Page:VCH Herefordshire 1.djvu/436

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A HISTORY OF HEREFORDSHIRE oi John.^ After Evesham Llywelyn, realizing the danger of carrying on hostiUties, concluded a pacification in 1267."^ But both Mortimer and the Bohuns were incensed by his refusal to relinquish the greater part of Brecknock and the territory of Builth. The central government refused to interfere on the ground that Brecknock was not part of the lands which Llywelyn was called on to restore by the treaty of 1267,"° and so the con- federates were left to settle the matter for themselves. Llywelyn, however, soon embroiled himself with Edward I over the question of homage, and in 1 276 Mortimer, aided by Humphrey, third earl of Hereford, who had succeeded his father in 1 274, regained his possessions.^" On 1 5 November he was appointed Edward's captain against the Welsh for Shropshire, Staffordshire, Herefordshire, and the adjoining districts. ^^ Both Hereford and Mortimer took an active part in the final overthrow of Llywelyn."" The conquest of Wales was followed by a dispute between the earls of Gloucester and Hereford over the division of the spoils, which gave Edward I a pretext for interfering in the Marches. In October, 1291, Hereford was imprisoned for contumacy,"* and eventually he was deprived of some of his most valuable Marcher privileges, but in 1297 he had his revenge by joining the Earl Marshal in refusing to accompany Edward to Flanders and in inducing Parliament to insist on the Confirmatio Cartarum prior to the issue of a subsidy." Edward I's reign is notable for the final definite settlement of the form of Parliament. Although Herefordshire may have returned two knights of the shire to Parliament at an earlier date, the first instance in which the names of the members have been preserved is 1290. In 1295 Edward I commenced to summon representatives from the boroughs to his Parliaments. Hereford, Leominster, Weobley, and Ledbury received writs, and the first three again sent burgesses to the Parliament of 1298, and were thereafter fairly constantly represented until 1306, when Weobley ceased to be called on. For the Parliament summoned to meet on 16 February, 1304-5, Bromyard, Ledbury, and Ross also received writs, but this was exceptional, and they and Weobley were released from the obligation on their representation that they were unable to pay their representatives their legal wages, 2j. a day. Until 1628 the county and city of Hereford and the borough of Leominster each returned two members to Parliament. At that date Weobley was again granted the like privilege, and Herefordshire possessed eight members until 1832."' Humphrey de Bohun, fourth earl of Hereford, who succeeded the third earl in 1298, and in 1302 married Elizabeth, daughter of Edward I, and widow of the count of Holland, joined the great majority of the baronage in opposing Edward II's favourite. Piers Gaveston. The influence of the favourite was felt in Herefordshire, even in the lifetime of Edward I, for on '** Dugdale, Baronage, i, 152, 453-4. '*' Foedera (18 16), i, 473. ™ Reg. Epist. J. Peckham (Rolls Ser.), vol. ii, p. H. ™ 5ra/;i rjJK^/o^'uw (Rolls Ser.), 364. "' ffl^a'^ra (18 16), i, 537. "^ Rishanger, Chronica (Rolls Ser.), 105 ; Osney Annals (Rolls Ser.), 293. "* Dunstable Annals (Rolls Ser.), 370 ; Worcester Annals (Rolls Ser.), 506. ^^ Eulopum Hist. (Rolls Ser.), iii, 167 ; Walsingham's Hist. Angl. (Rolls Ser.), i, 66, 69, 71, 75 ; Rishanger, Chronica (Rolls Sen), 173, 178, 180-2 ; Knighton, Chron. (Rolls Ser.), i, 330-1, 366. '^ W. R. Williams, Pari. Hist, of Hereford (1896). 366