General Notes

[Direct Linage1.FTW]

Gruffudd was the son of Cynan ap Iago, one of the claimants to the seat of Aberffraw. Gruffudd, however, also was of Hiberno-Norse origin, his mother being Ragnailt, daughter of Olaf, king of Dublin. This connection was to be very important to gruffudd during his career. Additionally, Cynan was forced into exile, and was thereby raised in the house of his mother in Ireland.

In 1075, Gruffudd raised an army in Ireland, made up mostly of Hiberno-Norse, and captured Anglelsey and Arfon, the cantref lying across from the Menai Straits. the Historia records the following:

"And when all those things had been done, urged by them he took a large host towards the cantref of merionnydd, where Trahearn his other oppressor was opposing him. And there was a battle between them in a narrow glen, the place called Gwaed Erw, or the Bloody Field, because of the battle which took place there. God gave victory over his enemies that day and many thousands fell on Trahearn's side; and hardly did he escape mournfully, and a few with him, from the battle. Gruffudd and his retinue
pursued him over the plains and mountains as far as the borders of his own land. Because of that Gruffudd was exalted from that day forth, and deservedly acclaimed king of Gwynedd."

Gruffudd then made the mistake of over-extending himself. First, he marched to Rhuddlan castle, where he managed to win a victory over the Norman garrison. However, he was not done with the dynastic struggles. The three sons of Merwydd and the men of Llyn united against Gruffudd. In the meantime, Powys, under Gwrgenau, son of Seisyll, united with the men of Lynn and also opposed Gruffudd. In the ensuing battle of Bron-yr-erw, Gruffudd was defeated and forced back into exile.

Gruffudd returned for a second time from ireland, once again leading a force of Hiberno-Norse. This time he made an alliance with Rhys ap Tewdwr and was successful at the already mentioned battle of Mynydd Carn. However, the following occurred:

"And as he (Gruffudd) was thus enjoying the use of his kingdom, Meirion Goch, his own baron, was stirred by the devil's arrow, accused him before Hugh, earl of Chester, and betrayed in this way. He arranged for the two earls from France, namely the Hugh mentioned above and Hugh earl of Shrewsbury, the son of Roger Montgomery, should come, along with a multitude of footsoldiers, as far as Y Rug in Edeirnion. The traitor then betrayed him with these words: 'Lord,' said he, 'two earls from the border greet thee and beseech thee to come safely with thy foreigners to talk to them as far as Y Rug in Edeirnion.' Gruffudd, beleiving these words, came as far as the place of his tenancy. And when the earls saw him, they captured both him and his retinue, and put him in the gaol of Chester, the worst of prisons for twelve years. His foreigners (the Hiberno-Norse), after they had been caught, had the thumb of the right hand of each of them cut off, and in that condition, let them go."

While Gruffudd languished in Hugh's jail, the two powerful Marcher lords made advances in Gwynedd, building castle along the way and consolidating their gains. Gruffudd then escaped and fled to Ireland once more.

In 1094, Gruffudd made one more foray into Gwynedd. This time he had timed his attacks with the general revolts which were occurring in all parts of Wales. Gruffudd first regained Anglesey and then mbegan to attack the mainland and reestablish his hold over Gwynedd.

In 1098, the two Hugh's once more joined forces for an expedition into Gwynedd. They led a very powerful army of Normans across the northern coast of Wales, defeating any who dared to oppose them. Gruffudd, along with his son-in-law, gadwgan ap Bleddyn were forced to flee first to Anglesey, and then back to ireland in the face of the Norman incursion. Then, one of those most singular events occurred which changed the course of Welsh history.

Magnus Barelegs, King of Norway, had been in the Irish Sea with the intent of establishing his son as the king of the Isle of Man, as well as affirming his sovereignity over the Lord of the Isles. Magnus wandered to the Anglesy coast, where the following took place:

"However, the fleet which they had suddenly seen was owned by the king of Norway, whom God in his mercy had directed to Anglesey, in order to free the people beseiged by the foreignors; for they
had called on their Lord in their suffering and grief, and God listened to them. After the king had been told through an interpreter what island it was, and who was master, what ravaging had been done, what pursuing, who were the pursuers, he shared their grief, and became angry, and approached the land with three ships. The French, however, fearful like women, when they saw that, fought with their corselets on, and sat on their horses as was their wont, and advanced towards the king and the force of three ships. The king and his force fearlessly fought against them, and the French fell down from upon their horses like fruit from fig trees, some dead, some wounded by the missiles of the men of Norway. And the king
himself, unruffled from the prow of the ship, hit with an arrow Hugh, earl of Shrewsbury in his eye, and he fell humped back to the ground mortally wounded from his armed horse, beating upon his arms. And from
that incident the French turned in flight, and presented their backs to the arrows of the men of Norway."

After this event, the Normans retreated back to their castles and Gruffudd returned. Magnus would show up on the coast of Anglesey a few years later, but only to cut down some trees for his son's castle on Man. In the years that followed, Gruffudd returned to Gwynedd, this time securing part of his hold on the kingdom, and then made a pact with Hugh, earl of Chester. Gruffudd did this, knowing he really could not defeat the Norman establishment yet, and needed some time to secure his power base.

Hugh, Earl of Chester died in 1101, leaving his earldom in a minority holding of his son. Combined with the death of Hugh of Chester in 1098, and the forfeiture of Robert of Shrewsburyand his brother Arnulf of
Pembroke, transformed the nature of the Norman conquest. With these four men out of the way, the imetus of the Norman advance was blunted, and in a surprising turn of events, they were eventually thrown back in the north, losing Caernarfon, Bangor, Degwanny, Rhuddlan and Basingwerk.

This brings us to the reign of Henry I, one of the most powerful kings in English history. Henry continued to secure the hold of the Normans in south Wales, establishing yet another colony of Flemmings in
Haverfordwest, and bringing in more English. Henry, however, was not happy with the gains which Gruffudd ap Cynan had been making in Gwynedd, and launched an expedition against Gruffudd in 1114., where Gruffudd and Mereduth ap bleddyn of Powys made their submissions. Gruffudd's heroism in these years was that he simply survived. Gruffudd died in 1137, having secured the existance of Gwynedd, though with the submssion to Henry I, but set the stage for his son, Owain Gwynedd.

Name Suffix:<NSFX> Prince of North Wales
REFN: HWS8074
Ancestral File Number:<AFN> FJGV-2W
OBJE: C:\LEGACY\PICTURES\C_PrinceSaintEmpire.GIF
OBJE: C:\Legacy\Pictures\C_RoiAngleterre.GIF