Freeman of Llantrisant
To be a freeman of Llantrisant is a historic honour, dating back to the Battle of Crécy in 1346.[1][2] Following the Battle King Edward III granted a Royal Charter to the Welsh town of Llantrisant, to honour archers from that town as their performance was key to victory in the Battle. The Royal Charter made all men from Llantrisant freemen, and specifically permitted them and their descendants the right to grave livestock on Llantrisant Commons.
Llantrisant holds a ceremony, every seven years, where descendants who come of age are officially recognized as freeman of Llantrisant.[1][2][3]
On June 17, 2026, Caleb Tutt, a London resident, with family ties to the village, described traveling to Llantrisant to accept the honour, even though he doesn't own any livestock. He characterized the honour as so obscure, it "didn't even have a Wikipedia article".[1]
Tutt said that approximately 20 new freemen were enrolled at his ceremony.[2] New freemen enter their names on an ancient roster, and hold the silver Mace of Llantrisant, then drink from a historic silver chalice.
According to Tutt there are approximately 2,000 individuals, around the world, who share the honour of being a freeman of Llantrisant.[2]
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2
Caleb Tutt (2026-06-17). "I'm Gen Z and can barely afford rent. Now I'm inheriting a title: I travelled from London to a hilltop in Wales to claim my birthright". Times of London. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
But my wonderful grandmother Gwen is Welsh. Her family comes from near a small hilltop town named Llantrisant, in the Rhondda Cynon Taf, south Wales. It’s through Gwen’s ancestry of miners and farmers that by some quirk, I, a Gen Z Englishman, am entitled to become a freeman of Llantrisant, a 680-year-old honour.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Miriam Barker (2026-06-17). "Why a Gen Z Londoner can graze sheep in the Welsh valleys". BBC News. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Llantrisant - A Freemen's Tale". 2020-01-14. Retrieved 2026-06-19 – via YouTube.