Editing Maelor (section)

==History==
The Maelor originated as a [[cantref]] of the [[Kingdom of Powys]], focused on the monastic settlement of [[Bangor-on-Dee]]<ref name="CPAT - Maelor Saesneg">{{cite web|title=Historic Landscape Characterisation: Maelor Saesneg|url=http://www.cpat.org.uk/projects/longer/histland/maelor/msadmini.htm|publisher=CPAT}}</ref> and containing the [[commote]]s of Maelor, [[Ial|Yale (Iâl)]], the Alyn Valley (Ystrad Alun) and [[Hope, Flintshire|Hope (Yr Hob)]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rees|first1=William|title=An Historical Atlas of Wales from Early to Modern Times|date=1951|publisher=Faber & Faber}}</ref> 

Most of the area fell under control of the Kingdom of [[Mercia]] during the eighth century, with [[Offa's Dyke]] delineating the new border.<ref name="CPAT - Maelor Saesneg" /> By the time of the 1066 [[Norman conquest of England]], its eastern areas were recorded as held by [[Edwin, Earl of Mercia]]: they were later granted to the Norman magnate [[Hugh d'Avranches, Earl of Chester]].<ref name="CPAT - Maelor Saesneg" /> The lands of the Maelor were only reincorporated in Powys during the reign of [[Stephen, King of England|Stephen of England]] (1135–54) by [[Madog ap Maredudd]]. He died in 1160 and the kingdom was subdivided amongst his heirs.

By the early 13th century, when it was part of the lands of [[Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor|Madog ap Gruffydd]], Prince of [[Powys Fadog]], the Maelor was divided into two parts. Maelor Gymraeg ("Welsh Maelor"), also known by the English name [[Lordship of Bromfield and Yale|Bromfield]], lay west of the river Dee and was based on the commotes of [[Wrexham]] and [[Marford|Merford]].<ref name=rcahmw>''An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire: II, Flintshire, Volume 2'', RCAHMW, p.103</ref> [[English Maelor|Maelor Saesneg]] ("English Maelor") included parts of the parishes of [[Overton-on-Dee|Overton]], [[Ellesmere, Shropshire|Ellesmere]], [[Whittington, Shropshire|Whittington]] and [[Oswestry]]; ''Malaur Saisnec'' appears in a document as early as 1202. ''Saesneg'' ("English") is believed to relate specifically to the area's religious administration rather than linguistic factors, as it was historically part of the ancient [[Diocese of Lichfield|Diocese of Lichfield and Chester]].<ref name=owen115/> The Welsh Maelor remained within the [[Diocese of St Asaph]].

Welsh political control of the area ceased in 1282-3 following [[Conquest of Wales by Edward I|Edward I's conquest of Wales]]. The English Maelor became a personal property of the crown and in 1284, along with other royal estates in the region, was amalgamated into the new county of [[Flintshire (historic)|Flintshire]], while the Welsh Maelor remained part of the Marcher [[Lordship of Bromfield and Yale]], which Edward granted to Earl [[John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey|John de Warenne]].