RHYS ap MAREDUDD
(d.
1291
),
lord of Dryslwyn in Ystrad Tywi
,
leader of a revolt
in
1287-8
against
Edward
I
, was the son of
Maredudd
, son of
Rhys Gryg
(q.v.)
. In
1277
he
had submitted to
Edward
, surrendering the
castle of Dinefwr
, but being allowed to retain
Dryslwyn
. In
1282
prince
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd
put forward ‘grievances’ on
Rhys
's behalf against the
royal officers
in
west Wales
, but
Rhys
himself not only abstained from revolt but gave assistance to
Edward
, joining in the attack on
Llanbadarn
and patrolling
Ceredigion
for the king in the absence of the
royal commander
. After
1283
he was recognized as ‘
dominus de Estretewy
’ and was granted the homages of
Welsh chieftains
in
north Carmarthenshire
; he m., in
1285
,
Ada de
Hastings
, and received with her the
castle of Newcastle Emlyn
. But the actions of the royal officials of the shire irked him, and moreover he had a feud with the
Giffards
of
Iscennen
(
Llandovery
). His grievances, however, as
T. F.
Tout
puts it, were ‘those of a Marcher rather than those of a
Welshman
.’ He revolted against
Edward
,
8 June 1287
, overran
Iscennen
and expelled
Giffard
, ravaged much territory in
west Wales
as far as
Llanbadarn
and, possibly, even in
Brycheiniog
. The regent (the
earl of Cornwall
) directed a great converging movement of royal troops upon
Dryslwyn
, which was taken
c.
5 Sept., but
Rhys
was still at large, and active enough until
Newcastle Emlyn
, too, was taken,
20 Jan. 1288
. He was in flight in
1289
; a writ states that he was likely to attempt an escape to
Ireland
, and there were suspicions that
Gilbert
IV
of
Gloucester
(see under
Clare
family
) was conniving. However, he was caught, and in
1291
was
executed
at
York
.
Bibliography:
-
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.).
Author:
Emeritus Professor Robert Thomas Jenkins, C.B.E., D.Litt., Ll.D.,
F.S.A., (1881-1969), Bangor
