Gruffydd ap Llywelyn facts for kids

Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (c. 1010 – 5 August 1063) was a powerful Welsh king. He ruled all of Wales from 1055 until 1063. Before that, he was the King of Gwynedd and Powys starting in 1039. Gruffydd was the son of King Llywelyn ap Seisyll and Angharad, daughter of Maredudd ab Owain. He was also a great-great-grandson of the famous Welsh ruler Hywel Dda.

Who Was Gruffydd ap Llywelyn?

Gruffydd's father, Llywelyn ap Seisyll, was a strong ruler who controlled both Gwynedd and Powys. When Llywelyn died in 1023, a different family, the Aberffraw dynasty, took over. Iago ab Idwal ap Meurig became the new ruler of Gwynedd and started to gain power in Powys as well.

Becoming King of Gwynedd and Powys (1039–1055)

In 1039, King Iago of Gwynedd died, and Gruffydd became the new King. Soon after, he surprised an army from Mercia (an English kingdom) near Welshpool. Gruffydd's forces won the battle, and Edwin, the brother of Earl Leofric of Mercia, was killed.

Gruffydd then turned his attention to Deheubarth, a southern Welsh kingdom. His father had once ruled Deheubarth, but now Hywel ab Edwin was in charge. Gruffydd defeated Hywel in a battle at Pencader in 1041. He continued to fight Hywel and eventually defeated and killed him in 1044.

However, Gruffydd ap Rhydderch of Gwent managed to push Gruffydd ap Llywelyn out of Deheubarth in 1047. Gruffydd ap Rhydderch then became king of Deheubarth himself. Later, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn got his revenge after some of his guards were killed. In 1052, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn attacked Herefordshire in England. His army, which included ships from Ireland, defeated a combined force of Normans and English in the Battle of Leominster.

Uniting Wales as King (1055–1063)

Map of the extent of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn's Conquest     Gwynedd, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn's kingdom

In 1055, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn fought and killed his rival, Gruffydd ap Rhydderch. This allowed him to take back control of Deheubarth. Gruffydd then made an alliance with Ælfgar, an English earl. Ælfgar had lost his lands, and together they marched on Hereford.

On October 24, Gruffydd and Ælfgar defeated an English force and then burned down the city of Hereford. Earl Harold, a powerful English leader, tried to fight back, but Gruffydd and Ælfgar retreated to south Wales. After this, Ælfgar got his lands back, and a peace agreement was made.

Around this time, Gruffydd also took control of Morgannwg and Gwent. These were other Welsh kingdoms, along with many lands near the English border. He was now seen as the true King of Wales. The English even recognized his claim to rule the entire country.

Historian John Davies said that Gruffydd was the only Welsh king to rule all of Wales. For about seven years, from 1057 to 1063, all of Wales was united under Gruffydd ap Llywelyn. This was a unique achievement in Welsh history. During this time, Wales was peaceful and had no internal conflicts.

The End of Gruffydd's Rule

Gruffydd had an agreement with the English king, Edward the Confessor. However, when his ally Ælfgar died in 1062, Gruffydd became more vulnerable. In late 1062, Harold Godwinson, a powerful English earl, launched a surprise attack on Gruffydd's court at Rhuddlan. Gruffydd narrowly escaped by fleeing to sea in one of his ships.

In the spring of 1063, Harold's brother, Tostig, led an army into north Wales. Harold also brought his fleet to south Wales and then moved north to meet Tostig. Gruffydd was forced to hide in Snowdonia, a mountainous region, where he died. His head was sent to Harold. Some records say he was killed by Cynan, whose father Iago had been killed by Gruffydd years earlier. Gruffydd had likely made many enemies while uniting Wales.

After Gruffydd's death, Harold married his widow, Ealdgyth. However, she became a widow again three years later. Gruffydd's unified kingdom was divided back into the traditional Welsh kingdoms. Bleddyn ap Cynfyn and his brother Rhiwallon made a deal with Harold. They were given control of Gwynedd and Powys. This meant that when the Normans invaded England in 1066, they faced separate Welsh kingdoms, not a single strong ruler.

Gruffydd had two sons, Maredudd and Idwal. In 1069, they tried to win back their father's kingdom by challenging Bleddyn and Rhiwallon at the battle of Mechain. However, they were defeated. One son was killed, and the other died from exposure after the battle.

Gruffydd's Family

Gruffydd married Ealdgyth, the daughter of Earl Ælfgar of Mercia. Before this, he had taken and married the wife of Hywel ab Edwin in 1041. Gruffydd had at least three children. His two sons, Maredudd and Idwal, both died in the Battle of Mechain in 1069. He also had a daughter named Nest verch Gruffydd, who married Osbern fitzRichard. Their daughter, also named Nest, married Bernard de Neufmarché. Gruffydd might have had another son, Owain ap Gruffudd, who died in 1059.