The death of Llywelyn

Today is the anniversary of the death of Prince Llywelyn in 1282. Attached is my photograph, from 2019, of a private letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury, John Peckham, to the Lord Chancellor and Bishop of Bath and Wells, Robert Burnell.

This was dispatched sometime in the week following Llywelyn's death. I won't produce a translation as it seldom meets with any interest. Peckham wrote to Burnell shortly after he met with Edmund Mortimer at Stretton Sugwas in Herefordshire, very soon after Llywelyn was killed.

In his letter, Peckham recites Mortimer's version of events. He then warns Burnell to be on his guard, since the Marcher lords are conspiring against the king. These are the same Marchers who had conspired to kill Llywelyn. The archbishop had clearly listened to Mortimer and smelled a very large, Mortimer-shaped rat.

Peckham's warning is routinely ignored, even though this is one of the most important sources we have for the death of Llywelyn. I presume that is because it implies that Edward I was not directly involved in the conspiracy against the prince, which is just too messy and complicated. We must have the straight narrative, Goodies vs Baddies.

This is not a case - as some will inevitably accuse – of whitewashing the king. We know he was perfectly capable of such things: for instance, Edward was heavily involved in the plot to kidnap Count Floris of Holland in 1296. So what? The fact a man is capable in the one instance does not mean he did it in the other.

In any case, whatever the king chose to do is really a distraction. Of far more interest is the evidence that has recently come to light of the Welsh landholders of Builth & Brycheiniog, and their involvement in Llywelyn's demise. We know the prince met his death on or adjacent to lands held by Einion ap Madog and Owain ap Meurig, two of the Welshmen of Builth who had fought against him in the previous war. Future discussion and research has really got to focus on how this situation came about.

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