16th century in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the century 1501–1600 to Wales and its people. == Events == 1501 2 October - Catherine of Aragon arrives at Plymouth, England, in readiness for her marriage to the Prince of Wales. 14 November - Arthur, Prince of Wales, marries Catherine of Aragon at St Paul's Cathedral; Catherine thus becomes Princess of Wales. 21 December - The Prince and Princess of Wales leave London for their seat at Ludlow Castle. Sir Richard Pole is among the retinue that accompanies the couple. 1502 March - The Prince and Princess of Wales are both afflicted by an unknown illness, "a malign vapour which proceeded from the air". It would prove fatal for the prince. 4 April - News reaches King Henry VII of England of the death of the Prince of Wales; he is grief-stricken. 23 April - Three weeks after his sudden death, the body of Arthur, Prince of Wales, is removed from Ludlow Castle and taken to the Parish Church of Ludlow. 25 April - The Prince of Wales is buried at the Abbey of St Wulfstan in Worcester. His widow, Catherine, now Dowager Princess of Wales, is too ill to attend her husband's funeral, suffering from the same mystery illness that is thought to have killed him. August William Smyth, Bishop of Lincoln, becomes President of the Council of Wales and the Marches. King Henry VII of England is believed to have visited Troy House, near Monmouth, the home of Blanche Herbert and her second husband, Sir William Herbert, an illegitimate son of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke. 1503 25 June - Catherine of Aragon, Dowager Princess of Wales, is formally betrothed to her brother-in-law, Prince Henry. Catherine comes out of mourning. 1504 18 February - Henry, Duke of York, is invested as Prince of Wales. 30 August - John Penny is appointed Bishop of Bangor. 1505 9 May - Sir William Herbert of Troy (illegitimate son of the late Earl of Pembroke) gives an undertaking to keep the peace with his half-brother, Sir Walter Herbert of Raglan (who was brother-in-law of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham), and with Henry Myles, his brother-in-law (the father of Blanche Parry). 11 May - Robert Sherborne is consecrated Bishop of St David's. 1506 April - The betrothal of Prince Henry to the Dowager Princess of Wales (1503) is declared invalid (Henry's age at the time is used as a pretext). Construction begins on tower of St Giles' Church, Wrexham. 1507 Restrictions in the borough of Caernarfon are eased: the Welsh are allowed to live inside the town walls. 1508 18 September - Robert Sherborne, Bishop of St David's, is translated to the see of Chichester. St David's remains without a bishop until the following year. 22 September - John Penny, Bishop of Bangor, is translated to the see of Carlisle; Bangor remains without a bishop until the following year. The lordship of Dyffryn Clwyd is sold to King Henry VII of England by the incumbent Richard Grey, 3rd Earl of Kent. Chepstow Castle becomes the property of Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester. Construction of Hendre'r Ywydd Uchaf farmhouse, now an exhibit at St Fagans National History Museum. 1509 21 April - Following his father's death, the Prince of Wales becomes King Henry VIII of England. 11 June - The new King, Henry VIII, marries the Dowager Princess of Wales, Catherine of Aragon, at Greenwich. 17 June - Thomas Skevington is consecrated Bishop of Bangor. 22 July - Edward Vaughan is consecrated Bishop of St David's. 1510 Elis Gruffydd joins the English army. 1512 Bishop Godfrey Blyth replaces Bishop William Smyth as President of the Council of Wales and the Marches. 1516 Sir Thomas Phillips is appointed High Sheriff of Carmarthenshire. Sir William Herbert of Troy Parva is knighted; his wife, Blanche Herbert, is thereafter called Lady Troy. 1517 Lady Catherine Gordon marries her third husband, Matthew Craddock, and obtains permission to live with him in Wales when not at court. 1519 Sir John Puleston is granted the lordship of Denbigh and Denbighland by King Henry VIII. 1524 2 December - Chepstow is granted its first charter. 1525 September - Princess Mary, heir to the throne, is sent to Ludlow Castle to preside over the Council of Wales and the Marches. Her retinue includes Susan Clarencieux. 1531 4 December - Rhys ap Gruffudd of Carew Castle is executed for treason. 1534 May - The notoriously anti-Welsh Rowland Lee, newly appointed Bishop of Lichfield, is appointed President of the Council of Wales and the Marches by Thomas Cromwell. 22 July - Henry Somerset is appointed chief justice in eyre of Newport, Wentllwg and Machen. 1536 The Laws in Wales Act 1542 (27 Hen. 8 c. 26), An Acte for Lawes & Justice to be ministred in Wales in like fourme as it is in this Realme, "unites" Wales with England and gives Wales parliamentary representation. Dissolution of the Monasteries - Abergavenny Priory, Basingwerk Abbey, Caldey Island Priory, Chepstow Priory, Cymer Abbey, Ewenny Priory, Grace Dieu Abbey, Haverfordwest Priory, Kidwelly Priory, Llanllugan Abbey, Llanllyr Priory, Margam Abbey, Monmouth Priory, Pill Priory, St Dogmaels Abbey, Strata Marcella Abbey, Talley Abbey and Usk Priory are suppressed 1537 Dissolution of the Monasteries - Bardsey Abbey, Cwmhir Abbey and Valle Crucis Abbey are suppressed. 1538 Dissolution of the Monasteries - Bangor Friary, Beddgelert Priory, Brecon Friary and Brecon Cathedral Priory, Cardiff Blackfriars and Greyfriars, Cardigan Priory, Carmarthen Friary, Denbigh Friary, Haverfordwest Abbey, Llanfaes Friary, Llanthony Priory, Maenan Abbey, Newport Friary, Penrhys Grange and Rhuddlan Friary are suppressed. 1539 Dissolution of the Monasteries - Kidwelly Priory, Malpas Priory, Neath Abbey, Strata Florida Abbey, Tintern Abbey and Whitland Abbey are suppressed. 1540 A Carmarthenshire land dispute becomes the last recorded case to be heard under Welsh law, four years after the 1536 Act stipulated that only English law was to be used in Wales. 1541 Foundation of Christ College, Brecon. 1542 Laws in Wales Act 1542 (34 & 35 Hen. 8 c. 26) An Acte for certaine Ordinaunces in the Kinges Majesties Domynion and Principalitie of Wales. extends the effects of the Laws in Wales Act 1535. 1546 The first printed book in Welsh, the clergy manual Yny lhyvyr hwnn, is published in London; it is written anonymously by Sir John Prise of Brecon. 1550 Walter Devereux is created Viscount Hereford. 1551 10 October - William Herbert is created Baron Herbert of Cardiff. 1553 Nicholas Heath is made President of the Council of Wales and the Marches by Queen Mary I of England. 1557 8 July - The will of Geoffrey Glyn leaves a bequest leading to the foundation of Friars School, Bangor. 1558 November - Thomas Parry, faithful servant of Princess Elizabeth, is made Comptroller of the Household on her accession to the throne, as well as receiving a knighthood. 1559 5 January - Sir Thomas Parry is elected MP for Hertfordshire. November - George Constantine is made Archdeacon of Brecon. 1563 The new stone bridge over the River Usk at Brecon is built, replacing an earlier structure. 1565 Blanche Parry is appointed Keeper of the Queen's Books and Jewels. John Beddoes School is founded at Presteigne. 1566 First brass wire drawing works in the British Isles established at Tintern. Twelve-year-old Philip Sidney is presented by his father, Sir Henry Sidney, to the lay rectory of Whitford, Flintshire, then worth £60 a year. 1568 26 May - A "congress of bards and musicians" takes place at Caerwys, on the orders of a commission appointed by Queen Elizabeth I of England. 1570 John Caius, in his book De Canibus Britannicis, describes Welsh Springer Spaniels as "Spaniels whose skynnes are white and if marked with any spottes they are commonly red". 1571 27 June - Foundation of Jesus College, Oxford, by David Lewis. 1573 First publication of Humphrey Llwyd's Cambriae Typus in the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (Antwerp); the earliest map of Wales. 1574 Re-foundation of Ruthin School by Gabriel Goodman. 1576 The route for the weekly post to Ireland established by Queen Elizabeth I is switched from Liverpool to Holyhead. 1577 21 April - Mary Sidney marries Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke. 1578 Maurice Clenock becomes Warden of the English College, Rome. 1584 23 September - Robert Sidney marries heiress Barbara Gamage, at St Donat's Castle, the home of her guardian Sir Edward Stradling. Copper-working begins at Aberdulais Falls. 1587 14 April - A clandestine Roman Catholic printing press is discovered in a cave on the Little Orme on the north coast where it has been used by the recusant Robert Pugh (squire of Penrhyn Hall) and his chaplain Father William Davies to print Y Drych Cristianogawl ("The Christian Mirror"), the first book to be printed in Wales. 1588 Bishop William Morgan's Bible translation into Welsh, Y Bibl Cyssegr-lan, is published. 1589 A blast furnace at Angelton (or Angleton) in the Ogmore Valley. 1595 February - A riot breaks out in Cardiff as the result of the activities of Sir William Herbert (a relative of the Earl of Pembroke) and his henchmen. 1596 Sir William and Nicholas Herbert are convicted by the Court of Star Chamber, gaoled in the Fleet Prison, and fined 1000 marks for their part in the previous year's affair. 1597 10 November - Richard Vaughan is enthroned as Bishop of Chester. date unknown William Herbert becomes MP for Montgomeryshire. William Maurice is re-elected MP for Carnarvonshire. Sir James Perrot becomes MP for Haverfordwest == Arts and literature == === Books === 1502 Rhys Nanmor - Elegy on the death of Arthur, Prince of Wales 1540 Robert Recorde - The Grounde of Artes 1542 Andrew Boorde - Fyrst Boke of the Introduction of Knowledge 1546 Sir John Price - Yn y Llyvyr Hwn (first Welsh language book to be printed) 1547 William Salesbury - A dictionary in Englyshe and Welshe, moche necessary to all suche Welshemen as wil spedly learne the Englyshe tongue 1550 William Salesbury The baterie of the Popes Botereulx, commonlye called the high Altare Ban wedy i dynny air yngair alla o ben gyfreith Howel da... A certaine case extracte out of the Auncient Law of Hoel da... whereby it may be gathered that priestes had lawfully maried wyues at that tyme A briefe and a playne introduction, teachyng how to pronounce the letters in the British tong (now commenly called Walsh)... 1556 Robert Recorde - The Castle of Knowledge, containing the Explication of the Sphere both Celestiall and Materiall, etc. 1559 Humphrey Llwyd - Cronica Walliae 1564 John Dee - Monas Hieroglyphica 1567 Gruffydd Robert - Dosparth Byrr ar y rhan gyntaf i ramadeg cymraeg William Salesbury - A briefe and a playne introduction, 2nd edn William Salesbury - translations into Welsh Testament Newydd ein Arglwydd Jesu Christ (the New Testament; the first published Bible translation into Welsh (7 October), from the Greek) Llyfr Gweddi Gyffredin (the Book of Common Prayer) 1568 Maurice Clenock - Athravaeth Gristnogavl (printed in Milan) 1573 Sir John Prys - Historiae Britannicae Defensio (published posthumously) 1584 David Powel - Historie of Cambria c. 1586-7 "G.R. of Milan" (Gruffydd Robert or perhaps Robert Gwyn (c. 1540/50-1592/1604)) - Y Drych Cristianogawl (first part; the first book printed in Wales, on the clandestine Catholic press on the Little Orme, with a false imprint of "Rouen, 1585") 1587 Morris Kyffin - The Blessedness of Britayne 1589 John Penry - Exhortation to the governours and people of Wales... 1594 Morris Kyffin - Deffyniad Ffydd Eglwys Lloegr 1595 Robert Holland - Dau Gymro yn Taring yn bell o'u Gwlad 1600 Robert Holland - Darmerth, neu Arlwy i Weddi William Vaughan - Golden Grove == Births == 1504 date unknown - William Glyn, bishop (died 1558) 1505 date unknown - Rowland Meyrick, bishop (died 1566) 1510 approximate date - Thomas Phaer, lawyer, paediatrician and translator (died 1560) 1511 1 January - Henry, Duke of Cornwall, son of King Henry VIII of England and Catherine of Aragon and prospective Prince of Wales (died 23 February of the same year) approximate date - Thomas Davies, Bishop of St Asaph (died 1573) 1512 approximate date - Robert Recorde, mathematician (died 1558) 1515 approximate date - Thomas Parry, Comptroller of the Household of Queen Elizabeth I of England (died 1560) 1527 13 July - John Dee, mathematician and occultist (died 1609) 1528 6 November - Gabriel Goodman, founder of Ruthin School (died 1601) 7 November - John Perrot, Lord Deputy of Ireland (died 1592) 1534 date unknown - Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, statesman (died 1601) 1546 date unknown - Thomas Morgan (of Llantarnam), conspirator (died 1606) 1558 Richard Trevor, politician (died 1638) 1560 date unknown - Hugh Myddelton, goldsmith and hydraulic engineer (died 1631) 1565 date unknown - Peter Mutton, politician and judge (died 1637) 1572 Thomas Tomkins, composer (died 1656) 1575 9 December - Augustine Baker, Benedictine mystic (died 1641) date unknown - William Vaughan, writer and colonial investor (died 1641) 1582 22 March - John Williams, Archbishop of York (died 1650) 1587 24 June - William Arnold, Welsh-descended American settler 1592 date unknown - Sir Owen Wynn, 3rd Baronet (died 1660) == Deaths == 1500 1 October - John Alcock, Tudor supporter and Lord President of the Council of Wales and the Marches 1502 2 April - Arthur, Prince of Wales, 15 1503 date unknown Richard Amerike, English merchant, royal customs officer and sheriff, of Welsh descent Sir John Donne, courtier, diplomat and soldier, commissioner of the Donne Triptych 1505 date unknown - Sir Thomas Salusbury, Tudor supporter 1509 21 April - King Henry VII, Pembroke-born King of England, 52 29 June - Lady Margaret Beaufort, widow of Edmund Tudor and mother of King Henry VII, 66 1510 date unknown - Rhys Fawr ap Maredudd, Welsh nobleman and Tudor adherent 1512 12 February - David ap Owen, Bishop of St Asaph 1513 approximate date - Rhys Nanmor, poet 1514 3 April - Sir Thomas Englefield, Welsh landowner and Speaker of the House of Commons 1521 date unknown - Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Thomas, nobleman 1525 Spring - Sir Rhys ap Thomas, Tudor supporter, 75? 1526 15 April - Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, also Lord Herbert, 65/66 1531 July - Sir Matthew Craddock, Steward of Gower and Seneschal of Kenfig 1537 October - Lady Catherine Gordon, widow of Sir Matthew Craddock, about 63 (buried at St Mary's Church, Swansea) 1543 28 January - Rowland Lee, Lord President of the Council of Wales and the Marches 1549 26 November - Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester 1554 18 May - William Thomas (executed) 24 December - 80 "red-headed bandits of Mawddach" (executed) 1555 March (probable) - Rawlins White, fisherman, 70? (executed by burning at Cardiff) 30 March - Robert Ferrar, former Bishop of St David's (executed by burning at Carmarthen) 15 October - Sir John Prys, notary public to King Henry VIII, 53? 15 November - Robert Holgate, former Bishop of Llandaff 1558 9 April - William Nichol, Protestant martyr 21 May - William Glyn, bishop date unknown - Robert Recorde, mathematician 1559 10 April - Sir Rice Mansel, admiral 1560 12 August - Thomas Phaer, paediatrician and politician (b. c.1510) 15 December - Sir Thomas Parry (b. c.1515) 1564 date unknown - Gruffudd Hiraethog, poet 1570 March–July - Sir Richard Clough, merchant 17 March - William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke 1574 August - Hugh Price, lawyer 1581 7 November - Richard Davies, bishop date unknown - Maurice Clenock, Recusant author 1584 27 April - David Lewis, lawyer, founder of Jesus College, Oxford 15 October - Richard Gwyn, Catholic martyr, 47 probable - William Salesbury, translator of the New Testament into Welsh 1585 2 March - William Parry, conspirator (executed) 1586 5 May - Henry Sidney, President of the Council of Wales, 56 20 September - Thomas Salisbury, conspirator (executed), 22? date unknown - Griffith Lloyd, Principal of Jesus College, Oxford 1589 21 February - William Somerset, 3rd Earl of Worcester 1590 12 February - Blanche Parry, gentlewoman to Queen Elizabeth I, 81? 1591 27 August - Katheryn of Berain, much-married heiress, 56 15 October - William Blethyn, Bishop of Llandaff 1592 3 November - Sir John Perrot, Lord Deputy of Ireland, 63 1593 29 May - John Penry, Protestant martyr, 33 1595 12 December - Roger Williams, soldier of fortune, 55? date unknown - Meurig Dafydd, poet, about 85 1596 October - Richard Herbert, politician and judge date unknown - Wiliam Midleton, poet, about 46 1597 3 August - Richard Meredith, Bishop of Leighlin, 47? 1598 2 January - Morris Kyffin, soldier and author, 43? 12 July - John Jones, Catholic martyr 4 August - William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, politician of Welsh descent == References ==