A Chronological of Celtic Wales

            (Some dates may be incorrect or a few years out)

1145

Pope Nicholas Brekspere confirmed the rights of the Normans, in Glamorgan for the support he received from them when a wanderer there. He spent some time St Donat’s with Gilbert Stradling.

1147

The abbey church of Margam was founded. A boy was born in this year at Manobier Castle in Pembroke called Gerald after his grandfather Gerald of Windsor, he became known as Geoffrey of Monmouth, his grandfather was Rhys ap Tewdwr.

1157

Owain King of Gwynedd, Henry 11 became rather uneasy on Owain’s power, he decided to march to North Wales by the way of Chester determined to conquer Gwynedd. Owain and his sons marched to Basingwerk which they encamped raising dykes with the idea of fighting a pitched battle. But Henry and divided his forces, one went by the sea with numerable barons and armed troops, Henry himself led the other into the dense forests between him and Owain.
In the forest he was met by David and Cynan the sons of Owain with their men and there many of Henry’s men fell after a hard fight, and the rest barely escaped again into the open country. The second force attacked Owain near St Asaph, while Henry marched off in a rage to Rhuddlan. Owain then proceeded to harass the English force night and day, while a fleet of English ships sailed along to Anglesey, and there they landed a force who began to sack the churches in the Rhosyr district, but this too was defeated and many were killed and other drowned, only a remnant reached the ships. Have this doubtful campaign Henry was glad to make peace, and Owain was wise enough to make terms and to do homage, and restore to his brother Cadwalader a part of the lands taken from him.

1164

Henry 11 Second Invasion. Henry this time reached the Berwyn Mountains, and cut of roads through the forest about the Vale of Ceiriog, but wind and storm fought against him, and retreating, again in a rage, he took vengeance by blinding the Welsh hostages in his hands. This time Cadwalader fought with Owain against Henry. No warfare on so great scale was attempted against Wales again before Owain’s death.

1165

The borough of Cardigan became in possession of Lord Rhys of Deheubarth in this year.

1170

Owain son of Gruffudd ap Cynan died in this year, his son Prince Howel was a poet known as Howel the Tall, below his a few lines regarding is love for Gwynedd.

A foaming wave flows over the grave where Rhivawn lies;
I love the land beyond Arvon, where the trefoil grows and the mountains rise.
I love at eve the seaward stream, where the sea-mews brood.
And the sighting vale of Cwm Deuddwr,where the ousel sings in the privet wood.
I love the land where we drunk the mead and drove the spear,
At greenTegenyl’s forest side, where my yellow steed outran the deer.

1176

The magnificent nave at St David’s Cathedral started around this time by a Norman Bishop Peter de Leia (1176-1198).


1194

Prince Llewelyn of Gwynedd and the son of Iorwerth, brought the feuds in North Wales to an end, by that time Mon, Arvon, Meirion and all the North that was still Welsh together.
Prince Llewelyn late became known as “Llewelyn the Great”.

1197

Contentions arose between the tenant and their lords in Glamorgan, from the obligation which the latter insisted that the former were under, of fighting in their defence: but the tenants maintained, on their part, that, originally, they were liable to no such feudal tenure; being left entirely to the exercise of their own free will, that the tenants, who held them, were not so and King John confirmed their claim in that respect; making it only obligatory on them to fight in defence of the crown of England; which decision restored tranquillity.

1197

Rhys ap Gruffudd died in this year.

1200

King John became came, his daughter Joan then married Prince Llewelyn of Gwynedd, the reason for this marriage is for king John to have an ally in Wales. With this alliance they attacked Powys and the Prince of Powys was taken prisoner by the king, within a short space of time King John freed the prisoner and then quarrelled with the Prince of Gwynedd. Llewelyn gathered barons and Welsh chiefs from the Marches and the South against John. They attacked the castle of Deganwy where the English were trouble, but Llewelyn could not penetrate the castle. In the following year Llewelyn was in trouble and his wife Joan was sent to make peace between her husband and her father, and lands cattle and hostages were part of the price that King John asked for.

Llewelyn did not remain quite, King John men stayed and built castles to give them courage. Very wisely Llewelyn this time made friends with the lords of Powys and the South they rallied around him, together they took back John’s castles and ran havoc over is army. In revenge John is rage hung 28 hostage’s chiefly innocent boys and youth’s at Nottingham.
One of his lords Robert Vipoint hung to at Shrewsbury the little seven year old boy old prince Rhys ap Maelgwn.

The barons were about to turn against John, when they thought John was going to destroy Wales, Llewelyn joined forces with the barons in their great struggle and he overthrew one castle after another that stood for the king in the South from Carmarthen, to castle Emlyn from Cilgerran to Aberystwyth. Then came his reward when the Charter was signed at Runnymede in 1214, and his name was written into it, as the Prince of Wales to whom “right was to be done”.

1216

Lewis the son of Philip was made King of England, and King John, of England, wandered to Wales, to his wife and sister in law. He had been divorced from his wife who was Isabella the daughter of William Earl of Gloucester, and Lord of Glamorgan; but when she saw him in distress, she kept in disguise for half a year, at Boverton Palace, under the name Gerald Fitzalan after which he returned to England and King Lewis was obliged to flee.

1220

Iorwerth ap Cadwgan lived around this time.

1223

Llewelyn the Last was born this year is grandfather was Llewelyn the Great; his father was Griffith who never ruled the North. Griffith died an unhappy death, he was kept prisoner at the Tower of London where Henry 111 had kept him, when he was trying to escape the rope he was clinging broke and he fell back and was killed.

1235

Around this period Llywelyn there was a battle where Llewelyn lost and had to pay a war fine. A few months later he captured and held to ransom a Norman called William de Braos and his war fine paid back to him, and give his daughter as a wife to David. But William after making all these promises, William tried to influence Llewelyn’s wife against him, it was found out was taken to a high tree and hung. There was another battle later on which was against the Marchers in the South and held his own, the Church once again cut him off from grace.

1240

Llywelyn Prince of Gwynedd died in this year, in 1238 he handed the power to his son David. Llywelyn then tired out of endless warfare, against kings of England John & Henry 111, the church, Lord Marches, the picked swords of England France, the spears and bows of the South and to face them in turn took refuge in the monastery of Aberconway and making is peace died there on the 11th of April 1240.

1246

Prince David of Gwynedd died this year, before his death he agreed if he had no heirs that the lands would go to the English Crown. Llewelyn the Last late on in the year went to do homage to the king at Woodstock. There were years of peace followed but during this time Llewelyn’s kept on growing and this made is brothers jealous “By the devil’s prompting” the old chronicle says they rebelled against him, but they were quickly dealt with. There were many campaigns over the years until his death in 1282.

1267

Llewelyn ab Gruffudd won recognition as Prince of Wales. Also in this year Llewelyn had to a pact at Conway with the king where Llewelyn had to give nearly all the ancient independence of Gwynedd, all was left to him was the mountains of Eyri, and must pay rent on Mon, and give up lands in Llyn and the heart of Gwynedd. But the battle was not over yet.

1278

Llewelyn the last married Eleanor whose mother was Eleanor King John’s daughter, the marriage did not last long she died at child birth.

1282

Llewelyn ab Gruffudd Prince of Wales died he was betrayed by kinsman Roger de Mortimer who took him away to slay him on the 10th December. He was caught at a spot still pointed out near the river Irvon, and called Cwm Llewelyn since that day, it is said that he was betrayed by Madoc the Wry-Mouthed. In the following year his brother was taken to Shrewsbury and beheaded,

1287

To 1295 Llandaff had no bishop due to the fact that Gilbert de Clare intervened due to the fact that he took most of the lands of the diocese for himself.

1294

There was a Welsh revolt which was a reaction to the post-Conquest settlement; one of the leaders was Morgan whose father was Maredudd of Caerlleon whose land of Gwent and Gwynllwg was seized by Gilbert de Clare in 1272.

1296

Morgan the son of Meredith called in Welsh “Rhyvel Morgan” which the Welsh universally rose and it was great benefit to them.