General Notes

REFN: IND12153
23. CADWGAN (son of No. 22). He married a daughter of Robert of Sai, aNorman Baron (Lord of Clun) and his wife, Adeloya. Robert was variouslycalled Robert de Sai, which was his correct name, Ficot de Saium andPicot de Say. His estate was situated in the valley of the Clun river insouth-western Shropshire and it was very extensive, including nearly allof Rinlau Hundred and a large part of Rinteurde Hundred. Cadwgan hadseven sons, but only the fifth, Henry, and the sixth, Gruffyd, were byhis wife, the daughter of Lord Robert de Sai. Each of the others was by adifferent mother and probably illegitimate according to modern standards.After the death of Bleddyn his sons, Madog, Cadwgan and Rhiryd ruled overPowys. In 1098 they attacked Rhys ap Tewdwr, ruler of Deheubarth, anddrove him into exile. He collected a fleet, returned and gave battle tothem in which Madog and Rhiryd were slain. Cadwgan then became sole rulerof Powys. In 1094 he rallied the Welsh chieftains and attempted to throwoff the Norman yoke. The Brut Tywysogion states that they "placed theirhope in God, the creator of all things, by fasting and praying and givingalms and undergoing severe bodily penances." He was very successful andby 1098 had recovered nearly all the territory that had belonged to theCymri before the Conquest. In that year the tide turned. Cadwgan and hisallies were defeated and he fled to Ireland. He returned in 1099, madepeace with the Normans and received Ceredigion and a part of Powys. He issaid to have been amiable, but he lacked the stronger elements ofcharacter which the situation required. On account of the misdeeds of hiseldest son Owain he was called before King Henry, dispossessed of hislands and placed on a daily pension of twenty-four pence on conditionthat he should not set foot on his native soil. He soon came to termswith the king "and was allowed to settle in the border vill which he hadreceived as the dowry of his Norman wife." (Lloyd.) This was doubtless inthe valley of the Clun in Shropshire where the lands of Lord Robert deSai were located and near the Welsh border. King Henry restored to himthe Kingdom of Powys in 1111, but his reign was brief, for in that yearhe was slain at Welshpool by his nephew, Madog ap Rhizyd. The "bordervill" or village, mentioned above, where Cadwgan settled, must have beenlocated quite near if not entirely within the English limits of Offa'sDike. This would be a very uncomfortable location for a Welsh family atthat time. Perhaps his Norman wife saved the family from trouble.