Welsh Journals

Crown to pacify, not conquer; the consequent impotence of the Marchers; the weakness of Gwynedd; and the very occasional support of Rhys ap Gruffydd's equally fragile Deheubarth, were all in Cadwallon's favour. However the removal of Henry II from the scene, far more than the murder of Cadwallon, was to lead to the extinction of the autonomy he had helped to create in the Middle March. What can be seen from this is that it was not without good reason that Roger Mortimer decided to assassinate Cadwallon ap Madog 'As falcons are self confident, so he, Faultless, in pride of courage venturesome, With brittle spear uplifted, batter'd shield; So was the mounted son of Madoc armed', for his father, Hugh Mortimer, had long ago proved the impossibility of regaining the Middle Marches from the grasp of this powerful and tenacious prince whilst he basked under royal protection, if not favour. NOTES 'See Remfry P.M., 'More Welsh Kings in Herefordshire, and the Origins of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren' Herefordshire Archaeological News 59 [1993], 40-43 and a reply to this by Coplestone-Crow, B., 'Early Rhwng Gwy a Hafren', HAN 60 [1993], 12-16. Crouch, D., 'The slow death of Kingship in Glamorgan, 1067-1155', Morgannwg XXIX [1985], 20-41. 3Brut y Tywysogyon or The Chronicle of the Princes. Red Book of Hergest version, ed. and trans. T. Jones [Cardiff, 1955], 117; Brut y Tywysogyon or The Chronicle of the Princes. Peniarth Ms. 20 version, ed. and trans. T Jones [Cardiff, 1952], 52; Annales Cambriae, ed. J. Williams ab Ithel [Rolls Series, 1860] 41. 4When Hugh Mortimer was still at Bridgenorth, Cartulary of Shrewsbury Abbey, ed. Una Rees [2 vols., Aberystwyth, 1985] I, no. 162. 'When Roger of Gloucester was at Winchester, Shrews. I, no. 43; he died before the year was out, RBH., 133; Pen., 58. 6The Historical Works of Gervase of Canterbury, ed. W. Stubbs [2 vols., 1878-80] II, 58, is the only chronicle to mention this offensive, and as it is a later work must be regarded with some caution for information about this era. It has been stated that Caperon was in fact Cymaran castle because of certain payments recorded in the Pipe Roll, King, DJC, Castellarium Anglicanumi An index and bibliography of the castles of England, Wales and the Islands [2 vols., 1983] II, 559; Benn, CA, 'Castles mentioned in the Pipe Rolls under Herefordshire', Transactions of the Woolhope Field Club [1941], 135, Remfry, PM., The Native Welsh Dynasties of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren, 1066 to 1282 [M. Phil Thesis, 1989].