Owen de la Pole
Encyclopedia
Owen de la Pole also known as Owain ap Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn, was the heir presumptive to the Welsh
principality of Powys Wenwynwyn
until 1283 when it was abolished by the Parliament of Shrewsbury. He became the 1st Lord of Powis after the death of his father Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn
c. 1287.
Owen was born in England
sometime after his father was driven into exile there in 1257 by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd the ruler of Kingdom of Gwynedd
. It was during this exile that his father probably adopted the surname de la Pole meaning "of the Pool" and referring to the old name for Welshpool
which had become his family's capital. In 1263 following the Treaty of Montgomery
his father was restored to some of his lands in return for agreeing to pay homage to Llywelyn ap Gruffudd as Prince of Wales
. However, good relations between Powys-Wenwynwyn and Gwynedd were short-lived as Owen and his father were soon implicated in an assassination attempt on the Prince of Wales in 1274. This led to Owen and his father fleeing to Shrewsbury
where they both led border raids against the Principality of Wales on behalf of the English crown.
Following Llywelyn's defeat at the hands of Edward I of England
in 1277 Owen returned to Wales alongside his father whose lands had been restored. They soon became embroiled in a border dispute with Llywelyn which was one of the catalysts for a renewed campaign by the princes of Gwynedd against English domination. In 1284 following the final defeat of Gwynedd and the death of Llywelyn and his brother Dafydd ap Gruffudd, the de la Pole family surrendered their princely pretentions, but received back their principality in "free barony" as the marcher lordship of Powys.
Owen's father Gruffydd died around 1286. In 1290, he endowed his four younger brothers with portions of the lordship, which were to be held of him as his feudal tenants by service in Welsh wars. Two brothers (who were priests) received their portions for life. The shares of the other two were to revert to Owen on failure of issue. Only William
left issue, but they enjoyed the Lordship of Mawddwy covering that parish and the majority of Mallwyd
for several generations, before it was divided between coheirs in the early 16th century. One of the coheiresses was Elisabeth de Burgh who married Sir John Lingen (d. 1505), and left descendants from this princely house.
Owen married Joan Corbet the daughter of Robert Corbet
and Catherine Le Strange and together they had a daughter and probably five sons;
He lived the latter part of his life in Powys Castle in Welshpool
and died c.1293. After his death, the lordship of Powis passed to his son Griffith who died in 1309 without issue, and then by his daughter Hawise and her descendants from her marriage to John Charleton, 1st Baron Cherleton
.
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...
principality of 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...
until 1283 when it was abolished by the Parliament of Shrewsbury. He became the 1st Lord of Powis after the death of his father Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn
Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn
Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn was a Welsh prince who was lord of the part of Powys known as Powys Wenwynwyn.Gruffydd was the son of Gwenwynwyn ab Owain and Margaret Corbet. He was still a child when his father, who had been driven out of his princedom by Llywelyn the Great, died in exile in 1216...
c. 1287.
Owen was born in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
sometime after his father was driven into exile there in 1257 by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd the ruler of Kingdom of Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
. It was during this exile that his father probably adopted the surname de la Pole meaning "of the Pool" and referring to the old name for Welshpool
Welshpool
Welshpool is a town in Powys, Wales, or ancient county Montgomeryshire, from the Wales-England border. The town is low-lying on the River Severn; the Welsh language name Y Trallwng literally meaning 'the marshy or sinking land'...
which had become his family's capital. In 1263 following the Treaty of Montgomery
Treaty of Montgomery
By means of the Treaty of Montgomery , Llywelyn ap Gruffydd was acknowledged as Prince of Wales by the English king Henry III, the only time in history that an English ruler would recognise the right of a ruler of Gwynedd over Wales...
his father was restored to some of his lands in return for agreeing to pay homage to Llywelyn ap Gruffudd as Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
. However, good relations between Powys-Wenwynwyn and Gwynedd were short-lived as Owen and his father were soon implicated in an assassination attempt on the Prince of Wales in 1274. This led to Owen and his father fleeing to Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
where they both led border raids against the Principality of Wales on behalf of the English crown.
Following Llywelyn's defeat at the hands of Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
in 1277 Owen returned to Wales alongside his father whose lands had been restored. They soon became embroiled in a border dispute with Llywelyn which was one of the catalysts for a renewed campaign by the princes of Gwynedd against English domination. In 1284 following the final defeat of Gwynedd and the death of Llywelyn and his brother Dafydd ap Gruffudd, the de la Pole family surrendered their princely pretentions, but received back their principality in "free barony" as the marcher lordship of Powys.
Owen's father Gruffydd died around 1286. In 1290, he endowed his four younger brothers with portions of the lordship, which were to be held of him as his feudal tenants by service in Welsh wars. Two brothers (who were priests) received their portions for life. The shares of the other two were to revert to Owen on failure of issue. Only William
William de la Pole (of Mawddwy)
Sir William de la Pole was the fourth son of Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn and would have inherited the principality of Powys Wenwynwyn, if it had continued to descend in the male line according to Welsh law, instead of having been surrendered to Edward I and regranted to his father as a marcher lordship...
left issue, but they enjoyed the Lordship of Mawddwy covering that parish and the majority of Mallwyd
Mallwyd
Mallwyd is a small village at the most southern end of the county of Gwynedd in North Wales in the valley of the River Dyfi. It lies on the A470 approximately half-way between Dolgellau and Machynlleth, and forms the junction of the A458 towards Welshpool. The nearest village is Dinas Mawddwy, two...
for several generations, before it was divided between coheirs in the early 16th century. One of the coheiresses was Elisabeth de Burgh who married Sir John Lingen (d. 1505), and left descendants from this princely house.
Owen married Joan Corbet the daughter of Robert Corbet
Robert Corbet
Captain Robert Corbet RN , often spelled Corbett, was an officer of the British Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars who was killed in action in highly controversial circumstances...
and Catherine Le Strange and together they had a daughter and probably five sons;
- Griffith de la Pole, 2nd Lord of Powis, died 1309 without issue.
- Hawise de la Pole, "The Lady of Powys" (inherited the lordship in 1309, died before 1353). She married John Charleton, 1st Baron CherletonJohn Charleton, 1st Baron CherletonJohn Charleton , 1st Baron Cherleton, 1st Lord Charlton of Powys came from a family of minor landowners near Wellington, Shropshire...
, (1268–1353), and their descendants owned the lordship until the late 16th century.
He lived the latter part of his life in Powys Castle in Welshpool
Welshpool
Welshpool is a town in Powys, Wales, or ancient county Montgomeryshire, from the Wales-England border. The town is low-lying on the River Severn; the Welsh language name Y Trallwng literally meaning 'the marshy or sinking land'...
and died c.1293. After his death, the lordship of Powis passed to his son Griffith who died in 1309 without issue, and then by his daughter Hawise and her descendants from her marriage to John Charleton, 1st Baron Cherleton
John Charleton, 1st Baron Cherleton
John Charleton , 1st Baron Cherleton, 1st Lord Charlton of Powys came from a family of minor landowners near Wellington, Shropshire...
.