ABSTRACT
Thespringof1230wasacriticaltimeinthecareerofLlywelynapIorwerth,the rulerofGwyneddinnorth-westWalestraditionallyknownasLlywelyntheGreat. AtEaster,whichfellon7April,WilliamdeBraose,theyoungMarcherlordof BreconandBuilth,wasdiscoveredintheprince'schamberwithLlywelyn'swife, Joan,illegitimatedaughterofKingJohnandthusahalf-sistertoHenryIII.About threeweekslater,on2May,WilliamwashangedatCrogen,aprincelyestatenear BaJa,reportedlybeforeacrowdofover800onlookers,followinghiscondemnation byLlywelyn'smagnateswhojudgedthathehaddeceitfullybroughtdishonour upontheprince. 1Asfarasisknown,theexecutiondidnotelicitanyprotestfrom theroyalgovernment,whichcontinueditseffortstoarrangeameetingwithLlywelyn toagreeafurthertruceorpeace(HenryhimselfhadarrivedatSaint-Maloin BrittanythedayafterWilliamwashanged).2Whateverthejustificationforthe sentenceintermsofWelshcustom,theroyalauthoritiesappeartohaveaccepted thatthematterfellunderLlywelyn'sjurisdiction,referringtactfullyinAugust1230 tothe'misfortune'whichhadbefallenWilliam.3
