Llewelyn (JL-1)

Llywelyn the Great died on 11th April, 1240 AD.  It is recorded in Lloyd that the Cistercian annalist wrote: "that great Achilles the Second, the lord Llywelyn...whose deeds I am unworthy to recount." [Lloyd p.226-227]   It was around the death of this Llywelyn that the next in my family line was born.

He was the eldest son of Iorwerth (JK-1), and is recorded as being of Llwyn-Onn.  His wife was Gwenlliam (JL-2) of Bersham.  I suspect that his father wanted him named after Llywelyn the Great [Llywelyn ab Iorwerth Drwyndwn] following this period of Welsh history.  The figure below connects father (JK-1) to son (JL-1) showing a rough dating method.

This method would give his birth around 1230 - 1240 AD, placing his marriage ca. 1250 - 1260 AD.  The name Llewelyn becomes a frequent choice among the family tree branches.

[For a more detailed discussion of the spelling and chronology of this name see my post "Spellin' Llewelyn" of  2/24/12.]

Iorwerth (JK-1)

The name "Iorwerth" seems to be picked up by the family around this time in history. [It is the Welsh transliterated into English as Edward.]  He is again recorded as of "Llwyn-Onn".  His wife's name was given as Anne.

The genealogy as recorded by Nicholas demonstrates how Welsh names need to be understood as most likely intended.  The following figure shows the use of the name Iorwerth over three generations.

The grandfather of "Iorwerth" (JK-1) was named "Iorwerth fychan" (JI-1).  Many genealogist use the Welsh term "fychan" to mean "junior" [as the son of...etc..].   In the Welsh of this period it was used to mean "the smaller" or "the younger".  It does not mean that Iorwerth fychan (JI-1) was the son of a Iorwerth [His father was Jeuaf (JH-1).]  It would mean that there was another by the name Iorwerth in the area (or family), and that Iorwerth fychan (JI-1) was the smaller or younger of the two by that name.  Welsh adjectives were often incorporated into the name to separate folks from one another.

Gruffydd (JJ-1)

The next in line is Gruffydd (JJ-1).  This would be Griffith in the English. [dd = th ]  He is also identified as of Llwyn-Onn. 

His wife is recorded as of the last line of the "Prince of Powys".  Margaret (JJ-2) is her name.  The name Margaret becomes one of the most common names among my JONES family.  The next figure place some historical context to this period ca. 1170 - 1180 AD.

Gruffydd (JJ-1) would be born around 1150 AD.  He is shown as the son of Iorwerth fychan (JI-1), and the next in line is given.  A dating method is shown lower right for the generations "J", "K", and "L".  It is a sliding scale over lapping at 50 year intervals.  The name Gryffydd "Griffith" becomes one of those Welsh surnames yet to come.

Iorweth Fychan (JI-1)

The eldest son of Jeuaf (JH-1) was Iorweth Fychan (JI-1).  He is identified as the first of "Llyn onn".  This location is spelled various ways including "Llwyn Onn", "Llwynynn", and others.  There are two locations by this name, one being at Wrexham, and one being at Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd.  Both are connected to my JONES surname.  The figures below show the coding for Iorweth Fychan. [ Edward the younger, smaller.]

The figure below shows the relationship with the branch to the Eytyn (Eyton) family.

A picture of Llwynynn, near Ruthin is shown on p.374 of Nicholas, Vol. I. The name means "Ash Grove" and there is a song by this name.  Say hello to Iorweth Fychan (JI-1).

Jeuaf (JH-1)

The third son of Ninnian (JG-1) is the next branch along my JONES family tree.  He is the 8th generation from Gadforch (JA-1). [The 32nd generation from Beli Mwar.]  His wife was Efa (JH-18) [also spelled Eva] from Arwystli, which is a branch of the eldest son.  Thus the baby of the family, Dingad (JD-3) marries into the family of the eldest, Gronwy (JD-1).  [The eldest branch becomes known as the tribe of Elystan Glodrydd (JF-6) with a distinct history of its own.]

To place Jeuaf (JH-1) [also spelled Ieva ] in a larger picture, the following figure shows Ninnian(JG-1) in the family tree with his three sons.  The two oldest sons are not named, and most likely died before 1146 AD.  Jeuaf (JH-1) is united with the eldest branch which had settled in an area between the Wye and Severn Rivers.  This would place the land of Dingad (JD-3), north of the Severn, in continued support of the eldest branch.

This was certainly a period of conflict between the Normans, Anglo-Saxons, and Welsh.  But somehow, the family tree made its way through.

Ninnian (JG-1)

The death of Cynrig (JF-1) must have been important to the early writers of Wales.  His death, and the reprisal from his 1st cousins, is recorded in a number of sources. [ See Maund : pp. 4, 6, 93, 94 ]
The figure below shows the sons of Cynrig (JF-1).  Ninnian (JG-1) is the branch to my JONES family.

During this time period, the fighting age among the Welsh culture was 14.  Since the 1st cousins of Cynrig (JF-1) carried out the family revenge on his killers, his sons must have all been under fighting age.  This would place their birth after 1060 AD [ 1073 - 14 = 1059 ]  Certainly a rough time to grow up in Wales.  The brothers of Ninnian (JG-1) each produce their own family lines which include the line of Broughton (Ednyfed JG-15), and the line of Lloid (David JG-13).

The sons of Rhys Sais (JG-4) are shown in the following figure.  They are through the second son of Tudor Trevor (JC-1) and would have become the senior branch of the family tree. [ Oldest son had daughtered out.]

There names are as follows:  Tydyr (JH-6) , Elidir (JH-5) and Bleddyn (JH-4).  This Tydyr is the one named in Domesday Survery!  I add their names to the books of history which to this time have only given them as "the sons of Rhys Sais".

Cynrig (JF-1)

The Normans had arrived into north Wales.  This certainly added another dimension to the Welsh tribal wars.  J.E. Lloyd in his "A History of Wales from the Norman Invasion to the Edwardian Conquest" describes a conflict between a chieftain from Powys [ Cynwrig ap Rhiwallon of Maelor ] and the folks from Gwynedd. (p. 17)  This conflict lead to his death around 1073 - 1075 AD.  The following chart shows this Cynrig [sp. Cynwrig, Kynfrig ] who is my Cynrig (JF-1).

His spouse is named Judy (JF-2) and in some records listed as Ann.  According to Maund (ref. 7) he was slain in 1075 AD, and according to Nicholas (ref. 6) he was killed 1073 AD.  His death leads to reprisal from some 1st cousins who are called "the sons of Rhys Sais".   The family feuds continue.