Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Kingdom of Gwynedd, Wales; Queen
• FSID: LD3L-Q2N

Notes:

While the surviving sources are consistent regarding the parentage of Ethyll, they are contradictory regarding the identity of her husband. The mid-10th century Harleian Manuscript genealogy names the ancestors of Rhodri "Mawr/the Great": "…Rotri map Mermin map Etthil merch Cinnan…" The name of her husband, recorded in the 13th century History of Gruffydd ap Cynan which names "Rodri Mawr son of Mervyn Frych son of Gwryat…," is consistent with this version. [The Gwentian Chronicle provides a different version of events when it records that "[the] daughter [of Cynan Dindaethwy ap Rhodri [King of all Wales] who was his heir married a chieftain of the name of Mervyn the Freckled," a later passage adding that "Mervyn the Freckled and Essyllt his wife began to reign over Gwynedd and Powys" in 818.] It is impossible to judge which version is preferable. Indeed, it is possible that Ethyll was not an historical figure at all but was invented to legitimise the dynastic change in the eyes of successor generations of kings of Gwynedd and their supporters. She married either: GWRIAD a Manx chieftain, son of ---, or: MERFYN ap Gwriad "Frych/the Freckled" King of Gwynedd.

Esyllt Essylt Queen of Wales Heiress of Gwenedd ferch
Conan Cynan Dindaethwy ap Rhodri ap Idwal of Molwynog and Gwynedd
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Our royal, titled, noble and commoner ancestors

Eisyllt, Queen of Wales1
Last Edited 4 Apr 2020
F, #9964
Father Cynan, King of Gwynedd d. 816
Mother Matilda of Flint
Eisyllt, Queen of Wales married Gwiard, King of Manaw, son of Elydyr, Prince of Deheubarth. Eisyllt, Queen of Wales was born at of Gwynedd, Wales.
Family
Gwiard, King of Manaw
Children
Mervin Frych 'the Freckled', King of Gwynedd+ d. 844
Cadrod ap Gwriad+2 b. c 800
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Ethyllt ferch Cynan, also known as Ethil, was the daughter of King Cynan Dindaethwy ap Rhodri of Gwynedd.

Marriage
In 768 she was married to Gwriad ap Elidyr, although it is possible this was a later invention to legitimise the claims to Gwynedd of the descendants of Merfyn Frych. After the death of her father in 816, the throne was secured by her uncle Hywel ap Rhodri Molwynog.

Esyllt married ap Elidyr, King Gwriad ManawWales. Gwriad (son of ap Sandde, Elidir) was born in 700 in Flintshire, Wales; died in 800 in Flintshire, Wales; was buried in 800 in Flintshire, Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. ap Gwriad, King Merfyn Frych was born in 790 in Gwynedd, Wales; died in 843 in Wales; was buried in 843 in Wales.

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: LD3L-Q1S
• Appointments / Titles: Between 798 and 816, Gwynedd, Wales; King of Gywnedd

Notes:

From Dinaethwy and Molwynog

Cynan Dindaethwy was the son of King Rhodri Molwynog of Gwynedd and his wife, Princess Margaret of Ireland, presumably born in the cwmwd of Ynys Mon (Anglesey) which gave him his epithet. His father was probably quite elderly at the time of Cynan's birth, since it appears that the son was too young to take the throne in AD 754, when it was seized by Lord Caradog ap Meirion of Rhos. Perhaps, the people of Gwynedd thought Rhodri too old to father a child, for there were certainly rumours, recorded in the Red Book of Hergest, that Cynan was really the son of the Royal woodsman, Calydigan.

Cynan kept his head down during King Caradog's reign but, upon the latter's death in AD 798, he claimed his father's crown once more. Caradog's son, Hywel Farf-Fehinog, who had expected to inherit the kingdom was not best pleased. He may have been a child at this time for, though Civil War followed, it does not seem to have been very active until AD 813 when the two sides met in battle. Cynan was victorious but, the following year, Hywel was back. He drove poor Cynan from the shores of Ynys Mon (Anglesey) - probably to Ynys Manaw (Isle of Man) where his daughter was Queen - and proclaimed himself King. Cynan tried to retake his throne two years later, but was killed in battle.

Cynan married Mahallt (alias Matilda), daughter of the Lord of Flint, but seems to have had only one daughter, Essylt, wife of King Guriat of Ynys Manaw.
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Cynan Dindaethwy (English: "Cynan of Dindaethwy") or Cynan ap Rhodri ("Cynan son of Rhodri") was a king of Gwynedd (reigned c. 798-816) in Wales of the Early Middle Ages. Cynan was the son of Rhodri Molwynog and ascended to the throne of Gwynedd upon the death of King Caradog ap Meirion in 798. His epithet refers to the commote of Dindaethwy in the cantref Rhosyr. Unlike later kings of Gwynedd, usually resident at Aberffraw in western Anglesey, Cynan maintained his court at Llanfaes on the southeastern coast. Cynan's reign was marked by a destructive dynastic power struggle with a rival named Hywel, usually supposed to be his brother.

There is no historical record of Cynan's early years as king, but his reign ended in a combination of natural disasters and military reverses. In 810, there was a bovine plague that killed many cattle throughout Wales. The next year Deganwy, the ancient wooden court of Maelgwn Gwynedd, was struck by lightning.

A destructive war between Cynan and Hywel raged on Anglesey between 812 and 816, ultimately ending with Cynan's defeat and banishment. Cynan and Hywel are said to be brothers in historical works such as Lloyd's History of Wales, although Lloyd does not cite its source. The Annals of Wales mention the pair only by name, without any title, relation, or patronym. (In comparison, it takes care to point out the brotherly nature of Elisedd's slaughter of Gruffydd ap Cyngen in Powys around the same time.) The genealogies from Jesus College MS 20 deny Cynan and Hywel were brothers at all, instead making Hywel the son of Caradog ap Meirion and a distant cousin of Cynan Dindaethwy son of Rhodri Molwynog. The Harleian genealogies agree with this. Cynan died within a year of his exile according to the Annals of Wales and the Irish Annals.

After Cynan's death, there was a battle at his former court at Llanfaes on Anglesey noted by the chronicles, but the combatants are not identified.

Cynan's daughter Esyllt became the mother of Merfyn Frych ap Gwriad, the first King of Gwynedd (825-844) known not to have descended from the male line of Cunedda.

Cynan married of Flint, Matilda in 768 in Caernarvonshire, Wales. Matilda (daughter of of Flint, Earl and of Flint, Countess N.N.) was born in 739 in Caernarvonshire, Wales; died in 780 in Somme, Picardie, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: L72H-5MZ

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Kingdom of Gwynedd, Wales; King
• Appointments / Titles: King of the Bretons
• FSID: G8WY-X4X
• Military: 721, Cornwall, England; War

Notes:

Rhodri "the Bald & Grey" was the son of King Idwal Iwch of Gwynedd and his wife, Princess Angharad of Brittany. There is an old story that Rhodri invaded or conquered Dumnonia - possibly during his youth - but he was forced to return to North Wales by the Saxons. The year of his accession in Gwynedd is variously given as AD 712, 720, 722 or 730. The earliest date seems most likely. He married an Irish princess, Margaret ferch Duplory and had one son, Cynan Dindaethwy. He died in AD 754, when the throne was seized by Caradog ap Meirion.

Rhodri married verch Duptory, Princess of Wales and Ireland Margaret in 721 in Gwynedd, Wales. Margaret (daughter of ap Colman, King Dubh Torran and verch Wempel, Queen of Ireland Vanora) was born in 692 in Wales; died in 745 in Leinster, Ireland; was buried in 745 in Leinster, Ireland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Princess
• FSID: LHTJ-W8V

Notes:

Buried:
Duptory

Died:
Duptory

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: 9CZV-ZDB

Earl married of Flint, Countess N.N. in 781 in Flintshire, Wales. N.N. was born in 775 in Flintshire, Wales; died in DECEASED in Flintshire, Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: MHNM-LJX

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: G8WY-FLM

Idwal married verch Alain, Angharad. Angharad (daughter of de Bretagne, Alain) was born in 669 in France; died in DECEASED in Cornwall, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: G8WY-KX5

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Ireland; King
• FSID: 9SV6-XDP

Dubh married verch Wempel, Queen of Ireland Vanora in 692 in Dublin, Ireland. Vanora was born in 672 in Dublin, Ireland; died in 772 in Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; was buried in 772 in Dublin, Ireland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: KHYN-MTB