Edward I in Wales:

Edward I in Wales: Wardrobe and Household Records 1282-4

(A large project being completed and prepared for publication by Dr Susan J. Davies)

The task of completing and preparing these medieval records for publication has fallen to me because I was involved in the original effort through the 1990s. It originated when Dr. Arnold J. Taylor, former Chief Inspector of Ancient Monuments in England & Wales, began in the 1970s to identify relevant records from 1282-4 relating to Wales, but poor health prevented editorial progress. It was therefore transferred to Aberystwyth University in 1992 with support from the late Professor Sir Rees Davies, then head of History here, as a collaborative project between the Public Record Office (PRO) and the Department of History & Welsh History. The late Dr. Ron Walker and I were appointed external editors by the PRO and proceeded to prepare document transcriptions and introductions. The work was then interrupted by a new link at the PRO in 2002 who said we should edit in ‘the old way’, although our approach had been agreed and approved as more helpful. From the starting point I was responsible for writing and storing correspondence, minutes of meetings and completed work, and everything was safely retained. Sadly, Ron Walker died shortly after the project was disrupted in 2002, and it was difficult to raise the subject at the PRO/The National Archives (TNA) at that point. Discussion with senior TNA staff was not possible before July 2019 and resulted in their full support for completion and the agreed editorial method, which they see as important for helping today’s researchers to understand these early records which offer unique details about Edward I’s military campaign and political conquest in Wales. Providing English introductions with all necessary details, and a numbering system for documents and subsections to assist indexing and cross referencing is welcomed by the current medieval records specialists at TNA who know that using these records is beyond all but the most experienced researchers who have palaeographical training, so this edition will engage wider public understanding. It will be a new pathway to increase academic and public engagement with the records of Edward I’s campaigns in Wales, and be a model for training and records workshops, helping today’s researchers to understand these early records. The project also remains a collaborative effort between the Dept. of History & Welsh History at Aberystwyth and PRO/TNA. The earliest similar records already published are B.F. & C.R. Byerly’s Records of the Wardrobe & Household 1285-1286; 1286-1289, (2 vols., HMSO, 1977&1986), which span the subsequent years and contain nine documents relating to Wales but are presented in a traditional way. What are Wardrobe and Household records and what do they contain? The medieval royal Household was peripatetic, so it included clerks who could record financial accounts as well as prepare formal correspondence. The Wardrobe was a room next to the King’s Chamber and used to store precious items, and its staff also assisted the king by preparing financial accounts and formal correspondence. Wardrobe and Household records are therefore among the earliest key records of royal government and were created ‘on the move’ which makes them particularly important. However, they require understanding of contemporary living conditions, travel and contemporary events, which is why this project includes an English introduction for each document to enable today’s researchers to access the contents.

This project includes 100 documents with English introductions and best practice in transcription. Almost all are financial accounts of Edward I’s military campaign and conquest in Wales during 1282-4 and contain details not recorded elsewhere. Most are in Medieval Latin and a few in Anglo-Norman French, and the content ranges from troops, tactics, transport, food and military supplies to castle building, horses, shipping, diplomacy and gifts. Details of place names and individuals are also significant, especially the Welsh names. Introductory sections to the whole work describe the project, medieval recordkeeping, editorial methods, and Edward’s 1282-4 Welsh campaign, and include a full bibliography. Appendices list technical terms, and details of Edward’s itinerary during this period which have not been published.

These documents also demonstrate how accounting developed in central royal government. They began in the 13th century, when a central Secretariat (the Chancery) and Finance office (the Exchequer) took shape and soon settled in London as business grew. Yet, the King’s Household remained peripatetic, and this project’s records were created while he travelled around during his Welsh campaign and conquest in 1282-4. They are largely complete, apart from some relating to Anglesey and Montgomery which are missing, and are the earliest of their kind to be prepared for publication. The originals are also separate parchment documents, but within a few years it would become normal to enter many accounts in parchment volumes.

These documents are excellent examples of early accounts produced by central royal government and deal with diverse costs, which all relate to Edward’s activities during 1282- 4. He is noted for conquering Wales and exerting power elsewhere, as well as overseas Crusading activities, which led to meeting Master James of St George, his master builder with expertise in castles who played a key role in Wales. Yet, primary sources are scarce, and Welsh historians now raise questions about what actually happened and the impact, such as David Stephenson in Medieval Wales c.1050-1332: Centuries of Ambiguity, (2019).

These accounts are the only substantial primary sources relating to Edward’s conquest of Wales, what happened, who was involved and its effects, and are are an extraordinary ‘data bank’ of detail for better understanding of events and their impact. For example, without modern roads, transport depended on horses and ships, communication on human messengers, and money on the transfer of heavy coinage on horseback with armed protection, so the details are fascinating. They range from castle and town construction around north Wales down to Aberystwyth, to building supplies, skilled craftsmen – including miners from the Forest of Dean to dig the moat at Caernarfon castle -, military and food supplies, the healthcare and value of horses, travel routes, senior figures in the king’s service, military recruitment, Gascon soldiers, mobile tents and ‘pavilions’, and methods of financing major military action, including Italian merchant bankers. We also discover the needs of the Queen and her children, including gardens at Rhuddlan and Caernarfon castles. Interests range from military to financial, food and maritime, and the people involved.

These accounts contain full original detail, but some suffered physical damage from being carried around and poorly stored. Their content touches all aspects of Edward’s activities during 1282-4. Written in abbreviated script on parchment membranes, some are in roll format, up to 20 membranes being sewn together end to end. All numbers are Roman numerals, mainly using pounds Sterling (£.s.d.) and Marks. Yet, their early date and immense detail is fascinating. Many are basic and clear, such as those recording payment of soldiers, workmen and messengers and the purchase of supplies. Every cost was recorded at a suitable time, and interesting extras appear, such as Edward and his Queen’s visit to St David’s late in 1284 when they instructed bishop Thomas Bek to enhance St David’s shrine, for which the king made an initial contribution of £36 13s.4d. (almost £43k today). Edward also purchased gold for his goldsmith to create three splendid statuettes for the shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury, costing £347 at the time which, by today, is nearly £500,000. Many financial gifts to monasteries and churches, and sick and poor people are also noted, including Edward’s decision to melt down the seal matrices of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, his wife and brother Dafydd to make a chalice for Vale Royal monastery, and how he received the ‘Croes Naid’, the most valuable relic owned by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and containing part of the true cross. Details of transport are equally fascinating – whether on horseback, or horse and cart or boat, also the need to enlarge/repair water mills to grind grain into flour and obtain food supplies from mainland Europe and Ireland. Also fascinating is how Edward financed the war and activities, including assistance from the Riccardi of Lucca.

Completing a large editorial project based on medieval records is not easy after many years have passed, or when a team contributed to the work. Developments in word processing, as well as non-automated footnotes and superscript letters are all problematic – most needing individual correction - but also the different approaches of individuals. Updating ‘doc’ files does not help with these issues. Other hazards include the effect of someone becoming unwell, resulting in errors or repetition of text. It has therefore taken more time than expected to check and correct everything, including word-processed typescript made from hand-written transcripts but not checked!

It is hard to believe that checking documents is now complete – including checking some alongside a facsimile of the original, for which one large document of 20 parchment membranes (160 typed pages) occupied the whole floor in a spacious room and resulted in important changes! The remaining work, which I have already drafted, includes ‘Front Matter’ to explain the project and describe the records and editorial methods, the bibliography and reference list, and a wonderful historical account of Edward I’s activities 1282-4 written by Professor Emeritus Beverley Smith who used the records for this purpose. Indexing will require a grant and expertise in medieval Latin and Anglo-Norman French.

Susan J. Davies (sud@aber.ac.uk)

June 2021