Wales Consumed
In March 1282 the dogs of war were unleashed with a vengeance. Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, (knighted Prince of Wales by Henry III on 29 September 1267) grandson of Llywelyn the Great ruler of all Wales, took the field. Llywelyn was accompanied by some of the princes of Powys and Deheubarth rallying to his cause, England's recognition of the independence of Wales. The Prince scored several successes in Gwynedd, and hopes that he would repeat his earlier conquests ran high. But King Edward I (of the Norman dynasty) had determined to solve the Welsh question once and for all. A formidable force assembled--Englishmen, Gascons, Picards, and Welsh 'friendlies.' The King moved methodically, his strategy consisting of converging attacks on Gwynedd. Before any decisive battle could be fought, Llywelyn fell in a skirmish while surveying strategic positions by the river Irfon near Builth, on 11 December 1282. His head was struck off and sent to the King, who caused it to be crowned with ivy and placed on the highest pinnacle of the (London) Tower. The body of the slain prince was buried in the Abbey of Cwm Hir. The golden crown of Arthur and a piece of the 'true Cross' were sent to the King. Llywelyn's brother Dafyd continued to hold out but failed to halt the royal armies as they stormed into the heart of Snowdonia. After April 1283 the rising collapsed, and in June Dafyd fell into the hand of his enemies. In October 1283 in Shrewsbury, he was sentenced to be drawn, hanged, beheaded, disemboweled, and quartered. The lands of the Principality were confiscated and taken into the King's own hands. Wales was under complete English control by the statute of Rhuddlan, 3 March 1284.
- Francis Jones, The Princes and Principality of Wales - University of Wales Press, Cardiff 1969

Grenville Dies
In October 1591, the decks of the Revenge were dangerously slippery in the dark, with the blood of Spaniards and English. At 11:00 pm, Sir Richard Grenville, who had not moved from his post on the upper deck was shot down. He got up and went down to have his wound dressed. As the surgeon worked, another boarding-party leaped on to the deck. Grenville fell back again, with a musket-ball in his body and another in his head. Wounded in three places--fatally wounded--the 'glass eating man of iron' rose to command for England again, once more hurling back the boarding Spaniards. The next morning the little Revenge, still sailing the flag of 'Saint George' fired on another galleon, sinking it. 170 Englishmen in one ship had sunk 4 larger ships. After Grenville had learned of the of the lack of ammunition, he hailed "Then blow up the ship, man! Split and sink her! ... Sink her without delay!" The crew rode away in boats provided by de Bazan, commander of the galleon fleet. Grenville was left alone at his post on the deck of the last ship he would ever command. Later, de Bazan had Grenville's body removed from the Revenge. Grenville spouted, "Do as you like with my body, for I esteem it not!" As de Bazan's flagship, carrying the Devonshire man, sailed for Terceira, Grenville gave up the ghost. Wrapped in canvas, he was dropped to the bottom of the sea, where the gallant Revenge rotted. As Grenville's body sunk, the sea swelled and roared--an earthquake had occurred at the same moment.
- George Herbert Bushnell, Sir Richard Grenville - George G. Harp & Co., Ltd., London 1936

---

Virginian English Massacred
On 22 March 1622, the great catastrophe struck Virginia in the form of a well planned and carefully executed massacre by the Indians under the crafty leadership of Opechancanough, successor to Powhatan (father of Pocahontas). Although the consequences were not enough to threaten the survival of the Colony, they were deeply serious. At least a fourth, if not a third, of all residents lay dead at the end of a single day. Many plantations were abandoned and safety and security became the principal order of the day. It spelled the end of numerous projects such as the production of iron and of enterprises such as the attempt to found a college. Jamestown, given timely warning because of the loyalty of an Indian, Chanco, to his master, saw no damage. In this respect it was one of only a few such areas. It did, however, see some resulting congestion as survivors came in from distant, and even nearby, communities.
- Charles E. Hatch, Jr., Virginia: The First Seventeen Years 1607-1624 - 1991

---

Back Home