Page:VCH Herefordshire 1.djvu/433

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POLITICAL HISTORY aggression. In March, 1218, he and his chief nobles submitted themselves to their overlord at Worcester.'" The next twelve years were passed in fitful attacks by Llywelyn varied by pacifications, but in 1231 he renewed his inroads on a greater scale. After ravaging Montgomery and Brecon he overran Gwent, the modern Monmouthshire. Henry III carried on a campaign in person without much success, making Hereford his head quarters."^ In 1233 the Earl Marshal, Richard Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, whose family had held Goodrich Castle in Herefordshire from within a century of the Conquest, quarrelled with Henry III and allied himself with Llywelyn. He was supported by a Herefordshire magnate, Walter de Clifford, the lord of Clifford Castle."' In November Henry came to Hereford, which he again made his head quarters for a campaign. He drove CUfford into exile and confiscated his lands, but in January, 1233-4, the Earl Marshal defeated the royal army in Wales, and then in company with Llywelyn burned Shrewsbury.'" This terminated operations for the time. Clifford obtained restitution of his lands in 1235. He was a man of violence, and in 1250 was fined a thousand marks for compelling the king's messenger to eat the royal letters including the wax of the seal."" In 1235 also the Earl Marshal fell in Ireland, while Llywelyn, perhaps from advancing age, was less aggressive during the six remaining years of his reign. In the meantime a new cause of strife arose between the Welsh and the Marcher lords. In 1230 William de Braose, only son and heir of Reginald, contemplated alliance with Llywelyn. To further the union he visited that prince in order to arrange a marriage between Llywelyn's son Davydd and his own daughter Isabella. During the visit Llywelyn either detected or invented an intrigue between his wife Joan and De Braose, and caused the Marcher lord to be hanged. Notwithstanding the execution of her father, Isabella, who probably was also in Llywelyn's hands at the time, was married to Davydd. But De Braose had three other daughters, Eleanor, Eva, and Maud, subsequently married respectively to Humphrey eldest son of the second earl of Hereford, William de Cantilupe, and Roger de Mor- timer,'" and his inheritance was eventually divided amongst them to the exclusion of Isabella and Davydd. Davydd, who succeeded Llywelyn in 1 240, was particularly incensed against the earl of Hereford and Ralph fifth lord Mortimer of Wigmore, who had secured the whole of Brecon for their sons, De Bohun also obtaining the manors of Hay, Eardisley, and Huntington, now included in the county of Hereford. In 1244 ^^ invaded their territories and inflicted two defeats on the English forces.'" His death in March, 1246, and the division of Wales between his nephews, Llywelyn and Owain ab Gruffydd, put an end to the danger for a time, and enabled Henry III to conclude a convention on favourable terms.'" Relieved from their dread of Welsh aggression, Roger Mortimer, who succeeded his father as sixth lord of Wigmore in 1 247, and the earl of Hereford began shortly to act in open opposition to the crown. "« Foedera (i8i6), i, 150. '" Roger of Wendover, Tlor. Hist. (Rolls Ser.), iii, 11. "» Matt. Paris, Chron. Maj. (Rolls Ser.), iii, 247. '^' Ibid, iii, 263-4. '" Ibid, v, 95 '" Cal. Pat. R. 1225-32, pp. 377, 398, 427, 428, 434. '=' Matt. Paris, Chron. Maj. (Rolls Ser.), iv, 358, 385-6. "' Foedera (1816), i, 267. 363