ABSTRACT
After the siege of 1287, Rhys ap Maredudd's castle at Dryslwyn was confiscated and occupied by the English Crown, garrisoned and refurbished as a component in its defensive network in Wales. The payment of the garrison during the first year of the English occupation required continued funding from the Italian moneylender Ricardo Guicciardini, who represented a consortium of merchants and bankers from Lucca. In 1316, additional men were requested and added to the garrison during the revolt of Llywelyn Bren. When Edward II gained the upper hand in his struggle with his baronial opponents at the Battle of Boroughbridge, John Giffard lost his lands. The king granted the castle and town of Dryslwyn back to Despenser on 7 May 1322; however, the castle was captured and sacked by his enemies on 8 May. John Wodehouse was granted the farm of the town of Dryslwyn for 20 years at a rent of £10 per annum on 15 February 1409.
