A few years after his succession, Rhys secured the kingship with victory in battle at “Mynydd Carn", which he fought in alliance with Gruffudd ap Cynan, king of Gwynedd. In 1088, Rhys was driven into exile in Ireland by the sons of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, but he returned the same year and defeated them in the battle of “Llech-y-Crau”. Rhys was killed in battle with the Normans in 1093. (Lloyd/Thornton ODNB “Rhys ap Tewdwr”)
Events
Date of Birth: about 1040.
This estimated date is given by Bartrum (Rhys ap Tewdwr 1).
Date of Death: April (Easter Week) 1093.
This date is given is given by John of Worcester (Thorpe, p. 31), and by Lloyd/Thornton. Brut y Tywysogion (Williams pp. 54-55) and Annales Cambriæ (Williams p. 29) give the year as 1091.
Relationships
Father: Tewdwr ap Cadell ab Einion.
This relationship is given in Brut y Tywysogion (Williams pp. 50-51) and Annales Cambriæ (Williams p. 27). This relationship is also shown by Bartrum (Rhys ap Tewdwr 1, Tewdwr Mawr 1), and given by Bridgeman (p. 10), by Pierce (“Rhys ap Tewdwr”), by Maund (1991, pp. 33-38), and by Lloyd/Thornton.
Mother: unknown.
Spouse: Gwladus ferch Rhiwallon.
This relationship is shown by Bartrum (Rhys ap Tewdwr 1), and given by Pryce (ODNB “Bleddyn ap Cynfyn”). It is recorded in the Brutiau s.a. 1106 (Maund 1991, p. 36).
Spouse: Catrin ferch Iestyn ap Gwrgan.
This relationship is shown by Bartrum (Rhys ap Tewdwr 1)
Children (by Gwladus):
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project. Some doubt exists surrounding some of the facts for some of the children. Most of the information below comes from Lloyd/Thornton and Bartrum. Lloyd/Thornton give Gwladus as the mother of Gruffudd, Hywel, and Nest, and do not mention Catrin as Rhys’s wife. Bartrum gives Catrin as the mother of Margred, but does not specify the mother of the other children.)
Gruffudd (about 1090 - 1137) married (1) unknown; married (2) Gwenllian ferch Gruffudd ap Cynan; married (3) unknown.
Hywel (living 1115).
Nest married (1) Gerald de Windsor; married (2) Stephen, Constable of Cardigan; was the mistress of Owain ap Cadwgon.
Children (by Catrin):
Margred married Gwrgeneu ap Hywel.
Children (mother unknown):
Gwladus Ddu married Drymberog.
Gwenllian married Madog ab Idnerth.
Llywelyn Ddiriaid.
Gronwy (died 1102).
References
Bartrum, Peter C (ed.) Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts. (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1968).
The sources Bartrum gives for Rhys are:
Mostyn MS. 117 -- dated to the last quarter of the 13th century (“Rys m. Gruffudd m. Rys m. Tewdwr m. Kadell m. Eynon m. Owein m. Hywel da m. Kadell m. Rodri mawr m. Meruyn vrych”);
Jesus College MS. 20 -- dated to the last part of the 14th century (“Rees gryc m. Rees mwynuawr m. Gruffudd m. Rees m. Tewdwr m. Cadell m. Einyawn m. Ewein m. Howel da m. Kadell m. Rodri mawr” and “Rees gryc m. Rees mwynuawr m. Gwenlliant. Brodyr y Rees mwynuawr oedynt Maredud a Morgant a Maelgwn, meibon Gwenlliant merch Gruffud m. Kynan”);
Achau Brenhinoedd a Thywysogion Cymru:
“Plant Rhodri Mawr” (“Plant Tewdwr mawr [ap Cadell]: Rhys a Rhydderch ag Elen”);
“Llyma Iach Vathraval Tywysogion Pywys [C1] Plant Bleddyn ap Kynfin [EGC2]” (“Madawg m. Bleddyn, a Rhyrit, unfam undat oeddynt, ag yn Gweith Penllechren yn Deheubarth y lladdawdd. Gwyr Rhys ap Tewdwr wynt eill dau”);
“Gwehelyth Deheubarth” (“Rrys ap Gruffudd ap Rrys ap Tewdwr [ap Cadell] ap Eynon ap Ewein ap Howel dda ap Kadell ap Rhodri. I vam oedd Wenllian verch Gruffudd ap Kynan ap Iago”);
“Gwehelyth Morganwc” (“...Mam Vorgan oedd Wladus verch Gruffudd ap Rrys ap Tewdwr mawr”);
“Gwehelyth Sainhenydd” (“...I vam oedd Nest verch Gruffudd ap Rrys ap Tewdwr”).
Brut y Tywysogion.
Bartrum, Peter C., “Rhys ap Tewdwr 1” and “Tewdwr Mawr” in An Electronic Version of Welsh Genealogies AD 300-1500.
The sources Bartrum cites for Rhys are Brut y Tywysogion and his own Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts.
Bridgeman, George T.O. History of the Princes of South Wales (Wigan: Thomas Birch, 1876).
Thorpe, Benjamin (ed.), Florentii Wigorniensis Monachi Chronicon ex Chronicis Tomus II, (Londini: Sumptibus Societatis, M.DCCC.XLIX)
Giraldi Cambrensis. Opera, Volume VI: Itinerarium Kambriæ (James F. Dimock, ed.) (London: Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer, 1868).
Lloyd, John Edward, A History of Wales. 2 volumes (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1911-1912).
Lloyd, J.E. rev. David E. Thornton. “Rhys ap Tewdwr” in The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, 2004).
Maund, K.L. Ireland, Wales, and England in the Eleventh Century (The Boydell Press, 1991).
Maund, Kari. The Welsh Kings (Tempus, 2000).
Oman, Sandra. “Rhys ap Tewdwr "Mawr", Brenin of Deheubarth” in Tree: Wales. Welsh Medieval Database Primarily of Nobility and Gentry.
Pierce, Thomas Jones. “Rhys ap Tewdwr” in Welsh Biography Online.
Pryce, Huw. “Bleddyn ap Cynfyn” 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).