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Alabaster angel, Abergavenny, c.1450
The alabaster angel dates to the period around 1450 and originally formed part of the splendid tomb of Sir William ap Thomas and Gwladus ferch Dafydd Gam in St Mary's Priory Church. The tomb, along with many others, can still be visited in the church.
Gwladus was William's second wife and the daughter of Dafydd Gam ap Llywelyn of Llantilio Crossenny. Dafydd Gam and Roger Vaughan of Bredwardine, Gwladus's first husband, were both killed at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 where William also fought. He was knighted by Henry VI in 1426 and was known as "The Blue Knight of Gwent" because of the colour of his armour. After returning from the wars in France, he set about building the magnificent castle of Raglan and he died in London in 1445. Gwladus died in 1454.
The great Welsh bard, Lewys Glyn Cothi, wrote an elegy for her where he refers to her as "The star of Abergavenny".
Source: display text, Abergavenny Museum
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