The Nobleman in the Owain Glyndwr Revolt - Essay Example

The Nobleman in the Owain Glyndwr Revolt Order No. 205005 No. of pages: 10 Premium 6530 Owain Glyndwr was the famous Prince of Wales who successfully led the people’s rebellion in retaliation to the strong iron –fisted rule of England that took place in the ancient 15th century. He received fame and glory for this act and came to be greatly revered and regarded personality in Welch history. Though he rose swiftly to power, his decline was even swifter. The exploits of Owain Glyndwr and his accomplishments are all historical facts, unlike the other epic heroes of the British such as Robin Hood or King Arthur. These legendary escapades are so praiseworthy and took place over a short period of 12 years. In1277, Edward I invaded Wales and after a fierce battle defeated them. He immediately set out to safeguard his dominance by constructing a ring of strong impregnable castles all around his dominion. This area became the power seat of the English and was designed in such a way so as to subjugate and intimidate the Welsh people. After a century had passed England was ruled by Richard the II. The domination exercised by the English with their restrictive land and tax policies became too much of a burden for the people of Wales and they chafed under the English yoke. According to the myths and legends of the Welsh, it was proclaimed that a national leader and redeemer would emerge from among them and so they faithfully prayed for his coming. This man would be the chosen one to stand up and fight against the English domination and restore the long awaited independence of the Welsh once again. Fortunately for them, there emerged a leader in Owain Glyndwr from amongst the shambles and struggles of the country. At the beginning of the 15th century, the Welsh put their faith in the charismatic leadership of Glyndwr even though England was endowed with a strong and massive army. The Welsh were successful in defeating England and drove them out of their land. The Welsh enjoyed their independence which lasted for a very short while. Since the 19th century, there was a resurgence of nationalism in Wales and hence the exploits of Owain Glyndwr was praise worthy. Glyndwr on the other hand did not seem the right candidate to don the cloak of a freedom fighter. Glyndwr, enjoyed all the trappings of a wealthy and privileged life as one of the great and powerful lords in Wales. This was due to his parentage that dates back to the year 1354 when he was born into and upper – class family having descended on his father’s side from the princes of Powys and on his mother’s side he inherited the lands of Rhys ap Gruffydd. Since he was a gentleman of the upper class he was sent to study law at the Inns of Court in London, where he enrolled as a squire to the Earl of Arundel and served King Richard the II in all his Scottish campaigns. In 1383, he got married to the daughter of Sir David Hanmer, named Margaret, who was an important justice of the Kings court. He lived the life of an affluent and wealthy nobleman with his family in Sycharth and Glyndyfrdwy where his home became a cultural centre that was very frequently visited by famous bards. Unfortunately, Glyndwr’s luxurious life got disrupted by many events that followed which led to the Welsh history altering its course. In 1399, Richard the II got deposed by Henry Bolingbroke who levied even higher taxes against the people of Wales who suffered miserably due to the epidemic of the plague. The raise in taxes made their situation even worse which led to great resentment and hatred in the hearts of the Welsh people and kindled their desire for rebellion. What highlighted and worsened the situation even further was when a disputed piece of land on the border of the estates of Glyndwr was seized by a very influential member from the Council of King Henry, named Reginald Grey who was the Lord of Ruthin. Owain Glyndwr put forward his petition for a legal redress but it was turned down by the Parliament who rebuked him saying he was a “bare footed Welshman”. King Henry entrusted Reginald Grey with the job of delivering a summons to Glyndwr asking him to help King Henry to make preparations for a military campaign which was to take place in Scotland. Therefore, on September 16th, 1400 Owain Glyndwr had a meeting with a small gang of supporters at his own residence in Glyndyfrdwy. The area around Glyndyfrdwy was as usual brimming with stories of this place made popular by the Owain Glyndwr Hotel. The centre piece of the town centre was a statue that greeted all who came there. Of the small group that visited there Gruffydd, the eldest son of Glyndwr and Philip Hanmer who was his brother-in-law were also present. This group declared Owain the Prince of Wales. Just four days after this had taken place, Glyndwr with his group of supporters, ravaged the town of Ruthin during a crowded fair and burned it down. They went on a rampage and pillaged places such as Denbeigh, Ruddlan, Flint, Hawarden, and Oswestry and finally retreated when the Royal forces arrived. From then on, Glyndwr was declared an outlaw by the English and his manor and lands were confiscated from him and handed over to the Earl of Somerset named John Beaufort who was not in a position to accept it since Glyndwr still controlled the North of Wales. As soon as the news of the uprising reached them, the students at Oxford and Cambridge prepared to stop their studies and leave their homes to join in the battle. Anti-English sentiment spread far and wide and very soon Welsh laborers in Shropshire and Herefordshire gave up their jobs to lend their support to the cause. In retaliation to the uprising, the parliament slapped them with even stronger anti – Welsh laws. King Henry was not to be left behind and soon marched a huge army right across North Wales, plundering and looting it without any compassion. When Glyndwr met with such a strong English opposition, he fled to the safety of the mountains with seven of his trusted supporters and bided his time there. Then during the summer of 1401, Glyndwr’s first great victory over the English came into view. This fight took place at the base of the Hyddgen valley, where he was camping with lesser than 500 men. About 1500 of the enemy troops surrounded them and they had no chance of escape. There was no other option but to face them. Fortunately for them, they put up a brilliant front and defeated the English troops, but lost about 200 of their own followers. The higher ranks of the Welsh society were highly impressed with the success of this operation and legions of new supporters joined hands with them. Even some of England’s enemies like France, Scotland and Ireland lent them support. But the English were not dissuaded in the least and continued building the hatred of the Welsh by conducting an attack on the Cistercian monastery of Strata Florida and defiling it. Then in 1402, a great comet emerged and according to ancient legends the Welsh believed that this was a sign depicting their victory of a Welsh independence. Fortunately for them, the war dramatically swung in the favor of Glyndwr and Grey was captured by the Welsh in the North and held up for ransom that filled the coffers of the rebels with 10,000 marks. Then the next great victory for Glyndwr came on 22nd June in the form of Sir Edmund Mortimer who led an army of 2,000 English soldiers from Ludlow across the swampy and marshy ground of the Lugg Valley. The two armies encountered each other above St. Mary’s Church on the hillside at a place called Bryn Glas. The cavalry of the English possessed weapons such as spears, axes, metal clubs, Welsh long bows, sharpened pointed stakes and sharp swords. The Welsh too though not so well prepared had weapons that were more or less similar. The Welsh army led by Rhys Gethin (the Fierce) eagerly awaited the enemy. The English forces were under the leadership of Mortimer who forced his troops uphill towards Rhys. The well groomed army of the Welsh charged at great speed downhill and engaged themselves in a hand – to – hand combat with the English and massacred nearly 1,100 of them. In addition, they also captured Mortimer and many of his squires and knights. A mass grave of all those who died at Bryn Glas is situated under three tall pine trees near the church. King Henry rejected paying the ransom that hung over Mortimer’s head for the sole reason that Mortimer himself had a legitimate right to the throne. This act of his resulted in strengthening a bond between Mortimer and Glyndwr. This bond was further enhanced when he married Catherine who was Glyndwr’s daughter. It was also through Mortimer that Glyndwr made his peace with Grey who married another of Glyndwr’s daughters and earned back the friendship of Sir Henry Percy (Hotspur) King Henry’s armies were very much occupied in the Scottish war and hence Glyndwr took it as an opportunity to conduct many military advances. He soon took charge of Glamorgan and Gwent and by the end of 1403 most of Wales was under his control. It was also rumored that Glyndwr used his magical powers to control the weather because when the king had sent his armies to battle with him, they met with rough storms and thick mists forcing them to make an early retreat. Finally, in 1404, the castles on the coast of Harlech and Aberystwyth fell and became the stronghold for the forces of Glyndwr. The Harlech Castle was huge and magnificent, so Glyndwr did not destry it. On the other hand he wanted to flush out its inhabitants and took a decision to starve them. After a period of several months, disease spread like an epidemic and the English were forced to leave the place. For several years Glyndwr took possession of the castle. This beautiful castle was originally constructed by Edward I in order to control the Troublesome Welsh. It stands as a fine example of Edwards concentric designs. Today, the Welsh Historic Monuments have undertaken to maintain the Harleh castle considered as a fine piece of architecture. Crowning of the Prince: When Glyndwr received great support from all quarters, he thought it the right time to receive a formal declaration regarding his title as the Prince of Wales. He convened a parliament at Machynlleth where he officially summoned four representative from every “commote” (Welsh administrative district) There was also a huge assembly of envoys who were invited from France, Scotland and Spain and with all the pomp and show Glyndwr was officially proclaimed the Prince of Wales. Glyndwr’s Memorabilia: The Owain Glyndwr Center is situated on Maengwyn Street and is believed to be the parliament’s actual premises even though the building dates back to the 1400’s. Artifacts dedicated to the memory of Glyndwr are housed within the museum. Some of these are old exhibits, art work, books and gifts. In the Reading Room are two murals by Murray Urquhart – one depicting the battle of Hyddgen, while the other, is of an assault that took place on one of the English held fortresses. The Center’s Curator named Tegwyn Griffiths is very accommodating and talkative. Independent Wales: Soon after setting up a strong parliament, Owain Glyndwr appointed a few clerics to proclaim the independence of the State of Wales. But the very next year he encountered two of the most expensive battlefield defeats. On the 15th of March, the English army caught Glyndwr’s forces unawares as they were not prepared for a battle. They attacked them Grosmont in the south, and for the second time and much more ghastly battle occurred at Pwll Melyn, near Usk. After the deadly encounter, the English captured Glyndwrs son Gruffydd and 300 Welsh soldiers. They took the prisoners to a nearby castle and executed them, except for Gruffydd, whom they took to the Tower of London to be tortured. After the parliament, Glyndwr appointed clerics to help administer the independent state of Wales, and in July he signed a treaty with the King of France. The following year, however, Glyndwr suffered two costly defeats on the battlefield. The first was near Grosmont in the south, and the second and more serious occurred at Pwll Melyn, near Usk. An overwhelming attack by the English army on 15th March caught Glyndwrs forces unprepared. The English captured Glyndwrs son Gruffydd along with another 300 Welsh soldiers. They took the entire group of prisoners to a castle that was nearby and executed them. As for Glyndwr’s son Gruffydd, they took him to the Tower of London where he was ruthlessly tortured. Glyndwr’s Progressive Policies: In 1406, Glyndwr convened another parliament meeting at Pennal in order to bring out some of his advanced progressive policies. He patronized and supported the universities constructed by the Welsh people so that they needn’t have to depend on the English universities for their education. Apart from the churches of England and Canterbury, he founded an independent Welsh church and agreed that the disputed papacy in Avignon would be supported by the Welsh people. In Glyndwr’s famous “Pennal letter” to the king of France, he offered full support to French Pope Benedict XIII, in order that Welsh church would be given its independence. He also asked for a guarantee that the bishops and priests who were ordained in Wales would be people who spoke good Welsh. He also asked that all the monetary grants that were paid by the Welsh towards the English monasteries should be stopped immediately. The Final Showdown: Immediately after setting up this parliament, Glyndwr’s luck began to change. Soon after King Henry had defeated the Scottish people, he turned his undivided attention to the uprising of the Welsh. The English army had a good command over the sea and in addition to their numerical superiority was able to overcome and subdue the Welsh rebels. When the Earl of Northumberland who was an ally to Glyndwr got defeated by the English, Prince Henry retrieved all the castles in South Wales. In 1407, the death of Edmund Mortimer occurred during the extremely harsh winter. Glyndwr did his best to ward of the siege laid on Aberystwyth, but they proved to be very strong when the put it under the English cannon in 1408. In 1409, the next in line to succumb was Harlech. Following this, Glyndwr’s wife and four children, together with Mortimer’s full family were sent to London after their capture. Glyndwr’s last days: For a few more years, Glyndwr tried his best to realize his cause with his diminishing forces. He took shelter in the Welsh mountains and with the assistance of his small band of warriors he used guerrilla tactics to dislocate the English forces but was not too successful. In 1413, when Prince Henry rose to the throne and was coronated as Henry V, he offered pardon to Glyndwr and his supporters if only they would submit their defeat. They refused the request made by Henry twice and the small group got dissipated. Unfortunately, Glyndwr was unable to realize his cause and hence vanished from the face of history forever. He spent the last days of his life with his daughter Alice and her husband John Scudamore where he passed away at Monington in 1415. For centuries now, Owain Glyndwr’s name smouldered in the pages of History and is looked upon as a powerful and significant symbol of the unfulfilled dreams of an independent Wales free from the yoke of England. References: British Heritage/ Owain Glyndwr’s Fight for Wales. www.historynet.com/magazines/british_heritage/3035466.html Read More