Raging in his fury: the trials of Madog ap Llywelyn (3)

Between 1278-94, little is known of Madog. He doesn’t appear to have taken any part in the second war between Edward and Llywelyn in 1282-3, though he and his family presumably continued to dwell on Anglesey. They would have witnessed the landing of Edward’s expeditionary force on the isle in August, and Luke de Tany’s disastrous effort to cross the bridge of boats in November.

There is one possible reference to Madog in 1284. In July, at Caernarfon, Edward granted to Gruffudd ap Iorwerth and his nephew, Dafydd ap Llywelyn, and to Elise ap Iorwerth and his nephew, Madog ap Llywelyn, the right to hold all their lands in Wales by barony, as their ancestors had done. Gruffudd and Elise were lords of Edeirnion in the west of northern Powys and descendants of Owain Brogontyn; their ancestors had established themselves in Edeirnion and Dinmael by the early 13th century.

This lineage achieved some prominence in Wales. In 1258 Gruffudd and Elise were among the Welsh magnates who witnessed Prince Llywelyn’s agreement with the lords of Scotland; this was the first document in which Llywelyn styled himself ‘principe Wallie’ or Prince of Wales. Elise afterwards fell out with Llywelyn and was imprisoned, only to be released via the terms of the Treaty of Aberconwy in 1277. Gruffudd and Elise fought for Llywelyn against Edward in 1282, but were pardoned.

The names of their nephews, Madog and Dafydd, are not found in any other pedigrees relating to this lineage. Madog ap Llywelyn was the only contemporary figure of that name whose ancestry justified being granted tenure by barony: his father, Llywelyn ap Maredudd, had promised fealty to Henry III in 1246 on condition that and his heirs should be maintained according to the custom of Welsh barons. The tenure translated by the English as ‘Welsh barony’ was called ‘pennaeth’ in Welsh. In 1308 Llywelyn ab Owain, a lord of Ceredigion, was described as holding:

‘By the Welsh tenure Pennaethium…by fealty and service, that he and all his tenants wherever necessary were bound to come at the summons of the king’s bailiffs for three days at their own cost, and he owed suit at the court of Cardigan called the Welsh county. After his death the king was entitled to 100 shillings ‘ebediw’ and according to Welsh custom the lordship should be divided between his sons. The king cannot claim wardship or marriage’.