11th November On 11th November 1294, Madog ap Llywelyn defeated the forces of the earl of Lincoln in a pitched battle near Denbigh (Denbigh and castle pictured) during the Welsh revolt of 1294-95 against English rule. The Welsh revolt of 1294-95; After the death of Llywelyn ap Grufydd in 1282, Edward I hoped that Wales would be pacified. He had introduced the English shire system and English laws, with The Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 and poured an enormous amount of money and effort into both the rebuilding of damaged castles and the construction of new ones. The Welsh however resented English rule and rebelled unsuccessfully in 1287 and 1288. Welsh discontent was brought to a head in 1294, when the final payment of an unpopular tax coincided with the raising of Welsh troops for Edwards campaign in Gascony. 30th September 1294 - Welsh soldiers assembling at Shrewsbury, due to march to Portsmouth for Edward’s campaign in Gascony, mutinied and killed their English officers, the rebels rallied around a distant cousin of Llywelyn, Madog ap Llywelyn and in virtually no time at all every important Welsh castle was under siege. October 1294 - Edward mustered an army at his customary base of Worcester to send reinforcements to a besieged Brecon Castle and the area south of Cardiff. 11th November 1294 - Madog ap Llywelyn defeated the forces of the earl of Lincoln in a pitched battle near Denbigh 5th December 1294 - Edward led an army to Wrexham carrying the fight to the Welsh, who had managed to push the English out of northern Wales into the city of Chester. some 10,000 rebels surrendered and were pardoned on the condition they serve with him in France. Madog however, managed to convince his followers that it was better to die defending their homeland, than in a foreign land. 19th December 1294 - The Penmachno Document was drawn up at Penmachno in Gwynedd on by Madog ap Llywelyn at the height of his revolt against English rule in Wales. Though unremarkable in its content - the document consists of the grant of two parcels of land to one Bleddyn Fychan - its importance lies in the fact that it is the only surviving document issued by Madog in which he styles himself prince of Wales. The document was signed by a number of prominent persons, including three descendants of Ednyfed Fychan, the seneschal of two earlier princes of Wales. 24th December 1294 - Edward was joined at his new castle on the Conway Estuary by Reginald de Gray’s force of 11,000 men 12th January 1295 - Edward sacked the town of Nefyn. On the return journey, they were ambushed by Welsh forces near Bangor who retook the booty they had taken from the town, the King and most of his force survived and made it back to Conway, but were beseiged and along with the rough winter seas preventing any fresh supplies from reaching the castle, they were forced to live off salted fish and water flavoured with honey. March 1295 - Madog led his army eastwards to threaten Shrewsbury and camped at Maes Moydog, near Montgomery. English spies raced to inform the commander of the central force, William de Beauchamp of Madogs location and Beauchamp together with 2500 men from the nearby English town of Oswestry approached the Welsh camp. 5th March 1295 - England and Wales did battle for the final time,at Maes Moydog. The Welsh, initially managed to repel the first English charge. In response Beauchamp used archers,to produce gaps in the lines of Welsh spear-men. allowing the English knights to smash their way through the line and rout the Welsh army. The English lost just 90 men, the Welsh 700 10th March 1295 - Edward detailed a small force of archers and knights to make a midnight sortie against the remnants of the Welsh camp. The Welsh were literally caught napping and lost another 500 men. 15th April 1295 - Edward sent a force to occupy Anglesey, and ordered the construction of Beaumaris Castle. Madog had managed to escape, but the destruction of his army, crushed any rebellious spirit left in the Welsh and brought an end to the Welsh War. Edward, as the triumphant King embarked on a victorious circuit around Wales, receiving surrenders and pledges of allegiance from allover Wales. Madog, went on the run, becoming a fugitive, he was eventually forced to surrender, after being caught trying to lead a raid into Shropshire and was imprisoned in the Tower of London for the rest of his life.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 00:10:00 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015