LLYWELYN AB IORWERTH: THE MAKING OF A WELSH PRINCE Margaret Wrenn Cole A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of St. Andrews 2012 Full metadata for this item is available in Research@StAndrews:FullText at: http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/ Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/2558 This item is protected by original copyright Llywelyn ab Iorwerth: The Making of a Welsh Prince Margaret Wrenn Cole Submitted for the degree of PhD at the University of St. Andrews January 2012 ABSTRACT: Llywelyn ab Iorwerth (1173-1140) has long been considered one of the leading heroes of Wales. The life and rule of Llywelyn, known as Llywelyn the Great, is explored in detail in this thesis. The grandson of Owain Gwynedd, ruler of North Wales from 1137-1170, Llywelyn grew up during the period of turmoil following Owain‘s death. After wresting control of Gwynedd from his rival family members in the latter decade of the 12th century, he proceeded to gain recognition as the foremost representative of Wales on the political stage. Although viewed as a legendary hero in Welsh history, poetry and culture, Llywelyn's route to power is more complex than that. The thesis explores the development of the man from rebel and warlord, to leader and spokesman, to statesman, traces the expansion of his hegemony throughout wales, and discusses the methods he used to gain and maintain power. Particular attention is paid to his use of family, marriage, allies, rivals and the church to achieve his goals. These insights can be derived from the surviving charters, letters, and other acta of Llywelyn and the Royal Chancery of England, the titles accorded therein, Welsh and English chronicles, as well as, occasionally, Venedotian Poetry. Finally, this thesis seeks to address the limitations on Llywelyn‘s successes, in light of succeeding events and concludes with a discussion of Llywelyn‘s legendary status in the modern world. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am indebted to the following for their help or support over the past several years: Firstly, to Alex Woolf, Supervisor Extraordinaire, who let me approach this massive undertaking in my own way and understood sometimes life got in the way. Secondly, to the Overseas Research Studentship Committee and to the School of History for the financial support in the first three years. I would never have been able to attempt this project without the ORS grant and the various bursaries from the school for training and research. Thirdly, to the Librarians at the Bodleian and Taylorian, and History Faculty Libraries in Oxford and the National Library of Wales for always pointing me in the right direction to find my books, fetching and photocopying. Also to my family, my mother for the extra financial and emotional support, my father who reminded me that marriage did not end my goals, and the rest of my family, Andy, Tess, Jed and Mary Jo, whose pride in me kept me going on many a long night: I tried not to let you down. Finally, and most importantly, I need to thank my husband, Michael, without whose ability to spot grammatical mistakes in a heartbeat, his willingness to help wherever he could, I‘d have given up long ago. Michael was always there, always helpful, always supportive, and understood better than anyone. Without his calming words I would never have even come close to completing this work. v ABBREVIATIONS Brenhinedd Jones, Thomas, ed. trans., Brenhinedd Y Saesson, or the Kings of the Saxons, Cardiff, University of Wales Press, 1971. Brut: Pen. 20 Jones, Thomas, ed. trans., Brut Y Tywysogyon, Peniarth MS 20 Version, Cardiff, University of Wales Press, 1941. Brut: RBH Jones, Thomas, ed., Brut Y Tywysogyon or the Chronicle of the Princes, Red Book of Hergest Version, Cardiff, University of Wales Press, 1955. Close Rolls,1227-1231, Close Rolls of the Reign of Henry III, 1227- 1231, London, Public Record Office, 1902. Patent Rolls, 1216-1225 Patent Rolls of the Reign of Henry III, 1216- 1225, London, Public Record Office, 1901 Patent Rolls, 1225-1232 Patent Rolls of the Reign of Henry III, 1225- 1232, London, Public Record Office, 1901. Patent Rolls, 1233-1247 Patent Rolls of the Reign of Henry III, 1232- 1247, London, Public Record Office, 1901 Rotuli Chartarum Hardy, Thoma Duffus, ed., Rotuli Chartarum in Turri Londinensi, Public Records Office, 1837. Rotuli Litterarum Patentium Hardy, Thoma Duffus, ed., Rotuli Litterarum Patentium in Turri Londinesi, Public Records Office, 1835. Rotuli Litterarum Clausarum Hardy, Thoma Duffus, ed., Rotuli Litterarum Clausarum in Turri Londinesi, Vols, 1-2, Public Records Office, 1833-1844. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ii Declarations iii Acknowledgements v List of Abbreviations vi Introduction 1 PART 1: FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE Chapter 1: A Welsh Warlord: 1173-1211 20 Chapter 2: The Learning Curve: 1211-1228 50 Chapter 3: Proved Warrior and Elder Statesman: 1228-1238 81 Chapter 4: Denouement 105 PART 2: RELATIONSHIPS AND THEMES Chapter 5: ‗Conventionally Pious‘ 113 Chapter 6: Ruling Wales 132 Chapter 7: The Consort, Joan: more than wife, less than perfect 154 Chapter 8: The Myth and the Man 170 Conclusion 192 Appendices 209 Bibliography 219 vii INTRODUCTION More than eight hundred years worth of hindsight has allowed historians to look upon the reign of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth with rose-tinted glasses. As a boy, disinherited and exiled from his patrimony, his story presents as ‗rags-to- riches‘, the struggle from a puppy in hiding to top dog. Arguably, a unifier of Wales, he was the inspiration for his grandson Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, and the first to attempt to unite Wales as a single entity under one ‗prince‘. Dealt with on a semantic basis, the above statement is technically accurate. Of course, Llywelyn ab Iorwerth‘s rise to the top and rule is far more problematical than the previous paragraph would lead one to believe. It seems to most that Llywelyn was always destined for greatness. His final epithet, enshrined in the memory of many a Welsh historian: ‗Mawr‘, elucidates a picture of a man larger-than-life who by sheer force of will and political acumen united Wales under his person. However, it is unjust to suggest that this diplomat and ruler was such from the moment he appeared on the Welsh political scene, a mere stripling. Perhaps it is fair to say that he developed many of the qualifications of being an elder statesman and ruler, but his beginning was much bloodier and more war-torn. Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, to become that great hero: Llywelyn Mawr, had to experience all the vagaries of life and perhaps learn from not only his own mistakes but his chance misfortunes as well. Perhaps, the most damning comment that can be made of the man was that he was a victor of circumstances as much as by his own acumen and talent. It is these aspects of his life and rule that this thesis will discuss more fully. 1 SOURCES The historian studying Llywelyn ab Iorwerth and his place in the history of thirteenth century of Medieval Wales is generally felt to be in luck. Most primary sources are readily available in modern or nineteenth century printed editions, easy to access and use. However, there remains a wide variety of problems in using and interpreting these documents. These can come in the form of a range of intricate primary sources, the complexity of their interpretation and use, the difficulty of languages, both in the sources and in modern secondary literature, and in both the preponderance and lack of secondary literature specific aspects of the period. The difficulties involved in working with primary sources for the student of Medieval Welsh History come in many forms, including problems involved in dealing with modern editions of printed sources; or in the interpretation of bias by the authors of surviving records; or, finally, the date of the surviving documents themselves. The complications of consulting printed material are manifestly wide. Generally considering these problems is the task of most historians using any form of primary source. In the first instance, the discerning scholar should be aware that the printed text is an edited version of the original, often including expansions of abbreviations common in medieval texts. They often also include minor changes that reflect what the editor believed to be corrections of the original text. It is worth remembering that this problem can also be found in seemingly ‗contemporary‘ sources where a scribe has changed the original document from which he is copying, or in the case of a re-issued charter most commonly, has omitted sections of the original that he found objectionable. 2 However, printed material is far more accessible, as well as easier for the modern historian to read than the original manuscripts and therefore widely used. Moreover, many manuscripts found in earlier collections of materials are no longer extant, and thus some earlier printed editions of medieval documents are problems in and of themselves. There is no way to guarantee to what extent the transcribers were true to the originals, and one has to simultaneously accept these printed sources on faith as well as viewing the text with a dose of scepticism. The primary sources relating to thirteenth century Wales that are extant in printed editions exist in the form of chronicles, legal codes, poetry, and a variety of letters and charters. Most of the chronicles and legal codes as well as some of the letters that are found in English archives are printed in the University of Wales Press History and Law Series.