Cadwgan ap Bleddyn

Coat of arms of Cadwgan ap Bleddyn

Cadwgan ap Bleddyn († 1111 ) was a prince of the Welsh principality of Powys .

Life

He was the second son of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn and an unknown mother. Presumably he inherited part of Powys after his father's death in 1075. He is first mentioned in 1088 when he attacked the Principality of Deheubarth together with his brothers Madog and Rhiryd and drove its prince Rhys ap Tewdwr into exile. In the same year, however, Rhys returned from Ireland with military support and put the three brothers to battle at Llech-y-crau . Madog and Rhiryd fell while Cadwgan escaped. After Rhys himself fell in battle against the Anglo- Normans in 1093 , Cadwgan sacked Dyfed in May of that year . To protect himself against the Anglo- Normen, Cadwgan married the daughter of Picot de Sai , an Anglo-Norman lord of Clun . But already in the spring of 1094 he took part in the general Welsh uprising, defeated the Anglo-Normans in the Battle of Coed Yspwys and together with Gruffydd ap Cynan von Gwynedd defended the island of Anglesey . In 1096 he was able to capture and destroy Cardigan Castle .

In 1098, however, a targeted Anglo-Norman counterattack took place from Chester and Shrewsbury , which is why Cadwgan had to flee to Ireland together with Gruffydd ap Cynan. However, after one of the Norman leaders, Hugh of Montgomery, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury in the fight against the Norwegian King Magnus III. Cadwgan returned in 1099 and made peace with the new Earl of Shrewsbury, Robert of Bellême, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury, and became ruler of part of Powys and Ceredigion under Anglo-Norman suzerainty . In 1102, together with his brothers Iorwerth and Maredudd ap Bleddyn, he supported Roberts of Bellême's revolt against the new King Henry I , but he changed sides in good time before the revolt was put down. Not only was he allowed to keep his possessions, but was even able to expand his territory after Robert of Bellême lost his possessions and his brothers Maredudd and Iorwerth were captured. Cadwgan could not hold his position, however, as his rule was shaken by violence and feuds within his family. The feuds of his son Owain in particular led to the loss of his power, especially when Owain attacked a castle, probably Cilgerran or Carew Castle, of the Anglo-Norman nobleman Gerald of Windsor at Christmas 1108 or 1109 and robbed Gerald's wife Nest ferch Rhys . In response, Richard de Belmais , the royal representative in Shrewsbury, hired Cadwgan's nephew Madog Cadwgan to evict. Cadwgan escaped by ship and then lived in hiding in Powys. He was only given control of Ceredigion back on payment of a fine of £ 100 and an assurance not to support his son any further. After Owain had killed William of Brabant, a leader of the Flemish settlers in Wales, in 1110, Cadwgan also lost Ceredigion again, which was occupied by the Anglo-Norman Lord Gilbert de Clare . Cadwagn was now a landless prince and at the mercy of the Anglo-Normans. In the following year his brother Iorwerth, who was meanwhile again ruler of part of the southern Powys, was murdered by his nephew Madog ap Rhiryd. Thereupon the king gave Cadwgan the rule of the land to his brother, but also Cadwgan was shortly afterwards murdered by Madog near Welshpool .

The Ogam Stone on Caldey Island with an inscription probably added by Cadwgan

Family and offspring

With his Norman wife, he had two sons, Henry and Gruffydd. He also had at least five sons and a daughter of at least four other women, including Gwenllian, a daughter of Gruffydd ap Cynan:

• Owain († 1116)
• Madog
• Oneion († 1123)
• Morgan († 1128)
• Maredudd († 1124)

Others

In the church on Caldey Island off the south coast of Wales there is an ogam stone with a Latin inscription, which was probably added at the instigation of Cadwgan.

Web links

• Oxford DNB: Bleddyn ap Cynfyn
• Welsh Biography Online: Cadwgan ap Bleddyn

predecessor	Office	successor
Madog ap Bleddyn	Prince of Powys 1088–1111	Owain ap Cadwgan