Page One of Owain Glyndwr Page One ~ Page Two ~ Page Three ~ Page Four The date - 16th of September 2000. The place - Machynlleth the ancient capital of Wales. For what seemed to be a few short hours, Machynlleth was seemingly the capital of Wales once again, as Welsh men, women and children from every corner of Wales and the World could be seen converging on the ancient place. What was the reason for their convergence, Could it be that once again they were answering a rallying call to arms from arguably the most famous Welshman of all time; Owain Glyndwr. Surely it could not be so, for it was over 600 years to the very day, at his mansion of Sycarth in north east Wales that Owain had first declared his intentions of going to war. But perhaps this mystical figure of Welsh history was to reappear once again and, as he had previously, lead the Nation in one more bid for independence No dear visitor, despite the fact that nearly all there would have answered the call, that was not to be the case.

Under the fluttering battle flags used by Owain's army: the Golden Lion and me: the Red Dragon, those that had gathered there were this time on a more peaceful mission. That was to dedicate a monument to Owain's memory. So this time, as there had been in previous times, there was to be none of the depravities of war, no blood of the nation's manhood to again mix with the soil of the land, none to grieve the loss of their loved ones. Now I hear you ask why erect a monument to Owain anyway? Well having being hoisted aloft by his men on the 18 September 1400, I the Red Dragon of Wales, shall attempt to tell you of the man: this Owain Glyndwr. The muddy waters of time seem to have clouded my actual recollections of Owain's birth, but I do remember that he was born at Trefgarn Owain near St. Davids in Pembrokeshire.

On two accounts could he claim the right to the "Royal" Crown of Wales, His mother, a small framed woman, was a direct descendent of the Royal house of Deheubarth: while his father was of a direct line to those Princes of northern Powys who had once lived at the castle of Dinas Bran, high above the present town of Llangollen. Owain returned home to Sycarth from the Scottish war, there towards the end of 1386 he married the daughter of Sir David Hanmer: a judge in the Court of the King's bench. Owain was Lord of the fertile rich lands of both Cynllaith Owain and Glyn Dyfrdwy and his mansion on the banks of the river Cynllaith, was something to behold. The door of the mansion was always open to anyone who cared to call, for there was always a welcome at his table. The house itself built with oak, stood on high ground and had an unheard of feature for those days, chimneys which carried away the smoke from the central room. There were spacious sleeping quarters for both the family and servants, for Owain rarely treated his servants as such, they were more family friends.

Outside was a very large pigeon-house and a fishpond which contained many a fine fish. To the right and rear of the mansion stood a large copse which contained a Heronry who's birds, despite causing havoc with the fish in the pond, were allowed to reside in the tree's for they often as not provided meat for the table. Down by the riverside, giving shelter from the sun on a warm lazy summers day, alder and willow overhung the river; underneath which on a late afternoon large trout could be seen as they rose to take a fly. However, among this tranquil scene things were not as they first seemed, for there was treachery and deceit in the air. By the time the rigor's of winter in year of 1400 had set in, there had been both a bloody campaign and heavy defeat. Nevertheless when the year 1401 arrived in Wales the tide changed for it heralded victory after victory for a few years and may have continued, had it not been for the tide of change occurring once more. Then as always there was, down through the centuries in this small nation of ours, defeat; always that final bitter and utter bloody defeat that cost so many lives.

As a young man Owain was an adventurous and would roam the countryside, much to the consternation of his parents. Many times his father's servants undertook the task of searching for him in a bid to return him to his home. When Owain the young Lord of Glyn Dyfrdwy reached adulthood he was taken to London by his father, there installed in the "Inns of Court" where his father hoped he would learn the profession of law. It was not to be, for he soon became disillusioned with the task he took up the force of arms. He was esquire to Fitzalan the Earl of Arundal, indeed when English forces invaded Scotland in the August of 1385 he fought alongside Fitzalan in the army of Richard II king of England; earning himself a much envied reputation with his tenacity and skill of arms. Prior to 1400 Owain had been having an ongoing dispute with the Lord Reginald Grey of Ruthin, there had even been several representations to parliament in 1399 regarding the situation. However, they had been to no avail, as the lord Reginald was a close confidant of the king; Henry of Lancaster.

The situation came to head at Evesham where the king had summoned a general muster before beginning his campaign against the Scot's. Owain's summons to attend the muster was entrusted to Lord Grey, which he withheld until it was to late for Owain to obey. When Owain heard that Henry had marched north for Scotland, so the fires of war had been prepared. September 1400, as the king marches home from Scotland, Owain knowing he faced the possibility of death for treason; resolves to put and end to his dispute with Grey with an act of war. Having called for his family to meet at Sycarth, he sat in council prepared to hear their views. Among those gathered that fateful day of September 16th 1400 were his sons, his wife's brothers and the Dean of St. Asaph cathedral. From early dawn that morning the pro's and con's of declaring war were debated, then as a cock crowed heralding the noon of the day so a cousin of Owain's drew forth his sword, swearing fealty he called out for the Lord of Glyn Dyfrdwy to become Prince of Wales.

All that were there that day so proclaimed, so the die was cast and the fires of war were lit. Within hours the assembled host had armed themselves and then set out to right what Owain considered to be the wrong doings of Lord Grey. September 18th, Owain and his men attack Grey's castle of Ruthin, but find that the castle is well defended: he and his men are repelled. In frustration the little town lying in the lee of the castle's walls is fired. It was while marching north, down the vale of the Clwydd, away from the castle and town, that I became the rallying point for the men of Wales. One of Owain's men, on turning to look back up the vale, saw the smoke from the fires of Ruthin forming the shape of a dragon in the late afternoon sky. His shout of Look a dragon for Owain and Owain is for Wales quickly produced a rather sketchy Red Dragon on a motley background of green and white. Tied to a willow cut from a tree near the water's edge, I was hoisted aloft there to fly alongside Owain's battle flag of a golden lion on a white back ground.

They say it was a fine sight the Lion and the Dragon fluttering in the wind that late Autumn day. As to the campaign itself, well it was a complete disaster. Having rampaged around northeast Wales for eight days, during which time the English settlements of Ruthin, Denbigh, Rhuddlan, Flint, Harwarden and Holt were attacked and destroyed, there was very little else achieved, for the castles at all the places were left in intact. On the 24th of September Owain suffered a devastating blow. Having left the town of Oswestry aflame on the 22nd Owain had advanced south with the the intention of doing the same to Welshpool. However, to the west of his intended target he decided to camp on the banks of the river Vyrnwy for a short while before advancing on the town. It was while he and his men lay at rest that the encampment was attacked by armour clad forces forces from Shropshire, Staffordshire and Warickshire, under the command of Hugh Burell. It was a bloody conflict with the river running red with blood, much of it the blood of Owain's men. Soon his men ran and scattered to the four corners of Wales.

As for Owain, he and a small band took to the hills. It seemed to everyone that the rebellion was over, The king however, was not so sure. Whilst continuing to march south, he sent a message to the citizens of Shrewsbury warning them of the Welsh that lived in their midst. Graphics by Ole R.D. Copyright © 1999-2005 / All Rights Reserved . Battles of the Welsh Revolt 1400-1409 Owain Glyn Dwr 1400 Lands claimed by Owain Glyn Dwr and Lord Grey of Ruthin are awarded to Lord Grey by the English Royal Courts which sparks the Owain Glyn Dwr led Welsh revolt . September 16 Angered over the Royal courts decision not only favoring Lord Grey,but also ridiculing Owain and the welsh people,Owain Glyn Dwr as his followers proclaimed Glyn Dwr Prince of Wales gathered his men together,at his estate of Glyndyfrdwy in Merioneth. Present were his brother,his son and his brothers-in-law,and several members of the Welsh clergy. Glyn Dwr raised his standard and attacked Ruthin.

The first action of the Welsh rebels in 1400 was their attack upon English settlements in the northeast.It was while the king, Henry IV, was on campaign in Scotland that Owain and his men took their chance. They launched a raid against the hated English boroughs in the north-east: Ruthin, Denbigh, Rhuddlan, Flint, Hawarden, Holt, Oswestry and Welshpool were all attacked and burnt. But they lacked equipment to take the castles. The king was on his way back from Scotland when he heard the news, and turned at once to Shrewsbury. He led a short expedition into north Wales in October 1400, but this achieved little. Owain and his followers went into hiding. Now, instead of offering pardons and trying to reconcile the Welsh, the English government went out of their way to alienate the populace, holding judicial sessions, extracting subsidies and legislating against Welshmen in English boroughs and in England. This meant war. The welsh then melted into the mountains and nothing was heard of them until Owain's kinsmen, the Tudor family of Anglesey,occupied Conwy Castle at Easter 1401.

(ref.12) Owain's campaign began with an attack on the castle at Ruthin, entering at dawn to fire what they could. Similar attacks were to follow at Flint, Rhuddlan and Hawarden. His followers came from all walks, farmers, mercenaries and Welshmen returning from England to swell the ranks. His tactics were those of surprise attacks and his army was no doubt swelled by many local people, who were to be known as Owain's children, who would seem to melt away to return to everyday life after the battles. Attacks in the south of Wales soon followed with equal success. The battles were not pleasant - the capture of Stalling Down saw Glyndwr and his French allies inflict a defeat on King Henry IV's men after an 18 hour battle. The blood was said to be "fetlock deep" (ref.14) Henry Burnell defeats Owain Glyn Dwr 1401 On Good Friday,with most of the garrison at church, a carpenter gained access to Conwy castle and admitted a group of Welsh rebels including Glyn Dwr's cousins, Gwilym and Rhys ap Tudur who proclaimed their allegiance to Owain Glyndwr.

Most were pardoned when the castle was finally returned to the crown, others were jailed. A few months later (June), Owain defeated a force on Pumlumon (ref.8) It was on Good Friday, in 1401, when the castle was garrisoned by some 75 Welshmen in the pay of the English crown, that Conwy fell to a group claiming allegiance to Owain Glyn Dwr. One story has it that most of the garrison were at church when a carpenter persuaded the guard to let him in. Once in he then let through the gates the supporters of Owain Glyn Dwr. The supporters were led by Gwilym Tudor and Rhys Tudor. Harry Hotspur, as chief justice of north Wales, was sent to remove them. Those in the castle surrendered nine of their number on condition that the others were pardoned. June On slopes of Plynlimon 7m sse Machynlleth, Owain Glyn Dwr defeats the forces of Henry IV. Owain and a few of his followers crossed Pumlumon mountain to the river Hyddgen.

An army of men from Ceredigion, both Welsh and English, came to fight against him. The Welshmen decided to change sides and join Owain, and they drove the English soldiers away. By the autumn, Adam of Usk reported that the whole of north Wales including Montgomeryshire had defected to Owain and were attacking the English and their towns. Defections were also reported at Builth. Henry IV responded with his October expedition and placed garrisons in many castles including Builth, Brecon and Painscastle.(ref.12) Owain Glyn Dwr defeats Reginald Grey, Lord of Ruthin Reginald Grey is captured and is later ransomed for a massive 10,000 marks (�6,666). Pilleth/Bryn Glas, Radnorshire (near Knighton in Maesyfed) 2m nw Whitton,Radnorshire Owain Glyn Dwr defeats Henry IV forces under Edward Mortimer In June 1402 Owain Glyn Dwr led a force into Radnorshire.

He was intercepted by "almost all the militia of Herefordshire" under the command of Edmund Mortimer, which would have been largely made up of tenants from the Mortimer estates. The two armies met near the village of Pilleth, a few miles from Presteigne. The chronicles imply that the battle took place on the hill above Pilleth church, Bryn Glas ("Green Hill"). As with all accounts of battles in the middle ages it is impossible to be sure of the numbers involved, but Mortimer's army could not have consisted of more than 4,000 men. It seems probable that Owain's forces took up a position on the hillside, and that Mortimer's army advanced up the hill to meet them. At the crucial moment, however, their own archers turned on them and they were utterly defeated. The slaughter was said to be horrendous, and accounts put the numbers killed at between 200 and 1,100. This was one of the most significant moments of the rebellion: an English county levy had been utterly overwhelmed by the Welsh.

Reports also quickly circulated that the Welsh women accompanying Owain's army had "obscenely mutilated" many of the bodies of the fallen. Mortimer was captured, and when the English government procrastinated over his ransom he threw his lot in with the Welsh, marrying Owain's daughter on 30 November 1402. As his claim to the throne was arguably better than that of the king, Henry IV, this was a serious development. Local tradition indicates that the bodies were buried in mass graves on the hillside and six Wellingtonia trees were planted to indicate one of the sites; although no records exist to substantiate this claim, it is quite possibly true. On 22 June 1402 Owain led an expedition into Radnorshire and won a major victory at Bryn Glas, near Pilleth church, capturing Edmund Mortimer. (Leland, writing in the 1530s, said that Owain led a raid into Radnorshire in the summer of 1401 or 1402 and that he "spoiled and defaced" the abbey of Cwm-hir.

Leland goes on to say that local tradition recalled him partly destroying Radnor castle, and beheading 20 men of the garrison afterwards, although contemporary English sources do not mention this raid.) The king immediately took steps to safeguard Radnor castle and put Brecon castle on alert, a clear indication that these areas were now within his reach. Edward Charlton was sent to his castle at Welshpool to counter the rebellion in Montgomeryshire, and Richard, Lord Grey of Codnor was made the king's lieutenant from Aberystwyth to Hay. The English government continued to raise revenues from estates in Wales with remarkable insensitivity, and the inhabitants of Brecon were told to pay a "war loan" of �210 towards Lord Grey's expenses to avoid having to dip into the ordinary revenues from the lordship!

(ref.12) June 22 5m n Wooler, Northumberland English defeat Scots (according to Fordun's Scotichronicon [Edinburgh 1759]) The Scottish Border Barons � "the Hamiltons, Hepburns, Cockburns and Lauders",under the command of Sir Patrick Hepburn of Hailes,engaged the English on 22nd June at Nesbit Moor.This was a catastrophic defeat for the Scots.(ref.6) September 2nd England's Henry IV crosses the border into Wales. Owain Glyn Dwr invades Herefordshire.( ref.1 ) September 14 Homildon Hill / Humbleton, Northumberland Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland defeats Archibald Douglas (Newcastle and Wooler) Scots under Earl Archibold Douglas attack Newcastle. They are stopped by the English under Earl Percy at Humbleton Hill near Wooler and are defeated in battle. Later, the Percys fall into disagreement with the English king over Scottish prisoners taken in the battle and rebel against him.(ref.5) Homilden Hill near Wooler.

Hotspur and his father defeated Archibald, Earl of Douglas and his army of 10000 Scots. The Douglases were great enemies of the Northumberland Percys. 800 Scots were killed in their defensive position by English archers shooting uphill. 500 more drowned trying to escape over the Tweed. Douglas was captured having received 5 wounds including the loss of an eye. The Percys quarrelled with King Henry IV about their captives and as a result joined forces with the Welsh rebel Owen Glendower. 1403 A year of triumph for Owain, with raids in the south and west. Conwy, Aberystwyth and Cardiff castles were besieged. Henry led another raid in Wales, with the same results. Also in this year Owain allied with the Percy family's (earls of Northumberland) revolt in England, which received a setback with Hotspur's defeat and death at the battle of Shrewsbury on 21 July 1403. Also, Owain gained his first assistance from the French, a further sign that his ambitions were being realised.

The early months saw Owain very busy in north-east Wales, with the result that a garrison of 120 men was posted to Montgomery castle. The revolt could now truly be said to be national, and civilian rule was breaking down across Wales: revenues could not be collected and local powers of government and taxation were handed over to local military commanders, as happened in Montgomery, Radnor and Brecon. Castles such as Radnor, Montgomery and Builth were little more than isolated outposts. Henry IV responded with yet another royal expedition, which passed through Brecon on its way to Carmarthen.

In October Henry appointed John, Lord Audley to take control of the castle and lordship of Brecon for a year.(ref.12) May Prince Henry marches into Wales and destroys Sycharth and Glyndyfrdwy (ref.2) Owain defeated near Carmarthen ( ref.1 ) July 21 Battlefield, 5m ne Shrewsbury, Salop Henry IV forces under 16 year old Prince Henry (later Henry V) (britannia.com) defeats Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland (Shrewsbury and York) Harry "Hotspur" Percy is killed in battle at Shrewsbury fighting against Henry IV. Hotspur raised a rebellion in Cheshire but the king intercepted him before he could join the forces of his father, the Earl of Northumberland. As a traitor Hotspur's body was drawn and quartered, King Henry ordered Hotspur's head be sent to his widow. On August 11, Hotspur's father, Henry Percy, submits to the king at York.

(ref.5) At Shrewsbury, in July 1403, the king's forces intercepted the rebel army before reinforcements could reach him from Northumberland and from Owain Glendwr's Wales. After a day-long battle of the utmost ferocity, Hotspur was killed and his troops routed. It was said that the trail of their corpses stretched for three miles (ref.9) July Lord Thomas Carew defeats Owain Glyn Dwr Determined attack by Glyndwrs forces on town and castle of Caernarfon.(ref.2) Jean d'Espagne defeats English forces 1404 The kingdom of Henry IV was in a desperate state. The royal exchequer was so bare that Henry was obliged to accept parliamentary control of spending, and of his own council. Threats, both internal and external, multiplied. In 1404 Owain Glendwr, the effective ruler of Wales, convened his own parliament at Dolgellau and entered an alliance with Henry VI of France. (ref.10) The Welsh were so active that the garrison at Radnor had to be increased on 24 January (most armies ceased to campaign through the winter).

In February the men of upland Brecon were called upon to submit to the king's authority; they responded with the remarkable offer that if the king defeated the rebels in Glamorgan they would submit, but that if he failed to do so, they could not be expected to submit! Attacks were made into English border counties and the government was powerless to help: instead it allowed local communities in Shropshire and Montgomeryshire to make their own treaties with the rebels. The best they could do was to put large garrisons in Welshpool and Bishops Castle. Owain held his first national parliament at Machynlleth. (ref.12) January The English Parliament places Prince Henry in control of operations in Wales.(ref.2) January Owain Glyn Dwr defeats English January : NOTE :The first Welsh Parliament is held at Machynlleth. Coronation of Owain Glyndwr as Prince of Wales at Machynlleth. The garrison at Criccieth had been strengthened: the constable, Roger Acton, had 6 men-at-arms and 50 archers at an annual cost of �416. 14s. 2d.

A French fleet in the Irish Sea supported Glyndwr and stopped provisions reaching the castles (Criccieth, Aberystwyth and Harlech) by sea In the spring of 1404, Criccieth fell to Glyn Dwr. Criccieth Castle and the borough were burned. The Castle was never rebuilt and the borough slowly recovered but was no longer a garrison borough and became wholly Welsh. Seige of Harlech castle January through June Harlech Castle, Merioneth Castell cadarn a'i safle grymus ar ben y graig. (A mighty castle superbly situated on a rocky crag.) Owain Glyn Dwr defeats English June Harlech and Aberystwyth Castles are captured by Owain. Bangor cathedral is burnt by Owain. (ref2) Harlech Castle played a key role in the national uprising led by Owain Glyndwr. After a long siege, it fell to his forces in 1404. The castle became Glyndwr's residence and headquarters, and one of the two places to which he is believed to have summoned parliaments of his supporters.

It was only after a further long siege in 1408 that Harlech was retaken by English forces under Harry of Monmouth, later Henry V.(ref.7) Campstone Hill / Crampstone Hill Earl of Warwick defeats Owain Glyn Dwr July 14, 1404 Glyn Dwr makes a formal alliance with France 1405 In 1405 Owain Glyn Dwr entered a three-way pact with the two leading English rebels, Edmund Mortimer and the Earl of Northumberland . A French invasion force landed at Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire and advanced almost to Worcester. Another French army invaded Aquitaine, one of the few remaining English footholds on the continent. The king Henry IV was not idle. He suspended a vigorous campaign against Glendwr on the Welsh border to march north and scatter the forces of the Earl of Northumberland, who fled to Scotland. In 1405 Henry IV took ruthless action against the remaining northern rebels, ordering the public beheading in York of Thomas Mowbray, the earl marshal of England, Sir William Plumpton, and Richard Scrope, the Archbishop of York.

(ref.10) March 11 Prince Henry (later Henry V) defeats Owain Glyn Dwr forces under Rhys Gethin April A Welsh force led by Rhys Gethin is defeated at Grosmont. Craig y Dorth Monmouth Henry IV forces defeat Owain Glyn Dwr On the southern outskirts of Monmouth,between Penyclawdd and Monmouth town,when most of the English were slaughtered and chased to the town gate. ( ref16 ) NOTE > 1405 Craig y Dorth.

Consequent to visiting Monmouth in 2007 and accessing the Monmouth Website I added this note...., "The Monmouth website records that this battle took place in 1402 1.25 m sw Mitchel Troy, Mons and that Owen Glendower's forces beat those of Henry of Monmouth (later Henry V)" Contributed in an e-mail from: John Muter of Carlisle May 5th Pwllmelyn nr Usk, Monmouthshire Henry IV forces defeats Owain Glyn Dwr Pwll Melyn, 1405Owain Glyndr's troops attack Usk Castle, but are forced back to Mynydd Pwll Melyn - the Hill of the Yellow Pool - where they are routed trying to fight the English advance.

( ref 17) May 29 Henry IV defeats Richard Scrope, Archbishop of York August Henry IV defeats Owain Glyn Dwr August 10 Prince Henry defeats Owain Glyn Dwr 1409 Harlech, Merioneth Prince Henry defeats Owain Glyn Dwr -Hotspur's brother in law and Glyn Dwr ally Edmund Mortimer is killed/died of starvation during the siege of Harlech in 1408-1409 Harlech Castle fell to henry after months of siege and bombardment. Glendwr escaped, his wife and daughter were captured, and his powerful son-in-law, Edmund Mortimer, died of starvation in the siege. Having forced Glendwyr to flee, King Henry offered a judicious mixture of pardons and bribes to other prominent rebels to desert their leader. It worked, and the revolt was effectively over. (ref.3) 1410 In Wales, the embers of Owain Glendwr's rebellion flared one last time, when he led his dwindling band of followers on a raid into Shropshire.

Most of his principal lieutenants, including Rhys ap Twdwr (Tudor) were captured and summarily executed. Glendwr escaped.(ref.11) The red Welsh dragon "Y Ddraig Goch" owes its origins to folklore and Arthurian legend. Originating from a serpent representing the Welsh God Dewi, Celtic King Arthur was said to have had a dream about a red dragon (symbolically representing Wales) which slayed a white dragon (which represented the Saxon invaders). In later times a crude red dragon design was adopted by Prince Llywelyn of Gwynedd in the 7th Century and taken into battle by Welsh hero Prince Owain Glyndwr in conflicts with the invading English. In later history, at the Battle of Bosworth, Welsh-born King Henry VII (Henry Tudor, crowned 1485) unfurled the red dragon, which he in turn had adopted as his own emblem. As such, the beloved red dragon has always represented the defiant Welsh nation; iconising Wales's unique cultural and historic heritage as a proud and ancient nation which has long survived external threat.

The Welsh dragon is often associated with the motto, "Y Ddraig Goch a ddyry Gychwyn" - or "The red dragon will show the way". Bibliography Battles and Major Skirmishes in Great Britain 55BC -1797: John E. Muter, Whitehaven, Cumbria, United Kingdom, 1999 BBC Wales - History - Themes - Owain Glyndwr Owain Glyndwr Owain Glyndwr Owain Glyndwr was the last native Welsh person to hold the title Prince of Wales. He was born in 1359 into a powerful family of the Anglo-Welsh nobility, during a time of relative peace between the tribes of Wales and the English aristocracy. His father, Gruffydd Fychan II, was a hereditary prince of Powys Fadog and Lord of Glyndyfrdwy, one of the lines of Welsh lords and princes who traced their royal lineage back to before the Norman conquest. His mother, Elen Ferch Tomas Ap Llywelyn of Deheubarth, was also of noble blood.

It is thought that his father died sometime before Owain was 11 years old, and the young prince was fostered to the household of Sir David Hanmer, an Anglo-Welsh judge. Owain followed Hanmer's profession, by going to study Law at the Inns Of Court, but didn't become a 'man of law'. He married Hanmer's daughter, Margaret, in 1383 adding the titles of Squire of Sycharth and Glyndyfrdwy to his portfolio. In 1384, military service called Owain, and he enlisted under Sir Gregory Sais in the Marches area, the border country of England and Wales. In 1385 he enlisted under the Earl Of Arundel, fighting for King Richard II. Until the last decade of the 14th century, Owain Glyndwr was a man of the March, having married into a leading Marcher family and become the epitome of an assimilated Welshman.

The year 1399 saw the dethronement of Richard II and the seizure of the throne by Henry IV - the lord of Brecon, Monmouth, Cydweli and Ogwr - although Edmund Mortimer, the leading lord of the March, had a better claim to be the heir of Richard II. The immediate spark for Owain's revolt seems to have been the King's unwillingness to mediate fairly in a dispute between Owain and his neighbour, Reginald Grey of the Rhuthun marcher lordship. On September 16, 1400, Glyndŵr instigated the Welsh Revolt against the rule of Henry IV of England. A group of Owain's supporters proclaimed him Prince of Wales at Glyndyfrdwy. Although initially successful, the uprising was eventually put down. After the final battles of the revolt in 1412, little is known of Owain Glyndwr. Flashes of sporadic violence against the English continued, but by bandits and outlets rather than any semblance of an organised military force. Henry IV died in 1413, and was succeeded by the less Plantagenet, more astute Henry of Monmouth, Henry V.

He began to offer the Welsh rebels pardons. Owain's son Marededd refused a pardon until 1421, leading some historians to suspect that this was the year in which he died. One theory is that he ended his life as a the family chaplain on his daughter Alys' estate she shared with her husband, Sir Henry Scudamore, the sheriff of Herefordshire. The rebellion had to a large extent ruined the fragile but comfortable coexistence the English and Welsh had arrived at. Chroniclers at the time reported that, Glyndwr had "brought all things to waste" and the English king "proclaimed havoc in Wales". There was extensive destruction of towns and villages, and agricultural land went to waste. It was at least a generation before most of the areas caught up in the revolt got back to working life. There had been great loss of life, an economic blockade and a weakening of commerce. Politically, too, the Welsh were knocked back where they had been making progress. It would be 150 years until the Welsh were allowed to become more prominent in society. But Glyndwr was not being forgotten in the misery.

In his play, Henry IV, Shakespeare portrays Owain Glyndwr as a wild, exotic, magical and spiritual man, playing up the romantic 'Celtic' traits. In the 19th century his life and legacy was beginning to be re-evaluated as the Welsh 'nation' began to find its voice once more. The discovery of his seal and letters were proof that he was a national leader of some importance - a learned head of a country with diplomatic ties as any other head of state might. The nationalist movement has always held Owain Glyndwr in high regard, but he is now a figure of mass culture in Wales, with statues and monuments alongside pub and street names commemorating him. Bookmark this page: Prince of Wales Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( Welsh : Tywysog Cymru) is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (and formerly the Kingdom of Great Britain and before that the Kingdom of England). The current Prince of Wales is Prince Charles, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II.

Roles and responsibilities The Prince of Wales currently has no formal public role or responsibility that has been legislated by Parliament or otherwise delegated by the Monarchy. Charles, as the Prince of Wales, is the present Duke of Cornwall, responsible for the duchy of Cornwall. History For most of the post-Roman period, Wales was divided into several smaller states. Prior to the Norman conquest of England, the most powerful Welsh ruler at any given time was generally known as King of the Britons. In the 12th century and the 13th century, this title evolved into that of Prince of Wales. In Latin , the new title was "Princeps Wallie", while in Welsh it was "Tywysog Cymru". The literal translation of "Tywysog" is "Leader" (The verb tywys means to lead, which shares a common root with the modern Irish for prime minister, the Taoiseach ). Only a handful of native princes had their claim to be Prince of Wales recognised by the English Crown. The first known to have used the title was Owain Gwynedd, finally adopting it around 1165 after earlier using 'rex Walie' (King of Wales).

His grandson Llywelyn the Great is not known to have used the title 'Prince of Wales' as such, although his use, from around 1230, of the style 'Prince of Aberffraw, Lord of Snowdon' was tantamount to a proclamation of authority over most of Wales. In 1240, the title was theoretically inherited by his son Dafydd ap Llywelyn, though he is not known to have used it, reverting instead to 'Prince of Wales' around 1244. In 1246, his nephew Llywelyn the Last (or Llywelyn ap Gruffydd) succeeded to the Welsh throne, and used the style as early as 1258. In 1282, Llywelyn was killed during Edward I of England's invasion of Wales, and although his brother Dafydd ap Gruffudd succeeded to the Welsh princeship, issuing documents as prince, his principate was not recognised by the English Crown. Three Welshmen, however, were to claim the title of Prince of Wales before the end of the medieval era.

The first was Madog ap Llywelyn, a member of the house of Gwynedd, who led a nationwide revolt in 1294-5, defeating English forces in battle near Denbigh and seizing Caernarfon castle. His revolt was suppressed, however, after the Battle of Maes Moydog in March 1295, and the prince imprisoned in London. In the 1370s, Owain Lawgoch, an English-born descendant of one of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd's brothers, claimed the title of Prince of Wales, but was assassinated in France in 1378 before he could return to Wales to claim his inheritance. It is Owain Glyndŵr, however, whom many Welsh people regard as being the last native Prince. On September 16, 1400, he was proclaimed Prince of Wales by his supporters, and held parliaments at Harlech Castle and elsewhere during his revolt, which encompassed all of Wales. It was not until 1409 that his revolt in quest of Welsh independence was suppressed by Henry IV.

The tradition of investing the heir of the monarch of Britain with the title of "Prince of Wales" is usually considered to have begun in 1301, when King Edward I of England, having completed the conquest of Wales, gave the title to his heir, Prince Edward (later King Edward II of England). According to myth, the king had promised the Welsh that he would name "a prince born in Wales, who did not speak a word of English " and then produced his infant son to their surprise (and presumable chagrin ). However, the story may well be apocryphal, as it can only be traced to the 16th century, and, in the time of Edward I, the English aristocracy spoke Norman French, not English (some versions of the legend include lack of knowledge in both languages as a requirement, and one reported version has the very specific phrase "born on Welsh soil and speaking no other language"). However, Edward II certainly was born at Caernarfon while his father was campaigning in Wales, and like all infants, could not at the time speak English.

Interestingly, William Camden writing in 1607 states in his book Britannia that originally the title "Prince of Wales" was not conferred automatically upon the eldest living son of the King of England because Edward II (who had been the first English prince of Wales) neglected to invest his eldest son, the future Edward III, with that title. It was Edward III who revived the practice of naming the eldest son Prince of Wales which was then maintained by his successors: But King Edward the Second conferred not upon his sonne Edward the title of Prince of Wales, but onely the name of Earle of Chester and of Flint, so farre as ever I could learne out of the Records, and by that title summoned him to Parliament, being then nine yeres old.

King Edward the Third first created his eldest sonne Edward surnamed the Blacke Prince, the Mirour of Chivalrie (being then Duke of Cornwall and Earle of Chester), Prince of Wales by solemne investure, with a cap of estate and Coronet set on his head, a gold ring put upon his finger, and a silver vierge delivered into his hand, with the assent of Parliament.[#glam1] Nevertheless, according to conventional wisdom since 1301 the Prince of Wales has usually been the eldest living son of the King or Queen Regnant of England (subsequently of Great Britain, 1707, and of the United Kingdom, 1801). The word "living" is important. Following the death of Prince Arthur, the Prince of Wales, Henry VII invested his second son, the future Henry VIII, with the title--although only after it was clear that Arthur's wife, Catherine of Aragon, was not pregnant.

The title is not automatic; it merges into the Crown when a prince accedes to the throne, or lapses on his death leaving the sovereign free to re-grant it should another candidate qualify, such as an heir-apparent other than the eldest living son, such as that deceased eldest son's eldest son (for example, George III). The Principality of Wales, nowadays, is always conferred along with the Earldom of Chester . The convention began in 1399; all previous Princes of Wales also received the earldom, but separately from the Principality. Indeed, before 1272 a hereditary and not necessarily royal Earldom of Chester had already been created several times, eventually merging in the crown each time. The earldom was recreated, merging in the Crown in 1307 and again in 1327. Its creations since have been associated with the creations of the Principality of Wales. Heraldic insignia As heir apparent to the reigning sovereign, the Prince of Wales bears the Royal Arms differenced by a white label of three points.

To represent Wales he bears the Coat of Arms of the Principality of Wales, crowned with the heir-apparent's crown, on an inescutcheon-en-surtout. This was first used by the future King Edward VIII in 1910, and followed by the current Prince of Wales, Prince Charles. He has a badge of three ostrich feathers (which can be seen on the reverse of the previous design for decimal British two pence coins dated up to 2008); it dates back to the Black Prince and is his as the English heir even before he is made Prince of Wales. In addition to these symbols used most frequently, he has a special standard for use in Wales itself. Moreover, as Duke of Rothesay he has a special coat of arms for use in Scotland (and a corresponding standard); as Duke of Cornwall the like for use in the Duchy of Cornwall. Representations of all three may be found at List of British flags. For theories about the origin of the ostrich feather badge and of the motto "Ich dien" (German: "I serve"), see Prince of Wales's feathers.

Other titles and investiture The Principality of Wales and Earldom of Chester must be created, and are not automatically acquired like the Duchy of Cornwall, which is the Heir Apparent's title in England , and the Dukedom of Rothesay, Earldom of Carrick, and High Stewardship of Scotland, which are the Heir Apparent's titles in Scotland. The dignities are not hereditary, but may be re-created if the Prince of Wales predeceases the King. For example, when Prince Frederick, Prince of Wales predeceased King George II, his eldest son, Prince George (the future George III) was created Prince of Wales. The heir apparent is only Duke of Cornwall if he is the sovereign's eldest living son; hence the future George III, grandson of George II, did not receive this title. See Duke of Cornwall for more details. If holder of the Dukedom of York, the traditional title for the monarch's second son, becomes Heir Apparent on the death of an older brother, he is entitled to retain that title.

Prince Henry (later Henry VIII), Prince Charles (later Charles I) and Prince George (later George V) were all second sons, and were therefore already Duke of York when they received the Principality of Wales. Following the reversion to the Earldom of Chester to the crown, in 1254 Henry III passed the Lordship of Chester (but not the title of Earl) to his son Edward, who as Edward I bestowed the Earldom of Chester on his son Edward when he created him the first Prince of Wales in 1301. The Duchy of Cornwall was first created by Edward III for his son Edward, the Black Prince in 1337.

The Earldom of Carrick merged into the crown of Scotland with the accession in 1306 of the Earl of Carrick, Robert the Bruce, who transferred the title to his son David in 1328 (the title became automatically subsidiary to the Dukedom of Rothesay in 1469); the High Stewardship merged into the crown with the accession of Robert, 7th High Steward of Scotland as Robert III in 1371; the Dukedom of Rothesay was created by Robert III of Scotland for his son David in 1398. All three of these titles merged with the Principality in the same person after the personal union of the Scottish and English crowns in 1603 with the accession of James VI of Scotland as James I of England, with the first Prince of Wales to receive them being his son Henry Frederick (subsequently an incorporating union created a single British crown in 1707). Princes of Wales may be invested, but investiture is not necessary to be created Prince of Wales.

Peers were also invested, but investitures for peers ceased in 1621, during a time when peerages were being created so frequently that the investiture ceremony became cumbersome. Most investitures for Princes of Wales were held in front of Parliament, but in 1911, the future Edward VIII was invested in Caernarvon Castle in Wales. The present Prince of Wales was also invested there, in 1969. During the reading of the letters patent creating the Prince, the Honours of the Principality of Wales are delivered to the Prince. The coronet of the heir-apparent bears four-crosses pattée alternating with four fleurs-de-lis, surmounted by a single arch (the Sovereign's crowns are of the same design, but use two arches). A gold rod is also used in the insignia; gold rods were formally used in the investitures of dukes, but survive now in the investitures of Princes of Wales only. Also part of the insignia are a ring, a sword and a robe. "Heir Apparent" vs.

"Heir Presumptive" The title Prince of Wales is given only to the heir apparent—that is, a male who cannot be displaced in the succession to the throne by any future birth. This would be the eldest son of the monarch, or, if he is deceased, his eldest son, and so on, or if the monarch's eldest son has died without issue, the monarch's second eldest son, etc. In countries that practice male primogeniture, a daughter or sibling of the sovereign who is currently next in line to the throne is not the "heir apparent" because they would be displaced in the succession by any future legitimate son of the sovereign: they are instead the "heir or heiress presumptive" and cannot therefore take the title of Prince (or Princess) of Wales in their own right. Hence there was no heir apparent during the reign of George VI, who had no sons: Princess Elizabeth was heiress presumptive, and was hence not eligible to be titled Princess of Wales (the option of bestowing that title on her was considered and rejected).

It is possible in certain rare circumstances for an heir apparent to be female - for instance if the monarch is predeceased by an eldest son who had daughters but not sons - and there seems no reason why such an heir apparent could not not be made Princess of Wales in her own right. However, this situation has never occurred in practice. History of Wales - Q-files Encyclopedia A musician performs for a Welsh king at the Eisteddfod. The Romans conquered the Celts living in Wales after AD 48, building a new town at Caerwent and a large military camp at Caerleon, both in the south. After the Romans left, Celtic Britons from England escaped the Anglo-Saxon invaders of England and joined their fellow Celts in the mountains of Wales. The Welsh, as they became known, then set up a number of independent princedoms that united in the early 1200s. Separated from England, the Welsh spoke their own language. In 1176, the first annual Eisteddfod, a festival of Welsh poetry and song, was held in Cardigan. Since 1998, Wales has had its own National Assembly in Cardiff.

The coming of Christianity Christianity first arrived in Wales from England some time during the early 300s, when the Romans ruled the country. It continued to thrive after the Romans left in the next century. St David, the patron saint of Wales, set up monasteries during the 500s, including one in Pembrokeshire that is now the site of St David’s Cathedral. Norman lords built many new churches and monasteries in South Wales after 1066, while the massive abbey of Strata Florida in central Wales was built by Prince Rhys ap Gruffydd in 1164. The heraldic badge of the Prince of Wales. The feathers are ostrich feathers. These first appeared on the coat of arms for Edward the Black Prince, the eldest son of Edward III and the first Prince of Wales never to become king. The Prince of Wales In 1284, the English king Edward I was staying in Caernarfon in Wales after his successful conquest of the country. His wife Eleanor gave birth there to a son, the future Edward II.

In 1301, Prince Edward was created Prince of Wales, a title given ever since to the eldest son and heir of the English king. Since Edward, there have been 21 princes of Wales, up to and including the current prince, Charles. Every prince has as his motto the words adopted by Edward the Black Prince, son of Edward III and himself a Prince of Wales, from the King of Bohemia at the Battle of Créçy in 1346: Ich Dien, "I serve". Owain Glyndwr (1349/59– c.1415) Owain Glyndwr In 1401, Owain Glyndwr, a descendant of one of the last independent Welsh princes, rose in revolt against English rule. The French sent an army in 1402 to help him, and for the next 11 years Owain fought a lengthy campaign against the English forces. He set up an independent parliament at Machynlleth in central Wales, where it is believed he was crowned in 1404.

Owain was driven out of his last strongholds in 1408–09 and was last sighted in 1412. Despite large rewards being offered by the English for his capture, he was never betrayed. Union with England Wales had been conquered by England in 1284 but it had remained legally a separate country. Under Henry VIII , laws were passed in 1535 and 1542 that finally united Wales with England. The laws integrated Wales into England, abolished the Welsh legal system, banned the Welsh language from having any official status, and set up five new Welsh counties on the English model. Each Welsh county now sent members to the English parliament in Westminster, where they still sit today. Since 1998, Wales has had its own National Assembly with powers to make laws in Wales. Through various acts of parliament since the 1990s, the Welsh language has been given official status once more. Revolt in Wales 1400–1409 - Oxford Scholarship Index Page of PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE ( (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2017. All Rights Reserved.

Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of a monograph in OSO for personal use (for details see ). Subscriber: University of Washington; date: 20 January 2017 Revolt in Wales 1400–1409 Revolt in Wales 1400–1409 Chapter: (p.102) 4 Revolt in Wales 1400–1409 Source: The Revolt of Owain Glyn Dŵr Author(s): Oxford University Press DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198205081.003.0005 Owain Glyn Dŵr was proclaimed prince of Wales at his own manor of Glyndyfrdwy on 16 September 1400. The very nature of the proclamation made it clear that this was a premeditated act based on long-festering grievances and an attachment to an ideology of an independent Wales governed by its own native, legitimate ruler.

It is clear that the movement of 1400 was carefully planned and co-ordinated among the disaffected leaders of Welsh society in north Wales. For five days, 18–23 September, Owain's supporters attacked English towns in north-east Wales: Ruthin, Denbigh, Rhuddlan, Flint, Holt, Oswestry, and Welshpool. Equally striking, though frequently overlooked, was the outbreak of rebellion in north-west Wales, including in Anglesey, at much the same time. The whole of north Wales was to some degree involved in the rising. But by early 1409 Owain Glyn Dŵr, was no more than a desperate and hunted guerrilla leader. Wales was no longer a society in revolt. Oxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter. Please, subscribe or login to access full text content. If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian. To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs , and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us .

BBC - History - The Revolt of Owain Glyndŵr (pictures, video, facts & news) The Revolt of Owain Glyndŵr The Revolt of Owain Glyndŵr 1400-1416 Owain Glyndŵr (Owain Glyndyfrdwy, Owain of the Valley of the Dee) was, on his father's side, heir to the dynasty of Powys Fadog. On his mother's side, he represented what was left of the claims of the descendants of the Lord Rhys of Deheubarth. Memorial to Owain Glyndwr in the grounds of Plas Machynlleth (BBC) Features in: The coming of the Tudors More information about: The Revolt of Owain Glyndŵr The male line of the Gwynedd dynasty became extinct with the death of Owain Lawgoch in 1378. Thereafter, to the extent that a Welsh claimant to the title of Prince of Wales did exist, it was Owain Glyndŵr.

Glyndŵr's background Born in about 1350, Glyndŵr held at Glyndyfrdwy near Corwen, and Sycharth near Chirk, remnants of the patrimony of his ancestors. Glyndŵr was a man of the borderland. Sycharth is only a mile from the English border. His family lived under the shadow of the great marcher aristocrats, the Fitzalan lords of Chirk and Oswestry. Glyndŵr married into a leading Marcher family. He spent time in London and in the army of the King of England; indeed he could appear to have been the epitome of an assimilated Welshman. Yet he was clearly well versed in the legendary lore of his people. The poets delighted in the hospitality of Sycharth and they, being deeply versed in genealogy, seemed to be grooming him for the role of the deliverer of the Welsh. Shakespeare's portrait of him in Henry IV combined these two facets of his character with great skill.

The context of the revolt The year 1399 saw the dethronement of Richard II and the seizure of the throne by Henry IV - the lord of Brecon, Monmouth, Kidwelly and Ogmore - although Edmund Mortimer, the leading lord of the March, had a better claim to be the heir of Richard II. In the early years of his reign, Henry had difficulty in consolidating his authority and was opposed by leading magnates, including the Mortimers and the powerful Percy family of Northumberland. Many of the Welsh gentry had close links with Richard II, and the usurpation weakened their allegiance to the English crown. Revolt The immediate spark for revolt seems to have been the king's unwillingness to mediate fairly in a dispute between Glyndŵr and his neighbour, Reginald Grey of the Ruthin marcher lordship. On 16 September 1400, a group of Glyndŵr's supporters proclaimed him Prince of Wales at Glyndyfrdwy. They attacked English settlements in north-east Wales and then melted away into the mountains. Nothing then happened until his allies, the Tudor family of Anglesey, occupied Conwy Castle at Easter 1401.

A few months later, Glyndŵr defeated a force on Pumlumon, and enthusiasm for him became apparent over much of Wales. The king led several campaigns against him, but his orthodox strategy made little headway against Glyndŵr's guerrilla tactics. His campaigns were hindered by such appalling weather that some believed Glyndŵr had influence over the elemental forces of nature. In an act of frustration, parliament passed the Penal Code, which prohibited the rebellious Welsh from gathering together, gaining access to office, carrying arms and dwelling in fortified towns, with the same restrictions being imposed upon Englishmen married to Welsh women. Growing success In 1402 Owain Glyndŵr's old enemy, Grey of Ruthin, fell into Glyndŵr's hands, as did the sole adult male of the Mortimer family. In 1404 Glyndŵr captured the castles of Aberystwyth and Harlech, sealed an agreement with the French and held a parliament at Machynlleth, where he was perhaps crowned Prince of Wales in the presence of envoys from France, Scotland and Castile.

French assistance arrived in 1405 when virtually the whole of Wales, beyond the environs of royal-held castles, acknowledged the authority of Glyndŵr. Declining fortunes Although 1405 represented the climax of Owain Glyndŵr's power, the year had its setbacks. The French contribution proved disappointing. Defeats at Grosmont Castle and at Pwllmelyn near Usk undermined Glyndŵr's authority in the south east. By 1406 his main hope was further assistance from France. That March he wrote to the King of France offering to transfer the allegiance of Wales from the Pope in Rome, recognised by England, to the Pope in Avignon, recognised by France. The letter, written at Pennal near Machynlleth, sought recognition of St David's as an archbishopric with authority over the other bishops of Wales and several of those of England. It called for the appointment of clerics fluent in Welsh, the establishment of two universities in Wales and the retention in the country of the revenues of Welsh churches.

The 'usurper', Henry IV, should be excommunicated and the Welsh should have receive full remission for any sins they might commit in the struggle against him. The French did not respond. Henry IV's son, later Henry V, proved an effective military leader. Aberystwyth Castle was lost in 1408 and Harlech Castle in 1409. Thereafter, Glyndŵr was a fugitive in the mountains. He probably died in about 1416 at Kentchurch on the Herefordshire border at the home of his daughter Alys. The location of his grave has proved a matter of much speculation. The outcome of the revolt Glyndŵr's revolt proved devastating for the people of Wales. Chroniclers reported that Glyndŵr 'brought all things to waste' and the English king 'proclaimed havoc in Wales'. It was accompanied by an extensive destruction considered characteristic of peasant revolts - which in some senses it was. It can also be considered a civil war, for not all Welshmen were prepared to abandon their allegiance to the English crown. At least a generation passed before the economy began recovering.

The Welsh gentry, many of whom had supported Glyndŵr, came to the conclusion that their future lay in co-operation with the English authorities. 350 years passed before the significance of the revolt was fully realised. From the late 18th century onwards, Glyndŵr was increasingly recognised as the greatest hero in the history of the Welsh people and his revolt seen as central to the growth of the sense of Welsh nationality.

Question: Which Welshman was proclaimed Prince of Wales by his supporters on September 16th 1400?
Answer: Owain Glyndwr