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Date Posted: 01:40:02 10/18/12 Thu
Author Host/IP: 98-159-200-219.scottsboro.org/98.159.200.219
Post 312 A: The Welch Princely House of Mathrafal
A look at a family history. To the simpleminded and or the childish there is only bad and good. To the mature and more experienced at life's lessons it's much more complicated.
There is always an agenda that usually if not always involves money, power and influence. Every history involves intrigue, backstabbing (figuratively and literally), compromise (deal making), double dealing, treachery, treason, assassination, harassment and outright murder.
For my ancestors I have found it to be no less so. There always seem to be the matter of fighting over every foot of land and every ounce of power. Here we find mans true nature in jockeying for position. The rich and the poor, strong and weak, common and not so common, proud and prejudice. What we see constantly are groups of people sticking together for their common benefit; or plotting and scheming against each other for their common destruction. As you may or may not know from Post 303 A. Lately I have found that my family are descendants of the Charleton or Cherleton family of England. Apparently descendants of the first Baron John De Charleton of Powys, Wales.
My most immediate ancestor of this line is Mary Ann Charleton or Ann Charleton as she may otherwise be known. Ann Charleton is my great grandmother ten generations removed. She was the wife of Col. Edmund Scarborough of Virginia, married about 1638 to 1640, and the mother of William Scarborough, born 1640.
John De Cherleton, (born 1268) 1st Lord Cherleton of Powis, North Wales, married Hawise, the daughter of Owain ap Gruffydd, the Prince de jure of Powys Wenwynwyn. Research has it that Owain ap Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn was born in England about 1257 after his father, Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn, had been driven into exile in England by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, ruler of Gwynedd. Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn, Welch Prince of Powys Wenwynwyn, was born about 1203 to 1213. This was the second exile of this family. Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn was a child in 1216 when his father, Gwenwynwyn ab Owain, died in exile in England after being forced out of his Powys princedom by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd who in his greed and lust for power by force of the sword took Powys Wenwynwyn from its lawful ruler. Llywelyn's land grabbing had made him unpopular with the other Welch princes, especially those in south Wales. No doubt Llywelyn found an opportunity for military exploitation. Much as any thief finds an open window to gladden his evil heart. Llywelyn thus styled himself "Llywelyn the Great" or "Llywelyn Mawr." The House of Mathrafal was in a struggle throughout the twelfth and thirteenth centuries to retain its land in Powys. They were being squeezed by force of the Norman Marcher (border) lords on one side and a resurgent of the Welch principality of Gwynedd on the other.
Mathrafal's leader Madog ap Maredudd died after 1160 and his son and heir, Llywelwelyn was killed in battle. The realm was divided between north Powys, known as Powys-Fadog, and south Powys, known as Powys-Wenwynwyn. The division weakened Powys dramatically. Fadog favored supporting Gwynedd and their aspirations of independents. This meant supporting Owain Gwynedd, Llywelyn Fawr and Dafydd ap Llywelyn. Powys Wenwynwyn was opposed to Gwynedd on all accounts, mostly for their false claims of their principality. By 1263 Powys Fadog had recognized Llywelyn (the Last) ap Gruffydd as Prince of Wales. By 1274 Prince Gruffydd ap Gwewynwyn allied himself with the English king, the only force strong enough to counter Llywelyn.
After being exiled for supporting the King of England,
the family of Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn was maintained in England by the English king, Henry III. After Llywelyn died Gruffydd returned to Wales. In 1241 Llwelyn's successor, Dafydd ap Llywelyn, was forced to compromise with king Henry III of England. For paying homage to king Henry Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn was given back most of the lands that had been held by his father, Gwenwynwyn ab Owain. Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn married Margaret Corbet and or Hawise LeStrange about c. 1255 or 56. Their son and presumptive heir to the principality of Powys Wenwynwyn was Owain ap Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn, born c. 1257, died c. 1293. Either he or his father, Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn, had changed the family surname to 'de la Pole'. This meant "of the Pool" which is the old form of the present day name of "Welchpool." This was the capital of Powys Wenwynwyn.
Founded in 854, in the early days. The House of Dinefwr was the Royal Welch House that ruled Seisyllwg by the descendants of Cadell ap Rhodri King of Seisyllwg, son of Rhodri the Great (Mawr), King of the Britons (Wales). After the death of Rhodri ap Merfyn (the Great) the kingdom of Gwynedd was inherited by his eldest son Anarawd ap Rhodri. The second son, Cadell ap Rhodri, took position of the kingdom of Dyfed (Dinefwr). The family name of the House of Dinefwr is from a citadel that the capital was built around. The kingdoms of Dyfed and Seisyllwg would unit to become the kingdom of Deheubarth under king Hywel Dda in the 10th century. Powys would be ruled at different time between the House of Deheubarth and the House of Aberffraw. The princely House of Mathrafal is a cadet branch of the House of Dinefwr.
Anarawd ap Rhodri, King of Britons, had his kingdom of Gwynedd invaded by AEthelred, Earl of Mercia in 881. With much loss of life Anarawd was able to defeat him at the mouth of the River Conwy. It was looked on as vengeance for the death of king Rhodri the Great who had died in battle against the earldom of Mercia. Anarawd made an alliance with the king of York, a Dane, to bolster his forces should Mercia attack again. This alliance proved to be rather worthless. Anarawd ap Rhodri then made a better alliance with King Alfred the Great. With Saxon allies and King Alfred at his back Anarawd decimated Ceredigion and Ystrad Tywi, which was held by his brother Cadell ap Rhodri, first Prince of the House of Dinefwr in or about the year 895.
The princely House of Mathrafal in Powys continued in the person of Bleffyn ap Cynfyn, king of Powys and Gwynedd, died 1075. He became king of Gwynedd when Gruffudd ap Llywelyn died in 1063. Having acquired Gwynedd to add to their possession of Powys, the House of Mathrafal would jockey for position with their cousin House of Aberffraw and Dinefwr until the final conquest of Wales by England in 1284.
No doubt Gwynedd and Powys were split again in a later inheritance. This occurred in the time of Maredudd ap Bleddyn, born 1047. Maredudd's father, Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, king of Powys and Gwynedd, was killed in 1075. There were three sons who would inheirt, Iorwerth, Cadwgan and Maredudd. The brothers held their lands as vassals of Robert de Belleme, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury. The Earl rose in rebellion against King Henry I when called to court to answer charges. The three brothers initially rose in rebellion also to support their overlord. King Henry sent his deputy, William Pantulf, to bribe Iorwerth with promises of large tracks of land to switch sides. Thus, well bribed, Iorwerth led a Welch force that would defeat and banish Earl Robert de Belleme. He then captured his own brother, Maredudd and handed him over to King Henry. In 1077 Maredudd escaped. In his absents Maredudd's nephew, Owain ap Cadwgan, taken over as prince of Powys. Maredudd could only act as his captain of the guard. In 1114 King Henry invaded Wales. Maredudd chose to make peace with King Henry. But his brash nephew Owain chose to fight against the King. As a result Owain was killed in 1116 and Maredudd was again Prince of Powys.
As has already been mentioned, The first exile of the family of the House of Mathrafal (de la Pole) in the person of Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn, Prince of Powys Gwenwynwyn, was caused by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd the ruler of Gwynedd probably for daring to continue to compete for the overall lordship of Wales. This even after their seat of power, Mathrafal Castle, had been totally destroyed by Gwynedd in 1212.
Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn c. 1203 - 1286, had supported the English crown. This appears to be much of the cause of his exile to England. This first exile was the result of an effort to push back against the grasping of Llywelyn. After the treaty of Montgomery in 1263 Prince Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn had some of his lands restored for paying homage to Llywelyn ap Gruffudd as Prince of Wales. This treaty was short-lived. Llywelyn's brother, Dafydd ap Gruffydd, promised to give Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn lands once he, Dafydd, was Prince of Wales, if Gruffydd would assassinate Dafydd's brother, Llywelyn. The plot was hatched in 1274 and involved Gruffydd, his wife Hawise, and their son Owain ap Gruffydd. The date set for the assassination was February 2nd, 1274. But a snowstorm prevented the assassination from taking place. The plot was not discovered by Llywelyn until months later. The discovery apparently occurred because Owain confessed to the Bishop of Bangor. Llywelyn sent for Gruffydd to appear before him to answer. But Gruffydd fled to England with his wife Hawise and son Owain. Gruffydd used Shrewsbury to lead raids on Llywelyn's border lands, supported by the king of England. Again a war occurred between the king of England and the Prince of Wales in 1277. As a result Gruffydd was restored to his lands in Powys Wenwynwyn.
Llywelyn and Gruffydd were involved in an increasingly bitter dispute over the lands of Arwystli. King Edward I of England was supported by Gruffydd in the final Welch War of 1282. After the annexation of Wales King Edward I and the council of Shrewsbury abolished the title 'Prince of Powys- Wenwynwyn'. The de la Pole family were reestablished as Marcher Lords. 20,5,12,20,1,12,8,5,1,18,20.
The daughter of Owain ap Gruffydd [de la Pole] and Joan Corbet was Hawise de la Pole. Hawise married John De Cherleton, first Lord Cherleton of Powys. These, as best as I can tell, are my ancestors. One never knows what history will be found when one goes digging into genealogy. I have written this as much for my family as for anyone else. Good luck on all your searches. - M.D. Barnes, a.k.a. teltalheart www.voy.com/40560/
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