History of Wales

The Wales has been inhabited by the human modern ones for at least 29.000 years. The places were inhabited continuously since the last Glaciation. One finds there several testimonys of the Neolithic , especially of the tombs, as well as Bronze Age and age of iron. The written history starts with the Romains which launch a campaign against the Deceangli in 48.

Independent history

The Romains established some fortified towns in the south of the country and in its Western part, as in Caerfyrddin/Carmarthen (Maridunum). They also built the large fortress of Caerleon (Isca), where the amphitheater best preserved of Great Britain is.

The Saxons always failed to conquer Wales, as well because of the mountainous ground, as of the keen resistance of the Welsh people. One of the Saxon kings, Offa de Mercie ends up setting up a large ground wall, “Offa' S Dyke”, at the border of its country, to delimit the part of the area of Powys which it had just conquered. Certain vestiges of this construction are still visible. The Anglo-Saxons end up dominating the country, but this domination was more progressive than the conquest of England by William the Conqueror in 1066. Started with the Saxon ones, at the 6th century, the conquest of Wales was completed only in 1282 on a battle field, with the victory of Edouard I {{er}} over Llywelyn the Last, the last independent prince. To sit his domination, Edouard builds in the area several large castles, of which that of Caernarfon, that of Conwy or that of Harlech.

The country remained Celtic and the use of the Welsh language always remained, while at the same time in England and in Scotland, the use of the Celtic languages was lost or largely decreased.

The English word to indicate this country, Wales , is resulting from the word Germanique Walh which results in “speaking a Celtic or Romance language” (whereas the Welsh word means " compatriote"). One finds this term in other languages and other areas to indicate populations speaking a Celtic or Romance language, or the grounds where they live.

Place in the history of the United Kingdom

The conquest of Wales

With the medieval time, Wales is divided into several independent kingdoms controlled by local princes. The Normands, which invade England at the 11th century, do not leave Wales in remainder and quickly start to found seigniories in the oriental party of the country. In reaction, the Welsh, who still control the north and the west of Wales, link themselves around chiefs as Llywelyn Large the which described itself like “ prince of the north of Wales ” ( prince off all North Wales ) in 1199.

In 1282, the king Edouard I {{er}} of England (1272 - 1307) conquers the last Welsh independent principalities, in the north and the west of the country (a territory which corresponds today to the counties of Anglesey, Caernarfonshire, Merionethshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire). Two years later, the Statut of Rhuddlan establishes officially the domination of Edouard on Wales. The septentrional part of Wales, the old kingdom of the king Llywelyn ap Gruffyd, becomes a principality. For appaiser the Welsh, Edouard Ier name his son (the future Edouard II, born in Wales) “ prince de Galles ” the February 7th 1301. Wales takes the statute of a principality, which it officially held between 1284 and 1536. From this time the tradition goes up consisting in calling “prince () of Wales” the heir (- era) to the British throne.

Between 1284 and 1536, the king of England has only one indirect control on the principality, the “ Lords ” of the steps (sovereigns on seigniories in the east and the south of Wales) are independent of the direct control of the crown. The capacities of the lords of the steps ends in 1535 when the political and administrative union between England and Wales is accomplished. The Act of Union ( Laws in Wales Act ), under Henri VIII, appendix Wales in England. The Welsh steps are divided in the Comté S of Brecon, Denbigh, Monmouth, Montgomery and Radnor, certain parts are added to Gloucester, Hereford and Salop (in the successive laws of 1542, Monmouthshire is not mentioned, which gave him an ambiguous statute between England and Wales). The Welsh legal system definitively is abolished, and replaced by the Common law ; the Welsh language is banished of all the official documents. The Comtés of Wales from now on are represented with the English Parlement.

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