Owain Glyndwr's greatest victory.
On this day 1402 the “Battle of Bryn Glas”, which was part of the Glyndwr Rising, occurred at Pilleth near Knighton.
A Welsh army vastly outnumbered and poorly armed, but under the leadership of Owain Glyndwr, took on and defeated a far superior English army. The victory was Wales's greatest against the English and resulted in the collapse of English governance in Wales. For the English, it was a national humiliation on such a scale that within days, news had reached Rome and it led to the destabilisation of English politics for several years afterwards.
By 1401, The Welsh Rebellion was on the verge of collapse Henry IV had toured north Wales, hanging suspected rebels and pillaging settlements and the two-tier society where Englishmen held privileges above Welshmen was re-emerging. But in early 1402, Glyndwr galvanised his support and the rebellion was reinvigorated, he had taken Ruthin and held Lord Grey, Henry’s trusted counselor for ransom, when in riposte, Henry raised an army of 2,000 men from Herefordshire and appointed Edmund Mortimer as commander and on June 22, 1402, when Glyndwr was near Knighton the two armies confronted each other. Although heavily outnumbered, Glyndwr gambled on dividing his army, knowing that the majority of his army including his archers held the higher ground, he hid a small detachment in a valley to the left. As Mortimer's army advanced up the slope, they came into range of the Welsh archers before they could return fire, they were showered with Welsh arrows. At this time two crucial events turned the battle, firstly the concealed Welsh troops joined in the conflict and then some Welsh archers, who had infiltrated Mortimer's force, turned and fired into the English ranks.
The English army was routed and 600 of them killed. It is said that after the battle, Welsh women camp followers dismembered many the English victims in reprisal for their acts of brutality and rape in the preceding campaigns. Sir Edmund Mortimer was taken prisoner and as Henry IV made no effort to pay a ransom for him, he switched his allegiance to Glyndwr and married Owain's daughter Caitrin.
Born this day 1876 in Haverfordwest
Gwen John - Artist who worked in France for most of her career.
Her paintings are mainly portraits of anonymous female sitters and although overshadowed by her brother, Augustus John, her reputation has steadily grown, since her death in 1939. After leaving the Slade School of Art in London, she moved to Paris, where she modelled for Rodin (who was also her lover) and studied with Whistler. Regarded as an eccentric, in 1910, Gwen moved to the outskirts of Paris, where she led an increasingly reclusive lifestyle.
Some of the best examples of her pictures are held at the National Museum Cardiff and in Tate Britain, London.
The Treaty of Pipton was signed on 22nd June 1265 and confirmed an alliance between Simon de Montfort and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, after de Montfort's defeat of Henry III at the Battle of Lewes in 1264.
The treaty, signed at Pipton, Powys, gave for a permanent peace between the two and in exchange for the sum of 30,000 marks, Llywelyn was acknowledged as the Prince of Wales. The alliance was cemented by Llywelyn's betrothal to de Montfort's only daughter Eleanor.
On 22 June 1283 Dafydd ap Gruffudd and his youngest son Owain were captured near Berea Mountain. In the struggle, he was seriously wounded and then taken to Edward I at Rhuddlan. Dafydd and Owain were then taken to Chester and then on to Shrewsbury, probably accompanied by his wife Elizabeth de Ferrers, their daughter Gwladys, Dafydd's six illegitimate daughters and his infant niece Gwenllian ferch Llywelyn (the daughter of his brother, Llywelyn). Then on 28th June, Edward summoned a parliament at Shrewsbury to decide Dafydd's fate. He was found guilty of high treason against the King and condemned to death on 30th September. He then became the first prominent person in recorded history to be hanged, drawn and quartered.
Gwladys and Gwenllian were both sent to convents in Lincolnshire, Gwenllian to Sempringham, where she died in 1336 and Gwladys to Sixhills. Dafydd's sons, Llywelyn and Owain were imprisoned at Bristol Castle, where; Llywelyn died in mysterious circumstances in 1287 or 1288, while is last recorded alive in August 1325. It is thought that Dafydd may have had another (illegitimate) son, Dafydd Goch, who survived.
Today is the feast day of Saint Aaron of Aleth The patron saint of anybody who lives a passionate and steadfast lifestyle.
He was a sixth century Welshman who became Bishop of Aleth and lived in a monastery on Cezembre, a small island in Brittany.
Born this day 1901 in Llanwonno, Rhondda Cynon Taff
Naunton Wayne - Character actor, educated at Clifton College. He is best known for his role alongside Basil Radford, in Hitchcock's 1938 film version of The Lady Vanishes, the two actors became inextricably linked and struck such a major chord with film audiences as an upper crust pair of bungling British gents, that the two were teamed up time and time again.
Born on this day 1936 in Treorchy
Clive Thomas - former football referee who operated in the English Football League and for FIFA during his career.
Thomas officiated in both the 1974 and 1978 World Cups, and in the 1976 European Championship. During a long and sometimes controversial career as a referee in the old English First Division he was known as "The Book" for his strict interpretation of the laws of the game.
One such incident being when he blew the final whistle seconds before Zico of Brazil scored what would have been the winning goal from a corner in a 1978 World Cup match against Sweden. He also didn't approve of extravagant goal celebrations and often broke them by ordering players to return to their positions for the restart.
