General Notes

Owain ap Cadwgan (d 1116) prince of Powys, was the son of Cadwgan ap Bleddyn ap Cynfyn. He spent a part of his childhood at the court of Muircheartach, king of Dublin and of Munster, whither he was sent for protection during the 'invasion of the two earls' (1098), but he no doubt returned to Wales when his father became lord of Ceredigion and part of Powys. In 1106 he murdered Meurig and Griffri, sons of Trahaiarn ap Caradog, a deed which early betrayed the violence of his disposition. In 1110 he committed an ourtrage which had serious consequences. Gerald of Windsor, the castellan of Pembroke, was building himself a home at Cenarth Bychan, and had already taken thither his wife Nest (daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr) and her children. Owain paid a visit to Nest, who was his second cousin, and, becoming violently enamoured of her, organised a night attacke upon the half-build fortress and carried her off. Cadwgan vainly endeavoured to ward off the vengeance certain to follow such a deed by inducing Owain to retore his captive. Other Welsh princes were sent into Cadwgan's territories by Henry I to avenge the wrongs of his officer, and father and son were forced to go into hiding. Owain sailed across to Ireland and sought refuge with his old protector, Muircheartach. Cadwgan was able in a little while to recover Ceredigion, but had to promise that he would have no dealings with his lawless son. Unfortunately he had no control over Owain's movements. Before the end of the year the fugitive had returned, and, finding the new prince of Powys, Madog ap Rhiryd, at odds with the Normans, entered into an alliance with him. Henry set another ruler over Powys in the person of Iorwerth ap Bleddyn, whereupon Owain and Madog established themselves as freebooters, using Iorwerth's territory as a retreat. It was in vain that Iorwerth appealed to them to have some regard for his reputation; they only quitted his territory when he gathered together a host against them. After devastating Meirionydd, Owain ventured once again into Ceredition, and soon began a course of border plunder at the expense of the men of Dyfed. The murder of a prominent Fleming, William of Brabant, by Owain and his men was reported to Henry as he was in conference with Cadwgan. convinced that nothing could be made of Owain, the king now deprived Cadwgan of Ceredigion, which was given to Gilbert de Clare. Owain thereupon made his escape once more to Ireland. But in 1112 Iorwerth of Powys was slain by Madog ap Rhiryd, the vacant lordship was given to Cadwgan, and Owain was forgiven. Madog, however, slew Cadwgan before Owain reappeared in Powys; he received a portion of the lordship from the crown authorities, but the greater part was given to Owain. In the following year Madog fell into the hands of Owain's captain of the gmacrds, Maredudd ap Bleddyn, and at Owain's command the captive was blinded and depried of his lands.

Henry I's expedition of 1114 was largely directed against Owain, who took refuge with Gruffydd ap Cynan; but the Welsh had not much difficulty in purchasing terms of peace, and when Henry crossed to Normandy in September, the prince of Powys was one of his retinue. He returned with the king the following July, having in the meantime been knighted. so completely was he now restored to favor that in 1116 Henry entrusted him to the task of subduing the rebellious Gruffydd ap Rhys, who was actively asserting his claim to the lordship of Deheubarth. Owain led a host into Ystrad Tywi, but, while ravaging with a small company near Carmarthen, was unexpectedly attacked by a Flemish army under Gerald of Windsor and killed. [Dictionary of National Biography XIV:1284-5]

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Owain ap Cadwgan (d 1116), prince of Powys. He has earned notoriety because of his abduction of Nest in 1109, and teh murder in 1110 of a leading member of the Flemish colony in Dyfed, incidents which gained him the lasting enmity of those injured thereby; indeed he d at the nads of a part of Flemings led by Nest's husband, Gerald of Windsor, when, in 1116, he was campaigning on behalf of the king against a fellow-prince in South Wales. Meanwhile, after two short periods of exile in Ireland, he had succeeded his father, Cadwgan ap Bleddyn, as king in Powys (1111). After the royal expedition into Wales in 1114, Henry I, who had always shown considerable patience with Owain, took the precaution of taking him to Normandy where he was knighted in 1115. He left no direct descendants. [Dictionary of Welsh Biography p689]

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From: "D. Spencer Hines" <D._Spencer_Hines_TD@@aya.yale.edu>
Newsgroups: soc.genealogy.medieval,soc.history.medieval
Subject: Re: The Bastards of King Henry I
NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2001 15:47:42 EDT


There are several versions of one intriguing story about the Welsh beauty Nest ---- 26th Great-Grandmother Nest ---- some may well say.

The first version is that at Christmas of 1108, Owain, son of Cadwgan ap Bleddyn [Owain ap Cadwgan of Cardigan] came to visit Gerald of Windsor and his wife Nest. Owain supposedly so lusted after her that he attacked the castle that very same night, carried her off and had his way with her.

In a Version 1A of that story, Nest is herself a willing abductee. All in all, probably a better story.

In the second version, the castle is identified ---- the castle of Cenarth Bychan ---- and Owain and 15 companions in debauched lechery break in, set fire to several buildings and during the resulting chaos seize Nest and her children.

In Version 2A of that story ---- which obviously overlaps with 1 and 1A ---- Nest is, once again, a willing partner to the escapade.

No known illegitimates seem to have resulted from this adventure in 12th Century Mistress-Snatching.

But, be that as it may, Nest was some babe ---- and if she is indeed my 26th Great-Grandmother [and that of millions of other folks] I'd certainly liked to have dinner and a nice chat with her ---- take her to Waikiki and Kamaci for a scenic trip ---- that sort of thing.

In any case, Henry I 'Beauclerc' seems to have been so angered by this treatment of his castellan at Pembroke and his wife ---- as well as Henry's maîtresse du jour ---- that he reportedly saw it as a direct challenge to his kingly power and arranged for the invasion of
Ceredigion, as an act of revenge against Owain ap Cadwgan and his family.

Deus Vult.

Fortem Posce Animum.
----

D. Spencer Hines

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Ancestry - Isiaha Lee
Ancestry - Larry Overmire
http://experts.about.com/e/1/li/List_of_rulers_of_Wales.htm
wikipedia.org (Owain ap Cadwgan)
Ancestry - TC Renehan