Treaties and broken oaths

More on the tensions between the houses of Aberffraw and Dinefwr. Letter patent concerning Maredudd ap Rhys Gryg, 26 April 1258.

‘Notification that Llywelyn has promised Maredudd ap Rhys and his heirs, in return for his homage, to protect him together with his heirs, men, lands and castles from the attacks and damage inflicted by his enemies, when requested to do so by Maredudd or his heirs. He has also promised and sworn that he will never capture Maredudd or have him captured, nor imprison his son or accept him as a hostage, nor take Maredudd’s castles into his possession or custody. Further, he grants this letter of safe conduct in perpetuity, allowing no injury to be inflicted upon him or his men whenever they should visit Llywelyn. If Llywelyn should break the terms of this letter, he wishes that he and everyone consenting to it shall be excommunicated and denounced through all the churches of Wales, renouncing all benefit of both ecclesiastical and civil law. The present letter patent has been sealed with the seals of [specified] bishops, abbots and priors and of Llywelyn and drawn up in the form of a chirograph’.

Much awkwardness arose from this agreement. The only reason Maredudd consented to it was to get his son, Rhys, out of Llywelyn’s prison: Rhys had been held hostage since October 1257. However, on 17 June 1258 Henry III informed Llywelyn that Maredudd had sworn homage to the crown. This was only a few weeks after the agreement of 26 April, and it appears Maredudd had played Llywelyn false. According to the Annales Cambriae, Llywelyn held a council with his nobles at Arwysli and there convicted Maredudd of faithlessness. Llywelyn then captured Maredudd and threw him into prison at Criccieth. Maredudd was only freed at Christmas after agreeing to give up Rhys as a hostage and his castles of Dinefwr and Newcastle Emlyn.

Dinefwr Castle

This was all very dodgy, on both sides. Maredudd had broken his oath to Llywelyn, but there’s nothing in the treaty of April that says Llywelyn was entitled to break his own promises. The prince could claim that he was punishing a rebellious vassal, just as Edward I later claimed he was punishing Llywelyn. When a new agreement was drawn up between Llywelyn and Maredudd in 1261, the terms were very different. This time Maredudd was obliged to swear that if he broke faith again, his entire inheritance would be forfeited:

“There was no longer any doubt that the lords of the Principality of Wales were subject to the prince’s jurisdiction, no question that any serious breach of faith on the part of any one of them would result in forfeiture and excommunication. They were no longer allies responding to the prince’s leadership, but tenants who acknowledged his lordship.”

 - J Beverley-Smith