In March 1401, in response to vociferous protests against the Welsh in Parliament, the king passed harsh new laws against the Welsh.
- It was illegal for any Englishman to be prosecuted in Wales by a Welshman. An Englishman had to be found to conduct the hearing.
- Bards were forbidden to sustain themselves by minstrelsy.
- Welshmen were forbidden to hold any meetings without having a representative of the crown present.
- No Welshman unless he were a bishop or temporal lord, could possess a castle or defend his house.
- No Welshman was allowed to hold a responsible post.
- No Englishman, if he were married to a Welsh woman, was allowed to hold a responsible post in Wales or the Marches.
- Welshmen were not allowed to carry arms without a special licence.
- No food or armour was to be sent into Wales and an English official was appointed to stop supplies.
- All garrisons and walled towns were to be manned by Englishmen.
[Taken from Highlights of Welsh History by Phil Carradice]
Ann Marie Thomas is the author of four medieval history books, a surprisingly cheerful poetry collection about her 2010 stroke, and the science fiction series Flight of the Kestrel. Book one, Intruders, and book two Alien Secrets, are out now. Follow her at http://eepurl.com/bbOsyz
