13th century in Wales explained

		Other years in Wales
	Other events of the century

This article is about the particular significance of the century 1201–1300 to Wales and its people.

Princes of Wales

Llywelyn the Great (c. 1218–1240)
Dafydd ap Llywelyn (1240–1246)
Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (c. 1246–1282)
Dafydd ap Gruffudd (1282–83)

(Also Madog ap Llywelyn, proclaimed prince during revolt of 1294–95)^[1]

Events

1201

Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Gwynedd, takes Eifionydd and Llŷn from Maredudd ap Cynan on a charge of treachery.^[2]
July – Llywelyn makes a treaty with King John of England.
Valle Crucis Abbey founded by Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor.^[3]

1202

August – Llywelyn the Great attacks Gwenwynwyn ab Owain of Powys.

1203

7 November – Geoffrey de Henlaw is consecrated as Bishop of St David's.^[4]

1204

King John of England suspects Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester, of colluding with the Welsh and has his estates temporarily confiscated.

1205

probable – Llywelyn the Great marries Joan, illegitimate daughter of King John of England.^[5]

1206

King John gives Skenfrith Castle, Grosmont Castle and White Castle to William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber.
Gerald of Wales makes his fourth visit to Rome.^[6]

1208

March – For failing to intervene in the rebellion of William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber, Walter II de Clifford is deprived of his Marcher barony of Clifford by King John of England.
Gwenwynwyn ab Owain is arrested by King John. Llywelyn the Great annexes Gwenwynwyn's territory of southern Powys.

1209

Llywelyn the Great accompanies his father-in-law, King John of England, on campaign against King William I of Scotland.

1210

Maud de Braose and her son William are captured and imprisoned by King John, first at Windsor Castle and then at Corfe Castle, where they are starved to death.
Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester, and Peter des Roches lead an army into Gwynedd. To impede their progress, Llywelyn destroys his own castle at Deganwy, which Ranulf subsequently rebuilds.^[7]

1211

August – King John of England invades Gwynedd with assistance from other Welsh princes and, at his second attempt, penetrates the heart of Llywelyn the Great's territory.^[8] When Robert of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bangor, refuses to meet John, Bangor is burned and the bishop is taken prisoner.

1212

Pope Innocent III releases Llywelyn the Great and other Welsh princes from their oaths of loyalty to King John; Llywelyn re-takes most of Gwynedd.

1213

Llywelyn the Great takes the castles of Deganwy and Rhuddlan.

1214

4 December – Llywelyn the Great captures Shrewsbury without resistance.

1215

15 June – A clause in Magna Carta compels release of Llywelyn the Great's son Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Fawr, held as a hostage.
21 June – Cadwgan of Llandyfai is consecrated as Bishop of Bangor.
December – Llywelyn captures the south Wales castles of Carmarthen, Kidwelly, Llanstephan, Cardigan and Cilgerran.
Reginald de Braose, marries Gwladus Ddu.

1216

19 October – The death of King John of England and the accession of his son as Henry III relieve political tensions between England and Wales.
Llywelyn the Great holds a council at Aberdyfi to adjudicate on the territorial claims of the lesser princes of Wales.

1217

9 October – Gilbert de Clare, 5th Earl of Gloucester, marries Isabel Marshal (on her 17th birthday).
Hugh de Lacy, 1st Earl of Ulster, completes the rebuilding of the church at Llanthony Priory.
Reginald de Braose, son-in-law of Llywelyn the Great, goes over to the English; Llywelyn responds by attacking de Braose's lands. De Braose surrenders Swansea to Llywelyn.

1218

Treaty of Worcester: Llywelyn the Great makes peace with King Henry III of England, his brother-in-law.

1219

John de Braose, grandson of William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber, marries Marared, daughter of Llywelyn the Great.

1220

King Henry III of England recognises Dafydd ap Llywelyn as the heir of Llywelyn the Great.
Hostilities break out between Llywelyn and William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke.

1221

Approximate date of the building of Castell y Bere by Llywelyn the Great.

1222

Llywelyn the Great petitions Pope Honorius II to confirm the succession of his legitimate son, Dafydd ap Llywelyn.
Elen ferch Llywelyn marries John the Scot, Earl of Chester.

1223

William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, retaliates against Llywelyn the Great, recovering Pembroke.

1226

Pope Honorius III legitimizes Joan, Lady of Wales, at the request of her husband, Llywelyn the Great.
Regents of King Henry III of England order William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, to surrender the castles of Cardigan and Carmarthen.

1228

Gilbert de Clare, 5th Earl of Gloucester, leads an army against the Welsh, capturing Morgan Gam.

1229

King Henry III of England accepts the homage of Dafydd ap Llywelyn for the lands he will inherit from his father, Llywelyn the Great.

1230

Easter – William de Braose, during a visit to Llywelyn the Great, is found in the bedchamber of Llywelyn's wife Joan. De Braose is hanged and Joan is placed under house arrest.
probable – Dafydd ap Llywelyn marries Isabella de Braose, daughter of William de Braose.
probable – The widowed Gwladus Ddu marries Ralph de Mortimer of Wigmore.
Hay-on-Wye Castle passes into the hands of the de Bohun family.

1231

9 February – Anselm le Gras is consecrated as Bishop of St David's.

1232

Walter III de Clifford marries Margaret, a daughter of Llywelyn the Great.

1233

Walter III de Clifford, with a force of 200 men, defends Bronllys Castle against his father-in-law, Llywelyn the Great.

1234

January – Llywelyn the Great, in alliance with Richard Marshal, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, takes Shrewsbury.
21 June – Peace of Middle ends hostilities between Llywelyn the Great and the English Crown.
Gilbert Marshal, 4th Earl of Pembroke, begins enlarging and further strengthening Pembroke Castle.

1238

At Strata Florida Abbey, Welsh princes swear fealty to Dafydd ap Llywelyn as heir to Llywelyn the Great.

1240

11 April – Dafydd ap Llywelyn succeeds his father, Llywelyn the Great, as Prince of Gwynedd and Wales.
15 May – the Treaty of Gloucester is signed by Dafydd ap Llywelyn and Henry III.

1241

17 March – Dafydd sends representatives to Shrewsbury to discuss the ownership of disputed lands as required by the Treaty of Gloucester, though he absents himself. The meeting, and several others, prove fruitless.
August – King Henry III of England invades Gwynedd.
29 August – the Treaty of Gwerneigron is signed by Dafydd ap Llywelyn and Henry III. In it, Dafydd agrees to cede most of modern-day Flintshire to Henry. Shortly thereafter, Dafydd hands over his half-brother, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Fawr, to Henry for imprisonment in the Tower of London.

1244

1 March – after several years of imprisonment, Gruffudd ap Llywelyn Fawr dies in an escape attempt. Dafydd ap Llywelyn wages war in the Marches against Henry III.

1245

March – Dafydd ap Llywelyn recovers much of Flintshire, including Mold Castle.
August – Henry III of England invades Gwynedd. After being defeated in battle by Dafydd ap Llywelyn, he proceeds to Deganwy and refortifies the castle there.
Autumn – Henry III withdraws to England.
Following representations from Henry, the Vatican reverses its decision to recognise Dafydd as rightful ruler of Wales.

1246

25 February – Dafydd ap Llywelyn dies at Abergwyngregyn; he is succeeded by his nephews, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and Owain ap Gruffudd.

1247

20 February – An earthquake damages St David's Cathedral.
April – Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and his brother Owain Goch ap Gruffydd come to terms with King Henry III of England at Woodstock.
December – Richard de Clare, 6th Earl of Gloucester, keeps a lavish Christmas court at his castle on the Welsh borders.

1252

July – the earliest known document issued by Dafydd ap Gruffydd is drawn up; in it, he is referred to as 'lord of Cymydmaen'. From this point on Dafydd plays an increasingly important role in Welsh politics.

1255

June – Llywelyn ap Gruffudd defeats his brothers Dafydd ap Gruffydd and Owain Goch ap Gruffydd at the Battle of Bryn Derwin.

1256

November – Llywelyn ap Gruffudd crosses the River Conwy to take control of Gwynedd Is Conwy. With him is his brother Dafydd ap Gruffydd, who has been released from captivity.

1257

June – A Norman army, sent to reclaim the lands taken from Rhys Fychan by his brother, Maredudd ap Rhys Grug, is defeated by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd at the Battle of Cymerau.

1258

Llywelyn ap Gruffudd begins using the title "Prince of Wales"; a short-lived Cambro-Scottish treaty is concluded.

1260

Approximate date of the building of the chapel at Manorbier Castle.

1262

July – Following his father's death, Richard de Clare, 6th Earl of Gloucester, becomes the ward of Humphrey de Bohun, 2nd Earl of Hereford.

1263

Dafydd ap Gruffydd enters an alliance with King Edward I of England.

1265

22 June – Treaty of Pipton establishes an alliance between Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester.

1267

Under the terms of the Treaty of Montgomery, King Henry III of England recognises Llywelyn ap Gruffudd as Prince of Wales.

1268

Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford, refuses to obey the King's summons to parliament, alleging that, his Welsh estates needed his presence for their defence against Llewelyn ap Gruffudd.
Work begins on Caerphilly Castle.

1272

English bishops Godfrey Giffard and Roger de Meyland negotiate with Llywelyn ap Gruffudd.
Traditional construction date of fortified stone Monnow Bridge at Monmouth.

1274

Dafydd ap Gruffydd allies himself with King Edward I of England, and conspires with Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn to assassinate Dafydd's brother Llywelyn.

1275

Following her mother's death, Eleanor de Montfort begins her journey to Wales by sea for her marriage with Llywelyn ap Gruffudd. She is captured by "pirates" and taken prisoner by King Edward I of England.

1276

King Edward I of England declares Llywelyn ap Gruffudd a rebel and marches on Wales.
Llewelyn seizes Llanrwst, declaring it a "free borough" independent of the diocese of Llanelwy.

1277

24 June – Humphrey de Bohun, 3rd Earl of Hereford, convenes an army of Marcher lords at Worcester.
Treaty of Aberconwy is signed by Edward I of England and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd.
Llywelyn ap Gruffudd releases his elder brother, Owain Goch ap Gruffydd, from captivity.
Edward I begins construction of castles at Aberystwyth (on a new site), Flint and Rhuddlan, in the latter case involving canalising part of the River Clwyd.

1278

October – Llywelyn ap Gruffudd is formally married to Eleanor de Montfort at the door of Worcester Cathedral. King Edward I of England attends the ceremony and pays for the celebrations.

1280

6 October – Thomas Bek is consecrated as Bishop of St David's.
Neath Fair and Llanidloes Market chartered.

1282

Palm Sunday – Dafydd ap Gruffudd attacks Hawarden Castle.
June – an English army is routed at the battle of Llandeilo.
Autumn – Archbishop John Peckham unsuccessfully attempts to intercede between King Edward I of England and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd.
7 October – Edward I of England grants the lordship of Bromfield and Yale to John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey, who begins construction of Holt Castle and laying out of a new English town of Holt.
6 November – An English army attempting to cross the Menai Strait from Anglesey is routed by Welsh forces in the battle of Moel-y-Don. In spite of the setback, English forces continue to make inroads into Gwynedd.
11 December – Death of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd at the Battle of Orewin Bridge in Cilmeri while making his way south to gather support. Dafydd ap Gruffudd succeeds him as prince.

1283

18 January – Surrender of Dolwyddelan Castle.
25 April – Cynfrig ap Madog surrenders Castell y Bere to the English.
22 June – Dafydd ap Gruffudd is captured by King Edward I of England.
3 October (2?) – Dafydd ap Gruffudd is executed at Shrewsbury.
Edward obliges the Cistercians of Aberconwy Abbey to relocate to Maenan Abbey to permit his erection of a castle and walled town at Conwy. He also begins work on the stone-built Caernarfon Castle.

1284

3 March – King Edward I of England enacts the Statute of Rhuddlan, promulgated on 19 March at Rhuddlan Castle, providing the constitutional basis for the government of the Principality of North Wales.
August – Edward holds court at Abergwyngregyn.
Edward holds the first "Round Table" tournament, at Nefyn.^[9]

1285

May – The Cross of Neith, an important religious relic acquired from Wales, is carried through London at the head of a royal procession.
2 September – Isabella Mortimer, Countess of Arundel, marries, as her third husband, Robert de Hastang. She is subsequently fined the sum of £1,000 for having married without Royal Licence.

1286

Manuscript B of the Annales Cambriae is completed, probably at the Cistercian abbey of Neath.

1287

8 June – Rhys ap Maredudd revolts in south-west Wales.

1288

20 January – Rhys ap Maredudd's revolt is finally suppressed as his final stronghold, the castle at Newcastle Emlyn, surrenders. Rhys goes to ground.

1289

February – On attaining his majority, Richard FitzAlan is knighted and succeeds to his title of 8th Earl of Arundel.
Construction work ends on Aberystwyth Castle.
Harlech Castle is completed by King Edward I of England, at a total cost of £8,190.

1290

Rebel William Cragh is captured by William de Braose, son of the Lord of Gower.

1294

30 September – Madog ap Llywelyn begins a revolt against King Edward I of England, claiming the title "Prince of Wales".
11 November – Madog defeats the forces of the earl of Lincoln in a pitched battle near Denbigh.*
19 December – Madog issues the so-called Penmachno Document, the only surviving document drawn up by him in which he refers to himself as prince.

1295