Ednyfed Fychan
Ednyfed Fychan (c. 1170 – 1246), full name Ednyfed Fychan ap Cynwrig,
As is usual with medieval orthography, a variety of spellings were used for his name in medieval sources, such as Vychan, Idneved Vachan, and Edeneweth Vakan.[5][10]
Warrior
Ednyfed is said to have first come to notice in battle, fighting against the army of
Seneschal
In 1215, he succeeded Gwyn ab Ednywain as
Family and estates
Ednyfed was married twice. His first marriage was to Tangwystl ferch Llywarch,
Ednyfed had estates at Bryn Ffanigl Isaf near
Later years and legacy
Gwenllian died in 1236. On Llywelyn the Great's death in 1240, Ednyfed continued as Seneschal in the service of Llywelyn's son, Dafydd ap Llywelyn, until his own death in 1246.[15] In 1240 Ednyfed served as a witness to a charter that Dafydd ap Llywelyn wrote for Basingwerk Abbey, alongside his brothers Grono and Heilyn.[5] One of his sons, Goronwy ap Ednyfed replaced him in court working with the Princes of Gwynedd.[15]
Ednyfed was buried in his own chapel, now Llandrillo yn Rhos Church, Llandrillo-yn-Rhos (Rhos-on-Sea), North Wales, which was enlarged to become the parish church after the previous one (Dinerth Parish Church) had been inundated by the sea during Ednyfed's lifetime.[3] Ednyfed's tombstone has been incorporated into the church which was redeveloped in the 15th century.[20]
Two other sons were successively Seneschals of Gwynedd under
Ednyfed in legend: Ednyfed Fychan's Farewell
According to folk tradition, Ednyfed is said to have composed a farewell song to Gwenllian before leaving to take part in the Crusades. He was away for several years, and his family thought him dead. According to an old Welsh tale, Gwenllian accepted another offer of marriage. On the wedding night, a 'pitiable beggar' arrived at the house and asked permission to borrow a harp with which to entertain the party with a song. According to this legend the beggar sang Ednyfed's Farewell song and as he reached the last verse, removed his hat, revealing himself to be Ednyfed.[13] He sang:
A wanderer I, and aweary of strife,
Get ye gone, if ye so desire;
But if I may not have my own wife
I'll have my own bed, my own house, my own fire!
Ednyfed then announced to the stunned throng:
"This was the tune 'Farewell' to my dear Gwenllian. Hence let her go with her new husband. My faithful harp, come to my arms."[22][ed 2]
Issue
By first marriage to Tangwystl ferch Llywarch he had:[4]
- Sir Tudur ap Ednyfed Fychan,[23] of Nant and Llangynhafal, Seneschal of Gwynedd (c. 1205 – 1278), married Adles ferch Rhicert, of Dinllaen; his issue included the Griffiths of Penrhyn and the second house of Tudors of Penmynydd[4][7]
- Llywelyn ap Ednyfed Fychan, of Creuddyn
- Hywel ap Ednyfed Fychan, Bishop of Llanelwy (1235 – 1247)[16]
- Rhys ap Ednyfed Fychan, (of Garth Garmon) (born c. 1205)
- Cynwrig ap Ednyfed Fychan, of Creuddyn
- Iorwerth ap Ednyfed Fychan "y Gwahanglwyfus" (a leper[24]), of Abermarlais
- Angharad ferch Ednyfed Fychan, married Einion Fychan ab Einion, (of Malltraeth)[16]
By second marriage to Gwenllian ferch Rhys he had:[4][15]
- Goronwy ap Ednyfed Fychan, Lord of Tref-Gastell, Seneschal of Gwynedd (c. 1200 – 1268, bur Bangor), married Morfudd ferch Meurig, of Gwent, daughter of Meuric of Gwent ap Ithel, Lord of Gwent. He was ancestor of the first house of Tudors of Penmynydd, and hence of the House of Tudor.[7][15]
- Gruffudd ap Ednyfed Fychan, ancestor of the Griffiths of Wychnor, including "the wealthiest and most influential figure among the native gentry of the 14th century", Sir Rhys ap Gruffydd.[25]
- Gwladus ferch Ednyfed Fychan, married Tegwared ap Cynwrig.
- Gwenllian ferch Ednyfed Fychan, married Tegwared y Baiswen, illegitimate son of Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Gwynedd.
By one of his marriages he had:
- Gwenllian ferch Ednyfed Fychan, married firstly Sir Aron ap Rhys, Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, and married secondly Gwrwared ap Gwilym.
Out of wedlock, he had by an unknown woman:
- Tudur Gwilltyn ap Ednyfed Fychan
References
- ^ "Fychan". fychan.net.
- ^ "fychan". allbabaynames.net. 9 October 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f "Ednyfed Fychan". historic-uk.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i (Roberts 1959)
- ^ a b c (Dodsworth 1655)
- ^ a b (Lowe 1912, p. 354)
- ^ a b c "TUDOR family of Penmynydd, Anglesey - later members". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales.
- ^ "The Tudors". royal.uk. 14 January 2016.
- ^ "Ednyfed Fychan". mostynestates.co.uk.
- ^ Lowe 1912, pp. 370–371.
- ^ Lowe 1912, p. 355.
- ^ "Welsh History Month: Fee, fi, fo fum - I see the severed head of an Englishman!". walesonline.co.uk. 3 May 2013.
- ^ a b Dr. David Harrison. "The Crusades and the Welsh Princes". knightstemplar.org.
- ^ Lowe 1912, p. 358.
- ^ a b c d e (Amin 2014)
- ^ a b c d (Williams 1802)
- ^ "Castles of the Princes of Wales". cadw.gov.wales.
- ^ "RHOS ON SEA – LLYS EURYN COURT". medieavalheritage.eu.
- ^ "History". rhosfynach.co.uk.
- ^ "Rhos on Sea". snowdoniaguide.com.
- ISBN 978-0-31250-745-9.
- ^ Lowe 1912, p. 357.
- ^ Lyte 1901, p. 821.
- ^ Carr.
- ^ Pierce, Thomas Jones (1959). "RHYS ap GRUFFYDD or 'Syr RHYS' (died 1356), nobleman". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales.
Notes
- ^ Fychan being a Welsh spelling now called Vaughan,[1] namely translated as small,[2] or known as Jr./junior
- ^ The translation from the Welsh is credited to Mrs Watts-Jones of Glyn, Dygwyfylchi. Presumably this folk tale was handed down through the ages; a similar tale exists for the medieval poet Einion ap Gwalchmai. Although it is possible that Ednyfed went on a crusade, the tale itself belongs to the realm of folklore rather than history.
Works cited
- Amin, Nathan (2014). Tudor Wales. ISBN 978-1445617732.
- Carr, A. D. "Tudor family, forebears of". doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/77357. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- Dodsworth, Roger (1655). Monasticon Anglicanum (in Latin). Vol. 1. London. p. 721 – via archive.org.
William Dugdale
- Lloyd, John Edward (1911). A history of Wales from the earliest times to the Edwardian conquest. ISBN 0-14-014581-8– via library.wales.
- Lowe, Walter Bezant (1912). The Heart of Northern Wales: As it was and as it Is, Being an Account of the Pre-historical and Historical Remains of Aberconway and the Neighbourhood. Vol. 1.The heart of North Wales at Google Books
- Lyte, H.C. Maxwell (1901). Patent rolls of the reign of Henry III. Mackie and co. ld. p. 821 – via archive.org.
- Roberts, Glyn (1959). "EDNYFED FYCHAN, (EDNYFED ap CYNWRIG) and his descendants, noble family of Gwynedd.". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales.
- Williams, William (1802). Observations on the Snowdon Mountains: With Some Account of the Customs and Manners of the Inhabitants : To which is Added a Genealogical Account of the Penrhyn Families. E. Williams. p. 168. ISBN 1298825822.