Rhys ap Tewdwr
Encyclopedia
Rhys ap Tewdwr was a Prince of Deheubarth in south-west Wales
and member of the Dinefwr
dynasty, a branch descended from Rhodri the Great
. He was born in the area which is now Carmarthenshire
and died at the battle of Brecon
in April 1093.
in battle against Caradog ap Gruffydd
in 1078.
He was a grandson of Cadell ab Einion ab Owain ab Hywel Dda
, and a great-grandson of Einon ab Owain ap Hywel Dda
, who fell in 984
. He married Gwladys ferch Rhiwallon daughter of Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn
of the Mathrafal
dynasty of Powys
, by whom he had four sons, Gruffudd
, Hywel ap Rhys, Goronwy
and Cadwgan, and a daughter Nest (who married Gerald de Windsor
Constable of Pembroke, progenitors of the FitzGerald
and de Barry dynasties of Ireland
. These celebrated Hiberno-Norman
or Cambro-Norman
families, have been Peers of Ireland
since the 14th Century at least).
The English variant of Tewdwr is Tudor
. Henry Tudor
, King of England, descended patrilineally from the rulers of the south Welsh
principality of Deheubarth.
invaded Deheubarth and drove Rhys to seek sanctuary in the St David's Cathedral
.
Rhys however made an alliance with Gruffydd ap Cynan
who was seeking to regain the throne of the Kingdom of Gwynedd
, and at the Battle of Mynydd Carn
in the same year they defeated and killed Caradog ap Gruffydd
and his allies Trahaearn ap Caradog
of Gwynedd and Meilyr ap Rhiwallon.
, but with a major show of power as well, traversing the width of southern Wales, and it seems likely he came to an arrangement with Rhys, whereby Rhys paid him homage and was confirmed in possession of Deheubarth. Rhys paid William £40 a year for his kingdom, ensuring good future relations with William that lasted until the end of his lifetime. Rhys was content with the arrangement as it meant that he only had to deal with the jealousy of his fellow Welsh princes.
of Powys attacked Deheubarth and forced Rhys to flee to Ireland
. However Rhys returned later the same year with a fleet from Ireland and defeated the men of Powys in a battle in which two of Cadwgan's brothers, Madog and Rhiryd, were killed.
In 1091 he faced another challenge in the form of an attempt to put Gruffydd, the son of Maredudd ab Owain
, on the throne of Deheubarth. Rhys was able to defeat the rebels in a battle at St. Dogmaels
, killing Gruffydd.
s state that "Rhys ap Tewdwr, king of Deheubarth, was slain by the Frenchmen who were inhabiting Brycheiniog." The Brut y Tywysogion
adds and with him fell the kingdom of the Britons
. This passage lends evidence to the belief that the conquest of Brycheiniog (Brecon
), led by Bernard de Neufmarche
, was mostly finished by Eastertide 1093. The battle of Brecon opened the way to the conquest of Deheubarth.
Rhys's daughter Nest was a legendary beauty, the so-called Helen of Wales because her abduction from her husband's castle at Cenarth Bychan started a civil war.
Owain Tudur
and James A. Garfield were among those who claimed descent from Rhys ap Tewdwr.
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 member of the Dinefwr
Dinefwr
Dinefwr was a local government district of Dyfed, Wales from 1974 to 1996. It was named after Dinefwr Castle which was the royal capital of the Principality of Deheubarth and one of the three principal royal courts of Wales....
dynasty, a branch descended from Rhodri the Great
Rhodri the Great
Rhodri the Great was King of Gwynedd from 844 until his death. He was the first Welsh ruler to be called 'Great', and the first to rule most of present-day Wales...
. He was born in the area which is now Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
and died at the battle of Brecon
Brecon
Brecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
in April 1093.
Family
Rhys ap Tewdwr claimed the throne of Deheubarth following the death of his second cousin Rhys ab OwainRhys ab Owain
Rhys ab Owain was a king of Deheubarth in southern Wales.Rhys was the son of Owain ab Edwin of the line of Hywel Dda, and member of the Dinefwr dynasty. He followed his brother Maredudd as king of Deheubarth in 1072...
in battle against Caradog ap Gruffydd
Caradog ap Gruffydd
Caradog ap Gruffydd was a Prince of Gwent in south-east Wales who made repeated attempts to gain power over all of southern Wales by seizing the Kingdom of Deheubarth.- Lineage :...
in 1078.
He was a grandson of Cadell ab Einion ab Owain ab Hywel Dda
Hywel Dda
Hywel Dda , was the well-thought-of king of Deheubarth in south-west Wales, who eventually came to rule Wales from Prestatyn to Pembroke. As a descendant of Rhodri Mawr, through his father Cadell, Hywel was a member of the Dinefwr branch of the dynasty and is also named Hywel ap Cadell...
, and a great-grandson of Einon ab Owain ap Hywel Dda
Hywel Dda
Hywel Dda , was the well-thought-of king of Deheubarth in south-west Wales, who eventually came to rule Wales from Prestatyn to Pembroke. As a descendant of Rhodri Mawr, through his father Cadell, Hywel was a member of the Dinefwr branch of the dynasty and is also named Hywel ap Cadell...
, who fell in 984
984
Year 984 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Emperor Kazan succeeds Emperor En'yū on the throne of Japan....
. He married Gwladys ferch Rhiwallon daughter of Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn
Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn
Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn was a Welsh prince, the son of Cynfyn ap Gwerstan. On the downfall of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn in 1063 he received North Wales on condition of faithfully serving Edward the Confessor ‘everywhere by water and by land.’ As the son of Angharad, daughter of Maredudd ab Owain ap Hywel...
of the Mathrafal
Mathrafal
Mathrafal near Welshpool, in Powys, Mid Wales, was the seat of the Kings and Princes of Powys probably from the 9th century until its destruction in 1212 by Llywelyn ap Iorwerth of Gwynedd.- Location :...
dynasty of Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
, by whom he had four sons, Gruffudd
Gruffydd ap Rhys
Gruffydd ap Rhys was Prince of Deheubarth, in Wales. His sister was the Princess Nest ferch Rhys.-Early life:Following the death of Gruffydd's father Rhys ap Tewdwr in 1093, Deheubarth was taken over by the Normans, and Gruffydd spent much of his early years in exile in Ireland.In 1113 Gruffydd...
, Hywel ap Rhys, Goronwy
Goronwy
Gronw Pebr is a warrior, hunter and antagonist in Welsh tradition, appearing primarily in the fourth branch of the Mabinogi as the lord of Penllyn, the lover of Blodeuwedd and the murderer of Lleu Llaw Gyffes...
and Cadwgan, and a daughter Nest (who married Gerald de Windsor
Gerald de Windsor
Gerald de Windsor, also known as Gerald FitzWalter, was the nobleman in charge of the Norman forces in Wales in the late 11th century. Notably, he was the progenitor of the FitzGerald and de Barry dynasties of Ireland...
Constable of Pembroke, progenitors of the FitzGerald
FitzGerald
The surname FitzGerald is a translation of the French-Norman fils de Gérald, or son of Gerald . Variant spellings include Fitz-Gerald and the modern Fitzgerald. The name can also be used as two separate words Fitz Gerald...
and de Barry dynasties of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. These celebrated Hiberno-Norman
Hiberno-Norman
The Hiberno-Normans are those Norman lords who settled in Ireland who admitted little if any real fealty to the Anglo-Norman settlers in England, and who soon began to interact and intermarry with the Gaelic nobility of Ireland. The term embraces both their origins as a distinct community with...
or Cambro-Norman
Cambro-Norman
Cambro-Norman is a term used for Norman knights who settled in southern Wales after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Some historians suggest that the term is to be preferred to Anglo-Norman for the Normans who invaded Ireland after 1170 — many of whom originated in Wales. However, the term...
families, have been Peers of Ireland
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
since the 14th Century at least).
The English variant of Tewdwr is Tudor
Tudor dynasty
The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
. Henry Tudor
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
, King of England, descended patrilineally from the rulers of the south Welsh
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 Deheubarth.
Early rule
In 1081 Caradog ap GruffyddCaradog ap Gruffydd
Caradog ap Gruffydd was a Prince of Gwent in south-east Wales who made repeated attempts to gain power over all of southern Wales by seizing the Kingdom of Deheubarth.- Lineage :...
invaded Deheubarth and drove Rhys to seek sanctuary in the St David's Cathedral
St David's Cathedral
St David's Cathedral is situated in St David's in the county of Pembrokeshire, on the most westerly point of Wales.-Early history:The monastic community was founded by Saint David, Abbot of Menevia, who died in AD589...
.
Rhys however made an alliance with Gruffydd ap Cynan
Gruffydd ap Cynan
Gruffydd ap Cynan was a King of Gwynedd. In the course of a long and eventful life, he became a key figure in Welsh resistance to Norman rule, and was remembered as King of all Wales...
who was seeking to regain the throne of the Kingdom of Gwynedd
Kingdom 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...
, and at the Battle of Mynydd Carn
Battle of Mynydd Carn
The Battle of Mynydd Carn took place in 1081, as part of a dynastic struggle for control of the Welsh kingdoms of Gwynedd and Deheubarth. The result of the battle had a radical effect on the history of Wales....
in the same year they defeated and killed Caradog ap Gruffydd
Caradog ap Gruffydd
Caradog ap Gruffydd was a Prince of Gwent in south-east Wales who made repeated attempts to gain power over all of southern Wales by seizing the Kingdom of Deheubarth.- Lineage :...
and his allies Trahaearn ap Caradog
Trahaearn ap Caradog
- Accession:On the death of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn in 1075, it appears that none of his sons were old enough to claim the throne, and Bleddyn's cousin Trahaearn ap Caradog, seized power...
of Gwynedd and Meilyr ap Rhiwallon.
Norman homage
The same year William the Conqueror visited Deheubarth, ostensibly on a pilgrimage to St David'sSt David's
St Davids , is a city and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Lying on the River Alun on St David's Peninsula, it is Britain's smallest city in terms of both size and population, the final resting place of Saint David, the country's patron saint, and the de facto ecclesiastical capital of...
, but with a major show of power as well, traversing the width of southern Wales, and it seems likely he came to an arrangement with Rhys, whereby Rhys paid him homage and was confirmed in possession of Deheubarth. Rhys paid William £40 a year for his kingdom, ensuring good future relations with William that lasted until the end of his lifetime. Rhys was content with the arrangement as it meant that he only had to deal with the jealousy of his fellow Welsh princes.
Internal conflict
In 1088 Cadwgan ap BleddynCadwgan ap Bleddyn
Cadwgan ap Bleddyn was a prince of Powys in eastern Wales.Cadwgan was the second son of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn who was king of both Powys and Gwynedd. When Bleddyn was killed in 1075, Powys was divided between three of his sons, Cadwgan, Iorwerth and Maredudd. Cadwgan is first heard of in 1088 when he...
of Powys attacked Deheubarth and forced Rhys to flee to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. However Rhys returned later the same year with a fleet from Ireland and defeated the men of Powys in a battle in which two of Cadwgan's brothers, Madog and Rhiryd, were killed.
In 1091 he faced another challenge in the form of an attempt to put Gruffydd, the son of Maredudd ab Owain
Maredudd ab Owain
Maredudd ab Owain was a King of Deheubarth, and through conquest also of Gwynedd and Powys, kingdoms in medieval Wales.Maredudd was the son of Owain ap Hywel and the grandson of Hywel Dda. His father was king of Deheubarth before him. As Owain grew too old to lead in battle his son Maredudd took...
, on the throne of Deheubarth. Rhys was able to defeat the rebels in a battle at St. Dogmaels
St. Dogmaels
St Dogmaels is a village and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales, on the estuary of the River Teifi, a mile downstream from the town of Cardigan in neighbouring Ceredigion....
, killing Gruffydd.
Death
Rhys was unable to withstand the increasing Norman pressure. The Welsh BrutBrut
-Literature:* Roman de Brut, a verse chronicle in Anglo-Norman by Wace* Layamon's Brut, an English chronicle by Layamon based on Wace* Brut y Tywysogion , a Welsh mediaeval chronicle...
s state that "Rhys ap Tewdwr, king of Deheubarth, was slain by the Frenchmen who were inhabiting Brycheiniog." The Brut y Tywysogion
Brut y Tywysogion
Brut y Tywysogion is one of the most important primary sources for Welsh history. It is an annalistic chronicle that serves as a continuation of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae. Brut y Tywysogion has survived as several Welsh translations of an original Latin version, which has...
adds and with him fell the kingdom of the Britons
King of the Britons
The Britons or Brythons were the Celtic-speaking people of what is now England, Wales and southern Scotland, whose ethnic identity is today maintained by the Welsh, Cornish and Bretons...
. This passage lends evidence to the belief that the conquest of Brycheiniog (Brecon
Brecon
Brecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
), led by Bernard de Neufmarche
Bernard de Neufmarché
Bernard of Neufmarché was "the first of the original conquerors of Wales." He was a minor Norman lord who rose to power in the Welsh Marches before successfully undertaking the invasion and conquest of the Kingdom of Brycheiniog between 1088 and 1095. Out of the ruins of the Welsh kingdom he...
, was mostly finished by Eastertide 1093. The battle of Brecon opened the way to the conquest of Deheubarth.
Succession
Rhys's son Gruffydd inherited some of Deheubarth, but Rhys's death led to the Normans taking over much of the kingdom, with Gruffydd being left to rule a much smaller area.Rhys's daughter Nest was a legendary beauty, the so-called Helen of Wales because her abduction from her husband's castle at Cenarth Bychan started a civil war.
Owain Tudur
Owen Tudor
Sir Owen Meredith Tudor was a Welsh soldier and courtier, descended from a daughter of the Welsh prince Rhys ap Gruffudd, "Lord Rhys". However, Owen Tudor is particularly remembered for his role in founding England's Tudor dynasty – including his relationship with, and probable secret marriage to,...
and James A. Garfield were among those who claimed descent from Rhys ap Tewdwr.