Madog ap Maredudd ( wlm, Madawg mab Maredud, ; died 1160) was the last prince of the entire

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 ...

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 ...

and for a time held the Fitzalan Lordship of

Oswestry Oswestry ( ; ) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483 and A495 roads. The town was the administrative headquarters of the Borough of ...

. Madog was the son of King

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 ...

and grandson of King

Bleddyn ap Cynfyn Bleddyn ap Cynfyn ( owl, Bledẏnt uab Kẏnỽẏn; AD 1075), sometimes spelled Blethyn, was an 11th-century list of rulers of Wales, Welsh king. Harold Godwinson and Tostig Godwinson installed him and his brother, Rhiwallon ap Cynf ...

. He followed his father on the throne of Powys in 1132. He is recorded as taking part in the Battle of Lincoln in 1141 in support of the

Earl of Chester The Earldom of Chester was one of the most powerful earldoms in medieval England, extending principally over the counties of Cheshire and Flintshire. Since 1301 the title has generally been granted to heirs apparent to the English throne, and a ...

, along with

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 ...

's brother

Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd (c. 1100 – 1172) was the third son of Gruffudd ap Cynan, King of Gwynedd, and brother of Owain Gwynedd. Appearance in history Cadwaladr first appears in the historical record in 1136, when following the killing of the l ...

and a large army of Welshmen. In 1149 he is recorded giving the

commote A commote (Welsh ''cwmwd'', sometimes spelt in older documents as ''cymwd'', plural ''cymydau'', less frequently ''cymydoedd'')''Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru'' (University of Wales Dictionary), p. 643 was a secular division of land in Medieval Wales ...

of Cyfeiliog to his nephews

Owain Cyfeiliog Owain ap Gruffydd (c. 1130–1197) was a prince of the southern part of Powys and a poet. He is usually known as Owain Cyfeiliog to distinguish him from other rulers named Owain, particularly his contemporary, Owain ap Gruffydd of Gwynedd, who is k ...

and Meurig. The same year Madog was able to rebuild

Oswestry Castle Oswestry Castle is a England in the Middle Ages, medieval castle in the town of Oswestry, Shropshire, England. The castle has also been known as, or recorded in historical documents as: ''Album Monasterium; Blancminster; Blankmouster; Blancmustier ...

, a fortress of William Fitzalan. It would seem likely that he had gained both the fortresses of Oswestry and

Whittington Whittington may refer to: Places * Whittington, Victoria, Australia * Whittington, Illinois, United States England * Old Whittington, Derbyshire * New Whittington, Derbyshire * Whittington Moor, Derbyshire * Whittington, Gloucestershire * Whit ...

in 1146.

Defeat by Gwynedd

At this time the King 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 ...

, between 1149 and 1150,

was exerting pressure on the borders of Powys, despite the fact that Madog was married to Susanna, Owain's sister. Around 1150, Madog made an alliance with

Ranulf de Gernon, 4th Earl of Chester Ranulf II (also known as Ranulf de Gernon), 4th Earl of Chester (1099–1153), was an Anglo-Norman baron who inherited the honour of the palatine county of Chester upon the death of his father Ranulf le Meschin, 3rd Earl of Chester. He was desc ...

, but Owain defeated them near Ewloe/Coleshill and took possession of Madog's lands in Iâl ( en, Yale). In 1157 King

Henry II of England Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (french: link=no, Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress, or Henry Plantagenet, was King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189, and as such, was the first Angevin king ...

invaded Gwynedd. Though he was defeated at the Battle of Ewloe (Coleshill), he was supported by Madog, who was able to regain many of his Welsh lands. Even so, he retained the lordships of

and

. In 1159 Madog would seem to have been the Welsh prince who accompanied King Henry II in his campaign to

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...

which ended in failure. Returning home to Wales Madog died about 9 February 1160 in

Whittington Castle Whittington Castle is a castle in northern Shropshire, England, owned and managed by the Whittington Castle Preservation Fund. The castle was originally a motte-and-bailey castle, but this was replaced in the 13th century by one with buildings ar ...

. He was buried soon afterwards in the church of St Tysilio at Meifod, the mother church of Powys.

Succession Shared

Madog's eldest son, Llywelyn, was killed soon after his father's death in 1160, Powys was then shared between Madog's sons

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 ...

Owain Fychan Owain Fychan ap Madog (alternatively ''Owain Vychan ap Madoc'') (c. 1125 – 1187) was styled Lord of Mechain Is Coed and one of the sons of Madog ap Maredudd. His mother was Susanna, daughter of Gruffudd ap Cynan. Division of the Kingdom of Po ...

and

Owain Brogyntyn Owain ''Brogyntyn'' ap Madog (fl. 1160–1186) was the third and illegitimate son of king Madog ap Maredudd, the last king of a united Kingdom of Powys. He was the son of Madog by the daughter of the ''Maer du'' or "black mayor" of Rûg in ...

, his nephew

and half-brother Iorwerth Goch. Powys was never subsequently reunited, being separated into two parts;

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 ...

(Lower Powys) and

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 ...

(Upper Powys). Madog's death enabled

to force the homage of Owain Brogyntyn, Madog's youngest son, and effectively annex part of northern Powys. The poet

Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr ("Cynddelw the Great Poet"; wlm, Kyndelw Brydyt or ; 1155–1200), was the court poet of Madog ap Maredudd, Owain Gwynedd (Owen the Great), and Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd, and one of the most prominent Welsh poets of the 12 ...

in his elegy on Madog said: :''While Madog lived there was no man'' :''Dared ravage his fair borders'' :''Yet nought of all he held'' :''Esteemed he his save by God's might ...'' :''If my noble lord were alive'' :''Gwynedd would not now be encamped in the heart of Edeyrnion'' Edeyrnion (or Edeirnion) was a

inherited by Owain Brogyntyn and had been the home of his mother (who was not married to his father). Owain may also have been raised there. It was annexed to Gwynedd during Owain's time.

The Mabinogion

The '' Mabinogion'' tale ''

The Dream of Rhonabwy ''The Dream of Rhonabwy'' ( cy, Breuddwyd Rhonabwy) is a Middle Welsh prose tale. Set during the reign of Madog ap Maredudd, prince of Powys (died 1160), its composition is typically dated to somewhere between the late 12th through the late 14th c ...

'' is set during Madog's reign. The central character, Rhonabwy, is one of Madog's retainers sent to bring in Madog's rebellious brother

Iorwerth Goch ap Maredudd Iorwerth Goch ap Maredudd (c. 1110 – c. 1171), a minor prince and nobleman of the Kingdom of Powys, was the illegitimate son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn and Cristin ferch Bledrus. The appellation "Goch", meaning red, probably referred to the colour of ...

. His titular dream contrasts his own time with the grandeur of

King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...

's period.Gantz, Jeffrey (translator) (1987). ''The Mabinogion'', pp. 177–191. New York: Penguin. .

Children

* Llywelyn ap Madog, died 1160 * Gruffydd Maelor ap Madog, died 1191 * Owain Fychan ap Madog, c. 1125–1187 * Owain Brogyntyn ap Madog (illegitimate) *

Gwenllian ferch Madog Gwenllian (or Gwenllïan) ( Welsh, a combination of ''gwen'' "fair, blessed, white" and ''llian'' " flaxen") was the name of several ladies who lived in medieval Wales. The two best known have, for different reasons, become symbols of Welsh patrio ...

, married

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

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 ...

* Marared ferch Madog, married Iorwerth ab Owain Gwynedd and was the mother of

Llywelyn the Great Llywelyn the Great ( cy, Llywelyn Fawr, ; full name Llywelyn mab Iorwerth; c. 117311 April 1240) was a King of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually " Prince of the Welsh" (in 1228) and "Prince of Wales" (in 1240). By a combination of war and d ...

* Efa ferch Madog, married Cadwallon ap Madog ap Idnerth, prince of

Maelienydd Maelienydd, sometimes spelt Maeliennydd, was a cantref and lordship in east central Wales covering the area from the River Teme to Radnor Forest and the area around Llandrindod Wells. The area, which is mainly upland, is now in Powys. During the ...

Fiction

Madog's intervention in the Battle of Lincoln in 1141 forms an important plot element in the detective novel

Dead Man's Ransom ''Dead Man's Ransom'' is a medieval mystery novel by Ellis Peters, first of four novels set in the disruptive year of 1141. It is the ninth in the Cadfael Chronicles, and was first published in 1984 in literature, 1984. The book was adapted f ...

, part of the

Brother Cadfael Brother Cadfael is the main fictional character in a series of historical murder mysteries written between 1977 and 1994 by the linguist-scholar Edith Pargeter under the name "Ellis Peters". The character of Cadfael himself is a Welsh Benedic ...

chronicles by

Edith Pargeter Edith Mary Pargeter (28 September 1913 – 14 October 1995), also known by her '' nom de plume'' Ellis Peters, was an English author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honoured for her transla ...

(writing as Ellis Peters).

Notes

References

* * Remfry, P.M., ''Whittington Castle and the families of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, Peverel, Maminot, Powys and Fitz Warin'' () *Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700 by Frederick Lewis Weis, Line 176B-26 {{DEFAULTSORT:Madog ap Maredudd 1160 deaths Monarchs of Powys House of Mathrafal 12th-century Welsh monarchs Year of birth unknown Welsh princes People of The Anarchy