Catrin ferch Owain Glyndwr
Encyclopedia
Catrin ferch Owain Glyndŵr (died 1413) was one of the daughters (probably the eldest) of Margaret Hanmer
and Owain Glyndŵr
.
royal house of Powys Fadog
of the Mathrafal
line, led a major revolt in Wales between 1400 and c.1416, taking the title of "Prince of Wales".
Little is known about any of the children of Owain Glyndŵr but the Welsh bard
Lewis Glyn Cothi, although writing some years later, described Gwenllian, a (probably illegitimate) sister of Catrin, as 'Gwenllian of the golden locks' and 'Gwenllian of the house of drifted snow'.
, an unransomed hostage who had made an alliance with her father in 1402. Her husband would die during the siege of Harlech Castle
in 1409.
Catrin was subsequently captured alongside her three daughters. They, as well as her mother and one of her sisters, were taken to the Tower of London
. The deaths of Catrin and her daughters are recorded, and their burial at St Swithin's Church
in London.
.
Her mother's fate is not known; it is known only that Margaret Hanmer outlived Catrin.
In 2003 an exhibition was held at the National Library of Wales
to celebrate Catrin's legacy, and a short poem was composed in her memory by Menna Elfyn
. A play, Catrin Glyndwr by Heledd Bianchi, was premièred in 2004.
Margaret Hanmer
Margaret Hanmer , sometimes known by her Welsh name of Marred ferch Dafydd, was the wife of Owain Glyndŵr and was thus, technically, Princess of Wales for the time her husband was known by the title of Prince of Wales...
and Owain Glyndŵr
Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
.
Lineage
Glyndŵr, a prince of the old WelshWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
royal house of Powys Fadog
Powys Fadog
Powys Fadog or Lower Powys was the northern portion of the former princely realm of Powys which split in two following the death of Madog ap Maredudd of Powys in 1160...
of the Mathrafal
Mathrafal
Mathrafal near Welshpool, in Powys, Mid Wales, was the seat of the Kings and Princes of Powys probably from the 9th century until its destruction in 1212 by Llywelyn ap Iorwerth of Gwynedd.- Location :...
line, led a major revolt in Wales between 1400 and c.1416, taking the title of "Prince of Wales".
Little is known about any of the children of Owain Glyndŵr but the Welsh bard
Bard
In medieval Gaelic and British culture a bard was a professional poet, employed by a patron, such as a monarch or nobleman, to commemorate the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities.Originally a specific class of poet, contrasting with another class known as fili in Ireland...
Lewis Glyn Cothi, although writing some years later, described Gwenllian, a (probably illegitimate) sister of Catrin, as 'Gwenllian of the golden locks' and 'Gwenllian of the house of drifted snow'.
Marriage and death
Catrin ferch Owain Glyndwr married Edmund MortimerEdmund Mortimer, son of the 3rd Earl
Edmund Mortimer , was the second son of Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March by his wife Philippa Plantagenet, and is the best-known of the various Edmund Mortimers because of his role in the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr...
, an unransomed hostage who had made an alliance with her father in 1402. Her husband would die during the siege of Harlech Castle
Harlech Castle
Harlech Castle, located in Harlech, Gwynedd, Wales, is a concentric castle, constructed atop a cliff close to the Irish Sea. Architecturally, it is particularly notable for its massive gatehouse....
in 1409.
Catrin was subsequently captured alongside her three daughters. They, as well as her mother and one of her sisters, were taken to the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
. The deaths of Catrin and her daughters are recorded, and their burial at St Swithin's Church
St Swithin, London Stone
St Swithin, London Stone was an Anglican Church situated in Cannon Street, City of London. The church gave its name to St Swithin's Lane which runs north from Cannon Street to King William Street....
in London.
Legacy
A memorial to Catrin stands in Cannon Street Gardens, where the church formerly stood; the statue was designed by Nic Stradlyn-John and sculpted by Richard Renshaw, and was unveiled in 2001 by Siân PhillipsSiân Phillips
Jane Elizabeth Ailwên "Siân" Phillips, CBE, is a Welsh actress.-Early life:Phillips was born in Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Neath Port Talbot, Wales, the daughter of Sally , a teacher, and David Phillips, a steelworker-turned-policeman...
.
Her mother's fate is not known; it is known only that Margaret Hanmer outlived Catrin.
In 2003 an exhibition was held at the National Library of Wales
National Library of Wales
The National Library of Wales , Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales; one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies.Welsh is its main medium of communication...
to celebrate Catrin's legacy, and a short poem was composed in her memory by Menna Elfyn
Menna Elfyn
Menna Elfyn is a Welsh poet, playwright, columnist, and editor who writes with passion of the Welsh and identity. She has published ten volumes of poetry and a dozen more of children’s books and anthologies. She has also written eight plays for stage, six radio plays for BBC, two plays for...
. A play, Catrin Glyndwr by Heledd Bianchi, was premièred in 2004.
Further reading
- R. R. DaviesRees DaviesSir Robert Rees Davies CBE , was a noted Welsh historian.He was born in Merionethshire, and educated at Bala grammar school. He was bilingual in Welsh and English. He received a First in his degree from University College, London, where he later returned as a lecturer...
- Owain Glyndwr (OUP, 1995) - Deborah Fisher - Princesses of Wales (Univ of Wales Press, 2005)
- Sir J. E. LloydJohn Edward LloydSir John Edward Lloyd , was a Welsh historian, the author of the first serious history of the country's formative years, A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest, 2 vols...
- Owen Glendower (1931) - Charles Parry - "The Last Mab Darogan" (Novasys, 2010)