When did Monmouth shire become part of Wales?

Answer 1

It was finally incorporated into Wales on 1st April 1974, following pressure on the UK Government by the Welsh Nationalist Party Plaid Cymru to make it a part of the Welsh nation.

From 16th to the late 20th Centuries, Monmouthshire's staus was ambiguous- some people saw it as a part of England, others as a part of Wales, but many of it's population regarded themselves as Welsh and were Welsh-speaking.

In the early 1970s, Welsh Nationalist paramilitary activity was still an active threat to the stability of the UK, and the debate over Monmouthshire was one of the 'hot spots'. The Westminster Parliament had enough to deal with with Northern Irish terrorism, the last thing they wanted was for the Free Wales Army to reform and start fighting over Monmouthshire as well! Thus the easy way for them to settle the problem was to make it a part of Wales- any disgruntled inhabitants could easily move over the border into Herefordshire.

Today, Monmouthshire is proud to regard itself as a part of Wales, and many of it's populace speak Welsh, although most tend to be Unionist and to support the Conservative Party. However, if in a hypothetical situation any armed conflict were to break out between Wales and England, then Monmouthshire would very much be in the 'front line'.