Payne de Turberville

Payne de Turberville was appointed as Sherriff of Glamorgan in 1315 and tasked with administering the lands on behalf of the King, he wasn’t a popular choice.

Payne de Turberville was a local nobleman and the Lord of Coity Castle, near Bridgend. His ancestor, another Payne, participated in the Norman conquest of Glamorgan under Robert Fitzhamon, 1st Baron of Gloucester, and was granted title to Coity as a reward.

In 1315 the powerful Marcher Lordship of Glamorgan was without a ruler following the death of Gilbert de Clare, who had been killed in battle at Bannockburn the previous year. With no male heir to inherit, administration of Glamorgan passed in to Royal hands and King Edward II chose Payne de Turberville as custos, or Sherriff to oversee things.

Apparently, Payne was not overly fond of the local Welsh population and took a very heavy-handed approach to his new duties. He treated the people very badly, despite the ongoing effects of a famine, leading to widespread discontent.

Payne’s oppressive rule eventually led Llewelyn Bren, a native Welsh nobleman, to denounce his behaviour to the King. However, Edward II sided with his man, Llewelyn was accused of sedition and threatened with execution. Llewelyn felt he had no choice but to fight back and laid siege to Caerphilly Castle on 28 January 1316, sparking a Welsh revolt.

The story of Llewelyn Bren and Payne de Turberville is the subject of Black Tower Tales, an immersive family attraction that brings history to life in a way you won’t soon forget! If you’d like to hear the full story of this exciting chapter in Welsh history, in the very place where it happened, add a Black Tower Tales tour to your Castle Ticket.

Find out more by looking at our Guided Tours, or enquire at the Castle’s ticket office for further infromation.