Owain Glyndŵr

(Owen of the Glen of Dee Water)

He was born in the year 1354, although the exact date is unknown.
He claimed descent from Llewelyn the Great and the ruling princes of
Wales. “He was a powerful looking man with penetrating brown eyes,
dark brown hair, a dark beard with hints of grey in it, a sharply-defined
nose and battle scars along with a wart under one eye”.
He studied law in London and then served with the forces of Henry
Bolingbroke, an opponent of King Richard II.
Owain married the daughter of an Anglo-Welsh judge, fathering
six sons with remarkable speed, and led a very peaceful life on his
pleasant estates. It was, however, in the late 1930’s that the seeds of
rebellion were sown, following a series of disagreements and disputes
with the English Crown and Parliament concerning the loss of lands and
honour.
In September 1400, a year after Bolingbroke usurped the throne,
Glyndwr’s violent fewd with a neighbour, Reynold Lord Grey of Ruthin,
touched off an uprising in northern Wales. The insurgency became a
national struggle for Welsh independence. Glyndwr formed an alliance
with Henry’s most powerful opponents and by 1404 he had control of
most of Wales. He became the prince of Wales, and he established an
independent Welsh Parliament and began to formulate his own foreign
politics. In 1405, however, the tide of battle turned against him, and he
was twice defeated by Henry IV’s son.
The achievements of Owain Glyndwr consists in becoming the
Prince of Wales at Glyndyfrdwy , he put up a uprising against the
English Crown, although the uprising was successful, it was eventually
put down. He is most known for fighting for Welsh independence and he
was the last Welshman to hold the title “Prince of Wales”.
One of his biggest achievements was to go down in history as the
last stand of Welsh independence.
In conclusion, when we think about Owain Glyndwr, we think of a
man with undisturbed determination and the powerful leader who both
led his men in better and also kept control over a rebellion in times of
political turmoil. Even if this uprising ended in failure, his influence
along the years can’t be denied, as he remained the symbol of Welsh
nationalism all the way in the 19th and 20th century.

Sources: https://www.historic-uk.com
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Owain-Glyn-Dwr

https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/sites/themes/figures/owain_glyndw
r.shtml