List of rulers of Gwynedd explained

This is a list of the rulers of the Kingdom of Gwynedd. Many of them were also acclaimed "King of the Britons" or "Prince of Wales".

List of Kings or Princes of Gwynedd

House of Cunedda

• Cunedda (Cunedda the Imperator) (c. 450 – c. 460).^[1]
• Einion Yrth ap Cunedda (Einion the Impetuous) (c. 470 – c. 480).
  • Owain Danwyn (Owain Whitetooth) ap Einion (Rhos; late 5th century).
  • Cuneglasus (Rhos) and St Einion (Llŷn) ap Owain (late 5th and early 6th centuries).
• Cadwallon Lawhir ap Einion (Cadwallon Long Hand) (c. 500 – c. 534).
• Maelgwn Gwynedd (c. 520 – c. 547).^[2]
• Rhun Hir ap Maelgwn (Rhun the Tall) (c. 547 – c. 580).^[3]
• Beli ap Rhun (c. 580 – c. 599).^[3]
• Iago ap Beli (c. 599 – c. 616).
• Cadfan ap Iago (c. 616 – c. 625).^[4]
• Cadwallon ap Cadfan (c. 625 – 634).^[5]
• Cadafael, King of Gwynedd (Cadfael the Battle-Shirker) (634 – c. 655).
• Cadwaladr (Cadwallader the Blessed) (c. 655 – c. 682).^[6]
• Idwal Iwrch (Idwal the Roebuck) (c. 682 – c. 720).
• Rhodri Molwynog (Rhodri the Bald and Grey) (c. 720 – c. 754)^[7]
• Caradog ap Meirion (c. 754 – c. 798).
• Cynan Dindaethwy (c. 798 – c. 816).^[8]
• Hywel ap Caradog (c. 816 – c. 825).^[9]

With Hywel's death, all male descendants of Maelgwn Gwynedd have expired. Merfyn the Freckled succeeds through his mother Esyllt, eldest daughter of Cynan Dindaethwy and niece of Hywel ap Rhodri Molwynog.

House of Manaw

• Merfyn Frych (825–844).^[10]
• Rhodri Mawr (Rhodri the Great) (844–878).^[11]

House of Aberffraw

The warfare among the sons of Rhodri meant that the descendants of Anarawd became considered a separate house called the House of Aberffraw from their principal seat – from the junior branches in Deheubarth and elsewhere:

• Anarawd ap Rhodri (878–916) (establishes the Aberffraw dynasty, the senior branch of descendants from Rhodri Mawr).^[12]
• Idwal Foel ab Anarawd (Idwal the Bald) (916–942).^[13]
• Hywel Dda (Howell the Good) (942–950) (descended from the second son of Rhodri Mawr who ruled in Deheubarth, usurps Gwynedd from the Aberffraw line).^[14]
• Iago ab Idwal (950–979).^[15]
• Ieuaf ab Idwal (950–969).^[16]
• Hywel ap Ieuaf (979–985).^[17]
• Cadwallon ab Ieuaf (985–986).^[17]

House of Dinefwr

• Maredudd ab Owain (986–999) House of Dinefwr seizes Gwynedd.^[18]

House of Aberffraw

• Cynan ap Hywel (999–1005) Returns to the House of Aberffraw briefly.

Usurper

• Aeddan ap Blegywryd (1005–1018) (minor commote lord usurps Gwynedd from the Aberffraw dynasty).

House of Rhuddlan

• Llywelyn ap Seisyll (1018–1023) (Rhuddlan dynasty in lower Gwynedd usurps from Aeddan ap Blegywryd).^[19]

House of Aberffraw

• Iago ab Idwal ap Meurig (1023–1039) (Aberffraw dynasty returns).^[20]

House of Rhuddlan

• Gruffudd ap Llywelyn (1039–1063) (Llywelyn's son Gruffydd usurps from Aberffraw dynasty).^[21]

House of Mathrafal

• Bleddyn ap Cynfyn (1063–1075) and Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn (1063-1070) [co-rulers] (Mathrafal dynasty of Powys "receives" Gwynedd from the English King).^[22]
• Trahaearn ap Caradog (1075–1081).^[23]

House of Aberffraw

• Gruffudd ap Cynan (1081–1137) (House of Aberffraw returns).^[24]
• Owain Gwynedd (1137–1170).^[25]
• Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd r. 1170; killed by his younger brother Dafydd ab Owain in a conspiracy hatched by his stepmother Cristin, dowager princess of Gwynedd, and her sons Dafydd and Rhodri ab Owain.^[26]
• Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd (the Usurper) (1170–1195), displaced elder brother Hywel ap Owain Gwynedd, but was himself displaced from Upper Gwynedd c. 1173 ruling only lower Gwynedd until displaced by Llywelyn ab Iorwerth in 1198. England recognized Dafydd as Prince of Gwynedd, though Welsh jurists did not.^[27]
  • Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd (1175–1194, 1194–1195), Ruling upper Gwynedd and Ynys Mon until 1194 and then Ynys Mon solely from 1194–1195 until he was ousted by the sons of his brother Cynan.^[28]
  • Maelgwn ab Owain Gwynedd (1170–1173), ruling Ynys Mon and supporter of his elder brother Hywel ap Owain's claim as Prince. After Hywel's death, Maelgwn was able to retain Ynys Mon from Dafydd the Usurper.^[29]

Princes of Wales

• Llywelyn ab Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great) (1195–1240), first Prince of Wales.^[30]
• Dafydd ap Llywelyn (1240–1246).^[31]
• Owain Goch ap Gruffydd (Owain the Red) (1246–1255).^[32]
• Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (Llywelyn the Last) (1246–1282).^[33]
• Dafydd ap Gruffydd (1282–1283), pretender.^[34]

Pretenders

• Madog ap Llywelyn (1294–1295) (not crowned but claimed the title).^[35]
• Owain Lawgoch (Owain Redhand) ap Tomas ap Rhodri (1372–1378), great-nephew of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, in exile but claimed the title.^[36]

See also

• List of Princes of Wales
• Family tree of Welsh monarchs
• List of rulers of Wales

Sources

• Book: Bartrum, Peter . A Welsh Classical Dictionary: People in History and Legend Up to about A.D. 1000 . . 1993 . 0907158730.

Notes and References

1. s-CUNE-WLE-0380 . Cunedda Wledig, flourished 450, British prince . John Edward . Lloyd . John Edward Lloyd . 1959.
2. s-MAEL-GWY-0547 . Maelgwn Gwynedd, (died c. 547) king of Gwynedd and monk . William Hopkin . Davies . 1959.
3. s-RHUN-APM-0550 . Rhun Ap Maelgwn Gwynedd, (fl. 550), ruler of north-west Wales . William Hopkin . Davies . 1959.
4. s-CADF-API-0569 . Cadfan (fl. 620), prince . John Edward . Lloyd . John Edward Lloyd . 1959.
5. s-CADW-APC-0591 . Cadwallon (died 633), prince. John Edward . John Edward Lloyd. Lloyd . 1959.
6. s-CADW-APC-0615? . Cadwaladr (died 664), prince . John Edward . John Edward Lloyd . Lloyd . 1959.
7. s-RHOD-MOL-0690. Rhodri Molwynog (died 754), king of Gwynedd. .
8. s-CYNA-DIN-0740. Cynan Dindaethwy (died 816) Prince.
9. s-HYWE-RHO-0825. Hywel ap Rhodri Molwynog (died 825), king of Gwynedd.
10. s-MERF-FRY-0844 . Merfyn Frych (died 844), king of Gwynedd . Thomas Jones . Pierce . 1959.
11. s-RHOD-MAW-0877 . Rhodri Mawr ("the Great") (died 877), king of Gwynedd, Powys, and Deheubarth . Thomas Jones . Pierce . 1959.
12. s-ANAR-APR-0857 . Anarawd ap Rhodri (died 916), prince . John Edward . Lloyd . 1959.
13. s-IDWA-FOE-0942 . Idwal Foel ("the Bald"; died 942), king of Gwynedd . Thomas Jones . Pierce . 1959.
14. s-HYWE-DDA-0950 . Hywel Dda (Hywel the Good) (died 950), king and legislator . Stephan Joseph . Williams . 1959.
15. s-IAGO-ABI-1039 . Iago ab Idwal Foel (died 1039), king of Gwynedd . Thomas Jones . Pierce . 1959.
16. s-IEUA-API-098 . Ieuaf (or Idwal) ab Idwal Foel (died 985), joint king of Gwynedd . Thomas Jones . Pierce . 1959.
17. s-HYWE-API-0985 . Hywel ap Ieuaf (died 985), king of Gwynedd . Thomas Jones . Pierce . 1959.
18. s-MARE-ABO-0999. Maerdudd ab Owain ap Hywel Dda (died 999).
19. s-LLYW-APS-1023 . Llywelyn Ap Seisyll (died 1023), king of Deheubarth and Gwynedd . Thomas Jones . Pierce . 1959.
20. s-IAGO-ABI-1039 . Iago ab Idwal Foel (died 1039), king of Gwynedd . Thomas Jones . Pierce . 1959.
21. s12-GRUF-APL-1063 . Gruffudd ap Llywelyn (died 1064), king of Gwynedd 1039–1064 and overlord of all the Welsh 1055–1064 . Benjamin . Hudson . 1959.
22. s-BLED-APC-1025 . Bleddyn ap Cynfyn (died 1075) Prince.
23. s-TRAH-APC-1081 . Trahaern Ap Caradog (died 1081), king of Gwynedd . Thomas Jones . Pierce . 1959.
24. s-GRUF-APC-1055 . Gruffudd ap Cynan (c. 1055–1137), king of Gwynedd . Thomas . Parry . 1959.
25. s-OWAI-GWY-1100. Owain Gwynedd (c. 1100–1170), king of Gwynedd. Thomas Jones. Pierce. 1959.
26. s-HYWE-ABO-1170 . Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd (died 1170), soldier and poet . Arthur James . Roderick . 1959.
27. s-DAFY-ABO-1203 . Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd (David I, died 1203), king of Gwynedd . John Edward . John Edward Lloyd . Lloyd . 1959.
28. s-RHOD-ABO-1195 . Rhodri ab Owain (died 1195), a prince of Gwynedd . Thomas Jones . Pierce . 1959.
29. s-MAEL-ABO-1173 . Maelgwn ab Owain Gwynedd (died after 1173), prince of Anglesey . Thomas Jones . Pierce . 1959.
30. s-LLYW-API-1173 . Llywelyn ap Iorwerth ("Llywelyn the Great" often styled "Llywelyn I", prince of Gwynedd) . Thomas Jones . Pierce . 1959.
31. s-DAFY-APL-1246 . Dafydd ap Llywelyn (David II died 1246), Prince . John Edward . John Edward Lloyd . Lloyd . 1959.
32. s-OWAI-APG-1260 . Owain ap Gruffydd, or Owain Goch, (fl. 1260), a prince of Gwynedd . Thomas Jones . Pierce . 1959.
33. s-LLYW-APG-1200 . Llywelyn ap Gruffydd ("Llywelyn the Last" or Llywelyn II), Prince of Wales (died 1282) . Thomas Jones . Pierce . 1959.
34. s-DAFY-APG-1283 . Dafydd ap Gruffydd (David III died 1283), prince of Gwynedd . Thomas Jones . Pierce . 1959. .
35. s-MADO-APL-1294 . Madog ap Llywelyn, rebel of 1294 . Thomas Jones . Pierce . 1959.
36. s-OWAI-APT-1378 . Owain ap Thomas ap Rhodri ("Owain Lawgoch"; died 1378), a soldier of fortune and pretender to the principality of Wales . Thomas Jones . Pierce . 1959.