History of Aberystwyth
1300-1400
1301
'English' Price of Wales
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.
1301 Mines
Silver
Earliest records of local lead and silver mines Burgages in Aberytwyth 141
1303
Rome, Avignons
Universities of Rome (Italy) and Avignons (France) formed
1307
Llanbadern Village
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.
1310-1320
Rain
Start of a decade of rain in Britain
1310
Population
Population of Britain estimated at 7.5Million.
1310
Welsh Allowed
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)
1314
June 23/24: Scotland
The English loose the battle against the Scots (led by Robert Bruce) at Bannockburn and Scotland gains it's independence
1321
Divine Comedy
Dante completes 'The Divine Comedy'
1321
University of Florence
University of Florence founded (Italy)
1330
Thinking Scientifically
William of Occam forms Occam's Razor, which many believe to be the philosophical foundation of the modern scientific method.
1333
Black Death
Black Death begins in China
1338
University of Pisa
University of Pisa founded (Italy)
1347
European Black Death
Black Death enters Europe - before it finishes it will kill ¼ of the population of Europe
1348
University of Prague
University of Prague founded (Czech Republic)
July: Black Death in Britain
Black Death enters Britain in July. It would take 400 years for Britain's population to return to the pre-plague level.
Black Death
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.
1351
Crisis
Black Death and the war with France produces a crisis in England
1354
Alhambra Palace
Alhambra Palace completed in Granada, Spain it was started in 1248
1361
Black Death
Black Death returns in England, France and Poland
English Allowed
The English Language is allowed to be spoken in English Law Courts although documentation is still in French
1364
Tenochtitlan
Aztecs build the metropolis Tenochtitlan Mexico
1368-1640
Wall
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.
1375
Cookbook
Cookery book by Guillaume Tirel called Le Viander de Taillevent written in France
1376
Prince of Wales Dies
Edward Prince of Wales (aka The Black Prince) dies of a disease contacted in Spain
1380
Grand Jury
Establishment of the 'Grand Jury of the Town, Liberty and Borough of Aberystwyth' which eventually became the Town Council
1381
Revolting Peasants
English peasant riots begin against low wages set by the statute of 1351 and this years high poll tax.
1389
Serb Empire
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.
1393-1449
Ulugh-Beg
Uzbekistan astronomer Ulugh-Beg
