The Penmachno Document was a letters patent drawn up at
Penmachno in Gwynedd and signed 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 a minor noble named 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
Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...
as well as lord of Snowdonia (this refers to the Welsh tradition that Snowdonia was the seat of power for previous Welsh princes).
Notable signatories
The document was signed by a number of prominent persons in north Wales society, including three descendants of
Ednyfed Fychan and the
seneschal
The word ''seneschal'' () can have several different meanings, all of which reflect certain types of supervising or administering in a historic context. Most commonly, a seneschal was a senior position filled by a court appointment within a royal, ...
of two earlier princes of Wales. One of them, 'Tudur ab Gronw' or
Tudur Hen, is described as 'our steward' in the document, suggesting that Madog had (or intended to) reconstitute the prince's council on which the governance of Wales rested until the loss of independence in 1283.
As
Edward I
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 125 ...
'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.
See also
*
Madog ap Llywelyn
*
Kingdom of Gwynedd
The Kingdom of Gwynedd (Medieval Latin: ; Middle Welsh: ) was a Wales in the Early Middle Ages, Welsh kingdom and a Roman Empire Succession of states, successor state that emerged in sub-Roman Britain in the 5th century during the Anglo-Saxon ...
References
{{reflist, 1
Medieval documents of Wales
Bro Machno