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Lordship of Brecknock
The Lordship of Brecknock was an Anglo-Norman marcher lordship located in southern central Wales.
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The Lordship of Brecknock was an Anglo-Norman marcher lordship located in southern central Wales.
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Investigate this subjectThe Lordship of Brecknock was an Anglo-Norman marcher lordship located in southern central Wales.
The Lordship of Brecknock was an Anglo-Norman marcher lordship located in southern central Wales.
In the century before the Lordship was founded, Brycheiniog had been contested between its traditional dynasty, and that of Ferlix (a realm at the heart of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren). No more of the traditional line is reported by historic manuscripts (such as those of Jesus College), beyond Tewdwr ap Griffri. The Book of Baglan reports that Bleddyn ap Maenyrch, heir of the traditional dynasty of Ferlix (who had by now lost Ferlix itself, to Elystan Glodrydd's heirs), was the King of Brycheiniog during the time of the Norman invasion of England (possibly by acquiring a claim through his mother, the niece of Tewdwr ap Griffri).
Though initially neutral on the matter, the Normans acquired a dim view of Welsh princes when many of the latter supported anti-Norman revolts by the Saxons (with whom the princes were allied), such as that of Eadric the Wild. After suppressing the Saxon part of Eadric's revolt, William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford went on to defeat three prominent southern Welsh princes who had supported Eadric, including Rhys ap Tewdwr (son of Tewdwr ap Cadell), the powerful king of Deheubarth. Though Bleddyn had married Rhys' sister, the records do not mention him (or Brycheiniog) being involved.
Deheubarth had also been a contested realm over the previous century, in this case between the heirs of Maredudd ab Owain's daughter Angharad (such as Gruffydd ap Llywelyn), those of his brother Einion (such as Rhys ap Tewdwr), and the rulers of Morgannwg. In 1088, Gruffydd's son-in-law, and his son-in-law's son-in-law, Bernard de Neufmarché, took part in a rebellion against King William Rufus, without being punished for it. Emboldened by this, Bernard launched attacks on an area under Rhys' influence - Brycheiniog - while the sons of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, Gruffydd's half-brother, attacked Deheubarth; this was likely a co-ordinated action between Bernard and Bleddyn ap Cynfyn's sons. Bleddyn ap Maenyrch was defeated at the Battle of Caer-Bannau (one of Bleddyn ap Maenyrch's castles, and a former Roman army camp), while Rhys was forced to flee to Ireland.
Rhys later re-established his position with Irish assistance, and in April 1093 he and Bleddyn attacked Bernard while he was building a castle at Brecon. The attack failed, and both Rhys and Bleddyn ap Maenyrch were killed. The Welsh Annales clearly state that Rhys was killed 'by the French who were inhabiting Brycheiniog' (implying that Bernard had already taken over the kingdom). Bernard established a Marcher Lordship in its place - the Lordship of Brecknock (the name being a Norman mangling of Brycheiniog). Bernard confined Bleddyn ap Maenyrch's eldest son, Gwrgan, in Brecon Castle (though Gwrgan was allowed to travel elsewhere, if accompanied by Bernard's knights); nevertheless, Bernard gave Gwrgan, and his brothers, some lands within Bernard's Lordship, to sustain their dignity (Gwgan initially receiving Cathedine).
Bernard was succeeded by his son, Mahel. However, Bernard's wife, Nesta, dramatically swore an oath, in the presence of King Henry I, that Mahel was illegitimate. Henry consequently ruled that the inheritance should be transferred to Sibyl, Bernard's daughter, who just happened to be married to Miles Fitz-Walter, a friend of Henry.
When Stephen de Blois broke his oath by displacing his cousin, Empress Matilda, from succeeding her father (Henry I) to the English throne, the conflict it caused eroded central authority in England, to such an extent that a state of anarchy broke out. By the following year - 1136 - a number of Welsh princes and magnates had begun to see this as an opportunity to recover lands they had lost to Marcher lords, and broke out in revolt.
The revolt began when Hywel ap Maredudd, a minor lord in the west of the Lordship of Brecknock, recruited an army and marched to the adjacent Lordship of Gower, defeating the Norman and English colonists there in the Battle of Llwchwr. Inspired by Hywel's success, Gruffydd ap Rhys, Prince of Deheubarth, hastened to meet with Gruffydd I of Gwynedd, his father-in-law, to enlist his aid. However, the opportunities presented by the anarchy worked both ways - the absence of Gruffydd ap Rhys from Deheubarth enabled Marcher lords to encroach further into Deheubarth. To resist the encroachment, Gruffydd ap Rhys' wife Gwenllian, Princess of Deheubarth (and Gwynedd), gathered a host; Gwenllian's forces, however, were defeated, with Gwenllian and two of her sons being killed in the battle.
Gwenllian's attempted defence nevertheless inspired further opposition to the Marcher Lords, ultimately leaving her son, Rhys ap Gruffydd as a much more powerful ruler than his parents had been. When Matilda and Stephen's differences were settled, and Matilda's son Henry II came to the throne, the renewed strength of central authority enabled Henry to push back Welsh princes to their pre-anarchy borders. The Lordship of Brecknock remained intact, and Sibyl's husband, Miles, remained its Lord.
Sibyl's sister-in-law was married to Richard Fitz Pons, a powerful supporter of Bernard, who owned lands in Herefordshire close to the border of Brycheiniog (as well as elsewhere) - the Barony of Clifford. Bernard had assigned some of the land on the Brycheiniog side of the border with Clifford to Richard (as a barony within the Lordship of Brecknock); Richard built a castle there - Bronllys Castle. Bernard had similarly assigned a region in the north eastern corner of Brycheiniog to Philip Walwyn, who similarly built a castle - Hay Castle.
Subsequently, Hay Castle, and its surrounding land, was completely detached from the Lordship and given as a dowry to Sibyl's daughter Bertha, when she married William de Braose, 3rd Lord of Bramber, who already possessed the adjacent Lordship of Buellt. Years later, when Sibyl died, the rest of the Lordship of Brecknock was inherited by her son, Roger. However, Roger, who was
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