Kingdom of Powys

Kingdom of Powys Teyrnas Powys
5th century–1160
Banner of the Mathrafal House of Powys Coat of arms
Anthem:Unbennaeth Prydain "The Monarchy of Britain"
Medieval kingdoms of Wales
Capital	Caer Guricon,Pengwern(possibly),Mathrafal,Welshpool,Chester
Common languages	Welsh
Religion	Celtic Christianity
Government	Monarchy
• 6th century	Brochwel Ysgithrog
• d. 616	Selyf ap Cynan
• d. 755	Elisedd ap Gwylog
• 1063–1075	Bleddyn ap Cynfyn
• 1116–1132	Maredudd ap Bleddyn
• 1132–1160	Madog ap Maredudd
Historical era	Middle Ages
•End of Roman rule in Britain	5th century
• Division(BetweenFadogandWenwynwyn)	1160
Currency	ceiniogcyfreith & ceiniog cwta
Preceded by Succeeded by sub-Roman Britain Powys Wenwynwyn Powys Fadog
Demonym: Powyssi; Powysian ^

Powys landscape near Foel

TheKingdom of Powys(Welsh pronunciation:[ˈpowɪs];Latin:Regnum Poysiae) was aWelshsuccessor state,petty kingdomandprincipalitythat emerged during the Middle Ages following theend of Roman rule in Britain.It very roughly covered the northern two-thirds of the modern county ofPowysand part of today's EnglishWest Midlands(see map). More precisely, and based on theRomano-Britishtribal lands of theOrdovicesin the west and theCornoviiin the east, its boundaries originally extended from theCambrian Mountainsin the west to include the modernWest Midlandsregion of England in the east. The fertile river valleys of theSevernandTernare found there, and this region is referred to in laterWelsh literatureas "the Paradise of Powys" (an epithet retained in Welsh for the modern UK county).

Name

The name Powys is thought to derive fromLatinpagus'the countryside' andpagenses'dwellers in the countryside', also the origins of French "pays" and English "peasant". During theRoman Empire,this region was organised into a province, with the capital atViroconium Cornoviorum(modernWroxeter), the fourth-largest Roman city in Britain. It was later abandoned forDeva Victrix(Chester).

Coat of arms of the Powys dynasty

Early Middle Ages

Throughout theEarly Middle Ages,Powys was ruled by theGwertherion dynasty,a family claiming descent jointly from the marriage ofVortigernand PrincessSevira,the daughter ofMagnus Maximus.Archaeological evidence has shown that, unusually for the post-Roman period,Viroconium Cornoviorumsurvived as an urban centre well into the 6th century and thus could have been the Powys capital. TheHistoria Brittonum,written around AD 828, records the town asCaer Guricon,one of his "28 British Towns" ofRoman Britain.In the following centuries, the Powys eastern border was encroached upon byEnglishsettlers from the emerging Anglian territory ofMercia.This was a gradual process, and English control in the West Midlands was uncertain until the late 8th century.

In 549, thePlague of Justinian– an outbreak of a strain ofbubonic plague– arrived in Britain, and Welsh communities were devastated, with villages and countryside alike depopulated. However, the English were less affected by this plague as they had far fewer trading contacts with the continent at this time. Faced with shrinking manpower and increasing Anglian encroachment, KingBrochwel Ysgithrogmay have moved the court fromCaer GuricontoPengwern,the exact site of which is unknown but may have been atShrewsbury,traditionally associated with Pengwern, or the more defensible Din Gwrygon, thehill fortonThe Wrekin.

In 616, the armies of KingÆthelfrith of Northumbriaclashed with Powys. Seeing an opportunity to further drive a wedge between the North Welsh and those ofRheged,Æthelfrith invaded Powys' northern lands. Æthelfrith forced abattle near Chesterand defeated Selyf and his allies. At the commencement of the battle,Bedetells us that the pagan Æthelfrith slaughtered 1,200 monks from the importantmonasteryofBangor-on-DeeinMaelorbecause, he said, "they fight against us, because they oppose us by their prayers". Selyf ap Cynan was also killed in the battle and may have been the first of the kings of Powys to be buried at the church dedicated to St.Tysilio,atMeifod,thence known as theEglwys Tysilioand subsequently the dynasty's Royalmausoleum.

If KingCynddylanofPengwernhailed from the royal Powys dynasty, then forces from Powys may also have been present at theBattle of Maes Cogwyin 642. According to the probably ninth-century cycle ofenglyn-poemsCanu Heledd,the region around Pengwern was sacked soon after, its royal family slaughtered and most of its lands were annexed byMercia,some by Powys. However, this account is generally now thought to represent ninth-century imaginings of what must have been going on in the seventh, inspired by Powys's political situation in the ninth century.

Powys enjoyed a resurgence with successful campaigns against the English in 655, 705–707 and 722, wrote Davies. The court was moved toMathrafalCastle in the valley of the river Vyrnwy by 717, possibly by KingElisedd ap Gwylog(d.c. 755). Elisedd's successes led KingÆthelbald of Merciato buildWat's Dyke.This endeavour may have been with Elisedd's own agreement, however, for this boundary, extending north from the Severn Valley to the Dee estuary, gave Oswestry (Welsh:Croesoswallt) to Powys. KingOffa of Merciaseems to have continued this consultive initiative when he created a larger earth work, now known asOffa's Dyke(Welsh:Clawdd Offa). Davies wrote of Cyril Fox's study of Offa's Dyke, "In the planning of it, there was a degree of consultation with the kings of Powys and Gwent.

On the Long Mountain near Trelystan, the dyke veers to the east, leaving the fertile slopes in the hands of the Welsh; near Rhiwabon, it was designed to ensure that Cadell ap Brochwel retained possession of the Fortress of Penygadden. "And for Gwent Offa had the dyke built" on the eastern crest of the gorge, clearly with the intention of recognizing that the river Wye and its traffic belonged to the kingdom of Gwent. "This new border moved Oswestry back to the English side of the new frontier, and Offa attacked Powys in 760 at Hereford, and again in 778, 784 and 796. Offa's Dyke largely remained the frontier between the Welsh and English, though the Welsh would recover by the 12th century the area between theDeeand theRiver Conwy,known then as thePerfeddwlador "Midlands".

Rhodri, Hywel, and Gruffydd

See also:Kingdom of Gwynedd,Deheubarth,andPrincipality of Wales

Powys was united with Gwynedd when kingMerfyn Frychof theGwynedd dynastymarried princessNest ferch Cadell,daughter of kingCyngen of Powys,the last representative of theGwertherion dynasty.With the death of Cyngen in 854Rhodri Mawrbecame king of Powys, having inherited Gwynedd the year before. This formed the basis of Gwynedd's continued claims of overlordship over Powys for the next 443 years.

Rhodri Mawr(Rhodri the Great) ruled over most of modern Wales until his death in 878. His sons would in turn found dynasties of their own which would loom large in Welsh history, each claiming descent from Rhodri. Merfyn inherited Powys, whilst his brothers,Anarawd ap RhodriandCadell,established theAberffrawdynasty inGwyneddand the line ofDinefwrrespectively.

In 942Hywel DdaofDeheubarth(Rhodri's grandson through his second son, Cadell) seized Gwynedd on the death of his cousin,Idwal Foel.He apparently took Powys fromLlywelyn ap Merfynat the same timeand arranged for a dynastic marriage between their children. Hywel had founded Deheubarth in 920 out of his maternal and paternal inheritances and maintained close relations withÆthelstan,King of theAnglo-Saxons,often visiting Æthelstan's court. Hywel studied the English legal system and reformedWelsh lawin his own realms (later called theCyfraith Hywelor "Laws of Hywel" ), and when he went on pilgrimage toRomein 928, he took his collection of laws, which allegedly were blessed by the pope.

Hywel encouraged the use of coinage in Wales, having his monies minted in Chester, a benefit of his relations with England. In 945 Hywel held an assembly inWhitlandto codify his law codes, though with the aid of the celebrated cleric Blegywryd. Hwyel's works would lead posterity to name himthe good(Welsh:Hywel Dda), and his reign is recognised as an unusually peaceful one. On his death, Gwynedd reverted to the Aberffraw dynasty, though Powys and Deheubarth were divided between his sons.

Maredudd ab Owainrebuilt the kingdom of his grandfather Hywel Dda. He was king of Deheubarth and Powys by 986, when he seized Gwynedd. Maredudd fought off English encroachment in Powys and increasing Viking raids in Gwynedd. He is recorded to have paid a penny for hostages captured by Vikings, a large sum for his time. With Maredudd's death in 999, Powys passed to his grandsonLlywelyn ap Seisyll,through Maredudd's elder daughter Princess Anghared (with her first husband Seisyll ap Owian), while Deheubarth was divided between his sons.

Gwynedd temporarily returned to the Aberffraw line, though the next century would see the abandonment of the senior historic families as increased Viking incursions and incessant warfare led usurpers to overthrow the Aberffraw and Dinefwr houses; they would not recover until the end of the 11th century. Llywelyn's sonGruffyddwould unite all Wales under his own kingship, displacing his cousins in Deheubarth, even expanding into England and affecting politics there. With Gruffydd's death Deheubarth passed through a series of rulers with various claims, but would return to the historic Dinefwr dynasty in 1063 in the person ofMaredudd ab Owain ab Edwin.

House of Mathrafal

It is through Princess Anghared (as daughter of Maredudd ab Owain of Deheubarth and Powys), her second husband was Cynfyn ap Gwerstan, that theMathrafal dynastywas founded. The dynasty takes its name from thehistoric seatofMathrafalCastle. Anghared's sonBleddyn ap Cynfynwould inherit Powys in 1063 on the death of his maternal half-brother Gruffydd ap Llywelyn. Bleddyn (the name meanswolfin Welsh) secured Gwynedd in 1063 after a battle with the Aberffraw claimantCynan ap Iago,withEdward the Confessorof England endorsing Bleddyn's seizure later that year. Additionally, Bleddyn is recorded as amending the Law Codes of Hywel Dda.

Approximate extent of Powys before division in 1160

Bleddyn ap Cynfyn and his brother Rhiwallon fought alongside the Anglo-Saxons against theNorman Invasion.In 1067 they allied with the MercianEadric the Wildin an attack on theNormansatHereford,then in 1068 with EarlEdwin of Merciaand EarlMorcar of Northumbriain another attack on the Normans. In 1070 he defeated his half-nephews, the sons of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, in thebattle of Mechainin their bid to take Gwynedd. Bleddyn ap Cynfyn himself was killed in 1075 while campaigning in Deheubarth againstRhys ab Owain.With Bleddyn's death, Powys passed to his sons and grandsons in their turn. Gwynedd passed to his cousin Trehaearn ap Caradog, who was killed in 1081 at theBattle of Mynydd Carn,and would then return to the historic Aberffraw dynasty in the person ofGruffudd ap Cynan.Powys was itself divided among Bleddyn's sons Iorwerth, Cadwgan, and Maredudd.

AfterWilliam the Conquerorsecured England, he left the Welsh to his Norman barons to carve out lordships for themselves. Thus theWelsh Marcheswere formed along the Anglo-Welsh border. By 1086 the Norman EarlRoger de Montgomeryof Shrewsbury had built a castle at the Severn ford of Rhydwhiman, namedMontgomery Castleafter his home in Normandy. After Montgomery other Normans claimed the north Powys'cantrefiofIal,Cynllaith,Edernion,andNanheudwy.From here they took Arwstle, Ceri, and Cedwain. Almost the whole of Powys, as much of Wales, was in Norman hands by 1090. The three sons of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn would lead the resistance and their restoration in Powys. By 1096 they had retaken most of Powys, including Montgomery Castle. Roger Montgomery rose in revolt against KingWilliam II of England,and his sonRobert Bellemehad his lands confiscated in 1102.

Division

Through the twelfth and thirteenth centuries theHouse of Mathrafalstruggled to retain its lands in Powys against Norman Marcher lords and a resurgent Gwynedd. After 1160, whenMadog ap Maredudddied and his son and designated heir, Llywelyn ap Madog, was killed, the realm was divided along theRiver Rhaeadr:

• Cantrefs north of the Rhaeadr were allocated to Madog's remaining sons:
  • Penllynwas received byOwain Brogyntyn,Prince of Powys, but almost immediately he was forced to become a vassal of neighbouring Gwynedd, and Penllyn fell under Gwynedd's yoke. He was the ancestor of theHughes of Gwerclasand theJones of Faerdref Uchaf.
  • MaelorandIâl (Yale)were received byGruffydd(subsequentlyGruffydd Maelor), Prince of Powys Fadog, and ancestor ofOwain Glyndwr,Prince of Wales, and the Vaughans of Corsygedeol and theYale family.
  • Swydd y Waun(the commotes ofNanheudwy,andCynllaith) was received by LordOwain Fychan.
• Cantrefs south of the Rhaeadr (Cyfeiliog,Ystlyg,andCaereinion) were allocated toOwain,Prince of Powys Wenwynwyn, (subsequentlyOwain Cyfeiliog), the son of Madog's deceased brother
• The cantref spanning the Rhaeadr –Mochnant– was received by PrinceIorwerth Goch ap Maredudd,Madog's surviving half-brother.

In 1166, Owain Cyfeiliog and Owain Fychan attacked Iorwerth Goch, forcing him out of Mochnant, and dividing the land between them; Owain Cyfeiliog keptMochnant Uwch Rhaeadr,while Owain Fychan keptMochnantIs Rhaeadr (which became part of Swydd y Waun). In 1187, Owain Fychan died, and his lands were transferred to Gruffydd. By the end of the century, the resulting realms had become known by the names of the next generation of rulers:

• Powys Fadog,north of the Rhaeadr, after Madog the son of Gruffydd
• Powys Wenwynwyn,south of the Rhaeadr, afterGwenwynwyn,the son of Owain Cyfeiliog.

Impact of external hegemons

Royal seat of the princes ofPowys Fadog,atCastell Dinas Bran,nearLlangollen

Main articles:Powys WenwynwynandPowys Fadog

Rhys ap Gruffydd,prince ofDeheubarth,had tried to change the law to exclude his eldest son,Maelgwn,born out of wedlock, from the succession; traditional Welsh law differed from that in England and Europe, which disinherited illegitimate children. Maelgwn was forced into exile. In 1197, when Rhys died, Gwenwynwyn loaned troops to Maelgwn to help him take the throne of Deheubarth. Loyal vassals of Rhys, like the ruler ofArwystli,had sided withGruffydd,the eldest son of Rhys to be born in wedlock, so Gwenwynwyn attacked and subjugated Arwystli; Arwystli (at that time includingCedewain) thenceforth became part of Powys Wenwynwyn.

Rhys had been the most powerful of the Welsh princes at the time, but now the princes of Gwynedd sought hegemony, gaining it underOwain Gwynedd,Llywelyn Fawr,andDafydd ap Llywelyn.Though Powys Fadog largely supported their aspirations, Powys Wenwynwyn was frequently at loggerheads with them, and was the subject of constant attempts at encroachment by the princes of Gwynedd. Gwenwynwyn himself was driven into exile, in England.

Gwynedd was forced by KingHenry IIIto restore Gwenwynwyn's son,Gruffydd,to power in Powys Wenwynwyn. Nevertheless, the power ofLlywelyn ap Gruffudd,prince of Gwynedd, lead both divisions of Powys to acknowledge Llywelyn asPrince of Wales,by 1263. Llywelyn proceeded to cultivate relations with the enemies of KingHenry III,particularly the family ofSimon de Montfort.

In 1274, Llywelyn married Simon de Montfort's daughter, and Gruffydd repudiated his allegiance. Gruffydd was forced into exile in England, but the following year Llywelyn was declared a rebel by KingEdward I,who launched a new campaign against Gwynedd in 1276. The success of the campaign resulted in Gruffydd being reinstated. By this time, Gruffydd's son, Owain, had chosen to anglicise his name toOwen de la Pole(taking the surname from the capital of Powys Wenwynwyn –Pool).

Following the death ofMadog II,in 1269,Powys Fadogwas divided among Madog's sons. When Madog's eldest son died in 1277,EdwardappointedRoger Mortimerthe guardian of the youngest son, still a child, to preventGruffudd Fychan I(Madog's eldest surviving son) taking advantage of the child's age to steal his lands. However, when the child's body was discovered in the River Dee four years later and presumed murdered, Mortimer was allowed to take the lands – the cantref ofSwydd y Waun.

In 1282, Llywelyn attacked thePerfeddwlad,in contravention of theTreaty of Aberconwy,resulting in a huge counter-attack by King Edward. The forces of Gruffudd ap Gwenwynwyn were instrumental in the total defeat of Gwynedd; alongside Roger Lestrange ofEllesmereandRoger Mortimer,Gruffudd's forces ambushed Llywelyn and killed him.

Post-kingdom Powys

Royal seat of the princes ofPowys Wenwynwyn,atPowis Castle,nearWelshpool

Powys Fadog (except for Mortimer's portion) had allied with Gwynedd during Edward's 1282 invasion, so in 1283, in the aftermath of King Edward's total extinction of Gwynedd, Edward abolished Powys Fadog, granting Gruffudd Fychan's lands toJohn de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey(also known as theEarl of Warren) as theMarcher LordshipofBromfield and Yale(YalebeingIal).

Nevertheless, the Earl argued for Gruffudd Fychan to retain a portion of Powys Fadog, for the sake of dignity or to reduce the risk of revolt; thus a small portion of Mortimer's lands (the region aroundSycharth– approximately half the formercommoteofCynllaith) and a small portion of the Earl's (Glyndyfrdwy) were granted to Gruffudd Fychan as a Barony (i.e. remaining ultimately subject to the authority of the Marcher Lords). The Barony survived until the rebellion (in nominal support of KingRichard II's heir) ofOwain Glyndŵr,the great-grandson (or great-great-grandson) of Gruffudd Fychan.

By contrast, Owen de la Pole – having been on the side of the King during the 1282 conflict – was able to strengthen his position inPowys Wenwynwyn.He converted it into amarcher lordship,viasurrender and regrant– the Lordship of Powis. This made him a vassal of Edward I, enabling him to rely on English support to keep him in power, while otherwise remaining completely independent (like other Marcher Lords).

The name Powys for this area disappeared (at the latest) with the introduction of theLaws in Wales Acts 1535–1542when itsmarcher lordshipswere incorporated into counties.Powys Fadogwas joined with theLordship of Denbighto formDenbighshire,while Powys Wenwynwyn largely becameMontgomeryshire.The lordship of Powis survived as a barony (within Montgomeryshire) – the Baron de la Pole, still held by the same family. In 1551, the Baron of Powis died without legitimate children, leaving the land to his bastard son, Edward; in 1587, Edward sold the land toSir Edward Herbert,a distant relative, whose son was subsequently made Baron Powis. Herbert's son was createdBaron Powis,and his descendants were createdMarquessesandEarlsof Powis, and remain living atPowis Castle.

Powys would not be resurrected as a polity until the boundary changes in 1974 created a new and enlargedcountyofPowysthat merged thecountiesofMontgomeryshire,BrecknockshireandRadnorshire.However, Brecknockshire had not traditionally been within the bounds of the old kingdom, Radnorshire had not been part of it since the mid-10th century (if it ever had before, rather than just held by family members), and most of what had once been Powys Fadog was placed in the newcountyofClwyd.

Rulers of Powys

Main article:List of monarchs of Powys

Administrative units of the Kingdom ofPowys

House of Gwerthrynion

• Gwrtheyrn(High-KingVortigern), married toSevira,daughter ofMagnus Maximus.
• Cadeyern Fendigaid(c. 430–447); reputed eldest son ofGwrtheyrn,blessed bySaint Germanus.

• Cadell Ddyrnllwg(c. 447–460)
• Rhyddfedd Frych(c. 480)
• Cyngen Glodrydd(c. 500)
• Pasgen ap Cyngen(c. 530)
• Morgan ap Pasgen(c. 540)
• Brochwel Ysgithrog(c. 550)
• Iago ap Brochwel (?–582)
• Cynan Garwyn(582–610)
• Selyf ap Cynan(610–613)
• Manwgan ap Selyf(613)
• Eiludd Powys(613–?)
• Beli ap Eiludd(c. 655)
• Gwylog ap Beli(695–725)
• Elisedd ap Gwylog(725–755?)
• Brochfael ap Elisedd(755?–773)
• Cadell ap Brochfael(773–808)
• Cyngen ap Cadell(808–854); throne usurped by Gwynedd and exiled to Rome where the family endured.

House of Manaw

• Rhodri Mawr(854–878) of Gwynedd, inheriting through his mother.
• Merfyn ap Rhodri(878–900)
• Llywelyn ap Merfyn(900–942)
• Hywel Dda(942–950); usurped from the Aberffraw line.
• Owain ap Hywel(950–986); ruled thereafter by acadet branchof theHouse of Dinefwr,establishing theMathrafal dynastyof rulers.
• Maredudd ap Owain(986–999)
• Llywelyn ap Seisyll(999–1023), son of Anghered by her first husband. Anghered was the daughter of Maredudd ab Owain.
• Rhydderch ap Iestyn(1023–1033)
• Iago ap Idwal(1033–1039)
• Gruffydd ap Llywelyn(1039–1063)

Mathrafal Princes of Powys

• Bleddyn ap Cynfyn(1063–1075) andRhiwallon ap Cynfyn(1063–1070) (co-rulers)
• Iorwerth ap Bleddyn(1075–1103; part)
• Cadwgan ap Bleddyn(1075–1111; part)
• Owain ap Cadwgan(1111–1116; part)
• Maredudd ap Bleddyn(1116–1132)
• Madog ap Maredudd(1132–1160)

From 1160 Powys was split into two parts. The southern part was later calledPowys Wenwynwynafter Gwenwynwyn ab Owain "Cyfeiliog" ap Madog, while the northern part was calledPowys FadogafterMadog ap Gruffydd "Maelor" ap Madog.

Sources

• Davies, John (1990). History of Wales, Penguin Books.
• Llywarch Hen(attribution) (c. 9th century). Canu Heledd.
• Morris, John (1973). The Age of Arthur. Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
• Remfry, P. M., (2003)A Political Chronology of Wales 1066 to 1282(ISBN1-899376-46-1)