Elen ferch Thomas (abt. 1334 - aft. 1370)

Born about 1334 in Is, Cardiganshire, Wales [uncertain]

Ancestors

Descendants

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Biography

Elen ferch Tomas ap Llywelyn of Deheubarth, was daughter of Tomas ap Llywelyn. Spouse of Gruffydd Fychan, Hereditary Tywysog of Powys Fadog and Lord of Glyndyfrdwy.^[1]

Her ancestry is recorded in Welsh manuscripts written in the early 16th century, Peniarth MS 127 describes her as Elen, Lady Glyndyfrdwy ("arglwyddes glynn Dyvyrdwy"), the wife of Gruffudd Fychan. It records that her father was Thomas ap Llewelyn ap Owain. She had a sister of Margred, lady Uowddwy.^[2] Her ancestry is also recorded in Peniarth MS 129.^[3]

Peniarth MS 127 records that Elen and Gruffudd had two sons and three daughters:

• Owain Glyndŵr
• Tudur
• Lowri, wife of Robert Puleston
• Isabel, wife of Adda ap Iorwerth Ddu ab Ednyfed Gam
• Morfudd, wife of David ab Ednyfed Gam^[2]

Elen appears to have been widowed before 1370/1 when she was recorded as Elen "lately" (jadis) the wife of "Gruff de Glindorde" on a list of loans made by Richard, Earl of Arundel. She owed 30 marks. The list records:

Item livere a Elene jadys le femme de Gruff de Glindorde daprest par lettres le seigneur a repaier a feste de Pasque proscheyn pur queux le Receivour de Oswaldestre ad pris seurete - xxx mz^[4]

Research Notes

Dr Peter Bartrum wrote that there is "much disagreement in the ancestries' about the ancestry of her mother, Elinor. He said, "Some versions are definitely fictitious, the others ... open to doubt."^[1] The "fictitious" ancestry is apparently the version show in Peniarth MS 127 and 129, namely that Elinor's parents were Philip ap Ivor and Katrin ferch Llywelyn ap Gruffudd.^[2][3]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Peter Bartrum, Bartrum Genealogical Project, Aberystwyth University. Charts Rhys ap Tewdwr 7; Bleddyn ap Cynfyn 5.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} National Library of Wales. Llyfr Syr Thomas ap Ieuan ap Deicws, [c. 1510 - 1544]. Peniarth MS 127, p. 31, 38, 188, 212-3. NLW Catalogue; NLW Image. A transcript of the relevant pages is here.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} National Library of Wales. Llyfr achau Gutun Owain, [1501x1540]. Peniarth MS 129, p. 60, 66. NLW catalogue; NLW image. A transcript of the relevant pages is here.
4. ↑ C. Given-Wilson. "Wealth and Credit, Public and Private: The Earls of Arundel 1306-1397." The English Historical Review, 1991, vol. 106, no. 418, p. 6-7, 23-5; citing Shrewsbury Borough Library, Craven MS 5923.

• Yale genealogy and history of Wales. The British kings and princes. Life of Owen Glyndwr. Biographies of Governor Elihu Yale ... Linus Yale, sr., and Linus Yale, jr. ... Maurice Fitz Gerald ... Roger de Montgomery ... and other noted persons. By Rodney Horace Yale. Published 1908 by Printed by Milburn and Scott company in Beatrice, Neb .
• Owain Glyndwr - Early Life ~ The Native Princes of Wales.© 2004 - 2005 www.englishmonarchs.co.uk®
• Owain Glyndŵr from Wikipedia
• The Ancestry of Owain Glyndŵr Ancient Wales Studies, by Darrell Wolcott