Penal Laws against Wales 1402

The Penal Laws against Wales were a set of laws, passed by the English Parliament in 1402.[lower-alpha 1] They were designed to establish English dominance in Wales during the Welsh War of Independence/Glyndŵr Rising (1400–1415), led by Owain Glyndŵr.

These laws prohibited the Welsh from obtaining senior public office, the bearing of arms or buying property in English towns.[1] All public assembly was forbidden, and education of Welsh children was restricted.[1] Englishmen who married Welsh women also came under these laws.

Penal laws applied to the Welsh in 1402

The UK & Wales constitution was further enacted in 1402 as a response to the Glyndŵr Rising, the Penal Laws against Wales 1402 introduced new strict measure to quell rebellion in Wales and were enacted throughout the Principality. The terms were :[2][3]

Englishman shall not be convict[ed] by Welshman in Wales (this included Welsh through marriage);
Against wasters minstrels etc. in Wales ("Item, to eschew many diseases and mischiefs, which have happened before this time in the land of Wales…: it is ordained and stablished that no waster, rhymer, minstrel nor vagabond be in any wise sustained in the land of Wales…")
Against congregations in Wales (public meetings were banned)
Welshmen shall not be armed ("no Welshman be armed nor bear defensible armour")
No victual or armour shall be carried into Wales (it was banned for an Englishman to carry armour to Wales or a Welshman to possess such items of battle)
Welshmen shall not have castles etc (only the castle's from the time of Edward I were allowed to be used)
No Welshman shall bear office ("Justice, Chamberlain, Chancellor, Treasurer, Sheriff, Steward, Constable of Castle, Receiver, Escheator, Coroner, nor Chief Forester nor any other Officer, nor Keeper of the Records, nor Lieutenant in any of the said Offices in no part of Wales, nor of the Council of any English lord…")

References

Archives, The National. "The National Archives - Exhibitions - Uniting the Kingdoms?". nationalarchives.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
"Penal laws applied to the Welsh in 1402". nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Owen Donovan (27 April 2020). "A Welsh Constitution II: Our Current Constitution". stateofwales.com.

Notes

There were three acts passed by the English Parliament in 1402 : the Wales Act, the Wales and Welshmen Act & the Welshmen Act. The laws were not ended by the Laws in Wales Acts (1535 and 1542) – BUT were finally repealed by the last parliament called by James I ( The Happy Parliament ) in 1624 – 17 years after the English laws against the Scots had been repealed : Stats 4 & 5 James I, c.1; 21 James 1, cc. 10, 28 section 1 ; listed in Statutes of the Realm ( London 1819 ) vol iv, pp 1134 – 7, 1219, 1239 ( from note 10, page 6 : British Consciousness and Identity – The Making of Britain 1533–1707 – eds Brendan Bradshaw and Peter Roberts – Cambridge University Press 1998 – http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/samples/cam034/97033420.pdf )

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[:0-2] Archives, The National. "The National Archives - Exhibitions - Uniting the Kingdoms?". nationalarchives.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2020.

[3] "Penal laws applied to the Welsh in 1402". nationalarchives.gov.uk.

[4] Owen Donovan (27 April 2020). "A Welsh Constitution II: Our Current Constitution". stateofwales.com.

[1] There were three acts passed by the English Parliament in 1402 : the Wales Act, the Wales and Welshmen Act & the Welshmen Act. The laws were not ended by the Laws in Wales Acts (1535 and 1542) – BUT were finally repealed by the last parliament called by James I ( The Happy Parliament ) in 1624 – 17 years after the English laws against the Scots had been repealed : Stats 4 & 5 James I, c.1; 21 James 1, cc. 10, 28 section 1 ; listed in Statutes of the Realm ( London 1819 ) vol iv, pp 1134 – 7, 1219, 1239 ( from note 10, page 6 : British Consciousness and Identity – The Making of Britain 1533–1707 – eds Brendan Bradshaw and Peter Roberts – Cambridge University Press 1998 – http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/samples/cam034/97033420.pdf )