The Royal House of Dinefwr was a
cadet branch
In history and heraldry, a cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets— realm, title ...
of the Royal
House of Gwynedd
120px, Flag of Gwynedd
The House of Gwynedd is the Royal house of the Kingdom of Gwynedd, in Medieval Wales, and is divided between the House of Cunedda and the House of Aberffraw.
History
The House of Gwynedd, divided between the earlier House o ...
, founded by King
Cadell ap Rhodri
Cadell ap Rhodri (854–909) was King of Seisyllwg, a minor kingdom in southwestern Wales, from about 872 until his death.
Life
Cadell was the second son of King Rhodri the Great of Gwynedd and Angharad, a princess from Seisyllwg. In 872 Ang ...
(reign 872–909), son of
Rhodri the Great
Rhodri ap Merfyn ( 820 – 873/877/878), popularly known as Rhodri the Great ( cy, Rhodri Mawr), succeeded his father, Merfyn Frych, as King of Gwynedd in 844. Rhodri annexed Powys c. 856 and Seisyllwg c. 871. He is called " King of the Brito ...
. Their ancestor,
Cunedda Wledig
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 ''Cunedag ...
, born in late
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the period in classical antiquity when large parts of the island of Great Britain were under occupation by the Roman Empire. The occupation lasted from AD 43 to AD 410. During that time, the territory conquered was ...
, was a
Sub-Roman warlord who founded the
Kingdom of Gwynedd
The Kingdom of Gwynedd (Medieval Latin: ; Middle Welsh: ) was a Welsh kingdom and a Roman Empire successor state that emerged in sub-Roman Britain in the 5th century during the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain.
Based in northwest Wales, th ...
during the 5th century, following the
Anglo-Saxon settlement
The Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain is the process which changed the language and culture of most of what became England from Romano-British to Germanic. The Germanic-speakers in Britain, themselves of diverse origins, eventually develope ...
of Britain. The House achieved the important titles of
King of the Britons
The title King of the Britons ( cy, Brenin y Brythoniaid, la, Rex Britannorum) was used (often retrospectively) to refer to the most powerful ruler among the Celtic Britons, both before and after the period of Roman Britain up until the Norma ...
and
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
.
History
![Laws of Hywel Dda (f](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Laws_of_Hywel_Dda_%28f.1.v%29_King_Hywel_cropped.jpg)
With the death of
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 ...
, the Kingdom 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, and C ...
passed to his eldest son
Anarawd ap Rhodri
Anarawd ap Rhodri (died ) was a King of Gwynedd, referenced as " King of the Britons" in the ''Annales Cambriae'' (''The Annals of Wales'').
Anarawd's father Rhodri the Great, by conquest and alleged inheritances, had become ruler of most of nor ...
. Rhodri's second son
Cadell ap Rhodri
Cadell ap Rhodri (854–909) was King of Seisyllwg, a minor kingdom in southwestern Wales, from about 872 until his death.
Life
Cadell was the second son of King Rhodri the Great of Gwynedd and Angharad, a princess from Seisyllwg. In 872 Ang ...
, however, looked outside Gwynedd's traditional borders and took possession of the
Early Medieval
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 ...
Kingdom of Dyfed
The Kingdom of Dyfed (), one of several Welsh petty kingdoms that emerged in 5th-century sub-Roman Britain in southwest Wales, was based on the former territory of the Demetae (modern Welsh ''Dyfed''). The medieval Irish narrative, '' The Expul ...
by the late 9th century, establishing his capital at the citadel of
Dinefwr Castle
Dinefwr Castle (also known as Old Dynevor Castle) is a ruined castle overlooking the River Towy near the town of Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It lies on a ridge on the northern bank of the Towy, with a steep drop of one hundred feet to th ...
. Cadell ap Rhodri's descendants are designated ''Dinefwr'' after the citadel from which they would rule Dyfed.
The Dinefwr dynasty under King
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 ...
would unite
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 ...
and
Seisyllwg
Seisyllwg () was a petty kingdom of medieval Wales.Davies, p. 85 It is unclear when it emerged as a distinct unit, but according to later sources it consisted of the former Kingdom of Ceredigion plus the region known as Ystrad Tywi. Thus it cover ...
into the 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 ...
in the early 10th century. The Dinefwr dynasty would rule in
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 ...
until their conquest by the
Plantagenet kings in the 13th century. This branch would compete with the
House of Aberffraw
The Royal House of Aberffraw was a cadet branch of the Kingdom of Gwynedd originating from the sons of Rhodri the Great in the 9th century. Establishing the Royal court ( cy, Llys) of the Aberffraw Commote would begin a new location from which t ...
for supremacy and influence in
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
throughout the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries, with the
Kingdom of Powys
The Kingdom of Powys ( cy, Teyrnas Powys; la, Regnum Poysiae) was a Welsh successor state, petty kingdom and principality that emerged during the Middle Ages following the end of Roman rule in Britain. It very roughly covered the northern t ...
variously ruled between them. Eventually, a cadet branch of the House of Dinefwr would establish itself in
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 ...
by the mid-11th century, designating themselves as the
House of Mathrafal
The Royal House of Mathrafal began as a cadet branch of the Welsh Royal House of Dinefwr, taking their name from Mathrafal Castle, their principal seat and effective capital. They effectively replaced the House of Gwertherion, who had been ruling ...
after the castle there, named
Mathrafal
Mathrafal near Welshpool, in Powys, Mid Wales, was the seat of the Kings and Princes of Powys probably from the 9th century until its destruction in 1213 by Prince Llywelyn the Great.
Location
On the banks of the River Banwy, just above its c ...
Castle.
The ancestral seat of the dynasty was Dinefwr Castle, initially built by the
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
,
Lord Rhys, and eventually seized during the 16th century by the Tudor King,
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
. It was eventually restored to the family by Queen
Mary Tudor. A house was rebuilt in
Dinefwr Park
Dinefwr Park National Nature Reserve is an estate about a mile (1.5 kilometres) from the centre of Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire owned by the National Trust, with a mansion in the centre. The highest point is occupied by the ruined Dinefwr Castle ...
, now called
Newton House, and the descendants of Lord Rhys anglicized their name from Rhys to Rice.
William Talbot, 1st Earl Talbot
William Talbot, Earl Talbot, PC (16 May 1710 – 27 April 1782), known as the Lord Talbot from 1737 to 1761, was a British politician. Talbot was a notable figure among opposition Whig politicians during the reign of King George II before later ...
, became the first
Baron Dynevor
Baron Dinevor, of Dinevor in the County of Carmarthen (usually spelt Dynevor or Dinefwr), is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created on 17 October 1780 for William Talbot, 1st Earl Talbot, with remainder to his daughter, Lady C ...
, an anglicization of Dinefwr.
Lord Rhys's father, Prince
Gruffydd ap Rhys, had previously fought the Normans following
the civil war arising from the rival claims of
Stephen of Blois
Stephen (1092 or 1096 – 25 October 1154), often referred to as Stephen of Blois, was King of England from 22 December 1135 to his death in 1154. He was Count of Boulogne ''jure uxoris'' from 1125 until 1147 and Duke of Normandy from 1135 unt ...
and
Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda ( 7 February 110210 September 1167), also known as the Empress Maude, was one of the claimants to the English throne during the civil war known as the Anarchy. The daughter of King Henry I of England, she moved to Germany as ...
to the throne of England. During his lifetime, he would end up becoming one of the most successful and powerful Welsh leaders of the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, fighting against King
Henry Plantagenet as well as against his son,
Richard the Lionheart
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 overl ...
, attacking his Norman lordship and capturing many of his castles.
The dynasty attacked and captured many castles throughout the centuries such as
Cardigan Castle,
Kidwelly Castle
Kidwelly Castle ( cy, Castell Cydweli) is a Norman castle overlooking the River Gwendraeth and the town of Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire, Wales. The origin of this surname traces back to when it was spelled Cygweli which means "swan."
Early histo ...
,
Rhuddlan Castle
Rhuddlan Castle ( cy, Castell Rhuddlan; ) is a castle located in Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, Wales. It was erected by Edward I in 1277, following the First Welsh War.
Much of the work was overseen by master mason James of Saint George. Rhudd ...
,
Carmarthen Castle
Carmarthen Castle ( Welsh: ''Castell Caerfyrddin'') is a ruined castle in Carmarthen, West Wales, UK. First built by Walter, Sheriff of Gloucester in the early 1100s, the castle was captured and destroyed on several occasions before being reb ...
,
Laugharne Castle
Laugharne Castle ( cy, Castell Talacharn) is in Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, Wales. The castle, located on the estuary of the River Tâf, was originally established in 1116. It was rebuilt as a Norman stronghold. There have been many alteration ...
,
Llandovery Castle
Llandovery Castle ( cy, Castell Llanymddyfri) is a late thirteenth-century, Grade II*-listed, castle ruin in the town of Llandovery in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It occupies a knoll overlooking the River Towy and the land surrounding it. The Norma ...
,
Swansea Castle,
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location in ...
Castle,
Llansteffan Castle
Llansteffan Castle ( cy, Castell Llansteffan) is a privately owned castle in Llansteffan, Carmarthenshire, Wales, overlooking the River Tywi estuary in Carmarthen Bay.
Iron Age
The castle sits on a much older Iron Age promontory fort, p ...
,
Tenby Castle
Tenby Castle ( cy, Castell Dinbych-y-pysgod) was a fortification standing on a headland separated by an isthmus from the town of Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales. The remaining stone structure dates from the 13th century but there are mentions of the ...
,
Aberavon
Aberavon ( cy, Aberafan) is a town and community in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales. The town derived its name from being near the mouth of the river Afan, which also gave its name to a medieval lordship. Today it is essentially a distri ...
Castle,
St Clears
St Clears ( ; cy, Sanclêr) on the River Tâf in Carmarthenshire, Wales, is both a small town and a community. At the 2011 census, the population was 2,995. The community includes the small settlements of Bancyfelin and Pwlltrap. It is border ...
Castle,
Aberdyfi Castle,
Cilgerran Castle
Cilgerran Castle ( cy, Castell Cilgerran) is a 13th-century ruined castle located in Cilgerran, Pembrokeshire, Wales, near Cardigan. The first castle on the site was thought to have been built by Gerald of Windsor around 1110–1115, and it ...
,
Builth Castle
Builth Castle ( cy, Castell Llanfair-ym-Muallt) was a castle built under King Edward I, just outside Builth Wells, Powys, Wales. At one time it was an impressive stone-built castle but all the masonry has been removed over the years and all tha ...
,
Nevern
Nevern ( cy, Nanhyfer) is both a parish and a community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The community includes the settlements of Felindre Farchog, Monington, Moylgrove and Bayvil. The small village lies in the Nevern valley near the Preseli Hills of ...
Castle,
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 borde ...
,
Colwyn Castle
Colwyn Castle was a medieval castle near Llansantffraed in Wales. In the Manor of Glascwm, in the county of Radnorshire.It was built on the site of a Roman fort. The castle was captured in 1196 by Rhys ap Gruffydd, who was campaigning against t ...
,
New Radnor
New Radnor ( cy, Maesyfed) is a village in Powys, Wales, to the south of Radnor Forest, and was the county town of Radnorshire.
In the 2001 census, the community's population of 410 was split evenly between male and female, in 192 household ...
Castle.
Members
![Rice Grug](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Rice_Grug.jpg)
Non exhaustive list of the members of the House of Dinefwr :
Before the Norman Conquest
*
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 ...
, Prince of Seisyllwg and Deheubarth, King of Dyfed, Powys and Gwynedd
*
Owain ap Hywel Dda
__NOTOC__
Owain ap Hywel (died ) was king of Deheubarth in south Wales and probably also controlled Powys.
Owain was one of the three sons of King Hywel the Good. Upon Hywel's death in 948, Owain, Rhodri, and Edwin divided his lands among th ...
, King of South Wales, paid tribute to the English king,
Edgar the Peaceful
Edgar ( ang, Ēadgār ; 8 July 975), known as the Peaceful or the Peaceable, was King of the English from 959 until his death in 975. The younger son of King Edmund I and Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury, he came to the throne as a teenager following ...
*
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 ...
, King of the Britons, featured in 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 ...
*
Maredudd ab Owain ab Edwin
Maredudd ab Owain ab Edwin (died 1072) was a prince of the kingdom of Deheubarth in south west Wales.
Maredudd was the son of Owain ab Edwin and was hence the male-line heir of Hywel Dda. The throne had been seized from the previous king of this ...
, Welsh prince, fought 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 ...
*
Rhys ab Owain
Rhys ab Owain (died 1078) was a king of Deheubarth in southern Wales.
Rhys was the son of Owain ab Edwin of the line of Hywel Dda, and member of the Dinefwr dynasty. He followed his brother Maredudd as king of Deheubarth in 1072. Together with ...
, King of Deheubarth, fought against the King of Gwynedd and Powys
*
Cadell ap Rhodri
Cadell ap Rhodri (854–909) was King of Seisyllwg, a minor kingdom in southwestern Wales, from about 872 until his death.
Life
Cadell was the second son of King Rhodri the Great of Gwynedd and Angharad, a princess from Seisyllwg. In 872 Ang ...
, King of Seisyllwg, ruled a minor kingdom in the south of Wales
*
Einion ab Owain, Welsh prince, fought with King
Iago ab Idwal
Iago ab Idwal was a King of Gwynedd (r. 950 979) and possibly Powys.
Iago was the son of the earlier King Idwal the Bald but, upon Idwal's death in combat in 942, his uncle Hywel the Good invaded Gwynedd and seized the throne. On Hywel's ...
against the Vikings
*
Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd
Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd () (''Gwenllian, daughter of Gruffydd''; 1100 – 1136) was Princess consort of Deheubarth in Wales, and married to Gruffydd ap Rhys, Prince of Deheubarth. Gwenllian was the daughter of Gruffudd ap Cynan (1055–1137), ...
, princess consort of Deheubarth and daughter of the Gwynedd king
*
Llywelyn ap Seisyll
Llywelyn ap Seisyll (died 1023) was an 11th-century King of Gwynedd, Powys and Deheubarth.
Llywelyn was the son of Seisyll, a man of whom little is known. Llewelyn first appears on record in 1018, the year he defeated and killed Aeddan ap Blegy ...
, King of Gwynedd, Powys and Deheubarth, killed the prince
Aeddan ap Blegywryd
Aeddan ap Blegywryd (died 1018) was a King of Gwynedd in medieval Wales. He became ruler in 1005 but the circumstances of his accession are unclear as he does not seem to have been closely related to his predecessor, Cynan ap Hywel. Aeddan ap Ble ...
*
Rhain the Irishman
Rhain was an 11th-century king of Dyfed.
It is unclear when his reign began. He claimed to be the son of Maredudd ab Owain and was apparently accepted as such by the people of Dyfed and the anonymous author of the C text of the ''Annals of Wales' ...
, King of Dyfed, featured in the
Annales Cambriae
The (Latin for ''Annals of Wales'') is the title given to a complex of Latin chronicles compiled or derived from diverse sources at St David's in Dyfed, Wales. The earliest is a 12th-century presumed copy of a mid-10th-century original; later ed ...
*
Rhodri ap Hywel
Rhodri ap Hywel (died 964) was a King of Deheubarth in South Wales, and son of Hywel Dda.
On Hywel's death in 950 Deheubarth was shared between Rhodri and his two brothers, Edwin ap Hywel, Edwin and Owain ap Hywel Dda, Owain. The sons of Hywel we ...
, King of Deheubarth, son of the
King of the Britons
The title King of the Britons ( cy, Brenin y Brythoniaid, la, Rex Britannorum) was used (often retrospectively) to refer to the most powerful ruler among the Celtic Britons, both before and after the period of Roman Britain up until the Norma ...
After the Norman Conquest
*
Rhys ap Tewdwr, King in Southern Wales, made an agreement with
William the Conqueror
William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...
for his Kingdom
*
Gruffydd ap Rhys, prince of Deheubarth, fought against the Normans following the wars of
Stephen of Blois
Stephen (1092 or 1096 – 25 October 1154), often referred to as Stephen of Blois, was King of England from 22 December 1135 to his death in 1154. He was Count of Boulogne ''jure uxoris'' from 1125 until 1147 and Duke of Normandy from 1135 unt ...
and
Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda ( 7 February 110210 September 1167), also known as the Empress Maude, was one of the claimants to the English throne during the civil war known as the Anarchy. The daughter of King Henry I of England, she moved to Germany as ...
*
Nest ferch Rhys, sister of Gruffydd ap Rhys, married to
Gerald of Windsor
Gerald de Windsor (1075 – 1135), ''alias'' Gerald FitzWalter, was an Anglo-Norman lord who was the first Castellan of Pembroke Castle in Pembrokeshire (formerly part of the Kingdom of Deheubarth). Son of the first Constable of Windsor Castle, ...
, founder of the
House of Fitzgerald
The FitzGerald/FitzMaurice Dynasty is a noble and aristocratic dynasty of Cambro-Norman, Anglo-Norman and later Hiberno-Norman origin. They have been peers of Ireland since at least the 13th century, and are described in the Annals of th ...
*
Rhys ap Gruffydd
Rhys ap Gruffydd, commonly known as The Lord Rhys, in Welsh ''Yr Arglwydd Rhys'' (c. 1132 – 28 April 1197) was the ruler of the Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth in south Wales from 1155 to 1197 and native Prince of Wales.
It was believed that he ...
, Prince of Wales, fought against
Richard the Lionheart
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 overl ...
and captured many of his castles
*Gwenllian, daughter of
Rhys ap Gruffydd
Rhys ap Gruffydd, commonly known as The Lord Rhys, in Welsh ''Yr Arglwydd Rhys'' (c. 1132 – 28 April 1197) was the ruler of the Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth in south Wales from 1155 to 1197 and native Prince of Wales.
It was believed that he ...
, married to Seneschal
Ednyfed Fychan
Ednyfed Fychan ( 1170 – 1246), full name Ednyfed Fychan ap Cynwrig, was a Welsh warrior who became Seneschal to the Kingdom of Gwynedd in Northern Wales, serving Llywelyn the Great and his son Dafydd ap Llywelyn. Ednyfed claimed descent fr ...
, ancestor of
Sir Owen Tudor
Sir Owen Tudor (, 2 February 1461) was a Welsh courtier and the second husband of Queen Catherine of Valois (1401–1437), widow of King Henry V of England. He was the grandfather of Henry VII, founder of the Tudor dynasty.
Background
Ow ...
*Angharad, daughter of
Rhys ap Gruffydd
Rhys ap Gruffydd, commonly known as The Lord Rhys, in Welsh ''Yr Arglwydd Rhys'' (c. 1132 – 28 April 1197) was the ruler of the Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth in south Wales from 1155 to 1197 and native Prince of Wales.
It was believed that he ...
, married to
William FitzMartin, Lord of Cemais
*Annest ferch Rhys, daughter of
Rhys ap Gruffydd
Rhys ap Gruffydd, commonly known as The Lord Rhys, in Welsh ''Yr Arglwydd Rhys'' (c. 1132 – 28 April 1197) was the ruler of the Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth in south Wales from 1155 to 1197 and native Prince of Wales.
It was believed that he ...
, married to
Rhodri ab Owain
Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd ( 1147 – 1195) was prince of part of Gwynedd, one of the kingdoms of medieval Wales. He ruled from 1175 to 1195.
On the death of Owain Gwynedd in 1170, fighting broke out among his nineteen sons over the division of h ...
, a Prince of Gwynedd, of the Royal
House of Aberffraw
The Royal House of Aberffraw was a cadet branch of the Kingdom of Gwynedd originating from the sons of Rhodri the Great in the 9th century. Establishing the Royal court ( cy, Llys) of the Aberffraw Commote would begin a new location from which t ...
*
Gruffydd ap Rhys II Gruffydd ap Rhys II (died 25 July 1201) was a prince of Deheubarth in south-west Wales.
Lineage
He was the son of Rhys ap Gruffydd (The Lord Rhys) and grandson of Gruffydd ap Rhys. Gruffydd was the eldest son of Rhys ap Gruffydd by his wife Gwe ...
, Welsh prince, captured
Cilgerran Castle
Cilgerran Castle ( cy, Castell Cilgerran) is a 13th-century ruined castle located in Cilgerran, Pembrokeshire, Wales, near Cardigan. The first castle on the site was thought to have been built by Gerald of Windsor around 1110–1115, and it ...
, made an agreement with King
John of England
John (24 December 1166 – 19 October 1216) was King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216. He lost the Duchy of Normandy and most of his other French lands to King Philip II of France, resulting in the collapse of the Angevin Emp ...
*
Maelgwn ap Rhys Maelgwn ap Rhys (c. 1170–1230) was prince of part of the kingdom of Deheubarth in south west Wales.
Maelgwn was the son of Rhys ap Gruffydd (''The Lord Rhys'') by his wife Gwenllian ferch Madog, daughter of Madog ap Maredudd prince of Powys. He a ...
, Welsh prince who captured
Cardigan Castle, then later sold it to King
John of England
John (24 December 1166 – 19 October 1216) was King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216. He lost the Duchy of Normandy and most of his other French lands to King Philip II of France, resulting in the collapse of the Angevin Emp ...
*
Anarawd ap Gruffydd
Anarawd ap Gruffydd (died 1143) was a Prince of Deheubarth in Southwest Wales.
Lineage
Anarawd was the eldest son of Gruffydd ap Rhys. On the death of his father in 1137, Anarawd took over the rule of Deheubarth.
Resistance
In 1136 he and ...
, Prince of Deheubarth, joined the war of the King
Owain Gwynedd
Owain ap Gruffudd ( 23 or 28 November 1170) was King of Gwynedd, North Wales, from 1137 until his death in 1170, succeeding his father Gruffudd ap Cynan. He was called Owain the Great ( cy, Owain Fawr) and the first to be ...
*
Cadell ap Gruffydd, Prince of Deheubarth, captured
Llansteffan Castle
Llansteffan Castle ( cy, Castell Llansteffan) is a privately owned castle in Llansteffan, Carmarthenshire, Wales, overlooking the River Tywi estuary in Carmarthen Bay.
Iron Age
The castle sits on a much older Iron Age promontory fort, p ...
and
Carmarthen Castle
Carmarthen Castle ( Welsh: ''Castell Caerfyrddin'') is a ruined castle in Carmarthen, West Wales, UK. First built by Walter, Sheriff of Gloucester in the early 1100s, the castle was captured and destroyed on several occasions before being reb ...
*
Maredudd ap Gruffydd
Maredudd ap Gruffydd (1131–1155) was a prince of the kingdom of Deheubarth in Southwest Wales.
Maredudd was the fifth of six sons of Gruffydd ap Rhys, and the third of four by Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd;Cadw, Welsh Government (Crown Copyright), ...
, prince in South-West Wales, fought with his half-brother, Cadell, against the Normans
*
Rhys ap Maredudd
Rhys ap Maredudd ( 1250 – 2 June 1292) was a senior member of the Welsh royal house of Deheubarth, a principality of Medieval Wales. He was the great grandson of The Lord Rhys (died 1197), prince of south Wales, and the last ruler of a unit ...
, Welsh prince, was awarded lands by
Edward Longshanks
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 vassal ...
, and lived at
Dryslwyn Castle
Dryslwyn Castle ( cy, Castell y Drysllwyn) is a native Welsh castle, sited on a rocky hill roughly halfway between Llandeilo and Carmarthen in Wales. It stands on high ground overlooking the Tywi Valley with extensive views. It was built in abo ...
*
Rhys Gryg
Rhys Gryg ('Rhys the Hoarse') (died 1234), real name Rhys ap Rhys, also known as Rhys Fychan ('Rhys the Younger') was a Welsh prince who ruled part of the Kingdom of Deheubarth.
Lineage
Rhys was the fourth son of Rhys ap Gruffydd (The Lord Rhy ...
, Welsh prince, married to Mathilde, sister of
Gilbert de Clare, 5th Earl of Gloucester
Gilbert de Clare, 4th Earl of Hertford, 5th Earl of Gloucester, 1st Lord of Glamorgan, 7th Lord of Clare (1180 – 25 October 1230) was the son of Richard de Clare, 3rd Earl of Hertford (c. 1153–1217), from whom he inherited the Clare estate ...
, signatory of
Magna Carta
(Medieval Latin for "Great Charter of Freedoms"), commonly called (also ''Magna Charta''; "Great Charter"), is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by the ...
*
Maredudd ap Rhys Gryg, nephew of Countess
Isabel Marshal
Isabel Marshal (9 October 1200 – 17 January 1240) was a medieval English countess. She was the wife of both Gilbert de Clare, 4th Earl of Hertford and 5th Earl of Gloucester and Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall (son of King John of England). Wi ...
, great grandmother of King
Robert the Bruce
Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...
*
Rhys Mechyll
Rhys Mechyll (died 1244) was a Welsh prince, Lord of Dinefwr, of the House of Dinefwr and Kingdom of Deheubarth in southern Wales from 1234 to 1244. He was a son of prince Rhys Gryg (died 1234) ("Rhys the Hoarse"), son of prince Rhys ap Gruffydd ( ...
, Welsh prince, his sole heiress married into the
House of Talbot and assumed the arms of Dinefwr
*
Sir Rhys ap Thomas, most powerful man in Wales, fought at the
Battle of Bosworth
The Battle of Bosworth or Bosworth Field was the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the houses of Lancaster and York that extended across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 Au ...
with
Henry Tudor and at the
Battle of the Spurs
The Battle of the Spurs or (Second) Battle of Guinegate (, "Day of the Spurs"; ''deuxième bataille de Guinegatte'') took place on 16 August 1513. It formed a part of the War of the League of Cambrai, during the Italian Wars. Henry VIII and ...
with
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
*
Sir Gruffydd ap Rhys, married to a relative of
Margaret Beaufort
Lady Margaret Beaufort (usually pronounced: or ; 31 May 1441/43 – 29 June 1509) was a major figure in the Wars of the Roses of the late fifteenth century, and mother of King Henry VII of England, the first Tudor monarch.
A descendant of ...
, they both served
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509 until their annulment on 23 May 1533. She was previously ...
and
Prince Arthur Prince Arthur may refer to:
* Arthur I, Duke of Brittany (1187-1203), nephew and possible heir of Richard I of England
* Arthur, Prince of Wales (1486–1502), eldest son Henry VII of England
* Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (1850 ...
*
Rhys ap Gruffydd (rebel)
Rhys ap Gruffydd (1508–December 1531) was a powerful Welsh landowner who was accused of rebelling against King Henry VIII by plotting with James V of Scotland to become Prince of Wales. He was executed as a rebel. He married Lady Catherine Ho ...
, married to Lady Catherine, daughter of
Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk (144321 May 1524), styled Earl of Surrey from 1483 to 1485 and again from 1489 to 1514, was an English nobleman, soldier and statesman who served four monarchs. He was the eldest son of John Howard, 1st Duk ...
, the grandfather of Queen
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and of her execution by beheading for treason and other charges made her a key ...
*
William Talbot, Earl Talbot, 1st
Baron Dynevor
Baron Dinevor, of Dinevor in the County of Carmarthen (usually spelt Dynevor or Dinefwr), is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created on 17 October 1780 for William Talbot, 1st Earl Talbot, with remainder to his daughter, Lady C ...
and
Lord High Steward
The Lord High Steward is the first of the Great Officers of State in England, nominally ranking above the Lord Chancellor.
The office has generally remained vacant since 1421, and is now an ''ad hoc'' office that is primarily ceremonial and ...
to King
George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
of the
House of Hanover
The House of Hanover (german: Haus Hannover), whose members are known as Hanoverians, is a European royal house of German origin that ruled Hanover, Great Britain, and Ireland at various times during the 17th to 20th centuries. The house orig ...
*
George Rice, 3rd Baron Dynevor
George Talbot Rice, 3rd Baron Dynevor (Dinefwr) (8 October 1765 – 9 April 1852) was a British peer and politician. He was the son of Cecil de Cardonnel, 2nd Baroness Dynevor and George Rice (or Rhys). He was educated at Westminster School ...
, son of
George Rice, Lord Commissioner of the Board of trade to
Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle
Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle upon Tyne and 1st Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne, (21 July 169317 November 1768) was a British Whig statesman who served as the 4th and 6th Prime Minister of Great Britain, his official life extended ...
*
George Rice-Trevor, 4th Baron Dynevor
George Rice-Trevor, 4th Baron Dynevor (5 August 1795 – 7 October 1869) was a British politician and peer.
Early life
He was the son of George Talbot Rice, 3rd Baron Dynevor. Dynevor matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford 13 October 1812; he ...
, married to a daughter of General
Lord FitzRoy, son of
Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton
*Selina Rice-Trevor (1836–1918), married to
William Pakenham, 4th Earl of Longford
General William Lygon Pakenham, 4th Earl of Longford (31 January 1819 – 19 April 1887), styled The Honourable William Pakenham before 1860, was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Conservative politician.
Early life and education
Pakenham was the se ...
, a General during the
Crimean War
The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia.
Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...
of
Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
Castles
File:Carreg Cennen Castle on its crag and in its Carmarthenshire landscape, autumn light.jpg, Carreg Cennen Castle
Carreg Cennen Castle (Welsh: ''Castell Carreg Cennen'') is a castle sited on a high rocky outcrop overlooking the River Cennen, close to the village of Trap, four miles south east of Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire, Wales. ''Castell Carreg Cennen' ...
, built by the Prince of Wales, Lord Rhys
File:Dinefwr castle at sunrise.jpg, Ruins of Dinefwr Castle
Dinefwr Castle (also known as Old Dynevor Castle) is a ruined castle overlooking the River Towy near the town of Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It lies on a ridge on the northern bank of the Towy, with a steep drop of one hundred feet to th ...
, seat of the Royal House of Dinefwr, in the 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 ...
File:Prif borth Castell Caerfyrddin 03.JPG, Carmarthen Castle
Carmarthen Castle ( Welsh: ''Castell Caerfyrddin'') is a ruined castle in Carmarthen, West Wales, UK. First built by Walter, Sheriff of Gloucester in the early 1100s, the castle was captured and destroyed on several occasions before being reb ...
, captured by Prince Cadell ap Gruffydd
File:Kidwelly castle whole.JPG, Kidwelly Castle
Kidwelly Castle ( cy, Castell Cydweli) is a Norman castle overlooking the River Gwendraeth and the town of Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire, Wales. The origin of this surname traces back to when it was spelled Cygweli which means "swan."
Early histo ...
, captured by Prince Gruffydd ap Rhys
File:Dryslwyn Castle and the River Towy - geograph.org.uk - 1812519.jpg, Dryslwyn Castle
Dryslwyn Castle ( cy, Castell y Drysllwyn) is a native Welsh castle, sited on a rocky hill roughly halfway between Llandeilo and Carmarthen in Wales. It stands on high ground overlooking the Tywi Valley with extensive views. It was built in abo ...
, residence of Prince Rhys ap Maredudd
Rhys ap Maredudd ( 1250 – 2 June 1292) was a senior member of the Welsh royal house of Deheubarth, a principality of Medieval Wales. He was the great grandson of The Lord Rhys (died 1197), prince of south Wales, and the last ruler of a unit ...
File:Llanstefan Castle (15989548265).jpg, Llansteffan Castle
Llansteffan Castle ( cy, Castell Llansteffan) is a privately owned castle in Llansteffan, Carmarthenshire, Wales, overlooking the River Tywi estuary in Carmarthen Bay.
Iron Age
The castle sits on a much older Iron Age promontory fort, p ...
, captured by Prince Cadell ap Gruffydd
Sources
*Castles of Wales by John Davis, 6 apr 2022 - 252 pages
*The Royal Families in Europe V by Lars Ulwencreutz - 742 pages
*Gruffydd ap Nicholas and the rise of the House of Dinefwr, National Library of Wales, journal, page 256
*The Longhunters: A Report on the History and Family of William Blevins Sr. of Virginia by Leslie W. Blevins Jr. apr 2012 · Xlibris Corporation, - 210 pages
*Cardiganshire County History Volume 2: Medieval and Early Modern Cardiganshire (The Cardiganshire County History) by Geraint H. Jenkins, - 921 pages
{{Royal houses of Britain and Ireland
Welsh royal houses