How did the Statute of Wales of 1284 reorganize Wales?

The Statute of Wales (1284) reorganized the governance of Edward I’s conquered lands in northwestern Wales by establishing a structure modeled after the English shire system.1

Key administrative changes included:

• Creation of Shires: The statute established three new counties—Anglesey, Caernarvonshire, and Merioneth—which were placed under the authority of a justice of North Wales.1
• Legal Integration: While the new shires remained outside the jurisdiction of the central courts at Westminster and did not elect representatives to Parliament, they adopted certain English common-law procedures in their courts.1
• Regional Oversight: In addition to the northern shires, Flintshire was attached to the earldom of Chester, and the counties of Cardiganshire and Carmarthenshire were formed in the southwest under a justice of West Wales.1

This settlement effectively annexed these territories to the English crown, though it did not yet incorporate the March of Wales into this uniform administrative system.12