Welsh Devolution Timeline 796 (King Offa of Mercia (Essentially What Is Now Middle England) Finishes a Dyke to Separate His

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Welsh Devolution Timeline 796 (King Offa of Mercia (Essentially What Is Now Middle England) Finishes a Dyke to Separate His Welsh Devolution Timeline 796 (King Offa of Mercia (essentially what is now middle England) finishes a dyke to separate his and Welsh lands (well, Powys really). Though secretly some historians actually think the dyke work started work much earlier. 940 Hywel Dda writes his laws, accepted by many rulers in Wales. These laws are what gave Hywel his name: Hywel Dda (Good Hywel). Also, Ty Hywel, where the staff of the Senedd work in Cardiff is named after him. Some of the laws are seen to be before their time, notably around compensation and women’s rights. Despite this, they would look a bit rough to us these days. For example, a husband was allowed to beat his wife if: she gave away something which she was not allowed to give away, for adultery, or for wishing a blemish on her husband's beard. 1173-1240 Llywelyn the Great came to dominate other Welsh kingdoms, and, through military and diplomatic means, unified them into a single ‘Wales’. He changed some of Hywel Dda’s laws so that only his legitimate son would rule after him. I mean what’s the good of being king if you can’t tweak a few laws? 1282 Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, or Llywelyn ein Llyw Olaf (Llywelyn the Last) was exactly that, the last known ruler of what you could call Wales back then. He was beset by sibling rivalry and ambitious English kings and in the end he died for it. Edward the First of England delighted in stripping Gwynedd (Llywelyn’s home) of any royal symbols and with that, the conquest of Wales by England was complete 1400-1415 A long-running rebellion rumbles on for 15 years. Owain delivers breath-taking victories in the field while gaining Scottish, Breton and French support. Early on things hot up as the English Parliament issues Penal laws against the whole of Wales (harsh) which in the end infuriates most Welsh folk, inspiring them to rebel. In the end though this Welsh war of independence fizzled out due to flagging hopes and a conciliatory English King, Henry the V. 1535 Henry VIII's (of Welsh Tudor lineage) Laws in Wales Acts mean Wales is governed by English Law and is allowed to put people forward in the Houses of Parliament in London. 1707-1800 The club expands! The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (nice short name guys) is formed during this era by the different Acts of Union - at different times - with both Ireland and Scotland. 1832 Property owners get the vote! Property owners think this is pretty good (understandable). Renters and people who live on boats are livid (understandable). So begins the Chartist movement. Chartists aren’t named after people who love pie charts, or any kind of graph really. Rather they are named after the People’s Charter which had 6 main goals which sought to expand the voting franchise, equalise society, human rights etc. etc. You know the score. 1839 Chartists are seriously peeved (understatement) when a bunch of their lads are held captive in Newport’s Westgate hotel. Some 10,000 bore down on the town and, well, it didn’t go well. An estimated 22 died with many more injured and leaders arrested. Did you know! The leaders were sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered, the last time that sentence was used in GB. Somewhat harsh you might say, and many agreed so they were sent to Australia instead. I’d take that. 1884 The Chartists did get their way in the end though with the 1884 Representation of the People Act, which extended the vote to (some) men without property (yes, men only, we’ll leave that alone for now). 1893 The University of Wales is founded as a federal university with three foundation colleges: Aberystwyth, University College North Wales (now Bangor); University College South Wales and Monmouthshire (now Cardiff U). Aberystwyth was the first Uni in Wales. The club would later expand to include Swansea, Lampeter et al. So you can thank those for all the hard work you’re doing now to get in to uni… 1918 (some) Women get the vote! 1950s The Parliament for Wales campaign puts devolution back onto the political agenda. This cross-party campaign, led by Lady Megan Lloyd George MP, culminated in the presentation of a petition containing 250,000 signatures calling for the establishment of a Welsh parliament. 1964 The Labour Party creates the Welsh Office with a Secretary of State for Wales. That’s as interesting as we can make that sound. It is, however, the first rumblings of actual government for Wales as an entity. 1979 The first devolution for Wales referendum is held. It is a crushing defeat for the yes camp with the people of Wales voting 4 to 1 against Welsh devolution. 1997 A second referendum on Welsh devolution is held, but this time just about get it through with a majority yes vote, but my gosh was it close – 50.3%! 2006 The Government of Wales Act 2006 enables the National Assembly for Wales to pass laws for the first time since Llywelyn - but only after acquiring legislative competence from Westminster on a case-by-case basis - wait what? This is also the year the Assembly moved into the Senedd building. The building is undeniably excellent, especially when it comes to sustainability and being sympathetic to the environment. 2011 Another referendum another yes vote, the people of Wales vote for full law- making powers. 2017 The Wales Act 2017 is passed, making the Assembly permanent. Also the reserved powers model of devolution kicks in. Sounds confusing, right? Basically it’s a list of things that the UK Parliament looks after for Wales, like human rights and space, and for everything else Wales is responsible for passing laws for itself. 2018 The Welsh Youth Parliament is launched. 60 young people from around Wales gather 3 times a year. In the inaugural session they chose to focus on mental health, life skills and littering and plastic waste. 2020 The voting age in Senedd elections is lowered to 16-year-olds. That’s some of you lot so pay attention. The National Assembly for Wales is renamed the Senedd Cymru or Welsh Parliament (commonly known as the Senedd) to reflect its status as a fully-fledged parliament. .
Recommended publications
  • Better Governance for Wales Key Materials
    Better Governance for Wales – key material: Statements and Debates, September 2005 – November 2005 Abstract This paper draws together the key statements and debates relating to the White Paper ‘Better Governance for Wales’ from September to November 2005. It includes transcripts of proceedings from the Assembly and Westminster. The paper will be updated regularly by the Members’ Research Service. December 2005 Members’ Research Service / Gwasanaeth Ymchwil yr Aelodau Members’ Research Service: Research Paper Gwasanaeth Ymchwil yr Aelodau: Papur Ymchwil Better Governance for Wales – key material Statements and debates, September 2005 – November 2005 Members’ Research Service December 2005 Paper number: 05/0040/mrs © Crown copyright 2005 Enquiry no: 05/0040/mrs Date: December 2005 This document has been prepared by the Members’ Research Service to provide Assembly Members and their staff with information and for no other purpose. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate, however, we cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies found later in the original source material, provided that the original source is not the Members’ Research Service itself. This document does not constitute an expression of opinion by the National Assembly, the Welsh Assembly Government or any other of the Assembly’s constituent parts or connected bodies. Members’ Research Service: Research Paper Gwasanaeth Ymchwil yr Aelodau: Papur Ymchwil Contents 1 Statement by the Rt Hon Rhodri Morgan AM, First Minister on the White Paper, ‘Better Governance for Wales’ during Questions to the First Minister, 20 September 2005 .............................................................................................................. 1 2 Debate on the Report of the Committee on the Better Governance for Wales White Paper in the Assembly, 21 September 2005 ......................................................
    [Show full text]
  • CREATING a DIGITAL DIALOGUE How Can the National Assembly for Wales Use Digital to Build Useful and Meaningful Citizen Engagement?
    CREATING A DIGITAL DIALOGUE How can the National Assembly for Wales use digital to build useful and meaningful citizen engagement? Digital News and Information Taskforce CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .............................. 5 SECTION 2: DISCUSSION ...........47 Foreword by Chair ...................................6 The Assembly as a Content Background .................................................9 Platform .......................................................49 Remit ............................................................... 11 Telling the National Assembly’s Stories ............................... 50 Membership .............................................. 12 Platforms ....................................................57 Recommendations ............................... 14 Specialist Audiences ...........................64 Summary ....................................................20 Digital and Data Leadership in the Assembly .................................... 80 SECTION 1: CONTEXT...................31 Staying Ahead ..........................................91 The Welsh Media Market Since 1999 ................................................................ 32 ANNEXES ........................................93 The Digital Eco-system in Wales ........................................................40 Annex 1: Meetings and Discussions Held ..94 Other Parliaments ................................ 42 Annex 2: The objective of the National Assembly for Wales – Membership .............................................96 Content
    [Show full text]
  • ROBERT GERAINT GRUFFYDD Robert Geraint Gruffydd 1928–2015
    ROBERT GERAINT GRUFFYDD Robert Geraint Gruffydd 1928–2015 GERAINT GRUFFYDD RESEARCHED IN EVERY PERIOD—the whole gamut—of Welsh literature, and he published important contributions on its com- plete panorama from the sixth to the twentieth century. He himself spe- cialised in two periods in particular—the medieval ‘Poets of the Princes’ and the Renaissance. But in tandem with that concentration, he was renowned for his unique mastery of detail in all other parts of the spec- trum. This, for many acquainted with his work, was his paramount excel- lence, and reflected the uniqueness of his career. Geraint Gruffydd was born on 9 June 1928 on a farm named Egryn in Tal-y-bont, Meirionnydd, the second child of Moses and Ceridwen Griffith. According to Peter Smith’sHouses of the Welsh Countryside (London, 1975), Egryn dated back to the fifteenth century. But its founda- tions were dated in David Williams’s Atlas of Cistercian Lands in Wales (Cardiff, 1990) as early as 1391. In the eighteenth century, the house had been something of a centre of culture in Meirionnydd where ‘the sound of harp music and interludes were played’, with ‘the drinking of mead and the singing of ancient song’, according to the scholar William Owen-Pughe who lived there. Owen- Pughe’s name in his time was among the most famous in Welsh culture. An important lexicographer, his dictionary left its influence heavily, even notoriously, on the development of nineteenth-century literature. And it is strangely coincidental that in the twentieth century, in his home, was born and bred for a while a major Welsh literary scholar, superior to him by far in his achievement, who too, for his first professional activity, had started his career as a lexicographer.
    [Show full text]
  • Sustainability: Annual Report 2019-20
    Welsh Parliament Senedd Commission Sustainability: Annual Report 2019-20 June 2020 www.senedd.wales The Welsh Parliament is the democratically elected body that represents the interests of Wales and its people. Commonly known as the Senedd, it makes laws for Wales, agrees Welsh taxes and holds the Welsh Government to account. An electronic copy of this document can be found on the Senedd website: www.senedd.wales Copies of this document can also be obtained in accessible formats including Braille, large print, audio or hard copy from: Welsh Parliament, Cardiff Bay, CF99 1SN 0300 200 6565 [email protected] www.senedd.wales SeneddWales SeneddWales Senedd © Senedd Commission Copyright 2020 The text of this document may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium providing that it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading or derogatory context. The material must be acknowledged as copyright of the Senedd Commission and the title of the document specified. Welsh Parliament Senedd Commission Sustainability: Annual Report 2019-20 June 2020 www.senedd.wales On 6 May we became the Welsh Parliament; the Senedd. As the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020 received Royal Assent in January, it marked the culmination of a long and complicated pro- cess for the many Commission colleagues who were involved in its passage. Despite our new title, you will notice this document mostly refers to the institution as the Assembly; a reflection of the fact we’re looking back over the past 12 months before the change to our name. Sustainability: Annual Report 2019-20 Contents Introduction .....................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Early Medieval Dykes (400 to 850 Ad)
    EARLY MEDIEVAL DYKES (400 TO 850 AD) A thesis submitted to the University of Manchester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities 2015 Erik Grigg School of Arts, Languages and Cultures Contents Table of figures ................................................................................................ 3 Abstract ........................................................................................................... 6 Declaration ...................................................................................................... 7 Acknowledgments ........................................................................................... 9 1 INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY ................................................. 10 1.1 The history of dyke studies ................................................................. 13 1.2 The methodology used to analyse dykes ............................................ 26 2 THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DYKES ............................................. 36 2.1 Identification and classification ........................................................... 37 2.2 Tables ................................................................................................. 39 2.3 Probable early-medieval dykes ........................................................... 42 2.4 Possible early-medieval dykes ........................................................... 48 2.5 Probable rebuilt prehistoric or Roman dykes ...................................... 51 2.6 Probable reused prehistoric
    [Show full text]
  • A Breach in the Family
    The Lloyd Georges J Graham Jones examines the defections, in the 1950s, of the children of David Lloyd George: Megan to Labour, and her brother Gwilym to the Conservatives. AA breachbreach inin thethe familyfamily G. thinks that Gwilym will go to the right and she became a cogent exponent of her father’s ‘LMegan to the left, eventually. He wants his dramatic ‘New Deal’ proposals to deal with unem- money spent on the left.’ Thus did Lloyd George’s ployment and related social problems. Although op- trusted principal private secretary A. J. Sylvester posed by a strong local Labour candidate in the per- write in his diary entry for April when dis- son of Holyhead County Councillor Henry Jones in cussing his employer’s heartfelt concern over the fu- the general election of , she secured the votes of ture of his infamous Fund. It was a highly prophetic large numbers of Labour sympathisers on the island. comment. The old man evidently knew his children. In , she urged Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin to welcome the Jarrow marchers, and she battled he- Megan roically (although ultimately in vain) to gain Special Megan Lloyd George had first entered Parliament at Assisted Area Status for Anglesey. Megan’s innate only twenty-seven years of age as the Liberal MP for radicalism and natural independence of outlook Anglesey in the We Can Conquer Unemployment gen- grew during the years of the Second World War, eral election of May , the first women mem- which she saw as a vehicle of social change, espe- ber ever to be elected in Wales.
    [Show full text]
  • Brexit-Tales from a Divided Country: Fragmented Nationalism in Anthony Cartwright’S the Cut, Amanda Craig’S the Lie of the Land, and Jonathan Coe’S Middle England
    Brexit-Tales from a Divided Country: Fragmented Nationalism in Anthony Cartwright’s The Cut, Amanda Craig’s The Lie of the Land, and Jonathan Coe’s Middle England Emma Linders, S2097052 Master thesis: Literary Studies, Literature in Society: Europe and Beyond University of Leiden Supervisor: Prof. Dr. P.T.M.G. Liebregts Second reader: Dr. M.S. Newton Date: 01-02-2020 (Zaichenko) Emma Linders 2 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 3 CHAPTER 1 – Strangers in a Familiar Land: National divisions in Anthony Cartwright’s The Cut ......... 10 Outsider Perspective ......................................................................................................................... 10 Personification .................................................................................................................................. 11 Demographic Divides ........................................................................................................................ 11 Foreign Home Nation ........................................................................................................................ 13 Class Society ...................................................................................................................................... 14 Geography ......................................................................................................................................... 16 Language
    [Show full text]
  • The Anglo-Saxons
    The Anglo-Saxons WALT: Understand key information about Anglo-Saxon times. When? Who can remember when the Romans left Britain? In around 410AD, after 300 years here, the Romans returned to Rome. Who did that leave here in Britain? The Britons were left in what is today England and Wales. The Picts and Scots lived in modern-day Scotland and kept trying to take over British land. When did the Anglo-Saxons arrive? They had been coming over since around 300AD to trade, but they began settling in around 450AD. Who? ‘Anglo-Saxons’ is the name historians have given to the settlers of Britain from 450AD. They are actually made up of 4 distinct tribes, who arrived at around the same time. The tribes were separately known as the Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Frisians. Where did they come from? Do you know what these places are called today and who lives there? Where did they come from? The tribes came from the area that is today known as Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. These fearsome warriors rowed across the North Sea in wooden boats to England and forced the tribes in Britain to flee their homes. (We will look at their settlements in another lesson.) Within a few centuries, the land they had invaded was known as England, after the Angles. The Anglo-Saxons were warrior- farmers. (We will think about possible reasons for them coming to Britain in another lesson.) The Anglo-Saxons were tall, fair- haired men, armed with swords and spears and round shields. Their other skills consisted of hunting, farming, textile production and leather working.
    [Show full text]
  • Princes of Gwynedd Guidebook
    Princes of Gwynedd Guidebook Discover the legends of the mighty princes of Gwynedd in the awe-inspiring landscape of North Wales PRINCES OF GWYNEDD GUIDEBOOK Front Cover: Criccieth Castle2 © Princes of Gwynedd 2013 of © Princes © Cadw, Welsh Government (Crown Copyright) This page: Dolwyddelan Castle © Conwy County Borough Council PRINCES OF GWYNEDD GUIDEBOOK 3 Dolwyddelan Castle Inside this book Step into the dramatic, historic landscapes of Wales and discover the story of the princes of Gwynedd, Wales’ most successful medieval dynasty. These remarkable leaders were formidable warriors, shrewd politicians and generous patrons of literature and architecture. Their lives and times, spanning over 900 years, have shaped the country that we know today and left an enduring mark on the modern landscape. This guidebook will show you where to find striking castles, lost palaces and peaceful churches from the age of the princes. www.snowdoniaheritage.info/princes 4 THE PRINCES OF GWYNEDD TOUR © Sarah McCarthy © Sarah Castell y Bere The princes of Gwynedd, at a glance Here are some of our top recommendations: PRINCES OF GWYNEDD GUIDEBOOK 5 Why not start your journey at the ruins of Deganwy Castle? It is poised on the twin rocky hilltops overlooking the mouth of the River Conwy, where the powerful 6th-century ruler of Gwynedd, Maelgwn ‘the Tall’, once held court. For more information, see page 15 © Princes of Gwynedd of © Princes If it’s a photo opportunity you’re after, then Criccieth Castle, a much contested fortress located high on a headland above Tremadog Bay, is a must. For more information, see page 15 © Princes of Gwynedd of © Princes If you prefer a remote, more contemplative landscape, make your way to Cymer Abbey, the Cistercian monastery where monks bred fine horses for Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, known as Llywelyn ‘the Great’.
    [Show full text]
  • Llywelyn the Last
    LLYWELYN THE LAST KEY STAGE 3 Medieval Wales was a place of warring kings who often met violent deaths, sometimes at the hands of members of their own family! These struggles were usually over local power and influence. All these rulers thought of themselves as Welsh, but their main concern was usually their own small kingdom (and staying alive long enough to help it flourish). The fortunes of these different Welsh kingdoms had risen and fallen over time, but in the thirteenth century the land of Gwynedd in north-west Wales became particularly powerful under the leadership of Llywelyn Fawr (‘Llywelyn the Great’). A skilled military leader, he defeated many rival Welsh rulers and at his death controlled much of Wales. Gwynedd’s power would reach its height, however, under Llywelyn Fawr’s grandson, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (‘Llywelyn the Last’). Llywelyn ap Gruffudd conquered several Welsh kingdoms, and soon claimed to be ruler over the whole of Wales, calling himself ‘Prince of Wales’. Many Welsh leaders swore loyalty to Llywelyn and recognised his authority, although even now some Welsh lords opposed him. The troubles experienced by a weakened English crown at this time saw Henry III sign the Treaty of Montgomery in 1267 which recognised Llywelyn’s title as Prince of Wales and ensured it would be passed on to his successors. ‘Wales’ now had a leader and a hereditary office he could occupy. Llywelyn had squeezed concessions out of Henry III who was a relatively ineffective English king, but the next king, Edward, was a different prospect. Edward I came to the throne in 1272.
    [Show full text]
  • The Labour Party and the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939
    1 Britain and the Basque Campaign of 1937: The Government, the Royal Navy, the Labour Party and the Press. To a large extent, the reaction of foreign powers dictated both the course and the outcome of the Civil War. The policies of four of the five major protagonists, Britain, France, Germany and Italy were substantially influenced by hostility to the fifth, the Soviet Union. Suspicion of the Soviet Union had been a major determinant of the international diplomacy of the Western powers since the revolution of October 1917. The Spanish conflict was the most recent battle in a European civil war. The early tolerance shown to both Hitler and Mussolini in the international arena was a tacit sign of approval of their policies towards the left in general and towards communism in particular. During the Spanish Civil War, it became apparent that this British and French complaisance regarding Italian and German social policies was accompanied by myopia regarding Fascist and Nazi determination to alter the international balance of power. Yet even when such ambitions could no longer be ignored, the residual sympathy for fascism of British policy-makers ensured that their first response would be simply to try to divert such ambitions in an anti-communist, and therefore Eastwards, direction.1 Within that broad aim, the Conservative government adopted a general policy of appeasement with the primary objective of reaching a rapprochement with Fascist Italy to divert Mussolini from aligning with a potentially hostile Nazi Germany and Japan. Given the scale of British imperial commitments, both financial and military, there would be no possibility of confronting all three at the same time.
    [Show full text]
  • The Oxford Companion to English Literature, 6Th Edition
    e cabal, from the Hebrew word qabbalah, a secret an elderly man. He is said by *Bede to have been an intrigue of a sinister character formed by a small unlearned herdsman who received suddenly, in a body of persons; or a small body of persons engaged in vision, the power of song, and later put into English such an intrigue; in British history applied specially to verse passages translated to him from the Scriptures. the five ministers of Charles II who signed the treaty of The name Caedmon cannot be explained in English, alliance with France for war against Holland in 1672; and has been conjectured to be Celtic (an adaptation of these were Clifford, Arlington, *Buckingham, Ashley the British Catumanus). In 1655 François Dujon (see SHAFTESBURY, first earl of), and Lauderdale, the (Franciscus Junius) published at Amsterdam from initials of whose names thus arranged happened to the unique Bodleian MS Junius II (c.1000) long scrip­ form the word 'cabal' [0£D]. tural poems, which he took to be those of Casdmon. These are * Genesis, * Exodus, *Daniel, and * Christ and Cade, Jack, Rebellion of, a popular revolt by the men of Satan, but they cannot be the work of Caedmon. The Kent in June and July 1450, Yorkist in sympathy, only work which can be attributed to him is the short against the misrule of Henry VI and his council. Its 'Hymn of Creation', quoted by Bede, which survives in intent was more to reform political administration several manuscripts of Bede in various dialects. than to create social upheaval, as the revolt of 1381 had attempted.
    [Show full text]