Biography of Dafydd ap Gruffudd Aberffraw Prince of Wales 1238-1283

Paternal Family Tree: Aberffraw

On 11th July 1238 Dafydd ap Gruffudd Aberffraw Prince of Wales was born to Gruffydd ap Llewellyn Aberffraw (age 40) and Senana ferch Caradog (age 40). He a great grandson of King John of England.

On 1st March 1244 [his father] Gruffydd ap Llewellyn Aberffraw (age 46) died at Tower of London [Map].

Battle of Bryn Derwin

In June 1255 [his half-brother] Llywelyn "Last" Aberffraw (age 22) defeated his brothers [his half-brother] Owain "The Red" Aberffraw (age 23) and Dafydd ap Gruffudd Aberffraw Prince of Wales (age 16) during the Battle of Bryn Derwin. Owain "The Red" Aberffraw and Dafydd ap Gruffudd Aberffraw Prince of Wales were both imprisoned.

In or before 1257 William Marshal (age 42) and [his future wife] Elizabeth Ferrers (age 16) were married. The difference in their ages was 26 years. She the daughter of William Ferrers 5th Earl of Derby and Margaret Quincy Countess Derby.

In 1263 [his mother] Senana ferch Caradog (age 65) died. She was buried in Llanfaes Priory Bangor.

After 1265 Dafydd ap Gruffudd Aberffraw Prince of Wales (age 26) and Elizabeth Ferrers (age 25) were married. She the daughter of William Ferrers 5th Earl of Derby and Margaret Quincy Countess Derby. They were half fifth cousins. He a great grandson of King John of England. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.

Around 1267 [his son] Llewellyn ap Dafydd Aberffraw was born to Dafydd ap Gruffudd Aberffraw Prince of Wales (age 28). He a great x 2 grandson of King John of England.

Before 8th September 1267 Roger Leybourne (age 52) and [his sister-in-law] Eleanor Ferrers Countess Winchester (age 31) were married. The difference in their ages was 21 years. She the daughter of William Ferrers 5th Earl of Derby and Sibyl Marshal (age 66).

On 26th June 1269 [his brother-in-law] Robert Ferrers 6th Earl of Derby (age 30) and Eleanor Bohun Countess Derby (age 26) were married. She by marriage Countess Derby. He the son of William Ferrers 5th Earl of Derby and Margaret Quincy Countess Derby. They were third cousin once removed. He a great x 4 grandson of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.

On 16th October 1274 [his sister-in-law] Eleanor Ferrers Countess Winchester (age 38) died.

Around 1275 [his son] Owain ap Dafydd Aberffraw was born to Dafydd ap Gruffudd Aberffraw Prince of Wales (age 36). He a great x 2 grandson of King John of England.

Construction of Caergwrle Castle, Flintshire [Map] in 1277, after King Edward I of England gave the lordship of Hope to Dafydd ap Gruffydd (age 38) as reward for his service in the wars against the Welsh which concluded earlier that year.

Before 24th September 1277 [his step-son] John Marshal (age 20) and Hawise Unknown were married.

Before 27th April 1279 [his brother-in-law] Robert Ferrers 6th Earl of Derby (age 40) died. Earl Derby extinct. He was buried at St Thomas' Priory, Stafford [Map].

Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough. In the year of our Lord 1282, David (age 43), brother of Llywelyn, Prince of Wales, who in the first two Welsh wars had fought bravely for the King of England against his own brother Llywelyn, and whom the king had rewarded with various gifts and many possessions in England, even giving him a beloved kinswoman in marriage¹, was reconciled with his brother Llywelyn. However, Llywelyn told him that he would never fully trust him or offer true friendship unless he became as much an enemy to the King of England as he had once been his faithful friend. They then, like Herod and Pilate, entered into a pact and formed a strong conspiracy. Together they rose up against the anointed of the Lord, the innocent English. They captured Lord Roger de Clifford at Flint Castle [Map], whom the King of England had placed in command there, and imprisoned him in harsh conditions. Then they laid waste with fire and sword, destroying whatever they could of the kings or the English peoples possessions. These acts began during the holy season of the Passion of the Lord. When the king heard of this, as a devout Christian, he sent word to the spiritual fathers, the archbishops and bishops within the faith of Christ. He earnestly requested that those evildoers, along with their accomplices and supporters, who, out of hatred for the peace and tranquillity of Holy Church and the realm of Wales, had committed plunder, murder, arson, and many grave offenses, be declared excommunicated² publicly and solemnly in every diocese throughout his realm. The king believed and added that their rebellion and wickedness could be more effectively suppressed by the secular arm, with the aid of the spiritual sword, which is known to assist in such cases.

Anno Domini MCCLXXXII David, frater Leulini principis Walliæ, qui in duabus primis guerris Walliæ regi Angliæ contra Leulinum fratrem suum strenue militaverat, utpote quem donis variis et possessionibus multis rex ipse ditaverat in Anglia, et caram consanguineam suam eidem copulaverat in uxorem, cum fratre suo Leulino concordatus est. Cui tamen intulit ipse Leulinus quod nunquam ipsius veram consequeretur amicitiam nisi regi Angliæ in tantum efficeretur inimicus in quantum dudum fuerat verus amicus: et sic Herodis et Pilati inita concordia et facta conjuratione valida insurrexerunt in christos Domini Anglos innocentes, ceperuntque ad castrum de Flynt dominum Rogerum de Clyfford, quem rex Angliæ ibidem præfecerat, et taken pritetro carceri tradiderunt; deinde vastantes igne et gladio quicquid ipsius regis vel Anglorum contingere potuerunt. Et hæc quidem incepta sunt in tempore sancto infra passionem Domini sanctam. Quod cum audisset rex, misit, tanquam filius catholicus, ad patres spirituales archiepiscopos et episcopos in fide Christiana, rogans ut ipsos malefactores et eorum complices et fautores qui, tranquillitati et paci ecclesiæ sanctæ et Wales laid regni sui invidentes, deprædationes, homicidia, interdict. incendia, et multa enormia perpetrarunt, propter quæ in canonem latæ sententiæ ipso facto dinoscuntur incidisse, ab universis et singulis subditis suis per universas dioeceses publice et solemniter denunciari facerent excommunicatos: credidit enim, et adjecit, quod eorum rebellio et malitia mediante juvamine gladii spiritualis, qui in hujusmodi casu juvare dinoscitur, per brachium seculare facilius reprimerentur.

Note 1. David married [his wife] Elizabeth Ferrers (age 42) sometime after 1265. 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England; she and King Edward I were fourth cousins once-removed.

Note 2. The King's letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, desiring a sentence of excommunication against the Welsh rebels, is dated at Devizes on the 28th of March, 1282. Rot. Wall. 1 Edward I m. 10, d. in Turr. Lond.; Rymer, Fœdera, 1.603.

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The Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke. Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.

On 4th December 1282 [his step-son] John Marshal (age 25) died.

Battle of Orewin Bridge

On 11th December 1282 an English force including John Giffard 1st Baron Giffard Brimpsfield (age 50), Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn Mathrafal Prince Powys Wenwynwyn (age 71) and Owen de la Pole Mathrafal 1st Lord Powis (age 25) defeated a Welsh force at Builth Wells [Map] during the Battle of Orewin Bridge. The Welsh leader [his half-brother] Llywelyn "Last" Aberffraw (age 49) was killed effectively bringing to an end the independence of Wales. His brother Dafydd (age 44) succeeded Prince of Wales.

In January 1283 King Edward I surrounded Dafydd's (age 44) base of Snowdonia with a massive army. Dafydd initially operated from Dolwyddelan [Map]. Dafydd moved down to Castell y Bere [Map]. In April, Castell y Bere was besieged by over 3,000 men, and the small Welsh garrisonsurrendered on 25th April 1283. Dafydd escaped the siege and moved north to Dolbadarn Castle [Map]. In May 1283, he was forced to move again, this time to the mountains above the Welsh royal home in Abergwyngregyn.

On 22nd June 1283 Dafydd ap Gruffudd Aberffraw Prince of Wales (age 44) and [his son] Owain ap Dafydd Aberffraw (age 8) were captured at Bera Mawr, Bangor. Dafydd, seriously wounded in the struggle, was brought to King Edward's (age 44) camp at Rhuddlan [Map] that same night. Dafydd was taken from there to Chester, Cheshire [Map] and then on to Shrewsbury, Shropshire [Map]. Dafydd and Dafydd's wife [his wife] Elizabeth de Ferrers (age 43), their daughter [his daughter] Gwladys, infant niece Gwenllian ferch Llywelyn (age 1), and Dafydd's six illegitimate daughters were also taken prisoner at the same time.

Execution of David Prince of Wales

On 3rd October 1283 Dafydd ap Gruffudd Aberffraw Prince of Wales (age 45) was hanged, drawn and quartered at Shrewsbury, Shropshire [Map]. The first prominent person known to have suffered being hanged, drawn and quartered. Dafydd was dragged through the streets of Shrewsbury, Shropshire [Map] attached to a horse's tail, then hanged alive, revived, then disembowelled and his entrails burned before him for "his sacrilege in committing his crimes in the week of Christ's passion", and then his body cut into four-quarters "for plotting the king's death". Geoffrey of Shrewsbury was paid 20 shillings for carrying out the act.

Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough. David (age 45), fleeing from the scene of his brother's death, hid in the woods and marshes for nearly a year. At last, he was captured on the eve of the feast of Saint Maurice [22nd September 1283] and brought to the king. In a parliament held at Shrewsbury after the feast of Saint Michael, he was judged as a deceiver, traitor, thief, and murderer. He was drawn, hanged, and then quartered¹, and his four limbs were sent to four parts of England as a perpetual reminder of the event. His head was taken to London, and placed alongside the head of his brother Llywelyn, both erected high on the royal tower. In the same year, during the Welsh war, the king was granted a thirtieth tax from the common people and a twentieth from the clergy, by way of assistance.

David autem, a prædicta cæde as fugiens, in moris et mariscis latitabat fere per annum, tandem vero captus in vigilia Sancti Mauritii ad regem adductus est, et in parliamento de Solopesbire, quod tenuit rex post festum Sancti Michaelis, tanquam seductor et proditor furque et homicida judicatus, tractus est et suspensus, et postea membratim divisus, et quatuor ejus membra in quatuor partes Angliæ missa sunt in memoriam rei perpetue. Caput autem ejus Londoniis delatum est, et cum capite fratris sui Leulini in sublime erectum in turri regia. Eodem anno, durante guerra Walliæ, dabatur regi tricesima a communi populo et vicesima a clero, auxilii nomine.

Note 1. David was executed on 3rd October 1283.

Chronicle of William Rishanger. 3rd October 1283. After the Feast of Saint Michael, the Parliament of Shrewsbury was held; in which David (age 45), having been judicially condemned by judges appointed for this purpose, was dragged and hanged, his entrails burned, his body beheaded, and divided into four parts. These parts were hung in the more prominent cities of England, and his head was placed on a pike in London, as a warning to similar traitors.

Post festum Sancti Michaelis, habitum est Parliamentum Salopiæ; in quo per deputatos ad hoc Justiciarios David judicialiter condemnatus, tractus et suspensus est, visceribusque combustis, corpus capite truncatum, et in quatuor partes est divisum. Quibus in civitatibus Angliæ nobilioribus suspensis, caput Londoniis super palum fixum est, ad terrorem consimilium proditorum.

Before 30th September 1283 Simon Montagu 1st Baron Montagu (age 33) was summoned to the parliament which met on 30 September 1283 at Shrewsbury for the trial of Dafydd ap Gruffudd Aberffraw Prince of Wales (age 45), brother of [his half-brother] Llywelyn "Last" Aberffraw.

On 30th September 1283 Dafydd ap Gruffudd Aberffraw Prince of Wales (age 45) was sentenced to death. He was the first person known to have been tried and executed for what from that time onwards would be described as high treason against the King.

Around June 1297 [his former wife] Elizabeth Ferrers (age 57) died.

[his father] Gruffydd ap Llewellyn Aberffraw and [his mother] Senana ferch Caradog were married. They were second cousin once removed. He a grandson of King John of England.

[his daughter] Gladys ferch Dafydd Aberffraw was born to Dafydd ap Gruffudd Aberffraw Prince of Wales. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King John of England.