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Birth:          ABT 1047 of Montgomeryshire, Wales
Death:          9 Feb 1132 

Notes
d 1124/9
Chart of the Lords of the Manor of Deytheur, in "Collections Historical and 
Archaeological Relating to Montgomeryshire, vol 28"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maredudd_ap_Bleddyn
Maredudd ap Bleddyn (1047 – 9 February 1132) was a prince and later King of Powys 
in eastern Wales.

Maredudd was the son of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn who was King of both Powys and 
Gwynedd. When Bleddyn was killed in 1075, Powys was divided between three of his 
sons, Iorwerth, Cadwgan and Maredudd.

Marriages and Children[edit]

Maredudd married first Hunedd ferch Einudd, who bore him two sons, Madog ap 
Maredudd and Gruffydd ap Maredudd. He later had a relationship with Cristin ferch 
Bledrus, who gave him the base sons Hywel ap Maredudd and Iowerth Goch ap 
Maredudd.

Life[edit]

Maredudd initially appears to have been the least powerful and the least mentioned in 
the chronicles. The three brothers held their lands as vassals of Robert of Bellême, 
3rd Earl of Shrewsbury. In 1102 the Earl was summoned to answer charges at the 
court of King Henry I of England and responded by rising in rebellion against the king. 
All three brothers initially supported Robert and took up arms on his behalf, pillaging 
Staffordshire. The king deputed William Pantulf, Lord of Wem, to detach Iorwerth, who 
was considered to be the most powerful of the three brothers, from his alliance with 
Robert and his own brothers by the promise of large gifts of land. William succeeded 
in this, and Iorwerth, after leading a large Welsh force to help the king defeat and 
banish Earl Robert, then captured his brother Maredudd and handed him over to the 
king.

Maredudd escaped from captivity in 1107 but did not gain any real power. In 1113 he 
was apparently acting as penteulu or captain of the guard to his nephew, Owain ap 
Cadwgan who had taken over as prince of Powys. In this capacity in 1113 Maredudd 
was able to capture Madog ap Rhiryd, who had killed two of his brothers, Iorwerth and 
Cadwgan in 1111. Maredudd sent him to Owain, who took vengeance for the killing of 
his father by blinding Madog.

In 1114 when King Henry I of England invaded Wales, Maredudd quickly made his 
peace with him, while Owain allied himself with Gruffudd ap Cynan of Gwynedd to 
oppose the invasion. It was not until Owain was killed in 1116 that Maredudd began to 
strengthen his position and became ruler of Powys. In 1116 he is recorded as sending 
400 men to help Hywel ab Ithel, who ruled Rhos and Rhufoniog under the protection 
of Powys, against his neighbours, the sons of Owain ab Edwin of Dyffryn Clwyd. Hywel 
won a victory at the Battle of Maes Maen Cymro in 1118, near Ruthin, but received 
wounds of which he died six weeks later. This enabled the sons of Gruffudd ap Cynan 
to annex these lands for Gwynedd, with Maredudd unable to prevent them.

In 1121 Maredudd carried out raids on Cheshire which provoked King Henry into 
invading Powys. Maredudd retreated into Snowdonia and asked Gruffudd ap Cynan for 
assistance. However Gruffudd was in no mood to defy the king on Maredudd's behalf, 
and Maredudd had to purchase peace at a cost of a fine of 10,000 head of cattle. 
Gwynedd continued to put pressure on Powys, with the sons of Gruffudd ap Cynan, 
Cadwallon and Owain Gwynedd annexing more territory in 1124. Cadwallon was killed 
in a battle with the men of Powys near Llangollen in 1132 which put a halt to further 
encroachment for the time being. Maredudd did not take part in this battle and died 
the same year, remembered by the annalist of Brut y Tywysogion as the beauty and 
safety of all Powys and her defender. He was succeeded by his son, Madog ap 
Maredudd.

Parents
AP CYNFYN Bleddyn (ABT 1025 - 1073)
VERCH CILLIN Haer (ABT 1025 - )

Siblings
AP BLEDDYN Maredudd (ABT 1047 - 9 Feb 1132)

Marriage To VERCH EINUDD Hunydd (ABT 1063 - )
    m.  

Notes

Parents
AP MORIEN Einudd (ABT 1020 - )
VERCH LLYWELYN Efa (ABT 1024 - )

Children by VERCH EINUDD Hunydd ABT 1063 - 
AP MAREDYDD Madog (1091 - 1160)
AP MAREDUDD Gruffydd (ABT 1095 - )

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