Upon receiving the results of my DNA analysis from Ancestry, I discovered that my Welsh roots constitute a significant three-fourths of my heritage, indicating that my ancestors have resided in Wales for countless generations. A well-founded certainty lies in the fact that my Williams lineage has called Flintshire home for a remarkable span of three to four centuries, and quite possibly even longer. It is highly probable that somewhere within my lineage, I am connected to the Deceangli tribe, a formidable Iron Age Celtic group that thrived in the region and has been historically documented since the 1st century BC.
Ptolemy’s 2nd Century map of Britain – the part reproduced here mainly represents Wales and defines the Deceangli tribe still in the area with Roman Legion XX based at Deva – now Chester.
In the years 51 and 52AD, the Roman Governor Publius Ostorius Scapula led a formidable force consisting of two legions (Legion XIV Gemina and Legion XX), into what is now known as modern Wales. Their mission was to confront Caratacus and his Ordovices allies in a decisive battle. The exact location of this significant clash between the Britons and the Romans remains a mystery, except that it occurred somewhere along the banks of the River Severn.
Roman tactics and equipment yield a tremendous advantage over the Britons. The wife and daughter of Caratacus are apprehended, and his brother yields. Caratacus takes flight towards the north, traversing the land of the Deceangli, in search of refuge with the Brigantes (located north of the River Mersey boundary). Meanwhile, it is likely that the Ordovices endure significant losses and remain subdued for a generation.
Of this defeat, the Roman historian Publius Cornelius Tacitus (56 - 120AD) wrote:
'By the Icenian defeat all who were wavering between war and peace were reduced to quietude, and the army was led against the Ceangi (Deceangli). The country was devastated, booty collected everywhere, while the enemy declined to risk a battle, or, if he made a stealthy attempt to harrass the marching columns, found his treachery punished. And now Ostorius was within measurable distance of the sea which looks towards Ireland, when an outbreak of sedition among the Brigantes recalled a leader who was firm in his resolution to attempt new conquests only when he had secured the old.'
More on this in the coming days...
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The Blenheim Boys
‘The devotion and gallantry… are beyond all praise. The Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava is eclipsed in brightness by these almost daily deeds of fame.’
Winston Churchill on the Blenheim Crews - Prime Minister’s Personal Minute, M.852/1, 30 August 1941
