On January 28, 1316, a Welsh nobleman, Llywelyn Bren, rebelled against Edward II. His revolt was short lived; he was forced to surrender two months later, winning respect by asking that he alone be punished and his men be spared. He was taken to the Tower of London and his captors, the Earl of Hereford and Roger Mortimer, urged Edward to pardon him. But two years later, he became the prisoner of Edward’s ruthless favorite, Hugh the younger Despenser. Hugh took him to Cardiff and there had him hanged, drawn, and quartered without benefit of trial; he also arrested Llywelyn’s wife and sons. This unlawful act aroused much resentment and was one of the grievances charged against Hugh when his own downfall came and he met the fate he so richly deserved, the same one he’d inflicted upon Llywelyn Bren. After Edward was deposed, Llywelyn’s sons were allowed to inherit his lands and the Earl of Hereford continued to give their mother a pension until her death.
In other happenings, Charlemagne died on this date in 814, and we have to give those ubiquitous Tudors a shout-out, I guess. Henry Tudor was born on January 28th, 1457 and his son, Henry VIII, died on the same date in 1547.
Published on January 28, 2013 06:49