In 1188 the Third Crusade was brought to Wales by the Welsh-born Giraldus, archdeacon of Brecon, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Baldwin of Exeter. They toured the country attempting to recruit soldiers for the Pope's crusade for Jerusalem. The forces from the British Isles were led by Richard the Lionheart, who had taken his father's place in the Crusades after his death in 1189, was kidnapped on his way back from a triumphant (although Jerusalem-less) tour on this Crusade. He was taken prisoner by the Holy Roman Emperor. A ransom was demanded for his return to the English throne, which his brother, John, was attempting to usurp. He returned to England in 1194 thanks to Herbert Walter, the archbishop of Canterbury, who both organized the collection of the ransom and suppresses the plot of John.
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| Richard I's Coronation |
Meanwhile, in Aberystwyth in the year 1196, Lord Rhys (son of Gruffud ap Rhys) died, but it seemed he was feudal lord of Cardiganshire. He held extensive lands in the county and had apparently rebuilt his castle atop the ruins of Aberystwyth Castles 1 and 2. His son Gruffud would inherit all of this property, leaving his second son Maelgwn disinherited. In retaliation against this snub, Maelgwn puts together a force with the aid of Gwewynwyn, Prince of Powys and son of Owain Cyfeiliog, to take his ineritance, and his brother's, forcefully. He descends upon the castle, suddenly and with ease, taking both the castle and town of Aberystwyth (the first historical reference to Aberystwyth town) from his brother. He hands his brother over to the Normans and they lock him into Corfe Castle, but only a year later he is released and regains most of his land in Cardiganshire from Maelgwn. He dies in 1202, without fully retaking his land from Gwenwynwyn and Maelgwn, leaving two sons to take on this mantle, Owain and Rhys.
In 1206, Gwenwynwyn becomes a prisoner of the English and, as Maelgwn no longer has the protection of the Prince, Llwelyn ab Iorwerth, Prince of North Wales, advances an army to take his lands and return them to the sons of Gruffud. Maelgwn ap Rhys, fearing hostilities, burns all three of his castles to the ground, including the one at Aberystwyth. Finding the ruins upon his arrival, Llwelyn immediately begins to build up a castle for himself. The ditches excavated to protect the castle are still visible today. The castle was then given over to Rhys and Owain.
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| Llwelyn ab Iorberth (Llwelyn the Great) |
Maelgwn ap Rhys, his brother Rhys Grug, and King John combine forces to succeed Llewlyn ap Iorwerth, but Owain and Rhys refuse to submit. King John then compels Foulke, Viscount of Cardiff, along with the boys' uncles to compel them. Faced with such force, the boys sued for peace, and after paying homage and relinquishing their lands between the Dovey and Aeron, they were allowed to keep their remaining territories. Foulke, gaining the castle at Aberystwyth, strengthened the building and garrisoned the fortress with the Kings troops. The boys' uncles found disappointment with the leniency their nephews were shown and changed allegiance and laid seige to Aberystwyth Castle, eventually razing it the ground. Meanwhile, seeing a chance to retaliate against their uncles, Rhys and Owain put the lands of Maelgwn to the sword in a show of support for King John. And Rhys Grug, running from Foulke, was forced to take his wife and children into hiding at Aberystwyth Castle, now in the hands of Maelgwn.
Only a year later was the Magna Carta signed and then annulled by the Pope. King John then continues his war against the barons, one being the man who had helped the young Rhys (now lord of Aberystwyth) and Owain, Llewlyn ap Iorwerth, found himself under King John's sword. Llewlyn, realizing he no longer had the support of Aberystwyth, put himself under the protection of the Earl of Pembrokeshire and marched, once again, on the castle at Aberystwyth. He takes the castle for himself in 1218.
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| The Magna Carta |
Almost thirty years later, poetry gives an insight into the makeup of Aberystwyth. The first known reference to the Palace of the Rheidol, or Plas Crug in Welsh, is referenced. The palace was a castellated mansion or stronghouse surrounded by a moat and was located on the eastern edge of Aberywtwyth. It is no longer standing: the last tower was torn down in 1968 and the house is now a school.
Llywelyn the Last, the last king of an independent Wales, son of Gruffyd, and brother of Owain ap Gruffyd, takes Llanbadarn back from Norman control in 1256. He continues to take land in Wales, eventually conquering enough to dub himself the "Prince of Wales". King Henry III, the king with which Llywelyn and Owain ap Gruffyd signed the Treaty of Woodstock, officially recognized this title nine years later in 1267.
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| Llywelyn the Last |
Meanwhile, Henry begins a battle with the barons. When he lost the Battle of Lewes, he and his son, Edward were captured, and Simon de Montford becomes, in effect, the uncrowned King of England. He proposes that a council of nine advisors be appointed to aid the king in his choice of ministers. In 1265, Simon de Montford calls together a Parliament, against the wishes of the king. This was the first Parliament to summon elected representatives from some boroughs. But Prince Edward escapes custody and musters the support of the Lords of the Welsh Marches. The king takes revenge on the Barons at the Battle of Evesham and, instead of taking the noblemen prisoner, he kills all the Barons.
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| Depiction of the Bloodshed at Evesham |
Simon de Montford's wife and daughter, Eleanor, flee to France, but at this time, Eleanor is betrothed to Llwelyn ap Gruffyd, otherwise known as Llywelyn the Last. Henry dies five years later and Edward refuses to acknowledge the Treaty of Montgomery, which named Llwelyn Prince of Wales, officially. An assassination plot against Llywelyn the Last was prevented by a snowstorm, and only discovered later in the year, after the plotter, Llwelyn's own brother Daffyd, was able to escape to Shrewsbury. Llwelyn was raided from this point as brother once again fought against brother. In 1275, despite the raiding, Llwelyn has a marriage contract to Eleanor de Montford, but on her way to be with him, her ship is captured by "Pirates" under the pay of King Edward I. Llwelyn refuses to pay homage to Edward and the 1st war between the English and the Welsh.
1277, Edward the First conquers Wales, and the kingdom is fractured. By 1282 all of Wales is under English control. Edward consolidates his rule by building castles in his new territories. His army, led by his brother who had been Lord of Cardigan since 1265, moves from the south into the territory of Aberystwyth and begins building the foundation of his castle on the hillock between the River Rheidol and a marsh, right next to the sea. Edward issues a charter making the settlement near the castle a free borough: 1300 men from as far away as Southwest of England were recruited to come and construct the castle. King Edward quickly grants trading and municipal privileges and a small town builds up around the castle.
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| Mosiac depiction of Aberystwyth in 1277. |
That same year peace is reached between Llwelyn and Edward through the Treaty of Aberconwy which states that Llwelyn is allowed to keep rule over his lands, but Welsh independent rule must be given up after his death. Eleanor, Llwelyn's captured bride, is finally released after 2 years, and the couple has an official marriage ceremony held at Worcester Castle in the presence of King Edward I.
In 1280 the town now has protection by 4 stone walls and a gate on each. A constable had been put in charge of the castle in 1278, and the population of the entire town is English. The constable of the town, Bogo de Knovill, is invited to dine with the local prince, Gruffyd ap Maredudd.
The dinner is a trap, a part of the Welsh rebellion against Edward. The men burn down much of the incomplete castle and all four of the towns walls. Many townsmen were killed in the skirmish. In May of the year 1282, the Prince of North Wales, and the leader of Welsh independence, Llywelyn the Last, is killed: in this same month, James of St. George is sent to rebuild the Castle that was just destroyed by Welsh rebels.
It takes two years for Edward to divide up the land of Llwelyn, and for him to institute English Law in Wales, according to the Statute of Rhudlan. The next year, Edward would turn his eye upon Scotland, but the Welsh had not yet fully succumb. The local prince, Rhys ap Maredudd had assisted the English in their war against Llwelyn, but once the Shire System was instituted, he was resentful. He captured several castled in this rebellion, but by this time, Aberystwyth Castle was strong enough to repel his attack, and he only managed to damage some of the town walls. Edward the First incorporates the town of Aberystwyth into his kingdom under the name of "Ville de Llanbadarn" and allows for the town to have ditches and walls to protect it. Only a year and half later was the castle fully completed and strong enough to withstand the siege that would come in 1294-5 by Welsh forces angry about extra taxes levied against them.
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| Aberystwyth Castle with the town in the distance. |
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