Page "Dafydd Gam" Paragraph 4

Stories of Gam ’ s exploits at Battle of Agincourt in which he saved Henry V ’ s life, and that he was knighted either posthumously or as he was dying on the field of victory at Agincourt by King Henry V as a result, are not vouched for in contemporary sources and have thus been discounted by many historians.

According to the legend the intervention occurred during the counter-charge of John I, Duke of Alençon, which certainly is historical, leading to the wounding of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, and Henry fighting hand-to-hand in the late stage of the battle.

The King was hard pressed and the Duke of Alençon supposedly cut an ornament from Henry ’ s crown with a sword blow.

Then a group of Welsh knights in the King ’ s bodyguard led by Dafydd Gam intervened to save Henry's life, only for some to be killed in doing so, including Dafydd himself, and his son in law Sir Roger Vaughan.

One of those supposedly involved in this exploit was Sir William ap Thomas who survived the battle.

Some accounts claim Dafydd slew the Duke of Alençon himself.

This story was being frequently told by the Tudor period in histories of the campaign and by the descendants of those involved and was widely accepted as the truth at that time.

Although both Gam and Vaughan did die in the battle, the exact circumstances of their deaths are unknown.

Gam ’ s reputation was still very much alive in 19th-century Wales.

George Borrow said of him: “ where he achieved that glory which will for ever bloom, dying, covered with wounds, on the field of Agincourt after saving the life of the king, to whom in the dreadest and most critical moment of the fight he stuck closer than a brother .” Juliet Barker, while not accepting the rest of the legend, states in her authoritative history of Agincourt that " Llewelyn was knighted on the field, only to fall in the battle.

" She says Dafydd's Welsh comrade, and posthumous son-in-law, Sir William ap Thomas may have been knighted at Agincourt.