THE LORDS OF CYDEWEN.

This province formed part of the possessions of Elystan Glodrudd, Prince of Fferlis, and passed by marriage into the family of Trahaiarn ab Caradawg, King of Gwynedd and Powys and Lord of Arwystli. As previously stated, Trahaiarn, at his death in 1080, left several sons, the eldest of whom was :

LLYWARCH AB TRAHAIARN, who did not succeed his father in his dominions. In 1096, Gruffudd ab Cynan, King of Gwynedd, and Cadwgan ab Bleddyn, Prince of Powys (who seems to have ruled Powys after the death of Trahaiarn ab Caradog, and thus to have taken possession of Cyfeiliog, Merionydd, and Penllyn), were obliged to leave their country and fly for refuge to Ireland; but in 1098 they returned to Wales, and Gruffudd, with an army of Scots from Ireland, regained Môn, and Cadwgan regained Ceredigion, together with the country of Arwystli and Meirionydd.

In 1105, the Princes Meurig and Gruffudd, the sons of Trahaiarn ab Caradog, were slain by Sir Owain ab Cadwgan ab Bleddyn, and about the same time, Prince Maredudd ab Bleddyn escaped from prison, and recovered his territory without opposition.

In 1109, Llywarch ab Trahaiarn, together with Madog ab Rhirid ab Bleddyn, at Cynfyn, killed Iorwerth Goch

VOL. I.

6

ab Bleddyn ab Cynfyn, Lord of Mochnant, in the house. of a relation of his at Caer Einion, and then burnt the house and everything in it.

In 1121, the Princes Owain and Cadwallawn, the sons of Gruffydd ab Cynan, King of Gwynedd, cruelly ravaged the lands of Llywarch, in consequence of his having assisted Prince Maredudd ab Bleddyn in taking the lordship of Meirionydd from his nephew, Maredudd ab Cadwgan ab Bleddyn.

In 1124, Maredudd ab Llywarch was imprisoned by Prince Owain, son of King Gruffydd ab Cynan, for putting out the eyes of the sons of Gruffudd; but he broke out of prison, and was caught, and his eyes pulled out by the sons of Meurig ab Gruffudd, and he was placed on the top of a desert mountain, where he perished from hunger and cold.

In 1127, 29 Henry I, Iorwerth ab Llywarch was slain by Llewelyn ab Sir Owain ab Cadwgan ab Bleddyn.

Llywarch ab Trahaiarn married Dyddgu, daughter of Idnerth ab Cadwgan ab Elystan Glodrudd, Prince of Fferlis, by whom he had issue, three sons and two daughters-1, Robert, or Rotpert ab Llywarch, of whom presently; 2, Maredudd ab Llywarch, and 3, Iorwerth; the two daughters were, 1, Gwladys, who was the first wife of Owain Gwynedd, Prince of North Wales, by whom she had issue, two sons, Iorwerth Drwyn Dwn and Maelgwyn, and one daughter, who married Owain Cyfeiliog, Prince of Powys Uchaf; and 2, Mabli, who married Ieuaf ab Niniaf, the eldest son of Cynwrig ab Rhiwallawn, Lord of Maelor Gymraeg and Yr Hôb.

ROTPERT, or ROBERT AB LLYWARCH, married first, Janet, daughter of Samwel, Lord of Cydywen, and Eigr, his wife, daughter and heiress of Madog, third son of Cadwallawn ab Madog ab Idnerth, Lord of Maelienydd and Ceri, of the royal house of Fferlis. (See History of the Parish of Llangurig, p. 343.) Samwel, Lord of Cydowen, was the son of Cadafael Yr Ynad, Judge of the Court of Powys, then held at Castell Dinas Bran in Lewys Dunn, vol. i, p. 136.

Nanheudwy, in the time of Gruffydd Maelor, Prince of Powys Fadog. Cadafael bore, sable, three ragged staves or, fired ppr. This coat was granted to him to commemorate the service he rendered his country, by his custom of going with firebrands from mountain to mountain to ignite the fire-beacons on their summits, to warn the inhabitants of the approach of an enemy. Cadafael was also Lord of Cydewen, by right of his wife Arianwen,1 daughter and heiress of Iorwerth ab Trahaiarn ab Iorwerth, Lord of Cydewen, the second son of Cadwgan ab Elystan Glodrudd, Prince of Fferlis. (See History of the Parish of Llangurig, p. 337.) The mother of Arianwen, Lady of Cydewen, was Jane, daughter of Maredydd ab Bleddyn, Prince of Powys.

Rotpert ab Llywarch, had issue by his wife Janet, besides a daughter Nest, wife of Gruffudd Foel ab Ivor ab Cadivor, Lord of Ceredigion, two sons-1, Maredudd of whom presently, and 2, Trahaiarn ab Robert, who married and had issue five sons-Cadwgan, Maredudd, Hywel, Owain, ancestor of the Penrhyns of Penrhyn in Aber Rhiw in Cydywen, and Ieuan the father of David the father of David Fychan of Penrhyn in Aber Rhiw in Cydywen, Lord of Pentref, whose only daughter and heiress Meddevis, married Ieuan ab Einion ab Eilas ab Owain ab Trahaiarn ab Rotpert ab Llywarch.

MAREDUDD AB ROTPERT, Lord of Cydewen, which Lordship he bought, according to Lewys Dwn," from his maternal uncle Madog ab Samwel, Lord of Cydewen, in 1210 (11 John). In 1211 he sided with Prince Llywelyn ab Iorwerth against King John, and when the Castle of Kinnerley, in the Lordship of Oswestry, was taken and demolished by the forces of Llywelyn in 1223, and the Prince bound himself to give satisfaction for the

1 Lewys Dunn, vol. i, p. 136.

2 John Penrhyn of Penrhyn, ab David ab John ab Gruffydd ab Owain ab Gruffudd Goch ab Maredudd ab David ab David Lloyd ab David ab Ieuan ab Einion ab Eilas ab Owain ab Trahaiarn ab Rotpert ab Llywarch. Lewys Dun, vol. i, p. 274.

3 Lewys Dwn, vol. i, p. 136.

damage done, Maredudd was one of the hostages given for the performance of the agreement. It is stated by Lewys Dwn, vol. ii, p. 284, that Prince Llywelyn gave Maredudd this Lordship, "Mam Llewelyn at lerwerth, Tywysog, oedd Gwladys v. Llywarch ab Trahaurn ab Caradawg ab Gwyn ab Collwyn, aq filly'r oedd Maredudd ab Rotpert Arglwydd Cydewen Ynai vab Eevnder i Llywelyn y Tywysog; a Llewelyn a roddes Arglwyddiaeth Cydewen yw Nai Maredudd ab Rotpert ab Llywarch ab Trahauarn. Yn ol marw Maredudd heb etifedd gwrryw o briod yr aeth yr Arglwyddiaeth yn ol i'r Tywysog, Llywelyn ab Iorwerth. Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, Prince of Wales, died in 1240. In 1241, however, Maedudd did homage for his lordship to Henry_III, who confirmed him in it, but according to the Brut y Tywysogion, Henry gave the lordship to him as a reward for his treachery to Prince Llywelyn, by doing homage to himself at Shrewsbury. In this same year, 25th Henry III (1241), he was one of the intercessors with the King for the release of Gruffudd ab Llywelyn, from his brother Prince David's custody. Lewys Dwn states in vol. i, p. 136, that after the death of Maredudd in 1244, the lordship fell to the crown, and that Madog ab Samwel afterwards became possessed of it in 1257; but he only kept it for a short time, as it was taken from him at the conquest of Wales by Edward I.

2

Maredudd was a great benefactor to the nunnery of Llanllugan, as we find from a charter in the possession of Thomas Farmer Duke, Esq., of Shrewsbury, the author of The Antiquities of Shropshire, and published in the Montgomeryshire Collections, vol. ii, p. 305, of which the following is a copy.

"Universis Sanctæ Matris Ecclesiæ filiis tam presentibus quam futuris, notum sit quod ego Maredud filius Roberti ex consensu et bona voluntate filiorum meorum Oweni et Gruffud et

1 Lewys Dwn, vol. i, 136.

2 History of the Princes of South Wales, by the Rev. and Hon. George T. O. Bridgeman, M.A., p. 126, note.

Howel, similiter fratris mei Trahaiarn et nepotum meorum Cadugaun et Maredud et Howel et Owini pro salute animæ meæ et animarum illorum necnon et parentum et successorum nostrorum dedi et confirmavi Deo et Beatæ Mariæ et Sanctis Monialibus de Llanlugan in puram et perpetuam elemoisinam et ab omni exactione et consuetudine seculari liberam et quietam totam villam quæ dicitur Llanlugan cum omnibus pertinentibus et usibus et utilitatibus suis et commodis in bosco et in plano, in pascuis et in aquis, bene et in pace, plenarie et integre et honorifice in his terminis on an this dal oluin iedin que unrud et usque resi in illa parte, ex alia vero parte Oren usque reu arall et usque hal bren et usque redenock Præterea iisdem libertatibus dedi supradictis sanctis monialibus dimidiam totius terræ olit usque Cust et usque Cric urno. Similiter dedi iisdem totam terram quæ dicitur Tahalun in omnibus terminis et pertinentiis suis. Et ut hæc mea donacio rata et inconcussa permaneat eam sigilli mei impressione et proborum virorum. attestatione signavi. Testes igitur sunt hii-Johannes filius. Tegwaret, Decanus Gervasius Parvus, Heylin filius Hoidlitt, Llewelyn filius Griffin, David cognomenti Rufus, Idanwit filius. Gorowin, Caduganus filius Iorwerth, Griffinus filius Owini, Ann (Einion?) filius Iago, Lewellyn Du, et multis aliis."

(Seal, green wax; a warrior on horseback, charging sword in hand.)

Transcript made by Sir Thomas Phillipps, Bart :

To all the sons of Holy Mother Church as well present as to come, be it known that I, Maredud, son of Robert, with the consent and goodwill of my sons Owen, and Gruffud, and Howel, likewise of my brother Trahaiarn, and my nephews Cadugan, and Maredud, and Howel, and Owen, for the salvation of my soul and their souls, as also of my parents and our successors, have given and confirmed to God and the Blessed Mary and the holy nuns of Llanlugan, in pure and perpetual alms, free and secure from all exactions and secular customs, the whole ville which is called Llanlugan, with all its appurtenances, uses, advantages, and conveniences, in wood, in plains, in pastures, and in waters, well and in peace, fully and wholly, and honourably within these boundaries, and as far as Resi on that side, but on the other side, Oren, as far as the Reu Arrall, and as far as Hal Bren, and as far as Redenock; besides, with the same liberties, I have given to the above-mentioned nuns, the half of the whole land of Olit as far as Cust, and as far as Crig Urno. Likewise I have given to the same nuns all the land which is called Tahalun, in all its boundaries and appur