Goronwy ab Ednyfed

Goronwy ab Ednyfed
Born c. 1205
Died 17 October 1268
Occupation Senechal
Religion Roman Catholic
Children Tudur Hen

Goronwy ab Ednyfed (c. 1205 – 17 October 1268) was senechal to Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Kingdom of Gwynedd. Goronwy was the founder of the Tudor family of Penmynydd.

Early life and service to Llywelyn ap Gruffudd

Goronwy ab Ednyfed was one of three sons of Ednyfed Fychan (died 1246), senechal to Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Wales.[1] Goronwy's mother, Gwenllian ferch Rhys ap Gruffudd, was daughter of Rhys ap Gruffydd.[2]

When Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (Llywelyn the Last) rose to power in the Kingdom of Gwynedd, he brought all three of Ednyfed's sons into his service. By 1258, Llywelyn had styled himself the Prince of Wales,[1] the same year that Goronwy had been established his senechal. Goronwy continued in this role for the following ten years, during which time he was involved in a variety of negotiations with the Marcher Lords, Richard, the Bishop of Bangor, and several other Welsh princes. Goronwy led Llywelyn's troops as far south as Gwent to combat the Marcher Lords in February 1263.[3] He died on 17 October 1268, he was remembered by Welsh chroniclers for his wisdom, integrity as well as his ability in arms.[3]

Legacy

By founding the Tudor family of Penmynydd,[4] Goronwy began a legacy which resulted in his descendent becoming Kings and Queens of England. His son, Tudur's name influenced the title of the family as when a second Tudur ap Goronwy was noted by King Edward III of England and made a knight,[5][6] this suffix was passed down two further generations to Owain ap Maredudd ap Tudur who Anglicised it to become Owen Tudor.[6][7] Owen was the grandfather of Henry Tudor, who became King Henry VII of England and the founder of the Royal House of Tudor.[7]

Linage

Notes

  1. 1 2 Griffiths & Thomas 1985, p. 10.
  2. "Gwenllian". Royal Genealogy Database at Hull University. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  3. 1 2 Griffiths & Thomas 1985, p. 11.
  4. "Ednyfed Fychan". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  5. Griffiths & Thomas 1985, p. 5.
  6. 1 2 Nicholas 1872, p. 29.
  7. 1 2 "A royal dynasty". BBC Wales. 5 August 2008. Retrieved 21 April 2016.

References

  • Griffiths, Ralph Alan; Thomas, Roger S. (1985). The Making of the Tudor Dynasty. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-31250-745-9. 
  • Nicholas, Thomas (1872). Annals and Antiquities of the Counties and County Families of Wales. 1. London: Genealogical Publishing. 
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 8/7/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.