Before the

Conquest of Wales The conquest of Wales by Edward I took place between 1277 and 1283. It is sometimes referred to as the Edwardian Conquest of Wales,Examples of historians using the term include Professor J. E. Lloyd, regarded as the founder of the modern academi ...

, completed in 1282, Wales consisted of a number of independent kingdoms, the most important being

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 ...

, Powys, Deheubarth (originally Ceredigion, Seisyllwg and Dyfed) and Morgannwg ( Glywysing and Gwent). Boundary changes and the custom of dividing patrimonies between heirs meant that few princes ever came close to ruling the whole of Wales. The names of those known to have ruled over one or more of the kingdoms are listed below. The only person known to have ruled all of Wales was Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (c. 1010–1063), a prince of Gwynedd who became King of Wales from 1055 to 1063. Medieval Wales

Deheubarth

The kingdom of Deheubarth was formed by the union of the kingdoms of Ceredigion (also known as Seisyllwg) and Dyfed by Hywel Dda in 910.

Ceredigion

Ceredig ap Cunedda Ceredig ap Cunedda (died 453), was king of Ceredigion in Wales.

Encyclopaedia of Wales * Arthen ap Seisyll (?-807) *

Gwgon ap Meurig Gwgon ap Meurig (died ) was a 9th-century king of Ceredigion and Ystrad Tywi (i.e., Seisyllwg) in southwest Wales. Gwgon was the son of the former king Meurig or Morydd ap Llywarch Llwyd and inherited the realm on the death of his father. Gwg ...

(?-872)

Kingdom conquered by Rhodri Mawr of Gwynedd

* Rhodri Mawr (872-878) * Cadell ap Rhodri (878-910) * Hywel Dda (910-950)

Dyfed

* Triffyn Farfog * Aergol Lawhir * Vortiporius * Cloten * Rhain ap Cadwgan * Maredudd ap Tewdwr * Rhain ap Maredudd * Owain ap Maredudd * Triffyn ap Rhain * Hyfaidd * Llywarch ap Hyfaidd * Rhodri ap Hyfaidd * Hywel Dda ("Hywel the Good")

Deheubarth

* Hywel Dda (Hywel the Good) (920–950) *His son, Owain ap Hywel **

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 ...

Edwin ap Hywel Edwin ap Hywel (died ) was a 10th-century king of Deheubarth, king of Deheubarth in Wales of the High Middle Ages. One of three sons of Hywel Dda, he divided his father's realm with his brothers Rhodri ap Hywel, Rhodri and Owain ap Hywel Dda, Ow ...

*Owain ap Hywel's son,

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 ...

* Cynan ap Hywel * Llywelyn ap Seisyll * Rhydderch ap Iestyn *

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 ...

* Gruffydd ap Rhydderch * Gruffydd ap Llywelyn *

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 ...

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 ...

Rhys ap Tewdwr Rhys ap Tewdwr (c. 1040 – 1093) was a king of Deheubarth in Wales and member of the Dinefwr dynasty, a branch descended from Rhodri the Great. He was born in the area which is now Carmarthenshire and died at the battle of Brecon in April 10 ...

Gruffydd ap Rhys Gruffydd ap Rhys (c. 1090 – 1137) was Prince of Deheubarth, in Wales. His sister was the Princess Nest ferch Rhys. He was the father of Rhys ap Gruffydd, known as 'The Lord Rhys', who was one of the most successful rulers of Deheubarth duri ...

* Anarawd ap Gruffydd *

Cadell ap Gruffydd Cadell ap Gruffydd (died 1175) was prince of the Kingdom of Deheubarth in Southwest Wales. Cadell was the son of Gruffydd ap Rhys, who held part of the Kingdom of Deheubarth with the remainder in the hands of various Norman lords. Gruffydd died i ...

* Maredudd ap Gruffydd * The Lord Rhys (Rhys ap Gruffydd) *

* Maelgwn ap Rhys * Rhys Gryg (Rhys the Hoarse)

Brycheiniog

*Anlach mac Cormac * Brychan Brycheiniog ap Anlach (Irish ''Bróccan'') Claimed as founder of the ruling dynasty. * Rhain ap Cadwgan

Gwynedd

Kings of Gwynedd

* Cunedda ''Wledig'' ap Edern * Einion ''Yrth'' ap Cunedda (Einion the Impetuous) ** Owain Ddantgwyn ( Rhos; late 5th century) **

Cynlas Goch Cuneglasus ( fl. 540) was a prince of Rhos in Gwynedd, Wales, in the late 5th or early 6th century. He was castigated for various sins by Gildas in ''De Excidio Britanniae''. The Welsh form Cynlas Goch is attested in several genealogies of the Rh ...

( Rhos) & St Einion ( Llŷn) ap Owain (late 5th and early 6th century) * Cadwallon ''Lawhir'' ap Einion (Cadwallon Long Hand) * Maelgwn ''Hir'' ap Cadwallon (Maelgwn the Tall) * Rhun ''Hir'' ap Maelgwn (Rhun the Tall) * Beli ap Rhun * Iago ap Beli * Cadfan ap Iago * Cadwallon ap Cadfan * Cadafael ''Cadomedd'' ap Cynfeddw (Cadfael the Battle-Shirker) * Cadwaladr ''Fendigaid'' ap Cadwallon (Cadwaladr the Blessed) * Idwal ''Iwrch'' ap Cadwaladr (Idwal Roebuck) * Rhodri ''Molwynog'' ap Idwal (Rhodri the Bald and Gray) * Caradog ap Meirion * Cynan ''Dindaethwy'' ap Rhodri * Hywel ap Rhodri Molwynog * Merfyn ''Frych'' ap Gwriad * Rhodri ''Mawr'' ap Merfyn (Rhodri the Great) * Anarawd ap Rhodri * Idwal Foel ab Anarawd (Idwal the Bald) * Hywel ''Dda'' ap Cadell (Howell the Good) * Iago ab Idwal * Ieuaf ab Idwal * Hywel ab Ieuaf *

Cadwallon ab Ieuaf Cadwallon ap Ieuaf (died 986) was a King of Gwynedd. Cadwallon was the son of Ieuaf ab Idwal and succeeded to the throne of Gwynedd on the death of his brother Hywel ab Ieuaf in 985. He only reigned for a year, for in 986 Maredudd ab Owain of Deh ...

* Cynan ap Hywel * Aeddan ap Blegywryd * Llywelyn ap Seisyll * Iago ab Idwal ap Meurig * Gruffydd ap Llywelyn * Bleddyn ap Cynfyn * Trahaearn ap Caradog * Gruffudd ap Cynan * Owain Gwynedd ap Gruffydd

Princes of Aberffraw and Lords of Snowdon

Maelgwn ab Owain Gwynedd Maelgwn ab Owain Gwynedd was a prince of part of Gwynedd. Little is known about him, but he was the son of Owain Gwynedd and Gwladus ferch Llywarch ap Trahaearn, and therefore full brother to Iorwerth Drwyndwn, the father of Llywelyn the Grea ...

Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd ( – 1203) was Prince of Gwynedd from 1170 to 1195. For a time he ruled jointly with his brothers Maelgwn ab Owain Gwynedd and Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd. Dafydd was the son of Owain Gwynedd by Cristin ferch Goronwy ab Ow ...

* Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd * Llywelyn ''Fawr'' ap Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great) * Dafydd ap Llywelyn * Owain Goch ap Gruffydd * Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (Llywelyn the Last) (1246–1282) (used title ''Prince of Wales'' from 1258 onwards) * Dafydd ap Gruffydd * Madog ap Llywelyn * Owain ap Tomas ap Rhodri (Owen the Red Hand) (1372–1378) (in exile but claimed the title)

Morgannwg

The kingdom of Morgannwg was formed by the union of the kingdoms of Morgannwg and Gwent. At times, the kingdoms were separate and independent.

Glywysing

* Glywys ** Gwynllyw, son of Glywys, ruler of Gwynllwg, cantref of Glywysing **Pawl, son of Glywys, ruler of Penychen, cantref of Glywysing **Mechwyn, son of Glywys, ruler of Gorfynydd, cantref of Glywysing * Cadoc, son of Gwynllyw, ruler of Gwynllwg and Penychen, died without heirs *

Meurig Meurig is a Welsh name of Brittonic origin and may refer to: *Meurig ap Tewdrig (, the son of Tewdrig (St. Tewdrig), and a king of the early Welsh kingdoms of Gwent and Glywysing *Meurig ap Idnerth, king of Buellt, a Welsh kingdom from c. 510 to 54 ...

* Arthfael Hen ap Rhys (Arthfael the Old) * Hywel ap Rhys * Owain ap Hywel **

Gruffydd ab Owain Gruffydd ab Owain (died ) was a joint king of Glywysing in Wales along with his brother Cadwgan. His other brother Morgan ruled in Gwent. His death was recorded in the ''Annals of Wales''.The Annals of Wales The (Latin for ''Annals of Wale ...

Cadwgan ab Owain Cadwgan ab Owain (died 951) was a joint king of Glywysing in Wales of the High Middle Ages along with his brother Gruffydd.Charles-Edwards, T. ''Wales and the Britons, 350–1064'', pp517537 Oxford Univ. Press, 2012. Accessed 20 Feb 2013. His ot ...

King of West Glywysing * Morgan Hen ab Owain **

Hywel ab Owain Hywel ab Owain was a Welsh king of a part of Glywysing Glywysing was, from the sub-Roman period to the Early Middle Ages, a petty kingdom in south-east Wales. Its people were descended from the Iron Age tribe of the Silures, and frequently in ...

* Rhydderch ap Iestyn * Gruffydd ap Rhydderch * Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, invader and prince of Gwynedd (1055–1063) * Caradog ap Gruffydd * Iestyn ap Gwrgan(t)

Gwent

* Caradog (Strongarm) * Tewdrig * Meurig ap Tewdrig * Athrwys ap Meurig * Morgan the Generous * Ithel ap Morgan * Ffernfael ab Idwal *

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 ...

Meurig ap Hywel Meurig ap Hywel (died ) was a 9th-century prince of Gwent in southeastern Wales. The Chronicle of the Princes reported that in the year 843 AD, "Saxons" invaded Anglesey. Meurig, son of King Hywel of "Morgannwg" (actually, only part of Glywysin ...

* Ffernfael ap Meurig * Owain ap Hywel * Edwyn ap Gwriad *

* Cadwgan ap Meurig * Gruffydd ap Llywelyn * Cadwgan ap Meurig * Caradog ap Gruffydd * Iestyn ap Gwrgan(t)

Powys

Kings of Powys

Legendary descendants of Vortigern

Gwrtheyrn Vortigern (; owl, Guorthigirn, ; cy, Gwrtheyrn; ang, Wyrtgeorn; Old Breton: ''Gurdiern'', ''Gurthiern''; gle, Foirtchern; la, Vortigernus, , , etc.), also spelled Vortiger, Vortigan, Voertigern and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in ...

( High-King Vortigern) *

Cadeyern Fendigaid Catigern ( cy, Cadeyrn Fendigaid) is a figure of Welsh tradition, said to be a son of Vortigern, the tyrannical King of the Britons, and the brother of Vortimer. A figure of this name also appears in the Welsh genealogies, though he is given differ ...

* Cadell Ddyrnllwg * Rhyddfedd Frych *

Cyngen Glodrydd Cyngen Glodrydd was an early 6th-century King of Powys. He was a descendant of King Cadell Ddyrnllwg Cadell Ddyrnllwg (Welsh for "Cadell of the Gleaming Hilt"; born c. AD 430) was a mid-5th century King of Powys. Cadell appears to have been ...

Pasgen ap Cyngen Pasgen ap Cyngen was a mid 6th century King of Powys 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 ...

Morgan ap Pasgen Morgan ap Pasgen was a mid 6th century King of Powys, and a son of Pasgen ap Cyngen Pasgen ap Cyngen was a mid 6th century King of Powys Prior to the Conquest of Wales, completed in 1282, Wales consisted of a number of independent kingdoms, ...

* Brochwel Ysgithrog * Cynan Garwyn * Selyf ap Cynan * Manwgan ap Selyf * Eiludd Powys *

Beli ap Eiludd Beli ab Eiludd was a 7th-century King of Powys. Some theories assert that he was in fact the son of Manwgan ap Selyf who regained power after Eiludd Powys Eiludd Powys was an early 7th-century King of Powys. He was likely the son or younger b ...

Gwylog ap Beli Gwylog ap Beli was one of the rulers of the Kingdom of Powys during the late 7th to early 8th Century, son of Beli ab Eiludd Beli ab Eiludd was a 7th-century King of Powys. Some theories assert that he was in fact the son of Manwgan ap Selyf w ...

* Elisedd ap Gwylog *

Brochfael ap Elisedd Brochfael ap Elisedd was a mid 8th century King of Powys, who inherited the throne from his father, Elisedd ap Gwylog. Upon his death, he was succeeded by his son, Cadell ap Brochfael. His name also was inscribed (as "Brochmail") in the Pillar of ...

* Cadell ap Brochfael * Cyngen ap Cadell

Rhodri Mawr and his descendants

* Rhodri Mawr * Merfyn ap Rhodri *

Llywelyn ap Merfyn Llywelyn ap Merfyn (died 942) was an early 10th-century King of Powys, son of Merfyn ap Rhodri, and grandson of Rhodri the Great Rhodri ap Merfyn ( 820 – 873/877/878), popularly known as Rhodri the Great ( cy, Rhodri Mawr), succeeded his fa ...

* Hywel Dda * Owain ap Hywel * Maredudd ap Owain * Llywelyn ap Seisyll * Rhydderch ap Iestyn *

Iago ap 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 d ...

* Gruffydd ap Llywelyn

Princes of Powys

* Bleddyn ap Cynfyn *

Iorwerth ap Bleddyn Iorwerth ap Bleddyn (1053–1111) was a prince of Powys in eastern Wales. Iorwerth was the son of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn who was king of both Powys and Gwynedd. When Bleddyn was killed in 1075, Powys was divided between three of his sons, Iorwerth, Cad ...

* Cadwgan ap Bleddyn * Owain ap Cadwgan *

Maredudd ap Bleddyn Maredudd ap Bleddyn (1047 – 9 February 1132) was a prince and later King of Powys in eastern Wales. Maredudd was the son of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn who was King of both Powys and Gwynedd. When Bleddyn was killed in 1075, Powys was divided between thr ...

* Madog ap Maredudd

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * (

Dictionary of Welsh Biography The ''Dictionary of Welsh Biography'' (DWB) (also ''The Dictionary of Welsh Biography Down to 1940'' and ''The Dictionary of Welsh Biography, 1941 to 1970'') is a biographical dictionary of Welsh people who have made a significant contribution to ...

) *The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales, University of Wales Press, 2008, * {{Welsh kingdoms List Wales Rulers Wales

Deheubarth

Ceredigion

Kingdom conquered by Rhodri Mawr of Gwynedd

Dyfed

Deheubarth

Brycheiniog

Gwynedd

Kings of Gwynedd

Princes of Aberffraw and Lords of Snowdon

Morgannwg

Glywysing

Gwent

Powys

Kings of Powys

Legendary descendants of Vortigern

Rhodri Mawr and his descendants

Princes of Powys

See also

References

Citations

Bibliography