Angharad ferch Owain ab Edwin

The History of Gruffydd ap Cynan (pp. 138-139) states that “the wisest in the kingdom declare” her “of noble birth, well-grown, with fair hair, large eyes, fine figure; regal body, strong limbs, well-developed shanks, fine feet, and long fingers and thin nails; good-natured, eloquent, good with respect to food and drink; wise and prudent, and a woman of good counsel; merciful towards the kingdom, and charitable towards the needy, and righteous in everything.”

Events

Date of Birth: unknown.

Date of Death: 1162.

This date is given by Pryce (ODNB “Gruffudd ap Cynan”). It is recorded in Brut y Tywysogion under the year 1161 (Williams pp. 196-197), which Lloyd (2:469) notes should read “1162”.

Relationships

Father: Owain ab Edwin (died 1105).

This relationship is shown by Bartrum (“Edwin 1”) and given by Pryce (ODNB “Gruffudd ap Cynan”).

Mother: uncertain.

Bartrum (“Edwin 1”) shows Morwyl ferch Ednywain Bendew as the only known wife of Owain ab Edwin, but, as Baldwin (LaI) notes, Bartrum’s source gives Morwyl as the mother of Owain’s son Gronwy, but it is not clear that she was also the mother of Angharad.

Spouse: Gruffudd ap Cynan ab Iago (died 1137.) Married about 1095.

This relationship is shown by Bartrum (“Gruffudd ap Cynan 1”, “Edwin 1”) and given by Pryce (ODNB “Gruffudd ap Cynan”). It is recorded in The History of Gruffydd ap Cynan (pp. 138-139).

Children:

(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project. Most information below comes from Bartrum.)

Owain Gwynedd (about 1100 - 1170). King of Gwynedd. Bartrum gives Owain these wives: Gwladus ferch Llywarch; Cristin ferch Gronwy; Angharad ferch Peredur; Gwenllian ferch Ednywain; Morfudd ferch Merwydd Hir; Afandreg ferch Gwrgi of Penmynydd; Anedd ferch Gwrgi of Penmynydd; Ffynnod Wyddeles; Morfudd ferch Elfan ap Sandde of Rhos. (Early Welsh sources usually don’t distinguish mistresses from wives legally married according to church law.)

Cadwaladr married Gwerful ferch Gwrgeneu, Dyddgu ferch Maredudd, Alice de Clare, and his niece, Tangwystl ferch Cadwallon.

Cadwallon (died 1132).

Rhanullt married Madog ab Idnerth.

Gwenllian married Gruffudd ap Rhys.

Susanna married Madog ap Maredudd.

Margred married Ieuaf ab Owain.

Annes.

References

Baldwin, Stewart. Llywelyn ap Iorwerth ancestor table. (Hosted at Rootsweb.ancestry.com. Accessed 23 May 2014).

Bartrum, Peter C (ed.) Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts. (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1968).

The sources Bartrum gives for Angharad include:

Achau Brenhinoedd a Thywysogion Cymru (probably based on 15th century MSS):

5. Plant Gruffudd ap Kynan ap Iago ap Idwal ap Meurig

(a). “Ewain Gwynnedd a Chatwaladyr a Chatwallawn a Ranillt a Gwenlliant a Marfreda a Sussan ag Agnest. Angharat ferch Ywein ap Edwin eu mam.”

Brut y Tywysogion (111)

Bartrum, Peter C., “Early Series [41] “, and “Gruffudd ap Cynan 1 ” in An Electronic Version of Welsh Genealogies AD 300-1500.

The sources Bartrum cites for Angharad are Brut y Tywysogion and his own Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts.

Jones, Arthur (ed.) The History of Gruffydd ap Cynan. (Manchester U.P., 1910).

Lloyd, John Edward, A History of Wales. 2 volumes (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1911-1912).

Pryce, Huw. “Gruffudd ap Cynan” in The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, 2004).

Williams ab Ithel, John (ed.). Annales Cambriæ (London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts; 1860).

Williams ab Ithel, John (ed.). Brut y Tywysogion; or, The Chronicle of the Princes (London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts; 1860).