereth yet to this daie verie deepe through all that countrie beareth his old name These men I saie as they would haue passed this straite were met withall a great number of them slaine as appeareth by their graues there yet to be seene whereof the strait beareth the name Therefore the Englishmen afterward not forgetting this slaughter vsed to cast the Welshmen in the teeth in all their troubles with the name of Crogen as if they would signifie vnto them thereby that they should looke for no fauour but rather reuengment at their hands which word in processe of time grew to be taken in another signification Now when Lhewelyn had set all these parties in good order he returned to Northwales by the waie fortified the castell of Bala in Penlhyn About the same time Rees sonne to Gruffyth ap Rees by right prince of Southwales got the castell of Lhanymdhyfri vpon Michaelmas day This yeare king Iohn lost all Normandie with Aniow Mayne and Poytiers and Hugh Gurnaie Robert Fitzwater and Sayer de Quincie who had a great part of these countries vnder their rule deliuered all vp to the French king at the first summon yet Roger Lacie kept his castels as long as he had any hope of succors About this time there was in England one called Simon de Thurnay a great diuine and philosopher who diuerse times made his aduaunt that he knew all that was to be knowen and suddenlie he fell to such ignorance that he cold nether read nor vnderstand one letter in the booke About this time Lhewelyn prince of Wales tooke to wife Ione the daughter of king Iohn by Agatha the daughter of Robert Ferrers Earle of Derby with whom the said king gaue him the lordship of Elsmere in the Marches of Wales The yeare next ensuing the foresaid Rees ap Gruffyth ap Rees got the castell of Lhangadoc and fortified it to his owne vse but shortlie after Maelgon his vncle with his freend Gwenwynwyn came with a strong power before the castell of Lhanymdhyfri wan it and from thence they remoued to Lhangadoc got the same likewise suffering the garrison to depart From thence Maelgon went to Dinerth and finished the castell which he had begun there About this time Dauid sonne to Owen Gwyneth after that prince Lhewelyn his nephue had set him at libertie fled to England and got an armie to restore him to his ancient estate in Northwales but all in vaine for his nephue met him and ouerthrew him in the waie then he returning to England for verie sorow died shortlie after The next yeare to this Howel the sonne of prince Rees being blind was slaine at Cemaes by his brother Maelgons men and buried by his brother Gruffyth at Stratflur Although this Maelgon in those daies bare all the rule in Southwales yet his brother Gruffyths sonnes Rees and his brethren wan from him the chiefe defense of all his countrie to wit the castels of Dyneuowr and Lhanymdhyfri Then William Marshall Earle of Penbrooke laid siege to the castell of Cilgerran wan it Not long after Maelgon ap Rees hired an Irishman to kill Gadiuor ap Griffri whose foure sons Maelgon tooke and put them to death These were toward gentlemen and came of a noble stocke for their mother Susanna was daughter to the said Howel ap Rees by a daughter of Madoc ap Meredyth prince of Powys The yeare 1205. Maelgon did build a castell at Abereneon At that time there came such abundance of fish to Aberystwyth as the like was neuer seene before Within the next three yeares after the French king got manie townes in Gwyen In those daies there fell a great debate in England between the king the clergie about the election of the Archbishop of Canturburie in so much that the yeare 1208. the Pope denounced all England accursed no seruice was vsed in anie church within England This yere the king did banish out of the land William de Bruse with his wife for displeasure that he bare to his son and seased their lands to his owne hands which William with his said wife and son fled to Ireland there remained for a while This man was of great power in the Marches of Wales but extreeme cruell and vniust The same yeare Gwenwynwyn came to Shrewesburie to speake with the kings councell and was there detained prisoner wherevpon prince Lhewelyn conquered all his countrie with all the towns and castels therein and kept the same to his owne vse Which when Maelgon ap Rees vnderstood and that Lhewelyn would make his voiage to Southwales he ouerthrew his castels of Aberystwyth Stratmeyric and Dynerth which he before had fortified despairing to be able to withstand the prince but the prince kept on his iournie to Aberystwyth and built the castell againe fortified it and seased to his owne hands the Cantref of Penwedic the land betwixt Dyui and Aeron which he gaue to Maelgons nephues the sonnes of Gruffyth ap Rees and so returned home with great ioy Within a litle after Rees Vachan sonne to prince Rees laid siege
much warre with the princes of Northwales I thinke it conuenient for the better vnderstanding of this historie to laie downe a briefe Catalog of the descents of the same Earles in order from the conquest to this Iohn Scot which was the last of them HVgh Lupus the sonne of Richard Earle of Auranges Uicount of Abonica and of Margaret the daughter of Harlowine a noble man in Normandie who maried Arlet the daughter of a burgesse in Falois which was also mother to William Conquerour came to England with the said Conquerour and was by him created Erle of Chester and sword-bearer of England with these words Habendum tenendum dictum comitatum Caestriae sibi haeredibus suis ita liberè ad gladium sicut ipse rex totam tenebat Angliam ad coronam that is To haue and to hold the said countie of Chester to him and his heires by right of the sword so fréelie as the king held the realme of England in the right of the crowne Hugh being established in the possession of the Earldome with most large priuiledges and fréedoms ordained vnder him for the better gouernment of the said countie foure Barons to wit The first Nigell or Neal his coosen Baron of Halton Constable and Marshall of Chester by condition of seruice to lead the Uauntgard of the Earles armie when he should make anie iournie into Wales so as the said Baron should be the formost in marching into the enimies countrie and the last in comming backe of him the Lacyes Earles of Lincolne descended The second Piers Malebanke Baron of Nantwich The Third Eustace Baron of Malpas The fourth Warren Vernoun Baron of Shipbrooke This Hugh Lupus conuerted the church of S. Werburgh to an Abbeie and died An 1102. after he had ruled that Earldome fourtie years leauing issue behind him Richard Robert Abbot of Burie and Otuell tutor to the children of king Henrie the first Richard Lupus the sonne of Hugh Lupus being the second Earle of Chester after the Conquest was but seuen yeare old when he was Earle he maried Mawd the daughter of Stephen Earle of Bloys Charters and Champaigne being the sister of king Stephen he with his brother Otuell after he had béen Earle of Chester xvij yeares was drowned at Godwin-sands comming from Normandie with the children of king Henrie the first in the yeare of Christ. 1120. Randulph Meschines alias de Bohun the sonne of Iohn de Bohun and of Margaret the sister of Hugh Lupus succéeded Richard in the Earledome of Chester as coosen next heire of blood to him being the third erle of Chester after the conquest he maried Mawd the daughter of Aubrey de Vere Earle of Gisnes by whom he had issue Randulph surnamed Vernounes bicause he was borne at Vernoune castell and died An. 1130. after that he had béene Earle about eight yeares Randulph Bohun his sonne succéeded his father being the fourth Earle of Chester after the Conquest who maried Alicia the daughter of Robert Earle of Glocester base sonne to king Henrie the first by whom he had issue Hugh Cyuelioc so called of that countrie of Powys wherein he was borne and died An. 1158. When he had béene Earle nine and twentie yeares Hugh Bohun alias Keuelock or rather Cyuelioc being the fift Earle of Chester after the Conquest maried Beatrice the daughter of Richard Lucie lord chiefe Iustice of England by whom he had issue Randulph and foure daughters Mawd maried to Dauid Earle of Anguis and Huntington lord of Galloway Mabill maried to William Daubney Earle of Arundell Agnes maried to William Ferrers Erle of Derby and Hawys maried to Robert Quincy a Baron of great honor who was in hir right after hir brothers death Earle of Lincolne and after him she was maried to sir Warren Bostock This Hugh was Earle of Chester 28. yeares died about the yeare 1182. Randulph Bohun alias Blandeuill so called bicause he was borne in Powys in a towne named Album monasterium succéded his father being the sixt Earle of Chester after the Conquest who was also Earle of Lincolne as coosen and next heire vnto William Romare Earle of Lincolne the second brother of Randulph Meschines the third Earle of Chester after the Conquest He was thrice maried first to Constance the daughter and heire of Conan Erle of Brytaine and Richmond being the widow of Geffrey the third son of king Henrie the second and the mother of Arthur Erle of Brytaine from whom afterward he was diuorsed and then maried a ladie named Clemence daughter to the Earle Ferrers after whose decease he tooke to his third wife Margaret daughter to Humfrey de Bohun Earle of Hereford Essex and Constable of England Nuerthelesse he neuer had issue by anie of those his wiues and therefore the Earledome of Chester and his lands in Northwales after his death descended to Iohn surnamed Scot his sister Mawdes sonne by Dauid Earle of Anguis and Huntington The manour of Barrow with 500. pound lands came to Mabill the Earldome of Lincolne to Hawyse the castell and manour of Chartley and as I thinke his possessions in Powys to Agnes This Randulph atchieued manie enterprises against Lhewelyn prince of Wales but one time méeting with the said Prince and being too weake to encounter with him he was driuen to retire backe to the castell of Ruthlan wherein the said Prince besieged him wherevpon he was faine to send to Roger Lacie Constable of Chester to come to his succors in that extremitie Lacie calling his fréends vnto him requested them to make as manie men as they could and to go with him to deliuer the Earle out of the danger of his enimies at whose request Ralph Dutton his son in law being a lustie youth assembled togither all the plaiers musicians and merie companions within the citie being then the Faire time and came to the Constable who forthwith went to Ruthlan raised the siege and deliuered the Earle from danger In recompense of which seruice the Earle gaue vnto his Constable diuerse fréedoms and priuiledges and granted vnto the said Dutton the ruling and ordering of all the plaiers and musicians within that countie which his heire enioieth euen to this daie This Earle builded the castels of Charteley and Beeston the abbie of Dalacrosse He died about the yeare of Christ 1232. when he had béene Earle 51. yeares Iohn Scot was in the right of Mawd his mother the eldest sister and one of the heires of Randulph Blandeuile the seuenth Earle of Chester he had great warres with Lhewelyn ap Iorwerth prince of Wales but in the end peace being made betwixt them the Earle for further confirmation of the same maried Iane the Princes daughter neuerthelesse he died without issue leauing foure sisters his heires Margaret maried to Alan de Galawey by whom she had a daughter named Derngold the mother of Iohn Baliol king of Scotland Isabel maried to Robert Breux Mawd who died without issue and
Lord Powys who descended of Hawys the daughter and heire of Owen ap Gruffyth Lord Powys who was linealie descended of Blethyn ap Convyn Prince of Wales mentioned before pag 103. This noble man was made knight being verie yoong by Charls Brandon Duke of Suffolke for his good seruice doon at Montededier in France Anno 15. Hen. 8. He was sent Embassadour to the Emperour Anno 26. Hen. 8. After the death of the Uicount Lisle his father in lawe he was created Uicount Lisle warden of the frontiers marches of Scotland Anno 33. Hen. 8. He was chosen to be fellowe and companion of the order of the Garter the fift of Maie An. 35. Hen. 8. In the first yéere of K. Edward the sixt he was created Earle of Warwike and in the fift yeere of the same king Duke of Northumberland He was also Earle Marshall high admirall of England L. great maister and President of the priuie councell and further intituled lord Basset and Tyesse The next yéere after that is in the fourth yéere of Edward the sixt William Herbert knight of the noble order of the garter was appointed L. President of Wales and continued vntill Michaelmas in the first yéere of Quéene Marie After whom Nicholas Heath Bishop of Worcester was sent to be L. President of Wales continued there vntill the third yéere of the same Quéene and then was remooued to be Lord Chaunceler of England being then elected Archbishop of Yorke At which time the said William Herbert was againe made L. President of Wales and so continued vntill the sixt yeare of the same Quéene He descended of William Herbert created Earle of Penbrooke by king Edward the fourth who was the sonne of Sir William Herbert who married Gladys the daughter of Sir Dauid Gam which Sir William was the sonne of Thomas Herbert the sonne of Gwilim ap Ienkyn lineallie descended of a noble man called Herbert Fitzhenrie chamberlaine to king Henrie the first This noble man liued in great credit and estimation with king Henrie the eight king Edward the sixt Quéene Marie and Quéene Elizabeth and was by euerie of the said Princes emploied in matters of great importance and for his good and faithfull seruice greatlie honoured as appeareth in an Epitaph fixed vpon his toombe in the Cathedrall church of S. Paule in London which I thought good héere to laie downe Perpetuae pietati Sacrum GVliel Herberto Penbrochiae comiti equiti aurato praenobilis ordinis Anglici Henr. viij R. Acubiculis Edoard vi R. equitum magistro Walliae praesidi Tumultu occidentali cum Russello Graio Baronibus paribus auspicijs summae rerum praeposito Mariae R ae contra perduelles ac expeditione ad Augustam Veromanduorum bis totius exercitus duci bis summo in agro Caletum Limitum praefecto Elizab R ae officiorum seu Magno Regiae Magistro Pariter Dominae Annae ex vetiista Parrorum gente oriundae Sorori Catharinae R ae Henr. viij R. vi matrimonio coniunctae ac Marchionis Northamptonij Prudentiss ae foeminae pietatis religionis probitatis omnisque auitae virtutis retinentiss ae fidiss Comitis coniugi Henr. F. ac comes Pp. chariss sibi ac suis moerens P. Obijt aetatis An 63. Obijt salutis An 1569. Liberis relictis ex prima Henrico Pemb. Comite Edoardo Equite Aurato Domina Anna Baroni Talbot nupta Secunda coniuge superstite Georgio Salopiae comite genita inisigni praeter antiquum probitatis decus virtute foemina In the sixt yeare of Quéene Marie Gilbert Bourne Bishop of Bath and Wels was sent to be lord President of Wales and so continued vntill the death of the same Quéene In the first yeare of Quéene Elizabeth Sir Iohn Williams L. Williams of Thame was sent L. President into Wales and died L. President the same yeare in the castell of Ludlowe and lieth buried at Thame in the countie of Oxenford where he of his good and vertuous disposition towards the good and godlie education of the youth of his countrie and maintenance of the poore founded by his last will and testament a Grammar schoole and an Almeshouse to haue continuance for euer and leaft certaine yearelie reuenues in lands and monie for the maintenance of the same And for the ordering conueieng and assuring of the premisses to the vses aforesaid he constituted and ordeined executors of his said last will and testament among other Robert Doylie of Merton in the same countie Esquier and William Place of Lurgyshall in the countie of Buckingham Gentleman who purchasing other lands for that purpose to the yearelie value of 57. pounds two shillings fiue pence sued out the mortmaine and enfe offed the Warden and Scholers of new College in Oxenford and their successors of the premisses to the vse aboue mentioned The foundation of the Schoole is of one head Schoolemaister to be appointed by the said Robert Doylie and William Place or the longer liuer of them for their life time and afterward by the said Warden and Scholers of new College and their successors for euer who hath yéerelie for his stipend the sum of xxvj pounds xiij shillings iiij pence And one vsher to be likewise appointed as the maister is who shall haue for his stipend yéerelie the sum of xiij pounds vj. shillings viij pence both which stipends are to be paid quarterly by euen portions The almeshouse is founded to haue fiue almsmen and one almeswoman who haue yéerelie towards their maintenance the summe of 7. pounds 4. shillings and a new gowne euerie fourth yeere There is also allowed for the kéeping of the toombe of the said lord Williams 8. shillings yéerelie and for kéeping cleane of the water-course 4. shillings Henrie Sidney knight after the death of the L. Williams of Thame in the second yéere of the Quéenes Maiestie that now is was sent to be L. President of Wales This knight is descended by the heires make lineallie of Sir William Sidney who came out of Aniowe into England with Henrie Fitzempresse and was afterward chamberlaine to the said Henrie when he was king of England and descended out of Wales by his mother Anne the daughter of Anne the daughter of William Clement the sonne of Iohn the sonne of William the sonne of William the sonne of Ienkyn Clement who married the daughter of Conan the sonne of Meredyth the sonne of Gruffyth the sonne of the lord Rees Prince of Southwales of whom mention is before pag. 249. which Rees was the sonne of Wenlhian the daughter of Gruffyth ap Conan Prince of Northwales The mother likewise of the same Iohn or Ienkyn Clement was Cicilie the daughter of Sir Gruffyth Lhoyd knight the son of Rees the son of Gruffyth the sonne of Ednyuet Vachan chéefe counseller and steward to Lhewelyn ap Iorwerth Prince of Wales of whom Matthew Paris maketh mention page 843. who also was the auncestor of Owen Tuder the Grandfather of king Henrie the seuenth of