Gruffydd ap Rhys (c. 1090 – 1137) was

Prince of Deheubarth A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

, in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

. His sister was the Princess Nest ferch Rhys. He was the father 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 ...

, known as 'The Lord Rhys', who was one of the most successful rulers of Deheubarth during this period.

Family

Issue prior to marriage to Gwenllian: * Anarawd (murdered in 1143). He had a son, Einion, who was murdered in his bed in 1163 * Cadell (died 1175) Second he married Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd and by her he had issue:Cadw (Llywodraeth Cymru Welsh Government), April 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2020, from https://cadw.gov.wales/sites/default/files/2019-04/20140916gwenlliancardsen.pdf. * Morgan (born c. 1116) * Maelgwyn (born c. 1119) * Gwladus (born between 1120 and 1130) * Nest (born between 1120 and 1130) * Owain ap Gruffydd (born c. 1126) * Maredudd (born c. 1130/1, died 1155) *

Rhys Rhys or Rhŷs is a popular Welsh given name (usually male) that is famous in Welsh history and is also used as a surname. It originates from Deheubarth, an old region of South West Wales, with famous kings such as Rhys ap Tewdwr. It is pronounc ...

(born c. 1132) * Sion ap Gruffydd (born c. 1134)

Early life

Gruffydd was born in

Llandeilo Llandeilo () is a town and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales, situated at the crossing of the River Towy by the A483 on a 19th-century stone bridge. Its population was 1,795 at the 2011 Census. It is adjacent to the westernmost point of the ...

. Following the death of his father Rhys ap Tewdwr in 1093,

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 ...

was taken over by the Normans, and Gruffydd spent much of his early years in exile in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. In 1113 or 1115 Gruffydd returned to South Wales. He was accused by

King Henry I of England Henry I (c. 1068 – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in ...

and so went to

Gruffudd ap Cynan Gruffudd ap Cynan ( 1137), sometimes written as Gruffydd ap Cynan, was King of Gwynedd from 1081 until his death in 1137. In the course of a long and eventful life, he became a key figure in Welsh resistance to Norman rule, and was rememb ...

for help. Gruffudd ap Cynan planned to murder Gruffydd to receive a reward from King Henry I, but Gruffydd's sister Nest warned him and he was able to escape to Llŷn. In 1116 Gruffydd attacked Castle Llanmyddyfri, but was defeated. He also attacked Swansea Castle, and destroyed the outer walls; and captured or destroyed

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 ...

, and either in this year or in 1114 captured Kidwelly Castle. However an attack on Aberystwyth was defeated and Gruffydd's army dispersed. In 1121 or 1122 Gruffydd made peace with King Henry I and was allowed to rule a portion of his father's kingdom, the

Cantref Mawr Cantref Mawr was a cantref in south-west Wales. It was of strategic importance in medieval Wales as the location of the main seat of the princes of Deheubarth at Dinefwr. ''Cantref Mawr'' means "The Great Cantref". Each cantref in medieval Wale ...

, although he was soon under pressure from the Normans again and was forced to flee to Ireland for a period in 1127.

Rebellion

In 1135 Gruffydd was summoned by

King Stephen of England 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 unti ...

to London, but refused to go. In 1136 he joined

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 ...

and

Cadwaladr Cadwaladr ap Cadwallon (also spelled Cadwalader or Cadwallader in English) was king of Gwynedd in Wales from around 655 to 682 AD. Two devastating plagues happened during his reign, one in 664 and the other in 682; he himself was a victim of t ...

, the sons of

of Gwynedd, in a rebellion against Norman rule. While Gruffydd was away from home, his wife Gwenllian led her husband's troops against Maurice of London, but was defeated, captured, and beheaded. In this battle his son Morgan was also slain, and his son Maelgwn was captured. In revenge for his wife's execution Gruffydd attacked the English and the Fleming residents of South Wales, causing great destruction of property, crops, and livestock. Gruffydd himself with Owain and Cadwaladr gained a crushing victory over the Normans at

Crug Mawr Crug Mawr is a hill in the Black Mountains in the Brecon Beacons National Park in southern Powys, Wales. Its summit at a height of 550 m (1,805 ft) is marked by a trig point. The peak sits high above the valleys of the Grwyne Fawr an ...

near Cardigan the same year. In celebration of driving the English and the Fleming from South Wales, Gruffydd hosted a grand festival that lasted for 40 days.

Death and succession

In 1136 or early 1137 Gruffydd died in uncertain circumstances.

Florence of Worcester Florence of Worcester (died 1118), known in Latin as Florentius, was a monk of Worcester, who played some part in the production of the '' Chronicon ex chronicis'', a Latin world chronicle which begins with the creation and ends in 1140.Keynes, "Fl ...

claimed that Gruffydd was murdered by his second wife. He was succeeded by his son, Anarawd. Of his other sons, Cadell, Maredydd, and Rhys (later known as ''The Lord Rhys'') all ruled Deheubarth in turn.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhys, Gruffydd Ap 1090s births Gruffydd ap Rhys, Prince of Deheubarth Gruffydd Monarchs of Deheubarth 12th-century Welsh monarchs People from Llandeilo