Gwaithfoed ap Dryw (abt. 1125)

Born about 1125 in Wales

Ancestors

Descendants

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Biography

Disambiguation

A number of Welshmen named Gwaithfoed have become conflated into one. Wolcott estimates that two Gwaithfoeds associated with Gwent were among them, one the great-grandfather of the other: ^[1]

1. Gwaithfoed (1045)
2. Sir Gwyn (1075)
3. Dryw (1105)
4. Gwaithfoed II (1135)

Birth and Parents

Boyer places Gwaithfoed of Gwent as born, say, 1100 and gives no further ancestry. ^[2]

Wolcott places him later, born, say 1135, the son of Dryw, born say 1105, and grandson of Sir Gwyn, born 1075, and Emma de Baladon, born, say, 1080. ^[1]

Wolcott's account reflects a certain amount of conjecture; he says that "the name of the father of this c. 1135 Gwaethfoed was probably Sir Dryw. Wolcott notes that the History of Monmouthshire, vol. 1, part 2a, page 242, cites Dryw as the son of Sir Gwyn and Emma de Baladon. ^[1]

Issue

1. Aeddan of Grosmont, married a daughter of Sir john Russel of Kentchurch ^[2] Aeddan was born say, 1165.^[1]
2. Y Bach of ynysgynwraidd. ^[2] Y Bach was born, say, 1170. ^[1]
3. Gwyn Anwyl of Castell Gwyn (Whitecastle) and Tre-wyn (Wynskin), possible son. However in chart Rs. ap T. 1, Bartrum shows an alternate line of Gwyn Anwyl ap Philip ap Hywel (living 1115) ap Rhys). ^[2] Emlyn was born, say, 1170. ^[1]

Research Notes

Excerpt from Ancient Wales Studies: Sorting out the Gwaithfoeds

GWAITHFOED II OF GWENT:

It was, we believe, the grandson of Sir Gwyn ap Gwaithfoed who was the second Gwaithfoed of Gwent who was father to Aeddan, y Bach, Gwilym (or Emlyn) and probably Cadwgan (mentioned below under Other Citations); those sons were born c. 1165/1170. The name of the father of this c. 1135 Gwaethfoed was probably Sir Dryw^[3] .

GWAITHFOED I OF GWENT

Bartrum suggests this was also Gwaithfoed of Ceredigion and father to Aeddan, y Bach and Gwyn...a position which wholly defies chronology.^[4] Our work points to two such men of Gwent, the first born c. 1045 and the father of Sir Gwyn, and the second born c. 1135 and the father of Aeddan and y Bach. We suggest the later Gwaithfoed was the great-grandson of the first one. We would identify the earliest Gwaethfoed of Gwent as "ap Gwyn ap Glyddien (Cloddien) ap Gwybedydd ap Gwrydr Hir ap Caradog ap Lles Llyddog" ^[5]and believe he (or an intermediate ancestor) took up residence on the family's paternal lands in south Powys when other branches of the family remained in Tegeingl. We further suggest that when his lands were overrun by Normans and incorporated into Salop (Shropshire), this Gwaethfoed moved south looking for a new spot to settle. Entering the north of Upper Gwent, we think he appealed to its king, Ynyr ap Cadwgan, and was given Merwydd ferch Ynyr ^[6] as wife and lands where White Castle was later built. It is even possible Gwaethfoed came to Gwent as an invader/squatter and avoided armed conflict with its king by agreeing to marry Ynyr's daughter. We date Ynyr to c. 1030 and Merwydd to c. 1060 and reject the medieval tale that had Gwaithfoed of Ceredigion making a plundering raid into Gwent and returning home with the king's daughter as his wife. Our view that the lady married a Gwaithfoed of Gwent seems more reasonable, both as to geography and chronology.^[7] His only known son is called Sir Gwyn, born c. 1075, builder of Gwyn's Castle now known as White Castle.

About the year 1100, Sir Drew de Baladon (or Balun) invaded upper Gwent as a retainer of the Marcher Lord Roger fitz William fitz Osbern. Confronted by both Ynyr and Gwaithfoed, it apppears bloodshed was averted by both Welshmen agreeing to provide their sons as spouses for de Baladon's daughters. Ynyr Ddu ap Ynyr married Jois de Baladon ^[8] while Sir Gwyn ap Gwaithfoed married Emma de Baladon^{[9] [10]}

Excerpt from National Library of Wales journal - 1963 Pedigrees of the Welsh tribal Patriarchs

Gwaithfoed.
There seem to have been several persons named Gwaithfoed all of whom were eventually combined into one Gwaithfoed Fawr.

(a) Gwaithfoed of Powys (b. c. 940) ap Gwynnan, father of Gwerystan and ancestor of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn. His correct pedigree, based on MG 3 with corrections from later versions, seems to have been Gwaithfoed ap Gwynnan ap Gwynnog Farfsych ap Lies Llawddeog ap Ceidio ap Corf ap Caenog ap Tegonwy.

(b) Gwaithfoed (b. c. 960) ap Gwrydr, father of Neiniad and grandfather of Ednywain Bendew I (b. c. 1020). See ABT 2d and note, 8h, HL ib and note, 2i, 9a. From ABT ib it seems that Gwrydr was the son of Caradog ap Lies Llawddeog, at which point the pedigree joins that of Gwaithfoed of Powys (above). This pedigree, with a change in the order of names, was early appropriated to Gwaithfoed of Powys, as in ABT ib. Later on further names were added in some texts, viz. Gwlydd(i)en in ABT 12, Gwyn and Gwlydd(i)en in ABT 8g, and finally Gwybedydd. These new names may have come from the pedigrees of Gwaithfoed of Ystrad Tywi or Gwaithfoed of Gwent, but there seems to be no definite evidence for this.

(c) Gwaithfoed of Ystrad Tywi (b. c. 980), father of Cydrych of Gwinfai (now Gwynfe in the parish of Llangadog, 4 miles SSE of the town), whose grand-daughter was the wife of Bledri ap Cydifor. (Dwnn i.84, 114, 140, 218).

(d) Gwaithfoed of Ceredigion (b. c. 1070). He was father of Cydifor, from whom many families in Ceredigion were descended; and of Gwallog4 (Pen 131 pp. 302-3, Dwnn i.96). He could also be the Gwaithfoed mentioned by Giraldus Cambrensis as the father of Ednywain, Lay Abbot of Llanbadarn Fawr. (Itin. Kamb. II. 4).

(e) Gwaithfoed of Meirionydd (b. c. 1100). He was father of Gynillin, and ancestor of families in Ystumanner (Dwnn ii.241, 275).

(f) Gwaithfoed of Gwent (b. c. 1100-30) father of Aeddan, Y Bach, and Gwyn (timeline brings this son into question,^[11] amb)who were associated with three well-known castles in upper Gwent, namely Grosmont, Skenfrith and White Castle.^[12]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Darrell Wolcott. Ancient Wales Studies. Sorting out the Gwaithfoeds Accessed 17 July 2020 jhd
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Carl Boyer 3rd. Medieval Welsh Ancestors of Certain Americans. Generally follows Bartrum. By the author: Santa Clarita, California, 2004. Gwaithfoed of Gwent is #1 on page 175.
3. ↑ Wolcott, citation #14
4. ↑ Wolcott, citation #9: Bartrum's reference is to a Gwaithfoed born c. 1100 and actually the one from Meirionydd. Aeddon and Y Bach were born c. 1165/1170, while Sir Gwyn was born c. 1075; they could not have had a common father.
5. ↑ Wolcott, citation #9
6. ↑ Wolcott, citation #10, See Wrexham Ms 1, 81
7. ↑ Wolcott, citation #11: Pen. 140, 348/349 and Mostyn Ms 212b, 91/92 cite this marriage, but incorrectly describe Gwaithfoed as "of Ceredigion". We assign the marriage to the only Gwaithfoed who fits the lady chronologically (and geographically)
8. ↑ Wolcott, citation #12: The pedigree of the de Baladon family appears in Bradford's 'History of Monmouthshire', vol 1, part 1, page 4 where the husband of Joyce is called Ynyr, King of Gwent. In the same work, vol 1, part 2b, page 335, a pedigree of Ynyr Gwent appears in which Ynyr Ddu is incorrectly charted as a brother of Ynyr, and assigned the wives belonging to both; one a lady born c. 1045 and the other a lady born c. 1080.
9. ↑ Wolcott, citation #13 & #14: This marriage is cited in the de Baladon family pedigree referenced in History of Monmouthshire, vol 1, part 2a, page 242 cites Dryw as the son of Sir Gwyn and Emma de Baladon
10. ↑ More details can be found at Ancient Wales Studies: Sorting out the Gwaithfoeds by Darrell Wolcott. (2014-07-22, amb)
11. ↑ Wolcott, citation #9
12. ↑ National Library of Wales journal - Cyf. 13, rh. 2 Gaeaf 1963 Pedigrees of the Welsh tribal Patriarchs, added 2014-07-21, amb

See also:

• National Library of Wales journal - Cyf. 13, rh. 2 Gaeaf 1963 Pedigrees of the Welsh tribal Patriarchs, The National Library of Wales has created and published this digital version of the journal under a licence granted by the publisher. The material it contains may be used for all purposes while respecting the moral rights of the creators.
• Darrell Wolcott, Ancient Wales Studies: Sorting out the Gwaithfoeds