On 2nd September 1402, Henry IV attempted to regain control after Owain Glyndwr's emphatic victory at The Battle of  Bryn Glas.

In June of that year he crossed into central Wales, from Shrewsbury and Hereford Castle and drove through Powys towards the Cistercian abbey of Strata Florida, which he had previously used as a base during the early years of the rebellion.

After terrible weather and constant harassment by Owain's forces Henry reached Strata Florida and partially destroyed the abbey, executing monks suspected of pro-Owain loyalties.  However, he had failed to engage Owain's forces in any large numbers and Owain's forces engaged in hit-and-run tactics on his supply chain, forcing Henry's army  to retreat.  As they did so the weather turned and the army was nearly washed away in floods.  Henry was reduced to sleeping in his armour, and nearly died when his tent blew away.

Henry and his army returned to Hereford Castle, starving and demoralised, with nothing to claim for their efforts.

Strata Florida Abbey ( Abaty Ystrad Fflur) is a former Cistercian abbey situated nearPontrhydfendigaid, near Tregaron.    

It was originally founded on the banks of the Afon Fflur, a short distance from the present site. by a group of  Cistercian monks from Whitland Abbey, 

It is considered that the present Abbey was founded around 1164 A.D, by The Lord Rhys, who because of pressure from the Normans, transferred his patronage from St Davids to Strata Florida and it is why many of his descendants were buried there.

In 1184, After its foundation Strata Florida increased in power and authority and its influence was felt throughout Wales.  It is believed that the Brut y Tywysogion, the most important primary historical source for early Welsh history, was compiled at Strata Florida.

Around 1238, Prince Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great), held a council at Strata Florida, at which he made the other Welsh Princes swear that they would acknowledge his son Dafydd as his rightful successor.

In 1401, Strata Florida Abbey was the military base of king Henry IV and his son, later to become Henry V,  during the early years of the rebellion of Owain Glyndwr. 

Strata Florida was dissolved in the 1540s during Henry VIII's dissolution of the monastries

Strata Florida became a place of pilgrimage for wealthy Victorians in the late 19th century.

Born this day 1929 in Cwm, Ebbw Vale (to an Italian-Welsh father and Welsh mother above the family owned chip shop)

Victor Spinetti (Vittorio Giorgio Andrea Spinetti)  - Tony award winning actor, who studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff. He was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and a regular performer in London's West End.

Spinetti also appeared in more than 30 films, including the Beatles' movies "A Hard Day's Night", "Help" and "Magical Mystery Tour", as well as Zeffirelli's "The Taming of the Shrew", " The Return of the Pink Panther", "The Krays" and Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood. 

It is said that Spinetti's connection with the Beatles began because George Harrison's mother would  only go and see their films if Spinetti was in them. He later turned John Lennon's book, "In His Own Write", into a play which he then directed at the National Theatre.  Spinetti was also the voice of the arch villain character Texas Pete in the S4C animated series Super Ted.

Edward Edwards (c. 1726 – 2 September 1783) was a scholar and clergyman, born in Talgarth, Towyn, Merionethshire.  He was a Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford, where he later appointed Vice-Principal.

Edwards and writer Samuel Johnson, who stayed with him at Jesus College were friends and exchanged letters. Edwards had a keen interest in matters connected with Wales, but his primary interest was Greek literature and the works of the Greek philosopher Xenophon.

Penrhyn Quarry Railroad - one of the oldest narrow gauge railways in the world.  On 2nd. September 1800, encouraged by the success of the one mile long  Llandegai Tramway, built in 1798 to connect Lord Penrhyn's slate quarries at Bethesda to a local flint mill that ground clay and chert into flints, the owners of the quarry started construction of the Penrhyn Quarry Railway, connecting the quarry to the sea at Porth Penrhyn.  However, b 1874 the railroad was no longer able to keep up with the output of the quarry and a steam locomotive  was introduced.  It was closed in 1962.  

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Welshman Charles Watkin Williams-Wynn (9 October 1775 – 2 September 1850) was an influential politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was originally elected to parliament for the notorious rotten borough of Old Sarum (Salisbury) and later represented Montgomeryshire for 51 years.

In  1822 Williams-Wynn was appointed to the cabinet, in the Tory government of the Earl of Liverpool.  However, he joined the Whig party when he was not offered a position in the 1828 government of the Duke of Wellington.  He was subsequently appointed Secretary of War and then Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by the Whig Prime Ministers Lord Grey and Sir Robert Peel.  At the time of his death in 1850, he was Father of the House of Commons.

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Cardiff Ely Bread Riots 2nd September 1991. 

The Cardiff Ely Bread Riots or Petrol Riots refer to an outbreak of violence that occurred in the council suburb of Ely in Cardiff from the 2nd to the 6th September. The riots are reported to have started following a dispute between two shopkeepers over the price of bread, which many believe sparked an underlying problem of social exclusion. 

Born on this day 1912 in Barry.

Gwynfor Evans - politician, lawyer and author.

His father ran a chain of shops in Barry and his mother a china shop.  Evans was educated at Barry County School, where he was captain of both the cricket and hockey teams.  At school, he also began learning Welsh but did not become fully fluent until the age of seventeen.  He later graduated  from Aberystwyth and Oxford Universities, qualifying as a lawyer.  Also during his time at Oxford, he founded a branch of Plaid Cymru.

A pacifist and a committed Christian, Gwynfor declared himself a conscientious objector during the Second World War and as such was required to appear before a tribunal which, recognising the firmness of his beliefs, registered him unconditionally. In 1945 -  Evans became president of Plaid Cymru and is also credited with keeping the party going through the lean years of the 1940s and 1950s  

In 1949, Evans was elected to Carmarthenshire County Council.

In the 1950s he campaigned to prevent the damming of the Tryweryn river river in order to supply the city of Liverpool with water .

On 14 July 1966, Evans won the parliamentary seat of Carmarthen in a by-election caused by the death of Lady Megan Lloyd George, daughter of  David Lloyd George.  It was Plaid Cymru's first parliamentary seat and followed unsuccessful attempts by Gwynfor at the general elections between 1945 and 1959.  Shy, introverted and thin-skinned, Evans was not a typical politician and was the first to admit he was not really cut out for the rough and tumble of Westminster, but he was unswerving in his beliefs, backed by centuries of Welsh history.

Evans lost the seat in 1970, but won it back in  1974, this time, returning to Parliament accompanied by two other Plaid Cymru MPs, Dafydd Wigley and Dafydd Elis Thomas.

In 1980, his threat to go on hunger strike, after the Conservatives did not honour their election promise of a Welsh language television channel, was instrumental in bringing about a U-turn on the part of Margaret Thatcher and S4C began broadcasting on 1 November 1982.  

In his political retirement he became a prolific writer. His work Aros Mae, a comprehensive history of Wales, and the English-language version Land of my Fathers, were best-sellers.

The Great Hurricane of 1908

The sinking of the barque Amazon off Margam Sands on 1st September 1908, with the loss of 21 crew;

A storm that began on the afternoon of Monday 31 August had increased to hurricane proportions by the morning of 1 September, with winds reaching up to 90 miles an hour and causing severe damage all along the South Wales coast.

With waves of nearly 60 feet, the captains of many vessels decided to remain in port, but for Captain Garrick of the barque Amazon, fully laden with coal on its outward journey from Port Talbot to Chile, there was little option but to brave the elements. he anchored off the Mumbles and tried to ride out the gale.

However at 6am on 1st September the Amazon's cables parted and the ship was driven eastwards. Pounded by the waves, the stricken vessel swung sideways on to the storm and was thrown up onto Margam Sands, bow first.

There were just eight survivors.  Many of the crew had tried to swim to safety, six made it ashore, but the remainder were immediately lost in the huge seas and when the Port Talbot Lifesaving Company arrived on the scene only two men were left alive on the ship. Twenty-one were drowned, including Captain Garrick, who had been lashed to the mainmast and whose body was discovered 8 days later near Sker Point.

A Public House in Port Talbot, "The Amazon" is named after the ship.

The Forestry Commission was established as a result of the Forestry Act on 1st September 1919.  

The Act set up the Forestry Commission, which had responsibility for woods in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.  It was a result of the difficulties Britain had meeting  demands on timber during the First World War, especially, the need for the large amounts required for trench warfare.

Britain's woodland resources had been declining since the middle ages but reached an all-time low - just 5% of land area - by the beginning of the 20th Century.  The outbreak of war made policians aware that Britain could not rely on timber imports and needed to rebuild and maintain a strategic timber reserve.  So David Lloyd George introduced the commission as being the most effective way of coordinating a reafforestation plan to meet timber needs for the foreseeable future.

1920's  -  Agriculture was depressed and the Commission was able to buy land cheaply. Public concern regarding the planting of blanket conifers led to the practice of planting hardwoods alongside roads.

1930's  -  The main market was for pit props, because of the great dependance on coal.  In 1937 the Commission began working with the Board of Trade to draw up detailed plans for felling in the event of war.

1940's  -  The Second World War and its aftermath had a major impact on forestry in Britain.  Once the War was over restoring the forest estate became a priority for the Commission. But forestry was repeatedly to clash with agriculture interests as the need to produce home grown food increased,  therefore planting was gradually moved onto land which was unsuitable for other crops, which also saw the  building of a network of forest roads.

1950s, 60s and 70s  -  Saw dramatic surges in output and income.  Technical progress allowed planting on previously unplantable land. The axe and cross-cut saw disappeared, replaced by the lightweight chainsaw.  Conservation and amenity issues became more central in the Commission's planning and forestry policy.  Emphasis was on maintaining woodland character and the importance of broadleaves.  Forests were identified as important wildlife reserves. 

1980s  -  These were years of change and challenge, as recession hit timber users. The Commission began to develop export markets, much to Scandinavia.

1990s  -  The  post-War forests reach maturity and are carefully restructured with the encouragement of more broadleaf planting.  Environmental concerns were to the fore and forest officers work closely with wildlife conservation groups to help threatened species such as the red squirrel and nightjar. Ventures such as the Valleys Forest Initiative in Wales brought local people a new sense of ownership of their woods, with  Education and Recreation Rangers managing a wide range of recreation and tourist facilities.

2011  -  The results of aerial photography and satellite imagery showed that woodland across England, Scotland and Wales, represented 13% of Britain’s land area - compared to the 5% tree cover, when the Commission was formed some 90 years earlier.

2013  -  The Forestry Commissions' responsibilities in Wales were transferred to a new body - Natural Resources Wales, marking the end of the Commission's 94 years.

Born on this day 1975 in Pontypridd

Martyn Williams, MBE  - former Wales captain and Lions rugby international.  Williams currently holds the Welsh record for most appearances in the Five and Six Nations championships, surpassing Gareth Edwards' record of 45 and his overall total of 100 caps makes him Wales' most-capped forward. He was a key member of Wales Grand Slam winning side of 2008, and was considered by many to be the best player of the tournament.

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Born on this day 1707 in Bachygraig near St Asaph, Flintshire.

Sir John Salusbury , who  was a member of the Salusbury family,  which at the time controlled most of Denbighshire.  In 1749 Salusbury left with Edward Cornwallis and became co-founder of Halifax, Nova Scotia and as such is credited as being one of the founders of modern Canada .  He spent much of his time as a magistrate for the colony, but his legacy is perhaps best encapsulated in his diaries regarding the campaign to establish the colony, which became a vital source of information regarding the hardships and difficulties regarding its development.

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Sir Leoline Jenkins, from Cowbridge, who died on 1 September 1685,  was a staunch Royalist during the English Civil War , for which at "The Resoration" he was rewarded by King Charles II by being made Principal of Jesus College, Oxford from 1661 to 1673.  During this period, he was responsible for a lot of its construction work, including the college library.  He was also created Judge of the Admiralty, responsible for the negotiation of international treaties and won  warm praise from Samuel Pepys for his ability and integrity.

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On 1st September, 1879 at the Milford Dock Company's engineers' dance at the Lord Nelson Hotel, Milford Haven, a ballroom in the U.K, was lit for the first time entirely by electricity. 

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The Severn Tunnel was opened to trains on this day in 1886.  

London to South Wales was an important trade and passenger route, however, the Severn estuary was a major obstacle, with rail travellers having to break their journey on reaching the Severn and take a ferry to rejoin a train on the other side.  The Severn Estuary is also known for having treacherous tides and this part of the journey often experienced delays and was uncomfortable for passengers.

The Victorians produced some great engineers and they were prepared to accept the technical challenge of tunnelling under the Severn, with the project beginning in 1873, however, six years later they hit the Great Spring. 

Huge pumps were brought in, but they were unable to seal off the spring until 1881.  Since then a massive pump has continued to pump out 50 million litres of water per day, which is now sold to a local water company. 

 On September 1st 1886, the first freight trains began to use the tunnel, and on the 1st December 1886 a regular passenger service was opened, cutting the journey from London to South Wales by one hour.

The first match at Cardiff City's former home football ground, Ninian Park, was played on 1st September 1910. Ninian Park was built in 1910 by ambitious amateur club Riverside FC who turned professional and joined the Southern League as Cardiff City.  The ground was named after Lord Ninian Stuart of the Bute family who agreed to be a guarantor for the club - proving that the practice of naming stadia after sponsors is nothing new.  Reigning Football League champions Aston Villa were the first visitors in September 1910 and the newly christened club gave a good account of themselves in narrowly losing 2-1. 

The former council rubbish dump on Sloper Road initially posed a hazard to players, such as Scotland international Peter McWilliam who gashed his leg on a piece of glass and never played again.   Players were even paid extra for turning up on the morning of a match to clear the pitch of broken glass and other objects.  

Ninian Park has also hosted many memorable international fixtures, including the Welsh victory over Israel in 1958, which saw Wales qualify for their first - and so far only - World Cup finals.

Maurice FitzGerald, Norman Lord of Llanstephan (c. 1105 – 1st September 1177) was the second son of Gerald de Windsor, the Constable of Pembroke Castle and his wife, Nest ferch Rhys, of Deheubarth and therefore an uncle of Gerald of Wales ( Giraldus Cambrensis). He was also a major figure in the Norman invasion of Ireland and regarded as the founder of the FitzGerald dynasty of Ireland.

1136  - As a Norman Marcher Lord, Maurice fought against a Welsh revolt with forces from Gwynedd and Deheubarth under the leadership of Owain Gwynedd, Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd and Gruffydd ap Rhys under Robert FitzMartin at the Battle of Crug Mawr.

This Battle was a significant setback to Norman expansion in Wales, as after some hard fighting and suffering 3,000 casualties, the Normans were put to flight and when trying to cross the River Teifi, the bridge broke and hundreds are said to have drowned, filling the river with the bodies horses and men. Many others fled to  Cardigan, which was subsequently burned by the Welsh.

1169  - Diarmait Mac Murchada (Dermot MacMurrough), the former King of Leinster, sought Cambro-Norman assistance to regain his throne. Maurice participated in the resulting Norman invasion of Ireland and assisted his younger half-brother Robert Fitz-Stephen in the Siege of Wexford

1171  - Maurice participated in the Norman's successful assault on Dublin.  

Born on this day 1942 in Llay, near Wrexham

Terry Hennessey  - former Wales soccer international, who made over 400 Football League appearances in the 1960s and 1970s with Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest and Derby County.

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On 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales died as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel in Paris.

* On 6 September 1997, 12 Guardsmen of the Welsh Guards escorted Diana's casket, from Kensington Palace to Westminster Abbey.

* The family of Trevor Rees Jones, Diana's bodyguard and the sole survivor of the crash are from Llanfyllin in Powys.

* On Wednesday, August 27,  Edward Williams a resident of  Mountain Ash, went to the local police station  to report a disturbing a premonition he'd had about the Princess of Wales.  A statement was taken and  logged into the Mountain Ash police records, it reads

 "He said he was a psychic and predicted that Princess Diana was going to die. In previous years he has predicted that the Pope and Ronald Reagan were going to be the victims of assassination attempts. On both occasions he was proved to be correct. Mr. Williams appeared to be quite normal."

Born on this day 1921 in Llanvihangel Crucorney (Llanfihangel Crucornau) 5 miles north of Abergavenny

Raymond Williams - Author

Williams was the son of a railway signalman and was educated at Abergavenny Grammar School and Cambridge University, where his studies were interrupted by joined the Army, during the Second World War rising to the rank of anti-tank captain,. After the war he was to return to Cambridge as a lecturer. He is perhaps best known for his incompleted series of experimental historical novels "People of the Black Mountains" which details the flashbacks of a modern man into different periods of history, from the Paleolithic period to the late-Medieval period. It was Williams' intention to come up to the modern day period. However, Williams died in 1988, before its completion.

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On this day 1968, Gary Sobers made cricketing history by hitting six sixes off one over from Malcolm Nash, in a match between Nottinghamshire and Glamorgan in Swansea.  Sobers hit the final six out of the ground "all the way to Swansea" as Wilf Wooller put it in his television commentary. 

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Born on this day 1981 in Carmarthen

Dwayne Peel  - Wales and Lions rugby international, who was part of two  Grand Slam winning sides in 2005 and 2008.

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August Bank Holiday 

The invention of the activity of bog-snorkelling was inspired by a pub conversation, at the Neuadd Arms in Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys in 1976. 

The first World Bog Snorkelling Championship was held in 1985 and now takes place annually in a water filled 60- yard trench at the Waen Rhydd peat bog, near Llanwrtyd Wells every August Bank Holiday.   Competitors must wear snorkels and flippers, and complete the course relying only on flipper power.

Born on this day in 1502 was Sir John Prise (also Prys, Price, in Welsh Syr Siôn ap Rhys) 

In 1546 he published the first book to be printed in Welsh Yn y llyvyr hwnn (In this book…) 

Prise served as Secretary of the Council of Wales and the Marches and was also one of the people responsible for the administration of the Dissolution of the Monasteries in Waes. He was also a collector of manuscripts relating to the history and literature of Wales.

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"The Swedish Princess from Wales"

Born on this day 1915 in Swansea. Lillian May Davies - former fashion model who became a Swedish Princess. 

In 1943 Lillian met Prince Bertil of Sweeden at a cocktail party in London for her 28th birthday. Soon after they became lovers, even though at that time, she was married to her first husband, the Scottish actor Ivan Craig, whom she divorced two years later in 1945.

Bertil was the second son of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and at the time a marriage was deemed inappropriate as Lillian was both a commoner and a divorcee. Therefore the couple lived together discreetly for over 30 years, until Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden ascended the throne in 1973 and approved Bertil's and Lilian's marriage, which occured on 7th December 1976 at the church of Drottningholm Palace. 

John Rees, pioneer, born in Merthyr Tydfil on 30th August 1805 

It is estmated that over 250,000 people emigrated from Wales to the USA during the 19th century, with approximately 20% settling in the Pennsylvania area.  Some however travelled further west in search of farm land and one of these was John Rees, who headed to Texas.  Shortly after,s Rees got caught up in the  Mexican American War, for control of Texas and was taken prisoner as one of only 28 survivors at the Battle of Goliad in 1835. After the war, Rees returned to Wales and took part in the Chartist march on Newport in 1839, after which, he returned to the USA and settled in California.

The recapture of Ghazni 30th August 1842 

General Sir William Nott (1782-1845) , has been claimed as Carmarthen's most famous soldier. William joined the East India Company in 1800 and was posted to the Bengal European Regiment. From 1804 his military career developed, but it was the First Afghan War which saw Nott distinguish himself as a military leader and his promotion to Major General.

In 1842 he won three decisive battles, at Kandahar, Ghuznee, and Kabul. As a result, Nott received considerable acclaim and he was invested with the order of the GCB. His health had suffered in the East, and in 1844 he returned to Carmarthen where he died within four months of his return. He was buried in St. Peter's Church and honoured by the erection of a commemorative statue in Market Street (now Nott Square). 

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On 30 August 1937, Welsh boxer Tommy Farr, ' The Tonypandy Terror' fought Joe Louis for the world heavyweight championship at Yankee Stadium, New York.

Louis was one of the greatest heavyweights of all time and was at the height of his career, having won 8 of his previous 9 fights by a knock out and was to go on to win the following 7, the same way.  However this epic fight went the full 15 rounds, after which, to the annoyance of the 50,00 crowd, Louis was awarded a controversial victory on points, even though the referee appeared to raise Farr's glove initially.  Despite losing Farr gained massive respect worldwide for his performance.

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Neuadd Dewi Sant, St David's Hall, opened on 30th August 1982. 

The Hall has proved to be an enormous success.  It's acoustics are very highly rated and as a result it has become one the premier performance venues in the world, attracting many high profile performers.

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30th August 1682 - The first group of Welsh settlers, including Thomas Wynne, personal physician of William Penn, set sail for Pennsylvania.

In the late seventeenth century, the persecution of the Quakers led to their search for a new land and when William Penn was given a grant of land in Philadelphia by Charles II in 1681 (pictured), there was a large emigration of Welsh Quakers to Pennsylvania, where a Welsh Tract was established in the region immediately west of Philadelphia. By 1700, the Welsh accounted for about one-third of the colony’s estimated population of twenty thousand, seen by the number of Welsh place names in this area. The second wave of immigrants in the late eighteenth century, led to the Welsh colony of Cambria established by Morgan John Rhys.  It is now Cambria County, Pennsylvania.

The Welsh were especially numerous and politically active in Pennsylvania, where there was a large emigration of Welsh coal miners to the anthracite and bituminous mines.  Many becoming mine managers, executives and union leaders, such as John L. Lewis of the United Mine Workers labor union, who was born in a Welsh settlement in Iowa. Pennsylvania still has the largest number of Welsh-Americans, approximately 200,000, concentrated in the Western and Northeastern regions of the state. 

Fishguard Harbour was officially opened on 30th August 1906. 

Following the Fishguard and Rosslare Railways and Harbours Act, 1899, Goodwick, near Fishguard was to become the main destination for travel to Ireland. The overlooking village of Harbour Village was built to accommodate workers and the necessary 27 acres site and 900-metre breakwater were provided by blasting 1.6 million tonnes of rock from the cliff face.

The Great Western Railway (GWR) had initially intended for the harbour to be used as a main transatlantic port and built the luxurios ‘Fishguard Bay Hotel’ to accommodate passengers and the Cunard liner RMS Mauretania called at Fishguard on 30th August 1909.  However further transatlantic travel was prevented by the frequent silting up of the harbour, caused by the breakwater being built at the incorrect angle and local legend has it that the engineer responsible for this mistake committed suicide of the end of it.

From the start there were two daily return sailings t0 Rosslare with further services to Waterford and Cork added later.  However services were disrupted during the two World Wars, when the ferry ships were commisioned into service as troop and hospital ships.  Then after the Second World War, as car ownership increased, so did travel to Ireland, which resulted in major investment into the port. 

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.

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.

Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus was executed on this day 388.

Magnus Maximus or Macsen Wledig as he was known to the Welsh was born in Gallaecia in modern day Portugal c.335.  He first came to Britain in 368, as a junior officer, during the quelling of the Great Conspiracy, when the Roman garrison on Hadrian's Wall rebelled.  He was assigned again to Britain in 380, as a general in the Roman Army stationed in Wales, probably Caernarfon and defeated an incursion of the Picts and Scots in 381.

As Roman control over the Western Empire began to break down in the late 4th century, Maximus was chosen by his men as Emperor of Britain & Gaul.  Then in 383, he declared himself Western Emperor and stripped all of western and northern Britain of troops and senior administrators to consolidate his bid for imperial power.  It is thought that before he left  he took various steps to preserve the security of  Britain, by organising the peaceful settlement of the Irish Deisi tribe to defend Dyfed and also organising Cunedda and his Votadini tribe from Yr Hen Gogledd (Southern Scotland) to  deal with the aggressive Irish Uí Liatháin tribe in North Wales.

For a time, Maximus was recognized as Western Emperor by  Theodosius the Eastern Emperor.  However in 388, Theodosius campaigned against Maximus and defeated him in the Battle of the Save in modern day Croatia, forcing Maximus to retreat to Aquilea (at the head of the Adriatic), where he surrendered.  Although he pleaded for mercy, Maximus was was executed.  There is nothing to suggest that any Roman effort was made to regain control of the west or north after 383, and that year is considered the definitive end of the Roman era in Wales.

Traditionally Maximus is said to have been married to Elen, a daughter of the Romano-British ruler Octavius.  She is also remembered for having Maximus build roads across the country so that the soldiers could more easily defend it, especially Sarn Helen, the great Roman road running from Caernarfon to south Wales, which is named after her.

We encounter Maximus and Elen's daughter, Sevira, on the Pillar of Eliseg (an early medieval inscribed stone nr Llangollen) which says she was married to Vortigern, king of the Britons, which would give Maximus the role of founding father for the royal dynasties  of Powys and Gwent, whose kings would later use the authority of Magnus Maximus as the basis of their inherited political legitimacy.  

Born this day 1913 in Cardiff

Hugh Cudlipp, who edited The Daily Mirror in the 50s and 60s,  the period in which it sustained its position as one of the best-selling British newspapers.  He was  was knighted in 1973 and was described by Michael Grade, the then Chairman of the BBC as "one of the giants of British journalism and one of its greatest editors."  

Born this day 1930 in Canning Town, London (both his parents were Welsh, from Nant y moel, Ogmore Valley)

Windsor Davies - actor, best known for playing the part of Battery Sergeant Major Williams in the sitcom " It Ain't Half Hot Mum" (1974–81), with his sreamed catchphrase  "Shut Up!".  He is also remembered for playing Mog in the classic Welsh film Grand Slam and for starring in two Carry on films, Carry on Behind (1975) and Carry on England (1976).

Davies returned to Nant Y Moel with his parents when the Second World War began in 1939, where he worked as a miner, a teacher and did national service in the British Army before deciding to become an actor.  He had a surprise number one hit record in the UK in 1975 with "Whispering Grass", a duet with his " It Ain't Half Hot Mum" co-star Don Estelle.  

On 28th August 1994, Sunday trading became legal in Wales and England for the first time.  

Born on this day 1896 in Cardiff

Pauline Peters - actress , who appeared in over 32 films, during the silent movie era.  Peters reached the peak of her career in the 1920s working with actor and director Walter Forde. 

Motoring and aviation pioneer Charles Stewart Rolls, who together with Fredrick Henry Royce co-founded the Rolls-Royce car manufacturing firm, was born on 27 August 1877 in Berkley Square, London, the third son of Lord and Lady Llangattock.

Throughout his life, he would retain a strong  connection with the family gothic mansion of The Hendre, near Monmouth. Photograph is of C.S. Rolls' autocar with HRH The Duke of York, Lord Llangattock , Sir Charles Cust and C.S. Rolls on board, taken at 'The Hendre'.

After graduating with a degree in engineering from Cambridge, he went to Paris to buy his first car, a Peugeot Phaeton.  This incidentaly was one of the first three cars owned in Wales.  He then began a car dealership in Fulham, during which time, he met with Henry Royce, who was manufacturing the two-cylinder Royce 10 which Rolls agreed to take all the cars he could make.  This was the beginning of the famous partnership with, Royce building and Rolls selling.

They worked to improve the reliability of cars and had a very meticulous attention to detail.  Their cars were designed for the richest people in the country.  and Rolls was the first person to take George V and Queen Mary, for a ride in a car in 1900.  By 1906, they had formally bound their names as the new Rolls Royce company and launched their classic Silver Ghost.

Rolls was involved in forcing an increase in the national speed limit from 4 to 12 miles per hour and was also a founding member of the Royal Aero Club and enjoyed flying balloons and planes. In 1910, he became the first pilot to fly across the channel and back in a single journey, but tragically later that year, aged just 32,  he was the first man to die in an aeronautical accident when the tail of his Wright Flyer broke off during a flying display in Bournemouth. 

Hanged on this day 1679 for High Treason and canonised a saint in 1970 by Pope Paul VI

Fr David Lewis, the last Welsh martyr.

David Lewis was born in Abergavenny in 1616. His father, Morgan Lewis, was headmaster of Abergavenny Grammar School and raised him as a Protestant, but as a young man he spent some time in Paris and while there he converted to Catholicism.

Subsequently, he went to study at the English College in Rome, where he was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1642. Three years later he became an evangelising Jesuit and returned to  Monmouthshire, where he was greatly loved and was known as ‘Tad y Tlodion’ - ‘Father of the Poor’.

In 1678 he became a victim of Titus Oates's Popish Plot (false claims that there was a vast, Jesuit  conspiracy to assassinate Charles II and bring his Catholic brother, the future  James II to the throne).  Oates was given the authority to round up the suspects and David Lewis was arrested at Llantarnam and brought for trial at the Lenten Assizes in Monmouth on 16th March 1679.  His charge was High Treason, that is, having become a Catholic priest and remaining in the country. He pleaded not guilty, but several witnesses claimed they had seen him perform priestly duties and he was found guilty and sentenced to death.  Lewis was brought to Newgate Prison in London  and questioned about the “plot” by Oates and his henchmen but they were unable to get him to confess. He was taken to Usk Gaol to await his execution.

On 27th August 1679, he was taken from his cell and carried on a hurdle to a place known as the Coniger and there he was hanged. His body was taken in procession to the churchyard of the Priory Church and there it was buried in the grave closest to the main door of the church and every year on the Sunday nearest to 27th August there is a pilgrimage to this holy site.

In October 1970, Fr David Lewis was canonised by Pope Paul VI as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. 

Katheryn of Berain  (born 1540 or 1541; died 27 August 1591), sometimes called "Mam Cymru" (mother of  Wales), because of her extensive network of descendants and relations.

Katheryn was the heiress to the Berain and Penymynydd estates in Denbighshire and Anglesey.  Her maternal grandfather Sir Roland de Velville was thought to be an illegitimate son of King Henry VII of England by "a Breton lady"

The story of her and her many husbands and supposed lovers has become one of the great romances of north Wales.  She married four times to high-profile Welshmen, becoming part of the richest, most influential families of north Wales, including the  prestigious Salusbury Family, who first came to prominence after they arrived as vassals of William the Conquerer in 1066 and then received vast amounts of land after they assisted in the Conquest of Wales  under Edward I. Katheryn's decendantsl went on to form some of the country's richest families, earning her the title 'the Mother of Wales'.

The portrait of Kathryn of Berain by the Dutch artist Adriaen van Cronenburgh can be seen in the Historic Art galleries galleries at National Museum Cardiff.  In it she appears to be in mourning, but in fact had recently married the royal agent Richard Clough. She is presented as a fitting wife for a wealthy merchant.

The prayer-book confirms her piety.

Married women traditionally wore a head-dress, often decorated with jewels to draw attention to the forehead, considered to be an area of beauty.

Pale skin was  a sign of nobility and delicacy – only the poor who worked in the sun all day had tanned skin.

Smiling was associated with foolishness, hence Katheryn’s solemn expression.

Katheryn's long black velvet dress was the latest in Spanish-style fashion in 1568. Black costumes were considered formal and dignified, but black dye was difficult to find and very expensive,

Katheryn wears a fashionable chain belt, which symbolized her obedience as a wife, with a locket at the bottom, in which it is said she kept a locket of the hair of her second and favourite husband. 

It is said that Katheryn murdered many of her lovers, but this skull is not one of theirs!  The skull often occurs in sixteenth-century portraits as a symbol  of human destiny. 

Today is the feast day of Saint Degymen. 

Saint Degymen (Decumen)  Died 706.  He is said to have been born of noble parents at Rhoscrowther in Pembrokeshire, where the church is dedicated to him. He also had a chapel at nearby Pwllcrochan. Wishing to escape to a world of solitude he crossed the Bristol Channel on a hurdle of rods (possibly a coracle) with only a cow for a companion and landed at Dunster in Somerset, where he became a hermit, living from the produce of his cow.  There he is said to have been killed by a pagan who cut off his head with a spade.   Legend tells that the saint miraculously picked up his head, washed it, and replaced it.  After this the local people assisted Decuman to build a church.  He is also associated with the churches of Ballyconnick, Killag, and Killiane in County Wexford, Ireland. 

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Born this day 1977 in Thames, New Zealand 

Sonny Toi Parker - former Welsh rugby international

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The Battle of Crecy took place on 26th August 1346.  

Edward III  had invaded France, during the Hundred Years War with 4,000 men-at-arms and 10,000 archers, many of whom, were Welsh.

Edward's son, The Black Prince, Prince of Wales took up a strategic position threatening Paris, where he waited for Phillip VI of France  with 12,000 men-at-arms and several thousand foot soldiers to attack him.  Edward positioned his knights in the centre surrounded by a crescent of archers and as the French attacked, they were cut to pieces by the arrows of the Welsh longbowmen. 

After the battle, it is said that Edward  found the helmet of a dead German mercenary that had  three ostrich plumes and the motto Ich Dein, meaning 'I serve'. which he adopted as his coat of arms.   The emblem of the Prince of Wales’remains the three feathers with the legend Ich Dein to this day.

Sixty women were widowed and 153 children left fatherless, when a huge explosion occurred at the Parc Slip Colliery at Aberkenfig near Tondu, on 26th August 1892, killing; 112 men and boys.   Only 39 survived, with some being trapped underground for a week before being rescued. 

The mine closed in 1904, but the coal seams were  later re-worked as part of the Parc Slip opencast coal mine.  There is a memorial to the disaster comprising of 112 stones, one for each life lost.

On 26th August 1967: The Beatles, along with Mick Jagger and his girlfriend Marianne Faithfull, attended a lecture from the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, at University College in Bangor.

Afterwards the group held a press conference to announce that they had become his disciples in the "Spiritual Regeneration Movement" and officially renounced the use of all drugs.