The Governance of Gwynedd

By David Stephenson  1984 first edition hardback 8vo 257 pp (comprising text followed by a multi-column index), 1 monochrome map plate opposite the title page titled “Gwynedd: some sites associated with the Princes’ governance”.  Original publisher’s deep blue cloth with gilt-stamped series title (“Studies in Welsh History 5”), book title, author, and university crest on the spine, in a pale olive/cream paper jacket featuring a monochrome illustration of a Welsh castle ruin on the front panel. Very Good. The deep blue cloth binding is structurally sound with straight edges, sharp corners, and pristine gilt decoration. The dust jacket is intact and unclipped with minimal handling wear, showing only faint age-toning along the top edges and spine. Internally, the text block is clean, white, securely fixed to the hinges, and completely free from any foxing, damp-staining, or ink annotations.

The book is bound in high-quality blue cloth boards. The inner text block is printed on premium wove paper stock that remains uniform and free from spotting or thumb-marking. The dust jacket is well-preserved and fits tightly over the boards. The text concludes on page 257 with a highly detailed, two-column index compiling medieval Welsh historical figures, administrative units (cantrefs and commotes), and legal landmarks.

Published as volume 5 of the Studies in Welsh History series on behalf of the History and Law Committee of the Board of Celtic Studies, this book offers a definitive analysis of the secular administration of the kingdom of Gwynedd during the 12th and 13th centuries. Stephenson investigates the structural mechanics of the prince’s council, judicial apparatus, ministerial bureaucracy, and military organization under rulers like Llywelyn ab Iorwerth and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd. The included historical site map visually charts the distribution of royal castles, cathedral churches, Cistercian abbeys, and regional demesne centres across North Wales.