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WELSHMEN NAMED MAENYRCH
By
Darrell Wolcott
Peter Bartrum's index of names [1] lists a single man named Maenyrch, dates him c. 1070,
charts [2] him as married to a lady he dates c. 1100 and then assigns him three sons born c. 1070 and two sons born c. 1100.
Using a single outlier citation [3], he assigned
him the patronymic name Maenyrch ap Dryffin ap Cudd, even though the citation itself says "Dryffin ap Ku". Another
citation [4] substitutes "Hudd" for the "Ku" seen in similar Maenyrch pedigrees.
In an earlier work [5], Bartrum said "the genealogies are consistent in putting
the birth of Maenyrch in about 1010." When constructing his charts 11 years later, he moved that forward 2 generations;
we think his earlier estimate was closer to the correct date if he was referring to the father of Bleddyn and Drymbenog. However,
his discovery of a Madog ap Maenyrch born near 1100 required a Maenyrch born c. 1070. Unfortunately, he refused to consider
that these must have been two different men.
Our own survey [6], using the same manuscripts as Bartrum, located 4 different men named Maenyrch, three
of whom had a father named Dryffin. The earliest Maenyrch ap Dryffin was born c. 970 in a family descended from the
Irish Deisi and which resided in Brycheiniog. He is the man who married a first-cousin, Elen ferch Einion ap Selyf [7], this
Selyf also being the father of Dryffin.
The others were all men of Brycheiniog who had descended from the c. 475 Caradog Friech Fras. These
included the father of the brothers Bleddyn and Drymbenog, Maenyrch ap Dryffin ap Hwgan, born c. 1015 and the only Maenyrch
that Bartrum seemed to know existed. There was also his grandson, Maenyrch ap Dryffyn ap Maenyrch ap Dryffin, born c.
1075. He was the only Maenyrch ap Dryffin who had a son named Madog. The final man was Maenyrch ap Ifor ap Richert (this
Richert probably being a first-cousin of Dryffin ap Hwgan), who was the father of Rhys Goch of c. 1070, the Lord of Ystrad
Yw.
Although we could find no record of an early marriage connection between the two paternally unrelated
families mentioned above (and charted below), there is certainly a suggestion that the c. 910 patriarchs, Selyf ap Gruffudd
and Gwynngy ap Hydd Hwgan, were some degree of cousins by an earlier and unknown marriage.
BARTRUM's CHART
"MAENYRCH 1":
Compare this construction with our chart, which follows. Pay particular attention to the treatment
of the families of Madog ap Maenyrch.
CHART NOTES:
(a) This Gruffudd
ap Elise was a direct paternal descendant of the Irish Deisi man, Rhain ap Cadwgan ap Cathen ap Cloten. The latter had married
the last direct descendant of Brychan, when that line daughtered-out in the 7th century. See our paper on the Rulers of Brycheiniog
at the following link:
(b) This man was
a direct paternal descendant of the c. 475 Caradog Freich Fras. This family likely came to Brycheiniog in the 8th century
by marrying an heiress from a Deisi cousin line to that of Gruffudd ap Elise. Hydd Hwgan's son, Gwynngy, might have
(in the 10th century) married a daughter of Gruffudd ap Elise, and possibly explaining the presence of men named Maenyrch
ap Dryffin in both families. The actual descent from Caradog Freich Fras is shown in the paper linked to in the preceding
note.
(c) In the paper
linked in chart note (a), we suggested this Einion might actually be the Einion ap Selyf in the left-hand column of this chart.
However, the presence of a string of 5 same-named men (ending in Einion ap Edlemyn) makes our current presentation a bit more
likely.
(d) The marriage
of this Maenyrch ap Dryffin to his cousin, Elen, is cited in Dwnn i, 107, Dwnn ii, 50 and LB 94 and had nothing to do with
the family of the 11th century king of Brycheiniog, Bleddyn ap Maenyrch.
(e) This Dryffin
was king of Brycheiniog, and he married Crusilla (990) ferch Idwal (945) ap Meurig (913) ap Idwal Foel (880) king of Gwynedd,
according to Jones "History of Brecknock - Glanusk Edition", vol ii, 183
(f)
This is the Maenyrch, king of Brycheiniog, who had the sons Bleddyn, Drymbenog and Dryffin cited in LB 120, plus son Rhiwallon, cited in Protheroe IV, 1. He did
NOT have a son named Madog.
(g) This is the
single Maenyrch ap Ifor and is the senior cousin line which began the naming sequence "Einion ap Edlemyn ap Gruffudd ap Madog
ap Maenyrch" which was followed by cousin Maenyrch of c. 1075.
(h) Rhys Goch ap
Ifor is cited by Harl 3525, 81/82. He began a string of 4 same-named men which was copied by his nephew, also named
Rhys Goch. Bradney's "History of Monmouthshire" vol 1(2b), 338 says a Rhys Goch married Sian (1055) ferch Cadwgan (1020)
ap Elystan Glodrydd (990). While that source wrongly calls Rhys Goch "Lord of Ystrad Yw", only this c. 1045 man fits
chronologically.
(j) This Maenyrch
ap Dryffin is cited in Pen 127, 128. In addition to our charted son, Madog, he also had sons named Bleddyn and Drymbenog.
(k) This is the
Rhys Goch ap Maenyrch who was Lord of Ystrad Yw. One family descended from him copied the male naming sequence begun
by his uncle, Rhys Goch ap Ifor.
(m) This was the
only Madog ap Maenyrch ap Dryffin, and a family descended from him copied a string of male names started by the c. 1075 Madog
ap Maenyrch ap Ifor.
(n) This is the
Idris ap Genillin ap Rhys Goch who married Anne (1115) ferch Moriddig Warwyn (1080) ap Drymbenog (1050) ap Maenyrch (1015)
as cited in the same pedigree mentioned in chart note (h) above. We did not display any of the families descended from Drymbenog
in our chart.
(p) This Edlemyn
ap Gruffudd married Gwenllian (1185) ferch Maredudd (1145) ap Rhydderch (1115) ap Maredudd Fras (1080) ap Rhydderch (1053)
ap Tewdwr (1023), as cited in Pen 132, 128
(q) This Einion
ap Edlemyn married Goleuddydd (1175) ferch Llewelyn Winau (1140) ap Cadwgan (1110) ap Rhys (1075) ap Morda Frych (1040), as
cited in Pen 132, 128
(r) This Ieuan ap
Idris ap Genillin married Gwladys (1175) ferch Gruffudd (1145)
ap Madog (1112) ap Caradog (1080) ap Iestyn (1045) ap Gwrgan (1008) as cited in Harl 2289, 210
(s) This Trahaearn
ap Madog married Gawddwen (1255) ferch Rhun (1225) ap Gronwy (1195) ap Seisyll (1165) ap Cynfyn (1135) ap Genillin (1100)
ap Rhys Goch (1070) as cited in Harl 2289, 211. His mother, Joan (1215) ferch Trahaearn (1180) ap Gwgan (1145) ap Bleddyn
(1110) ap Maenyrch (1075), is cited in Protheroe IV, 1 as wife of Madog ap Trahaearn ap Einion.
(t) This Gwenllian
married Philip (1225) ap Trahaearn (1190) ap Cadwgan (1160) ap Tegwared (1130) ap Ysbwys (1100) ap Eidio Wyllt (1065) as cited
in Pen 132, 128
(u) This Ieuan ap
Trahaearn married Nest Fychan (1290) ferch Gruffudd (1260) ap Sir Hywel (1225) ap Gruffudd (1195) ap Ednyfed Fychan (1165)
as cited in Pen 128, 787a
(v) This Trahaearn
ap Madog married Elen (1280) ferch Philip Sais (1250) ap Madog Gam (1220) ap Seisyll (1190) ap Llewelyn (1155) ap Moriddig
Fychan (1120) ap Moriddig Warwyn (1080) ap Drymbenog (1050) as cited by Golden Grove Ms, page 752
NOTES:
[1]
Bartrum's "Welsh Genealogies AD300 - 1400", 1974, volumes 5 & 6
[2]
ibid, chart "Maenyrch 1"
[3]
Pen 134, 408
[4]
Mostyn Ms 212b, 130. Other sources call the father of Dryffin "Hydd Hwgan", a man who was actually the grandfather of
the Hwgan who WAS father to Dryffin
[5]
"Pedigrees of the Welsh Tribal Patriarchs - #15", notes on page 130, National Library of Wales Journal, Vol XIII, 1963
[6]
Also see our earlier discussion of Bartrum's "#15-Maenyrch" in his "Pedigrees of the Welsh Tribal Patriarchs" at the following
link:
[7]
Dwnn i, 107; Dwnn ii, 50; LB 94
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