112-559: Rhosesmor is a small village near Mold, Flintshire , in north-east Wales . The village lies near the parishes of Halkyn and Rhes-y-cae . The hamlet of Wern-y-Gaer is encompassed by the boundaries of the village. The hill fort site affords views across the Clwydian Hills to the west and the whole sweep of Wirral to the Sefton coastline and Liverpool and further east. The new parish of Caerfallwch (the traditional Welsh placename for
224-641: A long house excavated from 6000 years ago. Further examples of human activity in Gwynedd and Anglesey are involved in places such as Bryn Celli Ddu on Anglesey, which was built in phases starting 5000 years ago. Archeological findings from the Bronze Age , millennia ago, include findings such as the Arthog cauldron , a bronze cauldron from 1100 BC found near the Merioneth border, also named 'The Nannau Bucket' (similar to
336-455: A mayor ), was operating several mills, and had established a courthouse in the town. In the 1530s, the Tudor antiquarian John Leland noted the weekly market had been abandoned. By now Mold had two main streets, Streate Byle (Beili) and Streate Dadlede (Dadleu-dy), and about 40 houses making up the settlement. By the beginning of the 17th century, the population was rising with the development of
448-493: A 'speaking' trumpet" and partially blind. He was assisted by the deputy coroner, his brother Robert Parry. The jury's verdict, after clear direction from the coroner and retiring for only five minutes to consider the matter, was justifiable homicide. Later that afternoon, a second inquest on the death of Elizabeth Jones reached the same verdict. The following week several men – Isaac Jones, William Griffiths, Rowland Jones, Gomer Jones and William Hughes – were tried for involvement in
560-419: A 19-year-old domestic servant from Liverpool, who had been observing events from nearby high ground. The others killed were two colliers, Robert Hannaby and Edward Bellis, and Elizabeth Jones, who was shot in the back and died two days later. A coroner 's inquest on the first three deaths was held on 5 June. The coroner, Peter Parry, was reportedly "exceedingly old and infirm", "so deaf as to be compelled to use
672-617: A Norse fleet from a settlement in Ireland to patrol the Menai and prevent the Norman army from crossing; however, the Normans were able to pay off the fleet to instead ferry them to Môn. Betrayed, Gruffudd and Cadwgan were forced to flee to Ireland in a skiff . The Normans landed on Anglesey, and their furious 'victory celebrations' which followed were exceptionally violent, with rape and carnage committed by
784-512: A borrowing from early Irish (reflective of Irish settlement in the area in antiquity), either cognate with the Old Irish ethnic name Féni , "Irish People", from Primitive Irish * weidh-n- "Forest People"/"Wild People" (from Proto-Indo-European * weydʰ- "wood, wilderness"), or (alternatively) Old Irish fían "war band", from Proto-Irish * wēnā (from Proto-Indo-European * weyh₁- "chase, pursue, suppress"). Ptolemy in
896-620: A campaign against the Normans was launched from Gwynedd in revenge for the execution of Gwenllian ferch Gruffudd ap Cynan , the wife of the King of Deheubarth and the daughter of Gruffudd. When word reached Gwynedd of Gwenllian's death and the revolt in Gwent, Gruffudd's sons Owain and Cadwaladr invaded Norman controlled Ceredigion, taking Llanfihangle , Aberystwyth , and Llanbadarn . Liberating Llanbadarn, one local chronicler hailed Owain and Cadwaladr both as "bold lions, virtuous, fearless and wise, who guard
1008-524: A children's playground / park, a primary school and a village hall . Rhosesmor in included in the community website: www.halkyn.org Mold, Flintshire Mold ( Welsh : Yr Wyddgrug ) is a town and community in Flintshire , Wales , on the River Alyn . It is the county town and administrative seat of Flintshire County Council , as it was of Clwyd from 1974 to 1996. According to
1120-544: A commote in the Dyffryn Clwyd cantref, and Hywel ab Ithel , lord of Rhufoniog and Rhos , brought Powys and Chester into conflict in the Perfeddwlad. Powys brought a force of 400 warriors to the aid of its ally Rhufoniog, while Chester sent Norman knights from Rhuddlan to the aid of Dyffryn Clwyd. The bloody Battle of Maes Maen Cymro , fought 1 mile (1.5 kilometres) northwest of Ruthin, ended with Llywarch ab Owain slain and
1232-530: A cousin of Maglos the magistrate". The use of terms such as "citizen" and "magistrate" may be cited as evidence that Romano-British culture and institutions continued in Gwynedd long after the legions had withdrawn. The background involving the Kingdom of Gwynedd starts with the history of Wales . After the last ice age, Wales was settled during the prehistoric times. Neolithic sites have been discovered with tools made from flint , such as near Llanfaethlu ,
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#17328762990881344-538: A large number of armed men from Chester arrived at the Mold fair looking for trouble. A fight broke out which led to a pitched battle; eventually Reinalt triumphed and captured Robert Bryne, a former Mayor of Chester. The Welsh captain then took Bryne back to his tower house near Mold and hanged him. In retaliation, up to 200 men-at-arms were sent from Chester to seize Reinalt. However, the Welshman used his military experience to turn
1456-591: A long time, and resolving to cut off all the race of the English within the borders of Britain. Despite the war and 14 battles undertaken by the allied forces of Gwynedd and Mercia against Northumbria, of which the chief one was the Battle of Cefn Digoll in 632, an alliance was concluded when Cadwallon married Alcfritha, daughter of Pybba of Mercia . However, the effect of these tumultuous events would come to be short-lived, for he died in battle in 634 close to Hadrian's Wall , at
1568-417: A meeting at the pithead, miners attacked Young before frogmarching him to the police station. Seven men were arrested and ordered to stand trial on 2 June. All were found guilty, and the convicted ringleaders, Ismael Jones and John Jones, were sentenced to a month's hard labour . A large crowd assembled to hear the verdict. The Chief Constable of Flintshire arranged for the presence of police from all over
1680-543: A more stable realm than had hitherto existed in Gwynedd for more than 100 years. No foreign army was able to cross the Conwy into upper Gwynedd. The stability of Gruffudd's long reign allowed Gwynedd's Welsh to plan for the future without fear that home and harvest would "go to the flames" from invaders. Settlements became more permanent, with buildings of stone replacing timber structures. Stone churches, in particular, were built across Gwynedd, with so many limewashed that "Gwynedd
1792-513: A new era; the Romans founded towns with churches and installed governors . During the centuries of sub-Roman Britain , new political structures were established. The Brythonic Kingdom of Gwynedd was established in the 5th century, and it proved to be the most durable of these Brythonic states, surviving until the late 13th century. Boundaries and names emerging from the 1st millennium AD onwards are still being used today to define towns and counties of
1904-453: A sales outlet for local arts and crafts. Mold is a cittaslow – the first town in Wales to achieve the distinction. It has a street market on Wednesday and Saturday for fresh produce and other goods. For speciality and fresh local food, Celyn Farmers' Market is held on the first and third Saturdays of each month. The Mold Food and Drink Festival is held each September, with a main event area on
2016-426: A series of their kings. In this furious campaign, his armies devastated Northumbria , captured and sacked York in 633 and briefly controlled the kingdom. At this time, according to Bede , many Northumbrians were slaughtered, "with savage cruelty", by Cadwallon. [H]e neither spared the female sex, nor the innocent age of children, but with savage cruelty put them to tormenting deaths, ravaging all their country for
2128-469: A situation which led Cunedda , his sons and their entourage, to migrate in the mid-5th century from Manaw Gododdin (now Clackmannanshire ) to settle and defend North Wales against the raiders and bring the region within Romano-British control. Whether they were invited to keep out the invaders or were raiders themselves, however, is unknown. According to traditional pedigrees, Cunedda's grandfather
2240-405: A title used to "denote a less archaic form of kingship ," according to Professor John Davies. Genealogical lists compiled around 960 bear out that a number of these early rulers claimed degrees of association with the old Roman order, but do not appear in the official royal lineages. "It may be assumed that the stronger kings annexed the territories of their weaker neighbours and that the lineages of
2352-417: A total of 62.1 frosty nights. Annual rainfall averages 925 mm. Almost 152 days have at least 1 mm of precipitation. Kingdom of Gwynedd United Kingdom The Kingdom of Gwynedd ( Medieval Latin : Venedotia / Norwallia / Guenedota ; Middle Welsh : Guynet ) was a Welsh kingdom and a Roman Empire successor state that emerged in sub-Roman Britain in the 5th century during
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#17328762990882464-610: A weekly market, which brought in substantial revenues, as drovers brought their livestock to the English-Welsh border to be sold. Nevertheless, tensions between the Welsh and the English remained. During the War of the Roses , Reinalt ab Grufydd ab Bleddyn, a Lancastrian captain who defended Harlech Castle for Henry VI against Yorkist forces , was constantly engaged in feuds with Chester. In 1465
2576-430: Is now Buckley , which has services to Wrexham and Bidston . Flint railway station , to which Mold has regular bus services, is not much further and has direct trains to Cardiff, London and Manchester. There are frequent daytime bus services from the bus station to Chester, Wrexham, Denbigh, Holywell, Ruthin and other places. Mold Library shares a building with the local tourist information office , which also provides
2688-504: Is now South and Central Scotland . The long distances these armies travelled suggests they were moving across the Irish Sea , but, because almost all of what is now northern England was at this point (c. 550) under Brittonic rule, it is possible that his army marched to Strathclyde overland. Rhun returned to Gwynedd, and the rest of his reign was for the majority uneventful until the relatives of Elidir renewed their aggressions against Rhun who
2800-504: Is recorded as Mohald in a document of 1254. A mile west of the town is Maes Garmon ("The Field of Germanus"), the traditional site of the "Alleluia Victory" by a force of Romano-Britons led by Germanus of Auxerre against the invading Picts and Scots , which occurred shortly after Easter, AD 430. Mold developed around Mold Castle . The motte and bailey were built by the Norman Robert de Montalt in around 1140 in conjunction with
2912-533: Is rich with flora, fauna and ancient hedgerows. Sheep roam freely on the mountain and often decide to sit in the middle of the road. The village has a lead mining history and several of the buildings, particularly in the Wern-y-Gaer area of the modern village are more than three hundred years old. The Celtic hill fort of Moel-y-Gaer , which dates to pre- Roman times, is above the village. There are extensive natural and man-made tunnels, caves and caverns under
3024-625: The 2011 UK census , it had a population of 10,058. A 2019 estimate puts it at 10,123. The original Welsh-language place name, Yr Wyddgrug , was recorded as Gythe Gruc in a document of 1280–1281, and means "The Mound of the Tomb/Sepulchre". The name "Mold" originates from the Norman-French mont-hault ("high hill"). The name was originally applied to the site of Mold Castle in connection with its builder Robert de Montalt, an Anglo-Norman lord. It
3136-727: The Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain . Based in northwest Wales , the rulers of Gwynedd repeatedly rose to dominance and were acclaimed as " King of the Britons " before losing their power in civil wars or invasions. The kingdom of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn —the King of Wales from 1055 to 1063—was shattered by a Saxon invasion in 1063 just prior to the Norman invasion of Wales , but the House of Aberffraw restored by Gruffudd ap Cynan slowly recovered and Llywelyn
3248-655: The Battle of Heavenfield . On account of these deeds, he and his son Cadwaladr , (who fought at the Battle of the Winwaed ) appear to have been considered the last two High Kings of Britain . Cadwaladr presided over a period of consolidation and devoted much time to the Church, earning the title " Bendigaid " for "Blessed". As a monk in later life, he was involved with Clynnog's abbey , and St Cadwaladr's Church, Llangadwaladr on Anglesey. The Tudors of Penmynydd and Henry VII of England in particular claimed descent from Cadwaladr in
3360-685: The Battle of Mynydd Carn in 1081 over his Mathrafal rivals then in control of Gwynedd. However, Gruffudd's victory was short-lived as the Normans launched an invasion of Wales following the Saxon revolt in northern England , known as the Harrowing of the North . Shortly after the Battle of Mynydd Carn in 1081, Gruffudd was lured into a trap with the promise of an alliance but seized by Hugh d'Avranches, Earl of Chester , in an ambush near Corwen . Earl Hugh claimed
3472-465: The Conwy , defeating Hugh, Earl of Chester. In 1101, after Earl Hugh's death, Gruffudd and Cadwgan came to terms with England's new king, Henry I , who was consolidating his own authority and also eager to come to terms. In the negotiations which followed Henry I recognised Gruffudd's ancestral claims of Anglesey, Llŷn, Dunoding ( Eifionydd and Ardudwy ) and Arllechwedd , being the lands of upper Gwynedd to
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3584-692: The Dowris bucket ). And the Moel Hebog shield which is also 3,000 years old (similar to the Rhyd-y-gors example), and more recently the Trawsfynydd tankard, which was used to drink mead and beer between 100 BC and 75 AD. Examples of early settlement in Gwynedd are Bryn Eryr near Llansadwrn, Anglesey , now found at the St Fagans National Museum of History , and Garn Boduan , a Celtic hillfort on
3696-579: The Irish Sea to Dublin , – a place which would come to host many royal refugees from Gwynedd. All must have seemed lost but Cadwallon ( Welsh : Meigen ) raised an enormous army and after a brief time in Guernsey he invaded Dumnonia , relieved the West Welsh who were suffering a Mercian invasion and forced the pagan Penda of Mercia into an alliance against Northumbria. With new vigour Cadwallon returned to his Northumbrian foes, defeated their armies and slew
3808-741: The Llŷn Peninsula . Iron Age forts were being adapted until after the Roman conquest of Britain , 'Castle of Buan' (Garn Boduan) in Llŷn was recorded as being fortified until the 7th century. During the Roman period, new roads and forts were constructed throughout the Roman empire and for centuries in Wales and England, Welsh examples include Caer Gybi (fort) on Anglesey , and Segontium in Caernarfon , Gwynedd. The establishment of Christianity in Wales also gave rise to
3920-570: The Mathrafal dynasty of Powys , Gruffudd's maternal half-brothers, came to terms with Harold and took over the rule of Gwynedd and Powys. Shortly after the Norman conquest of England in 1066 the Normans began to exert pressure on the eastern border of Gwynedd. They were helped by internal strife following the killing of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn in 1075 by his second cousin Rhys ap Owain King of Deheubarth. Another relative of Bleddyn's Trahaearn ap Caradog seized
4032-525: The Scandinavian York mercenaries. These raids no doubt had a seriously debilitating effect on the country but fortunately for Gwynedd, the victims of the Vikings were not confined to Wales. The House of Cunedda – as the direct descendants of Cunedda are known – eventually expired in the male line in 825 upon the death of Hywel ap Rhodri Molwynog and, as John Edward Lloyd put it, "a stranger possessed
4144-516: The cantrefs . On the death of Einion ap Cadwgan, lord of Meirionnydd , a quarrel engulfed his kinsmen on who should succeed him. Meirionnydd was then a vassal cantref of Powys , and the family there a cadet of the Mathrafal house of Powys. Gruffudd gave licence to his sons Cadwallon and Owain to press the opportunity the dynastic strife in Meirionnydd presented. The brothers raided Meirionnydd with
4256-509: The coal industry near the town. By the 1630s there were more than 120 houses and huts in the area. The government of Elizabeth I had established royal representatives ( Justices of the Peace , Sheriffs , and Lords Lieutenant ) in every county of Wales. Mold developed into the administrative centre for Flintshire . By the 1760s, the Quarter Sessions were based in the town; the county hall
4368-558: The conquest of Wales by Edward I . Welsh tradition credited the founding of Gwynedd to the Brittonic polity of Gododdin ( Old Welsh Guotodin , earlier Brittonic form Votadini ) from Lothian invading the lands of the Brittonic polities of the Deceangli , Ordovices , and Gangani in the 5th century. The sons of their leader, Cunedda , were said to have possessed the land between
4480-592: The military invasion of Wales by Anglo-Norman forces. The castle was besieged numerous times by the Princes of Gwynedd as they fought to retake control of the eastern cantrefi in the Perfeddwlad (English: Middle Country). In 1146, Owain Gwynedd captured the castle. By 1167, Henry II was in possession of the castle, although it was recaptured by the Welsh forces of Llywelyn the Great in 1201. Anglo-Norman authority over
4592-453: The "twenty-second degree". During the later part of the 9th and 10th centuries, the coastal areas of Gwynedd, particularly Anglesey, were coming under increasing attack by the Vikings . Wales had also been at war with the neighbouring English Kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex who were assisted by Anglo-Saxons and Danes (Vikings). But it was the kings of Welsh kingdoms who were protected by
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4704-778: The 1st century marked the Llŷn Peninsula as the "Promontory of the Gangani ", which is also a name he recorded in Ireland. It is theorised in the 1st century BC some of the Gangani tribe may have landed in what is now the Llŷn Peninsula and had driven out the Deceangli or the Ordovices tribe from that area either peacefully or by force. In the late and post-Roman eras, Irish from Leinster may have arrived in Anglesey and elsewhere in northwest Wales with
4816-495: The Aberffraw line from Gwynedd making himself ruler there, and by 1055 was able to make himself king of most of Wales. He became powerful enough to present a real menace to England and annexed some neighbouring parts after several victories over English armies. Eventually, he was defeated by Harold Godwinson in 1063 and later killed by his own men in a deal to secure peace with England. Bleddyn ap Cynfyn and his brother Rhiwallon of
4928-418: The Britons of southern Scotland and northern England and it is very likely that Merfyn Frych brought many of these legends as well as his pedigree with him when he came to north Wales. It appears most probable that it was at Merfyn's court that all the lore of the north was collected and written down during his reign and that of his son. Rhodri the Great (844–878), son of Merfyn Frych and Nest ferch Cadell,
5040-579: The Conwy which were already firmly in Gruffudd's control. Cadwgan regained Ceredigion , and his share of the family inheritance in Powys, from the new earl of Shrewsbury, Robert of Bellême . With the settlement reached between Henry I and Gruffudd, and other Welsh lords, the dividing of Wales between Pura Wallia , the lands under Welsh control; and Marchia Wallie , Welsh lands under Norman control, came into existence. Author and historian John Davies notes that
5152-553: The Empire retreated from Britain, particularly with the use of Latin in writing and sustaining the Christian religion. The ruling classes continued to emphasise Roman ancestors within their pedigrees as a way to link their rule with the old imperial Roman order, suggesting stability and continuity with that old order. According to Professor John Davies , "[T]here is a determinedly Brythonic, and indeed Roman, air to early Gwynedd." So palpable
5264-440: The English king as the Norman army advanced. There were no battles or skirmishes fought in the face of the vast host brought into Wales; rather, Owain and Gruffudd entered into truce negotiations. Owain ap Cadwgan regained royal favour relatively easily. However, Gruffudd was forced to render homage and fealty and pay a heavy fine, though he lost no land or prestige. The invasion left a lasting impact on Gruffudd, who by 1116
5376-559: The Great of Gwynedd was able to proclaim the Principality of Wales at the Aberdyfi gathering of Welsh princes in 1216. In 1277, the Treaty of Aberconwy between Edward I of England and Llywelyn's grandson Llywelyn ap Gruffudd granted peace between the two but would also guarantee that Welsh self-rule would end upon Llywelyn's death, and so it represented the completion of the first stage of
5488-480: The House of Aberffraw was restored. Nonetheless, surviving manuscripts of Cyfraith Hywel recognise the importance of the lords of Aberffraw as overlords of Wales along with the rulers of Deheubarth . Between 986 and 1081 the throne of Gwynedd was often in contention with the rightful kings frequently displaced by rivals within and outside the realm. One of these, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn , originally from Powys, displaced
5600-539: The House of Cunedda and the new House of Aberffraw, as Merfyn's descendants came to be known, shared Coel Hen as a common ancestor, although the House of Cunedda traced their line through Gwawl his daughter and wife of Cunedda. Merfyn married Nest ferch Cadell , the sister or daughter of Cyngen ap Cadell , the King of Powys of the Gwertherion dynasty , and founded the House of Aberffraw , named after his principal court on Anglesey. No written records are preserved from
5712-453: The Lord of Powys as important there as he was in the Perfeddwlad. However, it would not be until 1136 that the cantref was firmly within Gwynedd's control. Perhaps because of their support of Earl Hugh of Chester, Gwynedd's rival, in 1124, Cadwallon slew the three rulers of Dyffryn Clwyd, his maternal uncles, bringing the cantref firmly under Gwynedd's vassalage that year. And in 1125 Cadwallon slew
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#17328762990885824-519: The Mathrafal house of Powys, their traditional dynastic rivalry notwithstanding. Gruffudd and Cadwgan led the Welsh resistance to the Norman occupation in the north and mid-Wales. However, by 1098 Earl Hugh of Chester and Hugh of Montgomery, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury advanced their army to the Menai Strait , with Gruffudd and Cadwgan regrouping on defensible Anglesey , where they planned to make retaliatory strikes from their island fortress. Gruffudd hired
5936-456: The Norman army left unchecked. The earl of Shrewsbury had an elderly priest mutilated and made the church of Llandyfrydog a kennel for his dogs. During the 'celebrations' a Norse fleet led by Magnus Barefoot , King of Norway , appeared off the coast at Puffin Island, and in the battle that followed, known as the Battle of Anglesey Sound , Magnus shot dead the earl of Shrewsbury with an arrow to
6048-586: The Perfeddwlad up to the River Clwyd (the commotes of Tegeingl and Rhufoniog ; the modern counties of Denbighshire , Flintshire , and Wrexham ) as part of Chester, and viewed the restoration of the Aberffraw family in Gwynedd as a threat to his own expansion into Wales. The lands west of the Clwyd were intended for his cousin Robert of Rhuddlan , and their advance extended to the Llŷn Peninsula by 1090. By 1094 almost
6160-508: The Perfeddwlad, particularly from Rhos , at the time harassed by Richard, 2nd Earl of Chester . Alarmed by Gruffudd's growing influence and authority in north Wales, and on pretext that Gruffudd sheltered rebels from Rhos against Chester, Henry I launched a campaign against Gwynedd and Powys in 1116, which included a vanguard commanded by King Alexander I of Scotland . While Owain ap Cadwgan of Ceredigion sought refuge in Gwynedd's mountains, Maredudd ap Bleddyn of Powys made peace with
6272-611: The Scot , Bishop of Bangor , between 1120 and 1139. Gruffudd's remains were interred in a tomb in the presbytery of Bangor Cathedral. Owain ap Gruffudd ( Owain Gwynedd c. 1100 – 23 or 28 November 1170 ) succeeded his father to the greater portion of Gwynedd in accordance with Welsh law , the Cyfraith Hywel , the Laws of Hywel; and became known as Owain Gwynedd to differentiate him from another Owain ap Gruffudd,
6384-529: The Welsh parishioners remained hostile to Hervey's appointment, and the bishop was forced to carry a sword with him and rely on a contingent of Norman knights for his protection. Additionally, Hervey routinely excommunicated parishioners who he perceived as challenging his spiritual and temporal authority. Gruffudd escaped imprisonment in Chester and slew Robert of Rhuddlan in a beachside battle at Deganwy on 3 July 1093. Gruffudd recovered Gwynedd by 1095, and by 1098 Gruffudd allied with Cadwgan ap Bleddyn of
6496-417: The Welsh of Gwynedd to concentrate on those martial skills necessary for their very survival, and the Romano-Britons of western Britain did offer stiffer and ultimately successful resistance. The region of Venedotia, however, had been under Roman military administration and included established Gaelic settlements, and the civilian element there was less extensive, perhaps facilitating technological loss. In
6608-405: The Welshman Maredudd ap Tudur , Ednyfed Fychan being his famous ancestor, his family were seneschals to the Kings of Gwynedd. The Tudor dynasty became ancestors to the House of Stuart , and the Stuarts formed the European Jacobite family , they include direct descendants in United Kingdom , Ireland , France , Germany , Italy and other countries on the continent of Europe, and all around
6720-410: The area began again in 1241 when Dafydd ap Llywelyn yielded possession of the castle to the de Montalt family. However, he recaptured it from the Plantagenet nobility in 1245. The next few decades were a period of peace; Llywelyn ap Gruffudd built the Welsh native castle of Ewloe further to the east, establishing the House of Gwynedd 's military control over the area. Under Welsh rule, Mold Castle
6832-528: The border shifted on occasion, "in one direction and in the other", but remained more or less stable for almost the next two hundred years. After generations of incessant warfare, Gruffudd began the reconstruction of Gwynedd, intent on bringing stability to his country. According to Davies, Gruffudd sought to give his people the peace to "plant their crops in the full confidence that they would be able to harvest them". Gruffudd consolidated royal authority in north Wales, and offered sanctuary to displaced Welsh from
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#17328762990886944-402: The challenge of survival they faced: "Militarized tribal societies, despite their political fragmentation and internecine strife, seem to have offered better protection against Germanic invasion than exclusive dependence on a professional Roman army (that in the troubled years of the fifth century was all too prone to melt away or mutiny)." Reverting to a more militaristic tribal society allowed
7056-399: The churches and their indwellers, defenders of the poor [who] overcome their enemies, affording a safest retreat to all those who seek their protection". The brothers restored the Welsh monks of Llanbadarn, who had been displaced by monks from Gloucester brought there by the Normans who had controlled Ceredigion. By late September 1136, a vast Welsh host gathered in Ceredigion , which included
7168-467: The combined forces of Gwynedd, Deheubarth, and Powys, and met the Norman army at the Battle of Crug Mawr at Cardigan Castle . The battle turned into a rout, and then into a resounding defeat of the Normans. When their father Gruffudd died in 1137, the brothers Owain and Cadwaladr were on a second campaign in Ceredigion and took the castles of Ystrad Meurig , Lampeter ( Stephen's Castle ), and Castell Hywell ( Humphries Castle ) Gruffudd ap Cynan left
7280-407: The county and soldiers from the 4th King's Own Regiment (Lancaster) , based temporarily at Chester. As the convicts were transferred to the railway station, a crowd of 1500–2000 grew restive and threw missiles at the officers, injuring many. Soldiers under their commanding officer, Captain Blake, opened fire on the crowd, killing four people. They included an innocent bystander, Margaret Younghusband,
7392-406: The defeat of his ally Trahaearn ap Caradog in 1081, a move which earned him the epithet Bradwr "the Traitor" ( Welsh : Owain Fradwr ), among the Welsh. In late 1098 Gruffudd and Cadwgan landed in Wales and recovered Anglesey without much difficulty, with Hervé the Breton fleeing Bangor for safety in England. Over the course of the next three years, Gruffudd was able to recover upper Gwynedd to
7504-439: The defeat of Dyffryn Clwyd. However, it was a pyrrhic victory as the battle left Hywel ab Ithel mortally wounded. In the last of his line, when Hywel ab Ithel died six weeks later, he left Rhufoniog and Rhos bereft. Powys, however, was not strong enough to garrison Rhufoniog and Rhos, nor was Chester able to exert influence inland from its coastal holdings of Rhuddlan and Degannwy. With Rhufoniog and Rhos abandoned, Gruffudd annexed
7616-405: The early 15th century. With the end of the Welsh Wars, English common law was introduced by the Statute of Rhuddlan . This led to an increase in commercial enterprise in the township which had been laid out around Mold Castle. Trade soon began between the Welsh community and English merchants in Chester and Whitchurch, Shropshire . During the medieval period, the town held two annual fairs and
7728-468: The edge of the town centre and many central and nearby businesses contributing. 2012 saw Mold's first annual November Fest, a beer festival held at venues in and around Mold to promote real ale, cider and wine. Two secondary schools serve Mold and the surrounding villages. Alun School has about 1,800 pupils and is the largest school in the county. It is adjoined by Ysgol Maes Garmon , Flintshire's only Welsh-medium secondary school. The town also has
7840-448: The eldest son, is said to have died in Manaw Gododdin, but his son Meirion (Marianus) comes into the picture as lord of Meirionydd . Einion Yrth completes the number". Cadwallon Lawhir ap Einion one of his grandsons, was the final leader to defeat the Irish on Anglesey. However, this overly neat origin myth has been met with skepticism, "Early Welsh literature contains a wealth of stories seeking to explain place-names, and doubtless,
7952-420: The eye. The Norse left as suddenly and as mysteriously as they had arrived, leaving the Norman army weakened and demoralized. The Norman army retired to England, leaving a Welshman, Owain ab Edwin of Tegeingl , in command of a token force to control Ynys Môn (now Anglesey) and upper Gwynedd, and ultimately abandoning any colonisation plans there. Owain ap Edwin transferred his allegiance to Chester following
8064-652: The field in which the mound stood. The find was recorded by the Vicar of Mold and came to the notice of the British Museum . In 1836 Langford sold his piece to the museum, which has since acquired most of the pieces, though it is said that some wives of the workmen sported new jewellery after the find. The restored cape now belongs to the British Museum. Mold hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1923, 1991 and 2007. There
8176-407: The grandsons of Edwin ap Goronwy of Tegeingl , leaving Tegeingl bereft of lordship. However, in 1132 while on campaign in the commote of Nanheudwy , near Llangollen , 'victorious' Cadwallon was defeated in battle and slain by an army from Powys. The defeat checked Gwynedd's expansion for a time, "much to the relief of the men of Powys", wrote historian Sir John Edward Lloyd (J.E Lloyd). In 1136
8288-478: The greater part of Wales. When Rhodri died in 878 AD (battle against Ceolwulf I of Mercia ) the relative unity of Wales ended and it was once again divided into its component parts each ruled by one of his sons. Rhodri's eldest son Anarawd ap Rhodri inherited Gwynedd and would firmly establish the princely House of Aberffraw . His son Merfyn ap Rhodri was given the Kingdom of Powys to rule and Cadell founded
8400-437: The largest primary school in the county, Ysgol Bryn Coch, with about 650 pupils and a second primary school Ysgol Bryn Gwalia. Ysgol Glanrafon is bilingual. Companies based in Mold include NWN Media, publisher of The Leader . Mold has a typical British maritime climate of cool summers and mild winters. The nearest Met Office weather station for which online records are available is at Loggerheads , about three miles to
8512-573: The late 12th century, the family asserted its rights as the senior line of descendants from Rhodri the Great who had conquered most of Wales during his lifetime. Gruffudd ap Cynan 's biography was first written in Latin and intended for a wider audience outside Wales. The significance of this claim was that the Aberffraw family owed nothing to the English king for its position in Wales and that they held authority in Wales "by absolute right through descent," wrote historian John Davies . The House of Aberffraw
8624-536: The medieval Welsh Royal House of Dinefwr in Deheubarth , this divided Wales into North Wales , Mid Wales and South Wales respectively. Gwynedd and the Aberffraw dynasty thrived with but a few interruptions until 1283. From the successes of Rhodri and the seniority of Anarawd among his sons the Aberffraw family claimed primacy over all other Welsh lords including the powerful kings of Powys and Deheubarth . In The History of Gruffudd ap Cynan , written in
8736-471: The name Llŷn derived from Laigin , an Old Irish form that means "Leinstermen, or simply Leinster." The 5th-century Cantiorix Inscription now in Penmachno church seems to be the earliest record of the name. It is in memory of a man named Cantiorix, and the Latin inscription is Cantiorix hic iacit/Venedotis cives fuit/consobrinos Magli magistrati : "Cantiorix lies here. He was a citizen of Gwynedd and
8848-627: The neighbouring Kingdom of Powys acted in concert to rebuff the Anglian advance but were defeated at the Battle of Chester in 613. Following this catastrophe, the approximate borders of northern Wales were set with the city of Caerlleon (now called Chester ) and the surrounding Cheshire Plain falling under the control of the Anglo-Saxons. Beli's grandson was Cadfan ap Iago from the line of Maelgwn, his tombstone in Gwynedd wrote in Latin : "Catamanus rex sapientisimus opinatisimus" (most renowned), he
8960-502: The other hand, miracles performed against him by Christian saints. He is attributed in some old stories as hosting the first Eisteddfod , and he is also one of five Celtic British kings castigated for their sins by the contemporary Christian writer Gildas (who referred to him as Maglocunus, meaning 'Prince-Hound' in Brittonic), written in the De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae . Maelgwn
9072-416: The plague in 547, leaving a succession crisis in his wake. His son-in-law, Elidyr Mwynfawr of the Kingdom of Strathclyde , claimed the throne and invaded Gwynedd to displace Maelgwn's son, Rhun Hir ap Maelgwn . Elidyr was killed in the attempt, but his death was then avenged by his relatives, who ravaged the coast of Arfon . Rhun counter-attacked and exacted the same penalty on the lands of his foes in what
9184-587: The post-Roman period, the earliest rulers of Wales and Gwynedd may have exerted authority over regions no larger than the cantrefi ( hundreds ) described in Welsh law codified centuries later, with their size somewhat comparable in size to the Irish tuath . These early petty kings or princelings (Lloyd uses the term chieftain ) adopted the title rhi in Welsh (akin to the Irish Gaelic rí ), later replaced by brenin ,
9296-574: The realm during the time of relative peace following the Battle of Badon , where the Anglo-Saxons were defeated. During that peace, he established a mighty kingdom. After Cadwallon, Gwynedd appears to have held a pre-eminent position among the petty Cambrian states in the post-Roman period. The great-grandson of Cunedda, Maelgwn Hir (Maelgwn the Tall), was regarded as an able military leader, impetuous and generous. There are several legends about his life concerning either his own trickery and craftiness or, on
9408-553: The region. Noteworthy descendants from the Kingdom of Gwynedd include royalty such as Owain Glyndŵr , and the titular Prince of Wales , also the Salusbury family via Katheryn of Berain . The people mentioned can be associated with the Anglesey based Tudors of Penmynydd family. The Tudors were ancestors and namesake to the former English Royal House of Tudor , they were descended from
9520-404: The riot. They were found guilty of "felonious wounding" and Lord Chief Justice Bovill sentenced all to ten years' penal servitude. Although denying the connection, Daniel Owen , who lived in the town, featured some similar events in his first novel, Rhys Lewis , which was published in instalments in 1882–1884. Mold railway station closed to passengers in 1962. The nearest station
9632-408: The rivers Dee and Teifi . The true borders of the realm varied over time, but Gwynedd proper was generally thought to comprise the cantrefs of Aberffraw , Cemais , and Cantref Rhosyr on Anglesey and Arllechwedd , Arfon , Dunoding , Dyffryn Clwyd , Llŷn , Rhos , Rhufoniog , and Tegeingl at the mountainous mainland region of Snowdonia opposite. The name Gwynedd is believed to be
9744-490: The source either son or husband of Essyllt daughter of Cynan Dindaethwy a former King of Gwynedd. The most ancient genealogical sources agree that Merfyn was the son of Essyllt, heiress and cousin of the aforementioned Hywel ap Caradog, last of the ruling House of Cunedda in Gwynedd, and that Merfyn's male line went back to the Hen Ogledd to Llywarch Hen , a first cousin of Urien and thus a direct descendant of Coel Hen . Thus
9856-476: The south to the Dee in the east, and incorporating Anglesey. Other evidence supports Nennius 's claim that a leader came to North Wales and brought the region a measure of stability although an Irish Gaelic element remained until the mid-5th century. Cunedda's heir Einion Yrth ap Cunedda defeated the remaining Gaelic Irish on Anglesey by 470, while his son, Cadwallon Lawhir ap Einion , appears to have consolidated
9968-605: The story is propaganda aimed at justifying the right of Cunedda and his descendants to territories beyond the borders of the original Kingdom of Gwynedd. That kingdom probably consisted of the two banks of the Menai Straits and the coast over towards the estuary of the River Conwy, the foundations upon which Cunedda's descendants created a more extensive realm." The inhabitants of Gwynedd remained conscious of their Romano-British heritage, and an affinity with Rome survived long after
10080-505: The tables on his attackers. He hid in the woods while many of the men entered his home; once they were inside, he rushed from concealment, blocked the door, and set fire to the building, trapping those inside. Reinalt then attacked the remainder, driving them back towards Chester. By the late 15th century, the lordships around Mold had passed to the powerful Stanley family . In 1477 records mention that Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby had appointed numerous civic officials in Mold (including
10192-704: The throne but was soon challenged by Gruffudd ap Cynan , the exiled grandson of Iago ab Idwal ap Meurig who had been living in the Norse–Gael stronghold of Dublin . In 1081 Trahaearn was killed by Gruffudd in battle and the ancient line of Rhodri Mawr was restored. The Aberffraw dynasty suffered various depositions by rivals in Deheubarth, Powys, and England in the 10th and 11th centuries. Gruffudd ap Cynan (c. 1055–1137), who grew up in exile in Norse–Gael Dublin , regained his inheritance following his victory at
10304-497: The throne of Gwynedd." This "stranger" who became the next King of Gwynedd was Merfyn "Frych" (Merfyn "the Freckled"). When, however, Merfyn Frych's pedigree is examined – and to the Welsh pedigree meant everything – he seems not a stranger but a direct descendant of the ancient ruling line. He was the son of Gwriad, the contemporaneous King of Mann from the Isle of Man and depending on
10416-464: The victors are the only lineages to have survived," according to Davies. Smaller and weaker chieftains coalesced around more powerful princelings, sometimes through voluntary vassalage or inheritance, though at other times through conquest, and the lesser princelings coalesced around still greater princelings until a regional prince could claim authority over the whole of north Wales from the River Dyfi in
10528-491: The village) was created on 23 October 1876, from part of the township of Caerfallwch, which until that time had been in the parish of Northop . The London Gazette of the 27 October 1876 defined the boundaries of the new parish: The Handy Guide to Mold and the Neighbourhood ; Tweddel, 1890 records: A significant part of the village is now included in the designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The village
10640-517: The village. This is because it has been a mining centre from pre-Roman times, as well as having an interesting subterranean structure. These features are documented in various books by Cris Ebbs and have been explored by the Grosvenor Caving Club. There is also an underground lake under Rhosesmor, accessed through the Milwr tunnel , which passes beneath the area. Local facilities include a church ,
10752-523: The west. The highest temperature recorded was 31.7 °C (89.1 °F) in August 1990. However, the warmest day is typically around 26.4 °C (79.5 °F), one of around four days to reach a temperature of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or above. The lowest temperature recorded was −18.7 °C (−1.7 °F) in December 1981. On average the coldest night of the year is −9.7 °C (14.5 °F), with
10864-550: The whole of Wales was occupied by Norman forces. However, although they erected many castles, Norman control in most regions of Wales was tenuous at best. Motivated by local anger over the "gratuitously cruel" invaders, and led by the historic ruling houses, Welsh control over the greater part of Wales was restored by 1100. In an effort to further consolidate his control over Gwynedd, Earl Hugh of Chester had Hervey le Breton elected as Bishop of Bangor in 1092, and consecrated by Thomas of Bayeux , Archbishop of York . However,
10976-525: The world. The region became known as Venedotia in Latin . The name was initially attributed to a specific Irish colony on Anglesey but broadened to refer to Irish settlers as a whole in North Wales by the 5th century. According to the 9th-century monk and chronicler Nennius , North Wales was left defenceless by the Roman withdrawal and subject to increasing raids by marauders from the Isle of Man and Ireland,
11088-593: Was Padarn Beisrudd , Paternus of the red cloak , "an epithet which suggests that he wore the cloak of a Roman officer", and perhaps it was evidence of a high-ranking officer. Cunedda ( fl. 5th century ) brought order to North Wales and after his death, Gwynedd was divided among his sons: Dynod was awarded Dunoding , another son Ceredig received Ceredigion ," Afloeg by Aflogion in Lleyn , Dogfael by Dogfeiling in Dyffryn Clwyd , and Edern by Edeirnion ... Osfeilion of Osfael has not yet been located; Tybion,
11200-473: Was able to add the Powys to his realm after its king (his maternal uncle) died on a pilgrimage to Rome in 855. Later, he married Angharad ferch Meurig , the sister of King Gwgon of Seisyllwg . When Gwgon drowned without an heir in 872, Rhodri became a steward over the kingdom and was able to install his son, Cadell ap Rhodri , as a subject king. Thus, he became the first ruler since the days of Cunedda to control
11312-556: Was an ancestor of the future Kings of Gwynedd. The Battle of Chester did not end the ability of the Welsh to seriously threaten the Anglo-Saxon polities. Among the most powerful of the early kings was Cadwallon ap Cadfan (c. 624 – 634), grandson of Iago ap Beli . He became engaged in an initially disastrous campaign against Northumbria where following a series of epic defeats he was confined first to Anglesey, and then just to Puffin Island , before being forced into exile across
11424-576: Was an unofficial National Eisteddfod event in 1873. Mold was linked to Chester by the Mold Railway , with a large British Rail station and adjacent marshalling yards and engine sheds; however, the latter closed when Croes Newydd at Wrexham was opened, as did the station in 1962 in the Beeching cuts . However, the track survived until the mid-1980s to serve the Synthite chemical works. A Tesco supermarket
11536-521: Was bespangled with them as is the firmament with stars". Gruffudd had built stone churches at his royal manors, and Lloyd suggests Gruffudd's example led to the rebuilding of churches with stone in Penmon , Aberdaron , and Towyn in the Norman fashion . Gruffudd promoted the primacy of the Episcopal See of Bangor in Gwynedd, and funded the building of Bangor Cathedral during the episcopate of David
11648-542: Was built on the station site in the 1990s. In summer 1869 there was a riot in the town which had considerable effect on the subsequent policing of public disturbances in Britain. On 17 May 1869, John Young, the English manager of the nearby colliery in Leeswood , angered his workers by announcing a pay cut. He had previously strained relationships with them by banning the use of the Welsh language underground. Two days later, after
11760-405: Was curiously described as "the dragon of the island" by Gildas which was possibly a title, but explicitly as the most powerful of the five named British kings. "[Y]ou the last I write of but the first and greatest in evil, more than many in ability but also in malice, more generous in giving but also more liberal in sin, strong in war but stronger to destroy your soul." Maelgwn eventually died from
11872-466: Was deemed to be a "royal stronghold". It was recaptured by the forces of Edward I during the first months of the war of 1276–77. Mold Castle was still a substantial fortification at the outbreak of the rebellion by Madog ap Llywelyn in 1294. However, with the death of the last Lord Montalt in 1329, the castle's importance began to decline. The last mention of the fortification is in Patent Rolls from
11984-594: Was displaced in 942 by Hywel Dda , a King of Deheubarth from a junior line of descent from Rhodri Mawr. This occurred because Idwal Foel , the King of Gwynedd, was determined to cast off English overlordship and took up arms against the new English king, Edmund I . Idwal and his brother Elisedd were both killed in battle against Edmund's forces. By normal custom Idwal's crown should have passed to his sons, Ieuaf and Iago ab Idwal , but Hywel Dda intervened and sent Iago and Ieuaf into exile in Ireland and established himself as ruler over Gwynedd until his death in 950 when
12096-433: Was established in 1833, and the county gaol in 1871. In 1833, workmen digging a Bronze Age mound at Bryn yr Ellyllon ( Fairies' or Goblins' Hill ) found a unique golden cape dating from 1900 to 1600 BCE. It weighs 560 grams (20 oz) and was made from a single gold ingot about the size of a golf ball. It was broken when found and the fragments shared among the workmen, with the largest piece for Mr Langford, tenant of
12208-440: Was in his 60s and with failing eyesight. For the remainder of his life, while Gruffudd continued to rule in Gwynedd, his sons Cadwallon , Owain , and Cadwaladr , would lead Gwynedd's army after 1120. Gruffudd's policy, which his sons would execute and later rulers of Gwynedd adopted, was to recover Gwynedd's primacy without blatantly antagonising the English crown. In 1120 a minor border war between Llywarch ab Owain , lord of
12320-448: Was killed in the conflict. He was succeeded by his son or in some accounts nephew Beli ap Rhun in c. 586. On the accession of Beli's son Iago ap Beli in c. 599, the situation in Britain had deteriorated significantly. Most of northern England had been overrun by the invading Angles of Deira and Bernicia , who were in the process of forming the Kingdom of Northumbria . In a rare show of common interest, it appears that Gwynedd and
12432-505: Was lost as the Romano-Britons shifted towards a streamlined militaristic near-tribal society that no longer included the use of coinage and other complex industries dependent on a money economy, architectural techniques using brick and mortar, and even more basic knowledge such as the use of the wheel in pottery production. Ward-Perkins suggests the Welsh had to abandon those Roman ways that proved insufficient, or indeed superfluous, to meet
12544-523: Was the Roman heritage felt that Professor Bryan Ward-Perkins of Trinity College, Oxford , wrote, "it took until 1282, when Edward I conquered Gwynedd , for the last part of Roman Britain to fall [and] a strong case can be made for Gwynedd as the very last part of the entire Roman Empire, east and west, to fall to the barbarians ." Nevertheless, there was generally quick abandonment of Roman political, social, and ecclesiastical practices and institutions within Gwynedd and elsewhere in Wales. Roman knowledge
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