Madog ap Maredudd
Encyclopedia
Madog ap Maredudd was the last Prince of the entire Kingdom of Powys, Wales
and for a time held the Fitzalan Lordship of Oswestry.
Madog was the son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn
and grandson of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn
. 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
, along with Owain Gwynedd
's brother Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd
and a large army of Welshmen. In 1149 he is recorded giving the commote of Cyfeiliog to his nephews Owain Cyfeiliog
and his brother Meurig. The same year Madog was able to rebuild Oswestry castle a fortress of William Fitzalan (rebel)
. It would seem likely that he had gained both the fortresses of Oswestry
and Whittington
in 1146.
, between 1149 to 1150, Owain Gwynedd
was exerting pressure on the borders of Powys, despite the fact that Madog was married to Susanna, Owain's sister. Madog made an alliance with Ranulf de Gernon, 4th Earl of Chester, but Owain defeated them at the Battle of Ewloe
(Coleshill) in 1150 and took possession of Madog's lands in Iâl (English="Yale"]. In 1157 when King Henry II of England
invaded Gwynedd he was supported by Madog, who was able to regain many of his Welsh lands. Even so he retained the lordships of Oswestry
and Whittington
. In 1159 Madog would seem to have been the Welsh prince who accompanied King Henry II in his campaign to Toulouse
which ended in failure. Returning home to Wales Madog died about 9 February 1160 in Whittington Castle
. He was buried soon afterwards in the church of St. Tysilio at Meifod
, the mother church of Powys.
(Lower Powys) and Powys Wenwynwyn
(Upper Powys). Madog's death enabled Owain Gwynedd to force the homage of Owain Brogyntyn, one of Madog's younger sons, and effectively annex part of northern Powys. The poet Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr
in his elegy on Madog said:
tale The Dream of Rhonabwy
is set during Madog's reign. The central character, Rhonabwy, is one of Madog's retainers sent to bring in Madog's rebellious brother Iowerth Goch ap Maredudd
. His titular dream contrasts his own time with the grandeur of King Arthur
's period.
, part of the Brother Cadfael chronicles by Edith Pargeter
(writing as Ellis Peters).
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and for a time held the Fitzalan Lordship of Oswestry.
Maredudd ap Bleddyn
Maredudd ap Bleddyn was a prince of Powys in eastern Wales.Maredudd was the son of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn who was king of both Powys and Gwynedd...
and grandson of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn
Bleddyn ap Cynfyn
Bleddyn ap Cynfyn was a Prince of the Welsh Kingdoms of Gwynedd and of Powys.- Lineage :Bleddyn was the son of Princess Angharad ferch Maredudd with her second husband Cynfyn ap Gwerstan, a Powys Lord, about whom little is now known...
. He followed his father on the throne of Powys in 1132. He is recorded as taking part in the Battle of Lincoln
Battle of Lincoln (1141)
The Battle of Lincoln or First Battle of Lincoln occurred on 2 February 1141. In it Stephen of England was captured, imprisoned and effectively deposed while Empress Matilda ruled for a short time.-Account:...
in 1141 in support of the Earl of Chester
Earl of Chester
The Earldom of Chester was one of the most powerful earldoms in medieval England. Since 1301 the title has generally been granted to heirs-apparent to the English throne, and from the late 14th century it has been given only in conjunction with that of Prince of Wales.- Honour of Chester :The...
, along with Owain Gwynedd
Owain Gwynedd
Owain Gwynedd ap Gruffydd , in English also known as Owen the Great, was King of Gwynedd from 1137 until his death in 1170. He is occasionally referred to as "Owain I of Gwynedd"; and as "Owain I of Wales" on account of his claim to be King of Wales. He is considered to be the most successful of...
's brother Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd
Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd
Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd was the third son of Gruffydd ap Cynan, King of Gwynedd, Wales and younger brother of Owain Gwynedd.-Appearance in history:...
and a large army of Welshmen. In 1149 he is recorded giving the commote of Cyfeiliog to his nephews Owain Cyfeiliog
Owain Cyfeiliog
Owain ap Gruffydd 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 known as Owain Gwynedd.Owain was the son of Gruffydd ap Maredudd and...
and his brother Meurig. The same year Madog was able to rebuild Oswestry castle a fortress of William Fitzalan (rebel)
William Fitzalan (rebel)
William Fitzalan , was a rebel.Fitzalan was the son and heir of Alan fitz Flaad, by Aveline or Adeline, sister of Ernulf de Hesding. His younger brother, Walter fitz Alan , was 'the undoubted ancestor of the royal House of Stuart'...
. It would seem likely that he had gained both the fortresses of Oswestry
Oswestry
Oswestry is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483, and A495 roads....
and Whittington
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 around a courtyard whose exterior wall was the curtain...
in 1146.
Defeat by Gwynedd
At this time the King of GwyneddKingdom of Gwynedd
Gwynedd was one petty kingdom of several Welsh successor states which emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain in the Early Middle Ages, and later evolved into a principality during the High Middle Ages. It was based on the former Brythonic tribal lands of the Ordovices, Gangani, and the...
, between 1149 to 1150, Owain Gwynedd
Owain Gwynedd
Owain Gwynedd ap Gruffydd , in English also known as Owen the Great, was King of Gwynedd from 1137 until his death in 1170. He is occasionally referred to as "Owain I of Gwynedd"; and as "Owain I of Wales" on account of his claim to be King of Wales. He is considered to be the most successful of...
was exerting pressure on the borders of Powys, despite the fact that Madog was married to Susanna, Owain's sister. Madog made an alliance with Ranulf de Gernon, 4th Earl of Chester, but Owain defeated them at the Battle of Ewloe
Battle of Ewloe
The Battle of Ewloe was a battle fought in July 1157 between a large army led by Henry II of England and an army led by the Welsh prince Owain Gwynedd.- Background :...
(Coleshill) in 1150 and took possession of Madog's lands in Iâl (English="Yale"]. In 1157 when King Henry II of England
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
invaded Gwynedd he was supported by Madog, who was able to regain many of his Welsh lands. Even so he retained the lordships of Oswestry
Oswestry
Oswestry is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483, and A495 roads....
and Whittington
Whittington, Shropshire
Whittington is a village in north west Shropshire, England.The civil parish of Whittington has a population of 2,490 as of the 2001 census. The village of Whittington is in the centre of the parish, and two smaller villages, Hindford to the north-east and Babbinswood to the south, are also within...
. In 1159 Madog would seem to have been the Welsh prince who accompanied King Henry II in his campaign to Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
which ended in failure. Returning home to Wales Madog died about 9 February 1160 in Whittington Castle
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 around a courtyard whose exterior wall was the curtain...
. He was buried soon afterwards in the church of St. Tysilio at Meifod
Meifod
Meifod is a small village 7 miles north-west of Welshpool in Powys, mid Wales, on the A495 road and located in the valley of the River Vyrnwy. The River Banwy has a confluence with the Vyrnwy approximately two miles to the west of the village....
, the mother church of Powys.
Succession Shared
Madog's eldest son, Llywelyn, was killed soon after his father's death and Powys was shared between a number of sons and nephews. Powys was never subsequently reunited, being separated into two parts; Powys FadogPowys Fadog
Powys Fadog or Lower Powys was the northern portion of the former princely realm of Powys which split in two following the death of Madog ap Maredudd of Powys in 1160...
(Lower Powys) and Powys Wenwynwyn
Powys Wenwynwyn
Powys Wenwynwyn or Powys Cyfeiliog was the southern portion of the former princely state of Powys which split following the death of Madog ap Maredudd of Powys in 1160...
(Upper Powys). Madog's death enabled Owain Gwynedd to force the homage of Owain Brogyntyn, one of Madog's younger sons, and effectively annex part of northern Powys. The poet Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr
Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr
Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr , in English also known as Kendall, was the court poet of Madog ap Maredudd, Owain Gwynedd , and Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd, and one of the most prominent Welsh poets of the 12th century.Cynddelw began his career as court poet to Madog ap Maredudd, Prince of Powys...
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
The Mabinogion
The MabinogionMabinogion
The Mabinogion is the title given to a collection of eleven prose stories collated from medieval Welsh manuscripts. The tales draw on pre-Christian Celtic mythology, international folktale motifs, and early medieval historical traditions...
tale The Dream of Rhonabwy
The Dream of Rhonabwy
The Dream of Rhonabwy is a Middle Welsh prose tale. Set during the reign of Madog ap Maredudd, prince of Powys , it is dated to the late 12th or 13th century. It survives in only one manuscript, the Red Book of Hergest, and has been associated with the Mabinogion since its publication by Lady...
is set during Madog's reign. The central character, Rhonabwy, is one of Madog's retainers sent to bring in Madog's rebellious brother Iowerth Goch ap Maredudd
Iowerth Goch ap Maredudd
Iowerth Goch ap Maredudd , a minor Prince of the Kingdom of Powys, was the base son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn and Cristin ferch Bledrus...
. His titular dream contrasts his own time with the grandeur of King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
's period.
Children
- Llywelyn ap Madog
- Gruffydd MaelorGruffydd MaelorGruffydd Maelor was Prince of Powys Fadog in Wales.He is known as Gruffydd Maelor I to distinguish him from his grandson, Gruffydd Maelor II .- Lineage :He was a son of Madog ap Maredudd by Susanna, daughter of Gruffudd ap Cynan...
- Owain BrogyntynOwain BrogyntynOwain Brogyntyn ap Madog was the youngest 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 Edeyrnion. He was the brother of Gruffydd Maelor the ancestor of Owain Glyndŵr...
- Gwenllian ferch Madog, married Rhys ap GruffyddRhys ap GruffyddRhys ap Gruffydd or ap Gruffudd was the ruler of the kingdom of Deheubarth in south Wales. He is commonly known as The Lord Rhys, in Welsh Yr Arglwydd Rhys, but this title may not have been used in his lifetime...
, prince of Deheubarth - Marared ferch Madog, married Iorwerth DrwyndwnIorwerth DrwyndwnIorwerth ab Owain Gwynedd , meaning "the broken-nosed", was the eldest legitimate son of Owain Gwynedd and his first wife Gwladys ferch Llywarch. He married Marared ferch Madog. His son Llywelyn the Great eventually united the realm and became known as Llywelyn Fawr and is one of Wales's most...
and was the mother of Llywelyn the GreatLlywelyn the GreatLlywelyn the Great , full name Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, was a Prince of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually de facto ruler over most of Wales... - Efa ferch Madog, married Cadwallon ap MadogCadwallon ap MadogCadwallon ap Madog was the son of Madog ab Idnerth who had died in 1140, while Idnerth was a grandson of Elystan Glodrydd who had died in around 1010 and had founded a dynasty in the Middle Marches of Wales, in the area known as Rhwng Gwy a Hafren .-Prince of Maelienydd:After the death of Madog ab...
Fiction
Madog's intervention in the Battle of Lincoln in 1141 forms an important plot element in the detective novel Dead Man's RansomDead Man's Ransom
Dead Man's Ransom is a medieval mystery novel by Ellis Peters. It is the ninth in the Brother Cadfael series, and was first published in 1984.-Plot summary:...
, part of the Brother Cadfael chronicles by Edith Pargeter
Edith Pargeter
Edith Mary Pargeter, OBE, BEM , also known by her nom de plume Ellis Peters, was a British author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honoured for her translations of Czech classics; she is probably best known for her murder mysteries, both...
(writing as Ellis Peters).