Penmachno Document
Encyclopedia
The Penmachno Document was drawn up at Penmachno
in Gwynedd on 19 December 1294 by Madog ap Llywelyn
at the height of his revolt against English rule in Wales. Though unremarkable in its content - the document consists of the grant of two parcels of land to one Bleddyn Fychan - its importance lies in the fact that it is the only surviving document issued by Madog in which he styles himself prince of Wales
.
, the seneschal
of two earlier princes of Wales. One of them, 'Tudur ab Gronw' or Tudur Hen
, is described as 'our steward' in the document, suggesting that Madog had (or intended to) reconstitute the prince's council on which the governance of Wales rested until the loss of independence in 1283. As Edward I's invasion of Wales proceeded, the terms of the document quickly became irrelevant, as the land referred to in it reverted once more to English control.
Penmachno
Penmachno is a village in the isolated upland valley of Cwm Penmachno, 4 miles south of Betws-y-Coed in the county of Conwy, north Wales.It is renowned as the home of Bishop William Morgan , who lived at Tŷ Mawr, Y Wybrnant, near the village. He was one of the leading scholars of his day, having...
in Gwynedd on 19 December 1294 by Madog ap Llywelyn
Madog ap Llywelyn
Madog ap Llywelyn, or Prince Madoc, was from a junior branch of the House of Aberffraw and a distant relation of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last recognised native Prince of Wales.-Lineage:...
at the height of his revolt against English rule in Wales. Though unremarkable in its content - the document consists of the grant of two parcels of land to one Bleddyn Fychan - its importance lies in the fact that it is the only surviving document issued by Madog in which he styles himself prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
.
Notable signatories
The document was signed by a number of prominent persons in native society in north Wales, including three descendants of Ednyfed FychanEdnyfed Fychan
Ednyfed Fychan , full name Ednyfed Fychan ap Cynwrig, was a Welsh warrior who became seneschal to the Kingdom of Gwynedd in Northern Wales, serving Llywelyn the Great and his son Dafydd ap Llywelyn...
, the seneschal
Seneschal
A seneschal was an officer in the houses of important nobles in the Middle Ages. In the French administrative system of the Middle Ages, the sénéchal was also a royal officer in charge of justice and control of the administration in southern provinces, equivalent to the northern French bailli...
of two earlier princes of Wales. One of them, 'Tudur ab Gronw' or Tudur Hen
Tudur Hen
Tudur Hen or Tudur ap Goronwy was a Welsh aristocrat and a member of the Tudor family of Penmynydd, Anglesey, North Wales. His father Goronwy ab Ednyfed was seneschal to Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Kingdom of Gwynedd between 1246 and 1256...
, is described as 'our steward' in the document, suggesting that Madog had (or intended to) reconstitute the prince's council on which the governance of Wales rested until the loss of independence in 1283. As Edward I's invasion of Wales proceeded, the terms of the document quickly became irrelevant, as the land referred to in it reverted once more to English control.