General Notes

ruler of Glyswysing 1033-55, Deheubarth 1047-55

Gruffydd ab Rhydderch (d 1055), king of the South Welsh, was the son of Rhydderch, son of Iestin, who in 1023 had assumed the government of the south after the death of Llewelyn ab Seisyll, and was killed by the Irish in 1033. The sons of Edwin, Hywel, and Maredudd, then acquired the rule of South Wales, but Gruffydd and his brothers contested it with them, fighting in 1034 the battle of Hiraethwy, Caradog, one of Gruffydd's brothers, was slain in 1035 in some contest with the English. In 1044 the death of Howel made Gruffydd and the other sons of Rhydderch the leaders of the South Welsh opposition of Gruffydd ab Llewelyn. In 1045 the Welsh chronicler complains of the deceit which the Sout Welsh Gruffydd and his brother Rhys perpetrated agains Gruffydd ab Llewelyn. A great struggle now broke out between them, in the course of which nearly all Deheubarth was laid waste. Gruffydd ab Ruydderch was also much engaged in attacks on the English. In 1046 Earl Swegen seems to have joined the North Welsh Gruffydd in his attacks on him. In 1049 Gruffydd joined with thirty-six Irish pirate ships in an attack on the coasts of the lower Severn, and inflicted great loss on the English, at the head of whom was Bishop Ealdred. In 1053 his brother Rhys became so troublesome that the witan decreed that he should be slain, 'and his head was brought to Gloucester on Twelfth-day eve.' At last in 1055 Gruffydd ab Rhydderch was slain by Gruffydd ab Llewelyn. He must have possessed unusmacl vigour of character to struggle so long both against the English and the North Welsh king. He left a son named Caradog, who in 1065 attacked the hintingseat which Earl Harold was building at Portskewet in Gwent, slew the workmen, and ravaged the neighbourhood. He afterwards obtained for a short time some share in the sovereignty of Deheubarth. [Dictionary of National Biography VIII:751]

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Ruled Deheubarth 1047-1055

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Gruffydd ap Rydderch ap Iestyn (d 1055), king. When Gruffudd ap Llywelyn took possession of Deheubarth in 1044, the South found a new focus of resistance in the leadership of Gruffydd ap Rhydderch. Independence was thus retrieved in 1045, and for ten years, until his fall in 1055, Gruffydd gave to his adopted 'patria' a vigorous government in which resistance to the Danes was a prominent feature. The sanction for his intervention in the affairs of Deheubarth came in part from his father's successful usurpation of power there during the years 1023-33. Gruffydd, moreover was already a 'king' in Glamorgan, probably over Gwynllwg, where his descendents enjoyed restricted power down to 1270. [Dictionary of Welsh Biography p318]