Events
Date of Birth: about 785.
This estimated date is given by Bartrum (EVWG [3]).
Date of Death: unknown.
Relationships
Father: Cynan Dindaethwy ap Rhodri Molwynog ab Idwal Iwrch (died 816).
This relationship is shown by Bartrum (EVWG [3]) and given by Lloyd (1:231).
Mother: unknown.
Spouse: Gwriad.
This relationship is given by Baldwin (LaI), who cites Sims-Williams (WHR 17:1:1-40). Bartrum (EVWG [3]) makes her the wife of Merfyn, while noting that there is disagreement among sources. Harleian MS. 3859 (Bartrum EWGT p. 9) makes Gwriad the mother of Merfyn Frych.
Children:
References
Baldwin, Stewart. Llywelyn ap Iorwerth ancestor table. (Hosted at Rootsweb.ancestry.com. Accessed 18 May 2014).
Bartrum, Peter C (ed.) Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts. (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1968).
The sources Bartrum gives for Essylt include:
Harleian MS. 3859 -- compiled about the 970s (“...Rotri map Mermin map Etthil merch Cinnan...”);
Mostyn MS. 117 -- dated to the last quarter of the 13th century (“...Rodri mawr m. Meruyn vrych, gwr priawt Esyllt verch Kyuan Tindaethwy...”);
Jesus College MS. 20 -- dated to the last part of the 14th century, probably based on an early-13th-century source:
22. “Rodri m. Meruyn m. (space) Ethellt merch Cynan Tintaethwy …”
Bonedd yr Arwyr (“Y dryddedd oedd Esyllt verch Gynan Dindaethwy, gwraig Vervyn vrych mam Rodri mawr.”)
Achau Brenhinoedd a Thywysogion Cymru:
1a. “...Anarawd m. Rodri mawr m. Esyllt verch Kynan Dindaethwy…”
Bartrum, Peter C., “[12]”, in An Electronic Version of Welsh Genealogies AD 300-1500. [The source Bartrum cites for Essylt is his own Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts]
Guy, Ben. Medieval Welsh Genealogy. (The Boydell Press, 2020).
From Guy’s attempted recreation of the St David’s recension of the Gwynedd collection of genealogies as it might have existed in the tenth century, based on the Harleian genealogies:
1. [O]uen map [H]iguel map Catell map Rotri map Mermin map Etthil merch Cinnan map Rotri map Iutguaul map Catguala[tr] map Catgollaun map Catman map Iacob map Beli map Run map Mailcun map Catgolaun [L]auhir map Eniaun Girt map Cuneda map Ӕtern map Patern Pesrut map Tacit map Cein map Guorcein map Doli map Guordoli map Dumn map Guordumn map Amguoloyt map Amguerit map <Oumiud> map Dubun map Brithguein map Eugein map Aballac map Amalech, qui fuit Beli Magni filius et Anna mater eius, quam dicunt esse <consobrinam> Mariae uirginis matris Domini nostri Iesu Christi.
Lloyd, John Edward, A History of Wales. 2 volumes (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1911-1912).
Sims-Williams, Patrick. “Historical need and literary narrative” in Welsh history review, Vol. 17, no. 1 (June 1994), p. 1-40.