Gruffydd ap Rhydderch
Encyclopedia
Gruffydd ap Rhydderch was a king of Gwent and part of the kingdom of Morgannwg in south Wales
and later king of Deheubarth.
Gruffydd was the son of Rhydderch ab Iestyn
who had been able to take over the kingdom of Deheubarth from 1023 to 1033. Already king of part of Morgannwg, Gruffydd became involved with Deheubarth when that kingdom was taken over from Hywel ab Edwin
by Gruffydd ap Llywelyn
, already king of Gwynedd
, in 1044. Gruffydd ap Rhydderch was however able to expel him in 1045 and became king of Deheubarth himself. He was said to be a powerful king who stoutly resisted raids by the Danes and attacks by Gruffydd ap Llywelyn. In 1055 however Gruffydd ap Llywelyn killed him in battle and recaptured Deheubarth.
In 1049 he is reported raiding up the River Severn
in alliance with an Irish Viking Fleet.
His son Caradog ap Gruffydd
also attempted to emulate his father and grandfather by gaining control of Deheubarth, but was killed at the Battle of Mynydd Carn
.
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...
and later king of Deheubarth.
Gruffydd was the son of Rhydderch ab Iestyn
Rhydderch ab Iestyn
Rhydderch ap Iestyn was king of Gwent and Morgannwg in south Wales and later took over the kingdom of Deheubarth and controlled Powys....
who had been able to take over the kingdom of Deheubarth from 1023 to 1033. Already king of part of Morgannwg, Gruffydd became involved with Deheubarth when that kingdom was taken over from Hywel ab Edwin
Hywel ab Edwin
Hywel ab Edwin was king of Deheubarth in south Wales from 1033.Hywel was the son of Edwin ab Einion and great-grandson of Hywel Dda. When the previous king, Rhydderch ap Iestyn, who had usurped the throne, died in 1033 Hywel became king of Deheubarth, sharing the realm with his brother Maredudd.On...
by Gruffydd ap Llywelyn
Gruffydd ap Llywelyn
Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was the ruler of all Wales from 1055 until his death, the only Welsh monarch able to make this boast...
, already king of Gwynedd
Kingdom of Gwynedd
Gwynedd was one petty kingdom of several Welsh successor states which emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain in the Early Middle Ages, and later evolved into a principality during the High Middle Ages. It was based on the former Brythonic tribal lands of the Ordovices, Gangani, and the...
, in 1044. Gruffydd ap Rhydderch was however able to expel him in 1045 and became king of Deheubarth himself. He was said to be a powerful king who stoutly resisted raids by the Danes and attacks by Gruffydd ap Llywelyn. In 1055 however Gruffydd ap Llywelyn killed him in battle and recaptured Deheubarth.
In 1049 he is reported raiding up the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
in alliance with an Irish Viking Fleet.
His son Caradog ap Gruffydd
Caradog ap Gruffydd
Caradog ap Gruffydd was a Prince of Gwent in south-east Wales who made repeated attempts to gain power over all of southern Wales by seizing the Kingdom of Deheubarth.- Lineage :...
also attempted to emulate his father and grandfather by gaining control of Deheubarth, but was killed at the Battle of Mynydd Carn
Battle of Mynydd Carn
The Battle of Mynydd Carn took place in 1081, as part of a dynastic struggle for control of the Welsh kingdoms of Gwynedd and Deheubarth. The result of the battle had a radical effect on the history of Wales....
.