Lordship of Glamorgan Arglwyddiaeth Morgannwg | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1091–1536 | |||||||||
 Arms of Gilbert de Clare
| |||||||||
 Wales (1267–1277):
Gwynedd, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd's principality
Territories conquered by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd
Territories of Llywelyn's vassals
Lordships of the Marcher barons
Lordships of the King of England
Kingdom of England | |||||||||
| Status | Client state of the Kingdom of England | ||||||||
| Capital | Cardiff | ||||||||
| Government | Lordship | ||||||||
| Lord | |||||||||
• 1093–1107 | Robert Fitzhamon | ||||||||
• 1217–1230 | Gilbert de Clare | ||||||||
• 1509–1536 | Henry VIII of England | ||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||||||
• Conquered by Robert Fitzhamon | 1091 | ||||||||
| 1536 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
The Lordship of Glamorgan was one of the most powerful and wealthy of the Welsh Marcher Lordships. The seat was Cardiff Castle. It was established by the conquest of Glamorgan from its native Welsh ruler, by the Anglo-Norman nobleman Robert FitzHamon, feudal baron of Gloucester, and his legendary followers the Twelve Knights of Glamorgan. The Anglo-Norman Lord of Glamorgan, like all Marcher lords, ruled his lands directly by his own law: thus he could, amongst other things, declare war, raise taxes, establish courts and markets and build castles as he wished, without reference to the Crown. These privileges were only lost under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542. Though possessing many castles, the main seat of the Lordship was Cardiff Castle.