In November 1256, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd crossed the River Conwy to take control of Gwynedd Is Conwy. With him was his brother Dafydd whom he had released from captivity.

Gwynedd Is Conwy (Gwynedd Below the Conwy) was the portion of the Kingdom of Gwynedd lying between the Rivers, Conwy and Dyfrdwy (Dee). This area was also known as Y Berfeddwlad ('The Middle Land') as it lay between and was contested by the rival realms of Gwynedd and Powys.

A time line of the life of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, the last prince of an independent Wales; 
c. 1223 - Llywelyn was born the second of Gruffydd and Senena, the brother of Owain, Dafydd and Rhodri and the grandson of Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great).

1240 - Following the death of his grandfather, Llywelyn's uncle, Dafydd ap Llywelyn succeeded him as ruler of Gwynedd. He imprisoned Llywelyn's father Gruffydd and his brother Owain and transferred them into the custody of King Henry III of England.

1244 - Llywelyn's father died from a fall while trying to escape from the Tower of London and Llywelyn is first heard of holding lands in the Vale of Clwyd.

1245 - Llywelyn supported his uncle in war against King Henry.

1247 - THE TREATY OF WOODSTOCK - After the death of his uncle, Llywelyn and his brother Owain came to terms with King Henry. Gwynedd was divided with Llywelyn and Owain gaining control of Gwynedd Uwch Conwy, the part of Gwynedd west of the River Conwy and Henry himself taking control of Gwynedd Is Conwy, east of the river.

1255 - THE BATTLE OF BRYN DERWIN - Llywelyn's brothers, Owain and Dafydd formed an alliance against him, but Llywelyn defeated and captured both of them, thereby becoming sole ruler of Gwynedd Uwch Conwy.

1256 - Llywelyn, crossed the River Conwy with an army, accompanied by his brother, Dafydd, whom he had released from prison and took control of most of Gwynedd.

1258 - Llywelyn began using the title Prince of Wales, which the English Crown refused to recognise.

1263 - Dafydd switched his allegiance to King Henry.

1264 - Simon de Montfort, leader of the barons revolt in England, became the "uncrowned King of England" after defeating King Henry and Prince Edward at the Battle of Lewes.

1265 - TREATY OF PIPTON - established an alliance between Llywelyn and de Montfort in which, in exchange for 30,000 marks, there would be a permanent peace and Llywelyn's right to rule Wales would be acknowledged.

1265 - de Montfort was killed at the Battle of Evesham, which led to Llywelyn capturing Hawarden Castle and routing the combined armies of Hamo Lestrange and Maurice Fitz Gerald in order to gain a bargaining position with King Henry

1266 - Llywelyn routed Roger Mortimer's army in Brycheiniog. After which, with the backing of the papal legate, Ottobuono, he opened negotiations with King Henry.

1267 - TREATY OF MONTGOMERY - marked the high point of Llywelyn's power. He was recognised as the Prince of Wales well as retaining the lands he had conquered and the homage of almost all the native rulers of Wales. In exchange, he was to pay a tribute to King Henry of 25,000 marks in yearly instalments.

1268 - Caerphilly Castle was built by Gilbert de Clare as a result of a dispute with Llywelyn.

1272 - Following the death of King Henry and with the new king Edward I away on crusade, Humphrey de Bohun tried to take back Brycheiniog; Llywelyn ceased making payments in reply.

1274 - Dafydd and Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn of Powys attempted to assassinate Llywelyn.

1275 - Llywelyn refused to pay homage to Edward I at Chester and declared his intention to marry Simon de Montfort's daughter, Eleanor. Edward took exception to the marriage and imprisoned her.

1276 - Edward declared Llywelyn a rebel

1277 - TREATY OF ABERCONWY - was the result of Edward, supported by Dafydd and Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn, marching into Wales and taking possession of the harvest in Anglesey, which deprived Llywelyn of the ability to feed his men and forced him to seek terms. The treaty secured the release of Eleanor, allowing her marriage to Llywelyn to proceed and also guaranteeing peace in Gwynedd in return for Llywelyn confining his authority to Gwynedd Uwch Conwy and acknowledging the English king as his sovereign.

1282 Dafydd returned to the Welsh cause and attacked the English at Hawarden Castle and Rhuddlan. The revolt quickly spread to other parts of Wales, with Aberystwyth Castle being burnt and with open rebellion in Ystrad Tywi. Llywelyn, in grief at the loss of Eleanor, who died shortly after giving birth to their daughter Gwenllian, felt the Welsh were ill-prepared, but felt obliged to support his brother. Edward's forces captured Gwynedd Is Conwy and Anglesey but were heavily defeated in the Battle of Moel y Don. This encouraged Llywelyn to try and rally support in mid and south Wales, but he was killed on 11th December at the Battle of Orewin Bridge near Builth Wells.  

Alfred Thomas "Alf" Sherwood (13 November 1923 – 12 March 1990) was a Welsh international footballer born in Aberaman.  Between 1947 and 1957, he gained a total of 41 caps, the first against England in 1946. Stanley Matthews described him as "the most difficult opponent he ever played against". Sherwood was captain when Wales famously defeated England in 1955.

Alf Sherwood is notable for the fact that he was chosen as a Bevin Boy, young British men conscripted to work in the coal mines during the Second World War.   

Bevin Boys were young British men, conscripted to work in the coal mines during the Second World War. The programme was named after Ernest Bevin, who was Minister of Labour and National Service in the wartime coalition government, and involved nearly 48,000 young men, who provided vital but largely unrecognised service. 

Miners had been conscripted into military service early in the war, their value and experience underground having been underestimated. In order to maintain the supply of vital coal, one in ten young men eligible for conscription were sent into the mines instead of the battlefield. The scheme caused outrage, as many of the young men wanted to join the armed forces. Many were taunted and accused of shirking their duty as they wore no uniform. At the end of the war they received no medals, nor were they allowed to return to their pre-war employment.

Bevin Boys had no acknowledgement of their contribution to the war effort until a 1995 speech by Queen Elizabeth II. In 2007, the government announced that the Bevin Boys would be rewarded with a Veterans Badge.   

On 13th November 1916, the Prime Minister of Australia, Billy Hughes, was ousted from the Labour Party because he was in favour of conscription. 

William Morris Hughes was born in London on 25 September 1862. Both his parents were Welsh, his father was a Welsh speaker from Holyhead, and his mother was a farmer's daughter from Llansantffraid, Montgomeryshire. When his mother died, William Hughes went to live with his father's sister in Llandudno, speaking Welsh there and also with his mother's relatives.

 "Billy" Hughes was Prime Minister of Australia between 1915 and 1923.  During his 51-year parliamentary career, he was expelled by three political parties and represented four electorates across two states. 

He died in 1952 aged 90 while still serving in Parliament. He remains the longest-serving Parliamentary member in Australia, and one of the most outspoken and memorable figures in Australian political history.

On 13th November 2008,  professional kitesurfer Kirsty Jones from Marloes in Pembrokeshire won her first world title at the kitesurf world championships in Essaouira in Morocco. She made world headlines in 2002 on becoming the first person to kitesurf across the Irish Sea, in a fundraising event for the Ty Hafan Children's Hospice near Cardiff, raising in excess of £5000.  

 
Born in Merthyr Tydfil, William Ifor Jones (January 23, 1900 – November 131988), was a Welsh conductor and organist. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London between 1920 and 1925, being tutored by Sir Stanley Marchant at St. Paul's Cathedral where he played the organ and studied orchestral conducting with the renowned Sir Henry Wood.

On 12th November 2012, the first legislation created wholly in Wales for more than six centuries came into force.

 Carwyn Jones, the first minister of Wales, regarded it as a significant occasion in the country's development. 

"This is the first act that has been passed by a legislature in Wales for more than 600 years. It's an exceptionally historic day," he said. "Wales is an old country, but a young democracy. Today is a historic day for us as a nation. It heralds the beginning of a new era for the governance of Wales." 

The content of the act is not controversial. It confirms that the languages of Welsh and English are treated as equal in the assembly. However, Jones said that "What's important is that it's the precursor to a number of bills before the assembly that will make a big difference to the people of Wales whether it's in education or social services."   

In November 1400, there was a disturbance at Westminster involving supporters of Adam of Usk and those of his rival Walter Jakes.

A dam of Usk (c. 1352 – 1430)  was a priest, historian and chronicler. He studied law and served in the court of Henry IV. An unseemly squabble with Walter Jakes over the title of prebend of Llandygwydd in Cardiganshire resulted in charges being brought against Adam and his consorts.

He fell out with Henry IV and left for Rome in February 1402.  He was accused of collaborating with Welsh rebels led by Owain Glyndŵr but was eventually granted a Royal Pardon. However, he failed to regain his former influence in court circles, dying in obscurity in 1430. 

His chronicle of these experiences provides fascinating detail on events both in Britain and abroad during this period. He met Popes and Kings, witnessed the Peasants' Revolt and lived in various European cities. It offers a useful insight into the history of the time and sheds light on the Glyndŵr rebellion.

The Chronicle survives and is housed in the British Library.   

Kevin Ratcliffe (born 12 November 1960) from Queensferry, Flintshire, is a former Welsh international footballer who played for Everton. 

He made 461 appearances for Everton and scored two goals during his time there. He was known for being a hard player and a tough tackler. He was given a red card in 1981 during a match against Manchester City for headbutting Tommy Hutchison and was also involved in a fracas with Vinny Jones in 1989 against Wimbledon. After leaving Everton in 1991, he played for Dundee and for Chester City, Cardiff City, Nottingham Forest and Derby County. He captained Wales on several occasions, playing 59 matches for his country.   

Tangaki Taulupe "Toby" Faletau (born 12 November 1990) is a Welsh international rugby union player. He played for Cross Keys RFC before joining the Newport Gwent Dragons. 

He was born in Tonga and moved to Wales in 1998  spending his early years in Wales playing for Ebbw Vale RFC and New Panteg RFC juniors, making his debut for the Newport Gwent Dragons on 1 November 2009.

 In January 2011, he was included in the Wales national rugby union team squad and made his international debut for Wales versus the Barbarians on 4 June 2011. Since then he has made regular appearances for Wales and was in the squad for the 2013 British and Irish Lions tour to Australia.

Released on 12th November 2002 Undertaking Betty, is a dark British comedy starring Brenda Blethyn, Naomi Watts, Lee Evans and Christopher Walken. 

The movie was filmed in Monmouthshire, South Glamorgan, Vale of Glamorgan, Rhondda Cynon Taff, and Denbighshire. The plot revolves around a Funeral Home and unrequited love.  

 

Grant Nicholas, lead vocalist and lead guitar player with the band Feeder, was born on 12th November 1967 in Newport.

Able Seaman Richard Morgan died on Armistice Day, 11 November 1918 while serving on the destroyer HMS Garland. He was 26 years old. He was probably the last British Serviceman to die in the First World War. He is buried in the village of Defauden in Monmouthshire and is one of 40,000 Welsh servicemen to be killed during the conflict.  

On 11th November 1294, Madog ap Llywelyn defeated the forces of the earl of Lincoln in a pitched battle near Denbigh during the Welsh revolt of 1294-95 against English rule. 

After the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd in 1282, Edward I hoped that Wales would be pacified.  He had introduced the English shire system and English laws in The Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 and poured an enormous amount of money and effort into both the rebuilding of damaged castles and the construction of new ones.  The Welsh, however, resented English rule and rebelled  unsuccessfully in 1287 and 1288. Welsh resentment fomented in 1294 when the demand for an unpopular tax was coupled with the conscription of Welsh troops for Edward's campaign in Gascony.

30th September 1294 -  Welsh soldiers assembling at Shrewsbury, due to march to Portsmouth for Edward’s campaign in Gascony, mutinied and killed their English officers. The rebels rallied around a distant cousin of Llywelyn, Madog ap Llywelyn and very soon every important Welsh castle was under siege.  

October 1294 - Edward  mustered an army at his customary base of Worcester to send reinforcements to a besieged Brecon Castle and the area south of Cardiff.

11th November 1294 - Madog ap Llywelyn defeated the forces of the earl of Lincoln in a pitched battle near Denbigh.

5th December 1294 -  Edward led an army to Wrexham, carrying the fight to the Welsh, who had  managed to push the English out of northern Wales into the city of Chester.As many as 10,000 rebels surrendered and were pardoned on condition that they serve the king in France. Madog however, managed to convince his followers that it was better to die defending their homeland than to die on foreign soil.

19th December 1294 - The Penmachno Document was drawn up by Madog ap Llywelyn at the height of his revolt against English rule. It is the only surviving document  in which Madog refers to himself as the prince of Wales.  

24th December 1294 -  Edward was joined at his new castle on the Conway Estuary by Reginald de Gray’s force of 11,000 men.

12th January 1295 - Edward sacked the town of Nefyn.  On the return journey, his troops were ambushed by Welsh forces near Bangor who retook the booty they had taken from the town. The King and most of his force survived and made it back to Conway, but were besieged, and because the rough winter seas prevented any fresh supplies from reaching the castle, they were forced to live off  salted fish and water flavoured with honey.

March 1295 - Madog led his army eastwards to threaten Shrewsbury and camped at  Maes Moydog, near Montgomery.  English spies raced to inform the commander of the central force, William de Beauchamp, of  Madog's location and Beauchamp  together with 2500 men from the nearby English town of Oswestry  approached the Welsh camp. 

5th March 1295 -  England and Wales did battle for the final time, at Maes Moydog. The Welsh  managed to repel the first English charge, but in response Beauchamp used archers to produce gaps in the lines of Welsh spearmen, allowing the English knights to smash their way through the line and rout the Welsh army. The English lost just 90 men, the Welsh 700.

10th March 1295 -  Edward detailed a small force of archers and knights to make a midnight sortie against the remnants of the Welsh camp. The Welsh lost another 500 men.

15th April 1295 -  Edward sent a force to occupy Anglesey and ordered the construction of Beaumaris Castle.  
Madog managed to escape, but the destruction of his army brought an end to the Welsh War.  Edward, triumphantly toured Wales, demanding surrender and allegiance. Madog became a fugitive, eventually surrendering and being imprisoned in the Tower of London for the remainder of his life.   

On 11th November 1854, the Ballarat Reform League was formed in Victoria, Australia, chaired by John Basson Humffray from Newtown, Montgomeryshire. He had been active in the Chartist movement before emigrating to the Victorian goldfields. He was prominent  in the Eureka Rebellion in 1854, being one of the leaders who campaigned for the diggers' rights, but he was essentially a man of peace who was not in favour of  physical force. 

The Eureka Rebellion resulted in the deaths of at least 27 people, most of whom were rebels. It was an episode of civilian disobedience in the Ballarat region during the Victorian gold rush and is commonly identified with the birth of democracy in Australia. 

Born on this day 1941 in Rhigos

 Dai Morris played rugby for Wales during the 1970s. A coal miner, he would often play rugby after completing a shift underground.

In one season alone he scored 22 tries for Glynneath, he played for Neath in over 400 matches and won 34 caps for Wales before dedicating himself to Rhigos RFC, his home village rugby club.

One of his closest friends, Max Boyce, said of him;

"He was one of the quietest, unassuming stars of Welsh rugby. In rugby terms, he is the definitive working-class hero and is one of the greatest players to wear the Welsh jersey.  Perhaps there have been more celebrated players in the history of Welsh rugby, but none that is more respected than this gentleman of rugby who's affectionately known to all as Dai."

In 2002, Dai was voted into an all-time greatest Welsh XV at the blindside flanker position.  

Born Mary Anne Evans in Tongwynlais near Cardiff, Mary Anne Disraeli, 1st Viscountess Beaconsfield (11 November 1792–15 December 1872) was a society figure, married to Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. 

She was an unconventional and outspoken character who often scandalised staid society with her outrageous remarks, although Queen Victoria herself is said to have been often amused by her witticism. Her outward manner belied her shrewdness and intelligence, as she assisted her husband in writing and editing his books.

She is buried with Disraeli in the Church of St Michael and All Angels at Hughenden, close to the Disraeli family home in Buckinghamshire. The house, now open to the public, has been preserved as it was while occupied by the Disraelis.  

On 11th November 1978, Graham Mourie's New Zealand side beat Wales 13-12 at Cardiff Arms Park following a controversial last-minute penalty kicked by Brian McKechnie.

Wales was leading by two points with seconds left to play when New Zealand's Andy Haden threw himself out of the line out in a bid to gain a penalty.

The Kiwi captain later admitted that he had suggested the idea to Haden before the match. "I know that some of the players later regretted it and their part in it, but it was equally true that in that crucial, unforgiving minute in the searing heat of Cardiff Arms Park the match was won and the tour continued to its climax." 

Roy Bergiers (born 11 November 1950 in Carmarthen) is a former Welsh international rugby union player. He toured South Africa with the British Lions in 1974 and played club rugby for Llanelli.  He is best remembered for scoring the only  when Llanelli beat the All Blacks 9-3 at Stradey Park on 31 October 1972 in one of Welsh rugby's proudest moments.  

Labour politician Roy Jenkins was born in Abersychan, Monmouthshire, on 11th November, 1920.

After attending Abersychan Grammar School and Balliol College Oxford, Jenkins served in the Royal Artillery during WWII and also worked as a codebreaker at Bletchley Park. Following in the footsteps of his father, Arthur Jenkins, who was Labour MP for Pontypool, Jenkins was elected to the House of Commons in 1948, representing first Central Southwark, then Stechford in Birmingham. After the Labour Party won the 1964 GeneraI Election, Harold Wilson appointed him as aviation minister, and the following year, Jenkins became home secretary, facilitating the passing of private members' bills that legalized homosexuality and abortion. After Labour won the 1974 General Election, Jenkins once again became Home Secretary, leading a successful campaign for membership of the European Economic Community. He left the House of Commons in 1977 to become president of the European Commission in Brussels, where he advocated the idea of European monetary union, laying the foundation for the single currency adopted in 2002. In 1981, he joined Shirley Williams and David Owen in establishing the Social Democratic Party (SDP). As leader of the new party, he returned to the House of Commons in 1982 as MP for Glasgow Hillhead, although he was to lose his seat in 1987.

When he retired, Jenkins published several books including an autobiography, A Life At The Centre (1991) and two biographies, Gladstone (1995) and Churchill (2001). He died on 5th January 2003.

Born Richard Walter Jenkins on November 10, 1925, in Pontrhydfen, South Wales, Richard Burton became an acclaimed actor of stage and screen, appearing in over 40 films. He earned seven Oscar nominations for films including Equus, The Robe, Becket and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. He married Elizabeth Taylor in 1964, a stormy relationship that resulted in marriage, remarriage and two divorces. Burton died in Switzerland, on August 5, 1984. 

He was the son of a coal miner, a twelfth child whose mother died when he was two years old. A local teacher, Philip Burton, became his guardian and encouraged the boy into acting and the theatre. Jenkins adopted Burton as his surname, won an Oxford scholarship and served in the Air Force during WWII. After leaving the forces in 1947, he resumed his stage acting career, appearing in The Lady’s Not for Burning with Sir John Gielgud. Burton made his film debut in 1949 in The Last Days of Dolwyn. He married actress Sybil Williams and had two daughters. 

 Burton met Elizabeth Taylor on the set of Cleopatra (1963), and although each was married at the time, they began a tempestuous relationship that was to provide ample media interest in the years to come. They made 11 films together, including Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and The Taming of the Shrew (1967). Burton appeared in Hamlet on Broadway in a 1964 production directed by Gielgud and continued to appear in films.

After a divorce, remarriage and a second divorce from Taylor, Burton married model Suzy Hunt in 1976. During the 1970s, Burton continued to make films, including Brief Encounter (1975) and was nominated for his seventh Oscar for his role in the 1977 drama Equus. 

In 1983, he and Taylor returned to working together for the Noel Coward theatrical work Private Lives. Burton's last film was an adaptation of George Orwell's 1984. Burton died from a brain haemorrhage in his Swiss home onAugust 5, 1984, at the age of 58.   

   "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" the now-famous greeting, was allegedly uttered by Henry Morton Stanley on 10th November 1871, upon finding missionary and explorer David Livingstone. 

Born as John Rowlands in Denbigh (28 January 1841 – 10 May 1904), Stanley was a journalist and explorer famous for his exploration of central Africa and his search for Livingstone. He was knighted in 1899. 

After a period in St. Asaph Union Workhouse for the poor, he travelled to the United States in 1859 where he was befriended by Henry Hope Stanley, a wealthy trader whose name he eventually adopted. During the American Civil War, he fought first for the Confederate Army in the Battle of Shiloh in 1862. After being taken prisoner, he joined the Union Army, then served on several merchant ships before joining the Navy in July 1864.

 When the war ended, Stanley became a journalist, organising an abortive expedition to the Ottoman Empire during which Stanley was imprisoned. He talked his way out of jail and was even compensated for damage to expedition equipment.

He travelled widely in Asia as an overseas correspondent for the newly-established New York Herald and in 1869, Stanley was given the task of finding the Scottish missionary and explorer David Livingstone, who had travelled to Africa but had not been heard from for some time. 

Stanley travelled to Zanzibar and kitted an expedition accompanied by 200 porters. During the 700-mile expedition through the tropical forest, his horse died after a bite from a tsetse fly, many of his porters abandoned him and most who remained were stricken with tropical diseases. On 10th November 1871, Stanley came across Livingstone near Lake Tanganyika in what is now Tanzania, greeting him, reputedly, with "Doctor Livingstone, I presume?"  Stanley joined Livingstone's exploration of the region, and wrote a book about his adventures on his return, entitled "How I Found Livingstone; travels, adventures, and discoveries in Central Africa".

Giro City, is a November 1982 film which was written and directed by Karl Francis, the renowned former journalist and film-maker from Bedwas, near Caerphilly. 

 Also known by the title And Nothing But the Truth, the film is a blistering indictment of government-sanctioned corruption, as well as the "facts of life" of the television industry.  

Today is the feast day of St Elaeth 

Elaeth (sometimes recorded as Eleth), now venerated as a saint, was a British king and poet from the 6th century. He was ousted from his lands in the north of Britain and retreated to Anglesey, where he sought refuge at the monastery run by St Seiriol at Penmon.  Some fragments of religious poetry from the period have been ascribed to him, and it is widely held that he founded St Eleth's Church near Amlwch, on Anglesey. 

Maria Jane Williams (died 10 November 1873) was a 19th-century Welsh musician and folklorist. She was born in Glynneath in 1794 at Aberpergwm House.

She received a good education, was a fervent supporter of the Welsh language and Welsh traditions and was a gifted musician. She was renowned for her singing and acquired the name ‘Llinos’ (the Welsh word for linnet).

In 1844, she published a collection of Welsh airs entitled 'The Ancient National Airs of Gwent and Morgannwg’, which has been acknowledged as a significant contribution to the knowledge of traditional Welsh music.

Robert Nicholas Jones (born 10 November 1965 at Trebanos) is a Welsh rugby union coach and former player. During his playing career, he was capped 54 times for Wales. He joins Mike Phillips, Dwayne Peel, Gareth Edwards and Rob Howley as the only scrum half players to have been awarded more than 50 caps for Wales.

Dylan Marlais Thomas died on November 9, 1953 while on a lecture tour of America. 

It had been an arduous tour, and Thomas had been liberally entertained by his hosts. He had been drinking heavily on the night he died in the White Horse pub in Greenwich Village, New York. When he eventually returned to his hotel he was in great pain and called for a doctor. He was given a large dose of morphine sulphate, after which Thomas lapsed into a coma. Apparently, his last words were: "I've had 18 straight whiskies......I think that's the record." His death, at 39 years of age, was tragically premature. He is buried in Laugharne, Carmarthenshire.  

Bryn Terfel Jones CBE (born 9 November 1965) is an internationally renowned Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. 

Bryn Terfel, as he is popularly known, was born in Pant Glas, Caernarfonshire and is the son of a farmer. His first language is Welsh. Since his operatic debut in 1990 he has performed in great opera houses around the world, and is famed for his versatility and vocal range. He has won countless awards and honours, including a CBE in 2002 and was awarded the Queen's Medal for Music in 2006.

Despite international acclaim, Bryn Terfel continues to be committed to Wales, the Welsh language and Welsh culture. He is President of the Welsh homelessness charity Shelter Cymru and is Patron of Bobath Children's Therapy Centre Wales, a charity based in Cardiff which provides specialist  therapy to children with cerebral palsy.  

1910 Miners' Strike.

On 9th November 1910 troops were used in Porth near Pontypridd to disperse demonstrations by striking miners. Contingents were also sent to patrol Aberaman and Llwynypia. There are no verified records of casualties since most of the miners would not have reported their injuries for fear of reprisals, but it is estimated that over 500 citizens, including women and children, sustained injury. Miner Samuel Rhys died of head injuries, allegedly inflicted by a policeman's baton.   

The Battle of Holt Bridge 9th November 1643

Holt Bridge, a listed monument, is constructed of local red sandstone. The nine arched structure is on the English border, near Wrexham. The third arch has two arch rings, where a gatehouse and drawbridge were situated which defended the town of Holt. Its border location made it a strategic target during the Civil War, and a battle was fought here on 9th November 1643. The bridge and the town were taken by Parliamentarian forces, although Holt Castle was successfully defended by the Royalists.    

Rosemarie Frankland (May 17, 1943 - December 2, 2000) was a Welsh beauty pageant contestant, from Rhosllannerchrugog, Wrexham, who on 9th November 1961became the first British woman to win the Miss World title.

The Tonypandy riots started on 7th November 1910 and continued unabated for almost two days. They involved violent clashes between striking miners and the Glamorgan Constabulary, reinforced by both the Bristol and Metropolitan police forces. Home Secretary Winston Churchill also sent in troops to the area to reinforce the police shortly after the riot, a decision that caused ill feeling towards him in south Wales.

The strike ground on for several months although the violence of the initial riots in Tonypandy was rarely repeated and finally ended in August 1911. It left bitter scars in the Rhondda, particularly as the miners were forced to return to work after agreeing to a paltry sum for the coal extracted. Churchill was, until his dying day, reviled by many as "the man who sent in the troops", and remains unpopular in the South Wales valleys to this day.

"Big Ben" is named after a Welshman.

Born on this day 1802, Sir Benjamin Hall, 1st Baron Llanover, a politician who as First Commissioner of Works was responsible for Government building projects. This included the rebuilding of the Houses of Parliament and the installation of the hour bell, "Big Ben", in the clock tower. The nickname "Big Ben" was given to the Great Bell in honour of Sir Benjamin, whose name is inscribed on it.

As MP for Monmouth, Sir Benjamin campaigned to have religious services in Welsh. He was also outspoken on the issue of the state of the Anglican church in Wales and deplored the exploitation of church revenues. He was married to Augusta Waddington, better known as Lady Llanover, the well known patron of the Welsh arts.

Born on this day 1986 in Newport.

The Welsh connection to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid;

On 7th November 1908, Robert Leroy Parker and Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, better known as the notorious train and bank robbers, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, were killed, following a shootout in Bolivia.

After pursuing a career in crime for several years in the United States, the pressures of being pursued forced them to flee with Longabaugh's girlfriend, Etta Place, to Welsh speaking Patagonia in Argentina.  They purchased a ranch on the east bank of the Rio Blanco near Cholila, Chubut province and lived there amongst Welsh settlers, breeding horses. 

However, they had not abandoned their lawbreaking lifestyle, as it is reported that they tried to rob a general store owned by Mihangel ap Iwan and Llywelyn ap Iwan (sons of Michael D Jones, founder of the Welsh settlement in Patagonia) in Esquel, Patagonia.  The story goes that Llywelyn was armed and refused to give up the takings, so that night, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid returned and set light to the curtains of Llywelyn's home, who badly burned his hands putting out the fire.  The next day they returned to the store, shot Llywelyn dead (as he was unable to reach for his gun because of his burns) and ran off with the takings.

By 1905, they had outstayed their welcome and sold the Cholila ranch.  They were however aided in their escape to Bolivia by Sheriff Edward Humphreys, a Welsh settler who was friendly with Cassidy and enamoured of Etta Place.

Born on this day 1927 in Margam, near Port Talbot.

Ivor Emmanuel - singer and actor.

He is fondly remembered for his rousing rendition of the battle hymn Men of Harlech in the 1964 film Zulu, where his character, Private Owen, leads his fellow soldiers in song, drowning the war chants of the Zulu forces surrounding the besieged fort at Rorke's Drift in 1879.

Emmanuel was orphaned during the second World War when a stray bomb hit the village of Pontrhydyfen. He was taken in by his Aunt Flossie and later became a miner. He was passionately musical, joining the local operatic society and listening to Enrico Caruso on a wind-up gramophone. Disheartened by his rejection by The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in 1947, he took to drinking heavily with an old friend, Richard Burton. Burton arranged an audition for him at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, where he was cast in the musical Oklahoma. His dark good looks and fine baritone voice earned him roles in many other musicals, such as South Pacific and The King and I.

Emmanuel also had a successful television career; between 1958 and 1964, he ledthe Welsh television show, Gwlad y Gan ('Land of Song') and in 1960, he performed in the first televised edition of the Royal Variety Performance.

Born on this day 1934 in Ystrad Rhondda

Mel Hopkins - former Wales soccer international full back. 

The son of a miner, he was signed by Tottenham Hotspur at the age of 15 after just one trial, going on to win the League and FA Cup double with them in 1961.  Hopkins played for Wales 34 times, including the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden, where they lost narrowly to Brazil in the quarter-finals.

Born on this day 1980 in Pontypridd

Michael Owen is a former Wales and Lions captain who became the 1,000th player to play for his country when he gained his first international cap in the Test against South Africa in June 2002. He captained Wales, replacing the injured Gareth Thomas, during the 2005 Six Nations, the year in which Wales won its first Grand Slam in 27 years.

Now retired, he joined the team of match commentators during the 2011 World Cup.

Today is the feast day of Saint Cynfarwy.

Saint Cynfarwy - Born c.610, was an active Christian on Anglesey, after whom the parish of Llechgynfarwy (pictured) and St Cynfarwy's Church are named. In a neighbouring field stands a nine foot high upright stone supposedly commemorating the saint. It is locally known as Maen Llechgynfarwy.  

  Born on 7th November 1528, probably at the family seat of Haroldston near Haverfordwest. 

Sir John Perrot was claimed to have been the illegitimate son of Henry VIII, whom he indeed resembled both physically and temperamentally. 

He was favoured by Edward VI, but as a Protestant during the reign of Mary I (1553–58), he was charged with sheltering heretics and imprisoned. His fortunes improved under Queen Elizabeth, and he was entrusted with the naval defence of South Wales.

Perrot was created Lord President of Munster at a time of rebellion in Ireland and over a two year period laid waste the province to procure peace, killing and decimating the homes of those who opposed him. He returned to Wales in 1578 as Vice Admiral of the Welsh seas and was named Commissioner for Piracy in Pembrokeshire.

In 1584 he was appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland. He occupied Ulster and vigorously opposed Roman Catholicism. He then undertook the plantation of the province of Munster. This involved the distribution of 600,000 acres of land confiscated from Catholic estates to anyone willing to employ English labourers and farmers to work the land and build towns. This was an onerous undertaking and Perrot eventually asked to be recalled.

It was inevitable that Perrot had made many enemies during his time in Ireland, and on his return, they plotted his downfall. He was accused of treason and plotting against Elizabeth. He was  imprisoned in the Tower of London where he died in September 1592 while awaiting execution.   

  On 7th November 1916,  Charles Evans Hughes lost narrowly to Woodrow Wilson in the United States presidential election, when he failed to win California. 

Hughes was the Welsh speaking son of a minister who had emigrated to the US from Tredegar. He was widely regarded as honest and was respected for his intellect. He became Secretary of State in 1920 and was one of the most distinguished Chief Justices of the Supreme Court of the USA. 

Elaine Morgan OBE FRSL (7 November 1920 – 12 July 2013) was born and brought up in Hopkinstown, near Pontypridd. She wrote for television and is the author of several volumes on anthropology and evolution, notably the 'aquatic ape hypothesis'. They include The Descent of Woman, The Aquatic Ape, The Scars of Evolution, The Descent of the Child, The Aquatic Ape Hypothesis, and The Naked Darwinist (2008),

Morgan's screenwriting credits include several dramatic adaptations of books, including Richard Llewellyn's 1939 novel How Green Was My Valley (1975), Testament of Youth (1979); and a mini-series on the Liberal prime minister from the middle of the first world war, The Life and Times of David Lloyd George (1981).

Today is the feast day of St Illtud

The Church of St Illtud at Llanilltud Fawr (Llantwit Major)  was established by Illtud in about AD 520 and contains a superb array of early Christian memorial stones, including, The Houelt Cross, which is a fine example of a Celtic wheel cross.  It is a memorial to King Rhys ap Arthfael of Morgannwg who died around AD 850. 

Born in Brittany from a military background, Illtyd began his career by crossing to Britain, it is said, as a skilled warrior serving Arthur in the defence of Britain. Illtyd's war band raided Llancarfan Abbey but the monks pursued them into a bog where "the earth swallowed all of them except Illtyd".  St Cadog reminded Illtud of his religion and the humbled warrior took up a monastic life, founding the abbey at Llanilltud Fawr (Llantwit Major) where in 508, he re-established the monastery school known as Cor Tewdus which was reputedly burnt down by Irish pirates in 446. This monastic complex became a centre of learning, with students studying the Bible, philosophy, science, geometry, rhetoric, grammar and arithmetic. It reputedly had seven halls, 400 houses and more than 2000 students, which included St David, St Patrick, Paul Aurelian, Taliesin, Gildas and Samson.

Illtud himself is said to have been a disciple of Germanus of Auxerre who visited Llanilltud on his mission to Britain. Apart from Llanilltud, there are churches dedicated to him in Breconshire, Glamorgan, Carmarthenshire, Dolgellau, Brittany and on the Gower.  In Merthyr, there are also Holy Wells dedicated to him and the legendary place of his burial is Bedd Gwyl Illtud, Breconshire.  

The final campaign of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd

Victory at The Battle of Moel-y-don on 6th November 1282, delayed Edward I's eventual conquest of Wales.  

In 1272 Edward I had acceded to the throne of England and Llywelyn had consistently refused to pay him tribute. The result was that in 1276, Edward declared Llywelyn a rebel and took prisoner Llywelyn's betrothed wife, Eleanor de Montfort.  Edward marched a huge army into North Wales, aided by Llywelyn's own brother, Dafydd ap Gruffydd. By the summer of 1277, Edward's forces had reached the centre of Gwynedd, where they confiscated the harvest in Anglesey.  Unable to feed his army, Llywelyn was forced to negotiate, resulting in the Treaty of Aberconwy. This treaty guaranteed peace in return for several difficult concessions for Llywelyn;

*  Llywelyn was forced to acknowledge the English king as his sovereign.

*  Llywelyn continued to rule  Gwynedd Uwch Conwy, west of the River Conwy (indicated in green).

*  The Perfeddwlad, east of the Conwy, was divided between Dafydd ap Gruffudd (shown in gold) and areas ceded to the English Crown (shown in red).

*  Eleanor was released and she and Llywelyn were formally married in Worcester in 1278, on the Feast Day of St Edward.

Following the treaty, Dafydd turned against the English and was reconciled with Llywelyn.  The brothers then rebelled, fighting to keep Wales independent, but Edward continued to send armies into Wales and in 1282, a force consisting of 2000 infantrymen and 200 cavalrymen under the former constable of Gascony, Luke de Tany, succeeded in capturing Anglesey. de Tany's men then constructed a bridge of boats across the Menai Strait, to attack Llywelyn from the north.  However as the English crossed, Llywelyn emerged with a large army to meet them and as they attempted to retreat, the English were cut off by the rising tide, with many knights drowning, dragged down by their heavy armour, along with 300 infantrymen.

This military success, coupled with victory at the battle of Llandeilo Fawr in South Wales during which another English army was routed, inflated Welsh morale and delayed Edward's plans. However, Welsh hopes were dashed a few weeks later when Llywelyn was killed at Cilmeri, after leading a foray into mid-Wales to gather support.  

On 6th November 1918, Captain John Fox-Russell from Holyhead was killed in action, serving as a medical officer at Tel-el-Khuwwilfeh, Palestine and subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross. His citation reads;

"For most conspicuous bravery displayed in action until he was killed. Captain Russell repeatedly went out to attend the wounded under murderous fire from snipers and machine-guns, and in many cases, when no other means were at hand, carried them in himself, although almost exhausted. He showed the greatest possible degree of valour."

He had previously been awarded the Military Cross at the First Battle of Gaza.  

Born on this day 1923 in Tonypandy.

Donald Houston - actor, whose first two films The Blue Lagoon (1949) with Jean Simmons and A Run for Your Money (1949) with Sir Alec Guinness, were highly successful.  He would often indulge his Welsh accent, but could also conceal it behind an English public school veneer when required.  His other prominent roles included The Longest Day (1962), Where Eagles Dare (1968) and The Sea Wolves (1981).  Later in his career he appeared in comedies such as the Doctor and Carry On series.  

Born on this day 1528 in Ruthin.

Gabriel Goodman – Dean of Westminster and re-founder of Ruthin School.

He was of wealthy parentage and attended Cambridge University in 1549, later becoming chaplain to Sir William Cecil,  and tutor to William's eldest son Thomas Cecil, Earl of Exeter. He became a senior clergyman in 1559 of St Paul's Cathedral, and in 1562,  when the old Westminster Abbey was reinstituted by Queen Elizabeth I, Goodman was made Dean. During this period, William Morgan who was supervising the printing of the Welsh Bible stayed with Goodman at the Deanery.

In 1574 Goodman returned to Ruthin where he rehoused Ruthin School in a new School-house to the north of St Peter's Church.