Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Prince
• Nickname: The Great (Fawr)
• FSID: 9HFS-PKH

Notes:

Llywelyn Fawr
Prince of Gwynedd, and Powys Wenwynwyn
Prince of Aberffraw and Lord of Snowdon
Prince of Gwynedd Reign 1195–1240

Predecessor Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd
Successor Dafydd ap Llywelyn
Prince of Powys Wenwynwyn Reign 1216–1240
Predecessor Gwenwynwyn ab Owain
Successor Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn

Born c. 1173 Dolwyddelan
Died 11 April 1240 Cistercian, Aberconwy Abbey, Wales
Burial Aberconwy Abbey, Wales
Spouse Joan, Lady of Wales
Issue
Dafydd ap Llywelyn
Gruffydd ap Llywelyn
Elen ferch Llywelyn
Gwladus Ddu
Marared ferch Llywelyn
Gwenllian ferch Llywelyn

Llywelyn the Great
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Llywelyn the Great (Welsh: Llywelyn Fawr, [ɬəˈwɛlɪn vaʊ̯r]), full name Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, (c. 1172 – 11 April 1240) was a Prince of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually de facto ruler over most of Wales. By a combination of war and diplomacy he dominated Wales for 45 years. During Llywelyn's boyhood, Gwynedd was ruled by two of his uncles, who split the kingdom between them, following the death of Llywelyn's grandfather, Owain Gwynedd, in 1170. Llywelyn had a strong claim to be the legitimate ruler and began a campaign to win power at an early age. He was sole ruler of Gwynedd by 1200 and made a treaty with King John of England that year. Llywelyn's relations with John remained good for the next ten years. He married John's natural daughter Joan in 1205, and when John arrested Gwenwynwyn ap Owain of Powys in 1208, Llywelyn took the opportunity to annex southern Powys. In 1210, relations deteriorated, and John invaded Gwynedd in 1211. Llywelyn was forced to seek terms and to give up all lands west of the River Conwy, but was able to recover them the following year in alliance with the other Welsh princes. He allied himself with the barons who forced John to sign Magna Carta in 1215. By 1216, he was the dominant power in Wales, holding a council at Aberdyfi that year to apportion lands to the other princes. Following King John's death, Llywelyn concluded the Treaty of Worcester with his successor, Henry III, in 1218. During the next fifteen years, Llywelyn was frequently involved in fights with Marcher lords and sometimes with the king, but also made alliances with several major powers in the
Marches. The Peace of Middle in 1234 marked the end of Llywelyn's military career, as the agreed truce of two years was extended year by year for the remainder of his reign. He
maintained his position in Wales until his death in 1240 and was succeeded by his son Dafydd ap Llywelyn.

Genealogy and early life
Llywelyn was born about 1173, the son of Iorwerth ap Owain and the grandson of Owain Gwynedd, who had been ruler of Gwynedd until his death in 1170. Llywelyn was a descendant of the senior line of Rhodri Mawr and therefore a member of the princely house of Gwynedd.[1] He was probably born at Dolwyddelan, though not in the present Dolwyddelan castle, which was built by Llywelyn himself. He may have been born in the old castle which occupied a rocky knoll on the valley floor.[2] Little is known about his father, Iorwerth Drwyndwn, who died when Llywelyn was an infant. There is no record of Iorwerth having taken part in the power struggle between some of Owain Gwynedd's other sons following Owain's death, although he was the eldest surviving son. There is a tradition that he was disabled or disfigured in some way that excluded him from power.[3]

By 1175, Gwynedd had been divided between two of Llywelyn's uncles. Dafydd ab Owain held the area east of the River Conwy and Rhodri ab Owain held the west. Dafydd and Rhodri were the sons of Owain by his second marriage to Cristin verch Goronwy. This marriage was not considered valid by the church as Cristin was Owain's first cousin, a degree of relationship which according to Canon law prohibited marriage. Giraldus Cambrensis refers to Iorwerth Drwyndwn as the only legitimate son of Owain Gwynedd.[4] Following Iorwerth's death, Llywelyn was, at least in the eyes of the church, the legitimate claimant to the throne of Gwynedd.[5]

Llywelyn's mother was Marared, occasionally anglicised to Margaret, daughter of Madog ap Maredudd, prince of Powys. There is evidence that, after her first husband's death, Marared married in the summer of 1197, Gwion, the nephew of Roger Powys of Whittington Castle with whom she had a son, David ap Gwion. Therefore, some maintain that Marared never married into the Corbet family of Caus Castle (near Westbury, Shropshire) and later, Moreton Corbet Castle.[6] However, there is in existence a grant of land from Llywelyn ab Iorworth to the monastery of Wigmore, in which Llywelyn indicates his mother was a member of the house of Corbet, leaving the issue unresolved.[7]

Rise to power 1188–1199
In his account of his journey around Wales in 1188, Giraldus Cambrensis mentions that the young Llywelyn was already in arms against his uncles Dafydd and Rhodri; Owen, son of Gruffyth, prince of North Wales, had many sons, but only one legitimate, namely, Jorwerth Drwyndwn, which in Welsh means flat-nosed, who had a son named Lhewelyn. This young man, being only twelve years of age, began, during the period of our journey, to molest his uncles David and Roderic, the sons of Owen by Christiana, his cousin-german; and although they had divided amongst themselves all North Wales, except the land of Conan, and although David, having married the sister of king Henry II, by whom he had one son, was powerfully supported by the English, yet within a few years the legitimate son, destitute of lands or money (by the aid of divine vengeance), bravely expelled from North Wales those who were born in public incest, though supported by their own wealth and by that of others, leaving them nothing but what the liberality of his own mind and the counsel of good men from pity suggested: a proof that adulterous and incestuous persons are displeasing to God.[8]

In 1194, with the aid of his cousins Gruffudd ap Cynan[9] and Maredudd ap Cynan, he defeated Dafydd at the Battle of Aberconwy at the mouth of the River Conwy. Rhodri died in 1195, and his lands west of the Conwy were taken over by Gruffudd and Maredudd while Llywelyn ruled the territories taken from Dafydd east of the Conwy.[10] In 1197, Llywelyn captured Dafydd and imprisoned him. A year later Hubert Walter, Archbishop of Canterbury, persuaded Llywelyn to release him, and Dafydd retired to England where he died in May 1203. Wales was divided into Pura Wallia, the areas ruled by the Welsh princes, and Marchia Wallia, ruled by the Anglo-Norman barons. Since the death of Owain Gwynedd in 1170, Rhys ap Gruffydd had made the southern kingdom of Deheubarth the strongest of the Welsh kingdoms, and had established himself as the leader of Pura Wallia. After Rhys died in 1197, fighting between his sons led to the splitting of Deheubarth between warring factions. Gwenwynwyn ab Owain, prince of Powys Wenwynwyn, tried to take over as leader of the Welsh princes, and in 1198, raised a great army to besiege Painscastle, which was held by the troops of William de Braose, Lord of Bramber. Llywelyn sent troops to help Gwenwynwyn, but in August Gwenwynwyn's force was attacked by an army led by the Justiciar, Geoffrey Fitz Peter, and heavily defeated.[11] Gwenwynwyn's defeat gave Llywelyn the opportunity to establish himself as the leader of the Welsh. In 1199, he captured the important castle of Mold and was apparently using the title "prince of the whole of North Wales" (Latin: tocius norwallie princeps).[12] Llywelyn was probably not in fact master of all Gwynedd at this time since it was his cousin Gruffudd ap Cynan who promised homage to King John for Gwynedd in 1199.[13]

Reign as Prince of Gwynedd
Consolidation 1200–1209
Gruffudd ap Cynan died in 1200 and left Llywelyn the undisputed ruler of Gwynedd. In 1201, he took Eifionydd and Llŷn from Maredudd ap Cynan on a charge of treachery.[13] In July, the same year Llywelyn concluded a treaty with King John of England. This is the earliest surviving written agreement between an English king and a Welsh ruler, and under its terms Llywelyn was to swear fealty and do homage to the king. In return, it confirmed Llywelyn's possession of his conquests and allowed cases relating to lands claimed by Llywelyn to be heard under Welsh law.[14]

Llywelyn made his first move beyond the borders of Gwynedd in August 1202 when he raised a force to attack Gwenwynwyn ab Owain of Powys, who was now his main rival in Wales. The clergy intervened to make peace between Llywelyn and Gwenwynwyn and the invasion was called off. Elise ap Madog, lord of Penllyn, had Llywelyn consolidated his position in 1205 by marrying Joan, the natural daughter of King John. He had previously been negotiating with Pope Innocent III for leave to marry his uncle Rhodri's widow, daughter of Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson, King of the Isles. However this proposal was dropped.[16]

In 1208, Gwenwynwyn of Powys fell out with King John who summoned him to Shrewsbury in October and then arrested him and stripped him of his lands. Llywelyn took the opportunity to annex southern Powys and northern Ceredigion and rebuild Aberystwyth castle.[17] In the summer of 1209 he accompanied John on a campaign against King William I of Scotland.[18]

Setback and recovery 1210–1217
In 1210, relations between Llywelyn and King John deteriorated. J.E. Lloyd suggests that the rupture may have been due to Llywelyn forming an alliance with William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber, who had fallen out with the king and had been deprived of his lands.[19] While John led a campaign against de Braose and his allies in Ireland, an army led by Earl Ranulph of Chester, and Peter des Roches, Bishop of Winchester, invaded Gwynedd. Llywelyn destroyed his own castle at Deganwy and retreated west of the River Conwy. The Earl of Chester rebuilt Deganwy, and Llywelyn retaliated by ravaging the earl's lands.[20] John sent troops to help restore Gwenwynwyn to the rule of southern Powys. In 1211, John invaded Gwynedd with the aid of almost all the other Welsh princes, planning according to Brut y Tywysogion "to dispossess Llywelyn and destroy him utterly".[21] The first invasion was forced to retreat, but in August that year John invaded again with a larger army, crossed the River Conwy and penetrated Snowdonia.[22] Bangor was burnt by a detachment of the royal army and the Bishop of Bangor captured. Llywelyn was forced to come to terms, and by the advice of his council sent his wife Joan to negotiate with the king, her father.[23] Joan was able to persuade her father not to dispossess her husband completely, but Llywelyn lost all his lands west of the River Conwy.[24] He also had to pay a large tribute in cattle and horses and to hand over hostages, including his illegitimate son Gruffydd, and was forced to agree that if he died without a legitimate heir by Joan, all his lands would revert to the king.[25] This was the low point of Llywelyn's reign, but he quickly recovered his position. The other Welsh princes, who had supported King John against Llywelyn, soon became disillusioned with John's rule and changed sides. Llywelyn formed an alliance with Gwenwynwyn of Powys and the two main rulers of Deheubarth, Maelgwn ap Rhys and Rhys Gryg, and rose against John. They had the support of Pope Innocent III, who had been engaged in a dispute with John for several years and had placed his kingdom under an interdict. Innocent released Llywelyn, Gwenwynwyn and Maelgwn from all oaths of loyalty to John and lifted the interdict in the territories which they controlled. Llywelyn was able to recover all Gwynedd apart from the castles of Deganwy and Rhuddlan within two months in 1212.[26]

John planned another invasion of Gwynedd in August 1212. According to one account, he had just commenced by hanging some of the Welsh hostages given the previous year when he received two letters. One was from his daughter Joan, Llywelyn's wife, the other from William I of Scotland, and both warned him in similar terms that if he invaded Wales his magnates would seize the opportunity to kill him or hand him over to his enemies.[27] The invasion was abandoned, and in 1213, Llywelyn took the castles of Deganwy and Rhuddlan.[28] Llywelyn made an alliance with Philip II Augustus of France,[29] then allied himself with the barons who were in rebellion against John, marching on Shrewsbury and capturing it without resistance in 1215.[30] When John was forced to sign Magna Carta, Llywelyn was rewarded with several favourable provisions relating to Wales, including the release of his son, Gruffydd, who had been a hostage since 1211.[31] The same year, Ednyfed Fychan was appointed seneschal of Gwynedd and was to work closely with Llywelyn for the remainder of his reign. Llywelyn had now established himself as the leader of the independent princes of Wales, and in December 1215, led an army which included all the lesser princes to capture the castles of Carmarthen, Kidwelly, Llanstephan, Cardigan and Cilgerran. Another indication of his growing power was that he was able to insist on the consecration of Welshmen to two vacant sees that year, Iorwerth, as Bishop of St. David's, and Cadwgan, as Bishop of Bangor.[32]

In 1216, Llywelyn held a council at Aberdyfi to adjudicate on the territorial claims of the lesser princes, who affirmed their homage and allegiance to Llywelyn. Beverley Smith comments, "Henceforth, the leader would be lord, and the allies would be subjects".[33] Gwenwynwyn of Powys changed sides again that year and allied himself with King John. Llywelyn called up the other princes for a campaign against him and drove him out of southern Powys once more. Gwenwynwyn died in England later that year, leaving an underage heir. King John also died that year, and he also left an underage heir in King Henry III with a minority government set up in England.[34]

In 1217, Reginald de Braose of Brecon and Abergavenny, who had been allied to Llywelyn and married his daughter, Gwladus Ddu, was induced by the English crown to change sides. Llywelyn responded by invading his lands, first threatening Brecon, where the burgesses offered hostages for the payment of 100 marks, then heading for Swansea where Reginald de Braose met him to offer submission and to surrender the town. He then continued westwards to threaten Haverfordwest where the burgesses offered hostages for their submission to his rule or the payment of a fine of 1,000 marks.[35]

Treaty of Worcester and border campaigns 1218–1229
Following King John's death Llywelyn concluded the Treaty of Worcester with his successor Henry III in 1218. This treaty confirmed him in possession of all his recent conquests. From then until his death Llywelyn was the dominant force in Wales, though there were further outbreaks of hostilities with marcher lords, particularly the Marshall family and Hubert de Burgh, and sometimes with the king. Llywelyn built up marriage alliances with several of the Marcher families. One daughter, Gwladus Ddu, ("Gwladus the Dark") was already married to Reginald de Braose of Brecon and Abergavenny, but with Reginald an unreliable ally Llywelyn married another daughter, Marared, to John de Braose of Gower, Reginald's nephew. He found a loyal ally in Ranulph, Earl of Chester, whose nephew and heir, John the Scot, married Llywelyn's daughter Elen in about 1222. Following Reginald de Braose's death in 1228, Llywelyn also made an alliance with the powerful Mortimer family of Wigmore when Gwladus Ddu married as her second husband Ralph de Mortimer.[36] Llywelyn was careful not to provoke unnecessary hostilities with the crown or the Marcher lords; for example in 1220, he compelled Rhys Gryg to return four commotes in South Wales to their previous Anglo-Norman owners.[37] He built a number of castles to defend his borders, most thought to have been built between 1220 Criccieth Castle is one of a number built by Llywelyn. and 1230. These were the first sophisticated stone castles in Wales; his castles at Criccieth, Deganwy, Dolbadarn, Dolwyddelan and Castell y Bere are among the best examples.[38] Llywelyn also appears to have fostered the development of quasi-urban settlements in Gwynedd to act as centres of trade.[39]

Hostilities broke out with William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, in 1220. Llywelyn destroyed the castles of Narberth and Wiston, burnt the town of Haverfordwest and threatened Pembroke Castle, but agreed to abandon the attack on payment of £100. In early 1223, Llywelyn crossed the border into Shropshire and captured Kinnerley and Whittington castles. The Marshalls took advantage of Llywelyn's involvement here to land near St David's in April with an army raised in Ireland and recaptured Cardigan and Carmarthen without opposition. The Marshalls' campaign was supported by a royal army which took possession of Montgomery. Llywelyn came to an agreement with the king at Montgomery in October that year. Llywelyn's allies in south Wales were given back lands taken from them by the Marshalls and Llywelyn himself gave up his conquests in Shropshire.[40]

In 1228, Llywelyn was engaged in a campaign against Hubert de Burgh, who was Justiciar of England and Ireland and one of the most powerful men in the kingdom. Hubert had been given the lordship and castle of Montgomery by the king and was encroaching on Llywelyn's lands nearby. The king raised an army to help Hubert, who began to build another castle in the commote of Ceri. However, in October the royal army was obliged to retreat and Henry agreed to destroy the half-built castle in exchange for the payment of £2,000 by Llywelyn. Llywelyn raised the money by demanding the same sum as the ransom of William de Braose, Lord of Abergavenny, whom he had captured in the fighting.[41]

Marital problems 1230
Following his capture, William de Braose decided to ally himself to Llywelyn, and a marriage was arranged between his daughter Isabella and Llywelyn's heir, Dafydd ap Llywelyn. At Easter 1230, William visited Llywelyn's court. During this visit he was found in Llywelyn's chamber together with Llywelyn's wife Joan. On 2 May, de Braose was hanged; Joan was placed under house arrest for a year. The Brut y Tywysogion chronicler commented: "that year William de Breos the Younger, lord of Brycheiniog, was hanged by the lord Llywelyn in Gwynedd, after he had been caught in Llywelyn's chamber with the king of England's daughter, Llywelyn's wife".[42]

A letter from Llywelyn to William's wife, Eva de Braose, written shortly after the execution enquires whether she still wishes the marriage between Dafydd and Isabella to take place.[43] The marriage did go ahead, and the following year Joan was forgiven and restored to her position as princess.

Until 1230, Llywelyn had used the title princeps Norwalliæ 'Prince of North Wales', but from that year he changed his title to 'Prince of North Wales and Lord of Snowdonia', possibly to underline his supremacy over the other Welsh princes.[44] He did not formally style himself 'Prince of Wales' although as J.E. Lloyd comments "he had much of the power which such a title might imply".[45]

Final campaigns and the Peace of Middle 1231–1240
In 1231, there was further fighting. Llywelyn was becoming concerned about the growing power of Hubert de Burgh. Some of his men had been taken prisoner by the garrison of Montgomery and beheaded, and Llywelyn responded by burning Montgomery, Powys, New Radnor, Hay, and Brecon before turning west to capture the castles of Neath and Kidwelly. He completed the campaign by recapturing Cardigan castle.[46] King Henry retaliated by launching an invasion and built a new castle at Painscastle, but was unable to penetrate far into Wales.[47]

Negotiations continued into 1232, when Hubert was removed from office and later imprisoned. Much of his power passed to Peter de Rivaux, including control of several castles in south Wales. William Marshal had died in 1231, and his brother Richard had succeeded him as Earl of Pembroke. In 1233, hostilities broke out between Richard Marshal and Peter de Rivaux, who was supported by the king. Llywelyn made an alliance with Richard, and in January 1234 the earl and Llywelyn seized Shrewsbury. Richard was killed in Ireland in April, but the king agreed to make peace with the insurgents.[48] The Peace of Middle, agreed on 21 June, established a truce of two years with Llywelyn, who was allowed to retain Cardigan and Builth. This truce was renewed year by year for the remainder of Llywelyn's reign.[49]

Death and aftermath
Arrangements for the succession
In his later years, Llywelyn devoted much effort to ensuring that his only legitimate son, Dafydd, would follow him as ruler of Gwynedd and amended Welsh law as followed in Gwynedd.[50] Llywelyn's amendment to Welsh law favoring legitimate children in a Church sanctioned marriage mirrored the earlier efforts of the Lord Rhys, Prince of Deheubarth, in designating Gruffydd ap Rhys II as his heir over those of his illegitimate eldest son, Maelgwn ap Rhys. In both cases, by favoring legitimate children born in a Church sanctioned marriage would facilitate better relations between their sons and the wider Anglo-Norman polity and Catholic Church by removing any "stigma" of illegitimacy. Dafydd's older but illegitimate brother, Gruffydd, was therefore excluded as the primary heir of Llywelyn, though would be given lands to rule. This was a departure from Welsh custom, which held that the eldest son was his father's heir regardless of his parent's marital status.[51][52]

In 1220, Llywelyn induced the minority government of King Henry to acknowledge Dafydd as his heir.[53] In 1222, he petitioned Pope Honorius III to have Dafydd's succession confirmed. The original petition has not been preserved but the Pope's reply refers to the "detestable custom... in his land whereby the son of the handmaiden was equally heir with the son of the free woman and illegitimate sons obtained an inheritance as if they were legitimate". The Pope welcomed the fact that Llywelyn was abolishing this custom.[54] In 1226, Llywelyn persuaded the Pope to declare his wife Joan, Dafydd's mother, to be a legitimate daughter of King John, again in order to strengthen Dafydd's position, and in 1229, the English crown accepted Dafydd's homage for the lands he would inherit from his father.[53] In 1238, Llywelyn held a council at Strata Florida Abbey where the other Welsh princes swore fealty to Dafydd.[53] Llywelyn's original intention had been that they should do homage to Dafydd, but the king wrote to the other rulers forbidding them to do homage.[55] Additionally, Prince Llywelyn arranged for his son Dafydd to marry Isabella de Braose, eldest daughter of William de Braose. As William de Braose had no male heir, Llywelyn strategized that the vast de Braose holdings in south Wales would pass to the heir of Dafydd with Isabella.

Gruffydd was given an appanage in Meirionnydd and Ardudwy but his rule was said to be oppressive, and in 1221 Llywelyn stripped him of these territories.[56] In 1228, Llywelyn imprisoned him, and he was not released until 1234. On his release, he was given part of Llŷn to rule. His performance this time was apparently more satisfactory and by 1238 he had been given the remainder of Llŷn and a substantial part of Powys.[57]

Death and the transfer of power
Llywelyn's stone coffin is now in Llanrwst parish church. Joan died in 1237 and Llywelyn appears to have suffered a paralytic stroke the same year.[58] From this time on, his heir Dafydd took an increasing part in the rule of the principality. Dafydd deprived his half-brother Gruffydd of the lands given him by Llywelyn, and later seized him and his eldest son Owain and held them in Criccieth Castle. In 1240, the chronicler of Brut y Tywysogion records: "the lord Llywelyn ap Iorwerth son of Owain Gwynedd, Prince of Wales, a second Achilles, died having taken on the habit of religion at Aberconwy, and was buried honourably."[59]

Llywelyn died at the Cistercian abbey of Aberconwy, which he had founded, and was buried there. This abbey was later moved to Maenan, becoming the Maenan Abbey, near Llanrwst, and Llywelyn's stone coffin can now be seen in St Grwst's Church, Llanrwst. Among the poets who lamented his passing was Einion Wan:
True lord of the land – how strange that today
He rules not o'er Gwynedd;
Lord of nought but the piled up stones of his tomb,
Of the seven-foot grave in which he lies.[60]
Dafydd succeeded Llywelyn as prince of Gwynedd, but King Henry was not prepared to allow him to inherit his father's position in the remainder of Wales. Dafydd was forced to agree to a treaty greatly restricting his power and was also obliged to hand his half-brother Gruffydd over to the king, who now had the option of using him against Dafydd. Gruffydd was killed attempting to escape from the Tower of London in 1244. This left the field clear for Dafydd, but Dafydd himself died without issue in 1246 and was eventually succeeded by his nephew, Gruffydd's son, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd.

Historical assessment
Llywelyn dominated Wales for more than 40 years, and was one of only two Welsh rulers to be called "the Great", the other being his ancestor Rhodri the Great. The first person to give Llywelyn the title "the Great" seems to have been his near-contemporary, the English chronicler Matthew Paris.[61]

John Edward Lloyd gave the following assessment of Llywelyn: Among the chieftains who battled against the Anglo-Norman power his place will always be high, if not indeed the highest of all, for no man ever made better or more judicious use of the native force of the Welsh people for adequate national ends; his patriotic statemanship will always entitle him to wear the proud style of Llywelyn the Great.[62]

David Moore gives a different view: When Llywelyn died in 1240 his principatus of Wales rested on shaky foundations. Although he had dominated Wales, exacted unprecedented submissions and raised the status of the prince of Gwynedd to new heights, his three major ambitions – a permanent hegemony, its recognition by the king, and its inheritance in its entirety by his heir – remained unfulfilled. His supremacy, like that of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, had been merely personal in nature, and there was no institutional framework to maintain it either during his lifetime or after his death.[63]

Children
Llywelyn married Joan, natural daughter of King John of England, in 1205. Llywelyn and Joan had three identified children in the records but in all probability had more as Llywelyn's children were fully recognised during his marriage to Joan whilst his father-in-law, King John, was alive. The identity of the mother of some of Llywelyn's children before this union is uncertain, but the following are recorded in contemporary or near contemporary records.
Dafydd ap Llywelyn (c. 1212–1246), son by Joan, wife of Llywelyn.

Elen (Helen) ferch Llywelyn (c. 1206–1253), daughter by Joan. M. John Earl of Huntington m. 2nd Robert de Quincy 3rd Donald Malcolm Mar Earl of Mar.

Susanna ferch Llywelyn, died after November 1228, daughter by Joan. Henry III King of England granted the upbringing of "L. princeps Norwallie et Johanna uxor sua et…soror nostra Susannam filiam suam" to "Nicholao de Verdun et Clementie uxori sue" by order dated 24 Nov 1228[273]. Her birth date is estimated on the assumption that Susanna was under marriageable age, but older than an infant, at the time.

Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (c. 1196–1244), a son by Tangwystl Goch (d. c. 1198).

Gwladus Ddu (c. 1206–1251), probable daughter by Joan.

Angharad ferch Llywelyn (c. 1212–1256), probable daughter of Joan; married Maelgwn Fychan.

Marared ferch Llywelyn (died after 1268), married John de Braose and secondly (about 1232) Walter III de Clifford. Marared had issue by both husbands.[64]

Elen the Younger ferch Llywelyn (before 1230-after 16 Feb 1295) who married firstly Máel Coluim II, Earl of Fife, son of Duncan Macduff of Fife & his wife Alice Corbet. She married secondly (after 1266) Domhnall I, Earl of Mar, son of William, Earl of Mar & his first wife Elizabeth Comyn of Buchan. Elen and Domhall's daughter, Isabella of Mar, married Robert, the Bruce, King of Scots. Isabella had one child by the King of Scots, Marjorie Bruce, who was the mother of the first Stewart monarch, Robert II of Scotland.

Tegwared y Baiswen ap Llywelyn (c. 1215), a son by a woman named as Crysten in some sources, a possible twin of Angharad[65]

Little is known of Llywelyn's mistress, Tangwystl Goch, except that she was the daughter of Llywarch "Goch" of Rhos.[66]

Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (c. 1196–1244) was Llywelyn's eldest son and known to be the son of Tangwystl. He married Senena, daughter of Caradoc ap Thomas of Anglesey. Their sons included Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, who for a period occupied a position in Wales comparable to that of his grandfather, and Dafydd ap Gruffydd who ruled Gwynedd briefly after his brother's death.

A number of Welsh poems addressed to Llywelyn by contemporary poets such as Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr, Dafydd Benfras and Llywarch ap Llywelyn (better known under the nickname Prydydd y Moch) have survived. Very little of this poetry has been published in English translation.[67] Llywelyn has continued to figure in modern Welsh literature. The play Siwan (1956, English translation 1960) by Saunders Lewis deals with the finding of William de Braose in Joan's chamber and his execution by Llywelyn. Another well-known Welsh play about Llywelyn is Llywelyn Fawr by Thomas Parry. Llywelyn is the main character or one of the main characters in several English-language novels: Raymond Foxall (1959) Song for a Prince: The Story of Llywelyn the Great covers the period from King John's invasion in 1211 to the execution of William de Braose. Sharon Kay Penman (1985) Here be Dragons is centered on the marriage of Llywelyn and Joan. Dragon's Lair (2004) by the same author features the young Llywelyn before he gained power in Gwynedd. Llywelyn further appears in Penman's later novel Falls the Shadow. Edith Pargeter (1960–63) "The Heaven Tree Trilogy" features Llywelyn, Joan, William de Braose, and several of Llywelyn's sons as major characters. Gaius Demetrius (2006) Ascent of an Eagle tells the story of the early part of Llywelyn's reign. The story of the faithful hound Gelert, owned by Llywelyn and mistakenly killed by him, is also considered to be fiction. "Gelert's grave" is a popular tourist attraction in Beddgelert but is thought to have been created by an 18th-century innkeeper to boost the tourist trade. The tale itself is a variation on a common folktale motif.[68]

References
1. For details of Llywelyn's ancestry, see Bartrum pp.95–96
2. Lynch p. 156. According to one genealogy, Llywelyn had a brother named Adda, but there is no other record of him.
3. Maund p. 185
4. Giraldus Cambrensis p. 126. Maelgwn ab Owain Gwynedd was Iorwerth's full brother, but presumably he was dead by the time Giraldus wrote.
5. Giraldus Cambrensis p. 126
6. Remfry, 65–66; Maund p. 186
7. Monasticon Anglicanum pp.497–98
8. Giraldus Cambrensis p. 126. Giraldus says that Llywelyn was only twelve years of age at this time, which would mean that he was born about 1176. However most historians consider that he was born about 1173.
9. This Gruffudd ap Cynan should not be confused with Gruffudd ap Cynan the late 11th- and early 12th-century king of Gwynedd, Llywelyn's great-grandfather
10. Maund p. 187
11. Lloyd pp. 585–6
12. Davies p. 239
13. Moore p. 109
14. Davies p. 294
15. Lloyd pp. 613–4
16. Lloyd pp. 616–7. One letter from the Pope suggests that Llywelyn may have been married previously, to an unnamed sister of Earl Ranulph of Chester in about 1192, but there appears to be no confirmation of this.
17. Davies pp. 229, 241
18. Lloyd pp. 622–3
19. Lloyd p. 631
20. Lloyd p. 632, Maund p. 192
21. Brut y Tywysogion p.154
22. Maund p. 193
23. Brut y Tywysogion pp. 155–6
24. The Battles of Wales, p.62, Dilys
Gater, Gwasg Carreg Gwalch
25. Davies p. 295
26. Brut y Tywysogion pp. 158–9
27. Pryce p. 445
28. Brut y Tywysogion p. 162

Primary sources
Caley, John, et al., eds. 1830. Monasticon Anglicanum. Longman.
Hoare, R.C., ed. 1908. Giraldus Cambrensis: The Itinerary through Wales; Description of Wales.
Translated by R.C. Hoare. Everyman's Library. ISBN 0-460-00272-4
Jones, T., ed. 1941. Brut y Tywysogion: Peniarth MS. 20. University of Wales Press.
Pryce, H., ed. 2005. The Acts of Welsh rulers 1120–1283. University of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-1897-
5
Secondary sources
Bartrum, P.C. 1966. Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts. University of Wales Press.
Carr, A. D. 1995. Medieval Wales. Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-54773-X
Davies, Rees 1987. Conquest, Coexistence and Change: Wales 1063–1415 Clarendon Press. ISBN 0-19-
821732-3
Lloyd, John. E. 1911. A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest. Longmans,
Green & Co..
Lynch, F. 1995. Gwynedd (A Guide to Ancient and Historic Wales series). HMSO. ISBN 0-11-701574-1
29. Moore pp. 112–3
30. Brut y Tywysogion p. 165
31. Lloyd p. 646
32. Brut y Tywysogion p. 167
33. Quoted in John Davies (1994)
History of Wales p. 138
34. Lloyd pp. 649–51
35. Davies p. 242; Lloyd pp. 652–3
36. Lloyd pp. 645, 657–8
37. Davies p. 298
38. Lynch p. 135
39. John Davies (1994) History of
Wales p. 142
40. Lloyd p. 661–3
41. Lloyd p. 667–70
42. Brut y Tywysogion pp. 190–1
43. Pryce pp. 428–9
44. The version of the Welsh laws
preserved in Llyfr Iorwerth,
compiled in Gwynedd during
Llywelyn's reign, claims
precedence for the ruler of
Aberffraw, the ancient court, over
the rulers of the other Welsh
kingdoms. See Aled Rhys
William (1960) Llyfr Iorwerth: a
critical text of the Venedotian
code of mediaeval Welsh law.
45. Lloyd pp. 682–3
46. Lloyd pp. 673–5
47. Lloyd pp. 675–6
48. Powicke pp. 51–55
49. Lloyd p. 681
50. Lloyd, J.E. (2004). A History of
Wales; From the Norman
Invasion to the Edwardian
Conquest (https://archive.org/stre
am/historyofwalesfr01lloyuoft/hi
storyofwalesfr01lloyuoft_djvu.tx
t). Barnes & Noble Publishing,
Inc. p. 297 and 362, note 164, pg
369 note 64, page 347 note 82.
51. Lewis, Hurbert; The Ancient
Laws of Wales, 1889. Chapter
VIII: Royal Succession; Rules to
Marriage; Alienation pgs 192–
200. According to Hurbert
Lewis, though not explicitly
codified as such, the edling, or
Heir apparent, was by
convention, custom, and practice
the eldest son of the lord and
entitled to inheirit the position
and title as "head of the family"
from the father. Effectively
primogeniture with local
variations. However, all sons
were provided for out of the
lands of the father and in certain
circumstances so too were
daughters. Additionally, sons
could claim materinal patrimony
through their mother in certain
circumstances.
52. There was provision in Welsh
law for the selection of a single
edling or heir by the ruler. For a
discussion of this see Stephenson
pp. 138–141. See Williams pp.
393–413 for details of the
struggle for the succession.
53. Davies p. 249
54. Pryce pp. 414–5
55. Carr p. 60
56. Brut y Tywysogion pp. 182–3
57. Lloyd p. 692
58. Stephenson p. xxii
59. Brut y Tywysogion p. 198
60. Translated in Lloyd p. 693
61. Matthew Paris Chronica Majora
edited by H. R. Luard (1880)
Volume 5, London Rolls Series,
p. 718, quoted in Carr.
62. Lloyd p. 693
63. Moore p. 126
64. Douglas Richardson. Magna
Carta Ancestry, 2nd Edition, Vol.
I, pg 387.
65. Bartrum, Peter. Welsh
Genealogies.
66. Charles Cawley, Medieval Lands,
Wales
67. In praise of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth
by Llywarch ap Llywelyn has
been translated by Joseph P.
Clancy (1970) in The earliest
Welsh poetry.
68. See D. E. Jenkins (1899),
Beddgelert: Its Facts, Fairies
and Folklore, pp. 56–74, for a
detailed discussion of this legend.
Maund, K. 2006. The Welsh Kings: Warriors, Warlords and Princes. Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-2973-6
Moore, D. 2005. The Welsh wars of independence: c.410-c.1415. Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-3321-0
Powicke, M. 1953. The Thirteenth Century 1216–1307 (The Oxford History of England). Clarendon
Press.
Remfry, P.M., Whittington Castle and the families of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, Peverel, Maminot, Powys and
Fitz Warin (ISBN 1-899376-80-1)
Stephenson, D. 1984. The Governance of Gwynedd. University of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-0850-3
Williams, G. A. 1964. "The Succession to Gwynedd, 1238–1247" Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies
XX (1962–64) 393–413
Weis, Frederick Lewis. Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America before
1700, lines: 27-27, 29A-27, 29A-28, 132C-29, 176B-27, 177–7, 184A-9, 236–7, 246–30, 254–28, 254–
29, 260–31
Professor T. Jones-Pierce, "Aber Gwyn Gregin", Caernarvonshire Historical Society Transactions
(volume 23, 1962)
External links
The Aber Trust: Source material on Llywelyn
Impression from Llywelyn's Great Seal
A stone corbel from Llywelyn's castle at Deganwy, thought to be a likeness of Llywelyn Fawr, ab
Iorwerth
Llywelyn the Great
House of Aberffraw
Cadet branch of the House of Gwynedd
Born: 1173 Died: 11 April 1240
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Dafydd ap Owain
Prince of Gwynedd
1195–1240
Succeeded by
Dafydd ap Llywelyn
Preceded by
Gwenwynwyn
Prince of Powys Wenwynwyn
1216–1240
Succeeded by
Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Llywelyn_the_Great&oldid=766611525"
Categories: 1170s births 1240 deaths Monarchs of Gwynedd House of Aberffraw
Burials at Aberconwy Abbey 12th-century Welsh monarchs 13th-century Welsh monarchs Welsh princes
This page was last edited on 21 February 2017, at 04:17.
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apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered
trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Llewelyn married Plantagenet, Princess Joan on 23 Apr 1205 in England. Joan (daughter of Plantagenet, King John Lackland of England and de Ferrers, Agatha) was born on 29 Jul 1188 in Coucy, Ardennes, Champagne-Ardenne, France; died on 2 Feb 1237 in Aberconwy Abbey, Conwy, Caernarvonshire, Wales; was buried after 2 Feb 1237 in Llanfaes, Anglesey, Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. verch Llewelyn, Gwladys was born in 1194 in Gwynedd, Wales; died in 1251 in Windsor, Berkshire, England.

Iorwerth married verch Madog, Margred. Margred (daughter of ap Maredudd, Madog) was born in 1129 in Overton, Lancashire, England; died in 1198 in Somme, Picardie, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: LRNR-HMY
• Death: Between 8 Jan 1198 and 7 Jan 1199, Caernarfon, Caernarvonshire, Wales

Notes:

Also known as:
Margaret ap Madog
Marewrrw ap Maredudd

Notes:

Owain Gwynedd
Prince of Gwynedd
King of All Wales
Predecessor Gruffudd ap Cynan
Successor Rhys ap Gruffydd
King of Gwynedd
Reign 1137-1170
Predecessor Gruffudd ap Cynan
Successor Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd
Born c. 1100
Gwynedd, Wales?
Died 23 or 28 November 1170 (aged 69–70)
Burial Bangor Cathedral
Spouse Gwladus ferch Llywarch, Cristin ferch
Goronwy
Issue Rhun ab Owain Gwynedd
Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd
Iorwerth "Drwyndwn" ab
Owain Gwynedd
Maelgwn ab Owain Gwynedd
Gwenllian ferch Owain
Gwynedd
Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd
Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd
Angharad ferch Owain
Gwynedd
Margaret ferch Owain
Gwynedd
Iefan ferch Owain Gwynedd
Cynan ab Owain Gwynedd
Rhirid ab Owain Gwynedd
Rhirid ab Owain Gwynedd
Madoc ab Owain Gwynedd
Cynwrig ab Owain Gwynedd
Gwenllian ferch Owain
Gwynedd
Einion ab Owain Gwynedd
Iago ab Owain Gwynedd
Ffilip ab Owain Gwynedd
Cadell ab Owain Gwynedd
Rotpert ab Owain Gwynedd
Idwal ab Owain Gwynedd
Owain Gwynedd
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Owain ap Gruffudd (c. 1100 – 23 or 28 November 1170)
was King of Gwynedd, North Wales, from 1137 until his
death in 1170, succeeding his father Gruffudd ap Cynan. He
was called "Owain the Great" (Welsh: Owain Mawr) [1] and
the first to be styled "Prince of Wales".[2] He is considered to
be the most successful of all the North Welsh princes prior to
his grandson, Llywelyn the Great. He became known as
Owain Gwynedd (Middle Welsh: Owain Gwyned, "Owain
of Gwynedd") to distinguish him from the contemporary
king of Powys Wenwynwyn, Owain ap Gruffydd ap
Maredudd, who became known as Owain Cyfeiliog.[3]
Contents
1 Early life
2 Accession to the throne and early campaigns
3 War with King Henry II
4 Disputes with the church and succession
5 Heirs and successors
6 Ancestry
7 Fiction
8 Titles
9 References
9.1 Sources
Early life
Owain Gwynedd was a member of the House of Aberffraw,
the senior branch of the dynasty of Rhodri the Great. His
father, Gruffudd ap Cynan, was a strong and long-lived ruler
who had made the principality of Gwynedd the most
influential in Wales during the sixty-two years of his reign,
using the island of Anglesey as his power base. His mother,
Angharad ferch Owain, was the daughter of Owain ab Edwin
of Tegeingl. Owain Gwynedd was the second son of
Gruffydd and Angharad. His elder brother, Cadwallon, was
killed in fighting in Powys in 1132.
Owain is thought to have been born on Anglesey about the
year 1100. By about 1120 Gruffydd had grown too old to
lead his forces in battle and Owain and his brothers
Cadwallon and later Cadwaladr led the forces of Gwynedd
against the Normans and against other Welsh princes with
great success. His elder brother Cadwallon was killed in a
battle against the forces of Powys in 1132, leaving Owain as
his father's heir. Owain and Cadwaladr, in alliance with
House Aberffraw
Father Gruffudd ap Cynan
Mother Angharad ferch Owain
Gruffydd ap Rhys of Deheubarth, won a major victory over
the Normans at Crug Mawr near Cardigan in 1136 and
annexed Ceredigion to their father's realm.
Accession to the throne and early
campaigns
On Gruffydd's death in 1137, therefore, Owain inherited a portion of a well-established kingdom, but had to
share it with Cadwaladr. In 1143 Cadwaladr was implicated in the murder of Anarawd ap Gruffydd of
Deheubarth, and Owain responded by sending his son Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd to strip him of his lands in
the north of Ceredigion. Though Owain was later reconciled with Cadwaladr, from 1143, Owain ruled alone
over most of north Wales. In 1155 Cadwaladr was driven into exile.
Owain took advantage of the Anarchy, a civil war between Stephen, King of England, and the Empress
Matilda, to push Gwynedd's boundaries further east than ever before.[4] In 1146 he captured Mold Castle and
about 1150 captured Rhuddlan and encroached on the borders of Powys. The prince of Powys, Madog ap
Maredudd, with assistance from Earl Ranulf of Chester, gave battle at Coleshill, but Owain was victorious.
War with King Henry II
All went well until the accession of King Henry II of England in 1154. Henry invaded Gwynedd in 1157 with
the support of Madog ap Maredudd of Powys and Owain's brother Cadwaladr. The invasion met with mixed
fortunes. Henry's forces ravaged eastern Gwynedd and destroyed many churches thus enraging the local
population. The two armies met at Ewloe. Owain's men ambushed the royal army in a narrow, wooded valley,
routing it completely with King Henry himself narrowly avoiding capture.[5] The fleet accompanying the
invasion made a landing on Anglesey where it was defeated. Ultimately, at the end of the campaign, Owain was
forced to come to terms with Henry, being obliged to surrender Rhuddlan and other conquests in the east.
Forty years after these events, the scholar, Gerald of Wales, in a rare quote from these times, wrote what Owain
Gwynedd said to his troops on the eve of battle:
"My opinion, indeed, by no means agrees with yours, for we ought to rejoice at this conduct of our
adversary; for, unless supported by divine assistance, we are far inferior to the English; and they,
by their behaviour, have made God their enemy, who is able most powerfully to avenge both
himself and us. We therefore most devoutly promise God that we will henceforth pay greater
reverence than ever to churches and holy places."[5]
Madog ap Maredudd died in 1160, enabling Owain to regain territory in the east. In 1163 he formed an alliance
with Rhys ap Gruffydd of Deheubarth to challenge English rule. King Henry again invaded Gwynedd in 1165,
but instead of taking the usual route along the northern coastal plain, the king's army invaded from Oswestry
and took a route over the Berwyn hills. The invasion was met by an alliance of all the Welsh princes, with
Owain as the undisputed leader. However, apart from a small melee at the Battle of Crogen there was little
fighting, for the Welsh weather came to Owain's assistance as torrential rain forced Henry to retreat in disorder.
The infuriated Henry mutilated a number of Welsh hostages, including two of Owain's sons.
Henry did not invade Gwynedd again and Owain was able to regain his eastern conquests, recapturing
Rhuddlan castle in 1167 after a siege of three months.
Disputes with the church and succession
There is no evidence
Owain used a coat of
arms during his life, but
later antiquarians
retroactively attributed to
Owain Gwynedd the
blazon: Vert, three eagles
displayed in fess Or.
The last years of Owain's life were spent in disputes with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, over
the appointment of a new Bishop of Bangor. When the see became vacant Owain had his nominee, Arthur of
Bardsey, elected. The archbishop refused to accept this, so Owain had Arthur consecrated in Ireland. The
dispute continued, and the see remained officially vacant until well after Owain's death. He was also put under
pressure by the Archbishop and the Pope to put aside his second wife, Cristin, who was his first cousin, this
relationship making the marriage invalid under church law. Despite being excommunicated for his defiance,
Owain steadfastly refused to put Cristin aside. Owain died in 1170, and despite having been excommunicated
was buried in Bangor Cathedral by the local clergy. The annalist writing Brut y Tywysogion recorded his death
"after innumerable victories, and unconquered from his youth".
He is believed to have commissionedThe Life of Gruffydd ap Cynan, an account of his father's life. Following
his death, civil war broke out between his sons. Owain was married twice, first to Gwladus ferch Llywarch ap
Trahaearn, by whom he had two sons, Maelgwn ab Owain Gwynedd and Iorwerth Drwyndwn, the father of
Llywelyn the Great, then to Cristin, by whom he had three sons including Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd and
Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd. He also had a number of illegitimate sons, who by Welsh law had an equal claim
on the inheritance if acknowledged by their father.
Heirs and successors
Owain had originally designated Rhun ab Owain Gwynedd as his successor. Rhun
was Owain's favourite son, and his premature death in 1146 plunged his father into
a deep melancholy, from which he was only roused by the news that his forces had
captured Mold castle. Owain then designated Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd as his
successor, but after his death Hywel was first driven to seek refuge in Ireland by
Cristina's sons, Dafydd and Rhodri, then killed at the battle of Pentraeth when he
returned with an Irish army. Dafydd and Rhodri split Gwynedd between them, but
a generation passed before Gwynedd was restored to its former glory under
Owain's grandson Llywelyn the Great.
According to legend, one of Owain's sons was Prince Madoc, who is popularly
supposed to have fled across the Atlantic and colonised America.
Altogether, the prolific Owain Gwynedd is said to have had the following children
from two wives and at least four mistresses:
Rhun ab Owain Gwynedd (illegitimate in Catholic custom, but legitimate
successor in Welsh law)
Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd (illegitimate in Catholic custom, but legitimate
successor in Welsh law)
Iorwerth ab Owain Gwynedd (the "flat nose", also called Edward in some sources, from first wife
Gwladys (Gladys) ferch Llywarch)
Maelgwn ab Owain Gwynedd,(from first wife Gwladys (Gladys) ferch Llywarch) Lord of Môn (1169–
1173)
Gwenllian ferch Owain Gwynedd
Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd (from second wife Cristina (Christina) ferch Gronw)
Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd, Lord of Môn (1175–1193) (from second wife Cristina (Christina) ferch
Gronw)
Angharad ferch Owain Gwynedd
Margaret ferch Owain Gwynedd
Iefan ab Owain Gwynedd
Cynan ab Owain Gwynedd, Lord of Meirionnydd (illegitimate)
Rhirid ab Owain Gwynedd (illegitimate)
Madoc ab Owain Gwynedd (illegitimate) (speculative/legendary)
Cynwrig ab Owain Gwynedd (illegitimate)
Gwenllian II ferch Owain Gwynedd (also shared the same name with a sister)
Einion ab Owain Gwynedd (illegitimate)
Iago ab Owain Gwynedd (illegitimate)
Ffilip ab Owain Gwynedd (illegitimate)
Cadell ab Owain Gwynedd (illegitimate)
Rotpert ab Owain Gwynedd (illegitimate)
Idwal ab Owain Gwynedd (illegitimate)
Other daughters
Ancestry
16. Idwal ap Meurig ap Idwal Foel
8. Iago ab Idwal ap Meurig
4. Cynan ab Iago
2. Gruffudd ap Cynan
20. Sigtrygg Silkbeard
10. Amlaíb mac Sitriuc
21. Sláine daughter of Brian Boru
5. Ragnhilda of Ireland
1. Owain
Gwynedd
24. Einion ab Owain
12. Edwin ab Einion
6. Owain ab Edwin
3. Angharad ferch Owain
Fiction
Owain is a recurring character in the Brother Cadfael series of novels by Ellis Peters, often referred to, and
appearing in the novels Dead Man's Ransom and The Summer of the Danes. He acts shrewdly to keep Wales's
borders secure, and sometimes to expand them, during the civil war between King Stephen and Matilda, and
sometimes acts as an ally to Cadfael and his friend, Sheriff Hugh Beringar. Cadwaladr also appears in both
these novels as a source of grief for his brother. Owain appears as a minor character in novels of Sharon Kay
Penman concerning Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine (When Christ and His Saints Slept and Time and
Chance). Her focus with respect to Owain is on the fluctuating and factious relationship between England and
Wales.
He also appears in the Sarah Woodbury 'Gareth and Gwen Medieval Mystery Series' of books.
Titles
Owain Gwynedd
House of Aberffraw
Cadet branch of the House of Gwynedd
Born: c. 1100 Died: 23 or 28 November 1 170
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Gruffudd ap Cynan
Prince of Gwynedd
1137–1169
Succeeded by
Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd
References
Sources
Lloyd, John Edward (2004). A History of Wales: From the Norman Invasion to the Edwardian Conquest.
Barnes & Noble. ISBN 978-0-7607-5241-8.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Owain_Gwynedd&oldid=786302027"
Categories: House of Aberffraw Monarchs of Gwynedd
People excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church 1100s births 1170 deaths
12th-century Welsh monarchs Welsh princes Welsh people of Irish descent
This page was last edited on 18 June 2017, at 15:41.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may
apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered
trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
1. Lloyd 2004, p. 94.
2. Davies, John; Jenkins, Nigel; Baines, Menna; Lynch,
Peredur I., eds. (2008). The Welsh Academy
Encyclopaedia of Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales
Press. p. 636. ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6.
3. Lloyd 2004, p. 93.
4. R. R. Davies, Conquest, Coexistence and Change.
4. R. R. Davies, Conquest, Coexistence and Change.
Wales 1063-1415 (Oxford, 1987), p. 229.
5. "Gerald of Wales, Itinirum Cambrae" (http://www.buil
dinghistory.org/primary/gerald2.shtml).
Buildinghistory.org. 2010-03-16. Retrieved
2013-03-01.

Notes:

Madog ap Maredudd
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Madog ap Maredudd (Middle Welsh: Madawg mab Maredud, Madawc mab Maredut; died 1160) was the last Prince of the entire Kingdom of Powys, Wales and for a time held the Fitzalan Lordship of Oswestry. Madog was the son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn and grandson of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn. He followed his father on the throne of Powys in 1132. He is recorded as taking part in the Battle of Lincoln in 1141 in support of the Earl of Chester, along with Owain Gwynedd's brother Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd and a large army of Welshmen. In 1149 he is recorded giving the commote of Cyfeiliog to his nephews Owain Cyfeiliog and Meurig. The same year Madog was able to rebuild Oswestry Castle, a fortress of William Fitzalan. It would seem likely that he had gained both the fortresses of Oswestry and Whittington in 1146.

Defeat by Gwynedd
At this time the King of Gwynedd, between 1149 and 1150, Owain Gwynedd was exerting pressure on the borders of Powys, despite the fact that Madog was married to Susanna, Owain's sister. Madog made an alliance with Ranulf de Gernon, 4th Earl of Chester, but Owain defeated them at the Battle of Ewloe (Coleshill) in 1150 and took possession of Madog's lands in Iâl (English: Yale). In 1157 when King Henry II of England invaded Gwynedd he was supported by Madog, who was able to regain many of his Welsh lands. Even so, he retained the lordships of Oswestry and Whittington. In 1159 Madog would seem to have been the Welsh prince who accompanied King Henry II in his campaign to Toulouse which ended in failure. Returning home to Wales Madog died about 9 February 1160 in Whittington Castle. He was buried soon afterwards in the church of St Tysilio at Meifod, the mother church of Powys.

Succession Shared
Madog's eldest son, Llywelyn, was killed soon after his father's death in 1160, Powys was then shared between Madog's sons Gruffydd Maelor, Owain Fychan and Owain Brogyntyn, his nephew Owain Cyfeiliog and halfbrother Iorwerth Goch.[1] Powys was never subsequently reunited, being separated into two parts; Powys Fadog (Lower Powys) and Powys Wenwynwyn (Upper Powys). Madog's death enabled Owain Gwynedd to force the homage of Owain Brogyntyn, Madog's youngest son, and effectively annex part of northern Powys.

The poet Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr in his elegy on Madog said:
While Madog lived there was no man
Dared ravage his fair borders
Yet nought of all he held
Esteemed he his save by God's might ...
If my noble lord were alive
Gwynedd would not now be encamped in the heart of Edeyrnion

Edeyrnion (or Edeirnion) was a commote inherited by Owain Brogyntyn and had been the home of his mother (who was not married to his father). Owain may also have been raised there. It was annexed to Gwynedd during Owain's time.

The Mabinogion
The Mabinogion tale The Dream of Rhonabwy is set during Madog's reign. The central character, Rhonabwy, is one of Madog's retainers sent to bring in Madog's rebellious brother Iowerth Goch ap Maredudd. His titular dream contrasts his own time with the grandeur of King Arthur's period.[2]

Children
Llywelyn ap Madog, died 1160
Gruffydd Maelor ap Madog, died 1191
Owain Fychan ap Madog, c. 1125-1187
Owain Brogyntyn ap Madog (illegitimate)
Gwenllian ferch Madog, married Rhys ap Gruffydd, prince of Deheubarth
Marared ferch Madog, married Iorwerth ab Owain Gwynedd and was the mother of Llywelyn the Great
Efa ferch Madog, married Cadwallon ap Madog ap Idnerth, prince of Maelienydd

Fiction
Madog's intervention in the Battle of Lincoln in 1141 forms an important plot element in the detective novel
Dead Man's Ransom, part of the Brother Cadfael chronicles by Edith Pargeter (writing as Ellis Peters).
Notes
1. Ashley, Mike (2012). The Mammoth Book of British Kings and Queen.s Hachette.
2. Gantz, Jeffrey (translator) (1987). The Mabinogion, pp. 177–191. New York: Penguin. ISBN 0-14-044322-3.
References
John Edward Lloyd (1911). A history of Wales: from the earliest times to the Edwardian conquest.
Longmans, Green & Co.
Remfry, P.M., Whittington Castle and the families of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, Peverel, Maminot, Powys and
Fitz Warin (ISBN 1-899376-80-1)
Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700 by Frederick Lewis
Weis, Line 176B-26
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Maredudd ap Bleddyn
Prince of Powys
1132–1160
Succeeded by
Gruffydd Maelor
Owain Fychan
Owain Brogyntyn
Owain Cyfeiliog
Iorwerth Goch

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Madog_ap_Maredudd&oldid=712358963"
Categories: 1160 deaths Monarchs of Powys House of Mathrafal 12th-century Welsh monarchs
Welsh princes People of The Anarchy
This page was last edited on 28 March 2016, at 17:05.
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Notes:

Gruffudd ap Cynan

King of Gwynedd
Reign 1081–1137
Predecessor Trahaearn ap Caradog
Successor Owain Gwynedd
Born c. 1055
Dublin, Ireland
Died 1137
Gwynedd, Wales
Burial Bangor Cathedral
Spouse Angharad ferch Owain
Issue Cadwallon, Owain Gwynedd,
Cadwaladr, Susanna, Gwenllian
House Aberffraw
Father Cynan ab Iago
Mother Ragnailt ingen Amlaíb
Gruffudd ap Cynan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gruffudd ap Cynan (c. 1055 – 1137), sometimes written as
Gruffydd ap Cynan, was King of Gwynedd from 1081 until
his death in 1137. In the course of a long and eventful life, he
became a key figure in Welsh resistance to Norman rule, and
was remembered as King of all Wales. As a descendant of
Rhodri Mawr, Gruffudd ap Cynan was a senior member of
the princely House of Aberffraw.[1]
Through his mother, Gruffudd had close family connections
with the Norse settlement around Dublin and he frequently
used Ireland as a refuge and as a source of troops. He three
times gained the throne of Gwynedd and then lost it again,
before regaining it once more in 1099 and this time keeping
power until his death. Gruffudd laid the foundations which
were built upon by his son Owain Gwynedd and his greatgrandson
Llywelyn the Great.
Contents
1 Life
1.1 Ancestry
1.2 First bid for the throne
1.3 Second bid for the throne and capture by
the Normans
1.4 Escape from captivity and third reign
1.5 King for the fourth time and consolidation
2 Death and succession
3 Children
4 Ancestry
5 References
5.1 Notes
5.2 Citations
5.3 Sources
Life
Unusually for a Welsh king or prince, a near-contemporary
biography of Gruffudd, The history of Gruffudd ap Cynan,
has survived. Much of our knowledge of Gruffudd comes
from this source. The traditional view among scholars was that it was written during the third quarter of the
12th century during the reign of Gruffudd's son, Owain Gwynedd, but it has recently been suggested that it may
date from the early reign of Llywelyn the Great, around 1200. The author is not known.
Most of the existing manuscripts of the history are in Welsh but these are clearly translations of a Latin original.
It is usually considered that the original Latin version has been lost, and that existing Latin versions are retranslations
from the Welsh. However Russell (2006) has suggested that the Latin version in Peniarth MS 434E
incorporates the original Latin version, later amended to bring it into line with the Welsh text.
Coat of Arms retroactively attributed
to Gryffudd ap Cynan
Ancestry
According to the Life of Gruffudd ap Cynan, Gruffudd was born in Dublin and reared near Swords, County
Dublin in Ireland. He was the son of a Welsh Prince, Cynan ap Iago, who was a claimant to the Kingship of
Gwynedd but was probably never king of Gwynedd, though his father, Gruffudd's grandfather, Iago ab Idwal ap
Meurig had ruled Gwynedd from 1023 to 1039. When Gruffudd first appeared on the scene in Wales the Welsh
annals several times refer to him as "grandson of Iago" rather than the more usual "son of Cynan", indicating
that his father was little known in Wales. Cynan ap Iago seems to have died while Gruffudd was still young,
since the History describes his mother telling him who his father was.
According to Historia Gruffud vab Kenan, Gruffudd's mother was Ragnailt ingen Amlaíb, a granddaughter of
King Sigtrygg Silkbeard and a member of the Hiberno-Norse Uí Ímair dynasty.[2] The latter had two sons
named Amlaíb: one died in 1013, whilst another died in 1034. Either man could have been Ragnailt's father.
During his many struggles to gain the kingship of Gwynedd, Gruffudd received considerable aid from Ireland,
from the Hiberno-Norse at Dublin, the Isles and Wexford and from Muircheartach Ua Briain.
First bid for the thr one
Gruffudd first attempted to take over the rule of Gwynedd in 1075, following the death of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn.
Trahaearn ap Caradog had seized control of Gwynedd but had not yet firmly established himself. Gruffudd
landed on Abermenai Point, Anglesey with an Irish force, and with the assistance of troops provided by the
Norman Robert of Rhuddlan first defeated and killed Cynwrig ap Rhiwallon, an ally of Trahaearn who held
Llŷn, then defeated Trahaearn himself in the battle of Gwaed Erw in Meirionnydd and gained control of
Gwynedd.
Gruffudd then led his forces eastwards to reclaim territories taken over by the Normans, and despite the
assistance previously given by Robert of Rhuddlan attacked and destroyed Rhuddlan Castle. However tension
between Gruffudd's Danish-Irish bodyguard and the local Welsh led to a rebellion in Llŷn, and Trahaearn took
the opportunity to counterattack, defeating Gruffudd at the battle of Bron yr Erw above Clynnog Fawr the same
year.
Second bid for the thr one and capture by the Normans
Gruffudd fled to Ireland but, in 1081, returned and made an alliance
with Rhys ap Tewdwr, prince of Deheubarth. Rhys had been attacked by
Caradog ap Gruffudd of Gwent and Morgannwg, and had been forced to
flee to St David's Cathedral. Gruffudd this time embarked from
Waterford with a force composed of Danes and Irish and landed near St
David's, presumably by prior arrangement with Rhys. He was joined
here by a force of his supporters from Gwynedd, and he and Rhys
marched north to seek Trahaearn ap Caradog and Caradog ap Gruffudd
who had themselves made an alliance and been joined by Meilyr ap
Rhiwallon of Powys. The armies of the two confederacies met at the
Battle of Mynydd Carn, with Gruffudd and Rhys victorious and
Trahaearn, Caradog and Meilyr all being killed. Gruffudd was thus able
to seize power in Gwynedd for the second time.
He was soon faced with a new enemy, as the Normans were now
encroaching on Gwynedd. Gruffudd had not been king very long when
he was enticed to a meeting with Hugh, Earl of Chester and Hugh, Earl
of Shrewsbury at Rhug, near Corwen. At the meeting Gruffudd was seized and taken prisoner. According to his
biographer this was by the treachery of one of his own men, Meirion Goch. Gruffudd was imprisoned in Earl
Hugh's castle at Chester for many years while Earl Hugh and Robert of Rhuddlan went on to take possession of
Gwynedd, building castles at Bangor, Wales Bangor, Caernarfon and Aberlleiniog.
Escape from captivity and third reign
Gruffudd reappeared on the scene years later, having escaped from captivity. According to his biography he
was in fetters in the market-place at Chester when Cynwrig the Tall, on a visit to the city, saw his opportunity
when the burgesses were at dinner. He picked Gruffudd up, fetters and all, and carried him out of the city on his
shoulders. There is debate among historians as to the year of Gruffudd's escape. Ordericus Vitalis mentions a
"Grifridus" attacking the Normans in 1088. The History in one place states that Gruffudd was imprisoned for
twelve years, in another that he was imprisoned for sixteen years. Since he was captured in 1081, that would
date his release to 1093 or 1097. J.E. Lloyd favours 1093, considering that Gruffudd was involved at the
beginning of the Welsh uprising in 1094. K.L. Maund on the other hand favours 1097, pointing out that there is
no reference to Gruffudd in the contemporary annals until 1098. D. Simon Evans inclines to the view that
Ordericus Vitalis' date of 1088 could be correct, suggesting that an argument based on the silence of the annals
is unsafe.
Gruffudd again took refuge in Ireland but returned to Gwynedd to lead the assaults on Norman castles such as
Aber Lleiniog. The Welsh revolt had begun in 1094 and by late 1095 had spread to many parts of Wales. This
induced William II of England (William Rufus) to intervene, invading northern Wales in 1095. However his
army was unable to bring the Welsh to battle and returned to Chester without having achieved very much. King
William mounted a second invasion in 1097, but again without much success. The History only mentions one
invasion by Rufus, which could indicate that Gruffudd did not feature in the resistance to the first invasion. At
this time Cadwgan ap Bleddyn of Powys led the Welsh resistance.
In the summer of 1098, Earl Hugh of Chester joined with Earl Hugh of Shrewsbury in another attempt to
recover his losses in Gwynedd. Gruffudd and his ally Cadwgan ap Bleddyn retreated to Anglesey, but were
then forced to flee to Ireland in a skiff when a fleet he had hired from the Danish settlement in Ireland accepted
a better offer from the Normans and changed sides.
King for the fourth time and consolidation
The situation was changed by the arrival of a Norwegian fleet under the command of King Magnus III of
Norway, also known as Magnus Barefoot, who attacked the Norman forces near the eastern end of the Menai
Straits. Earl Hugh of Shrewsbury was killed by an arrow said to have been shot by Magnus himself. The
Normans were obliged to evacuate Anglesey, and the following year, Gruffudd returned from Ireland to take
possession again, having apparently come to an agreement with Earl Hugh of Chester.
With the death of Hugh of Chester in 1101, Gruffudd was able to consolidate his position in Gwynedd, as much
by diplomacy as by force. He met King Henry I of England who granted him the rule of Llŷn, Eifionydd,
Ardudwy and Arllechwedd, considerably extending his kingdom. By 1114, he had gained enough power to
induce King Henry to invade Gwynedd in a three-pronged attack, one detachment led by King Alexander I of
Scotland. Faced by overwhelming force, Gruffudd was obliged to pay homage to Henry and to pay a heavy
fine, but lost no territory. By about 1118, Gruffudd's advancing years meant that most of the fighting, which
pushed Gwynedd's borders eastward and southwards, was done by his three sons by his wife Angharad,
daughter of Owain ab Edwin of Tegeingl: Cadwallon, Owain Gwynedd and later Cadwaladr. The cantrefs of
Rhos and Rhufoniog were annexed in 1118, Meirionnydd captured from Powys in 1123, and Dyffryn Clwyd in
1124. Another invasion by the king of England in 1121 was a military failure. The king had to come to terms
with Gruffudd and made no further attempt to invade Gwynedd during Gruffudd's reign. The death of
Cadwallon in a battle against the forces of Powys near Llangollen in 1132 checked further expansion for the
time being.
Gruffudd was now powerful enough to ensure that his nominee David the Scot was consecrated as Bishop of
Bangor in 1120. The see had been effectively vacant since Bishop Hervey le Breton had been forced to flee by
the Welsh almost twenty years before, since Gruffudd and King Henry could not agree on a candidate. David
went on to rebuild Bangor Cathedral with a large financial contribution from Gruffudd.
Gruffudd was buried in Bangor
Cathedral
Owain and Cadwaladr, in alliance with Gruffudd ap Rhys of Deheubarth, gained a crushing victory over the
Normans at Crug Mawr near Cardigan in 1136 and took possession of Ceredigion. The latter part of Gruffydd's
reign was considered to be a "Golden Age"; according to the Life of Gruffudd ap Cynan Gwynedd was
"bespangled with lime-washed churches like the stars in the firmament".
Death and succession
Gruffudd died in his bed, old and blind, in 1137 and was mourned by the
annalist of Brut y Tywysogion as the "head and king and defender and
pacifier of all Wales". He was buried by the high altar in Bangor Cathedral
which he had been involved in rebuilding. He also made bequests to many
other churches, including one to Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin where he
had worshipped as a boy. He was succeeded as king of Gwynedd by his son
Owain Gwynedd. His daughter Gwenllian, who married Gruffudd ap Rhys
of Deheubarth, son of his old ally Rhys ap Tewdwr, is also notable for her
resistance to English rule.
Children
The family line of Cynan shows he had many children by several different women.[3] With wife Angharad
(daughter of Owain ab Edwin) he had:[4]
Owain Gwynedd (Owain ap Gruffudd),[1] married (1) Gwladus (Gladys) ferch Llywarch, daughter of
Llywarch ap Trahaearn (2) Cristin ferch Goronwy, daughter of Goronwy ab Owain
Cadwaladr ap Gruffudd, married Alice de Clare, daughter of Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare
Cadwallon ap Gruffudd[5]
Mareda
Susanna, married Madog ap Maredudd, prince of Powys
Ranulht
Agnes
Gwenllian ferch Gruffudd, married Gruffudd ap Rhys, prince of Deheubarth
Ancestry
Ancestors of Gruffudd ap Cynan
16. Meurig ap Idwal Foel
8. Idwal ap Meurig
4. Iago ab Idwal
2. Cynan ab Iago
1. Gruffudd ap Cynan
24. Amlaíb Cuarán
12. Sigtrygg Silkbeard
6. Amlaíb
3. Ragnailt
References
Notes
Citations
Sources
Llwyd, Humphrey (2002). Cronica Walliae. University of Wales Press. ISBN 978-0-7083-1638-2.
Lloyd, John Edward (2004). A History of Wales: From the Norman Invasion to the Edwardian Conquest.
Banes & Noble. ISBN 978-0-7607-5241-8.
R.R. Davies (1991). The age of conquest: Wales 1063–1415. O.U.P. ISBN 0-19-820198-2.
Simon Evans (1990). A Mediaeval Prince of Wales: the Life of Gruffudd Ap Cynan. Llanerch Enterprises.
ISBN 0-947992-58-8.
Hudson, Benjamin T. (2005). Viking Pirates and Christian Princes: Dynasty, Religion, and Empire in the
North Atlantic (Illustrated ed.). United States: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195162374, ISBN 978-0-
19-516237-0.
Arthur Jones (1910). The history of Gruffydd ap Cynan: the Welsh text with translation, introduction and
notes. Manchester University Press.. Translation online at The Celtic Literature Collective
K.L. Maund (ed) (1996). Gruffudd ap Cynan: a collaborative biography. Boydell Press. ISBN 0-85115-
389-5.
Kari Maund (ed) (2006). The Welsh kings:warriors, warlords and princes. Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-2973-
6.
Paul Russell (ed) (2006). Vita Griffini Filii Conani: The Medieval Latin Life of Gruffudd Ap Cynan.
University of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-1893-2.
Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700 by Frederick Lewis
Weis, Lines: 176B-26, 239–5
Gruffudd ap Cynan
House of Aberffraw
Cadet branch of the House of Gwynedd
Born: c. 1055 Died: 11 April 1137
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Trahaearn ap Caradog
King of Gwynedd
1081–1137
Succeeded by
Owain Gwynedd
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gruffudd_ap_Cynan&oldid=786425342"
Categories: 1050s births 1137 deaths Monarchs of Gwynedd House of Aberffraw Uí Ímair
British people of Scandinavian descent 11th-century Welsh monarchs 12th-century Welsh monarchs
People from Dublin (city) Norse-Gaelic monarchs Welsh people of Irish descent
This page was last edited on 19 June 2017, at 11:43.
1. Lloyd 2004, p. 93.
2. Hudson, p 83
3. Llwyd 2002, p. 151.
4. Lloyd 2004, p. 274.
5. Lloyd 2004, p. 78.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may
apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered
trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Gruffydd married verch Owain, Angharad. Angharad was born in UNKNOWN in Gwynedd, Wales; died in 1162 in Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

She was the wife of Gruffudd ap Cynan, was a daughter of Owain ab Edwin, a chieftain of eastern Gwynedd. She married Gruffudd about 1095, during his early struggle for power, and survived her husband many years, dying in 1162. Their children were Cadwallon (died 1132), Owain (Gwynedd), and Cadwaladr, and five daughters, named Gwenllian, Marared (Margaret), Rainillt, Susanna, and Annest. Of these, Gwenllian married Gruffydd ap Rhys, and Susanna married Madog ap Maredudd.

Angharad is singled out for lavish praise by her husband's biographer, as a handsome blonde, gentle, eloquent, generous, discreet, good to her people and charitable to the poor. Gruffydd left her, in addition to the half of his goods as provided by Welsh law, two shares of land (rhandir) and the profits of the port of Abermenai.

Notes:

Maredudd ap Bleddyn (1047 – 9 February 1132) was a prince and later King of Powys in eastern Wales.

Maredudd was the son of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn who was King of both Powys and Gwynedd. When Bleddyn was killed in 1075, Powys was divided between three of his sons, Iorwerth, Cadwgan and Maredudd.

Marriages and children
Maredudd married first Hunydd ferch Einudd, who bore him two sons, Madog ap Maredudd and Gruffydd ap Maredudd. He later had a relationship with Cristin ferch Bledrus, who gave him two illegitimate sons, Hywel ap Maredudd and Iorwerth Goch ap Maredudd.

Life
Maredudd initially appears to have been the least powerful and the least mentioned in the chronicles. The three brothers held their lands as vassals of Robert of Bellême, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury. In 1102 the Earl was summoned to answer charges at the court of King Henry I of England and responded by rising in rebellion against the king. All three brothers initially supported Robert and took up arms on his behalf, pillaging Staffordshire. The king deputed William Pantulf, Lord of Wem, to detach Iorwerth, who was considered to be the most powerful of the three brothers, from his alliance with Robert and his own brothers by the promise of large gifts of land. William succeeded in this, and Iorwerth, after leading a large Welsh force to help the king defeat and banish Earl Robert, then captured his brother Maredudd and handed him over to the king.

Maredudd escaped from captivity in 1107 but did not gain any real power. In 1113 he was apparently acting as penteulu or captain of the guard to his nephew, Owain ap Cadwgan who had taken over as prince of Powys. In this capacity in 1113 Maredudd was able to capture Madog ap Rhiryd, who had killed two of his brothers, Iorwerth and Cadwgan in 1111. Maredudd sent him to Owain, who took vengeance for the killing of his father by blinding Madog.

In 1114 when King Henry I of England invaded Wales, Maredudd quickly made his peace with him, while Owain allied himself with Gruffudd ap Cynan of Gwynedd to oppose the invasion. It was not until Owain was killed in 1116 that Maredudd began to strengthen his position and became ruler of Powys. In 1116 he is recorded as sending 400 men to help Hywel ab Ithel, who ruled Rhos and Rhufoniog under the protection of Powys, against his neighbours, the sons of Owain ab Edwin of Dyffryn Clwyd. Hywel won a victory at the Battle of Maes Maen Cymro in 1118, near Ruthin, but received wounds of which he died six weeks later. This enabled the sons of Gruffudd ap Cynan to annex these lands for Gwynedd, with Maredudd unable to prevent them.

In 1121 Maredudd carried out raids on Cheshire which provoked King Henry into invading Powys. Maredudd retreated into Snowdonia and asked Gruffudd ap Cynan for assistance. However Gruffudd was in no mood to defy the king on Maredudd's behalf, and Maredudd had to purchase peace at a cost of a fine of 10,000 head of cattle. Gwynedd continued to put pressure on Powys, with the sons of Gruffudd ap Cynan, Cadwallon and Owain Gwynedd annexing more territory in 1124. Cadwallon was killed in a battle with the men of Powys near Llangollen in 1132 which put a halt to further encroachment for the time being. Maredudd did not take part in this battle and died the same year, remembered by the annalist of Brut y Tywysogion as the beauty and safety of all Powys and her defender. He was succeeded by his son, Madog ap Maredudd.

Maredudd married verch Einudd, Hunydd. Hunydd was born in 1063 in Denbighshire, Wales; died in 1132 in Kingdom of Powys, Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]