Prince of Maelienydd
After the death of Madog ab Idnerth, there was clearly a great deal of conflict in the Middle March between his family and the Norman Marcher lords. Madog is known to have had at least five sons of whom Hywel ap Madog and Cadwgan ap Madog were killed in 1142 by Helias of Say the Lord of Clun. Another son - Maredudd ap Madog - was killed by Hugh Mortimer in 1146. This left two surviving sons, who ended up in control of the two principal divisions of their father's lands in Rhwng Gwy a Hafren: Cadwallon ap Madog ruled Maelienydd and his younger brother Einion Clud ruled Elfael. The two fell out and Cadwallon is recorded as having seized Einion and handed him over to Owain Gwynedd, who in turn handed him over to Henry II. But Einion was later free, joining with his brother to rally under the banner of Owain Gwynedd at Corwen in 1165.
In the summer of 1175 Cadwallon and Einion followed Rhys ap Gruffudd to Gloucester where he made a peace treaty with King Henry II, buying recognition from the king for his holding the land of Maelienydd. The Brut y Twysogion records this with the words: And then the Lord Rhys ap Gruffudd prepared to go to the king’s court at Gloucester. And he took along with him, by the king’s counsel, all the princes of the South who had been in opposition to the king, to wit: Cadwallon ap Madog of Maelienydd, his first-cousin, and Einion Clud of Elfael...
Cadwallon also seems to have been responsible for building or fortifying several castles in the Middle Marches. He fought at least one battle at Ednol and was 'the renowned possesser of Cymaron' and its castle. It seems he built Crug Eryr Castle and brought destruction to the English Marches of Herefordshire and Shropshire. In 1176 he profited most from the death of his brother Einion Clud when he annexed his brother's lands. The next year he was described as "king" of Elfael by an English court official.
Read more about this topic: Cadwallon Ap Madog
Famous quotes containing the words prince of and/or prince:
“A chaplain is the minister of the Prince of Peace serving the host of the God of War—Mars. As such, he is as incongruous as a musket would be on the altar at Christmas. Why, then, is he there? Because he indirectly subserves the purpose attested by the cannon; because too he lends the sanction of the religion of the meek to that which practically is the abrogation of everything but brute Force.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)
“A prince must be prudent enough to know how to escape the bad reputation of those vices that would lose the state for him, and must protect himself from those that will not lose it for him, if this is possible; but if he cannot, he need not concern himself unduly if he ignores these less serious vices.”
—Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527)