Conan son Howel Dha, who hired them against Rytherch ap Jestyn, of Lago mar- whom they discomfited and slew." ries the daughter of an Irish prince, and invades N. Wales at the head of an Irish army A.D. 1041. which is de feated by the Welshmen. He collects a second Irish force with no bet ter success A.P. 1050. Harold son of Earl God wyn, accused of treason, takes refuge in Ireland. Conan, son of lago, conlive in Ire tinues to land A.D. 1054. His son A.D. 1041 (pp. 92, 93.) "At this time Conan the son of Iago (who had fled to Ireland to save his life) with the power of Alfred king of Deuelyn, whose daughter Ranulph he had maried, entred North Wales, and by treason had taken Gruffyth the king and caried him towards the ships; but when it was knowen, the countrie upon the sudden folowed the Irishmen, and overtaking them rescued their prince, requiting their foes with much slaughter to their ships who returned streight with Conan to Ireland." A.D. 1050 (pp. 94, 95.) “In the yeare 1050 Conan the son of Iago did gather an armie of his friends in Ireland, minding to recover his inheritance againe, and as he sailed towards Wales, there arose such a tempest, that it scattered his navie abroade, and drowned the most part of his ships, so that he was disappointed of his purpose and lost his labour. Shortly after Robert Archbishop of Canturburie accused Earle Godwyn and his sonnes Swayne and Haroald of treason they refused to appeare being called before the king, who bicause were banished the land . . . whereupon Godwyn with Swayne fled to Flanders, and Haroald to Ireland " A.D. 1054. Below this date we read, (pp. 103, 104,) "After the decease of king or prince Gruffyth, Meredyth the sonne of Owen . . . did take upon him the government of South Wales, and Blethyn and Rywalhon " did govern North Wales, Conan the son of Iago being all this time with his father in Ireland A.D. 1078, 9 (p. 114.) "In the year folowing GrufGruffyth in- fyth the sonne of Conan did bring a great armie of Irishvades Wales men and Scots into Wales, and joined with Rees ap with a great Theodor as two right heires of the whole countrie army of Irishmen, against whom came Trahaern ap Caradoc, &c. &c., and he in those daies were the chiefe rulers of all Wales. who And gain the so they fought a cruel battle... But at the length and Rees ap the victorie to Gruffyth and Rees, and Trahaern with Theodor his cousens were all slain and the most part of their peo- vereignty of ple. Then the kingdomes of Wales came under the rule their counof the right heires again." try. From the annals given under the reign of this Gruffyth ap Conan here mentioned are taken all the extracts which next follow, as far as to that connected with A.D. 1137 inclusive. A. D. 1078. Death of William the driven out A.D. 1087 (p. 116.) "In the yeare 1087 William Bas- Conqueror tard king of all Brytaine and Duke of Normandie died, and censure when he had left never a noble man of English bloud of his opwithin England, but had robbed, spoiled, slaine, or ba- pression of the English. nished them all, and given their lands to his owne men.' A. D. 1087. (p. 117.) "The same yeare all the sonnes of Blethyn Rees ap ap Convyn, sometime king of Wales gathered their Tewdor strength together against Rees ap Tewdor, who not being able to meete with them, fled to Ireland, and there of his principality, rehe purchased himself great freends, and got an armie of covers doIrishmen and Scots, to whom he promised great rewards, minion by when he should obtaine his kingdome and so landed in the aid of an South Wales with these strangers. Which when his friends hard of they drew to him, and the other came in all hast, thinking to fight with him before his power should increase, and at Lhechryd they gave him battell, where they were discomfited, and two of the brethren slain, to wit, Madoc and Riryd, and the other fled." Irish army. gressions on A.D. 1091 (pp. 151, 152.) “ At this time Cadogan ap The NorBlethyn ap Convyn destroied all Dyuet in the end of mans begin April: and shortlie after the same summer, the Nor- to make agmanes in great companies landed in Dyuet or West the Welsh Wales and Cardigan, and builded castels there, and so territories. began to inhabite the countrie upon the sea shoare." A.D. 1091. Rise of the family of Montgomery to power in Wales. "The Normans having gotten into their hands all the lands and livings of the nobilitie of England, began to spie out the commodities of Wales; and seeing that Robert Fitzhamon, and the other knights that went with him had sped so well they made sute to the king to grant them the lands of the Welshmen. Whereupon the king, thinking that to be the best waie for him, as well to incourage them to be the more willing to serve him, as also to provide for them at other mens cost, granted to divers of his nobles sundry countries in Wales, to hold of him by knyght service; for the which they did homage and sweare fealtie unto him as foloweth : 1. Roger Mountgomery, Earl of Arundel and Salope did his homage for the lordships of Powys and Caerdigan. 3. Arnulph a younger sonne of Roger Mountgomery for Dyuet. &c."-(Powel's additions.) "Then Roger de Mountgomery, to whom the conqueror had given the Earledom of Arundell and Salopsburie or Shrewsburie entred into Powys land, and wan the castell and towne of Baldwyn, which he fortified, and called it Mountgomery after his own name. The same yeare Gruffyth ap Conan king of North Wales, with Cadogan ap Blethyn, who then ruled South Wales entred the land Norman in of Cardigan, and killed a great number of Normanes, being not able anie longer to suffer their pride and crueltie [and shortly after again] Cadogan [returned and] spoiled the countrie of Caerdigan and Dyuet, and Gruffyth ap Conan attacks the vaders, and inflicts much loss on them. ... destroied all the castels saving two, which were Penbrooke and Rydcors, which he could not get, and so returned to Powys with much joie." A.D. 1093 (pp. 152, 153.) “Then William Rufus ... Wm. Rufus gathered his power together, and entered Wales at makes an Mountgomery, which castell being latelie overthrowne by expedition the Welshmen he re-edified again." * A.D. 1094 "About this time Roger Mountgomery, Earle of Salope and Arundell . . . [was] slaine by the Welshmen."-(Powel.) into Wales. A. D. 1093. Windsor Eod. [The Normans having suffered much loss] (pp. The Welsh 154-6.) "Then the ancient dwellers enjoied their coun- making tries againe quietlie. Moreover certeine lords of North the Norhead against Wals. with the children of Cadogan ap Blethyn of mans, GePowys land, gathered a number of men, and passed rald de through Cardiganshire to Dyuet (which countrie the defends Arking a little before had given to Arnulph sonne to Roger nulph MontMountgomery, who had builded there the castle of Pen- gomery's brooke; and appointed keeper and steward of the same castle of one Gerald de Windsore) and there burned, spoiled and against destroied all the countrie, saving the said castell of Pen- their asbrooke which they could not winne, and so returned home saults. with great bootie, &c." Pembroke Wm. Rufus, "The yeare folowing William Rufus returning from Threatened Normandie to England, and hearing of the great slaugh. with a new ter of his men doone by the Welshmen, gathered all his invasion by power, and with great pompe and pride entred Wales. they apply But the Brytaines fearing the great strength of the king, to the Alput their hope onlie in the Almightie Lord, turning to mighty for him in fasting, praier and repentance of their sinnes; succeed in and he that never forsaketh the penitent and contrite repelling hart, heard their praiers; so that the Normanes and the enemy. Englishmen durst never enter the land, but such as en- A.D. 1094-5. tred were all slaine, and the king returned with small honor after he had built certain castels in the marches. help; and Hugh Mont of Arundel, &c., and Hugh Earl of Chester entering N. Wales. A. D. 1096. Griffith and succour ; A.D. 1096. "The yeare following being 1096 Hugh de gomery Earl Mountgomerie Earle of Arundell and Salopsburie and Hugh Earle of Chester, and a great number of nobles more, did gather a huge armie, and entred into North Wales, being thereto moved by certeine lords of the countrie. But Gruffyth ap Conan the prince, and Cadogan ap Blethyn tooke the hills and mountaines for their defense; bicause they were not able to meete with the Erles, neither durst they well trust their owne men. And so the Erles came over against the Ile of Môn or Anglesey where they did build a castell of Aberlhiennawc. Then Griffith and Cadogan did go to Anglesey, thinking to defend the Ile, and sent for succour to Ireland: but they received verie small. Then the treason appeared, for Owen ap Edwyn (who was the princes cheefe counseller, and his father in law, whose daughter Gruffyth had married, having himself also married Everyth the daughter of Convyn, aunt to Cadogan) was the cheefe caller of those strangers into Wales, who openlie went with all his power to them, and did lead them to the Ile of Anglesey; which thing when Gruffyth and Cadogan and at perceived, they sailed to Ireland, mistrusting the treason length sail thither of their owne people. Then the Earles spoiled the Ile, themselves. and slew all that they found there. And at the verie same time Magnus the sonne of Haroald came with a great navie of ships towards England, minding to laie faster hold upon that kingdome than his father had doone, and being driven by chance to Anglesey, would have landed there, but the Earles kept him from the land. And there Magnus with an arrow stroke Hugh earle of Salop in the face that he died thereof." Death of Hugh Montgomery. A.D. 1098. "In the year 1098 returned Gruffyth ap The Welsh Conan and Cadogan ap Blethyn from Ireland, and made peace with the Normanes, and gave them part of their inheritance; for Gruffyth remained in Môn, and Cadogan had Cardigan and a peece of Powys land. About princes Gruffyth and Cado gan return |