Great things

By the autumn of 1246 the blockade on Wales, imposed by Henry III, had started to wear down the resistance of the princes. In September two prominent Welsh nobles, supporters of the late Llywelyn the Great and Prince Dafydd, defected to the king. One, Tewdwr ab Ednyfed, was gifted a horse to serve in the royal army. Another, Roger Vychan the son of Prince Gwallter Clud of Elfael, also came to the king’s peace and was granted wages to maintain himself in royal service.

Henry III

The scene now shifted to northern Ceredigion, where the men of Maelgwn Fychan were still holding out. Over the summer Robert Walerand led the Marcher army in two separate expeditions against Maelgwn’s followers, for which he was paid £102 12 shillings from the lands of Earl Walter Marshal. On 30 August Maelgwn himself was conducted to the king by Gruffudd ap Gwenwynwyn, who was ordered:

“not to allow any harm to come to Maelgwn in his lands whether he makes peace with the king or not until his safe conduct expires.”

This final surrender had been brought about by Walerand, who was paid an extra £40 for leading a third and final cavalry raid against Maelgwn’s lands. Some resistance was maintained by the ‘old man who was Maelgwn’s steward’. This elderly gent captured two of the young sons of John Luring, one of the Marchers, and held them in prison for a while. Luring was pardoned ten marks by the king so he could send the money to feed his children in prison: it seems the steward chose to treat the captives decently.

Shortly before 6 November the old steward was in turn captured by Gruffudd ap Gwenwynwyn, and delivered up to John Lestrange at Chester. On 25 November the king declared he had taken Maelgwn Fychan into his peace and granted him two commotes in Ceredigion, namely Genau’r Glyn and Iscoed.

This went directly against Henry’s earlier agreement with Maredudd ab Owain. In exchange for his service, Maredudd had been promised all the lands of his neighbour Maelgwn. Now the king reneged on that agreement and gave Genau’r Glyn and Iscoed, which had belonged to Maredudd, to Maelgwn. Henry seems to have tried to compensate: in January 1249, three years later, he granted Maelgwn’s land of Iscoed Uwch Hirwyn to Maredudd.

Such a fudged compromise cannot have pleased Maredudd. He had expected great things, but instead lost two manors and (eventually) received one in return. Maelgwn was probably relieved just to survive, but such arbitrary actions cannot have pacified the proud Welsh princes:

“Wales at this time experienced a cessation of arable and dairy farming and of commerce, and the inhabitants suffered from want. They accepted English rule unwillingly; their time-honoured aristocratic pride fell into decline; and the harps even of the churchmen turned to mourning and lamentation.”

 - Matthew Paris, Chronica Majora