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29th August
On August 29th 1241, after Henry III of England's invasion of Wales, the Treaty of Gwerneigron was signed by Henry and Dafydd ap Llywelyn (the son of Llywelyn Fawr), curbing the latter's authority and denying him a royal title.
Following the death of Llywelyn Fawr (Llywelyn the Geat) in 1240, the diplomatic situation in Wales deteriorated, Llywelyn's son Dafydd began to explore the possibility of allying with others against Henry and is known to have sent ambassadors to the court of Louis IX of France. In response, Henry invaded Gwynedd in August 1241 and forced Dafydd to submit and to give up all his lands with the exception of Gwynedd. He also had to hand over his half-brother Gruffydd to the King. In so doing, Henry gained a useful bargaining tool against Dafydd, as he could threaten to release Gruffydd as a rival in Gwynedd. However, Gruffydd was to die in March 1244, falling to his death during an attempted escape from the Tower of London
This freed Dafydd's hands and he entered into an alliance with other Welsh princes to attack English possessions in Wales and by March 1245, he had recovered the castle of Mold along with his former possessions in modern-day Flintshire. In August 1245, King Henry again invaded Gwynedd, savage fighting continued at Deganwy and Henry's army suffered defeat in a narrow pass. Also running short of supplies, Henry was forced to flee for his life to Conwy.
However, Dafydd died in 1246, and Henry confirmed theTreaty of Woodstock the following year with Owain and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the sons of Gruffydd, under which they ceded land to the King but retained the heart of their princedom in Gwynedd. In South Wales, Henry gradually extended his authority across the region but did little to stop the Marcher territories along the border becoming increasingly independent of the Crown.
29th August
Gwyl Ieuan y Moch (the Beheading of John the Baptist)
The Beheading of John the Baptist is a holy day that commemorates the martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist on the orders of Herod Antipas through the vengeful request of his step-daughter Salome and her mother.
In Welsh it is called Gwyl Ieuan y Moch (St. John of the Swine), as historically, it was the day the pigs were turned out into the woods to forage through the winter.
The rapid industrial growth of the 18th century in Wales, many believe was instigated by the material requirements and outcome of the Seven Year War, which began in Europe with the invasion of Saxony by Frederick the Great of Prussia on 29 August 1756
Picture is of "The Death of General Wolfe" at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, above Quebec City, Canada, in 1759, during the Seven Year War.
The Seven Years War (1756–63) was a power struggle in Europe, North America, and India, with the conflict between Britain and France a common theme, which continued with the American War of Independence (1775-83) and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (1793-1802, 1803-15). It ignited a significant growth in heavy industry in Wales in particular to support the war effort and to service the rapidly growing empire.
Great Britain whose colonial ambitions, conflicted with those of the French, resolved to check France's growing power. Hostilities between the two countries erupted in America's Ohio Valley in 1754, where French forts were being built to link together Canada and Louisiana and culminated with the capture of Quebec in 1759 and a resulted in victory for Britain. The war spilled over into Europe in 1756, when Britain allied itself with Prussia in its conflict with Austria and her allies of Russia, France, Saxony, and Sweden, over the rich provence of Silesia (now in southwestern Poland). Again the result was postive for Britain, with decisive victories over the French at Lagos Bay and at Quiberon Bay in 1759. Meanwhile in India, Britain competed with France for the rich Indian trade by supporting Robert Clive of the British East India Company, captured the French centres of Chandernagor and Pondichery in 1757 and 1761 respectively.
The outcome of the wars, resulted in Great Britain becoming the world's greatest colonial power and by 1851, Wales was second only to England in the list of leading industrial nations.
In 1750, Wales, with a population of 500,000 was still an overwhelmingly rural country, with agriculture its main industry. By 1830 Monmouthshire and east Glamorgan were producing half the iron exported by Britain. The ironworks of Merthyr Tydfil - Cyfarthfa and Dowlais in particular - gave rise to Wales's first industrial town, Neath By 1851 Wales's population had risen to 1.2 million, with two thirds of the families of Wales supported by activities other than agriculture, Iron-making in Bersham and Pontypool, lead and silver mining in Cardiganshire and Flintshire, copper smelting in Swansea and Neath and coalmining in west Glamorgan and Flintshire had increased substantially.
By the late 18th century there were 19 metalworks at Holywell and 14 potteries at Buckley; Holywell and Mold had cotton mills; lead and coal mines proliferated. Bersham, with the use of coke rather than charcoal in the smelting of iron, was a leading ironworks. Economic development was also significant in the Neath- Llanelli-Swansea area, in Amlwch with its copper mine, in Snowdonia with its slate quarrying and in parts of central Wales where factory methods were replacing domestic production in the woollen industry.
Born on this day 1982 in Bancyfelin, near Carmarthen
Mike Phillips - Wales and Lions rugby international.
In August 2002, "Barney" the cat saved his owners' lives by warning them of a fire at their home in in Gwersyllt, near Wrexham
Gerald Davies, his wife and 23-year-old son were in bed , when their kitchen cooker caught fire. However Barney, who normally didn't go up stairs raced up and managed to wake Gerald's son, who thought he wanted to go out, but then noticed that the house was full of smoke
Barney was subsequently named "cat of the year by the Cats Protection League at a ceremony in London
Born this day 1968 in Carmarthen
Emyr Lewis - former Wales rugby international and captain. Nicknamed "Tarw" (Bull) for his strong, tackle breaking play. Lewis now commentates on matches for the BBC and S4C.
