The lordship of Denbigh, held by prominent English barons following its creation in 1282, was directly affected by several major events culminating in its incorporation in Denbighshire, newly-formed by the Union legislation of 1536–43.

The social policy adopted by the central administration, based at Denbigh castle, featured a colony comprising English settlers who inhabited five English settlement centres surrounded by localities containing displaced Welsh tenants. Members of kindred groupings succeeded in evading traditional restrictions, with detailed information presented in several rentals on the acquisition and disposal of lands by male and female members of both Welsh and settler families. Despite the earlier extensive English settlement, the area has been considered to have contributed immensely to the Welsh literary heritage.