Gwenwynwyn ab Owain Cyfeiliog (died c. 1216) was the last major ruler of mid
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
before the completion of the
Norman English invasion. He was one of few native rulers to represent a real threat to the rule of
Llywelyn the Great
Llywelyn the Great ( cy, Llywelyn Fawr, ; full name Llywelyn mab Iorwerth; c. 117311 April 1240) was a King of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually " Prince of the Welsh" (in 1228) and "Prince of Wales" (in 1240). By a combination of war and ...
.
Lineage
Gwenwynwyn ruled southern
Powys
Powys (; ) is a county and preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh successor state, petty kingdom and principality that emerged during the Middle Ages following the end of Roman rule in Britain.
Geog ...
(
Powys Wenwynwyn
Powys Wenwynwyn or Powys Cyfeiliog was a Welsh kingdom which existed during the high Middle Ages. The realm was the southern portion of the former princely state of Powys which split following the death of Madog ap Maredudd of Powys in 1160: the ...
) from 1195, and was given charge of the kingdom following the retirement of his father
Owain Cyfeiliog
Owain ap Gruffydd (c. 1130–1197) was a prince of the southern part of Powys and a poet. He is usually known as Owain Cyfeiliog to distinguish him from other rulers named Owain, particularly his contemporary, Owain ap Gruffydd of Gwynedd, who is k ...
. Prior to this, in 1187, he had made an attack on
Carreghofa Castle with his brother Cadwallon, in the course of which they killed their father's cousin and former ally,
Owain Fychan
Owain Fychan ap Madog (alternatively ''Owain Vychan ap Madoc'') (c. 1125 – 1187) was styled Lord of Mechain Is Coed and one of the sons of Madog ap Maredudd. His mother was Susanna, daughter of Gruffudd ap Cynan.
Division of the Kingdom of ...
.
[ He had assisted Maelgwn ap Rhys in taking ]Aberystwyth Castle
Aberystwyth Castle ( cy, Castell Aberystwyth) is a Grade I listed Edwardian fortress located in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Mid Wales. It was built in response to the First Welsh War in the late 13th century, replacing an earlier fortress locate ...
and capturing Maelgwn's brother Gruffydd ap Rhys II, whom he handed over to the English. His military ambitions were temporarily thwarted by his failure at the siege of Painscastle
Painscastle ( Welsh: ''Castell-paen'') is a village and community in Powys (formerly Radnorshire), Wales which takes its name from the castle at its heart. It lies between Builth and Hay-on-Wye, approximately 3 miles from the Wales-England bord ...
, when Gruffydd returned to battle.
Owain Cyfeiliog had been a notable poet as well as a leader of the resistance against English invasion, and chose to enter the abbey of Strata Marcella in later life; he died in 1187, two years after becoming a monk. Gwenwynwyn continued his father's strategy and is thought to have been one of the Welsh rulers who made an agreement with King Richard I of England
Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was ove ...
not to attack his kingdom while he was away on crusade. In 1199, he made peace with Richard's successor, John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
. He was rewarded with marriage to an English noblewoman, Margaret Corbet, the daughter of the Lord of the border territory of Caus, around 1200, as well as the grant of the manor of Ashford.[
]
Conflict with Llywelyn the Great
Gwenwynwyn's possession of Powys Wenwynwyn
Powys Wenwynwyn or Powys Cyfeiliog was a Welsh kingdom which existed during the high Middle Ages. The realm was the southern portion of the former princely state of Powys which split following the death of Madog ap Maredudd of Powys in 1160: the ...
brought him into conflict with Llywelyn the Great
Llywelyn the Great ( cy, Llywelyn Fawr, ; full name Llywelyn mab Iorwerth; c. 117311 April 1240) was a King of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually " Prince of the Welsh" (in 1228) and "Prince of Wales" (in 1240). By a combination of war and ...
, ruler of Gwynedd
Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait ...
, who was keen to extend his own jurisdiction over the whole of Wales. In 1202 there was an uneasy peace between the two Welsh princes as Gwenwynwyn began attacking Marcher lords, thus losing John's favour; this eventually resulted in his being imprisoned at Shrewsbury.[
]
Conflict with King John
King John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
favoured Gwenwynwyn until a marriage alliance was made between Llywelyn and John's illegitimate daughter. The two native princes kept their distance until 1207. As a result of Gwenwynwyn's aggression, John took him prisoner in 1208 and confiscated his lands, while Llywelyn seized Ceredigion
Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. Cer ...
, Aberystwyth, and Powys.
Gwenwynwyn's lands were restored to him as a result of John's intervention after two years.[ Freed by the King, he recovered most of his possessions, and accompanied John on an expedition into Wales. However, his continued resentment towards the ]English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
led him into an alliance with Llywelyn, which lasted from 1212 until 1216, when John again restored some of Gwenwynwyn's property and the two Welsh princes fell out again. Gwenwynwyn was pursued by Llywelyn, who took his lands, and he took refuge in Chester.
Death and legacy
Llywelyn invaded Powys, backed by other leaders of the Welsh alliance against the English. Gwenwynwyn, having been driven out of his lands, is believed to have died or been killed later that same year. He was succeeded by Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn
Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn (died c. 1286) was a Welsh king who was lord of the part of Powys known as Powys Wenwynwyn and sided with Edward I in his conquest of Wales of 1277 to 1283.
Gruffydd was the son of Gwenwynwyn and Margaret Corbet. He was s ...
, his son by Margaret Corbet, who was eventually restored to his lands after Llywelyn's death, and continued to feud with the princes of Gwynedd.[
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gwenwynwyn ap Owain
1210s deaths
Year of birth unknown
Year of death uncertain
Monarchs of Powys
House of Mathrafal
Welsh princes
12th-century Welsh monarchs
13th-century Welsh monarchs