m. ESYLLT ferch CYNAN DINDAETHWY, d. of Cynan Dindaethwy(d.c.816) ap Rhodri Molwynog, King of Gwynedd

Issue-

Ref:

The History of Gruffyd ap Cynan- A. Jones, Manchester, 1910- I - available at the Celtic Literature Collection at: http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/gruffydd.htm

b.c. 760
m. NEST, sister of Cyngen III ap Cadell ap Brochwell
d. 844 Battle of Cyfeiliog

Nest, the sister of Cyngen III had married an upstart, Merfyn Frych (Freckled), who gained control of Gwynedd: "The daughter of Cynan Tindaethwy king of all Wales who was his heir married a chieftan of the name of Mervyn the Freckled". (1) He was killed in battle, but his son, Rhodri Mawr (Great) gained control of Powys too and most of the rest of Wales. Rhodri kept Gwynedd for himself and put his sons in charge of the other princedoms. He established that all princes should pay annual tribute to the Prince of Gwynedd. There never was a king of Wales, but Rhodri came closest to it. Rhodri instructed his sons to wear in battle the Talaeth, a circlet of gold around the helmet with upward pointing teeth and set with precious stones. The princes of Powys continued this tradition until 1283.

Issue-

Ref:

(1) Gwentian Chronicle- Brut y Tywysogion- in "Archaeologia Cambrensis, The Journal of the Cambrian Archaeological Association"- Third Series, London, 1864- Vol. X, p. 11

b.c.789 Caer Seiont
m. ANGHARAD of SEISYLLWG- d. of Meurig, King of Ceredigion.
d. 877 Anglesey

In 843 "Rhodri the Great, son of Mervyn the Freckled began to reign over the Welsh... Rhodri the Great oppsed [Berthwrd king of Mercia]... with the assistance of Meuryg son of Hywel king of Glamorgan". Meuryg was killed in the battle and succeeded by "Ithel son of Hywel" who was killed by "the men of Brecknockshire" while on his way to assist Rhodri.(1)

Rhodri inherited the kingdom of Gwynedd from his father in 844 and after his uncle Cyngen ap Cadell died on a pilgrimage to Rome in 855 he inherited Powys. In 872 Gwgon, ruler of Seisyllwg drowned and Rhodri added that province to his collection by marrying Angharad, Gwgon's sister and heiress.

Rhodri spent most of his reign fighting off the Danes who were recorded as ravaging Anglesey in 854. In 856 he won a victory over the Vikings and killed their leader Gorm. In 876 he fought another battle against the Vikings on Anglesey after which he had to flee to Ireland: "Rhodri son of Merfyn king of the Britons came in flight from the dark foreigners to Ireland".(2) The following year he and his son Gwriad were killed by the English led by Alfred the Great.(3) A few years later his son Anarawd ap Rhodri won a victory over the Mercians and it was called in the annals as "God's vengeance for Rhodri".

Ref:

(1) Gwentian Chronicle- Brut y Tywysogion- in "Archaeologia Cambrensis, The Journal of the Cambrian Archaeological Association"- Third Series, London, 1864- Vol. X, p. 13
(2) The Annals of Ulster- P. Bambury, S. Beechinor, Eds., University College, Cork, 2000-p. 333
(3) Ibid- p. 333; Gwentian Chronicle- Brut y Tywysogion- in "Archaeologia Cambrensis, The Journal of the Cambrian Archaeological Association"- Third Series, London, 1864- Vol. X, p. 15; Brut y Tywysogion or the Chronicle of the Princes of Wales- J. Williams ap Ithel, Ed., London, 1860- p. 17

b.861
m. RHEINGAR (b. 865 Dynevor Castle)
d. 907

Cadell ap Rhodri inherited Seisyllwg from his mother in 878. He and his son Hywel conquered Dyfed in 904 and after his death Hywel merged the two kingdoms into the kingdom of Deheubarth.

Issue-

b.c.887 Dynevor Castle

m. ELEN ferch LLYWARCH ap Hyfaidd of DYFED (b.c.893, d. 943)
d. 948

Hywel Dda (Good) gained control of nearly all Wales, though he paid tribute to the kings of Wessex. He was a very well educated man and spoke Welsh, Latin and English. He modelled himself on Alfred, visited Rome in 926, kept the Saxons happy, and gave Law to Wales. He summoned to his hunting lodge at Whitland in Carmarthenshire six representatives from each cantref (a cantref consisted of 100 townships or hamlets). The product of their deliberations was Hywel's Law or Code. Few changes were made to this over the succeeding centuries, and it remained a stable element in Welsh society amidst all the fighting for power or survival. A copy of the Law is at the National Library of Wales at Aberystwyth and can be viewed on-line.

Hywel was the younger son of Cadell and after having conquered Dyfed, Cadell gave it to Hywel to rule on his behalf. Hywel strengthened his position by marrying Elen, daughter of Llywarch ap Hyfaidd, the ruler of Dyfed.

After his father's death in 909 Hywel acquired Seisyllwg and upon his brother's death in 920 he merged Dyfed and Seisyllwg into the kingdom of Dehuebarth. After the death of his cousin Idwal Foel in 942 he seized the Kingdom of Gwynedd.

Hywell and Aethestan ruled part of Wales jointly. Hywel actually minted his own coinage in Chester which was the first time a Welsh king had produced coinage since the time of his Celtic ancestors. This relationship between Hywel and Aethelstan was not popular amoung all his subjects and the poem Armes Prydein called for the Welsh to join a confederation of all the non-English people of Britain and Ireland to fight the Saxons. The Norsemen and some of the celtic peoples did challenge Athelstan at the Battle of Brunanburh in 937, however, Hywel remained neutral.

After his death the kingdom was split into three with Gwynedd being reclaimed by Idwal Foel's sons and Deheubarth divided between Hywel's sons.

Ref:

Gwentian Chronicle- Brut y Tywysogion- in "Archaeologia Cambrensis, The Journal of the Cambrian Archaeological Association"- Third Series, London, 1864- Vol. X, pp. 21, 25
Anglo-Saxon England- F.M. Stenton, Oxford University Press, 2001, 3rd edition- p. 341
Brut y Tywysogion or the Chronicle of the Princes of Wales- J. Williams ap Ithel, Ed., London, 1860- pp. 21, 23

b.c.913 Dynevor Castle
m. ANGHARAD (b.c. 918), d. of Llewellyn
d. 988

Dynevor Castle

Owain, the third son of Hywel, was eventually left in undisputed control of Powys after his elder brothers died without issue. Prior to that there had been much squabbling between them. In Wales as a whole, between 950 and 1066, 35 princes were killed, mostly by fellow Welsh. This was in large measure due to the tradition of "gavelkind" whereby all male children had an equal claim to the inheritance, whether that was a few acres of sheep-pasture or a princedom.

In 952 Iago and Ieuaf, the sons of Idwal Foel, invaded the south going as far as Dyfed. Owain and his brothers Rhodri and Edwin invaded the north in 954 and got as far as Conwy before being defeated at the battle of Llanrwst and subsequently retreated to Ceredigion. Rhodri died in 953 and Edwin in 954 leaving Owain to rule alone. Owain sent his son Einon to attack the kindom of Morgannwg in 960 and again in 970 and 977. As Owain was aging he let Einon take over the rule of the kingdom, however, he was killed on a raid to the east in 984 by the noblemen of Gwent.

Owain's son, Meredudd inherited Powys and Griffith became prince of Gwynedd. By taking advantage of weak English kings such as Ethelred the Unready, Griffith acquired English recognition as master of the whole of Wales. But then the future King Harold took the offensive, combining with his brother in a pincer movement against Griffith's army. To avert attack, Griffith's own men killed him and sent Harold his head. Harold gave the Powys throne to one of Cynfyn's two sons, Rhiwallon, Cynfyn being Meredudd's son-in-law.

Issue-

Ref:

Gwentian Chronicle- Brut y Tywysogion- in "Archaeologia Cambrensis, The Journal of the Cambrian Archaeological Association"- Third Series, London, 1864- Vol. X, p. 25
Anglo-Saxon England- F.M. Stenton, Oxford University Press, 2001, 3rd edition- p. 341
Brut y Tywysogion or the Chronicle of the Princes of Wales- J. Williams ap Ithel, Ed., London, 1860- p. 31

b.c.938 Dynevor Castle
d. 999

Owain became too old to lead the troops in battle so his son Maredudd took his place and in 986 captured Gwynedd from Cadwallon ap Leuaf: "Maredudd son of Owain killed Cadwallon son of Ieuav victoriously and subjected his territory, to wit the Isle of Mona and Meirionydd, and all the districts of Gwynedd he subdued by extreme craft and cunning".(1) After Owain's death in 988 Maredudd became ruler of all Wales except for Gwent and Morgannwg.

Viking raids were a chronic problem at this time and he had to pay a ransom of a penny a person to rescue some of his subjects who had been captured by the Vikings. In 987 Godfrey Haroldson raided Anglesey and killed a thousand people and carried about 2,000 into captivity for whom Maredudd paid a huge ransom: "Maredudd son of Owain paid to the black Pagans a tribute of one penny for each person."(2) He died in 999 and was described by the Brut y Tywysogion as "the most celebrated King of the Britons".(3) The Gwentian Chronicle states that "Meredudd on of Owain died, which was the occasion of better times for peace and government in Wales".(4) After his death the throne went back to the line of Idwal Foel to Cynan ap Hywel.

Ref:

(1) Brut y Tywysogion or the Chronicle of the Princes of Wales- J. Williams ap Ithel, Ed., London, 1860- p. 29
(2) Ibid- p. 31
(3) Ibid- p. 33
(4) Gwentian Chronicle- Brut y Tywysogion- in "Archaeologia Cambrensis, The Journal of the Cambrian Archaeological Association"- Third Series, London, 1864- Vol. X, p. 41

b.c.859 Caer Seiont
d. 904

The Gwentian Chronicle records the division of land of Rhodri the Great and that "Powys he gave to his son Mervyn and his palace was at Mathraval".(1) The Chronicle goes on to say that in 877 "Cadell son of Rhodri subjugated his brother Mervyn and took Powys from him, and then ruled over all Wales".(2) In 892 "Mervyn king of Powys was slain by his own men".(3)

Ref:

(1) Gwentian Chronicle- Brut y Tywysogion- in "Archaeologia Cambrensis, The Journal of the Cambrian Archaeological Association"- Third Series, London, 1864- Vol. X, p. 17
(2) Ibid
(3) Ibid- p. 19

b.c.880 Llandilo

Issue-

12I. ANGHARAD- b.c.918, m. 7I. OWAIN ap HYWEL DDA (b.c.913 Dynevor Castle, d. 988)

killed 19 Jan. 916

The Gwentian Chronicle records the division of land by Rhodri the Great: "Gwynedd he conferred upon his son Anarawd and his palace was at Aberffraw in Mona".(1) The Chronicle goes on to say that in 892 "Anarawd king of Gwynedd devastated Ceredigion, the territory of his brother Cadell."(2) Anarawd was killed by Mercian forces at the Battle of Brecenanmere, near Llangorse Lake, Brecon.

Ref:

(1) Gwentian Chronicle- Brut y Tywysogion- in "Archaeologia Cambrensis, The Journal of the Cambrian Archaeological Association"- Third Series, London, 1864- Vol. X, p. 17
(2) Ibid- p. 19

m. MEREDDON ferch Cadwr Gwenwynwyn.
Killed 942

From the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy comes the following: "The Gwentian Chronicle, the Annales Cambri�, and the Chronicle of the Princes of Wales all name "Idwal son of Rhodri"... The chronology is stretched for Idwal to have been the son of King Rhodri "Mawr/the Great". However, it is clear that he must have been a different person from Idwal "Foel/the Bald", son of Anarawd ap Rhodri King of Gwynedd, as the two persons are both named in the passage in the Gwentian Chronicle which records that "the Welsh gained their freedom�through the bravery and wisdom of Eidwal the Bald and his brother Elisseu�and Idwal son of Rhodri the Great" in 940.(2) There is no record of Idwal having been provided for with territories by King Rhodri unlike his three surviving legitimate sons who are named above. If Idwal was Rhodri�s son, he must have been illegitimate, born late in his father�s life. It is suggested instead that the earlier passage in the Gwentian Chronicle is correct and that Idwal was the son of Anarawd."(1)

Idwal visited King �thelstan of Wessex several times between 931 and 937.(3) He was killed in battle with his brother during an unsuccessful revolt against the English in 942: "the Welsh gained their freedom�through the bravery and wisdom of Eidwal the Bald and his brother Elisseu, Cadell son of Arthvael son of Hywel lord of Glamorgan, and Idwal son of Rhodri the Great... on that account they were killed by the Saxons by treachery and ambush".(4) This all happened after the death of King �thelstan.

Ref:

(1) FMG- section on the Kings of Gwynedd at: http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/WALES.htm
(2) Gwentian Chronicle- Brut y Tywysogion- in "Archaeologia Cambrensis, The Journal of the Cambrian Archaeological Association"- Third Series, London, 1864- Vol. X, p. 23
(3) Anglo-Saxon England- F.M. Stenton, Oxford University Press, 2001, 3rd edition- p. 341
(4) Gwentian Chronicle- Brut y Tywysogion- in "Archaeologia Cambrensis, The Journal of the Cambrian Archaeological Association"- Third Series, London, 1864- Vol. X, p. 23
(5) Ibid- pp. 31, 37
(6) Ibid- p. 29

d. 986

"Hywel son of Ieuav... caught his uncle Meuryg and pulled out his eyes, for blinding Ieuav the father of Hywel".(1)

Issue-

Ref:

(1) Gwentian Chronicle- Brut y Tywysogion- in "Archaeologia Cambrensis, The Journal of the Cambrian Archaeological Association"- Third Series, London, 1864- Vol. X, p. 33, see also Annales Cambriae- J. Williams ap Ithel, Ed., London, 1860- pp. 20-1

d. in exile in 996 (1)

Issue-

Ref:

(1) Annales Cambriae- J. Williams ap Ithel, Ed., London, 1860- p. 21

m. ?AFANDRED ferch Gwair ap Pyll
d. 1039

"Iago son of Idwal held the government of Gwynedd after Llywelyn son of Seisyll" (2) and was murdered by an axe blow to the head at the instigation of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn in 1039: "Grufudd killed Iago son of Idwal prince of Gwynedd and took the government of Gwynedd and so became king of Wales from the Irish Channel to the Severn sea".(1)

Issue-

Ref:

(1) Gwentian Chronicle- Brut y Tywysogion- in "Archaeologia Cambrensis, The Journal of the Cambrian Archaeological Association"- Third Series, London, 1864- Vol. X, p. 51
(2) Brut y Tywysogion or the Chronicle of the Princes of Wales- J. Williams ap Ithel, Ed., London, 1860- p. 39

m. RAGNHILDR, d. of Olaf, King of Dublin
d.c.1060

Cynan sought refuge in Dublin with the Danes after his father's murder in 1039 and when there he married Ragnhildr. The "History of Gruffydd ap Cynan" state that his mother was "Ragnaillt daugher of Olaf King of the city of Dublin" and his mother-in-law was "Mailcorcre daughter of Dunlang son of Tuathal King of Leinster."(2) The Gwentian Chronicle states that in 1050: "Cynan son of Iago came with a great host of his family from Ireland with the intention of reaching Gwynedd and gaining his territory from Grufudd son of Llywelyn", but the fleet was scattered by severe storms.(1)

Ref:

(1) Gwentian Chronicle- Brut y Tywysogion- in "Archaeologia Cambrensis, The Journal of the Cambrian Archaeological Association"- Third Series, London, 1864- Vol. X, p. 55
(2) The History of Gruffyd ap Cynan- A. Jones, Manchester, 1910- p. 1- available at the Celtic Literature Collection at: http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/gruffydd.htm

b.c.1055 Dublin (1)
m. ANGHARAD ferch Owain ap Edwin of Deheubarth- (b.c.1080, d. 1161)
d. 1137, bur. Bangor Cathedral

Gruffydd tried to regain his grandfather's lands and with an army of Danes and Irishmen he landed on the banks of the Menai and defeated King Trahaearn ap Caradog of Gwynedd at the Battle of Gwaed in 1074: "Gruffudd son of Cynan fought against the men of Iago and of Mona, and the Gwyneddians killed Cynvrig son of Rhiwallon".(2) He pressed on to Rhuddlan, however, he couldn't take the castle there. King Trahaearn attacked and defeated Gruffydd at the Battle of Bron-yr-erw in 1075 and shipped him back to Ireland. Gruffydd returned six years later and landed near St. David's joining forces with Rhys ap Tewdyr and defeated Prince Caradog ap Gruffydd and King Trahaearn at the Battle of Mynydd in 1081, killing both of them. Gruffydd was King of Gwynedd for a short time until captured by Hugh, Earl of Chester and imprisoned for the next 12 years, escaping in 1093. He again seized power briefly, married Angharad and again fled to Ireland in 1096 in face of the Norman invasion: "Cadwgan son of Bleddyn and Gruffudd son of Cynan left the isle of Mona and retreated into Ireland for fear of the treachery of their own men".(3) He was able to return two years later and remained King of Gwynedd until his death in 1137: "Cadwgan son of Bleddyn and Gruffudd son of Cynan returned from Ireland and made peace with the French... and retained part of the country... Gruffud obtained Mona."(4)

Ref:

(1) The History of Gruffyd ap Cynan- A. Jones, Manchester, 1910- p. 1- available at the Celtic Literature Collection at: http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/gruffydd.htm
(2) Ibid- p. 2, also Brut y Tywysogion or the Chronicle of the Princes of Wales- J. Williams ap Ithel, Ed., London, 1860- p. 49
(3) Brut y Tywysogion or the Chronicle of the Princes of Wales- J. Williams ap Ithel, Ed., London, 1860- p. 61
(4) Ibid- p. 63

b.c.1100
m.1. Gwladys ferch Llywarch ap Trahearn ap Caradog
2. Crisiant ferch Gronwy ap Owain ap Ednywain of Deheubarth
d. 28 Nov. 1170(2), bur. Bangor Cathedral

The "Chronicle of the Princes of Wales" states that: "Owain and Cadwalader the sons of Gruffudd son of Cynan led a large and cruel army into Ceredigion" in 1135.(1) Owain was King of Gwynedd, but changed his title from King to Prince in 1152 and paid homage to King Henry II in 1157.

Supposedly after Owain's death in 1170 two of his illegitimate sons Madoc and Riryd led a group to a new land where they could get a fresh start. They sailed west in two boats and landed in the area around Mobile, Alabama. One of the boats returned to Wales and an expedition of ten ships returned to the New World to stay. They moved up the Alabama and Coosa Rivers to the Chattanooga area and built a series of forts. The castle at DeSoto Falls, Alabama is supposedly similar in layout to Dolwyddelan Castle in Gwynedd. Versions of the story have Prince Madoc settling in the West Indies and Mexico where he became Quetzacoatl, the white Aztec god... or have him moving further inland and moving in with the Mandan Indians on the Missouri River in North Dakota. Another one of the castles built by Madoc is supposedly at Fort Mountain State Park in Georgia. During the 17th and 18th centuries stories appeared that various Indian tribes spoke a form of Welsh, had pale complexions and blue eyes, had bibles printed in Welsh, and built Welsh coracles. The Shawnee, Delaware, Conestoga, Comanche, Mandan and several imaginary tribes were involved in these legends. In the 1790's Rev. John Evans from Wales went to look for Madoc's descendants, but, found no Welsh speaking Indians... isn't that a surprise!(3)

Ref:

(1) Brut y Tywysogion or the Chronicle of the Princes of Wales- J. Williams ap Ithel, Ed., London, 1860- p. 157
(2) Ibid- p. 207
(3) Article on Prince Madoc at: http://www.robertsewell.ca/madoc.html

A History of Wales: From the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest- John Edward Lloyd, Longmans, Green & Co., 1911
Tim Powys-Lybbe's web page at: http://www.tim.ukpub.net
Dictionary of National Biography - Leslie Stephen, Ed., Oxford University Press