Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam
Encyclopedia
Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam (died 1454) was a Welsh
noblewoman, the daughter of Dafydd ap Llewelyn ap Hywel, otherwise known as Dafydd Gam
, who was killed at the Battle of Agincourt
in 1415.
Gwladys was named "the star of Abergavenny
" —"Gwladys the happy and the faultless" by Welsh poet Lewys Glyn Cothi
. He describes the lady of Raglan Castle
, which she became upon her second marriage, as a brilliant being, "like the sun—the pavilion of light." She has been compared to the legendary Queen Marcia
for her discretion and influence.
. He was a prominent opponent of Owain Glyndŵr
. Accounts of her mother are unclear. According to Prichard, Dafydd married Gwenllian, daughter of wealthy gentleman Gwilym ab Howel and grew up on an estate named "Petyn Gwyn" near the town of Brecon
, in the parish of Garthbrengy, The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography more recently reports that some genealogists claim Dafydd's wife to have been Gwladys, daughter of Gwilym ap Hywel Crach. (1374–6).
On 16 September 1400, Owain Glyndŵr instigated the Welsh Revolt
against the rule of Henry IV of England
from the House of Lancaster
. Dafydd, "one of Owain's most die-hard opponents," supported the English monarchy for the next twelve years in opposition to his Welsh countrymen.
During opposition to Owain Glyndŵr, Dafydd's lands in and around Brecon became a target for Glyndŵr's attacks. Owain is recorded to have arrived at the family's principal residence at Petyn Gwyn where he captured and assaulted Lady Gwenllian. After imprisoning her inside the house, he burnt the mansion to the ground.
Driven from their last home in Wales, Gwladys, with her father, grandfather, and her two brothers, found refuge at King Henry IV's court, where Gwladys served as a Maid of Honour firstly to Mary de Bohun
(c. 1368–1394), wife of Henry IV, and afterwards to Queen Joan (c. 1370–1437), his second wife and only queen consort.
also known as Roger Fychan (the younger), after her family returned to Wales. Roger, a gentleman of wealth, rank, and high respectability was a special friend of her father's, and would later be his companion in arms at the Battle of Agincourt
.
From the period of her marriage she never again left Wales. Gwladys was a supporter of Welsh culture, especially of the bard
s and minstrel
s of her time. In Lewus Glyn Cothi's elegy, Gwladys is called "the strength and support of Gwentland and the land of Brychan" (later the counties of Monmouth
and Brecon
): which she supported extensively.
Roger and Gwladys' father, Dafydd, had been part of the Welsh contingent that fought with Henry V of England
; they both died at the Battle of Agincourt in France in 1415. Legends appeared in the 16th century claiming that upon saving the life of Henry V at the expense of their own lives, both men were knighted by the king on the battlefield before they died. However, there is no contemporary validation that the legends are true.
in 1469. Beyond their political pursuits, the Bredwardine and Hergest Vaughans supported Welsh poets. They took residence at the main Vaughan holdings of Bredwardine, Hergest, and Tretower, respectively.
There are other children less reliably attributed to this union: John Vaughan of Dursley
, William Vaughan of Clifford and three more daughters not specifically identified.
of Raglan Castle
who also fought at the Battle of Agincourt. William was the son of Thomas ap Gwilym ap Jenkyn, a local landowner and his wife Maud, daughter of Sir John Morley. He was knighted in 1426 and was known, because of the colour of his armour, as "The Blue Knight of Gwent."
As Lady of Raglan Castle, Gwladys was able to entertain her guests and assist the needy and afflicted on an even greater scale than when the mistress of Bredwardine Castle
.
Gwladys and William's children were raised with the Vaughan children
Other issue less consistently attributed to Gwladys and William include: Maud, Olivia, Elizabeth (who married Welsh country gentlemen, John ab Gwilym), and Thomas Herbert.
Lady Gwladys mourned at length when William died in 1446.
where they were both buried; their alabaster
tomb and effigies can still be seen in the church of St Mary's.
Gwladys was so beloved by her people that, according to legend, 3,000 knights, nobles and weeping peasantry followed her body from Coldbrook House (her son Richard's manor) to the Herbert Chapel of St. Mary's Priory Church where she was buried.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
noblewoman, the daughter of Dafydd ap Llewelyn ap Hywel, otherwise known as Dafydd Gam
Dafydd Gam
Dafydd ap Llewelyn ap Hywel , better known as Dafydd Gam or Davy Gam, was a Welsh medieval nobleman, a prominent opponent of Owain Glyndŵr, who died at the Battle of Agincourt fighting for King Henry V, King of England in that victory against the French...
, who was killed at the Battle of Agincourt
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
in 1415.
Gwladys was named "the star of Abergavenny
Abergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
" —"Gwladys the happy and the faultless" by Welsh poet Lewys Glyn Cothi
Lewys Glyn Cothi
Lewys Glyn Cothi , also known as Llywelyn y Glyn, was a prominent Welsh poet who composed numerous poems in the Welsh language. He is one of the most important representatives of the Beirdd yr Uchelwyr or Cywyddwyr , the itinerant professional poets of the period between the 1284 Statute of...
. He describes the lady of Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle is a late medieval castle located just north of the village of Raglan in the county of Monmouthshire in south east Wales. The modern castle dates from between the 15th and early 17th-centuries, when the successive ruling families of the Herberts and the Somersets created a luxurious,...
, which she became upon her second marriage, as a brilliant being, "like the sun—the pavilion of light." She has been compared to the legendary Queen Marcia
Queen Marcia
Queen Marcia was the mythical third queen regnant and a regent of the Britons, as recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth.-Mythical Account:Marcia became queen after the death of Guithelin and ruled as regent for her son, Sisillius II. In her youth, she was the Queen consort of Guithelin, the king of...
for her discretion and influence.
Childhood
Gwladys' father, Dafydd, was a gentleman of considerable property and a celebrated military figure, descended from the native Welsh rulers of BrycheiniogBrycheiniog
Brycheiniog was a small independent petty kingdom in South Wales in the Early Middle Ages. It often acted as a buffer state between England to the east and the powerful south Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth to the west. It was conquered and pacified by the Normans between 1088 and 1095, though it...
. He was a prominent opponent of Owain Glyndŵr
Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
. Accounts of her mother are unclear. According to Prichard, Dafydd married Gwenllian, daughter of wealthy gentleman Gwilym ab Howel and grew up on an estate named "Petyn Gwyn" near the town of Brecon
Brecon
Brecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
, in the parish of Garthbrengy, The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography more recently reports that some genealogists claim Dafydd's wife to have been Gwladys, daughter of Gwilym ap Hywel Crach. (1374–6).
On 16 September 1400, Owain Glyndŵr instigated the Welsh Revolt
Glyndwr Rising
The Glyndŵr Rising, Welsh Revolt or Last War of Independence was an uprising of the Welsh, led by Owain Glyndŵr, against England. It was the last major manifestation of a Welsh independence movement before the incorporation of Wales into England by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542.- The Fall of...
against the rule of Henry IV of England
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
from the House of Lancaster
House of Lancaster
The House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...
. Dafydd, "one of Owain's most die-hard opponents," supported the English monarchy for the next twelve years in opposition to his Welsh countrymen.
During opposition to Owain Glyndŵr, Dafydd's lands in and around Brecon became a target for Glyndŵr's attacks. Owain is recorded to have arrived at the family's principal residence at Petyn Gwyn where he captured and assaulted Lady Gwenllian. After imprisoning her inside the house, he burnt the mansion to the ground.
Driven from their last home in Wales, Gwladys, with her father, grandfather, and her two brothers, found refuge at King Henry IV's court, where Gwladys served as a Maid of Honour firstly to Mary de Bohun
Mary de Bohun
Mary de Bohun was the first wife of King Henry IV of England and the mother of King Henry V. Mary was never queen, as she died before her husband came to the throne.-Early life:...
(c. 1368–1394), wife of Henry IV, and afterwards to Queen Joan (c. 1370–1437), his second wife and only queen consort.
Sir Roger Vaughan
Gwladys married first husband, Sir Roger Vaughan of BredwardineSir Roger Vaughan of Bredwardine
Sir Roger Vaughan of Bredwardine, was a Welsh gentleman, described as having possessed wealth, rank, and high respectability. Roger's seat, Bredwardine Castle, is estimated to have been a strong and formidable fortress, located on the banks of the Wye river in Herefordshire, two miles north of...
also known as Roger Fychan (the younger), after her family returned to Wales. Roger, a gentleman of wealth, rank, and high respectability was a special friend of her father's, and would later be his companion in arms at the Battle of Agincourt
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
.
From the period of her marriage she never again left Wales. Gwladys was a supporter of Welsh culture, especially of the bard
Bard
In medieval Gaelic and British culture a bard was a professional poet, employed by a patron, such as a monarch or nobleman, to commemorate the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities.Originally a specific class of poet, contrasting with another class known as fili in Ireland...
s and minstrel
Minstrel
A minstrel was a medieval European bard who performed songs whose lyrics told stories of distant places or of existing or imaginary historical events. Although minstrels created their own tales, often they would memorize and embellish the works of others. Frequently they were retained by royalty...
s of her time. In Lewus Glyn Cothi's elegy, Gwladys is called "the strength and support of Gwentland and the land of Brychan" (later the counties of Monmouth
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
and Brecon
Brecknockshire
Brecknockshire , also known as the County of Brecknock, Breconshire, or the County of Brecon is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, and a former administrative county.-Geography:...
): which she supported extensively.
Battle of Agincourt
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
; they both died at the Battle of Agincourt in France in 1415. Legends appeared in the 16th century claiming that upon saving the life of Henry V at the expense of their own lives, both men were knighted by the king on the battlefield before they died. However, there is no contemporary validation that the legends are true.
Issue
In contrast to Gwladys and Roger's allegiance to the House of Lancaster and Sir William ap Thomas's daughter, their three sons were staunch Yorkists during the Wars of the Roses. The brothers would fight with their Herbert half-brothers during the Battle of Edgecote MoorBattle of Edgecote Moor
The Battle of Edgecote Moor took place 6 miles northeast of Banbury , England on 26 July 1469 during the Wars of the Roses. The site of the battle was actually Danes Moor in Northamptonshire, at a crossing of a tributary of the River Cherwell. The battle pitted the forces of Richard Neville, 16th...
in 1469. Beyond their political pursuits, the Bredwardine and Hergest Vaughans supported Welsh poets. They took residence at the main Vaughan holdings of Bredwardine, Hergest, and Tretower, respectively.
- Watkin (Walter) Vaughan (d. 1456) of BredwardineBredwardine CastleBredwardine Castle was sited in the village of Bredwardine in Herefordshire, England beside the River Wye.- Early Norman Manor :Following the time of the Norman Conquest the manor was granted to John de Bredwardine. - 12th Century Castle :...
, EsquireEsquireEsquire is a term of West European origin . Depending on the country, the term has different meanings...
, married Elinor, daughter of Sir Henry Wogan, On Easter 1456, Watkin was murdered at home, Bredwardine Castle for which half-brother William Herbert and Walter Devereux forcibly ensured prosecution of execution of the culprits at Hereford.
- Thomas Vaughan (c.1400–1469) of Hergest, Esquire, married Ellen Gethin, daughter of Cadwgan ap Dafydd. From the mid-1440s, Thomas had interests in the Stafford lordships of Huntington, Brecon and Hay. September 1461, supporting the three Vaughan brother's allegiance to Yorkist rule, Edward IV appointed Thomas receiver of Brecon, Hay, and Huntington during the minority of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of BuckinghamHenry Stafford, 2nd Duke of BuckinghamHenry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, KG played a major role in Richard III of England's rise and fall. He is also one of the primary suspects in the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower...
. In 1461, Thomas died at the Battle of Edgecote and entombed at KingtonKington, HerefordshireKington is a market town and civil parish in Herefordshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,597.-Location:Kington is near the Wales-England border and, despite being on the western side of Offa's Dyke, has been English for over a thousand years. The town is in the...
church, near Hergest.
- Sir Roger VaughanSir Roger VaughanSir Roger Vaughan of Tretower Court, was the son of Welsh noblewoman Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam and Sir Roger Vaughan of Bredwardine, who fought and died with Gwladys' father, Dafydd Gam in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.-Marriages:...
(d. 1471) of Tretower CourtTretower CourtTretower Court is a medieval fortified manor house situated in the village of Tretower, near Crickhowell in modern day Powys, previously within the historical county of Breconshire or Brecknockshire.- Local & national importance :...
married twice. Once to Cicely, daughter of Thomas ab Philip Vychan, of TalgarthTalgarthTalgarth is a small market town and community in southern Powys , Mid Wales, with a population of 1,645. Notable buildings in the town include its 14th-century parish church and 13th century Pele Tower, located in the town centre, now home to the Tourist Information and Resource Centre...
and second Lady Margaret, daughter of Lord James Audley, another of the heroes of Agincourt. Roger fought with his father and grandfather at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Roger was knighted for his activities supporting the Yorkist regime. In May 1471 Roger was captured by Jasper Tudor and beheaded at Chepstow.
- Elizabeth Vaughan married gentleman Griffith ab Eineon.
- Blanch Vaughan married wealthy Englishman John Milwater, commissioned by Edward IV to accompany Blanch's half-brother, William Herbert, to the siege of Harlech CastleHarlech CastleHarlech Castle, located in Harlech, Gwynedd, Wales, is a concentric castle, constructed atop a cliff close to the Irish Sea. Architecturally, it is particularly notable for its massive gatehouse....
.
There are other children less reliably attributed to this union: John Vaughan of Dursley
Dursley
Dursley is a market town in Gloucestershire, England. It is under the North East flank of Stinchcombe Hill , and about 6 km South East of the River Severn. The town is adjacent with Cam which, though a village, is a community of double the size...
, William Vaughan of Clifford and three more daughters not specifically identified.
William ap Thomas
Her second marriage was to Sir William ap ThomasWilliam ap Thomas
William ap Thomas was a member of the Welsh gentry family that came to be known as the Herbert family through his son William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke and is an ancestor of the current Earls of Pembroke....
of Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle is a late medieval castle located just north of the village of Raglan in the county of Monmouthshire in south east Wales. The modern castle dates from between the 15th and early 17th-centuries, when the successive ruling families of the Herberts and the Somersets created a luxurious,...
who also fought at the Battle of Agincourt. William was the son of Thomas ap Gwilym ap Jenkyn, a local landowner and his wife Maud, daughter of Sir John Morley. He was knighted in 1426 and was known, because of the colour of his armour, as "The Blue Knight of Gwent."
As Lady of Raglan Castle, Gwladys was able to entertain her guests and assist the needy and afflicted on an even greater scale than when the mistress of Bredwardine Castle
Bredwardine Castle
Bredwardine Castle was sited in the village of Bredwardine in Herefordshire, England beside the River Wye.- Early Norman Manor :Following the time of the Norman Conquest the manor was granted to John de Bredwardine. - 12th Century Castle :...
.
Gwladys and William's children were raised with the Vaughan children
Issue
The children of Gwladys and William were:- William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1423–1469) took the surname Herbert. William's allegiance to Richard, Duke of York, and Richard Neville, 16th Earl of WarwickRichard Neville, 16th Earl of WarwickRichard Neville KG, jure uxoris 16th Earl of Warwick and suo jure 6th Earl of Salisbury and 8th and 5th Baron Montacute , known as Warwick the Kingmaker, was an English nobleman, administrator, and military commander...
, branded him Edward IV's Welsh "master-lock". He was the first full-blooded Welshman to enter the English peerage and he was knighted in 1452. He married Anne Devereux daughter of Sir Walter Devereux in 1449, by whom he had issue.
- Sir Richard Herbert of Coldbrook House, near Abergavenny; died on the battlefield of DanesmoorBattle of Edgecote MoorThe Battle of Edgecote Moor took place 6 miles northeast of Banbury , England on 26 July 1469 during the Wars of the Roses. The site of the battle was actually Danes Moor in Northamptonshire, at a crossing of a tributary of the River Cherwell. The battle pitted the forces of Richard Neville, 16th...
.
- Elizabeth married Sir Henry Stradling (1423–1476), son of Sir Edward Stradling (d. c.1394) and Gwenllian Berkerolles, sister and co-heir of his neighbour, Sir Lawrence Berkerolles. Reversing alliances from the previous generation, Henry and his brothers-in-law were hostile to the Henry VI reign. Henry went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1476. Henry died on 31 August 1476 on his journey back to England and was buried at FamagustaFamagustaFamagusta is a city on the east coast of Cyprus and is capital of the Famagusta District. It is located east of Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island.-Name:...
, Cyprus. Thomas, Elizabeth and Henry's young son died on 8 September 1480.
- Margaret married Sir Henry Wogan, steward and treasurer of the Earldom of PembrokeEarl of PembrokeEarl of Pembroke is a title created ten times, all in the Peerage of England. It was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title is associated with Pembroke, Pembrokeshire in West Wales, which is the site of Earldom's original seat Pembroke Castle...
, tasked with securing war material for the defence of Pembroke CastlePembroke CastlePembroke Castle is a medieval castle in Pembroke, West Wales. Standing beside the River Cleddau, it underwent major restoration work in the early 20th century. The castle was the original seat of the Earldom of Pembroke....
. Henry and his father, John Wogan of Picton, witnessed an act of Bishop Benedict in 1418. Their son, Sir John Wogan, was killed at the battle of BanburyBanburyBanbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
in 1465, fighting by the side of his uncle, William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke.
Other issue less consistently attributed to Gwladys and William include: Maud, Olivia, Elizabeth (who married Welsh country gentlemen, John ab Gwilym), and Thomas Herbert.
Lady Gwladys mourned at length when William died in 1446.
Death
She died in 1454. Gwladys and her husband William ap Thomas were patrons of Abergavenny PrioryPriory Church of St Mary, Abergavenny
The Priory Church of St Mary, Abergavenny is a church in the centre of Abergavenny in Monmouthshire, Wales.St. Marys has been called 'the Westminster Abbey of Wales' because of its large size and the number of high status church monument tombs and the rare medieval effigies surviving within it .-...
where they were both buried; their alabaster
Alabaster
Alabaster is a name applied to varieties of two distinct minerals, when used as a material: gypsum and calcite . The former is the alabaster of the present day; generally, the latter is the alabaster of the ancients...
tomb and effigies can still be seen in the church of St Mary's.
Gwladys was so beloved by her people that, according to legend, 3,000 knights, nobles and weeping peasantry followed her body from Coldbrook House (her son Richard's manor) to the Herbert Chapel of St. Mary's Priory Church where she was buried.