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This day 1606 marks the initiation in the creation of the flag of Great Britain (Wales was not represented, as it was regarded as being united to England)
1606 When King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England, it was decided that the union should be represented by a new flag. The design incorporated the flags of St George of England (red cross on a white background) and St Andrew of Scotland (white diagonal cross on a blue background).
1801 With the union of Ireland and Great Britain (The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland), the cross of St. Patrick was added.
1921 When Southern Ireland gained its independence no alteration was made to the flag, but the territory it represented was known as The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Born this day 1884 in Tenby.
Tenby Davies (Frederick Charles Davies) was one of the greatest ever Welsh runners, becoming the half-mile world professional champion in 1909.
Admiral Sir Thomas Foley (1757 – 9 January 1833 ) from Narberth was a " Hero of the Battle of the Nile" and one of Nelson's "Band of Brothers".
On 12th April 1782 in the Battle of the Saintes, during the American War of Independence , the British fleet defeated the French after a campaign in which Foley played a major part, forcing the French and Spanish to abandon a planned invasion of Jamaica.
Foley is also noted for his participation in the incident when Nelson disobeyed an order to withdraw during the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801 by holding the telescope to his blind eye. Nelson then turned to Foley, his chief-of-staff and said.
"You know, Foley, I only have one eye - I have the right to be blind sometimes" and then holding his telescope to his blind eye Nelson said, "I really do not see the signal!"
On 12th April 1842, a Chartist Convention met in London to arrange to submit a petition to parliament. Delegates included Morgan Williams, who brought with him a petition signed by 36,000 people from south Wales.
In the early 1800's, there began to be calls to reform to the elitist electoral system, which resulted in "The Reform Act of 1832". However, this act in the eyes of many working class people did not go far enough.
Born on this day 1871 in Gerlan, Bethesda, Gwynedd,
Ellis William Davies a Welsh Liberal Party politician who was one of a number of Welsh MPs who disagreed with Prime Minister David Lloyd George over the management of WWl. Davies felt that Lloyd George's stance conflicted with his own strongly held views.
Llywelyn Fawr died this day 1240.
Llywelyn was one of Wales's greatest rulers, combining the use of necessary force with diplomacy. He united Wales without oppression, and without provoking an English invasion.
1173 Llywelyn was born in at Dolwyddelan in Gwynedd, the son of Iorwerth ap Owain, Prince of Gwynedd.
1174 His father died and Gwynedd came under the rule of his two uncles, Dafydd and Rhodri.
1194 Llywelyn defeated his uncles in battle at Aberconwy.
1198 His illegitimate son Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was born, who would become the father of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (Llywelyn the Last) who ruled after the death of Gruffydd's brother Dafydd
1200 Llywelyn captured Mold Castle and assumed the title of Prince of all north Wales,
1201 Llywelyn took an oath of allegiance to King John, in exchange for which Llywelyn would maintain his lands.
1205 Llywelyn married Joan, daughter of King John, which and gave him protection from the Marcher Lords who guarded the Welsh / English border.
1208 When the Prince of Powys, Gwenwynwyn was stripped of his lands, Llywelyn moved in to occupy them, gaining control of southern Powys and northern Ceredigion.
1210 Llywelyn attacked lands belonging to the powerful Earl of Chester
1211 King John sided with the Earl and prepared to invade Wales. Llywelyn averted disaster by sending Joan to intercede with her father and remained in power.
1212 Dafydd ap Llywelyn was born, the only son of Llywelyn by Joan. Llywelyn had Dafydd recognised as his heir by his uncle King Henry III in 1220. He became Prince of Gwynedd from 1240 until his sudden death in 1246.
1214 When King John faced a revolt by his Barons, Llywelyn allied with them.
1215 Llywelyn conquered the castles of Cardigan and Carmarthen and marched over the border to capture Shrewsbury.
1216 King John died and Henry III became king.
1216 Llywelyn allied himself with the powerful Marcher Baron Reginald de Breos, and he was recognised as the ruler of Wales. At a meeting at Aberdovey, he ended the warring among the Welsh Princes and they recognised him as their Overlord. This offered the prospect of unity and peace for the Welsh under their own ruler.
1217 The revolt of the barons came to an end in England
1218 Llywelyn paid homage to the English king on behalf of the other Welsh leaders.
1223 The powerful Earl of Pembroke invaded west Wales from Ireland and took Cardigan and Carmarthen, defeating Llywelyn's army.
1234 Llywelyn made an alliance with the new Earl of Pembroke with the Earl of Abergavenny, marrying his son Dafydd to the Earl of Abergavenny's daughter.
1240 April 11th , Llywelyn died and was buried at the Cistercian Abbey at Aberconwy. His sarcophagus was later moved to the church at Llanwrst, where it can be seen today , but the whereabouts of his remains is uncertain.
Work began on the construction of Caerphilly Castle ( Castell Caerffili) on 11th April 1268
Caerphilly Castle is the second largest castle in Britain. It also has the most elaborate water defences of any castle in Britain.
A History of Caerphilly Castle
After the Norman conquest of England, attempts were made to subdue Wales, with the construction of castles and the establishment of regional lordships being key strategies. The task of subduing Glamorgan was given to the earls of Gloucester and efforts continued throughout the 12th and early 13th centuries. The de Clare family became earls of Glamorgan in 1217 and attempted to quell the whole region.
1263 - Gilbert de Clare inherited the family lands. Opposing him was Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, who had taken advantage of the chaos of the civil war in England to expand his power across the region.
1265 - Llywelyn allied with rebel English barons in return for power in Wales.
1268 - The baronial revolt was overthrown, leaving de Clare free to construct a castle at Caerphilly.
1270 Llywelyn attacked and burnt the site, probably destroying the temporary defences and stores.
1271 - de Clare began work again, raising tensions and prompting Henry to send two bishops to take control of the site and arbitrate a solution to the dispute.
1272 - de Clare seized back the castle, threw out the bishops' soldiers, and continued work on the castle.
1276 - Edward I, invaded Wales, reducing Llywelyn's power in South Wales.
1282 - Llywelyn was killed.
1290 - Local disputes continued between de Clare and the earl of Hereford, resulting in the temporary royal seizure of Caerphilly.
1294 - Madog ap Llywelyn attacked but failed to take the castle.
1316 - Llywelyn Bren rose in revolt, attacking Caerphilly Castle. The intervention of a royal army broke the Welsh siege.
1317 - Hugh le Despenser the younger used his relationship with Edward II to expand his power across the region, claiming land throughout South Wales including Caerphilly Castle.
1326 Edward's wife, Isabella overthrew his government, forcing the king and Hugh to flee. They were besieged in Caerphilly Castle until March 1327 , after which Hugh was executed.
1403 - The forces of Owain Glyndwr captured Caerphilly Castle, but the occupation lasted only one hundred days.
1405 - At the height of the rebellion, Glyndwr with additional French, retook the castle, holding it for a year.
1486 - Ownership of the castle was given to Jasper Tudor, the earl of Pembroke.
1776 - The Marquesses of Bute acquired the castle, which had gone into decline.
1928 - The fourth marquess commissioned a major restoration project.
1950 - The fifth marquess gave Caerphilly Castle to the state. The final stages of the restoration work were completed in the 1950s and 1960s. The castle is now managed by Cadw as a tourist attraction and is a grade I listed building.
On 11th April 1877, an underground flood at the Tynewydd Colliery, Rhondda, caused the death of five miners. Four other miners were rescued after eighteen hours, but a further five were trapped underground for four days. After the resulting rescue, twenty five men were awarded the Albert Medal for bravery, the first to be awarded for gallantry on land. The medal had been introduced to honour life-saving efforts in rescues at sea and has since been replaced by the George Cross.
Born this day 1969 in Cardiff,
Cerys Matthews , singer, songwriter, broadcaster and author. She is best known for being the lead singer of the rock band Catatonia, for her 1998 Christmas duet "Baby it's Cold Outside" with Tom Jones and for being a judge for the Dylan Thomas Literary Prize.
Born this day 1986 in Felinfoel,
David "Dai" Greene , an athlete who is 400-metre hurdle World Champion and European Gold medalist. He was captain of the Great Britain athletics team for the London 2012 Olympics.
On Tuesday 11 April 1893 an underground fire at Great Western Colliery, Pontypridd led to the deaths of 63 men and boys. There would have been many more casualties but for the bravery of district fireman Thomas Prosser, who braved the dense smoke underground to open air doors, diverting poisonous fumes out of the mine.
Born on this day 1931 in Gorseinon,
Benjamin Lewis Jones , former Wales rugby union and rugby league international.
Jones was capped on nine occasions for Wales before playing professional rugby league for Leeds. He was a fast-paced attacking player who was considered a great star in the mid-1950s.
On this day 430, the "Alleluia" battle occurred near Mold.
The early Christian Church in Britain was under constant threat from invaders such as Saxons, Picts and Scots. The Bishop of Auxerre, St. Germanus was sent to counteract the threat. At the river Alen, near Mold, he rallied the Britons and prepared for battle. He positioned troops at strategic points in the narrow gorge, and when the invaders approached, the cry of "Alleluia" was raised, which echoed throughout the valley. The Saxons and Picts fled in disarray, without a blow being struck. The valley is known as the 'Field of Germanus' to this day.
John Trevor (Ieuan Trefor), Bishop of St. Asaph and advisor to Owain Glyndwr died 10th April 1410. Trevor's brother Adda was married to Owain Glyndŵr's sister Isabel.
Trevor had supported Glyndwr at the Kings Council of Henry IV when Reginald de Grey had been instrumental in engineering an accusation of treason against him, resulting in forfeiture of land. Owain considered this an insult and was a major contributory factor in the ensuing rebellion.
Trevor allied himself to Glyndŵr as an advisor and ambassador. He went to Paris in 1404, along with Glyndwr's Chancellor, Gruffydd Young and Glyndŵr's brother-in-law John Hanmer, to negotiate a treaty of alliance with King Charles VI of France.
Captain Bernard Warburton-Lee from Broad Oak, Wrexham was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for action this day 1940
Bernard Warburton-Lee's VC citation reads as follows:
For gallantry, enterprise and daring in command of the force engaged in the First Battle of Narvik, on 10th April 1940 . On being ordered to carry out an attack on Narvik, Captain Warburton-Lee learned that the enemy was holding the place in much greater force than had been thought. He signalled to the Admiralty that six German destroyers and one submarine were there, that the channel might be mined, and that he intended to attack at dawn. The Admiralty replied that he alone could judge whether to attack and that whatever decision he made would have full support. Captain Warburton led his flotilla of five destroyers up the fjord in heavy snow-storms, arriving off Narvik just after daybreak. He took the enemy completely by surprise and made three successful attacks on warships and merchantmen in the harbour. As the flotilla withdrew, five enemy destroyers of superior gun power were encountered and engaged. The captain was mortally wounded by a shell which hit the bridge of H.M.S. Hardy. His last signal was "Continue to engage the enemy".
Born this day 1939 in Ynysddu, Monmouthshire
Ricky Valance, born David Spencer , was a popular singer, best remembered for the song "Tell Laura I Love Her", which was a number one hit in 1960 and sold over a million copies.
Born this day 1953 in Newport, Gwent,
David Langford , who is an author , editor and critic of science fiction, and publishes the science fiction fanzine and newsletter Ansible.
Born this day, 1898 in Princeton, New Jersey,
Paul Robeson (honorary Welshman). His mother was a Quaker abolitionist, and his father a former slave who had escaped to the north, gone to college, and become a minister. Robeson graduated from Rutgers University and became a lawyer, but due to the racism of that time, he had trouble finding employment, so he began the acting and singing career for which he is most remembered. He had a natural talent and an enormously deep voice; his version of "Ol Man River" from the musical Showboat is considered a classic. Robeson was deeply political, he fought for racial justice in America, spoke out against the Nazi persecution of the Jews, participated in the Spanish Civil war, but his most controversial ideology was his support of communism and this brought him before a the House Committee on Un-American Activities, who accused him of trying to set up a Soviet state in the American South and took away his passport.
Robeson’s fondness of South Wales began in 1928 when he met a delegation of unemployed miners who had walked to London to raise awareness of the hardship and suffering endured by their mining communities. Robeson visited South Wales many times, and in 1938, he sang at the Welsh International Brigades Memorial at Mountain Ash to honour the 33 Welshmen who had died during the Spanish Civil War. He told the audience “I am here because I know that these fellows fought not only for me but for the whole world. I feel it is my duty to be here." His links with South Wales continued when he starred in The Proud Valley in 1939, a film about life in a mining community in the Rhondda, where he told local miners, “You have shaped my life – I have learnt a lot from you. I am part of the working class. Of all the films I have made the one I will preserve is The Proud Valley.” Robeson’s health deteriorated during the 1960s and he died in 1976.
Today is the feast day of Saint Materiana.
Saint Materiana Born c.440, she was the eldest daughter of King Vortimer. After her father's death, she ruled over Gwent with her husband Prince Ynyr. She is the patron of the churches of Minster and Tintagel in Cornwall and a church in Trawsfynydd near Dolgellau.
Born this day 1928 in Rhyl.
Albert Gubay, businessman, philanthropist and property developer. He made his fortune in retailing with Kwik Save (the first store opened in Prestatyn in 1965 ) and in 2006 had an estimated fortune of approximately £500 million making him the 698th richest person in the world.
Born this day, 1917 in Cwm, Ebbw Vale
Ronnie Burgess , former Wales soccer international and captain , Burgess worked as a miner before joining Tottenham Hotspur and captained them to the League title in the 1951 season. He later managed Swansea Town and Watford. He acted as caretaker manager of the Wales national team for one match in 1965 due to the unavailability of team manager Dave Bowen.
Born this day 1915 in Llanelli
William Harries "Bill" Clement OBE MC TD, former Wales rugby international , Brittish and Irish Lion and Secretary of the Welsh Rugby Union. He served as an infantry officer during the Second World War and was decorated during the Normandy Campaign.
Born this day 1943 in Cardiff.
Clive Sullivan MBE was a former Wales rugby league and Great Britain captain. He played rugby in Hull and was so highly regarded that the city's main approach road was renamed Clive Sullivan Way in his honour and since 2001, the Clive Sullivan Memorial Trophy has been awarded to the winner of the match between Hull F.C. and Hull Kingston Rovers in recognition of his service to sport in the city.
On 9th April 1558, Protestant martyr William Nicholas was burnt at the stake at Haverfordwest. (picture is of his memorial in Haverfordwest)
He was one of the many Protestants condemned to death in the short reign of Queen Mary not long before she herself became a martyr for her own religion, Roman Catholicism when the pendulum swung in the opposite direction. This is practically all that is known of Nicholas, as no record of his trial exists and information on his early life is negligible. Indeed, the manner of his death is the only precisely known fact about him.
Born on this day 1869 in Aberystwyth
(John) Hugh Edwards - Welsh nationalist and Liberal Party politician.
Edwards was a published historian and biographer of David Lloyd George, a University governor of both Aberystwyth and Cardiff, and the editor of Liberal Welsh nationalist magazines. Prior to this, he had served as a Congregationalist Minister in Wales and in London.
Edwards was a supporter of the 'Cymru Fydd', or 'Young Wales' Movement of the 1890s, which was Lloyd George's attempt to create a united Welsh nationalist movement.
Born on this day 1991 in Morriston.
Liam Williams, Welsh rugby union international.
Lewis Morris ( signer of the Declaration of American Independence) was born this day 1726, in Morrisania, New York. His grandfather, also Lewis Morris, was from Tintern in the Wye Valley.
Morris was appointed as a judge of the Admiralty Court for the province in 1760 and in 1774, as the Revolution drew near, was elected to the New York Provincial Congress. He signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
His response on being warned that there may be dire consequences for signing the document, was, "Damn the consequences. Give me the pen."
Of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence on July 4 , 1776, Lewis Morris along with 15 others were of Welsh descent, the others were: William Williams, Williams Hooper, James Smith, Francis Lewis, John Hewes, George Read, John Penn, Thomas Jefferson, Britton Gwinnett, John Morton, Francis Hopkinson, William Floyd, Robert Morris, Stephen Hopkins and George Clymer.
On this day, 1749, hymn writer and evangelist Charles Wesley married Sarah Gwynne of Garth, at Llanlleonfel in Breconshire.
Sarah Gwynne was the daughter of a Welsh magistrate; she was 23 and Charles 40, The ceremony was performed by John Wesley, Charles' brother, and afterwards the wedding party walked for half a mile across the fields to Garth House. It was reputedly in Garth House that Charles Wesley penned the words for the hymn "Jesu Lover of my Soul" during a thunderstorm, as he watched a sparrow shelter from the weather on the window sill.
Born this day, 1944 in Garnant, Carmarthenshire,
Hywel Thomas Bennett , a film and television actor. He is best remembered for his roles in the sitcom 'Shelley', the comedy film The Virgin Soldiers and as gangster Jack Dalton in EastEnders. Bennett retired in 2007 after being diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.
Born this day, 1891 in Taibach.
Bill Beynon , who became the British and Empire bantamweight boxing champion in 1913. Beynon was a miner from South Wales who supplemented his wages by taking up boxing. Beynon retired from the boxing ring at the age of 39 and died two years later in 1932 in a colliery accident.
Griffith Jones (early 1684 – 8 April 1761 ) was a key figure in a revolutionary educational movement which had a lasting impact on literacy in Wales.
He was an Anglican vicar, who as curate at Laugharne and minister at Llanddowror in Carmarthenshire became concerned that the majority of his parishioners were illiterate. There was no compulsory education at that time, and Jones became involved with the SPCK, the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge, setting up Circulating Schools in barns, storehouses and church porches where people were taught to read. The language of instruction was Welsh, and the texts mainly religious, predominantly the Bible.
Jones had many wealthy and influential supporters, and by his death in 1762, more than 3,500 schools had been established with over 200,000 people having learned to read.
The system attracted interest all over Britain, and in 1764, Catherine II of Russia commissioned a report on the schools, with the intention of establishing a similar system in Russia.
Jones is also regarded as one of the earliest proponents of Methodist philosophy in Wales. He was an inspiring preacher who would often preach in the open air, despite the disapproval of bishops, who considered such evangelism to be 'irregular.
Born this day 1930 in Trebanog, Rhondda,
Cliff Morgan was a former Wales and Lions rugby international and captain. He was nicknamed "Morgan the Magnificent" for his try in the first Test of the 1955 British Lions tour to South Africa at Ellis Park, which helped secure a 23-22 victory.
Following his retirement from rugby he found a new career in broadcasting and was one of the original team captains on the TV quiz A Question of Sport. Between 1976 and 1987 he was Head of Sport & Outside Broadcasts for BBC Television, covering World Cups and Olympic Games, as well as Royal Weddings and other ceremonial occasions. After surviving a stroke at the age of 42 and later cancer of the vocal cords, he was tragically robbed of the ability to speak. He died on 29th August 2013.
Born this day, 1964 in Wellington, New Zealand (his paternal grandfather, John Crowe, was a grocer from Wrexham before emigrating to New Zealand in the mid-1920s.)
Russell Crowe , Oscar winning actor, film producer and musician.
Born this day, 1945 in Swansea,
Martyn Lewis , who is a television news presenter and journalist. He is best known for his uninterrupted commentary on the death and funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales.
Today is the feast day of Saint Brynach.
Saint Brynach, born c.500, travelled from Ireland to Rome, Brittany and then Pembrokeshire where he built churches at Dinas and nearby Newport, and also founded a monastery at Nevern where he was visited by his friend Saint David. Brynach left Wales for Devon, where he died and was buried.
On his feast day, tradition has it that the first cuckoo every year sings from the top of St. Brynach's cross which is inscribed with both with Ogam and Latin script, in Nevern churchyard.
The Snowdon Mountain Railway opened this day in 1896.
* The railway runs from Llanberis to the summit of Snowdon.
* A railway to the summit was first proposed in 1869 when Llanberis was linked to Caernarfon by the London & North Western Railway.
* The total cost of the railway was £63,800 (£5,474,000 as of 2013)
* On the official opening one of the locomotives ran out of control and fell down the mountain. A passenger died from loss of blood after jumping from the carriage.
* After the Second World War, the shortage of coal led to the railway attempting to burn old army boots as fuel.
* A new visitor centre, 'Hafod Eryri'' was officially opened by First Minister Rhodri Morgan on 12 June 2009.
* The journey takes an hour to reach the summit and an hour to descend again, with an average speed of five miles an hour.
* Swiss engineers were employed as advisors in the planning, as they were the only ones who had significant experience in building this type of railway.
Today is National Tartan day
The kilt, which is widely held to have Norse origins, was originally a long garment which could be used also as a cloak or used to cover the head. In the 16th century, it became the usual dress of males in the Scottish Highlands and has since become associated with the wider culture of Scotland. There is no evidence that the Welsh used tartan but kilts have recently become popular in Wales, demonstrating a desire to appear connected to the Celtic world. The red, white and green Welsh National tartan was designed by D.M. Richards in 1967.
The first and largest Hindu temple in Wales, the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Grangetown, Cardiff was first opened on 6th April 1982.
* The 25th anniversary of the temple's founding was celebrated inSeptember 2007 with a parade of over 3000 people, including Hindus from across the United Kingdom and members of Cardiff's other religious communities.
* The 2011 Census showed that there were more than 10,000 Hindus in Wales.
* Most Welsh Hindus are of Indian origin, especially from the Punjab region.
* Skanda Vale is a Hindu monastic centre, based in Llanpumsaint, Carmarthenshire and attracts around 70,000 devotees annually.
Born this day 1981, in Mufulira, Zambia, grew up in Bedwas,
Robert Earnshaw is a Wales soccer international who has made in excess of 200 appearances at Cardiff City, scoring over 100 goals for the club. He is renowned for having scored a hat-trick in all three divisions of the Football League, the Premier League and for his country. He is well known for his acrobatic frontflip goal celebration.
Marcher Lord William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (1190 – 6 April 1231) - enemy of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth.
William was born in Normandy, son of William the Marshall, 1st Earl of Pembroke. During the First Barons War of 1215, William sided with the rebel faction supporting King Louis VIII of France, while his father was fighting for the English King John and was one of the Magna Carta sureties. In 1216, the younger William was warned by his father to flee, and in March 1217, he was pardoned.
In April 1222, whilst away in Ireland, Llywelyn ap Iorwerth attacked and took Marshal’s castle at Carmarthen. Marshal returned to recapture it and built a new stone castle at Cilgerran, also reestablishing his hold on Cidweli during this time. For the next two years, there was sporadic warfare between Llywelyn, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, and Marshal until Llywelyn was forced to accept terms by the king. In 1226, Marshal was ordered to surrender the castles of Cardigan and Carmarthen which he had captured from Llywelyn to the crown.
William died on 6 April 1231, but as he had no male heir, his titles were inherited by his younger brother Richard Marshal, who became 3rd Earl of Pembroke. All of William's brothers inherited the title successively but none had children which resulted in the male line ending with the death of Anselem Marshall in 1245.
William Penn's personal lawyer and Pennsylvania's great law maker,
David Lloyd (1656 – April 6, 1731), was born in the parish of Marrayon, Montgomeryshire. After receiving a legal education, he was sent by Penn to Pennsylvania where he served as Attorney General from 1686 until 1710. He was a member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly for 23 years between 1693 and 1728, serving as Speaker for thirteen of those years. In 1703, he accepted the office of deputy judge and advocate to the admiralty, and in 1717, he became Chief Justice of the province, an office he held until his death in 1731.
Edward Morgan was tried and hanged at Monmouth Jail on 6th April 1835; he was a member of the Tarw Scotch or the Welsh Cattle movement.
The movement was formed in the 1820s by discontented coal miners of the Monmouthshire valleys. Their aims were to improve pay and working conditions of local workers, with direct action being taken against any person or group who opposed their cause. They were a secret society, with members swearing allegiance under pain of death. Each town and village had its own group, with the leader usually being a person respected and feared for his aggressiveness and physical strength, known as the 'Bull' or in Welsh 'Tarw'. Their meetings were always clandestine, being held at night in secret locations.
Victims were usually workers who refused to join strike action or workers who were prepared to work for less money. A warning would be issued, with failure to comply resulting in offenders being 'scotched' which involved a visit by the Cattle from another area to avoid recognition by local residents, with their faces blackened and dressed in animal skins, the 'Tarw' wearing a headdress bearing a bull's horns. The punishment dealt out was physical attack and the ransacking of property; however, the Cattle's code dictated that any foodstuffs found in the household would always be left intact. Despite attempts by the authorities to penetrate the movement, their activities continued for many years mainly due to the secrecy of their organisation and the reluctance of the general population to speak against their actions. The movement declined after the hanging of Edward Morgan in 1835.
Born this day, 1649 in Boston, Massachusetts (Welsh parents from Wrexham)
Elihu Yale , who is best known as a benefactor of Yale University.
Yale was educated in London and worked for many years for the East India Company in Madras, becoming governor of Fort Saint George and amassing a sizeable personal fortune, some claim at the company's expense. He later entered the diamond trade and devoted a good deal of his time and money to philanthropy.
Yale made his first gift to Yale University in 1713, then known as the Collegiate School at Saybrook. Later, in 1718, on Cotton Mather's suggestion, Yale donated more books, a portrait of George I and a variety of textiles from the East Indies. These were sold for some £800, the money being used to construct Yale College in New Haven. By 1745, the entire institution was named Yale University.
Today is the feast day of Saint Derfel.
Derfel, born in 566, was the son of Hoel, king of Brittany, who had been exiled in Dyfed.
Derfel, according to legend, fought for King Arthur at the Battle of Camlan, being one of only seven warriors who survived the battle. After Camlan, the bloodshed he had seen made him turn to religion and he became a hermit, founding the church of Llandderfel in Gwynedd and later becoming Abbot of Ynys Enlli (Bardsey), where he died and is buried. An image of him at Llandderfel depicting him as a warrior was removed by order of Thomas Cromwell and used to burn John Forest, a Catholic priest, fulfilling a prophecy that the image would 'burn down a forest.'
According to legend, The Battle of Camlan was King Arthur's final battle, in which he was mortally wounded.
Several locations in Britain have been suggested, including Stirling and Cornwall. Welsh folklore interprets Camlan as meaning a place near a crooked river, with the Camlan Valley near Dolgellau being claimed as the battlefield.
Born this day 1988 in Solihull (Welsh Parents) and brought up in Bancyfelin, near Carmarthen
Jonathan Davies, Wales and Lions rugby union international.
Born this day 1990 in Gloucester (Welsh grandmother)
Alex Cuthbert, Wales and Lions rugby union international.
Born this day 1975 in Swansea,
John Hartson , who is a former Wales soccer international, is best remembered for playing spells at Celtic, Arsenal and West Ham United. In July 2009, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer which had spread to his brain. The treatment he received was successful and by December of that year, it was reported that the cancer had been eliminated.
Born this day, 1942 in Newport.
Peter Greenaway, film director. His films are noted for the distinct influence of Renaissance, Baroque and Flemish painting.
Born this day, 1946 in Barmouth
Robert Russell Davies , journalist and broadcaster. He currently presents a Sunday radio programme on BBC Radio 2 which features popular music. He also presents Brain of Britain on Radio 4.
By 1911, the Welsh language was spoken by 43.5% of the population and reduced further to 18.5% in 1991. However the number increased to 20.8% in 2001 and 21.7% in 2004, but there was a decline to 19% in 2011 with the number of speakers also dropping below 50% in the traditional Welsh speaking areas of Ceredigion and Carmathenshire for the first time.
On 5th April 1859 , 27 men and boys were killed when Neath Chain Colliery was flooded.
