Individual Details

}
}

== Biography ==

===Birth and Parentage===
Maredudd ap Bleddyn was the son of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, King of Gwynedd and Powys by his third wife Haer of Gest, who died in 1132. Cawley, Foundation for Medieval Genealogy. Kings of Powys, family of Cynfyn ap Gwerstan., http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/WALES.htm#_Toc389126140. Accessed January 19, 2016
Maredudd ap Bleddyn was born in 1047 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maredudd_ap_Bleddyn. Accessed January 19, 2016; although stated in wikipedia there is no source for the information
His father was born around 1025 and his mother around 1029. Data in WikiTree Data Field, not otherwise sourced.

===1075 Prince of Powys===

He succeeded his father in 1075 as Prince of Powys.
He was a prince and later King of Powys in eastern Wales. Wikipedia. Maredudd ap Bleddyn.
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.

===Date Estimation for Marriages and Children===
Maredudd was born in 1047, but his wife Hynydd was born in 1063. Starting with the date 1063, estimate her marriage at age 18, or 1081.
Estimate the two sons of this marriage born in 1082 and 1084. For estimation purposes, allow a daughter for this marriage as well, born in 1086, and assume that Hunyth died in childbirth in 1086.

Estimate that Maredudd then married Efa in 1087.

===1081 First Marriage to Hunyth ferch Efnydd===
Maredudd married first Hunedd ferch Einudd, who bore him two sons, Madog ap Maredudd and Gruffydd ap Maredudd.
If the date estimation above has any merit, the marriage took place around 1081.
He married firstly Hynydd, daughter of Eunydd [Efnydd] ap Gwernwy & his wife ---.

Maredudd & his first wife had three children:

===1087 Second Marriage to Efa ferch Bletrws===
If the date estimation above has any merit, this marriage took place around 1087
He married secondly Eva, daughter of Bletrws ap Ednowain Bendew & his wife ---.

===Other Relationships===
He later had a relationship with Cristin ferch Bledrus, who gave him the base sons Hywel ap Maredudd and Iowerth Goch ap Maredudd.
For date estimation purposes, assume that this relationship occurred at the same time as one of Maredudd's marriages.

===1100 Alliance with Earl of Shrewsbury===
The Chronicle of the Princes of Wales records that "Robert Earl of Shrewsbury" made an alliance with "Cadwgan, Iorwerth and Maredudd, sons of Bleddyn, son of Cynvyn" in 1100 and together they seized "castles…Arundel and Bliv and Brygge…and Shrewsbury"[744].

===1102 Battles===
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.

===1104 Escape from Prison===
The Chronicle of the Princes of Wales records that "Maredudd son of Bleddyn escaped from prison and returned to his country" in 1104[745].

===1113 Battles===
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.

===1114 Henry I of England Invades===
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.

===1121 Battles===
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.

===1132 Death of Maredudd===

Maredudd ap Bleddyn died 9 February 1132.
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.
The Annales Cambriæ record the death in 1132 of "Maredut filius Bledint dux Powisorum"[746].
The Chronicle of the Princes of Wales records that "Maredudd son of Bleddyn" died in 1129[747].

==Issue==

===Issue not otherwise assigned===

#[[Maredudd-3|Cadwgon ap Maredudd]], born 1081 #[[Maredudd-8|Dyddgu (Maredudd) ferch Maredudd]] born 1100. #[[Maredudd-10|Hywel (Maredudd) ap Maredudd]] born 1111

===Children of Maredudd and Efa===
#1. MADOG ap Maredudd, born 1091 Montgomeryshire. (-1161, bur Meivod). Same as [[Powis-Vadawc-1|Madawc ou Powis-Vadawc]], same as [[ap-Meredith-3|Madoc ap Meredith]] and same as [[ap Maredudd-21|Madog ap Maredudd]]. He succeeded his father in 1132 as Prince of Powys. The Chronicle of the Princes of Wales records that "Madog son of Maredudd built the castle of Oswestry" in 1148 and "gave Cyveiliog to his nephews Owain and Meurug, the sons of Gruffudd son of Maredudd"[748]. The Annales Cambriæ record the death in 1161 of "Madoc filius Maredut Powysorum princeps"[749]. The Chronicle of the Princes of Wales records that "Madog son of Maredudd Lord of Powys" died in 1159 and was buried "at Meivod"[750]. m SUSANN of Gwynedd, daughter of GRUFFYDD ap Cynan King of Gwynedd & his wife Angharad of Deheubarth. Madog & his wife had four children:
#2. GRUFFYDD (-[1125/28]). Same as [[Powis-Wenwynwyn-1|Gruffud ou Powis-Wenwynwyn]] and same as [[Maredudd-14|Gruffudd (Maredudd) ap Maredudd]]. The Chronicle of the Princes of Wales records that "Einon son of Cadwgan son of Bleddyn and Gruffudd son of Maredudd son of Bleddyn joined together to make an attack upon the castle of Uchtryd son of Edwin" in 1113[754]. Lord of Mawddy. The Annales Cambriæ record the death in 1128 of "Grifinus filius Meredut"[755]. The Chronicle of the Princes of Wales records that "Gruffudd son of Maredudd son of Bledyn" died in 1125[756]. m GWERFYL, daughter and heiress of GWRGENO ap Hywel Lord of Caer or Clydewen & his wife ---. Gruffydd & his wife had two children:
#3. HYWEL (-1142). The Annales Cambriæ record that "Hoelus filius Maredut filii Bledint" was killed by his own men in 1142[759].
Maredudd & his second wife had one child:
#4. IORWERTH Goch/the Red . m MAUD, daughter of ROGER de Manley & his wife ---. Iorwerth & his wife had one child:

===Line of Descent===
1025 [[Powys-15|Bleddyn ap Cynfyn]] (obit 1075).

. 1065 [[Bleddyn-11|Maredudd]] (obit 1132)

.. 1098 [[Maredydd-22|Madog]] (obit 1160)

... 1130 [[Madog-30|Gruffudd Maelor I ap Madog]] (obit 1191)

.... 1160 [[Gruffudd-57|Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor]] (obit 1236)
..... 1195 [[Madog-54|Gruffudd Maelor II]] (obit 1269)[http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id200.html The Ancestry of Owain Glyndŵr] Ancient Wales Studies, by Darrell Wolcott.
He later had a relationship with Cristin ferch Bledrus, who gave him the base sons Hywel ap Maredudd and Iowerth Goch ap Maredudd.

==Sources==



See also:
Ashley, M. (2008). A Brief History of British Kings and Queens, (pp.475). Philadelphia: Running Press. Print.

* Courtesy of fantastically full family tree cf.:

Hughes of Gwerclas 1/2/3/4:
http://www.maximiliangenealogy.co.uk/burke1/Royal%20Descents/hughesofgwerclas_1.htm
http://www.maximiliangenealogy.co.uk/burke1/Royal%20Descents/hughesofgwerclas_2.htm
http://www.maximiliangenealogy.co.uk/burke1/Royal%20Descents/hughesofgwerclas_3.htm
http://www.maximiliangenealogy.co.uk/burke1/Royal%20Descents/hughesofgwerclas_4.htm

Birth	Aft 1047	Montgomery, Wales
Marriage	1081	Montgomeryshire, Wales - Hunydd Einudd
Death	1132	Powys, Wales
Alt name		Prince of Powys
Reference No		9369478
Reference No
Reference No		60

Spouse	Hunydd Einudd (1063 - 1132)
Child	Madog ap Maredudd (1091 - 1160)
Child	Cadwgon ap Maredudd (1081 - 1163)
Child	Gruffudd "Prince of Powys" ap Maredudd (1093 - 1128)
Child	Dyddgu ferch Maredudd (1100 - )
Child	Hywel ap Maredudd (1111 - 1142)

Child

Gruffud ou Powis-Wenwynwyn (1093 - 1128)

Father	Bleddyn ap Cynfyn (1025 - 1075)
Mother	Haer Cillyn (1029 - 1089)