Cambro-Normans (; "Wales", ; ) were

Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; ; ) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and locals of West Francia. The Norse settlements in West Franc ...

who settled in southern Wales and the

Welsh Marches The Welsh Marches () is an imprecisely defined area along the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods. The English term Welsh March (in Medieval Latin ''Marchia W ...

after the

Norman invasion of Wales The Norman invasion of Wales began shortly after the Norman Conquest, Norman conquest of England under William the Conqueror, who believed England to be his birthright. Initially (1067–1081), the invasion of Wales was not undertaken with the fer ...

. Cambro-Norman knights were also the leading force in the Cambro-Norman invasion of Ireland, led by

Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke Richard de Clare (c. 1130 – 20 April 1176), the second Earl of Pembroke, also Lord of Leinster and Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, Justiciar of Ireland (sometimes known as Richard FitzGilbert), was an Anglo-Norman nobleman notable for his leadi ...

in 1170.

In Wales

Following the

Norman conquest of England The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

, Norman forces would invade South Wales, where

William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford, Lord of Breteuil ( 1011 – 22 February 1071), was a relative and close counsellor of William the Conqueror and one of the great magnates of early Norman England. FitzOsbern was created Earl of Herefo ...

overran the

Kingdom of Gwent Gwent () was a medieval Welsh kingdom, lying between the Rivers Wye and Usk. It existed from the end of Roman rule in Britain in about the 5th century until the Norman invasion of Wales in the 11th century. Along with its neighbour Glywysin ...

and the

Earl of Shrewsbury Earl of Shrewsbury () is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the Peerage of England. The second earldom dates to 1442. The holder of the Earldom of Shrewsbury also holds the title of Earl of Waterford (1446) in the Peerage of Ireland ...

invaded the Kingdom of Deheubarth. Despite a number of Welsh revolts against Norman rule, these areas (along with the Gower), would become the main focus of Norman settlement in Wales. Although Welsh forces would retake much of the Norman territories following their crushing victory at the

Battle of Crug Mawr The Battle of Crug Mawr (), sometimes referred to as the Battle of Cardigan, took place in September or October 1136, as part of a Norman invasion of Wales, struggle between the Welsh people, Welsh and Normans for control of Ceredigion, West W ...

in 1136, the Norman King of England would control much of the Welsh borders and southern agricultural land by the 12th century. This led to Wales being split in two, with one area becoming the Marcher Lordships and the area under Welsh rule known as "Pura Wallia".

Henry I of England Henry I ( – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in 1087, Henr ...

would invite Flemish immigrants into Pembrokeshire, where they established a cloth industry. While the original invaders spoke

Norman French Norman or Norman French (, , Guernésiais: , Jèrriais: ) is a '' langue d'oïl'' spoken in the historical and cultural region of Normandy. The name "Norman French" is sometimes also used to describe the administrative languages of '' Angl ...

, the Cambro-Norman settlements in Wales became English speaking communities.

In Ireland

Some Irish historians prefer to use this term instead of Anglo-Norman because many of the knights who invaded Ireland in 1170, such as the FitzGeralds, originated from and settled in modern-day Wales, following the Norman conquest. South Wales was under Anglo-Norman,

Plantagenet The House of Plantagenet ( /plænˈtædʒənət/ ''plan-TAJ-ə-nət'') was a royal house which originated from the French county of Anjou. The name Plantagenet is used by modern historians to identify four distinct royal houses: the Angev ...

control at this point in history and the Cambro-Normans living in south Wales owed their allegiance to

Henry II Henry II may refer to: Kings * Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014 *Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154 *Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...

, from Le Mans and not a native Welsh prince, and therefore are often confused with Anglo-Normans due to their allegiance. Contemporary Irish accounts of this period erroneously called the incomers ''Saxain'', which means "

Saxon The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

", i.e. "English". In addition to such Cambro-Norman lords, some of Ireland's most common names, including

Walsh Walsh may refer to: People and fictional characters * Walsh (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters Places Australia * Mount Walsh, Mount Walsh National Park Canada * Fort Walsh, one of the first Royal Canadian Mounted ...

and

Griffith Griffith may refer to: People * Griffith (name) * Griffith (surname) * Griffith (given name) Places Antarctica * Mount Griffith, Ross Dependency * Griffith Peak (Antarctica), Marie Byrd Land * Griffith Glacier, Marie Byrd Land * Griffith Ridge, ...

, came from indigenous Welsh families who came with the Norman invasion. (The surname "Walsh" itself, or in Irish , "Briton", means "Welshman", and was applied by the Irish to Welsh who did not have a surname, as well as to particular Cambro-Norman lords.) Other indigenous Welsh surnames, such as Taaffe which came at this time, became very important families within the Pale. Some well-known Cambro-Norman families include the Butlers, the JoycesStokes, George Thomas. ''Ireland and the Anglo-Norman Church: A History of Ireland and Irish Christianity from the Anglo-Norman Conquest to the Dawn of the Reformation''. Hodder and Stoughton, 1897. Original from the University of California. p. 334. and the Barretts.

References

{{reflist

External links

Cambro-Norman invasion of Ireland
Cambro-Normans Normans Ethnic groups in Ireland Lordship of Ireland

In Wales

In Ireland

See also

References

External links