Welsh Wales
#OTD in 1284 the Statute of Rhuddlan formally incorporated the principality of Wales into the kingdom of England. Attached is one of my pics of the document, from a trip to the National Archives in 2019.
The principality was Pura Wallia or Welsh Wales i.e. those parts of Wales governed by Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd. Via the Treaty of Montgomery in 1267, Llywelyn had obtained formal recognition of his title of Princeps/Princips Wallie.
There are all kinds of arguments over the precise meaning of this title - prince, overlord, chief ruler, etc. In real terms it meant that Llywelyn was entitled to the homage and fealty of all the other Welsh rulers, with the exception of Maredudd ap Rhys Gryg, lord of Dinefwr. In exchange he paid homage and fealty to the King of England, and made his newfound principality a vassal state of the English crown. He also agreed to a mortgage of 25,000 marks for his title (about £18,000) which, as it turned out, he could not pay.
In 1282 Llywelyn was killed and the principality conquered by Edward I. The Statute of Rhuddlan set the seal on the conquest and provided the constitutional basis for the government of the principality until 1536. It was not an Act of Parliament, but a royal ordinance named after Rhuddlan Castle in Denbighshire, where it was first promulgated after the king had the native laws of Wales (Cyfraith Hywel or the laws of Hywel Dda) rehearsed before him.
The statute abolished some aspects of Welsh law but retained others. Much of Welsh criminal law was done away with, but the civil aspect allowed to continue. Interestingly, the original draft of the statute states that this was done 'after consultation' with the Welsh i.e. a team of Welsh judges or 'ynaid'. For some reason this clause was struck out from the final version.
Otherwise the statute divided Wales into administrations of government via the English shire system. Another of the provisions declared that women in Wales could have dower for the first time, forbidden under Cyfraith Hywel. This was nothing new: Welsh princes such as Llywelyn had been making use of English common law and granting dower for many years before the conquest.
Edward's statute was eventually superseded by the Laws in Wales Acts 1536 and 1542, by which Henry VIII fully incorporated the whole of Wales as part of the realm of England. Unlike Edward's earlier document, this included the Marcher lordships, which were now abolished. Henry also imposed English law and language upon Wales to a far greater extent than Edward.
Ironically, his father Henry VII had been perceived by many in Wales as a 'great redeemer', who would lead Wales out of bondage. The first Tudor king went no further than selling charters of liberties to Welsh communities, which enabled them to overturn the repressive Penal Laws of Henry IV.