Gruffudd Ap LLEWELYN, Prince Of Gwynedd

Other Events:

• FamilySearch ID: LD9W-M2B
• _UID: 6892E51064D34CEF9025C74B31A37CCF479C

Notes:

Gruffudd ap Llywelyn, Prince of Gwynedd. [Burke's Peerage]

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The following post to SGM, 17 Feb 2003, by Becky Thill is mostly about Gruffudd's brother Dafydd, who was a disastrous Prince of Cymru for 6 years, but it had the following excerpt on Gruffudd:

But Davydd was not the only son of Llywelyn. There had been another, Gruffydd, a handsome giant of a prince, born of a Cymric Mother. Llywelyn had weighed his two sons in his mind as to which would be the better ruler for the land. Davydd's mother was sister of the King of England - surely the King of England would be less the enemy of his nephew than of Gruffydd. So thought Llywelyn, and accordingly he made Davydd his heir; the one tragic mistake which undid all that he had accomplished in his own strenuous life. Gruffydd, with his turbulent valour, could not have brought his country lower than his brother's smoothness brought it. He might have saved it.
Davydd had handed over his brother Gruffydd to the King of England as a prisoner. The king sent him to the Tower of London. One night Gruffydd made a rope of his clothes and began to let himself down out of his window to escape. The rope broke, and Gruffydd was killed, his neck being broken by the fall. But he left four sons, Owen, Llywelyn, Davydd and Rhodri.
Owen and Llywelyn seized the crown of Gwynedd between them when their uncle Davydd died. Now King Henry claimed all the land as his own, for, amongst the rest of Davydd's doings, he had agreed that, if he died childless, Henry should be his heir and take the country. It would be hard to find words severe enough to describe such a transaction as that. [Flame-Bearers of Welsh History, "The Sons of Cunedda" by Owen Rhoscomyl, School Edition, 1905 The Welsh Ed. Pub. Co. Merthry Rydfil, part one, p. 177 XLIX, THE RISE OF LLYWELYN III]

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• FamilySearch ID: 9HFS-PKH
• Name: Llewelyn Fawr ap Iorwerth of Anglesey
• Name: Llewelyn OF GWYNEDD
• Name: Llywelyn FAWR AB IORWERTH
• _UID: 465073A13EB744D480BC13D6AA6D994AD697
• MilitaryService: 1194, Aberconwy, Conwy, Caernarvonshire, Wales; In 1194, with the aid of his cousins Gruffudd ap Cynan and Maredudd ap Cynan, Llywelyn defeated his uncle Dafydd ab Owain at the Battle of Aberconwy
• TitleOfNobility: Between 1194 and 1240, Wales; King of Gwynedd and Prince of Wales under King John I and King Henry III of England
• Conquers territory of Gwynedd, and appointed Overlord...: Abt 1203, Gwynedd, Wales
• Invasion: 1215, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England; Llywelyn beseiged Shrewsbury and the town surrendured to him.

Notes:

Llywelyn the Great of Gwynedd
Llywelyn the Great (Welsh: Llywelyn Fawr, [??'w?l?n va??r]), full name Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, (c. 1173 ? 11 April 1240) was a King of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually ruler of all Wales. By a combination of war and diplomacy he dominated Wales for 45 years.

During Llywelyn's childhood, 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 east 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.

Llywelyn was born about 1173, the son of Iorwerth ab 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. 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. 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. J. E. Lloyd states that Iorwerth was killed in battle at Pennant Melangell, in Powys, in 1174 during the wars deciding the succession following the death of his father.

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. Following Iorwerth's death, Llywelyn was, at least in the eyes of the church, the legitimate claimant to the throne of Gwynedd.

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. 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.
...
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."
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. The marriage did go ahead, and the following year Joan was forgiven and restored to her position as princess.
...
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 recognized during his marriage to Joan whilst his father-in-law, King John, was alive. Little is known of Llywelyn's mistress, Tangwystl Goch, except that she was the daughter of Llywarch "Goch" of Rhos. 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.

Children by Joan
1. Dafydd ap Llywelyn (c. 1212? 1246)
2. Elen (Helen) ferch Llywelyn (c. 1206? 1253) married John Earl of Huntington, and secondly Robert de Quincy.
3. Susanna ferch Llywelyn (died after November 1228) King Henry III 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 November 1228. Her birth date is estimated on the assumption that Susanna was under marriageable age, but older than an infant, at the time.
4. Marared ferch Llywelyn (died after 1268), married John de Braose in 1219, and secondly (c. 1232) Walter III de Clifford; she had issue by both husbands.
5. Elen the Younger ferch Llywelyn (born before 1230; died after 16 February 1295), married firstly M?el Coluim II, Earl of Fife (son of Duncan Macduff of Fife and wife Alice Corbet), and secondly (after 1266) Domhnall I, Earl of Mar (son of William, Earl of Mar and first wife Elizabeth Comyn of Buchan). Elen and Domhall's daughter, Isabella of Mar, married Robert, the Bruce, King of Scots and had one child by him, Marjorie Bruce, who was the mother of the first Stewart monarch, Robert II of Scotland.

Children by Tangwystl Goch (died c. 1198)
1. Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (c. 1196? 1244) He was Llywelyn's eldest son. 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.

Children whose parentage is uncertain
1. Gwladus Ddu (c. 1206? 1251), probable daughter by Joan. She married Sir Randulph Mortimer
2. Angharad ferch Llywelyn (c. 1212? 1256), probable daughter by Joan; married Maelgwn Fychan
3. Tegwared y Baiswen ap Llywelyn (c. 1215), a son by a woman named as Crysten in some sources, a possible twin of Angharad.
4. Elen the Younger ferch Llywelyn (born before 1230; died after 16 February 1295), married firstly M?el Coluim II, Earl of Fife (son of Duncan Macduff of Fife and wife Alice Corbet), and secondly (after 1266) Domhnall I, Earl of Mar (son of William, Earl of Mar and first wife Elizabeth Comyn of Buchan). Elen and Domhall's daughter, Isabella of Mar, married Robert, the Bruce, King of Scots and had one child by him, Marjorie Bruce, who was the mother of the first Stewart monarch, Robert II of Scotland.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llywelyn_the_Great

Llewelyn married "Joan" Tangwystl Verch LLYWARCH on 16 Apr 1205 in Cheshire, England. "Joan" (daughter of Llywarch Ap IORWERTH, Lord Of Rhos and Tangwystl Verch LLYWARCH) was born about 1178 in Rhos, Denbighshire, Wales; died about 1206. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• FamilySearch ID: 9HFS-GG1
• _UID: 3CF502C3CF8D478C828CCB5E68D97D203A54

Notes:

NEED CLARIFICATION:
Joan, Lady of Wales and Lady of Snowdon, also known by her Welsh name often written as Siwan (c. 1191/92 ? February 1237) was the illegitimate daughter of King John of England, and was the wife of Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Wales (initially King of Gwynedd), effective ruler of all of Wales. Joan or Siwan in Welsh has been referred to as both "Lady of Wales" and "Princess of Wales".

Early life
Joan 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 a marriage alliance to Prince Llywelyn ap 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
Joan was betrothed to Llywelyn the Great in 1204, and the marriage is thought to have taken place in 1205, although some of the annals of the abbey of St Werburgh in Chester say that it occurred in 1204. S

he and Llywelyn had at least four children together:
1. Gwladus Ddu (1206? 1251), who married (1) Reginald de Braose and (2) Ralph de Mortimer, with whom she had issue.
2. Elen ferch Llywelyn (Helen or Ellen) (1207? 1253), married (1) John the Scot, Earl of Chester and (2) Robert II de Quincy
3. Susanna, who was sent to England as a hostage in 1228.
4. 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:

- Angharad ferch Llywelyn
- Marared/Margaret (born c.1202) who married (1) Sir John de Braose (called Tadody), grandson of William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber. She married (2) Sir Walter de Clifford and had children by both husbands.

Joan often mediated between her husband and her father. According to Brut y Tywysogion (The chronicle of the princes), when John was successfully campaigning in North Wales, "Llywelyn, being unable to suffer the king's rage, sent his wife, the king's daughter, to him, by the counsel of his leading men, to seek to make peace with the king on whatever terms he could."

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.

Adultery
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 means to hang).

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 or Siwan in Welsh has been referred to as both "Lady of Wales" and "Princess of Wales".

Death and burial
Joan 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 in her honour on the seashore at Llanfaes, opposite the royal residence. This 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 Iorwerth, 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"

In recent years doubt has been cast on the identity of the woman shown on the coffin lid, which is not thought to belong to the coffin on which it rests. Experts have suggested the costume and style of carving belong to a much later decade than the 1230s when Joan died, although the coronet would indicate a member of the royal family. Eleanor de Montfort is thought the likeliest alternative.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan,_Lady_of_Wales

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Joan (Joanna) was an illegitimate daughter of King John of England and a woman named Clemence. She should not be confused with her legitimate half-sister Joan, Queen Consort of Scotland.
Little is known about her early life; she was possibly born before her father, King John of England, married his first wife in 1189. Her mother's name is known only from Joan's obituary in the Tewkesbury Annals, where she is mysteriously called "Regina Clementina" (Queen Clemence). Joan seems to have spent her childhood in France, as King John had her brought to the Kingdom of England from Normandy in preparation for her wedding in December 1203 at 15 years of age or so.
Joan married Llywelyn the Great between December 1203 and October 1204.
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.
At Easter 1230, William de Braose, 10th Baron Abergavenny, who was Llywelyn's nominal prisoner at the time, was discovered together with Joan in Llywelyn's bedchamber. William de Braose was hanged, probably at Crogen, on 2 May 1230. Joan was placed under house arrest for twelve months. She was forgiven by Llywelyn, and restored as wife and princess. Joan was never called Princess of Wales, but, in Welsh, "Lady of Wales". She died at the royal home, Garth Celyn, Aber Garth Celyn, 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 closed down in 1537 by Henry VIII of England during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

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• AFN: 9BL9-S7
• FamilySearch ID: 9ZH7-FWJ
• TitleOfNobility: ; Prince of Wales
• Tribe: ; Grffdd ap Cynn
• Name: Drwyndwn
• Name: Edward
• Name: Iorwerth Broken Nose
• _UID: BC10EE0B59204806872C98B49F318010EB74
• Cause of Death: 1174; killed in battle at Pennant Melangell in Powys

Notes:

Iorwerth Drwyndwn

However, he did not receive the crown succession, as was the normal tradition, because of his nose defect (his sobriquet 'Trwyndwn' means broken-nosed).[1]

He was killed in battle at Pennant Melangell, in Powys, during the wars deciding the succession following the death of his father.[2]

References
Citations
Matthew 2004.
Lloyd 1959, p. 417.
Sources
Lloyd, J. E. (1959). The Dictionary of Welsh biography down to 1940. Blackwell (hardcopy).
Matthew, H. C. G. (23 September 2004). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: In Association with the British Academy (V31 p.399). OUP Oxford. ISBN 978-0-19-861411-1.
Categories: 1174 deathsWelsh royaltyMedieval Welsh killed in battleWelsh people of Irish descent12th-century Welsh peopleHouse of Aberffraw

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Iorwerth ab Owain Gwynedd (or Iorwerth Drwyndwn meaning "the flat-nosed"),[1] also called Edward (c. 1130? 1174), was the eldest legitimate son of Owain Gwynedd (the king of Gwynedd) and his first wife Gwladys (Gladys) ferch Llywarch. He married Marared ferch Madog. His son, Llywelyn the Great,[1] eventually united the realm and became known as Llywelyn Fawr and is one of Wales's most famous monarchs. Iorwerth received Nant Conwy as his inheritance from his father, Owain Gwynedd.[1] However, he did not receive the crown succession, as was the normal tradition, because of his nose defect (his sobriquet 'Trwyndwn' means broken-nosed).[1]

Death
He was killed in battle at Pennant Melangell, in Powys, during the wars deciding the succession following the death of his father.[2]

References
Citations
Matthew 2004.
Lloyd 1959, p. 417.
Sources
Lloyd, J. E. (1959). The Dictionary of Welsh biography down to 1940. Blackwell (hardcopy).
Matthew, H. C. G. (23 September 2004). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: In Association with the British Academy (V31 p.399). OUP Oxford. ISBN 978-0-19-861411-1.
Categories: 1174 deathsWelsh royaltyMedieval Welsh killed in battleWelsh people of Irish descent12th-century Welsh peopleHouse of Aberffraw

Iorwerth married Marared Verch MADOG in 1163 in Aberffraw Castle, Anglesey, Wales. Marared (daughter of Madog Ap MAREDUDD, King Of Powys and Susanna Verch GRUFFUDD) was born about 1150 in Penmachno, Caernarfonshire, Wales; died in 1198 in Caernarfonshire, Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• FamilySearch ID: 9CM9-HB5
• TitleOfNobility: ; Princess of Powys
• Name: Margred ferch LLYWELYN
• Name: Margred ferch Madog of Montgomery
• _UID: 8FF149ADD394490DB8E9FC41AE8BAA8175DF

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• _UID: CDC6774175E04143BC2813C6A853D34DFC0E

Llywarch married Tangwystl Verch LLYWARCH before 1177 in 2ND Husband. Tangwystl (daughter of Llywarch BRAN, Lord Of Cummwd and Rhael Verch GRONW) was born about 1150 in Menai, Anglesey, Wales; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _UID: 42B9EF5C42E74940B92C657A584033C84FDE

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• FamilySearch ID: 94L5-FXD
• Name: Gwyness
• Name: Owain "Gwynedd" Ap GRUFFYDD
• Name: Owain "Gwyness" Prince Of North WALES
• Name: Owain GWYNEDD
• _UID: 9B4B6EA7CD304BACBDDDDE9173DAC5ADB7C7

Notes:

Titled:
King of Gwynedd (North Wales)

Owain married Gwladus Verch LLYWARCH about 1123 in 1st Wife. Gwladus (daughter of Llywarch Ap TRAHAEARN and Dyddgu Verch IORWERTH) was born about 1098 in Pembroke, Montgomershire, Wales; died before 1155. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• FamilySearch ID: LD7V-9LN
• _UID: F1C7FE21DC544751AE08ED1FA7F30AE1E610

Notes:

See attached sources.

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• FamilySearch ID: KZJK-YSV
• _UID: 2714BDB347AA48BAA43771E525591857BCEB

Madog married Susanna Verch GRUFFUDD in 1st Wife. Susanna (daughter of Gruffudd Ap CYNAN, King Of Gwynedd and Angharat Verch OWAIN) was born about 1098 in Caernarvonshire, Walesey, Wales; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• FamilySearch ID: LD5M-MWS
• _UID: E233D5B641C243B2A3AE29FEB9CD9F8EC320

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• _UID: DB202C5650914C16AA87650EB4AEC2C44CD6

Iorwerth married Miss Verch ITHEL. Miss was born about 1118 in Denbighshire, Wales; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _UID: E854779745DE41F5BD19219F0DF6451596B3

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• _UID: 0DF12B9CD31F4F4AA97FA41C162C44BC7A63

Llywarch married Rhael Verch GRONW. Rhael (daughter of Gronw Ap OWAIN and Genilles Verch HOEDLYW) was born about 1121 in Tegeingl (Tegaingl), Flintshire, Cymru (Wales); and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _UID: 9A681DBF4E2E497585D1D9F1FA30A75C6566