Edward, the 4th son of Edward I is made the Price of Wales - the 1st English heir-apparent to hold the title. He will later become King Edward II.
Earliest records of local lead and silver mines
Number of Burgages in Aberytwyth 141
Universities of Rome (Italy) and Avignons (France) formed
Soon houses were built next to the castle and by 1307 they were sufficient to be deemed a village - Llanbadern Village. Edward the 1st directed that this village become a town and it was then called Llanbadarn Gaerog (Fortified Llanbadarn). Only the King had the right to confer the status of 'town' which included defences. In later charters trading privileges were permitted in the town on payment of a toll of 20 shillings to the Crown. The town was often referred to by the name of the Castle next to it and by the time of Queen Mary (1555) it was called Aberystwyth.
Start of a decade of rain in Britain
Population of Britain estimated at 7.5Million.
Initially it proved difficult to attract English settlers to live
as an occupying force in a fortified outpost of an hostile territory.
As such, it became necessary to allow Welshmen into the town to
make it a viable settlement. So by 1310, 50 of the 144 men holding
privileges in the borough of Aberystwyth are Welsh - a higher
proportion than in Edward's other castle towns.
The Welsh involvement in the town of Aberystywyth made this area much
more stable than the walled English towns to the north
where the Welsh were deemed forinsecos (foreigners) and excluded.
Occupied holdings 144 (111 in 1289)
The English loose the battle against the Scots (led by Robert Bruce) at Bannockburn and Scotland gains it's independence
Heavy rain causes several years of crop failure in Europe, leads to a widespread famine.
Born in Penrhyn-coch just a few kilometres north-east of Aberystwyth was Dafydd ap Gwilym who is often regard as being the greatest Welsh poet. Though little is known of his life, many of his poems shed light onto the life and the women of the locality.
Dante completes 'The Divine Comedy'
University of Florence founded (Italy)
William of Occam forms Occam's Razor, which many believe to be the philosophical foundation of the modern scientific method.
Black Death begins in China
University of Pisa founded (Italy)
Black Death enters Europe - before it finishes it will kill ¼ of the population of Europe
University of Prague founded (Czech Republic)
Black Death enters Britain in July. It would take 400 years for Britain's population to return to the pre-plague level.
Records show that the number of town Burgesses in Aberystwyth drops by half. A similar proportion of the general population is likely to have died from the Black Death.
Black Death and the war with France produces a crisis in England
Alhambra Palace completed in Granada, Spain it was started in 1248
Black Death returns in England, France and Poland
The English Language is allowed to be spoken in English Law Courts although documentation is still in French
Aztecs build the metropolis Tenochtitlan Mexico
Building of the 6,352 km 'Great Wall of China' This is the longest of many walls built to protect China, and the main one visited by tourists today. The walls were used to prevent the movement of herds of goats which were a necessary food supply for a mobile army of the time.
The Gough Map is the first to depict the shape of Britain correctly.
At the centre of this excerpt of the Gough map is Llanfihangel Castell Gwallter (Llandre) show as a castle with several gates. Aberystwyth is below it and depicted by an icon of a house which seems to represent a town without a wall or castle. Just above Llandre castle is Strata Florida Abbey with spired church with cross. To the right is Cardigan with a spired church with cross, two castles and town walls with two gates.
Cookery book by Guillaume Tirel called Le Viander de Taillevent written in France
Edward Prince of Wales (aka The Black Prince) dies of a disease contacted in Spain
Establishment of the 'Grand Jury of the Town, Liberty and Borough of Aberystwyth' which eventually became the Town Council
English peasant riots begin against low wages set by the statute of 1351 and this years high poll tax.
In July the 'Serb Empire' (a coalition of Serbs, Albanians, Wallachians and Bosnians) is ended by the Ottoman Sultan Murad I at the battle of Kossovo. In September Sultan Murad I is assassinated by a Serbian posing as a deserter.
Uzbekistan astronomer Ulugh-Beg