Brycheiniog
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Brycheiniog was an independent
kingdom Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchy ruled by a king or queen * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and media Television * ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...
in
South Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...
in the
Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...
. It often acted as a
buffer state A buffer state is a country geographically lying between two rival or potentially hostile great powers. Its existence can sometimes be thought to prevent conflict between them. A buffer state is sometimes a mutually agreed upon area lying between t ...
between
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
to the east and the south Welsh kingdom of
Deheubarth Deheubarth (; lit. "Right-hand Part", thus "the South") was a regional name for the realms of south Wales, particularly as opposed to Gwynedd (Latin: ''Venedotia''). It is now used as a shorthand for the various realms united under the House o ...
to the west. It was conquered and pacified by the
Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Fran ...
between 1088 and 1095, though it remained
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
in character. It was transformed into the
Lordship of Brecknock The Lordship of Brecknock was an Anglo-Norman marcher lordship located in southern central Wales. Beginnings In the century before the Lordship was founded, Brycheiniog had been contested between its traditional dynasty, and that of Ferlix (a rea ...
and later formed the southern and larger part of the historic county of Brecknockshire. To its south was the
Kingdom of Morgannwg Morgannwg was a medieval Welsh kingdom formed via the merger of the kingdoms of the Kingdom of Glywysing and the Kingdom of Gwent. Formation of Morgannwg First under King Morgan the Generous (fl. ) until the end of the reign of his descendant ...
. The main legacy of the kingdom of Brycheiniog is
etymological Etymology () The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the form of words a ...
. It has lent its name to Brecknockshire (
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
: ''Sir Frycheiniog'', the shire of Brycheiniog) and
Brecon Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the coun ...
(known as ''Aberhonddu'' in Welsh).


History


Origins

Brycheiniog belonged to the
Demetae The Demetae were a Celtic people of Iron Age and Roman period, who inhabited modern Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire in south-west Wales, and gave their name to the county of Dyfed. Classical references They are mentioned in Ptolemy's ''Geograp ...
in pre-Roman times. In Welsh tradition, it was given by the Roman governor of Brittania,
Magnus Maximus Magnus Maximus (; cy, Macsen Wledig ; died 8 August 388) was Roman emperor of the Western Roman Empire from 383 to 388. He usurped the throne from emperor Gratian in 383 through negotiation with emperor Theodosius I. He was made emperor in B ...
(''Macsen Wledig'' in Welsh), to a Greek named ''Antonius the Black'' (''Anwn Ddu''). Some Welsh legends describe Antonius as Maximus' son, and name him the father of Saint Gwen, the triple-breasted, one of many saints he supposedly fathered. Following Antonius' death, the realm was divided between his sons, Tudwal receiving the eastern portions, and Edynfed the western (a part of which became
Dyfed Dyfed () is a preserved county in southwestern Wales. It is a mostly rural area with a coastline on the Irish Sea and the Bristol Channel. Between 1974 and 1996, Dyfed was also the name of the area's county council and the name remains in use f ...
). Historical sources of a much later date, such as the 12th century ''
Book of Llandaff The Book of Llandaff ( la, Liber Landavensis; cy, Llyfr Llandaf, ', or '), is the chartulary of the cathedral of Llandaff, a 12th-century compilation of documents relating to the history of the diocese of Llandaff in Wales. It is written prima ...
'', name the next three generations of rulers of the eastern part — the descendants of Tudwal — as: *Teithrin ap Tudwal *Teithfallt ap Teithrin *
Tewdrig Tewdrig ap Teithfallt (; la, Theodoricus), known simply as Tewdrig, was a king of the post-Roman Kingdom of Glywysing. He abdicated in favour of his son Meurig (Maurice) and retired to live a hermitical life, but was recalled to lead his son ...
ap Teithfallt During this era, Irish raiders had begun to invade various western parts of Britain, with the
Triffyn Farfog Triffyn Farfog ( en, Triffyn the Bearded; born c. AD 385) was a legendary king of Dyfed, son of , a Deisi invader from Ireland, of the dynasty of Eochaid Allmuir. Triffyn married Gwledyr, the heiress of the British kings of Dyfed, in the mid-5 ...
(son of , a Deisi magnate) already having taken over Dyfed from Edynfed's heirs. Traditional Welsh accounts claim that Triffyn had gained his power by peaceably marrying Edynfed's heiress (they do not indicate whether this was under duress). The power of Irish raiders, particularly the
Uí Liatháin The Uí Liatháin (IPA: iːˈlʲiəhaːnʲ were an early kingdom of Munster in southern Ireland. They belonged the same kindred as the Uí Fidgenti, and the two are considered together in the earliest sources, for example '' The Expulsion of th ...
, grew increasingly strong, and was not weakened until it was reduced by the sons of
Cunedda Cunedda ap Edern, also called Cunedda ''Wledig'' ( 5th century), was an important early Welsh leader, and the progenitor of the Royal dynasty of Gwynedd, one of the very oldest of western Europe. Name The name ''Cunedda'' (spelled ''Cuned ...
, as reported in the ''
Historia Brittonum ''The History of the Britons'' ( la, Historia Brittonum) is a purported history of the indigenous British (Brittonic) people that was written around 828 and survives in numerous recensions that date from after the 11th century. The ''Historia Bri ...
''. Traditionally, Tewdrig carved out from his lands the region around
Talgarth Talgarth is a market town, community and electoral ward in southern Powys, Mid Wales, about north of Crickhowell, north-east of Brecon and south-east of Builth Wells. Notable buildings in the town include the 14th-century parish church and ...
(''Garth Madrun'') as a dowry for his daughter, Marchell, when she married Brychan mac Anlach, the grandson of Triffyn's fraternal nephew,
Cormac mac Urb Cormac is a masculine given name in the Irish and English languages. The name is ancient in the Irish language and is also seen in the rendered Old Norse as ''Kormákr''. Mac is Irish for "son", and can be used as either a prefix or a suffix. ...
, in the mid 5th century. The remainder of Tewdrig's lands — Gwent — was inherited by Tewdrig's son. Unfortunately, Brychan's life is shrouded in legend, but in any case, Brychan established a kingdom from the lands of Garth Madrun, which became known as Brycheiniog, after him. Brychan's eldest son (or grandson, depending on which manuscripts are reliable), Rhain Dremrudd (i.e. ''Rhain the red-faced''), founded a dynasty which ruled the kingdom uninterrupted until the mid 7th century; manuscripts list his descendants (and successors) as: *Rhigeneu ap Rhain *Llywarch ap Rhygeneu *Idwallon ap Llywarch. *Rhiwallon ap Idwallon In the time of Idwallon, the aggressive
Cynan Garwyn Cynan Garwyn was king of Powys in the north-east and east of Wales, who flourished in the second half of the 6th century. Little reliable information exists which can be used to reconstruct the background and career of the historical figure. Availa ...
(king of
Powys Powys (; ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh succession of states, successor state, petty kingdom and princi ...
) invaded a number of lands, including Brycheiniog. Rhiwallon succeeded due to the subsequent collapse of Powysian power, under pressure from
Dogfeiling Dogfeiling was a minor sub-kingdom and later a commote in north Wales. It formed part of the eastern border of the Kingdom of Gwynedd in early medieval Wales. The area was named for Dogfael, one of the sons of the first King of Gwynedd, Cunedda ...
, and the extreme youth of Cynan's later successor.


Union with Dyfed

Rhiwallon is the last direct male descendant of Brychan reported by any historic manuscript. His daughter, Ceindrych, married Cloten, the king of Dyfed. This 7th century marriage united the kingdom of Brycheiniog with Dyfed (which at that time bordered it), a union which lasted for about a century (though parts of Brycheiniog may have been granted out, from time to time, as lordships for younger sons). In the mid 8th century, Seisyll (
king of Ceredigion Prior to the Conquest of Wales, completed in 1282, Wales consisted of a number of independent kingdoms, the most important being Gwynedd, Powys, Deheubarth (originally Ceredigion, Seisyllwg and Dyfed) and Morgannwg (Glywysing and Gwent). Bou ...
) invaded, conquering
Ystrad Tywi Ystrad Tywi (, ''Valley of the Tywi'') is a region of southwest Wales situated on the banks of the River Tywi and possibly the River Loughor. Although Ystrad Tywi was never a kingdom itself, it was historically a valuable territory and was foug ...
, and thus physically cleaving apart Dyfed and Brycheiniog.
Rhain ap Cadwgan Rhain ap Cadwgan ( en, Regin son of Cadogan; died c. 740) was an 8th-century king of Dyfed and Brycheiniog in Wales of the Early Middle Ages. He succeeded his father Cadwgan, who succeeded his father Caten ap Cloten. Biography Rhain's great-gr ...
, great-grandson of Cloten and king of Dyfed-Brycheiniog, initially attempted to retain the union; the surviving parts were consequently known as ''Rhainwg''. The impracticalities of ruling two regions physically separated by a rival kingdom meant that Rhain's brother, Awst, was eventually made governor of Brycheiniog, while Rhain now directly ruled only Dyfed. Following the death of Rhain and Awst, Rhain's son Tewdwr challenged the authority of Awst's son Elwystl. According to the
Book of Llandaff The Book of Llandaff ( la, Liber Landavensis; cy, Llyfr Llandaf, ', or '), is the chartulary of the cathedral of Llandaff, a 12th-century compilation of documents relating to the history of the diocese of Llandaff in Wales. It is written prima ...
, they were persuaded to divide Brycheiniog between them, swearing on the altar of
Llandaff Cathedral Llandaff Cathedral ( cy, Eglwys Gadeiriol Llandaf) is an Anglican cathedral and parish church in Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales. It is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff, head of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff. It is dedicated to Saint Pet ...
to keep to this settlement. Soon after, Tewdwr murdered Elwysti, regaining the whole of Brycheiniog; the Church apparently forced him to donate Cwmdu to the church, as punishment for breaking his oath. Bartrum, Peter C. ed. Welsh Classical Dictionary: People in History and Legend Up to About A.D. 1000 (National Library of Wales, February 1994) pp.14-15


Mists of time

At this point, records about Brycheiniog's leadership become primarily genealogical, and certainly vague, but are unfortunately quite inconsistent with one another, and appear sometimes to be confused with genealogies of other realms. There are a number of possible conclusions: *that Rhain's son Tewdwr (also known as Tewdos) had two sons, Maredudd and Nowy Hen, between whom the land was divided; Maredudd received Dyfed and Nowy Hen received Brycheiniog. In conjunction with this, **that Tewdos' mother (Rhain's wife) was the daughter of
Elisedd ap Gwylog Elisedd ap Gwylog (died c. 755), also known as Elise, was king of Powys in eastern Wales, son of Gwylog ap Beli. Little has been preserved in the historical records about Elisedd, who was an ancestor of Brochwel Ysgithrog. He appears to have recl ...
(the king of
Powys Powys (; ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh succession of states, successor state, petty kingdom and princi ...
) and Sanan(t) ferch Nowy, Cloten's younger sister; that her grandson Nowy Hen was the father of Gruffydd; **alternatively, that (as in Jesus College Manuscript 20), Nowy Hen had a son named Elisse, whose daughter was Sanan(t); Sanan(t) and an unnamed king of Powys were the parents of Gruffydd; *alternatively, that Rhain had three or four sons (Tewdos, Naufedd Hen, Tewdwr, and possibly also Elisse) between whom the land was divided; Dyfed going to Tewdos (whose son was the Maredudd who inherited Dyfed), Naufedd Hen receiving
Cantref Selyf A cantref ( ; ; plural cantrefi or cantrefs; also rendered as ''cantred'') was a medieval Welsh land division, particularly important in the administration of Welsh law. Description Land in medieval Wales was divided into ''cantrefi'', which wer ...
of Brycheiniog, Tewdwr receiving Cantref Tewdos, and Elisse (or Naufedd Hen, if Elisse did not exist) receiving the remainder of Brycheiniog. In close union with this alternative, that Tewdwr's son and heir was also named Elisse, and his daughter Sanan(t) married Nowy, an unidentified king, whose son was Gruffydd; Naufedd Hen, meanwhile, was the great-great-grandfather of a man named Elisse ap Gwylog (e.g. as in Peniarth Manuscript 131). Complicating matters further, Tangwydd ap Tegid, the king of Ferlix (the adjacent realm at the heart of
Rhwng Gwy a Hafren Rhwng Gwy a Hafren ( en, Between Wye and Severn) was a region of medieval Wales, located in the Welsh Marches between Powys to the north and Brycheiniog to the south. It was bounded by the rivers Wye ( cy, Gwy) and Severn ( cy, Hafren). It covered ...
) gained a claim on Brycheiniog by marrying a daughter of Elwystl, or of Rhain's grandson Elisse ap Tewdwr / Elisse ap Nowy Hen, who had only daughters.
Geoffrey of Monmouth Geoffrey of Monmouth ( la, Galfridus Monemutensis, Galfridus Arturus, cy, Gruffudd ap Arthur, Sieffre o Fynwy; 1095 – 1155) was a British cleric from Monmouth, Wales and one of the major figures in the development of British historiograph ...
identifies Gruffydd (as ''Grifud map Nogoid'' - i.e. Gruffudd ap Nowy) as one of the princes present at the coronation of
King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...
. The Harleian Chronicle states that in 848 (about the time of Gruffudd, or his son Tewdwr),
Ithel ap Hywel Ithel or Idwal ap Hywel (died ) was a king of Gwent in southeastern medieval Wales. He was called king of Gwent and Morgannwg (i.e., Glywysing) by the Chronicle of the Princes.''Archæologia Cambrensis'', Vol. X, 3rd Series. "Chronicle of the Pr ...
(king of Gwent) was killed by men from Brycheiniog in the
Battle of Ffinnant A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
(probably referring to either the Ffinnant near Soar in Brycheiniog, or the Ffinnant near
Duhonw Duhonw is a rural community in Powys, Wales, to the south of Builth Wells ( cy, Llanfair ym Muallt), in the historic county of Breconshire. Covering an area of and including scattered farms and dwellings, it is bounded to its north by the Afon I ...
in
Buellt Buellt or Builth was a cantref in medieval Wales, located west of the River Wye. Unlike most cantrefs, it was not part of any of the major Welsh kingdoms for most of its history, but was instead ruled by an autonomous local dynasty. During the No ...
); the cause and participants of the battle are not otherwise reported, but the
Chronicle of the Princes ''Brut y Tywysogion'' ( en, Chronicle of the Princes) is one of the most important primary sources for Welsh history. It is an annalistic chronicle that serves as a continuation of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s ''Historia Regum Britanniae''. ''Bru ...
states that the killing of Ithel had become infamous as treachery, possibly implying that he had been on the Brycheiniog side of the battle.''Archæologia Cambrensis'', Vol. X, 3rd Series. "Chronicle of the Princes"
p. 15
J. Russell Smith (London), 1864.
Subsequent kings of Ferlix descended from Tangwydd are identified in the
Book of Baglan The Book of Baglan (''Llyfr Baglan'' in Welsh) is a collection of old Welsh manuscripts, containing much genealogical data, compiled by John Williams from several sources between 1600 and 1607. It was transcribed from the original manuscript preserv ...
as also ruling Brycheiniog, even though this raises the question of how Gruffudd's descendants could rule it at the same time; possibly this is what led to the Battle at Ffinnant.


Dependency

Gruffydd (whoever his parents were), had a grandson – Elisse ap Tewdwr (also known as Elisedd) – who is described in the records as being king of Brycheiniog in the time of
King Alfred Alfred the Great (alt. Ælfred 848/849 – 26 October 899) was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf and his first wife Osburh, who bot ...
. In Elisse's time, the
Viking raids The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Germ ...
threatened Brycheiniog, so in the 880s Elisse became a vassal of Alfred, to help protect his realm; indeed, in the spring of 896, Brycheiniog, Gwent and
Gwynllwg Gwynllŵg was a kingdom of mediaeval Wales and later a Norman lordship and then a cantref. Location It was named after Gwynllyw, its 5th century or 6th century ruler and consisted of the coastal plain stretching between the Rhymney and Usk ...
were devastated by the Norsemen who had wintered at Quatford near
Bridgnorth Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England. The River Severn splits it into High Town and Low Town, the upper town on the right bank and the lower on the left bank of the River Severn. The population at the 2011 Census was 12,079. Histor ...
that year. According to
Asser Asser (; ; died 909) was a Welsh monk from St David's, Dyfed, who became Bishop of Sherborne in the 890s. About 885 he was asked by Alfred the Great to leave St David's and join the circle of learned men whom Alfred was recruiting for his c ...
's contemporary account, Elisse also feared the malevolence of the kings of Seisyllwg and Gwynedd who had succeeded
Rhodri Mawr Rhodri ap Merfyn ( 820 – 873/877/878), popularly known as Rhodri the Great ( cy, Rhodri Mawr), succeeded his father, Merfyn Frych, as King of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd in 844. Rhodri annexed Kingdom of Powys, Powys c. 856 and Seisyllwg c. 8 ...
; his vassalage to Alfred provided him with potential support against Seisyllwg. According to an early 14th century writer, a king of Brycheiniog and Ferlix named Hwgan (''Huganus'' in Latin), noting that
Edward the Elder Edward the Elder (17 July 924) was King of the Anglo-Saxons from 899 until his death in 924. He was the elder son of Alfred the Great and his wife Ealhswith. When Edward succeeded to the throne, he had to defeat a challenge from his cousin Æt ...
(king of
Mercia la, Merciorum regnum , conventional_long_name=Kingdom of Mercia , common_name=Mercia , status=Kingdom , status_text=Independent kingdom (527–879)Client state of Wessex () , life_span=527–918 , era=Heptarchy , event_start= , date_start= , ye ...
) was preoccupied by the
Great Heathen Army The Great Heathen Army,; da, Store Hedenske Hær also known as the Viking Great Army,Hadley. "The Winter Camp of the Viking Great Army, AD 872–3, Torksey, Lincolnshire", ''Antiquaries Journal''. 96, pp. 23–67 was a coalition of Scandin ...
, attempted to conquer (or raid) Mercia. He had not known Edward's sister,
Æthelflæd Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians ( 870 – 12 June 918) ruled Mercia in the English Midlands from 911 until her death. She was the eldest daughter of Alfred the Great, king of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex, and his wife Ealhswith. Æthe ...
(the daughter of King Alfred and widow of Earl
Æthelred of Mercia Æthelred (; died after 704) was king of Mercia from 675 until 704. He was the son of Penda of Mercia and came to the throne in 675, when his brother, Wulfhere of Mercia, died from an illness. Within a year of his accession he invaded Kent, wh ...
), would be a force to be reckoned with; Æthelflæd successfully resisted his attempts, and, in the early summer of 916, pushed her advantage by invading Brycheiniog.''Brecknockshire'' in S.Lewis, '' A Topographical Dictionary of Wales'', London, 184
online version
/ref> On 19 June, Æthelflæd stormed the royal ''llys'' (court) in
Llangorse lake Llangorse Lake ( cy, Llyn Syfaddon, variant: ) is the largest natural lake in Mid and South Wales, and is situated in the Brecon Beacons National Park, near the town of Brecon and the village of Llangors. The lake is famous for its coarse fishin ...
, and captured the queen of the land and 34 others. Hwgan responded by seeking an alliance with the
Danes Danes ( da, danskere, ) are a North Germanic ethnic group and nationality native to Denmark and a modern nation identified with the country of Denmark. This connection may be ancestral, legal, historical, or cultural. Danes generally regard t ...
, but died soon afterwards while defending
Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...
(a Danish-held city) from the Saxons. The earlier
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' is a collection of annals in Old English, chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the ''Chronicle'' was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alf ...
also reports these events, but without naming the Brycheiniog king, or mentioning his raid against Mercia; it was, though, Æthelflæd who defeated the Danes at Derby. As a result of Hwgan's behaviour, his son, Dryffin (also known as Tryffin) was forced by King Athelstan to pay tribute. Athelstan's godson and namesake,
Elystan Glodrydd Elystan Glodrydd (or, occasionally, Elstan Glodrydd; died 1010), also known as "Æthelstan the Famous" and "The Renowned," was, according to Welsh genealogical tracts, the founder of the fifth Royal Tribe of Wales. He was the Prince of Buellt, ...
, deprived Dryffin of Ferlix, merging it with his own realm of
Buellt Buellt or Builth was a cantref in medieval Wales, located west of the River Wye. Unlike most cantrefs, it was not part of any of the major Welsh kingdoms for most of its history, but was instead ruled by an autonomous local dynasty. During the No ...
. Nevertheless, records like the Book of Baglan still have Dryffin's descendants as rulers of Brycheiniog; Hwgan (and hence Dryffin) is named there as a direct descendant of Tangwydd. What state the kingship of Brycheiniog was in at this time is not completely certain; Elisse ap Tewdwr's son, Tewdwr ap Elisse, was certainly ruling between 927 and 929. Tewdwr ap Elisse is reported to have witnessed a charter at the English royal court in 934, along with
Hywel Dda Hywel Dda, sometimes anglicised as Howel the Good, or Hywel ap Cadell (died 949/950) was a king of Deheubarth who eventually came to rule most of Wales. He became the sole king of Seisyllwg in 920 and shortly thereafter established Deheubart ...
. After Tewdwr ap Elisse, no more kings of Brycheiniog are recorded from his line.
Gerald of Wales Gerald of Wales ( la, Giraldus Cambrensis; cy, Gerallt Gymro; french: Gerald de Barri; ) was a Cambro-Norman priest and English historians in the Middle Ages, historian. As a royal clerk to the king and two archbishops, he travelled widely and w ...
states that after Tewdwr's death, Brycheiniog was divided between the three sons of Tewdwr's brother, Griffri: Tewdos (or Tewdwr), Selyf, and Einon; the three ''cantrefi'' of Brycheiniog: Tewdos (also known as Mawr), Selyf, and Talgarth were their respective portions. Tewdwr ap Griffri is the last of his line to be named in the Jesus College genealogies. Several genealogical manuscripts report that Dryffin's son, Maenyrch, married the daughter of Selyf's granddaughter, Elinor. The Book of Baglan reports that Maenyrch's son Bleddyn became king of Brycheiniog; Bleddyn was the ruler at the time of the
Norman invasion of England The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conquer ...
. Bleddyn married the sister of Rhys ap Tewdwr, the king of
Deheubarth Deheubarth (; lit. "Right-hand Part", thus "the South") was a regional name for the realms of south Wales, particularly as opposed to Gwynedd (Latin: ''Venedotia''). It is now used as a shorthand for the various realms united under the House o ...
.


End of the kingdom

Many Welsh princes had been vassals or allies of the Saxon kings, so actively supported the rebellion of
Eadric the Wild Eadric ''the Wild'' (or Eadric ''Silvaticus''), also known as Wild Edric, Eadric ''Cild'' (or ''Child'') and Edric ''the Forester'', was an Anglo-Saxon magnate of Shropshire and Herefordshire who led English resistance to the Norman Conquest, acti ...
against the Norman presence in England. In 1070, after suppressing Eadric's forces in England,
William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford, Lord of Breteuil ( 1011 – 22 February 1071), was a relative and close counsellor of William the Conqueror and one of the great magnates of early Norman England. FitzOsbern was created Earl of Hereford ...
, attacked South Wales, defeating three of its kings (but notably, he is not described as having defeated a king of Brycheiniog). This past behaviour of Welsh princes naturally made the Normans ill-disposed towards them when an anti-Norman revolt broke out in Northern England ten years later. Over the previous century, Deheubarth had been contested between the heirs of
Maredudd ab Owain Maredudd ab Owain (died ) was a 10th-century king in Wales of the High Middle Ages. A member of the House of Dinefwr, his patrimony was the kingdom of Deheubarth comprising the southern realms of Dyfed, Ceredigion, and Brycheiniog. Upon the d ...
's brother Einion (such as
Hywel ab Edwin Hywel ap Edwin (died 1044) was king of Deheubarth in south Wales from 1033 to 1043. Hywel was the son of Edwin ap Einion and great-grandson of Hywel Dda. When the previous king, Rhydderch ap Iestyn, who had usurped the throne, died in 1033 Hywel ...
), those of his daughter Angharad (such as
Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (  5 August 1063) was King of Wales from 1055 to 1063. He had previously been King of Gwynedd and Powys in 1039. He was the son of King Llywelyn ap Seisyll and Angharad daughter of Maredudd ab Owain, and the great-gre ...
), and the rulers of
Morgannwg Morgannwg was a medieval Welsh kingdom formed via the merger of the kingdoms of the Kingdom of Glywysing and the Kingdom of Gwent. Formation of Morgannwg First under King Morgan the Generous (fl. ) until the end of the reign of his descendant ...
. Rhys was of Einion's line. In 1088, Gruffydd's son-in-law, and his son-in-law's son-in-law,
Bernard de Neufmarché Bernard de Neufmarché (), also Bernard of Newmarket or Bernard of Newmarch was the first of the Norman conquerors of Wales. He was a minor Norman lord who rose to power in the Welsh Marches before successfully undertaking the invasion and co ...
, took part in a rebellion against King William Rufus, without being punished for it. Emboldened by this, Bernard launched attacks on an area under Rhys' influence – Brycheiniog – while the sons of
Bleddyn ap Cynfyn Bleddyn ap Cynfyn ( owl, Bledẏnt uab Kẏnỽẏn;  AD 1075), sometimes spelled Blethyn, was an 11th-century list of rulers of Wales, Welsh king. Harold Godwinson and Tostig Godwinson installed him and his brother, Rhiwallon ap Cynf ...
, Gruffydd's half-brother, attacked Deheubarth; this was likely a co-ordinated action between Bernard and Bleddyn's sons. Bleddyn was defeated at the
Battle of Caer-Bannau A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
(one of Bleddyn's castles, and a former Roman army camp), while Rhys was forced to flee to Ireland. An undated charter of Bernard de Neufmarché mentioned "all the tithes of his lordship which he had in Brycheiniog in the woods and plains" (as well as
Glasbury Glasbury ( cy, Y Clas-ar-Wy), also known as Glasbury-on-Wye, is a village and community in Powys, Wales. The village lies at an important crossing point on the River Wye, connecting the historic counties of Brecknockshire and Radnorshire, and ...
). In 1655, this charter was included in a publication (''Monasticon Anglicanum'' by Roger Dodsworth) which amalgamated it with another of Bernard's charters, the latter being dated 1088; the charter mentioning Brycheiniog was then republished in an 1867 work (''Historia et cartularium Monasterii Sancti Petri Gloucestriae'' by William Hart), with the added marginal gloss "AD 1088"; some people conclude from the 1867 gloss that Bernard must already have regarded himself as lord of all Brycheiniog in 1088. With Irish aid, Rhys gradually re-established himself in Deheubarth. In 1093, Bernard replaced Caer-Bannau, by constructing a more militarily advanced castle –
Brecon Castle Brecon Castle ( cy, Castell Aberhonddu) is a castle in the town of Brecon, Wales. It was built by the Norman Lord Bernard de Neufmarché in 1093, and was frequently assaulted by the Welsh in 13th and 15th centuries. The castle's ownership change ...
– at a more strategic location three miles away, demolishing Caer-Bannau to re-use the material.''Brecknock'' in S.Lewis, '' A Topographical Dictionary of Wales'', London, 184
online version
/ref> Rhys and Bleddyn sought to use this to their advantage, by attacking Bernard while the new castle was unfinished, but at the subsequent
Battle of Brecon A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
, in April that year, Rhys and Bleddyn were killed; the Welsh Annales clearly state that Rhys was killed "by the French who were inhabiting Brycheiniog" (which also implies that the kingdom of Brycheiniog had been destroyed by this point). The lands of Brycheiniog became Bernard's
Lordship of Brecknock The Lordship of Brecknock was an Anglo-Norman marcher lordship located in southern central Wales. Beginnings In the century before the Lordship was founded, Brycheiniog had been contested between its traditional dynasty, and that of Ferlix (a rea ...
, ruled by his descendants for many years. Bernard confined Bleddyn's eldest son, Gwrgan, in Brecon Castle (though Gwrgan was allowed to travel elsewhere, if accompanied by Bernard's knights); nevertheless, Bernard gave Gwrgan, and his brother, some lands within Bernard's Lordship, to sustain their dignity. From Gwrgan descends
Rhys ap Hywel Rhys or Rhŷs is a popular Welsh given name (usually male) that is famous in Welsh history and is also used as a surname. It originates from Deheubarth, an old region of South West Wales, with famous kings such as Rhys ap Tewdwr. It is pronounc ...
, who was one of the search party who caught
King Edward II Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir apparent to the ...
, in 1326, resulting in Edward's effective, and then actual, imprisonment for the rest of his life. Rhys ap Hywel's second son was Einion Sais, who militarily supported the campaigns of Edward's son,
King Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring ro ...
;''History of the County of Brecknock'', Theophilus Jones, 1898, volume 2, page 77 Einion's great-great grandson was Sir
Dafydd Gam Dafydd ap Llewelyn ap Hywel (c. 1380 – 25 October 1415), better known as Dafydd Gam, anglicized to David or Davy Gam, was a Welsh warrior, a prominent opponent of Owain Glyndŵr. He died at the Battle of Agincourt fighting for Henry V, King o ...
, an enemy of
Owain Glyndŵr Owain ap Gruffydd (), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr or Glyn Dŵr (, anglicised as Owen Glendower), was a Welsh leader, soldier and military commander who led a 15 year long Welsh War of Independence with the aim of ending English rule in Wa ...
and hero of Agincourt, from whom descend the present
Earls of Pembroke Earl of Pembroke is a title in the Peerage of England that was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title, which is associated with Pembroke, Pembrokeshire in West Wales, has been recreated ten times from its origin ...
.


Sources


Historical References

* Remfry, P.M., ''Castell Bwlch y Dinas and the Families of Fitz Osbern, Neufmarché, Gloucester, Hereford, Braose, Fitz Herbert'' () * Remfry, P.M., ''Annales Cambriae. A Translation of Harleian 3859; PRO E.164/1; Cottonian Domitian, A 1; Exeter Cathedral Library MS. 3514 and MS Exchequer DB Neath, PRO E'' ({{ISBN, 1-899376-81-X) States and territories disestablished in the 11th century Brecknockshire History of Brecknockshire Kingdoms of Wales States and territories established in the 5th century 5th-century establishments in Wales 11th-century disestablishments in Wales