![Arms of Sir Dafydd Gam](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Arms_of_Sir_Dafydd_Gam.jpg)
Dafydd ap Llewelyn ap Hywel (c. 1380 – 25 October 1415), better known as Dafydd Gam, anglicized to David or Davy Gam, was a
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
warrior, a prominent opponent of
Owain Glyndŵr
Owain ap Gruffydd (), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr or Glyn Dŵr (, anglicised as Owen Glendower), was a Welsh leader, soldier and military commander who led a 15 year long Welsh War of Independence with the aim of ending English rule in Wa ...
.
He died at the
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt ( ; french: Azincourt ) was an English victory in the Hundred Years' War. It took place on 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day) near Azincourt, in northern France. The unexpected English victory against the numerica ...
fighting for
Henry V, King of England
Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the ...
in that victory against the French.
The epithet "Gam" is a soft-mutated form of the Welsh word "cam" (one-eyed, cross-eyed). As the University of Wales Dictionary notes "according to tradition, Syr Dafydd Gam (Dafydd ap Llewelyn ap Hywel Fychan) was one-eyed or cross-eyed". Regarded by
Welsh nationalists
Welsh nationalism ( cy, Cenedlaetholdeb Cymreig) emphasises and celebrates the distinctiveness of Welsh culture and Wales as a nation or country. Welsh nationalism may also include calls for further autonomy or self determination which includes ...
as a traitor, Gam is regarded as a hero in England; his reputation has waxed and waned with those of his enemy
Owain Glyndŵr
Owain ap Gruffydd (), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr or Glyn Dŵr (, anglicised as Owen Glendower), was a Welsh leader, soldier and military commander who led a 15 year long Welsh War of Independence with the aim of ending English rule in Wa ...
and his ally King Henry V.
Biography
Descent
Dafydd Gam was a member of one of the most prominent Welsh families in
Breconshire
, image_flag=
, HQ= Brecon
, Government= Brecknockshire County Council (1889-1974)
, Origin= Brycheiniog
, Status=
, Start= 1535
, End= ...
(though the county did not exist in Dafydd's time). His recent pedigree was 'Dafydd Gam ap Llywelyn ap Hywel Fychan ap Hywel ap Einion Sais', but beyond that the family claimed an ancient Welsh lineage going back to the Kings of
Brycheiniog
Brycheiniog was an independent kingdom in South Wales in the Early Middle Ages. It often acted as a buffer state between England to the east and the south Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth to the west. It was conquered and pacified by the Normans be ...
(specifically, from Bleddyn ap Maenarch, the king who
Bernard de Neufmarché
Bernard de Neufmarché (), also Bernard of Newmarket or Bernard of Newmarch was the first of the Norman conquerors of Wales. He was a minor Norman lord who rose to power in the Welsh Marches before successfully undertaking the invasion and con ...
supposedly displaced). Dafydd Gam was the grandson of Hywel Fychan, who held the manor of Parc Llettis near
Llanover
Llanover (; cy, Llanofer) is a village in the community of Goetre Fawr in Monmouthshire, Wales.
Location
Llanover is located four miles south of Abergavenny just off the A4042 road to Pontypool. The community includes the separate hamlets o ...
in
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...
near
Abergavenny
Abergavenny (; cy, Y Fenni , archaically ''Abergafenni'' meaning "mouth of the River Gavenny") is a market town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales. Abergavenny is promoted as a ''Gateway to Wales''; it is approximately from the border wi ...
, and was fourth in descent from who held a castle at Pen Pont on the
River Usk
The River Usk (; cy, Afon Wysg) rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain (''y Mynydd Du''), Wales, in the westernmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially forming the boundary between Carmarthenshire and Powys, it fl ...
near
Brecon
Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the coun ...
and who had served at both the
Battle of Crecy
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
and the
Battle of Poitiers
The Battle of Poitiers was fought on 19September 1356 between a French army commanded by King JohnII and an Anglo- Gascon force under Edward, the Black Prince, during the Hundred Years' War. It took place in western France, south of Poi ...
. Their power base had developed mainly as consistently loyal supporters of the de Bohun family who were both
earls of Hereford
The title of Earl of Hereford was created six times in the Peerage of England. Dates indicate the years the person held the title for.
Earls of Hereford, First Creation (1043)
* Swegen Godwinson (1043–1051)
''earldom forfeit 1051–1052''
Ear ...
and Marcher
Lords of Brecknock from the 13th century onwards. Dafydd Gam's father,
Llywelyn ap Hywel, purchased the estate of Penywaun near
Brecon
Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the coun ...
and Dafydd is thought to have been born there. His family was described as "a striking example of a native family that flourished under the rule of an English aristocratic family."
[Dafydd Gam, Entry in the ''Dictionary of National Biography''] Under Llywelyn ap Hywel, the family's traditional loyalty was transferred to the new Lord of Brecknock,
Henry Bolingbroke
Henry IV ( April 1367 – 20 March 1413), also known as Henry Bolingbroke, was King of England from 1399 to 1413. He asserted the claim of his grandfather King Edward III, a maternal grandson of Philip IV of France, to the Kingdom of Fran ...
, who had married
Mary de Bohun
Mary de Bohun (c. 1369/70 – 4 June 1394) was the first wife of King Henry IV of England and the mother of King Henry V. Mary was never queen, as she died before her husband came to the throne.
Early life
Mary was a daughter of Humphrey de Boh ...
in the 1380s. Some say Dafydd was previously in service to Henry's father
John of Gaunt
John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (6 March 1340 – 3 February 1399) was an English royal prince, military leader, and statesman. He was the fourth son (third to survive infancy as William of Hatfield died shortly after birth) of King Edward ...
and, having killed a rival in Brecon High Street, had to leave Wales temporarily.
Glyndŵr rebellion
Dafydd Gam was certainly being paid the substantial annuity of 40 marks by Henry's estate in 1399, even before Bolingbroke became King, and later he and his brothers were described as King's esquires.
It seems likely they were prominent partisans of Henry in South East Wales as he gathered support for his overthrow of
Richard II
Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan, Countess of Kent. Richard's father died ...
around 1399.
When the
Owain Glyndŵr
Owain ap Gruffydd (), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr or Glyn Dŵr (, anglicised as Owen Glendower), was a Welsh leader, soldier and military commander who led a 15 year long Welsh War of Independence with the aim of ending English rule in Wa ...
rebellion broke out in 1400, the family's traditional loyalty to their liege lord remained unshaken and they played a leading role in opposition to the rebellion in the area. Their lands in and around
Brecon
Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the coun ...
became a target for Glyndŵr's attacks, and were extensively damaged as early as 1402–1403. The Scottish chronicler
Walter Bower
Walter Bower (or Bowmaker; 24 December 1449) was a Scottish canon regular and abbot of Inchcolm Abbey in the Firth of Forth, who is noted as a chronicler of his era. He was born about 1385 at Haddington, East Lothian, in the Kingdom of Scotlan ...
names Dafydd as a leader in the crushing defeat of Glyndŵr's men at the
Battle of Pwll Melyn
The Battle of Pwll Melyn (also known as the Battle of Usk), was a battle between the Welsh and English on 5 May 1405, it was part of the Glyndŵr Rising that lasted from 1400 to 1415. It was the first English victory in a pitched battle during t ...
near
Usk
Usk ( cy, Brynbuga) is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, northeast of Newport. It is located on the River Usk, which is spanned by an arched stone bridge at the western entrance to the town. Usk Castle, above the town, overlooks th ...
on 5 May 1405.
After the battle, 300 of Glyndŵr's men were executed and his son,
Gruffudd ab Owain Glyndŵr, was captured. Gam's local knowledge might well have played a part in the Crown's victory here and in other battles like that at
Grosmont around the same time, and may have won over local Welshmen to fight against Glyndŵr. The family's loyalty was rewarded with the gift of some of Glyndŵrs' supporters' confiscated estates in
Cardiganshire
Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. Cere ...
. In 1412 Dafydd Gam was captured by Glyndŵr's men and estimates of the amount paid as his ransom recorded at the time, range from 200 to 700 marks, a large amount. That it was paid directly and speedily from the King's estates in Wales indicates the esteem in which Gam was held by Henry.
Glyndŵr had made Gam swear an oath to never bear arms against him again or oppose him in any other way. On his release Gam told King Henry of Glyndŵr's whereabouts and attacked Glyndwr's men. Glyndŵr had Gam's Brecon estates attacked and burned in retaliation and his Brecon house was razed.
Agincourt
Given
King Henry V
Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the ...
's leadership in the campaign against Glyndŵr, Dafydd would have known the new King crowned in 1413 personally, and perhaps even fought alongside him. Records show that Dafydd Gam served with three-foot archers in the
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt ( ; french: Azincourt ) was an English victory in the Hundred Years' War. It took place on 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day) near Azincourt, in northern France. The unexpected English victory against the numerica ...
campaign. His death in the battle was a fact noted in several contemporary chronicles.
There is much controversy about whether Gam was knighted at the battle. His example shows that Welshmen continued to fight in the English army after the Glyndŵr rebellion.
Stories of Gam's exploits at
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt ( ; french: Azincourt ) was an English victory in the Hundred Years' War. It took place on 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day) near Azincourt, in northern France. The unexpected English victory against the numerica ...
in which he saved Henry V's life, and that he was knighted either posthumously or as he was dying on the field of victory at Agincourt by King Henry V as a result, are not vouched for in contemporary sources and have thus been discounted by many historians.
According to the legend the intervention occurred during the counter-charge of
John I, Duke of Alençon
John I of Alençon, known as the Wise (1385 – 25 October 1415), was a French nobleman, killed at the Battle of Agincourt.
John was born in Château d'Essay, the son of Peter II of Alençon and Marie de Chamaillard. In 1404, he succeede ...
, which certainly is historical, leading to the wounding of
Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester
Humphrey of Lancaster, Duke of Gloucester (3 October 139023 February 1447) was an English prince, soldier, and literary patron. He was (as he styled himself) "son, brother and uncle of kings", being the fourth and youngest son of Henry IV of E ...
, and Henry fighting hand-to-hand in the late stage of the battle. The King was hard pressed and the Duke of Alençon supposedly cut an ornament from Henry's crown with a sword blow. Then a group of Welsh knights in the King's bodyguard led by Dafydd Gam intervened to save Henry's life, only for some to be killed in doing so, including Dafydd himself, and his son in law Sir Roger Vaughan. One of those supposedly involved in this exploit was Sir William ap Thomas who survived the battle. Some accounts claim Dafydd slew the Duke of Alençon himself. This story was being frequently told by the Tudor period in histories of the campaign and by the descendants of those involved and was widely accepted as the truth at that time. Although both Gam and Vaughan did die in the battle, the exact circumstances of their deaths are unknown. Gam's reputation was still very much alive in 19th-century Wales.
George Borrow
George Henry Borrow (5 July 1803 – 26 July 1881) was an English writer of novels and of travel based on personal experiences in Europe. His travels gave him a close affinity with the Romani people of Europe, who figure strongly in his work. Hi ...
said of him, "where he achieved that glory which will for ever bloom, dying, covered with wounds, on the field of Agincourt after saving the life of the king, to whom in the dreadest and most critical moment of the fight he stuck closer than a brother".
Juliet Barker
Juliet R. V. Barker FRSL (born 1958) is an English historian, specialising in the Middle Ages and literary biography. She is the author of a number of well-regarded works on the Brontës, William Wordsworth, and medieval tournaments. From 198 ...
, while not accepting the rest of the legend, claims in her history of Agincourt that "Llewelyn was knighted on the field, only to fall in the battle." She also says that Dafydd's Welsh comrade, and posthumous son-in-law, Sir
William ap Thomas
Sir William ap Thomas (died 1445) was a Welsh nobleman, politician, knight, and courtier. He was a member of the Welsh gentry family that came to be known as the Herbert family through his son William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (8th creati ...
may have been knighted at the battle.
Descendants
![Agincourt600memorial](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Agincourt600memorial.jpg)
Some of Dafydd's descendants, who adopted the surname 'Games' to mark their connection to him, remained one of the most powerful families in the Breconshire area until Stuart times. They were noted for their support for Welsh bards. His beautiful daughter
Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam
Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam (died 1454) was a Wales, Welsh noblewoman. She was the daughter of Dafydd ap Llewelyn ap Hywel, otherwise known as Dafydd Gam, who was killed at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.#Prichard, Prichard pp. 431-433
Gwladys was ...
, ''Seren y Fenni'' (''the Star of Abergavenny''), made two good marriages, the first to
Sir Roger Vaughan
Sir Roger Vaughan (died 1471) of Tretower Court, was the son of Welsh noblewoman Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam and Sir Roger Vaughan of Bredwardine, who fought and died with Gwladys's father, Dafydd Gam in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.
Personal ...
, who also died at Agincourt. Her second was to Sir
William ap Thomas
Sir William ap Thomas (died 1445) was a Welsh nobleman, politician, knight, and courtier. He was a member of the Welsh gentry family that came to be known as the Herbert family through his son William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (8th creati ...
of
Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle ( cy, Castell Rhaglan) is a late medieval castle located just north of the village of Raglan in the county of Monmouthshire in south east Wales. The modern castle dates from between the 15th and early 17th centuries, when the succ ...
who survived the battle. Her son became the extremely powerful
William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1423-1469)
William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke KG (c. 142327 July 1469), known as "Black William", was a Welsh nobleman, soldier, politician, and courtier.
Life
He was the son of William ap Thomas, founder of Raglan Castle, and Gwladys ferch Dafydd Ga ...
and took the surname Herbert, later to become one of the best known names in the nobility. All these noble connections ensured Dafydd Gam's name remained a celebrated one.
Legacy
Like his opponent Glyndŵr, Gam has gained a sheen of legend and many stories about him are late oral traditions, folklore and family legends of uncertain reliability. Chief amongst them is the tale that he tried to assassinate Glyndŵr at his parliament at
Machynlleth
Machynlleth () is a market town, community and electoral ward in Powys, Wales and within the historic boundaries of Montgomeryshire. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads. At the 2001 Census it had a popul ...
in 1404. According to local lore, when the attempt failed, he was imprisoned in the
Royal House
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in repu ...
, which survives. The legends differ on his subsequent fate. Some claim that Glyndŵr released Gam soon after the Parliament, despite his refusal to submit, a decision that Glyndŵr would later regret. Others say that he was imprisoned for many years – but these are contradicted by his apparent participation in the
Battle of Pwll Melyn
The Battle of Pwll Melyn (also known as the Battle of Usk), was a battle between the Welsh and English on 5 May 1405, it was part of the Glyndŵr Rising that lasted from 1400 to 1415. It was the first English victory in a pitched battle during t ...
in 1405. The stories concerning his rivalry with Glyndŵr include satirical
englyn
(; plural ) is a traditional Welsh and Cornish short poem form. It uses quantitative metres, involving the counting of syllables, and rigid patterns of rhyme and half rhyme. Each line contains a repeating pattern of consonants and accent know ...
in Welsh, supposedly composed by Glyndŵr himself about his rival after he had burnt his house to the ground. Whatever the truth of these tales there seems no doubt that Glyndŵr and his men, and popular tradition, regarded Dafydd as one of the chief enemies of the rebellion.
George Borrow
George Henry Borrow (5 July 1803 – 26 July 1881) was an English writer of novels and of travel based on personal experiences in Europe. His travels gave him a close affinity with the Romani people of Europe, who figure strongly in his work. Hi ...
describes Gam in ''
Wild Wales
''Wild Wales: Its People, Language and Scenery'' is a travel book by the English Victorian gentleman writer George Borrow (1803–1881), first published in 1862.
The book recounts Borrow's personal experiences and insights while touring Wales ...
'' (1862) as follows: "He was small of stature and deformed in person, though possessed of great strength. He was very sensitive of injury, though quite as alive to kindness; a thorough-going enemy and a thorough-going friend."
Gam is a key character in
John Cowper Powys
John Cowper Powys (; 8 October 187217 June 1963) was an English philosopher, lecturer, novelist, critic and poet born in Shirley, Derbyshire, where his father was vicar of the parish church in 1871–1879. Powys appeared with a volume of verse ...
's novel ''
Owen Glendower'' (1941).
By the Tudor period, Gam appears to have typified the loyal and valiant Welshman. He is better known in England as "Davy Gam", under which name he is mentioned briefly in
Shakespeare's
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
''
Henry V Henry V may refer to:
People
* Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026)
* Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125)
* Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161)
* Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227)
* Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (121 ...
'' (4.8.102) as the last name in the short list of the noble fallen read out to King Henry. His influence on the play may have been greater still: in the words of the ''
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...
'', Dafydd "may indeed, as has been suggested, be the model for Shakespeare's
Fluellen
Fluellen is a fictional character in the play ''Henry V'' by William Shakespeare. Fluellen is a Welsh Captain, a leader of a contingent of troops in the small army of King Henry V of England while on campaign in France during the Hundred Years' ...
, the archetypal Welshman".
The theory dates back to at least 1812, when it was said: "There can be little doubt but that Shakspeare, in his burlesque character of
Fluellen
Fluellen is a fictional character in the play ''Henry V'' by William Shakespeare. Fluellen is a Welsh Captain, a leader of a contingent of troops in the small army of King Henry V of England while on campaign in France during the Hundred Years' ...
, intended David Gam."
''Fluellen'': "If your Majesty is remembered of it, the Welshmen did good service in a garden where leeks did grow, wearing leeks in their Monmouth cap
The Monmouth cap (Welsh: ''Cap Trefynwy'') was an item of woollen headgear fashionable between the 15th and 18th centuries, and associated with the town of Monmouth in South East Wales. The knitted round caps were used by both soldiers and sa ...
s, which your Majesty knows, to this hour is an honourable badge of the service, and I do believe, your Majesty takes no scorn to wear the leek upon Saint Tavy's day."
''King Henry'': "I wear it for a memorable honour; for I am Welsh, you know, good my countryman."
Monmouthshire traditions
According to local legend, one of Gam's homes was a moated manor house at
Hen Gwrt (of which only the moat survives), close to the village of
Llantilio Crossenny
Llantilio Crossenny ( cy, Llandeilo Gresynni) is a small village and much larger former community, now in the community of Whitecastle, in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, in the United Kingdom. It is situated between the two towns of Aberga ...
, near
Abergavenny
Abergavenny (; cy, Y Fenni , archaically ''Abergafenni'' meaning "mouth of the River Gavenny") is a market town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales. Abergavenny is promoted as a ''Gateway to Wales''; it is approximately from the border wi ...
,
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...
. He is commemorated in a
stained glass window
Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
, of unknown date, in the north wall of Llantilio Crossenny church. The Latin inscription reads in translation: "David Gam, golden haired knight, Lord of the manor of Llantilio Crossenny, killed on the field of Agincourt 1415".
References
External links
Aerial photo of Hen Gwrt near Llantilio Crossenny
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dafydd Gam
1380 births
1415 deaths
People from Brecknockshire
People from Monmouthshire
History of Brecknockshire
Welsh soldiers
Medieval Welsh killed in battle
Military history of Wales