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] Llewellyn "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].

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] Llewellyn "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.

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] Llewellyn "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.

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 William Rishanger. 3rd October 1823. After the Feast of Saint Michael, the Parliament of Shrewsbury was held; in which David, 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.

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.