Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Knight
• FSID: LXQS-85R

Notes:

Rhys ap Gruffydd (rebel)

Rhys ap Gruffydd (1508–1531) was a powerful Welsh landowner who was accused of rebelling against King Henry VIII by plotting with James V of Scotland to become Prince of Wales . He was executed as a rebel. He married Lady Catherine Howard (b. abt 1499 Ashwellthorpe, Norfolk, England), the daughter of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk and his second wife Agnes Tilney .

Early life
Rhys was the grandson of Rhys ap Thomas , the most powerful man in Wales and close ally of Henry VII . Rhys was a descendant of the medieval Welsh king Rhys ap Gruffydd (1132–1197), his namesake. His father, Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Thomas , died in 1521, leaving him his grandfather’s heir. In 1524 Rhys married Catherine Howard, daughter of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk .[1]

As his grandfather’s heir, Rhys expected to inherit his estates and titles. When Rhys ap Thomas died in 1525, Henry VIII gave his most important titles and powers to Walter Devereux, Lord Ferrers, leading to a feud between Rhys and Ferrers which escalated over the next few years.

Conflict with Ferrers
Rhys attempted to increase his status in Wales, petitioning Cardinal Thomas Wolsey to be given various posts. Potential for conflict with Ferrers increased when both men were given the right to extend their number of retainers; this led to the emergence of competing armed gangs.[2] The bad-blood between Rhys and Ferrers reached a crisis-point in June 1529 when Ferrers made a display of his status during preparations for the annual Court of Great Sessions in Carmarthen. Rhys, surrounded by forty armed men, threatened Ferrers with a knife. Rhys was arrested and imprisoned in Carmarthen Castle . Rhys’s wife Catherine escalated the situation by collecting hundreds of her supporters and attacking the castle. She later threatened Ferrers himself with an armed gang. In the conflict between the two factions several of Ferrers’s men were killed. The factions continued to cause other disruptions over the coming months, leading to deaths in street-fights and acts of piracy.

Treason charges
The rebellious actions of Rhys’s supporters led to Rhys’s transfer to prison in London by 1531. By this stage Henry was claiming that Rhys was attempting to overthrow his government in Wales. Rhys had added the title Fitz-Urien to his name, referring to Urien , the ancient Welsh ruler of Rheged , a person of mythical significance. Rhys’s accusers claimed that this was an attempt to assert himself as Prince of Wales. He was supposed to be plotting with James V of Scotland to overthrow Henry in fulfilment of ancient Welsh prophesies.

Rhys was convicted of treason and was executed in December 1531. The execution caused widespread dismay and he was openly said to have been innocent.[2] Contemporary writer Ellis Gruffudd, however, argued that the arrogance of the Rhys family had caused their downfall, saying that “many men regarded his death as Divine retribution for the falsehoods of his ancestors, his grandfather, and great-grandfather, and for their oppressions and wrongs. They had many a deep curse from the poor people who were their neighbours, for depriving them of their homes, lands and riches.”[3]

Historian Ralph Griffith asserts that “Rhys’s execution...was an act of judicial murder based on charges devised to suit the prevailing political and dynastic situation”. Since it was linked to Henry’s attempt to centralise power and break with the church of Rome, he argues that it “in retrospect made him [Rhys] one of the earliest martyrs of the English Reformation.”[2] Rhys was believed to be opposed to the Reformation and had spoken disparagingly of Anne Boleyn . He had also been friendly with Katherine of Aragon and Cardinal Wolsey, so ridding himself of Rhys helped Henry to prepare the ground for the Reformation.[4] The execution led to fears of a Welsh rebellion. One clergyman was concerned that the Welsh and Irish would join together.[2]

Family
With his death Rhys’ vast possessions were forfeit to the crown. His children are known by the Anglicised surname “Rice”. His son, Griffith Rice (c.1530–1584), was restored to some of the family estates by Queen Mary .[1] His daughter Agnes Rice had a celebrated affair with William Stourton, 7th Baron Stourton , and in defiance of the rights of his widow and children, she inherited much of the Stourton estates after his death. She later married Sir Edward Baynton, and had children by both William and Edward.

Rhys’ grandson Henry Rice aka Price Rhys, born 1634 Redstone, Pembrokeshire is listed on Rootsweb along with his descendants.

References
[1] Dictionary of Welsh Biography, National Library of Wales
[2] Ralph Griffith, Rhys ap Thomas and his Family, University of Wales Press, Cardiff, 1993, pp.106, 110–11.
[3] Griffiths, p.72.
[4] London Carmarthenshire society, A history of Carmarthenshire, Volume 1, Society by W. Lewis limited, 1935, p.263.

Rhys ap Gruffydd (rebel) Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhys_ap_Gruffydd_(rebel)?oldid=781907185 Contributors: Paul Barlow,
Nlu, Ser Amantio di Nicolao, Waacstats, CommonsDelinker, Innapoy, Chrisdoyleorwell, HueSatLum, OccultZone, Murphy108, KasparBot
and Anonymous: 1

File:COA_Sir_Rhys_ap_Thomas.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/COA_Sir_Rhys_ap_Thomas.
svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: AlexD

6.3 Content license
 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

Rhys married Howard, Lady Catherine in 1524 in North Crawley, Buckinghamshire, England. Catherine (daughter of Howard, Lord Duke Thomas I and Tilney, Lady Elizabeth Agnes) was born on 30 May 1499 in Ashwellthorpe, Norfolk, England; died on 10 May 1554 in Howard Chapel, Lambeth, Surrey, England; was buried on 21 May 1554 in Howard Chapel, Lambeth, Surrey, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. ap Rhys, Gruffydd was born in 1524 in Newton House, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, Wales; died in 1588 in Bures Saint Mary, Suffolk, England.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Order of the Bath
• Appointments / Titles: Sir
• FSID: MYV1-KBG
• Name: Griffith ap Rhys

Notes:

LifeSketch

In the reign of Richard III his father's loyalty was questioned to the house of York as support grew for Henry of Richmond (later Henry VII of England). Around the time of Richard's usurpation and Buckingham's rebellion in 1483, as a way of keeping Rhys ap Thomas's loyalty, Richard demanded an oath of allegiance from Gruffydd's father as well as demanding that his young son Gruffydd be in his own custody. Rhys assured Richard of his loyalty but refused to hand over young Gruffydd, who was only four or five at the time.

When Gruffydd was older he became a member of Prince Arthur's household. Henry VII of England aimed to have his son friends with influential young men with powerful fathers in Henry's kingdom, and Gruffydd's father was one of the most powerful men in Wales after the death of Jasper Tudor in 1495, and he was chosen to serve the young Prince. Gruffydd and Prince Arthur seem to have been quite close; in 1501 Gruffydd was made a Knight of the Garter, and was with Arthur when he returned to Ludlow with his new young bride Catherine of Aragon in December 1501; and was there for Arthur's death in April 1502.

On the death of Prince Arthur in 1502, Gruffydd ap Rhys was a prominent mourner. He accompanied the Prince's body from Ludlow to its final resting place in Worcester. The following contemporary record gives an account of Gruffydd as he travelled with the "rich chariot" which carried Prince Arthur's body: "in mourning habit, rode next before the leading horse on a courser trapped with black, bearing the Prince's banner." During the funeral service for the Prince in Worcester Cathedral, he once again carried Arthur's "rich embroidered banner."

Sir Gruffydd ap Rhys's tomb.
Gruffydd was present with Arthur's younger brother Henry VIII of England when Henry travelled to France for the famous Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520. He married Catherine St John, daughter of John St John who was related to Margaret Beaufort around 1507 and had one son: Rhys ap Griffith (1508–1531), who was later executed by Henry VIII for treason.

Gruffydd ap Rhys himself died prematurely in 1521. He died prior to the divorce of Catherine of Aragon, and unlike other members of Arthur's household never had to make statements about the consummation of his marriage with Catherine. His son and heir Rhys ap Gruffydd was less lucky. He was considered a threat to Henry's power and was executed for treason on charges widely believed to be false in 1531.

Gruffydd's tomb is also in Worcester Cathedral.

Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Thomas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The coat of arms of Rhys's family
Sir Gruffydd ap Rhys (c. 1478–1521) (also known as Griffith Ryce in some antiquarian English sources) was a Welsh nobleman. He was the son of Sir Rhys ap Thomas, the de facto ruler of most of south-west Wales who aided Henry Tudor in his victory on Bosworth Field in 1485 and Efa ap Henry.

In the reign of Richard III his father's loyalty was questioned to the house of York as support grew for Henry of Richmond (later Henry VII of England). Around the time of Richard's usurpation and Buckingham's rebellion in 1483, as a way of keeping Rhys ap Thomas's loyalty, Richard demanded an oath of allegiance from Gruffydd's father as well as demanding that his young son Gruffydd be in his own custody. Rhys assured Richard of his loyalty but refused to hand over young Gruffydd, who was only four or five at the time.

When Gruffydd was older he became a member of Prince Arthur's household. Henry VII of England aimed to have his son friends with influential young men with powerful fathers in Henry's kingdom, and Gruffydd's father was one of the most powerful men in Wales after the death of Jasper Tudor in 1495, and he was chosen to serve the young Prince. Gruffydd and Prince Arthur seem to have been quite close; in 1501 Gruffydd was made a Knight of the Garter, and was with Arthur when he returned to Ludlow with his new young bride Catherine of Aragon in December 1501; and was there for Arthur's death in April 1502.

Death of the Prince

On the death of Prince Arthur in 1502, Gruffydd ap Rhys was a prominent mourner. He accompanied the Prince's body from Ludlow to its final resting place in Worcester. The following contemporary record gives an account of Gruffydd as he travelled with the "rich chariot" which carried Prince Arthur's body: "in mourning habit, rode next before the leading horse on a courser trapped with black, bearing the Prince's banner." During the funeral service for the Prince in Worcester Cathedral, he once again carried Arthur's "rich embroidered banner."

Later life

Sir Gruffydd ap Rhys's tomb.
Gruffydd was present with Arthur's younger brother Henry VIII of England when Henry travelled to France for the famous Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520. He married Catherine St John, daughter of John St John who was related to Margaret Beaufort around 1507 and had one son: Rhys ap Griffith (1508–1531), who was later executed by Henry VIII for treason.

Gruffydd ap Rhys himself died prematurely in 1521. He died prior to the divorce of Catherine of Aragon, and unlike other members of Arthur's household never had to make statements about the consummation of his marriage with Catherine. His son and heir Rhys ap Gruffydd was less lucky. He was considered a threat to Henry's power and was executed for treason on charges widely believed to be false in 1531.

Gruffydd's tomb is also in Worcester Cathedral.

References

Ralph A. Griffiths, Sir Rhys ap Thomas and his family (University of Wales Press, 1993), p. 39 et. seq..
Chrimes, S B Henry VII, pg. 43
"The Shuttle - Royal link with lonely tomb". Retrieved 2007-01-27.
Steven Gunn and Linda Monckton, ed, Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales, Boydell 2009 ISBN 978-1-84383-480-9
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gruffydd_ap_Rhys_ap_Thomas&oldid=752343953"
Categories: 1521 deathsHistory of WalesWelsh knights16th-century Welsh peoplePeople of the Tudor period
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From The Thomas Book:

GRIFFITH AP RHYS, the only son of Sir Rhys ap Thomas by his first wife Eva, of Court Henry, b. 1478, was once nominated as a candidate for the Garter, but failed to secure an election. When Henry VII. revived the Order of the Bath, November 17, 1501, on the marriage of his son, Prince Arthur, to Katherine of Aragon, Griffith ap Rhys was created a knight of that ancient order. He was a favourite companion of the Prince, and as such gave some curious testimony at the proceedings in reference to the divorce of Queen Katherine. In April, 1502, at the funeral of Prince Arthur, a contemporary account (printed in Grose's Antiquarian Repertory, ii., 327—330) says " Sir Griffith Vap Sr. Ris rode before the corpse in mornyng Abitt on a courser trapped with black, bearing banner of Prince's arms." And at the interment in Worcester Cathedral, April 27th, " Sir Griffith Vap Rise Thomas offered at the Gospel the rich embroidered banner of my Lord's Armes." The standard of Sir Griffith ap Rhys, K.B., was: per fess murrey and blue; device repeated twice, a trefoil slipped and barbed ar. charged with a raven ppr. Motto, Psalm cxlvii. 9, "Puluis (sic.) corvorum invocantibus cum."

At his father's tournament at Carevv, 1507, he was one of the principal challengers. He was Mayor of Caermarthen, 1504-5-11-13. The Rutland list of those at the Field of the Cloth of Gold notes Sir Griffith Rice, with two other knights, as in command of a body of one hundred light horsemen "for scurrers." Lady Rice was also in attendance on the Queen. He m. about 1504, Katherine, dau. of Sir John St. John, and aunt of the first Lord St. John of Bletshoe, from whom descended Pope's friend, Lord Boling . . . broke. After Sir Griffith's death she in. Sir Piers Edgecombe, ancestor of the present Earl of Mount Edgecombe. She made her will at Cothele, in Cornwall, December 4, 1553, d. that month and is buried with her first husband in Worcester Cathedral.1 Sir Griffith ap Rhys d. September 29, 15 21. Issue:

i. RICE, his heir (of whom presently).

ii AGNES, m. 1st, WILLIAM, 6th LORD STOURTON, and 2d, SIR EDWARD BAYNTON, KNT., of Rowden, in Hertfordshire. She ii. August 19, 1574, and is bit. with her 2d husband in Bromham
Church, Wilts.8 Their quaint epitaph runs thus:
1 Notices of Sir Griffith ap Rhys wilt be found in Calendar of State Papers, reign of Henry VIII., vol. ii., //. 69, 193, 215, 1489, etc. A view of the tomb of Sir Griffith ap Rhys may be seen in Thomas's Worcester, opposite /. 71, which quotes the inscription; and also in Wild's Worcester, plate viii., and Dingley, ii., plate cclxxxv. * Dinglcy's History from Marble, part i., plate xxxiii., gives drawings and epitaph from the tomb.
Here lieth Syr Edwarde Baynton Knyght within this marble clad.
By Agnes Ryce his firste trew wyfe Yt thyrtyne chyldrene had
Whearof she left alyve withe him at hir departure thre
Henecy, Anne and Elyzabeth whose pictures here you see.
The XIX daye of Auguste she decesed of Christe the yere
These little figures standing bie present ye number here. 1574.

iii. MARY, m. SIR JOHN LUTTERELL, KNT., before 1553, when she is mentioned as his wife in her mother's will.

iv. ELIZABETH, the only sister of RICE AP GRIFFITH named in his grandfather's will.

Gruffydd married St John, Catherine in 1504 in England. Catherine (daughter of St John, John and verch Morgan, Sybil) was born in 1478 in Bletsoe, Bedfordshire, England; died on 22 Dec 1553 in England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: LRKJ-S8N
• Name: Catherine St John
• Name: Katherine de St. John
• Name: Katherine de St. John
• Name: Katherine de St. John
• Birth: Between 10 Jan 1478 and 9 Jan 1479, Wherstead, Suffolk, England
• Will: 22 Dec 1553
• Will: 22 Dec 1553

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Knight of The Garter
• Life Event: Chamberlain of Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire
• Life Event: Constable and Lieutenant of Breconshire
• Life Event: Governor of all Wales
• Life Event: Justiciar of South Wales
• Life Event: Seneschall and Chancellor of Haverfordwest, Rouse and Builth
• FSID: L5X3-3PY
• Occupation: Knight
• Occupation: Privy Councillor

Notes:

Rhys ap Thomas
From LifeSketch

Rhys was the youngest legitimate son of Thomas ap Gruffydd ap Nicolas of Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire, and Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Gruffydd of Abermarlais, also in Carmarthenshire.

In 1460, after decades of increasing unrest among the nobility and armed clashes, the supporters of Richard, Duke of York challenged the right of King Henry VI of the House of Lancaster to rule England. Most Welsh landholders claimed their titles through grants made by Henry's father and grandfather for loyalty to the English crown during the revolt of Owain Glyndŵr. They therefore generally supported Henry, rather than the rival Yorkist claimants to the throne.

In 1461, when Rhys ap Thomas was twelve or thirteen, a Lancastrian army raised in Wales under Jasper Tudor, the Earl of Pembroke, moved into England but was defeated at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross by Edward, Earl of March (the eldest son of Richard of York who had been killed a few weeks before). Rhys's grandfather Gruffydd ap Nicholas was killed in the battle. Within a few weeks, Edward had been proclaimed King Edward IV, and the main Lancastrian armies were crushed at the Battle of Towton in Yorkshire.

Some Lancastrians, including Rhys's father Thomas, continued to resist in Wales. Thomas and his brother Owain defended Carreg Cennen Castle near Llandeilo. They were forced to surrender in 1462 after a siege. The victorious Yorkists demolished the castle to prevent it being used as a Lancastrian stronghold again. The lands of the defeated Lancastrians were confiscated, and Thomas, with the young Rhys, went into exile at the court of Philip the Good, the Duke of Burgundy.

Thomas and Rhys returned to Wales in 1467, and reacquired at least some of their former lands. This was during a period which included the Readeption of Henry VI, when many former Lancastrians regained their lands, and contrived to keep them even after the subsequent victory of Edward IV in 1471.

Thomas died in 1474. Rhys's two elder brothers had already died, and Rhys inherited his father's estates.

Reign of Richard III
In 1483, Edward IV died. His son, Edward V was still a minor. Edward's surviving brother Richard of Gloucester and the Duke of Buckingham moved to prevent the unpopular relatives of Elizabeth Woodville, Edward's Queen, from sharing in power or even dominating the government during the young King's minority. However, Richard went further, declaring Edward's children illegitimate and seizing the throne himself. The young Edward V and his younger brother (the Princes in the Tower) disappeared and were probably murdered. Buckingham turned against Richard and led a revolt aimed at restoring the House of Lancaster, in the person of the exiled Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, to the throne. The revolt failed. Buckingham himself had raised a force at Brecon in mid-Wales, but storms and floods prevented him crossing the River Severn to join other rebels in England, and his starving soldiers deserted. He was soon betrayed and executed. The same storms prevented Henry from landing in the West Country.

Rhys had declined to support Buckingham's uprising. In the aftermath, when Richard appointed officers to replace those who had joined the revolt, he made Rhys ap Thomas his principal lieutenant in south west Wales and granted him an annuity for life of 40 marks. Rhys was required to send his son Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Thomas to the King's court at Nottingham as a hostage, but he excused himself from this obligation by claiming that nothing could bind him to his duty more strongly than his conscience. He is supposed to have taken an oath that

Whoever ill-affected to the state, shall dare to land in those parts of Wales where I have any employment under your majesty, must resolve with himself to make his entrance and irruption over my belly.

Nevertheless, he is presumed to have carried on some correspondence with Henry Tudor, who was preparing another attempt in France to overthrow Richard.

Bosworth campaign
Main article: Battle of Bosworth
On 1 August 1485, Henry set sail from Harfleur in France. With fair winds, he landed at Mill Bay near Dale on the north side of Milford Haven, close to his birthplace in Pembroke Castle, with a force of English exiles and French mercenaries. At this point, Rhys should have engaged him. However, Rhys instead joined Henry. Folklore has it that the Bishop of St. David's offered to absolve him from his previous oath to Richard. The Bishop also suggested that Rhys fulfil the strict letter of his vow by lying down and letting Henry step over him. This undignified procedure might have weakened Rhys's authority over his men, so instead, Rhys is said to have stood under the Mullock Bridge about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Dale while Henry marched over it.

Henry's and Rhys's forces marched separately through Wales, with Rhys recruiting 500 men as he proceeded. They rejoined at Welshpool before crossing into England. Rhys's Welsh force was described as being large enough to have "annihilated" the rest of Henry's army. On 22 August, they met Richard's army near Market Bosworth. In the resulting Battle of Bosworth, Richard launched an attack led by John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk. According to a contemporary ballad, Rhys's men halted the assault. "Norfolk's line began to break under pressure from Rhys ap Thomas's men" and the Duke was killed by an arrow shot. Hoping to turn the tide and win the battle rapidly by killing his rival, Richard and his companion knights charged directly at Henry. The king was unhorsed and surrounded. The poet Guto'r Glyn implies that Rhys himself was responsible for killing Richard, possibly with a poll axe. Referring to Richard's emblem of a boar, the poet writes that Rhys "killed the boar, shaved his head" ("Lladd y baedd, eilliodd ei ben"). However, this may only mean that one of Rhys's Welsh halberdiers killed the king, since the Burgundian chronicler Jean Molinet, says that a Welshman, one of Rhys' men suspected to be Wyllyam Gardynyr, struck the death-blow with a halberd. Guto'r Glyn himself says that Rhys was "like the stars of a shield with the spear in their midst on a great steed" ("A Syr Rys mal sŷr aesaw, Â’r gwayw’n eu mysg ar gnyw mawr"). He was knighted on the field of battle.

Later life
Rhys demonstrated his continuing loyalty to Henry by suppressing a Yorkist rebellion at Brecon in 1486, and taking part in the campaign against the pretender Lambert Simnel in 1487 and the subsequent campaigns against Perkin Warbeck. He played a part in the defeat of the Cornish Rebellion of 1497, capturing the rebel leader Lord Audeley, for which he was awarded the honour of Knight Banneret.

As reward for his loyalty to Henry, he acquired many lands and lucrative offices in South Wales. He was appointed Constable and Lieutenant of Breconshire, Chamberlain of Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire, Seneschall and Chancellor of Haverfordwest, Rouse and Builth, Justiciar of South Wales, and Governor of all Wales.

He was also a Privy Councillor and in 1505 he was made a Knight of the Garter, which he celebrated with a great tournament at Carew Castle in 1507. After the death of Henry VII, he remained a supporter of his son, Henry VIII and took part in the Battle of Guinegatte in 1513.

Rhys was married twice: to Eva, daughter of Henri ap Gwilym of Cwrt Henri; and to Janet, daughter of Thomas Mathew of Radyr, who was widow of Thomas Stradling of St Donats. However, although Rhys had numerous mistresses and several illegitimate children, his legitimate son Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Thomas died in 1521. Rhys himself died at Carmarthen Priory in 1525. After Henry VIII suppressed the monasteries, Rhys's tomb was moved to St. Peter's Church, also in Carmarthen.

Rhys's estates and offices were meant to pass to his grandson and heir Rhys ap Gruffydd, however they were taken by the Crown and given to Lord Ferrers for life. Rhys ap Gruffydd was later beheaded by Henry VIII in 1531 for treason after fighting Ferrers and provoking civil unrest amongst the citizens of Carmarthen who were still angry about the disinheritance.

Rhys ap Thomas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rhys ap Thomas (1449–1525), KG, was a Welsh soldier and landholder who rose to prominence during the Wars of the Roses, and was instrumental in the victory of Henry Tudor at the Battle of Bosworth. He remained a faithful supporter of Henry and was rewarded with lands and offices in South Wales. Some sources claim that he personally delivered the death blow to King Richard III at Bosworth with his poleaxe.

Early life
Rhys was the youngest legitimate son of Thomas ap Gruffydd ap Nicolas of Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire, and Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Gruffydd of Abermarlais, also in Carmarthenshire.

In 1460, after decades of increasing unrest among the nobility and armed clashes, the supporters of Richard, Duke of York challenged the right of King Henry VI of the House of Lancaster to rule England. Most Welsh landholders claimed their titles through grants made by Henry's father and grandfather for loyalty to the English crown during the revolt of Owain Glyndŵr. They therefore generally supported Henry, rather than the rival Yorkist claimants to the throne.

In 1461, when Rhys ap Thomas was twelve or thirteen, a Lancastrian army raised in Wales under Jasper Tudor, the Earl of Pembroke, moved into England but was defeated at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross by Edward, Earl of March (the eldest son of Richard of York who had been killed a few weeks before). Rhys's grandfather Gruffydd ap Nicholas was killed in the battle. Within a few weeks, Edward had been proclaimed King Edward IV, and the main Lancastrian armies were crushed at the Battle of Towton in Yorkshire.

Some Lancastrians, including Rhys's father Thomas, continued to resist in Wales. Thomas and his brother Owain defended Carreg Cennen Castle near Llandeilo. They were forced to surrender in 1462 after a siege. The victorious Yorkists demolished the castle to prevent it being used as a Lancastrian stronghold again. The lands of the defeated Lancastrians were confiscated, and Thomas, with the young Rhys, went into exile at the court of Philip the Good, the Duke of Burgundy.

Thomas and Rhys returned to Wales in 1467, and reacquired at least some of their former lands. This was during a period which included the Readeption of Henry VI, when many former Lancastrians regained their lands, and contrived to keep them even after the subsequent victory of Edward IV in 1471.

Thomas died in 1474. Rhys's two elder brothers had already died, and Rhys inherited his father's estates.

Reign of Richard III
In 1483, Edward IV died. His son, Edward V was still a minor. Edward's surviving brother Richard of Gloucester and the Duke of Buckingham moved to prevent the unpopular relatives of Elizabeth Woodville, Edward's Queen, from sharing in power or even dominating the government during the young King's minority. However, Richard went further, declaring Edward's children illegitimate and seizing the throne himself. The young Edward V and his younger brother (the Princes in the Tower) disappeared and were probably murdered. Buckingham turned against Richard and led a revolt aimed at restoring the House of Lancaster, in the person of the exiled Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, to the throne. The revolt failed. Buckingham himself had raised a force at Brecon in mid-Wales, but storms and floods prevented him crossing the River Severn to join other rebels in England, and his starving soldiers deserted. He was soon betrayed and executed. The same storms prevented Henry from landing in the West Country.

Rhys had declined to support Buckingham's uprising. In the aftermath, when Richard appointed officers to replace those who had joined the revolt, he made Rhys ap Thomas his principal lieutenant in south west Wales and granted him an annuity for life of 40 marks. Rhys was required to send his son Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Thomas to the King's court at Nottingham as a hostage, but he excused himself from this obligation by claiming that nothing could bind him to his duty more strongly than his conscience. He is supposed to have taken an oath that

Whoever ill-affected to the state, shall dare to land in those parts of Wales where I have any employment under your majesty, must resolve with himself to make his entrance and irruption over my belly.

Nevertheless, he is presumed to have carried on some correspondence with Henry Tudor, who was preparing another attempt in France to overthrow Richard.

Bosworth campaign
On 1 August 1485, Henry set sail from Harfleur in France. With fair winds, he landed at Mill Bay near Dale on the north side of Milford Haven, close to his birthplace in Pembroke Castle, with a force of English exiles and French mercenaries. At this point, Rhys should have engaged him. However, Rhys instead joined Henry. Folklore has it that the Bishop of St. David's offered to absolve him from his previous oath to Richard. The Bishop also suggested that Rhys fulfil the strict letter of his vow by lying down and letting Henry step over him. This undignified procedure might have weakened Rhys's authority over his men, so instead, Rhys is said to have stood under the Mullock Bridge about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Dale while Henry marched over it.

Henry's and Rhys's forces marched separately through Wales, with Rhys recruiting 500 men as he proceeded. They rejoined at Welshpool before crossing into England. Rhys's Welsh force was described as being large enough to have "annihilated" the rest of Henry's army. On 22 August, they met Richard's army near Market Bosworth. In the resulting Battle of Bosworth, Richard launched an attack led by John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk. According to a contemporary ballad, Rhys's men halted the assault. "Norfolk's line began to break under pressure from Rhys ap Thomas's men" and the Duke was killed by an arrow shot. Hoping to turn the tide and win the battle rapidly by killing his rival, Richard and his companion knights charged directly at Henry. The king was unhorsed and surrounded. The poet Guto'r Glyn implies that Rhys himself was responsible for killing Richard, possibly with a poll axe. Referring to Richard's emblem of a boar, the poet writes that Rhys "killed the boar, shaved his head" ("Lladd y baedd, eilliodd ei ben"). However, this may only mean that one of Rhys's Welsh halberdiers killed the king, since the Burgundian chronicler Jean Molinet, says that a Welshman, one of Rhys' men suspected to be Wyllyam Gardynyr, struck the death-blow with a halberd. Guto'r Glyn himself says that Rhys was "like the stars of a shield with the spear in their midst on a great steed" ("A Syr Rys mal sŷr aesaw, Â’r gwayw’n eu mysg ar gnyw mawr"). He was knighted on the field of battle.

Later life
Rhys demonstrated his continuing loyalty to Henry by suppressing a Yorkist rebellion at Brecon in 1486, and taking part in the campaign against the pretender Lambert Simnel in 1487 and the subsequent campaigns against Perkin Warbeck. He played a part in the defeat of the Cornish Rebellion of 1497, capturing the rebel leader Lord Audeley, for which he was awarded the honour of Knight Banneret.

As reward for his loyalty to Henry, he acquired many lands and lucrative offices in South Wales. He was appointed Constable and Lieutenant of Breconshire, Chamberlain of Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire, Seneschall and Chancellor of Haverfordwest, Rouse and Builth, Justiciar of South Wales, and Governor of all Wales.

He was also a Privy Councillor and in 1505 he was made a Knight of the Garter, which he celebrated with a great tournament at Carew Castle in 1507. After the death of Henry VII, he remained a supporter of his son, Henry VIII and took part in the Battle of Guinegatte in 1513.

Rhys was married twice: to Eva, daughter of Henri ap Gwilym of Cwrt Henri; and to Janet, daughter of Thomas Mathew of Radyr, who was widow of Thomas Stradling of St Donats. However, although Rhys had numerous mistresses and several illegitimate children, his legitimate son Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Thomas died in 1521. Rhys himself died at Carmarthen Priory in 1525. After Henry VIII suppressed the monasteries, Rhys's tomb was moved to St. Peter's Church, also in Carmarthen.

Rhys's estates and offices were meant to pass to his grandson and heir Rhys ap Gruffydd, however they were taken by the Crown and given to Lord Ferrers for life. Rhys ap Gruffydd was later beheaded by Henry VIII in 1531 for treason after fighting Ferrers and provoking civil unrest amongst the citizens of Carmarthen who were still angry about the disinheritance.

References

Heritage of Wales News 6 February 2013. Accessed 27 February 2013
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/richard-iiis-killer-really-welshman-7168556
Ross, Charles (1999) [1981]. Richard III. Yale English Monarchs. New Haven, Connecticut; and London: Yale University Press, p.213.
Ralph A. Griffiths and Roger S. Thomas, The Making of the Tudor Dynasty, p.185.
Griffith, Ralph, Sir Rhys ap Thomas and his family: a study in the Wars of the Roses and early Tudor politics, University of Wales Press, 1993, p.43. See also guto'r glyn.net

E. A. Rees, A Life of Guto'r Glyn, Y Lolfa, 2008, p.212.
Richard III wounds match medieval Welsh poem description
External links

National Library of Wales entry
Castles of Wales article
Llandeilo local history site
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rhys_ap_Thomas&oldid=752668912"

Rhys married Gwilym, Lady Eva. Eva (daughter of Gwylliam, Henry) was born in 1453 in Bourgogne, Marne, Champagne-Ardenne, France; died in DECEASED in Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: 99MN-QL9

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Baron of Beauchamp
• Appointments / Titles: Lord
• Appointments / Titles: Sir
• FSID: LKKM-H4H
• Occupation: Knight
• Residence: Fonmon Castle, Ffon-mon, Glamorgan, Wales

Notes:

According to "The Peerage of England" by Arthur Collins, Sir John Saint John was made Knight of the Bath in 1488 by Henry VII King of England.
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About Sir John De St John, Baron of Beauchamp of Bletso
Sir John de St. John, Knight of the Bath, 1502, of Blestoe, co. Bedford Doc. Line 85-37 !MARRIAGE: Sir John de St. John, Knight and Sybil - Doc. Line 85-37

From the Collectanea Topographica, Harleian MS 1074: he had five daughters and one son. But on the other hand: His will quoted in "Testamenta Vetusta" collected by Nicholas Harris Nicolas and published by Nihols and son, Parliament St, London in MDCCCXXVI: "SIR JOHN ST JOHN "John St John, of the parish of Bletnesho, Knight, 22nd March 1524. My body to be buried in the Chapel of St Edmund, in the North side of the Church of our Lady St Mary of Bletnesho aforesaid. To Oliver, my son, all my lands in Sharnbrok, Milton, Risley, in Bedfordwhire; to Alexander, my son, my lands abour Bedford. And I constitute John St John, Sir William Gasken, Knt. and Oliver and Alexander St John, my sons, my executors; and my Lord Morley, my supervisor. Proved 23rd May 1525." Notes in the book: Grandfather of Oliver first Baron St John of Bletso, he was made a Knight of the Bath 17 Henry VII. [Lord Morley] His son-in-law, having married his eldest daughter Alice. Note that other records don't show this gent having either an Oliver or an Alexander for sons... And this may be the wrong Lord Morley, the first of whom married the daughter of this man's father, so was his uncle, a suitable dignity for a Supervisor to a will. Occupation - Kt Bt in 1497
From: GENI

John married verch Morgan, Sybil in 1475 in Bedfordshire, England. Sybil (daughter of ap Jenkin Philip, Morgan and Mathew, Joan Margred) was born in 1453 in Keysoe, Bedfordshire, England; died in 1529 in Cowbridge, Glamorgan, Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Baroness of Beauchamp
• FSID: L4Y3-N4Y
• Name: Sybil ap Jenkins ap Philip

Other Events and Attributes:

• Nickname: FitzUryan
• FSID: LDCW-1ZT

Notes:

From The Thomas Family:

Thomas ap Gruffyd, who is described as a man of a character very different from his turbulent father, and one of the most accomplished gentlemen of the age, with a mildness of disposition and elegance of manners rarely found in those cruel times of civil warfare. To avoid taking part in the contests of the rival houses of York and Lancaster he withdrew to the accomplished Court of Burgundy, then ruled over by Philip the Good, in whose service he enrolled himself. There he became famous for his boldness and skill in the tilt and tourney, and in single combat. After the death of his first wife, Elizabeth Griffith, his gallantry and gracious disposition are said to have won the affections of a near relative of the Duke, and Thomas, having probably offended by his presumption the Duke's heir, the Count of Charolois (afterward so well known as Charles the Bold) was compelled to return to Wales. There he had constant encounters with his neighbours, particularly Henry ap Gwilym of Court Henry in the Vale of Towey, between whose family and his there seems to have existed an ancient feud. His last duel took place some time toward the end of Henry the Sixth's reign, or the beginning of that of Edward the Fourth, when he fought with David Gough somewhere in Merionethshire and killed him. Having laid aside his armour and thrown himself upon the ground to rest after the combat, he was treacherously run through the body and killed by one of Cough's retainers. He was buried in the Abbey of Bardsey, Caernarvonshire.

He was m. to Elizabeth, dau. and heiress of Sir John Griffith of Abermarlais, and possibly1 to another Elizabeth, dau. of James de Burgoigne, natural son of Philip, Duke of Burgundy, or herself a natural dau. of the Duke; from her descended the great clan of Johnes of Abermarlais. Dolau Cothy, Llanbadarnfawr, and Hafod. It has given ten high sheriffs to Cardigan, Caermarthen, and Pembroke; numbered among its members Thomas Johnes, the translator of Froissart, and was represented by John Johnes, Esq., of Dolau Cothy, J. P. and D. L. for Caermarthen in 1872. By his first wife Thomas ap Gruffyd had issue:
L MORGAN, killed in the Civil Wars. .
ii. DAVID, killed in the Civil Wars.
Bi. A dau., m. GRIFFITH AP HOWELL, issue .
JAMES AP GRIFFITH (f. v.).

iv. MARGARET, m. SIR RICHARD HERBERT, of Coldbrook (a. v.).
v. RHYS or REES, his heir, of whom presently.
vi. Another dau., m. JOHN, 4th son of WILLIAM HERBERT, Earl of
Pembroke {a. v.).
rii. DAVID 2d.
viii. JOHN.
bt. Possibly a second MARGARET, m. JOHN HERLE, of Brecknock.
Thomas ap Gruffydd's two elder sons, Morgan and David, became, immediately on their father's decease, warm partizans, on opposite sides, of the houses of York and Lancaster. When Jasper, Earl of Pembroke, after the overthrow of Queen Margaret at Tewkesbury, retired to Pembroke, accompanied by his nephew, Henry, Earl of Richmond, Morgan ap Thomas invested the castle, in order to prevent their escaping out of the country. Upon this David ap Thomas hastily collected together about two thousand men, armed any way,
1 Reusnenes says: '"One such daughter married apud Britones."
fell on the besiegers by surprise, obliged them to retire, and gave the Earl and his young charge an opportunity to escape to Tenby, whence they immediately sailed to Brittany. This is nearly all that is recorded of these two brothers. But both are said to have lost their lives in the Wars of the Roses.

Thomas married Griffith, Mrs Elizabeth in 1445 in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Elizabeth (daughter of Griffith, John Francis and Tyrwhit, Catherine) was born in 1425 in Wichnor, Staffordshire, England; died in 1514 in Newton House, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, Wales; was buried in 1514 in Caernarvonshire, Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: L51W-46F
• Name: Elizabeth Gruffydd
• Birth: 1420, Tatenhill, Staffordshire, England

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: 93KC-VQ8

Notes:

John Saint John (b. 1426, d. 1488)
John Saint John (son of Oliver Saint John and Margaret Beachamp) was born 1426 in Bletsoe,,Bedfordshire,England, and died 1488 in Bletsoe,,Bedfordshire,England. He married Alice Brawshaw on 1455 in Bletsoe,,Bedfordshire,England, daughter of Thomas (Bradshaigh) Bradshaw and Alice Sherburne.
John Saint John and Alice Brawshaw:Marriage: 1455, bletsoe,,Bedfordshire,England.
-----

John married Bradshaw, Lady Alice on 2 Nov 1447 in Bletsoe, Bedfordshire, England. Alice was born in 1426 in Haigh, Lancashire, England; died in 1511 in Bletsoe, Bedfordshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Will: 5 Apr 1636, Llansteffan, Carmarthenshire, Wales

Notes:

Last name has been listed as Bradshaw, Bradshaigh, Bradshagh, Bradshaw, etc.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Christening: Wales
• Appointments / Titles: Esquire
• FSID: LH7D-GZ5
• Name: ap Jenkin ap Philip Morgan
• Name: George Morgan
• Name: Morgan
• Name: Morgan ®58 ®4 ap Jenkin
• Name: Morgan AP Jenkin
• Name: Morgan ap Jenkin
• Name: Morgan Ap Jenkin d
• Name: Morgan ap Jenkin Phillip
• Name: Morgan ap Jenkin Phillip
• Name: Morgan ap Jenkins
• Name: Morgan ap Jenkins ap Philip
• Name: Morgan ap Jenkyn
• Name: Morgan Ap Jenkyns
• Name: Morgan Jenkin
• Name: Morgan Phillip Jenkins
• Name: Morganyl ap Jenkins ap Philip
• Name: Rice ag Morgan ap fankyn ag Phillippi
• Birth: 1413, Langstone, Monmouthshire, Wales

Morgan married Mathew, Joan Margred in 1461. Joan (daughter of ap Rhys, Prince of wales Morgan and Herbert, Lady Gwendoline Wenillian) was born in 1440 in Llandaff, Glamorgan, Wales; was christened between 10 Jan 1454 and 9 Jan 1455 in Llandaff, Glamorgan, Wales; died in 1534 in Wales; was buried in 1534 in Radyr, Glamorgan, Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: KP7G-577
• Name: Jane ®8 Mathew
• Name: Jane Matthew
• Name: Joan Mathew
• Name: Joan Matthew
• Name: Margaret Mathew
• Name: Margred Ferch Dafydd Mathew
• Birth: Between 10 Jan 1417 and 9 Jan 1418, Radyr, Glamorgan, Wales
• Birth: Between 10 Jan 1422 and 9 Jan 1423
• Death: Between 11 Jan 1534 and 10 Jan 1535, Radyr, Glamorgan, Wales