Ogam Stones
Ogam (or Ogham) was a script devised when the pagan Irish became Christian. The ancient Irish language had no alphabet so a way was devised of carving notches into squared wooden sticks or on the edges of stones to represent Latin letters. Ogam remained the chief form of learned record in Ireland until the mid seventh century. Memorial stones have been found across South West Wales, which carry an Irish Ogam script as well as the conventional Latin inscription. This would seem to indicate the presence of a substantial ethnic Irish minority among the subjects of these early Dark Age kingdoms. A number of these Ogam stones have been found across Breconshire indicating that Brycheiniog was no exception to this trend.
[John Morris - "The Age of Arthur"; Leslie Alcock - "Arthur's Britain"]
[John Morris - "The Age of Arthur"; Leslie Alcock - "Arthur's Britain"]
Old Radnor: Church of St. Stephen (Ystyffan)
The site and dedication to Saint Ystyffan (anglicised to Stephen) suggest an early medieval origin. Radnorshire historian Howse claimed lands belonging to Old Radnor church were supposedly acquired by the See of Worcester in AD 887. The 12th century church was probably destroyed by Glyndŵr and the church rebuilt in stages during the course of the 15th century. The grand scale of the building suggests a higher status than most Radnorshire parish churches. The church was restored sensitively in the 1880s.
[Haslam; Howse; CPAT Historic Churches website]
[Haslam; Howse; CPAT Historic Churches website]
Rev. Thomas Oliver(s) (1725-1799)
The son of Thomas and Penelope Oliver, he was born at Tregynon, Montgomeryshire. On the death of his father he was looked after by relations and settled eventually with wealthy Forden farmer Thomas Tudor who educated him locally and then apprenticed him to a shoemaker. Once trained he took his skills to Shrewsbury and Wrexham and was "converted" in Bristol after hearing Whitfield preaching. He joined the Wesleyan Methodist Society at Bradford in Wiltshire and became a lay preacher. On inheriting estates from Mrs Tudor he settled his debts in his home county and around the country, preaching as he went. While making preparations in 1753 to establish his own business after the settling of his affairs, Wesley requested him to devote himself to a life of preaching. Olivers agreed, sold his effects and began his itinerant preaching career in Cornwall. Over the next twenty two years he travelled throughout Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland. In 1775 he was appointed to supervise Wesley's printing operation including the Arminian Magazine. He was removed from this post by Wesley in 1789 because of his inefficiency though this does not seem to have affected their friendship. Olivers was a well known hymn writer and pamphleteer and upon his death he was buried in Wesley's tomb.
Ormathwaite, Lady (b.1834)
Born in 1834 as Lady Katherine Emily Mary Somerset, was the daughter of the 7th Duke of Beaufort, KG. She was married to Arthur, 2nd Baron Ormathwaite in July 1858. Of her 11 children, the eldest son, the Hon. Arthur Henry Walsh, KCVO, attended royalty and was a Conservative M.P. for the county of Radnor from 1885 to 1892.
[Radnorshire Standard of 23 May 1914]
[Radnorshire Standard of 23 May 1914]
Ormathwaite, Lord Arthur
A baron and peer of the realm who owned estates comprising 7,084 acres in Radnor and the Warfield Park estate in Berkshire. He was also entitled to a life interest in settled estates comprising 4,830 acres in the county of Radnor, Ormathwaite Hall, a hematite mine in Cumberland and estates in Ireland. He borrowed heavily against expectation of his inheritance and so was encumbered by debt on his father's death. Despite the revenue from his considerable estates, his lands went into receivership in July 1887 as a result of mounting debts blamed on depreciation in the value of his estates, compulsory reduction of rents of property in Ireland, and depression in the mining trade. Finally, in 1895 he was declared bankrupt.
[The Hereford Times of 12 Oct 1895]
[The Hereford Times of 12 Oct 1895]
Owain Glyndŵr
Owain was of a native Welsh family and could claim descent from the three major royal houses of Wales. He had estates at Glyndyfrdwy and at Sycharth. He had studied law in London, had served the English crown in war and was a retainer of the Earl of Arundel. Along with geoffrey Chaucer he was a witness in the famous Scrope legal case in 1389. With the Earl of Arundel’s death and the seizing of the crown by Henry IV he – like many Welsh landowners - found themselves isolated from official life.
By 1400 the Welsh had become second-class citizens in their own country. One of the main sources of grievance was the development of towns, with their exclusive rights and privileges for the English and Flemish settlers. The borough of Brecon had a trading monopoly that covered the entire lordship of Brecon. Another cause of resentment was the way in which preferment in the offices of church and state often went to Englishmen. For example, of the sixteen bishops appointed to sees in Wales during the period 1372-1400, only one was a Welshman.
The grievance which sparked open rebellion was the seizure of a common by Lord Grey of Ruthin which Owain was convinced was part of his patrimony. The case went to parliament but Grey was able to exert more influence and the land was lost. It is thought that Grey also withheld a summons to arms which should have gone to Owain thus making him appear in default to the crown. Owain became a focus for resentment across Wales and in September 1400 he was declared Prince of Wales at Glyndyfrdwy and moved into open revolt while King Henry was fighting in Scotland.
By 1400 the Welsh had become second-class citizens in their own country. One of the main sources of grievance was the development of towns, with their exclusive rights and privileges for the English and Flemish settlers. The borough of Brecon had a trading monopoly that covered the entire lordship of Brecon. Another cause of resentment was the way in which preferment in the offices of church and state often went to Englishmen. For example, of the sixteen bishops appointed to sees in Wales during the period 1372-1400, only one was a Welshman.
The grievance which sparked open rebellion was the seizure of a common by Lord Grey of Ruthin which Owain was convinced was part of his patrimony. The case went to parliament but Grey was able to exert more influence and the land was lost. It is thought that Grey also withheld a summons to arms which should have gone to Owain thus making him appear in default to the crown. Owain became a focus for resentment across Wales and in September 1400 he was declared Prince of Wales at Glyndyfrdwy and moved into open revolt while King Henry was fighting in Scotland.
They launched a raid against the hated English boroughs in the northeast: Ruthin, Denbigh, Rhuddlan, Flint, Hawarden, Holt, Oswestry and Welshpool were all attacked and burnt. Henry IV responded with a campaign in North Wales, which failed to bring Glyndŵr to battle. Now, instead of offering pardons and trying to reconcile the Welsh, the English government went out of their way to alienate the populace, holding judicial sessions, extracting subsidies and legislating against Welshmen in English boroughs and in England.
From 1401 to 1404 Owain had considerable success, capturing and ransoming Lord Grey, crushing Edmund Mortimer at the Battle of Bryn Glas, forming an alliance with the great Percy family (and Edmund Mortimer) and creating a Welsh parliament at Machynlleth. This was the high water mark which won Owain an alliance with France. Mortimer, Percy and Owain agreed to divide England and Wales between them once Henry IV was defeated. Percy, earl of Northumberland challenged the king before linking up with Glyndŵr and was defeated and killed at the battle of Shrewsbury. A French force landed and marched almost as far as Worcester, but was eventually obliged to withdraw. Support for the rebellion began to crumble and Owain suffered a string of military defeats. In 1407 the French alliance collapsed; in 1408 the last of the English rebels including Percy were killed and Harlech and Aberystwyth recaptured. The rebellion slowly petered out into localised incidents and protracted guerrilla warfare.
Glyndŵr was never captured, but gradually fades from the records, where he last appears in 1415; after which he enters mythology.
[R.R. Davies; Geoffrey Hodge - Owain Glyndŵr and the War of Independence; R.R. Davies - The Revolt of Owain Glyndŵr]
From 1401 to 1404 Owain had considerable success, capturing and ransoming Lord Grey, crushing Edmund Mortimer at the Battle of Bryn Glas, forming an alliance with the great Percy family (and Edmund Mortimer) and creating a Welsh parliament at Machynlleth. This was the high water mark which won Owain an alliance with France. Mortimer, Percy and Owain agreed to divide England and Wales between them once Henry IV was defeated. Percy, earl of Northumberland challenged the king before linking up with Glyndŵr and was defeated and killed at the battle of Shrewsbury. A French force landed and marched almost as far as Worcester, but was eventually obliged to withdraw. Support for the rebellion began to crumble and Owain suffered a string of military defeats. In 1407 the French alliance collapsed; in 1408 the last of the English rebels including Percy were killed and Harlech and Aberystwyth recaptured. The rebellion slowly petered out into localised incidents and protracted guerrilla warfare.
Glyndŵr was never captured, but gradually fades from the records, where he last appears in 1415; after which he enters mythology.
[R.R. Davies; Geoffrey Hodge - Owain Glyndŵr and the War of Independence; R.R. Davies - The Revolt of Owain Glyndŵr]