Said Justices of Peace (5)

The Act of Union continues from (4)...

"...and that the said Justices of Peace...and every of them shall have like power and authority within the said counties of Chester Flint Anglesey Carnarvon Merioneth Cardigan Carmarthen Pembroke and Glamorgan to do use and execute every thing and things as other Justices of Peace...have within any other of the shires of this realm of England...".

The justices were to have "like power and authority" as every other justice in the realm of England.

The Statues of Rhuddland (Statutum Wallie) of 12 Edward I [3 March 1284] had divided the newly conquered Principality of Wales into six counties.  They did not form part of the English realm but were part of the private estates of the Crown.  The rest of Wales consisted of approximately 140 "Marchers Lordships" which were held from the English Crown according to feudal right.  Each "Lordship" was a separate unit of government with its own court and officials.    It was under this disorganization that   the social life and policies in Wales met the Act of Union 1536.  The disadvantages and dangers of this form of political life left their marks.  Only after the Wars of the Roses forced the forfeiture of many of the Lordships to the Crown did it become possible to establish the Council of the Marches of Wales in 1471. [The father of Henry VIII, had something to do with all this early activity!]  This Council of the Marches of Wales was the foundation to the Act of Union.