ap Merfyn, King Rhodri Mawr

Male 820 - 878  (58 years)


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Generation: 1

  1. 1.  ap Merfyn, King Rhodri Mawr was born in 820 in Caer Seiont, Carnarvon, Caernarvonshire, Wales (son of ap Gwriad, King Merfyn Frych and verch Cadell, Queen Nest); died in 878 in Anglesey, Wales; was buried in 878 in Isle of Anglesey, Wales.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • FSID: LDQ1-TMR
    • Military: 843; The Gwentian Chronicle records that "Rhodri the Great opposed [Berthwrd king of Mercia]…with the assistance of Meuryg son of Hywel king of Glamorgan" in 843, adding that Meuryg was killed in the battle and was succeeded by "Ithel son of Hywel" who was killed by "the men of Brecknockshire" on his way to assist Rhodri.
    • Appointments / Titles: Between 844 and 878; King of Gwynedd (succeeded his father, Merfyn Frych)
    • Appointments / Titles: 844; Prince of Wales
    • Military: 856; Won a notable victory against the Danish and killed their leader Gorm.
    • Appointments / Titles: 856; King of Powys (succeeded his maternal uncle Cyngen ap Cadell)
    • Appointments / Titles: 871; King of Seisyllwg
    • Military: 872; Vvictories by Rhodri: the first at a place given as Bannoleu, where he defeated the Vikings
    • Appointments / Titles: 877; King of the Britons

    Notes:

    877 AD; The Annals of Ulster record that "Rhodri, son of Merfyn, King of the Britons, came in flight from the dark foreigners to Ireland."

    According to legend, the first Dinefwr Castle was build by Rhodri Mawr

    "Roderick the Great" "Mawr the Great"

    Rhodri ap Merfyn (c. 820–878), later known as Rhodri the Great (Welsh: Rhodri Mawr), succeeded his father, Merfyn Frych, as King of Gwynedd in 844. Rhodri annexed Powys c. 856 and Seisyllwg c. 871. He is called "King of the Britons" by the Annals of Ulster. In some later histories, he is referred to as "King of Wales", although the title is anachronistic and his realm did not include southern Wales.

    Lineage and inheritance

    Rhodri was the son of Merfyn Frych, who had claimed Gwynedd upon the extinction of Cunedda's male line. Rhodri then inherited the realm after his father's death around 844. Merfyn hailed from "Manaw" which may either refer to the Isle of Man or Manau, the ancestral homeland of all Gwynedd's kings since Cunedda.

    According to later genealogies, his mother or grandmother was Nest ferch Cadell of the ruling dynasty in Powys. Although surviving texts of Welsh law expressly forbid inheritance along the maternal line, Nest and Rhodri's supposed inheritance was later used to justify Gwynedd's annexation of Powys after the c. 855 death of Cyngen ap Cadell in preference to Cyngen's other heirs.

    Similarly, Rhodri's marriage to Angharad ferch Meurig was used to explain his supposed inheritance of her brother Gwgon's kingdom of Ceredigion after that king's death in 872[a] via a principle of jure uxoris that does not survive in our sources for Welsh law.

    Reign
    Now the master of much of modern Wales, Rhodri faced pressure both from the English and, increasingly, from Vikings, called the "black gentiles"[b] in the Welsh sources. The Danish are recorded ravaging Anglesey in 854. In 856, Rhodri won a notable victory and killed their leader Gorm.

    The Chronicle of the Princes records two victories by Rhodri in 872: the first at a place given variously as Bangolau,[1] Bann Guolou,[2] or Bannoleu,[3] where he defeated the Vikings on Anglesey "in a hard battle"[1] and the second at Manegid[1] or Enegyd[4] where the Vikings "were destroyed".

    The Chronicle of the Princes records his death occurring at the Battle of Sunday on Anglesey in 873;[1] the Annals of Wales record the two events in different years[2][3] and Phillimore's reconstruction of its dates places Rhodri's death in 877.[2] According to the Chronicle, Rhodri and his brother Gwriad were killed during a Saxon invasion (which probably would have been under Ceolwulf of Mercia, given that the Wessex forces under Alfred the Great were fighting Vikings in East Anglia at the time). The Annals record no great details of the death, but where the B text calls Gwriad Rhodri's brother,[3] the A text has him as Rhodri's son instead.[2] It is likely he was killed in battle given that all the sources call his son Anarawd's victory over the Mercians at the Battle of the Conwy a few years later "God's vengeance for Rhodri".

    Succession
    Rhodri died leaving at least four sons to share his land among themselves. The traditional account is that his eldest, Anarawd, became king of Gwynedd and the head of the subsequent House of Aberffraw which produced Gruffudd ap Cynan and Llywelyn the Great. Another, Cadell, was given Ceredigion and killed his brother Merfyn to claim Powys as well. Cadell's family was later known as the House of Dinefwr, after its base of operations was moved by Hywel the Good to Dyfed following another (supposed) inheritance via his marriage to Elen ferch Llywarch. Hywel's wide domain, later known as Deheubarth, briefly eclipsed Gwynedd under his immediate heirs before fracturing.

    A fourth son, possibly too young to have been considered for the first division of Rhodri's lands, took part in Anarawd's 881 revenge against Mercia and, wounded there, became known to history as Tudwal the Lame, a condition disqualifying him from rule under Cyfraith Hywel, Welsh customary law.

    Children
    Anarawd ap Rhodri (died 913)[5]

    Cadell ap Rhodri (854–907)[5]

    Gwriad ap Rhodri: He had a son named Gwgawn who was killed in 955.[5]

    Tudwal ap Rhodri (born 860)

    Rhodri married verch Meurig, Queen Angharad in 840 in Gwynedd, Wales. Angharad (daughter of ap Dyfnwallon, Lord Meurig and N.N., Lady N.N.) was born in 825 in Wales; died in 900 in Wales; was buried in 900 in Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. ap Rhodri Mawr, King Merfyn was born in 859 in Caer Seiont, Carnarvon, Caernarvonshire, Wales; died in 900 in Montgomery, Montgomeryshire, Wales.

Generation: 2

  1. 2.  ap Gwriad, King Merfyn Frych was born in 790 in Gwynedd, Wales (son of ap Elidyr, King Gwriad Manaw and verch Cynan, Esyllt); died in 843 in Wales; was buried in 843 in Wales.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • Appointments / Titles: 1st King of Isle of Man
    • Appointments / Titles: Kingdom of Gwynedd, Wales; King
    • FSID: L172-TT3
    • Appointments / Titles: Between 825 and 844, Kingdom of Gwynedd, Wales; King of Gwynedd

    Notes:

    Merfyn Frych seized control of Gwynedd in 825 on the death of Hywel ap Rhodri Molwynog, though he may have held power in Anglesey since 818. Merfyn was not a member of the traditional dynasty of Gwynedd, the direct male line of Maelgwn Gwynedd, and his succession marked the start of a new dynasty. His claim was apparently based on the fact that his mother, Esyllt, was the daughter of Cynan Dindaethwy ap Rhodri and the niece of Hywel ap Rhodri. According to bardic tradition, Merfyn came "from the land of Manaw", but it is uncertain whether this refers to the Isle of Man ("Ynys Manaw" in Welsh) or to Manaw Gododdin, the area around the Firth of Forth. It would seem likely that it was the latter on account of the probability he would be a blood relative of Cunedda, the founder of the Gwynedd dynasty, who was a prince of Manaw Gododdin. On the other hand there is an inscription "Crux Guriat" on a cross in the Isle of Man. This cross has been dated to the eighth or ninth century and might possibly refer to Merfyn's father.

    Merfyn allied himself to the royal house of Powys by marrying Nest, daughter of Cadell ap Brochwel and sister of Cyngen king of Powys. [Actually, according to The History of The Princes, The Lords Marcher, and the Ancient Nobility of Powys Fadog, Nest verch Cadell is Merfyn's mother, not his wife.] He had a reputation as a patron of scholars; for example the Historia Britonum attributed to Nennius is thought to have been written in Gwynedd during his reign, possibly by request of Merfyn himself. A manuscript found at Bamberg gives a further insight into Merfyn's scholarly interests. Irish visitors to his court were given a cryptogram which could only be solved by transposing the letters from Latin into Greek.

    Despite Danish raids, Merfyn was able to maintain his position and on his death in 844 to hand the Kingdom over intact to his son Rhodri the Great. He is said to have died in battle, but the circumstances are not recorded. His descendants came to rule not only Gwynedd but also Powys and Deheubarth and played a major role in Welsh politics until the end of Welsh independence in 1283.

    Powys was united with Gwynedd when king Merfyn Frych of Gwynedd married princess Nest, the sister of king Cyngen of Powys, [Actually, according to The History of The Princes, The Lords Marcher, and the Ancient Nobility of Powys Fadog, Nest verch Cadell is Merfyn's mother, not his wife.] the last representative of the Gwertherion dynasty. With the death of Cyngen in 855 Rhodri became king of Powys, having inherited Gwynedd the year before. This formed the basis of Gwynedd's continued claims of overlordship over Powys for the next 443 years.

    Merfyn married verch Cadell, Queen Nest. Nest (daughter of ap Brochfael, King Cadell and N.N., N.N.) was born in 770 in Montgomery, Montgomeryshire, Wales; was christened in 770; died in 825 in Anglesey, Wales; was buried in 825 in Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]


  2. 3.  verch Cadell, Queen Nest was born in 770 in Montgomery, Montgomeryshire, Wales; was christened in 770 (daughter of ap Brochfael, King Cadell and N.N., N.N.); died in 825 in Anglesey, Wales; was buried in 825 in Wales.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • FSID: LDQ1-T9Y

    Notes:

    Nest ferch Cadell was the daughter of Cadell ap Brochfael, an 8th-century King of Powys, the wife of Merfyn Frych, King of Gwynedd.

    On the death of her brother Cyngen ap Cadell in 855, authority over the Kingdom of Powys was claimed by Rhodri the Great, who had previously inherited the Kingdom of Gwynedd on the death of his father in 844. Rhodri thus united the Kingdoms of Powys and Gwynedd. Traditionally, Nest was claimed to be Rhodri's mother, hence his claim to Powys would have been matrilineal.

    However, it is unclear why the inheritance of Powys would have passed through Nest to her son, and not to one of the sons of Cyngen: Elisedd ap Cyngen, Ieuaf ap Cyngen, Aeddan ap Cyngen, and Gruffudd ap Cyngen. The texts of Welsh laws which survive to us were written down no earlier than the 12th century, but they provide no evidence that women were capable of transmitting legal title of kingship or lordship.

    Equally, although Rhodri's pedigree in a manuscript in Jesus College Oxford[1] states Nest as his mother, another pedigree in a fourteenth-century manuscript[2] in the National Library of Wales records his mother as Essyllt ferch Cynan. There are no strong grounds to accept either manuscript as reliable, but it is reasonable to believe that the royal house of Gwynedd promoted the view that the Kingdom of Powys had passed to Rhodri the Great through his mother in order to legitimise their control over it.[3] Either way, this possible genealogical manipulation became part of the accepted story of the unification of the two kingdoms.

    Most now take Nest ferch Cadell to be the Nest who was married to Gwerstan son of Gwaithfoed, whose Grandson Bleddyn founded Powys' ruling House of Mathrafal. Rhodri's mother is instead taken to be Essylt daughter of Cynan Dindaethwy, last King of the House of Cunedda; it follows that Essylt was not Merfyn's mother, but his wife. Consequently those taking this view conclude that Nest's alleged marriage to Merfyn (or Rhodri) was merely a rumour spread and recorded by supporters of Gwynedd to demean the Kings of Powys, and to claim lordship over them. The House of Gwynedd's Kingship is recorded being passed jure uxoris through Essylt to her husband Merfyn, and thence distaff (ie. by the female line) to their son Rhodri on Merfyn's death, the same going for Rhodri's wife Angharad, the daughter of Meurig King of Seisyllwg when her brother Gwgon drowned without an heir, allowing Rhodri to rule Seisyllwg jure uxoris, and his son Cadell to inherit it matrilinearly.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nest_ferch_Cadell

    Children:
    1. 1. ap Merfyn, King Rhodri Mawr was born in 820 in Caer Seiont, Carnarvon, Caernarvonshire, Wales; died in 878 in Anglesey, Wales; was buried in 878 in Isle of Anglesey, Wales.


Generation: 3

  1. 4.  ap Elidyr, King Gwriad Manaw was born in 700 in Flintshire, Wales (son of ap Sandde, Elidir); died in 800 in Flintshire, Wales; was buried in 800 in Flintshire, Wales.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • Appointments / Titles: King of Gwynedd
    • FSID: LD3L-QC6

    Notes:

    Gwriad ap Elidyr
    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Gwriad ap Elidyr (English: Gwriad son of Elidyr) or Gwriad Manaw was a late-8th century figure in Great Britain. Very little is known of him, and he chiefly appears in the historical record in connection to his son Merfyn Frych, King of Gwynedd from around 825 to 844 and founder of the Merfynion dynasty.

    Background

    Almost nothing is known about Gwriad's background. He married Esyllt ferch Cynan, daughter of Cynan Dindaethwy, King of Gwynedd.

    Their son Merfyn Frych later became the first king of Gwynedd known not to have come from the dynasty of its founder Cunedda. Merfyn evidently claimed the throne through his mother rather than through Gwriad, and bolstered this atypical matrilineal claim through his own power and reputation.[1] [2]

    According to the genealogies from Jesus College MS 20, Gwriad was the son of a certain Elidyr and was a descendant of Llywarch Hen and Coel Hen, rulers from the Hen Ogledd or "Old North", the Brittonic-speaking parts of what is now southern Scotland and northern England.[2][3 ]

    The bardic poetry indicates that Merfyn was "from the land of Manaw", a Brittonic place name applied to several districts, including Manaw Gododdin, the area around the Firth of Forth. This locale in the Hen Ogledd would be consistent with Gwriad's descent from Llywarch's northern lineage.[4] An origin in Manaw Gododdin was supported by scholars such as William Forbes Skene and John Edward Lloyd.[5]

    Other scholars connect Gwriad to the Isle of Man, known in Welsh as Ynis Manaw rather than Manaw Gododdin, especially following the 1896 discovery of an 8th- or 9th-century cross on man inscribed Crux Guriat ("Cross of Gwriad").[5][ 6] Lloyd wrote that this discovery "undoubtedly strengthens the case" for a Manx origin.[5]

    John Rhys suggested that Gwriad may have taken refuge on the Isle of Man during the bloody dynastic struggle in Gwynedd between Cynan Dindaethwy and Hywel prior to Merfyn's accession to the throne.[7] Still other locations for "Manaw" have been suggested, including Ireland, Galloway and Powys.[1]

    Rhys further noted that the Welsh Triads mention a "Gwryat son of Gwryan in the North", counted among the "Three Kings who were the Sons of Strangers", which he suggests is a reference to the father of Merfyn.[7][8] However, this conflicts with the Jesus College MS 20 pedigree, in which Gwriad's father is Elidyr. James E. Fraser suggests that the Gwriad of the Triad is instead to be identified with the King Guret of Alt Clut recorded by the Annals of Ulster as dying in 658.[9]
    ****************************

    Our royal, titled, noble and commoner ancestors

    Gwiard, King of Manaw1
    Last Edited 4 Apr 2020
    M, #9963
    Father Elydyr, Prince of Deheubarth
    Gwiard, King of Manaw married Eisyllt, Queen of Wales, daughter of Cynan, King of Gwynedd and Matilda of Flint.
    Family
    Eisyllt, Queen of Wales
    Children
    Mervin Frych 'the Freckled', King of Gwynedd+ d. 844
    Cadrod ap Gwriad+2 b. c 800

    Gwriad married verch Cynan, EsylltWales. Esyllt (daughter of ap Rhodri, King Cynan and of Flint, Matilda) was born in 711 in Caernarvonshire, Wales; died in 811 in Anglesey, Wales; was buried in 811 in Anglesey, Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]


  2. 5.  verch Cynan, Esyllt was born in 711 in Caernarvonshire, Wales (daughter of ap Rhodri, King Cynan and of Flint, Matilda); died in 811 in Anglesey, Wales; was buried in 811 in Anglesey, Wales.

    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
    ****************************
    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
    -------------------

    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.

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

  3. 6.  ap Brochfael, King Cadell was born in 730 in Deheubarth, Wales (son of ap Elisedd, King Brochwel Ysgythrog and verch Pabo, Queen Arddyn Benasgel); died in 808 in Deheubarth, Wales.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • Appointments / Titles: King of Ceredigion
    • Appointments / Titles: King of Powys
    • FSID: LD3L-7ZN

    Notes:

    BIO: from http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/WALES.htm#TewdrMawrA
    CADELL ap Brochwell (-[804/08]). The Gwentian Chronicle names "Cadell of Derrnllwg, son of Brochwel Ysgithrog" when recording his daughter´s marriage[591]. King of Powys. The Chronicle of the Princes of Wales records the death in 808 of "Cadell king of Powys"[592]. The Gwentian Chronicle records that "Arthen king of the Ceredigiawn, Rhydderch king of Dyved, and Cadell king of Teyrnllwg now called Powys" died in 804[593]. m ---. The name of Cadell´s wife is not known. Cadell & his wife had two children...

    ** from British Kings and Queens (Mike Ashley) p 155
    Cadell ap Brochfael Powys, ? - 808.
    Ruler of Powys during the oppressive reign of the Mercian Cenwulf. Cadell died before Cenwulf's main drive into Wales, and he may have benefitted from the comparative peace that followed the construction of Offa's Dyke. However, in the last year of Offa's reign, the Mercian penetrated into Rhuddlan, and this was a signal of the fragile relationship that would exist between Welch and Mercians for the next thirty years.

    Cadell ap Brochfael (English: Cadell, son of Brochfael; died c. 808), also known as Cadell Powys, was an 8th- and 9th-century king of Powys.

    He was the son of Brochfael ap Elisedd, whom he succeeded to the throne c. 773.

    The Annals of Wales mention his death, and Phillimore's reconstruction dates the entry to AD 808. His name also was inscribed (as "Cattell") in the Pillar of Eliseg.

    Children:
    1.) Nest ferch Cadell, b. Abt 770, of Powys gwlad, Wales, d. 842 (Age ~ 72 years)

    2.) Cyngen ap Cadell, Brenin of Teyrnllwg, b. Abt 770, of Powys gwlad, Wales (Age ~ 85 years)

    Cadell married N.N., N.N.. N.N. was born in 750 in Wales; died in 771 in Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]


  4. 7.  N.N., N.N. was born in 750 in Wales; died in 771 in Wales.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • FSID: L13Z-GRD

    Children:
    1. 3. verch Cadell, Queen Nest was born in 770 in Montgomery, Montgomeryshire, Wales; was christened in 770; died in 825 in Anglesey, Wales; was buried in 825 in Wales.


Generation: 4

  1. 8.  ap Sandde, Elidir was born in 687 in Deheubarth, Wales; was christened in Isle of Man, Dumfries-shire, Scotland (son of ap Alcwn, King Sandde and verch Tudwal, Queen Celemion); died in 790 in Isle of Man, Dumfries-shire, Scotland; was buried in 790 in Isle of Man, Dumfries-shire, Scotland.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • Appointments / Titles: Isle of Man, Dumfries-shire, Scotland; King
    • Appointments / Titles: Prince of Deheubarth
    • FSID: LJR8-YWQ

    Notes:

    Elydry Or Elidir AP Sandde (King of Isle Of Man)

    Children:
    1. 4. ap Elidyr, King Gwriad Manaw was born in 700 in Flintshire, Wales; died in 800 in Flintshire, Wales; was buried in 800 in Flintshire, Wales.

  2. 10.  ap Rhodri, King Cynan was born in 745 in Caer Seiont, Carnarvon, Caernarvonshire, Wales (son of ap Idwal, Rhodri and verch Duptory, Princess of Wales and Ireland Margaret); died in 817 in Caernarfon, Caernarvonshire, Wales; was buried in Dec 817 in Caernarvonshire, 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.
    ------------------------

    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]


  3. 11.  of Flint, Matilda was born in 739 in Caernarvonshire, Wales (daughter of of Flint, Earl and of Flint, Countess N.N.); died in 780 in Somme, Picardie, France.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • FSID: L72H-5MZ

    Children:
    1. 5. verch Cynan, Esyllt was born in 711 in Caernarvonshire, Wales; died in 811 in Anglesey, Wales; was buried in 811 in Anglesey, Wales.

  4. 12.  ap Elisedd, King Brochwel Ysgythrog was born in 692 in Wales (son of ap Gwylog, King Elisedd); died in 773 in Wales.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • FSID: LD3L-7RM

    Notes:

    BIO: from British Kings and Queens (Mike Ashley) p 155
    Broachfael ap Elisedd Powys, fl 760s
    The son of Elisedd, little is known of his reign, except hat it would have paralled that of Mercia's greatest king, Offa. Whatever lands Elisedd had gained in the first half of the century, Brochfael probably lost in the second half. Offa undertook many raids into Wales during his reign, some as far west as Dyfed, and Powys was little more than a doorstep to his mighty army. Although the dates of Brochfael's reign are not known, it is possible he reigned for a considerable period. It was during his reign that Offa's Dyke was constructed, a remarkable feat of engineering which must have taken many men many years. It is a sign of Offa's power that it could be achieved at all, and it is probable that it was the men of Powys and of Glywysing who were pressed into service to complete the work. It served as much as a line of demarkation as a defence, and as such shows that Offfa effectively agreed a border between the Welsh and the English would help sustain peace. Brochfael would therefore have benefitted from the Dyke in the short term, though in the long term it spelled the end for Powys. Brochfael was succeeded by his son Cadell.

    Gender:Male
    Birth:circa 715
    Ysgithrog,Brenin,Powys, Wales
    Death:773 (54-62)
    Wales
    Immediate Family:
    Son of Elisedd Ap ap Gwylog
    Husband of N.N. Pabo
    Father of Cadell, King of Powys and Cyngen ap Brochwel
    Brother of St. Enghenedl ab Elisedd and Cyngen ab Elisedd
    Added by:Jon Brees Thogmartin FTDNA Mcclendon on January 2, 2008
    Managed by:Ofir Friedman and 44 others
    Curated by:Erin Spiceland

    MyHeritage Family Trees
    Ellingson Web Site, managed by John Ellingson
    Birth: Circa 715 - Place
    Death: 773 - Place
    Parents: Names of both parents
    Siblings: Enghenedd Verch Elisedd and name of one more sister
    Wife: Name of wife
    Children: Cadell Ap Brochwel and name of one more son

    Brochwel married verch Pabo, Queen Arddyn Benasgel. Arddyn was born in 710 in Powys, Wales; died in 746 in Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]


  5. 13.  verch Pabo, Queen Arddyn Benasgel was born in 710 in Powys, Wales; died in 746 in Wales.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • Appointments / Titles: Saint
    • FSID: LWFG-LYH

    Notes:

    Arddyn de Penniines and also known as The Wing Headed

    Children:
    1. 6. ap Brochfael, King Cadell was born in 730 in Deheubarth, Wales; died in 808 in Deheubarth, Wales.