Edward I and Wales, 1254-1307 by David Pilling

Author:David Pilling [Pilling, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Europe, Great Britain, Norman Conquest to Late Medieval (1066-1485), Medieval
ISBN: 9781526776419
Google: mEXJzQEACAAJ
Publisher: Pen & Sword History
Published: 2021-07-23T22:12:50+00:00

Brother John etc to Bishop Robert of Bath and Wells etc. As he desires to protect the king against the plots of enemies, he sends to the bishop, enclosed in this letter, a certain schedule, expressed in obscure words and fictitious names, a copy of which Edmund Mortimer has, that was found in the breeches of Llywelyn, formerly prince of Wales, together with his small seal, which the archbishop is causing to be kept safely to send to the king, if he so wishes. From this schedule the bishop can sufficiently guess that certain magnates, neighbours of the Welsh, either Marchers or others, are not too loyal to the king, wherefore let the king be warned unless he come to some danger. The archbishop is grieved to hear that certain clerks at Rhuddlan, in contempt of the church, are put to death along with robbers and other malefactors: he prays the bishop to use his influence to stop this. He is greatly grieved about the clerks who are homeless in Snowdon, the archbishop would have gladly brought them with him, if the king in his clemency had allowed it. Prays the bishop to let him know if anything can be done to help them. Requests the bishop to write to him concerning the arrest of persons in the diocese of Exeter, whom the archbishop had excommunicated for resisting his visitation. Thanks the bishop for his constant help. If the king wishes to have the copy found in the breeches of Llywelyn, he can have it from Edmund Mortimer, who has custody of it and also of Llywelyn’s privy seal and certain other things found in the same place.

From this it is obvious that Peckham was ignorant of the plot to kill Llywelyn, and still not much the wiser at the time of writing. He writes to Burnell to beg him to warn the king of danger, since he suspects the Marchers are disloyal. This would in turn imply that Burnell was unaware of the plot, and by extension the king. It is equally clear that Peckham was baffled by the schedule or letter written in obscure words and false names.

One man who could very probably have cracked the code was Edmund Mortimer. Most of the sources name him as the chief instigator of Llywelyn’s death, and it seems odd that Peckham did not demand the truth of the letter from Edmund when they met at Pembridge. Perhaps he did, and Edmund refused or feigned ignorance.

Since he was such a pivotal figure in the downfall of Llywelyn and Wales, it is useful to take a closer look at Edmund, his background and motives.

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