MEIBION GLYNDWR

Around 300 properties were targeted during a campaign lasting until the mid-1990s. Once the point was made, the campaign was immediately suspended.

Background: Owain Glyndwr or Owain ap Gruffydd Fychan was born between 1354 - 59. He was of strong Welsh royal lineage, being descended, on his mother's side, from Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (the last native Price of Wales prior to his reign) and from Cynfyn, Prince of Powys, on his father's side.

Gruffydd Fychan, Owain's father died when Owain was around twelve years of age, the young noble was thence made a ward of the Earl of Arundel and became a page at Chirk castle. Here, he was trained as a soldier and a scholar becoming fluent in the languages of Latin, French, English and Welsh. He went on to study law at the Inns of Court in London and became an accomplished lawyer. It was there that he met his wife Margaret or Marged, the daughter of Sir David Hamner. He married at around 1380. The couple had eleven children. The six sons became captains in Glyndwr's army during the Welsh War.

Prior to the war, the family resided at Sycharth and Glyndyfrdwy. Iolo Goch, Owain's personal poet's poem of praise of Sycharth and the Glyndwr family should be read by one and all. In this 'cywydd', Sycharth hall and grounds are described in visual detail and the Glyndwr family are described and portrayed as kind and generous hosts to both rich and poor alike.

Although, well versed in the ways of the English court and having had ample opportunity to sample life in an English society, Owain was a Welshman, extremely proud of his roots and lineage. By this period, the marcher lands were, in the main, under English control - having been given to English lords as a reward for loyalty to the crown.

One such lordship was Ruthin - which had been given to Reginald de Grey. He was Owain's immediate neighbour and sufficient to say that there was no love lost between the two men. During the latter part of the 1390's, de grey had seized some of Owain's land. Owain demanded it back and sought justice on the issue from the English Parliament and the king. They refused to support him. By this period also, there was a mood of social unrest and discontent throughout the country. It was the aftermath of the 100-yr war and the plague. Someone had to pay! and the heavy taxes imposed on the peasantry contributed greatly to widespread lawlessness. The Welsh resented the use of harsh English laws against them.

Such, along with Owain's personal grievances against an unjust system, formed the catalyst for the 1400 16 Welsh War of Independence which has done more than anything since, to secure the survival of the Welsh identity against overwhelming odds.

The War Yrs: On Sept 16, 1400, Owain Glyndwr met with other Welsh patriots at Glyndyfrdwy. He was proclaimed Prince of Wales and the decision was made to rise up against English rule and oppression. A few days later, a small Welsh Freedom Army rallied to Glyndwr's flag on the summit of Caerdrewyn above Corwen. They successfully attacked the English garrison town of Ruthin. Such was quickly followed with similar ferocious attacks on the English controlled towns of Denbigh, Rhuddlan, Flint, Hawarden, Holt, Oswestry and Welshpool.

People in every part of the land and beyond answered Owain's call for the nation to rise against the oppressor. He was joined by scholars from Oxford, Welsh clergy and Welsh monks, Welsh labourers (working in England) and nobles, townspeople and peasantry alike. He sustained the war against England, who had a great deal more wealth, military power and resources at their command than Wales did, for sixteen years, a period longer than the duration of the 2^nd World War. During this time, he had set up three seats of Parliament in Wales and had plans to set up a Welsh Independent church and universities.

By the summer of 1403, Wales was totally under Welsh control. By 1404, Owain had France as his allies and by 1405; he and other of his allies had drawn up the Tripartite Indenture. This was an agreement to divide England and Wales into three areas once the war had been won. Edmund Mortimer was to rule over the South and West of England, Thomas Percy, the Earl of Northumberland, over the North of England and Owain was to rule over Wales and the border country - as far as the Severn and the Mersey.

What has now become known as 'The Pennal Letter' was composed at the Pennal Parliament in 1406? The letter was penned for the French King. During this period, Europe had two popes, one in Rome and the other at Avignon in France. The letter stated that Wales would support the French pope at Avignon providing that the Church in Wales became Independent from England. It also stated that only Welsh speaking men should be appointed as bishops and priests in Wales and that the nation should have two universities, one in the North and another in the South. Also, in this letter, Glyndwr asks for a crusade to be organized against Henry 1V as he had destroyed Welsh churches and executed their clergy. The 'Pennal Letter' is now preserved at the 'Archives Nationales', Paris. There is a fax copy on display at Pennal Church by Machynlleth.

Sadly, Glyndwr's hope of re-establishing Welsh Independence was not to be fulfilled. He came so close but, at the end of the day, he just faced impossible odds.

The tide began to show signs of turning when the Welsh lost heavily at the battle of Pwll Melin, near Usk, in 1405. Glyndwr's brother Tudur was killed and his son Gruffydd was taken prisoner. Owain, with the assistance of a large French army that had landed in Milford Haven in August 1405, continued to make in- roads into the South. They set Haverdfordwest alight, but failed to take the castle. They captured Cardigan and Carmarthen and marched through Glamorgan and Gwent towards England. They had set up camp on Woodbury hill, ten miles from Worcester by 22^nd Aug. Henry 1V and his army were camped on the opposite ridge. Neither army took the initiative to attack and after eight days of waiting, Owain and his Franco - Welsh army retreated to the border. Nobody knows why Owain took this decision, he could have been advised to do so by Crach Ffinnant (his seer) or he might have realized that if he had fought and won a victory at Woodbury Hill then his Franco Welsh army would have wanted to sack Worcester. Such would have really stirred up English hatred of the Welsh and would have furnished Henry with an army larger than he had ever commanded, set on revenge on Wales and its people by whatever means possible.

By 1407, war fatigue, cost and a terrible winter began to take their toll on Glyndwr's war. A large portion of the French army had by now returned to France. Henry was on his fifth invasion of Wales and the English brought with them huge cannon. By 1408, the castles of Aberystwyth and Harlech had been re-taken. Owain's son in law, Edmund Mortimer, died of starvation and exhaustion whilst defending Harlech castle and Margaret, Owain's wife, two of his daughters and his grandchildren were taken as prisoners to the tower of London. See link 'The Disappeared Ones'.

By 1410, three of Owain's most loyal followers, Rhys ap Gruffydd (Rhys Ddu), Philip Scudamore and Rhys Tudur were all executed after twice having refused royal pardons.

Nobody knows what became of Owain, he never submitted, was never captured, and was never conquered. Many say that for a number of years after the war diminished, he traveled Wales in disguise, resembling a poet or a seer, seeking his fellow country folk's opinion as to why the war failed. There is no official record of his death and no burial site has been found for him although, the favored theory at this present time is that he died at his daughter's home at Monnington Court in Herefordshire in 1416.

Legend tells that Cymru , with Dewi  and Owain 's  spirit, will rise again! This is no legend- because its happeneing now- play your part!

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