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House of Mathrafal

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House of Mathrafal

Arms of the Mathrafal House of Powys
Parent houseHouse of Dinefwr
CountryWales
Founded1063;961 years ago(1063)
FounderBleddyn ap Cynfyn, King of Gwynedd and Powys
Titles
Connected families
Estate(s)
Cadet branches
Arms of theHughes of Gwerclas,co-heirs of Mathrafal, depictingmany coats of armsof the dynasty
William the Conquerorinvades England, 1066, KingBleddyn ap Cynfyn,founder of Mathrafal, led a resistance with the Anglo-Saxons
Harlech Castle,residence ofOwain Glyndwr,Prince of Wales, was initially built by Plantagenet KingEdward Longshanks
Painting ofCastell Dinas Bran,ancestral seat of thePrinces of Powys Fadog,inLlangollen,Denbighshire

The RoyalHouse of Mathrafalbegan as acadet branchof the Welsh RoyalHouse of Dinefwr,taking their name fromMathrafal Castle.[1][2]They effectively replaced theHouse of Gwertherion,who had been ruling theKingdom of Powyssincelate Roman Britain,through the politically advantageous marriage of an ancestor,Merfyn the Oppressor.[3]KingBleddyn ap Cynfynwould join the resistance of the Anglo-Saxon KingHarold Godwinson,against the invasion ofWilliam the Conqueror,following theNorman conquestof England. Thereafter, they would struggle with thePlantagenetsand the remaining Welsh Royal houses for the control of Wales. Although their fortunes rose and fell over the generations, they are primarily remembered asKings of Powysand last nativePrince of Wales.[4][5]

History[edit]

Dudley Castle,inherited by Isabellade Cherleton of Powys,wife ofSir John de Sutton II
Painting ofShakespeare's playHenry IV:featuringOwen Glendowerwith members of his family;HotspurandMortimer

The House of Mathrafal was effectively established in the wake of the Anglo-Saxon King,Harold Godwinson,and his brother,Tostig Godwinson,Earl of Northumbria,and their disastrous raids of 1062–1063 against the King of Wales,Gruffydd ap Llywelyn.[6]They installedBleddyn ap Cynfynas King over Powys and Gwynedd and kept him and his base in Mathrafal close to the Saxon border.[7]Mathrafal Castlebecame their seat and effective capital inPowys,replacing the Roman city ofViroconium.[8]

From this point forward, his family jockeyed with the RoyalHouse of Dinefwrand the RoyalHouse of Aberffrawfor the control of Wales. (The unrelated dynasty in theKingdom of Gwentand theKingdom of Morgannwgwas swiftly overrun by theMarcher Lordsafter theNorman Conquest).

The House of Mathrafal's influence was greatest between 1063 and 1081, until they lost control ofGwyneddto a resurgent Aberffraw family following theBattle of Mynydd Carn.By 1191, the Kingdom of Powys was divided between the Principality ofPowys Fadogin the north and the Principality ofPowys Wenwynwyn(roughly modernMontgomeryshire) in the south.[9]The first became a more-or-less loyal vassal of Gwynedd; the latter, one of its main competitors.

HistorianJohn Daviespoints out that, following the division ofPowys,the dynasty should not be considered as "equal" to that of the RoyalHouse of Aberffrawor the RoyalHouse of Dinefwr.[10]Mathrafal Castle was utterly destroyed by Gwynedd in 1212 and thenceforth it was entirely dependent on English support for its survival. However, the Mathrafal dynasty continued to exert some influence, undermining and eventually betraying the Prince of Wales,Llywelyn ap Gruffudd,on behalf of thePlantagenetKing,Edward Longshanks,during hisConquest of Walesin 1282–83.[11]

Thereafter, they avoided his campaign of extermination against theWelsh Royal Housesand even exchanged their claims to royalty for an English Lordship at theParliament of Shrewsburyin 1283.[12]They were displaced by theLords of Mortimersin the early 14th century, until a momentary reascension of the House during the 15th century, following theWelsh Revoltled by the Prince of Wales,Owain Glyndŵr,againstPrince Henryand KingHenry IV of England,of the RoyalHouse of Lancaster.Glyndwr combined the claims of the Houses of Mathrafal andDinefwr,with links to theHouse of Aberffraw.[13]

Welsh Revolt[edit]

The rebellions were supported by the French RoyalHouse of Valois,and were an attempt not only at gaining the independence of Wales, but also theredivisionof England to their relatives, theHouse of Percyand theMortimers.[14][15]Despite being crowned asOwain IV of Walesin 1404, and having taking control of all Wales, and having created the first Welsh parliament atHarlech Castle,they eventually lost the war to the English forces ofHenry IVandHenry V.[16]

Nonetheless, their efforts didn't go in vain, as their rebellion gave rise to the first Welsh Kings of England, the RoyalHouse of Tudor.[17]The Tudors were their cousins on their mother'sside, through theTudors of Penmynydd,who fought with them during the rebellions, such aSir Owen Tudor,the second husband of QueenCatherine of France.[18]Glyndŵrwas also the wealthiest Welshman in Wales before his downfall in 1415, and captured number of Longshanks’smain castlessuch asConwy,HarlechandBeaumaris,and besiegedCaernarfon.[19][20]

This historic period would later be immortalized byWilliam Shakespearein his playHenry IV, Part 1andPart 2,featuring "Owen Glendower"as a character.[21]The plays depict the wars between his family andPrince Hal,futureHenry V,and other historical events. Other characters featured include his daughter,Lady Mortimer,his son-in-law,Sir Edmund Mortimer,and in-lawsHenry Hotspur PercyandLady Percy.The plays were succeeded by "Henry V'"and are part of Shakespeare'sHenriad.

Succession[edit]

Vaughans of Corsygedol[edit]

See also:Family tree of Welsh monarchs

The House was succeeded by the descendants of princeOwain Glyndŵrand his brother, lordTudur ap Gruffudd,through the Vaughans ofCorsygedolinSnowdonia,North Wales.[22][23]The Vaughans would become strong supporters of theLancastersduring theWars of the Roses,holdingHarlech Castlefor theTudorsas well as supporting the futureHenry VIIand his uncleJasper Tudor,hiding them atCorsygedolduring their exile to France.[24][25]After the Tudor victory, they were given positions of power such asEsquire of the BodytoHenry Tudor,governor ofCilgerran Castlein Wales, and became one of the official representatives of the Tudor State within the locality under QueenElizabeth I.[26][25][27][28]

They are today represented by its derivative branches; theHouse of Yale(Yale family) and theHughes of Gwerclas,who act as co-representatives of the dynasty.[29][30][31][32][33]They are also the co-representatives of the Sovereign dynasties ofNorth Wales(Gwynedd) andSouth Wales(Dinefwr), havingtheir genealogiestraced back to theRomano-BritishrulerCunedda.[34][35][36][37][38]The Vaughans, Yales, and Hughes of Gwerclas, are also cadet branches of theFitzGerald DynastythroughOsborne Fitzgerald,and direct descendants of thePlantagenets.[39][40][41][42]Their ancestor, lordGerald de Windsor,was anAnglo-Norman,son of the 1st governor ofWindsor CastleforWilliam the Conqueror,and ancestor of the currentDuke of Leinsterin Ireland.[43][44]Notably, he married a Welsh princess namedNesta,daughter of kingRhys ap Tudor,of theHouse of Dinefwr.

TheWynn baronets,who are today represented by theWilliams-Wynns,are related to Mathrafal through theprinces of Aberffrawand theWynne familyof Peniarth, and theJones of Faerdref Uchafthrough theHughes of Gwerclas.[45][46]A descendant, Mary Wynn, daughter of the4th Baronet,marriedRobert Bertie, 1st Duke of AncasterofGrimsthorpe Castle,and passed theWynnstay Estateto her cousin,Sir John Wynn, 5th Baronet.[47]

Ancestry[edit]

Along with the Royal Houses ofAberffraw,Dinefwr,andSeisyll,the House of Mathrafal traced their descent from KingMerfyn the Oppressorwho, along with his son, KingRhodri the Great,established control over northern and western Wales.[48][49]Rhodri replacedKingCyngen ap Cadellas ruler of theKingdom of Powysafter the latter died while on a pilgrimage toRome.[50]His father, Merfyn, had previously allied his family with the last rulers of Powys by marrying PrincessNest,the daughter or sister of King Cyngen.[51][note 1]

In Welsh tradition, her family was of the RoyalHouse of Gwertherion,and had been ruling Powys since the 5th century, through the marriage of an ancestor,Vortigern,the High king, toSevira,the daughter of the Roman Emperor,Magnus Maximus.[54][55][56]Maximus, a relative of the ImperialTheodosian dynasty,is featured on thePillar of Eliseg,erected in the lordship ofYaleby kingCyngen of Powys(b. 790). Itssub-Romancapital was atViroconium,a Roman city that been founded by Caesar'sLegio XIV Gemina,and abandoned later byLegio XX Valeria,for the fortress atDeva Victrix(Chester) duringRoman Britain.[57][58][59]

As a consequence of Merfyn's alliance, King Cyngen's legitimate heirs were either exiled or reduced to the level of minor land owners (e.g., the family ofSir Gruffudd Vychan).[60]Yet, one of the last Kings of Powys,Cadell ap Brochfael,maternal great-grandfather ofBleddyn ap Cynfyn,the first King of the House of Mathrafal, claimed descent from Cyngen's son Aeddan, who seems to have ruled straight after.

Other noble families claimed descent from another of Cyngen's sons,Elisedd,who is mentioned as killing his older brotherGruffyddin theAnnales Cambriae.It is therefore likely that Gwynedd'shegemonyover Powys was merelypropaganda,intended to glorifyGwyneddat the expense of Powys before the time of PrinceOwain Gwynedd.Therefore, there was a lot of political instability as the House had to rule two Kingdoms, Powys and Gwynedd.

In the traditional accounts,Rhodri the Greatdivided his Kingdom among his sons and gavePowysto his youngest, PrinceMerfyn.KingCadellinCeredigionthen dispossessed his brother and added Powys to his inheritance.[61]It is possible, however, that Powys remained independent until its 916 annexation by Cadell's sonHywel Dda,who also conqueredDyfedandGwyneddand established what has become known as the realm ofDeheubarth.On the death of Hywel's grandson in 999,Maredudd ab Owain,the realm splintered: Irishmenusurped Gwyneddandfalsely passedthemselves off as Maredudd's heir in Dyfed. These were removed by KingLlywelyn ap Seisyll,from a cadet branch of the Aberffraw line in thecommoteofRhuddlan.

InWelsh folklore,Mathrafal, as representative of theHouse of Gwynedd,claimed descent through theHarleian genealogiesfromBeli Mawr,an ancestral figure in Welsh royal genealogies, related toCassivellaunus,a historical Celtic king who led the defence againstJulius Caesarduring his secondinvasion of Britainin 54 BC.[62][63][64]InWelsh mythology,starting from Beli Mawr, their genealogies claimed descent in theWelsh TriadsandHistoria Brittonum,written about 828 by Celtic monkNennius,fromBrutus of Troy,the legendaryfounder of Britain,descendant of the Trojan heroAeneas,founder of Rome inGreco-Roman mythology.[65][66]

Members[edit]

Powis Castle,ancient seat of the Princes ofPowys Wenwynwyn,now in theHerbert family,their kinsmen
TheWelsh RevoltofOwain GlyndŵrandTudur ap Gruffuddwhich lasted from 1400 to 1415
Main article:list of kings of Powys

Members of the Mathrafal Dynasty include:[67]

Last Prince of Powys[edit]

Ruins ofValle Crucis Abbey,ancient religious center ofYale
Conwy Castle,was captured byRhys ap TudurandGwilym ap Tudur,of theTudors of Penmynydd,their cousins

Notes[edit]

  1. ^The view that Ethyllt was Merfyn's mother and Nest his wife is held byDavies[52]and many others, including David E. Thornton[51]andLloyd,[53]who notes the consistency of the genealogies inJesus College MS 20 from Oxford universityandHarleian MS 3859against the contrary account that Nest was the mother and Ethyllt the wife. Thornton gives Nest as Cadell's sister.[51]

References[edit]

  1. ^Ulwencreutz, Lars (2013).The Royal Families in Europe V: A Brief History of the Ruling Houses During The Last 2000 years,From the House of La Tour d'Auvergne to the House of Zähringen, p. 50
  2. ^The Houses of Cunedda and Rhodri Mawr,Welsh Medieval Law: The Laws of Howell the Good (1909) by Hywel ap Cadell, translated by Arthur Wade Wade-Evans.
  3. ^Lloyd, John Edward (1911),A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest,vol. I (2nd ed.), London: Longmans, Green, and Co (published 1912), p. 323-325
  4. ^"RCAHMW: In the steps of Owain Glyndwr".rcahmw.gov.uk.Royal Commission on the ancient and historical monuments of wales.Retrieved2022-10-31.
  5. ^Shakespeare’s Princes of Wales,England’s Hope? Shadowed Heirs in Shakespeare’s Histories, Oxford Academic, Marisa R. Cull, 2014, p.52–82
  6. ^Chapter Twenty-One, Wales and West Britain, John Reuben Davis, page 346
  7. ^A Companion to Britain in the Early Middle Ages: Britain and Ireland c. 500–1100, edited by Pauline Stafford (Oxford: Blackwell, 2009), pp. 341–357
  8. ^Davies, John (1990). History of Wales. Penguin.
  9. ^Ulwencreutz's The Royal Families in Europe V, page 50-51
  10. ^Davies, John (2007).History of Wales.Penguin Books.
  11. ^Chapter Twenty-One, Wales and West Britain, John Reuben Davis
  12. ^Ulwencreutz's The Royal Families in Europe V, page 51
  13. ^Davies 1990,p.194.
  14. ^Owen Glendower (Owen Glyn Dŵr). By J. E. Lloyd. 9 × 6. Pp. xiv + 161. Oxford: at the Clarendon Press, 1931. 10s. 6d.
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  17. ^The History Press, Three things you might not know about Owain Glyndŵr
  18. ^The History Press, Three things you might not know about Owain Glyndŵr
  19. ^The National Library of Wales, Pennal Letter: Wales’ important role in European politics
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  • Lewys Dwnn Heraldic Visitations of Wales and Part of the Marches between the years 1586 and 1613

Sources[edit]

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