Madog ap Gruffudd, or Madog ap Gruffudd Maelor, was Prince of

Powys Fadog Powys Fadog (English: ''Lower Powys'' or ''Madog's Powys'') was the northern portion of the former princely realm of Powys, which split in two following the death of Madog ap Maredudd in 1160. The realm was divided under Welsh law, with Madog's ...

from 1191 to 1236 in north-east

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 ...

Early life

He was elder son of Prince

Gruffydd Maelor Gruffydd Maelor (died 1191) was Prince of Powys Fadog in Wales. He is known as Gruffydd Maelor I to distinguish him from his grandson, Gruffydd Maelor II (died 1269). Lineage He was a son of Prince Madog ap Maredudd by Susanna, daughter of Ki ...

and his wife, Angharad, a daughter of 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 ...

. He succeeded his father jointly with his brother, Owen, in 1191 and on Owen's death in 1197 became the sole ruler of Powys north of the

River Rhaeadr The River Rhaeadr ( cy, Afon Rhaeadr) is a river in Wales. It starts at the Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall a few miles from the village of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, where the Afon Disgynfa falls over a 240-foot (73 m) cliff-face, after which the ri ...

and the

Afon Tanat Afon Tanat is a river in northern Powys, Wales. Its source is close to the Cyrniau Nod mountain, to the north of Lake Vyrnwy. The river flows in a generally east-south-east direction until it joins the River Vyrnwy near Llansantffraid-ym-Mech ...

. Madog consolidated the possessions of his father, Prince Gruffudd Maelor, and the territory he ruled became known as ''

'' in his honour, the remainder of the old kingdom formed

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 ...

. (''Fadog'' is a gender mutation of his name, ''Madog''.) After his death in 1236, this area—comprising Welsh and English

Maelor The Maelor is an area of north-east Wales along the border with England. It is now entirely part of Wrexham County Borough. The name ''Maelor'' is an old Welsh word: it can be translated as "land of the prince", from ''mael'' ("prince") and ''l ...

Ial Ial or Yale ( cy, Iâl) was a commote of medieval Wales within the cantref of Maelor in the Kingdom of Powys. When the Kingdom was divided in 1160, Maelor became part of the Princely realm of Powys Fadog (Lower Powys or Madog's Powys), and belo ...

Cynllaith Cynllaith or Cynllaeth was a ''cwmwd'' (commote) of north east Wales in the cantref of Swydd y Waun which was once part of the Kingdom of Powys and later part of the smaller kingdom of Powys Fadog. Cynllaith, or at least the part of it called '' ...

Nanheudwy Nanheudwy was a medieval commote of Wales considered part of the ancient Kingdom of Powys in the cantref of Swydd y Waun. It was traditionally defined as the region between the valleys of the rivers Dee and Ceiriog with a mountain ridge running ...

and

Mochnant Mochnant, a name translating as "the rapid stream", was a medieval cantref in the Kingdom of Powys. In the 12th century it was divided into the commotes of Mochnant Is Rhaeadr (in the north) and Mochnant Uwch Rhaeadr (in the south) (''Is'' signif ...

Is Rhaeadr—was still referred to as Powys Fadog although it was divided up between his five sons. Madog was close to his cousin,

Llywelyn ap Iorwerth Llywelyn, Llewelyn or Llewellyn is a name of Welsh language origins. See Llywelyn (name) for the name's etymology, history and other details. As a surname Arts *Carmen Llywelyn, American actress and photographer *Chris Llewellyn (poet), American p ...

, initially, but gradually distanced himself and also kept aloof from 1212 when his cousin had managed to reform the Welsh Confederacy and looked instead 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 ...

, in whose pay he was, as an official ally of the English king. By 1215 he decided to ally with his cousin and remained so.

Establishment of and burial at Valle Crucis Abbey

On 28 January 1201, Madog founded the Cistercian abbey of

Valle Crucis Abbey Valle Crucis Abbey (Valley of the Cross) is a Cistercian abbey located in Llantysilio in Denbighshire, Wales. More formally ''the Abbey Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Valle Crucis'' it is known in Welsh both as ''Abaty Glyn Egwestl'' and ''A ...

Llangollen Llangollen () is a town and community, situated on the River Dee, in Denbighshire, Wales. Its riverside location forms the edge of the Berwyn range, and the Dee Valley section of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beau ...

, Wales. The abbey was founded with monks from nearby

Strata Marcella The Abbey of Strata Marcella ( cy, Abaty Ystrad Marchell) was a medieval Cistercian monastery situated at Ystrad Marchell (''Strata Marcella'' being the Latinised form of the Welsh name) on the west bank of the River Severn near Welshpool, Powys ...

abbey. He is buried at Valle Crucis Abbey in the abbey church, as are several of Madog's descendants. The exact site of his burial is unknown.D.H. Evans BA, FSA - Valle Crucis Abbey (2008) He is either a great-grandfather or great-great-great-grandfather 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 ...

Marriage and children

He had married Esyllt (Isolda). He had issue: *

Gruffudd Maelor II Gruffydd Maelor II (died 1269) was Prince of Powys Fadog. Lineage He was the eldest son of Prince Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor and inherited his father's lands and title in partial succession along with his four brothers Gruffydd Ial, Maredudd, Hywe ...

, who succeeded his father, * Gruffudd Iâl, died 1238 * Maredudd, died 1256 * Hywel, died 1268 *

Madog Fychan Madog Fychan was a member of the family of Princes of Powys Fadog, though he never gained the title, being brother of Gruffydd Maelor II. He was an ally to Dafydd ap Llywelyn in his campaign to attack English possessions in Wales in 1245 and sided ...

, died 1269 * Angharad.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Madog Ap Gruffydd Maelor 1236 deaths Monarchs of Powys 12th-century Welsh monarchs 13th-century Welsh monarchs Year of birth unknown The Lordship of Bromfield and Yale