In 1282 Llywelyn Fychan of Bromfield chose to join Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd in his final war against Edward I. Five years earlier the lord of Bromfield had fought for Edward against Llywelyn, probably because he was unhappy at the prince’s division of Powys Fadog and efforts to take direct control of the lordship. Now he returned to his former allegiance.
Shortly before he broke with the king, Llywelyn Fychan submitted a petition that listed his complains. This is a separate protest to the one in Archbishop Peckham’s register. Among other things, Llywelyn refused to accept the authority of the judges appointed by the king to enquire into the native law of Wales. One of these judges was Hywel ap Meurig, a royal justice and bailiff to the Mortimers of Wigmore. Llywelyn named Hywel as one of his enemies along with Gruffudd ap Gwenwynwyn, lord of southern Powys.
In the previous war of 1277, Hywel had led the men of Powys, Radnor and Builth against Prince Llywelyn and invaded southern Snowdonia on behalf of the king: attached (above) is the first membrane of the payroll for this army. He remained a crown loyalist and his sons rose to high office under Edward I and Edward II. Thus Wales was split between Prince Llywelyn and his supporters on the one hand, and crown loyalists such as Hywel and Gwenwynwyn on the other.
Llywelyn Fychan’s fate was to die with his prince near Cilmeri in December 1282, slaughtered along with all the cavalry and part of the infantry. He was probably slain by Andrew Astley, a Marcher lord who seems to have boasted of his exploit by taking Llywelyn’s arms, the lion of Powys Fadog, and adding it to the Astley cinquefoil. Sixteen years later Astley fought under these converted arms at the Battle of Falkirk.
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| The arms of Andrew Astley |
And that was the end of the dragon of Chirk:
“Hail thou of great and high discretion,
From God the foremost leader of forces;
Prosperous elder of the excelling spear,
Inexorable is your wrath, thou wall in battle.”
- Llygad Gwr
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