15th century in Wales

14th century | 16th century | Other years in Wales

Other events of the century

This article is about the particular significance of the century 1401 - 1500 to Wales and its people.

Princes of Wales

• Henry of Monmouth (later King Henry V) (to 1413)
• Owain Glyndŵr (unofficially, 1400-1415)
• Edward of Westminster (1454-1471)
• Edward of the Sanctuary (later King Edward V) (1471-1483)
• Edward of Middleham (1483-1484)
• Arthur Tudor (from 1489)

Princesses of Wales

• Margaret Hanmer (unofficially, 1400-1415)
• Anne Neville (?December 1470 - May 4, 1471)

Events

1401

• Good Friday - Conwy Castle is taken by supporters of Owain Glyndŵr.
• June - Battle of Mynydd Hyddgen, first major victory for the Welsh rebels led by Owain Glyndŵr.
• 2 November - Battle of Tuthill.

1402

• January - Owain Glyndŵr captures his arch-enemy, Reginald Grey, 3rd Baron Grey de Ruthyn.
• 22 June - Battle of Bryn Glas (also known as the Battle of Pilleth) ends in victory for Glyndŵr. The Welsh capture Edmund Mortimer.

1403

• May - Henry, Prince of Wales, and his men destroy Sycharth, one of the residences of Owain Glyndŵr.
• July - Owain Glyndŵr captures Carreg Cennen Castle.
• 21 July - Battle of Shrewsbury ends in defeat and death of Henry Percy, an ally of Owain Glyndŵr. Henry of Monmouth is seriously wounded in the battle.
• Autumn - Battle of Stalling Down near Cowbridge.

1404

• July - Owain Glyndŵr holds a parliament at Machynlleth.

1405

• 28 February - The Tripartite Indenture is agreed between Owain Glyndŵr, the Earl of Northumberland, and Edmund Mortimer.
• 5 May - Battle of Pwll Melyn - first major defeat for Glyndŵr.
• July - A French force arrives in Wales to assist the rebels, but fails to make any impact.
• August - Owain Glyndŵr holds his second parliament, at Harlech Castle.

1406

• Owain Glyndŵr writes the "Pennal letter" to the King of France, outlining his policy for the future government of Wales.

1407

• October 12 - The Pope appoints Henry Chichele Bishop of St David's.

1408

• Adam of Usk returns to Wales, seeking the patronage of Owain Glyndŵr.

1409

• Harlech Castle is captured by Henry of Monmouth. Margaret Hanmer (Glyndŵr's wife), her children and grandchildren are taken prisoner. As far as is known, most of them later die in captivity.

1410

• Sir John Scudamore marries Alys, daughter of Owain Glyndŵr.

1411

• Sir William Gamage succeeds to the Coity estates on the death of Sir Laurence Berkerolles.

1412

• Owain Glyndŵr captures and ransoms Dafydd Gam.

1415

• 21 September - Owain Glyndŵr goes into hiding. His subsequent whereabouts and date of death are unknown. End of the Glyndŵr Rising.
• 25 October - Battle of Agincourt. Welsh archers are key to Henry V's victory over a much larger French army.

1418

• Gruffydd Young, Owain's former Chancellor, is appointed Bishop of Ross.

1419

• 24 April - Philip Morgan is elected Bishop of Worcester.^[1]

1420

• 16 October - In the new parliament, Roger Corbet and David Rathbone become MPs for the borough of Shrewsbury, while Roger's brother Robert represents Shropshire.
• 4 March - Settlement made at Shrewsbury between Edward Cherleton, Lord of Powys, and Sir Gruffudd Vaughan, his brother Ieuan ap Gruffydd, and two yeomen for the capture of Sir John Oldcastle in 1417.

1421

• Maredudd ab Owain Glyndŵr accepts a pardon from King Henry V of England.

1425

• Iron forge at Pontypool operating by about this date.

1426

• William ap Thomas, ancestor of the Herbert Earls of Pembroke, is knighted.

1435

• Work begins on the construction of Raglan Castle.
• January - Owen Tudor is imprisoned at Newgate Prison following the death of his wife, Catherine of Valois.

1450

• April - William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, is taken prisoner at the Battle of Formigny.
• Eisteddfod at Carmarthen: Dafydd ab Edmwnd wins the silver chair for his poetry.

1452

• King Henry VI of England acknowledges and ennobles his half-brothers, Edmund and Jasper Tudor.

1455

• 1 November - Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond, marries Lady Margaret Beaufort.

1456

• Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond, is captured by the Yorkists and imprisoned at Carmarthen Castle, where he dies later in the year.

1457

• Sir Walter Griffith purchases Burton Agnes Hall in Yorkshire.

1460

• 10 July - Following defeat at the Battle of Northampton on this date, Margaret of Anjou, queen of England, escapes with her son, Edward, Prince of Wales, to Harlech Castle.
• 23 July - John De la Bere resigns as Bishop of St David's after supporting the Tudors in the civil war.

1461

• February - After losing the Battle of Mortimer's Cross, Jasper Tudor is placed under an attainder. William Herbert, Lord Herbert of Raglan, assumes the guardianship of Margaret Beaufort and her son Henry, Earl of Richmond.

1468

• 24 June - Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, grants a charter to Neath Abbey.

1470

• December (probable) - Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales, marries (or is betrothed to) Anne Neville.

1469

• 27 July - Following the Battle of Edgcote Moor, William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, and his brother Richard are executed.
• July - Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers, and his son John Woodville are placed in prison in Chepstow.

1471

• May 4 - Battle of Tewkesbury ends Lancastrian hopes of regaining the ascendance over the House of York. King Edward IV of England is victorious, and Edward of Westminster becomes the only Prince of Wales ever to die in battle. Sir John Donne is knighted on the field.
• October 13 - Richard Redman is consecrated as Bishop of St Asaph.

1472

• Edward, Prince of Wales, takes up residence at Ludlow Castle, the seat of the Council of Wales and the Marches.

1473

• Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers, is appointed Governor of the Prince of Wales's Household. John Alcock, Bishop of Rochester and the prince's tutor, becomes President of the Council of Wales and the Marches.

1478

• 18 February - On the death of his brother George, Duke of Clarence, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, becomes Lord of Glamorgan by right of his wife Anne Neville.
• 10 April - The Court of the President and Council of Wales holds its first session in Ludlow.^[2]
• 6 September - John Marshall is consecrated Bishop of Llandaff.

1483

• April - At Ludlow, 12-year-old King Edward V of England receives the news of his father's sudden death and his own accession.
• December 25 - At Rennes Cathedral, Henry, Earl of Richmond, pledges to marry Elizabeth of York.

1485

• August 22 - Battle of Bosworth Field: Henry Tudor defeats King Richard III to become the third and last Welsh-born King of England.
• November 7 - Jasper Tudor marries Catherine Woodville.

1486

• January 18 - King Henry VII marries Elizabeth of York.

1488

• Jasper Tudor takes possession of Cardiff Castle.

1489

• November 29 - The English-born Arthur Tudor is named Prince of Wales.

1490

• February 27 - Arthur Tudor is ceremonially invested as Prince of Wales at the Palace of Westminster.

1496

• date unknown - A public convenience is built on the "Old Welsh Bridge" in Shrewsbury.^[3]

1498

• An insurrection breaks out in Meirionydd in north Wales; the rebels capture Harlech Castle. The revolt is the last of the medieval era in Wales.

Works

1450s

• Reginald Pecock - Represser of over-much weeting [blaming] of the Clergie

Births

1430

• probable - Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond (d. 1456)

1431

• probable - Jasper Tudor, soldier (d. 1495)

1451

• March 5 - William Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (d. 1491)

1457

• January 28 - Henry Tudor, later King Henry VII of England, born two months after the death of his father (d. 1509)

1470

• November 4 - Edward "of the Sanctuary", later Prince of Wales and King Edward V of England (d. 1483?)

1478

• February 3 - Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham (executed 1521)

1485

• December 16 - Catherine of Aragon, later Princess of Wales (d. 1536)

1486

• September 19 - Arthur, Prince of Wales (d. 1502)

1491

• June 28 - Henry, Duke of York, later Prince of Wales and King Henry VIII of England (d. 1547)

Deaths

1410

• April 11 - John Trevor, Bishop of St Asaph

1415

• October 25 - Dafydd Gam, soldier

1422

• August 31 - Henry V of England, former Prince of Wales, 34

1430

• date unknown - Adam of Usk, chronicler

1435

• October 25 - Philip Morgan, Bishop of Ely

1437

• January 3 - Catherine of Valois, widow of Henry V of England and secret wife of Owen Tudor, 35

1445

• date unknown - Sir William ap Thomas, builder of Raglan Castle

1446

• October 21 - William Lyndwood, Bishop of St David's

1460

• date unknown - Reginald Pecock, Bishop of St Asaph

1461

• February 2 - Owen Tudor, courtier, 60? (executed)

1467

• November 21 - John Low, Bishop of St Asaph

1469

• July - William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke (executed)

1471

• date unknown - Sir Roger Vaughan of Tretower (executed)

1483

• June 25 - Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers, Governor of the Prince of Wales's Household, 41? (executed)

1484

• April 9 - Edward of Middleham, Prince of Wales, aged about 10
• date unknown - David ap Mathew, standard bearer of King Edward IV of England, 84

1485

• March 16 - Anne Neville, former Princess of Wales, 28

1492

• September 20 - George Nevill, 4th Baron Bergavenny

1496

• January/February - John Marshall, Bishop of Llandaff

1500

• 1 October - John Alcock, Tudor supporter and Lord President of the Council of Wales and the Marches

References

1. Fryde et al. 1986, Handbook of British Chronology, p. 279.
2. David Powel, Historie of Cambria, p389
3. Blackwall, Anthony, Historic Bridges of Shropshire, Shropshire Libraries, 1985, ISBN 0-903802-31-7