Trahaearn ap Caradog, king of Gwynedd

Events

Date of Birth: unknown.

Date of Death: 1081.

This date is given by Bartrum (EVWG Trahaearn ap Caradog 1). It is recorded in Brut y Tywysogion s.a.1079.

Place of Death: the battle on Carn mountain.

Relationships

Father: Caradog.

Bartrum (EVWG Early Series [46]) shows a string of ancestors for Caradog, but Baldwin (LaI) notes that it is not clear that they are historical. The father of Trahaearn is recorded as Caradog in Brut y Tywysogion s.a.1073, and s.a. 1079, and in Annales Cambriæ s.a. 1073.

Mother: unknown.

Baldwin (LaI) notes that there has been speculation that she was a sister of Cynfyn ap Gwerystan, but that there are other possible interpretations of the evidence. Maund (1991, p. 82) makes a similar point.

Spouse: uncertain.

Bartrum (EVWG Trahaearn ap Caradog 1) shows Nest ferch Gruffudd ap Llywelyn, but Baldwin (LaI) regards this as dubious.

Children:

(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)

Llywarch ap Trahaearn ap Caradog.

Meurig (died 1106).

Griffri (died 1106).

Owain.

Ieuan.

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 Trahaearn include:

Achau Brenhinoedd a Thywysogion Cymru,

2. Plant Ywein Gwynedd

(a) “Ioruerth a Maelgwn a Gwenlliant, mam Wenwynwyn ap Owain Kyveiliawg, plant Owain Gwynedd. Ai Mam oedd Wladus verch Lywarch ap Tryhaearn ap Kyradawc ap Gwyn ap Gollwyn ap Ydnywain ap Bleddynt…”

13. “Howel ap Ieuaf ap Ywain ap Trehaiarn ap Karadawg ap Gwynn…”

14. “Maredudd ap Rrotpert ap Llowarch ap Trehaiarn ap Karadawg ap Gwnn ap Gollwyn ap Ednywain ap Bleddyn. I vam oedd Ddyddgv verch Madawc ap Idnerth ap Kadwgon ap Elystan glodrydd.”

Brut y Tywysogion (29 f).

Bartrum, Peter C., “Trahaearn ap Caradog 1” in An Electronic Version of Welsh Genealogies AD 300-1500. [The sources Bartrum cites for Trahaearn are Brut y Tywysogion and his own Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts.]

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):

12. Plant Ywain Gwyned:

12.1 Iorwerth a Maelgwn a Gwenlliant mam Wenwynwyn ap Ywain Kyfeiliawg, plant Ywain Gwyned, a Gwladus oed eu mam, ferch Llewarch ap Trehayarn ap Karadawg ap Gwynn ap Gollwyn ap Ednywain ap Bledynt ap Bledrus ap Kynawg Mawr ap Iorwerth Hirvlawt ap Tegonwy ap Teon

33. Gwehelieth Arwystli:

33.1 Howel m. <Ieuaf> m.<Iwain> m. Trahayarn m. Karadawg ag Gwynn m. Gollwynn ap Etnywain ap Bledyn ap Bledrus ap Kynawg Mawr ap Iorwerth Hirvlawt m. Tegonwy m. Teon m. Gwineu Deu Vreudwyt m. Bywyr Lew m. Bywdeg m. Run Rud Baladyr m. Llary m. Kasnar Wledig m. Llud m. Beli Maw.

Maund, K. L. "Trahaearn ap Caradog: Legitimate Usurper?" in Welsh History Review Vol. 13, no. 4 (Dec. 1987), pp. 468-476.

Maund, K.L. Ireland, Wales, and England in the Eleventh Century (The Boydell Press, 1991).

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

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