The Donnes of Kidwelly represented generations of Welsh warriors and nobility whose lives ran in parallel with major events in the history of both Wales and England, not from the sidelines, but often playing significant parts. My book tells the story of how the life of Gruffydd Donne, unfairly tainted by the treasonous support for Owain Glyndwr’s rebellion by his grandfather, led to a successful military career as a knight of the realm, serving both Henry V and Henry VI. From a distant ancestor who stole the treasure of a king, what Gruffydd established lived on through his sons, one of whom eventually achieved greater fame and established a family line that can be traced to our present Royal family. The three great estates around Kidwelly are still identifiable today; all are functioning farms which bear, to some degree, remains of the 15th-century manor houses.

Writing this, my second book, has been an interesting challenge both for research and interpretation. I have retained the Welsh names; Gruffydd is recognisable, but I hope my readers identified Mareddud as the more easily pronounced Meredith. No, the challenge is not so much that there is a shortage of material, but what there is, is patchy and inconsistent.

Among the anomalies is that genealogical sites offer varied dates of birth for Gruffydd, some clearly wrong and incompatible with what may be taken as fact. Some vary by as much as thirty years and I apologise for taking the position on them that suits my narrative. Several sites offer a birth year of 1407, obviously incompatible with fighting at Agincourt in 1415; other sources offer 1385, which makes him too old to be a ‘young’ man-at-arms. I have settled for, as with yet others, a birth date of 1395, which fits the simple criterion of ‘common sense’. As far as this family and its part is concerned, one authoritative book, dedicated to Owain Glyndwr’s rebellion makes only one fleeting mention of Henry Donne, who is unlisted in the index; yet another mentions Henry, with or without Gruffydd, on thirteen pages, with another four referencing Gruffydd alone. The sheer number of people named Gruffydd, Henry, John and Owain takes some untangling too.

This is not a text book; it is a novel based around as much information and accounts that can be taken as consistent with each other. Agincourt is undisputed. I have no knowledge whether Gruffydd fought at Verneuil. With his repeated activities in France, it is not unreasonable to think he that he might have. It is just conceivable that his horse could have lived that long in his ownership, and in my heart I could not separate them.

Ideally, some triangulation of knowledge adds validity to any claim, but sometimes one ‘authority’ writes something that is then repeated for years without any review or critical analysis. To the best of my ability, I have created a story of the Donne family according to a plausible timeline. Any mistakes or omissions are entirely mine.

The known facts are that from a line of powerful and influential Welsh nobility, Henry Don joined the revolt of Owain Glyndwr, losing and then regaining his assets, for reasons unclear. He also lost two sons in the siege of Kidwelly castle, and punishment for his part extended to his surviving son and young grandson.

Existing documents that support his importance to the rebellion is a letter from Owain Glyndwr referring to his ‘good friend,’ Henry Donne, and another, written later, referring to ‘Owain Glyndwr’s ‘swashbuckling lieutenant.’ Grandson Gruffydd was later pardoned, delayed for ten years after the event, joined the royal military forces under the successor king and fought at the battle of Agincourt in 1415, gaining such a reputation that he was granted lands and administrative positions in the conquered lands.

In 1445, when captured and ransomed for four hundred saluts d’or, this translates to a commercial value of one million pounds today. Sir Walter Devereux was a kind and generous man. Gruffydd Donne was buried at Saint Mary’s church, Kidwelly.

From Crécy, wars in Ireland and Scotland, through Agincourt and Verneuil in the Hundred Years’ War with France, and later in the Wars of the Roses, this was indeed a remarkable family to stand at the side of British history.

John Pitts is a retired doctor and an author based in Wales. Sir Gruffydd Donne is his second novel.