Church matters

June 25 1284, from the Littere Wallie. This is the advice of John Peckham, Archbishop of Canterbury, to the king concerning damages suffered by religious houses in Wales during the war of 1282-3.

In November 1282, when Peckham went into Gwynedd to hold talks with Prince Llywelyn, the prince accused English troops of ravaging churches in Wales. Peckham’s response, including among the rambling notes in his register, was thus:

“In addition you strike against the king, saying that the royal churches and church people are cruelly ravaged and killed by tyranny, to which we reply that the lord king was attacked by evils not that he made then, certainly neither has he considered making them; conversely he has voluntarily offered to us, of which I will urge him on when opportune, he intends to repair the churches at his own cost, though he puts this off until he can forever calm this period of warfare, as if he did this earlier they might again be destroyed by brigands.”

John Peckham

Whatever might be said about Peckham and his prejudices against the Welsh and the Jews, he was as good as his word. In June 1284 he reminded King Edward of his obligation, and in October-November payments were issued to repair 107 Welsh churches. They included larger houses such as Valle Crucis (£160) and the Dominicans at Bangor (£100), to small churches at Abergele (6 marks) and Henllan (50 shillings).

There is also an intriguing payment to a certain Gwenhwyfar, widow of Hywel ap Gruffudd, who received 10 marks for damages due to the war. This payment was made at Castell y Bere, so possibly Hywel had died in the fighting in Meirionydd.