The exercise of power

The post mortem inquisition entry from 1278 for Maredudd ap Gruffydd, a lord of south Wales. This serves as an example of the predatory politics of the era, and the crude exercise of power.

 The inquisition, conducted by the bailiff of Abergavenny, records that Maredudd held lands in Monmouth and elsewhere in the south. In 1271, while the future King Edward was in the Holy Land, Maredudd was driven from his manors of Edeligion and Llebenydd in Caerleon by Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester. He managed to retain the commote of Hirfryn, which was inherited by his son, Morgan, after Maredudd’s death in 1278.

Morgan initially gave his allegiance to Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales. Llywelyn commanded Morgan to travel into Snowdonia to swear homage and fealty before the prince. The oath of fealty was essentially an appeal to God, whereby a man called down on himself divine punishment if he behaved falsely to his lord. It usually consisted of something like:

"I promise on my faith that I will in the future be faithful to the lord, never cause him harm and will observe my homage to him completely against all persons in good faith and without deceit."

Once Morgan had sworn the oath, Llywelyn ejected his vassal from Hirfryn and left him with nothing. Llywelyn probably did this to regain a foothold in Cantref Bychan in south Wales after his territorial losses there in 1278. Deprived of his inheritance, Morgan had to rebuild his patrimony by entering royal service.