Maredudd ap Rhys Grug (died 1271), was the son of

Rhys Gryg Rhys Gryg ('Rhys the Hoarse'; died 1234), real name Rhys ap Rhys, also known as Rhys Fychan ('Rhys the Younger'), was a Welsh prince who ruled part of the Kingdom of Deheubarth. Lineage Rhys was the fourth son of Rhys ap Gruffydd (the Lord R ...

(a Welsh prince of

Deheubarth Deheubarth (; , thus 'the South') was a regional name for the Welsh kingdoms, realms of south Wales, particularly as opposed to kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd (Latin: ''Venedotia''). It is now used as a shorthand for the various realms united under ...

) and Mathilde de Clare (a daughter of

Richard de Clare, 3rd Earl of Hertford Richard de Clare, 3rd Earl of Hertford (–1217), feudal baron of Clare in Suffolk, and lord of Tonbridge in Kent and of Cardigan in Wales, was a powerful Anglo-Norman nobleman with vast landholdings in England and Wales. Career Richard was the ...

Marcher Lord A marcher lord () was a noble appointed by the king of England to guard the border (known as the Welsh Marches) between England and Wales. A marcher lord was the English equivalent of a margrave (in the Holy Roman Empire) or a marquis (in Fra ...

of Cardigan). Maredudd initially ruled north east of

Ystrad Tywi Ystrad Tywi (, ''Valley of the river Towy'') is a region of southwest Wales situated on both banks of the River Towy (), it contained places such as Cedweli, Carnwyllion, Loughor, Llandeilo, and Gwyr (although this is disputed). Although ...

, including

Llandovery Castle Llandovery Castle () is a late thirteenth-century, Grade II*-listed, castle ruin in the town of Llandovery in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It occupies a knoll overlooking the River Towy and the land surrounding it. The Normans built a castle in th ...

, until he expanded to rule the region encompassing

Dryslwyn castle Dryslwyn Castle ( or ) is a native Wales, Welsh castle, sited on a rocky hill roughly halfway between Llandeilo and Carmarthen in Wales. It stands on high ground overlooking the Tywi Valley with extensive views. It was built in about the 1220s by ...

. When his father died, in 1234, Maredudd was still young, and his

wardship In law, a ward is a minor or incapacitated adult placed under the protection of a legal guardian or government entity, such as a court. Such a person may be referenced as a "ward of the court". Overview The wardship jurisdiction is an ancient ju ...

was entrusted to Gilbert Marshal, 4th Earl of Pembroke;''Excavations at Dryslwyn Castle 1980-1995'', Chris Caple, 2007, p. their mothers were distant cousins. In 1241, Maredudd married Gilbert's niece, Isobella; the marriage had probably been arranged earlier. Maredudd ap Rhys Gryg died at Dryslwyn on 27 July 1271, leaving behind his son, Rhys ap Maredudd. He is buried at Whitland Abbey.

Exile

Maredudd was exiled from the south around 1250 due to rivalries with his brother and his nephew, Rhys Mechyll and Rhys Fychan ap Rhys Mechyll. He fled to Gwynedd where he joined Llywelyn ap Gruffydd on his successful campaigns of 1256. Llywelyn thus rewarded him with land round Llanbadarn and Cantref Buellt.

Treason and homage

Maredudd contributed significantly in the 1257 battle of Cymerau where the Welsh side were victorious. However, Rhys Fychan's siding with the Welsh during this battle disenfranchised Maredudd; though he swore allegiance to Llywelyn in 1258, he later that year sided with the

king King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

. Consequently, on 28 May 1259, Maredydd was put on trial for treason, the first trial of its kind in Wales. He was found guilty by a council of native lords and imprisoned in the castle at Criccieth. In 1261, Maredudd was granted reconciliation with Llywelyn under severe terms, though the king retained Maredudd's homage in 1267 following the peace of Montgomery. Llywelyn received this homage in 1270.

References

* J. E. Morris, ''The Welsh Wars of Edward I a contribution to mediaeval military history, based on original documents'', Oxford, 1901 * ''Brut y Tywysogion, Peniarth MS. 20'', 1941, sub anno 1290, says that Rhys was betrayed by his own men in the woods of the commote of Malláen (N. Carms.). * https://biography.wales/article/s1-RHYS-APM-1291 {{DEFAULTSORT:Maredudd Ap Rhys Gryg Welsh princes 13th-century Welsh monarchs Monarchs of Deheubarth 1271 deaths