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
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
lordship to the Lord Spencer then Lord of Glamorgan and went into Somersetshire to dwell there where his issue male continueth yet ¶ Gilbert de Humfreuile his Petegree SIr Gilbert Humfreuile aforesaid to whome the castell and manour of Penmarke was giuen and his issue male enioied the same till the said king Edward the thirds time and then the inheritance of the said castell and manour descended to sir Iohn S. Iohn of Fonmon knight to whome the forenamed lord S. Iohn of Bledso is sole heire ¶ Roger de Berkerolles knight his Petegree SIr Roger Berkerolles afore said knight to whom the manour of East Orchard was giuen and his issue male enioied the same till the 13. yeare of Henrie the fourth That sir Laurence Berkerolles knight died whom sir Edward Stradling knight as sole heire did succéed being sonne to sir William Stradling knight sonne to sir Edward Stradling knight and Wenlhian sole sister and heire to the said sir Laurence of whom Edward Stradling knight that now is is lineallie descended ¶ Reginald de Sully knight his Petegree SIr Reginald de Sully to whome the castell and manour of Sully was giuen and his issue male enioied the same vntill about king Edward the first his time And then it fell to a daughter married to sir Morgan de Avan Lord of the lordship of Avan aboue named whose sonne sir Iohn de Avan had but one daughter of whome sir George Blunt of Shropshire is lineallie descended as sole heire whose ancestor gaue the said lordship of Avan and the castell and manour of Sully to the Lord Spencer in exchange for other lands in England ¶ Peter le Soore knight his Petegree SIr Peter le Soore knight to whome was giuen the castell and manour of Peters towne and his issue male enioied the same vntill king Henrie the fourth his time and then died without issue and his inheritance fell betwéene diuers ¶ Iohn le Fleming knight his Petegree SIr Iohn le Fleming knight to whome the castell and manour of S. George was giuen and his issue male enioied the same vntill king Henrie the fourth his time and then it fell to Edmond Malefant who had married a daughter to the last Fleming And in king Henrie the seuenth his time the Malefants issue by Flemings daughter failed and then it fell to Iohn Butler of Dunreeven aboue named Esquier and after the death of him and of Arnold his sonne both the inheritances of Fleming Butler fell to Walter Vaghan of Brodeward in the Countie of Hereford Esquier now liuing sisters sonne to the said Arnold Butler ¶ Oliuer de S. Iohn knight his Petegree SIr Oliuer S. Iohn knight to whome the castell and manour of Fonmon was giuen and his heires male haue euer since enioied the same to whom the aboue named lord S. Iohn of Bledso that now is is sole heire whose ancestors from the winning of the said lordship of Glamorgan out of the Welshmens hands haue continuallie dwelt at Fonmon aforsaid vntill the latter time of king Edward the fourth That Iohn S. Iohn esquier had the said lordship of Bledso and manie other possessions besides by the death of dame Margaret Beauchampe his mother who was also mother to Margaret Duchesse of Somerset mother to king Henrie the seuenth Sithence which time the said Iohn S. Iohn and sir Iohn S. Iohn knight father to my Lord that now is haue alwaies dwelt in Bledso but they doo kéepe their lands in Wales still in their hands ¶ VVilliam le Esterling alias Stradling his Petegree SIr William Esterling knight to whome the castell and manour of S. Donats was giuen Sir Iohn le Esterling knight his sonne succéeded him Sir Moris le Esterling knight his sonne succéeded him Sir Robert le Esterling knight most commonlie called Stradling by shortnesse of speach and change of some letters succéeded him Sir Gilbert Stradling knight his sonne succéeded him Sir William Stradling knight his sonne succéeded him Sir Iohn Stradling knight his sonne succéeded him It doth not appeare in what stocke or sirname anie of these seuen knights aboue named did marrie but the christian names of the wiues of William the first Robert and Iohn the second were Hawisia Mathilda and Cicilia Sir Peter Stradling knight his sonne succéeded him who in the begining of king Edward the first his time and reigne married Iulian sole daughter and heire of Thomas Hawey By whom he had thrée manours Hawey Comhawey in Somersetshire yet remaining to his heires and Compton Hawey in Dorcetshire sold of late yeares Sir Edward Stradling knight their son succéeded them and he quartered the Hawey his armes with his and married with Elianor daughter heire to Gilbert Strangbow a yoonger brother whose wife was daughter and heire to Richard Garnon and had by hir two manours in Oxefordshire Sir Edward Stradling knight his sonne succéeded him married with Wenlhian daughter to Roger Berkrolles knight and sole sister and heire to sir Laurence Berkrolles knight as it happened afterward Sir William Stradling knight his sonne married with Isabel daughter and heire to Iohn S. Barbe of Somersetshire but he had no lands by hir for it was entailed to the heires male This sir William in king Richard the seconds time went a pilgrimage to Ierusalem and receiued there also the orders of knighthood of the sepulchre of Christ. Sir Edward Stradling knight his sonne succéeded him who bicause he was sole heire generall to the said S. Barbe did quarter S. Barbes armes with his To whome also in the 13. yeare of king Henrie the fourth fell the whole inheritance of the Berkerolles and the right of the fourth part of Turberuiles inheritance Lord of Coyty aforesaid the which for lacke of issue male of the said Berkerolles remained to Gamage and to his heires male by the especiall entaile aforesaid The which sir Edward did quarter not onelie the said Berkerolles armes with his but also the Turberuiles and Iestynes armes of whome the Turberuiles had in marriage one of the inheritours as is before said bicause the said sir Edward was one of the foure heires generall to sir Richard Turberuile to wit sonne to sir William Stradling sonne to Wenlhian sister and heire to the said Laurence Berkerolles and daughter to Catharine eldest sister and one of the foure heires generall to the aforesaid sir Richard Turberuile The said sir Edward maried with Iane daughter to Henry Beauford afterwards Cardinall begotten before he was Priest vpon Alice one of the daughters of Richard Earle of Arundell and in the beginning of king Henrie the seuenth his reigne he went likewise on pilgrimage vnto Ierusalem as his father did and receiued the order of the sepulchre there This sir Edward had to his brother sir Iohn Stradling knight who married with the heire of Dauncy in Wiltshire and had issue sir Edmond who had issue Iohn and Edmond Iohn had issue Anne ladie Davers of whome the Davers Hungerfordes Fynes and Leuet and a great progenie
Sitsylt the sonne of Eustace was made knight by King Henrie the second in the warres that the king had against the Welshmen he was also killed in the same warres at the siege of the castell of Cardif his father being aliue he tooke to wife the daughter of Maurice de Brompton and had by hir Gerald Sitsylt Eustace Sitsylt Henrie Sitsylt Iohn Sitsylt and Walter Sitsylt and two daughters Catharine and Elianor Catharine was the wife of Hugh Muredake and Elianor was the wife of Walter Wallis This Baldwin Sitsylt knight tooke to his second wife Margerie the daughter of Stephen Radnor knight and had by hir Stephen Sitsylt Roger Sitsylt Hugh Sitsylt and Dauid Sitsylt and three daughters the first was Mawd and she was a Nun the second was Ione and she was the wife of Iohn de Solers the third daughter Anne was the wife of Owen ap Meredyth This man gaue certeine lands in the towneship of Kigestone vnto the moonkes of Dore and granted vnto the same moonks freedome of common and pasture and other liberties in his woods Gerald Sitsylt the first sonne of Baldwin Sitsylt knight tooke to wife Mabil the daughter of Sir William Moigne knight and had by hir three sonnes Gerald Sitsylt that died a child Robert Sitsylt that married and had children and Owen Sitsylt a moonke of the Abbeie of Dore. He had also three daughters Catharine that was wedded to Sir Griffin ap Yoreford and after to Dauid ap Euan and the third time to Geffreie de Bret sonne of sir Walter Bret knight Anne the second daughter of Gerald Sitsylt was wedded to Robert the sonne of Richard Bromewich And Ellen the third daughter of Gerald Sitsylt was the wife of Iohn Abrahal father of Sir Iohn Abrahal knight Robert Sitsylt the sonne of Gerald tooke to wife Alicia daughter of Sir Robert Tregois knight and had by hir Iames Sitsylt his first son Gerald the second sonne Thomas the third sonne and Baldwin the fourth sonne and Margaret the first daughter and Elizabeth the second daughter Iames Sitsylt the sonne of Robert tooke to wife Isabel the daughter of Sir Iohn Knel knight and had by hir Iames and Gerald twins Iames died yoong he had also Robert Sitsylt and Iohn Sitsylt and fiue daughters that is to saie Alicia wedded to Walter Monington Grace wedded to Roger sonne of William Blunt Elianor wedded to Thomas Paine Margerie wedded to Morgan ap Meredyth and Sislie married to Howel ap Blethin and after to sir Hugh Bruge Gerald Sitsylt sonne of Iames tooke to wife Margaret daughter of Stephen Dalaber and by hir had Iohn Sitsylt and after he wedded Bridget the widow of Sir Simon Ward knight and had by hir Iames Sitsylt and the third time married the daughter of Martin Hopton and had by hir Martin Sitsylt Henrie Sitsylt and Dauid Sitsylt and Ione a daughter And the fourth time the same Gerald Sitsylt tooke to wife Iane the daughter of Robert Emerton and had by hir one sonne named Stig and Sitsylt that was slaine in the warres of Striuelyn in the time of King Edward the second and had no issue as the register of the Abbeie of Dore maketh mention Iohn Sitsylt the sonne of Gerald tooke to wife Sibyl the daughter of Robert of Ewyas and had by hir sir Iohn Sitsylt knight George Sitsylt and a daughter named Margaret that was the wife of sir Robert Baskeruile knight who had by hir Sir Iohn Baskeruile knight and by his second wife he had sir Richard Baskeruile knight that tooke to wife Iane the daughter and heire of George Sitsylt second sonne of this Iohn Sitsylt and had by hir sir Iohn Baskeruile knight Sir Iohn Sitsylt knight tooke to wife Alicia the sister of the said sir Roger Baskeruile and sir Roger married his sister as is afore said This sir Iohn Sitsylt had Iohn Sitsylt and Roger Sitsylt In the time of the warres that King Edward the 3. made against Scotland at a place called Halydon hill néere Barwick anno 6. Edward 3. there arose a great variance and contention betwéene Sir William de Facknaham knight on the one side approouant and this Sir Iohn Sitsylt knight on the other side defendant for an ensigne of armes that is to say The field often barrets siluer and azure supported of 5. scocheons sable charged with so manie lions of the first rampants incensed geuls which ensigne both the parties did claime as their right But as both the parties put themselues to their force to maintaine their quarell and vaunted to maintaine the same by their bodies it pleased the king that iustice should be yéelded for triall of the quarell without shedding of bloud and so the bearing of the ensigne was solemnlie adiudged to be the right of the said Sir Iohn Sitsylt as heire of bloud lineallie descended of the body of Iames Sitsylt Lord of Beauport slaine at the siege of Walingford as before is declared The finall order and determination of which controuersie is laid downe by Iohn Boswel gentleman in his booke intituled The concords of Armorie fol. 80. This Sir Iohn Sitsylt had a charge of men at armes for the custodie of the marches of Scotland in the 11. yéere of King Edward the third Iohn Sitsylt the son of sir Iohn Sitsylt knight tooke to wife Ione daughter of sir Richard Monington knight and had by hir Iohn Sitsylt that died his father being liuing and Thomas Sitsylt Thomas Sitsylt married Margaret the daughter and heire of Gilbert de Winston and had by hir Philip Sitsylt and Dauid Sitsylt This man was a great benefactour to the moonks of Dore and forgaue them great summes of monie which they ought him Philip Sitsylt married Margaret the daughter of Iohn Philips and had by hir Richard Iohn and Margaret Richard Sitsylt or Cecill married Margaret the daughter of Philip Vaughan and had by hir Philip Cecill Margaret Cecill Iohn Cecill Dauid Cecill and Iames or Ienkin Cecill These petegrées and descents I gathered faithfullie out of sundrie ancient records and euidences whereof the most part are confirmed with seales autentike therevnto appendant manifestlie declaring the antiquitie and truth thereof which remaine at this present in the custodie of the right Honorable Sir William Cecill Knight of the noble order of the Garter Lord Burghley and Lord high Treasurer of England who is lineallie descended from the last recited Richard Sitsylt father to Dauid Cecill grandfather to the said Sir William Cecill now Lord Burghley and at this date William Sitsylt or Cecill Esquire coosen germane to the said Lord Burghley remooued by one degrée onelie is possessed of the foresaid house of Halterennes in Ewyas land as the heire male of the house of Sitsylts and is descended of Philip Cecill elder brother to the said Dauid About the same time or shortlie after Barnard Newmarch a noble man also of Normandie obtained by conquest the Lordship of Brechnock containing thrée cantreds and married Nest the daughter of Nest
Gruffyth and Owen This Gruffyth ap Madoc tooke part with king Henrie the third and Edward the first against the prince of Northwales and therefore for feare of the prince he was faine to lie for his owne safegard in his said castell of Dînas brân which standeth on the toppe of a verie stéepe hill to the which there is no waie but one to come He died his children being within age wherevpon shortlie after ensued the destruction of two of them for the said king Ed. 1. gaue the wardship of Madoc who had for his part the lordships of Bromfield and Yale and the said castell of Dînas brân which the reuersion of Maelor Saesnec after his mothers decease who had the same to hir iointer to Iohn Earle Warren and granted the wardship of Lhewelyn to whose part the lordships of Chirke and Nanhevdwy came to Roger Mortimer third sonne to Roger Mortimer the sonne of Ralph Mortimer Lord Mortimer of Wigmor These guardians forgetting the seruice doone by the father of the wardes to the king so garded their wardes with so small regard that they neuer returned to their possessions And shortlie after the said guardians did obtaine the same lands to themselues by charters of the king This Iohn Earle Warren began to build the Holt castell and William his son finished the same The lordship of Bromfield and Yale continued in the name of the Earle Warren thrée descents Iohn William and Iohn that died without issue and then the said lordship togither with the said Erldome of Warren descended to Alice daughter of the said William Erle Warren and sister and heire of the said last Iohn Earle Warren which Alice maried Edmond Fitzalan Erle of Arundell in the which house of Fitzalanes it remained thrée descents after the said Edmond and Alice to wit to Richard Earle of Arundell and to Richard Earle of Arundell his sonne and to Thomas Earle of Arundell sonne of the said last Richard And then for want of issue of the said Thomas Earle of Arundell and Warren the said lordship fell to two of his sisters whereof one named Elizabeth was maried to Thomas Mowbray Duke of Norfolke the other named Ioane was maried to William Beauchamp lord of Abergauenny whose part afterwards came by a daughter to the Neuil lord of Abergauenny and sithence it came to the hands of Sir William Stanley knight by whose attaindor it escheated to the crowne and so remaineth parcell of hir maiesties possessions at this daie Roger Mortimer Iustice of Northwales builded the castell of Chirke and maried Lucia the daughter and heire of Sir Robert de Wafre knight by whom he had issue Roger Mortimer who maried Ioane Turberuile and had issue Iohn Mortimer lord of Chirke This Iohn sold the lordship of Chirke to Richard Fitzalan Earle of Arundell sonne to the said Edmond and so it was annexed againe to Bromfield and Yale The third sonne of Gruffyth lord of Dînas brân named also Gruffyth had for his part Glyndowrdwy which Gruffyth ap Gruffyth was father of Madoc Crupl father of Madoc Vachan father of Gruffyth father of Gruffyth Vachan father of Owen Glyndowr who rebelled in the time of king Henrie the fourth by whose attaindor that part also came to the kings hands which was purchased of the king by Robert Salisburie of Rug of whome Salisburie the lord of Glyndowrdwy that now is descended Owen the fourth sonne of Gruffyth lord of Dînas brân had for his part Cynlhaeth which at this daie togither with the lordship of Chirke land is parcell of the possessions of the right honorable the Earle of Leycester The other part of Powys containing the countries of Arustly Cyuelioc Lhannerch hudol Caereneon Mochnant vwch Rayader Mechain vwch Coed Mouthwy Deuthwr Strat Marchelh and Teirtref or the thrée townes rightfullie descended to Gruffyth ap Meredyth ap Blethyn before mentioned who was by King Henrie the first created Lord Powys he married Gweyryl or Weyryl the daughter of Vrgene ap Howel ap Ieuaf ap Cadogan ap Athlestan Glodryth and by hir had issue Owen surnamed Cyuelioc Owen Cyuelioc enioied his whole inheritance as his father did and married Wenlhian the daughter of Owen Gwyneth Prince of Northwales by whom he had issue Gwenwynwyn or Wenwynwyn after whose name that part of Powys was afterward called Powys Wenwynwyn He had also a bastard brother called Caswalhon to whom he gaue the territories called Swydh Lhannerch Hudol and Braniarth Gwenwynwyn succéeded his father in the whole segniorie sauing Lhannerch Hudol and Braniarth which were giuen to his base brother Caswalhon Maelrhy during his life time onelie Which Gwenwynwyn married Margaret daughter to Rees ap Theodor Prince of Southwales and by hir had issue Gruffyth ap Gwenwynwyn Gruffyth ap Gwenwynwyn succéeded his father in all his possessions and had issue sixe sonnes among whom his inheritance was diuided as foloweth Owen the eldest sonne had for his part Arustly Cyuelioc Lhannerch hudol and the moitie of Caereneon Lhewelyn the second sonne had Mochnant vwch Rayader and Mechain vwch Coed Iohn the third sonne had the fourth part of Caereneon William the fourth sonne had Mouthwy Gruffyth Vachan the fift sonne had Deuthwr Strat marchelh and Teirtref Dauid the sixt sonne had the other fourth part of Caereneon Owen ap Gruffyth had issue one onelie daughter his heire named Hawys Gadarn that is Hawys the hardie against whom hir vncles Lhewelyn Iohn Gruffyth Vachan and Dauid arose challenging the lands of their brother Owen and affirming that a woman was not capable of lands in that countrie Wherevpon Hawys made such fréends in England that the matter being opened vnto King Edward the second the said King bestowed hir in marriage vpon a seruant of his named Iohn Charleton termed Valectus Domini Regis borne in Appley a little off from Welinton 1268. in the countie of Salop whom he made Lord Powys in hir right This Iohn Charleton Lord Powys being aided by the king tooke thrée of his wiues vncles to wit Lhewelyn Dauid and Iohn whom he laid vp fast in the kings castell of Hardlech and obteined a writ from the King of the Shirife of the countie of Salop and Sir Roger Mortimer Lord of Chirkland and iustice of Northwales for the apprehension of Gruffyth Vachan with Sir Roger Chamber and Hugh Mountgomerie his two sonnes in lawe which then were in armour against the said Charleton and Hawys Wherevpon the said Gruffyth Vachan and his brethren hauing then lost their greatest staie which was Thomas Earle of Lancaster submitted themselues to the kings order touching all matters in variance betwéene them and their néece who finding by records that Gruffyth ap Meredyth auncestor to the said Hawys vpon his submission to King Henrie the first became subiect to the King of England and therevpon was by the said King created Baron of Powys which Baronie he and his heires held afterward of the king in Capite as other Barons of England did And therefore the
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
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
and after his death she was maried to Richard Earle of Cornwal and king of the Romanes 4 Sibylla the fourth daughter was maried to VVilliam Ferrers Earle of Ferrers and Derby 5 Eua the fift daughter was maried to VVilliam Bruse lord Bruse of Gower Likewise manie nobles died without issue male at this time as the Earle of Arundell the Earle of Chester the Earle of Essex the Earle of Huntington and diuerse others In the beginning of the yeare 1246. Dauid prince of VVales after he had gotten the loue of his subiects and atchieued manie notable victories passed out of this life and was buried at Conwey by his father after he had ruled Wales fiue yeares leauing no issue of his bodie to the great discomfort of the land Lhewelyn ap Gruffyth Lhewelyn and Owen the sonnes of Gruffyth ap Lhewelyn The Prince of Northwales was the superiour Prince of all Wales to whom the other princes of Southwales and Powys did paie a certeine tribute yearelie as appeareth by the lawes of Howel Dha and in diuers places of this historie and was the right heire of Cadwalader as is euident by all writers whose line of the heire male from Roderi Mawr endeth in this Dauid the sonne of Lhewelyn the sonne of Iorwerth the sonne of Owen Gwyneth the sonne of Gruffyth the sonne of Conan the sonne of Iago the sonne of Edwal the sonne of Meyric the sonne of Edwal Voel the sonne of Anarawd the sonne of Roderi Mawr the sonne of Esylht the daughter and sole heire of Conan Tindaythwy the sonne of Roderike Molwynoc the sonne of Edwal Ywrch the son of Cadwalader the last king of the Brytaines Lhewelyn ap Iorwerth Prince of Northwales father to Dauid married two wiues whereof the first was Ione the daughter of king Iohn by whom he had issue Dauid and Gladys His second wife was Eua the daughter of Foulke de Breant by whom he had no issue Dauid succeeded his father in the principalitie of Wales and died without issue after whose decease the right of the inheritance descended and fell to his sister of the whole blood Gladys the wife of Ralph lord Mortimer of Wigmor who had issue Roger Mortimer of whom mention is made in this place Peter Iohn a Frier preacher and Hugh lord of Chilmersh Roger Mortimer lord of Wigmor and by right of inheritance Prince of Wales married Mawd de Bruse daughter of William de Bruse lord of Brechnocke by whom he had issue Edmond Roger lord of Chirkeland VVilliam and Geffrey and two daughters Margaret maried to the son of the Earle of Oxenford and Isabel maried to Iohn Fitzalen Earle of Arundell This Roger died An. 1282. and was buried in the abbie of VVigmor Edmond Mortimer lord of VVigmor maried Margaret Fendles and had issue Roger Iohn slaine in a Turnie at VVorcester Edmond Hugh and VValter and two daughters Mawd married to Theobald lord Verdon of whom the Earle of Sherewsburie and the Earle of Essex are descended and Ione who died without issue He lieth buried in the said abbie at VVigmor Roger Mortimer lord of Wigmor married Ione the daughter and heire of Sir Peter Geniuill and had issue Edmond Mortimer lord of Wigmor Sir Roger Mortimer and Geffrey lord of Cowich called in stories Comes Iubinensis and seauen daughters Catharine married to Thomas Beauchamp Earle of Warwicke Ione married to Iames lord Audely Agnes countesse of Penbrooke Margaret married to Thomas lord Berkeley Mawd married to Iohn Charleton lord Powys Blanch married to Sir Peter Graunson knight and Beatrice married to Edward sonne heire of Thomas Brotherton Earle Marshall and after his death to Thomas de Bruse This Roger Mortimer escaped out of the Towre and fled into France and afterward returned againe with Quéene Isabel the wife of king Edward the second and Edward the prince hir sonne by whom after the putting downe of the said king he was created Earle of March and was afterward attainted Edmond Mortimer lord of Wigmor married Elianor late widow of William de Bohune Earle of Northampton one of the daughters and heires of Bartholomew Badelsmer lord of Leedes in Kent and by hir had issue Roger and Iohn who died without issue He died in the castell of Ludlowe and lieth buried in the said abbie of Wigmor Roger Mortimer lord of Wigmor was by king Edward the third An. Regni sui 29. restored to the Earledome of March and all his grandfathers inheritance honors and possessions the said attaindour being repealed and made void He had issue by Philippa his wife the daughter of VVilliam Mountague Earle of Sarum Edmond Earle of March and died at Roueraie in Burgundie the 26. of Februarie Anno. 1359. whose bones were afterward translated to the abbie of VVigmor Edmond Mortimer Earle of March and lord of Wigmor maried Philippa the daughter sole heire of Leonell duke of Clarence in whose right he was Earle of Vlster he had issue Roger and Edmond that was taken by Owen Glyndoure and two daughters Elizabeth married to Sir Henrie Percy knight sonne and heire to Henrie Percy Earle of Northumberland Philippa maried first to Iohn Hastings Erle of Penbrooke and after his death to Richard Earle of Arundel and last to Iohn lord S. Iohn He died in the citie of Corke in Ireland An. 1381. and lieth buried in the said abbie of Wigmor Roger Mortimer Earle of March and Vlster lord of Wigmor Trym Clare and Conaght maried Elianor the eldest daughter and one of the heires of Thomas Holand Earle of Kent by whom he had issue Roger and Edmond who both died without issue and two daughters Anne maried to Richard Plantagenet Earle of Cambridge and Elianor Countesse of Deuon who died without issue The said Richard and Anne had issue Richard duke of Yorke and Isabel maried to Henrie Bourchier Earle of Essex of whom the Earle of Essex now liuing is descended Richard Plantagenet duke of Yorke maried Cicilie the daughter of Ralph Neuill Earle of Westmerland and had issue Edward the fourth king of England Edmond Erle of Rutland George duke of Clarence Richard duke of Glocester afterward king of England by the name of Richard the third and thrée daughters Margaret maried to Charles duke of Burgundie Elizabeth maried to Iohn de lapoole duke of Suffolke and Anne maried to Henrie Holand duke of Excester and after to Sir Thomas Saintleger knight Edward the fourth king of England maried Elizabeth the daughter and one of the heires of Richard Wooduile Earle Riuers and had issue king Edward the fift who died without issue and Elizabeth maried to king Henrie the seuenth and mother to king Henrie the eight of famous memorie father to the QVEENES Maiestie that now is who by lineall descent is the right inheritrice of the Principalitie of Wales By these Petegrées it is euident that the title which Owen Glyndoure pretended to the principalitie of Wales was altogither friuolous for he was not descended of the house
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
daughter to Gruffyth ap Lhewelyn Prince of VVales by whom he had issue Mahael and a daughter This Mahael being a worthie knight was disinherited by the malice of his owne mother who contrarie to matrimoniall dutie kept vnlawfull companie with a knight whom she set more by than hir husband Wherevpon Mahael being offended with the dissolute life of his mother warned hir to auoid infamie and on a time méeting the said knight comming from hir fought with him and hurt him sore Wherefore Nest to be auenged of hir sonne for that fact went to king Henrie the first and solemnelie rather of malice and reuengement as Giraldus noteth than of anie truth sware vpon the Euangelists that the said Mahael hir sonne was not begotten by Barnard Newmarch hir husband but by another louer of hirs By reason of the which oth or periurie rather as mine author thinketh Mahael was disinherited and his sister whom hir mother affirmed to be the verie daughter of the said Barnard was by the said king with the whole inheritance bestowed vpon Milo the sonne of Walter Constable who was after created Earle of Hereford Lord of Glocester Brechnocke and the forrest of Deane This Milo Earle of Hereford and Lord of Brechnocke as the same Giraldus writeth told king Henrie the first of the singing triumphing of birds by the poole called Lhyn Sauathan at the passing by of Gruffyth ap Rees ap Theodor the said Milo and Paine Fitz Iohn Lord of Ewyas land being present Wherevnto the King answered that It was not a thing to be woondered at so much for in truth saith he although we by our great force and strength doo offer iniurie and violence to that nation yet are they well knowne to be the lawfull inheritours of that countrie the words of Giraldus be these Quibus auditis Rex respondisse memoratur Illud non-adeo esse admirandum quia licèt gentibus illis per vires nostras magnas iniuriam violentiam irrogemus nihilominus tamen in terris ijsdemius haereditarium habere noscuntur Milo had by his said wife fiue sonnes to wit Roger Walter Henrie William and Mahael which were all successiuelie except William Earles of Hereford and Lords of Brechnocke and died all without issue He had also thrée daughters Margaret the eldest married to Humfrey de Bohune the sonne of Humfrey Bohune Steward in house to William Rufus which was the sonne of Humfrey le Bohune that came into Enlgand with William Conqueror This Humfrey was in hir right Earle of Hereford Constable of England Bertha the second daughter was married vnto Philip Bruse created by King Stephan Lord Bruse of Gower Bould and Brimber and in his wiues right lord of Brechnock Lucia the third daughter was married to Herebert the sonne of Herebert a base sonne to King Henrie the first who was in hir right Lord of all the forrest of Deane of whom descended the Fitz Herebert of Derbishire The castell of Brechnock being first built by the said Barnard Newmarch was greatlie augmented and beautified by the last Humfrey Bohune Earle of Hereford Essex Northampton and Constable of England who had issue two daughters his heires Elianor the elder was married vnto Thomas Plantagenet alias Thomas of Woodstock the sixt sonne of Edward the third who was by King Richard the second created Earle of Buckingham and after duke of Glocester and in hir right Earle of Essex Northampton and Constable of England Marie the second daughter was married to Henrie Plantagenet alias Bolingbrooke Earle of Derbie who was afterward King of England by the name of Henrie the fourth The said Thomas Plantagenet Duke of Glocester and Lord of Brechnock had issue Humfrie Plantagenet Earle of Buckingham Lord of Brechnock c who died without issue and 4. daughters which were heirs after their brother Anne the eldest was married to Edmund Stafford Earle of Stafford who by hir had issue Humfrie Earle of Stafford Hereford Northampton Lord of Brechnock c. And afterwards the said Anne was maried to William Viscount Burgcher created Earle of Ewe in France by King Henrie the fift father of Henrie created Earle of Essex by King Edward the fourth This Humfrie Earle Stafford was by King Henrie the sixt created Duke of Buckingham and so this Lordship of Brechnock came to the Dukes of Buckingham and by the attaindour of Edward the last Duke of Buckingham is come to the crowne There came manie Gentlemen with the said Barnard Newmarch at that time to Brechnock vpon whom he bestowed diuers manours which their heires doo possesse and enioy euen to our time as to the Awbreyes the manour of Abercynuric and Slowch to the Walbiefes the manour of Lhanhamlach and Taly Lhyn to the Gunters the manour of Gilston to the Havards the manour of Pontwilym c. But now hauing long digressed let vs returne againe to our author About this time William Rufus and Robert his brother being made freends came both together into England and lead an armie into Scotland against Malcolme the king who had entred Northumberland spoiled it in the kings absence and he yeelded himselfe to William and by oth became his vassall and subiect Then William reedified Carlile and brought people from the South part of England to inhabite it But shortlie after Malcolme came againe into England spoiling the land who being fought withall was slaine and his sonne Edward also then Edgar his sonne which was pledge with king William was crowned in his steed At this time Cadogan ap Blethyn ap Convyn destroied all Dyuet in the end of Aprill and shortlie after the same summer the Normanes in great companies landed in Dyuet or Westwales Cardigan and builded castels there and so began to inhabite the countrie vpon the sea shoare The Normans hauing gotten into their hands all the lands and liuings of the nobilitie of England began to spie out the commodities of Wales and séeing that Robert Fitzhamon and the other knights that went with him had sped so well they made sure to the king to grant them the lands of the Welshmen Whervpon the king thinking that to be the best waie for him aswell to incourage them to be the more willing to serue him as also to prouide for them at other mens cost granted to diuers of his nobles sundrie countries in Wales to hold of him by knight seruice for the which they did homage and sweare fealtie vnto him as foloweth 1 Roger Mountgomery Earle of Arundel and Salope did his homage for the lordships of Powys and Caerdigan 2 Hugh Lupus Earle of Chester did his homage for Tegengl and Ryuonioc with all the land by the sea shoare vnto the riuer of Conwey 3 Arnulph a yoonger sonne of Roger Mountgomery for Dyuet 4 Barnard Newmarch for Brechnock 5 Ralph Mortimer for Eluel 6 Hugh de Lacie for the land of Ewyas 7 Eustace Cruer for Molde and Hopedale and manie other for other lands Then Roger de
the Archbishop of Canturburie whom king Richard had substituted his lieutenant in England came with an huge power towardes Wales and laied siege to the castell of Gwenwynwyn at the poole but the garrison defended the hold so manfullie that he lost manie of his men and could doo no good Therefore he sent for miners and set them on worke to vndermine the wals which thing when the garrison vnderstood and knowing that their enimes were three to one they were content to yeeld vp the castell vpon condition that they might depart with their armour freelie which offer the Archbishop tooke suffering them to passe quietlie and fortifieng the castell againe stronglie to the kings vse and placing therein a garrison for the defense thereof returned to England But immediatlie Wenwynwyn or Gwenwynwyn laid siege to it againe and shortlie after receiued it vpon the same conditions that his men had giuen it vp and kept the same to his owne vse The next yeare after there was a great and a terrible plague through all the Ile of Brytaine and France of the which died a great number of nobles beside the common people And the same yeare the fourth daie of Maie Rees the sonne of Gruffyth ap Rees ap Theodor prince of Southwales died the onelie anchor hope and staie of all that part of Wales as he that brought them out of thraldome and bondage of strangers set them at libertie and had defended them diuerse times in the field manfullie daunting the pride and courage of their cruell enimies whom he did either chase out of the land or compelled by force to liue quietlie at home Wo to that cruell destinie that spoiled the miserable land of hir defense and shield who as he descended of noble and princelie blood so he passed all other in commendable qualities and laudable vertues of the mind he was the ouerthrower of the mightie and setter vp of the weake the ouerturner of the holdes the separator of troopes the scatterer of his foes among whome he appeared as a wild boare among whelps or a lion that for anger beateth his taile to the ground In praise of this prince there is a long discourse in the Brytish booke after the maner of the VVelsh poets whose worthie commendation is laid downe at large by Ranulph Monke of Chester in the seuenth booke of his Historie intituled Polychronicon the 31. chap. and Grafton in the life of Richard the first pag. 92. This prince had manie sonnes and daughters as Gruffyth who succeeded his father Cadwalhon Maelgon Meredyth and Rees and of the daughters one called Gwenlhian was married to Ednyuet Vachan who was ancester to Owen Theodor or Tuder that maried Queene Catharine the widow of king Henrie the fift and the rest were maried to other lords in the countrie After the death of Rees Gruffyth his sonne subdued all the countrie to himselfe and enioied it in peace vntill Maelgon his brother whom his father had disinherited made a league with Gwenwynwyn the sonne of Owen Cyuelioc lord of Powys who both togither leuied a number of men came suddenlie vpon Gruffyth at Aberystwyth and slaieng a great number of his men tooke him prisoner and so recouered all the countrie of Caerdigan with the castell Thus Maelgon hauing taken his brother sent him to be imprisoned with Gwenwynwyn who in despite deliuered him to the Englishmen Then Gwenwynwyn gathering a power entred Arustly and subdued the same to himselfe Also about that time there was great warre in Northwales for Dauid ap Owen of late prince came with a great armie aswell Englishmen as Welshmen purposing to recouer the land againe but Lhewelyn his nephue who was the right inheritor of the same and then in possession thereof came boldlie and met him and gaue him battell and putting his people to flight tooke him prisoner and kept him in safetie and afterward enioied the countrie quietlie Toward the end of this yeare Owen Cyuelioc lord of the higher Powys died and left his land to Gwenwynwyn his sonne after whom that part of Powys was called Powys Wenwynwyn for a difference from the other called Powys Vadoc being the possession of the lords of Bromefield At this time also died Owen the son of Gruffyth Maylor lord of Bromfield and Brychtyr the sonne of Howel ap Ieuaf likewise Maelgon the sonne of Cadwalhon ap Madoc lord of Melienyth About the same time Trahaem Vachan a man of great power in the countrie of Brechnock as he came to Lancors to speake with William Bruse lord thereof was suddenlie taken and by the lords commandement tied to a horse taile and drawen through the towne of Aberhodny or Brechnock to the galowes and there beheaded and his bodie hanged vp by the feete three daies This crueltie shewed vpon no iust cause made his brother his wife and his children to flee the land The yeare ensuing Maelgon the sonne of prince Rees after he had imprisoned his elder brother got his castels of Aberteiui and Stratmeyric also the youngest son of prince Rees wan the castell of Dyneuowr from the Normanes The summer folowing Gwenwynwyn intending to extend the limits of Wales to their old meers gathered a great armie laid siege first to the castell of Payn in Eluel which was of the possessions of William de Bruse making a proclamation that assoone as he had won the castell he would burne all the whole countrie to Seauerne without mercie in reuenge of the murther of Trahaern Vachan his coosen But because he lacked engines and miners he laie three weekes at that castell and the murtherers sent for succours to England wherevpon Geffrey Fitzpeter lord chiefe Iustice of England gathered a great power ioining with him all the lords Marchers came to raise the siege And because the fortune of the battell is variable and vncertaine he sent first to Gwenwynwyn to haue a treatie of peace concluded but he and such as were with him would in no wise condescend to peace whose answere was that they would at that iournie reuenge their old wrongs Wherevpon the English lords did first enlarge Gruffyth the sonne of prince Rees of Southwales whom they knew to be an enimie to Gwenwynwyn which Gruffyth gathered a great power and ioined with the English lords and so they came towards the castell against whome Gwenwynwyn cam verie stoutlie there began a cruell battell with much slaughter on either part but at the last the Englishmen gat the victorie and Gwenwynwyn lost a great number of his men among whom were Anarawd sonne to Eneon Owen ap Cadwalhon Richard ap Iestyn and Robert ap Howel also Meredyth ap Conan was then taken prisoner with manie moe Matthew Paris saith that this battell was fought before Mawdes castell that of the Welshmen there were slaine 3700. and after this victorie the English lords returned home with much honor And forthwith Gruffyth sonne to prince Rees recouered by force and good
offerentibus and therevpon granted his letters of commission to the abbots aforesaid to release Dauid from his oth of allegiance to the king of England and to inquire of the whole estate of the matter and to certifie him of the same These commissioners taking vpon them the authoritie directed their Mandat to the king of England commanding him to appeare before them at Creythyn in the church of Lhangustenyn in the vigil of S. Agnes next comming to answer in the premisses Wherevpon the king laughing at the presumption of these abbots being greatlie offended with the Pope for his vnsatiable gréedines sent to Rome and with greater summes of monie quieted all things againe so that the Pope made his gaine at both hands Sée Matthew Paris page 840. Then prince Dauid gathered all his strength to be reuenged of the wrongs which the Erles of Clare and Hereford with Iohn de Monmouth and Roger de Monte Alto and other Marchers did to his people Whom all the lords in Wales obeied and tooke for their souereigne sauing Gruffyth son to Gwenwynwyn and Morgan ap Howel which two shortlie were compelled to obey also Wherefore the prince entred the land of March spoiling and destroieng a great part thereof with whome the said Earles fought diuerse times and sometimes the one and sometimes the other had the uictorie The yeare ensuing the Marchers and the Welshmen met not far from Mountgomery where was a cruell fight and 300. of the Welshmen slaine and a great number of Englishmen among whome there was slaine a noble knight called Hubert Fitzmatthew Wherevpon the king being wearie of these domesticall troubles gathered a huge armie of Englishmen and Gascoynes and entred Northwales intending to destroie the countrie but the Prince met with his people in a straict fought with them and put them to flight There the king lost a great number of his most worthie soldiours and nobilitie the most part of all his Gascoynes therefore seeing he cold doo no good he sent for the Irishmen which landed at the Ile of Môn or Anglesey and spoiled a great part thereof till the inhabitants of the Ile gathered themselues together and met with them being loden with spoile whom they chased to their ships then the king manned and victualed his castels and returned to England Of this viage a certeine noble man being then in the kings campe wrote thus to his fréends about the end of September 1245. The king with his armie lieth at Gannock fortifieng of that strong castell we lie in our tents thereby watching fasting praieng fréezing with cold we watch for feare of the Welshmen who are woont to inuade and come vpon vs in the night time We fast for want of meat for the halfpenie loafe is woorth fiue pence We praie to God to send vs home againe spéedilie wée starue for cold wanting our winter garments and hauing no more but a thin linnen cloath betwixt vs and the wind There is an arme of the sea vnder the castell where we lie whereto the tide commeth and manie ships come vp the hauen thither which bring victuals to the campe from Ireland and Chester This arme of the sea lieth betwixt vs and Snowdon where the Welshmen abide now and is about a slight shoote ouer when the tide is in There came to the mouth of that hauen a certeine ship from Ireland with victuals to be sold vpon mondaie before Michaelinas daie which being negligentlie looked vnto was set on drie ground at the low ebbe on the further side of the water ouer against the castell which thing when the Welshmen saw they came downe from the hilles and laid siege to the ship being now vpon drie ground wherevpon we on the other side beholding the same sent ouer by boates thrée hundreth Welshmen of the borders of Cheshire and Shropshire with certeine archers and armed men to the rescue of the said ship Then the Welshmen withdrew themselues to their accustomed places in the rockes and woods whom our men followed as far as two miles being a foote bicause they brought no horsses ouer with them and slew manie of them But our men in their returne being ouergréedie and couetous spoiled the abbey of Aberconwey and burned all the houses of offices belonging to the same Which doings caused the Welshmen to come togither who like desperate men set vpon our soldiours being loden with spoiles and slew a great number of them following the rest to the waterside of whom some gat to the boates and so escaped and some cast themselues into the water and were drowned and such as they tooke they hanged or headed euerie one In this conflict we lost manie of our men speciallie of those that were vnder the conduct of Richard Earle of Cornewal as Sir Alan Buscell Sir Adam de Maio Sir Geffrey Estuemy and one Ramond a Gascoine whom the king greatlie fansied and diuers other beside a hundreth of common soldiours In the meane time Sir Walter Bisset worthilie defended the said ship vntill the tide came and then came awaie with the same manfullie wherein there were thréescore tunnes of wine beside other prouision c. Many other things are conteined in the said writing of the hard shifts that were made in the kings campe for victuals and the great dearth of all things that were to be eaten This yeare died Walter Marshall Earle of Penbrooke and Anselme his brother without issue whose inheritance descended to their fiue sisters To the intent the reader may vnderstand to whom the lands and lordships in Wales of the Earle Marshall and Penbrooke came I thought it conuenient here so laie downe how these fiue sisters were bestowed 1 Ione the eldest maried Warren Mountchensey whose daughter and heire named also Ione was maried to William de Valence halfe brother to king Henrie the third who in hir right was Earle of Penbrooke whose two daughters after the death of Aymēr de Valence were his heires to wit Isabel maried vnto Iohn lord Hastings and Abergeuenny whose daughter named Elizabeth maried Reynold lord Gray of Ruthyn to the which familie afterwards the inheritance fell and Ione married to Iohn lord Comyn who had issue Elizabeth maried to Richard lord Talbot and Ione maried to Dauid Earle of Athell 2 Mawd the second daughter of the Earle Marshall and Penbrooke was maried to Hugh Bygod Earle of Northfolke father of Ralph Bygod whose daughter and heire Isabel was maried to Sir Gilbert Lacy who had issue Margerie and Mawd his daughters and heires Margerie maried to Iohn L. Verdon of whom the Earle of Shrewesburie and the Earle of Essex are descended Mawd maried Geffrey Geniuill father to Peter Geniuill whose daughter and heire was maried to Roger Mortimer lord of Wigmor and the first Earle of March 3 Isabel the third daughter of the Earle Marshall Penbrooke was maried to Gilbert de Clare Earle of Glocester of whose issue mention is made before pag. 129.
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
learned and wise and in great fauour with the king who sent him sundrie times in embassages to forreine Princes and now he had the gouernement of the kings onelie daughter ladie Marie Princesse of Wales Of all the Bishops in the land he was counted the courtlikest and the best Courtier and although he was well reported of for his learning yet was he better liked for his courtlike behauiour which in the end turned not so much to his credit as to the vtter ruine and spoile of his church for of xxij lordships and manours which his predecessors had and least vnto him of a goodlie yearelie reuenue he leaft but thrée and them also leased out And where he found fouretéene houses well furnished he leaft onlie one house bare and without furniture and yet charged with sundrie fées and annuities by meanes whereof that bishopricke which sometimes was counted one of the best is now become in temporall lands one of the meanest and a place scarse leaft for the Bishop to laie and rest his head in yet neuerthelesse he was a great fauorer of learned men and speciallie of diuines whom he preferred in his church aboue all others He was verie bounteous and liberall vnto all men but speciallie vnto courtiers vnto his owne kindred and countrimen Upon many he bestowed vnto the confusion of some of them and vpon other he spent much by building of a towne named Sutton Colshull where he was borne which he procured to be incorporated and made a market towne and set vp therein making of kersies but all in the end came to small effect ELIZABETH Rowland Lee bishop of Couentrie and Lichfield was in the 26. yéere of king Henrie the eight sent to be Lord President of the kings maiesties Counsell in the marches of Wales in whose time the principalitie and countrie of Wales was by Parlement incorporated and vnited vnto the kingdome of England and all the inhabitants thereof made equall in fréedomes liberties rights priuileges lawes and in all other respects to the naturall subiects of England and all inheritances were made of English tenure to descend without diuision or partition after the maner of England Also the lawes statutes and ordinances of the realme of England were commanded to be executed and put in practise within the contrie and principalitie of Wales and none other And to the end the said lawes should be dulie put in execution the whole dominion of Wales togither with the lordships marchers bordering vpon the same was diuided into xiij shires or counties wherefore xij made foure circuits to the which circuits there were seuerall Iudges appointed who should administer iustice to the inhabitants of euerie of the said shires twise in the yéere The first circuit was the thrée shires of Eastwales Denbygh Flynt and Mountgomrie wherin the Iustice of Chester kéepeth sessions twise in the yéere hearing and deciding all titles trespasses variance and misdemeanours within the countrie The Iustice of Northwales doth the like in the thrée shires of Northwales Anglesey Caernaruon and Meryonyth which doo make the second circuit The third circuit are the thrée shires of Westwales Caerdigan Caermardhyn and Penbrooke where the Iustice of that countrie kéepeth his sessions euerie yéere twise The thrée shires of Southwales Radnor Brechnocke and Glamorgan doo make the fourth circuit in the which the Iustice of Southwales dooth kéepe sises twise euerie yéere And bicause all matters as well of lawe as of equitie are heard and determined in these circuits the same doo continue sixe daies in euerie of the shires aforenamed Monmouthshire dooth followe the common order of the shires of England suing all originall writs out of the high court of chancerie In all these shires there were appointed Shirifes Iustices of peace Crowners and all other officers accordinglie as they are in England Further for the kéeping of the countrie in continuall obedience and the controlling of the outrage of wilfull and vnrulie persons there was ordeined a President and counsell to remaine within the dominion and Principalitie of Wales with all officers appertaining to the same Which President and councell haue power and authoritie to heare and determine by their wisdomes and discretions such causes and matters as are assigned to them by the Kings or Quéens of England for the time being And certeinlie let men imagine what they will this house was it that after great hatred and persecution whereof disobedience and rudenes folowed reduced the countrie of Wales to quietnesse obedience and ciuilitie by authoritie whereof not onelie great outrages are appeased the offendors punished and the wilfull brideled but also the quiet and obedient subiect is protected and defended from iniurie so that he may possesse his owne in quietnesse Wherein this Bishop Rowland Lee and his associats did notable good seruice And surelie there haue béene of the same house verie wise gouernors and men of great credit namelie Nicholas Heath Archbishop of Yorke and Lord Chancelor of England Thomas Yoong Archbishop also of Yorke Iohn Whitgift now Archbishop of Canturburie and diuers other of whom I am to speake héereafter In the 29. yéere of king Henrie the eight prince Edward his sonne was borne at Hampton court on S. Edwards euen being the 12. of October who bicause the principalitie of Wales was now by statute as I said before incorporated to the crowne and kingdome of England being vnder the same lawes and iurisdiction was none otherwise Prince of Wales than vnder the generall title of England as the king his father was king of England and vnder that name K. of Wales as a member of England neither doo I read of anie other creation or inuestiture that he had to that principalitie therefore I thought it not conuenient to make any speciall title of him after the said statute He afterward succéeded his father in the crowne of this realme by the name of king Edward the sixt The said Rowland Lee died L. President in the xxxiiij yéere of King Henrie the eight and lieth buried at Shrewesburie After him Richard Sampson bishop of Chichester was remooued to Couentrie and Lichfield and appointed Lord President of Wales in the xxxv yéere of king Henrie the eight and so continued L. President vntill the end of the 2. yéere of the reigne of king Edward the sixt Iohn Sutton alias Dudley Earle of Warwike and knight of the noble order of the garter was in the third yéere of King Edward the sixt appointed Lord President of Wales in the which office he continued vntill the fourth yéere of the same king He descended out of Wales by a daughter of the Lord Powys for he was the sonne of Edmund the sonne of Iohn a yoonger sonne of Iohn Lord Dudley the sonne of Iohn Lord Dudley the sonne of Iohn Lord Dudley the son of Iohn Lord Dudley the sonne of Iohn Sutton Baron Dudley who maried Isabell the daughter of sir Iohn Charlton
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
Lordship IN primis the said Lordship in length from Rymny bridge on the east side to Pwlh Conan on the west side is 27. miles The breadth thereof from the hauen of Aburthaw alias Aberdaon on the southside to the confines of Brechnock shire aboue Morleys castell is 22. miles Item the same Lordship being a Lordship Marcher or a Lordship roiall and holden of no other Lordship the Lords euer sithence the winning of the same owing their obedience onelie to the crowne haue vsed therein Iura regalia that is the triall of all actions as well reall as personall with plées of the crowne and authoritie to pardon all offenses treason onelie excepted Item there were xj Lordships to wit Senghennyth Myskyn Ruthin Lhanblethian Tir Iarlh Glyn Rothney Auan Neth Coyty Talauan and Lhantuit alias Bouiarton that were members of the said Lordship of Glamorgan In euerie of the members were the like Iura regalia vsed in all things sauing that if anie wrong iudgement were giuen in anie of the courts of the said members it should be reuersed by a writ of false iudgement in the countie court of Glamorgan as superiour court to the same members Also all matters of conscience happening in debate in anie of the said members should be heard and determined in the chancerie of Glamorgan before the Chancellor thereof Item the bodie of the said Lordship of Glamorgan was before the alteration of the lawes in Wales a countie of it selfe wherein the Lord had two castels and thrée market townes to wit the castell and towne of Kynfigs alias Kefnffigen in the west part thereof and Cowbridge towne alias Pont vaen in the middest And the towne and castell of Cardyff or Caer-Dhydh in the east part in which castell of Cardyff the Lord did most inhabit and therein he had his Chancerie and Exchequer and a faire court house wherein the Countie court was monthlie kept on the mondaie for all the suters of the Sherffée that is of the bodie of the said Lordship it selfe without the said members Item within the said Sherffée or bodie of the said Lordship were 18. castels and 36. knights fées and an halfe that held of the said Lordship of Glamorgan by knights seruice besides a great number of fréeholders Item in eight of the said members were ten castels and foure borough townes Item the annuall reuenewes of the said Lordship with the members was one thousand markes whereof was allowed in fées 400. markes of the which members aforesaid maister Iohn Gamage Esquier occupieth one at this daie descended vnto him from the Turberuiles his ancestors that is to wit the Lordship of Coytie and the heire of Iohn Basset enioieth an other to wit the Lordship of Talauan by purchase from king Edward the sixt The other nine members with foure of the foresaid knights fées all the castels market townes and borough townes with the demeanes of the same and all the lands that were in the Lords hands parcell of the said Lordship and members the Earle of Penbroke hath purchased So that there remaineth now to the segniorie of the said Lordship of Glamorgan being in the Quéenes Maiesties hands but the moitie onelie of the manour of Dynaspowys of the value of xxvj pounds by the yeare The maner of the winning of the said Lordship IN the yeare of our Lord 1091. and in the fourth yeare of the reigne of King William Rufus one Iestyn the sonne of Gungant being Lord of the said Lordship of Glamorgan Rees ap Theodoc Prince of Southwales that is of Caermarthyne shire and Caerdigan shire made warre vpon him Wherevpon the said Iestyn vnderstanding himselfe vnable to withstand the said Rees without some aid otherwise sent one Eneon a Gentleman of his to England to one Robertus Fitzhamon a worthie man and knight of the priuie chamber with the said King to retaine him for his succor The which Robert being desirous to exercise himselfe in the feates of warre agréed soone with him thereto for a salarie to him granted for the same Wherevpon the said Robert Fitzhamon retained to his seruice for the said iorney twelue knights and a competent number of soldiours and went into Wales and ioining there with the power of the said Iestyn fought with the said Rees ap Tewdor and killed him and one Conan his sonne After which victorie the said Robert Fitzhamon minding to returne home againe with his companie demanded his salarie to him due of the said Iestyn according to the couenants and promises agréed vpon betwéene him and the aforesaid Eneon on the behalfe of the said Iestyn his maister The which to performe in all points the said Iestyn denied and therevpon they fell out so that it came to be tried by battell And forsomuch as the said Eneon sawe his maister go from diuers articles and promises that he had willed him to conclude with the said Robert Fitzhamon on his behalfe he forsooke his maister and tooke part he his fréends with the said Robert Fitzhamon In the which conflict the said Iestyn with a great number of his men were slaine whereby the said Robert Fitzhamon wan the peaceable possession of the whole Lordship of Glamorgan with the members of the which he gaue certaine castels and manours in reward of seruice to the said twelue knights and to other his Gentlemen ¶ The Names and Sirnames of the said twelue Knights were these 1 WIlliam de Londres alias London 2 Richardus de Grana villa alias Greenfeeld 3 Paganus de Turberuile 4 Robertus de S. Quintino alias S. Quintine 5 Richardus de Syward 6 Gilbertus de Humfreuile 7 Rogerus de Berkrolles 8 Reginaldus de Sully 9 Peter le Soore 10 Iohannes le Fleming 11 Oliuerus de S. Iohn a yoonger brother of the Lord S. Iohn of Basing 12 William le Esterling whose ancestors came out of Danske to England with the Danes and is now by shortnesse of spèech called Stradling ¶ The parcels giuen by the said Robert Fitzhamon to the said twelue Knights and others in reward of seruice IN primis to the said William de Londres the said Robert Fitzhamon gaue the castell and manour of Ogmor being foure knights fées now parcell of the possessions of the dutchie of Lancaster Item to the forenamed sir Richard Greenfeeld he gaue the castell and lordship of Neth being one of the members aforesaid and now parcell of the possessions of the Kight honorable the Earle of Penbroke Item to sir Paine Turberuile he gaue the castell and lordship of Coyty being another of the said members and now parcell of the possessions of M. Iohn Gamage esquire Item to sir Robert S. Quintine he gaue the castell and lordship of Lhan Blethyan being another of the said members and now parcell of the possessions of S. William Herbert of Swansey knight Item to sir Richard Syward he gaue the castell and lordship of Talauan being another of the said members and now parcell
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
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
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
the king put such confidence in him encouraged his men to doo their indeuour at this time to pleasure the King as they had doone heretofore to offend him and so ioining with Lhywarch they went towards Stratywy to meete with the kings sonne And when they came to the confines of the countrie they made a vowe that neither man woman nor child should escape their hands aliue When the people vnderstood of this cruell band they fled out of the countrie some to woods some to rocks and caues and some to the kings castels to saue their liues Then they diuided their people to enter the woods and straits which be verie manie in that countrie And Owen himselfe tooke with him about 100. men and entred the wood and perceiued that men and cattell had passed that waie whom he followed and ouertooke slaieng some of them put the rest to flight then taking their cattell returned backe towards his companie But at that instant behold Gerald steward of Penbroke with all his power of Flemings was comming to meete the kings sonne and met with them that fled who cried out vnto him for helpe and declared that Owen ap Cadogan had spoiled them of all their goods Now when Gerald and the Flemings vnderstood that Owen was there with so litle companie they thought it a meete time to be reuenged of their old wrongs and so pursued him to the woods Owen being warned by his men that a great number pursued him and counselled to make hast awaie would not so doo bicause he vnderstood them that followed to be the kings freends and nothing doubted of them But when they came nigh they began to shoot at his men who would haue had Owen to flee but he turned manfullie to his enimies and encouraged his men to fight affirming that although their enimies were seauen to one yet they were but Flemings and such as feared their names and were good for nothing but to emptie cuppes and with that set vpon them couragiouslie And it chanced that at the first meeting Owen was stricken with an arrowe to the heart and slaine which thing when his men sawe they fled and brought word to Lhywarch ap Trahaern and their fellowes who suspecting the kings armie seeing they could not trust them in the kings seruice returned to their countrie About this time the order and court of Parliament began first in England The kings of elder time did neuer lightlie call togither all the states of the realme vnlesse it were in the begining of their gouernment to settle things in quietnesse at their Coronations or when some great warre was in hand otherwise in the ordering of the common wealth the kings did all things by their officers with directions and edicts or by such of the nobilitie as were chifee rulers in their seuerall counties After the death of Owen his brethren diuided his landes betweene them sauing that which he had taken by force from his vncle Meredyth being the lands of Madoc ap Riryd ap Blethyn The names of his brethren were these Madoc whose mother was Gwenlhian the daughter of Gruffyth ap Conan Eneon whose mother was Sanna the daughter of Dyfnwal Morgan whose mother was Evelhiw or Elhiw the daughter of Cadivor ap Colhoyn lord of Dyuet Henrie and Gruffyth whose mother was the daughter of the lord Pigot Cadogans wedded wife Meredyth by Evrvron Hoedliw Owen was the sonne of Inerth the daughter of Edwyn After this Eneon ap Cadogan and Gruffyth ap Meredyth ap Blethyn did lead their power against a castell that Vchtryd ap Edwyn had built at Cymmer in Merionyth for Cadogan had giuen to his coosen germane Vchtryd Merionyth and Ceuilioc vpon condition that he and his should be freends to his freends and foes to his foes in all causes but contrarie to that condition he and his sonnes were euer against Cadogans children in euerie enterprise that they went about Therfore after they had set vpon the castell and slaine diuerse of the garrison the rest yeelded to them and so when they had wonne all the countrie they diuided it betwixt them Thus Gruffyth ap Meredyth had Mowthwy Cyuelioc and halfe Penlhyn and the other halfe of Penlhyn Merionyth came to Eneon An. 1116. king Henrie sailed into Normandie with a great armie against the French king who with the Erle of Flanders and others went about to make William sonne to Robert Curthoise duke of Normandie but at king Henries arriuall they returned home without honor This yeere died William Strangbow of a consumption The next yeare after fell a great variance betweene Howel ap Ithel Lord of Ros and Ryuonioc now Denbighland and Riryd and Lhywarch the sonnes of Owen ap Edwyn Then Howel sent to Meredyth ap Blethyn and to Eneon and Madoc Cadogans sonnes for succour who came downe from Merionyth with 400. men well appointed and met with the sonnes of Owen in the vallie of Clwyd their owne land which sonnes of Owen sent for their coosines the sonnes of Vchtryd to come with their powers to succour them all these met togither with cruell harts and fought manfully but in the end after great slaughter Lhywarch the sonne of Owen ap Edwyn was slaine and with him Iorwerth the sonne of Nudh which was a noble man and a worthie soldiour and Riryd fled and so Howel ap Ithel had the victorie but he was so sore wounded that he died within fourtie daies after Then Meredyth ap Blethyn and the sonnes of Cadogan made speed home for feare of the Frenchmen which laie in garrisons about Chester In the yeare 1120. died Murcart the worthiest and greatest prince in all Ireland And the same time there was a great battell fought betweene king Henrie and the French king who was ouerthrowne and a great number of his nobles taken And shortlie after as king Henrie returned towards England by misgouernment of the shipmaster there was a ship drowned wherein perished the kings two sonnes William and Richard with his daughter and niece and manie other to the number of 150. The next yeare after the king did marrie Adelyce daughter to the duke of Louaine forthwith prepared a great armie against Wales and came to Powys land which when the lords of the land Meredyth ap Blethyn and the three sons of Cadogan Eneon Madoc and Morgan saw they sent to Gruffyth ap Conan prince of Northwales to desire succours at his hands and he answered that they should not receiue anie of him nor enter within his lands for he had made peace with the king Thus hauing no hope of aid from him they purposed to defend themselues within their owne land after the best maner they could and set men to keepe and defend the straits wherby their enimies must needes passe And as it chanced the king himselfe with a small number came vnto one of those defended places for his whole armie had goone a further waie
the castell of Richard de la Mare and the castell of Dinerth and Caerwedros returned home with much honor Afterward towards the end of the same yeare they returned againe with 6000. footemen and 2000. horsemen well armed and to them came Gruffyth ap Rees Howel ap Meredyth of Brechnoke and his sonnes Madoc ap Ednerth who subdued the whole countrie to Aberteivi placing againe the old inhabitants and chasing awaie the strangers Against them came Stephen constable of Aberteivi Robert Fitzmartyn the sons of Gerald and William Fitziohn with all the power of the Normanes Flemings and Englishmen that were in Wales or the marches Now after a cruell and bloodie fight the strangers after their accustomed vse put all their hope in their forts and forsooke the field and the Welshmen folowed hard that besides 3000. that were slaine a great number were drowned and taken and caried awaie captiues After this victorie Owen and Cadwalader ouerran the whole countrie and returned home with rich spoiles as well in armour and horse as in other things with great triumph And at this time the pride of the nobles of England began to appeare for first Hugh Bigod kept the castell of Norwich but forthwith sore against his will he restored it to the king himselfe The cause of this tumult of the nobles was rumor which went abroad of the death of the king who was then sicke of a lethargie Those which bare him no good will verified the rumor as much as in them laie and stirred the people in the behalfe of the Empresse Such as were his fréends tooke strong castels to saue themselues as this Hugh Bigod for feare of the fréends of the Empresse tooke the castell of Norwich and afterward being certified that the king was well againe he was loth to deliuer the same out of his posession vnlesse it were into the kings owne hands After that the king did besiege Excester which Baldwyn de Reduerijs kept against him and wan it and so he did the Ile of Wight which was the said Baldwynes and banished him out of the land The yeare 1137. died Gruffyth ap Rees ap Theodor the light honor and staie of Southwales who had by his wife Gwenlhian the daughter of Gruffyth ap Conan Rees commonlie called the lord Rees and others Florentius moonke of Worcester in his supplie to Marianus Scotus saith that This Gruffyth ap Rees Prince of Southwales died by the deceitfull practise of his wife He writeth also of a noble knight named Paine a man of great valiancie who being verie earnest in pursuing of the Welshmen was at this time hurt with a speare and so died and was caried to Glocester and there buried Also towards the end of the same yeare died Gruffyth ap Conan king or prince of Northwales the onelie defense and sheeld of all Wales after he had escaped manie great dangers by sea and land in Ireland and Wales and after manie worthie victories and after he had brought Northwales which he found full of strangers to peace and quietnesse hauing ruled the same worthilie 50. yeares This prince had manie children by diuerse women first by Angharat the daughter of Owen ap Edwyn he had sonnes Owen Cadwalader and Cadwalhon who was slaine before his father died and daughters Marret Susanna Ranulht Agnes and Gwenlhian And by another woman he had Iago Ascain Edwal Abbot of Penmon Dolhing who was also a priest and well learned and Elen the wife of Hova ap Ithel Velyn of Yal He reformed the disordered behauior of the Welsh minstrels by a verie good Statute which is extant to this daie There are thrée sorts of minstrels in Wales 1 The first sort named Beirdh which are makers of songs and odes of sundrie measures wherein not onelie great skill and cunning is required but also a certeine naturall inclination and gift which in Latine is termed Furor poëticus These doo also kéepe records of Gentlemens armes and petegrées and are best esteemed and accounted of among them 2 The second sort of them are plaiers vpon instruments théefelie the Harpe and the Crowth whose musike for the most part came to Wales with the said Gruffyth ap Conan who being on the one side an Irishman by his mother and grandmother and also borne in Ireland brought ouer with him out of that countrie diuers cunning musicians into Wales who deuised in a manner all the instrumentall musike that is now there vsed as appéereth as well by the bookes written of the same as also by the names of the tunes and measures vsed amongst them to this daie 3 The third sort called Atcaneaid are those which doo sing to the instrument plaied by another and these be in vse in the countrie of Wales to this daie This statute or decrée here mentioned dooth not onelie prescribe and appoint what reward euerie of the said minstrels ought to haue and at whose hands but also of what honest behauiour and conuersation they ought to be to wit no make bates no vagabounds no ale-househanters no drunkards no brallers no whoorehunters no théeues nor companions of such In which things if they offend euerie man by the said statute is made an officer and authorized to arrest and punish them yea and take from them all that they haue then about them They are also in the same statute forbidden to enter into anie mans house or to make anie song of anie man without speciall licence of the partie himselfe And this statute or decrée hath béene oftentimes allowed by publike authoritie of the chéefe magistrats of that countrie as appeareth by sundrie commissions directed to diuers Gentlemen in that behalfe Owen Gwyneth Owen Gwyneth the sonne of Gruffyth ap Conan In the yeere 1140. Cynwric the sonne of Owen was slaine by the men of Madoc ap Meredyth ap Blethyn ap Convyn and the next yeare after king Stephen with a great armie did besiege Lincolne against whome came Ranulph Earle of Chester Robert Earle of Glocester with his father in law and the Barons which were disinherited to raise the siege But before they came the towne was won then passing a dangerous marrish they camped hard by the king readie to giue him battell who likewise brought foorth his men in three battels In the first were these Alan Earle of Brytaine the Earle of Mellent Hugh Bygod Earle of Norfolke Simon Earle of Hampton and Earle Warren In the second the Earle of Albemarle and William of Ypres a noble man a worthie souldiour And in the third the king with Baldwyn Fitzgilbert and a great number of nobles more And of the other part the disinherited Barons had the first place the Erle of Chester with his succours of Wales better couraged than armed had the second place and the Earle of Glocester lead the last battell These after a cruell fight tooke the king prisoner and afterward the Queene and
king Therefore the king sent for him to come to his court to conclude a peace before the power of England Wales were sent for him wherevpon Rees after consultation came to the king and an order was taken that Rees should enioy the Cantref Mawr as it should please the king so that his land should be whole togither and not in diuerse places and shires but the king did contrarie to his promise appointing Rees lands in diuerse places and lordships intermingled with other mens lands Which deceit although Rees perceiued well inough yet he receiued it peece-meale as it was and liued quietlie vntill Roger Earle of Clare hearing this came to the king and desired his highnesse to giue him such lands in Wales as he could win which the king granted Then he came with a great armie to Caerdigan first he fortified the castell of Stratmeyric and afterwards the castell of Humfrey of Dyuy of Dynerth Lhanristyd When these castels were well manned and fortified Walter Clyfford who had the keeping of the castell of Lhanymdhyfri made a road to the land of Rees and returned with a bootie after he had slaine diuerse of Reeses men Then Rees sent to the king to complaine and to haue a redresse who had onelie faire words and nothing else for the king winked at the faults of the Englishmen and Normanes and punished the Welshmen cruellie Rees seeing this laid siege to Lhanymdhyfri and in short space wan the castell Also Eneon the sonne of Anarawd Reeses brothers sonne being a lustie gentleman and desirous to make his countrie free from seruitude and perceiuing his vncle to be discharged of his oth to the king laid siege to the castell of Humfrey by force wan it slaieng all the garrison wherein he found horses and armour to furnish a great number of men Likewise Rees seeing he could enioy no part of his inheritance but that he wan by the sword gathered his power entring Caerdigan left not a castell standing in the countrie of those which his enimies had fortified and so brought all to his subiection Wherewith the king being sore offended returned to Southwales and when he saw he could doo no good he suffered Rees to enioy all that he had gotten and tooke pledges of him to keepe the peace in his absence Then returning to England he tooke his iournie to Normandie and made peace with the French king But the next yeare Rees prince of Southwales did lead his power to Dyuet and destroied all the castels that the Normanes had fortified there and afterward laid siege to Caermarthin Which thing when Reynold Erle of Brystow the kings base sonne heard he called to him the Earle of Clare and his brother in law Cadwalader the brother of prince Owen with Howel and Conan prince Owens sonnes and two other Earles and came to raise the siege with a great armie whose comming Rees abode not but got him to the mountains called Kefn Rester and there kept himselfe and they camped at Dynwyl hîr and builded a castell there who after they could not heare of Rees returned home without doing of anie notable act King Henrie remained in Normandie all this yeare where he made warre against the Earle of S. Giles for the citie and Earledome of Tholouse In the yeare 1160. died Madoc ap Meredyth ap Blethyn prince of Powys at Winchester This man was euer the king of Englands freend and was one that feared God and releeued the poore his bodie was conueied honorablie to Powys and buried in Myuot This man had by his wife Susanna the daughter of Gruffyth ap Conan prince of Northwales three sonnes Gruffyth Maylor Owen and Elise and a daughter called Marred he had base sons Owen Brogynton Kynwric Euelh and Eneon Euelh which base sonnes were not baselie esteemed who with the other had part of their fathers inheritance and so had other through Wales especiallie if they were stout and of noble courage And here I thinke it conuenient to declare how Powys land came to be diuided in many parts and thereby weakened and so brought vnder the Normanes before the rest of Wales Meredyth sonne to Blethyn ap Convyn prince of Powys had two sons Madoc of whom we speake and Gruffyth betweene whom Powys was diuided Madoc had that part which was called Powys Vadoc which part again was diuided betwixt his three sons Gruffyth Maylor Owen Vachan and Owen Brogynton after this maner Gruffyth Maylor had Bromfield Yale Hope Dale Nanhewdwy Mochnant îs Rhayard Chirke Cynlhayth and Glyndouerdwy Owen Vachan had Mechain Iscoyd And Owen Brogynton had Dynmael and Edeyrneon The other part of Powys called afterward Powys Wenwynwyn was the part of Gruffyth ap Meredyth after whose death his sonne called Owen Cyuelioc enioied it as it shall be at large hereafter declared Powys before king Offas time reached Estward to the riuers of Dee and Seauerne with a right line from the end of Broxen hilles to Salop with all the countrie betwéene VVye and Seauerne whereof Brochwel yscithroc of whom mention is made before pag. 22. was possessed but after the making of Offas ditch as it is said before pag. 19. the plaine countrie toward Salop being inhabited by Saxons and Normans Powys was in length from Pulford bridge Northeast to the confines of Caerdigan shire in the parish of Lhanguric in the Southwest and in bredth from the furthest part of Cyuelioc Westward to Elsmere on the Eastside This countrie or principalitie of Powys was appointed by Roderike the Great for the portion of his third sonne Anarawd and so continued intierlie vntill the death of Blethyn ap Convyn After whom although the dominion was diminished by limiting parts in seueraltie amongst his sonnes Meredyth and Cadogan yet at length it came wholie to the possession of Meredyth ap Blethyn who had issue two sonnes Madoc and Gruffyth betwéene whom the said dominion was diuided Madoc maried Susanna the daughter of Gruffyth ap Conan prince of Northwales and had that part which was after called after his name Powys Vadoc which dominion and Seigniorie was diuided betwixt the thrée sonnes of the said Madoc to wit Gruffyth Maelor Owen ap Madoc and Owen Brogynton which Owen Brogynton although he was baselie begotten yet for his valiancie and noble courage he had part of his fathers inheritance to wit Edeyrneon and Dinmael and had issue Gruffyth Blethin and Iorwerth Owen ap Madoc had to his portion of inheritance limited the territorie of Mechain Is coed and had issue Lhewelyn and Owen Vachan Gruffyth Maelor the eldest sonne lord of Bromfield had to his part the two Maelors and Mochnant is Rayadr he maried Angharat the daughter of Owen Gwyneth prince of Northwales by whome he had issue one sonne named Madoc who held his fathers inheritance wholie and had issue Gruffyth called lord of Dînas brân because he dwelled in that castell who maried Emma the daughter of Iames lord Audley and had issue Madoc Lhewelyn
Owen Cyuelioc the son of Gruffyth ap Meredyth lord of Powys by Owen Vachan second sonne to Madoc ap Meredyth which lands they diuided betwixt them so that Owen Cyuelioc had Mochnant aboue Rayader and Owen Vachan Mochnant beneath Rayader This yeare there was an earthquake in Northfolke and Suffolke At this time king Henrie maried Geffrey his sonne to Constance the onelie daughter heire of Conan Earle of Richmond and duke of Brytaine In the yeare 1167. Owen prince of Nothwales Cadwalader his brother and Rees prince of Southwales brought an armie to Powys against Owen Cyuelioc and wan all his lands chased him out of the countrie and gaue Caereneon to Owen Vachan the sonne of Madoc ap Meredyth to hold of prince Owen and the lord Rees had Walwern bicause it stoode within his countrie But within a while after Owen Cyuelioc returned with a number of Normanes and Englishmen to recouer his countrie againe and laid siege to the castell of Caereneon and winning the same burned it to the ground Also the same yeare the aforesaid princes Owen Rees and Cadwalader laid siege to the castell of Ruthlan which the king had latelie built and fortified which the garrison defended manfullie and worthilie yet the princes would not depart vntill they had won it which they did at two moneths end and then rased it Afterward they gat the castell of Prestaryn and destroied it and then brought all Tegengl to Owens subiection and returned home with much honor In the yeare folowing Conan the sonne of prince Owen slew Vrgeney Abbot of Lhwythlawr and Lhawthen his nephue At this time Henrie duke of Saxonie maried Mawd king Henries daughter Then also the nobles of Poitiew rebelled against king Henrie vpon hope of the French kings aid and slew VVilliam Fitzpatrike Earle of Salisburie then the king created VVilliam his sonne Earle in his steed Also the Brytaines of Armorica rebelled against king Henrie wherefore he destroied a great part of the countrie The next yeare Henrie the kings eldest sonne did homage to the French king for the Earledome of Aniow and the stewardship of France which belonged thereto and Geffrey did his brother homage for the dukedome of Brytaine Then the king made a great ditch or trench betwixt France and Normandie to defend the countrie from sudden incursions and theeues And this yeare Robert the sonne of Stephen constable was released out of his coosins the lord Rees his prison and was sent to Ireland with a great power to succour Dermot son to Murchart who landed at Lochgarmon and wan it and so went forward This Robert Fitzstephen Moris Fitzgerald his brother and their nephues Robert Meyler and Raymond with an armie of Welshmen vnder the conduct of Richard Strangbow Earle of Strigule were the chiefe captains and dooers in the conquest of Ireland when it was first reduced vnder the subiection of the crowne of England of whom the Fitzgeralds Fitzstephens and Fitzmoris are descended of whom Giraldus writeth at large in his historie of Ireland In the yeare 1169. Meyric ap Adam of Buelht was murthered in his bed by Meredyth Bengoch his coosen germane Also this yeare there were found the bones of a giant cast vp by the sea of such length that his body seemed to containe fiftie foote in height At this time the king caused his sonne Henrie to be crowned king of England by the Archbishop of Yorke Also this yeare Owen Gwyneth the son of Gruffyth ap Conan prince of Northwales passed out of this world after he had gouerned his countrie well and worthilie 32. yeares This prince was fortunate and victorious in all his affaires he neuer tooke any enterprise in hand but he atchieued it He left behind him manie children gotten by diuerse women which were not esteemed by their mothers and birth but by their prowes and valiantnesse First he had by Gladus the daughter of Lhywarch ap Trahaern ap Caradoc Iorweth drwyndwn that is Edward with the broken nose Conan Maelgon and Gwenlhian by Christian the daughter of Grono ap Owen ap Edwyn he had Dauid Roderike Cadwalhon Abbot of Bardsey and Angharat wife to Gruffyth Maylor he had besides these Conan Lhewelyn Meredyth Edwal Run Howel Cadelh Madoc Eneon Cynwric Philip and Riryd lord of Clochran in Ireland by diuerse women of whom Run Lhewelyn and Cynwric died before their father of the rest you shall heare hereafter Dauid ap Owen Dauid the sonne of Owen Gwyneth This Madoc arriuing in that Westerne countrie vnto the which he came in the yeare 1170. left most of his people there and returning backe for more of his owne nation acquaintance and fréends to inhabite that faire and large countrie went thither againe with ten sailes as I find noted by Gutyn Owen I am of opinion that the land wherevnto he came was some part of Mexico the causes which make me to thinke so be these 1 The common report of the inhabitants of that countrie which affirme that their rulers descended from a strange nation that came thither from a farre countrie which thing is confessed by Mutezuma king of that countrie in his oration made for quieting of his people at his submission to the king of Castile Hernando Curteis being then present which is laid downe in the Spanish Chronicles of the conquest of the West Indies 2 The Brytish words and names of places vsed in that countrie euen to this daie doo argue the same as when they talke togither they vse this word Gwrando which is Hearken or listen Also they haue a certeine bird with a white head which they call Pengwin that is white head But the Iland of Corroeso the cape of Bryton the riuer of Gwyndor and the white rocke of Pengwyn which be all Brytish or Welsh words doo manifestlie shew that it was that countrie which Madoc and his people inhabited The same time Elianor the kings daughter was married to Alfonsus king of Castil Also Richard Strangbowe Earle of Strigul went to Ireland without the kings leaue and married the daughter of Dermot king of Dublyn wherefore the king seased all his lands in England to his owne hands and Dermot died shortlie after and was buried at Ferna About the end of this yeare Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canturburie was slaine The yeare ensuing Rees prince of Southwales came with great power to Powys and subdued Owen Cyuelioc the Lord thereof and tooke pledges of him and so returned home with much honour Then the king called his nobles to consult about the enterprise of Ireland which had beene before determined to be taken in hand To this consultation came messengers from Richard Strangbowe Earle of Strigule Marshall of England to deliuer to the kings hands the citie of Dublyne and the towne of Waterford with such other townes as he had by the right of his wife wherevpon the king restored to him againe his lands in England and Normandie and made him
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.
had by his wife Angharat the daughter of Owen Gwyneth prince of Northwales a sonne called Madoc who succeeded his father in that part of Powys called Powys Vadoc About the same time diuerse noble men of England died at Acon as Henrie Earle of Leycester the Earle Ferrers Ranulph de Fulgerijs Ranulph de Alta ripa In those daies VVilliam Marshall Geffrey Fitzpeter Hugh Bardulf and VVilliam Briwer were the nobles that bare most rule in England in the kings absence Then also Rees prince of Southwales wan the castell of Dynevowr and Owen his sonne died at Strata florida or Stratflur About this time king Richard wan the kingdome of Cypres and gaue it to Gwido king of Ierusalem vpon condition that he should release to Richard his claime of Ierusalem which he did Then the king being at Cyprus maried Berengaria the daughter of the king of Nauarra Shortlie after Maelgon the sonne of the lord Rees escaped out of prison where his father had kept him a long time But the lord Rees gat the castell of Lhanhayaden and the countrie about At that time Gruffyth ap Cadogan died Then king Richard after he had atchieued with his nobles the Earle of Leycester Bartholomew Mortimer Randulph de Malo leone N. de Furnevale Roger de Lacy William de Stagno Hugh de Neuella William de Porcell and Henrie Duch his standardbearer manie worthie deeds of arms against the infidels in his returne homeward through Austrich was taken prisoner by Lupold the duke thereof who presented him to Henrie the Emperour he kept him vntill he had paid him 200000. markes for his ransome laieng to his charge that he had spoiled the Ile of Sicilie in his viage towards the holie land The same yeare Roderike the sonne of Owen Gwyneth by the help of Gothrike king of Man entred the Ile of Môn and brought it to his subiection but before the end of the yeare the sonnes of his brother Conan chased him out of the Ile and got it themselues At this time Maelgon the sonne of Rees prince of Southwales laid siege to the castell of Stratmeyric and wanne it Also Howel surnamed Says that is to saie Saxon or English because he had serued in England sonne to the said prince Rees gat the castell of Gwys vpō the sudden tooke Philip de Gwys his wife his two sonnes prisoners therein Then because he had more castels than he could well defend he determined to rase the castell of Lhanhayaden but the Flemings hauing vnderstanding thereof gathered all their strength and came thither the daie appointed to rase the castell and set fierslie vpon the men of Howel and Maelgon and slewe manie of them putting the rest to flight Neuerthelesse they gathered a great power shortlie after and came thither againe and rased the castell to the ground without anie let or staie Upon this Anarawd the sonne also of prince Rees moued with filthie ambition and couetousnesse of lands tooke his two brethren Howel and Madoc prisoners vnder the color of freendship and put out both their eies In the yeare 1194. king Richard came into England and being at dinner in his litle hall of Westminster hearing that the French king besieged Vernoyle he sware that he would neuer turne his face till he had fought with him if he did abide caused the wall to be broken before him and so passed to Normandie and receiuing his brother Iohn to mercie raised the siege for the French king fled as soone as he heard of king Richards comming This yeare Maelgon sonne to prince Rees gaue his brother Anarawd the castell of Stratmeyric for his prisoners whom he set at libertie Then Rees himselfe did reedifie againe the castell of Rayader Gwy and his owne sonnes laid wait for him and tooke their father prisoner fearing least he would reuenge their cruell and vnnaturall deeds but by the meanes of Howel his sonne which was blind he escaped out of his sonne Maelgons prison and tooke the castell of Dineuwor which Maelgon kept and destroied it Also the sonnes of Cadwalhon ap Madoc of Melyenyth wan the castell of Rayder Gwy and fortified it for themselues At this time Lhewelyn the son of Iorwerth Drwyndwn who was the eldest sonne of Owen Gwyneth prince of Northwales remembring his right title to his inheritance of Northwales although his father had beene disinherited by his brother Dauid called togither his freends by his mother which was Marred the daughter of Madoc ap Meredyth prince of Powys and also drew to his side his coosins the sons of Conan ap Owen Gwyneth and so challenged the rule of Northwales and entred the countrie to whom the people willinglie yeelded and tooke him for their lord and so without bloodshed he receiued all Northwales to his subiection except three castels which his vncle Dauid kept by force of Englishmen in whom was all his trust because of his wife Emme aunt to the king of England And thus Dauid lost his land and Lhewelyn began to rule in the yeare of our Lord 1194. Lhewelyn ap Iorwerth Lhewelyn the sonne of Iorwerth the sonne of Owen Gwyneth called Leolinus Magnus The yeare ensuing there was a combat appointed betwixt the French king with fiue knights with him and king Richard with fiue other which should end all controuersies of which fight king Richard was glad but the French king like a snaile drew in his hornes and forsooke the battell And in Wales prince Rees gathered a great armie and laid siege to the towne and castell of Caermarthin and in short time wanne them both spoiling and destroieng the same and then returned with great bootie Then he lead his said armie to the marches before the castell of Clun which after a long siege and manie a fierse assault he got and burned it and from thence he went to the castell of Radnor and likewise wanne it to the defense whereof came Roger Mortimer and Hugh de Saye with a great armie of Normanes and Englishmen well armed and tried soldiours Then Rees which had wonne the castell determined not to keepe his men within the walles but boldlie like a worthie prince came into the plaine besides the towne and gaue them battell where his men although for the most part vnarmed and not accustomed to the battell declared that they came of Brytaines bloud whose title the noble Romane Emperours did so much desire as a token of manhood and worthines choosing rather to die with honour in the defense of their countrie than to liue with shame did so worthilie behaue themselues that their enimies forsooke the field with great losse of their men whom Rees pursued till the benefit of the night shadowed them with hir darknes and forthwith he laid siege to the castell of Payne in Eluel gat it Thither came William de Bruse the owner thereof and made peace with Rees of whom he receiued the same castell againe Not long after
to the castell of Lhangadoc and wan it not regarding his promise and league with the sonnes of his brother Gruffyth ap Rees forgetting how worthilie they had serued him in his necessitie Therefore assoone as they heard of this both Rees and Owen came before the said castell wan it by assault slew or tooke prisoners all the garrison and then burned the castell to the earth The yeare 1210. king Iohn made a voiage to Ireland with an armie of great power and wanne the countrie of Conacht and tooke Cathol their prince prisoner In this voiage of King Iohn towards Ireland as he was in his iournie in the borders of Wales there was one taken and brought before him who had killed a préest The officer desired to vnderstand the kings pleasure what he would haue doone to him Let him go saith the king for he hath slaine mine enimie The churchmen of those daies persecuted king Iohn with booke bell and candell and therefore he little regarded the losse of some of them Also he spoiled Hugh de Lacie Lord of Meth of his castels and lands and tooke William de Bruse the yoonger and Mawd de Saint Valerike his mother and brought them both to England with him and caused them cruellie to be famished in the castell of Wyndsor The cause of the kings displeasure taken against this William de Bruse Lord of Brecknock as Matthew Paris reporteth the same was this When the Pope had excommunicated the realme of England The king fearing a further inconuenience tooke pledges of such of his nobles as he suspected would make anie stirre against him sending his messengers to the said William de Bruse demanded his sons for pledges Then Mawd the wife of the said William more malipart than manerlie taking the word out of hir husbands mouth answered roundlie that the king who had shamefullie slaine Arthur his nephue whom he ought rather to haue kept and preserued should haue none of hir children These words being by the messengers signified vnto the king put him in such a heat against the said Lord that he sent certeine souldiours to take him wherevpon he his wife and children were faine to flie into Ireland to saue their liues where the said Mawd and hir sonne were now taken but the father escaped and fled into France where he died afterward as the same author saith This yeare the Earle of Chester reedified the castell of Dyganwy which stood vpon the sea shore East of the riuer Conwy which prince Lhewelyn had before destroied Also he fortified the castell of Treffynnon or S. Wenefride Then prince Lhewelyn entered the Earles land and destroied a great part thereof and returned home with a great spoile Also Rees Vachan sonne to prince Rees fearing prince Lhewelyn who defended his nephues the sonnes of Gruffyth in their right went to the king for succours which he receiued with good will and by their aid he laid siege to the castell of Lhanymdhyfry Now when the garrison sawe no hope of succours they desired that they might depart bag baggage horsses all and so they did Likewise Gwenwynwyn whom the king held in prison was set at libertie and the king fearing the princes power sent an armie with him by whose means he receiued all his countrie againe in short space Maelgon also when he heard the same came to the kings court became the kings man who returning home with a great number of Normanes and Englishmen ioined to them all the power he could make in Wales and contrarie to the oth that he had made to his nephues Rees and Owen began to spoile their countrie and comming to Cantref Penwedic encamped at Cilkennyn and laie there all night consulting vpon his voiage In the meane time his nephues hearing this hauing but a small power not aboue 300. of chosen men came and lodged hard by vnknowing to their enimies And when they vnderstood by their spies that all was in quiet in Maelgons campe and how that his men mistrusting nothing behaued themselues careleslie these two lords prosecuted boldlie the enterprise which they had taken in hand and peaceablie entring the campe did come where they thought Maelgon laie or euer they were espied they gaue alarum and slew a great number before they awoke and the rest hearing the noise halfe amazed by means of the darkenesse escaped awaie thinking some great power had beene there But Maelgons men defended them manfullie vntill such time as their lord had gotten vpon his feete and escaped awaie by benefite of the night Then his nephue Conan ap Howel and his chiefe counseller Gruffyth ap Cadogan were both taken and Eneon ap Caradoc with a great number more slaine About this time Gilbert Earle of Glocester fortified the castell of Buelht where a litle before he had lost manie of his men This yeare also Mawd de Bruse wife to Gruffyth ap Rees died and was buried in a moonks coule in Stratflur by hir husband The next yeare ensuing king Iohn had manie complaints made vnto him by the Marchers vpon prince Lhewelyn how he entring their countrie burned and spoiled all as he went and slew their men Wherfore the king gathered a great armie through all England and called to him such lords and princes of Wales as held of him as Howel ap Gruffyth ap Conan ap Owen Gwyneth whom Lhewelyn had banished Madoc ap Gruffyth Maylor lord of Bromfield Chirke and Yale Meredyth ap Rotpert lord of Cydewen Gwenwynwyn lord of Powys Maelgon and Rees Vachan the sonnes of prince Rees rulers of Southwales With this great armie he entred into Northwales by Chester minding to destroie all that had life within that countrie Then the prince hearing of all this preparation against him aswell of his owne countriemen as others commanded all such as inhabited the Inland or Midle countrie which is now part of Denbigh and Flynt shires to remooue all their goods and cattels to Snowden hils for a time And so the king came along the sea coast to Ruthlan and so passed ouer the riuer Clwyd and came to the castell of Teganwy and there remained a while but Lhewelyn cut off his victuals behind him so that he could haue none from England and there cold not a man scatter from the skirmishes vnfought withall where the Northwales men alwaies both for the aduantage of the straits and knowledge of the places had the vpper hand At the last the English souldiours were glad to taste horsse flesh for pure neede Then when the king saw no remedie he returned home in great rage leauing the countrie full of dead bodies In August next ensuing he returned againe with a great armie and the lords before named with him entred into Wales at Blanch-monasterie now Oswestree whereof Iohn the sonne of William Fitzalan was lord At this time the king passing the riuer of Conwey encamped there by the riuer side and sent
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
Reynald Bruse came to him with sixe knights in his companie and desired his father in law of pardon for his offense who receiuing him gentlie did not onlie forgiue him but also gaue him the castell of Senghennyth and Reynald committed the same to the custodie of Rees Vachan Lhewelyn after he had set all things in good order in that countrie marched to Dyuet and being at Cefn Cynwarchan the Flemings sent to him to desire peace but the Prince would not grant them their request Then yoong Rees was the first that passed the riuer Cledheu to fight with them of the towne Wherevpon Iorwerth bishop of S. Dauids with all his clergie came to the Prince to desire peace to the Flemings which after long debating was thus concluded First that all the inhabitants of Ros and the land of Penbrooke should become the princes subiects and euer from thencefoorth take him for their liege Lord. Secondarilie that they should paie him a 1000. markes towards his charges before Michaelmas next cōming Thirdlie that for the performance of these they should deliuer forthwith to the Prince twentie pledges of the best in all the countrie which things they did Then the prince after he had brought all VVales to his subiection returned to Northwales with much honour Shortlie after there was a peace concluded betwixt the king and Lewys the French kings sonne Wherevpon the king promising the barons all their requests Lewys returned toward France Then shortlie after VVilliam Marshall Earle of Penbrooke got the towne of Caerlhêon and made warre against the VVelshmen whom contrarie to their promise the barons leaft out of the conclusion of peace The barons were verie glad of the fréendship and aid of the prince of Wales to serue their turne But now in the generall conclusion of the peace contrarie to their oth and promise they reserue out Wales to kéepe them plaie withall hoping to get some more land thereby Therefore let men take héed how they build vpon Turne-seruing Freendship Wherevpon Rees Vachan rased the castell of Senghennyth all the castels he had in his custodie in that countrie and banished all the Englishmen that dwelled there with their wiues and children for euer and diuided the countrie to the Welshmen who haue kept it vnto this daie The yeare ensuing prince Lhewelyn put his garrisons in the castels of Caermardhin and Aberteiui Then yoong Rees by the princes consent went to the king did him homage for his lands At this time William Earle of Arundell Rondell Earle of Chester William Ferrers Earle of Derbie and Bryan Lisle tooke their voiage toward the holie land In the yeare folowing Rees Gryc sonne to prince Rees married the daughter of the Earle of Clare and Iohn de Bruse married Marret the daughter of prince Lhewelyn At that time William Marshall the elder died leauing after him fiue sonnes and fiue daughters which daughters were thus married Mawd to Hugh Bygod Ioane to Warren de Mount Chensey Isabell to Gilbert de Clare Sibill to William Earle of Derbie and Eua to William de Bruse betwixt which fiue all his great inheritance was after diuided for all his sonnes died without issue and were euerie one after another Erles of Penbrooke The yeare 1220. Lhewelyn prince of VVales lead an armie to Penbrooke against the Flemings who contrarie to their oth and league had taken the castell of Aberteiui which castell the Prince wanne and destroied putting the garrison to the sword rased the castell went thence to the land of Gwys where he rased that castell and burned the towne Also he caused all Hauerford to be burned to the castell gates and destroied all Ros and Daugledhau and they which kept the castell sent to him for truse till Maie which was concluded vpon conditions and so he returned home Also this yeare certeine lords of Wales besieged the castell of Buelht which was Reynalds de Bruse Therefore the king came with an armie to the marches and raised the siege and came as far as Mountgomerie and built a new castell there As William de Albineto Earle of Arundell Henrie de Bohune Earle of Hereford and Sayer de Quincie Earle of Winchester were comming home from the holie land they died by the waie The yeare following there fell a great dissention betwixt prince Lhewelyn and Gruffyth his sonne for this Gruffyth enioied the Cantref of Merionyth without his fathers consent and therefore his father sent for him to come vnto him but he would not come therefore the Prince sware that he would be reuenged vpon him and his complices for that dishonor and then came with a great armie to Merionyth but his sonne fearing not the father got his people in the field readie to abide the battell but as they were in fight there was a peace concluded and Gruffyth yeelded to his father and cried him mercie Then Lhewelyn although he forgaue his sonne his offense yet he tooke Merionyth and Ardydwy from him building a castell there returned home againe At this time yoong Rees forsooke prince Lhewelyn bicause Aberteiui was not deliuered him as the promise was at the diuiding of Southwales and went to William Marshall Earle of Penbrooke therefore Lhewelyn came to Aberystwyth and seased the castell and all that territorie to his owne vse Then yoong Rees hearing this went vnto the king to complaine vpon the Prince and the king sent for the prince to Shrewesburie and made him and Rees freends the prince promising to deale with Rees for Aberteiui as he had done with Maelgon for Caermardhin This winter Iohn de Bruse by the consent of prince Lhewelyn fortified the castell of Senghennyth at that time also Isabell the kings mother maried the son of Hugh de Brune Earle of March without making the king priuie thereto William de Fortibus Earle of Albemarle about this time made an insurrection in Lincolneshire which was soone appeased then the king seased into his hands certaine honors and castels that diuerse men kept in their possessions without iust cause as Foulke de Breant kept the Earldoms of Northampton Oxford Bedford and Buckingham with the castels and holdes Peter de Malo lacu the castels of Corff and Shirburne with Somersetshire and Dorcestershire and the liberties and forrests Philip de Marke the castels of Peke and Notingham Notinghamshire and Derbyshire Gigelard de Siconia kept Windsore and Odhiam which for the most part the king receiued to his hands Also Hubert de Burgh was created Earle of Kent and chiefe Iustice of England who tooke to wife the king of Scots sister The yeare after yoong Rees sonne to Gruffyth ap Rees departed out of this world being a lustie gentleman and endued with manie notable vertues and was buried at Stratflur whose inheritance Lhewelyn diuided betweene his brother Owen and his vncle Maelgon The yeare after Christes incarnation 1223. William Marshall came from Ireland and landed at S. Dauids with
a great armie and shortlie after laid siege to Aberteiui and got it and from thence marched to Caermardhin and likewise got the same Lhewelyn prince of Wales at what time William Marshall Earle of Penbrooke prosecuted the warres in Ireland against the kings enimies there tooke by force two castels in Wales belonging to the said Earle putting all his men which kept the same to the sword and fortifieng the same with a garrison of his owne men in either of them departed home againe whereof when the said Earle was aduertised he returned from Ireland with all spéed and recouering his castels againe vsed the same courtesie towards Lhewelyns men that he had shewed to his and then entring further into the Princes countrie destroied all before him as he went These newes comming to Lhewelyns eares did sore offend him wherevpon he sent Gruffyth his sonne with a power of men to staie the Earle for passing further Then Gruffyth went to Cydweli and vnderstanding that the Burgesses of the towne meant to betraie him burned the towne churches and all to the earth Then William Marshall passed the riuer Tywy at Caermardhin where Gruffyth met with him gaue him battell which was verie doubtfull and endured vntill night and then either partie withdrew themselues and the riuer betwixt And after they had laien so certen daies Gruffyth for lacke of victuals for his men which were about 9000. persons returned back and the Earle went to Cilgerran and began to build there a verie strong castell Then receiuing letters from the king to come and speake with him he went to the court by sea and left his armie to continue the worke he had begon Then the king and the archbishop of Canturburie being at Ludlowe sent for the Prince and would faine haue agreed him and the Earle but it would not be and so they departed And when the Earle would haue passed to Penbrooke by lande with the strength of the Earle of Derby and Henrie Pygot lord of Ewyas the Prince sent his son to keepe the passage at Carnwylhion he himselfe came as far as Mabedryd Which when the Erle vnderstood he returned backe to England the Prince went to Northwales Certeine of the barons also misliking the rule of Hubert de Burgh conspired against the king and him as Randulph Earle of Chester VVilliam de Fortibus Earle of Albemarle Iohn constable of Chester Foulke de Breant Hugh de Veteri ponte Bryan Lysle Patrike de Malo lacu Philip Marke and VVilliam lord de Cantilupo But the matter was appeased and the king got the castell of Bedford by long siege wherein was William de Breant brother to Foulke About this time died William de longa Spata Earle of Salisburie The yeare folowing Sarancus de malo Leone deliuered Rochell to the French king Also Foulke de Breant was at this time banished England and came to such pouertie that he begged from dore to dore The yeare 1226. Rees Vachan sonne to Rees Gryc did take his father prisoner and would not set him at libertie till he had deliuered him the castell of Lhanymdhyfri At this time died Meredyth archdecon of Caerdigan sonne to prince Rees and was buried by his father at S. Dauids The yeere folowing king Henrie came with a great armie to Wales as farre as Ceri and incamped there vpon the other side prince Lhewelyn called to him all the power of Wales and incamped not farre off and there were diuerse great skirmishes and chieflie vpon one daie the most part of both armies was in the field and a great number slaine of the kings men At which time William de Bruse sonne to Reynald was taken prisoner who offered for his ransome the countrie of Buelht and a great summe of monie beside then there was a peace concluded betweene the king and the Prince wherevpon the Prince came to the king and did honor him but not as his king and lord and euerie partie returned home This historie is somewhat otherwise laid downe by Matthew Paris which I haue thus translated out of the same author About the same time those souldiers which laie in garrison in the castell of Mountgomery went out with some of their neighbours to amend a certeine passage in the high waie leading through a great wood thereby where the Welshmen were woont to rob and slaie such as trauelled that waie and comming to the place with their axes and other weapons began to fell the trées and to cut downe the bushes whereby the waie might be inlarged Which thing when the Welshmen vnderstood they came with a great power and setting vpon their enimies compelled them to take the castell for their defense certeine being slaine on both sides and then casting a trench about the same laid siege vnto it This being quickelie certified vnto Hubert de Burgh chiefe Iustice of England to whom a little before the same castell and honor was giuen the king himselfe with conuenient spéed comming raised the siege and when his whole armie came to him for few soldiours came with him thither he went to the said wood which was verie large being fiue miles in length and by reason of the thicke growth of the same verie hard to be stocked howbeit the king caused the same with great diligence and trauell to be asserted and consumed with fire Then leading his armie further into the countrie he came to an abbeie of white moonks called Cridia being a refuge for the Welshmen to flie vnto which he caused to be burnt to ashes where Hubert de Burgh to whome the place seemed verie fit for fortification hauing the assent of the king caused a castell to be builded But or euer the worke was finished manie were slaine on both sides and William de Bruse a noble warriour who went out to make prouision for the armie was taken by the Welshmen and cast in prison and diuerse other went out for the like purpose whereof one being knighted a few daies before seing some of his felowes in danger and like to be distressed rushed boldlie into the middest of his enimies killing manie about him who in the end with manie other of the kings men was there slaine Manie also of the kings 〈◊〉 soldiours being confederate with prince Lhewelyn did verie faintlie defend his cause with whom they came thither Wherevpon the king wanting necessarie prouision and perceiuing the double dealing of some of his owne men was constrained to conclude a dishonorable peace with the Welshmen giuing his assent that the castell which with so great expenses of men and monie was now almost finished should be rased at his owne charges taking of prince Lhewelyn thrée thousand pounds towards the same The peace being thus confirmed both parties departed homeward So the king of England after that he had bestowed thrée moneths in the building of the said castell and disbursed an infinite summe of monie in vaine leauing William
de Bruse one of his nobles in the Princes prison returned home with great slaine of his honor The name also which Hubert the chiefe Iustice had giuen to the castell at the beginning of the building calling it Huberts folie did now mooue manie to laugh at the thing who séeing that costlie and sumptuous building to be made equall with the ground said that Hubert was a prophet and more than a prophet Thus farre out of Matthew Paris Shortlie after this there fell a great variance betweene the king and Richard Earle of Cornwale his brother where great partaking was on either side These lords held with Richard Randulph Earle of Chester William Marshall Earle of Penbrooke Gilbert Earle of Glocester William Earle Warren Henrie Earle of Hereford William Earle Ferrers and VVilliam Earle of Warwick But this debate was soone taken vp and finished the king and his brother being made freends In the yeere 1230. Henrie made a iournie to France to recouer againe that which his father had lost from whence he returned backe againe without dooing any good At this time Lhewelyn the sonne of Maelgon died in Northwales and was buried at Conwey Prince Lhewhelyn caused William Bruse to be hanged being as it was reported taken in adulterie with his wife who was the sister of king Henrie Also Gilbert of Clare Earle of Glocester died whose wife afterward married Richard Earle of Cornwale and the king gaue the wardship of his sonne to the Earle of Kent Likewise Maelgon sonne to prince Rees died at this time and was buried at Stratflur whose patrimonie yoong Maelgon his sonne inherited after his father The yeare ensuing William Marshall Earle of Penbrooke died and Richard his brother enioied his inheritance This yeare the king lead a great armie to Wales after he had remained in the Marches a while he returned to England and left Hubert de Burgh Earle of Kent with his armie to defend the Marches he by spies vnderstood where certeine VVelshmen entred the Marches to spoile and set vpon them by Mountgomery slew a great number of them Then the Prince being therwith sore offended gathered an armie and to reuenge his men entring the Marches with fire sword slew all that withstood him and burned the castels with the garrisons without mercie and first the castell of Mountgomery for the Earle withdrew himselfe for feare Then the castell of Radnor Aberhodni Rayader Gwy so he went through Gwentland to Caerlhêon and after long fight and losse of manie of his men got the towne and left nothing therein but ashes The like he did with the castels of Neth and Cydwely Therefore the king caused the Prince to be denounced accursed and came to Hereford with a mightie armie and sent a great number of his nobles with the most part of his armie to VVales who using the direction of a frier of Cymer met with a number of Welshmen which at the first encounter fled whome the Englishmen folowed to the straits where the ambushments laie which fell vpon them and slew a great number of the best soldiours and the rest escaped with fleeing Therefore the king would haue burned the house of Cymer but the Prior paid 300. markes and the king returned to England after he had built the castell of Mawd. In the meane time of this Maelgon the sonne of Maelgon ap Rees laid siege do Aberteiui and got the towne and destroied it to the castell gates slaieng all the inhabitants And shortlie after he returned with his coosen Owen sonne to Gruffyth ap Rees with certaine of the Princes captaines and brake downe the bridge vpon the riuer Teiui and laid siege to the castell and with engines and mines threw downe the same and then returned home with much honor The next yeare to this prince Lhewelyn entred into England and returned with a rich spoile of goods cattell and men Therfore the king feased a subsidie to subdue the Welshmen Hubert de Burgh was at this time accused vpon certeine articles and committed to prison Randulph Earle of Chester and Lincolne died the same yeare and Iohn his sister sonne by the brother of the Scottish king was Earle of Chester after him who tooke to wife the daughter of prince Lhewelyn and an other of his nephues had the Earldome of Lincolne Also Ephraim bishop of Lhanelwy died About the same time Iohn de Bruse falling off his horsse his foote sticking fast in the sturope and the horsse taile was drawen by his owne horsse till he died miserablie The summer following Richard Earle of Cornwall fortified the castell of Radnor which the Prince had latelie destroied Shortlie after that Prince Lhewelyn came with an armie to Brechnock and destroied all the townes and castels in the countrie and laie a moneth at the siege of the castell of Brechnock but yet went without it and burning the towne returned homeward with a great bootie In his iournie by the waie he burned the towne of Clunn and recouered all the countrie called Dyffryn Teueidiat which was of the possession of Iohn Fitzalan but he cold not get the castell After that he ouerthrew the Reddecastell in Powys and burned the towne of Oswestree and so came home About this time Richard Marshall Earle of Penbrooke fell at debate with the king who with Hubert de Burgh that brake out of the castell of Deuises came to VVales and ioined with the Prince against the king Matthew of VVestminster doth write that Hubert de Burgh then prisoner in the castell of Deuises being admonished that Peter bishop of Winchester purposed to famish him in the said castell escaped ouer the wall and tooke sanctuarie out of the which he was violentlie taken by the kéepers of the castell but by the meanes of the bishop of Sarum within whose diocese the same was he was restored againe to the sanctuarie and within a while after fetched awaie by a power of armed men being the fréends of the Earle Marshall and brought into Wales where he ioined himselfe to the kings enimies Then the Earle with Owen ap Gruffyth ap Rees came to Meneuia or S. Dauids and killed and spoiled all the kings seruants and freends within the towne Also Maelgon Rees Gryc with the power of the prince ioined with them who in that viage wanne all these castels Caerdyff Abergeuennie Pencelhy Blaynlhefyni and Bwlch y Dinas which they rased all sauing Caerdyff Then the king gathered a wonderfull great armie aswell Flemings Normanes and Gascoines as Englishmen and entred Wales thinking to destroie the whole countrie and encamped at Grosmont where the Earle with the power of Wales encamped hard by him And as the kings men would haue entred further they were met withall and lost 500. horsse whervpon the king had aduise to returne home and so he did After whose departure the Earle with the power aforesaid lay before Caermardhyn three
moneths but it was so manfullie defended that they could not come by it And at last there came in the kings ships and manned and victualed the towne afresh wherefore they raised the siege and departed Within a while after Rees Gryc sonne to the lord or prince Rees died at Lhandeilo vawr and was buried honorablie besides his father at S. Dauids Then Maelgon Vachan sonne to Maelgon ap Rees finished the castell of Trefilan which his father had begon The Earle Marshall vnderstanding that the bishop of Winchester had with a thousand markes of monie wonne from him to the kings part the Earles of Chester and Lincolne made a firme league with Lhewelyn prince of Wales and other nobles of that countrie swearing among themselues that none of them should grow to anie agreement with the king without his confederats Wherevpon the king sent to Flanders and other countries beyond the sea for aid to whom Baldwyn Earle of Gysnes came with a great armie to Glocester Also manie Poictouins came to him by the procurement of the said bishop who was that countrieman himselfe In the yeare of Christ 1234. Iohn lord Monumetensis a noble warrior captaine of the kings armie being made Warden of the Marches of Wales leuied a power and came against the Earle Marshall and the Welshmen but when he had once entred Wales he came backe in post leauing his men for the most part slaine and taken behind him This historie is laid downe by Matthew Paris after this manner About the feast of S. Iohn Baptist Iohn of Monmouth a noble and expert warrior who was with the king in his warres in Wales gathered a great armie meaning to inuade the Earle Marshall at vnawares but he being certified of the same hid himselfe in a certaine wood by the which laie the waie of his enimies intending to deceiue them who went about to serue him after the same sort When the enimies therfore came to the place where the ambush was the Earle Marshals armie gaue a great shout and so set vpon their enimies being vnprouided and suddenlie put them all to flight slaieng an infinite number of them aswell Poictouins as other Iohn of Monmouth himselfe escaped by flight whose countrie with the villages buildings and all that he had therein the Earle Marshall did spoile and destroie with fire and sword and left him nothing at all and then returned with rich spoiles Afterward in the wéeke after the Epiphanie Lhewelyn prince of Wales togither with the Earle Marshall ioining their powers and entring the kings land destroied all with fire and sword from the confines of Wales vnto the towne of Salop which they also tooke and burnt a great part thereof and then returned with great spoiles The king of England being all this while with the bishop of Winchester at Glocester little regarding warre who for want of sufficient strength for the warre durst not méete his enimies in the field but being ashamed of the matter departed towards Winchester leauing the Marches to be destroied by the enimies as anie man might sée The same yeare Richard Earle of Penbrooke by the counsell of Geffrey de Marisco went with an armie to Ireland where he was slaine in fight by treason of his owne men after whom his brother Gilbert inherited his lands In that time the king sent the Archbishop of Canturburie with the bishops of Rochester and Chester to intreate with prince Lhewelyn for to make peace with the king but they returned without doing of anie good Matthew Paris saith this The king at this time going to méet Edmond Archbishop of Canturburie and the other Bishops which he had sent to conclude a peace with Lhewelyn prince of Wales came to Woodstocke where being certified of the death of the Earle Marshall by certeine messengers which came from Ireland he fell into great wéeping and sorrowe for the death of so valiant a knight affirming withall that he had not least his péere behind him in the realme From thence he went to Glocester where the said Archbishop and bishops comming to him declared the treatie and forme of peace taken betwéene him and the said Lhewelyn yet neuerthelesse vpon this condition that the noble men of England which were confederates with the said Lhewelyn and by euill counsell were exiled should first be reconciled to the king whereby the said peace might be more firme and stable Moreouer the Archbishop said that with much a doo they had brought the matter to that passe adding sometimes threatnings on the kings behalfe with his clergie to the which threatnings the said Lhewelyn is reported to haue answered that he more regarded the kings almes-déeds and his godlie behauiour than he did feare his warre with all his clergie Then the king who wished peace with all his heart caused by his letters all the nobles that were outlawed to be called againe vnto him to Glocester the sundaie before the Ascension daie next following to haue their pardons and to receiue their inheritance which the king had seased into his owne hands Then Hubert de Burgh Earle of Kent came to the king and obteined his fauour whom the king reuerentlie imbrased and kissed Prince Lhewelyn also this yeare set Gruffyth his sonne at libertie whom he had kept in prison sixe yeares for his disobedience At the same time died Robert Fitzwater who as Matthew Paris saith had a stone about his necke of such vertue that he could not die as long as it was there Also Roger de Somerie died and Cadwalhon ap Maelgon of Melienyth The yeare after died Owen sonne to Gruffyth ap Rees being a noble Gentleman and verie well beloued and was buried by his brother Rees at Stratflur King Henrie about this time tooke to wife the second daughter of the Earle of Prouince called Elianor And Frederike the Emperour maried Isabel sister to king Henrie The yeare after Madoc the sonne of Gruffyth Maylor lord of the lower Powys or Bromfield Chirke and Yale a man verie iust and mercifull died and was buried honourablie at the abbie of Lhan Egwest or Vale Crucis which he had built and leaft behind him a sonne named Gruffyth to inherit his lands Also Owen ap Meredyth ap Rotpert of Cydewen departed out of this world The same yeare Gilbert Erle of Penbrooke by treason got the castell of Morgan ap Howel called Marchen and fortified it verie strong for feare of the Prince Then the Earles of Cornewall and Penbrooke tooke the crosse The next spring died Ione daughter to king Iohn princesse of Wales and was buried vpon the sea shoare within the Ile of Anglesey at Lhanuaes as hir pleasure was where the Prince did build a house of barefoote Friers ouer hir graue Then also died Iohn Scot Erle of Chester without issue therefore the king seased that Earldome to his owne hands Because the Earles of Chester were men of great possessions in Wales and had
soldiers and such as the king loued well Therefore the king called his strength to him and sent to Gascoine and Ireland for succours and then comming to VVales in haruest time destroied all the corne that was in his waie yet he went not farre beyond Chester but returned backe without dooing any notable act for God as Matthew Paris saith defended the poore people that put their whole confidence in him The lord Iames Audeley whose daughter Gruffyth lord of Bromfield had married brought a great number of horssemen frō Almaine to serue against the VVelshmen who with their great horsses and vnaccustomed kind of fight ouerthrew the VVelshmen at the first encounter Wherefore the VVelshmen shortlie after minding to reuenge that displeasure made road into the said lord Audleys lands where the Almaines set vpon them pursuing hard such as fled to the straits who vsing that flight for a policie returned againe so suddenlie and so fearslie vpon the Almaines that they being not able to retire vpon the sudden were almost all slaine At this time there was great scarsitie in England of beefes and horsses whereof they were woont to haue manie thousands yeerelie out of VVales and all the marches were made as a desolate and desart place The next spring all the nobles of VVales came togither and sware to defend their countrie to the death and neuer to forsake one another and that vpon paine of cursing but shortlie after Meredyth ap Rees of Southwales not regarding his oth serued the king Then the king called a Parliament for a subsidie to conquere Wales when he had so manie losses and of late all the countrie of Penbrooke burnt and spoiled wher the Welshmen had found salt plentifullie which they lacked In the which Parliament William de Valentia accused the Earles of Leycester and Glocester as the workers of all this mischiefe wherevpon the Parliament broke without the grant of anie subsidie Againe shortlie after the same Parliament by prorogation was holden at Oxford where the king and Edward his sonne were sworne solemnlie to obeie the lawes and statutes of the realme but the kings brethren Gwy and William with Henrie son to the king of Almaine and Iohn Earle Warren forsooke the oth and departed awaie And there the lords of Wales offered to be tried by the lawe for any offense they had committed against the king vniustlie but Edward would not heare of it but sent one Patrike de Canton as Lieutenant for the king to Caermardhin and with him Meredyth ap Rees and this Patrike desired to speake vpon peace with the princes councell Wherevpon the prince meaning good faith sent his brother Dauid whom he had set at libertie with Meredyth ap Owen and Rees ap Rees to Emlyn to intreat with them of peace but Patrike meaning to intrap them laid an ambushment of armed men by the waie and as they should haue met these men fell vpon the Welshmen and slew a great number of them but the lords which escaped raised the countrie forthwith and folowed Patrike and slue him and the most part of all his men And after this the Prince desirous of peace and quietnesse to redeeme the same and to end all troubles and to purchase the kings good will offered the king 4000. markes and to his sonne 300. and to the Queene 200. to haue peace but the king answered What is this to our losses and refused it It appeareth by the Records in the Towre that about this time to wit An. 43. H. 3. There was a commission to William bishop of Worcester Iohn Mansel treasurer of Yorke the kings Chaplaine and Peter de Montfort to conclude a peace with the Welshmen but it is like that there was nothing doone to anie effect in that behalfe for the warre continued still Notwithstanding I find by Matthew Westminster that there was a certeine truce agréed vpon betwéene the king and the Welshmen for a yeare I read also in the same author that the bishop of Bangor was this yeare about Michaelmas sent from Lhewelyn the prince and all the Barons of Wales to the king to desire peace at his hands to offer vnto him the summe of 16000. pound for the same so that he would grant the Welshmen to haue all their matters heard and determined at Chester as they were woont to haue and to suffer them to enioy the lawes and customes of their owne countrie but what answere the bishop brought againe the said author maketh no mention The yeare 1260. prince Lhewelyn destroied the lands of Sir Roger Mortimer bicause he contrarie to his oth mainteined the kings quarell and tooke from him all Buelht sauing the castell which the Princes men gatte by night without bloodshed and therein much munition and so after the Prince had passed through all Southwales he returned to his house at Aber betwixt Conwey and Bangor The yeare folowing died Owen ap Meredyth lord of Cydewen And this summer certeine of the Princes men tooke vpon a sudden the castell of Sir Roger Mortimer in Melienyth and slew the garrison taking Howel ap Meyric the captaine thereof with his wife and children and the princes Lieutenant came and destroied it then Sir Roger Mortimer hearing this came with a great strength of lords and knights to Melienyth where the Prince came also and Sir Roger kept himselfe within the wals of the broken castell sent to the prince for licence to depart without hurt Then the prince hauing his enimie within his danger tooke compassion vpon him bicause he was his coosen and suffered him to depart with his people without hurt From thence the prince went to Brechnocke at the request of the people of that countrie which swore fidelitie vnto him and so returned to Northwales Prince Lhewelyn being confederate with the Barons against the king destroied the Earldome of Chester and rased two of Edwards castels Tygannwy and Diserth and thither came Edward and did nothing to speake of This yeare Iohn Strange the yoonger being Constable of Montgomery came with a great number of Marchers by night through Ceri to Cydewen which thing when the countrie men vnderstood they gathered themselues togither and slew 200. of his men but he escaped with the rest backe againe Shortlie after the Marchers and the Welshmen met besides Clun where the Englishmen had the victorie and slew a great number of Welshmen At this time Dauid the princes brother whom he had set at libertie forsooke him and succoured his foes with all his power Then Gruffyth ap Gwenwynwyn got the castell of Molde and rased it At this time died Meredyth ap Owen the defender of Southwales The yeare ensuing king Henrie lead a great armie towards Wales and by meanes of Orobonus the Popes legate there was a peace concluded betwixt the king and the Prince at the castell of Montgomery vpon Calixtus daie for which peace the prince gaue the king
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
hir decease apperteined to Dauid by force of the foresaid grant which townes yet the king tooke from him contrarie to his letters patents 2 Item when the said Dauid did hold of the lord the king the villages of Hope and Eston in Wales of the which he ought to answere no man but according to the lawes of Wales yet the Iustice of Chester caused the said Dauid to be called to Chester at the sute of one William Vanable an English man to answere for the title of the said villages And although the said Dauid did often instantlie desire him the said Iustice not to procéed against him iniuriouslie in the countie of Chester where he was not bound to answere by the forme of the peace yet he plainlie denied him to be iudged either in Wales or after the lawes of Wales 3 Item the said Iustice of Chester to the iniurie of the said Dauid did cut downe his wood of Lhyweny and his woods at Hope as well by the dwellers of Ruthlan as others and yet the said Iustice had no iurisdiction in those parts And not being contented to get timber there for building as well for Ruthlan as other places in the countrie but also destroied the said woods sold it and carried it into Ireland 4 Item where the said Dauid tooke certeine outlawes and rouers in the woods and caused them to be hanged yet the said Iustice accused Dauid to the king for succoring and mainteining the théeues aforesaid which was not like to be true séeing he caused them to be hanged 5 Item it is prouided in the peace that all Welshmen in their causes should be iudged after the lawes of Wales This was in no point obserued with the said Dauid and his people Of these foresaid gréefs the said Dauid required often amends either according to the lawes and customes of Wales or of speciall fauour but he could neuer obteine anie of them both at his hands Further the said Dauid was warned in the kings court that assoone as Reginald Gray should come from the court the said Dauid should be taken and spoiled of his castell of Hope his woods should be cut downe and his children taken for pledges who séeing he had taken much paines and perill for the king in all his warres as well himselfe as his people both in England and in Wales and had lost therebie the most part of the nobilitie of his countrie and yet neuerthelesse could obteine neither iustice amends nor fauour at his hands hauing such great wrongs offred vnto him and fearing his owne life and his childrens or else perpetuall prison being enforced as it were against his will began to defend himselfe and his people Greefs and iniuries offered by the king and his officers to the men of Ros. THis is the forme of peace which the king of England did promise the men of Ros before they did him homage which he promised them to obserue inuiolablie That is to saie the king should grant to euerie of them their right and iurisdiction as they had in time of king Henrie according as the said men doo report that they had in the time of king Henrie 2 Item the lord the king did promise the said men that they should haue iustice in their sutes after granting of the which articles the said men did homage to the king And then the king promised them with his owne mouth faithfullie to obserue the said articles This notwithstanding a certeine noble man passing by the kings hie waie with his wife in the kings peace met certeine English laborers and Masons going to Ruthlan where they did then worke who attempted by force to take awaie his wife from him and while he defended hir as well as he could one of them killed the wife and he who killed hir with his fellowes were taken and when the kinred of hir which was slaine required law at the Iustice of Chesters hands for their kinswoman they were put in prison and the murtherers were deliuered 3 Item a certeine man killed a Gentleman who had killed the sonne of Grono ap Heilyn and was taken but when certeine of the kinred required iustice before the Iustice of Chester certeine of them were imprisoned the offender set at libertie and iustice denied to the kinred 4 Item certeine Gentlemen claimed some lands and offered the king a great péece of monie to haue iustice by the verdict of good lawfull men of the countrie then the lands being adiudged to the claimers Reginald Gray tooke the same lands corne goods and all vpon the ground so that they lost their lands monie corne and cattell 5 Item it is our right that no stranger should cut our woods without our leaue yet this notwithstanding there was a proclamation at Ruthlan that it should be lawfull for all other men to cut downe our woods but to vs it was forbidden 6 Item where diuerse honest men had lands of the gift of the said Dauid the Iustice taketh the said mens lands awaie 7 Item when anie commeth to Ruthlan with merchandize if he refuse whatsoeuer anie English man offereth he is forthwith sent to the castell to prison and the buier hath the thing and the king hath the price then the soldiours of the castell first spoile and beate the partie and then cause him to pay the porter and let him go 8 Item if anie Welshmen buie anie thing in Ruthlan and anie English man doo méet him he will take it from him and giue him lesse than he paid for it 9 Item the king contrarie to his promise made to the men of Ros hath giuen the territorie of Maynan Penmayn and Lhysuayn 10 Item certeine Gentlemen of the Cantred of Ros bought certeine offices and paid their monie for the same yet the Iustice of Chester tooke the said offices from them without cause 11 Item Grono ap Heilyn tooke to farme of Godfrey Marliney the territorie of Maynan and Lhysuayn for the terme of foure yeares yet Robert de Cruquer with horses and armes and foure and twentie horssemen came to vexe the said Grono so that he had no safe going neither to Ruthlan nor Chester without a great garrison of his kindred and fréends 12 Item certeine Gentlemen were arrested for trespasses doone before the warres and imprisoned and could not be deliuered vntill they had paied xvj markes which was contrarie to the peace concluded 13 Item our causes ought to be decided after the custome of our lawes but our men be compelled to sweare against their consciences else they be not suffered to sweare furthermore we spent thrée hundreth markes in going to the king for iustice in the foresaid articles And when we beléeued to recouer full iustice the king sent to our parties the lord Reginald Gray to whom the king hath set all the lands to farme to handle the men of the said Cantreds as it pleaseth him who compelled vs to sweare in his name whereas we should sweare in the kings
Meredyth serued the king in all these warres who did the Prince most hurt of all men and was in great hope of goodlie preferments at the kings hands whom after the ouerthrowe of the Prince the king made knight and fed with manie faire and good woords After that he and all other his countriemen and neighbours had submitted themselues to the gouernement of the king of England it happened that the lord Payne Tiptoft warden of the kings castels nigh vnto Reeses countrie and the Lord Alan Plucknet the kings steward in Wales called the said Rees as they did all other of the countrie to the kings court whither he refused to come alledging his ancient priuileges and liberties with the kings promises but the said officers procéeded according to the law against him wherevpon a great variance arose betwéene the said Payne Tiptoft and the said Sir Rees ap Meredyth so that sundrie skirmishes were foughten betwixt them and men slaine on both sides to the great disturbance of the countrie The king hearing of these things being then beyond the seas wrote vnto Rees ap Meredyth requiring him to kéepe the peace till his returne at what time he promised to reforme all things in due and reasonable order but Rees would not giue ouer the enterprise which he had begun Wherevpon the king sent to the Earle of Cornewall whom he had leaft his lieutenant in the realme during his absence to send an armie of men into Wales to withstand the disordered attempts of the said Rees Who went into Wales himselfe and ouerthrew Reeses castell of Drofolan but by vndermining and reuersing the walles of the said castell with the fall thereof the Baron of Stafford the lord William de Monchency with manie other knights and Esquires were oppressed and brused to death Afterward Robert Tiptoft lord deputie of Wales gathered an armie and méeting the said Rees after the slaughter of 4000. of his people discomfited and tooke him Who about Michaelmas folowing at the kings going into Scotland was had to Yorke and there condemned and executed Not long after the king wanting monie there was a great subsidie granted towards the maintenance of the warres in France about leuieng of the which there was much adoo in diuerse places but especiallie the Welshmen which were neuer woont to be acquainted with such contribution stormed against it so that they tooke one of their owne captaines named Roger de Puelesdon who at the kings commandement gathered the said subsidie and hanged him with diuers other and afterward headed the said Roger. Wherevpon the king being sore offended for the death of the said Roger whom he greatlie fauoured and hearing that the Welshmen began to stirre against him in diuers places for the Westwales men had chosen Maelgon Vachan for their captaine and destroied all Caerdigan and Penbrooke and returned with rich spoiles they of Glamorgan and the South parts tooke one named Morgan for their leader and driuing the Earle of Glocester out of the countrie they restored to the said Morgan againe those possessions which the ancestors of the said Earle by force and great wrong had taken from the said Morgans predecessors The Northwales men had set vp one Madoc being of the kindred of the last Lhewelyn slaine at Buelht who gathering a great power came to Caernaruon and slew a great number of Englishmen which were come thither to the Faire and spoiled the whole towne then I saie the king called backe his brother Edmond Earle of Lancaster and Henrie Lacy Earle of Lincolne and lord of Denbigh who had an armie readie to passe into Gascoyn These Earles came towards Northwales and as they approched néere vnto the castell of Denbigh vpon S. Martyns daie the Welshmen with great force encountred them and giuing them battell droue them backe and discomfited their people Then the king himselfe came to Wales and kept his Christmas at Aberconwey where Robert Wynchelsey archbishop of Canturburie came vnto him and did his homage and then returned home The king as he passed further into the countrie lost much of his carriages which the Welshmen tooke being loden with vittell and prouision for the armie so that the king and his people indured great penurie and was constrained to drinke water mixt with honie and eate verie grosse and course meate where he was verie like to haue béene distressed had not the other part of his armie come vnto him in time While the king remained in Snowdon the Earle of Warwicke hearing that a great number of Welshmen were assembled togither and lodged in a vallie betwixt two woods chose out a companie of horssemen with certeine crossebowes and archers and comming vpon the Welshmen in the night compassed them round about who pitching the ends of their speares and turning the points against their enimies stood at defense so to kéepe off the horssemen But the Earle hauing placed his battell so that euer betwixt two horssemen there stood a crossebow a great part of the Welshmen who stood at defense in maner aforesaid with their speares were ouerthrowne and broken with the shot of the quarels and then the Earle charged the residue with a troupe of horssemen and bare them downe with such slaughter as they had not susteined the like losse of people as was thought at anie time before After this the king builded a strong castell within the Ile of Anglesey and called the same Buemarish and so putting all things in quietnesse and punishing such as had put to death Roger de Puelesdon he returned home with his armie But Madoc within a while after leauieng an armie of men came to Oswestrie where the people yéelded vnto him and méeting with the lord Strange with a companie of Marchers not farre from Knookine ouerthrew him and spoiled his countrie miserablie and shortlie after he gaue the Marchers another ouerthrow But for all that the lord Marchers nothing dismaied at this mischance gathered a great power anew met Madoc as he was comming towards Shrewesburie vpon the hils of Cefn Digolh not farre from Caurs castell where after a long fight the said Madoc was taken and his men discomfited and put to flight Then he was sent to the Towre of London there to remaine in perpetuall prison There be some which affirme that Madoc was not taken but rather after manie aduentures and sundrie conflicts when the Welshmen were brought into an issue of great extremitie the said Madoc came in and submitted himselfe to the kings peace and was receiued vpon condition that he should pursue Morgan till he had taken him and brought him to the kings prison which was done and so all things in those parties were set in rest and peace and manie hostages of the chiefest of the nobilitie of Wales were deliuered to the king who sent them to diuerse castels in England where they were safelie kept almost to the end of the warres that followed with Scotland In the
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