Madog ap Gruffudd Maelor (1160 - 1236)

Born 1160 in Mathrafal, Kingdom of Powys

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1236 at about age 76 in Ludlow, Shropshire, England

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Madog ap Gruffudd Maelor is Notable.

Biography

Name

• Madog ap Gruffudd Maelor ap Madog ap Mardudd ap Bleddyn ^[1]
• Madoc Lord of Bromfeld^[2]
• Madoc son of Griffin of Bromfeld^[3]

Birth Year Estimation

He succeeded his father in 1191. Make him aged 30 at the time and give him a birth year of 1160. This estimate is highly speculative and useful purely for placing him in a particular time period.

Parents

Madoc was the son of Griffin of Bromfeld and Angaretta: "... in the court of Madoc the son of Griffin of Bromfield ...witnessed by ... Angaretta mother of Madoc."^[3]

His genealogy is recorded in Rhandiroedd Powys, a medieval text describing the division of Powys among the descendants of 11th century Welsh king Bleddyn ap Cynfyn. The earliest extant version of the text is dated 1493 and records that Gruffudd Maelor, by his wife Angharad ferch Owain Gwynedd, had a son and heir named Madog ap Gruffudd Maelor ("Gruffudd Maelor a broides Yngharad verch Ywain Gwynedd ac vddvnt y bv vab Madoc ap Gruffudd Maelor, yr hwnn a gavas yn i ran randir i dad oll.")^[4]

1236 Death

Madog died in 1236. ^[1]

Line of Descent

Estimated dates by Darrell Wolcott. ^[5]

1. 1025 Bleddyn ap Cynfyn (obit 1075).
   
2. 1065 Maredudd (obit 1132)
   
3. 1098 Madog (obit 1160)
   
4. 1130 Gruffudd Maelor I ap Madog (obit 1191)
   
5. 1160 Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor (obit 1236)
   
6. 1195 Gruffudd Maelor II ap Madog (obit 1269)

Marriage

He married Gwladus ferch Ithel "Frenin Gwent" ap Rhys ab Ifor of Cantref Selyf ap hywel ap Morgan Fychan of Ewias ap Morgan Hir of Gwent. ^[6]

1191 Succeeded Father

He succeeded his father to part of northern Powys in 1191, and succeeded his brother Owain to the rest of it in 1197. In 1197 Gwenwynwyn succeeded his father Owain Cyfeiliog to southern Powys, whereupon the two regions became known as Powys Fadog and Powys Gwenwynwyn respectively. ^[1]

He joined Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, Gwenwynwyn, and the princes of South Wales in writing to Pope Innocent to complain about the eclesiastical tyranny of England over Wales.^[1]

1200 Founded Valle Crucis Abbey

He was the founder of Valle Crucis (or llan Egwestl) abbey, which was built beginning in 1200. ^[1]

The medieval text Rhandiroedd Powys records that he founded the monastery of Lynnegwestl in 1200 ("Ac ef a seiliodd mynachloc Lynnegwestl dros eneid i dad, pann oedd oed Krist mil a devkant o vlynyddoedd.")^[4]

1211 King John Invades Wales

In 1211, when King John of England invaded Wales, Madog ap Gruffudd Maelor took the opportunity to escape the "yoke" of Gwynedd. Nonetheless, in 1212 he returned to his alliance with the rest of the Welsh. In 1215 his household troops joined Llywelyn against the South Welsh. In 1223 he acted as a surety to King Henry III in case llywelyn defaulted. ^[1]

Madoc, lord of Bromfeld, Witnessed Grants to Deulacres Abbey

Between 1229 and 1232, Madoc lord of Bromfeld witnessed Eynun son of Lewellen de Berton donate land in Pulford and Pulenale to Deulacres Abbey: Omnibus Christi fidelibus hoc scriptum visuris vel audituris, Eynun filius Lewellen de Berton salutem. Noveritis me dedisse etc. Deo et beate Marie et Abbati et Conventui de Deulacres totam partem meam de terra de Pulford et de Pulenale scilicet, quartam partem totius terre quam Lewelinus pater meus quondam tenuit in Pulford et Pulnale, etc. Habendam etc. Witnessed by lord William de Vernon then Justiciar of Chester, Madoc lord of Bromfeld, Lord William Boidel, Robert de Pulford, knight, Hugh his brother, W. Bunz, Richard Buiiz, William son of Hugh de Pulford and others.^[2]

During that same period, Madoch lord of Brumfelde, witnessed William and Wrennoc and Howel sons of Lewelin de Borton confirm the donation of their brother Eynun, of land in Pulford and Pulnale, to Deulacres Abbey: Omnibus Christi fidelibus hoc scriptum visuris vel audituris Willelmus et Wrennoc, et Howel filii Lewelini de borton salutem. Noveritis nos concessesse etc. Deo et beate Marie et Abbati et Conventui de Deulacres donationem illam de terra de Pulford et de Pulnale quod Eynun frater noster domui de Deulacres contulit etc. Witnessed by lord William de Vernon then Justiciar of Chester, Madoch lord of Brumfelde, William Bordele Parson of Dodleston, Robert de Pulford, knight, Hugh his brother, W. Bunz, Richard Bunz, William son of Hugh de Pulford and others.^[2]

Castell Dinas Brân

Dinas Brân is in what was once the ancient Kingdom of Powys.

When Gruffydd Maelor, the last Prince of Powys, died in 1191 the kingdom was divided into Powys Fadog in the north and Powys Wenwynwyn in the south. ^[7]

Gruffydd Maelor's son, Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor, lord of Powys Fadog, founded the nearby Valle Crucis Abbey.

Some records suggest Madog ap Gruffydd ruled from Dinas Brân. ^[8]

If a structure did exist it would have been a wooden fortification probably consisting of a wooden palisade surrounding a hall and other buildings. These early records further say the castle was destroyed by fire, following which a new castle was built on the same site, therefore little prospect for finding any archaeological evidence of the early building remains.

The castle visible today was probably built by Gruffydd II ap Madog son of Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor sometime in the 1260s. At the time Gruffydd II ap Madog was an ally of Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd Prince of Wales, with Powys acting as a buffer state between Llywelyn's heartland of Gwynedd and England. Dinas Brân was one of several castles being built following the signing of the Treaty of Montgomery which had secured Wales for Llywelyn, free from English interference.

Gruffudd died in 1269 or 1270 and the castle passed down to his four sons. Madoc the eldest son was the senior, but each of the sons may have had apartments at the castle. The peace between Llywelyn and Edward did not last long and in 1276 war started between England and Wales. Edward's larger armies soon invaded Wales and the support for Llywelyn crumbled. Two of the brothers made peace with Edward, the second brother Llywelyn and Madoc. However, the castle was not in Madoc's control as the surrender document with the English refers to conditions relating to the recapture of Dinas Brân.

Meanwhile, Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln arrived in Oswestry with forces to capture Dinas Brân. As soon as he had arrived he was told that the defenders of the castle, probably the younger brothers Owain and Gruffudd - who were still allies of Llywelyn Prince of Wales, had set fire to and abandoned the castle.

Following the end of the war in October 1282 and the death of Llywelyn, most of Powys Fadog including the castle was granted to John de Warenne, Earl of Surrey. Rather than rebuild Dinas Brân, De Warenne choose instead to build a new castle at Holt on the Flintshire, Cheshire border and Dinas Brân continued till the present day a picturesque and romantic ruin.^[9]

Burial

After his death, he was buried at Valle Crucis Abbey^[1]

Issue

Children, listed by Bartrum, with Angharad from Jones, Cymmrodorion, 1958, 30, Cited by Boyer

1. Gruffudd, born Montgomeryshire 1195. Arglwydd Dinas Brann, d. 1269, m. Emma de Audley.^[1]
2. Gruffudd
3. Madog Fychan
4. Maredudd
5. Hywel, born Montgomeryshire, 1195, died c. 1268. ^[1]
6. Iorwerth Ddu
7. Angharad

Not named by Boyer:

Tangwystl ferch Madog Goch,born Wales 1185.

The medieval text Rhandiroedd Powys records that he had four sons: Gruffudd, Meredudd, Howel and Madog Fychan ("Ac iddo y bv bedwar mad, Gruffudd, Meredudd, Howel a Madoc vychan"). Meredudd, Howel and Madog Fychan died without male heirs and their share of lands in Powys passed to their brother Gruffudd.^[4]

Research Notes

These profiles should not be confused:

• Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor ap Madog ap Maredudd, born 1160, Prince of Powys.
• Madog Goch ap Gruffudd ap Llywelyn ap Robert born about 1195
• Madog ap Gruffudd ap Owain Brogynton ap Madog ap Maredudd, born about 1200.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8} Carl Boyer 3rd, Medieval Welsh Ancestors of Certain Americans. Generally follows Bartrum. By the author: Santa Clarita, California, 2004. Madog is #40 on page 19-20.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Chartulary of Dieulacres Abbey with an Introduction and Notes by Major-General The Hon. Wrottesley, (London: Harrison and Sons, 1906), 321-22, e-Book Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/collectionsforhi94staf/page/321/mode/1up : accessed 31 May, 2022). #42 and #43.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Chartulary of Dieulacres Abbey with an Introduction and Notes by Major-General The Hon. Wrottesley, (London: Harrison and Sons, 1906), 333, e-Book Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/collectionsforhi94staf/page/333/mode/1up : accessed 31 May, 2022). #85.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Peter Bartrum (ed), “Rhandiroedd Powys” in National Library of Wales Journal, 1973, vol. 18, p. 231-7. NLW Image.
5. ↑ Darrell Wolcott. Ancient Wales Studies. The Ancestry of Owain Glyndŵr
6. ↑ Cf Jones, Cymrodorion, 1958, 30. Cited by Carl Boyer 3rd, Medieval Welsh Ancestors of Certain Americans. Generally follows Bartrum. By the author: Santa Clarita, California, 2004. Madog is #40 on page 19-20.
7. ↑ Wikipedia: Castell_Dinas_Brân Accessed 1/6/2019 jhd
8. ↑ Cathcart King, Two Castles in Northern Powys: Dinas Bran and Caergwrle", Arch. Camb., CXXIII (1974), 39. Cited by Wikipedia: Castell_Dinas_Brân Accessed 1/6/2019 jhd
9. ↑ Kightly, Dr. Charles (2003), Dinas Brân Castle, Denbighshire County Council. Cited by Wikipedia: Castell_Dinas_Brân Accessed 1/6/2019 jhd

See also:

• T. J. Pierce, "Madog ap Gruffydd (died 1236) lord of Powys," Dictionary of Welsh Biography
• Wikipedia: Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor
• Wikidata: Item Q2615757, en:Wikipedia