Biography of Gwenllian Aberffraw Queen Consort Deheubarth 1100-1136

Paternal Family Tree: Aberffraw

Maternal Family Tree: Angharad Queen Consort Gwynedd 1065-1162

In or before 1100 [her father] King Gruffudd ap Cynan of Gwynedd (age 44) and [her mother] Angharad Queen Consort Gwynedd (age 34) were married. He the son of [her grandfather] Cynan ab Iago King Gwynedd and [her grandmother] Ragnaillt Unknown Queen Consort Gwynedd. They were second cousin once removed.

Around 1100 Gwenllian Aberffraw was born to [her father] King Gruffudd ap Cynan of Gwynedd (age 45) and [her mother] Angharad Queen Consort Gwynedd (age 35).

Around 1113 Gruffudd ap Rhys King Deheubarth (age 32) and Gwenllian Aberffraw (age 13) were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Deheubarth. She the daughter of King Gruffudd ap Cynan of Gwynedd (age 58) and Angharad Queen Consort Gwynedd (age 48). He the son of Rhys ap Tewdwr King Deheubarth and Gwladys ferch Rhiwallon Mathrafal Queen Consort Deheubarth (age 53). They were half second cousin once removed.

Before 1130 [her brother] Owain "Great" King Gwynedd (age 29) and [her sister-in-law] Gwladus Unknown Queen Consort Gwynedd (age 14) were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Gwynedd. He the son of [her father] King Gruffudd ap Cynan of Gwynedd (age 74) and [her mother] Angharad Queen Consort Gwynedd (age 64).

In 1130 [her son] Maredudd King Deheubarth was born to [her husband] Gruffudd ap Rhys King Deheubarth (age 49) and Gwenllian Aberffraw (age 30).

In 1132 [her son] Rhys ap Gruffydd "The Lord Rhys" Dinefwr was born to [her husband] Gruffudd ap Rhys King Deheubarth (age 51) and Gwenllian Aberffraw (age 32). He married 1155 his first cousin Gwenllian ferch Madog Mathrafal, daughter of Madog ap Maredudd Mathrafal Prince Powys and Susanna Aberffraw, and had issue.

1136 Battle of Kidwelly

In 1136 a battle, or skirmish, was fought at Maes Gwenllian [Map] between the Welsh forces of Gwenllian (age 36), wife of [her husband] Gruffydd (age 55), with her two sons, and the Norman force of Maurice de Londres. Gwenllian and her two sons [her son] Morgan Dinefwr and [her son] Maelgwn Dinefwr were killed.

Chronicon ex Chronicis by Florence and John of Worcester. 1137. [her former husband] Griffyth-ap-Rhys (age 56), king of Wales, perished through the artifices of his wife.¹

Note 1. So far from this being the case, Gwenlian, the wife of Griffythap-Rhys, prince of South Wales, a woman of a gallant spirit, seconded her husband's efforts for independence, and, in his absence, took the field in person at the head of her forces. See Giraldus Cambrensis Itin. i., c. iv., and Dr. Powell's notes: see also Warrington's History of Wales, p. 293.

[her daughter] Gwladus Dinefwr was born to Gruffudd ap Rhys King Deheubarth and Gwenllian Aberffraw .

[her daughter] Elizabeth Dinefwr was born to Gruffudd ap Rhys King Deheubarth and Gwenllian Aberffraw .

[her daughter] Nest Dinefwr was born to Gruffudd ap Rhys King Deheubarth and Gwenllian Aberffraw .

[her son] Morgan Dinefwr was born to Gruffudd ap Rhys King Deheubarth and Gwenllian Aberffraw .

The History of William Marshal, Earl of Chepstow and Pembroke, Regent of England. Book 1 of 2, Lines 1-10152.

The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.

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[her son] Maelgwn Dinefwr was born to Gruffudd ap Rhys King Deheubarth and Gwenllian Aberffraw .