Welsh Revolt

rdf:langString Welsh Revolt

rdf:langString Welsh Revolt

rdf:langString left

rdf:langString Portrait of Owain Glyndŵr

rdf:langString Seal of Owain Glyndŵr

rdf:langString Portrait of Owain Glyndŵr and Welsh rebels

rdf:langString Reverse side of the Great Seal

rdf:langString Portrait of Glyndŵr, taken from his Great Seal as Prince of Wales

rdf:langString Welsh Revolt

rdf:langString vertical

rdf:langString Thomas Jones

rdf:langString s-OWAI-GLY-1354

rdf:langString Owain Glyndŵr portrait.png

rdf:langString Pierce

rdf:langString English victory

rdf:langString Welsh independence 1404–1409

rdf:langString OWAIN GLYNDWR , 'Prince of Wales'

rdf:langString The Welsh Revolt (also called the Glyndŵr Rising or Last War of Independence) was a Welsh rebellion led by Owain Glyndŵr against the Kingdom of England during the Late Middle Ages. During the rebellion's height between 1403 and 1406, Owain exercised control over the majority of Wales after capturing several of the most powerful English castles in the country, and formed a national parliament at Machynlleth. The revolt was the last major manifestation of a Welsh independence movement before the annexation of Wales into England by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542. The uprising began in 1400, when Owain Glyndŵr, a descendent of several Welsh royal dynasties, claimed the title Prince of Wales following a dispute with a neighbouring English lord. In 1404, after a series of successful castle sieges and battlefield victories, Owain was crowned Prince of Wales in the presence of Scottish, French, Spanish and Breton envoys. He summoned a national parliament, where he announced plans to reintroduce the traditional Welsh laws of Hywel Dda, establish an independent Welsh church, and build two universities. Owain also formed an alliance with Charles VI of France, and in 1405 a French army landed in Wales to support the rebellion. The Welsh suffered their first defeat that year, when a Welsh army under the command of Owain's eldest son Gruffudd ab Owain and younger brother Tudur ap Gruffudd was defeated near Usk, in the south east of Wales. In response, Welsh forces led by Glyndŵr, alongside an allied French expeditionary force captured many castles, towns and tower houses in south Wales from the English. Later in the year, Owain successfully repelled a large English invasion force of 40,000 men including heavy artillery led by King Henry IV, and also invaded and burned the English counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire with a combined Franco-Welsh army, and returned to Wales with an immense amount of loot. Despite the initial successes of the rebellion from 1400 to 1406, by this point the Welsh had spent several years fighting against one of the strongest militaries in Europe while severely outnumbered, with less resources and equipment, and it was beginning to take its toll on Owain and his forces. It took a toll on the Welsh people too, who faced six years of the English army burning, raping, murdering and looting their way across the land. By 1407 the English had recaptured Anglesey and large parts of south Wales. In 1408 they seized Aberystwyth Castle, followed by Harlech Castle in February 1409, effectively ending Owain's territorial rule, although Owain himself was never captured. He ignored two offers of a pardon from the new King Henry V and Welsh resistance continued in small pockets of the country for several more years utilising guerrilla tactics. Owain disappeared in 1415, when he was recorded to have died by one of his supporters, Adam of Usk. On 8 April 1421, his son Maredudd ab Owain accepted a pardon from King Henry V, formally ending the rebellion.