Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor
Encyclopedia
Madog ap Gruffudd or Madog ap Gruffudd Maelor, was Prince of Powys Fadog
Powys Fadog
Powys Fadog or Lower Powys was the northern portion of the former princely realm of Powys which split in two following the death of Madog ap Maredudd of Powys in 1160...

 1191-1236 in north-east Wales
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...

.

Lineage

He was elder son of Gruffydd Maelor
Gruffydd Maelor
Gruffydd Maelor was Prince of Powys Fadog in Wales.He is known as Gruffydd Maelor I to distinguish him from his grandson, Gruffydd Maelor II .- Lineage :He was a son of Madog ap Maredudd by Susanna, daughter of Gruffudd ap Cynan...

 and his wife, Angharad a daughter of Owain Gwynedd
Owain Gwynedd
Owain Gwynedd ap Gruffydd , in English also known as Owen the Great, was King of Gwynedd from 1137 until his death in 1170. He is occasionally referred to as "Owain I of Gwynedd"; and as "Owain I of Wales" on account of his claim to be King of Wales. He is considered to be the most successful of...

.

Sole Ruler

He succeeded his father jointly with his brother, Owen in 1191 and on Owen's death in 1197 became the sole ruler of Powys north of the Afon Rhaeadr
River Rhaeadr
The River Rhaeadr is a river in Wales.It starts at the Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall a few miles from the village of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, where the Afon Disgynfa falls over a 240-foot cliff-face, after which the river is known as the Afon Rhaeadr....

 and the Afon Tanat
Afon Tanat
Afon Tanat is a river in northern Powys, Wales. Its source is close to the Cyrniau Nod mountain, to the north of Lake Vyrnwy. The river flows in a generally east-south-east direction until it joins the River Vyrnwy near Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain. For a short distance prior to its confluence it...

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Consolidation

Madog consolidated the possessions of his father, Gruffudd Maelor
Gruffydd Maelor
Gruffydd Maelor was Prince of Powys Fadog in Wales.He is known as Gruffydd Maelor I to distinguish him from his grandson, Gruffydd Maelor II .- Lineage :He was a son of Madog ap Maredudd by Susanna, daughter of Gruffudd ap Cynan...

, and the territory he ruled became known as Powys Fadog in his honour. (Fadog is a gender mutation of his name, Madog). Under his son, later, Gruffydd II ap Madog, this area comprising Welsh and English Maelor, Ial, Cynllaith, Nanheudwy and part of Mochnant formed Powys Fadog, as opposed to Powys Wenwynwyn and was still referred to as Powys Fadog although it was divided up between his five sons.

Stance

Madog was close to his cousin, Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, initially, but gradually distanced himself and also kept aloof from 1212 when his cousin had managed to reform the Welsh Confederacy and looked instead to King John of England
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...

, in whose pay he was, as an official ally of the English King.

By 1215 he decided to ally with his cousin and remained so.

Marriage & Issue

He had married Esyllt (Isota). He had issue:
  • Gruffudd Maelor II
    Gruffydd II ap Madog, Lord of Dinas Bran
    - Lineage :He was the eldest son of Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor and inherited his father's lands and title in partible succession along with his four brothers Gruffydd Ial, Maredudd, Hywel and Madog Fychan....

    , who succeeded his father,
  • Gruffudd Iâl, died 1238.
  • Maredudd, died 1256.
  • Hywel, died 1268.
  • Madog Fychan
    Madog Fychan
    Madog Fychan may have had a claim to be a hereditary Prince of Powys Fadog 1304-c.1325. However his very existence is uncertain. It is claimed that he succeeded to his father Madog Crypl's titles on his death in 1304. However, it is more likely that Madog Crypl's son was Gruffydd, who was...

    , died 1269.
  • Angharad.

Buried at Valle Crucis Abbey

Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor died in 1236 and is buried at Valle Crucis Abbey
Valle Crucis Abbey
Valle Crucis Abbey is a Cistercian abbey located in Llantysilio in Denbighshire, Wales. More formally the Abbey Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Valle Crucis it is known in Welsh both as Abaty Glyn Egwestl and Abaty Glyn y Groes.The abbey was built in 1201 by Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor, Prince of...

, his own foundation, and the last Cistercian monastery to be founded in Wales.

In 1956 his heraldic slab was excavated at the Abbey.

He is either a great grandfather or great-great-great grandfather 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...

.

External references

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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