Powys: origins and early history
Historically, one of the three major kingdoms of Wales (the others were Gwynedd to the north and Deheubarth to the south). It is difficult to say with precision what area it covered, but by the mid-eleventh century southern Powys corresponded approximately with modern Montgomeryshire. It is difficult to speak with certainty of its early history because the term “Powys” does not appear in connection with kings or kingdoms in C6 sources and only certainly appears so in the C9. The Annals refer to the death of one Selyf [Selim], son of Cynan, at the battle of Chester c.616, and Bede mentions Brochfael [Brocmail] as being present at the same occasion. Since these names also appear in the genealogies of the later kings of Powys it is possible that the dynasty was active in mid Wales by the late C6.
Medieval references to Powys suggest that Powys extended in the period between the collapse of the Roman Empire in the early 5th century and circa 800 from the vicinity of Wrexham and Chester to the middle Wye valley near Hay-on-Wye. Roughly speaking, early medieval Powys included about half of modern Clwyd, the whole of Montgomeryshire, western Shropshire, Radnorshire and parts of Meirionydd. But from the late C7 the kingdom came under attack from the English, especially from Mercia and a large part of this area was lost during the 8th and 9th centuries. Offa raided across the border in the C8, presumably before the dike was built. This formed a border but it did not stop conflict, for according to the Annals Wales was overrun in 822, the citadel at Degannwy was destroyed and Powys was given over to the power of the English.
Cyngen, the king of Powys, survived the onslaught. His sister, Nest, married Merfyn of Gwynedd and when Cyngen died in 855 Nest’s son Rhodri Mawr took Powys. Thereafter, Powys was ruled as part of Gwynedd and had no separate identity until after the fall of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn in 1063.
In 1039 Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (1039-1063) became king of Gwynedd and of Powys. In 1055 he took over south Wales as well, and dominated the whole country: but the southern princes never took to his rule, and welcomed his eventual defeat at the hands of the English. He formed an alliance with the earls of Mercia and prospered until overthrown by Harold Godwineson and his brothers in 1063. He fought two battles in mid-Wales: Rhyd y Groes in 1039 in which he defeated the Mercians, and Glasbury in 1056 in which he killed the bishop and sheriff of Hereford.
The half-brothers of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, Bleddyn ap Cynfan (d.1075) and Rhiwallon (d.1070) had ruled Gwynedd and Powys respectively since the fall of Gruffydd in 1063. In 1070 they defeated an army of Deheubarth at Mechain, where Rhiwallon was killed and Bleddyn succeeded him as ruler of Powys too. In 1073 Bleddyn fought a costly battle with the Normans in the north, but in the end he was killed by Rhys ab Owain of Deheubarth in 1075.
Powys now experienced a brief period of predominance under the sons of Bleddyn, in particular Cadwgan ap Bleddyn (d.1111). The princes of Powys looked to fill the power vacuum caused by the death of Rhys ap Tewdwr of Deheubarth in 1093: for a time Powys expanded into Ceredigion, Arwystli, Cyfeiliog and Meirionydd. Although Cadwgan was driven to exile in Ireland for a time, in 1099 the Normans reached an accord with him, and he was reinstated as a client prince: for Robert de Bellême wanted the sons of Bleddyn as allies in his struggle against Henry I. After Robert's fall and exile in 1102, however, Henry replaced Cadwgan in Powys with his brother Iorwerth ap Bleddyn (d.1111). But Iorwerth soon fell foul of the king of England and was imprisoned 1103-1110, which let Cadwgan return to Powys.
Powys' bid for domination was further weakened by internecine wars (during the period 1100-1125 at least six members of the family were blinded, murdered or castrated by relatives): a key protagonist was Madog ap Rhiryd, nephew to Cadwgan and Iorwerth. When in 1109 Owain ap Cadwgan (d.1116), Cadwgan's son and heir, abducted Nest, the wife of Gerald of Windsor, a trusted servant of the king, Henry sent Madog to drive Cadwgan out of Powys again as a punishment. But Henry soon replaced Madog with the newly-released Iorwerth in Powys and Cadwgan in Ceredigion.
In 1111 Madog killed Iorwerth, and the English government reinstated Cadwgan to Powys: but in the same year he, too, was killed by Madog at Trallwng Llywelyn (ie Welshpool) where he had built a castle. Madog now gained a share of Powys, including Caereinion, a third of the commote of Deuddwr, and the tref of Aberriw; Owain ap Cadwgan succeeded to the rest. In 1113 Madog was captured by Maredudd ap Bleddyn, brother of Cadwgan and uncle to Owain, while raiding in Arwystli: Owain had him blinded. Owain came to a satisfactory end: in 1116 he was trapped and killed by Norman troops of Gerald of Wales, "whom he had wronged".
At the end of this bloodbath, Maredudd ap Bleddyn (1116-1132) became sole ruler of a somewhat reduced Powys.
However, Maredudd's son Madog ap Maredudd (1132-1160) was able to profit from the general Welsh revival which coincided with the collapse of authority in Stephen's reign: when William fitz Alan joined the rebellion on the Empress Matilda's side his hold on Oswestry weakened, and in 1149 Madog was able to take it. But Madog now came up against Owain Gwynedd, who was moving into areas which had once formed part of Powys, such as Iâl. In 1150 Madog was defeated in battle at Coleshill in Tegeingl, and Owain was able to consolidate his hold. In 1157 Madog supported Henry II when the king moved against Owain; although he gained a strong protector against the prince of Gwynedd there was a price: William fitz Alan was restored to royal favour and recovered Oswestry.
Madog was the last to rule over a united Powys, for soon after his death in 1160 his son Llywelyn was killed, and the lands were divided between the sons of Madog (Gruffydd, Owain Fychan and Owain Brogyntyn), Madog's nephew Owain Cyfeiliog, and Madog's brother, Iorwerth Goch. Powys itself was sundered into southern Powys under Owain Cyfeiliog and northern Powys under Gruffydd.
Medieval references to Powys suggest that Powys extended in the period between the collapse of the Roman Empire in the early 5th century and circa 800 from the vicinity of Wrexham and Chester to the middle Wye valley near Hay-on-Wye. Roughly speaking, early medieval Powys included about half of modern Clwyd, the whole of Montgomeryshire, western Shropshire, Radnorshire and parts of Meirionydd. But from the late C7 the kingdom came under attack from the English, especially from Mercia and a large part of this area was lost during the 8th and 9th centuries. Offa raided across the border in the C8, presumably before the dike was built. This formed a border but it did not stop conflict, for according to the Annals Wales was overrun in 822, the citadel at Degannwy was destroyed and Powys was given over to the power of the English.
Cyngen, the king of Powys, survived the onslaught. His sister, Nest, married Merfyn of Gwynedd and when Cyngen died in 855 Nest’s son Rhodri Mawr took Powys. Thereafter, Powys was ruled as part of Gwynedd and had no separate identity until after the fall of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn in 1063.
In 1039 Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (1039-1063) became king of Gwynedd and of Powys. In 1055 he took over south Wales as well, and dominated the whole country: but the southern princes never took to his rule, and welcomed his eventual defeat at the hands of the English. He formed an alliance with the earls of Mercia and prospered until overthrown by Harold Godwineson and his brothers in 1063. He fought two battles in mid-Wales: Rhyd y Groes in 1039 in which he defeated the Mercians, and Glasbury in 1056 in which he killed the bishop and sheriff of Hereford.
The half-brothers of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, Bleddyn ap Cynfan (d.1075) and Rhiwallon (d.1070) had ruled Gwynedd and Powys respectively since the fall of Gruffydd in 1063. In 1070 they defeated an army of Deheubarth at Mechain, where Rhiwallon was killed and Bleddyn succeeded him as ruler of Powys too. In 1073 Bleddyn fought a costly battle with the Normans in the north, but in the end he was killed by Rhys ab Owain of Deheubarth in 1075.
Powys now experienced a brief period of predominance under the sons of Bleddyn, in particular Cadwgan ap Bleddyn (d.1111). The princes of Powys looked to fill the power vacuum caused by the death of Rhys ap Tewdwr of Deheubarth in 1093: for a time Powys expanded into Ceredigion, Arwystli, Cyfeiliog and Meirionydd. Although Cadwgan was driven to exile in Ireland for a time, in 1099 the Normans reached an accord with him, and he was reinstated as a client prince: for Robert de Bellême wanted the sons of Bleddyn as allies in his struggle against Henry I. After Robert's fall and exile in 1102, however, Henry replaced Cadwgan in Powys with his brother Iorwerth ap Bleddyn (d.1111). But Iorwerth soon fell foul of the king of England and was imprisoned 1103-1110, which let Cadwgan return to Powys.
Powys' bid for domination was further weakened by internecine wars (during the period 1100-1125 at least six members of the family were blinded, murdered or castrated by relatives): a key protagonist was Madog ap Rhiryd, nephew to Cadwgan and Iorwerth. When in 1109 Owain ap Cadwgan (d.1116), Cadwgan's son and heir, abducted Nest, the wife of Gerald of Windsor, a trusted servant of the king, Henry sent Madog to drive Cadwgan out of Powys again as a punishment. But Henry soon replaced Madog with the newly-released Iorwerth in Powys and Cadwgan in Ceredigion.
In 1111 Madog killed Iorwerth, and the English government reinstated Cadwgan to Powys: but in the same year he, too, was killed by Madog at Trallwng Llywelyn (ie Welshpool) where he had built a castle. Madog now gained a share of Powys, including Caereinion, a third of the commote of Deuddwr, and the tref of Aberriw; Owain ap Cadwgan succeeded to the rest. In 1113 Madog was captured by Maredudd ap Bleddyn, brother of Cadwgan and uncle to Owain, while raiding in Arwystli: Owain had him blinded. Owain came to a satisfactory end: in 1116 he was trapped and killed by Norman troops of Gerald of Wales, "whom he had wronged".
At the end of this bloodbath, Maredudd ap Bleddyn (1116-1132) became sole ruler of a somewhat reduced Powys.
However, Maredudd's son Madog ap Maredudd (1132-1160) was able to profit from the general Welsh revival which coincided with the collapse of authority in Stephen's reign: when William fitz Alan joined the rebellion on the Empress Matilda's side his hold on Oswestry weakened, and in 1149 Madog was able to take it. But Madog now came up against Owain Gwynedd, who was moving into areas which had once formed part of Powys, such as Iâl. In 1150 Madog was defeated in battle at Coleshill in Tegeingl, and Owain was able to consolidate his hold. In 1157 Madog supported Henry II when the king moved against Owain; although he gained a strong protector against the prince of Gwynedd there was a price: William fitz Alan was restored to royal favour and recovered Oswestry.
Madog was the last to rule over a united Powys, for soon after his death in 1160 his son Llywelyn was killed, and the lands were divided between the sons of Madog (Gruffydd, Owain Fychan and Owain Brogyntyn), Madog's nephew Owain Cyfeiliog, and Madog's brother, Iorwerth Goch. Powys itself was sundered into southern Powys under Owain Cyfeiliog and northern Powys under Gruffydd.
Southern Powys
Also known as Powys Wenwynwyn after 1195. The lords tended to call themselves "of Cyfeiliog", or "of Pool", the site of their new castle (anglicized to "de la Pole"): area corresponded generally with modern Montgomeryshire.
The first ruler of southern Powys was Owain Cyfeiliog (ruled 1160-1195). Power in native Wales now lay firmly with Gwynedd and Deheubarth. Presumably Owain joined in the rebellion of 1164-5, when "all the Welsh" successfully banded together against Henry II under the leadership of Owain Gwynedd. Soon after the princes of Powys made peace with the king. In 1166 Owain Cyfeiliog and Owain ap Madog of northern Powys combined to drive Iorwerth Goch out of Mochnant, which they divided between them: the Rhaeadr was made the line of separation, which in time became permanent, "dividing northern and southern Powys and, in later times, the counties of Montgomery and Denbigh". Owain Cyfeiliog retired to the Cistercian monastery of Ystrad Marchell in 1195 and died in 1197.
He was succeeded by his son, Gwenwynwyn (1195-1216), and from then on southern Powys was known as Powys Wenwynwyn. Gwenwynwyn adopted a more aggressive policy, and after the death of the Lord Rhys in 1197 attempted to become the leader of native Wales. He began with attacks on the English border, and in 1196 his castle of Pool was besieged and taken by the justiciar, Archbishop Hubert; but by the end of the year Gwenwynwyn had won it back. He annexed Arwystli on the death of the native prince in 1197. Then he turned his attention to the Marcher barons. Although the Lord Rhys had destroyed Colwyn castle in his campaign of 1196 Painscastle had remained intact, and it was a vital link between the Braose lordships of Radnor and Brecon. Gwenwynwyn besieged it with a host which included men from Gwynedd in July 1198. But after three weeks the new justiciar, Geoffrey fitz Peter, arrived with an army and the Welsh were decisively defeated on 13 August 1198. That ended Gwenwynwyn's dreams of leading the Welsh people. By 1202 Gwenwynwyn was facing a different situation: there was a new king, John, in England and a strong leader in Gwynedd, Llywelyn ab Iorwerth. For a time John kept the ambitions of Gwenwynwyn and his son-in-law Llywelyn in balance, but in 1208 Gwenwynwyn aroused his anger by harrying the lands of Peter fitz Herbert whom John had placed in part of Brecknock forfeited by William Braose III. John summoned him to Shrewsbury and stripped him of his lands, and Llywelyn dispossessed him of southern Powys. In 1210 John and Llywelyn fell out, and John restored Gwenwynwyn to southern Powys, though royal officials such as Robert de Vieuxpoint remained active there. As John's fortunes declined, so Llywelyn increased his influence over Powys. In 1212 Gwenwynwyn was on Llewelyn's side in the war against John, besieging Robert de Vieuxpoint in his castle of Mathrafal. But by 1216 he was inclining to the English camp and John gave him the manor of Montgomery; in reprisal Llywelyn drove him out again, and he fled to Cheshire where he died, leaving an infant son, Gruffydd.
Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn (1216-1286) was in theory lord of southern Powys for some 70 years: in fact he was dispossessed for nearly half that time, at different periods. He had to wait until the death of Llywelyn and the humbling of his son Dafydd before he could accede to his inheritance in 1241. He married Hawise, daughter of John Lestrange, a Shropshire baron active in the king's service. Not surprisingly Gruffydd was no friend to the ambitions of Gwynedd in the 13th century. He was one of three princes who did not join in the rebellion of 1244-6 (the others were Gruffydd of northern Powys and the lord of Gwynllwg), and as punishment Dafydd invaded Cyfeiliog. But with the death of Dafydd in 1246 Gruffydd was left undisturbed for a decade.
Then Llywelyn ap Gruffydd became undisputed master of Gwynedd in 1255. In January 1257 Llywelyn turned on southern Powys and invaded the Severn valley as far as Pool and burnt the town. Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn was driven beyond the Severn. He may have kept hold of Pool - but the western uplands of Cyfeiliog, Arwystli, Caereinion and Mochnant were lost. Finally on 12 December 1263 Gruffydd came to terms with Llywelyn and gave his allegiance (the last native ruler to do so). For a time Gruffydd remained loyal to Llywelyn, who commanded the southern border of Powys by holding Ceri and Cydewain; but a combination of Llywelyn's overbearing behaviour and the construction by Llywelyn in 1273 of a castle at Dolforwyn in Cydewain (which threatened Gruffydd's castle of Pool) seems to have pushed Gruffydd too far.
Early in 1274 a conspiracy was hatched between Gruffydd, his wife, his son Owain and Llywelyn's brother Dafydd. The plan was to murder Llywelyn and put Dafydd on the throne. But there was a delay and some details leaked out: in April Gruffydd was summoned to Dolforwyn and forced to surrender Owain as a hostage for good behaviour; Arwystli and part of Cyfeiliog were also taken from him. Before long the whole story was out. Llywelyn sent envoys to Pool; Gruffydd imprisoned them, and fled to England. So once again Llywelyn occupied southern Powys and Gruffydd was exiled. It was not until Edward I forced Llywelyn to submit in 1277 that he recovered his lands, effectively as a pliant English protectorate.
Now, an apparently straightforward legal dispute between Gruffydd and Gwenwynwyn over posession of Arwystli developed into a major cause of tension between Llywelyn and the king. Llywelyn had confirmed Gruffydd in Arwystli by their accord of 1263, but had confiscated it in 1274 and still held it when war broke out in 1277. Llywelyn laid claim to it before the Hopton Commission in February 1278. The dispute was allowed to drag on, and eventually became a debate on the status of Welsh law itself; the question was still unresolved by 1282.
Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn did not participate in the revolt of 1282-3, which resulted in the deaths of Llywelyn and Dafydd, and end of the princedom of Gwynedd. At this time southern Powys had the status of a Marcher lordship, and was no longer regarded as a native Welsh district. He died in 1286.
The first ruler of southern Powys was Owain Cyfeiliog (ruled 1160-1195). Power in native Wales now lay firmly with Gwynedd and Deheubarth. Presumably Owain joined in the rebellion of 1164-5, when "all the Welsh" successfully banded together against Henry II under the leadership of Owain Gwynedd. Soon after the princes of Powys made peace with the king. In 1166 Owain Cyfeiliog and Owain ap Madog of northern Powys combined to drive Iorwerth Goch out of Mochnant, which they divided between them: the Rhaeadr was made the line of separation, which in time became permanent, "dividing northern and southern Powys and, in later times, the counties of Montgomery and Denbigh". Owain Cyfeiliog retired to the Cistercian monastery of Ystrad Marchell in 1195 and died in 1197.
He was succeeded by his son, Gwenwynwyn (1195-1216), and from then on southern Powys was known as Powys Wenwynwyn. Gwenwynwyn adopted a more aggressive policy, and after the death of the Lord Rhys in 1197 attempted to become the leader of native Wales. He began with attacks on the English border, and in 1196 his castle of Pool was besieged and taken by the justiciar, Archbishop Hubert; but by the end of the year Gwenwynwyn had won it back. He annexed Arwystli on the death of the native prince in 1197. Then he turned his attention to the Marcher barons. Although the Lord Rhys had destroyed Colwyn castle in his campaign of 1196 Painscastle had remained intact, and it was a vital link between the Braose lordships of Radnor and Brecon. Gwenwynwyn besieged it with a host which included men from Gwynedd in July 1198. But after three weeks the new justiciar, Geoffrey fitz Peter, arrived with an army and the Welsh were decisively defeated on 13 August 1198. That ended Gwenwynwyn's dreams of leading the Welsh people. By 1202 Gwenwynwyn was facing a different situation: there was a new king, John, in England and a strong leader in Gwynedd, Llywelyn ab Iorwerth. For a time John kept the ambitions of Gwenwynwyn and his son-in-law Llywelyn in balance, but in 1208 Gwenwynwyn aroused his anger by harrying the lands of Peter fitz Herbert whom John had placed in part of Brecknock forfeited by William Braose III. John summoned him to Shrewsbury and stripped him of his lands, and Llywelyn dispossessed him of southern Powys. In 1210 John and Llywelyn fell out, and John restored Gwenwynwyn to southern Powys, though royal officials such as Robert de Vieuxpoint remained active there. As John's fortunes declined, so Llywelyn increased his influence over Powys. In 1212 Gwenwynwyn was on Llewelyn's side in the war against John, besieging Robert de Vieuxpoint in his castle of Mathrafal. But by 1216 he was inclining to the English camp and John gave him the manor of Montgomery; in reprisal Llywelyn drove him out again, and he fled to Cheshire where he died, leaving an infant son, Gruffydd.
Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn (1216-1286) was in theory lord of southern Powys for some 70 years: in fact he was dispossessed for nearly half that time, at different periods. He had to wait until the death of Llywelyn and the humbling of his son Dafydd before he could accede to his inheritance in 1241. He married Hawise, daughter of John Lestrange, a Shropshire baron active in the king's service. Not surprisingly Gruffydd was no friend to the ambitions of Gwynedd in the 13th century. He was one of three princes who did not join in the rebellion of 1244-6 (the others were Gruffydd of northern Powys and the lord of Gwynllwg), and as punishment Dafydd invaded Cyfeiliog. But with the death of Dafydd in 1246 Gruffydd was left undisturbed for a decade.
Then Llywelyn ap Gruffydd became undisputed master of Gwynedd in 1255. In January 1257 Llywelyn turned on southern Powys and invaded the Severn valley as far as Pool and burnt the town. Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn was driven beyond the Severn. He may have kept hold of Pool - but the western uplands of Cyfeiliog, Arwystli, Caereinion and Mochnant were lost. Finally on 12 December 1263 Gruffydd came to terms with Llywelyn and gave his allegiance (the last native ruler to do so). For a time Gruffydd remained loyal to Llywelyn, who commanded the southern border of Powys by holding Ceri and Cydewain; but a combination of Llywelyn's overbearing behaviour and the construction by Llywelyn in 1273 of a castle at Dolforwyn in Cydewain (which threatened Gruffydd's castle of Pool) seems to have pushed Gruffydd too far.
Early in 1274 a conspiracy was hatched between Gruffydd, his wife, his son Owain and Llywelyn's brother Dafydd. The plan was to murder Llywelyn and put Dafydd on the throne. But there was a delay and some details leaked out: in April Gruffydd was summoned to Dolforwyn and forced to surrender Owain as a hostage for good behaviour; Arwystli and part of Cyfeiliog were also taken from him. Before long the whole story was out. Llywelyn sent envoys to Pool; Gruffydd imprisoned them, and fled to England. So once again Llywelyn occupied southern Powys and Gruffydd was exiled. It was not until Edward I forced Llywelyn to submit in 1277 that he recovered his lands, effectively as a pliant English protectorate.
Now, an apparently straightforward legal dispute between Gruffydd and Gwenwynwyn over posession of Arwystli developed into a major cause of tension between Llywelyn and the king. Llywelyn had confirmed Gruffydd in Arwystli by their accord of 1263, but had confiscated it in 1274 and still held it when war broke out in 1277. Llywelyn laid claim to it before the Hopton Commission in February 1278. The dispute was allowed to drag on, and eventually became a debate on the status of Welsh law itself; the question was still unresolved by 1282.
Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn did not participate in the revolt of 1282-3, which resulted in the deaths of Llywelyn and Dafydd, and end of the princedom of Gwynedd. At this time southern Powys had the status of a Marcher lordship, and was no longer regarded as a native Welsh district. He died in 1286.
Northern Powys
Also known from the end of the 12th century as Powys Fadog, Powys ruled by Madog ap Gruffydd, to distinguish it from Powys Wenwynwyn, southern Powys ruled by Gwenwynwyn.
The first ruler of northern Powys was Gruffydd ap Madog (1160-1191), also known as Gruffydd Maelor, son of Madog ap Maredudd, the last ruler of a unified Powys. On his death his lands were divided between his sons Madog (d.1236) and Owain (d.1197); when Owain died in 1197 Madog became the sole ruler of northern Powys. In 1212 Madog entered into a formal agreement with Llywelyn ab Iorwerth of Gwynedd, along with other Welsh princes including Gwenwynwyn of southern Powys, and joined him in the war against King John. He kept faithful to Llywelyn until his death in 1236.
His lands were then divided among his sons, who in the 1240s had to come to terms with the English: Gruffydd Maelor II (1236-1269) succeeded to northern Powys, the rest went to Gruffydd Iâl (d.1238), Maredudd (d.1256), Hywel (d. c.1268) and Madog Fychan (d.1269). In 1257 Gruffydd Maelor ap Madog withdrew his direct dependance on Henry III to give his allegiance to Llywelyn ap Gruffydd of Gwynedd, where it remained until 1276 (this was a valuable addition to Llywelyn's strength which made possible his aggression against Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn of southern Powys, supra).
Gruffydd was succeeded by his eldest surviving son, Llywelyn (1269-1282) who, when Edward invaded in 1276 to bring Llywelyn ab Iorwerth of Gwynedd to heel, was one of the first Welsh princes to go over to the English, 12 December 1276. But he soon became disenchanted with the treatment he received from royal officials, especially the constable of Oswestry: when the rebellion of 1282 broke out his attack on Oswestry, 22 March, was "one of the opening salvos". But he was on the losing side. After the rebellion had been put down Edward I dispossessed the five surviving heirs of the dynasty of northern Powys, including the two young sons of Madog Fychan, whether they had openly supported the rebellion or not. Llywelyn and his brothers disappear from view at this time.
That was effectively the end of northern Powys, which was parcelled out in lordships and royal estates. But Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Maelor's uncle, Gruffydd, was eventually allowed a quarter commote in northern Powys: Gruffydd's son, Madog, was established as an hereditary lord of the March in this territory of Glyndyfrdwy and in another half commote in Cynllaith. Madog's grandson, Gruffydd Fychan, married Helen, one of the last survivors of the line of Deheubarth - and their son was Owain Glyn Dwr. [G.R.]
[Handbook of British Chronology; R.R. Davies, W. Davies, Lloyd, Walker]
The first ruler of northern Powys was Gruffydd ap Madog (1160-1191), also known as Gruffydd Maelor, son of Madog ap Maredudd, the last ruler of a unified Powys. On his death his lands were divided between his sons Madog (d.1236) and Owain (d.1197); when Owain died in 1197 Madog became the sole ruler of northern Powys. In 1212 Madog entered into a formal agreement with Llywelyn ab Iorwerth of Gwynedd, along with other Welsh princes including Gwenwynwyn of southern Powys, and joined him in the war against King John. He kept faithful to Llywelyn until his death in 1236.
His lands were then divided among his sons, who in the 1240s had to come to terms with the English: Gruffydd Maelor II (1236-1269) succeeded to northern Powys, the rest went to Gruffydd Iâl (d.1238), Maredudd (d.1256), Hywel (d. c.1268) and Madog Fychan (d.1269). In 1257 Gruffydd Maelor ap Madog withdrew his direct dependance on Henry III to give his allegiance to Llywelyn ap Gruffydd of Gwynedd, where it remained until 1276 (this was a valuable addition to Llywelyn's strength which made possible his aggression against Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn of southern Powys, supra).
Gruffydd was succeeded by his eldest surviving son, Llywelyn (1269-1282) who, when Edward invaded in 1276 to bring Llywelyn ab Iorwerth of Gwynedd to heel, was one of the first Welsh princes to go over to the English, 12 December 1276. But he soon became disenchanted with the treatment he received from royal officials, especially the constable of Oswestry: when the rebellion of 1282 broke out his attack on Oswestry, 22 March, was "one of the opening salvos". But he was on the losing side. After the rebellion had been put down Edward I dispossessed the five surviving heirs of the dynasty of northern Powys, including the two young sons of Madog Fychan, whether they had openly supported the rebellion or not. Llywelyn and his brothers disappear from view at this time.
That was effectively the end of northern Powys, which was parcelled out in lordships and royal estates. But Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Maelor's uncle, Gruffydd, was eventually allowed a quarter commote in northern Powys: Gruffydd's son, Madog, was established as an hereditary lord of the March in this territory of Glyndyfrdwy and in another half commote in Cynllaith. Madog's grandson, Gruffydd Fychan, married Helen, one of the last survivors of the line of Deheubarth - and their son was Owain Glyn Dwr. [G.R.]
[Handbook of British Chronology; R.R. Davies, W. Davies, Lloyd, Walker]