Undermining Clare

In May 1269, at the ford of Rhyd Chwima, the Lord Edward agreed to Prince Llywelyn's request to obtain the homage and fealty of Maredudd ap Gruffudd. Maredudd was a nobleman of south Wales, lord of the commote of Machen in the lordship of Gwynllwg, the commotes of Edeglion and Llebenydd in the lordship of Caerleon, and the commote of Hirfryn in Ystrad Tywi.

Although Maredudd was descended of the old princes of Deheubarth, he had not inherited Hirfryn. After the death of his grandfather, Maredudd ap Rhys ap Gruffudd, in 1201, other members of the lineage had seized the patrimony. Maredudd's father, Gruffudd, clawed back lands in Glamorgan by marrying Gwerfal, daughter of Morgan ap Hywel. Hirfryn had come into the possession of Maredudd ap Rhys Gryg, a descendant of the Lord Rhys, but sometime after 1257 it was transferred to Maredudd ap Gruffudd. Evidence is lacking, but it is probable that Prince Llywelyn confiscated the land after Maredudd defected to the English, and gave it to the descendant of the man whose ancestor had lost it in 1201.

The status of Maredudd ap Gruffudd was therefore key to Llywelyn's hopes of controlling this part of Wales. He needed to persuade the king that Maredudd was a Welsh baron, and a tenant-in-chief of the Prince of Wales i.e. himself. Thus he should rightfully hold his lands of Llywelyn.

King Henry had transferred the ongoing dispute between Llywelyn and Gilbert de Clare to Edward. This meant that Maredudd had to kneel before the English prince at Rhyd Chwima and swear that he, like his ancestors, would hold his lands according to the custom of Wales. Edward in turn allowed Maredudd to become a tenant-in-chief of Llywelyn, who owed his homage to the king.

In acceding to Llywelyn's wishes, Edward revoked Clare's lordship over Maredudd, and undermined the earl's recent conquests in Glamorgan. The commote of Gwyllwg in particular had been part of the Clare inheritance for centuries, while the recent wars had been Earl Gilbert establish control over Caerleon as well. Edward had also set a precedent for Llywelyn's desire to recover the homage of Gruffudd ap Rhys of Senghennydd, who was now languishing in Clare's dungeon at Kilkenny.

Clare's fury at Edward's decision sparked a major diplomatic row: Earl Richard of Cornwall, the king's brother, was obliged to step in to arbitrate, and the conflict on the March was discussed by envoys of Louis IX of France on their visit to the English court in autumn 1269. The quarrel between Edward and Clare threatened to wreck the prince's expedition to the Holy Land, and to plunge England into a second civil war. These grave potential consequences were spelled out by the bishops of Canterbury, who threatened to excommunicate either party if they broke the peace.