# A Short History of Wales/Summary

AN OUTLINE OF WELSH POLITICAL HISTORY
INFLUENCES UNDER WHICH THE HISTORY OF WALES WAS FORMED
1. The nature of its rocks—Igneous, Cambrian, Silurian, Old Red Sandstone, Limestone, Coal—all belonging to the Primary Period. Its rocks
       (a) explain its scenery;
       (b) explain its wealth, the richest part of Britain in minerals.
2. The configuration of its surface.
       (a) It is isolated, its mountains being surrounded by the sea, or rising sharply from the plains. It is part of the range of mountains which runs along the whole of the west coast of Britain; but the range is broken at the mouth of the Severn and at the mouth of the Dee.
       (b) It is divided, its valleys and roads radiating in all directions. So we have in its history
             A. Wars of Independence.
             B. Civil War.
THE PEOPLE WHO CAME INTO WALES
1. The Iberians—a general name for the short dark people who still form the greater part of the nations. They had stone weapons, and lived in tribes; they became subject to later invaders, but gradually became free. Their language is lost.
2. The Celts—a tall fair-haired race, speaking an Aryan tongue. It was their migration that was stopped by the rise of Rome. Four ​groups of mountains, four nations (Celtic and Iberian), four mediæval kingdoms, and four modern dioceses can be remembered thus:
| i. | Snowdonia | Decangi | Gwynedd | Bangor |
| ii. | Berwyn | Ordovices | Powys | St Asaph |
| iii. | Plinlimmon | Demetae | Dyved | St David's |
| iv. | Black Mountains | Silures | Morgannwg | Llandaff |
3. The Romans. They made roads, built cities, worked mines.
| 50-78. | The Conquest. The Silures were defeated in 50, the Decangi in 58, the Ordovices in 78. |
| 80-200. | The Settlement. Wales part of a Roman province including Chester and York. |
| 200-450. | The struggle against the new wandering nations. The introduction of Christianity. |
| 450- | The House of Cunedda represents Roman rule. |
4. The English.
| 577. | Battle of Deorham. Wales separated from Cornwall. |
| 613. | Battle of Chester. Wales separated from Cumbria. |
I. THE WALES OF THE PRINCES
Isolated after the battles of Deorham and Chester, mediæval Wales begins to make its own history. The House of Cunedda represents unity, the other princes represent independence. English, Danish, Norman attacks from without.
I. 613-1063. The struggle between the Welsh princes and the English provincial kings. From the battle of Chester to the fall of Griffith ap Llywelyn.
(a) Between Wales and Northumbria, 613-700; for the sovereignty of the north. Cadwallon, Cadwaladr v. Edwin, Oswald, Oswiu.
(b) Between Wales and Mercia, 700-815 ; for the valley of the Severn. Rhodri Molwynog and his sons v. Ethelbald and Offa.
(c) Between Wales and the Danes, 815-1000. Rhodri the Great and Howel the Good.
​(d) Between Wales and Wessex, 1000-1063; for political influence. Griffith ap Llywelyn v. Harold.
| 2. | 1063-1284. | The struggle between the Welsh princes and the central English kings, |
| (a) | 1066-1137. | The Norman Conquest. Norman barons v. Griffith ap Conan and Griffith ap Rees. |
| | 1063. | Bleddyn of Powys tries to unite Wales. |
| | 1070. | William the Conqueror at Chester. Advance of Norman barons from Chester, Shrewsbury, Hereford, Gloucester. |
| | 1075 | Death of Bleddyn; succeeded by Trahaiarn. |
| | 1077. | Battle of Mynydd Cam. Restoration of House of Cunedda Griffith ap Conan in the north; Rees, followed by his son Griffith, in the south. |
| | 1094. | Norman castles dominate Powys, Gwent, Morgannwg, and Dyved. Gwynedd and Deheubarth threatened. |
| | 1137. | Death of Griffith ap Conan and Griffith ap Rees, after setting bounds to the Norman Conquest. |
| (b) | 1137-1197. | The struggle against Henry II. and his sons. |
| | 1137 | The accession of Owen Gwynedd and of the Lord Rees of the Deheubarth. |
| | 1157. | Henry II. interferes in the quarrel of Owen and Cadwaladr. |
| | 1164 | The Cistercians at Strata Florida. |
| | 1164. | Meeting of Owen Gwynedd, the Lord Rees, and Owen Cyveiliog at Corwen, to oppose Henry II. |
| | 1170. | Death of Owen Gwynedd. |
| | 1188. | Preaching of the Crusades in Wales. |
| | 1189. | Death of Henry II. |
| | 1197. | Death of the Lord Rees. |
| (c) | 1194-1240. | The reign of Llywelyn the Great. |
| | 1194-1201. | Securing the crown of Gwynedd. |
| | 1201-1208. | Alliance with King John. |
| | 1208-1212. | War with John. |
| | 1212-1218. | Alliance with barons of Magna Carta. |
| | 1218-1226. | Struggle with the Marshalls of Pembroke. |
| | 1226-1240. | Unity of Wales: alliance with Marshalls. ​ |
| (d) | 1240-1284. | The Wars of Independence. |
| | 1241. | David II. does homage to Henry III. |
| | 1244. | Death of Griffith, in trying to escape from the Tower of London. |
| | 1245. | Fierce fighting on the Con way. |
| | 1254. | Edward (afterwards Edward I.) Earl of Chester. |
| | 1255. | Llywelyn ap Griffith supreme in Gwynedd. |
| | 1263. | Alliance with the English barons. |
| | 1267. | Treaty of Montgomery; Llywelyn Prince of Wales. |
| | 1274. | Llywelyn refuses to do homage to Edward I. |
| | 1277. | Treaty of Rhuddlan; Llywelyn keeps Gwynedd only. |
| | 1278. | Llywelyn marries Eleanor de Montfort. |
| | 1282. | Last war. Battle of Moel y Don. Llywelyn's death. |
| | 1284. | Statute of Wales. |
| 3. | 1284-1535. | The rule of sheriff and march lord. |
| | 1287. | Revolt of Ceredigion. |
| | 1294. | Revolts in Gwynedd, Dyved, Morgannwg. |
| | 1315. | Revolt of Llywelyn Bren. |
| | 1349. | The Black Death in Wales. |
| | 1400. | Rise of Owen Glendower. |
| | 1402. | Battles of the Vyrnwy and Bryn Glas. |
| | 1404. | Anti-Welsh legislation. |
| | 1455. | The Wars of the Roses. |
| | 1461. | Battle of Mortimer's Cross. |
| | 1468. | Siege of Harlech. |
| | 1469. | Battle of Edgecote. |
| | 1478. | Court of Wales at Ludlow. |
| | 1485. | Battle of Bosworth and accession of Henry VII. |
| | 1535. | Act of Union. All Wales governed by king through sheriffs. |
II. THE WALES OF THE PEOPLE.
In 1535 the march lordships were formed into shires, and a reign of law began.
| 1535-1603. | Period of loyalty to Tudor sovereigns—for equality before law and political rights. |
| 1536. | The march lordships become shire ground. Wales given a representation in Parliament, and its own system of law courts the Great Sessions of Wales. |
| 1539. | Welsh passive resistance to the Reformation. |
| 1567. | Sir Thomas Middleton opens silver mines of Cardiganshire. |
| 1588. | Bishop Morgan's Welsh Bible. |
| 1593. | Execution of John Penry. Results Destruction of power of barons. Anglicising of gentry. A Welsh Bible. |
| 1603-1689. | Struggle between new and old ideas. |
| 1618. | Coal of South Wales attracts attention. |
| 1640. | First Civil War. |
| 1644. | Brereton and Myddleton win North Wales, Laugharne and Poyer win South Wales, for Parliament. |
| 1648. | Second Civil War: siege of Pembroke. |
| 1650. | Puritan "Act for the better Propagation of the Gospel in Wales." |
| 1670. | Vavasour Powell dies in prison. |
| 1689. | Abolition of the Court of Wales. |
| 1689-1894. | Rise of the Welsh democracy. |
| 1719. | Copper works at Swansea. |
| 1730. | Griffith Jones' circulating schools. |
| 1750. | Iron furnaces at Merthyr Tydvil |
| 1773. | Death of Howel Harris. |
| 1814. | Death of Charles of Bala. |
| 1830. | Abolition of Great Sessions of Wales. |
| 1832. | First Reform Bill. |
| 1839. | Chartism at Llanidloes and Newport. |
| 1867. | Second Reform Bill. ​ |
| 1872, 1883, 1884. | University Colleges. |
| 1884. | Third Reform Bill. |
| 1888. | County Council Act. |
| 1889. | Secondary Education Act. |
| 1894. | Local Government Act. University of Wales. |