Gruffudd ap Gruffudd (abt. 1325 - bef. 1371)

Born about 1325 in Wales

Ancestors

Descendants

Problems/Questions Profile managers: I. Speed [send private message], Jack Day [send private message], Michelle Brooks [send private message], and Wales Project WikiTree [send private message]

Gruffudd Fychan ap Gruffudd is managed by the Wales Project. Join: Wales Project Discuss: wales_project

Biography

Gruffudd Fychan ap Gruffudd is Notable.

Birth and Parents

Gruffydd Fychan, was lord of Glndwfrdwy in Merionydd, and of Cynllaith, in y Perfeddwlad.

He (or his father?) was steward of Oswestry in 1347 when he witnessed a deed for the payment of yearly rent on a tenement in the town of Oswestry. He was recorded as "G'ffino de Glyndenerdo".^[1]

He was surnamed Glyndwrdu. ^[2]

Note - Fychan/Vychan is similar to 'Jr.' ~ Gruffud ap Gruffud.

Marriage & Children

Gruffudd Fychan married Elen ferch Thomas. She was the daughter of Thomas ap Llewelyn and Elenor Goch.^[3]

She was the granddaughter of Catherine ferch Llewelyn, the last Cymric prince of Wales.^{[citation needed]}

The manuscript Llyfr Syr Thomas ap Ieuan ap Deicws, written about 1510,^[4] records that Gruffudd and Elen had two sons and three daughters:

• Owain Glyndŵr. He was born about 1348; his birthday is said to be May 28.^[2]
• Tudur
• Lowri, wife of Robert Puleston
• Isabel, wife of Adda ap Iorwerth Ddu ab Ednyfed Gam
• Morfudd, wife of David ab Ednyfed Gam

Lloyd's History of Powys Fadog also names them of the parents of two more children:

• Gruffud
• Gwenllian, wife of Gruffudd Fychan ab Gruffudd^[3]

Gruffudd Fychan was also recorded as having an illegitimate child, a daughter named Lluecu, by Alice ferch Ieuan.^[5] Leucu became the wife of Badi of Rhuddalt and was described in the 16th century manuscript, Llyfr Edward ap Roger, as the sister of Owain Glyndŵr ("Lleuku chwar owain Glynn dwr ap Gr’ vychn un Dad").^[6]

Death

He appears to have died before 1370/1 when his wife Elen was recorded as "lately" (jadis) the wife of "Gruff de Glindorde" on a list of loans made by Richard, Earl of Arundel. She owed 30 marks. The list records:

Item livere a Elene jadys le femme de Gruff de Glindorde daprest par lettres le seigneur a repaier a feste de Pasque proscheyn pur queux le Receivour de Oswaldestre ad pris seurete - xxx mz^[7]

Research Notes

Ancestry

Gruffud's paternal ancestry was documented in Peniarch MS 127, Llyfr Syr Thomas ap Ieuan ap Deicws, written about 1510, as: Gruffudd Vychan ap Gruffudd o'r Ruddallt ap Madog Vychan ap Madog Crupyl ap Gruffud Varwn Gwyn ap Gruff Arglwydd Dinas Bran.^[8]

In his Welsh Genealogies, Peter Bartrum noted "Madog Fychan and Madog Crupl seem to be the same person. See [Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem] VI No. 128."^[5]

This is consistent with the pedigree in Lloyd's History of Powys Fadog (p. 196-7) and the order of Gruffudd's ancestors' profiles:

1. Gruffudd, Lord of Dinas Bran, died 1269
2. Gruffudd Farwn Gwyn, died 1289
3. Madog, known as Madog Crupl and Madog Fychan, died abt 1304
4. Gruffudd o'r Rhuddallt
5. Gruffudd Fychan (this profile)

The Dictionary of Welsh Biography (1959) records his ancestry differently: "Gruffydd Fychan II ap Madog ap Gruffydd Fychan I". It does not specify the source of this information.^[9]

One person or two?

Darrell Wolcott, in his website article The Ancestry of Owain Gyndwr, argues that there were two people named Gruffudd Fychan, namely:

1. Gruffudd Fychan ap Gruffudd of Rhuddallt (this profile), born abt 1295, who married Elen ferch Thomas and had children: Owain Glyndwr, Lowri, Morfydd, Tudor and Madog.
2. Gruffudd Fychan ap Gruffudd, born abt 1350, who married Alis ferch Ieuan and had daughters Leuci and Isabel.^[10]

He cites Peniarth manuscripts MS 127 and MS 128 as two sources that support his argument. However, these manuscripts record that all the children belonged to the same father.

Peniarth MS 127 records that Gruffudd Vychan and Elen ferch Thomas had two sons and three daughters: (1) Owain Glyn Dwr; (2) Tudyr; (3) Lowri, (4) isabel, and (5) Morvydd. An extract is here. See p. 212-3; Lowri (p. 29); Isabel (p. 31, 196); Tudyr (p. 37-8); Owain (p. 114, 156); and Morfydd (p. 125).^[11]

Peniarth MS 128 says that Lleuku was the sister of Owain Glyndwr and that Gruiffudd Vychan was father to them both - "Lleuku chwar owain Glynn dwr ap Gr’ vychn un Dad": see p. 906b.^[6]

See the research notes on Gruffudd Fychan ap Gruffudd (Ap_Gruffudd-61) for further analysis about whether he existed.

Children

Tudur, Isabel and Lowri are given as Owain's siblings by the more cautious Prof. R R Davies. That Owain Glyndŵr had another brother Gruffudd is likely; that he possibly had a third, Maredudd, is suggested by one reference^[12]

The names and number of Owain Glyndŵr's siblings cannot be certainly known. The following are given by the Chevalier J Y W Lloyd:

i. Brother Tudur, Lord of Gwyddelwern, born about 1362, died 11 March 1405 at a battle in Brecknockshire in the wars of his brother.

ii. Brother Gruffudd who had a daughter and heiress, Eva.

iii. Sister Lowri, also spelled Lowry, married Robert Puleston of Emral.

iv. Sister Isabel married Adda ap Iorwerth Ddu of Llys Pengwern

v. Sister Morfudd married Sir Richard Croft of Croft Castle, in Herefordshire and, secondly, David ab Ednyfed Gam of Llys Pengwern.

vi. Sister Gwenllian.

Madog

Wolcott claims Gruffudd Fychan had a son "Madog, born c. 1355 ... he may have died prior to 1399 leaving a young son named Gruffudd." He says this son Gruffudd married Lleuci ferch Deio ap Madog Llwld and cites the source as Peniarth MS 128, p. 178a & 939a.^[10]

Peniarth MS 128 does not support this conclusion. Gruffudd, the husband of Lleucu, is not recorded as the grandson of Gruffudd Fychan. At p. 939a, it says Lleucu ferch Deio married Gruffudd o'r Rhuddallt ap Madog ap Iorwerth ap Madog ("lleuku vch ddeio Gwraic gruffiudd] or huddallt ap mad[og] ap Ier[worth] ap mad[og]").^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ "Welsh Deeds". Archaeologia Cambresis, new series, vol. 3, London, 1852, p. 41. Google Books.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Jane Williams. A History of Wales, Derived from Authentic Sources, 1869. Republished by Cambridge University, 2010. page 435 Accessed 4 June 2020 jhd
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} J. Y. W. Lloyd, The History of the Princes, the Lords Marcher, and the Ancient Nobility of Powys Fadog, London, 1881, vol. 1, p. 197-8. Google Books; Internet Archive.
4. ↑ National Library of Wales. Llyfr Syr Thomas ap Ieuan ap Deicws, [c. 1510 - 1544]. Peniarth MS 127, p. 212-3. NLW Catalogue; NLW Image
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Peter Bartrum, Bartrum Genealogical Project, Aberystwyth University. Bleddyn ap Cynfyn 1-5.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} National Library of Wales. Llyfr Edward ap Roger. [16 cent.]. Peniarth MS 128, p. 906b. NLW Catalogue; NLW Image.
7. ↑ C. Given-Wilson. "Wealth and Credit, Public and Private: The Earls of Arundel 1306-1397." The English Historical Review, 1991, vol. 106, no. 418, p. 6-7, 23-5; citing Shrewsbury Borough Library, Craven MS 5923.
8. ↑ National Library of Wales. Llyfr Syr Thomas ap Ieuan ap Deicws, [c. 1510 - 1544]. Peniarth MS 127, p. 29, 31, 37, 114, 125, 156. NLW Catalogue; NLW Image. A transcript of the relevant pages is here.
9. ↑ T. J. Pierce, Owain Gyndwr (c. 1354 - 1416), 'Prince of Wales'". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. Published 1959.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Darrell Wolcott, "The Ancestry of Owain Glyndwr", Ancient Welsh Studies.
11. ↑ National Library of Wales. Llyfr Syr Thomas ap Ieuan ap Deicws, [c. 1510 - 1544]. Peniarth MS 127. NLW Catalogue; NLW Image. A transcript of the relevant pages is here.
12. ↑ Entered by Michelle Brooks.
13. ↑ National Library of Wales. Llyfr Edward ap Roger. [16 cent.]. Peniarth MS 128, p. 178a & 939a. NLW Catalogue; NLW Image.

See also:

• Find A Grave: Memorial #89716311

• Owain Glyndwr - Early Life ~ The Native Princes of Wales.© 2004 - 2005 www.englishmonarchs.co.uk®

• Wikipedia: Gruffudd Fychan II

• Wikidata: Item Q2350777, en:Wikipedia