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Meredith ab Kynan & Llywelyn Fychan fratre ejus dominis. de Merioneth in capite. Et quod idem Eignion propter discentionem & discordiam inter ipsos Llywelyn Fawr & Llywelyn Fychan et ipsum Eignion tune habitam fugit ad Owenum Kevelock Dominum de Powys & devenit tenens ejus de terra predicta et fecit homagium et fidelitatem suam sibi pro terris predictis. Et sic hucusque terra illa tenta fuit. Et est parcella dominorum de Powys iniuste, etc."

Record Office. Chancery. Liberate Roll. 43 Henry III, m. 3 (1259.)

P' LEWELINO FIL' MEREDUCI.

R vic' Staff r' Salop' saltm'. Quia Lewelinus fil' Mereduci p' nob' exhe'datus est, nos de consilio p' terũ qui sut de consilio n'ro dedim' ei ad sustentac'o'em suam r' ux sue r' libor' suor xls marc' a festo Sc'i Pet' ad vincla' anno Jo' xliijs p' unu annu. Et ii l p'cipim' q'd de exitib' comitatuu tuor' fac' t'rre eide' Lewelino p' d'cas xl marc'. comp' ti' ad sce'm. T' ut sa'. [Apud Wind' viij, die Aug.]

Liberate Roll. 44 Henry III, m. 7.

P' LEWELINO FIL' M'EDUK.

Et

R vu' Stafford r' Sallop' saltm'. Cum nup' manday' imus Witto Bagod q'nda' vic' n'ro Com predcor' p' tre' n'rm' de Comput' q'd Lewelino fit' Mereduci qui p' nob' exheredatus est de exitib eor'dem Comitatuu fac'et h're xla marcas quas ei de cosilio p' terum qui sunt de cosilio n'ro dederam ad sustenta'c'oem sue' r' ux' sue libor' q3 suor' lu idem Lewelinus de ill' xla marc' a p'fato Will'o decem marcas tatumodo recep'it tibi precipim' q'd de exitibz Comitatuu pred'cor' eidem Lewelino residuas triginta marcas h're fac'. Et comp' etc. T'ut s. [T' me ip'o apud Westm' xxx die Maij.] P' Justic' r' alios de cosilio R.

Einion ab Seisyllt was lineally descended from Gwyddno Garan Hir, Prince of the Cantref y Gwaelod which was inundated by the sea in the sixth century, and now forms the present bay of Cardigan. Einion bore argent, a lion passant, sable, inter three fleurs-de-lys, gules; and was the ancestor of the ancient family of the Pughs of Mathafarn and Rûg. (See Edeirnion.)

CHAPTER IV.

MAREDUDD AB BLEDDYN.

IN 1105, after having been imprisoned by Henry I, for four years, Maredydd ab Bleddyn escaped from his confinement and regained possession of Powys, which he restored to its ancient boundaries, by the acquisition of the territories of his brothers, Cadwgan and Iorwerth, who were both slain, as before stated, in 1109.

In 1108, Prince Cadwgawn ab Bleddyn came back from Ireland, and put himself under the king's safety, and represented to him that he was not concerned in the deed of his son Owain. Then he made his peace with the king for one hundred pounds, and had possession of his territory. Before the end of the year, Owain came from Ireland to Powys, and endeavoured to make his peace with the king, but could not. Then Owain became reconciled with Madog ab Rhirid ab Bleddyn, between whom there was hatred and enmity before; and they made a mutual compact. Then they ravaged the country, and committed depredations in their progress, and neither relative nor counsel could induce them to do otherwise.

In 1109, Iorwerth ab Bleddyn, who was called Lord of Powys, who had been a long time in prison, purchased his freedom and territory for three hundred pounds; and after coming to his territory, he expelled Owain and Madog ab Rhirid from his country, who fled to Ceredigion and Dyfed, doing the utmost mischief in their power in their progress, and carried the whole of their spoil to Iorwerth's land. A short time after they killed some of the king's officers, on which account the king was greatly enraged against Cadwgawn, because he did not oppose his son Owain, and took the province of

Ceredigion from him, and forbad him his country.1 Ceredigion was then offered by the king to Gilbert de Clare (son of Richard), who became the first English Earl of Pembroke in 1138. This Gilbert was a good and powerful man, and gladly accepting the king's offer, he raised an army for the conquest of Ceredigion; which, having accomplished, he built two castles there, one at Aberystwyth, opposite the Church of Padarn, and the other at Aberteifi, where the Earl Roger had once built one.2 Gilbert de Clare died in 1148, and was succeeded by his son Richard de Clare, surnamed Strongbow, second Earl of Pembroke, or, three chevronels, gules, a label of five points, azure. In the meantime, Cadwgan was honourably entertained in London, without being put into prison, but was not allowed, on any account, to go back into Wales.

A short time after this, Madog ab Rhirid ab Bleddyn came from Ireland to Wales with some outlaw Irishmen, and took up his abode in the territory of his uncle Iorwerth; and when Iorwerth knew that, he harrassed him so that he was obliged to hide in rocky caves; and Llywarch ab Trahaiarn ab Caradawg, who hated Iorwerth, confederated with them, and they watched Iorwerth, and discovered him in the house of a relation of his, at Caer Einion, when they came upon him and killed him, and burnt the house and everything within it; and when King Henry heard that, he gave Powys to Cadwgawn, and placed him in his country and territory, and sent to Owain in Ireland, and made peace with him, on condition that he delivered Madog ab Rhirid, and his men, to his disposal, to be dealt with according to law; and when Madog understood that, he projected treachery against Cadwgawn, and before long came upon him at

1 Brut y Tywysogion.

2 Brut y Saeson. Roger de Montgomerie, Earl of Arundel, became Earl of Shrewsbury in 1067. He had two sons-1, Hugh, who became Earl of Arundel and Shrewsbury in 1094, and died s.p. in 1094; and 2, Robert de Belesme, third earl, who was divested of both earldoms in 1102. Azure, a lion rampant in a border or.

Welshpool unawares, and mercilessly killed him there. Then Owain went to the king, and purchased his land and territory from him, for the value of a hundred pounds, in oxen and horses. Then Madog procured peace from the king by purchase, and obtained his land and territory for the value of a hundred pounds in

money.

In 1110, Prince Maredudd ab Bleddyn took Madog ab Rhirid, and gave him to Owain ab Cadwgawn, who pulled out his eyes, and set him at liberty; but Owain and Maredudd shared his territory, which consisted of Caer Einion, Aber Rhiw, and the third part of Deuddwr, between them. He left a son named Meurig. About this time, Owain ab Cadwgawn was ravaging, without remorse, all around him, being so habituated to crimes, that he had no inclination to do otherwise; and Gruffydd ab Cynan determined upon recovering his lawful rights from the hands of Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester. And when King Henry heard that, he collected a mighty army from every district in the island, and came against Gwynedd and Powys; upon which Gruffudd ab Cynan and Owain ab Cadwgan removed their men and their goods to the mountains of Snowdon; and the king's men, in following them, were miserably slaughtered, without being able to injure the Welsh. The following account of what took place is from the Brut.

"Henry, King of England, collected an army from the whole island, from Pengwern Pengwaedd in Ireland (Kernyw) to Penrhyn Blataon in the north, against Gwynedd and Powys. And when Maredudd ab Bleddyn heard that, he went to make an alliance with the king; and when Owain heard that, he collected all his men and property, and went to the mountains of Eryri, for that place was the strongest for protection from the enemy. Wherefore the king sent three armies, one with Gilbert, Prince of Cornwall, and Britons of the south, and the Normans and English of Dyfed, and all the south; and another army from the north, and Alban, with two princes, in command of them, namely, Alexander, son of Moel Cwlwm, and the son of Hugh, Earl of Chester; and the third he commanded himself; and then the king came, and his family

with him, to the place called Mar Castell, and Alexander and the earl went to Pennant Bachwy. In consequence of this, Owain sent messengers to Gruffydd ab Cynan and Owain his son to order them to make a firm peace between themselves against the enemies who were determined to destroy them, or to drive them into the sea, so that the name of a Briton might perish for ever. And they joined together to make no peace or agreement with their enemies. After that, Alexander, son of Moel Cwlwm, and the earl with him, sent messengers to Gruffydd ab Cynan to demand them to accept the king's peace, and to make them great promises, to deceive them, to join with them. And the king sent messengers to Owain to ask him to accept his peace, and to promise his men so that they could have neither help or strength. And Owain would not agree to this. And on the spot he saw one coming to him, and saying to him, 'Be careful and do what you do wisely. Here is Gruffudd and Owain his son have accepted the peace with the son of Moel Cwlwm and the earl, after promising them to have their land free from tribute and taxes (cyllid), nor a castle in it during the king's life.' And yet Owain would not agree to this. And again, the second time, the king sent messengers to Owain, and with them Maredudd ab Bleddyn, his uncle, who, when he saw Owain, he said to him, 'Look, that you do not delay to come to the king, lest others hinder you from having his friendship'; and he believed these words and came to the king. And the king welcomed him warmly, with great love and honour. And then the king said to Owain, As you have so willingly come to me, and believed my messengers, I will exalt you and raise you up to be the highest and the chief of your nation, and I will pay you whatever your nation may ask from you, and I will give you all your land free'. And when Gruffudd heard that, he sent messengers to the king to ask his peace, and the king took him to his peace on condition that he paid him a heavy tribute. And the king returned immediately to England."

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In 1111, Owain ab Cadwgawn, after having accepted the king's peace, went to the court of the English monarch, and was made a knight, and accompanied the king to Normandy, and received great honours from him, befitting a traitor from the hand of an English king; for, the greater the deceit of a Welsh chieftain, the greater his estimation and honour at the king's hands. Prince Gruffudd ab Cynan confirmed to Hugh, Earl of

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