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The 3rd Anglo-Welsh War of 1718-1720[]
Background []
King Dafydd V had been king for 12 years by the time of the breakout of war, however, the army had been severely degraded during these years, with most attention lavished on the Welsh Navy with new dockyards being built in Aberdaugleddau, Caerodor and Biwmares.
In 1716, Tywysog Powys and the Dug Y Mers (Llewellyn and Edmund) had been charged with the job of modernising the Welsh Army as relations between Catholic Wales and Protestant England had hit a new low with the arrival of the House of Hanover and the failure of "the fifteen" (the 1715 Jacobite Rebellion).
In the aftermath of the rebellion, which saw some aid flow from Wales to the Old Pretender, relations between Wales and the United Kingdom continued to sour until 1718 when Dafydd declared war on England in support of James.
The War of 1718[]
January to 23rd June[]
Dafydd, acting without the consent of Cyfrin Gyngor, declared war with the Anglo-Scottish kingdom on the 17th February of 1718. His senior courtiers, the senior nobility, the church, all against his rash decision. The Welsh kingdom was not ready. The Army Reforms of 1716 had only recently begun to bear fruit and as such the army was still in relative poor shape to wage a war, with the Royal Arsenal's in Caerodor and Amwythig low in material and the regimental re-organisation barely started. However in the March of 1718, the King orders the newly created Catrawd Y Mers (Regiment of the March) to take positions to the east of Amwythig. Dafydd then dismissed both Tywysog Powys and the Dug Y Mers from the command of the army and assumes control for himself.
The Anglo-Scottish parliament had by now dispatched a force to the area, and facing this small Welsh army (about 2000 men) was an English army under the command of the young Duke of Newcastle, Thomas Pelham-Holles. Under his command was an army numbering 9,000 men under arms. Following his arrival on the English side of the border there were two months of stalemate, during which time diplomats on both sides tried to mediate a ceasefire. Finally in June, Dafydd loses patience and moves his small army against Newcastles.
The resultant Battle of Amwythig (23rd June 1718) saw a complete English victory. 1000 men dead or captured, the remainder scattered and the Welsh king fleeing towards the village of Radnor. The Duke of Newcastle, acting against his original Parliamentary orders, moves his army into Wales seizes control of the northern March, parts of northern Powys and Gwynedd Is-Conwy (east of the Conwy).
At a stroke Newcastle now commanded the fortress of Amwythig, the armament factories of Wrecsam,and laid siege to the northern arsenal in Conwy.
23rd June - July[]
With Newcastle launching his assault on north-eastern Wales, Dafydd fled southward towards Morgannwg, where Tywysog Cystennin was arranging a second Welsh army.
The Anglo-Scottish Parliament and King George had thought that a full war was likely and even though they had issued Newcastle with initial orders not to invade Wales, they authorised the Duke of Cornwall (HRH the Prince George Augustus) to take a second army and assemble near Gloucester. With the invasion of the north, the order was given to Cornwall to advance with his southern army against the Welsh. At a planning meeting in July, the decision was made to split the Southern army between Cornwall and the Earl Cadogan. Cornwall took command of the northern wing and would launch an invasion through Ddena into the Welsh kingdom north of the Severn River, whilst Cadogan moved against the Welsh lands of Gwlad yr Haf and Dyfnaint Glan Hafren.
Ranged against the Duke of Cornwall was Tywysog Cystennin. He had been tasked by Dafydd with building a southern army, but the nascent army was small in number, poorly equipped and poorly trained. With the scattering of Dafydd's army, which had contained the majority of the fully trained soldiers, the scale of Cystennin's job became apparent. With no northern army and only a small force under his command, Cystennin was powerless to prevent Cornwall from conquering the ancient English towns of Caerwrangon and Henffordd during July. The Duke of Cornwall crossed the Afon Hafren (River Severn) at Worcester and seized the two towns before moving southwards, taking Trefynwy (Monmouth), Casnewydd-ar-wysg (Newport) and the strategic fortress of Cas-gwent (Chepstow)
August[]
By the end of July Cornwall's army had successfully overrun Ddena, Ergyng and Gwent, the fortresses in those territories unprepared and undermanned. By this time Dafydd had reached Caerdydd and took control of Cystennin's army. Cornwall continued to advance and by mid August was within sight of the town walls of Caerdydd. Again the Welsh king was no match for his opponent. The small, poorly armed army was simply no match for Cornwall's confident force. On the 28th August, the battle takes place. Over several hours the two armies fought, and the new regiment, Catrawd Y Mers fights hard, providing a rearguard action to protect as many of the fleeing Welsh soliders as possible, the net result was still however another total Welsh defeat. Dafydd had been killed early during the fighting and despite the action of Y Llwynogod (the Foxes, the nickname of the Catrawd Y Mers) many Welsh soldiers were either killed or captured. The loss of Caerdydd opened up the traditional invasion route of Wales.
During August the Duke of Newcastle had not been idle either. Crossing the Conwy River he advanced further into Gwynedd taking Garth Celyn and Caernarfon, and laying siege to Conwy Castle (falling in the October).
The English southern army, under the command of the 1st Earl Cadogan launched hostilities in August as well. Cadogan bypassed the fortress of Caerodor, knowing the garrison there was big enough to hold him off, but not sufficient to prevent his taking the surrounding territory. During August his forces succeed in taking Gwlad yr Haf and Dyfnaint Glan Hafren within the month, his men only facing small bands of Welsh soliders. With the countryside under English control, Cadogan then settled down to lay siege to Caerodor, which would hold out until the December of 1718.
September[]
With the death of the King, Tywysog Powys is appointed Rhaglaw (regent) for the child-king Rhys. His first act was to organize the flight of the Royal Family to France under the protection of Dug Owain gan Dyfed. Half the Navy is ordered to sail for the Breton coast, whilst the remainder is to dock in Aberdaugleddau. The Rhaglaw under fierce English attack controls the Welsh fallback to Abertawe, but he is scrabbling for troops, having to utilise the Y Warchodlu Frenhinol (Royal Household Guard) and the Brenhinol Gaer Gwarchod (Fortress Guards) as well as press-ganging any man not already under the Colours. The Duke of Cornwall now advances further into Morgannwg, placing the fortress of Caerfilli under siege.
In the north, the Duke of Newcastle following his succees in crossing the Afon Conwy and the taking of northern Gwynedd, the Royal Palace at Garth Celyn and the fortress, city and palace of Caernarfon, continued with his siege of Castell Conwy.
In the south, Tywysog Powys had decided to mount a defence of Abertawe to help shield the general retreat to the ports of West Wales. The battle of Abertawe was fought on the 15th September and initially the Welsh forces held their own against the English with fresh forces arriving with the Dug Y Mers and the Dug Gwent. The tide was turned however on the 16th September when Llewellyn, Tywysog Powys was killed by English sharpshooters. With his death, confusion raged within the remaining senior officers and the English were able to storm the castle. Cystennin, Tywysog Morgannwg was now the senior noble and organised a running retreat back to the next line of defence, Castell Caerfyrddin. On the 26th September, Cystennin was confirmed as Rhaglaw Cymru in Llewellyn's place. With Morgannwg now under English control and Cornwall threatening both Gwyr and Cydweli, Cystennin orders the evacuation of the treasure ships from Aberdaugleddau on the 29th September, sending as much of the Royal Regalia and treasury as well as as much of the contents of the Welsh government treasury to France. Leaving a garrison at Caerfyrddin, Cystennin himself moves to Aberdaugleddau himself by the end of the month.
October[]
The war was now proving to be almost unrecoverable. The Welsh diplomats in London had been arrested on orders from king George and with that any hope for a diplomatic end to the war disappeared. English Warships patrolled the Bristol Channel, bombarding coastal villages, causing panic amongst the population and harressing any Welsh ships on the seas. During October itself there was a relative lull in the land fighting, although both Caerfilli and Conwy fell to the English. Towards the end of the month the Duke of Newcastle began the siege of Harlech.
November[]
With November beginning, Cornwall began his advance again, his forces advancing into Gwyr, which quickly fell, then into Cydweli and then advancing into Ystrad Towy. By the end of the month, Caerfyrddin and Sanclêr (St Clears) were under English control. Cystennin realised that total defeat was looming and he ordered the evacuation from Wales of the senior nobility. The Hedfan o Aberdaugleddau (Flight from Milford Haven) saw the last remaining lords of Wales, their familes, and portable wealth flee to France, "Like rats on a sinking ship" was the description given by the Duke of Cornwall when he was informed of the mass evacuation of the nobility.
December[]
December saw the Siege of Sir Penfro with the remaining Welsh forces buying time for the nobility to flee from Aberdaugleddau. Cystennin orders the final withdraw from Aberdaugleddau, boarding one of the last ships himself before sailing for France on the 18th December where the young King Rhys had already arrived at. The Cwnstabl i Castell Caerodor surrendered on the 24th December to the Earl of Cadogan upon the news of Cystennin's flight from the kingdom.
By the end of 1718, the Duke of Cornwall controlled southern Wales up to the fortress of Penfro, with the Duke of Newcastle controlling north Wales with the exception of the territory surrounding Harlech, the Llyn peninsula and Ynys Mon.
The War of 1719[]
January[]
The Christmas lull of 1718 saw a reopening of hostilities in the January of 1719. The Welsh forces were now largely leaderless. The Arglwydd-Archesgob Tyddewi was the most senior political figure in the kingdom, though Gwion Cam ap Ithel, Iarll Mon had elected not to flee the north when the nobles of Gwynedd had fled to Aberdaugleddau. The interior of Wales was also relatively free from English attention, with the commote of Brycheiniog, parts of south-western Powys, and the majority of Deheubarth also still under local control. The English army advanced on Penfro as January progressed, placing the fortress there under siege. A smaller army ranged north from Penfro into the territory of Tyddewi, the fortified town and cathedral of Tyddewi possesing few soliders. Arglwydd-Archesgob Iago Sais quickly surrendered the town, but escaped north to Aberteifi, catching a ship there for Caergybi on Mon.
February[]
Cornwall turned his attention now to finalising his control over the commotes of southern Wales. With the siege of Penfro continuing, he moved a small force to invest Dinbych y Pysgod. In the north, Newcastle started his move southwards, leaving a besieging force to contain the garrison of Castell Harlech, the city around its base in ruins.
March[]
Cornwall secure in the south apart from Castell Penfro and the fortified town of Dinbych y Pysgod moved his forces north along the coast, aiming to meet with Newcastle in the Canolbarth. The commote of Dyfed fell without a fight and the Cwnstabl i Aberteifi surrendered similarly quickly. The town and port of Aberteifi strategically important on the west coast of the kingdom, holding this allowed Cornwall to commence sailings of troops from Cadogan's army in Caerodor to Aberteifi. During March, Newcastle's army had reached Aberystwyth, the next important town on the western coast. Cwnstabl Seisyll Moel refused to surrender. The castell on its promontory was difficult to assault from the land and could re-provision from the sea, the rocky coastline also preventing larger ships getting too close.
April[]
The Welsh forces remaining in Wales being unable to sortie from their fortresses were unable to stop Cornwall and Newcastle from isolating them from the surrounding countryside. April and May saw the English forces concentrating on establishing firm control of the country, with the two armies meeting at Aberaeron during April.
June[]
By June the situation in the remaining Welsh controlled fortresses was deteriorating. Seisyll Moel finally surrendered Aberystwyth on the 6th June, after asking his men to shoot him to prevent his capture by Newcastle's forces. In Harlech, the Drysor Neuadd Rhys ap Cydifor surrendered the castell on the 20th June, the Earl of Cadogan (who had taken over the siege) instantly installed himself in the royal chambers. Ap Cydifor's reward for surrendering the castell was to be executed with the remaining garrison the following morning.
During the summer months there was a small flood of officials from Anglo-Scottish government into the conquered kingdom, assessing royal palaces, treasures remaining behind, and starting a record of the remaining lords. The inhospitable interior of Powys and Brycheiniog was still largely untouched by English solidery.
September[]
By September, the only parts of Wales that had yet to conquered remained Ynys Mon, parts of the Llyn peninsula, the fortified town of Dinbych y Pysgod and parts of the south central Canolbarth. The maer (mayor) of Dinbych y Pysgod had the cwnstabl arrested on the 12th September and opened the towns gates to the English forces, ending all resistence in the south other than Castell Penfro
October[]
Cwnstabl of Castell Penfro, Meurig Llwyd, finally surrendered the castell to the Duke of Cornwall himself on the 20th October. The surrender had been agreed by messangers between the two commanders and true to his word, Cornwall allowed the soliders themselves to flee into the countryside once stripped of their arms and armour. Llywd himself was sent to the Tower of London, ostensibly for execution at a later date, but after five years spent in the Tower, he accepted a pension from the Anglo-Scottish government and retired to an estate in Norfolk.
The War of 1720[]
The war itself had been largely completed by October the previous year. Only Ynys Mon remained free from English control, though the isle was under blockade by English ships and the islands main fortress, Biwmares, was under siege from the sea. The interior of Wales in the canolbarth was still largely free of English soliders, but the Is-Iarll Aberhonddu was under no illusion over his control of the area.
February[]
Troops under the command of the Duke of Newcastle marched on Aberhonddu during February. Knowing he lacked the troops to fight them, Is-Iarll Geraint ap Cadog, tried to surrender to the English duke. Newcastle chose to not accept the surrender, ordering his troops to sack the town. Ap Cadog died defending the cathedral against the English troops. WIth the fall of Aberhonddu, the only part of Wales now free was Ynys Mon
March[]
English rule in the Welsh kingdom was still very much loose, with the troops now stretched to cover and garrison all areas. Taking advantage of this, Gruffydd ap Goronwy, Arglwydd Caerleon, led the first rebellion against the invaders. The Gwrthryfel Gwent saw the men of Gwent rise up, striking from their base in Caerleon, they quickly retook the castells Cil-y-Coed (Caldicot) and Cas-Gwent (Chepstow) cutting the southern supply route for the English armies.
The next few months would see a guerilla war fought by Ap Goronwy's men that would help delay the invasion of Ynys Mon as well as focusing cooler heads in London to look at ways to end the fighting without costing the English exchequer any more sums of money.
June[]
During March and April, the fortunes of the Gwent Rebellion waxed high. The occupation of the two fortresses, especially Cas-Gwent, allowed them to strangle any attempts by the English to dislodge them. By the end of May however, a lack of men, money and a failure to get any other part of Wales to rise up with them saw the end of the rebellion. With few men left to him and with no heavy artillery, Gruffydd knew that he would be able to hold the fortresses much longer. An English relief force arrived on the opposite side of the Afon Wy. Rather than sacrifice the lives of his men, Gruffydd ordered his men to abandon the castell.
July[]
With the loss of Cas-Gwent, the English forces quickly placed Cil-y-Coed under siege. Gruffydd was caught outside the castells walls with a small band of men and was captured. With his capture, his followers melted away, leaving the castell gates open to Cil-y-Coed. Gruffydd and other leaders of the rebellion were sent to Caerwrangon and held there for trial. At the end of the month, the English launced an invasion of Ynys Mon
August[]
At the trial in Caerwrangon, Gruffydd was charged with treason against the crown, a charge he denied as he did not recognise the power or legitimacy of the Anglo-Scottish crown. On the 12th August, he and twenty other men were hung in the town gaol.
In the north, soliders flooded onto the isle of Mon, surrounding Biwmares from the landside now as well. Inside the walls of the fortress, the last remaining independent lords of Wales, Gwion Cam, Iarll Mon and Iago Sais, Arglwydd-Archesgob Tyddewi mulled over their remaining options. Under a flag of truce, the Iarll's son, Bleddyn ap Gwion, travelled to the Duke of Cornwalls headquarters in Castell Caernarfon (Palas Harlech being too ruined) to seek a formal end to hostilities.
September[]
News reached the Welsh Court in Exile of the moves by Iarll Gwion and Cystennin arranged for a Kings Writ to be signed, authorising the nobles in Ddena, Ergyng, Henffordd and Y Mers to found Catrawd Ffin (The Border Regiment).
Meanwhile, Bleddyn ap Gwion travelled throughout Wales, under guard by English soldier, summoning the remaining Welsh nobility to a Convocation to be held at Biwmares. The nobility were not left with much option but to attend.
October[]
Under a flag of safe passage the collected nobles of Wales met in Castell Biwmares, the English land forces pulling back from the town, though the naval blockade remained firmly in place. For a week the nobles argued over what terms they would accept from the Anglo-Scottish state for their willing surrender, but finally, they accepted that the most important issue was retaining their lands and titles under the new regime. One condition insisted on by Cornwall was the expulsion of the Arglwydd-Archesgob, which Iago reluctantly accepted.
November[]
With agreement between the nobles, Iarll Gwion and Arglwydd-Archesgob Iago Sais travelled to Manchester where Cornwall had moved to and on the 21st November in the city hall, the Treaty of Manchester was signed by Iarll Gwion and Arglwydd-Archesgob Iago Sais, ending the 3rd Anglo-Welsh war.
Cytundeb Manceinion - The Treaty of Manchester[]
This treaty allowed the full union of the Welsh crown with the Anglo-Scottish crown, creating the Emperor of the British Isles. The first Emperor was George I of the United Kingdom, who became "George, by the Grace of God, King of the United Kingdom of England & Scotland, King of Ireland, Wales and France, Emperor of the British Isles, Defender of the Faith, etc". Wales was to be totally represented at a national level and as such the dignity of Members of Parliament was restored to the Welsh political class.
With the signing of this document, all the remaining lords of Wales pledged their allegiance to the Anglo-Scottish king in return for retaining their lands, titles and privileges and as the senior member of the nobility, Iarll Gwion, acting in the place of the exiled king, agreed to the formal annexation of the Welsh kingdom to the newly British imperial crown. Although the treaty stipulated that Wales would be represented in the Westminster Parliament, local rule would be by a Governor-General, who would rule Wales on behalf of the Crown. The Duke of Newcastle as appointed at the first Governor-General of Wales.
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