Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: 99MN-QL9

Family/Spouse: ap Thomas, Lord Rhys. Rhys (son of ap Gruffydd, Thomas and Griffith, Mrs Elizabeth) was born in 1449 in Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, Wales; died in 1525 in Carmarthen Priory (destroyed), Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, Wales; was buried in Jul 1527 in St Peter Churchyard, Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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
This page was last edited on 30 November 2016, at 19:12.
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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:

• 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,
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and Anonymous: 1

File:COA_Sir_Rhys_ap_Thomas.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/COA_Sir_Rhys_ap_Thomas.
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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]