Hawys Gadarn (Hawys ferch Owain ap Gruffudd ap Gwenwynwyn), also known as the Hardy, the Powerful, the Intrepid, and Hawise de la Pole, (1291 – ) was the daughter of

Owen de la Pole Owen de la Pole (c. 1257 – c. 1293), also known as Owain ap Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn, was the heir presumptive to the Welsh principality of Powys Wenwynwyn until 1283 when it was abolished by the Parliament of Shrewsbury. He became the 1st Lord o ...

and the heir to

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 n ...

in Wales. She was married to John Charleton after seeking the intervention of

Edward II of England 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 ...

to support her inheritance against the schemes of four of her uncles to take her lands.

Early life

Hawys Gadarn was born on 25 July 1291 to

, also known as Owain ap Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn, and Joan Corbet. Her mother died while Hawys was young, and she was brought up and educated by her father at

Powis Castle Powis Castle ( cy, Castell Powys) is a British medieval castle, fortress and grand country house near Welshpool, in Powys. The seat of the Herbert family, Earls of Powis, the castle is known for its formal gardens and for its interiors, the form ...

. Owen was the heir to the

, but had renounced his claim and was given the Barony under the crown of King

Edward I of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassa ...

. He died shortly afterwards, leaving Hawys an orphan at a young age. Llewelyn Prichard (1854): p. 268

Inheritance of Powys

On the death of her father, Hawys's only brother, Gruffydd, inherited his land in Powys. Gruffydd died in 1309, leaving Hawys as his heiress. As she had not yet reached the

age of majority The age of majority is the threshold of legal adulthood as recognized or declared in law. It is the moment when minors cease to be considered such and assume legal control over their persons, actions, and decisions, thus terminating the contr ...

, she was placed under the guardianship of her uncles. Because she was a woman, four of her uncles disputed her claim on the grounds that she could not inherit property, and sought to split the land between themselves. The law of Wales prevented inheritance by a woman, but her father had placed her as a subject of the crown of England in his

will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

. Llewelyn Prichard (1854): p. 269 According to the nineteenth century historian Llywelyn Prichard, her uncles informed her that they would be taking the land she had inherited, and that she would live out the rest of her life in a

nunnery A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican C ...

, Llewelyn Prichard (1854): p. 271 however Prichard does not give a primary reference, and there is no evidence of this. She travelled to the Parliament of Shrewsbury and petitioned

in person. Llewelyn Prichard (1854): p. 272 She met with him twice, and on the second occasion he asked her to nominate someone to act on her behalf as the champion of her rights. She named John Charleton, Llewelyn Prichard (1854): p. 274 whom she subsequently married, in July 1309. Together with Charleton and a company of English knights, she returned to Powis Castle anticipating that her uncles may choose to fight to defend their rights under Welsh law. Charleton led the English troops and captured three of her uncles, only Griffith Vychan escaping. She subsequently became known as Hawys the Hardy, the Powerful, Cathrall (1828): p. 350 and the Intrepid. Llewelyn Prichard (1854): p. 267 Hawys became known for investing in

monasteries A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

, including beginning the work on the

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...

monastery in Shrewsbury, where she was buried after her death in 1353. Llewelyn Prichard (1854): p. 278 She had two sons,

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 * Secon ...

, who became the second

Baron Cherleton Baron Charlton (also Charleton, Cherleton) is an abeyant title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1313 when John Charlton was summoned to Parliament. The Charlton family were a Shropshire knightly family (with lands in Charlton near We ...

, and Owen, who died without issue. She also had a daughter, Isabella.

Notes

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hawys Gadarn 1291 births 1350s deaths Year of death uncertain 13th-century Welsh nobility 14th-century Welsh nobility House of Mathrafal 13th-century Welsh women 14th-century Welsh women Burials in Shropshire People from Powys