DescriptionThis battle is noted in a poem written by Gwalchmai ap Meilyr shortly after the event:
Bu a frwydr frwydr waedlyd, ar ddychryn ddychryn aruthr
Ac o gwmpas Tal Moelfre mi o floeddiadau;
Bu ar bicell bicell lachar, ar waywffon waywffyn
Ar arswyd arswyd digofaint mawr, ar foddiad foddi; (Williams, 183 lines 41-44)
Translation:
Battle on bloody battle, panic on horrifying panic,
and around Tal Moelfre a thousand war-cries;
slaughter on flashing slaughter, spears upon spear,
terror on raging terror, drowning upon drowning;
The name Tal Moelfre is also given for the battle in the Gwynedd chronicle O Oes Gwrtheryn (Jones, 2013, 418). Moelfre is situated on the east coast of Anglesey and this vicinity is supported by the Itinerarium Kambriae of Gerald of Wales, written in 1188, which notes in regard to Henry II:
'bellicam aleam expertus est, classe in Moniarn transmissa, cum prsedictae ecclesiaj aliisque sanctorum per iusulam locis spoliando prsedando minime deferrent, divina secuta vindicta, accolae tandem in advenas, pauci in multos, inermes in armatos subito irruentes, multis interemptis, multisque captis et in vincula datis, victoria potiti sunt cruentissima' (Dimock, 130).
Translation: 'He thereupon sent a fleet to Anglesey, and began ravaging and plundering this church of Saint Tyfrydog and other holy places throughout the island. He was punished by God, for the local inhabitants attacked the invaders, few as they were against many and unarmed against those wearing armour. Many of Henry's troops were killed, and many were captured and thrown into chains for the islanders won a bloody victory' (Thorpe, 189).
'Fuerant autem duo nobiles viri, et ejus qui scripsit liaec avunculi, cum aliis huc a rege transmissi; Henricus scilicet regis Henrici primi filius, et secondi avunculus, ex nobili Nesta, Resi filii Theodori filia,^ in australi Kambria Demetiae finibu oriundu ; et Robertus Stephani filius, Henrici frater non germanus sed uterinus; ? Henricus igitur, nimia fretus audacia, bonaque destitutus omnino sequela, cum magno suorum dolore inter primos lanceis confossus occubiiit. Robertus vero, do defensione diffidens, vix?ad naves graviter vulneratus evasit' (Dimock, 130-1).
Translation: 'Two great noblemen were sent to the island by the king. They were my own uncles: Henry, son of King Henry I and uncle of King Henry II, the child of Nest, the nobly born daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr, Prince of Dyfed in South Wales; and Robert FitzStephan, Henry's brother, but by a different father. ? Henry behaved far too rashly and, with no support from his troops, fell in the first line of battle, pierced by a number of spears, to the great grief of his soldiers. Robert was badly wounded and escaped with great difficulty to his ships, abandoning all hope of defence' (Thorpe, 189-90).
The Breviate chronicle for the year 1157 notes that a William Trenchemer also died in this battle, but his identity remains obscure (Gough-Cooper, b1180.3). The Brutiau provide further information about the battle.
'Yg kyfrwg hynny y dyblygawd llyges y brenhin y Von. A gwedy adaw yn y llogeu y gwyr noeth diaryf a'r gwassanaethwyr, y kyrchawd tywyssawc y llogeu, a'r penn llogwyr y gyt ac ef a'r jeuegtit adas y ymladeu, y'r ynys y mywn. Ac yspeilaw a orugant eglwys Ueir ac eglwys Beder a llawer o eglwysseu ereill. Ac am hynny y gwnaeth Duw dial arnunt. Kanys trannoeth y bu brwydyr y rygtunt a gwyr Mon; ac yn y vrwydyr honno y kilyawd y Ffreinc, herwyd y gnotaedic deuawd, wedy llad llawer onadunt a dala ereill a bodi ereill. A breid y dieghis ychydic onadunt y'r llogeu wedy llad Henri uap Henri vrenhin a chann mwyhaf holl bennaduryeit y llogeu' (Jones, 1955, 134-6).
Translation: 'In the meantime the king's fleet approached Anglesey. And after leaving behind in the ships the exposed unarmed men and the servitors, the leader of the ships and the head-seamen and the young men fit for battles along with him invaded the island. And they pillaged the church of Mary and the church of Peter and many other churches. And for that God wreaked vengeance upon them, For on the following day a battle took place between them and the men of Anglesey; and in that battle the French fled, according to their usual custom, after many of the had been slain and others had been captured and others had been drowned. And it was with difficulty that a few of them escaped to the ships after Henry, son of King Henry, and most of the chief officers for the ships had been slain' (Jones, 1955, 135-7).
The churches of Mary (SH 5066 8289; Grade II* Listed Building No. 5375) and Peter (SH 5095 7985; Grade II* Listed Building No. 5374) can be associated with Llanfair Mathavarn and Llanbedrgoch respectively. The mention by Gerald of Wales of the church of Llandyfrydog being attacked, in conjunction with the name Tal Moelfre, enable the site of the battle to be narrowed down to the beaches between Traeth Dulas (SH 482 884) and Red Wharf Bay (SH 540 810), but it is difficult to be any more precise.
RCAHMW (Battlefields Inventory), Jan 2017
Bibliography
Dimock, James F. (ed.) Giraldi Cambrensis Opera Volume VI (London, Longmans, Green, Reader and Dyer, 1868).
Gough-Cooper, Henry (ed.) The Breviate Chronicle: Annales Cambriae, The B Text from London, National Archives, MS E164/1, pp. 2?26, online edition.
Jones, Owain Wyn, `Historical Writing in Medieval Wales?, (unpublished PhD, Bangor University, 2013).
Jones, Thomas (ed. and trans), Brut y Tywysogyon or the Chronicle of the Princes: Red Book of Hergest Version (Cardiff, University of Wales Press, 1955).
Thorpe, Lewis (trans.), Gerald of Wales The Journey through Wales and The Description of Wales (Penguin, Harmondsworth, 1978).
Williams, J. E. Caerwyn, Lynch, Perdur I. and Gruffydd, R. Geraint (gol.), Gwaith Meilyr Brydydd a?I Ddisgynyddion, ynghyd a Dwy awdl Fawl Ddienw o Ddeheubarth (Gwasg Prifysgol Cymri, Caerdydd, 1994).
