Rhys Fychan († 1302)

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Rhys Fychan († 1302 ), actually Rhys ap Rhys ap Maelgwn , was a Welsh lord from the Dinefwr dynasty .

Rhys Fychan was a son of Rhys ap Maelgwn , the eldest son of Maelgwn Fychan . Since his father had already died in 1255, after the death of his grandfather in 1257, he and his older brother Llywelyn inherited his rule Is Aeron , a part of the former principality of Deheubarth in the north of Ceredigion . After Llywelyn had died in 1265, Rhys Fychan became sole lord of the small estate.

He was a loyal ally of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd , the Prince of Wales. During Edward I's first campaign against Wales in 1276, his empire was conquered by a superior English army. He surrendered in early May along with most of the other Welsh Lords of Deheubarth and had to pay homage to the king on July 1st in Worcester . However, when Edmund of Lancaster reached Llanbadarn with an army before July 25, 1276 and began building Aberystwyth Castle there , Rhys Fychan fled to Lord Llywelyn in Gwynned , so that his land was confiscated. After the English victory he stayed in Gwynned and, in May 1278, together with some other Welsh lords, paid homage again to Prince Llywelyn. During the Welsh uprising in March 1282 , he and his distant cousin Gruffydd ap Maredudd conquered Aberystwyth Castle by ruse. He was able to briefly recapture his empire before he had to retreat again to the mountainous region of Gwynedd from the overwhelming British forces. He surrendered to the English king in early 1283. Dafydd ap Gruffydd tried in May to persuade him to continue resistance by promising him areas in Ceredigion that were already occupied by English troops. He was captured by the King in August 1283 and remained in captivity at Windsor Castle until his death . The king paid for his funeral.

He had several children including:

  1. Maelgwn
  2. Rhys
  3. Gruffydd

His three sons were among the leaders of the Welsh revolt of 1294 . Maelgwn fell towards the end of the uprising, Rhys and Gruffydd were captured and incarcerated in Norwich Castle , where they were still alive in 1308.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Michael Prestwich: Edward I. University of California, Berkeley 1988, ISBN 0-520-06266-3 , p. 177
  2. ^ Michael Prestwich: Edward I. University of California, Berkeley 1988, ISBN 0-520-06266-3 , p. 179
  3. Michael Prestwich: Edward I. University of California, Berkeley 1988, ISBN 0-520-06266-3 , p. 187
  4. ^ David A. Carpenter: The struggle for mastery. Britain, 1066-1284. Oxford University Press, Oxford 2003. ISBN 978-0-19-522000-1 , p. 507
  5. ^ Michael Prestwich: Edward I. University of California Press, Berkeley 1988. ISBN 0-520-06266-3 , p. 203
  6. ^ Welsh Biography Online: Maelgwn ap Rhys. Retrieved June 12, 2014 .