16th century in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the century 1500 - 1599 to Wales and its people.

Princes of Wales

*Arthur Tudor (to April 2, 1502)
*Prince Henry (later Henry VIII) (1504-1509)

Princesses of Wales

*Catherine of Aragon (November 14, 1501 - April 2, 1502)

Events

1501
*November 14 Arthur, Prince of Wales, marries Catherine of Aragon at St Paul's Cathedral.1502
*August - William Smyth becomes President of the Council of Wales and the Marches.1504
*February 18 - Henry, Duke of York is invested as Prince of Wales.1519
*Sir John Puleston is granted the lordship of Denbigh and Denbighland by King Henry VIII.1526
*Princess Mary, heir to the throne, is sent to Ludlow Castle to preside over the Council of Wales and the Marches.1531
*Rhys ap Gruffudd of Carew Castle is executed for treason.1534
*July 22 Henry Somerset is appointed chief justice in eyre of Newport, Wentllwg and Machen.1536
*Thomas Cromwell appoints Bishop Rowland Lee to the presidency of the Council of Wales and the Marches.
*"An Acte for Lawes & Justice to be ministred in Wales in like fourme as it is in this Realme (27 Henry VIII c. 26)" "unites" Wales with England and gives Wales parliamentary representation.1541
*Foundation of Christ College, Brecon.1542
*"An Acte for certaine Ordinaunces in the Kinges Majesties Domynion and Principalitie of Wales (34 and 35 Henry VIII c. 26)" extends the effects of the 1536 Act of Union.1550
*Walter Devereux is created Viscount Hereford.1551
*October 10 - William Herbert is created Baron Herbert of Cardiff.1553
*Nicholas Heath is made President of the Council of Wales and the Marches by Queen Mary I of England.1557
*July 8 - The will of Geoffrey Glyn leaves a bequest leading to the foundation of Friars School, Bangor.1565
*Blanche Parry is appointed Keeper of the Queen's Books and Jewels.1568
*May 26 - A "congress of bards and musicians" takes place at Caerwys, on the orders of a commission appointed by Queen Elizabeth I of England.1571
*Foundation of Jesus College, Oxford.1576
*The route for the weekly post to Ireland established by Queen Elizabeth I is switched from Liverpool to Holyhead.1577
*Mary Sidney marries Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke.1584
*September 23 - Robert Sidney marries heiress Barbara Gamage, at St Donat's Castle, the home of her guardian Sir Edward Stradling.
*Copper-working begins at Aberdulais Falls.1595
*February - A riot breaks out in Cardiff as the result of the activities of Sir William Herbert (a relative of the Earl of Pembroke) and his henchmen. 1596
*Sir William Herbert and Nicholas Herbert are convicted by the Court of Star Chamber [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=48095] , imprisoned in the Fleet, and fined 1000 marks for his part in the affair.

Arts and literature

Books

1540
*Robert Recorde - "The Grounde of Artes"1546
*Sir John Price - "Yn y Llyvyr Hwn" (first Welsh language book to be printed)1547
*William Salesbury - "A dictionary in Englyshe and Welshe"1550
*William Salesbury - "Ban wedy i dynny air yngair alla o ben gyfreith Howel da..."1556
*Robert Recorde - "The Castle of Knowledge, containing the Explication of the Sphere both Celestiall and Materiall, etc."1564
*John Dee - "Monas Hieroglyphica" 1567
*Gruffydd Robert - "Dosparth Byrr ar y rhan gyntaf i ramadeg cymraeg"
*"Llyfr Gweddi Gyffredin", a Welsh translation of the Book of Common Prayer by William Salesbury1568
*Morys Clynnog - "Athravaeth Gristnogavl"1573
*Sir John Prys - "Historiae Britannicae Defensio" (published posthumously)1584
*David Powel - "Historie of Cambria"1587
*Morris Kyffin - "The Blessedness of Britayne"1589
*John Penry - "Exhortation to the governours and people of Wales..." 1594
*Morris Kyffin - "Deffyniad Ffydd Eglwys Lloegr"

Births

1504
*"date unknown" - William Glyn, bishop (d. 1558)1527
*July 13 - John Dee, mathematician and occultist (d. 1609)1528
*November 6 - Gabriel Goodman, founder of Ruthin School (d. 1601)1534
*"date unknown" - Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, statesman (d. 1601)1558
*Richard Trevor, politician (d. 1638)1575
*December 9 - Augustine Baker, Benedictine mystic (d. 1641)
*"date unknown" - William Vaughan, writer and colonial investor (d. 1641)1587
*June 24 - William Arnold, Welsh-descended American settler

Deaths

1500
*October 1 - John Alcock, Tudor supporter and Lord President of the Council of Wales and the Marches1502
*April 2 - Arthur, Prince of Wales, 151505
*"date unknown" - Sir Thomas Salusbury, Tudor supporter1509
*April 21 - King Henry VII, Pembroke-born King of England, 52
*June 29 - Lady Margaret Beaufort, widow of Edmund Tudor and mother of King Henry VII, 661512
*February 12 - David ap Owen, Bishop of St Asaph1523
*"date unknown" - Griffith Ryce, servant of Arthur Tudor1525
*"date unknown" - Sir Rhys ap Thomas, Tudor supporter, 75?1526
*April 15 - Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester
*1543
*January 28 - Rowland Lee, Lord President of the Council of Wales and the Marches1549
*November 26 - Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester1554
*May 18 - William Thomas (executed)
*December 24 - 80 "red-headed bandits of Mawddach" (executed)1555
*March (probable) - Rawlins White, fisherman, 70? (executed by burning at Cardiff)
*March 30 - Robert Ferrar, former Bishop of St David's (executed by burning at Carmarthen)
*October 15 - Sir John Prys, notary public to King Henry VIII, 53?
*"date unknown" - Robert Holgate, former Bishop of Llandaff1558
*"date unknown"
**William Nichol, Protestant martyr
**Robert Recorde, mathematician1559
*"date unknown" - Sir Rice Mansel, admiral1560
*December 15 - Sir Thomas Parry1570
*March-July - Sir Richard Clough, merchant
*March 17 - William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke1574
*"date unknown" - Hugh Price, lawyer1581
*November 7 - Richard Davies, bishop
*"date unknown" - Morys Clynnog, Recusant author1584
*April 27 - David Lewis, lawyer
*October 15 - Richard Gwyn, Catholic martyr, 47
*"probable" - William Salesbury, translator of the New Testament into Welsh1585
*March 2 - William Parry, conspirator (executed)1586
*May 5 - Henry Sidney, President of the Council of Wales, 56
*September 20 - Thomas Salisbury, conspirator (executed), 22?
*"date unknown" - Griffith Lloyd, Principal of Jesus College, Oxford1589
*February 21 - William Somerset, 3rd Earl of Worcester1590
*February 12 - Blanche Parry, gentlewoman to Queen Elizabeth I, 81?1591
*August 27 - Katheryn of Berain, much-married heiress, 57?
*"date unknown" - William Blethyn, Bishop of Llandaff1593
*May 29 - John Penry, Protestant martyr, 331595
*December 12 - Roger Williams, soldier of fortune, 55?1596
*October - Richard Herbert, politician and judge1598
*July 12 - John Jones, Catholic martyr
*August 4 - William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, politician of Welsh descent
*"date unknown" - Morris Kyffin, soldier and author