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Summary
- Background and early years
- Military service
- The Welsh Revolt
- Reign as Prince of Wales
- Later years
Key Facts And Information
Let’s know more about Owain Glyndwr!
Owain Glyndwr was a descendant of three Welsh royal principalities. He studied law in London and served under several prominent Welsh and English figures. A land dispute between him and an English lord spiralled into the Welsh revolt that sought to lift the dominance of the English crown and create an independent Wales. Owain styled himself as the Prince of Wales beginning in 1400. The Welsh had initial victories but were ultimately defeated by the English force. Owain likely died around 1415, during which English rule had been restored to Wales.
Depiction of Owain Glyndwr in battle by Arthur Cadwgan Michael
Background and early years of Owain Glyndwr
- Born around 1354 at the family home of Sycharth in North East Wales, Owain ap Gruffudd, better known as Owain Glyndwr, was one of the five children of Gruffudd Fychan ap Gruffudd and Elen ferch Tomas ap Llywelyn. His father descended from the royal house of Mathrafal and held a claim to be hereditary Prince of Powys Fadog. His mother came from the few remaining independent landowning members of the royal family of Deheubarth. Owain was a descendant of all three Welsh royal principalities: Powys Fadog through his father, and Deheubarth and Gwynedd through his mother.
- Owain’s family initially held substantial lands. However, by the time of his birth, such lands had considerably reduced from what had been originally held centuries prior.
- It is thought that Gruffudd, probably around 40 years old, died in 1369 when Owain was around 14 years old. This was supported by a document in 1370, describing Elen as a widow. Gruffud’s unexpected death possibly came as a shock to the family.
- Owain had to assume the responsibility of managing the family’s lands much earlier than expected.
- Following his father’s death, he was likely fostered by the family of Sir David Hanmer, a budding lawyer who went on to be a Justice of the King’s Court. He ended up spending a long time with the Hanmer family in Maelor Saesneg.
- The Hanmer family both spoke English and Welsh and often hosted poets in their household.
- It is believed that Owain was warmly welcomed by the Hanmer family, as reported by many. The circumstances of Owain’s time in Maelor Saesneg remains unknown.
- Perhaps under Sir David Hanmer’s tutelage, Owain entered the Inns of Court in Westminster, London to study law.
- The Inns of Court had not long been established by men who dominated the legal profession when Owain was sent there.
- The Inner Temple was the first to be used for administering necessary practical legal training, and it is possible that this was where Owain studied.
- He perhaps spent around seven years at the Inns, which enabled him to acquire sufficient knowledge of the law and to become acquainted with members of influential noble families.
- It was also through Sir David that Owain met his future wife, Margaret Hanmer. Margaret, the daughter of Sir David, became well-acquainted with Owain when the latter started to live in their home in Maelor Saesneg.
- The wedding likely took place around 1383 in the church of St Chad’s. The union is believed to be a happy one.
- Margaret bore Owain six sons, namely Gruffudd, Madog, Maredudd, Thomas, John and Dafydd, and three daughters, Catrin, Alys and Janet. She is described by the Welsh bard Iolo Goch as an excellent wife and mother.
- As their family was growing, they resided at their court at Sycharth. Owain had inherited the lordship of Sycharth from his father. At the time, Sycharth was an impressive estate, making it the envy of its contemporaries.
- Owain was able to support his family thanks to the substantial annual income brought by his estate and military service. He seemed content to rule over his lands, preserving peace with neighbouring lords and enjoying time at home with his young family.
Military service
- After finishing his studies in law, Owain entered the military service. As a rich landowner in Wales, he hoped to become a knight of the realm in the future. Only a few Welshmen had been knighted by the English kings in recent times. By the time of Owain’s military service, England and Scotland had been embroiled in a conflict for several years.
- The Welshman Sir Gregory Sais, sometimes known as Sir Desgarry Says, was posted to the garrison at Berwick in 1384.
- Owain acted as a retainer and squire for Sir Gregory. He was described as an efficient soldier.
- In 1384, around 300 soldiers were posted at Berwick. This was a year that witnessed considerable action, which meant that Owain was likely involved in a number of assaults against Scots attempting to conquer England.
- Aside from defending the garrison from intense Scottish attacks, his military service would have also consisted of guard duty, patrols and training, and maintenance work.
- Owain’s involvement in the Berwick-upon-Tweed garrison provided him with first-hand experience of combat and war,
A depiction of John of Gaunt
- Owain then joined the military campaign of John of Gaunt, the fourth son of Edward III of England, into Scotland in 1384.
- John of Gaunt headed a vast army of around 14,000 soldiers from Newcastle on a destructive campaign over the border into Scotland. Owain served under him in this campaign.
- When Richard II despatched an army north in the summer of 1385, Owain again joined under John of Gaunt.
- Owain’s time in Scotland would have provided him with valuable military experience and also improved his reputation among the English nobility.
- In 1387, Owain served as a squire to Richard FitzAlan, 4th Earl of Arundel, a prominent figure in England and Wales.
- It is possible that Arundel became acquainted with Owain, as they were neighbouring landowners in the Marches. It is also likely that Owain had served Arundel in some capacity since the former had returned from Scotland.
- Owain is thought to have become an important member of Arundel’s retinue. In fact, he was listed as 8th on the earl’s military roll, and his brother Tudur was 20th.
- He likely assisted in the training and leading of troops, and acted as the earl’s personal bodyguard in battles. He possibly helped in managing the earl’s estates, as well as assisted with the earl’s armour and weapons.
- Owain saw action in the English Channel during the Battle of Margate in March that year. In the aftermath of the battle, many of Arundel’s squires were knighted by Richard II. However, Owain was overlooked and not knighted.
- Owain’s next notable military involvement occurred as a squire to Henry Bolingbroke, son of John of Gaunt.
- He appeared alongside the Lords Appellant, headed by Bolingbroke at Radcot Bridge. The Lords Appellant was a group of senior nobles who challenged Richard II’s policies and his power abuse.
- At the brief Battle of Radcot Bridge in December 1387, Owain likely played a vital role in the events as squire for Bolingbroke.
- Owain was likely not a staunch supporter of Richard II and his policies.
- However, when Richard II assembled a huge army for his campaign in Ireland in 1394, Owain is thought to be one of his 8,000 men rather than on the side of the Lords Appellant.
- The growing land dispute between Owain and a neighbouring English lord Reginald Grey, Baron of Ruthin, is thought to be the reason for Owain’s loyalty to Richard II.
- Owain likely discontinued the military service of the Earl of Arundel, as he became too busy with his growing family at home and the administrative work that came with managing Sir David Hanmer’s lands. Following the deaths of his patrons, Sir David Hanmer in 1387 and the Earl of Arundel in 1397, it was apparent that his aspirations for military advances or of joining the English nobility had ended. Owain retired to Sycharth, and his past achievements secured him a comfortable life there.
The Welsh Revolt
- A chain of events in the late 1390s put Owain in a tough spot and compelled him to lead a rebellion, which was later called the Welsh Revolt. The rebellion reportedly started as a dispute between Owain and Reginald Grey, Baron of Ruthin at the end of 1399 over a tranche of land on the borders of their estates. Owain raised the issue before the English Parliament in 1400, hoping that they would intervene on his behalf and rule in his favour. However, Henry IV of England decided to prioritise his English lord and did not grant Owain’s case a hearing. In fact, Owain was instead asked to grant further concessions to Grey.
A depiction of Henry IV
- It is also believed that Grey withheld a royal summons for Owain to join Henry IV’s army and provide men for service in Scotland in the summer of 1400.
- As a tenant-in-chief to the English king, Owain was bound to provide armed services, as he had done in the past.
- As he was unaware of the requests, Owain was unable to respond or send an explanation for the absence of his men and himself.
- Refusal or failure to respond to an order of the king was considered a treasonous act, hence some branded Owain a traitor.
- Owain’s failure to respond to the hidden summons appears to have incurred the king’s wrath. Owain’s estates were presumed forfeit until he could prove his loyalty or receive due punishment.
- It was on 16 September 1400 that the 15-year campaign to lift the dominance of the English crown and create an independent Wales began.
- Owain proclaimed himself Prince of Wales in his home territory at Glyndyfrdwy in the presence of 300 men, including his inner circle and prominent men. This was far away from any English official. From this point forward, Owain asserted his leadership over the rebellion.
- Owain believed that he was the Y Mab Darogan or Son of Destiny, the mythical figure prophesied to drive out the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings from Britain and recover the island for its Celtic population.
- After the proclamation, Owain and his supporters quickly acted and carried out a surprise raid on Ruthin, which caused significant death and destruction.
- The Welsh revolt immediately gained momentum. Seven other towns that were regarded as symbols of English dominance over Wales were targeted next.
- The revolt attracted various supporters, including Welshmen from Oxford and Cambridge universities and Welsh farmworkers in England. By this time, Owain and supporters retreated into the terrain they knew very well and employed guerilla tactics.
- The revolt caught the attention of the English king, and there had been initial confrontations between Henry IV and Owain’s followers in the latter part of 1400.
- In March 1401, Henry IV then imposed harsh Penal Laws in an effort to suppress the revolt. This did not achieve the desired effect, as skirmishes continued.
- In May 1401, the Welsh rebels clashed with Henry Percy or ‘Hotspur’ at Dolgellau, as well as John Charleton, Lord of Powys, who pursued Owain near Dinas Mawddwy. Both times, it appears that the English crown had got the better of the rebels.
- There was an attempt by his own cousin, Hywel Sele, to assassinate Owain while he was hunting in Nannau. Hywel was himself killed when his scheme became known.
- An important victory was achieved for the revolt in April 1401 when Owain’s cousins, Rhys and Gwilym ap Tudur, a family of significant standing on Anglesey, took control of Conwy Castle and held it for several months.
- Owain soon focused the efforts of the rebellion on land further south. An impressive victory of the whole campaign then occurred at the Battle of Mynydd Hyddgen in June 1401.
- Whilst the English force consisted of more men, the rebels were better positioned. The battle proved to be a monumental victory for Owain and his followers, and became a key recruiting tool for his cause.
- In 1402, further Penal Laws were imposed, when the rebellion remained undefeated and Owain was still not captured.
- The laws included several rules and regulations, many of which were not completely new to parts of Wales because the English had felt the need to sanction those who refused to conform in the past.
- Instead of securing English control over Wales, such laws escalated Welsh hostility towards the English and increased the support for Owain.
- The absence of intense militant activities in the winter months of 1401–02 led the English to believe that the fighting was over. However, the rebels returned in spring, with much of Anglesey, Meirionnydd and Arfon showing loyalty to Owain.
- In April 1402, Owain successfully captured his arch-enemy, Lord Grey, whom he imprisoned for almost a year until a hefty ransom was given to the rebels.
- In June 1402, Owain defeated an English force led by Sir Edmund Mortimer at the Battle of Bryn Glas, in which the latter was captured.
- The Welsh victory at Bryn Glas encouraged support among a number of Welshmen who had not been involved in the revolt so far. Meanwhile, Henry IV made no attempt to negotiate a ransom for Mortimer. The king’s inaction prompted Mortimer to switch allegiance to the Welsh cause. Mortimer married Owain’s daughter Catrin to prove his loyalty to the Welsh revolt.
Owain Glyndwr's Reign as Prince of Wales
- By 1403, Owain had solidified his control of the country. Backed by French military aid, the rebels captured Carmarthen and Cardiff castles in 1403. Sometime during 1404 after a long siege, Harlech and Aberystwyth castles fell to Owain and his forces. Owain moved his main residence and military headquarters to Harlech Castle, hence the castle became the centre of his revolutionary vision of an independent Wales.
- In 1404, Owain held a Parliament at Machynlleth, where he was also reputedly crowned Prince of Wales in the presence of representatives from all parts of Wales, as well as envoys from France, Scotland and Castile.
- Here, he proclaimed his vision of an independent Welsh state with a Parliament and separate Welsh church, and the return to the traditional Laws of Hywel Dda.
- Some consider this as the first Welsh Parliament. This gathering made a historical statement about Wales as a nation and Owain as its Prince.
- By 1404, English resistance in Wales had been reduced to a few isolated castles, walled towns and fortified manor houses. Owain had control of most of Wales, and he wanted to strengthen this new status by arranging alliances.
- In February 1405, he formed the Tripartite Indenture with Mortimer and Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland.
- According to the Tripartite Indenture, England and Wales would be divided into three independent sovereign principalities.
- Wales would include most of Cheshire, Shropshire and Herefordshire, and would be under Owain and the succeeding Prince of Wales. All of southern and western England would be controlled by the Mortimer Lords of March. The north of England would be taken by the Percys.
- The agreement committed the allies to a triple partnership against any threat to them. All three signatories were ambitious men. Their ambition would further be strengthened by the support they would receive from France.
- Owain also sought to ally with foreign powers and was hopeful that France would be welcoming.
- In early 1404, he sent his trusted supporter Gruffydd Young and his brother-in-law, John Hanmer, to reach an agreement with the French, which resulted in a formal treaty that pledged French aid to Owain and the Welsh.
- The treaty also meant that the Welsh could rely on help from France’s long-time ally, Scotland, and the French vassal state, Duchy of Brittany. Owain ratified the treaty with the French against Henry IV in January 1405.
- A huge French army soon landed at Milford Haven and was joined by Owain’s army. They attacked and seized Haverford, Picton, Tenby, St Clears, Carmarthen and Cardigan in quick succession.
- The Franco-Welsh army encountered the English army but no major action occurred. At the end of the stand-off, it seems that both parties eventually retreated.
- In March 1406, Owain sent a letter to Charles VI of France, primarily asking the king to maintain military assistance to fight against English rule in Wales. This became known as the Pennal Letter.
- In exchange for military support, Owain would acknowledge the Avignon claimant to the Holy See, Benedict XIII, who was recognised as the legitimate pope by France, Scotland, Castile and Sicily. Meanwhile, Pope Innocent VII was supported by Henry IV.
- This was a period of discord within the Roman Catholic Church, known as the Papal Schism. Owain hoped that Benedict XIII would support more suitable ecclesiastical appointments in Wales and would punish Henry IV for his cruel acts against the Welsh church.
- Following the Pennal Letter, senior clergy and prominent members of society joined Owain’s cause.
- Several years after the Welsh revolt had begun and after significant Welsh successes, the balance of power started to shift away from Owain. In early 1405, the Welsh rebels suffered a series of defeats at Grosmont and at the Battle of Pwll Melyn. From this point on, Owain’s campaign began to lose its momentum.
Later yearsof Owain Glyndwr
- In 1406, English forces arrived in Anglesey from Ireland and gradually pushed the Welsh back. After securing some of Wales’ coastal strongholds, a scheme of economic blockade was set up to cut off trade and the supply of weapons. By 1407, this strategy began to bear fruit. In 1408, the English forces placed Harlech under siege. The siege was unsuccessful, and Aberystwyth Castle was targeted next. Aberystwyth Castle was taken over by the English after a long struggle. Harlech Castle eventually fell to the English in February 1409. Owain’s wife Margaret and two of his daughters were captured and imprisoned in the Tower of London. Owain was able to avoid capture by disguising himself, and decided to retreat to the Welsh wilderness with a band of loyal supporters.
- Owain remained determined and held out bravely in the north. He continued the rebellion using guerrilla tactics, such as orchestrating sporadic raids and ambushes throughout Wales and the English borderlands.
- The English appeared to have recaptured the south, and Henry IV appointed officers in areas where support for the rebellion was stronger.
- In December 1411, Henry IV, at the request of his Parliament, issued a general pardon to the rebels for peace in his realm. However, the offer of amnesty excluded Owain, who continued to refuse to surrender.
- At the time, the son of Henry IV, Henry of Monmouth, had practical control of government, since Henry IV’s health had declined.
- In 1412, Owain launched one of his final successful raids to capture Dafydd Gam, who was one of the leading Welsh supporters of Henry IV. Gam was later ransomed by the English king for a huge amount.
- Henry of Monmouth succeeded to the English throne as Henry V in March 1413.
- He soon issued a general pardon in April, in which Owain was no longer excluded. Owain continued to ignore the royal pardon.
- Although Owain was free, he was now a hunted outlaw. Nevertheless, he was neither captured nor betrayed despite substantial rewards being offered.
- Owain’s final years remain unknown, with the last documented sighting of him being in 1412. Even less is certain about the circumstances of his death.
- Based on most accounts, he likely spent his last days at Kentchurch in south Herefordshire, the home of the Scudamore family. It is generally believed that Owain died around 1415.
- By 1415, English rule had been restored to Wales, but it took a few more years for the English rule to be fully re-established in the country. Owain’s rebellion became the last major Welsh attempt to achieve independence from English rule. By that time, the leading rebels were dead, imprisoned, or struggling because of the massive fines. Wales was devastated by pillage, economic blockade and communal fines.
Frequently Asked Questions About Owain Glyndwr
- Who was Owain Glyndwr?
Owain Glyndwr (c. 1354 – c. 1415) was a Welsh nobleman, soldier, and lawyer who led the last major Welsh revolt against English rule. In 1400, he declared himself Prince of Wales and began a widespread rebellion.
- Why is Owain Glyndwr important?
He is seen as a national hero and symbol of Welsh identity. His uprising was the last serious attempt to restore Welsh independence, and he inspired later generations in the fight for Welsh rights and self-rule.
- When did the Glyndŵ\wr Rebellion begin?
The rebellion began in September 1400, after Glyndwr proclaimed himself Prince of Wales in response to English oppression and land disputes.