The Tripartite Indenture

It was on 28 February in 1405 when the great Welsh rebel/noble/freedom fighter, Owain Glyndŵr, agreed what would become known as the “Tripartite Indenture” with Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland and Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March, to divide a free Cymru (going to Glyndŵr) and England (to be split between Percy and Mortimer) between them.

What was the Tripartite Indenture?

Later, in August of 1405, Owain Glyndŵr would convene parliament at Harlech Castle, following his capturing of the castle in the previous year – making it the headquarters of the Uprising and tis parliament discussed the Tripartite Indenture.

It would prove to be an ambitious plan by Glyndŵr, Edmund Mortimer and Henry Percy to carve England and a freely independent Cymru into three parts. Here is how it would have looked:

– Owain Glyndŵr, as Prince of Wales, was to have Cymru (which would have included the English portions of the Welsh Marches)

– Henry Percy would receive the north of England (which included what today is called the midlands).

– Edmund Mortimer would receive southern England.

Though unsuccessful in his aims, Owain Glyndŵr stands out as a symbol of defiance, a leader who dared to challenge the might of England and strive for an independent Cymru. His Uprising may have been quashed, the spirit of resistance he embodied laid the groundwork for future movements seeking self-determination for Cymru. The name Glyndŵr is attached to educational institutions; towns and the independence movement.

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