Erection date: 16/9/2001
{On quarter circle corner stone of paved area in front of sculpture:}
Catrin Glvndwr
godre twr - adre nid aeth
aria ei rhyw yw hiraeth
An exile's silent song
Menna Elfyn
Artists:
Nick Stradlyn-John
Richard Renshaw
Bryn Chegwidden
Erected by public subscription
I.A. Monnington Taylor
Sir Julian Hodge
Hanson plc
The 10-foot high sculpture in Gelligaer bluestone was unveiled on Glyndwr's Day, 16 September 2001, by Sian Phillips.
From a modern information board:
Catrin Glyndwr - St Swithin's Memorial
St. Swithin's garden is the site of the burial of Catrin Glyndwr, daughter of Owain Glyndwr the Welsh hero, and of two of her children. Catrin was captured in 1409 at Harlech and taken to the Tower of London with her children and her mother, Glyndwr's wife, during Owain's fight for the freedom of Wales. Catrin, son Lionel and her daughters were important hostages as potential heirs to the throne of England through Catrin's marriage to Edmund Mortimer.
By 1413 the force of Owain Glyndwr's uprising was spent and the new king Henry V took the throne in March. by December Catrin and two of the children were dead and their burial, in 1413, at St Swithin's in recorded in Exchequer documents.
"for expenses and other charges incurred for the burial and exequies of the wife of Edmund Mortimer and her daughters, buried within St Swithin's Church London . . . £1."
St. Swithin's is significant as the only documented burial site of a member of Owain Glyndwr's immediate family. The memorial sculpture in the garden is dedicated to Catrin Glyndwr, but also the suffering of all women and children in war.
2020: Prompted by Martin Taylor we tried to find a translation of the poem, and came across which has an interview with the poet in the middle of which:
"I was asked to write two lines about Catrin Glyndwr for a statue that was erected to her in London and I wrote –Godre twr adre nid aeth
[At the tower end –far away from home]
Aria ei rhyw yw hiraeth
[Longing is a woman’s song]".
2025: We are happy to add this information provided by I. A. Monnington-Taylor: "As chair of the Catrin Glyndwr Society thanks go to the members society, particularly Rhian Medi Roberts, without whose help this memorial would never have been erected. It is worth noting there are three reasons for the Monnington family’s links with Catrin and the Welsh hero Owain Glyndwr. Catrin’s sister married Sir Richard Monnington, records show the family were attainted for their support of Owain (declared traitor, forfeiting titles, lands) and Owain was buried on the family’s land in Herefordshire. On hearing the story of the mysterious death after their capture of Catrin and her four children I was moved to erect this memorial to them as St Swithin’s churchyard. This is the only confirmed burial place for any member of Owain’s immediate family."
Site: Catrin Glyndwr (1 memorial)
EC4, Oxford Court, Cannon St/Walbrook Gardens/St Swithuns Church Gdn
St Swithin's was badly bombed in WW2, demolished in 1962. and eventually replaced with this garden.
May 2011: We learn from that this garden has recently been remodelled and the memorial resited, due to the construction of the huge modern Walbrook Building. We've moved the pin but have not yet replaced the photos. Sometimes we think it's better to keep the old photos as a record of what used to be. What do you think?
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