Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 14.djvu/209

 received letters of conduct to attend in England to perform homage to the queen and Richard of Cornwall, who were acting as regents during Henry's absence in Gascony (Fœdera, i. 291). This visit to the court where part of his youth was spent may have resulted in the revolt of Davydd in conjunction with Owain against their brother Llewelyn in 1255 (Annales Cambriæ; Brut y Tywysogion gives the date 1254, which is probably wrong). A great battle was fought at Bryn Derwyn between the brothers, where after an hour's hard struggle the rebels were defeated, Owain imprisoned, and Davydd driven from the field. His lands were seized, and he himself seems to have been ultimately captured. In 1257 Henry III made an expedition to Wales and on 25 Aug. issued at Abergele letters patent securing Davydd certain lands in Wales (Pat. 41 Hen. III, m. 3). This may point to a reconciliation of Davydd and Llewelyn, now sole ruler of North Wales. Anyhow, in March 1258 Davydd is mentioned immediately after Llewelyn among the Welsh magnates who formed a confederacy with the Comyns and other Scottish nobles against the king of England (Fœdera, i. 370). In the same year Davydd, in alliance with Maredudd, son of Owain, appeared in South Wales, and near Cilgerran, on the lower Teivi, gained a victory over Patrick de Sayes, Maredudd, son of Rhys Grug, and the marcher lords of south-west Wales. Patrick, who had treacherously advised a sudden attack on the Welsh during a conference, atoned for his crime by death (, v. 717–18). Davydd doubtless took part in the intermittent warfare between Llewelyn and Henry during the next few years. Yet even then some of the Welsh chiefs feared he was likely to maintain the cause of his captive brother Owain, and advised peace with England on that account (ib. v. 727). In 1261 Davydd was a party to the prolongation of a truce at Montgomery (Fœdera, i. 404), and in 1262, on a rumour of Llewelyn's death, Henry wrote to his friends in Wales hastily denying that Davydd had any right or claim to succeed to the principality (ib. i. 420). Yet in 1263 Davydd for a second time revolted from his brother, who was then capturing the royal strongholds of Gwynedd in alliance with the baronial opposition. Davydd now fled to England and took up the king's side. In 1264 he was severely defeated near Chester in an encounter with Robert Ferrers, earl of Derby, a follower of Montfort's (Dunstaple Annals in Annales Monastici, iii. 235). After Evesham, Davydd was rewarded by a grant of all the forfeited lands of the rebel William Boteler (Cal. Rot. Chart. p. 206). He was, however, kept out of Wales until 1267, when, in the definitive peace between Llewelyn and Henry negotiated by the legate Ottobon, it was provided that he should be restored to his possessions as before his secession to the king's side, and still further provision was to be made for him if that did not satisfy him (Fœdera, i. 474).

For years there was now peace between the brothers. In 1273 Davydd is incidentally mentioned as one of Llewelyn's councillors (ib. i. 505), and in 1274 their very dispute about some lands was terminated by a reference to the North-Welsh bishops and Pope Gregory X in a way that might well have given fresh offence to the English government, already impatient at Llewelyn's delay in performing homage to Edward I (ib. i. 515, cf. Preface to Register, ii. xli). Soon after, probably in the course of the same year, Davydd for the third time conspired against his brother. He formed a plot with Gruffudd, son of Gwenwynwyn, lord of Powys, to whose eldest son Owain he married his eldest daughter, and promised the lands of Cydewain and Kerry. It was agreed that Davydd should remain in attendance on his brother, and that, on 2 Feb. 1275 (the year is not certain, but this seems the most probable one; cf. Annales Cambriæ and Brut y Tywysogion, s. a. 1274, and Fœdera, i. 532), Owain should make a sudden attack on the prince's household, on which Davydd should join the assailants. Llewelyn was to be slain and Davydd to receive the principality. But storms and floods prevented Owain's arrival in time. Davydd was betrayed, and escaped to his own lands, whence he waged war against his brother. Owain was seized and a confession extorted from him. Several proposed conferences between the brothers failed to take place. At last Llewelyn seized the lands both of Davydd and Gruffudd, who retreated to Shrewsbury to be under the protection of the English power. In the summer of 1277 Davydd accompanied Edward I in his expedition against Llewelyn. On 16 Aug. Edward from his camp at Flint promised to reward Davydd on the defeat of Llewelyn with half of ‘Snowdon,’ Anglesey, and Penllyn, or all ‘Snowdon’ and Penllyn if the king preferred to keep Anglesey in his own hands. Owain ab Gruffudd, who still remained in Llewelyn's prison, was to share in these spoils, and both princes were to attend the English parliaments like other earls and barons (Fœdera, i. 544). But Llewelyn soon submitted to Edward, and on 10 Nov., through Davydd's mediation (Annales Monastici, iii. 275), a treaty was made between them at Aberconway by which Davydd's lands were