Gruffydd Llwyd

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Sir Gruffydd Llwyd (also Gruffudd Llwyd ; actually Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Gruffydd from Ednyfed ; † before July 12, 1335 ) was a Welsh military and civil servant.

Origin and youth

Gruffydd Llwyd came from a family of Welsh gentry . He was a son of the landowner Rhys ap Gruffydd , so he was a great-grandson of Ednyfed Fychan , the seneschal of the Welsh Prince Llywelyn from Iorwerth . Despite this descent, his father Rhys ap Gruffydd and his uncle Sir Hywel ap Gruffydd fought on the side of the English during the conquest of Wales by King Edward I , while Hywel ap Gruffydd was killed in the Battle of Menai Strait in November 1282 . From him he inherited Gruffydd Llwyd Llanrhystud in Cardiganshire , after the death of his father in 1284 he inherited his rule Tregarnedd on the island of Anglesey as well as properties in the north of Denbighshire , Llansadwrn in Carmarthen and other properties in North Wales. Young Gruffydd was part of the household of Queen Eleanor of England . Before 1283 he moved to the king's household as a yeoman .

Service as military and civil servant under Eduard I.

From 1294 to 1295, Gruffydd was a member of the army that put down the Welsh rebellion led by Madog ap Llywelyn . However, he was arrested himself in 1295, allegedly for intrigue, and remained in prison for six months. In 1297 he had regained the king's trust, so that he commanded a contingent of North Welsh archers and foot soldiers during the king's campaign to Flanders . In the next few years he frequently raised troop contingents in North Wales for the campaigns in the war against Scotland . During the campaigns of 1301 and 1306 he himself was part of the army of Edward , the Prince of Wales. Through his military service, Gruffydd was able to advance socially. Before 1301 he was knighted. From 1301 to 1305 he was sheriff of Caernarvonshire , making him the first Welshman to serve as sheriff for the English in North Wales. From 1305 to 1306 he was Sheriff of Anglesey.

Leading Welsh Official of the Crown in North Wales under Edward II.

The heir to the throne and future King Edward II had full confidence in Gruffydd, who had paid homage to him when he was promoted to Prince of Wales in 1301 . From 1308 to 1310 Gruffydd was again sheriff of Caernarvonshire, to 1307 he was overseer of the royal forests in North Wales and served from 1314 as sheriff of Merionethshire . When northern England was threatened by Scottish raids after 1314 and a Scottish army under Edward Bruce landed in Ireland in 1315 , Gruffydd played an important role in Wales. The English feared that the Welsh, stimulated by the crisis in Ireland , might dare to rebel again. For the defense of Wales officials were now appointed who should heed the advice of influential Welshmen, especially Gruffydd Llwyd. Gruffydd Llwyd then took part in deliberations of the Privy Council at Clipstone , Nottinghamshire, on the situation in Wales. The results of these discussions formed the basis of the decrees that during the Parliament of Lincoln were decided in early 1316th The edicts were intended to alleviate the discontent of the Welsh people, but after their promulgation, Llywelyn Bren revolted in Glamorgan . The Privy Council feared that the revolt would spread to other parts of Wales and that Scottish troops from Ireland could invade Wales in support of the rebellion. As a result, North Welsh contingents of troops, who were already under the command of Gruffydd Llwyd on duty in Scotland, were ordered in Chester to return to Wales in order to be available to repel a Scottish attack.

Fall and Captivity

Although the Privy Council apparently listened to Gruffydd's assessments and wanted to use his influence, he was probably arrested again in Rhuddlan in December 1316 . He lost his offices and was imprisoned for eighteen months. In 1318 he asked for information about the charges on which he had been incarcerated, but the reasons were never disclosed. In fact, Gruffydd had been in contact with Edward Bruce, who had urged the Celtic Irish and Welsh to ally against the English. The intention of Gruffydd's reply to this letter is unclear. He wrote his reply shortly after his old opponent Roger Mortimer of Chirk was reappointed justiciar for Wales. Apparently he had not been averse to an alliance between the Welsh and the Scots, and he may have been the victim of intrigue.

Chirk Castle, conquered by Welsh under Gruffydd Llwydd in late 1321 or early 1322

Role in the Despenser War

In spring 1321 the so-called Despenser War broke out in South Wales , a rebellion of the English Marcher Lords against the royal favorite Hugh le Despenser . The Marcher Lords had the support of the Welsh from their lords. On the other hand, Roger Mortimer of Chirk, one of the leading Marcher Lords, was particularly hated among the Welsh in the areas under royal administration. The king asked Gruffydd and his relative Rhys ap Gruffydd in November 1321 to raise an army for him to put down the rebellion. Gruffydd did this quickly and began attacking the castles of the rebellious Marcher Lords. The Welsh not only conquered Mortimer's castle Chirk , but also other castles of the Marcher Lords with Holt and Powis Castle . At the same time the king advanced with an army from Gloucestershire against the Marcher Lords. Attacked from two sides, their resistance collapsed in early 1322. Troops led by Gruffydd then attacked the rebellious Earl of Lancaster's holdings in north Wales. That same year Gruffydd led a Welsh contingent to Scotland, with his eldest son Gruffydd dying.

Further support from Edward II, last years and death

Gruffydd remained a loyal supporter of Edward II. When Roger Mortimer of Wigmore and Queen Isabelle landed in England in September 1326 and overthrew the king's reign, Gruffydd was among those whom the king turned for help. In fact, in the Welsh Marches, the king was captured by Mortimer's supporters. The overthrow of the king was to be legitimized by a parliament in early 1327. The Welsh Crown Lands were reluctant to send MPs to this Parliament, and resistance to this Parliament was particularly high in Merioneth, where Gruffydd had been sheriff again since 1321. Instead, a group of Welsh men tried unsuccessfully to free the captured king from Berkeley Castle . Gruffydd himself was among the thirteen prisoners who were incarcerated at Caernarfon Castle for their opposition to the deposition of the king , and he lost his position as sheriff. In 1331 Gruffydd supported his ally Hywel ap Gruffydd when the latter accused William Shalford of assisting in the murder of Edward II in front of the King's Bench . After that, little is known of Gruffydd. Presumably because of his poor health, he was exempted from service in the war against Scotland in 1335.

Offspring and aftermath

Gruffydd had married Gwenllian, a daughter of Cynan ap Maredudd . He had seven daughters and two daughters, including:

  • Gruffydd († 1322)
  • Ieuan

Gruffydd's heir became his surviving son, Ieuan, who was, however, a clergyman and later became Archdeacon of Anglesey. The lords of Abermarlais , Carmarthenshire, were descended from Gruffydd in the female line.

Erroneously, Gruffydd was portrayed as a Welsh patriot until the 19th century, fighting against English supremacy in 1321. Welsh bard Gwilym Ddu wrote two poems about Gruffydd's captivity from 1316 to 1318, portraying it as an injustice. In a poem he wrote for Gruffydd's wife, the bard Casnodyn asked God for assistance so that Gruffydd might be released.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ J. Beverley Smith: Edward II and the allegiance of Wales. In: Welsh History Review , 8 (1976-7), p. 142
  2. ^ Rees R. Davies: The Age of Conquest. Wales 1063-1415. Oxford University Press, Oxford 1991, ISBN 0-19-820198-2 , p. 399
  3. ^ Dictionary of Welsh Biography: GRUFFYDD LLWYD. Retrieved May 15, 2018 .
  4. ^ J. Beverley Smith: Edward II and the allegiance of Wales. In: Welsh History Review , 8 (1976-7), p. 148.
  5. ^ J. Beverley Smith: Edward II and the allegiance of Wales. In: Welsh History Review , 8 (1976-7), p. 150.
  6. ^ J. Beverley Smith: Edward II and the allegiance of Wales. In: Welsh History Review , 8 (1976-7), p. 154
  7. ^ Rees R. Davies: The Age of Conquest. Wales 1063-1415. Oxford University Press, Oxford 1991, ISBN 0-19-820198-2 , p. 387
  8. ^ J. Beverley Smith: Edward II and the allegiance of Wales. In: Welsh History Review , 8 (1976-7), p. 156
  9. ^ Ian Mortimer: The greatest traitor. The Life of Sir Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, Ruler of England, 1327-1330. Pimlico, London 2003, ISBN 0-7126-9715-2 , p. 114
  10. ^ Rees R. Davies: The Age of Conquest. Wales 1063-1415. Oxford University Press, Oxford 1991, ISBN 0-19-820198-2 , p. 410
personal data
SURNAME Gruffydd Llwyd
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gruffudd Llwyd; Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Gruffydd from Ednyfed
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Welsh military and civil servant
DATE OF BIRTH 13th Century
DATE OF DEATH before July 12, 1335