The Lordship of Brecknock was an Anglo-Norman marcher lordship located in southern central Wales.
125-565: Brecknockshire ( Welsh : Brycheiniog or Sir Frycheiniog ), also known as the County of Brecknock , Breconshire , or the County of Brecon , was one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales . It was created in 1536 under the Laws in Wales Act 1535 . From 1889 it was an administrative county with a county council; the administrative county was abolished in 1974. The county was named after
250-441: A Welsh Language Scheme, which indicates its commitment to the equality of treatment principle. This is sent out in draft form for public consultation for a three-month period, whereupon comments on it may be incorporated into a final version. It requires the final approval of the now defunct Welsh Language Board ( Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg ). Thereafter, the public body is charged with implementing and fulfilling its obligations under
375-594: A Welsh-language edge inscription was used on pound coins dated 1985, 1990 and 1995, which circulated in all parts of the UK prior to their 2017 withdrawal. The wording is Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad (Welsh for 'True am I to my country'), and derives from the national anthem of Wales, " Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau ". UK banknotes are in English only. Some shops employ bilingual signage. Welsh sometimes appears on product packaging or instructions. The UK government has ratified
500-663: A census glossary of terms to support the release of results from the census, including their definition of "main language" as referring to "first or preferred language" (though that wording was not in the census questionnaire itself). The wards in England with the most people giving Welsh as their main language were the Liverpool wards of Central and Greenbank ; and Oswestry South in Shropshire . The wards of Oswestry South (1.15%), Oswestry East (0.86%) and St Oswald (0.71%) had
625-405: A fair amount. 56 per cent of Welsh speakers speak the language daily, and 19 per cent speak the language weekly. The Welsh Government plans to increase the number of Welsh-language speakers to one million by 2050. Since 1980, the number of children attending Welsh-medium schools has increased, while the number going to Welsh bilingual and dual-medium schools has decreased. Welsh is considered
750-609: A fess cotised or between two swords in pale argent hilted gold, the upper sword point-upwards, the lower point-downwards . In the second and third quarters were arms representing Brychan's mother, Marchell: or, three reremice (bats) 2 and 1 azure . The motto Undeb Hedd Llywddiant or "Unity, Peace, Prosperity" was used with the arms. The supposed fifth-century arms were invented in the Middle Ages , heraldry having not developed until several centuries later. The county council did not obtain an official grant of armorial bearings, although
875-551: A further reorganisation of local government took place in Wales , and Powys became a unitary authority . Powys County Council established a Brecknockshire "shire committee" consisting of councillors elected for electoral divisions within the former Borough of Brecknock. According to the 2001 census the area covered by the shire committee had a population of 42,075. The county council abolished its shire committees in 2018. The Brecknockshire Agricultural Society , established in 1755,
1000-507: A nave and chancel with a square embattled tower at the west end. Separated by a deep dingle, which probably was formerly a moat, it is situated westward of the town upon an almost precipitous eminence, near to the River Wye. St Edmund's Church, Crickhowell is a Grade II* listed building built in the early 14th century. It has the only shingled spire in the county. The Church of St Issui, Partrishow dates from 1060. The existing building
1125-399: A new language altogether. The argued dates for the period of "Primitive Welsh" are widely debated, with some historians' suggestions differing by hundreds of years. The next main period is Old Welsh ( Hen Gymraeg , 9th to 11th centuries); poetry from both Wales and Scotland has been preserved in this form of the language. As Germanic and Gaelic colonisation of Britain proceeded,
1250-522: A range of jazz musicians from across the world. A Brecon Fringe Festival organises alternative free music in pubs, hotels, galleries and cafes in the town. Hay-on-Wye is a destination for bibliophiles in the United Kingdom, with two dozen bookshops, many selling specialist and second-hand books. Richard Booth opened his first shop there in 1962, and by the 1970s Hay had gained the nickname "The Town of Books". The Hay Festival of Literature and
1375-463: A region in the north eastern corner of Brycheiniog to Philip Walwyn, who similarly built a castle - Hay Castle . Subsequently, Hay Castle, and its surrounding land, was completely detached from the Lordship and given as a dowry to Sibyl's daughter Bertha , when she married William de Braose, 3rd Lord of Bramber , who already possessed the adjacent Lordship of Buellt . Years later, when Sibyl died,
SECTION 10
#17327727498881500-479: A single discourse (known in linguistics as code-switching ). Welsh speakers are largely concentrated in the north and west of Wales, principally Gwynedd , Conwy County Borough , Denbighshire , Anglesey , Carmarthenshire , north Pembrokeshire , Ceredigion , parts of Glamorgan , and north-west and extreme south-west Powys . However, first-language and other fluent speakers can be found throughout Wales. Welsh-speaking communities persisted well into
1625-539: A spectacular manner, consequently being forced into exile (where he died in penury), while his wife and eldest son were deliberately starved to death. In 1208, John seized William's paternal inheritance, and detached the eastern cantref of the Brecknock Lordship, erecting it into a new and distinct Marcher Lordship - the Lordship of Blaenllynfi (also known after its most significant town, Talgarth ) - giving
1750-575: Is a historical society that promotes "the study and understanding of the Archaeology, History, Geology, Natural History, the Arts and Literature of Wales, especially the historic county of Brecknock." The organization has published the historical journal Brycheiniog since 1955. It is closely associated with funding and running the Y Gaer . The Brecon Jazz Festival has been held annually since 1984. Normally staged in early August, it has played host to
1875-832: Is also the self-proclaimed "King of Hay". Welsh language Welsh ( Cymraeg [kəmˈraːiɡ] or y Gymraeg [ə ɡəmˈraːiɡ] ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people . Welsh is spoken natively in Wales , by some in England , and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province , Argentina ). It is spoken by smaller numbers of people in Canada and
2000-554: Is available throughout Europe on satellite and online throughout the UK. Since the digital switchover was completed in South Wales on 31 March 2010, S4C Digidol became the main broadcasting channel and fully in Welsh. The main evening television news provided by the BBC in Welsh is available for download. There is also a Welsh-language radio station, BBC Radio Cymru , which was launched in 1977. Lordship of Brecknock In
2125-444: Is considered to be one of the finest chapel interiors in Wales. The Church of St Elli, Llanelly is dedicated to the 6th-century Saint Elli, who may have been a daughter or granddaughter of King Brychan. The church dates from the 14th century, or earlier, but little remains of this period. The nave is medieval but its walls were all rebuilt in the restorations of the 19th and 20th centuries. St Mary's Church, Hay-on-Wye consists of
2250-420: Is evidenced by the dropping of final syllables from Brittonic: * bardos 'poet' became bardd , and * abona 'river' became afon . Though both Davies and Jackson cite minor changes in syllable structure and sounds as evidence for the creation of Old Welsh, Davies suggests it may be more appropriate to refer to this derivative language as Lingua Britannica rather than characterising it as
2375-421: Is probable that the site and the name of the present Church were chosen because of the close proximity of a fresh water well called Ffynnon Dewi (David's Well) which was situated approximately 150 metres south of the church. Plough Lane Chapel, Brecon , also known as Plough United Reformed Church, is a Grade II* listed building. The present building dates back to 1841 and was re-modelled by Owen Morris Roberts and
2500-683: Is the oldest continuous such society in Great Britain. The society organises the Brecon County Show, held annually on the 1st Saturday in August at The Showground, Watton, Brecon. Brecknock Young Farmers has 13 clubs throughout the county. It is affiliated to the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs . Brecknock Society and Museum Friends (Welsh: Cymdeithas Brycheiniog a Chyfeillion yr Amgueddfa), found in 1928,
2625-500: The 2016 Australian census , 1,688 people noted that they spoke Welsh. In the 2011 Canadian census , 3,885 people reported Welsh as their first language . According to the 2021 Canadian census , 1,130 people noted that Welsh was their mother tongue. The 2018 New Zealand census noted that 1,083 people in New Zealand spoke Welsh. The American Community Survey 2009–2013 noted that 2,235 people aged five years and over in
SECTION 20
#17327727498882750-466: The 2021 census , 7,349 people in England recorded Welsh to be their "main language". In the 2011 census, 1,189 people aged three and over in Scotland noted that Welsh was a language (other than English) that they used at home. It is believed that there are as many as 5,000 speakers of Patagonian Welsh . In response to the question 'Does the person speak a language other than English at home?' in
2875-683: The Battle of Dyrham , a military battle between the West Saxons and the Britons in 577 AD, which split the South Western British from direct overland contact with the Welsh. Four periods are identified in the history of Welsh, with rather indistinct boundaries: Primitive Welsh, Old Welsh, Middle Welsh, and Modern Welsh. The period immediately following the language's emergence is sometimes referred to as Primitive Welsh, followed by
3000-575: The Battle of Llwchwr . Inspired by Hywel's success, Gruffydd ap Rhys , Prince of Deheubarth, hastened to meet with Gruffydd I of Gwynedd, his father-in-law, to enlist his aid. However, the opportunities presented by the anarchy worked both ways - the absence of Gruffydd ap Rhys from Deheubarth enabled Marcher lords to encroach further into Deheubarth. To resist the encroachment, Gruffydd ap Rhys' wife Gwenllian , Princess of Deheubarth (and Gwynedd), gathered an host; Gwenllian's forces, however, were defeated, with Gwenllian and two of her sons being killed in
3125-514: The Brecon Beacons National Park Authority for some years, but was demolished in 2016. The 1535 Act which created the county had called it the "County or Shire of Brecknock", and also used the spelling Brecknock for the town. The spelling of the town's name was subsequently standardised to 'Brecon' instead, and there was occasional debate about the correct name of the county. In 1884, the county's magistrates at
3250-538: The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of Welsh. The language has greatly increased its prominence since the creation of the television channel S4C in November 1982, which until digital switchover in 2010 broadcast 70 per cent of Channel 4's programming along with a majority of Welsh language shows during peak viewing hours. The all-Welsh-language digital station S4C Digidol
3375-526: The Local Government Act 1888 , taking over administrative functions which had previously been performed by unelected magistrates at the quarter sessions . The 1888 Act also directed that urban sanitary districts which straddled county boundaries should be placed wholly in the county which had the majority of the population. Along Brecknockshire's southern border with Monmouthshire , there were four such urban sanitary districts which straddled
3500-519: The Old Welsh period – which is generally considered to stretch from the beginning of the 9th century to sometime during the 12th century. The Middle Welsh period is considered to have lasted from then until the 14th century, when the Modern Welsh period began, which in turn is divided into Early and Late Modern Welsh. The word Welsh is a descendant, via Old English wealh, wielisc , of
3625-686: The Proto-Germanic word * Walhaz , which was derived from the name of the Celtic people known to the Romans as Volcae and which came to refer to speakers of Celtic languages, and then indiscriminately to the people of the Western Roman Empire . In Old English the term went through semantic narrowing , coming to refer to either Britons in particular or, in some contexts, slaves. The plural form Wēalas evolved into
3750-640: The United States spoke Welsh at home. The highest number of those (255) lived in Florida . Sources: Calls for the Welsh language to be granted official status grew with the establishment of the nationalist political party Plaid Cymru in 1925, the establishment of the Welsh Language Society in 1962 and the rise of Welsh nationalism in the later 20th century. Of the six living Celtic languages (including two revived), Welsh has
3875-510: The Welsh Bowling Association : at Brecon, Talgarth, Builth Wells and Hay on-Wye. Brecon Leisure Centre at Penlan has a swimming pool, gymnasium, ten-pin bowling and a climbing wall. It is the headquarters of Brecon Hockey Club and of Brecon Athletics Club. Crickhowell Community Sports Centre has indoor and outdoor sports facilities and is a conference venue. Builth Wells Sports Centre and Swimming Pool provides facilities in
Brecknockshire - Misplaced Pages Continue
4000-474: The cantref of Buellt . 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 powerful south Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth to the west. This kingdom covered the area which later became the southern part of Brecknockshire. The county's Welsh name (Sir Frycheiniog – the shire of Brycheiniog) is derived from
4125-542: The "hugely important role", adding, "I look forward to working with the Welsh Government and organisations in Wales in developing the new system of standards. I will look to build on the good work that has been done by the Welsh Language Board and others to strengthen the Welsh language and ensure that it continues to thrive." First Minister Carwyn Jones said that Huws would act as a champion for
4250-473: The 12th to 14th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This is the language of nearly all surviving early manuscripts of the Mabinogion , although the tales themselves are certainly much older. It is also the language of the existing Welsh law manuscripts. Middle Welsh is reasonably intelligible to a modern-day Welsh speaker. The Bible translations into Welsh helped maintain
4375-596: The 1880s identified a small part of Shropshire as still then speaking Welsh, with the "Celtic Border" passing from Llanymynech through Oswestry to Chirk . The number of Welsh-speaking people in the rest of Britain has not yet been counted for statistical purposes. In 1993, the Welsh-language television channel S4C published the results of a survey into the numbers of people who spoke or understood Welsh, which estimated that there were around 133,000 Welsh-speaking people living in England, about 50,000 of them in
4500-536: The 1993 Act nor secondary legislation made under it covers the private sector, although some organisations, notably banks and some railway companies, provide some of their information in Welsh. On 7 December 2010, the Welsh Assembly unanimously approved a set of measures to develop the use of the Welsh language within Wales. On 9 February 2011 this measure, the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 ,
4625-467: The Arts is a major event in the British cultural calendar. Devised by Norman, Rhoda and Peter Florence in 1988, the festival runs for ten days from May to June. It was described by Bill Clinton in 2001 as "The Woodstock of the mind". The A40 London-West Wales trunk road passes in an east-west direction through the county, entering near Glangrwyney, passing through Crickhowell, by-passing Brecon, leaving
4750-486: The Assembly which confirms the official status of the Welsh language; which creates a strong advocate for Welsh speakers and will improve the quality and quantity of services available through the medium of Welsh. I believe that everyone who wants to access services in the Welsh language should be able to do so, and that is what this government has worked towards. This legislation is an important and historic step forward for
4875-552: The Borough of Brecknock, became urban sanitary districts . At the same time the remainder of the county was divided into rural sanitary districts, some of which crossed county boundaries. The Local Government Act 1894 redesignated these as urban and rural districts . Two civil parishes were administered by rural district councils in neighbouring counties until 1934. Transferred to Vaynor and Penderyn RD 1934. Transferred to Builth RD 1934. The administrative county of Brecknock
5000-517: The Brittonic speakers in Wales were split off from those in northern England, speaking Cumbric, and those in the southwest, speaking what would become Cornish , so the languages diverged. Both the works of Aneirin ( Canu Aneirin , c. 600 ) and the Book of Taliesin ( Canu Taliesin ) were written during this era. Middle Welsh ( Cymraeg Canol ) is the label attached to the Welsh of
5125-571: The Cardiff Blues. The club plays at Parc De Pugh, Brecon. Gwernyfed Rugby Football Club is based in Talgarth. It is a feeder club for the Cardiff Blues. Gwernyfed RFC was founded in 1965 by two school teachers from Gwernyfed High School. The county has four football clubs: Talgath Town FC, Brecon Corinthians AFC, Brecon Northcote FC and Builth Wells FC. All play in the Welsh football league system . The county has four clubs affiliated to
Brecknockshire - Misplaced Pages Continue
5250-682: The Celtic language spoken by the ancient Celtic Britons . Classified as Insular Celtic , the British language probably arrived in Britain during the Bronze Age or Iron Age and was probably spoken throughout the island south of the Firth of Forth . During the Early Middle Ages the British language began to fragment due to increased dialect differentiation, thus evolving into Welsh and
5375-556: The County of Brecknock by combining a number of "lordships, towns, parishes, commotes and cantreds" in the "Country or Dominion of Wales". The areas combined were: "Brekenoke" ( Brecknock ), "Crekehowell" ( Crickhowell ) "Tretowre", "Penkelly", "Englisshe Talgarth", "Welsshe Talgarth", "Dynas", "The Haye" ( Hay-on-Wye ), "Glynebogh", "Broynlles" (Bronllys), "Cantercely" (Cantref Selyf), "Llando Blaynllynby", "Estrodewe", "Buelthe" ( Builth ), and "Llangors". The town of Brecknock or Brecon
5500-575: The Evangelist is the cathedral of the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon in the Church in Wales. The cathedral is thought to be on the site of an earlier Celtic church, of which no trace remains. A new church, dedicated to St. John, was built on the orders of Bernard de Neufmarché. St David's Church, Llanfaes referred to locally as Llanfaes Church, was probably founded in the early sixteenth century. It
5625-550: The Greater London area. The Welsh Language Board , on the basis of an analysis of the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study, estimated there were 110,000 Welsh-speaking people in England, and another thousand in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the 2011 census , 8,248 people in England gave Welsh in answer to the question "What is your main language?" The Office for National Statistics subsequently published
5750-552: The Lordship of Brecknock. Though Simon's actions were treason, the King saw, following the War, that they presented a way to remove a potential source of further opposition; with a population fatigued of war, and many Barons who had previously opposed the King, stability was the important thing. The king and Llywelyn agreed the Treaty of Montgomery , by which - though nominally now a vassal of
5875-494: The Lordship of Brecknock. The de Bohuns, however, stalled the hand-over. Meanwhile, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd , nephew of Daffyd ap Llywelyn, and new ruling prince of Gwynedd, had taken advantage of the king's weakness to expand his own territory, eventually conquering the Lordships of Radnor and Brecknock, having already seized Buellt. In 1263, the king's son, Edward , launched a successful counter-attack, defeating Llywelyn; Edward
6000-429: The Lordship to Humphrey, re-uniting the Lordship once again; Philip was compensated with a manor in Shropshire ( Shifnal ). Humphrey's son, Humphrey , succeeded him in turn. This Humphrey only had daughters so the land then went into abeyance . However, Humphrey's younger daughter, Mary , had married Henry Bolinbroke , who by now had usurped the throne, as Henry IV ; Henry used his (usurped) authority and terminated
6125-454: The Queen herself was a supporter of the revolt, regarding Hugh Despencer as having destroyed her marriage to Edward, the King naturally seized Buellt too, and added it to Hugh's Lordship. Five years later, in 1326, Roger and Isabella (now Roger's lover), having fled to the continuent in the interim, returned and launched a coup against Edward and Hugh. According to the annals of Newenham Abbey ,
6250-456: The Saxon part of Eadric's revolt, William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford went on to defeat three prominent southern Welsh princes who had supported Eadric, including Rhys ap Tewdwr (son of Tewdwr ap Cadell), the powerful king of Deheubarth . Though Bleddyn had married Rhys' sister, the records do not mention him (or Brycheiniog) being involved. Deheubarth had also been a contested realm over
6375-493: The Second Baron's War, Llywelyn had become an ally of Simon de Montfor , the king's arch-enemy, when Simon offered to restore Llywelyn to the territorial gains he had previously been forced to relinquish by Edward. This had been formalised in the Treaty of Pipton . Llywelyn used this, and Mortimer's weakness, to re-expand Gwyneddian power, meaning that de Bohun, despite Mortimer's reluctant consent, still wasn't able to enjoy
SECTION 50
#17327727498886500-653: The United States descended from Welsh immigrants, within their households (especially in Nova Scotia ). Historically, it has also been known in English as "British", "Cambrian", "Cambric" and "Cymric". The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 gave the Welsh language official status in Wales. Welsh and English are de jure official languages of the Welsh Parliament, the Senedd , with Welsh being
6625-636: The Valleys Road) winds in and out of the county, following its southern borders with Monmouthshire and Glamorgan. The Heart of Wales line runs from Cravens Arms in Shropshire to Llanelli in Carmarthenshire. It follows a similar route to the A483 through the north of the county, with stops at Sugar Loaf , Llanwrtyd Wells , Llangammarch Wells , Garth and Cilmeri . Builth Road Station to
6750-496: The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, all new signs have Welsh displayed first. There have been incidents of one of the languages being vandalised, which may be considered a hate crime . Since 2000, the teaching of Welsh has been compulsory in all schools in Wales up to age 16; this has had an effect in stabilising and reversing the decline in the language. Text on UK coins tends to be in English and Latin. However,
6875-704: The Welsh Language Scheme. The list of other public bodies which have to prepare Schemes could be added to by initially the Secretary of State for Wales, from 1993 to 1997, by way of statutory instrument . Subsequent to the forming of the National Assembly for Wales in 1997, the Government Minister responsible for the Welsh language can and has passed statutory instruments naming public bodies who have to prepare Schemes. Neither
7000-526: The Welsh language, though some had concerns over her appointment: Plaid Cymru spokeswoman Bethan Jenkins said, "I have concerns about the transition from Meri Huws's role from the Welsh Language Board to the language commissioner, and I will be asking the Welsh government how this will be successfully managed. We must be sure that there is no conflict of interest, and that the Welsh Language Commissioner can demonstrate how she will offer
7125-487: The Welsh of the 16th century, but they are similar enough for a fluent Welsh speaker to have little trouble understanding it. During the Modern Welsh period, there has been a decline in the popularity of the Welsh language: the number of Welsh speakers declined to the point at which there was concern that the language would become extinct. During industrialisation in the late 19th century, immigrants from England led to
7250-630: The Welsh-speaking heartlands, with the number dropping to under 50 per cent in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire for the first time. However, according to the Welsh Language Use Survey in 2019–20, 22 per cent of people aged three and over were able to speak Welsh. The Annual Population Survey (APS) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that as of March 2024, approximately 862,700, or 28.0 per cent of
7375-452: The abeyance in Mary's favour - effectively transferring the lands to himself (by jure uxoris ). Nevertheless, Anne of Gloucester , daughter of Mary de Bohun's elder sister Eleanor , petitioned Henry for her grandfathers lands - which should rightly be hers - to be returned to her. The Lordship of Brecknock was then ruled by Anne's descendants, the Earls of Buckingham . When her great-great-grandson, Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham ,
7500-403: The ancestor of Cumbric as well as Welsh. Jackson, however, believed that the two varieties were already distinct by that time. The earliest Welsh poetry – that attributed to the Cynfeirdd or "Early Poets" – is generally considered to date to the Primitive Welsh period. However, much of this poetry was supposedly composed in the Hen Ogledd , raising further questions about the dating of
7625-539: The battle. Gwenllian's attempted defence nevertheless inspired further opposition to the Marcher Lords, ultimately leaving her son, Rhys ap Gruffydd as a much more powerful ruler than his parents had been. When Matilda and Stephen's differences were settled, and Matilda's son Henry II came to the throne, the renewed strength of central authority enabled Henry to push back Welsh princes to their pre-anarchy borders. The Lordship of Brecknock remained intact, and Sibyl's husband, Miles, remained its Lord. Sibyl's sister-in-law
SECTION 60
#17327727498887750-424: The cantref became a crown possession. Bernard de Neufmarché was a minor Norman lord who rose to power in the Welsh Marches before successfully undertaking the invasion and conquest of the Kingdom of Brycheiniog between 1088 and 1095. Bernard established a Marcher Lordship in its place – the Lordship of Brecknock . The lordship was ruled by numerous families over the next 400 years. By the early Tudor period, it
7875-408: The census. In terms of usage, ONS also reported that 14.4 per cent (443,800) of people aged three or older in Wales reported that they spoke Welsh daily in March 2024, with 5.4 per cent (165,500) speaking it weekly and 6.5 per cent (201,200) less often. Approximately 1.7 per cent (51,700) reported that they never spoke Welsh despite being able to speak the language, with the remaining 72.0 per cent of
8000-474: The century before the Lordship was founded, Brycheiniog had been contested between its traditional dynasty, and that of Ferlix (a realm at the heart of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren ). No more of the traditional line is reported by historic manuscripts (such as those of Jesus College ), beyond Tewdwr ap Griffri. The Book of Baglan reports that Bleddyn ap Maenyrch , heir of the traditional dynasty of Ferlix (who had by now lost Ferlix itself, to Elystan Glodrydd 's heirs),
8125-417: The childless John Fitz-Reginald, heir of Peter Fitz-Herbert, granted the reversion of all his lands (including the Lordship of Blaenllynfi) to the king. In 1309 the king issued a charter, granting them to Rhys ap Hywel , descendant and heir of Gwgan, in gratitude of Philip's loyalty to Edward's father; Fitz-Reginald had already given Philip baronial rights to a manor within the Lordship. The Bronllys Lordship
8250-420: The county after passing through Trecastle . The A483 Swansea-Manchester trunk road passes through the north-west, entering south of Llanwrtyd Wells and leaving north of Builth Wells. The A470 Cardiff-Glan Conway trunk road enters the county north of Merthyr Tydfil and, after by-passing Brecon, hugs the eastern border until it leaves the county when it crosses the River Wye at Builth Wells. The A465 (Heads of
8375-500: The county boundary: Brynmawr , Ebbw Vale , Rhymney , and Tredegar . Brynmawr was placed entirely in Brecknockshire, whilst Ebbw Vale, Rhymney and Tredegar were placed entirely in Monmouthshire . Brecknockshire therefore gained the southern parts of Brynmawr, but ceded to Monmouthshire the Llechryd area (in Rhymney district), the Dukestown area (in Tredegar district) and the Beaufort and Rassau areas (in Ebbw Vale district). The county council held its meetings at Brecon Shire Hall ,
8500-450: The county's main courthouse, which had been built in 1842 and was also the meeting place of the quarter sessions. The county council's main offices were at Watton Mount, a large house directly opposite the shire hall, until 1962 when New County Hall was built immediately behind the shire hall. Following the local government reorganisation in 1974, the New County Hall became an area office for Powys County Council and also served as offices for
8625-414: The course of the 20th century this monolingual population all but disappeared, but a small percentage remained at the time of the 1981 census. Most Welsh-speaking people in Wales also speak English. However, many Welsh-speaking people are more comfortable expressing themselves in Welsh than in English. A speaker's choice of language can vary according to the subject domain and the social context, even within
8750-408: The decline in Welsh speakers particularly in the South Wales Valleys. Welsh government processes and legislation have worked to increase the proliferation of the Welsh language, for example through education. Welsh has been spoken continuously in Wales throughout history; however, by 1911, it had become a minority language, spoken by 43.5 per cent of the population. While this decline continued over
8875-468: The end of his life, in 1291, Humphrey fell into dispute with Gilbert de Clare about the border between their lands. Humphrey as well as being Lord of Brecknock was Earl of Hereford , while Gilbert was Lord of Glamorgan and Earl of Gloucester . In order to prevent War (as Marcher Lords they had the right to War with each other, in their Marcher Lordships), Edward (now king) insisted that the matter should be brought before his court before any further action
9000-491: The following decades, the language did not die out. The smallest number of speakers was recorded in 1981 with 503,000 although the lowest percentage was recorded in the most recent census in 2021 at 17.8 per cent. By the start of the 21st century, numbers began to increase once more, at least partly as a result of the increase in Welsh-medium education . The 2004 Welsh Language Use Survey showed that 21.7 per cent of
9125-457: The following year - 1136 - a number of Welsh princes and magnates had begun to see this as an opportunity to recover lands they had lost to Marcher lords, and broke out in revolt. The revolt began when Hywel ap Maredudd, a minor lord in the west of the Lordship of Brecknock, recruited an army and marched to the adjacent Lordship of Gower , defeating the Norman and English colonists there in
9250-588: The form used in statute, whilst the county council went so far as to have erratum slips inserted in books of statistics advising readers that "the words 'Brecknock' and 'Brecknockshire' be throughout read as if the words 'Brecon' and 'Breconshire' had been printed in lieu thereof." Under the Public Health Act 1848 and the Local Government Act 1858 a number of towns were created Local Board Districts or Local Government Districts respectively, with local boards to govern their areas. In 1875 these, along with
9375-545: The full length of the Pontsticill Reservoir (also called 'Taf Fechan' reservoir by Welsh Water ) and continues past the adjoining Pentwyn reservoir to Torpantau . The National Cycle Route 8 , which runs from Cardiff to Holyhead, passes through the county. From Cefn-coed-y-cymmer to Brecon this follows the Taff Trail . The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal ran from Brecon to Newport. It was completed at
9500-469: The highest number of native speakers who use the language on a daily basis, and it is the Celtic language which is considered the least endangered by UNESCO . The Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Government of Wales Act 1998 provide that the Welsh and English languages be treated equally in the public sector, as far as is reasonable and practicable. Each public body is required to prepare for approval
9625-476: The highest percentage of residents giving Welsh as their main language. The census also revealed that 3,528 wards in England, or 46% of the total number, contained at least one resident whose main language is Welsh. In terms of the regions of England , North West England (1,945), London (1,310) and the West Midlands (1,265) had the highest number of people noting Welsh as their main language. According to
9750-409: The inheritance should be transferred to Sibyl , Bernard's daughter, who just happened to be married to Miles Fitz-Walter , a friend of Henry. When Stephen de Blois broke his oath by displacing his cousin, Empress Matilda , from succeeding her father (Henry I) to the English throne, the conflict it caused eroded central authority in England, to such an extent that a state of anarchy broke out . By
9875-446: The king and his husband fled to Wales . They were caught there by a search party, containing Rhys ap Hywel, ultimately leading to their deaths. Roger Mortimer, now in effective control of the country (ostensibly on behalf of Edward's son, but in reality for his own benefit), restored the status quo ante as best he could; Rhys ap Hywel was restored to his portion of the Lordship of Brecknock, while Humphrey's son, John de Bohun received
10000-411: The king, Llywelyn received the Lordship of Brecknock. However, a decade later, after Henry had been succeeded by his son (Edward), Llywelyn married de Montfort's daughter, Eleanor , so Edward declared Llywelyn a rebel, and attacked Gwynedd. In 1277 Llywelyn was forced to agree the Treaty of Aberconwy , which limited Llywelyn's authority to Gwynedd alone. De Bohun was finally Lord of Brecknock. Towards
10125-484: The kingdom's name. The exact origins of Brycheiniog are unclear but the name is thought to derive from Brychan mac Anlach , the 5th century ruler of the area. The lands of his kingdom supposedly formed a dowry from his father-in-law Tewdrig ap Teithfallt. Over the succeeding centuries many dynasties ruled the kingdom, alliances were made and broken, victories won and defeats suffered, but the kingdom maintained its integrity and identity up to Norman times. Buellt or Builth
10250-506: The language, its speakers and for the nation." The measure was not welcomed warmly by all supporters: Bethan Williams, chairman of the Welsh Language Society, gave a mixed response to the move, saying, "Through this measure we have won official status for the language and that has been warmly welcomed. But there was a core principle missing in the law passed by the Assembly before Christmas. It doesn't give language rights to
10375-468: The last of these died while at Bronllys, when the castle caught fire, and a falling stone killed him. The lands held by William (which were more extensive than just the Lordship of Brecknock) were divided between his sisters; Bertha received Brecknock, which was consequently joined with her husband's Lordship of Buellt (and Hay re-attached to it). The lands of Bertha and her husband were inherited by their eldest son, William , who fell out with King John in
10500-528: The latter at the Battle of Boroughbridge , Humphrey was killed, so Edward declared Humphrey's lands forfeit and gave them (including the Lordship of Brecknock) to Hugh. Rhys had similarly rebelled, so again Edward seized Rhys' lands and gave them to Hugh, re-uniting the whole Lordship of Brecknock. The leader of the revolt (other than Humphrey) was Roger Mortimer , who had been renting Buellt from Queen Isabella (Isabella having received it from Edward). Since
10625-547: The latter to Peter FitzHerbert (the son of Bertha's co-heir, and sister, Lucy). When King John's son, Henry III , acceded to the throne, he was keen to make peace with the barons after the problems his father had encountered. Henry restored William's paternal inheritance, and the surviving Lordship of Brecknock (i.e. without Blaenllynfi), to the Braose family, specifically Reginald de Braose , William's younger brother. Reginald's lands were inherited by his son , who unfortunately
10750-402: The least endangered Celtic language by UNESCO . The language of the Welsh developed from the language of Britons . The emergence of Welsh was not instantaneous and clearly identifiable. Instead, the shift occurred over a long period, with some historians claiming that it had happened by as late as the 9th century , with a watershed moment being that proposed by linguist Kenneth H. Jackson ,
10875-673: The material and language in which it was originally composed. This discretion stems from the fact that Cumbric was widely believed to have been the language used in Hen Ogledd. An 8th-century inscription in Tywyn shows the language already dropping inflections in the declension of nouns. Janet Davies proposed that the origins of the Welsh language were much less definite; in The Welsh Language: A History , she proposes that Welsh may have been around even earlier than 600 AD. This
11000-417: The medieval Welsh territory of Brycheiniog , which was anglicised to "Brecknock" and also gave its name to the county town of Brecon . The county was mountainous and primarily rural. Brecknockshire was bounded to the north by Radnorshire , to the east by Herefordshire and Monmouthshire , to the south by Monmouthshire and Glamorgan , and to the west by Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire . The county
11125-622: The modern period across the border in England. Archenfield was still Welsh enough in the time of Elizabeth I for the Bishop of Hereford to be made responsible, together with the four Welsh bishops, for the translation of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer into Welsh. Welsh was still commonly spoken there in the first half of the 19th century, and churchwardens' notices were put up in both Welsh and English until about 1860. Alexander John Ellis in
11250-609: The name for their territory, Wales. The modern names for various Romance-speaking people in Continental Europe (e.g. Walloons , Valaisans , Vlachs / Wallachians , and Włosi , the Polish name for Italians) have a similar etymology. The Welsh term for the language, Cymraeg , descends from the Brythonic word combrogi , meaning 'compatriots' or 'fellow countrymen'. Welsh evolved from Common Brittonic ,
11375-746: The north of Builth Wells is situated in Radnorshire. The south of the county once had an extensive rail network with connections through Glamorgan and Monmouthshire to Neath, Merthyr Tydfil, Cardiff, Newport and thence to the main Great Western main line. The Brecon Mountain Railway is a 1 ft 11 3⁄4 in (603 mm) narrow gauge tourist railway on the south side of the Brecon Beacons. It climbs northwards from Pant (in Glamorgan) along
11500-479: The north of the county. The Gwernyfed and Hay Leisure Centre at Three Cocks has a fitness suite, sports hall and multi-purpose floodlit pitch. On establishment in 1889 the Breconshire County Council adopted the attributed arms of Brychan , fifth century founder of Brycheiniog. The shield was quartered. In the first and fourth quarters were the purported arms of Brychan's father Anlach: sable
11625-658: The only de jure official language in any part of the United Kingdom, with English being merely de facto official. According to the 2021 census , the Welsh-speaking population of Wales aged three or older was 538,300 (17.8%) and nearly three quarters of the population in Wales said they had no Welsh language skills. Other estimates suggest that 862,700 people (28.0%) aged three or older in Wales could speak Welsh in March 2024. Almost half of all Welsh speakers consider themselves fluent, while 20 per cent are able to speak
11750-627: The other Brittonic languages. It is not clear when Welsh became distinct. Linguist Kenneth H. Jackson has suggested that the evolution in syllabic structure and sound pattern was complete by around AD 550, and labelled the period between then and about AD 800 "Primitive Welsh". This Primitive Welsh may have been spoken in both Wales and the Hen Ogledd ('Old North') – the Brittonic-speaking areas of what are now northern England and southern Scotland – and therefore may have been
11875-473: The people of Wales in every aspect of their lives. Despite that, an amendment to that effect was supported by 18 Assembly Members from three different parties, and that was a significant step forward." On 5 October 2011, Meri Huws , Chair of the Welsh Language Board , was appointed the new Welsh Language Commissioner. She released a statement that she was "delighted" to have been appointed to
12000-471: The population not being able to speak it. The National Survey for Wales, conducted by Welsh Government, has also tended to report a higher percentage of Welsh speakers than the census, with the most recent results for 2022–2023 suggesting that 18 per cent of the population aged 3 and over were able to speak Welsh, with an additional 16 per cent noting that they had some Welsh-speaking ability. Historically, large numbers of Welsh people spoke only Welsh. Over
12125-502: The population of Wales aged 3 and over, were able to speak the language. Children and young people aged three to 15 years old were more likely to report that they could speak Welsh than any other age group (48.4 per cent, 241,300). Around 1,001,500 people, or 32.5 per cent, reported that they could understand spoken Welsh. 24.7 per cent (759,200) could read and 22.2 per cent (684,500) could write in Welsh. The APS estimates of Welsh language ability are historically higher than those produced by
12250-407: The population of Wales spoke Welsh, compared with 20.8 per cent in the 2001 census , and 18.5 per cent in the 1991 census . Since 2001, however, the number of Welsh speakers has declined in both the 2011 and 2021 censuses to about 538,300 or 17.8 per cent in 2021, lower than 1991, although it is still higher in absolute terms. The 2011 census also showed a "big drop" in the number of speakers in
12375-490: The previous century, in this case between the heirs of Maredudd ab Owain 's daughter Angharad (such as Gruffydd ap Llywelyn ), those of his brother Einion (such as Rhys ap Tewdwr), and the rulers of Morgannwg . In 1088, Gruffydd's son-in-law, and his son-in-law's son-in-law, Bernard de Neufmarché , took part in a rebellion against King William Rufus , without being punished for it. Emboldened by this, Bernard launched attacks on an area under Rhys' influence - Brycheiniog - while
12500-570: The purpose of local government; these in large part equated to ecclesiastical parishes (see the table below), most of which still exist as part of the Church in Wales. Chapelries are listed in italics . chapel to Glasbury parish in Radnorshire Brecon Rugby Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Rygbi Aberhonddu) was one of the eleven founding members of the Welsh Rugby Union in 1881. It is a feeder club for
12625-441: The quarter sessions decided that 'Brecknock' was the correct form, having been used in the statute creating the county. Conversely, the county council created in 1889 decided by 21 votes to 16 to adopt the name 'Breconshire County Council' rather than 'Council of the County of Brecknock'. Efforts to get the two bodies to agree on a standard form of the name failed. The quarter sessions maintained that they had no authority to go against
12750-409: The required fresh approach to this new role." Huws started her role as the Welsh Language Commissioner on 1 April 2012. Local councils and the Senedd use Welsh, issuing Welsh versions of their literature, to varying degrees. Road signs in Wales are in Welsh and English. Prior to 2016, the choice of which language to display first was the responsibility of the local council. Since then, as part of
12875-550: The rest of the Lordship of Brecknock was inherited by her son, Roger . However, Roger, who was childless, detached the region around Bronllys, the whole of the Cantref Selyf , and gave it as an independent Lordship to his cousin, Walter Fitz-Richard , the son of Richard Fitz-Pons. Roger remained childless, so the remainder of the Lordship of Brecknock was inherited by each of his brothers in turn, all of them ( Walter , Henry , Mahel , and William ) dying childless. William,
13000-442: The rest. John was succeeded by his brother, Humphrey , while Rhys was succeeded by his son, Philip ap Rhys. However, King Edward III , after taking control of government from Roger Mortimer (whom he had executed for treason), allowed himself to be persuaded that a place like the Lordship of Brecknock should be ruled by a powerful magnate (like Humphrey) not a weak one (like Philip). Edward consequently transferred Philip's portion of
13125-514: The sons of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn , Gruffydd's half-brother, attacked Deheubarth; this was likely a co-ordinated action between Bernard and Bleddyn ap Cynfyn's sons. Bleddyn ap Maenyrch was defeated at the Battle of Caer-Bannau (one of Bleddyn ap Maenyrch's castles, and a former Roman army camp), while Rhys was forced to flee to Ireland. Rhys later re-established his position with Irish assistance, and in April 1093 he and Bleddyn attacked Bernard while he
13250-483: The start of the nineteenth century but closed in 1962. The route from Brecon to Abergavenny has since been re-opened. 35 miles are currently navigable, most of them running through the Brecon Beacons. St Mary's Church, Brecon is a Grade II* listed building. The structure was originally a chapel of ease for the priory. The 90 feet (27 m) West Tower dates to 1510 and is attributed to Edward, Duke of Buckingham. The eight bells date to 1750. The Cathedral Church of St John
13375-478: The unofficial arms subsequently became the basis for those granted to the successor Brecknock Borough Council. Thomas Coke (b. Brecon 9 September 1747 – d. at sea 2 May 1814) was the first Methodist bishop and is known as the Father of Methodist Missions. Richard Booth (b. Hay-on-Wye 12 September 1938), bookseller, known for his contribution to the success of Hay-on-Wye as a centre for second-hand bookselling. He
13500-526: The use of Welsh in daily life, and standardised spelling. The New Testament was translated by William Salesbury in 1567, and the complete Bible by William Morgan in 1588. Modern Welsh is subdivided into Early Modern Welsh and Late Modern Welsh. Early Modern Welsh ran from the 15th century through to the end of the 16th century, and the Late Modern Welsh period roughly dates from the 16th century onwards. Contemporary Welsh differs greatly from
13625-477: The whole Lordship of Brecknock to Mortimer (the king's ally) not de Bohun (an opponent of the king). Two months later, the Second Barons' War broke out; Mortimer and de Bohun were on opposing sides. In 1266, Mortimer's army was near-obliterated, but later that year the War was all-but-ended in the king's favour. Mortimer brokered a peace with de Bohun, surrendering the Lordship of Brecknock to him. During
13750-545: Was a cantref in medieval Wales, located west of the River Wye. Unlike most cantrefs, it was not part of any of the major Welsh kingdoms for most of its history, but was instead ruled by an autonomous local dynasty. During the Norman invasion of Wales, the Marcher Lord Philip de Braose conquered Buellt around 1095. The area then changed hands between multiple Norman and Welsh figures. In November 1282, Edward I overran Buellt as part of his final conquest of Wales and
13875-636: Was abolished in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 . The bulk of its area passed to the new county of Powys , where it became the Brecknock District , one of three districts . Along Brecknockshire's southern boundary there were four communities that did not become part of Powys under the 1974 reforms: Penderyn went to the Cynon Valley district of Mid Glamorgan , Vaynor went to Merthyr Tydfil district of Mid Glamorgan, and Brynmawr and Llanelly both went to Blaenau Gwent . In 1996
14000-479: Was allowed to travel elsewhere, if accompanied by Bernard's knights); nevertheless, Bernard gave Gwrgan, and his brothers, some lands within Bernard's Lordship, to sustain their dignity (Gwgan initially receiving Cathedine ). Bernard was succeeded by his son, Mahel . However, Bernard's wife, Nesta, dramatically swore an oath, in the presence of King Henry I , that Mahel was a bastard. Henry consequently ruled that
14125-513: Was at this time held by Walter Fitz-Richard's heir, Maud, daughter of John Giffard, 1st Baron Giffard . When she died, in 1311, without immediate heirs, King Edward transferred the Bronllys Lordship to Rhys ap Hywel as well. Humphrey de Bohun was succeeded by his son, Humphrey , one of the ardent opponents of King Edward II 's boyfriend, Piers Gaveston , and then of his subsequent boyfriend, Hugh Despenser . While in revolt against
14250-608: Was building a castle at Brecon . The attack failed, and both Rhys and Bleddyn ap Maenyrch were killed. The Welsh Annales clearly state that Rhys was killed 'by the French who were inhabiting Brycheiniog' (implying that Bernard had already taken over the kingdom). Bernard established a Marcher Lordship in its place - the Lordship of Brecknock (the name being a Norman mangling of Brycheiniog ). Bernard confined Bleddyn ap Maenyrch's eldest son, Gwrgan, in Brecon Castle (though Gwrgan
14375-615: Was created in 1536 under the Laws in Wales Act 1535, which formally incorporated Wales into the Kingdom of England and extended English models of government, including counties, across all of Wales. Previously the Brecknockshire area had been subdivided into various smaller marcher lordships and other territories. The largest of these were the Lordship of Brecknock , which had its roots in the medieval Welsh kingdom of Brycheiniog , and
14500-430: Was declared the county town. The county was divided into six hundreds in 1542: Builth, Crickhowell, Devynnock, Merthyr, Penkelly, and Talgarth. Brecknock was the only borough in the county. Other market towns were Builth, Crickhowell and Hay-on-Wye. Under the terms of the 1535 legislation one member of parliament was returned for the borough and one for the county. Elected county councils were created in 1889 under
14625-465: Was executed for treason, having been suspected of plotting against King Henry VIII , the Lordship was forfeited to the crown, and re-combined it with Buellt (which the crown still possessed, and had stopped renting out to Mortimer's heirs when the latter merged with the crown ), as it had been last time it was a crown possession. By his Laws in Wales Acts , Henry converted the combined territory -
14750-426: Was mainly constructed in the 14th and 15th centuries. The church is most famous for its rood screen which dates from 1500. It is a Grade I listed building. St David's Church, Llanddew is one of the oldest churches in Brecknockshire. The building dates from around the 13th century and has a cruciform shape, with a central tower. From the medieval period until 1974, Brecknockshire was divided into civil parishes for
14875-592: Was married to Richard Fitz Pons , a powerful supporter of Bernard, who owned lands in Herefordshire close to the border of Brycheiniog (as well as elsewhere) - the Barony of Clifford . Bernard had assigned some of the land on the Brycheiniog side of the border with Clifford to Richard (as a barony within the Lordship of Brecknock); Richard built a castle there - Bronllys Castle . Bernard had similarly assigned
15000-518: Was passed and received Royal Assent, thus making the Welsh language an officially recognised language within Wales. The measure: The measure required public bodies and some private companies to provide services in Welsh. The Welsh government's Minister for Heritage at the time, Alun Ffred Jones , said, "The Welsh language is a source of great pride for the people of Wales, whether they speak it or not, and I am delighted that this measure has now become law. I am very proud to have steered legislation through
15125-712: Was predominantly rural and mountainous. The Black Mountains occupy the southeast of the area, the Brecon Beacons the central region, Fforest Fawr the southwest and Mynydd Epynt the north. Its highest point was Pen y Fan , 2907 ft (886 m). The River Wye traces nearly the whole of the northern boundary, and the Usk flowed in an easterly direction through the central valley. The main towns were Brecon , Beaufort , Brynmawr , Builth Wells , Crickhowell , Hay-on-Wye , Llanelly , Llanwrtyd Wells , Rassau , Talgarth , Vaynor and Ystradgynlais . The county of Brecknock
15250-515: Was ruled by the Earls of Buckingham. When Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, was executed for treason, having been suspected of plotting against King Henry VIII, the Lordship was forfeited to the crown. Henry VIII combined it with the cantref of Buellt. By his Laws in Wales Acts, Henry converted the combined territory - the Lordships of Brecknock and Buellt - into Brecknockshire, subject to standard English law. The Laws in Wales Act 1535 created
15375-473: Was survived only by daughters, so the lands were divided between them: Mortimer was, however, aggrieved at the paucity of his reward, noting that the lands were not the same size, and feeling the division should have been more equal. Over the next 25 years, Mortimer, a major ally of king Henry III at a time when the King was facing opposition from many of his other Barons, managed to get the settlement re-adjusted, so that he would be officially allocated parts of
15500-454: Was taken. Unfortunately, Gilbert's tenants then took it upon themselves to act, stealing cattle from those of Humphrey, so Humphrey's tenants counter-attacked. The king was extremely angered by this, and ordered that the Lordships of Brecknock and Glamorgan be forfeit. Subsequently, Humphrey and Gilbert settled their differences and persuaded the king to commute the decision in return for large sums of cash. When King Edward II began his rule,
15625-623: Was the King of Brycheiniog during the time of the Norman invasion of England (possibly by acquiring a claim through his mother, the niece of Tewdwr ap Griffri). Though initially neutral on the matter, the Normans acquired a dim view of Welsh princes when many of the latter supported anti-Norman revolts by the Saxons (with whom the princes were allied), such as that of Eadric the Wild . After suppressing
#887112