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Venedotia
(Kingdom of North Wales)
Located in northwest Wales
in the former British territories of the
Deceangli and
Ordovices.
A group of Votadini Picts (nominal Britons from the
Pictish
border area of the Venicones)
under Cunedda Wledig were transferred by
Magnus Maximus
to secure Western Britain from Irish raiders, moving from the Manau
Guotodin
kingdom. In Wales, Cunedda governed most of the north (hence 'King of
North Wales'). His father and grandfather bore Roman names and in true
Celtic fashion, Cunedda could trace his lineage back to Beli Mawr.
Following
that Celtic tradition, upon Cunedda's death the territory under his control
was divided between his sons. Most of these were 'regained' by the main
Gywneddian kingdom within a generation or two.
Ceredigion, along the upper
west coast of Wales, remained independent for much longer.
The
name of Gwynedd either derives from the Latin Venedotia, or more probably
from Cunedda (=Weneda =Gwynedd).
(Additional information by Hywel George, Edward Dawson, and Brian Gibb,
from The Landscape of King Arthur, Geoffrey Ashe, from The
Oxford History of England: Anglo-Saxon England, Sir Frank Stenton,
from Wales and the Britons, 350-1064, T M Charles-Edwards (Oxford
University Press, 2013), from History of the Kings of Britain,
Geoffrey of Monmouth, and from External Link:
DNA Cymru.) |
c.380s |
Constantine / Custennin Fawr (Great) |
'King
of North Wales'. Son
of Magnus Maximus. |
c.390 |
Cunedda
and his branch of Romanised
Venicones are transferred
from the Manau dependency of the
Guotodin kingdom,
traditionally by Magnus Maximus. They are moved to the former territory
of the Deceangli in
western Wales to secure the region from
Irish raiders,
and it is here that they found the kingdom of Gwynedd.
Some historians dispute the traditional view of Cunedda being moved by a
central
British
authority and instead claim that he sails down the Irish Sea and invades
north Wales of his own volition, forming a kingdom at a time when there is
no one left to stop him. However, the fact that his father had clearly been
a Romanised Celt who had held a position of authority is too important a
factor to miss (note his grandfather's appellation, 'of the Red Robe',
something that was so notable and such a family high point that it had
become a nickname). Cunedda is clearly the son of an important figure
in Roman Fife.
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The mountains of North Wales provided a powerful refuge for the
rulers of Gwynedd in times of trouble and a wonderfully scenic
backdrop to Cunedda's victories over the Irish raiders who were
plaguing the region in the late fourth century
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Cunedda's campaigns to clear the Irish raiders from western Wales may
extend far outside the territory he claims as his domain. The existence
of Allt Cunedda in the territory that falls under the kingdom of
Dyfed in South Wales,
seems to be a link to him.
In 2014, the ScotlandsDNA project discovers the ancestral Y chromosome
marker of the Venicones, R1b-S530. At that point, a new project known as
CymruDNAWales is also being prepared. A marker that is very Welsh-specific
and which accounts for about 0.8% of all Welshmen is found to have close
links with the 'Pictish' (ie.
far-north British) marker of the Venicones. In fact, it is found to occur
downstream of R1b-S530 in the descendants of men who have carried it - men
who have also come to Wales. When this news is announced in 2016, it is
theorised by the project's scientists that this notable genetic link is a
relic of the coming of Cunedda's forces and perhaps a substantial number of
associated migrants.
Cunedda Wledig's name is a fairly typical Brythonic play on words, taken
from 'cuno' meaning dog (ie. servant) and 'dda' meaning the god Da or
Dagda, making him the 'servant of Dagda'. The title 'wledig' is later
Welsh for 'prince'. His son,
Typaun, is presumed to follow him on his move southwards, but apparently
receives no subsequent mention, suggesting his death (probably in battle)
before the kingdom can be fully established. |
c.390 - c.445 |
Cunedda Wledig / Cunedag |
King
of North Wales.
Venicone
Pict. m Gwawl ferch
Coel. |
c.420 |
Immediately prior to Vortigern's apparent rise to power as
High King, the
country is subjected to raids along its coastline. In the west,
Irish raiders sail up the
Severn during a successful raid on
Cernyw. Later chroniclers
record that it is around this time that Cunedda and his sons drive out the
Irish from large areas of the territory which has been made their
responsibility, recovering the greater part of South
Wales and the whole of
North Wales except Anglesey and parts of central North Wales (modern
Denbighshire). |
c.424 |
Ceretic / Corotic / Ceredig |
Son. King of
Ceredigion. |
c.441 |
During this time of great unrest in
Britain, when
the
Saxon revolt is wreaking havoc on the country and Britons in the south
and west are emigrating to
Armorica in droves,
Irish raids on the west
become heavier. They are driven away from Gwynedd by the strong rule of
Cunedda and his sons, so the
Pagenses probably looks an even
sweeter target right now. One powerful Irish band captures the capital and
the ruler is is forced to go into hiding. |
c.445 |
Following
the death of Cunedda, his son Einion Yrth succeeds as king or magistrate.
Gwynedd remains politically whole under his governance, but the land within
it is divided between Cunedda's surviving sons, who then operate as sub-kings
to Einion Yrth. Each of these sub-kingdoms is located to the south or east
of Gwynedd's heartland, serving as buffer states without having any real say
in Gwynedd's policies.
Ceredig ap Cunedda already rules in the independent district or kingdom of
Ceredigion. Cunedda's eldest
son, Typaun (or Typipion), had already died in Manau Gododdin, Cunedda's
homeland, so his son Meirion is now granted the
cantref of Meirion.
A further sub-kingdom, Rhos, is
added around 480. |
c.445 - c.470 |
Einion
Yrth (the Impetuous) |
Brother.
Leaves Rhos to his youngest son, Owain
Ddantgwyn. |
c.445 |
|
Afloyg ap Cunedag |
King of
Afflogion. |
See
the feature and map on the sub-kingdoms of Gwynedd for further information. |
c.445 |
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Dynod ap Cunedag |
King of
Dunoding. |
c.445 |
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Edeyrn ap Cunedag |
King of
Edeyrnion. |
c.445 |
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Rhwfon ap Cunedag |
King of
Rhufoniog. |
c.445 |
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Osfael ap Cunedag |
King of
Osmaeliog. |
c.445 |
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Dogfael ap Cunedag |
King of
Dogfeilion. |
c.445 |
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Meirchion ap Typaun ap Cunedag |
King of
Meirionnydd. |
c.470 - 517 |
Cadwallon Lawhir (Long Hand) |
Son
of Einion Yrth. 'King of North Wales'. |
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As well as being the Arthurian King Cradelmant of Northgalis (North Wales),
Cadwallon is also the Cadwallo, 'King of North Wales', who appears in
Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain at the
magnificent Whitsun ceremony at Caerleon-upon-Usk in south-east
Wales (within the territory
of Gwent). Nothing at
the site of this former
Roman
legionary fortress of Isca Silurum suggests post-Roman occupation, so
Geoffrey doubtless picks the place because it is close to his home town and
at one time had plainly been a centre of population grand enough to suit
Arthur. |
c.480 - 517 |
Owain Ddantgwyn (White-Tooth) |
Brother. King of Rhos.
Murdered by Maglocunus. |
517 - 549 |
Maglocunus
/ Maelgwyn Gwynedd Hir |
High King of Britain.
Died of the widespread mid-century plague. |
517 |
Owain
Ddantgwyn of Rhos is murdered by
Maelgwyn Gwynedd at the very start of the latter's kingship. Maelgwyn is
perhaps better known during his own lifetime as Maglocunus. A
proto-Celtic
root word, 'magus' (meaning young, a servant, a boy), from the
Indo-European
*maghu (a young person), seems to acquire an 'l' somewhere along the
way to produce 'maglo', from which derives the Gaelic 'mael' (the 'mal'
in Malcolm), and the Venedotic 'mael' (as in dogmael which becomes dogfael -
early Welsh 'm' becomes modern
Welsh 'v' in the middle of words). Amusingly, this would mean that Maglocunus
translates as 'dogboy'. |
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Gwynedd
The death of Maelgwyn Gwynedd can be said to be the end point for any
remaining notion of 'Romanness' which may have remained in the office of
king in the west and north (and that of magistrate in the south and
east).
British women enjoyed a high status that is rare in any society before
the modern age. They were the equals of men not only in the home, but
also in government and war. Some Britons were regularly ruled by queens,
and the matrilineal descent of kings was a very strong feature of Pictish
rule of the far north of Britain, where each king was chosen through his
relationship with his mother, not his father. The Manau Gododdin who moved
to north Wales also practised this form of inheritance until the ninth
century, reflecting their northern heritage. It was probably Gwriad ap
Elidyr, the heir of
South Rheged
who ended this practice thanks to his very different heritage.
(Additional information by Hywel George, Edward Dawson, and Brian Gibb,
from The Landscape of King Arthur, Geoffrey Ashe, from The
Oxford History of England: Anglo-Saxon England, Sir Frank Stenton,
from A Political Chronology of Wales 1066 to 1282, P M Remfry
(2003), from History of Wales, John Davies (Penguin Books, 1990),
from The Age of Arthur, John Morris (1973), from Early Territorial
Organization in Gwynedd and Elmet, G R J Jones (1975), and from
External Link:
DNA Cymru.) |
549 - 586 |
Rhun Hir (the Tall) |
Son. Fought two great
battles against Alt Clut. |
c.550 |
Rhun
has to fight off an attempted invasive takeover by his brother-in-law, Prince
Elidyr of Alt Clut.
Elidyr thinks his claim is stronger because Rhun is illegitimate, but he
fails to recognise Gwyneddian law which gives equal accession rights to
both legitimate and illegitimate offspring. Elidyr is killed in battle
on the Cadnant Brook in Gwynedd.
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The expansion of Rhos to take in the Lleyn Peninsula under
the command of St Einion Frenin may have threatened the
over-king of Gwynedd as a potential rival, a possible reason
for it being merged back into Gwynedd proper by Rhun Hir in
the mid-sixth century
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c.560 |
Presumably upon the death of St Einion the king,
Rhos loses any autonomy it may
possess as Rhun Hir draws the kingdom under his direct control. Einion's
heir, his nephew Maig, and his descendants appear to remain important lords
in eastern Gwynedd after they cease to be kings. In terms of Rhun Hir's own
immediate family, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Rhun has a brother
named Ennianus, and it is he who is the father of Rhun's successor Beli,
and not Rhun. |
586 - 599 |
Beli ap Rhun |
Son (although Geoffrey of Monmouth says he is the son of
Ennianus). |
599 - 613 |
Iago ap Beli |
Son.
Killed by Aethelfrith of Bernicia
at Caer Legion. |
613? |
In
one of the bloodiest and hardest fought battles of its time, several
British kings
form a coalition to halt Æthelfrith of
Bernicia at the Battle of
Caer Legion (Chester). Cearl of the
Mercians could also
be involved on the British side (according to scholarly theory). Iago ap
Beli of Gwynedd and Selyf of Powys
are both killed, and the battle is a disastrous British defeat. As lords
of Gwynedd, Isaag ap Einion of
Dunoding, Idris Gawr of
Meirionnydd, and Cadwal Cryshalog of
Rhos would also be expected to
involve themselves with their own bands of warriors (see one of Geoffrey of
Monmouth's more accurate entries about this campaign via the feature link).
However, Æthelfrith does not occupy the territory around Chester. Just who
does is unknown, and the entire history of this region from the post-Roman
period to the tenth century is extremely sketchy. One possibility is that
the line of the River Dee is successfully defended by the people living
just to the west of it - the
Dogfeilion - who are able
to claim great prestige from being the victorious defenders of the western
Britons. Another possibility is that groups of Angles not under Bernicia's
control settle the region to the east of the Dee, and are later subsumed
within Mercia. |
613 - 625 |
Catamanus
/ Cadvan / Cadfan ap Iago |
Son.
High King. |
617 |
Cadwallon (and probably his father too) already holds a claim on the crown of
Deira as part of his domains.
He now apparently includes
Elmet in this claim, following
the kingdom's conquest by Edwin of Deira. |
625 - 634 |
Cadwallon ap Cadfan
/ Cadwallo |
Son.
High King. Allied
to Penda of Mercia. |
632/3 - 634 |
King Edwin of
Bernicia and
Deira is killed at Hatfield Chase (just
outside the western borders of
Lindsey) by Penda of
Mercia while the latter is allied
to Cadwallon. Cadwallon repays many years of defeats, deaths, rapes and pillaging at
Northumbrian hands by conducting a year-long campaign of revenge throughout the two
kingdoms. However, the campaign ends in his death at the hands of Oswald at the Battle
of Heavenfield near Hexham. For the
British in general,
Cadwallon's death is a disaster. It virtually ends any realistic, historical claim
to any level of high kingship, and also robs the Britons of the only native king to
overthrow an
English dynasty. The Britons
never find an equal leader. |
634 - 664 |
St
Cadwaladr Fendigaid (the Blessed) |
High King. |
664 |
Cadwaladr
is probably killed by the great plague that hits the country. Swithelm
of the East Saxons is also
a victim. A case has been argued for identifying Cadwaladr with Arthur,
the fifth century battle leader of the
Britons who,
for convenience, has been placed in the list of high kings of post-Roman
Britain. The link is not particularly convincing and the original theory
has since been discarded by its author. |
664 - 684? |
Ifwr ap
Cadwaladr |
|
681 - 685 |
Cadwaladr
is defeated by the West Seaxe and
Dumnonian Somerset is
fully occupied as a direct result of this defeat. |
684? - 712 |
Idwal
(Idwallon) Iwrch (the Roebuck) |
m Afadda
ferch Alain II, King of
Brittany. |
712 - 754 |
Rhodri
Molwynog (the Bald & Grey) |
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754 |
Caradog
ap Meirchion is a ninth generation descendant of Cynlas Goch, king of
Rhos. Now with the death of Rhodri
Molwynog, he is able to seize the throne and pronounce himself King Caradog
ap Meirchion of Gwynedd. |
754 - 798 |
Caradog
ap Meirchion |
Nine
generations removed from Cynlas Goch, king of
Rhos. |
c.785 |
The
line of descent of Meirionnydd's
princes apparently ends with Cynan ap Brochfael, so the territory is fully merged
back into Gwynedd. Meirionnydd later re-emerges as a cantref which is
governed by lords who are vassals to Gwynedd. Their relationship to Meirionnydd's
previous princes (if any) is unknown. |
798 |
Caradog is killed in battle by 'Saxons' in Snowdonia. These are presumably the
half-Welsh,
half-Angles
of Mercia who are being
led by Coenwulf. His son, Hywel ap Caradog, appears to continue to govern
in Rhos. |
798 - 816 |
Cynan Tyndaethwy (ap Rhodri) |
No heir. His daughter married
Gwriad, nominal king of Ynys Manau. |
816 - 825 |
Gwriad
ap Elidyr |
Heir to
South Rheged. King of
Manau. m Essylt ferch Cynan. |
825 - 844 |
Merfyn Vrych
/ Frych (the Freckled) |
Son. Moved from
Manau (or North Britain). Descendent of
Coel Hen. |
830 - 880 |
Wales, self-isolated after
High King Cadwallon ap Cadfan's
death in 634, now begins a long period of growth as it renews contacts with the Continent, and makes new ties with
Wessex. Merfyn marries the sister of Concenn
of Powys, and adds that territory to Gwynedd upon the king's death.
His successor, Rhodri Mawr, marries Angharad, the
sister of Gwgon, the drowned king of Seisyllwg.
Rhodri's sons continue this policy of intermarriage. |
844 |
During the reign of Merfyn Vrych those Britons residing in
England are obliged to
renounce their
British ancestry or leave the country and their homes within three
months. Perhaps it is this insult that prompts the king to engage in battle
against Beorhtwulf of Mercia
(whom the Welsh annals name Berthwryd). The battle at Cyveiliawc (otherwise
called Ketill or Cetyll), is apparently very severe and the king is killed.
In the same year another battle is fought at Fferyllwg, 'between the Wye and
the Severn', although it is unknown who commands the Welsh forces. It is
they who carry the day this time (a further battle is fought on the same
site about two years later, which ends in stalemate). |
844 - 878 |
Rhodri
Mawr (the Great) ap Merfyn |
Son.
King of Gwynedd, Powys &
Seisyllwg. United
all of Wales. |
849 |
The Chronicle of the Princes reports that 'Saxons' (probably from
Mercia) invade Anglesey.
Meurig ap Hywel of
Gwent is said to join Rhodri
the Great, king of Wales
(Gwynedd and
Deheubarth), in defeating
them but falls during the battle. The Annales Cambriae also record
the death of Meurig at the hands of Saxons. |
854 - 855 |
Concenn
of Powys goes on a pilgrimage to
Rome and in 854 drops dead along the way. His nephew, Rhodri Mawr, the son
of Concenn's sister and Merfyn Vrach, takes Powys for himself to form part
of a united Wales. To highlight
his credentials to be a new breed of great king in Wales, in 856 Rhodri deals
with the threat posed by Viking raids from
Dublin by killing Orme, the
leader of a raiding party. He keeps the Vikings at bay thanks to this
victory.
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There was never a king of Wales but Rhodri Mawr perhaps came
closest to achieving such a title, uniting all of the Welsh
principalities under his control but then undoing the process by
ensuring that they were divided amongst his sons upon his death
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872 - 873 |
The
death of Gwgan ap Meurig of Seisyllwg
allows his brother-in-law, Rhodri Mawr, to swiftly marry into the family and
gain the kingdom for himself. Rhodri is now king of much of north and central
Wales. In 873 he institutes a form
of devolved government in which three of his sons control parts of the country
in his name. Anarawd is granted
Deheubarth, Cadell governs
Seisyllwg,
and Merfyn commands in
Powys. |
878 |
Upon
the death of Rhodri Mawr, and according to his wishes,
Wales is officially divided between
his sons. Anarawd succeeds him in Gwynedd and retains
Deheubarth, ruling from the
Gwyneddian palace of Aberffraw on Mona, Cadell is confirmed in
Seisyllwg, and Merfyn
in Powys. |
878 - 916 |
Anarawd ap Rhodri / Anaraut |
Son.
King of Deheubarth (passed
to Hywel Dda). |
878 |
Cadell ap Rhodri |
Brother. Ruled Seisyllwg
as a sub-kingdom of Gwynedd. |
878 |
Merfyn ap Rhodri |
Brother. Ruled
Powys as a sub-kingdom of
Gwynedd. |
881 |
One
'Edryd Long-Hair' leads a
Mercian army
into Gwynedd, but is defeated by the sons of Rhodri Mawr at the Battle of the
Conwy. The Welsh annals refer to
this as 'revenge by God for Rhodri'. Welsh historian Thomas Charles-Edwards
equates 'Edryd Long-Hair' with Æthelred, his intention being to re-impose
Mercian overlordship in the Welsh principalities, but this setback ends that
hope as far as he is concerned. He does however continue to exercise overlordship
over Glywyssing and
Gwent in the south-east. |
916 - 942 |
Idwal
Foel (the Bald) ap Awarawd |
Son of Anarawd. King of Gwynedd. |
c.925 |
The
line of descent from Dynod to Cuhelm, ruler of the Gwyneddian sub-kingdom
of Dunoding, apparently ends with the latter's death around this time. The
territory is fully merged back into Gwynedd and at the same time it is
divided into the cantrefi of Eifionydd and Ardudwy (later part of
the counties of Caernarfonshire and
Meirionnydd
respectively, and today part of a revived county of Gwynedd). |
934 - 937 |
The
grand alliance including the
Scots,
Northumbrian Danes at York,
Dublin Danes, and the
Welsh of Gwynedd and
Cumbria,
mass their forces north of the Humber in a bold attempt to destroy Æthelstan
of Wessex.
The plan fails, however, when the West Saxons and
Mercians
of the south destroy the alliance at the Battle of Brunanburh in 937.
Following this defeat there may be some northern British migration from
Cumbria and Strathclyde into Gwynedd, based upon a somewhat confused Welsh
tradition. |
942 |
Hywel Dda of Deheubarth
gains Gwynedd upon the death of Idwal Foel and grabs
Powys, making him sole ruler
of all Wales. He has already
acknowledged the late Athelstan of
Wessex as his
overlord and has associated himself closely with the
English king, witnessing
Athelstan's grants of lands and charters (the British Museum possesses a
charter which records a grant of land by Athelstan at Luton in 931, and
which bears the testimony: 'Ego Howael subregulus consensi et subscripsi'
(Sub-King Hywel hereby consents and agrees')).
It is clear that Wales is now sharply divided between a strong anti-English
party, based chiefly in the north and led by the sons of Rhodri Mawr in
Gwynedd, and a South Welsh party which favours union with England. Hywel is
the leader of the latter, and his epithet 'dda' is given to no other Welsh
king. It is probably first given to him by the South Wales 'unionists'; the
epithet 'mawr' that had been applied to Rhodri Mawr had probably arisen as
an expression of the traditionally more exclusive nationalist policy of the
North Welsh. These conflicting views dominate Welsh politics for the next
couple of centuries. |
942 - 950 |
Hywel Dda (the Good) ap Cadell |
King of
Deheubarth since 916
(Seisyllwg reunited). |
949 |
Cadwgan, son of Owain and grandson of Hywel Dda, is killed by the Saxons of
England. In the
same year a battle takes place at Carno between the sons of Idwal Foel of Gwynedd
and the sons of Owain ap Hywel Dda. The men of Gwynedd manage to devastate
areas of Dyfed in
Deheubarth, presaging a
great deal of future conflict between the two greatest states of
Wales. |
950 |
The death of Hywel Dda of
Deheubarth, king of all
Wales, leaves the country
divided. While Hywel's sons, Owain, Rhun, Rhodri and Edwyn, take possession
of his estates in South Wales, Iago and Ieuaf, the sons of Idwal Foel,
seize North Wales as their birthright (Gwynedd and
Powys). The two sides disagree
strongly over the break-up of a united Wales, but the joint kings of
Gwynedd cannot be removed, despite a raid into Dyfed which sees many of
their men cut down by a force from Ceredigion.
Morgannwg
continues to retain its independence under its own line of kings. |
950 - 979 |
Iago
ap Idwal Foel |
Son
of Idwal Foel. King of Gwynedd &
Powys. Died without an heir. |
950 - 969 |
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Ieuaf ap Idwal
Foel / Ievav |
Brother
and co-ruler. |
952 - 953 |
As
part of the ongoing conflict between
Deheubarth and Gwynedd,
Owain, prince of Ceredigion
(Seisyllwg),
leads an army into the North
Wales kingdom and engages its
men at the Battle of Aberconwy. The fighting is so fierce that both sides
are forced to withdraw, having sustained heavy losses. The following year,
Gwynedd repays the compliment, invading and devastating Ceredigion and
being driven out by more fierce fighting. |
979 - 985 |
Hywel
Foel (the Bald) ap Ieuaf |
Son.
King of Gwynedd & Powys. |
985 - 986 |
Cadwallon
ap Ieuaf |
Brother.
King of Gwynedd & Powys. |
986 - 999 |
Maredudd
ap Owain (of Deheubarth) |
King
of Gwynedd, Deheubarth, &
Powys. |
999 - 1005 |
Cynan
ap Hywel |
King
of Gwynedd, Deheubarth, &
Powys. |
1005 - 1023 |
Llywelyn
ap Seisyll |
King
of Gwynedd, Deheubarth, &
Powys. Son-in-law to Maredudd. |
1023 - 1039 |
Iago
ap Idwal ap Meurig ap Idwal Foel |
King
of Gwynedd, Deheubarth, &
Powys. Cadwallon's 2nd cousin. |
1039 - 1063 |
Gruffydd
ap Llywelyn |
King
of Gwynedd & Deheubarth,
Gwent,
Morgannwg, and
Powys. |
1045 |
Gruffydd ap Rhydderch of
Morgannwg is able
to seize
Deheubarth and hold onto it
for a decade until the tables are turned by Gruffydd ap Llywelyn. With this
act, Gwynedd has lost control of all of south
Wales. |
1055 |
Gruffydd invades and conquers the mid-south Welsh kingdoms
of Morgannwg and
Gwent, subjugating them and
drawing them directly under his control along with
Deheubarth as part of a
united Wales. |
1063 |
After
uniting all of Wales and becoming the first recognised
Prince of Wales,
Gruffydd is killed by disaffected Welshmen. His head is sent to Harold
Godwinson and King Edward the Confessor of
England as
the price of peace following attacks on England by Gruffydd. With Gruffydd's
half-brother Blethyn of
Deheubarth gaining Gwynedd
in his place (closely allied to his brother, Rhiwallon who may share control),
he rules a still-mostly united Wales.
Powys is detached for, or by, his
son. This division may happen in 1063 as an informal devolvement of power by
Blethyn himself to avoid later dynastic squabbles, but it is certainly
conformed upon his death in 1075.
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Rhuddlan Castle was the seat of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn
at the time of his death in 1063 at the hands of his
own people, with his head being sent to King Edward
the Confessor of England
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1063 - 1075 |
Bleddyn
ap Cynfyn |
King of
Powys, Gwynedd &
Deheubarth. Killed in
battle. |
1066 - 1068 |
The
last native British earl of
Corniu (Cornwall) is
deposed by William in 1066 as he tightens his grip on the newly-conquered
kingdom of England.
At first, only the south-east can be considered as being securely held.
Princes Blethyn and Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn of Gwynedd,
Deheubarth, and
Powys resist the invaders as
part of their supporting role for Harold Godwinson. They join Eadric the
Wild of Mercia in an
attack on
Norman
forces at Hereford in 1067, and Earl Edwin of Mercia with Earl Morcar
of Northumbria in a
further attack in 1068. |
1075 - 1081 |
Trahaern
ap Caradog |
King of
Gwynedd & Deheubarth
(de facto ruler). |
1075 |
Although Trahaern holds power in
Gwynedd, during this time he is subjected to continuous raids by the rightful ruler,
Gruffydd ap Cynan. |
1081 |
Attempting to emulate the achievements of his father and grandfather and
become king of south Wales, Caradoc ap Gruffydd of
Morgannwg drives
Rhys ap Tewdwr Mawr of Deheubarth
from his throne. He is immediately faced by the threat of that king returning
in alliance with Gruffydd ap Cynan, who is pursuing his own claim for the
throne of Gwynedd. Gruffydd also gains the cooperation of his nemesis in
Gwynedd, Trahaern ap Caradog, and Meilir ap Rhiwallon of
Powys. Caradoc is killed at the
Battle of Mynydd Carn, as are Trahaern and Meilir, allowing Gruffydd to
seize his birthright in Gwynedd and Rhys to regain Deheubarth. |
1081 - 1137 |
Gruffydd
ap Cynan ap Iago |
King
of Gwynedd (b.1055). |
1137 - 1169 |
Owain
Gwynedd |
Son.
Prince of Wales
(1160). Died Dec. |
c.1163 |
The
death of Llywelyn ap Madog effectively ends Powysian hopes of fully restoring
the kingdom in the face of aggression from the marcher lords.
Powys Fadog quickly becomes
little more that a satellite state of the powerful Owain Gwynedd.
South Powys frequently
takes a different tack, opposing Gwynedd and maintaining an independent
stance. |
1170 |
Hywel
ab Owain Gwynedd |
Son.
Died soon after accession. |
1170 - 1194 |
Dafydd
ab Owain Gwynedd |
Brother. Ruled from Jan. Exiled to England. |
1194 - 1195 |
Rhodri
ab Owain Gwynedd |
Brother. Gained throne with help from the king of
Manau. |
|
Madog ab Owain Gwynedd |
Brother.
Emigrated with his followers to the Americas. |
fl 1170s - 1190s |
Cynan ab Owain Gwynedd |
Brother. Lord of
Meirionnydd. |
|
Gruffudd ab Cynan ab Owain |
Grandson. Died 1200. |
1195 - 1240 |
Llywelyn
Fawr ab Iorworth ap Owain |
Prince
of North Wales.
Remains of South Powys annexed in
1208. |
1208 - 1215 |
With
Llywelyn Fawr having married Joan of
England,
daughter of King John in 1204, the antagonism exhibited by
South Powys towards Gwynedd
has left it politically isolated. Now King John arrests Gwenwynwyn ap Owain
of South Powys and Llywelyn takes the opportunity to annexe his territory.
Gwenwynwyn is restored in 1210 but is forced to found a new capital at
Welshpool. |
1240 - 1246 |
Dafydd
ap Llywelyn Fawr |
Prince of Wales
Died 25 Feb. |
1241 |
Gruffydd
ap Gwenwynwyn is not able to return to claim his late father's lands in
Powys Wenwynwyn until
this year, shortly after Llywelyn's death. At that point Dafydd ap Llywelyn
Fawr is forced to reach peaceful terms with Henry III of
England
and Gruffydd is restored as king of his reduced territory in
mid-Wales. |
1246 - 1282 |
Llywelyn
ap Gruffydd ap Llywelyn |
Prince of Wales.
Killed. |
1274 - 1276 |
Although
Powysians generally acknowledge Llywelyn ap Gruffydd as
Prince of Wales,
those of the southern region of
Powys Wenwynwyn have always
been less impressed with Gwynedd than their northern counterparts. Gruffydd
ap Gwenwynwyn illustrates this by changing sides again, and he is exiled to
England
for his refusal to acquiesce. He returns two years later, restored during a
fresh English campaign against Llywelyn. |
1282 |
Dominant
in Wales for so
long, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd is ambushed and killed by forces led by his
troublesome vassal, Gruffydd
ap Gwenwynwyn of Powys Wenwynwyn,
along with Roger Lestrange of Ellesmere and Roger Mortimer (grandfather of
the first earl of March of the same name, lover of the wife of Edward II).
The loss is a disaster for Wales, although Llywelyn's brother steps forward
to continue the fight. |
1282 - 1283 |
Dafydd ap Gruffydd ap Llywelyn |
Brother. Last native
Prince of Wales.
Killed. |
1282 - 1283 |
With
the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd in 1282 and his brother Dafydd the
following year, four hundred years of dominance by the house of Gwynedd comes
to an end. Gwynedd had survived intense rivalries from its neighbours, as well
as outside threats from
Irish,
Angles,
Saxons,
Vikings and
Norman raiders and
would-be-conquerors. It had done so through a combination of might and
well-placed diplomacy that nevertheless failed to withstand the final,
determined assault from the
English in
the person of Edward I.
Llywelyn is beheaded and the grisly trophy taken by Roger Mortimer of Chirk
to Rhuddlan. This he presents to a thankful King Edward who dispatches it
at once to be displayed on the Tower of London to the great mirth of the
townsfolk. Llywelyn's infant daughter, Gwenllian, now an orphan (her mother
had died giving birth to her), is snatched from her cradle and taken to a
monastery in England to spend her entire life locked away, 'safe' from
producing any heirs to the Gwyneddian throne. She dies at the age of
fifty-four in 1337.
Gwenllian is not the last representative of the House of Gwynedd, however.
The English have to put down several rebellions despite
their control of Wales,
and the first of these is led by a distant cousin of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd. |
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