List of rulers of Gwynedd

This is a list of the rulers of Gwynedd.

Many of them were also acclaimed "King of the Britons" or "Prince of Wales".

Kings of Gwynedd

House of Cunedda

• Cunedda Wledig ap Edern (Cunedda the Imperator) (c. 450–c. 460)
• Einion Yrth ap Cunedda (Einion the Impetuous) (c. 470–c. 480)
  • Owain Ddantgwyn (Owain Whitetooth) ap Einion (Rhos; late 5th century)
  • Cynlas Goch (Rhos) & St Einion (Llŷn) ap Owain (late 5th and early 6th centuries)
• Cadwallon Lawhir ap Einion (Cadwallon Long Hand) (c. 500–c. 534)
• Maelgwn Hir ap Cadwallon (Maelgwn Gwynedd) (c. 520–c. 547)
• Rhun Hir ap Maelgwn (Rhun the Tall) (c. 547–c. 580)
• Beli ap Rhun (c. 580–c. 599)
• Iago ap Beli (c. 599–c. 616)
• Cadfan ap Iago (c. 613–c. 625)
• Cadwallon ap Cadfan (c. 625–634)
• Cadafael Cadomedd ap Cynfeddw (Cadfael the Battle-Shirker) (634–c. 655)
• Cadwaladr Fendigaid ap Cadwallon (Cadwallader the Blessed) (c. 655–c. 682)
• Idwal Iwrch ap Cadwaladr (Idwal Roebuck) (c. 682–c. 720)
• Rhodri Molwynog ap Idwal (Rhodri the Bald and Grey) (c. 720–c. 754)
• Caradog ap Meirion (c. 754–c. 798)
• Cynan Dindaethwy ap Rhodri (c. 798–816)
• Hywel ap Rhodri Molwynog (814–825)

With Hywel's death, all male descendants of Maelgwn Gwynedd have expired. Merfyn the Freckled succeeds through his mother Esyllt, eldest daughter of Cynan Dindaethwy and niece of Hywel ap Rhodri Molwynog.

House of Manaw

• Merfyn Frych (Merfyn the Freckled) ap Gwriad (825–844)
• Rhodri Mawr (Rhodri the Great) ap Merfyn (844–878)

House of Aberffraw

The warfare among the sons of Rhodri meant that the descendants of Anarawd became considered a separate house – called the House of Aberffraw from their principal seat – from the junior branches in Deheubarth and elsewhere.

• Anarawd ap Rhodri (878–916) (establishes the Aberffraw dynasty, the senior branch of descendants from Rhodri Mawr)
• Idwal Foel ab Anarawd (Idwal the Bald) (916–942)
• Hywel Dda ap Cadell (Howell the Good) (942–950) (Dinefwr dynasty, descended from the second son of Rhodri Mawr who ruled in Deheubarth, usurps Gwynedd from the Aberffraw line.)
• Iago ab Idwal (950–979) (returns to the Aberffraw branch)
• Ieuaf ab Idwal (950–969)
• Hywel ab Ieuaf (974–985)
• Cadwallon ab Ieuaf (985–986)

House of Dinefwr

• Maredudd ab Owain (986–999) Dinefwr dynasty seizes Gwynedd

House of Aberffraw

• Cynan ap Hywel (999–1005) Returns to the Aberffraw dynasty briefly

Usurper

• Aeddan ap Blegywryd (1005–1018) (minor commote lord usurps Gwynedd from the Aberffraw dynasty)

House of Rhuddlan

• Llywelyn ap Seisyll (1018–1023) (Rhuddlan dynasty in lower Gwynedd usurps from Aeddan ap Blegywryd)

House of Aberffraw

• Iago ab Idwal ap Meurig (1023–1039) (Aberffraw dynasty returns)

House of Rhuddlan

• Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (1039–1063) (Llywelyn's son Gruffydd usurps from Aberffraw dynasty)

House of Mathrafal

• Bleddyn ap Cynfyn (1063–1075) (Mathrafal dynasty of Powys "receives" Gwynedd from the English King)
• Trahaearn ap Caradog (1075–1081)

House of Aberffraw

• Gruffydd ap Cynan (1081–1137) (Aberffraw dynasty returns)
• Owain Gwynedd ap Gruffydd (1137–1170) (After Owain rulers of Gwynedd are styled Prince of Aberffraw and Lord of Snowdon)
• Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd r. 1170; killed by his younger brother Dafydd ab Owain in a conspiracy hatched by his stepmother Cristen, dowager princess of Gwynedd, and her sons Dafydd and Rhodri ab Owain.
• Dafydd I the Usurper (1170–1195), displaced elder brother Hywel ap Owain Gwynedd, but was himself displaced between 1195 ruling only lower Gwynedd. England recognized Dafydd as Prince of Gwynedd, though Welsh jurists did not.
  • Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd (1170–1190) Ruling upper Gwynedd until 1174
  • Maelgwn ab Owain Gwynedd (1170–1173), ruling Ynys Mon and supporter of his elder brother Hywel ap Owain's claim as Prince. After Hywel's death, Maelgwn was able to retain Ynys Mon from Dafydd the Usurper.

Princes of Wales

• Llywelyn Fawr (Llywelyn the Great) ap Iorwerth (1195–1240), first Prince of Wales
• Dafydd ap Llywelyn (1240–1246)
• Owain Goch (Owain the Red) ap Gruffydd (1246–1255)
• Llywelyn the Last ap Gruffydd (1246–1282)
• Dafydd ap Gruffydd (1282–1283), pretender

Pretenders

• Madog ap Llywelyn (1294–1295) (not crowned but claimed the title)
• Owain Lawgoch (Owain Redhand) ap Tomas ap Rhodri (1372–1378), great-nephew of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, in exile but claimed the title.

After Owain Lawgoch the line of Aberffraw would continue post conquest, and later direct male descendants would include the Wynn family and the Anwyl family, both claiming direct male descent from Owain Gwynedd.

Wynn baronets of Gwydir (1611)

The Wynn baronets of Gwydir were created in the Baronetage of England in 1611—one of the initial creations—for John Wynn, of Gwydir. The members of this line were heirs to the Aberffraw claim to the Principality of Gwynedd and Wales as direct descendents of Owain Gwynedd in the senior line from the 15th century. The family continued to be prominent in politics, all the baronets save Owen sat as members of parliament, often for Carnarvon or Carnarvonshire. This creation became extinct in 1719, on the death of the fifth baronet. Wynnstay, near Ruabon, passed to Jane Thelwall and her husband Sir Watkin Williams, who took the name of Williams-Wynn in honor of his wife's princely heritage.

• Owain Gwynedd, Prince of Gwynedd (died November 1170) = Cristina ferch Gronw ap Owain ap Edwin
• Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd, Lord of Anglesey (died 1195) = Annest ferch Rhys ap Gruffudd
• Thomas ap Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd = Annest ferch Einion ap Seisyllt
• Caradog ap Tomas = Efa ferch Gwyn ap Gruffudd ap Beli
• Gruffudd ap Caradog = Lleuca ferch Llywarch Fychan ap Llywarch
• Dafydd ap Gruffudd of Rhos = Efa ferch Gruffudd Fychan
• Hywel ap Dafydd = Efa ferch Evan ap Hywel ap Maredudd
• Maredudd ap Hywell (d. after 1353) = Morfydd ferch Ieuan ap Dafydd ap Trahaern Goch
• Robert ap Maredudd = Angharad ferch Dafydd ap Llywelyn
• Ifan ap Robert (born 1438, died 1469) = Catherine ferch Rhys ap Hywel Fychan
• Maredudd ap Ifan (Ieuan) ap Robert (b. c1459, died 18 March 1525) = Ales ferch William Gruffudd ap Robin
• John "Wynn" ap Maredudd (died 9 July 1559) = Ellen Lloyd ferch Morys ap John
• Morys Wynn ap John (died 1580) = Jane Bulkeley (1) Ann Grevill (2) Katherine of Berain (3)
• Sir John Wynn ap Morys of Gwydir
  • Jane Thelwall (great-granddaughter of Sir John Wynn, 1st Baronet through his son William Wynn of Branas, and his son Sidney Wynn) married Watkin Williams (1692–1749). Her husband took the name Wynn in honor of his wife's princely heritage, establishing the Williams-Wynn family.
    • Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 4th Baronet (1749–1789)
      • Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet (1772–1840)
        • Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 6th Baronet (1820–1885)
          • Sir Herbert Lloyd Watkin Williams-Wynn, 7th Baronet (1860–1944)
            • Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 8th Baronet (1891–1949)
              • Sir Robert William Herbert Watkin Williams-Wynn, 9th Baronet (1862–1951)
                • Sir Owen Watkin Williams-Wynn, 10th Baronet (1904–1988)
                  • Sir David Watkin Williams-Wynn, 11th Baronet (born 1940)
• Sir Richard Wynn, 2nd Baronet (c. 1588–1649)
• Sir Owen Wynn, 3rd Baronet (died 1660)
• Sir Richard Wynn, 4th Baronet (c. 1625–1674)
  • Mary Wynn, Duchess of Ancaster and Kesteven, only child of Sir Richard Wyn
    • Peregrine Bertie, 2nd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven
      • Peregrine Bertie, 3rd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven
        • Robert Bertie, 4th Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven (died without issue)
      • Lady Georgina Charlotte Bertie, eldest daughter of the 3rd Duke, married George Cholmondeley, 1st Marquess of Cholmondeley
        • George Cholmondeley, 2nd Marquess of Cholmondeley
          • see Marquess of Cholmondeley for continuation of the line
            • David Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, born 1960, Lord Great Chamberlain to HM the Queen.

Anwyl family of Parc (later of Tywyn)

Main article: Anwyl of Tywyn

Like the Wynn family, the Anwyl family of Parc (and later of Tywyn) also claim Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd as their ancestor. However, they part from the Wynn family in the early 15th century as they descend from Ieuan ap Maredudd whereas the Wynn family descends from Robert ap Maredudd (the elder brother). The brothers took opposing sides during the revolt of Owain Glyndŵr. The Anwyl family has been maintained in the male line and survives in Wales to this day; the current head of the family is Evan Vaughan Anwyl of Tywyn (born 1943).

See also

• List of Princes of Wales