Recently Rated:
Stats
Privateer Henry Morgan (Harri Morgan) died on this day 1688 in Jamaica.
Sir Henry Morgan (1635-1688) who is remembered as the greatest of all privateers, was born in Llanrumney. He fought for the English against the Spanish in the Caribbean during the 1660’s and 1670’s. He was knighted by King Charles II and died a rich man in Jamaica.
Morgan was a legend who was loved by all social classes and helped establish Jamaica as a strong English colony in the Caribbean , but he also was guilty of the death and torture of innocent Spanish civilians and the spread terror far and wide.
On 25th August 1945, the children who had been evacuated from English cities to the comparative safety of Wales, were sent home.
Evacuation began in September 1939, with an operation nicknamed 'Pied Piper' when approximately 110,000 children were sent to Wales. The evacuees were all given a gas mask and food for the journey and had a label stating the child’s name, home address, school and destination, pinned to their clothing. Most of the children adapted well to country life staying in touch with their host family after the end of war.
However, it wasn’t only children who were evacuated. Mothers of young babies, pregnant women and disabled people were also evacuated. In some cases, teachers were evacuated andstayed in the same village as their pupils.
Born on this day 1909 in Rhosllaerchrugog, near Wrexham
Arwel Hughes OBE - orchestral conductor and composer.
Arwel Hughes, studied at the Royal College of Music, with Vaughan Williams and C. H. Kitson and in 1935 returned to Wales to join the BBC, where he was appointed Head of Music of BBC Wales in 1965. He was made an OBE in 1969 for his services to Welsh music and for organising the music for the Investiture of the Prince of Wales and is Honorary Music Director of Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.
On 25th August 1919, fire destroyed the Waterloo Hydro, Aberystwyth's largest hotel.
The hotel had been built in 1910 and had five floors with 127 bedrooms. The balcony and bay windows gave the rooms the best sea views in the town. On the cleared site, one of the most fantastic pieces of this town’s twentieth-century architecture was built; the King’s Hall, originally called Municipal Hall. Finished in 1933, it was a huge building that took up the entire plot and was constructed in the classic art deco style that the country loved at the time. A balcony balustrade ran around the flat roof, which was broken on the centre of the seafront side by a great clock tower topped with a flag pole. However the building fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1989.
An industrial accident that occured on 24th August 1943, led to the foundation of Tenovus, Wales' leading cancer charity.
Little is known about the ten founders of Tenovus - not even their first names. They were all Cardiff businessmen from a variety of backgrounds - one was an acorn and seed merchant and another was a ladies outfitter. Mr Price was a haulier and Mr Edwards was the head of Prudential Insurance.
On August 24, 1943, Cardiff-based haulage contractor Eddie Price was unloading heavy machinery when one of the lathes fell on him, pinning him to the ground. It led to him spending three months in Cardiff Royal Infirmary, where he was visited regularly by eight friends - all businessmen - who he used to regularly dine with at the Angel Hotel in Cardiff. They were joined by a Mr D R Edwards - the head of Prudential Insurance - who had traced Mr Price to thank him for the good deed he had done in giving him petrol for his car after he broke down. Together the men were determined to find a distraction for their injured and bored friend. They bought a radio for the hospital and invented headsets for the patients to listen to it and even managed to broadcast Cardiff City football games from Ninian Park to the hospital.
It was an act of benevolence that sparked a lifetime of philanthropy for the men who decided to continue their fundraising under the name Tenovus - Ten of Us. Between them they had contacts and they used them. On the first Tuesday of the month, they would invite Cardiff dignitaries to a fund raising dinner at the Angel Hotel, where they would raise up to £10,000. They would be told about people that needed help . "For example, they raised money to build the Sunshine House for Blind Babies just outside Cardiff and bought a washing machine for a widow with seven children. Then towards the end of World War II they were asked to raise £26,000 for a rest home for injured soldiers in Burma who could not return home and they also funded research that led to expectant mothers being advised to take folic acid to prevent spina bifida in babies.
Since the 1960s, Tenovus have concentrated their efforts on cancer research and support and are now recognised for their pioneering work;
* They built the Tenovus Institute for Cancer Research in Cardiff which carried out vital research into the causes of cancer.
* They opened a network of fundraising shops across Wales and South West England.
* Tenovus's scientists developed the use of Tamoxifen, now used worldwide to treat breast cancer, and Zoladex which treats prostate cancer.
* They have developed a system of cancer support services to help cancer patients and their families, including our Freephone Cancer Support Line (0808 808 1010), which is open 8 am - 8 pm, 7 days a week.
* In 2009, they developed a Mobile Cancer Support Unit.which brings cancer care to the heart of the patient's community.
* In 2011, they conducted research into the benefits of singing for cancer patients and their families and were awarded a £1m Big Lottery Grant to set up 15 choirs across Wales.
* In 2012 they were asked to put together a special choir of cancer patients, for a Channel 4 documentary 'Sing for your Life', which followed their journey from the very first rehearsal in Cardiff, all the way to the Royal Albert Hall.
* 2012 also saw the launch of Tenovus Cancer Callback; a world-first service which offers newly diagnosed cancer patients a series of regular calls from an experienced nurse.
178 people lost their lives on 24th August 1848, when the emigration ship, Ocean Monarch, caught fire and sank off Colwyn Bay.
Ocean Monarch was on a voyage from Liverpool to Boston, USA, when between Abergele Bay and Great Orme's Head off Llandudno, she was seen to raise the flag of distress as flames rose towards the rear of the vessel. In the resulting panic, many passengers threw themselves overboard and Fredrick Jerome, a sailor from one of the rescue ships, was later to be awarded the freedom of his home city, NewYork, for his heroic efforts in saving fifteen people.
The cause of the fire was believed to be passengers smoking, despite it being prohibited by the captain.
Oliver Cromwell's chaplain
John Owen, church leader, theologian, government adviser and writer, died on 24th August 1683. He has been described as " the greatest theologian who has ever written in the English language"
Owen was born at Stadhampton, Oxfordshire,in 1616 of a Welsh father who was a pastor of a Nonconformist Presbyterian congregation. He was educated at Queen's College, but because he disapproved of the inluence there of the "high-church", he left to become a chaplain at Fordham in Essex.
At this time, the nation was involved in civil war and Owen's powerful preaching brought him to the attention of Oliver Cromwell, who took him as his chaplain and a prominent advisor in religious and political matters. Cromwell took Owen on his expeditions to both Ireland and Scotland (1649-1651) to preach to the soldiers and afterwards, Cromwell appointed him as Vice Chancellor of Oxford.
It is said of him, that Owen only allowed himself four hours of sleep each night, as the acquisition of knowledge consumed him. In 1660, on The Restoration of the Monarchy, Owen was relieved of his deanship and for the remainder of his life, he became a fugitive pastor in London, moving from one church to another and often being forced to preach in secret.
Born on this day 1943 in Brynaman, Carmarthenshire
Dafydd Iwan - singer - songwriter and politician, who was the president of Plaid Cymru (2003-2010) and whose paternal Grandfather - Fred Jones - was one of the founding members of Plaid Cymru.
Dafydd Iwan's earliest material was Welsh translations of tunes by American folk - protest singers: Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan. But his popularity rose when he started to write his own ballads, such as "Carlo" (Charlie), written on the occasion of the investiture of the Prince of Wales in 1969 and "Yma O Hyd" (Still Here), released in 1981 and his biggest hit to date.
Iwan's strong political beliefs led to him being imprisoned in 1970 as part of the fight for Welsh language rights and many of his songs are based on political themes, such as Pinochet's Chile, Welsh Devolution, the Vietnam War, the Northern Ireland Troubles, the Tiananmen Square massacre, the Gulf War and opencast mining in the South Wales valleys.
Dafydd Iwan was a founders of Recordiau Sain Cyf (Sain Records Ltd) and his long service to the Welsh language led to his being made an honorary member of the Gorsedd of Bards at the National Eisteddfod at Bangor in 1971.
On 23rd August 1911, rioting in Bargoed resulted in Mr. Barnett, a Jewish jeweller, whose shop had been plundered, appearing at the door with a revolver and threatening to shoot anyone continuing the depredations. The attackers thereupon withdrew.
1911 saw the rioting and strikes of the Great Unrest which swept across south Wales, starting in Cardiff docks, the unrest took in railway workers in Llanelli, the colliers in the Valleys and culminated with the copper workers in Swansea.
However when the rioting reached the valleys of Monmouthshire and eastern parts of Glamorgan it took on a darker and more disturbing aspect. What started with a handful of miners leaving a Tredegar pub on a Saturday night, rapidly escalated into 250 people attacking Jewish-owned businesses; unpopular for their perceived high prices and sharp practices.
Soon the disorder took in industrial towns such as Caerphilly, Ebbw Vale and Bargoed. Although nobody was injured or killed, Jewish-owned businesses and houses were looted and burned over the course of a week and resulted in Home Secretary Winston Churchill calling in the army.
The Marble Church (St.Margaret's Church), Bodelwyddan, a prominent landmark visible for many miles in the lower Vale of Clwyd in Denbighshire, was consecrated on 23rd August 1860.
The church was erected by Lady Willoughby de Broke in memory of her husband. It is part constructed of Belgian Red marble, "Anglesey marble" and elaborate woodwork. It also features stained glass windows of Saint Margaret and Saint Kentigern.
The church is located near Kinmel Hall where a camp used by Canadian troops during the First World War was situated. In 1918-19, a Spanish flu pandemic struck the camp with many of the victims buried in the churchyard.
Then in 1919, a riot in the camp, resulted in the death of five Canadian soldiers, who are also buried in St Margaret's Churchyard. The cause of the riot was the diversion of a ship sent to take the soldiers home and it is suggested that the five soldiers were executed for mutiny. However, this is denied by the Canadian Government.
Hollywood star Gareth Hughes, was born into a working-class family in Dafen, Carmarthenshire on 23rd August 1894.
After undertaking some local amateur roles aged 15 he walked to London and joined a West End theatre group, who took a tour to the United States. Hughes received rave reviews, becoming a favourite in particular of JM Barrie, which encouraged him to enter the emerging silent film industry. Usually cast as a callow, sensitive hero, he became a Hollywood star and enjoyed the accompanying lifestyle of a townhouse, a chauffeur and a groom for his horses. He made a fortune (which he later lost in the Wall Street Crash), but his spirituality led him to become a church minister to a tribe of Paiute native Americans, on whom he had an immense impact and is still remembered by them above all other ministers.
Born on this day 1941 in Wrexham
Arfon Griffiths - former Wales soccer international. At Wrexham, for whom he made a club record 591 Football League appearances, scoring 120 goals, before becoming the club's manager, he is a true legend and is affectionately known as the 'Prince of Wales'. Griffiths played a major role in Wrexham's glory years of the 1970's, which included promotions in both 1962-63 and 1969–70, reaching the quarter-final of the European Cup Winners Cup in 1976 and reaching the quarter-finals of both the League and FA Cups.
Griffiths was awarded the MBE in 1976 for his services to Welsh soccer, and in 2006, he was made Club President of Wrexham, as well as being added to the club's Hall of Fame.
wefwe
..
Born on this day 1981 in Brecon
Andy Powell - Wales and Lions rugby international.
wefwe
wefwe
wefwe
..
Born on this day 1983 in Newport.
James Collins - Wales soccer international and former captain.
wefwe
wefwe
On 22nd August 1485, Henry Tudor defeated Richard III at The Battle of Bosworth in Leicestershire.
The death of Richard marked the beginning of the Tudor dynasty and would prove to have a major impact on British history.
Henry was the son of Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond, and Lady Margaret Beaufort, a descendant of John of Gaunt, the third son of Edward III. Henry had been forced to flee to Brittany when Edward IV regained the throne in 1471, but returned as a result of his mother and Elizabeth Woodville, Edward IV’s widow, conspiring to arrange a marriage between Henry and Elizabeth’s daughter, Elizabeth of York.
In 1485, Henry landed at Milford Haven, with the support of the French and gained more support as he travelled through Wales. Henry managed to amass an army of around 5000 men and was intent on marching to London. However, he was intercepted in Leicestershire, by Richard in command of a force of 12,000.
Richard had the upper hand initially, as he held the higher ground, whilst Henry's men were caught in lower marshland. However, the initiative swung Henry's way when Lord Thomas Stanley and his brother Sir William Stanley decided to fight with Henry. Lord Thomas had married Henry's mother, but had also been a supporter of Richard, so it was uncertain as to which side he would fight with on the day.
On August 22nd 1832, a pledge of abstinence from all strong drink, was drawn up by the leading temperance campaigner, Joseph Livesey of Preston, Lancashire
The temperance movement in Wales
The drinking of alcohol has long been a feature of Welsh society life. The village pub, the drovers' inns, the coaching houses on the main transport routes. However, in the early part of the 19th century, the consumption of beer and spirits in Wales reached dangerous levels. This was particularly the case in the newly created industrial regions of the country where iron workers and coal miners, parched after a day of hard physical toil and with money in their pockets, sought refuge in the town's pubs. Beer was felt to be a good and necessary beverage for hard-working men as the quality of water was poor and was severely limited in places like Merthyr and Swansea. This was something that caused serious concern – to the employers who saw the detrimental effects of drink on their workforce, and to the wives who saw hard earned money being wasted on alcohol. As a result, the first half of the 19th century saw a rapid increase and growth of temperance societies.
After taking his pledge, Joseph Livesey had opened the first temperance hotel in England in 1833 and the British Association for the Promotion of Temperance was established in 1835. The movement spread quickly and by the end of 1835, there were 25 temperance societies in Wales, offering meeting places, soft drinks and lectures on the evils of drink. However, initially, it was moderation and not abstinence that was advocated, but it soon became clear that total abstinence was required, when it was found out that some members of the Ebbw Vale Temperance Society, who allowed its members to drink two pints of beer a day, were saving up their allowance in order to drink 12 or 14 pints on the weekend. The first teetotal society in Wales was created as early as 1835 and throughout the middle years of the 19th century, the temperance movement grew in strength. They campaigned for Sunday closing of public houses in Wales, something that was achieved in 1881. This was a high point for the movement, as after World War I, the temperance movement began to decline in popularity and influence as it quickly became clear that drinking of alcohol was only one of many causes of poverty.
Iolo Williams, television presenter and wildlife enthusiast, was born in Builth Wells on 22nd August 1962.
Iolo Williams, AKA Birdman; is one of Wales' most renowned nature and wildlife presenters who has fronted countless television programmes. Having begun his career working with the RSPB he soon became popular with producers and directors alike resulting in being Wales' leading bird and wildlife expert. He is bilingual (English and Welsh), has a degree in Ecology, and has presented over eight varying series for BBC and many for S4C also. When he is not travelling the world he is back home with his family in mid-Wales.
Iolo is a passionate supporter of many high-profile charities such as Welsh Wildlife Trusts, Welsh Kite Trust, Butterfly Conservation, Plant Life, Sea Trust, Gower Bird Hospital and the Welsh Ornithological Society. In October 2008, Iolo led a team of 38 fundraisers on a trek in Patagonia in the aid of Mencap Cymru. Iolo also walked 270 miles from North to South Wales to raise funds for the children's hospices, Ty Hafan and Ty Gobaith.
John Jones - chancellor of Llandaff Cathedral, medical practitioner and inventor, died on 22 August 1709
Jones, was from Pentyrch, Glamorgan and educated at Jesus College, Oxford. In 1677, he obtained a licence from Oxford University to practise medicine and wrote on fevers (De febribus intermittentibus) and The Mysteries of Opium Revealed. He was appointed chancellor of Llandaff Cathedral in 1686 and also invented a paper lantern type clock operated by bellows.
Born on this day 1973 in Pontypool
Lee Dainton - professional skateboarder and a member of the Dirty Sanchez daredevil crew.
First released in the UK on 22nd August 2003, "Lara Croft Tomb Raider:The Cradle of Life" was partially shot in Wales.
The scenes involving mainland China were filmed in the area surrounding Llyn Gwynant in North Wales.
On 22 August 1770, Captain Cook took formal possession of Possession Island, New South Wales.
Then, during his first voyage of discovery, he sailed up the east coast of Australia and named it "New South Wales", as its landscape was similar to that of Wales. In his original journals, Cook had named the land "New Wales", which he later amended" to "New South Wales".
The Colonisation of New South Wales began in Sydney, 1788 and originally covered the entire eastern two thirds of Australia and Tasmania, but as other. colonies became established, the size of New South Wales diminished until it remained the size it is today as the State of New South Wales.
The Taff Vale Railway strike occurred in August 1900.
The Taff Vale railway workers moved a quarter of the eighteen million tons of coal dug out by South Wales miners. So they were greatly impacted by the series of coal mining strikes between 1893-98. Then the Boer war increased the demand for South Wales coal and the miners won pay increases but rail workers did not even though the cost of living increased.
The Chairman and General Manager of the Taff Vale Railway refused to meet with the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants (thw workers union), so in 1900 1,327 workers of the Taff Railway Company went on strike, preventing coal trains from running. The company then brought in strike breakers and ordered strikers and their families to vacate rented company cottages.
The strike lasted eleven days, before a convoluted settlement was agreed. However in 1901 the Taff Vale Railway Company successfully sued the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants for losses caused by the strike. This proved to be a landmark decision, as it shattered the belief that unions could not be held responsible for damages as a result of the actions of their members, but it did lead to the election of the Liberal Party in the general election of 1906, who introduced the Trade Disputes Act 1906, which guaranteed union immunity.
Ruth Manning Saunders was born in Swansea on 21st August 1886.
Ruth Manning-Sanders was a prolific poet and author who was perhaps best known for her series of children's books in which she collected and retold fairy tales from all over the world.
Born this day 1954 and from Kenfig Hill, near Bridgend
Alan Phillips - former Wales and Lions rugby international. Phillips scored 162 tries in 481 appearances for Cardiff RFC, a very impressive total considering that his position was hooker. He is currently Wales Team Manager and a Selector.
On 21st August 1883, five miners were killed in a gas explosion at the Gelli Colliery, in the Rhondda Fawr valley.
In August 1881, The Sunday Closing (Wales) Act prohibited the sale of alcohol on a Sunday in Wales.
This was the first Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom since the 1542 Act of Union whose application was restricted only to Wales .
William Gladstone's Liberal government passed the act which would change the culture and politics of Wales. It had been sponsored by the Welsh nonconformists in the Liberal party, such as Lloyd George and was not repealed until 1961.
wsededfwe
wsededfwe
..
Wales suffered its worst railway disaster to date on 20 August 1868 when the fastest train in the country, the Irish Mail, crashed into runaway goods wagons at Abergele. The wagons contained Cambrian oil, a type of paraffin used in miners' lamps, and within a few minutes of the collision the engine and its passenger carriages were consumed with flames; thirty-three people lost their lives
Identification of the charred remains of many of the victims had not been easy and a number of bodies could not be positively identified. A chaotic inquest was followed by a dignified funeral at St Mary's, the parish church of Abergele where a memorial to the victims of the accident now stands. The inquest delivered verdicts of manslaughter against the brakemen who had been shunting the wagons at Llanddulas Station and censured the station master for gross dereliction of duty.
The trial at the spring assizes in Ruthin the following year, however, found the brakeman not guilty and attention focussed on ways in which railway safety might be improved. One result of the Abergele disaster was the passing of the 1862 Petroleum Act that put petroleum products in the same category of danger as gunpowder, plague and diseased cattle.
Hungary's unusual connection with Wales.
August 20th commemorates the foundation of the Hungarian state. Also called as St. Stephen's Day, in memory of Stephen I, Hungary's first king and founder.
If you ask any Hungarian about Wales the first thing that is likely to come to their mind will be a poem, that everyone learns by heart at school, entitled "The Bards of Wales", written by one of their most respected writers, Janos Arany in 1857
Arany was asked to write a poem of praise for the visit of Franz Joseph I of Austria. Instead, as a metaphor to criticise the tyrannic Habsburg rule over Hungary after the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, he wrote a poem about the tale of the 500 Welsh bards sent to the stake by Edward I of England for failing to sing his praises at a banquet in Montgomery Castle in 1277.
Arany wrote his own preface to the poem: “The historians doubt it, but it strongly stands in legend that Edward I of England sent 500 Welsh bards to the stake after his victory over the Welsh (1277) to prevent them from arousing the country and destroying English rule by telling of the glorious past of their nation.”
The Welsh composer Karl Jenkins composed a’ symphony based on the poem, which he conducted at its premier in Budapest’s Palace of Arts in 2001.
Born this day 1972 in Morriston and raised in Llanelli.
Scott Quinnell - former Wales rugby union captain and Lions and rugby league international.
Quinnell is currently a commentator and pundit on televised rugby matches. He was was born dyslexic and now speaks publicly on the issue, representing the Welsh Dyslexia Project. He has also written an autobiography, which is one of the Accent Press Quick Reads series.
Born on this day 1941 in London (of Welsh descent)
Dame Anne Elizabeth Jane Evans - operatic soprano, who is one of Britain’s most internationally successful singers and has appeared in most of the world’s major musical venues.
wsededfwe
Born this day 1980 in Swansea
Enzo Maccarinelli - professional boxer, who is a former World Boxing Organisation (WBO) and European cruiserweight champion.
On Sunday August 19th, 1274, Edward I of England was crowned at Westminster Abbey. It marked the beginning of a traumatic period in Welsh history.
Edward had inherited the throne of England when his father Henry III died in November 1272. Edward was, at this time, returning from his crusade in the Holy Land and only heard of his father’s death in January 1273 while in Sicily. Edward headed home, but was in no rush to get back to England as his right to rule was unquestioned and England and all the nobles had sworn loyalty to him. Edward landed at Dover on August 2nd, 1274 and his coronation was then organised.
In Wales at this time, Llywelyn ap Gruffyd enjoyed an advantageous situation in the aftermath of the Barons' War and had been conferred as Prince of Wales by Edwards father, Henry III, following the Peace of Montgomery in 1267 in which Llywelyn ap Gruffyd had pledged fealty to the English crown. However Llywelyn's relationship with Edward was not as cordial as it had been with Henry III, and was made worse by continued conflicts with dissatisfied Marcher Lords, Llywelyn's younger brother Dafydd's defection to the English and Llywelyn's planned marriage to Eleanor, daughter of Simon de Montfort, leader of the Barons revolt against Henry III. Needless to say, Llywelyn did not attend Edward's coronation.
When Edward called Llywelyn to Chester in 1275 to pay homage, Llywelyn refused Citing ongoing hostilities and the English king's harbouring of his enemies. . In 1277 King Edward branded Llywelyn "a rebel and disturber of the peace" and declared his lands forfeit. Edward launched a massive invasion to re-conquer South Wales. He defeated Llywelyn and forced him to accept the peace of Aberconwy 1278. Then, following a further rebellion, Llywelyn was killed by the English in 1282 and his brother Dafydd captured and executed.
On 19th August 1214, marcher lord Roger de Mortimer of Wigmore Castle in Herefordshire, died. (picture is of a reconstruction of Wigmore Castle when originally built)
After the Norman invasion, the struggle for Rhwng Gwy a Hafren (Between Wye & Severn) the area comprising roughly of modern day Radnoshire was particularly fierce. Welsh forces under leaders such as Cadwallon ap Madog and Rhys ap Gruffydd (the Lord Rhys), were in regular conflict with the Norman marcher lords such as Roger de Mortimer.
Cadwallon ap Madog is known to have had three brothers killed by the Normans and he and his surviving brother, ended up in control of the two principal divisions of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren: Cadwallon ap Madog ruled Maelienydd and his younger brother Einion Clud ruled Elfael.
1175 - Cadwallon and Einion went with Rhys ap Gruffudd to Gloucester where he made a peace treaty with King Henry II, buying recognition from the king for his holding the land of Maelienydd.
1176 - Cadwallon profited from the death of his brother Einion Clud by annexing Elfael and was responsible for building and fortifying several castles in the area. He is reported as bringing destruction to the English Marches of Herefordshire and Shropshire.
1179 - Cadwallon appeared in the royal court to answer charges of waging war against the king and on his return home, he was met by men owing allegiance to Roger de Mortimer and was cut down and killed. As Cadwallon was under a royal safe conduct, the king was outraged and imprisoned Mortimer in Winchester for two years.
1195 - Roger de Mortimer, with the backing of troops sent by King Richard I invaded Maelienydd.
1196 - Roger de Mortimer fought and lost the battle of New Radnor against Rhys ap Gruffydd, allegedly losing some forty knights and an innumerable number of foot in the fight.
1200 - Roger de Mortimer conquered Maelienydd and issued a new charter of rights to Cwmhir Abbey.
1214 - Roger de Mortimer became gravely ill and died.
Throughout the 13th century the territory was gradually reoccupied by the English Marcher Lords. However the territory was annexed by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd in 1267 under the Treaty of Montgomery. But following his defeat at the hands of Edward I of England in 1282, most of the remaining landowners were dispossessed. Then in the 16th century, the area was to form the county of Radnorshire under the various Laws in Wales Acts.
A near disaster on 19th August 1956 marked the beginning of the end of the paddle steamer era.
The period after World War Two, was a boom time for the holiday trade of South Wales, with one of the main attractions being a trip one of the paddle steamers, Cardiff Queen and Bristol Queen, that regularly ploughed up and down the Bristol Channel, calling at places such as Cardiff Pier, Penarth Pier, Mumbles Pier, Barry and Tenby, carrying holiday maker eager for the chance of a trip on one of the new ships.
Then on 19 August 1956 a bizarre accident occured that had a catastrophic affect on an industry already under pressure from cheaper foreign travel. The Bristol Queen had just left Ilfracombe Pier when, suddenly, there was a big bang. It was the noise of one of the paddle wheels sheering and the stricken steamer was being driven by a strong wind and tide towards the cliffs of Illfracombe, with no other form of propulsion, it was drifting helplessly.
Captain George of the Bristol Queen sent an emergency radio message to the Cardiff Queen, who happened to be approaching Illfracombe and arrived just in time to pass a 2,000 feet ropef line to the now heavily wallowing Bristol Queen and an attemt at a tow began.A paddle steamer being towed by another paddle steamer was an incredibly difficult task, but with slow and steady progress, both paddle steamers had moored in the Mumbles just over four hours later, with thankfully no fatalities. However the consequences were great, as everyone realised that if the Cardiff Queen had not been so close at hand the damaged paddler would have been driven onto the rocks and there would have been considerable loss of life. Business slumped and eventually both boats were taken out of service and broken up. It was the end of an era, the end of paddle steamer cruising on the Bristol Channel.
On 19th August 1646, Raglan Castle surrendered to Parliamentary forces, during the English Civil War.
Construction of Raglan Castle began in the 1430s by Sir William ap Thomas (the Blue Knight of Gwent) who fought with King Henry V in 1415 at the Battle of Agincourt.
The castle was inherited by Sir William's son (alsoWilliam) in 1445 who was known as Sir William Herbert and who was a supporter of King Edward IV and the House of York during the Wars of the Roses. He fought for the king at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in 1461 and was rewarded by being made a Knight of the Garter, and chief justice of North Wales. The in 1468, Sir William Herbert captured Harlech Castle, Wales's last Lancastrian stronghold and for which he was was made Earl of Pembroke.
During the English Civil War in 1646, Raglan Castle suffered heavy damage when it was put under siege and finally captured by the parliamentarians, under Sir Thomas Fairfax.
In 1938, Raglan Castle was placed in the guardianship of the Commissioners of HM Works and an extensive repair programme was carried out following the end of World War II. Today, it is maintained by CADW (Welsh Historic Monuments).
Born this day 1980 in Chepstow
Paul Parry - former Wales soccer international. InterestinglyParry suffers from aviophobia (a severe fear of flying), which, has caused problems during his career due to his inability to travel long distances.
edfedf
edfedf
edfedf
edfedf
Born on this day 1961 in Bridgend and brought up in Llangennech, near Llanelli.
Huw Edwards - BAFTA award winning journalist, presenter and newsreader.
After graduating from the University of Cardiff, Edwards began his career at the radio station Swansea Sound, from where he joined the BBC in 1984 as a news trainee. He was promoted to Parliamentary Correspondent for BBC Wales in 1986 and then Chief Political Correspondent for BBC News. Between May 1999 and January 2003, Edwards presented the BBC Six O'Clock News and then in 2003, he became the main presenter of the Ten O'Clock News on BBC One, which is Britain's most watched news programme.
He has also presented various special programmes such as the Festival of Remembrance, Trooping the Colour, the State Opening of Parliament, the United States elections 2008 results and the opening and closing ceremonies of both the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics. In 2011, he presented the BBC coverage of the Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. The coverage was watched by 20 million viewers at peak in the United Kingdom ] and the team won a BAFTA Award for Best Coverage of a Live Event.
Although predominantly a news journalist, Edwards has presented documentaries on many historical subjects, including the BBC Wales historical documentary "The Story of Wales".
Born on this day 1774 in Albermarle County, Virginia.
Meriwether Lewis (of Welsh descent) - explorer, soldier and public administrator, best remembered as the leader of the expedition to explore Louisiana and to find a direct water route across America, to the Pacific.
Meriwether Lewis was born on August 18, 1774 near Charlottesville, Virginia. He developed a love of exploring and hunting, growing up in the wilderness and forests of the Shenandoah Valley and became a soldier at a young age, fighting in putting down the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794. He soon became an officer, fighting the Native Americans of the Northwest Territory. During this time he became educated in the lifestyle of the Native Americans and learned some of their language.
Then in 1801, Lewis was appointed as an aide to President Thomas Jefferson and after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, which was the acquisition by the United States of America from France of their claim to the territory of Louisiana. Jefferson wanted to know what resources the new land had and also if there was a direct water route across the continent, to the Pacific, so he appointed Lewis and William Clark to explore the new territory. It took three years before , the expedition reached the Pacific, in the area of present-day Oregon and they returned not only with information about the geography, but also about its plants and animals.
In 1806, Meriwether Lewis was named the new governor of the Louisiana Territory, but in 1809, on his way to Washington D.C, he mysteriously died of gunshot wounds at a hotel .
Born this day 1966 in Ynysybwl
Garin Jenkins - former Welsh rugby international, who currently works as a summariser on Radio Wales' sports time programme.
Born on this day 1903 in Ogmore Vale.
Dorothy Edwards - novelist.
In the summer of 1802, Vice Admiral Nelson toured Wales with Lady Emma Hamilton (who was raised at Hawarden in Flintshire) and her husband Sir William, who had inherited land in Pembrokeshire. He was welcomed with enthusiasm where ever he went.
The tour began with Nelson travelling down the Wye from Ross to Monmouth, where he visited the Naval Temple on the Kymin hill. He also visited Milford Haven, Cyfathfa Iron Works, Tenby, Haverfordwest, Llandovery, Chepstow and Carmarthen, where the then mayor Sir William Paxton, later built Paxton's Tower on his Middleton Estate, as a memorial to Nelson .
