A Short History of Wales

by Sir Owen Morgan Edwards

[All rights reserved.]

CONTENTS

CHAP.		PAGE
I.	WALES : WHAT IT IS MADE OF, AND WHAT IT IS LIKE	1
II.	THE WANDERING NATIONS. THE IBERIANS AND CELTS	5
III.	ROME. ROMAN CONQUEST, SETTLEMENT, AND INFLUENCE	10
IV.	THE NAME OF CHRIST. THE OLD RELIGION AND THE NEW	15
V.	THE WELSH KINGS. WEARERS OF THE "CROWN OF ARTHUR"	20
VI.	THE LAWS OF HOWEL	25
VII.	THE NORMANS IN WALES:	30
VIII.	GRIFFITH AP CONAN AND GRIFFITH AP REES	35
IX.	OWEN GWYNEDD AND THE LORD REES	40
X.	LLYWELYN THE GREAT	45
XI.	THE LAST LLYWELYN	50
XII.	CONQUERED WALES. HOW IT WAS GOVERNED	55
XIII.	THE CASTLE AND THE LONG-BOW	60
XIV.	THE RISE OF THE PEASANT	65
XV.	QWEN GLENDOWER AND HIS IDEALS	70
XVI.	THE WARS OF THE ROSES IN WALES	75
XVII.	THE RULE OF THE TUDORS	80
XVIII.	THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION	85
XIX.	THE CIVIL WAR IN WALES	90
XX.	THE GREAT REVOLUTION	96
XXI.	HOWEL HARRIS AND THE AWAKENING	102
XXII.	THE REFORM ACTS	107
XXIII.	THE FORMATION OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM	112
XXIV.	THE GROWTH OF SELF-GOVERNMENT	117
XXV.	THE WALES OF TO-DAY	123
	SUMMARY
I.	THE ISOLATION OF WALES	129
II.	THE WALES OF THE PRINCES	130
III.	THE WALES OF THE PEOPLE	133

TABLES

CHAP.		PAGE
I.	THE HOUSE OF CUNEDDA⁠	135
II.	THE HOUSE OF GWYNEDD	136
III.	THE HOUSE OF DYNEVOR	136
IV.	THE HOUSE OF POWYS	137
V.	THE HOUSE OF MORTIMER	138
VI.	THE HOUSE OF TUDOR	139

INTRODUCTION

This little book is meant for those who have never read any Welsh history before. It is not taken for granted that the reader knowseither Latin or Welsh.

A fuller outline may be read in The Story of Wales, in the "Story of the Nations" series; and a still fuller one in The Welsh People of Rhys and Brynmor Jones. Of fairly small and cheap books in various periods I may mention Rhys' Celtic Britain, Owen Rhoscomyl's Flame Bearers of Welsh History, Henry Owen's Gerald the Welshman, Bradley'sOwen Glendower, Newell's Welsh Church, and Rees' Protestant Non-conformity in Wales. More elaborate and expensive books are Seebohm's Village Community and Tribal System in Wales, Clark'sMedieval Military Architecture, Morris' Welsh Wars of Edward I., Southall's Wales and Her Language. In writing local history, A. N.Palmer's History of Wrexham and companion volumes are models.

If you turn to a library, you will find much information about Wales in Social England, the Dictionary of National Biography, the publications of the Cymmrodorion and other societies. You will find articles of great value and interest over the names of F. H. Haverfield, J. W. Willis-Bund, Egerton Phillimore, the Honourable Mrs Bulkeley Owen (Gwenrhian Gwynedd), Henry Owen, the late David Lewis,T. F. Tout, J. E. Lloyd, D. Lleufer Thomas, W. Llywelyn Williams, J.Arthur Price, J. H. Davies, J. Ballinger, Edward Owen, Hubert Hall,Hugh Williams, R. A. Roberts, A. W. Wade-Evans, E. A. Lewis. These are only a few out of the many who are now working in the rich and unexplored field of Welsh history. I put down the names only of those I had to consult in writing a small book like this.

The sources are mostly in Latin or Welsh. Many volumes of chronicles, charters, and historical poems have been published by the Government, by the Corporation of Cardiff, by J. Gwenogvryn Evans, by H. de Grey Birch, and others. But, so far, we have not had the interesting chronicles and poems translated into English as they ought to be, and published in well edited, not too expensive volumes.

Owen Edwards

Lincoln College, Oxford.

LIST OF MAPS

	SECTION FROM HOLYHEAD TO CARDIFF	facing p.   1
I.	WALES OF THE PRINCES	following p. 139
II.	RELIGION AND EDUCATION	"⁠"
III.	THE SHIRES	"⁠"
IV.	INDUSTRIES	"⁠"