King of Powys
Events
Date of Birth: unknown.
Date of Death: about 9 February 1160.
This date is given by Pryce (ODNB). It is recorded in Brut y Tywysogion s.a.1159 and in Annales Cambriæ s.a. 1161.
Place of Death: possibly Winchester.
The place is given in one version of Brut y Tywysogion, but the accuracy of this has been questioned (Pryce, ODNB). Stephenson (p. 58) suggests that "Winchester' is based on a misreading, and that it should be Whittington.
Place of Burial: Meifod, Powys.
This place is given by Pryce (ODNB).
Relationships
Father: Maredudd ap Bleddyn ap Cynfyn (died 1132).
This relationship is shown by Bartrum (EVWG “Bleddyn ap Cynfyn 1”, EWGT), and given by Stephenson, and by Pryce (ODNB). It is recorded in Brut y Tywysogion (Williams pp.176, 178, 184, 186, 194), in Annales Cambriæ, and in “Rhonabwy’s Dream” in The Mabinogion (p. 144).
Mother: Hunydd ferch Einudd.
This relationship is shown by Bartrum (EVWG “Bleddyn ap Cynfyn 1”, EWGT). The sources are 15th century (and later) genealogical manuscripts.
Spouse: Susanna ferch Gruffudd ap Cynan.
This relationship is shown by Bartrum (EVWG “Bleddyn ap Cynfyn 3”) and Pryce (ODNB).
Spouse: Arianwen ferch Moridigg Warwyn.
This relationship is shown by Bartrum (EVWG “Bleddyn ap Cynfyn 3”)
Concubine: Efa ferch Eirian.
This relationship is shown by Bartrum (EVWG “Bleddyn ap Cynfyn 3”)
Concubine: Merch uchelwr o Rus yn Swydd Drewen or a daughter of Y Maer Du.
This relationship is shown by Bartrum (EVWG “Bleddyn ap Cynfyn 3”)
Children (by Susanna):
(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.)
Gruffudd Maelor (died 1191) married Angharad ferch Owain Gwynedd.
Elise.
Gwenllian married (1) Rhys ap Gruffudd (Yr Arglwydd Rhys); married (2) Maelgwn Hen.
Owain Fychan of Mechain (died 1187).
Children (by Efa):
Einion Efell of Cynllaith.
Cynwig Efell married Goleu ferch Gruffudd.
Children (by the second concubine above):
Owain Brogyntyn married Jonet ferch Hywel.
Children (mother unknown):
Llywelyn (died 1160).
Margred married Iorwerth Drwyndwn.
Efa married Cadwallon ap Madog.
Iorwerth.
A daughter married Hywel.
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 Madog are:
Mostyn MS. 117. -- a MS from the late 1200s.
3. “Madawc mab Maredud m. Bledyn m. Kynuyn m. Gwerstan m. Gwyn m. Gweithuoet m. Gwinnan …”
Jesus College MS. 20 -- (dated to the first part of the 14th century):
27. “Rees gryc mab merch Madawc m. Meredud m. Bledynt [m.] Kynwyn m. Gwedystan…”
29. “Llewelyn m. Marereda merch Madawc m. Maredudd. (Brawt oed Varedud y Rees gryc.)”
Achau Brenhinoedd a Thywysogion Cymru (probably based on 15th century MSS):
1. (b): “Mam Llywelyn ap Iorwerth: Marvred verch Madawg ap Meredydd ap Bleddin ap Kynvyn ap Gwerystan ap Gwaithuoed ap Gwrhydr…”
(c.): “Mam Vadawc ap Meredydd: Hunydd verch Einudd ap Gwenllian verch Rys ap Marchan ap Kynwrig ap Kenddelw gam ap Elgudy …”
8. (f): “Madoc ap Mredudd ap Bleddyn ap Kynvyn, a Gruffydd a Howel i ddav broder. Hvnvdd verch Einvdd ap Gwenllian verch Rys ap Marchan yw mam”
12. “ Gruffudd Maelor ac Ywain vychan ac Elisse plant Madoc ap Maredudd ap Bleddyn ap Kynvyn ap Gwerystan ap Gweithfoet ap Gwledden ap Gwrydyr ap Karadawg...Beli mawr. I mam oedd Susan verch Gruffudd ap Kynan.”
Brut y Tywysogion (117 f)
Breuddwyd Rhonabwy in The Mabinogion
Bartrum, Peter C., “Gruffudd ap Cynan 1”, “Bleddyn ap Cynfyn 3” in An Electronic Version of Welsh Genealogies AD 300-1500.
The sources Bartrum cites for Madog are Brut y Tywysogion and his own article “Rhandiroedd Powys”.
Bartrum, Peter C., “Rhandiroedd Powys” in the National Library of Wales Journal XVIII (1973), pp. 231-7.
Guy, Ben. Medieval Welsh Genealogy. (The Boydell Press, 2020).
From Guy’s critical edition of the Llywelyn ab Iorwerth genealogies, which were based on an archetype created no later than the first half of the fourteenth century from an original compilation dating to the early thirteenth century, partly based on earlier written sources (Note that Guy is striving for textual rather than genealogical accuracy):
11.1.1 Mam Llewelyn: Mararet ferch Madawg m. Maredudd m. Bledyn m. Kynfyn m. Gwerystan ...
11.1.2 Mam Fadawg ap Maredyd oed Hunud ferch Eynud ap Gwenlliant ferch Rys ap Marchan ap Kenwrik ap Kydelw Gam ap <Elgudy> ap Grwisnat a[p] Dwywg Lyth...
32 Gwehelieith Powys:
32.1 Gruffud Maelor <ac> Ewein Vychan ag <Elisse>, meibyon Madawg ap Meredyd ap Bledyn ap Kynfyn ap Gwerystan ap Gweit[h]foet ap Gwleden ap Gwrdyr ap Karadawg ap Lles Llawdeawg ap <Edenyvet> ap Gwynnan ap Gwynnawg Varyfsych ap Keidiaw ap Koryf ap <Kaenawc> ap Tegonwy ap Teon ap Gwineu Deu Vreudwyt ap Bywyr Lew ap Bywdeg ap Run Rud Baladyr mab Llary ap Kasnar Wledig m. Llud ap Beli Mawr.
32.1.1. Sussanna ferch Gruffudd ap Kynan oed fam Gruffudd Maelor a mam Ewein Vychan a mam Elisse ap Madog.
Lloyd, John Edward, A History of Wales. 2 volumes (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1911-1912).
Pryce, Huw. “Gruffudd ap Cynan (1054/5-1137)” in The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, 2004).
Pryce, Huw. “Madog ap Maredudd (d. 1160)” in The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, 2004).
Stephenson, David. Medieval Powys: Kingdom, Principality and Lordships, 1132-1293. (The Boydell Press, 2016), especially chapter 2, "The Age of Eminence: Madog ap Maredudd".
The Text of the Mabinogion (John Gwenogvryn Evans, Sir John Rhys, eds.) (Oxford, 1887).
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).