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Owain ap Gruffudd (abt. 1128 - abt. 1197)

Owain "Cyfeiliog" ap Gruffudd aka ap Gruffydd
Born about in Powys, Walesmap
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married [date unknown] [location unknown]
Descendants descendants
Died about at about age 69 in Stratta Marcella, Powys, Walesmap
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Profile last modified | Created 29 May 2013
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The Birth Date is a rough estimate. See the text for details.
Preceded by
Madog ap Maredudd
Prince of Southern Powys
1160–1195
Succeeded by
Gwenwynwyn ab Owain

Biography

Prince in Southern Powys

Owain ap Gruffydd (c. 1130 - 1197) was a prince of the southern part of Powys and a poet. [1]

Parentage

Owain was the son of Gruffydd ap Maredudd and nephew of Madog ap Maredudd, the last prince of the whole of Powys. [1]

Owain ap Gruffydd Cyfelliog was son of Geyffydd ap Maredudd Lord of Mawddy & his wife Gwerfyl of Caer ([1125]-1195). [2]

The Dictionary of National Biography called Owain "the offspring of an irregular union of his father with Gwervyl, daughter of Urgen ab Howel. [3]

Owen's Marriage to Gwenthlian ferch Owain

Owain married first Gwenllian ferch Owain Gwynedd (who died in 1170) ap Gruffudd ap Cynan ab Iago ab Idwal ap Meurig ab Idwal Foel ab Anarawd ap Rhodri Mawr. [3]

Owain married firstly Gwenllian of Gwynedd, illegitimate daughter of Owain King of Gwynedd & his mistress ---. [2]

Owen Cyveilioc is said to have married Gwenthlian, the daughter of Prince Owen Gwyneth, by whom he had one son Wenwynwyn, who inherited his patrimony entire, except the commot of Llannerchhudol, and the lordship of Bronjarth, which were bestowed by Owen upon his natural son, Caswalhon Maeleri, for life, and afterwards reverted to Wenwynwyn, or his son. [4]

Second marriage to Gwenllian ferch Ednywain

Owain married secondly Gwenllian ferch Ednywain ab Eginir ap Gollwyn ap Tangno[3]

Marriage to daughter of Rhys ap Gruffydd

Owain married secondly a daughter of Rhys ap Gruffydd. [2]

1147 Commote of Cyfeiliog

Madog gave his nephew Owain the commote of Cyfeiliog to rule in 1147. On Madog's death in 1160 Owain became the ruler of most of southern Powys.[1]

The Chronicle of the Princes of Wales records that "Madog son of Maredudd built the castle of Oswestry" in 1148 and "gave Cyveiliog to his nephews Owain and Meurug, the sons of Gruffudd son of Maredudd". [2]

In 1149 or 1159 Madog ap Maredudd ap Bleddyn ap Cynfyn granted his nephews Owain ap Gruffudd and Meurig ap Gruffudd the district of Cyfeiliog. This included most of the middle valley of the Dovey (or Dyfi) and corresponded to western portions of modern Montgomeryshire. [3]

1155 Poet

Owain was also a notable poet. Although only one of his poems has been preserved, this one, Hirlas Owain is commonly rated as one of the finest Welsh poems of this period. In the poem, Owain's bodyguard are gathered at his court following a raid in 1155 to free his brother Meurig from prison in Maelor. The mission accomplished, Owain calls for the drinking horn to be passed to each member of his bodyguard in turn, with words of praise for each one. There is a more somber note when he remembers two of his men who fell in the fighting and grieves for their loss.[1]

Owain also appears in the romance of Fulke FitzWarin as a knight who strikes Fulk with a spear.

1159 Payment by Henry

On 29 Sep 1158, he was paid five marks in silver out of the treasury of King Henry II of England. [4]

1160 Southern Powys

Prince of Southern Powys 1160. He abdicated. [2]

When Madog ap Maredudd died in 1160 and Llywelyn his son was killed shortly after, Owain, who had adopted the name Owain Cyfeiliog, succeeded to the lordship of all of Powys. [3]

1162 Loss of Residence

In 1162 he lost his residence, Tafolwern Castle in Cyfeiliog, in a war with Hywel ab Ieuaf ap Cadwgon ab Elystan Glodrydd, but he had revenge the next year.

1165 English Invasion

He was allied with the English until 1165, when Norman pressure caused him to switch his alliance and support Owain Gwynedd and Yr Arglwydd Rhys in resisting an invasion by King Henry Ii of England. [3]

It is said that Owain Cyfeiliog distinguished himself in the battle of Crogen, where Henry II suffered great losses, but the DNB, and English source, credits the weather and food shortages in causing Henry's withdrawal. In any event, Henry did not return. [3]

He is recorded as having been in alliance with the other Welsh princes to withstand the invasion of 1165 by king Henry II of England. Thereafter he usually followed a policy of supporting the English crown. [1]

The alliance was continued in 1166 against Iorwerth of Mochnant, but the next year Owain Gwynedd and Yr Arglwydd Rhys turned against Owain Cyfeiliog, who then sought support from his English marcher friends and Norman forces. [3]

1170 Abbey of Strata Marcella

In 1170 he gave land for the founding of the abbey of Strata Marcella. In 1188 however he refused to meet or support Baldwin, Archbishop of Canterbury and Giraldus Cambrensis when they journeyed around Wales to raise men for a crusade, and was excommunicated as a result.[1]

1177 Allegiance to Henry

In May, 1177 he and all the Welsh chieftains attended the "great council" at Oxford, and all of them took oaths of allegiance to King Henry II as their overlord. [3]

1186 Murder of Nephew

According to Gerald Cambrensis he was responsible for the murder of his nephew Owain ap madog in 1186; the deed was done by his sons Gwenwynwyn and Cadwallon. [3]

1188 Excommunicated

In 1188 Baldwin, Archbishop of Canterbury, excommunicated Owain Cyfeiliog because the prince had failed to join all the other Welsh princes in meeting the archbishop during the course of his crusading tour. [3]

1195 Power Transfer to Gwenwynwyn

In 1195 Owain handed the rule of his realm to his son Gwenwynwyn ab Owain and retired to the abbey of Strata Marcella, where he died and was buried two years later.[1]

1197 Death of Owen Cyveilioc

Owen Cyveilioc died in 1197 at a very advanced age. He founded the monastery at Ystread Marchell. “His designation of Cyveilioc or Kevelioc, as it was usually written by the English, was taken from the commot or lordship of that name, in the south-western part of the present county of Montgomery, which contains the parishes of Darowen, Kemmes, Llanbrinmare, Llanwrin, Machynlleth, and Penegoes. [5]

Burial

Owain was buried at the Abbey of Strata Marcella - located at Ystrad Marchell on the west bank of the River Severn near Welshpool in Powys. He was the founder of the Abbey in 1170, as a daughter house of the abbey at Whitland. By the 13th century Strata Marcella became the largest Cistercian abbey in Wales with a nave 200 feet long. Welsh rebellion in the 15th century heavily damaged the Abbey and it never fully recovered. The Abbey was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1536 and its stone was used to build several local churches. Today earthworks cover its ruins beside the River Severn. [6] [7]

Owen's Castle

The ruins of Owain's castle are still to be seen at Tafolwern in Cyveilioc.

Owen was a distinguished bard, and lived in the Augustan age of Welsh poetry. Owain was the most eloquent of the Welsh princes and conspicuous for the good management of his territory. [5]

Issue

Cawley names two children of Owain & his first wife: Gwenwynwyn and Caswallon:[2] Boyer, following Bartrum, names only Gwenwynwyn as the child of Owain's first wife.

Gwenwynwyn: Child of Owain and his first wife Gwenllian ferch Owain Gwynedd

  1. Gwenwynwyn (-1216). He succeeded his father as Prince of Southern Powys. King John agreed to free “Wennuen filium Hoeni de Keneliac” in return for hostages by charter dated 8 Oct 1208[769]. He abdicated in 1215. Gwenwynwyn married Mary [Margaret] Corbet, daughter of Robert Corbet of Caus & his wife --- (-after 15 Apr 1231). Eyton records her parentage and marriage but does not cite the corresponding primary source. Henry III King of England notified "M. que fuit uxor Wenunwen" that he granted "manerio...de Assesford" to “Griffino filio vestro”, a second order notifying the barons of the exchequer of the grant to “Griffino filio Wenionwen” of revenue received from “Margareta mater ipsius Griffini...pro manerio nostro de Assesford” while he remained in the king´s service. Henry III King of England forgave "tallagium" from "Margarete que fuit uxor Wenunwin" dated 15 Apr 1231[772]. Gwenwynwyn & his wife had two children: [2]
    1. GRUFFYDD (-[1286/87]). Henry III King of England notified "M. que fuit uxor Wenunwen" that he granted "manerio...de Assesford" to “Griffino filio vestro”, a second order notifying the barons of the exchequer of the grant to “Griffino filio Wenionwen” of revenue received from “Margareta mater ipsius Griffini...pro manerio nostro de Assesford” while he remained in the king´s service[773]. Gruffudd married (before 24 Feb 1242) HAWISE, daughter of John [III] le Strange of Knockin, Shropshire & his wife Lucy [Tresgoz] (-1310). "Griffin son of Wenunewin" was granted "the manor of Eshford, co Derby" to give as dower to "Hawyse daughter of John Lestrange his wife", dated 24 Feb 1242[774]. "Hawise" kept the manor of Stretton for "frater suus dominus Hamo Extraneus" when he left for Palestine, with the consent of "mariti sui…domini Griffini", by charter dated to [1270], witnessed by "Dominis Rogero Extraneo, Roberto fratre suo"[775]. Gruffydd & his wife had seven children: [2]
      1. OWEN de la Pole (-1293). m as her first husband, JOHANNA Corbet, daughter of Sir ROBERT Corbet & his wife ---. Owen & his wife had two children:
        1. HAWISE “Gadam/the Hardy” (1290-[Aug 1345/1353])). m (1309) JOHN Cherleton, son of ROBERT Cherleton of Cherleton, Wrockwardine, Shropshire & his wife --- (-1353). Lord of Powys, de iure uxoris. He was summoned to Parliament in 1313 whereby he is held to have become Lord Cherleton.
        2. GRUFFYDD (1291-1309). m as his first wife, ELA de Audley, daughter of NICHOLAS de Audley & his wife Catherine Giffard. She married secondly Sir James de Perrers, and thirdly Piers Corbet. [2]
      2. 5 sons.
      3. MARGARET (-11 May 1336). m (before 25 Feb 1277) FULK FitzWarin [V], son of FULK FitzWarin [IV] & his [second] wife Constance de Tosny (14 Sep 1251-24 Nov 1315). [2]
    2. MADOG .

Children of Unidentified Mother [3]

Boyer presents two children of Owain -- a son Cadwallon and daughter Meddivus -- whose mother is unidentified.

  1. [[ab Owain Cyfeiliog-1] Caswallon]] [2] or Cadwallon [3]
  2. Meddivus verch Owain, daughter of Owain Ceilfielog ap Gruffudd, and sister of Gwenwynwyn, Prince of Powys[8]

Constance

A daughter Constance is shown in the Visitation of Cheshire [9] and is mentioned in both Carl Boyer [3] and Peter Cotgreave. [10]

Research Notes

Name and Disambiguation

Two major Welsh leaders named Owain were contemporaries -- but they are different people!

  • Owain Gwynedd born about 1100 was Owain ap Gruffudd ap Cynan ab Iago ab Idwal ap Meurig, King of Gwynedd, or North Wales.
  • Owain Cyfeiliog, "the Prince-Bard" born about 1130, was Owain ap Gruffudd ap Maredudd ap Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, Lord of Cyfeiliog. [3]

He is usually known as Owain Cyfeiliog to distinguish him from another contemporary ruler, Owain ap Gruffydd of Gwynedd known as Owain Gwynedd. [1]

Detachments

Note:
Removed Goronwy-3 as spouse using the Peerage for Cristin ferch Goronwy and

Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, Volume 3, page 4188. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003.

Sources

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Wikipedia:Owain_Cyfeiliog.
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Cawley, Foundation for Medieval Genealogy, Princes of Southern Powys. [1]
  3. 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 DNB 14:1289 cited by Boyer, p. 18.
  4. 4.0 4.1 G. T. O Bridgeman. Princes of Upper Powys, Mont. Colls, 1.8. Cited by Boyer, p. 18
  5. 5.0 5.1 The Princes of Upper Powys, Chap. I to IV, By the Hon. And Rev. G. T. O. Bridgeman, M. A. Collections Historical and Archaeological Relating to Montgomeryshire Issued by the Powys-Land Club for the Use of its Members. Vol. I, J. Russell Smith, London, 1868, pp. 10-11. [2]
  6. http://www.monasticwales.org/site/33
  7. Wikipedia:Strata_Marcella.
  8. The Montgomeryshire Collections, Volume 5, Clifton Press, 1872, p. 419.
  9. Rylands, John Paul. The visitation of Cheshire in the year 1580. The Harleian Society, London, 1882, p. 159. [3]
  10. Peter Cotgreave. The barony of Malpas in the twelfth century. Transactions, Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, 2008, 157.2. Figure 2 Relationships showing how David 'the Bastard' of Malpas was genuinely related to the Welsh prince Owain Keveliok...' Page 16

See Also:

  • John Edward Lloyd (1911) A history of Wales from the earliest times to the Edwardian conquest (Longmans, Green & Co.




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Rejected matches › Owain ap Gruffydd (1078-1170)