DAFYDD AP LLYWELYN

On 25th February 1246, Dafydd ap Llywelyn  'tarian Cymru' - the shield of Wales, died.   

1212  -  Dafydd was born , the son of  Llywelyn Fawr and Joan, daughter of King John of England, shortly after Easter, at Castell Hen Blas, Coleshill, Bagillt in Flintshire,

1220  -  Llywelyn Fawr broke with traditions (which stated that a man's property passed to all his sons equally) and named Dafydd as his sole heir, which had the support of King Henry III of England, but alienated Dafydd's illegitimate half brother Grufydd. 

1228  -  While fighting in Ceri nr Newtown Dafydd and Llywelyn Fawr captured  the Marcher Lord Will de Braose, of the de Braose who fought with William the Conqueror and subsequently aquired lands in Brecknock, Radnor, Abergavenny and Buellt.  During the ransom negotiations, it was agreed that Dafydd would be betrothed to de Braose's daughter, Isabella,

1230  -  Dafydd and Isabella married and as part of the marriage agreement Dafydd received Buellt (Builth) Castle.

1240  -  Llywelyn Fawr died and Dafydd became Prince Of Gwynedd, but the political scene was changing, Llywelyn Fawr had always accepted oaths of homage from the other Welsh princes, however, King Henry III of England would only allow them to swear the lesser oath of fealty to Dafydd.

1240  -  Gruffydd, moved to stake his claim to Gwynedd and his eldest son Owain Goch, led an army against Dafydd as civil war broke out

September 1240 -  The Church arranged for Dafydd, Gruffydd and Owain Goch to meet to discuss terms to end the war, however Dafydd broke the truce, capturing and imprisoning Gruffyd and Owain at Criccieth Castle, as the capture had taken place under the church's protection, Dafydd was excommunicated.

August 1241   King Henry III, with the support of Gruffydd's wife, Senena and their supporters, invaded Gwynedd.  Invading forces were usually hampered by the great marsh at Rhuddlan, but that summer was very dry and the English had no trouble crossing the marsh.  Dafydd was forced to retreat into Snowdonia,  destroying Deganwy Castle to prevent it falling into English hands.  After a short campaign, Dafydd was forced to submit.

August 29, 1241  -  Dafydd obliged to sign the terms of surrender, the "Treaty of Gwerneigron", which included the handing over of Mold Castle, Lower Powys, Meirionydd, Buellt Castle & Ellesmere.  He also had to release Gruffydd and Owain into Henry's custody, who imprisioned them in The Tower Of London, using the threat if their release as a means of forcing Dafydd to keep the terms of the treaty.

March 1st, 1244   Gruffydd fell to his death while trying to escape from The Tower Of London, which allowed Dafydd to enter into an alliance with other Welsh princes including Gruffydd's son Llywelyn, to attack English possessions in Wales and regain lost lands. Dafydd also began diplomacy with Pope Innocent IV, the result of which was the lifting of his excommunication and a recognition by the Vatican of his right to rule over North Wales and he was for a time recognised as Prince of Wales.

1245  -  The Pope however soon needed England's support in his dispute with the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick, and withdrew his protection from Wales.  Henry reacted by sending an army to invade Gwynedd,  but he couldn't cross the river Conwy and in October, with their supply lines being ambushed by the Welsh, the English withdraw. 

February 25, 1246  -  Dafydd died suddenly  in the royal home at Abergwyngregyn and was buried with his father at the abbey of Aberconwy, he was succeeded by his nephew, Gruffydd's son, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd.

RESURGUM SINKS OFF RHYL

On this day 1880 the Resurgum, a mechanically powered submarine sank off Rhyl.

Resurgam ( "I shall rise again") is the name given to two early Victorian submarines, which were constructed from iron plates fastened to iron frames, with a central wooden section and powered by a steam engine.

After successful trials, it was planned that Resurgam II should make her way from Birkenhead to Portsmouth for a demonstration to the Royal Navy. However, during the voyage, it developed mechanical problems and was forced to dock at Rhyl. On completion of the repairs, the Resurgum was being towed out of Rhyl harbour, when the towing ship developed engine problems, so the crew of the Resurgum transferred to assist, but the entry hatch on the Resurgum could not be fastened from outside and the submarine began to ship water, eventually causing it to sink.

There is a replica of the Resurgam on display close to the Woodside terminal of the Mersey Ferry in Liverpool.  

BORN THIS DAY - MIKE PETERS

Born on this day 1959 in Prestatyn

Mike Peters - musician, best known as the lead singer of The Alarm and Big Country.

As a survivor of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Peters co-founded the Love Hope Strength Foundation (a charity that raises funds and awareness for people with cancer and leukaemia).

BARON WOGAN PHILLIPS OF LLANSTEPHAN

Born this day 1902 Wogan Phillips 2nd Baron Milford - the only communist to sit in the House of Lords

Phillips was born at Manor House, High Street, Brentwood, Essex.  His father had estates in Llanstephan in Radnorshire, which Philips regularly visited as a child.  He read history at Oxford for two years until his father decided that this was an unprofitable use of time, as Phillips, even though tall and handsome, was not known as a clever man.

For the next few years, Philipps toured around Wales with Augustus John and also travelled to Normandy, the Adriatic, Greece and Spain.  Then, like many other upper class people, Philips worked during the General Strike of 1926 but was made to reconsider his politics by London dockworkers who persuaded him that their cause was just

Throughout the early 1930s, Phillip's politics became more radical and he volunteered to assist Spanish Medical Aid during the Spanish Civil War during which he was wounded.  On his return, he joined the Communist Party, at which his father disinherited him, but when his father died in 1962, Philips became the 2nd Lord Milford and subsequently took his seat in the House of Lords, becoming its first communist member. 

'THE PROUD VALLEY - RADIO PREMIERE

On 25th February 1940, "The Proud Valley" became the first film to have its première on radio, when the BBC broadcasted a 60-minute version. 

The film starring Paul Robeson was filmed on location in the South Wales coalfield and tells the story of David Goliath, a Black American miner who arrives in Wales in 1938 in the aftermath of the 1926 general strike and the Great Depression and wins the respect of the local Welsh people through his singing.  He becomes a hero and sacrifices his own life to save fellow miners in an underground accident.  Robeson later remarked that, of all his films, this was his favourite.