The marriage contract of Edward II and Isabella, 1303

The medieval documents held atWest Glamorgan Archive Service are relatively fewin number, but they comprise some of the jewels of our collections. They are something of a closed book to most researchers, due to the script and language in which they are written, and to remedy this, we have been publishinga series of translations to improve access to them. This year, wefocus on the faded and barely legible remains of the contract recording the betrothal of Edward, Prince of Wales and Isabellaof France, a marriage that would lead to death and a document whose story is, on several levels, ironic and poignant.

Edward II was the son and heir of the formidable Edward I, ‘Hammerof the Scots’, who in1284 effected the complete conquest of independent Wales. At his birth in Caernarfon extravagant prophesies were made, declaring that he would be a new Arthur and lead England to glory, but this was not a life to which the young princewas suited. These were politicallychallenging times requiring good judgement and strong leadership, and his reign would ultimatelyend in disaster.

Edward grew up to be a tall, athletic young man. Hefought on some of his father’s campaigns in Scotland and was known to be fond of music. He was appointed Prince ofWales in 1301, the first member of the English royal family to hold the position. In 1307, he was knighted in ostentatious style inWestminster Abbey, and later in the year, following his father’s death, he was proclaimed King Edward II. He was a highly eligible bachelor in an age when marriage in the upper echelons of society was often treated as a means to a political end and in1303 he was promised in marriage to Isabella, daughter of Philip IV ‘the Fair’of France. At the time, she was just coming up to eight years of age. This was not a love match, but a calculated union, backed by Pope Boniface VIII, to settle disputes between the crowns of England and France regarding the former’s claims to Gascony, Normandy, Aquitaine and Anjou. The betrothal was formalised in Paris in a document dated 20 May 1303.While Isabella and her parents were allthere in person, Edward himself was absent and sent two proxies to stand in his place, blissfully ignorant of the impact his marriage would have on his life. The contract document declared that as soon as she came of age, the young princess and the prince would be married. This happened some five years later, when Edward had only recently become king and his bride was the tender age of twelve.

Edward’s sexuality has been much discussed by historians, although without concrete evidence, it is impossible to be categorical. Indisputable however is that he had very close friendships with male advisors, startingwith Piers Gaveston, who had come to hisfather’s court when he was still a teenager. After the royal marriage, the king and Gaveston largely sidelined Isabella, Edward even sitting with his favourite in preference to his wife at the coronation feast, and they increasingly incurred the wrath of many of the barons who resented the arrogant behaviour of Gaveston and the close relationship he enjoyed with the king. Isabella also disliked the situation, but, perhaps feeling she had no other option, learned to live with it. She bore four of Edward’s children, including the future Edward III. Gaveston meanwhile was twice forced into exile, only to return, while relations between the king and barons continued to deteriorate to the point of armed conflict. Finally, in 1312, Gaveston was captured and killed at the orders of the earlofWarwick.

While Isabella tolerated herhusband’s first favourite, she detested his second: Hugh Despenser was lord of Glamorgan and the two became close following Gaveston’s death. She was increasingly excluded from matters of state by Edward and Despenser and by 1322 the king and queen had effectively separated. In 1325, she was sent to France to negotiate a treaty.While she was there she joined forces with the exiled baron Roger Mortimer (they may have begun an affair) and the two returned to England with an army, intent on deposing the king. Edward fled toWales in panic, sending documents and treasure ahead to Swansea Castle for safe keeping. His aim was to set sailfor Lundy and cross from there to Ireland to raise an army, but rough weather kept him ashore. He took refuge where he could, in Cardiff, Caerphilly, Margam, Neath Abbey and possibly Swansea, but it was allin vain. On 16 October 1326 he was captured, forced to abdicate afew months later and imprisoned in Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire. The circumstances of his death are mysterious,and while most historians agree he was murdered, legend adds the gruesome insertion of a red-hot poker, an ignominious end to an ineffective king.

The store of treasure left by the king in Swansea Castle was ransacked and when the royal commissioners came to retrieve it, a string of prosecutions followed. It is surmised that the famous brooch, uncovered atOxwich Castle in 1968 and now at the National Museum in Cardiff, might have formed part of it. It is also possible that the document that promised the ill-fated marriage of Edward and Isabella was looted at the same time. Nobody knows what happened to itduring the next five centuries, but it came to light again in Victorian times, when Dr David Nichol was settling the bill with one of his Gower patients, who offered him a box of documents in lieu of payment. Among them was the marriage contract of Edward and Isabella. DrNichol was a memberof the Royal Institution of SouthWales and allowed his fellowmember George Grant Francis to take steps to preserve it.Writing in Archaeologia Cambrensis in 1848, Francis explained:

‘I anxiously sought out any and everything likely to add to the interest of our then infant museum; amongst others, my friend, Dr. Nicol, brought from his stores a small box containing sundry musty parchments and curious seals, several of them sadly decayed; the foregoing interested me much, and being in extremely tender condition, I carefully backed it with tissuepaper, mounted it on a panel of oak, glazed and framed it, inserting the three seals which were found tied up with it. It now adorns the study of the worthy Doctor; would that it were transferred to the museum, with his other donations.’

The doctordied in 1865 and around ten years later the Royal Institution purchased the document and put it on display. There it remained, in its frame, while humidity and daylight combined to fade and degrade until it was barely legible. Belatedly, in 1985 it was transferred to Swansea University Archives, where most of the Royal Institution’s archives were then stored. It was sent to the National Library of Wales for treatment, but conservators concluded that it was too badly damaged to restore. This is part of theirreport:

‘The damage to the document is probably in the main due to long exposure to sunlight; the parchment is very frail and much of the script is now illegible, even under ultra-violet light. It was judged best to leave the document on its paper backing rather than try to reback it. A coat of varnish was removed from the face of the document. In 1986 the seals were no longer attached to the document.’

The original document, reference RISW DN 32

In 2004 allthe Royal Institution’s archive collections were transferred toWest Glamorgan Archives for safe keeping and cataloguing and that is when we first acquired the marriage contract of Edward and Isabella. It is not on display today. Skilled conservators gave it the best treatment they could: they have cleaned it, restored the three seals and mounted everything in a solid box. But it is impossible to reverse the damage that has been done.Thankfully, a photograph was taken around the time when the document first came into the museum and this is also preserved among the Royal Institution’s archives. In it, the document’s fragile state isvery obvious, but cruciallyits text is legible. Using this, we have made a fresh transcription and translation, as follows:

A Touz ceus [qui ce]s presentes lettres verront et orront Looys Filzdu Roi [de] France Cuens de Evreux Robert de Burgoigne et Jehan de Bretaigne duks et Pierre Sires de Chambli Chevalir et Chambellan notre Seigneur le Roi de France messages et procureurs du dit roi a ce establiz Salut.

Nous fesons savoir que comme il ait este prononcie par le Pape comme par privee persone et comme Benoit Gaytan par la vertu du compromis [fait en] li que mariage se face de monsireEdouardfilz du Roi dengleterreet de madame ysabelfille le Roi de France notre Seigneur devant dit [sitost] comme elle vendra en aage defaire mariage dedenz les quatre mois apres ce qu il en ara este requis depar notre dit Seigneur le Roi o douaire de dis et wit mile libres de tornois petiz de rente sur certeinnes condicions [et] peinnes mises et ajostees en la prononciation desus dite et es lettres faites sur ce.

Et quant au ditmariage il ait oste les epeschemenz qui i estoient ou poaient estre par raison de lignage et ait dispense par auctorite dapostole et empres la dite prononciacion aucuns traitiez et acorz aient este euz et faiz a mostereulentre les messages et procureurs des diz Rois condicions et peines mises et ajostees quant a la fermete du dit mariage si come elles sont plus pleinement contennes es lettres faites sur ce.

Nous la prononciacion les traitiez et les acorz desus diz et chascun diceus sur les peines et sur les condicions de[sus] dites comme messages et procureurs du dit notre Seigneur le Roi en nom de li pour li pour ses hoirs et pour ses successeurs et pour madame ysabeldesus dite Ratefions agreons et approvons et prometons en nom du dit notre Seigneur le Roi a les tenir garder et acomplirfermement sur les peines desus dites

To all who shall see or hear these present letters, Louis, son of the King of France, Count of Evreux, dukes Robert of Burgundy and Jean of Brittany and Pierre Sires de Chambli, knight and chamberlain of our lord the king of France, messengers and agents of the said king appointed for this purpose, Greeting.

Wemake it known that whereas it has been pronounced by the Pope as a private person and as Benoit Gaytan*, by virtue of the promise made to him, that there shallbe a marriage between lord Edward son of the king of England and lady Isabella daughter of the king of France our lord aforesaid, and that as soon as she comes of age to be married, within four months after, there will be required from our said Lord the king a dowry of eighteen thousand little livres tournois of revenue upon certain conditions and penalties set and declared in the pronouncement mentioned above and the lettersmade about this.

And as regards the said marriage, he has removed the impediments that were or may have been by reason of lineage, and has acted by apostolic authority; and after the said pronouncement certain treaties and agreements were had and made at Montreuil between the messengers and procurators of the said kings, with conditions and penalties set and added for securing the said marriage, which are morefully contained in the letters made about this.

Weratify, agree and approve the pronouncement, the treaties and the agreements aforesaid, and each one of them, upon the penalties and upon the conditions, as messengers and procurators of our said lord the king, in his name, for his heirs and his successors and for lady Isabella aforesaid, and we promise in the name of our said lord the King to keep, guard and firmly accomplish them subject to the penalties mentioned above.

Item les diz Contes de Savoie et de Nicole comme messages et procureurs du dit Monsire Edouardfilz du dit Roi dengleterrepour li et innom de li fiancerent presentement en la presence du dit notre Seigneur le roi de France et de haute dame madam Jehenne par celle meime grace Reine de France mere de ladite madame ysabel icelle madameysabel present et receuant [et] elle presenz ses diz parenz et les diz procureurs recevanz fianca le dit Monsire Edouard en la main de honor[able] pere Gilepar celle meime grace

Arcevesque de Narbon sur les peines et sur les condicions desus dites.

En tesmoign de laquele chose nous avons fait sceller ces lettres de noz seaus. Donne a Paris la vintieme jour de mai En lan de grace milTrois cenz et Trois.

Furthermore the said Counts of Savoy and of Lincoln, as messengers and procurators of the said Lord Edward, son of the said King of England, for him and in his name, do hereby betroth, in the presence of our said Lord the king of France, and of her highness lady Jehanne by that same grace Queen of France, motherof the said lady Isabelle, the same lady Isabelle, who is present and accepts; and she, being present, her said parents and the said proctors accepting, betroths the said lord Edward by the hand of the honourable father Giles by that same grace Archbishop of Narbonne, on the penalties and conditions mentioned above.

In witness of this matter we have made these letters sealed with our seals. Given at Paris the twentieth day of May in the year of grace one thousand three hundred and three.

Andrew Dulley Assistant County Archivist

This transcription and translation, along with the story of Edward II, his ill-fated marriage and reign, were made into a feature on the WGAS website for LGBT History Month in February 2023.

Elizabeth Anne Clement: a diary of a choir’s tour through Canada and USA

Women’s History Month is celebrated in March every year. This year the Archives created a Women’s History section on our website. The pages include stories focusingmainly on women who have not already been recognised or written about and showcase documents within our collections. Thefollowing article tells one of those stories.

Elizabeth Ann Clement was born 1 January 1892 in Taibach. Her family moved to the Miners Arms Public House, Pontrhydyfen in 1899, when her father took upthe licence. By 1911, she was a barmaid at the public house. She spokeWelsh and English.

Elizabeth was a member of the Royal Welsh Ladies’ Choir (also known as Madame Hughes Thomas’ Ladies’ Choir). Madame Hughes Thomas formed the choir in 1905 (Clara Novello Davies had formed the first Royal Welsh Ladies’ Choir in 1883). It was a female only choir, led by a female conductor, with the women often performing in traditional Welsh dress. Membership of the choir appears to have been restricted by economic means. Wedo not know how these women raisedfunds to travel overseas for up to 6 months at a time, but one newspaper noted that 20 out of the 22 choristers were pupils of Madame Hughes Thomas. Therefore, the women needed the financial means to pay for music lessons.

The Archives hold a diary written by Elizabeth, while on tour with the choir through Canada and America (D/D Z 13/1). Written between 7 September 1911 and 1 April 1912 the diary records the places they visited, the hotels they stayed in and the venues they performed. The following are some extracts of that diary:

9 September 1911 “Had a decent nights’ rest, slept in the same birth with a lady from Montreal (with her child)…felt boat a little bit shaky as the sea was very rough. On retiring to bed, felt the boat give an awful jerk. Esther and I went running up to see what was up…a man in third class had fallen over board…could not save him”

14 September 1911 Quebec, QC “The day we landed…everyone was in a very excited condition. An interesting part was the getting of the baggage, everything had to be examined, it was amusing to see all the trunks opened. Then it was thrown down a slide…we had a coach of our own on the CPR (Canadian Pacific Railway)”

16 September 1911 Lake Superior, ON “then we came in view of Lake Superior, the sight was simply lovely, train was going in and out of rocks and sometimes would see the engine right ahead, as the curve was so great”

27 September 1911 Moose Jaw, SK “Arrived in Moose Jaw at 12 o’clock…went for a grand motor ride, over the prairie and to the Indian Reserve, in which there was three hundred Indians”

9 October 1911 Pincher Creek, AB “We drove five miles from station in buses, along the most dreadful roads, one can imagine, but oh, the view was glorious, stretches of wild and cultivated prairie on either side of a long rough track, with the Rockies stretching away to the right and a most glorious sun rising to our left”

11 October 1911 Fernie, BC “we passed through a place called the Great Divide, the division between Alberta and British Columbia. Here we met a Dick Bowen of Garw, he is the Chief of the police, he took us through the jail, and showed us the cell in which a man hung himself one-time”

12 October 1911 Cranbrook, BC “All hotels full, slept in car, the scenery was glorious on our way…been told that not one per cent of Canada has been cultivated, yet this seems almost incredible when one thinks of the hundreds of people that are coming out here continually”

24 October 1911 NewWestminster, BC “Met Mrs Kate Wynne Matthison, the old Welsh contralto and mother of the great Edith Wynne (actress). Most pathetic sight to see the old lady, when she saw us all she got so excited, she was nearly 90 years of age, and she sang wonderfully well”

30 Oct 1911 Blaine, WA(Canada-USborder) “We had quite a novel experience at the hands of the Customs, we were stopped on our way from Vancouver at Blaine and made to leave the train, we were put into the detention room and endless questions asked us, before they would permit us to continue with our journey”

1 Nov 1911 Seattle,WA “such wonderful buildings and stores, there was one in the course of erection that was to be 42 stories” (believe this is Smith Tower)

14 November 1911 Roseburg, OR “Our concert was held in a hall, a wonderful place for sound, our voices sounded more like sixty than twenty and every number was encored over and over”

20 November 1911 Red Bluff, CA “We all rose in a hurry when Mr Michael came into the car with an orange in his hand, which he had picked himself. We felt really we were in the land of fruit and sunshine, there were palms all along the streets…California is really beautiful”

23 November 1911 Sacramento, CA “Had our photographs taken in Welsh costume and left for Grass Valley…we utterly failed to have decent tea in California it is grey in colour and of a most peculiar flavour”

30 Nov 1911 San Francisco, CA “Frisco is a beautiful city, it is wonderful how they have built it up in so short a time, we saw a great many ruins”(after the San Francisco earthquake of 1906).

3 December 1911 San Francisco, CA “This morning we were taken for a glorious trip around Frisco…the trip was mostly taken up by driving very slowly through the Golden Gate Park…We got to the shore of the Pacific, which was a sight to behold, the sea was just glorious. On our way back we passed through China town, all the people were walking about in their national costume which presented a glorious sight to behold”

4 December 1911 Pacific Grove, CA “a most delightful spot, right on the coast, a lovely spot quite a contrast to the lively towns we have lately been visiting…Had a delightful concert Madame asked me to sing ‘Can Cusg’”

12 December 1911 Los Angeles, CA “A gentleman named Mr Griffiths took us motoring…we drove through a park, huge place called Griffith Park which he had presented to the city, on our way here we saw a company photographing for moving pictures…in the evening we took a car to

Venice, where we gave a concert. How can I describe this place? It is situated on the coast, it was as I should imagine a picture of Fairyland, here were all kinds of amusements going on…surprised at meeting Freddie Welsh the Welsh boxer”

27 December 1911 Las Vegas, NV “Awakened at 6.30 to find ourselves rushing across a desert, covered in sand. This desert extends half over California and entirely over Nevada…arrived Las Vegas 12.30, a small mining town”

30 December 1911 Salt Lake City, UT “Were met by several Welsh people…we went to an organ recital in the Mormon Tabernacle…the Temple is a huge building, oval shaped and must seat some thousand people. The ceiling and part of the walls was composed of skins of animals”

2 January 1912 Malad, ID “The population of Malad is two thousand, fifteen hundred of these are Welsh”

18 January1912 Denver, CO “Went out to see just a little of Denver in the morning, went up the Tower (Daniels & Fisher Tower) which is three hundred and fifty feet high”

19 January1912 Boulder, CO “A fine town and possess some very decent buildings…Matinee in a school, audience fair, mostly children. Sang the national anthem but not one child stood up, contrast to the children at home, when our national anthem is sung”

17 Feb. 1912 Washington DC “quite a very small place”

27 Feb. 1912 Chicago, IL “Hurrah we are going to Chicago this afternoon for a few hours. At last we are in the great city, trains moving overhead, buildings rather after the style of London. Went over several stores one large one in particular Marshall Field which is world renowned. We saw some very high buildings, one 38 stories high”

6 March 1912 Indianapolis, IN “Indianapolis today, fine city, magnificent buildings, especially the Post Office…town rather reminded us of Cardiff”

27 March 1912 Pittsburgh, PA “Mr Cosgrove with us today at Pittsburgh, we were all delighted to see him as we knew we should have an idea as to when we were going home. Probably on the 1st or 2nd of May”

28 March 1912 Pittsburgh, PA “Important concert in Pittsburgh tonight at the Carnegie Hall, most beautiful building, huge hall entirely composed of white marble. All the girls stayed in private houses”

The choir returned home on 11 May 1912. They were only home for 6 weeks before they left for a tour of South Africa on 22 June 1912. Elizabeth Clement was part of that tour, along with the following women: Marianne Squires, Ida Owen, Mabel Scott, May Edwards, Megan Harries, Myfanwy Rowlands, EstherWilkins (aged 16), Annie Jones, Carrie Jones, Flossie Bowen, Susie Phillips, Edith Hooper, Peggie Herbert, Bessie David, Phoebe Griffiths, Alice Lewis, Beatrice Lewis, Cassie Buncombe and May Jones. They were away for another 3 months before returning home at the end of September 1912.

Katie Millien Archivist

D/D Z 13/1-4