According to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (“Gruffudd ap Rhys”), Llywelyn’s young age enabled him to survive in the turbulent times of the Welsh rebellion of 1282, when his kinsmen lost their lordships. By the end of the conflict, he was the only descendant of Gruffudd ap Rhys, prince of Deheubarth, still allowed to hold territory (Is Coed and Mabwynion).
Events
Date of Birth: about the end of 1274.
The estimate is given by Bridgeman (p. 238).
Date of Death: 1309, before 23 May.
The date is given by Pryce (p. 222). Bridgeman (p. 238, p. 249) gives 1309. R.R.Davies (p. 130) gives 1308. Llywelyn’s Inquisition post mortem was taken 29 May 1309 at Carmarthen (CIPM Volume 5, Edward II, no. 91).
Relationships
Father: Owain ap Maredudd of Iscoed, Ceredigion (died 1275).
This relationship is shown by Bartrum (Rhys ap Tewdwr 7), and given by Bridgeman (pp. 233-249), Dwnn (2:54), R.R. Davies (p. 130), Pyce (Acts Table 3), and by Smith (ODNB,“Gruffudd ap Rhys”). It is also given in an inquisition into the lands of Owain ap Maredudd taken in 1328 (CIPM Volume 7, Edward III, no. 149), and in the Brut y Tywysogion under the year 1277 (Williams pp. 366-367).
Mother: Angharad ferch Owain.
This relationship is shown by Bartrum (Rhys ap Tewdwr 7), and given by Bridgeman (p. 233, p. 249), by Richards (p. 204), and by the Welsh Assize Roll, 1277-1284 (p. 243).
Spouse: Gwanas ferch Thomas ab Robinod
This relationship is shown by Bartrum, citing Peniarth 131 (218, 294).
Spouse: a daughter of Sir Robert de Valle of Trefgarn Owain
This relationship is shown by Bartrum, citing Peniarth 131 (257). It is also given by Bridgeman (p. 240, p. 249). Dwnn (2:54) gives her as “Elen, doughter to William de Barry”.
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 (Rhys ap Tewdwr 7). According to Bartrum, Owain’s mother was the daughter of Sir Robert de Valle. The mother of the other children is uncertain.)
Elen married Llywelyn ap Philip.
Elen married Caswallon (ap Meurig).
Joan married Rhys ap Gronwy.
Gwenllian married Gwilym ap Gruffudd Goch.
Isabel married Gwilym ab Einion Fawr.
Owain (about 1298 - 1357).
Thomas (about 1299 - before 14 Aug 1343).
Lleucu married Robert ap Gwrwared.
Lleucu.
Evidence
An abstract of Llywelyn’s Inquisition post mortem (CIPM Volume 5, Edward II, no. 91).
Llewelyn ap Owayn.
Writ to the justice of Wales, 3 May, 2 Edw. II.
Cardigan. Inq. Thursday after Holy Trinity, 2 Edw. II.
(Unspecified.) A commote and a half, and a “Westwa,” held of the king in chief by the Welsh tenure “Pennaethium” (?), viz. -- by fealty and by service that he and all his tenants whenever necessary are bound to come at the summons of the king’s bailiffs for the expedition of the king and his bailiffs, for three days at their own charges, and he is bound to do suit at the court of Cardigan called the Welsh county (court); and after his death the king ought to have of his goods 100s. as heriot called “Ebedin”; and according to the custom of the Welsh his lands ought to be divided proportionally between his sons, nor can the king exact of them wardship or marriage.
His sons, Oweyn, aged 11, and Thomas, aged 10, are his next heirs.
C. Edw. II. File 7. (17.)
References
Bartrum, Peter C., “Rhys ap Tewdwr 7” in An Electronic Version of Welsh Genealogies AD 300-1500. [The sources Bartrum cites for Llywelyn are: Brut y Tywygogion; Rhandiroedd Powys (9) -- a MS written by 1493; Peniarth 131 (126) -- a MS written about 1480 by Gutun Owain; Peniarth 131 (257, 292) -- a MS written about 1500 by Ieuan Brechfa; Peniarth 129 (60) -- a copy made about 1500 of a MS written about 1497 by Gutun Owain; Peniarth 137 (31) -- a MS written in the early 1500s by ‘Syr’ Thomas ap Ieuan ap Deiews; The Welsh Assize Roll, 1277-1284 (for Llywelyn’s mother).]
Bartrum, Peter C. “Rhandiroedd Powys” in National Library of Wales journal, Volume 18, pp. 231-237 (1973). [Bartrum notes that it contains definite errors, but seems to have been regarded as authoritative by genealogists of the sixteenth century.]
Bridgeman, George T.O. History of the Princes of South Wales (Wigan: Thomas Birch, 1876).
Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem and Other Analogous Documents preserved in the Public Record Office. Volume 5, Edward II. (London, 1908).
Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem and Other Analogous Documents preserved in the Public Record Office. Volume 7, Edward III. (London, 1909).
Davies, James Conway (ed.). The Welsh Assize Roll, 1277-1284: Assize Roll, no. 1147 (Public Record Office), (University of Wales, 1940).
Davies, R.R. The Revolt of Owain Glyn Dŵr. (Oxford U.P., 1995).
Dwnn, Lewys, and Samuel Rush Meyrick. Heraldic visitations of Wales and part of the marches between the years 1586 and 1613 by Lewys Dwnn. (Llandovery: William Rees, 1846).
Lloyd, Jacob Youde William. The History of the Princes, the Lords Marcher and the Ancient Nobility of Powys Fodog and the Ancient Lords of Arwystli, Cedewen and Meirionydd. (London: T. Richards, 1881-1887).
Oman, Sandra. “Llywelyn ab Owain” in Tree: Wales. Welsh Medieval Database Primarily of Nobility and Gentry. [This resource, which mainly gathers references from secondary sources, appears to be currently offline (July 2016).]
Pryce, Huw. The Acts of the Welsh Rulers 1120 - 1283 (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2005).
Smith, J. Beverley. “Dower in Thirteenth-Century Wales: a Grant of the Commote of Anhuniog, 1273” in The Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies 30 (ii) (University of Wales Press, 1982-3) pp. 348-355.
Smith, J.B. “Gruffudd ap Rhys” in The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, 2004).
Williams ab Ithel, John. Brut y Tywysogion; or, The Chronicle of the Princes (London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts; 1860).