Saturday January 17th - Nathen Amin talk on Owain Glyndwr

On Saturday, we welcomed Nathen Amin – and what a great start to this year’s programme! Nathen spoke to a full house as illustrated in the photographs! Nathen is nationally know for his championing of Henry VII and gives talks all over the country as well as appearances in the media. He is an acclaimed historian and writer. Nathen has been a good friend to Pembroke in the support of our Henry VII statue campaign and has journeyed down to Pembroke on other occasions to speak at our events. This time the subject of his talk was Owain Glyndwr, the leader of the revolt against the oppressive English rule of Henry IV that began in 1400 and lasted 15 years; it was a revolt sparked by a land dispute that escalated into a national war for independence. Glyndwr was a great patriot who fought for an independent future for Wales. He held the first Welsh Parliament at Machynlleth where he was formally crowned as Prince of Wales and where he set out a bold future for Wales including the establishment of a separate church and two universities. This is commemorated by monument that stands in the grounds of Y Plas, Machynlleth. Sadly, after initial successes, the campaign ultimately failed due to the superior strength and resources of the English monarchy but Glyndŵr was never captured or betrayed by his followers. He disappeared around 1415, and his final resting place remains a mystery. Glyndwr remains an iconic symbol of Welsh nationalism and resistance and two statues can be found is Wales: one in City Hall, Cardiff and the other in Corwen.

Next event Saturday January 17th

Happy New Year to all our friends and supporters! Pembroke & Monkton Local History Society will meet again in the New Year on Saturday January 17th in Pembroke Town Hall, when we are pleased to welcome back Nathen Amin, Welsh historian and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Please note: this is a week later than the date previously advertised due to the fact that the Town Hall is undergoing repairs and will not be available earlier. Nathen is nationally recognised for his work on the history of Henry Tudor and when he last spoke with us, introduced his latest book ‘Son of Prophesy: the Rise of Henry Tudor’. This time, however, he will turn his attention to another great Welsh hero in his talk ‘Owain Glyndwr: Rebel, Prince and Visionary’. There will be an opportunity to purchase Nathen’s books following the talk. Owain Glyndŵr is one of the most revered and misunderstood figures in Welsh and British history. A national hero to many and a rebel to others, Glyndŵr’s vision for an independent Wales sparked one of the most explosive uprisings against the English crown in the early 15th century. But who was the man behind the legend? In this brand new talk, Nathen delves into the remarkable story of a prince who dared to challenge an empire. With fresh insight and historical depth, he explores the life, ambition, and impact of Owain Glyndŵr—and asks: who was the real Owain Glyndŵr, and what does his legacy mean more than six hundred years later? Doors open at 10am for the Coffee Morning followed by the Talk at 11am. Open also for the event will be Pembroke Museum and Council Chamber, which are situated on the first floor of the Town Hall. A lift is available for disabled access. All are welcome to attend and entry is free. Any queries, contact pembrokehistory@live.co.uk

Pembroke Castle's Christmas Market

Another amazing Christmas Market at Pembroke Castle and great to take part with a stall selling our books and various Christmas items, the main attraction proving to be our bumper Christmas hamper. The draw for the Christmas hamper took place in Pembroke Town Hall and the winning ticket was kindly drawn by our Mayor, Cllr Gareth Jones. Pictured here also are Mrs Mary Willington and Mrs June Wilcocks who did a magnificent job in organising the hamper, bulging with lovely things to eat. It weighed a ton! The winning ticket was 138 on the blue and the lucky winner was Mr Waller of Abergavenny. Congratulations!

Launch of our statue project.

Saturday saw the public launch of our statue project which was held in Pembroke Town Hall to a large audience. Following the success of the Henry Tudor and William Marshal statues, we are keen to continue the idea of a statue/arts trail with the addition of a group of statues to celebrate the role of women in our history: three women, with Pembroke connections, who have played a great part in our nation's story. They are Princess Nest, Isabel de Clare and Margaret Beaufort - it is rare for women to be celebrated in statues, so we need to put that right! We are working again with sculptor Harriet Addyman who has already done us proud with Henry and William. She has already done much research on the design of the costumes which are as historically accurate as possible. These were modelled at the event by Louise, Florence and Derryn, who is a professional dressmaker and responsible to the making of the lovely dresses. The site we are looking at for the placing of the statues is the footpath which takes you from the Commons up to the Parade. It will form the end of a circular trail beginning at the Castle, then following a route to the Town Hall, Clock Tower, Church, Millpond, Mill Bridge, along the base of the Castle, Commons and back to the town via Willings Passage. We have a way to go but we have made a start. As with previous projects, we are always open to ideas and input.

3 Ladies of Pembroke

We continue our 2025/26 Programme of events with a meeting on Saturday morning, November 8th in which we will be launching our new statue project - a project which will celebrate the important role women played in our history. So little attention is given to the vital contribution of women and so few statues are erected to them. We want to put this right and aim to celebrate the Lives and Legacy of 3 women connected with Pembroke. The ladies we have chosen are Princess Nest, Isabel de Clare and Margaret Beaufort whose lives span the Middle Ages from the Norman invasion of Pembroke to the founding of the Tudor Dynasty. So come along to our meeting where a presentation will be made by sculptor Harriet Addyman who has done us proud with the statues of Henry VII and William Marshal. We need your support and welcome any contribution you may wish to make. These statues would form a vital part of our proposed statue/arts trail, which will also be discussed at the meeting.

Coffee Morning and Talk - October 4th

The first coffee morning and talk in our new 2025/26 Programme went off to a great start with a talk by popular local historian Gareth Mills on the History of Orielton and the Owen Family. He spoke to a large audience in Pembroke Town Hall – it was a very enjoyable morning indeed. Orielton first came into the possession of the Owen family through the marriage of Hugh Owen to Elizabeth Wyrriott in 1571. The Owens of Orielton played a prominent part in the history of Pembroke for three centuries: they were sheriffs of Pembrokeshire, Members of Parliament and Mayors of Pembroke. The grandson of Elizabeth and Hugh, also named Hugh represented Pembroke in Parliament through the years leading up to the Civil War, and was made a baronet in 1641: this tradition carried on through the generations. His grandson Arthur famously rode to London in 1702 to give the casting vote for the Act of Settlement, which secured the Hanoverian succession. Despite the motto on the Family Coat of Arms “Honesty is the best policy”, tales of bribery and election rigging in fiercely fought elections abound. The direct line died out in 1804 and the estate was willed to John Lord, who changed his name to Owen. It was due to the vast sums of money he spent on rigging elections to pursue his political influence that finally led to bankruptcy and the sale of the estate in 1857. Many houses in Pembroke itself were also auctioned, as the family owned much of Pembroke. Sadly the lovely Orielton House is now up for sale – for a mere £1.1million! Considering what’s there, that sounds very little!

Quiz Night September 19th

Our September Quiz Night went very well with all tables taken. Lovely buffet provided by the volunteer ladies of the Society with no left-overs! Many thanks to Rose Blakburn for once again taking on the role of Quizmaster.