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nesses to this charter were, Owain' vab Trahaiarn, Ieuaf vab Maredudd, David Ruffo, Iorwerth' vab Kachwallaun, Seisel, Decanus de Coruain, and John Ruffo.3

In the same year, Madog also gave to God, the Blessed Mary, and the convent of Valle Crucis

"Omnem parturam tociu't're mee scilicet Malaur Saesnec et provincie de Maylaur et Yayl et Nanheudu et Ken y lleid1 excepto hoc quod heredes ear'dem p'vi'ciar' ad opus suu' sibi occupaveru't, ita ut jam p'd'cus co'vent communitate' pasture h'at ubiq'm p'd'ci's p'vi'ciis in quib' nulli alii religiose viri habeant potestate aliq'am i'l facultate h'endi aliquid v❜l emendi v'l conducendi."5

In this same year, 1202, a battle was fought at Gwern y Figin, a place about half a mile from Careg Hwfa Castle.

In 1206, Prince Madog granted and confirmed by charter to the monks of Strata Marcella, Eskengainog, which they held "ante dominium meum in Edeyrniaun". He also granted and confirmed "Gwthelwern quam emerunt ab Hellise et Owino antecessoribus meis"," The Owain here mentioned must have been Owain Brogyntyn, who succeeded his half brother, Elisseu ab Madog, when the latter was deprived of that lordship in 1202.

On August 2, 1212, Robert de Vipont being besieged in Mathravel Castle by the Welsh, was rescued by King John in person. Within the next four days, Robert de Vipont undertook the custody of the four castles of Oswestry, Castle Crogen, now Chirk Castle, Careg Hwfa, and Eggelawe; and William Briwere, Peter Fitz Herbert, Alan and Thomas Basset, John Marescall, and Thomas de Erdington, accepted on the king's behalf De Vipont's undertaking. On June 10, 1213, King John orders John de Vipont to deliver up Careg Hwfa Castle

1 Owain ab Trahaiarn ab Ithel ab Eunydd, Lord of Dyffryn Clwyd, Tref Aluu, and Y Groesfford.

2 Iorwerth of Llys y Cil in Iâl, ab Caswallawn ab Hwfa ab Ithel Felyn, Lord of Iâl and Ystrad Alun.

3 Archæologia Cambrensis, Oct. 1866.

4 Cynllaith.

6 Mont. Coll., iv, 305.

5 Archæologia Cambrensis, 1866.

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to the custody of John le Strange, and John Marescall was to see that this was done. A third patent, addressed to John le Strange himself, appoints him Castellan of Careg Hwfa Castle during the king's pleasure.

The castle of Careg Hwfa was first built in 1101, for we learn from Florence of Worcester that, in that year, 1101, when Robert de Belesme, Earl of Shrewsbury, commenced the fortification of Bridgnorth against King Henry I, he also began another fortress in Waltonia, in a place called Caraclove.

In 1215, Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, Prince of Wales, with other Welsh princes, collected a great army at Caer Vyrddin, and, in less than five days, they took the castle and razed it to the ground; they then took and dismantled the castles of Llan Ysty ffan, Talacharn, and St. Cler. From thence, on the eve of St. Thomas the Apostle, they went to Ceredigiawn, and took the castle of Cardigan. Then the men of Cemeis did homage to Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, and surrendered to him the castle of Trefdraeth, and by general consent it was demolished. And when the garrison of Aber Teivi saw that they could no longer defend the castle, they delivered it up to Llywelyn on the Feast of St. Stephen, and, on the Feast of St. John the Apostle, they delivered up the castle of Cel Gerran to him. After which, Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, and all the Welsh princes that were with him, returned to their own countries again happy and joyful with victory. These are the names of the princes who went from Gwynedd: Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, Prince of Gwynedd and Hywel ab Gruffudd ab Cynan,' and Llywelyn ad Maredudd ab Cynan'. And from Powys: Gwenwynwyn ab Owain Cyfeiliawg, and Maredudd ab Rotpert of Cydewen, and the family of Madog ab Gruffudd Maelawr, the two sons of Maelgwn ab Cadwallawn. From South Wales: Maelgwn ab Rhys and Rhys Grug his brother, and Rhys Ieuanc and Owein, the sons of Gruffydd ab Rhys. And these are the names of the castles 1 Cynan was one of the sons of Owain Gwynedd, King of North Wales.

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that they took in this expedition: Senghenydd, Cidweli, Caer Vyrddin, Llan Ystyffan, St. Cler, Talycharn, Trefdraeth, Aber Teivi, and Cil Gerran. And after this the winter passed away more happily and peacefully than was ever known before.

In 1216, John, King of England, assailed by the formidable insurrection of the barons and most powerful subjects, and being menaced by Louis, the Dauphin of France, sought to form an alliance with the Welsh princes and chieftains; this they refused to grant him, and, in revenge, he destroyed the castles of Hay and Radnor, and two of the castles of the Fitz Alans, Colynwy and Oswestry, which last was burnt to the ground.

In 1219, the castle and lordship of Whittington were taken by the English under the command of Sir Fulke Fitz Warren. (See Archæologia Cambrensis.)

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From a document in the Llyfr Coch Asaph, we find that Prince Madog gave the patronage of the church of Wrexham to this monastery. This document is entitled, Renunciatio juris patronatus ad ecclesiam de Wrexham, Abbati et conventui de Valle Crucis per Madocum filium Gruffyd". He also confirmed the donation by the freemen of Llangollen to the monks of the right of fishing in the river Dyfrdwy, or Dee, by a document dated in 1234.1

This prince was one of the first to join the standard of Prince Llywelyn when he determined, after a degrading peace, to make one more effort to rescue his country from the power of the kings of England By his consort Ysota, sister of Rhiwallawn Llwyd, and daughter of Ithel, King of Gwent, son of Rhys ab Ivor ab Hywel ab Morgan of Ewias ab Morgan Hir, a younger son of Iestyn ab Gwrgant, Prince of Glamorgan, he had issue

four sons,

1. Gruffydd, his successor.

II. Maredudd, Lord of Rhiwabon, where he resided at a place subsequently called Watstay, and now Wynnstay. He married the Princess Catherine, daughter of Gruf1 Arch. Cambr., 1866.

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