Owain Goch ap Gruffydd facts for kids
Owain ap Gruffudd (also known as Owain Goch, meaning Owain the Red) was an important Welsh prince who lived a long time ago. He was the older brother of two other famous Welsh princes, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and Dafydd ap Gruffudd. For a short time in the 1240s and 1250s, Owain ruled a part of Gwynedd, which is in modern-day north Wales. He died around the year 1282.
Who Was Owain?
Owain was the oldest son of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn. His grandfather was the very famous Llywelyn the Great.
In 1239, Owain and his father were put in prison at Criccieth Castle by Owain's uncle, Dafydd ap Llywelyn. Two years later, Owain went with his father to England. This happened because King Henry III of England made Dafydd hand Gruffudd over to him.
Sadly, in 1244, Owain's father, Gruffudd, died while trying to escape from the Tower of London. He used a rope he made himself, but it broke.
After Gruffudd's death, King Henry III hoped Owain would cause trouble in Gwynedd. But Owain stayed in Chester. When his uncle Dafydd died suddenly in 1246 without any children to take his place, Owain's brother Llywelyn was already in Gwynedd. This gave Llywelyn an advantage.
A Deal with the King
Owain and Llywelyn made a deal with King Henry III. This deal was called the Treaty of Woodstock in 1247. Because of this treaty, they could only rule Gwynedd Uwch Conwy. This was the part of Gwynedd west of the River Conwy. Owain and Llywelyn had to share this land.
The king took the land east of the river, called Gwynedd Is Conwy. He gave this land to his son, Edward.
At first, Owain and Llywelyn promised to be loyal to the English king. But they soon disagreed with King Henry III. They were upset because English forces were attacking the Welsh borders very harshly.
The Battle of Bryn Derwin
Soon after, Owain's youngest brother, Dafydd ap Gruffudd, grew up. King Henry III accepted Dafydd's loyalty and planned to give him a part of Gwynedd. But Llywelyn refused to accept this.
So, Owain and Dafydd joined forces against Llywelyn. This led to a big fight called the Battle of Bryn Derwin in June 1255. Llywelyn won the battle. He captured both Owain and Dafydd. After this, Llywelyn became the only ruler of Gwynedd Uwch Conwy.
A very old Welsh book called Brut y Tywysogion described this battle. It said that a "great strife" (meaning a big fight) happened between the brothers. It mentioned that Llywelyn and his men were brave. It also said that Owain Goch was captured quickly, and Dafydd ran away after many of his men were defeated.
Years in Prison
With his brothers out of the way, Llywelyn started to make Gwynedd's territory much larger. It grew to include most of Wales. Llywelyn then claimed the important title of Prince of Wales.
Owain was put in prison again. He stayed in prison for a very long time, until 1277.
A poet from that time, Hywel Foel ap Griffri, wrote a poem about Owain being in prison. The first line of the poem says Owain was "a man who is in the tower, long a guest."
It's not completely clear where Owain was kept prisoner. But some experts think he was held at Dolbadarn Castle, which is near Llanberis.
No matter where he was, Llywelyn finally released Owain in 1277. This was part of a peace agreement called the Treaty of Aberconwy. Owain had been in prison for about 20 years!
After being released, Owain went to live on his land in north-west Wales. He never tried to challenge his brother Llywelyn's rule again. People believe he died around the year 1282.
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