Rhodri ap Gruffudd (abt. 1230 - bef. 1307)

Ancestors

Descendants

Biography

Name

• Rhodri ap Gruffudd ^[1]
• Prince Rhodri ^[1]
• Roderick Fitz Griffin ^[1]
• Rotheric son of Griffin^[2]

1235 Birth

Rhodri was born about 1235.^[3] He would have been a small child in 1241 when his mother Senena offered him and his brother Dafydd as replacement hostages to obtain the release of her husband and older son.

Cawley simply states he was born before 1241.^[4]

Wikipedia states that he was born about 1230, the third or fourth son of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Fawr. He was the younger brother of both Llywelyn ap Gruffudd of Gwynedd, Prince of Wales) and of Owain Goch ap Gruffydd. He was probably the younger brother of Dafydd ap Gruffydd of Gwynedd but may have been the older as there are no accurate records of their birth dates.^[1]

1241 Senena's agreement with Henry III

Henry III King of England made an agreement with "Senana wife of Griffin son of Llewellyn…whom David his brother keeps in prison with Owen his son" for payment of a ransom for their release, agreeing to give "David and Rothery her sons as hostages" to the king, dated 12 Aug 1241.^[4]

In 1241, Rhodri along with his brother Dafydd ap Gruffydd were sent as hostages to King Henry. Dafydd ap Llywelyn seized the opportunity to wage war against Henry, defeating him in battle in the summer of 1245 during Henry's second invasion of Wales.^[1]

1246 Death of Uncle Dafydd

In February 1246 Dafydd died without legitimate male heirs, and the throne was inherited under Welsh Law by the four sons of the now dead Gruffudd. A massive struggle ensued between them all but by the 1250s Rhodri's elder brother Llywelyn had consolidated his position as prince and successfully excluded the other siblings from power. ^[1]

1277 Agreement on Inheritance

The Chronicle of Peterborough records that "rex Lewelino…Oweyn…frater eius" was released in 1277 after many years in captivity and that Oweyn and Rotheric reached agreement with their brother Llywelyn regarding their inheritance.^[4]

1281 First Marriage to Beatrice de Malpas

Rhodri married firstly (1281) Beatrice, daughter of David de Malpas & his wife. Beatrice died in 1290.^[4]

Rhodri married first Beatrice de Malpas, daughter of David de Malpas the Bastard, and widow of Sir William Patric. ^[5]

By 1282 (and possibly even earlier) Rhodri had come into the possession of the manor of Bidfield in Gloucestershire.^[1]

Beatrice married secondly, Rhodri, son of Gruffudd ab llewelyn, Prince of Wales.^[6]

Beatrice is called in Harl. MS 1977, Bewtrice, daughter and coheir of David bruerton(or Clarke), Baron of Malpas.^[6]

1291 Second Marriage to Katherine

Rhodri married Katherine,^{[7] [8]} parents not specified. She died before 1315).^[4]

By circa 1309 he had acquired the manor of Tatsfield in Surrey.^[1]

1298-9 Fine

In 27 Edward I [20 November, 1298-19 November, 1299] Fulk Le Straunge, Bogon de Knovill and Alianora his wife made a fine with Rotheric son of Griffin, Katherine his wife, and Cadugon de Hadelegh, regarding a pool raised to the damage of the free tenement of Fulk, Bogon, and Alianora, in Northbury and Merbury. Fulk, Bogon, and Alianora grant that the pool remain in the state it was when this fine was made. In return the said Rotheric and Katherine grant to the said Fulk and his heirs 10s rent in Northbury issuing from the lands and tenements which belonged to Roger son of Ranulph de Oldyngton. ^[7]

1299 Suit by Ellen Ardern

In 28 Edward I [20 November 1299-19 November 1300] at Chester, Ellen Ardern, the widow of Thomas de Arderne, sued Roderic, son of Griffin, and Katherine, his wife, for dower of 4 messuages, 7 bovates of land, 80 acres of wood, 120 acres of pasture and 10 solidates of rent in Northbur', near Merbur'. Roderic and Katherine vouched to warranty Thomas, son of Thomas de Arderne.^[9]

1300 Holding Part of Barony of Malpas

In 1300, by mandate of King Edward I of England, Richard de Mascy, Justice in Cheshire, with Hugh de Audley [Aldithelegh] and Fulk l'Estrange prepared a list of people who had &pound40 of land or revenue, which included Richard de Suttone, Urian de Sanpierre and Rotheric son of Griffin, who each held part of Malpas.^[2]

1304-5 Fines

In 33 Edward I [20 November, 1304-19 November, 1305], Rotheric son of Griffin, and Katherine his wife made a fine with Eignon son of Ithel and Alice his wife, for one messuage, eight acres of land, three acres of wood, three acres of heath, and the third part of the third part of a mill in Masefen. Eignon and Alice acknowledge the tenements to be the right of Rotheric and Katherine, and the heirs of Rotheric.^[8]

Also in 33 Edward I, Rotheric and Katherine his wife made a fine with Philip de Cawordyn and Eva his wife, for the manor of Masefen, except four messuages, four bovates of land, six acres of wood, six acres of heath, and two parts of a mill in the same manor. Philip and Eva acknowledge the tenements to be the right of Rotheric and Katherine and the heirs of Rotheric.^[8]

1311 Suit Against John de Eggerton

At Chester in 5 Edward II (8 July 1311-7 July 1312), Rotheric, son of Griffin, and his wife Katrine, sued John, son of Philip de Eggerton, Urian and Philip, his sons, David, son of Hugh de Calvylegh, Peter, his brother, and others, for land in Bykelegh, and estovers in Bykelegh Wood, which land in Bykelegh, Richard de Barnvylle, Lord of Bykelegh, gave to Philip Goch, his son.^[10]

Richard de Barnvylle was the father of:

1. Philip Goch, who was the father of:
2. David; who was the father of:
3. Philip de Eggerton, who was the father of:
4. John, who had been enfeoffed by his father, Philip.

1315 Death

Rhodri ap Gruffudd died in 1315.^[4]

Rhodri died c. 1315. As the only surviving brother of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd after 1283 he would have been regarded by many as a legitimate claimant to the throne of Gwynedd, and therefore also to the title Prince of Wales. ^[1]

Issue

Rhodri is reputed to have had at least one son,

1. Thomas ap Rhodri (by Catherine), who was the father to Owain Lawgoch and a daughter, Katherine, who married into the De La Pole family.^[1]

Rhodri & his second wife had one child:^[4]

1. 1. THOMAS ap Rhodri ([1295]-1363). m CECILIA, daughter of ---. Thomas & his wife had one child:
      1. OWAIN ap Thomas ap Rhodri ([1330]-1378).

By his second wife Catherine he had children Thomas and Catrin (who married Gruffudd de la Pole). Rhodri's grandson Owain ap Thomas ap Rhodri, was a soldier of fortune and a pretender to the Principality of Wales before his assassination at the seige of Montagne-sur-Mer in July 1378.^[5]

Harleian MS 1977 gives the descendants of Prince Rhodri ab Gruffydd by Bewtrice, daughter and coheir of David Bruerton (als. Clarke), Baron of Malpas, as

1. Thomas, (who rebelled temp. Edward III), father of Gwenhoyn Goch, who died young, and divers daughters. ^[6]

Descendants

Academic research by Professor Tony Carr has indicated that the manor of Tatsfield in Surrey was in the possession of Rhodri ap Gruffudd and his descendants during the 14th century. Rhodri’s son, Thomas ap Rhodri, and his grandson, Owain ap Thomas (Owain Lawgoch), may have been born in Tatsfield. Owain Lawgoch eventually became one of France’s leading mercenary captains fighting against the English during the 1360s and 1370s and was eventually assassinated in 1378 under the orders of the English Crown because of the threat he presented to the political stability of Wales after he declared himself Prince of Wales. ^[1]

Research Notes

Date Estimation

Estimated dates are derived from a "date estimation scheme" based on the agreement between King Henry III and Gruffudd's wife Senena on 12 August 1241. ^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10} Wikipedia: Rhodri ap Gruffudd. Accessed May 6, 2018.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "[795] The Knights' Fees in 1300", The Cheshire Sheaf: Third Series: being Local Gleanings, Historical & Antiquarian relating to Cheshire, Chester, & North Wales, from Many Scattered Fields. Reprinted from the "Chester Courant. Volume V, (January 7, 1903), 15-6, e-Book Internet Archive (https://archive.org/stream/cheshiresheaf00unkngoog#page/n674 : accessed 21 August, 2018).
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} The solid date upon which estimates can be based is 12 August, 1241. On that date, Senena, wife of Gruffudd, signed an agreement with King Henry III arranging for the release and restoration of her husband Grufudd and son Owain, leaving her youngest sons Dafydd and Rhodri as hostages in Owain's place. Henry broke the agreement, keeping Gruffydd prisoner in the Tower of London, but with generous provisions which included permission for Senena to stay with him. Gruffudd ended his life in a failed escape attempt on 1 March, 1244. These facts permit the following conclusions and date estimates:
   1. Senena was Gruffudd's wife to the end. Any other wife would have to precede Senena.
   2. Owain was Senena's oldest son. For one of his age, hostage status meant being a prisoner with his father in the Tower of London, so estimate his age as 18 in 1241, thus born in 1223.;
   3. Since Owain was the oldest and first born son, assume the marriage was the year prior to his birth, 1222.
   4. Girls married very young; assume she was 16 at her marriage in 1222, thus born in 1206. Boyer shows Senena's father Caradog born, say, 1200. This estimation would require Caradog to marry in 1205 at the age of 20, and be born in, say, 1185, rather than 1200.
   5. Dafydd and Rhodri, the youngest sons offered as exchange hostages, would have been much younger, and destined to live in a noble household. Assume they were just old enough to comfortably leave home in 1241, aged 9 and 6, thus born in 1232 and 1235, respectively.
   6. Men tended to be older at marriage. Assume Gruffudd was aged 24 in 1222; this would place his birth at 1198.
   7. If Grufudd had an additional relationship, whether in a marriage or with a mistress, assume it occurred between Grufudd becoming 18 in 1216, and his marriage to Senena in 1222.
   8. Some sources refer to Gruffudd's additional marriage to Rhanultt ferch Rheinullt. Others refer to her as a mistress. Either way, the relationship and the children born of it would have occurred between 1216 and 1222.
   9. Based on the above, Gruffudd's two oldest children, daughters Catrin and Gwladus, would have been born, say, 1217 and 1219. The remaining children, born to Senena, would have been born as follows: Owain, 1223; Llywelyn, 1225; Dafydd Felyn, 1227 and died early, Margred, 1229, Dafydd 1232, and Rhodri 1235. This date estimation is of course speculative and serves to place persons in the most appropriate time perspective, but hopefully the logic expressed above achieves the best possible date estimates.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6} Charles Cawley. Foundation for Medieval Genealogy. Medieval Lands database. Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Accessed February 15, 2016.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Carl Boyer 3rd. Medieval Welsh Ancestors of Certain Americans. Generally follows Bartrum. By the author: Santa Clarita, California, 2004. Gruffudd ap Llywelyn ap Iorwerth is #46 on page 307.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} Notes on Joyce Cherleton and her Descendants Archaeologia Cambrensis] (Google eBook). Cambrian Archaeological Association, Wales, 1880; page 60
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Rhodes, E H, comp, "Appendix 5. Welsh Records. Calendar of Fines, Counties of Chester and Flint, Edward I: Removed from Chester to the Public Record Office in 1854." The Twenty-Eighth Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records [28 February 1867], (London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1867), 13, e-Book HathiTrust (https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015039450518?urlappend=%3Bseq=41%3Bownerid=34524648-40 : accessed 3 May, 2022). Fine No. 58.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} Rhodes, E H, comp, "Appendix 5. Welsh Records. Calendar of Fines, Counties of Chester and Flint, Edward I: Removed from Chester to the Public Record Office in 1854." The Twenty-Eighth Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records [28 February 1867], (London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1867), 15, e-Book HathiTrust (https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015039450518?urlappend=%3Bseq=43%3Bownerid=34524648-42 : accessed 3 May, 2022). Fine No. 75 and No. 76.
9. ↑ "Appendix 4. Welsh Records. Calendar of Deeds, Inquisitions, and Writs of Dower, on the Chester Plea Rolls; Hen III and Edw I", The Twenty-Sixth Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records [18 February 1865], (London: Printed by George E Eyre and William Spottiswoode, 1864), 50, e-Book HathiTrust (https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015039450500?urlappend=%3Bseq=366 : accessed 23 December 2017).
10. ↑ Wrottesley 1905, p. 145

See also:

• Major-General The Hon G Wrottesley, comp., Pedigrees from the Plea Rolls collected from the Pleadings in the Various Courts of Law AD 1200 to 1500 from the Original Rolls, ( 1905), accessed 29 August 2014, https://archive.org/stream/pedigreesfromple00wrotrich#page/n5/mode/2up .