Maurice de Londres (died 1166) was an Anglo-Norman noble. He was a son of William de Londres (died 1131), who was one of the Twelve Knights of Glamorgan, and his wife Matilda. During his father's lifetime he took control of Ogmore, where he built the stone keep of Ogmore Castle in around 1126, and after the death of his father he inherited control of

Oystermouth Oystermouth (a corruption of the Welsh name ''Ystum Llwynarth'' or ''Ystumllwynarth'') is a village (and former electoral ward) in the district of Mumbles, Swansea, Wales. It is part of the Mumbles community (civil parish). Description The ...

Gower Gower ( cy, Gŵyr) or the Gower Peninsula () in southwest Wales, projects towards the Bristol Channel. It is the most westerly part of the historic county of Glamorgan. In 1956, the majority of Gower became the first area in the United Kingdom ...

. During the Welsh uprising, after the death of King Henry I, he made a counter-attack after the defeat of the

Anglo-Normans The Anglo-Normans ( nrf, Anglo-Normaunds, ang, Engel-Norðmandisca) were the medieval ruling class in England, composed mainly of a combination of ethnic Normans, French, Anglo-Saxons, Flemings and Bretons, following the Norman conquest. A sma ...

at the Battle of

Loughor Loughor () ( cy, Casllwchwr) is a Welsh town in the City and County of Swansea, within the Historic counties of Wales, historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales. It lies on the estuary of the River Loughor. The town has a community (Wales), ...

. Prior to 1139 he acquired Kidwelly Castle from

Roger of Salisbury Roger of Salisbury (died 1139), was a Norman medieval bishop of Salisbury and the seventh Lord Chancellor and Lord Keeper of England. Life Roger was originally priest of a small chapel near Caen in Normandy. He was called "Roger, priest of the c ...

and took control of

Kidwelly Kidwelly ( cy, Cydweli) is a town and community in Carmarthenshire, southwest Wales, approximately northwest of the most populous town in the county, Llanelli. In the 2001 census the community of Kidwelly returned a population of 3,289, inc ...

, making him an independent lord of the Welsh Marches. In 1136 he led a Norman army into battle at Kidwelly against the native Welsh, led by Gwenllian ferch Gruffudd, with the King 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 ...

Gruffudd ap Rhys. This was a rare example of a woman leading an army into battle in Medieval Britain. Gwenllian was captured and then beheaded on the orders of de Londres, along with one of her children. He founded

All Saints' Church, Oystermouth All Saints' Church, Oystermouth (officially "All Saints, Oystermouth") is an Anglican church in the diocese of Swansea and Brecon, south Wales. It is located in Mumbles and is a Grade II listed building (listed 23 April 1952 as "a large church wi ...

. He also founded

Ewenny Priory Ewenny Priory ( cy, Priordy Ewenni), in Ewenny in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, was a monastery of the Benedictine order, founded in the 12th century. The priory was unusual in having extensive military-style defences and in its state of preserva ...

in 1141 when he granted the nearby Norman church of St. Michael to the abbey of St. Peter at Gloucester (now Gloucester Cathedral), together with the churches of St Brides Major, St. Michael at Colwinston and the manor at Lampha. The church had been built in the 12th century by his father, William de Londres. The village of

Ewenny Ewenny ( cy, Ewenni) is a village and community (parish) on the River Ewenny in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Over the years the village has grown into the neighbouring village of Corntown to such an extent that there is no longer a clear boundar ...

grew around the priory and church. The priory of Ewenny also contains his tomb. In around 1159 he lost control of Kidwelly to

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 ...

, the Welsh prince of

. With his wife Adeliza, he had two sons, William de Londres (died 1211) and Thomas.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Londres, Maurice de Anglo-Normans in Wales 1166 deaths