Divided
Loyalty
Llywelyn took full advantage
of the political turmoil in England. He cemented an alliance
with Reginald de Braose in 1215 to keep the Welsh de Braose territories
out of King John's hands. Reginald married Llywelyn's daughter,
Gwladus Ddu, whose mother was King John's illegitimate daughter
Joan. Reginald owed tenure of his land to the prince. (Reginald's
first wife was Grace Briwere.)
The
rebel barons called upon Philip of France to send his son Louis
to be their king. Louis arrived at Thanet on May 14, 1216 with
a large army. On May 26 king John wrote from Bramber to
Reginald de Braose offering him all the lands once held by his
father William. John also sent men to bring Reginald safely to
him. Two days later the king thought better than to expect Reginald
to come to him and sent a party to negotiate peace terms: they
failed.
Soon John was on the run.
He sent urgent instructions for Knepp's valuables to be moved
safely to Bramber castle but his southern strongholds, including
Bramber, fell to Louis. In his flight, the king took an
army to Hereford and summoned Reginald de Braose and the princes
of Wales to join him in a pact of peace. He was humiliated in
his efforts and burned Hay and Radnor castles in a continuing
pursuit of Reginald, despite the danger posed by the French invasion.
After an apparently hospitable banquet at Kings
Lynn, John fell seriously ill. He was travelling with his entire
royal baggage but lost it all in the quicksands of the Wash.
When he died at Newark on October 18, 1216, servants stripped
him of his few remaining personal possessions. The last
item recorded on John's patent roll was a gift of land in the
royal forest of Aconbury, near Holme Lacy. It was for Margaret
de Lacy, daughter of William and Maud de Braose, so that she
could establish an Augustinian convent and chantry chapel in
memory of her mother, father and brother. She may have buried
her mother there. Her brother William was most likely buried
at Sele priory, in Upper Beeding.
It
was not until Louis was defeated and Henry III's reign was established
in 1217 that Reginald swore homage to the crown. Llywelyn was
incensed by this seeming betrayal and laid siege to Reginald's
castle at Brecon. Rhys and Owain, princes of Deheubarth, allies
of Llywelyn and nephews of Reginald, took the town of Builth.
Reginald was pursued into Swansea where he surrendered Gower
to Llywelyn and peace was restored.
Reginald's loyalty came
into question again in 1223 and Llywelyn besieged his castle
at Builth. King Henry's forces relieved Reginald but his father
in law already had another way to keep him in check. John,
the true heir of the de Braose inheritance married Llywelyn's
daughter Marared in 1219. John had come of age and was
demanding that Reginald relinquish the de Braose lands to him.
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Divided Loyalty |
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Soon John was on the run. He sent urgent instructions for Knepp's valuables to be moved safely to Bramber castle but his southern strongholds, including Bramber, fell to Louis. In his flight, the king took an army to Hereford and summoned Reginald de Braose and the princes of Wales to join him in a pact of peace. He was humiliated in his efforts and burned Hay and Radnor castles in a continuing pursuit of Reginald, despite the danger posed by the French invasion. After an apparently hospitable banquet at Kings Lynn, John fell seriously ill. He was travelling with his entire royal baggage but lost it all in the quicksands of the Wash. When he died at Newark on October 18, 1216, servants stripped him of his few remaining personal possessions. The last item recorded on John's patent roll was a gift of land in the royal forest of Aconbury, near Holme Lacy. It was for Margaret de Lacy, daughter of William and Maud de Braose, so that she could establish an Augustinian convent and chantry chapel in memory of her mother, father and brother. She may have buried her mother there. Her brother William was most likely buried at Sele priory, in Upper Beeding.
Reginald's loyalty came
into question again in 1223 and Llywelyn besieged his castle
at Builth. King Henry's forces relieved Reginald but his father
in law already had another way to keep him in check. John,
the true heir of the de Braose inheritance married Llywelyn's
daughter Marared in 1219. John had come of age and was
demanding that Reginald relinquish the de Braose lands to him.
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