1780 Ladies of Llangollen

The Ladies of Llangollen were two upper-class women from Ireland whose relationship scandalised and fascinated their contemporaries. Eleanor Charlotte Butler (1739 - 1829) was a member of one of the dynastic families of Ireland, the Butlers, the Earls (and later Dukes) of Ormond. Sarah Ponsonby (1755 - 1831) lived with relatives in Woodstock, County Kilkenny. Their families lived only 3 km (2 mi) from each other. They met in 1768, and quickly became friends. Rather than face the possibility of being forced into unwanted marriages, they left County Kilkenny together in 1778. Their families hunted them down and forcefully tried to make them give up their plans - in vain. They decided to move to England, but ended up in Wales and set up home at Plas Newydd.

1759 Dowlais Ironworks

The Dowlais Ironworks was a major ironworks and steelworks located at Dowlais near Merthyr Tydfil. The other were Cyfarthfa, Plymouth, and Penydarren Ironworks. Founded in the 18th century, it operated until the end of the 20th, at one time in the 19th century being the largest steel producer in the UK. There were nine original partners including Thomas Lewis and Isaac Wilkinson. Dowlais Ironworks were the first business to license the Bessemer process, using it to produce steel in 1865.

1736 Flat Holm Lighthouse

Flat Holm (Welsh - Ynys Echni) is a limestone island lying in the Bristol Channel approximately 6 km (4 mi) from Lavernock Point in the Vale of Glamorgan. It includes the most southerly point of Wales. The first light on the island was a simple brazier mounted on a wooden frame, which stood on the high eastern part of the island. In 1735 Mr. William Crispe of Bristol submitted a proposal to build a lighthouse at his own expense. This initial proposal failed but negotiations resumed in 1736 when 60 soldiers drowned after their vessel crashed on the Wolves rocks near Flat Holm. Following this disaster, the Society of Merchant Venturers finally supported William Crispe's proposal.

1725 Apothecary Silvanus Bevan

Silvanus Bevan (1691 - 1765) was born in Swansea, into a prosperous Welsh Quaker family. He was an apothecary, who founded the London firm of Allen & Hanburys. He left Swansea as a young man, and moved to Cheapside, in London. The business was founded in 1715 in Old Plough Court, Lombard Street, London. In the nineteenth century, under William Allen and the Hanbury family, Allen & Hanburys became one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in London. In 1725, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, on the proposal of Isaac Newton. Although he spoke Welsh badly, in 1762 he was elected a member of the Cymmrodorion.

1702 The Welch Regiment of Fusiliers

The Royal Welch Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. The regiment was numbered as the 23rd Regiment of Foot, though it was one of the first regiments to be granted the honour of a fusilier title and so was known as The Welch Regiment of Fusiliers from 1702. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II and to take part in the imminent war with France. The regiment primarily recruited from North Wales. It should not be confused with the Welch Regiment, which recruited from South and West Wales.

1699 Bryn Celli Ddu plundered by grave robbers

Bryn Celli Ddu is a prehistoric site on the Welsh island of Anglesey located near Llanddaniel Fab. Its name means "the mound in the dark grove". The monument is generally considered to be one of the finest passage tombs in Wales. Unlike many stone chambered tombs, this not only has a complete passage and burial chamber, but is also buried under a mound or cairn. Several unusual stones are at the site. Free-standing inside the burial chamber is a smooth stone pillar, some 2 m (6.6 ft) high, with a very rounded shape. Shaped stones of this sort are very rare.

1669 Henry Morgan

Sir Henry Morgan (Welsh - Henry Morgan, ca. 1635 - 1688) was a British privateer, buccaneer, and admiral of the Royal Navy. He made himself famous during activities in the Caribbean, primarily raiding Spanish settlements. He earned a reputation as one of the most notorious and successful privateers in history, and one of the most ruthless among those active along the Spanish Main. The pirate captain Henry Morgan frequently used the little island as a base for his operations. He planned and staged many of his largest raids from Isla Vaca (current name Île-à-Vache), and lost multiple ships in the island's waters which have recently been found and explored by research divers.

1636 The three-arch stone bridge

Pont Fawr, at Llanrwst is narrow three-arch stone bridge that is said to have been designed by Inigo Jones, was built in 1636 by Sir John Wynn of Gwydir Castle. The bridge connects the town with Gwydir, a manor house dating from 1492, the 15th-century courthouse known as Tu Hwnt i'r Bont and also with the road from nearby Trefriw. Llanrwst is a small town and community on the A470 road and the River Conwy in Conwy County Borough. It takes its name from the 5th- to 6th-century Saint Grwst, "church or parish" llan "of St Grwst".

1604 Thomas Myddelton becomes Sheriff of London

Sir Thomas Myddelton (1550 - 1631) was the fourth son of Richard Myddelton, Governor of Denbigh, and Jane Dryhurst. He divided his time between London and Wales (Chirk Castle). He was a member of the Grocers' Company, a member of Parliament and a founder member of the East India Company, Sheriff of London in 1604 and Lord Mayor of London in 1613. His brother, Sir Hugh Myddleton, was instrumental in the creation of the New River which supplied London with fresh water from 1613. Along with Rowland Heylyn, Myddelton financed the publication of a Welsh language Bible suitable for everyday use.

1588 Bible translations into Welsh

Bible translations into Welsh have existed since at least the 15th century. Several 19th century sources mention that a translation from the Latin Vulgate was in existence in 1470. The most widely used translation of the Bible into Welsh for several centuries was the 1588 translation by William Morgan, as revised in 1620. An original copy of the Welsh Bible is displayed in St Asaph Cathedral, in St Asaph, North Wales. It was used at the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales in 1969. A new translation, Y Beibl Cymraeg Newydd (BCN), was published in 1988 and revised in 2004.

1546 The first printed book in Welsh

Yny lhyvyr hwnn was the first book to be printed in the Welsh language. It was written by John Price of Brecon, printed in London by Edward Whitchurch, and published in 1546. Sir John Prise (also Prys, Price, in Welsh - Syr Siôn ap Rhys, ca. 1502 - 1555) was a Welsh public notary, who acted as a royal agent and visitor of the monasteries. The National Library of Wales hold the only known copy of Yny lhyvyr hwnn. It was part of the foundation collection that Sir John Williams donated to the Library in 1908.

1541 Foundation of Christ College

Christ College, Brecon was founded by Royal Charter in 1541 by King Henry VIII. The Chapel and dining hall date from the 13th century when the site was occupied by a Dominican order Priory. It is a co-educational, boarding and day independent school, located in the market town of Brecon in mid-Wales. It currently caters for pupils aged 7–18 years. In September 2014 the school extended the age range that it caters for when it welcomed day pupils aged 7–11 into its new Junior section, St Nicholas House.

1535 Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542

The Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 (Welsh - Y Deddfau Cyfreithiau yng Nhgymru 1535 a 1542) were parliamentary measures by which Wales became a full and equal part of the Kingdom of England and the legal system of England was extended to Wales and the norms of English administration introduced. Before these Acts, Wales was excluded from Parliamentary representation and divided between the Principality of Wales, and a large number of feudal statelets; the marcher lordships. The Acts were passed during the reign of King Henry VIII of England, who came from the Welsh Tudor dynasty.

1517 Lady Catherine Gordon

Lady Catherine Gordon (c. 1474 - 1537) was a Scottish noblewoman. She had a total of four husbands, but there are no records she had any surviving children. After her imprisonment by King Henry VII of England, she became a favoured lady-in-waiting of his wife, Elizabeth of York. A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a court, royal or feudal, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman and is considered more of a companion to her mistress than a servant. In 1517, she married her third husband, Matthew Craddock of Swansea, who died c. 1531. He bequeathed her an income from the lands of Dinas Powys and Llanedeyrn near Cardiff.

1485 Henry Tudor last Welsh-born King of England

Henry VII of England (Henry Tudor, 2nd Earl of Richmond, Welsh - Harri Tudur, 1457 - 1509) was King of England, ruled the Principality of Wales (until 1489) and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown in 1485 until his death. Henry won the throne when his forces defeated the forces of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, the culmination of the Wars of the Roses. Henry was the last king of England to win his throne on the field of battle. He founded the Tudor dynasty and, after a reign of nearly 24 years, was peacefully succeeded by his son, Henry VIII.

1435 Owen Tudor imprisoned

Sir Owen Tudor (Welsh - Owain ap Maredudd ap Tudur, c. 1400 - 1461) was a Welsh courtier and the second husband of Catherine of Valois (1401 - 1437), Henry V's widow. He was the grandfather of Henry VII, founder of the Tudor dynasty. Following Queen Catherine's death, Owen Tudor lost the protection from the statute on dowager queen's remarriage and was imprisoned in Newgate Prison. In 1438 he escaped but was later recaptured and held in the custody of the constable of Windsor Castle. In 1439 Henry VI of England granted him a general pardon, restoring his goods and lands.

1409 Harlech Castle captured

Harlech Castle is a medieval fortification, constructed atop a spur of rock close to the Irish Sea. It was built by Edward I during his invasion of Wales (1282 - 1289). Over the next few centuries, the castle played an important part in several wars, withstanding the siege of Madog ap Llywelyn (1294 - 95), but falling to Owain Glyndŵr in 1404. It then became Glyndŵr's residence and military headquarters for the remainder of the uprising until being recaptured by English forces in 1409. During the 15th century Wars of the Roses, Harlech was held by the Lancastrians for seven years, before Yorkist troops forced its surrender in 1468. UNESCO considers Harlech to be one of "the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe", and it is classed as a World Heritage site.

1403 Battle of Stalling Down

The Battle of Stalling Down is a battle between the supporters of the Welsh leader Owain Glyndŵr and those of King Henry IV of England. It was part of the Glyndŵr Rising or Welsh Revolt of 1400 - 1415. The exact site of the battle and the precise details of the action are not known. The general site is known locally as Bryn Owain, meaning Owain's Hill. The battle is said to have lasted 18 hours and resulted in an appalling defeat for the King's army. The English army retreated through Cardiff pursued by the Welsh, in a thunderstorm and terrible conditions including flooding.

1399 Henry of Monmouth Prince of Wales

Henry V (1387 - 1422) was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35. After his father's death, Henry assumed control of the country and embarked on war with France in the ongoing Hundred Years' War (1337 - 1453). His military successes culminated in his famous victory at the Battle of Agincourt (1415, northern France). After months of negotiation with Charles VI of France, the Treaty of Troyes (1420) recognized Henry V as regent and heir-apparent to the French throne, and he was subsequently married to Charles's daughter, Catherine of Valois. Following Henry V's sudden and unexpected death in France two years later, he was succeeded by his infant son, who reigned as Henry VI.

1343 Edward, the Black Prince

Edward of Woodstock (after his birthplace, 1330 - 1376), was the eldest son of King Edward III and Philippa of Hainault, and the father of King Richard II of England. He was the first Duke of Cornwall (from 1337), the Prince of Wales (from 1343) and the Prince of Aquitaine (1362 - 72). Since the 16th century has been popularly known as the Black Prince. He was an exceptional military leader, and his victories over the French at the Battles of Crécy and Poitiers made him very popular during his lifetime. In 1348 he became the first Knight of the Garter, of whose order he was one of the founders.

1339 Farndon Bridge

Farndon Bridge crosses the River Dee and the England-Wales border between the villages of Farndon, Cheshire, England and Holt, Wales. The bridge was built in 1339 by Monks from St Werburgh's Abbey Chester. It originally had ten arches with a large gate tower on the fifth arch. In the 18th century the tower was demolished and two of the arches on the Welsh side were lost. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and is a scheduled monument ("nationally important" archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change). The bridge is reputedly haunted by the ghosts of a Welsh prince's two murdered sons, who were drowned in the river.

1327 Edward II of England

Edward II (1284 - 1327), also called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. In 1308, he married Isabella of France, the daughter of the powerful King Philip IV. When Isabella was sent to France to negotiate a peace treaty in 1325, she turned against Edward and refused to return. Isabella allied herself with the exiled Roger Mortimer, and invaded England with a small army in 1326. Edward's regime collapsed and he fled into Wales, where he was captured in November. He was forced to relinquish his crown in January 1327 in favour of his fourteen year old son, Edward III.

1272 Fortified stone Monnow Bridge

Monnow Bridge in Monmouth, is the only remaining mediaeval fortified river bridge in Great Britain with its gate tower still standing in place. It crosses the River Monnow some 500m above its confluence with the River Wye. The stone bridge is constructed of Old Red Sandstone, with three arches on hexagonal piers forming pointed cutwaters. The gatehouse, called Monnow Gate, which gives Monnow Bridge its remarkable and noteworthy appearance, was added at the end of the 13th or start of the 14th century, a few years after the bridge itself was built.

1268 Caerphilly Castle

Caerphilly Castle (Welsh - Castell Caerffili) is a medieval fortification in Caerphilly in South Wales. The castle was constructed by Gilbert de Clare in the 13th century as part of his campaign to conquer Glamorgan, and saw extensive fighting between Gilbert and his descendants and the native Welsh rulers. It occupies around 30 acres (12 ha) and is the second largest castle in Britain. In the late 15th century, however, it fell into decline and by the 16th century the lakes had drained away and the walls were robbed of their stone. The Marquesses of Bute acquired the property in 1776 and under the third and fourth Marquesses extensive restoration took place.

1241 Treaty of Gwerneigron

Treaty of Gwerneigron was a peace treaty signed by Henry III, king of England and Dafydd ap Llywelyn, prince of Wales of the House of Gwynedd, in August. The treaty brought to an end Henry's invasion of Wales. In it, and the Treaty of London which followed in October, Dafydd agreed to cede large parts of modern-day Flintshire to Henry. The treaty also obliged Dafydd to hand over his half-brother, Gruffudd ap Llywelyn Fawr, to Henry, who promptly imprisoned him in the Tower of London.

1216 Llywelyn the Great

Llywelyn the Great (Welsh - Llywelyn Fawr, c. 1172 - 1240) was a Prince of Gwynedd in north Wales. By a combination of war and diplomacy he dominated Wales for 40 years. He was sole ruler of Gwynedd by 1200 and made a treaty with King John of England that year. Llywelyn's relations with John remained good for the next ten years. He married John's natural daughter Joan in 1205. By 1216, he was the dominant power in Wales, holding a council at Aberdyfi that year to apportion lands to the other princes.

1170 Cistercian monastery of Strata Marcella

The Abbey of Strata Marcella (Welsh - Abaty Ystrad Marchell) was a medieval Cistercian monastery situated at Ystrad Marchell on the west bank of the River Severn near Welshpool, Powys. It was founded in 1170 by Owain Cyfeiliog Prince of Powys, as a daughter house of the Abbey at Whitland. Building work continued until the early 13th century, by which time Strata Marcella had become the largest Cistercian Abbey in Wales.

1130 Construction of Painscastle

Painscastle (Welsh - Castell-paen) is a castle in Powys, Wales and also a village which takes its name from the castle. It lies approximately 3 miles from the Wales-England border today. The ground plan is rectangular and Roman artifacts have been found at the site. The first castle would appear to have been built by Pain FitzJohn. He was killed by a Welsh raiding party in 1137 and Elfael in which Painscastle stands, was taken over by the native Welsh ruler, Madog ab Idnerth.

1102 Castellan of Pembroke Castle

Gerald de Windsor (c. 1075 - 1135), or Gerald FitzWalter of Windsor, was the first castellan of Pembroke Castle in Dyfed, and the Norman chieftain in charge of the Norman forces in southwest Wales.  He was a younger son of Walter FitzOtho by his wife, Beatrice. Gerald had at least three older brothers, William, Robert, and Maurice, and possibly several sisters as well. Gerald's wife Nest ferch Rhys was a Welsh princess, daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr, last King of Deheubarth. Through her the Fitzgeralds are related to Welsh royalty and to the Tudors.

1092 Bishop of Bangor

Hervey le Breton (died in 1131) was a Breton cleric who became Bishop of Bangor in Wales and later Bishop of Ely in England. He was appointed  Bishop of Bangor in 1092 by King William II of England. Bangor at the time was in the Kingdom of Gwynedd, which had recently been overrun by the Normans, and following the killing of Robert of Rhuddlan had been taken over by Hugh d'Avranches, 1st Earl of Chester. The appointment of Hervey was probably intended to further consolidate the Norman hold on the area.

1067 Chepstow Castle

Chepstow Castle (Welsh - Cas-gwent), located in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, in Wales, on top of cliffs overlooking the River Wye, is the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification in Britain and it was the southernmost of a chain of castles built along the English-Welsh border in the Welsh Marches. Its construction was begun under the instruction of the Norman Lord William FitzOsbern, soon made Earl of Hereford, from 1067. The castle ruins are Grade I listed as at 6 December 1950.

920 King of Deheubarth

Hywel Dda (English - Hywel the Good; or Hywel ap Cadell, c. 880 - 950) was a King of Deheubarth who eventually came to rule most of Wales. He became the sole king of Seisyllwg in 920 and shortly thereafter established Deheubarth, and proceeded to gain control over the entire country from Prestatyn to Pembroke. Hywel is highly esteemed among other medieval Welsh rulers. His name is particularly linked with the codification of traditional Welsh law, which were thenceforth known as the Laws of Hywel Dda. The office building and original home of the National Assembly for Wales is named Tŷ Hywel (“Hywel House” or “Hywel's House”) in honour of Hywel Dda.

844 Rhodri the Great

Rhodri ap Merfyn (Welsh - Rhodri Mawr, c. 820 - 878), later known as Rhodri the Great, succeeded his father, Merfyn Frych, as King of Gwynedd in 844. Rhodri annexed Powys c. 856 and Seisyllwg c. 871. He is called "King of the Britons" by the Annals of Ulster. In some later histories, he is referred to as "King of Wales", although the title is anachronistic and his realm did not include southern Wales.

720 Battle of Pencon

The Battle of Pencon or Pencoed was a battle won by the Britons. The Chronicle of the Princes places the battle in AD 720. The Annals of Wales are undated but Phillimore placed the following entry in the year 722. Castell Pen-y-Coed, an earthwork in Carmarthenshire, Wales has been suggested as the possible site of the battle of Pencon.

633 Battle of Heavenfield

The Battle of Heavenfield was fought in 633 or 634 between a Northumbrian army under Oswald of Bernicia and a Welsh army under Cadwallon ap Cadfan of Gwynedd. The battle resulted in a decisive Northumbrian victory. The Annales Cambriae (Annals of Wales) record the battle as Bellum Cantscaul in 631. Oswald was only to spend eight years upon the Northumbrian throne before he was defeated and killed by King Penda of Mercia at the Battle of Maserfield, in Shropshire. Oswald was succeeded as king of Northumbria by his brother Oswiu.