Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: 1st Baron Mortimer
• Appointments / Titles: Wigmore, Herefordshire, England; 6th Lord of Wigmore
• FSID: LD97-5H9

Notes:

Roger Mortimer, 1st Baron Mortimer of Wigmore Castle in Herefordshire, was famous and honored knight who was a loyal ally of King Henry III of England. He was at times an enemy, at times an ally, of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales.

Born in 1231, Roger was the son of Ralph de Mortimer and his Welsh wife, Gwladys Ddu, daughter of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth and Joan Plantagenet, daughter of John, King of England.

In 1256 Roger went to war with Llywelyn ap Gruffudd when the latter invaded his lordship of Gwrtheyrnion or Rhayader. This war would continue intermittently until the deaths of both Roger and Llywelyn in 1282. They were both grandsons of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth.

Mortimer fought for the King against the rebel Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and almost lost his life in 1264 at the Battle of Lewes fighting Montfort's men. In 1265 Mortimer's wife, Maud de Braose helped rescue Prince Edward; and Mortimer and the Prince made an alliance against de Montfort.

In August 1265, de Montfort's army was surrounded by the River Avon on three sides, and Prince Edward's army on the fourth. Mortimer had sent his men to block the only possible escape route, at the Bengeworth bridge. The Battle of Evesham began in earnest. A storm roared above the battle field. Montfort's Welsh soldiers broke and ran for the bridge, where they were slaughtered by Mortimer's men. Mortimer himself killed Hugh Despencer and Montfort, and crushed Montfort's army. Mortimer was awarded Montfort's severed head and other parts of his anatomy, which he sent home to Wigmore Castle as a gift for his wife, Lady Mortimer.

Mortimer took part in Edward I's 1282 campaign against Llewelyn the Last, and was put in charge of operations in mid-Wales. It was a major setback for Edward when Mortimer died in October 1282.
His wife was Maud de Braose, daughter of William de Braose, Lord of Abergavenny by Eva Marshal. Roger Mortimer had married Maud in 1247. She was, like him, a scion of a Welsh Marches family.

Their eight known children were:

Ralph Mortimer, died 10 August 1274, Sheriff of Shropshire and Staffordshire.

Edmund Mortimer, 2nd Baron Mortimer (1251–1304), married Margaret de Fiennes, the daughter of William II de Fiennes and Blanche de Brienne. Had issue, including Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March.

Isabella Mortimer, died 1292. She married (1) John Fitzalan, 7th Earl of Arundel; and (2) Robert de Hastang.

Margaret Mortimer, died 1297. She married Robert de Vere, 6th Earl of Oxford.

Roger Mortimer, 1st Baron Mortimer of Chirk, died 1326.

Geoffrey Mortimer, died 1273. He was a knight.

William Mortimer, (c.1259-before June 1297) was hostage for his father in 1264. He was knighted, and married Hawise, daughter and heir of Robert de Mucegros. Died childless.

Iseult de Mortimer died shortly before 4 August 1338. She married Hugh de Audley, Knight and Lord Audley. Their eldest son, Ralph, was a famed knight but died in his youth. The second son, Edmund, was recalled from Oxford University and appointed his father's heir.

Roger Mortimer died on 30th October 1282 and was buried at Wigmore Abbey

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Mortimer%2C_1st_Baron_Mortimer_of_Wigmore

Roger married de Braose, Maud in 1247. Maud (daughter of de Braose, Earl William V and Marshal, Lady Eva) was born in 1224 in Bramber Castle, Bramber, Sussex, England; died on 23 Mar 1301 in Wigmore, Herefordshire, England; was buried after 23 Mar 1301 in St Mary the Virgin Churchyard, Elmley Castle, Worcestershire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. de Mortimer, Baron Edmund I was born on 27 Oct 1252 in Wigmore Castle, Wigmore, Herefordshire, England; died on 17 Jul 1304 in Wigmore Castle, Wigmore, Herefordshire, England; was buried after 17 Jul 1304 in Wigmore Castle, Wigmore, Herefordshire, England.
2. de Mortimer, Countess Isabella was born in 1248 in Wigmore Castle, Wigmore, Herefordshire, England; died in 1300 in England.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Lord of Wigmore
• FSID: LD97-P18

Notes:

From Life Sketch

Ralph (Ranulf) Mortimer (de Mortimer), Baron of Wigmore
Birth February 15, 1190 Wigmore, Herefordshire, England
Death: Died August 6, 1246 in Wigmore, Herefordshire, England
Place of Burial: Wigmore, Herefordshire, England
Immediate Family:
Son of Roger de Mortimer, Lord of Wigmore and Isabel de Ferrers, of Oakham
Husband of Gwladys "Ddu" verch Llewelyn
Father of Roger Mortimer, 1st Baron Mortimer; Janet Mortimer; Peter de Mortimer; Joan Corbet; Hugh de Mortimer and 1 other
Brother of Joane (Isabel) de Mortimer; Juliane de Mortimer; Robert de Mortimer and Philip de Mortimer
Half brother of Joan De Verdon and Hugh de Mortimer, of WIgmore
Occupation:BARON OF WIGMORE (5TH), Lord of Wigmore

About Sir Ralph de Mortimer
Ralph de Mortimer - was born in 1190 in Wigmore, Herefordshire, England and died on 6 Aug 1246 in Wigmore, Herefordshire, England . He was the son of Roger de Mortimer and Isabel de Ferrers.
Ralph married Gwaldys Verch Llewelyn in 1220 in England. Gwaldys was born about 1205 in Caernarvonshire, Wales. She was the daughter of Llewelyn Ap Iorwerth and Tangwysti Verch Llymarch. She died in 1251 in Windsor, Berkshire, England .
Children:
i. Sir Roger de Mortimer was born in 1231 in Cwmaron Castle, Radnor, Wales and died on 27 Oct 1282 in Kingsland, Hereford, Eng .
-----

Ralph married verch Llewelyn, Gwladys in 1230 in Herefordshire, England. Gwladys (daughter of ap Iorwerth, Prince Llewelyn and Plantagenet, Princess Joan) was born in 1194 in Gwynedd, Wales; died in 1251 in Windsor, Berkshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: LRQB-GXC

Notes:

Gwladus Ddu
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gwladus Ddu, ("Gwladus the Dark Eyes"), full name Gwladus ferch Llywelyn (died 1251) was a Welsh noblewoman who was a daughter of Llywelyn the Great of Gwynedd and married two Marcher lords. Sources differ as to whether Gwladus was Llywelyn's legitimate daughter by his wife Joan or an illegitimate daughter by Tangwystl Goch. Some sources say that Joan gave her lands to Gwladus, which suggests, but does not prove, the former. Gwladus is recorded in Brut y Tywysogion as having died at Windsor in 1251.

Marriage
She married firstly, Reginald de Braose, Lord of Brecon and Abergavenny in about 1215, but they are not known to have had a daughter Matilda de Braose. After Reginald's death in 1228 she was probably the sister recorded as accompanying Dafydd ap Llywelyn to London in 1229.

She married secondly, Ralph de Mortimer of Wigmore about 1230. Ralph died in 1246, and their son, Roger de Mortimer, inherited the lordship.

Issue
Roger Mortimer, 1st Baron Mortimer, in 1247, married Maud de Braose, by whom he had seven children.
Hugh de Mortimer
John de Mortimer
Peter de Mortimer

References
Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700 by Frederick Lewis Weis; Lines 132-C-29, 176B-28

John Edward Lloyd (1911) A history of Wales from the earliest times to the Edwardian conquest (Longmans, Green & Co.)

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gwladus_Ddu&oldid=764335548"
Categories: 1251 deaths Women of medieval Wales Welsh royalty 13th-century Welsh people
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Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: 3rd Baron Mortimer
• Appointments / Titles: Lord of Wigmore
• FSID: LHG2-WXQ

Notes:

Roger Mortimer of Wigmore
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Roger de Mortimer (before 1153-before 8 July 1214) was a medieval marcher lord, residing at Wigmore Castle in the English county of Herefordshire. He was the son of Hugh de Mortimer (d. 26 February 1181) and Matilda Le Meschin.

Early life
Roger would appear to have been of age in 1174 when he fought for King Henry II against the rebellion of his son, Henry. In 1179 Roger was instrumental in the killing of Cadwallon ap Madog, the prince of Maelienydd and Elfael, both of which Mortimer coveted. He was imprisoned until June 1182 at Winchester for this killing.

Children
He had married Isabel (d. before 29 April 1252), the daughter of Walchelin de Ferriers of Oakham Castle in Rutland before 1196. With Isabel, Roger had three sons and a daughter:

Hugh de Mortimer (d.1227) - married Annora (Eleanor) de Braose, daughter of William de Braose and his wife Maud.
Ralph de Mortimer (d.1246).
Philip Mortimer
Joan Mortimer (d.1225) - married May 1212 to Walter de Beauchamp
He is often wrongly stated to have been the father of Robert Mortimer of Richards Castle (died 1219) - married Margary de Say, daughter of Hugh de Say. But this Robert was born before 1155 and therefore could not have been a son of Roger.

Lord of Maelienydd
In 1195 Roger, with the backing of troops sent by King Richard I invaded Maelienydd and rebuilt Cymaron Castle. In 1196 he joined forces with Hugh de Say of Richards Castle and fought and lost the battle of New Radnor against Rhys ap Gruffydd, allegedly losing some forty knights and an innumerable number of foot in the fight. By 1200 he had conquered Maelienydd and issued a new charter of rights to Cwmhir Abbey. In the summer of 1214 he became gravely ill and bought the right for his son to inherit his lands while he still lived from King John. He died before 8 July 1214.

Roger married de Ferrers, Lady Isabel Millicent in 1190 in Oakham Hall, Oakham, Rutland, England. Isabel was born on 28 Feb 1166 in Oakham Hall, Oakham, Rutland, England; was christened after 28 Feb 1166 in Tutbury Castle, Tutbury, Staffordshire, England; died on 6 May 1252 in Lechlade, Gloucestershire, England; was buried on 7 May 1252 in Chapel of St John The Baptist Hospital, Lechlade, Gloucestershire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Lady of Oakham

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
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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]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Princess of England
• Appointments / Titles: Princess of Wales
• FSID: 9HFS-GG1

Notes:

Joan, Lady of Wales
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Joan of Wales
Eglwys y Santes Fair, Biwmares, Ynys Mon, Church of St Mary and St Nicholas, Beaumaris, North Wales 61.jpg
Detail of Joan's sarcophagus in St Mary's and St Nicholas's Church, Beaumaris
Born c. 1191
Died 2 February 1237 (aged 45–46)
Spouse Llywelyn the Great
House Plantagenet
Father John of England
Mother Clemence
Joan, Lady of Wales and Lady of Snowdon, also known by her Welsh name of Siwan, (c. 1191 – 2 February 1237) was the wife of Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Wales and Gwynedd, effective ruler of most of Wales.

Early life[edit]
Joan was a natural daughter of King John of England. She should not be confused with her half-sister, Joan, Queen consort of Scotland.

Little is known about her early life. Her mother's name is known only from Joan's obituary in the Tewkesbury Annals, where she is called "Regina Clementina" (Queen Clemence); there is no evidence that her mother was in fact of royal blood. Joan may have been born in France, and probably spent part of her childhood there, as King John had her brought to the Kingdom of England from Normandy in December 1203 in preparation for her wedding to prince Llywelyn ab Iorwerth.

Thomas Pennant, in "Tours in Wales", Volume 2, published London, 1810, writes : "It is said that Llewelyn the Great had near this place [Trefriw] a palace; ... The church of Trefriw was originally built by Llewelyn, for the ease of his princess, who before was obliged to go on foot to Llanrhychwyn, a long walk among the mountains."

Marriage[edit]
Joan married Llywelyn the Great between December 1203 and October 1204. The wedding was celebrated at St Werburgh's Abbey in Chester. She and Llywelyn had at least two children together:

Elen ferch Llywelyn (Helen or Ellen) (1207–1253), married (1) John the Scot, Earl of Chester and (2) Robert II de Quincy
Dafydd ap Llywelyn (c. 1212–1246) married Isabella de Braose, died at Abergwyngregyn.
Some of Llywelyn's other recorded children may also have been Joan's:

Gwladus Ddu (1206–1251), married (1) Reginald de Braose and (2) Ralph de Mortimer (had issue).
Susanna, who was sent to England as a hostage in 1228.
Angharad ferch Llywelyn
Margaret, who married (1) Sir John de Braose (called 'Tadody'), the grandson of William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber. She married (2) Sir Walter de Clifford and had children by both husbands.[1]
In April 1226 Joan obtained a papal decree from Pope Honorius III, declaring her legitimate on the basis that her parents had not been married to others at the time of her birth, but without giving her a claim to the English throne.[2]

Adultery with William de Braose[edit]
At Easter 1230, William de Braose, who was Llywelyn's prisoner at the time, was discovered with Joan in Llywelyn's bedchamber. William de Braose was hanged on 2 May 1230, according to local folklore at Abergwyngregyn; the place was known as 'Gwern y Grog'. A letter from Nicholas, Abbot of Vaudy, suggests that the execution took place at Crogen near Bala (crogi = to hang).[3]

Joan was placed under house arrest for twelve months after the incident. She was then, according to the Chronicle of Chester, forgiven by Llywelyn, and restored to favour. She may have given birth to a daughter early in 1231.

Joan was never called Princess of Wales, but, in Welsh, "Lady of Wales".

Death and burial
She died at the royal home at Abergwyngregyn, on the north coast of Gwynedd, in 1237. Llywelyn's great grief at her death is recorded; he founded a Franciscan friary on the seashore at Llanfaes, opposite the royal home, in her honour. The friary was consecrated in 1240, shortly before Llywelyn died. It was destroyed in 1537 by Henry VIII of England during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. A stone coffin originally identified as Joan's can be seen in St Mary's and St Nicholas's parish church, Beaumaris, Anglesey. Above the empty coffin is a slate panel inscribed: "This plain sarcophagus, (once dignified as having contained the remains of Joan, daughter of King John, and consort of Llewelyn ap Iowerth, Prince of North Wales, who died in the year 1237), having been conveyed from the Friary of Llanfaes, and alas, used for many years as a horsewatering trough, was rescued from such an indignity and placed here for preservation as well as to excite serious meditation on the transitory nature of all sublunary distinctions. By Thomas James Warren Bulkeley, Viscount Bulkeley, Oct 1808"

The slate panel at Beaumaris
In recent years, doubt has been cast on the identity of the woman depicted on the coffin lid, which is not thought to belong to the coffin on which it now rests. Experts have suggested that the costume and style of carving belong to a much later decade than the 1230s when Joan died, although the coronet suggests a member of the royal family. Eleanor de Montfort is considered the most likely alternative.[4]

Fiction
Joan and her affair with William de Braose is the subject of Saunders Lewis's Welsh verse play Siwan. Edith Pargeter's novel The Green Branch is set in Wales and the Welsh Marches in 1228–31, when Llewelyn ruled Gwynedd and most of the rest of Wales.[5] Although named Joanna, Joan is the main character of Sharon Kay Penman's novel Here Be Dragons.[6]

References
1 Douglas Richardson. Magna Carta Ancestry, 2nd Edition, Vol. I, pg 387.
2 Douglas Richardson, Kimball G. Everingham, Plantagenet ancestry: a study in colonial and medieval families. Genealogical Pub Co, 2004
3 The Acts of Welsh Rulers: 1120–1283, ed. Huw Pryce. University of Wales Press, 2005. ISBN 9780708323830. p. 429. Accessed 6 October 2015
4 Madeleine Gray (2014). "Four weddings, three funerals and a historic detective puzzle: a cautionary tale" (PDF). Transactions of the Anglesey Antiquarian Society and Field Club. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
5 "Carla Nayland Book Review – The Green Branch by Edith Pargeter". carlanayland.org.
6 Penman, Sharon Kay (1985). Here Be Dragons. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. ISBN 9780030627736.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Lord of Wigmore
• Occupation: Lord Mortimer - Baron Wigmore

Hugh married de Meschines, Matilda in 1134 in Wigmore, Herefordshire, England. Matilda (daughter of Longespée, William and de Rumilly, Cecily) was born in 1126 in Gernon Castle, Montfiquet, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France; was christened in Normandy, France; died in 1192 in England; was buried in 1192 in Wigmore, Herefordshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Nickname: Maud
• FSID: 2CB1-HK7

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

Other Events and Attributes:

• Burial: Worcester Cathedral, Worcester, Worcestershire, England
• Appointments / Titles: Duke of Bedford
• House: House of Plantagenet
• Appointments / Titles: Between 8 Jan 1177 and 7 Jan 1186; Lord of Ireland
• Appointments / Titles: Between 1189 and 1199, Gloucestershire, England; Earl
• Appointments / Titles: Between 1199 and 1204, Maine (Historical), France; Count
• Appointments / Titles: Between 1199 and 1204, Poitou-Charentes, France; Count
• Appointments / Titles: Between 1199 and 1216, Aquitaine, France; Duke
• Appointments / Titles: Between 1199 and 1216, England; King
• Appointments / Titles: Between 8 Jan 1199 and 7 Jan 1217; King of England
• Appointments / Titles: Between 1202 and 1216, Angoulême, Charente, Poitou-Charentes, France; Count
• Death: 19 Oct 1216, Newark Castle, Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, England

Notes:

John, the youngest of five sons of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, was at first not expected to inherit significant lands; became Henry's favourite child. John grew up to be around 5 ft 5 in. John's first period of rule in Ireland was not a success. Ireland had only recently been conquered by Anglo-Norman forces, and tensions were still rife between Henry II, the new settlers and the existing inhabitants.[28] John infamously offended the local Irish rulers by making fun of their unfashionable long beards. In order to remarry, John first needed to abandon Isabel, Countess of Gloucester, his first wife; as a cousin, John could not have legally wed her without this. Marrying Isabella of Angoulême, John was acquiring a key land route between Poitou and Gascony, which significantly strengthened his grip on Aquitaine. At the start of John's reign there was a sudden change in prices, as bad harvests and high demand for food resulted in much higher prices for grain and animals. This inflationary pressure was to continue for the rest of the 13th century and had long-term economic consequences for England. From Henry II onwards, ira et malevolentia had come to describe the right of the king to express his anger and displeasure at particular barons or clergy, building on the Norman concept of malevoncia – royal ill-will.[116] In the Norman period, suffering the king's ill-will meant difficulties in obtaining grants, honours or petitions; John was deeply suspicious of the barons. Chroniclers complained that John's mistresses were married noblewomen, which was considered unacceptable. During the remainder of his reign, John focused on trying to retake Normandy and England itself had to be secured against possible French invasion, John became involved in a dispute with Pope Innocent III that would lead to the king's excommunication. John refused Innocent's request that he consent to Langton's appointment, but the pope consecrated Langton anyway. He barred Langton from entering England and seized the lands of the archbishopric and other papal possessions.
Neither John nor the rebel barons seriously attempted to implement the peace accord. The failure of the agreement led rapidly to the First Barons' War. The rebel barons responded by inviting Prince Louis of France to lead them: Louis had a claim to the English throne by virtue of his marriage to Blanche of Castile, a granddaughter of Henry II. John contracted dysentery, which would ultimately prove fatal. By October 1216 John faced a "stalemate", "a military situation uncompromised by defeat". John's illness grew worse. John died on the night of 18 October. John's first wife, Isabel, Countess of Gloucester, was released from imprisonment in 1214; she remarried twice, and died in 1217. John's second wife, Isabella of Angoulême, left England for Angoulême soon after the king's death; she became a powerful regional leader, but largely abandoned the children she had had by John.
Popular representations of John first began to emerge during the Tudor period: Shakespeare's King John, Sir Walter Scott's historical romance, Ivanhoe, Howard Pyle's book The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. Excerpts from Wikipedia.org.
Name: King John
Born: December 24, 1166 at Beaumont Palace : Oxford
Parents: Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine
House of: Angevin ( Plantagenet)
Ascended to the throne: April 6, 1199 aged 32 years
Crowned: May 27, 1199 at Westminster Abbey
Married: 1) Isabella of Gloucester, (annulled 1199), (2) Isabella, Daughter of Count of Angouleme
Children: Two sons including Henry III, three daughters and several illegitimate children
Died: October 18, 1216 at Newark Castle, aged 49 years, 9 months, and 24 days
Buried at: Worcester
Reigned for: 17 years, 6 months, and 13 days
Succeeded by: his son Henry III
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John was nicknamed Lackland, probably because, as the youngest of Henry II's five sons, it was difficult to find a portion of his father's French possessions for him to inherit. He was acting king from 1189 during his brother Richard the Lion-Heart's absence on the Third Crusade. The legend of Robin Hood dates from this time in which John is portrayed as Bad King John. He was involved in intrigues against his absent brother, but became king in 1199 when Richard was killed in battle in France.

King John signs Magna Carta 1215
Most of his reign was dominated by war with France. Following the peace treaty of Le Goulet there was a brief peace, but fighting resumed again in 1202. John had lost Normandy and almost all the other English possessions in France to Philip II of France by 1204. He spent the next decade trying to regain these without success and was finally defeated by Philip Augustus at the Battle of Bouvines in 1214. He was also in conflict with the Church. In 1205 he disputed the pope's choice of Stephen Langton as archbishop of Canterbury, and Pope Innocent III placed England under an interdict, suspending all religious services, including baptisms, marriages, and burials. John retaliated by seizing church revenues, and in 1209 was excommunicated. Eventually, John submitted, accepting the papal nominee, and agreed to hold the kingdom as a fief of the papacy; an annual monetary tribute was paid to the popes for the next 150 years by successive English monarchs.

His concessions did not buy peace for long and the Barons War continued. The barons sought French aid and Prince Louis of France landed in England supported by attacks from the North by Alexander II of Scotland. John fled and according to legend lost most of his baggage and the crown jewels when crossing the tidal estuaries of the Wash. He became ill with dysentery and died at Newark Castle in October 1216.
Timeline for King John
Year Event
1199 John accedes to the throne on the death of his brother, Richard I.
1204 England loses most of its possessions in France.
1205 John refuses to accept Stephen Langton as Archbishop of Canterbury
1208 Pope Innocent III issues an Interdict against England, banning all church services except baptisms and funerals
1209 Pope Innocent III excommunicates John for his confiscation of ecclesiastical property
1209 Cambridge University founded
1212 Innocent III declares that John is no longer the rightful King
1213 John submits to the Pope’s demands and accepts the authority of the Pope
1214 Philip Augustus of France defeats the English at the Battle of Bouvines
1215 Beginning of the Barons' war. The English Barons march to London to demand rights which they lay down in the Magna Carta.
1215 John meets the English barons at Runnymede, agrees to their demands, and seals the Magna Carta which set limits on the powers of the monarch, lays out the feudal obligations of the barons, confirms the liberties of the Church, and grants rights to all freemen of the realm and their heirs for ever. It is the first written constitution.
1215 The Pope decrees that John need not adhere to the Magna Carta, and civil war breaks out
1216 The barons seek French aid in their fight against John. Prince Louis of France lands in England and captures the Tower of London
1216 John flees North and loses his war chest of cash and jewels in the Wash estuary
1216 John dies of a fever at Newark and is buried Worcester Cathedral

John married de Ferrers, Agatha. Agatha was born in 1168 in Stowe-by-Chartley, Staffordshire, England; died in 1189 in Chinon, Indre-et-Loire, Centre, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Death: Between 8 Aug and 7 Sep 1189
• FSID: L8MJ-ZGN