In the 10th century • fine or annual tribute was imposed on the Welsh by Atheletan, king of England, who had obtained the nominal dominion of Wales. On the accession of William the Conqueror, the Welsh refused to pay tribute. The Norman conqueror invaded their country with a considerable army, reduced them to submission, and compelled their princes to do homage and take an oath of allegiance as his vassals, and from this period the English kings preferred a claim to Wales as their dominion. During the reigns of his successors, the Welsh constantly united with the disaffected barons, and com mitted devastations and outrages on the English borders. William and his son had granted to their Norman followers all lands they might acquire possession of in Wales, whence originated the Lords Marchers. In 1102 Henry I. bestowed several other lordships and castles in Wales on Englishmen and Normans ; and for the purpose of still further repressing the spirit of the Cambrians, he introduced, in the year 1103, into Pembrokeshire, a numerous colony of Flemings. The principality of South Wales was for a time destroyed ; Powys-land was also possessed by the English ; and North Wales alone retained its independence.
In 1237 Gryffyth, the eldest son of Llewellyn-ap-Jorweth, prince of North Wales, rebelling against his father, that prince applied for the protection of Henry III. of England, which be received upon the terms of yielding vassalage to the English crown. David, the eldest son of Llewellyn, on the death of his tether, renewed the homage to England, and taking his brother Gryffyth prisoner, delivered him to Henry, who imprisoned him in the Tower, where he lost his life in an attempt to regain his freedom. After the death of Gryffyth, Henry gave the principality of Wales to his eldest sou Edward, afterwards Edward 1. Llewellyn, the youngest son of Gryffyth, succeeded to the throne of North Wales on the death of his uncle David, and his brother Owen Goch to that of South \Vales. Homage was now enforced by England as an established right. After the accession of Edward I. to the English throne, the Welsh prince was summoned to do homage, which he declined doing without having hostages for his safe conduct, and demanded that his consort, who was Edward's prisoner, should be restored. This Edward refused to comply with, and immediately pro ceeded to levy war against him, assisted by David and Roderic, brothers of Llewellyn, who had dispossessed them of their inheritance. The Welsh prince defended himself among the inaccessible mountains of Caernarvonahire, but Edward blocked up Llewellyn and his army so effectually, that after sustaining all the horrors of a siege they were obliged to yield to the wary English king. Llewellyn shortly after wards roam against the English, and wasjoined by his brother David, but Llewellyn was :slain in or immediately after an engagement with the Earl of Mortimer near Builth, in Brecknockshire, in 1284. David, who succeeded him in the principality, was so= after executed at Shrewsbury as a traitor for defending by arms the liberties of his native country and his own hereditary authority. The nobility of Wales submitted to the conqueror, and by the statute of Rhuddlan, passed in the 12th year of Edward's reign, Wales was incorporated and united with England.
Thus ended the existence of the Welsh as an independent nation. The title of Prince of Wales was bestowed by Edward upon his son, afterwards Edward IL, and has ever since been the title conferred on the eldest son of the sovereign of England.
In 1295 insurrections broke out an various parts of Wales, but they were everywhere suppressed, and to prevent their recurrence Edward built castles at Rhuddlan, Conway, Beaumaria, Caernarvon, Harlech. and Aberyatwith. The last effort by the Welsh to maintain
an independent existence was under Owen Glyndwr, in the commence ment of the 15th century. Ilia career and brilliant success in opposing the English army are intimately connected with English history.
By the statute of Ithuddlan (12 Edward I., c. 5) a part of Wales was formed into the counties of Anglesey, Caernarvon, Meriouoth, and Flint; and by a statute passed in the 27th year of the reign of Henry the counties of Monmouth, Brecknock, Radnor, Mont gomery, and Denbigh were constituted; and by this statute one knight was directed to be chosen for each county in Wales, and a burgess for every borough being a county town, except the county town of Merioneth, and a member was subsequently given to Haverfordwest. By the Reform Act an additional member was given to the counties of Caermarthen, Denbigh, and Glamorgan; a member was given to Merthyr Tydvil, and one to Swansea, and numerous places were made contributory boroughs to each of the ancient boroughs returning members.
The laws and chief features of the constitution of the Britons when masters of the whole island seem to have been preserved iu Wales for a considerable time ; many of them indeed remained in full force until their abolition or alteration by express statutes at a comparatively recent period. The government from the earliest period appears to have been monarchical, but not following a strict rule of descent. An old code of laws compiled from those of Hewed Dda states that no ono is an " edling (heir to the throne) except that person to whom the klug shall give hope of succession and designation." No power but the regal could either enact or abrogate a law. Traces of a popular representation are to be found in the formation of the digest of the Welsh laws by Howe! Dda, iu the 10th century. For this purpose six of the most intelligent and powerful persons were summoned out of every cymwd, or hundred, and also the nobles, bishops, and principal clergy, to assist that king iu the great work of legislation. By these means the ancient laws were revised, others enacted, and all digested into one regular code, and a declaration made that they should not be altered, except by means of a similar national council. After the English conquest, and in consequence of tho subsequent insurrections, several severe laws were passed against the Welsh, but these were gradually repealed or fell into abeyance ; and the laws of Wales steadily approximated to those of England, until they became sub stantially the same. Since the passing of the 11th Geo. IV. and 1st Wm. IV., c. 70, Wales has no jurisdiction In legal matters distinct from England. It is divided into two circuits, North and South, and one Judge travels each.
V. ales abounds In memorials of its IAA history. The cromlechs, oarnedds, and barrows ; camps, British and Roman ; abbeys and oast/es of later periods; are all to be met with in various parts of the principality. Detailed notices of those will be found iu this work in articles treating of each county.
Wales is divided into North and South Wales, each containing six mantle.. North Wales includes Anglesey, Caernarvonahire, Denbigh shire, Flintahire, Merionethshire, and Montgomeryshire. South Wales includes Brecknockshire, Cardiganshire, Caermarthenshire, Glamorgan shire, Pembrokeshire, and Radnorshire. To the articles on these several counties we refer for a more particular account of the physical geography, geology, mineralogy, products, manufactures, trade, &c. Over a large part of Wales the Welsh language is still generally spoken, but the use of the English language is steadily increasing. Wales contains four bishoprica--thnee of Bangor and St. Asaph in North Wales, and of St. David and Llandaff in South Wales.