Cadwallon ap Gruffydd

Cadwallon ap Gruffydd (c. 1097 – 1132) (Welsh pronunciation: [kadˈwaɬon ap ˈgrɨ̞fɨ̞ð]) was the eldest son of Gruffudd ap Cynan, king of Gwynedd.^[1]

Early life

Cadwallon was born in the village of Walesey in the county of Caernarvonshire in Wales. His mother was Angharad ferch Owain, the daughter of Owain ab Edwin.^[2][3]

Cadwallon's siblings were Hywel ap Gruffydd, Rhanullt verch Gruffydd, Tudwal ap Gruffydd, Gwenllian verch Gruffydd, Elen verch Gruffydd, Merinedd verch Gruffydd, Susanna verch Gruffydd, Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd, Gwenllian II ap Rhys (born verch Gruffydd), Owain Gwynedd, Idwal ap Gruffydd, Duling ap Gruffydd, Membyr "Ddu" ap Gruffydd, Rhael verch Gruffudd, Annes verch Gruffydd, Margred ap Gruffydd, and Gwladys Rhanullt verch Gruffydd.^[4] Cadwallon sisters Gwenllian married Gruffydd ap Rhys and Susanna married Madog ap Maredudd.^[3] Cadwallon was half brother of Margred verch Gruffydd; Margred verch ap Gruffydd and Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd.^[5]

Mid life

Cadwallon appears first in history records as conspiring with his older brother Owain Gwynedd to take the district of Meirionydd within the medieval kingdom of Powys in 1123.^[6][7] In 1125 he killed the three rulers of the district Dyffryn Clwyd, being Meilyr ab Owain, Rhiryd ab Owain, and Gronw ab Owain—his maternal uncles, i.e., his mother's brothers.^{[upper-alpha 1][2][8][9]} The district cantref of Dyffryn Clwyd was then annexed into the kingdom of Gwynedd.^[6] Cadwallon is notoriously remembered by historians for murdering his uncles, as this ended the reign of the house of Edwin of Tegeingl as a regime.^[6][10][11]

Cadwallon then is found a few years later in the valley of Dee at Mold, Flintshire, Wales.^[6][12] With his older brother Owain Gwynedd (c.1100–70) they worked together to restore the power of Gwynedd for their ageing father. They were military leaders and directed their father's armies which added the land regions of Meirionydd, Rhos, Rhufoniog, and Dyffryn Clwyd to the kingdom of Gwynedd.^[13][14]

Later life and death

In 1132 Cadwallon forged eastward to conquer more land for the kingdom of Gwynedd but was stopped in the area of Nanheudwy in 1133, near the town of Llangollen. An army from the kingdom of Powys then defeated and killed him.^[12] His uncle Einion ab Owain ab Edwin was one of the instigators, to avenge his brothers' deaths.^{[upper-alpha 2][upper-alpha 3][10]} Cadwallon's cousin Cadwgan ap Grown ab Owain also played a part in his slaying.^[17] Other cousins were also involved in Cadwallon's murder.^[9]

Family

Cadwallon married Gwenllian from an unknown family line.^[18] They had a son named Cunedda ap Cadwallon ap Gruffydd ap Cynan.^[19] Genealogy records indicate he also had another wife by the name of Alice of an unknown family line and had two sons.^[18]

He is not to be confused with the other four "Cadwallon"s (and nearly a dozen closely related named personages—homonyms, homographs and homophones) who are historically significant in Welsh history.^[20]

References

Notes

1. "In 1125 Cadwallon, who was clearly as unscrupulous as he was energetic, slew the three rulers of the cantref, Gronw, Rhiryd, and Meilyr ab Owini, notwithstanding that they were his mother's brothers."^[6]
2. "And in the year 1132 died Robert Curthose the Kings brother in the castell of Caerdyffe. And the year following Cadwallon, son to Gruffudd ap Cynan was slain at Namheudwy by Einion, son to Owain ab Edwin, his uncle (whose three brothers he had slain)."^[15]
3. "CADWALLON, one of the sons of Gruffydd ab Cynan, prince of North Wales, whose name is recorded in the military history of that age, as being the leader of his father's armies. In 1125, he slew his three uncles, Gronw, Rhiryd, and Meilyr, sons of Owain ab Edwin; but about the year 1130, he was himself put to death in Nanheudwy by another uncle, Einion ab Owain ab Edwin."^[16]

Citations

1. Jones 2010, p. 141.
2. "Person:Angharad Owain". We Relate. Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, IN 46802. 9 March 2013. Retrieved 2014-11-23.
3. Lloyd, John Edward. "ANGHARAD (d. 1162 )". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. The National Library of Wales. Retrieved 2014-11-23.
4. "13 matches for Cadwallon Ap Gruffydd". My Heritage+Genie-Matches. MyHeritage Ltd. 2014. Retrieved 2014-11-23.
5. "Cadwallon ap Gruffydd". Geni. Nathan De Graw. 2014-11-09. Retrieved 2014-11-23.
6. Lloyd 2004, p. 78.
7. Davies 2007, p. 113.
8. Llwyd & Williams 2002, p. 148.
9. Jones 2012, p. 175.
10. Jones 2010, p. 175.
11. Jones 2012, p. 181.
12. Beeler 1966, p. 230.
13. Pierce, Thomas Jones. "OWAIN GWYNEDD (c. 1100–1170), king of Gwynedd / 'Cadwallon ap Gruffydd'". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. The National Library of Wales. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
14. Cannon, John; Griffiths, Ralph Alan (2009). "Owain Gwynedd". The Oxford Companion to British History. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780199567638.001.0001. ISBN 9780199567638. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
15. Llwyd & Williams 2002, p. 149.
16. Williams 1852, p. 60.
17. Lloyd 2004, p. 79.
18. "Historical records and family trees related to Cadwallon Cynan". MyHeritage Family Trees. MYHeritage Ltd. 2014. Retrieved 2014-11-24.
19. "Master Database 2000". Maximilian Genealogy. Peter Western. 2000. Retrieved 2014-11-23.
20. Williams 1852, pp. 59–61.

Sources

• Beeler, John (1966). Warfare in England, 1066–1189. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press.

• Davies, John (25 January 2007). A History of Wales. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN 978-0-14-192633-9.

• Jones, Arthur (January 2012). The History of Grufydd Ap Cynan. HardPress. ISBN 978-1-290-06490-3.

• Jones, Arthur (September 8, 2010) [1910]. The History of Gruffydd Ap Cynan. The Welsh Text with Translation, Introduction, and Notes by Arthur Jones. [With Two Facsimiles.]. Charleston, South Carolina: Nabu Press. ISBN 117177804X. ISBN 978-1171778042.

• Llwyd, Humphrey; Williams, Ieuan M. (2002). Cronica Walliae. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ISBN 978-0-7083-1638-2.

• Lloyd, John Edward (2004). A History of Wales: From the Norman Invasion to the Edwardian Conquest (Print). New York: Banes & Noble. ISBN 978-0-7607-5241-8.

• Williams, Rob (1852). A biographical dictionary of eminent Welshmen., from the earliest times to the present. Llandovery, London: William Rees/Longman, and Co.

External links

• Cadwallon ap Gruffydd ancestor line