people and events 11th 12th
Gruffudd ap Cynan 1055 – 1137
His father was Prince, Cynan ap Iago
Gruffudd's mother was Ragnailt ingen Amlaíb, a granddaughter of King Sigtrygg Silkbeard and a member of the Hiberno-Norse Uí Ímair dynasty.
(Had a number of children, one went onto be a very successful. King Owain Gwynedd (c. 1100 – 1170) and the other Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd (1100 – 1136) who married Gruffydd ap Rhys, Prince of Deheubarth who was the son of her fathers ally Rhys ap Tewdwr .)
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
born in the Hiberno-Norse Kingdom of Dublin and reared near Swords, County Dublin in Ireland.
‘’Gruffudd received considerable help from Ireland, from the Hiberno-Norse at Dublin, the Isles and Wexford and from Muircheartach Ua Briain, because he was also descendant through his mother from Brian Boru, High King of Ireland’’
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.
ARRIVED
Gruffudd landed on Abermenai Point, Anglesey with an Irish army, and troops provided by the Norman Robert of Rhuddlan . He first defeated Cynwrig ap Rhiwallon, an ally of Trahaearn who held Llŷn, then defeated Trahaearn himself in the battle of Gwaed Erw 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 , he 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.
RUN TO IRELAND
Gruffudd fled to Ireland but but wasn’t going to give up what he seen as his right to the throne.
RETURNED
in 1081, he returned and made an alliance with Rhys ap Tewdwr, prince of Deheubarth (the father of Gruffudds famous daughters husband)
Rhys himself had been attacked by the ruthless Caradog ap Gruffudd of Gwent and Morgannwg, and had been forced to flee to St David's Cathedral.
Gruffudd left Waterford Ireland with a force of Danes and Irish and landed near St David's where he met with Rhys and his army.
He was also joined here by a force of his supporters from Gwynedd.
He and Rhys marched north to seek Trahaearn ap Caradog and Caradog ap Gruffudd who had also made an alliance and been joined by Meilyr ap Rhiwallon of Powys.
The armies of what was in affect the rulers of all the kingdoms of Wales met at the Battle of Mynydd Carn
Gruffudd and Rhys were victorious and Trahaearn, Caradog and Meilyr were killed.
KING AGAIN
Gruffudd was then able to seize power in Gwynedd for the second time.
He wasn’t in power for long before the Normans started showing interest in his kingdom.
Gruffudd was enticed to a meeting with Hugh, Earl of Chester and Hugh, Earl of Shrewsbury at Rhug, near Corwen by a traitor called Meirion Goch
KIDNAPPED
At the meeting Gruffudds guard were killed and he was seized and taken prisoner
Gruffudd was imprisoned in Earl Hugh's castle at Chester for many years, some say 12 others say 16 years.
RESCUED
He was rescued by Cynwrig the Tall who come across Gruffudd in fetters in the market-place at Chester. When the guards were in a tavern. He picked Gruffudd up and carried him out of the city on his shoulders
RUN TO IRELAND
Gruffudd again took refuge in Ireland but returned to Gwynedd to lead the assaults on Norman castles such as Aber Lleiniog
Killed Robert of Rhuddlan
on 3 July 1093; according to chronicler Orderic Vitalis there was a skirmish with a force led by Gruffudd ap Cynan which resulted in Robert's death.[1] He was enjoying a noontide nap in his castle at Deganwy when the news was brought to him that Welsh raiders had landed in three ships underneath the Great Orme and pillaged his lands. Some sources say that these raiders were led by Gruffudd ap Cynan, who had escaped from captivity in Chester. The raiders had beached their ships and were busy loading the plunder. Robert despatched messengers to gather his troops and hastened to the Great Orme, where he found that the rising tide was about to allow the Welsh to refloat their vessels and get away with the loot before Robert's troops could appear. In a fury, Robert rushed down the slopes to attack them, followed only by his armour-bearer. He was killed by a volley of javelins, and the raiders sailed off with his head attached to the mast of one of the vessels.
RETURNED
This 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
King William mounted a second invasion in 1097, but again without much success
In the summer of 1098, Earl Hugh the fat man of Chester joined with Earl Hugh of Shrewsbury in another attempt to recover his losses in Gwynedd.
RUN TO IRELAND
Gruffudd and his ally Cadwgan ap Bleddyn retreated to Anglesey, but were then forced to flee to Ireland in a skiff .
Everything 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 and the Normans fled Anglesey.
The following year, Gruffudd returned from Ireland to take possession again.
RETURNED
With the death of Hugh of Chester in 1101, Gruffudd was able to consolidate his position in Gwynedd..
King Henry to invade Gwynedd
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 Cadwallon, Owain Gwynedd and later Cadwaladr.
Another invasion
. 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.
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.
Crug Mawr
Gruffudds sons 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 killing 3000 Normans 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".
died
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.
His son Owain Gwynedd went onto be one of the most successful kings in Welsh history and his daughter Gwenllian have their own stories, maybe not as eventful but every bit as dramatic.
Angharad ferch Owain 1065–1162
wife of Gruffudd ap Cynan, a king of Gwynedd.
Angharad married Gruffudd ap Cynan in 1082 in the Kingdom of Gwynedd when she was seventeen.[11][12][13] She was queen of Gwynedd for forty years with her husband and queen mother for twenty-five years into the time period when her son Owain ap Gruffudd was king of Gwynedd in north Wales
Angharad was a tall blonde and labelled "Golden Haired".[14][15] She was considered attractive and eloquent.[16] Angharad had large eyes, strong limbs, long fingers with well groomed nails, a nice figure and fine feet.[16] She had a queenly personality, was good-natured, and was known as being kindhearted and sympathetic towards the poor.
Cadwallon ap Gruffydd 1097 – 1132
Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd 1100 – 1172
Cadwaladr first appears in the historical record in 1136, when following the killing of the lord of Ceredigion, Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare, he accompanied his brother Owain Gwynedd in an invasion of Ceredigion. They captured five castles in the north of Ceredigion then later in the year launched a second invasion, inflicting a heavy defeat on the Normans at the Battle of Crug Mawr, just outside Cardigan. In 1137 they captured Carmarthen. He later married Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare's daughter Alice (Adelize) de Clare and had issue with her.
Gruffudd ap Cynan died in 1137 and was succeeded by Owain Gwynedd, his eldest surviving son. Cadwaladr was given lands in northern Ceredigion. Cadwaladr joined with Ranulph, Earl of Chester in the attack on Lincoln in 1141,[2] when King Stephen of England was taken prisoner. This alliance was probably linked to Cadwaladr's marriage to Alice de Clare, daughter of Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare.
In 1143 Cadwaladr's men killed Anarawd ap Gruffydd of Deheubarth by treachery, apparently on Cadwaladr's orders. Owain Gwynedd responded by sending his son Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd to deprive Cadwaladr of his lands in Ceredigion. Cadwaladr fled to Ireland where he hired a fleet from Óttar the Norse-Gael king of Dublin and landed at Abermenai in 1144 in an attempt to force Owain to return his lands. Cadwaladr apparently abandoned or escaped from his allies and made peace with his brother, who obliged the Dubliners to leave.
In 1147 Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd and his brother Cynan drove Cadwaladr from his remaining lands in Meirionnydd. A further quarrel with his brother Owain led to Cadwaladr being driven into exile in England, where King Henry II later gave him lands at Ness in Shropshire.
Henry II's time
When Henry II invaded Gwynedd in 1157 the terms of the peace agreement between him and Owain Gwynedd included the stipulation that Cadwaladr should be given back his lands. From this time on Cadwaladr was careful to cooperate closely with his brother, helping him to capture Rhuddlan and Prestatyn castles in 1167.
Cadwaladr survived his brother by two years, dying in 1172. He was buried alongside Owain in Bangor Cathedral.
Children
Cadwaladr had seven sons with three different wives.
With his first wife Gwerfel ferch Gwrgan, he had:
Cadfan ap Cadwaladr
With his second wife Alice de Clare, he had:
Cunedda ap Cadwaladr
Rhicert ap Cadwaladr
Ralph ap Cadwaladr
With his third wife Tangwystl,[3] he had:
Cadwgan ap Cadwaladr
Maredudd ap Cadwaladr
Cadwallon ap Cadwaladr
Fiction
Cadwaladr's attempt to reclaim his lands with the help of a Danish fleet in 1144 forms the background to The Summer of the Danes by Ellis Peters in the Brother Cadfael series.
Owain Gwynedd 1100 - 1170
Become King of Gwynedd after the death of his dad Gruffudd ap Cynan in 1137
He became known as Owain Gwynedd to distinguish him from the king of Powys Wenwynwyn, Owain ap Gruffydd ap Maredudd, who became known as Owain Cyfeiliog
Owain is thought to have been born on Anglesey about the year 1100, he was Gruffudd ap Cynan's second child, grandchild of Owain ab Edwin of Tegeingl via his mother Angharad ferch Owain.
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 with great success
Older brither killed
His elder brother Cadwallon was killed in a battle against the forces of Powys in 1132, leaving Owain as his father's heir
Battle of Crug mawr
Owain and Cadwaladr, in alliance with 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.
Father dead
On his fathers death in 1137, Owain inherited a portion of a well-established kingdom, but had to share it with Cadwaladr.
Took aways brothers lands
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.
Brother driven into exile
Though Owain was later reconciled with Cadwaladr, from 1143, Owain ruled alone over most of north Wales. In 1155 Cadwaladr was driven into exile.
Took advantage of anarchy and expanded Gwynedd
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
Castles captured
In 1146 he captured Mold Castle and about 1150 captured Rhuddlan and encroached on the borders of Powys.
Wins battle at coleshill
The prince of Powys, Madog ap Maredudd, with assistance from Earl Ranulf of Chester, gave battle at Coleshill, but Owain was victorious
Henry invades
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
Battle of Elwoe king henry nearly killed welsh win
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
Henry FitzRoy killed when attacking mon
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.
alliance with Rhys ap Gruffydd
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 invaded again via Berwyn hills
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
English brutality
It was said that the English had murdered hostages and burned churches and villages across Powys.
Owain's sons had wanted to burn down English churches in reprisal though their father had insisted they needed God on their side.
All Wales unite
The invasion was met by an alliance of all the Welsh princes, with Owain as the undisputed leader.
Battle of Crogen
The Welsh win another battle , the Battle of Crogen, also Welsh weather came to Owain's assistance as torrential rain forced Henry to retreat in disorder.
Welsh hosteges killed or blinded
King Henry II had taken his anger out on 22 Welsh prisoners, including two sons of Owain Gwynedd who he had blinded, and returned to Anjou humiliated.
siege of three months.
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.
Religious disputes
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
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 commissioned The Life of Gruffydd ap Cynan, an account of his father's life.
Owain's grandson was Llywelyn the Great.
in turn.
Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd 1100 – 1136
Daughter of Gruffydd ap Cynan , sister of Owian Gwynedd and wife of Gruffudd ap Rhys who is the son of Rhys ap twdwr
Was the youngest of eight children; four older sisters: Mared, Rhiannell, Susanna, and Annest, and three older brothers: Cadwallon, Owain and Cadwaladr. She was the great-great-great-granddaughter of Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig, High King of Ireland
Gwenllian was sead to be beautiful .
When Gruffydd ap Rhys, returned from exile in Ireland he went north to see Gwenllians father gruffudd who owed a debt to Gryffydd’s father for his help in 1081
(you will read more about this under owians name)
During Gryffydd’s visit he met Gwenllian, Gruffudd’s beautiful youngest daughter
Gwenllian and Deheubarth's prince fell in love and she went with him to Deheubarth
She soon married Gruffydd had the following children:[1]
Morgan ap Gruffydd (c. 1116, Carmarthenshire – 1136)
Maelgwyn ap Gruffydd (c. 1119, Carmarthenshire – 1136)
Gwladus ferch Gruffydd (between 1120 and 1130, Carmarthenshire - after 25 July 1175)[5][6][7]
Nest ferch Gruffydd (between 1120 and 1130, Carmarthenshire - after 25 July 1175)
Owain ap Gruffydd (c. 1126, Carmarthenshire - after 1155)[8]
Maredudd ap Gruffydd (c. 1130/1, Carmarthenshire – 1155)[9]
Rhys "Fychan" ap Gruffydd (c. 1132, Dynevor Castle, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire – after 24 April 1197)[10]
Sion ap Gruffydd (c. 1134, Carmarthenshire - after 1155)[8]
Deheubarth was struggling against the Norman invasion in South Wales, with Norman, English, and Flemish colonists in footholds throughout the country. While the conflict between the Normans and the Welsh continued, the princely family were often displaced, with Gwenllian joining her husband in mountainous and forested strongholds.
From this stronghold, Gwenllian and her husband harassed the Norman, English and French, launching retaliatory strikes on their positions in Deheubarth. As well as attacking the enemy, Gwenllian and Gruffudd also took money and possessions from the foreign forces and redistributed them to the native Welsh.
In 1135 King Henry I died. After his death a succession crisis emerged.
The Welsh took the opportunity of the Anarchy to recover their lands lost to the Marcher lords
The revolt began in South Wales when Hywel ap Mareduddd, Lord of Brycheiniog successfully destroyed the forces led by Maurice de Londres, Lord of Kidwelly. The Battle of Llwchwr, took place between Loughor and Swansea on New Year’s Day in 1136.
The Normans had underestimated the Welsh forces: they had anticipated a few raiding bands but were shaken to discover an imposing Welsh army which, with the element of surprise, was able to emerge victorious in the battle. The Norman loss was 500 men dead.
This Welsh victory gave the Welsh the self-belief that they could defeat the enemy. Maurice was driven back to Kidwelly Castle.
Gruffydd ap Rhys, Gwenllian’s husband senced an opportunity so travelled to Gwynedd to meet with his father-in-law to ask for his army to help expel the Norman lords from Wales, for once and for all.
Maurice de Londres and other Normans took this opetunity to lead raids against Deheubarth's Welsh and Gwenllian was compelled to raise an army for their defence
Sadly, the army she was able to gather at short notice was small and poorly equipped. The few hundred men were up against well-armed Anglo-Norman soldiers who were now arriving in large numbers.
Gwenllian decided to divide her troops. She sent some of them to attack the Norman ships, under the watchful eye of a fellow Welsh chieftain, Gruffydd ap Llewellyn. The rest of her men stayed hidden in the woods just north of Kidwelly Castle where they could cut off Maurice’s supply chain.
Gwenllian and her two eldest sons readied for battle. Gwenllian led her army out of the forest to attack Maurice at Kidwelly Castle. However her small force was routed and during the battle she fell from her horse. In the chaos, her eldest son Morgan attempted to protect his mother but tragically died in the process.
Meanwhile, her other son Maelgwyn watched on in horror as his mother was captured and then beheaded on the battlefield. With one son dead, another captured and Princess Gwenllian slain in cold blood, news of this tragic battle spread quickly.
Gwenllian’s death as leader of the “patriotic revolt” was to have cataclysmic repercussions and inevitably contribute to the Great Revolt of 1136, with the Welsh vowing to seek revenge for her tragic death.
Trahaearn ap Caradog 1044 – 1081
Trahaearn was a son of Caradog ap Gwyn, ruler of Arwystli (in the south of present-day Montgomeryshire, Wales.
Married to Nest verch Gruffydd the daughter of gruffudd ap llywelyn and Ealdgyth
They had sons Meurig and Griffri, who were killed by Owain ap CadwganNote
After husbands death she married Osbern FitzRichard of Richard's Castle, Shropshire, son of Richard Fitz Scrope, by whom she had issue, including a son, Hugh FitzOsbern who married Eustache de Say, and a daughter Nesta (Agnes) ferch Osbern, who, sometime before 1099, married Bernard de Neufmarche, Lord of Brecon. The Barons de Braose of Abergavenny descend from Sybil of Neufmarche, the daughter of Bernard and Nesta (Agnes), whose own daughter, Bertha of Hereford married William de Braose, Third Lord of Bramber.
He was born in 1044
Becomes king
On the death of Trahaearns cousin Bleddyn ap Cynfyn (KILLED BY Rhys ap twder) (Bleddyn was installed as the king of Gwynedd by Harald Godwinson after the death of Gruffudd ap Lywelyn) in 1073 none of his sons were old enough to claim the throne, so Trahaearn ap Caradog, seized power.
Loses First fight with gruffudd ap cynan
The same year Gruffudd ap Cynan landed on Anglesey with an Irish force and, with the assistance of the Norman Robert of Rhuddlan, defeated Trahaearn at the Battle of Gwaed Erw in Meirionnydd, gaining control of Gwynedd.
Wins back throne
However tension between Gruffudd ap Cynan's Irish bodyguard and the local Welsh people led to a rebellion in Llyn and Trahaearn took the opportunity to counterattack, defeating Gruffudd at the Battle of Bron yr Erw at Clynnog Fawr in Caernarfonshire, also in 1073, forcing him to flee back to Ireland
Death at mynedd cairn
Gruffudd ap Cynan returned on a second campaign from Ireland with an army of Danes and Irish to become King of Gwynedd. He took his fleet to St David’s and made an alliance with Rhys ap Tewdwr who had recently been ousted as prince of Deheubarth by Caradog ap Gruffydd of Morgannwg. Gruffudd ap Cynan received additional support with backers that came from north Wales. They all agreed to remove Trahaearn ap Caradog from the throne Gwynedd. However, meanwhile Trahaearn had learned of their plot and secretly formed an alliance with Caradog ap Gruffydd and Meilyr ap Rhiwallon. Trahaearn also obtained Norman arbalesters for additional support for his army. The two enemy armies met at the fierce and bloody Battle of Mynydd Carn north of St David's. Trahaearn, Caradog and Meilyr were killed. Gruffudd was victorious and became King of Gwynedd. Rhys ap Tewdwr, Gruffudd's ally, once again became King of Deheubarth.[1]
Rhys ap Tewdwr (c. 1040 – 1093)
Father of Nest and Gruffudd in this list
was a king of Deheubarth AND descended from Rhodri the Great.
claimed the throne of Deheubarth
claimed the throne of Deheubarth following the death of his second cousin Rhys ab Owain, who was beheaded after the battle of Gwdig against Caradog ap Gruffydd in 1078.
( His uncle was implicated in the killing of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn king of Gwynedd and Powys in 1075, Trahaearn ap Caradog, followed Bleddyn on the throne of Gwynedd
Caradog invaded so rhys fled
1081 Caradog ap Gruffydd invaded Deheubarth and drove Rhys to seek sanctuary in the St David's Cathedral.
Battle of Mynydd Carn
later in the year made an alliance with Gruffudd ap Cynan who was seeking to regain the throne of the Kingdom of Gwynedd, and at the Battle of Mynydd Carn they defeated and killed Caradog ap Gruffydd and his allies Trahaearn ap Caradog of Gwynedd and Meilyr ap Rhiwallon.
William the Conqueror showing off
In the same year William the Conqueror made a demonstration of power in South Wales, traversing the land as far as S. Davids; it is reasonably certain that during the visit the two kings came to an agreement as to their future good relations, which lasted to the end of William's reign. A few years later it is recorded that Rhys is paying the king £40 a year for Deheubarth, thereby becoming a vassal of the Norman Crown and establishing a precedent with lasting consequences on Anglo-Welsh relations.
Deheubarth attacked again rhys runs again
1088 Cadwgan ap Bleddyn of Powys attacked Deheubarth and forced Rhys to flee to Ireland. However, Rhys returned later the same year with a fleet from Ireland and defeated the men of Powys, in a battle in which two of Cadwgan's brothers, Madog and Rhiryd, were killed.
(note, it was Cadwagans son who abducted the daughter of rhys, nest)
Crushes rivals
again in 1091 he was opposed by a group of his own vassals in Dyfed, who sought to restore the kingship to the senior line of Hywel Dda in the person of Gruffydd ap Maredudd ab Owain. At Llandudoch (S. Dogmaels) on the Teifi the rebels were defeated and Gruffydd killed.
dead
It was while resisting the Norman advance in this all-important approach to his own dominions that Rhys was killed in uncertain circumstances near Aberhonddu (Brecon).
Gruffydd ap Rhys 1090 – 1137
Son of rhys ap Twdwr and Brother of nest .
husband of Gruffudd Cynans daughter Gwenllian .
parents of the lord rhys
Gruffydd was born in Llandeilo.
exile in Ireland
Following the death of his father Rhys ap Tewdwr in 1093, Deheubarth was taken over by the Normans, and Gruffydd spent much of his early years in exile in Ireland.
returned to South Wales.
In 1115 Gruffydd returned to South Wales.
"But at last, wearied by an exceedingly long exile, he returned to his patrimony. And he remained for about two years, sometimes with Gerald steward of Pembroke Castle, his brother in law (for his sister was Nest, daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr, wife of the said Gerald), and other times with his kinsmen, sometimes openly, sometimes unacknowledged from place to place.
Historian John E. Lloyd adds "The figure of the forlorn scion of an ancient race of kings, stripped of wealth and power and wandering from this to that hospitable roof-tree, touched the imagination of the men of South Wales, and Henry was warned that the homeless lad was beginning to be dangerous to his authority."
accused by King Henry I of England
He was accused by King Henry I of England .
sent messengers to Gruffudd ap Cynan
before waiting for Henry to react, we are told that Gruffudd sent messengers to his distant kinsman Gruffudd ap Cynan asking for shelter.
so off to Anglesey
They were assured that he would receive him gladly, so off to Anglesey journeyed Gruffudd ap Rhys, "with his brother Hywel and others along with them" and were kindly received by Gruffudd ap Cynan.
Castrated brother
Hywel had apparently recently "escaped from prison in a maimed state"; other versions of the chronicles suggest Hywel had been released from prision after being castrated and may have been living quietly with relatives.
Gruffudd ap Cynan summoned
It is not known how many months the small entourage of Gruffudd ap Rhys remained with the Lord of Anglesey, but we are told that Henry I summoned Gruffudd ap Cynan to come for a royal appearance at court.
Henry wanted gruffudd ap RHYS killed
The king, promised great rewards if Gruffudd ap Cynan would either kill Gruffudd ap Rhys or deliver him as a prisioner to the king.
Sanctuary saves the day
Gruffudd ap Cynan planned to murder Gruffydd attempts to capture him but fails because a church gave him sanctuary.
http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id197.html
married gruffudds daughter
Ended up marrying gruffudds daughter Gwenllian
Welsh won
After a norman lord was killed in Gwent and the Welsh won a victory killing 500 near Swansea
went north
Gruffydd went north to see if Gwenllians father Gruffudd ap cynan would support him in war ,
wife raised army
The same time the normans were attacking his kingdom so his wife Gwenllian raised a army .
Maurice of London KILLS WIFE
Maurice of London, defeated her, captured, and beheaded her and two of her sons.
WELSH RESPOND
In 1136 he joined Owain Gwynedd and Cadwaladr, the sons of Gruffudd ap Cynan of Gwynedd, in a rebellion against Norman rule.
In revenge for his wife's execution Gruffydd attacked the English and the Fleming residents of South Wales, causing great destruction of property, crops, and livestock.
Crug Mawr
Gruffydd himself with Owain and Cadwaladr gained a crushing victory over the Normans at Crug Mawr near Cardigan
3000 normans were killed and driven out of south wales.
festival that lasted for 40 days
In celebration of driving the English and the Fleming from South Wales, Gruffydd hosted a grand festival that lasted for 40 days
died
In 1136 or early 1137 Gruffydd died in uncertain circumstances. Florence of Worcester claimed that Gruffydd was murdered by his second wife.
He was succeeded by his son, Anarawd. Of his other sons, Cadell, Maredydd, and Rhys (later known as The Lord Rhys) all ruled Deheubarth
Nest ferch Rhys 1085 – c. 1136
Daughter of rhys ap tewdwr
dad killed
was taken as prisoner with her mother after her father was killed, brought as a prized hostage to the court of William Rufus, where she came to the attention of his younger brother Henry Beauclerc
humps future king
(the future King Henry I), to whom she may have borne one of his illegitimate children, Henry FitzHenry (c. 1103–1158) (was killed by the Welsh after attacking Anglesey as you will see later)
married Gerald
The King married Nest to Gerald of Windsor Constable of Pembroke Castle
Nest bore Gerald at least five children, three sons and two daughters.
William FitzGerald, Lord of Carew and Emlyn (died c. 1173). William's children included Raymond FitzGerald le Gros.
Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Llanstephan, Naas and Maynooth, (died 1 September 1177). His children included Gerald FitzMaurice, 1st Lord of Offaly.[a]
David FitzGerald, Archdeacon of Cardigan and Bishop of St David's.
Angharad, who married William Fitz Odo de Barry, by whom she was the mother of Robert de Barry, Philip de Barry, founder of Ballybeg Abbey at Buttevant in Ireland, and of Gerald de Barry, better known as Gerald of Wales.
Gwladys, mother of Milo de Cogan
Was kidnapped and raped by Owain ap Cadwgan,
Nest and Gerald were present at an eisteddfod given, during a truce, by Cadwgan ap Bleddyn, prince of Powys
Nest and her husband were set upon by her second cousin Owain ap Cadwgan, one of Cadwgan's sons, at Carew Castle, Gerald escaping down the latrine shaft.
Owain took Nest and her children to a hunting lodge by the Eglwyseg Rocks north of the Vale of Llangollen.
Owain's father tried to persuade him to return Nest, but to no avail. According to Caradoc, Nest told Owain, "If you would have me stay with you and be faithful to you, then send my children home to their father." She secured the return of the children. Owain and his father were driven to seek exile in Ireland. Nest was returned to her husband.
married her to Stephen
After Gerald's death, Nest's sons married her to Stephen, her husband's constable of Cardigan, by whom she had another son, Robert Fitz-Stephen (d. 1182), one of the Norman conquerors of Ireland.
Rhys ap Gruffydd 1132 –1197
Rhys ap Gruffydd, commonly known as The Lord Rhys
son of the south and the north
Rhys was the fourth son of Gruffydd ap Rhys, and Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd who was the daughter of Gruffudd ap Cynan, king of Gwynedd.
His older brothers, Morgan and Maelgwn, who were killed in battle with their mother in 1136
married
Rhys married Gwenllian ferch Madog, daughter of Madog ap Maredudd, the last Prince of all Powys
In 113 or early 1137 Rhys’ father died in uncertain circumstances. Florence of Worcester claimed that Gruffydd was murdered by his second wife.
The leadership of the family now passed to Rhys and his half-brother Anarawd ap Gruffydd.
In 1143, when Rhys was eleven, Anarawd was murdered, a death arranged for by Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd, brother of Owain Gwynedd, king of Gwynedd. Owain punished Cadwaladr by depriving him of his lands in Ceredigion.
Maredudd became ruler of Deheubarth and continued a campaign, begun in 1150, aimed at recovering Ceredigion, which had been held by Gwynedd since 1136
Maredudd and Rhys drove Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd from Ceredigion by 1153.
Maredudd and Rhys also destroyed the castles at Tenby and Aberafan that year.
Maredudd died in 1155 at the age of twenty-five and left Rhys as ruler of Deheubarth. Around this time he married Gwenllian ferch Madog, daughter of Madog ap Maredudd, prince of Powys.
King Stephen had died in October 1154,the new king of England, Henry II, soon turned his attention to Wales. He began with an invasion of Gwynedd in 1157.
The following year, Henry prepared an invasion of Deheubarth. Rhys made plans to resist, but was persuaded by his council to meet the king to discuss peace terms.
Rhys was stripped of all his possessions apart from Cantref Mawr, though he was promised one other cantref. The other territories were returned to their Norman lords
Among the Normans who returned to their holdings was Walter de Clifford, who reclaimed Cantref Bychan, then invaded Rhys's lands in Cantref Mawr.
An appeal to the king produced no response, and Rhys resorted to arms, first capturing Clifford's castle at Llandovery then seizing Ceredigion.
King Henry responded by preparing another invasion, and Rhys submitted without resistance. He was obliged to give hostages, probably including his son Hywel
The king was absent in France in 1159, and Rhys took the opportunity to attack Dyfed and then to lay siege to Carmarthen
which was saved by a relief force led by Earl Reginald of Cornwall.
Rhys retreated to Cantref Mawr, where an army led by five earls, the Earls of Cornwall, Gloucester, Hertford, Pembroke and Salisbury, marched against him.
The earls were assisted by Cadwaladr, brother of Owain Gwynedd, and Owain's sons, Hywel and Cynan.
However they were forced to withdraw and a truce was arranged.
In 1162, Rhys again attempted to recover some of his lost lands, and captured Llandovery castle.
The following year Henry II returned to England after an absence of four years and prepared for another invasion of Deheubarth.
Rhys met the king to discuss terms and was obliged to give more hostages, including another son, Maredudd.
He was then seized and taken to England as a prisoner.
Henry appears to have been uncertain what to do with Rhys, but after a few weeks decided to free him and allow him to rule Cantref Mawr.
Rhys was summoned to appear before Henry at Woodstock to do homage together with Owain Gwynedd and Malcolm IV of Scotland.
In 1164 all the Welsh princes united in an uprising
Rhys had returned to Deheubarth from England to find that the neighbouring Norman lords were threatening Cantref Mawr.
His nephew, Einion ab Anarawd, who was the captain of his bodyguard, had been murdered at the instigation of Roger de Clare, Earl of Hertford.
The murderer had been given the protection of the Clares in Ceredigion.
Rhys first appealed to the king to intercede; when this failed, he invaded Ceredigion and recaptured all of it apart from the town and castle of Cardigan.
The Welsh revolt led to another invasion of Wales by King Henry in 1165.
Henry attacked Gwynedd first, but instead of following the usual invasion route along the north coast he attacked from the south, following a route over the Berwyn hills.
He was met by the united forces of the Welsh princes, led by Owain Gwynedd and including Rhys.
According to Brut y Tywysogion
[King Henry] gathered an innumerable host of the selected warriors of England and Normandy and Flanders and Gascony and Anjou... and against him came Owain and Cadwaladr the sons of Gruffydd with all the host of Gwynedd, and Rhys ap Gruffydd with all the host of Deheubarth and Iorwerth the Red son of Maredudd and the sons of Madog ap Maredudd with all the host of Powys
Torrential rain forced Henry's army to retreat in disorder AFTER LOSING THE BATTLE OF CROGAN.
In 1167 he joined Owain Gwynedd in an attack on Owain Cyfeiliog of southern Powys, and spent three weeks helping Owain besiege the Norman castle of Rhuddlan
In 1168 he attacked the Normans at Builth, destroying its castle.
Rhys benefited from the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169 and 1170, which was largely led by the Cambro-Norman lords of south Wales. In 1167 the King of Leinster, Diarmait Mac Murchada, who had been driven out of his kingdom, had asked Rhys to release Robert Fitz-Stephen from captivity to take part in an expedition to Ireland. Rhys did not oblige at the time, but released him the following year and in 1169 Fitz-Stephen led the vanguard of a Norman army which landed in Wexford. The leader of the Norman forces, Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, known as "Strongbow", followed in 1170. According to Warren, "they were prompted to go by a growing suspicion that King Henry did not intend to renew his offensive against the Welsh, but was instead seeking an accommodation with the Welsh leaders".[31] The departure of the Norman lords enabled Rhys to strengthen his position, and the death of Owain Gwynedd in late 1170 left him as the acknowledged leader of the Welsh princes
Owain ap Cadwgan (died 1116)
He is best known for his abduction of Nest, wife of Gerald of Windsor.
Owain was the eldest son of Cadwgan ap Bleddyn
Killed kings sons
He is first recorded in 1106, when he killed Meurig and Griffri, the sons of Trahaearn ap Caradog (part of this list) who was the king of Gwynedd
feast
In 1109 Owain's father Cadwgan gave a feast at his court, and at this feast Owain was told of the beauty of his second cousin Nest, whose husband Gerald of windsor held the castle of Cenarth Bychan.
Visits to see nest
He decided to visit Cenarth Bychan to see for himself, and having done so fell in love with Nest and determined to have her.
It was also enticing that Nest was the daughter of the last King of Deheubarth rhys ap tewdwr.
Abduction of nest
One night at Christmas 1109 Owain and fifteen companions burrowed underneath the gate to get into the castle then rushed in to abduct Nest and her children and set fire to the castle.
Her husband, Gerald, fled through a garderobe.
Owain took Nest and her children to a hunting lodge by the Eglwyseg Rocks north of the Vale of Llangollen.
Dad was mad
Owain's father tried to persuade him to return Nest, but to no avail. According to Caradoc, Nest told Owain, "If you would have me stay with you and be faithful to you, then send my children home to their father."
Nest returns home
She secured the return of the children
English threats
Owain's actions led to his father being confronted with an invasion,
Runs to Ireland dad surenderd
Owain fled to Ireland while Cadwgan surrendered to King Henry I of England and lost all his lands. Ceredigion was later returned to Cadwgan, under the condition of paying a fine of £100 and promising to have nothing more to do with Owain.
Returns from ireland
Owain returned to Powys from Ireland and made an alliance with Madog ap Rhiryd.
English games
The english king responded by releasing Owain's uncle, Iorwerth ap Bleddyn from captivity in 1110 and returning the rule of Powys to him.
driven out
Owain was driven out of Powys by Iorwerth and retreated to Ceredigion, from where he made raids on Dyfed, selling his captives in the Irish slave markets.
Kills William of Brabant.
He also killed a prominent member of the Flemish colony, William of Brabant.
Henry took his dads lands off him
Owain run to Ireland again
King Henry responded by stripping Cadwgan of all his lands and forcing him to live as an exile in England, while Owain again fled to Ireland.
King of powys killed
Dad returned to rule
Invited son back
However Iorwerth was killed by Owain's ally Madog ap Rhiryd in 1111 and the rule of Powys was returned to Cadwgan, who was allowed to recall Owain.
Dad was killed by same man that killed Iorwerth
Owain rules
When Cadwgan was also killed by Madog the same year, Owain became ruler of much of Powys.
Captured killer
He employed his uncle Maredudd ap Bleddyn as penteulu (captain of the guard), and in 1113 Maredudd was able to capture Madog ap Rhiryd and sent him to Owain.
Blinded killer for killing dad
Owain took vengeance for the killing of his father by blinding Madog.
Henry invades
Allied with gruffudd ap cynan
In 1114 King Henry invaded Wales, an attack mainly aimed against Gruffudd ap Cynan of Gwynedd. Owain allied himself with Gruffudd, and retreated with him to Gwynedd.
Knighted by English king
After peace terms had been agreed, Henry took Owain with him when he visited Normandy later that year and knighted him.
Allied with English vs welsh
Owain returned with the king in 1115 and in 1116 took to arms to assist King Henry in putting down the rebellion of Gruffydd ap Rhys of Deheubarth.
Killed by gerald
Gerald of Windsor, husband of Nest, was fighting on the same side, and took the opportunity for vengeance, attacking Owain when he had only ninety men with him and killing him. Most of Powys now passed to his uncle, Maredudd.
Cadwgan ap Bleddyn 1051–1111
Father of Owain ap Cadwgan (abducted nest )
second son of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn who was king of both Kingdom of Powys and Gwynedd. (Harold Godwinson and Tostig Godwinson installed him)
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle stated : "the Welsh ... chose many leaders from among themselves, one of them was called Cadwgan, who was the finest of the all".
Cadwgan's father was killed in 1075 in the 'battle of Gwdig' (Goodwick) by the neighboring kingdom of Deheubarth and Prince Rhys ab Owain with the nobles of Ystrad Tywi; his family avenged the death when his cousin Trahaearn ap Caradog retaliated in the battle of Goodwick. After which, the Kingdom of Powys was divided between three of Bleddyn's sons, Cadwgan, Iorwerth and Maredudd
Cadwgan is first heard of in 1088 when he attacked Deheubarth with Trahaern ap Caradog in retalition for his father's death, forcing its new king, Rhys ap Tewdwr, to flee to Ireland. However, Rhys returned later the same year with a fleet from Ireland and defeated the men of Powys with gruffudd ap cynan in a battle mynedd cairn in which two of Cadwgan's nephews, Madog and Rhiryd, were killed
About 1093 Cadwgan married the daughter of one of the neighbouring Norman lords, Picot de Sai.
In 1094 a Welsh revolt against Norman rule broke out, and Cadwgan played a part in this, defeating a Norman force at the battle of Coed Yspwys. Bleddyn was now an ally of Gruffudd ap Cynan, king of Gwynedd,[1] and when Earl Hugh of Chester and Earl Hugh of Shrewsbury launched an invasion in 1098 to try to recover Anglesey for Hugh of Chester, Cadwgan was with Gruffydd
Cadwgan was with Gruffydd. A Danish fleet hired by Gruffudd was offered a higher price by the Normans and changed sides, forcing Cadwgan and Gruffudd to flee to Ireland in a skiff.
Cadwgan's son Owain ap Cadwgan, in 1109 fell in love with Nest , Cadwgan tried to persuade his son to return Nest to her husband but failed
Ceredigion was invaded and Owain fled to Ireland, while Cadwgan made his peace with the king but was allowed to hold only one border vill. King Henry I of England later allowed him to have Ceredigion back on condition of paying a fine of £100 and promising to have nothing to do with Owain in future.[citation needed] When his brother Iorwerth was killed by his nephew Madog ap Rhiryd in 1111, Cadwgan again briefly took over the rule of all Powys,[1] but later the same year Cadwgan himself was also killed by Madog at Welshpool (Welsh: Y Trallwng). Madog was able to seize some of his lands, while the remainder fell to his son Owain
Bleddyn ap Cynfyn
Father of Cadwgan ap Bleddyn 1051–1111
BAD GUYS
Marcher Robert of Rhuddlan tbc
Robert of Rhuddlan was the cousin of Hugh d'Avranches, the 1st Earl of Chester.
He was recorded to have served as a squire in the court of Edward the Confessor and appears to have come to the Welsh Marches before 1066 in the service of the king.
Hugh became Earl of Chester in 1070, and Robert appears to have been appointed Hugh's "commander of troops" in 1072.
He immediately began hostilities with the Welsh, and having captured land in the cantref of Tegeingl (North East Wales) he built a Motte-and-bailey castle at Twthill near Rhuddlan, holding the lands as a vassal of Earl Hugh.
When Gruffudd ap Cynan tried to recover the throne of Gwynedd from Trahaearn ap Caradog in 1075, Robert assisted Gruffudd by providing Norman troops.
Later the same year Trahaearn counter-attacked and drove Gruffudd to seek refuge in Ireland, but Robert was able to take advantage of the civil war to seize the cantrefs of Rhos and Rhufoniog and to build another castle at Deganwy. He now ruled most of northern Wales east of the River Conwy.
In 1081, Trahaearn ap Caradog, who had been able to prevent Robert from encroaching further west, was killed in the Battle of Mynydd Carn by Gruffudd ap Cynan and his allies.
Gruffudd now became king of Gwynedd, but shortly thereafter he was captured by treachery by the Normans at Rhug near Corwen.
Gruffudd was imprisoned by Earl Hugh in his castle at Chester, but Robert seems to have been responsible for his capture, since he was the one to claim Gruffydd's lands.
Robert built castles at Bangor, Caernarfon, Aberlleiniog and elsewhere. In the Domesday Book he is said to hold all of North Wales apart from lands belonging to the bishoprics of Bangor and St Asaph, holding these lands directly of the king and not as in fief from Earl Hugh. He was liable to an annual rent of £40.
Robert was killed on 3 July 1093;
‘’He was enjoying a noontide nap in his castle at Deganwy when the news was brought to him that Welsh raiders had landed in three ships underneath the Great Orme and pillaged his lands. ‘’
These raiders were led by Gruffudd ap Cynan, who had escaped from captivity in Chester. The raiders had beached their ships and were busy loading the plunder.
Robert despatched messengers to gather his troops and hastened to the Great Orme, where he found that the rising tide was about to allow the Welsh to refloat their vessels and get away with the loot before Robert's troops could appear.
In a fury, Robert rushed down the slopes to attack them, followed only by his armour-bearer. He was killed by a volley of javelins, and the raiders sailed off with his head attached to the mast of one of the vessels.
Robert's lands in Gwynedd were now taken over by Earl Hugh of Chester, but the Welsh revolt of 1094 led by Gruffudd ap Cynan resulted in Gruffudd taking back his lands
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