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King Henry V (Henry of Monmouth)
Henry was born at Monmouth Castle, the son of Henry IV and Mary de Bohun. His date of birth was not officially documented as at the time, he was not considered to be close to the line of succession to the throne, but two birth dates are suggested: 9 August or 16 September, in either 1386 or 1387.
After military experience fighting for his father against enemies including Owain Glyndwr and Henry Mortimer, Henry became King of England from 1413 until his death in 1422 and embarked on war with France, which culminated in his famous victory at the Battle of Agincourt.
Henry features in three plays by William Shakespeare. He is shown as a young scapegrace who redeems himself in battle in the two Henry IV plays and as a decisive leader in Henry V.
KING HENRY V - I wear it for a memorable honour; For I am Welsh, you know, good countryman.
FLUELLEN - All the water in Wye cannot wash your majesty's Welsh plood out of your pody, I can tell you that: God pless it and preserve it, as long as it pleases his grace and his majesty too!
The first permanent ride erected at Coney Beach was opened on 9th August 1918.
This was the Figure 8 that had originally been brought to Swansea by the US government to entertain the American troops during the First World War. After the end of the war, the brothers Charlie and Marshall Evans bought it and erected it in Porthcawl.
1918 saw the first workers holiday which was the last week of July and the first week of August and was to become known as the miner's fortnight. Porthcawl, situated directly on the seafront of Sandy Bay and at the Eastern end of the coastline was the ideal venue as it and was easily accessible for miners coming down from the Valleys.
The park was named after the New York amusement park on Coney Island, thereby maintaining the US link and was constructed on the town's old ballast tip. In the early days, the park's entertainment included a bandstand, an indoor and outdoor skating rink, three cinemas, a Pierrot stage and donkey and pony rides.
During World War 2, the site was used for billeting the 15th battalion of the Welsh Regiment and the Belgian Brigade's armoured car division. After the war, the park experienced a boom in popularity, with events such as aerial acrobat shows, boxing matches and firework displays drawing hundreds of visitors from all over Wales and with the extension of the M4 motorway in the 1960s, Porthcawl became an easily accessible holiday destination. So much so that by the late 1980s thousands of people visited the park every year, with additional attractions such as professional darts and snooker tournaments, open air markets and circuses being staged.
Normal service was resumed in April 1946 after the war came to an end. It was in the 1950s that the park experienced its boom in popularity – events such as boxing matches, firework displays and aerial acrobat shows organised by the Royal Air Force drew in crowds of hundreds from all over Wales. As transport links improved further following the extension of the M4 motorway into South Wales in the 1960s and 1970s Porthcawl was an ideal holiday place with the park being one of the town's main attractions. Further events, such as open-air markets, circuses, and professional darts and snooker tournament were staged. By the late 1980s, thousands of people visited the park from all over the world as more road and rail improvements in South Wales made easier access.
However, the popularity of overseas holidays and the subsequent decline of the traditional British seaside holiday, along with the closure of the railway line into Porthcawl has resulted in the park now being run on a much smaller scale.
The first stone of Holyhead Pier on Ynys Mon (Anglesey) was laid on 9th August 1810.
The Admiralty Pier was opened in 1821 and at 300 metres (980 ft) has been used to handle ferry traffic since it was opened. Due to the historical links between Britain and Ireland the pier has twice had royal visitors, on 7 August 1821 when King George IV arrived from Ireland and then in 1898 when Queen Victoria set sail for her last voyage to Ireland.
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August, the film, was first screened on 9th August 1996 , starring and directed by Anthony Hopkins and featuring Rhys Ifans in one of his earliest film roles. It is based on Chekhov's Uncle Vanya and was Hopkins's first time as a director with a full cast (he had previously directed the one-man-performance of Dylan Thomas: Return Journey in 1990).
On 9th August 1211, Marcher lord, William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber, a major landholder in Wales, died in France, after fleeing there from Wales the previous year, disguised as a beggar.
William de Braose was a favourite of King John, who gave him the titles of Lord of Gower, Glamorgan, Brecknock, Abergavenny, Builth, Radnor and Kington. His wife Maud was put her in charge of Hay Castle and is often referred to as the Lady of Hay.
1175 , William de Braose was responsible for the Abergavenny Massacre, when three Welsh princes and other local leaders were lured to their deaths at a Christmas feast at Abergavenny Castle. He was subsequently called the "Ogre of Abergavenny" by the Welsh.
1198 , Maud defended Painscastle against an attack led by Gwenwynwyn, Prince of Powys Wenwynwen, in which three thousand Welsh were killed.
1208 , William de Braose quarrelled with King John and Maud made accusations against King John regarding the murder of John's nephew, Arthur of Brittany. The King took all of their land and castles and the de Braose's were forced to flee to Ireland,
1210 De Braose returned to Wales and allied himself with Llywelyn ap Iorwerth in his rebellion against King John. Maud and her son were soon apprehended and imprisoned at Corfe Castle, Dorset, where they were starved to death.
1211 , William de Braose died in France, after fleeing there from Wales the previous year, disguised as a beggar.
Born this day 1961 in Caerphilly and raised in the nearby village of Nelson.
Simon Weston OBE - veteran of the British Army, who suffered severe burn injuries during the Falklands War.
Weston joined the Welsh Guards in 1978 at the age of 16 and on 9 June 1982, he was with his regiment on RFA Sir Galahad in Port Pleasant, off Fitzroy, just off the Falklands Islands, when it was bombed and set on fire by Argentine Skyhawk fighters during an air attack at Bluff Cove. The Welsh Guards lost a total of 48 men killed with 97 wounded including Weston who suffered 49% burns and 12% cuts, following which his face was barely recognizable:
Weston endured over 70 major reconstructional operations or surgical procedure and later suffered psychological trauma, due to his injuries. However, in 1986, he undertook a tour, to Australia and the resulting donations to children's burns units instilled him with a sense of purpose and helped him to be positive about his future.
He subsequently became a well-known personality on radio and television and presented his own radio show "Face for the Radio" on BBC Radio Wales, as well as becoming a patron of a number of charities that support people living with disfigurements and the lead ambassador for The Healing Foundation.
Weston has since, become friends with Carlos Cachon, the Argentine pilot who was responsible for the bomb which caused his injuries.
Scriptwriter and novelist Terry Nation was born in Cardiff on 8th August 1930.
Terry Nation was one British television's most prolific and successful writers of the 1960's and 70's and is best remembered as the creator of the Daleks, the menacing opponents of Dr Who.
Nation began his professional career as a stand-up comedian but soon switched to scriptwriting, writing for comedians such as Harry Worth, Eric Sykes and Frankie Howerd. He also wrote for the television series The Saint, The Baron, The Avengers and The Persuaders, later becoming a script editor and associate producer.
Jimmy Murphy, the man who helped rebuild Manchester United following the Munich air disaster of 1958.
Born this day 1910 in Ton Pentre
Jimmy Murphy was a former Wales soccer international and manager, who as player made over 200 appearances for West Bromwich Albion and won 15 caps for Wales.
Murphy is most famous for his influence at Manchester United from 1946 until the 1970s, as assistant manager and chief coach and following the Munich air disaster on 6 February 1958, he temporarily took over as manager. Murphy was not on the Munich aeroplane, as he was managing Wales against Israel in Cardiff.
Born this day 1973 in Dolwyddelan, near Blaenau Ffestiniog.
Paul Griffiths - writer, theatre critic and director, who is the only person to have won the Drama Medal at the Urdd Eisteddfod three years in succession.
Griffiths set up the successful theatre company, Cwmni Ieuenctid Dolwyddelan at age 13 and writes a theatre column for "Y Cymro". He also contributes regularly to programmes on S4C and BBC Radio Cymru.
In August 1211, King John of England invaded Gwynedd in an attempt to subdue Llywelyn the Great. John was excommunicated at the time and consequently Robert of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bangor, refused to meet him. John retaliated by sending a troop of soldiers to burn the city of Bangor and seized the Bishop from the high altar of the cathedral. Robert had to pay a fine of two hundred hawks to recover his liberty.
John, who knew the country well having visited every year between 1204 and 1211 was eager to increase his territory and power and had struck a sequence of deals with the Welsh rulers. Llywelyn consolidated his position in 1205 by marrying Joan, the daughter of John and united Gwynedd following a brief power struggle.
Unsettled by the new power gained by Llywelyn, John mounted a major expedition in 1211, striking into the Welsh heartlands. Llywelyn secured the allegiance of other Welsh leaders against John and led Welsh forces through continued conflict with John. The result was John and Llywelyn reaching an agreement, with a peace treaty signed in July 1211, which provided for minimal involvement by the king of England in Welsh affairs.
Born this day 1979 in Cwmbran
Danny Gabbidon- Welsh soccer international
Henry VII;
His early years and the build up to his landing in Milford Haven 0n 7th August 1485
1422 Henry V died and confusion swept through England, the infant Henry VI was now King of England and Henry V's widow Catherine of Valois was kept under watch as whoever she wed would become step-father to the king.
1431 Catherine met and by some accounts, married a Welshman named Owen ap Maredudd ap Tudur, a soldier descended from the "Lord Rhys" who had entered the service of Queen Catherine as keeper of the Queen's wardrobe, after the death of Henry V. Owen's father Maredudd ap Tudor had been a stalwart of Owain Glyndwr's uprising of 1400. The origin of Catherine and Owen's romance is obscure, but later chroniclers attributed it to drunkenness (at a ball, Owen was so drunk that he stumbled and fell into the queen's lap) or voyeurism (the queen saw Owen bathing in a stream and was attracted to him; she secretly traded places with her maid and arranged to meet him in disguise. They had four children including Edmund and Jasper.
1442 Henry VI began to take an interest in the upbringing of his step brothers Edmund and Jasper and they were brought to London.
1452 Edmund was created earl of Richmond and Jasper was created earl of Pembroke and Henry VI recognized them as his brothers.
1457 (January 28th) Henry Tudor (later to become Henry VII) was born at Pembroke Castle the only child of Edmund Tudor and Margaret Beaufort, Henry's later claim to the throne came from his mother Margaret, as she was the great great granddaughter of Edward III. Edmund had died 3 months earlier as a result of defending Carmarthen Castle from the Yorkists.
1460 Henry VI was deposed by Edward IV and imprisoned.
1461 At the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in Herefordshire, Owen Tudor led the Lancastrian forces, who were defeated by the Yorkists after which he was beheaded at Hereford. Jasper then had to flee to Pembroke, but was hunted mercilessly by Edward IV's ally William Herbert. Jasper did successfully elude capture, and escaped to France via Scotland, but the four-year-old Henry Tudor was left behind at Pembroke Castle, under the custody of Herbert. Herbert was never cruel to the boy; in fact, he and his wife, Anne Devereux, raised him as their own. After this Henry rarely saw his mother, but she was allowed to write to him.
1468 Jasper returned to Wales, with the support of Louis XI of France and gathered 2000 men, but was eventually routed at Harlech Castle and forced to return to France.
1469 Jasper's invasion did, however, create a breach in the Yorkist party, as the earl of Warwick became dissatisfied with the king and switched sides to support Henry VI. Warwick later defeated and killed Herbert ( Henrys guardian) at the Battle of Edgecote, leaving Henry Tudor under the sole protection of Anne Devereux, who took him to her family's home in Herefordshire.
1470 Jasper launched another invasion, this time with the support of Warwick and when they arrived in Hereford, he was reunited with Henry Tudor. Meanwhile, Warwick marched on London and freed HenryVI from the Tower, restoring him as king. Edward IV was forced to flee to Holland. It was also a reunion for Henry and his mother, who spent about six weeks together in London. Jasper briefly regained the earldom of Pembroke.
1471 Edward IV returned from Europe, killed Warwick at the Battle of Barnet and was reinstated himself on the throne. Henry VI was Killed, prompting Jasper to raise an army to fight Edward which was to be reinforced by Henry VI's widow, Margaret of Anjou and their son Prince Edward She gathered an army in the West Country and marched north toward Wales to join forces with Jasper, but Edward IV confronted them at Tewkesbury on 4 May and soundly defeated them killing Prince Edward. Henry Tudor was now one of the few surviving male heirs of the Lancastrian line and Jasper had good reason to fear for both his and Henry's safety and they were soon standing siege by a Yorkist army in Pembroke Castle, but managed to make their escape from Tenby headed for France, however storms in the English Channel forced them to land at Le Conquet in Brittany, where they were given refuge by Duke Francis II. Even though Edward IV placed diplomatic pressure on Duke Francis, the uncle and nephew remained safe from the clutches of the English king for the next 12 years.
1483 Edward IV died unexpectedly and his two sons - held in the Tower - mysteriously died, Richard III (Edward IV's brother) usurped the throne and was suspected of murdering them. This saw support grow for Henry Tudor, now the leading Lancastrian claimant to the crown and encouraged his mother, Margaret Beaufort and Edward IV's widow, Elizabeth Woodville (the dowager Queen), plan to wed Elizabeth's daughter, also Elizabeth (Elizabeth of York) to Henry Tudor, thereby uniting the Houses of Lancaster and York. Both women knew that such a marriage would imply that Henry Tudor wanted to replace Richard on the throne, so Margaret quickly sent word to Brittany for Henry to return to Britain via Wales, his native land, as he would receive substantial support there. On Christmas Day 1483, Henry made a public declaration that if he won the throne of England, that he would marry Elizabeth of York and make her his queen.
1484 Richard III tried to make Duke Francis hand over Henry, but Henry instead, was granted asylum from French king Charles VIII, who encouraged Henry in his plan to overthrow Richard.
On 7th August 1485, the future Henry VII landed in Milford Haven. He then marched through Wales, mustering support for his attempt to seize the throne of England from Richard III.
A summary of the events of 1485 in the build up to The Battle of Bosworth;
March - Richard's queen, Anne Neville, died and news came that Richard planned to marry Elizabeth of York. Henry with the support of the French king began to assemble an invasion fleet of 4000 men.
1st August - Henry and his army left Harleur and sailed down the Seine into the Channel.
7th August - Henry sailed into Milford Sound and landed at Mill Bay, Upon landing, he knelt down and whispered, 'Judge me Lord and fight my cause.' He kissed the ground, crossed himself, and asked his men to follow him. Henry and his force spent that night at Dale.
Henry now hoped to engage the support of his stepfather , Lord Thomas Stanley and Sir William Stanley (Lord Stanley's brother and Chamberlain of Chester and North Wales) to strengthen his force, before marching to London. The Stanleys had been communicating with Henry for some time and were aware that his strategy of landing in Wales and heading east into central England depended on their support, but they remained uncommitted.
8th August - Henry marched to Haverfordwest Castle.
Richard's control over much of Wales meant that Henry was forced to march north to Cardigan.
14th August - Henry arrived at Machynlleth, here he wrote a letter to Sir Roger Kynaston, the guardian of the Grey estates of Mid Wales, asking to pass safely to Shrewsbury - Kynaston's inaction enabled Henry to progress to unopposed and supporters were marching to join him, bringing along supplies, including Rhys ap Thomas, who brought almost 2000 men with him.
Shrewsbury was an important town, it was the traditional gateway to the English M idlands . It had prospered under Richard III. The people of Shrewsbury had no desire for foreign troops to plunder their town, so when Henry requested to march through the town, the town bailiff, Roger Mittonmade said that they would enter"over my belly." Henry could not afford to go around the city so he retreated and composed a letter to the bailiff, promising that his men would simply march through Shrewsbury peacefully, without causing any damage or harm, this with the arrival of Rowland Warburton, a retainer of Sir William Stanley, persuaded Mitton to let Henry pass, he did however lay on the ground so Henry could step over his belly (thus keeping his oath.)
The Stanleys had not joined Henry, but nor had they attacked him. However, once it was clear that Tudor was marching unopposed through Wales, Richard demanded that Lord Stanley join him without delay. However, Stanley excused himself on the grounds of illness and Richard proclaimed him as a traitor .
Three armies followed each other into the midlands: Lord Stanley's army of 5,000 and those of, Sir William Stanley and Henry Tudor. Lord Stanley, whose son Lord Strange was Richard's 'hostage', did not dare meet with Henry Tudor, though he did send a message assuring him of eventual support. Under such circumstances, Stanley's support was not completely assured and when he began marching toward Lichfield, it was presumed he was intending to meet up with Richard III at Nottingham.
20th August - Henry met up with Sir William Stanley at Stafford. Stanley brought news that Richard III was camped at Nottingham, so Henry marched to meet him, stopping overnight at Lichfield.
21st August - Henry secretly met with the Stanleys but, after the meeting, was still unsure of their unqualified support.
22nd August - Battle of Bosworth. The Stanleys took up a position independent of both the royal forces and those of Henry. Lord Stanley kept his powder dry, taking no direct part in the action, but it was Sir William's decisive intervention that gave Henry the victory. The critical role the Stanleys had played in bringing Henry Tudor to the throne was emphasised when Lord Stanley retrieved Richard's fallen coronet and placed it on the head of his stepson before his cheering troops.
1488 Jasper was restored to all his former titles, as well as Knight of the Garter, Duke of Bedford and given possession of Cardiff Castle.
Born this day 1938 in Bangor
Dewi Iorwerth Ellis Bebb - former Wales and Lions rugby international. Dewi Bebb became a national hero in Wales as one of his country's greatest wingers. Bebb scored 11 tries for Wales and was renowned as one of the game's great finishers. He was blessed with a great turn of speed, as was amply demonstrated by his try against France in Paris in 1961 when he dribbled the ball three-quarters of the length of the field. He was also one of the few former sporting stars who was able to succeed in his second profession as an outstanding television producer and editor. He initially presented the Welsh language programme Y Dydd, before taking up sports commentary and production, also editing HTV's Sports Arena for many years. He was also heavily involved in the Rugby World Cup competitions in 1987 and 1991.
Eigra Lewis Roberts, one of the foremost Welsh Language writers of our time, was born on this day in 1939 in Blaenau Ffestiniog.
Eigra is a mainly Welsh language author of short stories, novels and poetry who also works for radio and television. She was educated at the University Wales, Bangor and is the winner of four major Welsh Literature awards, as well as being a Fellow of the Welsh Academy.
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William Edwards was a Welsh Methodist minister, stonemason, architect and bridge engineer. Edwards was born in Eglwysilan, Glamorgan, and began preaching in his early twenties
Edwards' most famous creation was the Old Bridge at Pontypridd, built between 1746 and 1754. He actually constructed three bridges at the same site, with only the last surviving, although a more modern bridge next to it carries the traffic today. At 140 ft, the bridge was the largest single span in the world when it was constructed. Edwards' master-stroke was to lighten the weight of the stone by leaving "holes" in the lower part of the structure. The bridge opened in 1755 and celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2005. Edwards also built bridges in Aberafan, Betws, Cilycwm Pontardawe and Usk, and he was responsible for the layout of the industrial village of Morriston near Swansea.
Born this day 1985 in Treherbert
Andrew Bishop - Welsh rugby international, who was a key member of the Wales Under 21 Grand Slam victory in 2005.
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On 7th August 1893, 22 people from Ystrad Rhondda were drowned at Aberavon in a boating accident on a Sunday school outing.
The party of 34 people had been invited on a boating trip by brothers William and John Bath. The boat was just 20ft long, 5ft 6in wide and 2ft 6ft deep and would prove incapable of carrying its load, capsizing at the breakwater. The brothers were charged with manslaughter but were subsequently found not guilty.
Ron Davies was born on this day 1946 in Machen, Rhymney Valley.
"Good morning - and it is a very good morning in Wales"
Ron Davies' victory speech, delivered on 19th September 1997 after Wales had looked ready to reject the idea of its own assembly, with Western Mail, already having its "Wales says No" headline poised for publication and an editorial demanding his departure, before Carmarthenshire delivered a 23,000 majority, to return a Yes vote.
Ron Davies is a former Labour- Secretary of State for Wales, who describes himself as a politician belonging to the "traditional left" who had "spent his life looking for a socialist progressive party" before joining Plaid Cymru in 2010. He is remembered by many in as an architect of Welsh devolution.
Born this day 1934 in Cardiff.
Billy Boston MBE - former Wales and Great Britain rugby league international. He is a living legend at Wigan Rugby League Club, where he scored a record 478 tries, he had an astonishing turn of speed for a big man and had the ultimate side step and was also able to hand off opponents with apparent ease. Boston is a member of the Rugby League Hall of Fame and the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame and has a stand named in his honour at the DW Stadium in Wigan.
On this day 1946, Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) was initiated into the Circle of Bards at the National Eisteddfod at Mountain Ash by Archdruid Crwys Williams.
In August 1202, Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great) raised a force to attack Gwenwynwyn ab Owain of Powys, who was at this stage his main rival in Wales.
Gwenwynwyn ab Owain Cyfeiliog was the grandson of Owain Gwynedd and ruler of Powys Wenwynwyn (southern Powys) from 1195, until his death in 1216.
Powys had split in 1160, with the northern portion (Maelor) going to Gruffydd Maelor, becoming known eventually as Powys Fadog and the southern portion (Cyfeiliog) going to Owain Cyfeiliog and becoming known, eventually, as Powys Wenwynwyn after Gwenwynwyn ab Owain, his son and its second ruler.
His possession of Powys brought Genwynwyn into conflict with Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, ruler of Gwynedd, with Gwenwynwyn allying himself with King John of England. However in 1201, Llywelyn himself concluded a treaty with King John in which he was to swear fealty and do homage to the king in return for cases relating to lands claimed by Llywelyn to be heard under Welsh law.
In 1205, Llywelyn consolidated his position with King John by marrying John's daughter, Joan and when in 1208 Gwenwynwyn fell out with King John who arrested him and stripped him of his lands, Llywelyn took advantage by annexing southern Powys and northern Ceredigion and rebuilding Aberystwyth castle.
Then in 1216, Llywelyn held a council at Aberdyfi to adjudicate on the territorial claims of the lesser princes, who affirmed their homage and allegiance to him. In response, Gwenwynwyn allied himself again with King John, but Llywelyn called up the other princes for a campaign against him and drove him out of southern Powys. Gwenwynwyn died in England later that year.
Born on this day 1962 in Girvan, Scotland (moved to Llandrindod Wells when she was 3)
Kirsty Wade, double Olympian in 1988 and 1992. She is also the Welsh record holder for all distances from 800 metres to 2000 metres. She describes the "Brilliant runs in the Elan Valley, having such gloriously uninterupted views wherever I looked around" as inspiring her when training, going on todescribe the Elan Valley as "a magical part of Wales and her life"
The Battle of Maes Cogwy (Maserfield) was fought on 5 August 641 or 642.
The seventh century in Britain seems to be a period where kingdoms continually strived to establish themselves. There were many boundary shifts as they attempted to acquire new lands and defend existing ones
In the build up to The Battle of Maes Cogwy, Cadwallon ap Cadfan, King of Gwynedd had driven Edwin of Northumbria from his kingdom and allied with Penda of Mercia in a counter attack, resulting in the Battle of Hatfield Chase in 633, at which Edwin was killed and the kingdom of Northumbria temporarily collapsed. The following year Oswald (Edwin's nephew), regained control of Northumbria, defeating and killing Cadwallon ap Cadfan at The Battle of Heavenfield. It would appear that Oswald then went on the offensive against Penda and the Welsh kingdom of Powys as the next action occurs at The Battle of Maes Cogwy, which occurred at Oswestry ("Oswald's Tree"), now in Shropshire, but at the time in the kingdom of Pengwern (a sub-kingdom of Powys)
The Battle of Maes Cogwy was fought on 5 August 641 or 642, between Oswald of Northumbria and an alliance between Penda, Cynyddylan ap Cyndrwyn of Powys and Cadwaladr ap Cadwallon of Gwynedd. The outcome of the battle was defeat for the Northumbrians and the death of Oswald, which resulted in once again, the internal weakening and fracturing of the Northumbrian kingdom. It strengthened the positions of Powys and Gwynedd and left Penda as "the most formidable king in England."
On 5th August 1063, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was slain ‘through the treachery of his own men.’ (Map shows the extent of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn's Conquests)
Gruffydd was undoubtedly the outstanding Welsh ruler of the 11th century and is remembered as "the only Welsh king ever to rule over the entire territory of Wales". He was known as the shield of Wales and the terror of its enemies. He was a ruthless leader, with his hands stained with the blood of rivals and opponents alike, as he strove to drive Wales into a unified country and to defend it from its enemies.
Gruffydd was born c. 1007, the son of Llywelyn ap Seisyll, King of Gwynedd and Deheubarth. On the death of his father in 1023, Gruffydd was forced into exile in Powys with his mother and sisters as Iago ab Idwal seized the throne of Gwynedd. By 1055 he had become the ruler of Powys, recaptured Gwynedd and seized Deheubarth, Morganwg and Gwent. This combined with his alliance with Aelgar of Mercia and their destruction of Hereford, put Gruffydd in a powerful position and in exchange for his fealty, King Edward the Confesser of England recognised Gruffydd's claim to sovereignty over the whole of Wales.
On Aelgar's death in 1062, Gruffydd's position was weakened and the following year Harold Godwinson (the future King Harold) and his brother Tostig led armies into Wales, forcing Gruffydd to take refuge in Snowdonia, where he was killed by one of his own men. Gruffydd's mode of survival within the gore-stained world of medieval Welsh dynastic politics had attracted many enemies and the man who struck the fatal blow is thought to have been Cynan ap Iago, the son of Iago ab Idwal, whom Grufydd had killed in 1039 when taking the throne of Gwynedd. Once Gruffydd had been killed, his head was cut off and delivered to Harold Godwinson, who in turn conveyed it to King Edward the Confessor. Harold married his widow Ealdgyth and Gruffydd's realm was divided back into its traditional kingdoms. This is put forward as a reason that when in 1066, Harold was defeated at the Battle of Hastings, the Normans task in subduing Wales was made more difficult because they were confronted by many smaller kingdoms rather than one single nation.
On the 5th of August 1925, Plaid Cymru ( The Party of Wales) was established.
Its aims are to secure independence for Wales in Europe. To ensure economic prosperity, social justice and the health of the natural environment, based on decentralist socialism. To build a national community based on equal citizenship, respect for different traditions and cultures and the equal worth of all individuals, whatever their race, nationality, gender, colour, creed, sexuality, age, ability or social background. To create a bilingual society by promoting the revival of the Welsh language. To promote Wales's contribution to the global community and to attain membership of the United Nations.
The founder members were Lewis Valentine and the academic and dramatist, Saunders Lewis. It was Saunders Lewis who was the party's first leader.
Four years after the party's establishment, they fought their first general election in Caernarfon, North Wales in 1929. Though the candidate was unsuccessful, this campaign set the foundations for the party's intent. After the second world war, during the general election of 1950, they fielded seven candidates. In 1964, the party fielded twenty-four candidates. During the 1960s, the party went from strength to strength and in the 1966 by-election, Gwynfor Evans captured the seat of Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen), becoming the party's first MP in Westminster. Gwynfor Evans was the party's leader between 1945 and 1981.
By 1970, Plaid Cymru would fight every Welsh seat in parliamentary elections. This set the foundation for today, where Plaid Cymru fields a candidate for each Welsh seat in European, Westminster and Welsh Assembly elections as well as local council elections. In 1981 Dafydd Wigley (MP for Caernarfon) became the party's leader. At the time Gwynfor Evans stepped down as party leader, but became far more well known in the struggle to secure a Welsh-language TV channel for Wales (the channel that was to become S4C).
In the first election for the newly-established Welsh Assembly in 1999 Plaid Cymru became the second largest party, forming the official opposition to the Labour Party. This was a major breakthrough for Plaid Cymru, as they broke out of their traditional Welsh-speaking heartlands to capture seats in what was previously Labour's industrial heartland of South Wales.
In 2007, following the Assembly Elections, Plaid Cymru became the second largest party in Wales with 15 seats and formed a government with the Labour Party. The first time it had become a government party in its history.
Born this day 1957 in Newport
Eddie Butler - former Wales rugby international and captain, journalist and commentator. He came to prominence as captain of the powerful Pontypool side between 1982 and 1985. Butler has also presented two TV history series "Wales and the History of the World" and "Hidden Histories"
Born this day 1837, the son of an engineer from Merthyr
William Thomas Lewis, 1st Baron Merthyr - coal mining magnate.
He first worked for the Bute Estate coal mining pits in Glamorganshire, before acquiring his own pits in The Rhondda, during the boom years for Welsh coal, which became known as Lewis Merthyr Consolidated Collieries Limited. He was also the founder of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Association as a response the growing strength of the trade unions. There is a statue of him in Aberdare Park.
On 5th August 1645, King Charles I visited Colonel Edward Prichard at Llancaiach Fawr, a Tudor manor house near the village of Nelson as part of rallying tour through South Wales prior to the decisive Battle of Naseby during the English Civil War.
When Civil War had broken out between King and Parliament in 1642 Colonel Edward Prichard was put in charge of the Royalist cause in Glamorganshire. However by the middle of 1645 support was waning and on 5th August King Charles I came on a rallying tour through South Wales and visited Llancaiach Fawr. Shortly afterwards the Prichards and many other Glamorgan gentry changed sides to support Parliament and Colonel Prichard subsequently defended Cardiff Castle against the Royalists.
Llancaiach Fawr is considered to be one of the most important Gentry houses to have survived from the 16th and 17th century period.
Built for Dafydd ap Richard in 1530, the Manor, the original defensive design incorporated four-foot thick walls and stout wooden doors, which when securely closed, split the Manor in two and ensured that the inner east wing provided a safe and secure place of refuge during the troubled times.
Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (The Welsh Language Society) was established on 4th August 1962 at Pontarddulais and was at least partly inspired by the annual BBC Wales Radio Lecture given in 1962 by Saunders Lewis, entitled Tynged yr iaith (The fate of the language).
It is a pressure group that campaigns for people's right to use the Welsh language and for Welsh to be declared on an equal footing within Wales as an official language. Even though "The Welsh Language Act of 1993" declared that Welsh should be treated on an equal basis with English, Cymdeithas yr Iaith argues that this falls short of what is needed and that the lack of official status means that the Welsh language misses out on many crucial European grants.
Cymdeithas yr Iaith believes in non-violent direct action and in the course of their campaigns over a thousand people have appeared before the courts for their part in various campaigns, many receiving prison sentences, making it one of Britain's largest protest groups since the suffragettes. It was instrumental in the establishing of Radio Cymru in 1977 and television station, S4C in 1982.
Born this day 1810 in Halkyn, Flintshire.
Dan Jones (often referred to as Captain Dan Jones ), who was an influential Welsh Mormon missionary, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jones emigrated to the United States in 1840 where he became a ship's captain. He soon came into contact with the Latter Day Saints and was converted, becoming a leader within the Mormon community. He was with Joseph Smith the night before he died, when Smith told Jones "You will yet see Wales and fulfill the mission appointed you before you die." Subsequently, Jones did return to Wales as a missionary for the church. At this time, there were just over 200 Latter day Saints in Wales and under Jones's leadership, the missionaries baptized approximately 3600 Welsh people between 1845 and 1848. In 1846, Jones published a Welsh language periodical for the church entitled Prophwyd y Jubili—Prophet of the Jubilee, which was the first Mormon publication in a language other than English and then organised the first Welsh Morman emigration on the "Buena Vista" which left Liverpool on 26 February 1849. He came back to Wales in 1852 and converted a further 2000, most of whom emigrated with Jones on his return to Utah.
Mormons are a religious and cultural group, commonly referred to as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints, they trace their origins to the visions Joseph Smith while living in New York. In 1823 Smith said that he was spoken to by an angel, who directed him to a buried book written on golden plates containing the religious history of an ancient people. Smith published a translation of these plates in March 1830 as the Book of Mormon, named after the prophet, Mormon, who compiled the book.
From the start, Smith and the Mormons tried to establish what they call Zion (or the New Jerusalem), a utopian society of the righteous and made several unsuccessful attempts to settle as a community, resulting in Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum being killed by a mob in Carthage Illinois. Smith's death resulted in conflict between theMormons and the residents of Illinois and led to their new leader, Brigham Young, leading the Mormon pioneers to what became the Utah Territory in 1847.
Having failed to build Zion within the confines of American society, the Mormons began to construct a society in isolation in a large desert region now known as the Mormon Corridor. From 1849–52, the Mormons greatly expanded their missionary efforts, establishing several missions in Europe, Converts were expected to "gather" to Zion, and over seventy thousand Mormon converts immigrated to America from all over the world. Many of the early immigrants crossing the Great Plains in wagons drawn by oxen.
The death of Simon de Montfort on 4th August 1265, at the Battle of Evesham, was an important turning point for subsequent Welsh history.
Simon de Montfort, was an important figure in English history and for a time was considered its ruler. Through his alliance with Llywelyn ap Grufydd, he also played a crucial role in Welsh history and for a short period just before his death, Wales had a guaranteed peace with England and a sole ruler in Llywelyn. His death changed all that.
1208 c. Born in Montfort-l'Amaury, France.
1229 Simon de Montfort went to England to claim lands he had inherited and became a favourite of King Henry III.
1238 Simon de Montfort married Eleanor, Henry's sister.
1240 Simon de Montfort distinguishes himself on crusade.
1241 Simon de Montfort's relationship with Henry began to break down due to Henry's determination to ignore the swelling discontent within the country.
1258 The Provisions of Oxford: Seven barons led by Simon de Montfort forced King Henry to agree to the Provisions of Oxford which abolished the absolutist monarchy and gave power to a council of fifteen barons to govern England and a parliament.
1262 King Henry obtained a papal bull exempting him from his agreements made at the Provisions of Oxford which lead to Civil War which was known as the Second Barons War (1264 – 1267).
1264 Battle of Lewes - King Henry was defeated and taken prisoner by Simon de Montfort's army, however, Prince Edward escaped.
1265 Simon de Montfort called a Parliament where for the first time not only knights, but representatives from the burhs (boroughs) attended.
1265 The Treaty of Pipton, where Llywelyn ap Grufydd and Simon de Montfort made an alliance which stipulated that Llywelyn pay de Montfort, 30,000 marks in return for him being acknowledged as the Prince of Wales, with the fealty of all the Princes, Lords and Chieftains of Wales, they also agreed a permanent peace and that Llywelyn would marry De Montforts daughter, Eleanor.
1265 Battle of Evesham (4th August) Simon de Montfort although boosted by Welsh infantry sent by Llywelyn ap Grufydd is defeated and killed and power restored to King Henry.
1275 Llywelyn was married by proxy to Eleanor de Montfort.
On 4th August 1958 at the National Eisteddfod of Wales in Ebbw Vale, Paul Robeson delivered an address to the people of Wales.
Paul Robeson was a distinguished singer and actor and also a leading civil rights activist. He is regarded as one of the most respected African-Americans of the twentieth century.
Robeson’s association with Wales began in 1928 when, whilst starring in ‘Show Boat’ in London’s West End. He met a group of South Wales miners, who had walked to London to draw attention to the hardship and suffering being endured by thousands of unemployed miners and their families. Robeson subsequently visited and performed in South Wales many times between 1929 and 1939. Then in 1939, he starred in The Proud Valley, a film about a mining community in the Rhondda.
In 1957, Robeson participated in the Miners’ Eisteddfod in Pothcawl by means of a transatlantic telephone link to a secret recording studio in New York, being unable to travel because his passport had been withdrawn by the US Government because of his outspoken left wing and anti-racist views. The South Wales miners added their voice and signatures to the international petitions that eventually forced the US Supreme Court to reinstate his passport in 1958. This allowed him to attend the 1958 Eisteddfod, where he sat alongside Aneurin Bevan.
Born this day 1955 in Tredegar and raised in Ebbw Vale
Steve Jones- former world marathon record holder. His career best marathon time of 2:07:13 in winning the Chicago Marathon in 1985, remains a British record.
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The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain is a 1995 British film released on 4th August, starring Hugh Grant.
The film is based on a local legend of Taff's Well and nearby Garth Hill.
Due to urbanisation, filming took place in Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant and Llansilin in Mid Wales and is set in post World War I, 1917. Two English cartographers arrive at a village to measure its "mountain", only to find that it can only be classified as a hill because it is just short of 1000 feet in height, which would have made it a mountain. The outraged villagers, conspire to delay the cartographers' departure until an earth cairn is built on top of the hill to increase its height to over 1,000 feet.
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4th August 1914 marks the commencement of World War I when the United Kingdom declared war on the German Empire.
Many people believed that there would not be enthusiasm for the war in Wales, due to the strong anti war beliefs of the nonconformists and Liberals. However on the outbreak of war an overwhelming tide of support swept the country which resulted in 280,000 Welshmen serving during the conflict, of which approximately 35,000 were to subsequently lose their lives. Lloyd George was prominent in the campaign for volunteers, comparing the plight of Belgium to that of Wales, two small countries with powerful, aggressive neighbours.
Church ministers and union leaders also campaigned for recruits as did the press, who encouraged competition between communities for the number who enlisted. This resulted in nearly every eligible man in Briton Ferry recruiting and officers in Cardiff and Swansea being over run with the numbers volunteering.
On 4th August 1868, the opening of the Bala and Dolgelly Railway, completed the line across the north of Wales, connecting Ruabon, in the east, with Barmouth on the west coast.
The Ruabon to Barmouth Line had been opened in stages by various companies:
Vale of Llangollen Railway - 1 December 1861 (goods); 2 June 1862 (passenger)
Llangollen and Corwen Railway - 1 May 1865
Corwen and Bala Railway - 16 July 1866 (Corwen to Llandrillo); 1 April 1868 (Llandrillo to Bala)
Bala and Dolgelly Railway - 4 August 1868.
These companies were absorbed by the Cambrian Railways which itself was later absorbed into the GWR.
The whole line was officially closed to passenger trains as part of the Beeching Axe on 18 January 1965. However, two sections of the line have been reopened as preserved railways; the narrow gauge Bala Lake Railway in 1972 (pictured) and the standard gauge Llangollen Railway which first opened to passengers in 1981.
"Golden Rule" Jones
Born this day 1846 at Tŷ-mawr near Beddgelert, Caernarvonshire
Samuel Milton Jones - Mayor of Toledo, Ohio 1897 - 1904 and regarded as the 5th best mayor in American history.
His "Golden Rule" was "Do unto others as you would do unto yourself".
Jones emigrated with his family to the United States in 1849 and had many jobs from an early age to help support his family. His fortunes changed after he began working in the oilfields of western Pennsylvania, where he progressed to owning his own oil company by 1870. However after the tragic deaths of his wife and two year old daughter, Jones moved to Lima, Ohio, where he established the Ohio Oil Company, which he sold to John Rockefeller, making him a very wealthy man.
In 1892, Jones started the S.M Jones Company in Toledo, Ohio, making tools for the oil industry. He was very popular with his workforce, due to the implementation of his Golden Rule, where by he gave his employees fair wages and safe working conditions in exchange for their honesty and hard work.
In 1897 Jones became interested in politics and was elected mayor of Toledo, using his "Golden Rule" philosphy to improve conditions for working people by opening free kindergartens and introducing an eight-hour working day. He was also instrumental in building many parks around the city. Jones had little time for party politcs and was not nominated by The Republican Party for the mayor's election in 1899, however his popularity with working people ensured that he was re-elected as an Independant
Rebecca visits Aberaeron! 3rd August 1843
In the early part of the 19th century, toll-gates were operated by trusts who charged tolls in order to maintain the roads. However, many of the tolls were considered unnecessarily high by the local financially burdened farming communities and people suspected the trusts of corruption. In protest, gangs of men dressed as women, calling themselves Merched Beca (Rebecca's Daughters) arrive to destroy the toll-gates. On 3rd August 1843, Rebecca and around a hundred of her followers visited Aberaeron and destroyed two gates.
On 3rd August 1914 Newport police captured the German freighter 'Belgia', anchored in the Bristol Channel ten miles from Newport, taking prisoner 20 crew and 75 naval reservists. This incident may well have been the first strike of the war by the British on the Germans.
On this day in 1957 Swansea-born Wales international John Charles moved from Leeds to Juventus for £65,000.
Charles was dubbed as ‘Il Gigante Buono’ (The Gentle Giant) during his five seasons with Juventus. The respect the Juventus fans had for Charles was evident when he was voted the best-ever foreign player to play for Juventus.
On 3rd August 1880, nine miners were killed in an underground explosion at the Bersham Colliery in Rhostyllen, near Wrexham.
The Wrexham area in the 19th Century was highly industrialised. At its peak there were 38 collieries in the Wrexham area, producing over 2.5 million tonnes of coal annually. The first shaft at the colliery was sunk in 1864 and it was deepened in 1871 with coal production starting in 1874. It is recorded that by 1896, there were 711 men working at the colliery.
The first Royal Welsh Show was held on 'Vicarage Fields' Aberystwyth on 3rd August 1904.
It is now the biggest agricultural show in Europe, attracting more than 200,000 visitors annually and since 1963, it has been held at a permanent site at Llanelwedd near Builth Wells.
The life and work of Betsi Cadwaladr were commemorated on this day 2012 with an official service at Abney Park Cemetery, London, where Betsi is buried in a pauper's grave and the unveiling of a memorial stone and a memorial bench.
She was born Elizabeth Cadwaladr in 1789 as one of 16 children. She moved to Liverpool age 14 and then travelled widely before settling in London. Learning of the conditions suffered by the British soldiers wounded in the Crimean War (1853-1856), Betsi joined the military nursing service. Her first post was in a hospital run by Florence Nightingale, but after working there for many weeks, Betsi ran out of patience with Nightingale's incessant bureaucracy and red tape and made her way nearer to the frontline at Balaclava. Working in Balaclava, Betsi became the unsung heroine of the Crimean War saving countless lives as she worked tirelessly to improve the unhygienic conditions, eventually even gaining the respect of Florence Nightingale. In 1855, one year before the war ended, Betsi contracted cholera and dysentery and was forced to return home. She died five years later in 1860 and buried in a pauper's grave.
The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board the largest health organisation in Wales, providing health services for the six counties of North Wales, parts of Mid-Wales, Cheshire and Shropshire, is named in her honour.
28 men were killed in a mining accident at Cwmbach colliery, Aberdare on 2nd August 1846.
In 1837 the first deep pit was sunk at Abernant-Y-Groes Colliery (Later known as Cwmbach colliery), a further pit was later sunk and named Llety Shenkin Colliery. All coal was subsequently exported via the canal and train systems to Cardiff Docks.
Within the space of only a few years, there were horrific explosions at Cwmbach pit in 1846 when 28 miners were killed. Lletty Shenkyin colliery in 1849 resulting in 53 deaths. Cwmbach colliery 2 deaths (1852), Lletty-shenkyn colliery 5 deaths (1853) and again 2 deaths in 1862.
Born this day 1905 in Helena, Montana (her paternal grandparents were Welsh)
Myrna Loy ( born Myrna Adele Williams), film actress known in her time as ‘The First Lady of Film’ . She is perhaps best remembered for her role as Nora Charles in 'The Thin Man' series and in 1936, she was voted 'Queen of the Movies' to Clark Gable's 'King', in a nationwide audience poll. She was awarded a lifetime achievement Academy Award in 1991.
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Born this day 1948 in Ystrad Mynach
Andy Fairweather Low - guitarist, songwriter, producer and vocalist. He was a founding member of band Amen Corner, who had the 1969 hit "(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice". Later he pursued a solo career gaining success with "Wide Eyed and Legless.
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The highest temperature ever recorded in Wales was 35.2ºC (95.4ºF) at Hawarden Bridge on 2 August 1990.
Hawarden Bridge (Pont Penarlâg) is a railway bridge over the River Dee, near Shotton, Flintshire. It was built by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (which later became the Great Central Railway), as part of the Chester to Connah's Quay line and was operational from 3rd August 1889. The central section was originally a swing bridge to allow shipping to pass and the rotating mechanism is still visible beneath the bridge.
