Penmachno Document

The Penmachno Document was drawn up at Penmachno in Gwynedd on 19 December 1294 by Madog ap Llywelyn at the height of his revolt against English rule in Wales. Though unremarkable in its content - the document consists of the grant of two parcels of land to one Bleddyn Fychan - its importance lies in the fact that it is the only surviving document issued by Madog in which he styles himself prince of Wales.

Notable signatories

The document was signed by a number of prominent persons in native society in north Wales, including three descendants of Ednyfed Fychan, the seneschal of two earlier princes of Wales. One of them, Tudur ab Gronw, is described as 'our steward' in the document, suggesting that Madog had (or intended to) reconstitute the prince's council on which the governence of Wales rested until the loss of independence in 1283. As Edward I's invasion of Wales proceeded, the terms of the document quickly became irrelevant, as the land referred to in it reverted once more to English control.

ee also

* Madog ap Llywelyn
* Kingdom of Gwynedd

References

* Cledwyn Fychan, 'Bleddyn Fychan a Gwrthryfel Madog ap Llywelyn, 1294-5', "Transactions of the Denbighshire Historical Society" Vol. 49, pp. 15-22 (2000).