Maredudd's Misfortunes (1)

 

On 30 August 1270 Henry III sent the following letter to Prince Llywelyn of Wales:

'By the form of the peace made between the king and Llywelyn, the king had retained the homage and lordship of Maredudd ap Rhys [Gryg], with all his land, for the king and his heirs, with the proviso that whenever it should please the king to grant the homage of Maredudd to Llywelyn, then Llywelyn should be bound to pay to the king or his heirs five thousand marks for the aforesaid homage'.

Henry referred to the Treaty of Montgomery in 1267, whereby Llywelyn gained the homage of all the other rulers of Wales except Maredudd. However a clause in the treaty enabled him to buy Maredudd's homage, if the king should wish it. The fee was 5000 marks (about £3500).

The next part of the letter reads: 'As Llywelyn has earnestly desired to have the homage of and lordship over Maredudd ap Rhys, the king's son Edward has frequently asked the king, although the king has recently granted the aforesaid homage and lordship to his son Edmund, that nevertheless the king will grant them to Llywelyn with the assent of Edward'.

This shows that Henry had sold Maredudd to his second son, Edmund, but was being pressured by Edward to transfer the Welshman's homage and lordship to Llywelyn. Part of Edward's motive is explained in the final passage:

'The aforesaid Edmund has surrendered the aforesaid homage and lordship into the king's hands, and the king, in deference to the prayers of his son, has granted them to Llywelyn, on the understanding that Llywelyn pay the aforesaid five thousand marks without delay to Edward, to whom the king has granted them as a subsidy for his pilgrimage to the Holy Land...'

Thus, Edward wished to sell the homage of the last Welsh ruler independent of Gwynedd to Prince Llywelyn, in return for money to fund his crusade. The details of this transaction support the statement of Matthew Paris, that Edward had advised his father to give up Wales as unconquerable. After two hundred years of massive expenditure and failed invasions, what was the point of carrying on? The place was a bottomless money-pit. In the context of later events, this is one of history's bitter ironies.