Petitions, petitions

The Calendar of Ancient Petitions relating to Wales contains - as the title suggests - lots of petitions from Welsh individuals and communities to the crown dating from the mid-1200s to the end of the 15th century. They give an insight into the concerns of people a bit lower down the social ladder than the usual lords and princes. They contain some epic family sagas. For instance:

‘Gronow Loit ap y Penwyn to the King and Council: His father served the dead King in the conquest of Wales, and afterwards Thudur, petitioner’s brother, the present King’s esquire, was killed in the battle of Stirling in his service, and also Gronow himself was twice in his expeditions of war and will always be ready, as a faithful and loyal man, for all his commands; wherefore he prays the King to grant him, before all others and for whatever term he shall please, the manor and the mill of Tryverew (Trefriw) in Nantconwy with their appurtenances, at the farm extended in the Exchequer of Caernarvon’.

It is useful to cross-reference these petitions with other records. The Calendar of Fine Rolls states that Gronow’s father, Iorwerth Penwyn, worked as a labourer on Edward I’s castles in North Wales for 86 weeks from November 1285-July 1287, at a wage of 16d (pence) per week. He held the rhaglawry (bailiff) and havotry (cattle farm) of Nantconwy, but after his death these were re-granted to William Schaldeford of Anglesey.

Why did Gronow’s sons not inherit? The Fine Rolls record that William Schaldeford was the lieutenant of Roger Mortimer - he of Mortimer and Isabella fame - and that Gronow and his brothers were robbed of their land by the dastardly Mortimer and his accomplice. This is one of many complaints levied by Welsh communities against Mortimer, a grasping individual even by the standards of his family.

In 1330, after Mortimer fell from power, Gronow came before Edward III and submitted the petition above. It was found that his family had done good service to all three Edwards, and that his brother Thudur had been killed at Bannockburn, or the battle of Stirling as it was known. Gronow was re-granted the rhaglawry of Nantconwy, as well as the havotry at Dolwyddelan, and the mill and demesne lands at Penmachno. He was still farming six acres at Penmachno in 1352.