In a post made on 9th December last I set out the descent of numerous
Shropshire manors which had belonged to Sir Fulke Corbet, down to the four
daughters and co-heiresses of Sir John Burgh. This Sir John's inheritance also
included the hereditary lordship of Mawddwy, (his IPM dated 17th Aug 1471 showed
him to be "seised of the lordship of Moutho in Powisland"). This he must have
acquired as heir of his mother Elizabeth, sister and heiress of her brother
Fulke Mouth (d.1414- I set out a lot of his IPM in my December post)
The purpose of this post is to show how the lordship of Mawddwy had
descended to Elizabeth Burgh nee "Mouthe", as to which we have the authority of
Camden in his "Britannia", as follows:-
"Eastward where Dovy runneth standeth Mouthwy a Commot very well knowne,
which fell for "a childes part of inheritance to William alias Wilcock of
Mouthwy, a younger sonne of "Gruffith Ap Gwenwynwin Lord of Powis, and by his sons
daughter it came unto Sir Hugh "Burgh, and by his sons daughters likewise
unto the familes of Newport, Leighton, Lingein, "and Mitton, of especiall
respect in these parts."
Interestingly, the 1623 Visitation of Shropshire, prepared under Camden's
supervision as Clarenceux King of Arms, sets out the same descent at page 104.
However (though not without trepidation) I suggest, on the evidence set out
below, that the august Camden erred in one minor detail: he should I believe
have said "and by his grandson's daughter".
Here is my reconstruction of the true descent.
..
1. Owain Cyfeiliog, Prince of Southern Powys 1160-1195 (abdicated), d. 1197
=Gwenllian verch Owain Gwynedd, Prince of N.Wales. See Welsh DNB
Owain's biog. in the Welsh DNB
2.Gwenwynwyn ap Owain Cyfeiliog, Prince of Southern Powys 1195-1216 (see the
Welsh DNB) = Margaret
[1623 Vis of Salop says she was Margaret verch Rhys ap Theodor, Prince of
South Wales]
3.Gruffyd ap Gwenwynwyn/ Wenunwyn, Lord of Arwystli, Cyfeiliog and Mawddwy:
suit with Llewelyn, Prince of Wales C47/27/2/19 May 19 1280. Biography
available on line at the National Library of Wales and the DNB. His complex
involvement with Prince Llewelyn is described in Llewelyn's biography in the Welsh
DNB.
d. 21 Feb 1286/7 = Hawise Le Strange, sister of Roger Le Strange SC8/74/3694
Note Edw I granted Church Stretton to Hawise in 1276 SC8/197/9836. In 1299
she was to be tried for trespass committed by her and her sons William, John
and Griffin against Roger Trumwyne and his wife Joan. There is more about this
dispute, which concerned the castle of la Pole, in CPR 1299, p464. CPR 1322
shows that this Joan was the former wife of Owen de la Pole, and held land in
Powys as dower
In 1309 Hawise was given licence to exchange her interest in Stretton with
the Earl of Arundel for a life interest in his manors of Wroxeter and Upton,
Salop: CPR 26th October
4. Owen ap Gruffyd, Prince of Powys Gwenwynwyn [IPM 21 Edw I, C133/64/16]
=Joanna Corbet, d. of Robert Corbet and Eliz le Strange [some sources say
she was named Margaret, but at any rate his widow was named Joan- see below
under 1295].
In 1294 custody of his castle of Welshpool ("la Pole") was given to Roger
Le Strange by reason of the minority of the heir- presumably Griffith ap Owen
de la Pole- see below: CPR Sept 28th.
In 1295 a commission issued to John de Havering, Bogo de Knovill and William
de Mortuo Mari [Mortimer], on complaint by Joan, late the wife of Owen de la
Pole, that William son of Griffin de la Pole, John and David his brothers,
Madoc ab Mayler and Owen le Say deforce her of her reasonable dower in the
lands of her late husband in Mayrdekerist in Mancho,
sc Mawddwy] Creynon [sc Caereneon] , Bynweythan, Lestynwonnan [part of
John's portion, v. inf],Tlilangadeuen, Blanto, Cortaloc, Pennarth, Ruthyrgarth,
Estredaluedan and Trevelyk in Wales;..... and the sheriff of Salop, the king's
bailiffs of Monte Gomeri, the bailiffs
of Edmund de Mortuo Mari in Kery and Keclewynk, the bailiffs of Richard son
of Alan, earl of Arundell, in Clonne, and the bailiffs of the bishop of
Hereford in the town of Bishop's Castle are commanded to provide a jury.
Younger sons of Gruffyd were Llewelyn of Rhayadr and Mochain, John of
Caereneon, William of Mawddwy, Gruffyd of Stradmarchel and David of Caereneon.
Presumably William, John and David were the subject of Joan's complaint, made in
1295- v. supra.
Owen carved up the ancient principality of Southern Powys, dividing it
between himself and his younger brothers, apparently giving effect to a
disposition previously made by his father. His brother William's share was "the land of
Mouthoe", subject to homage, fealty, war service, tallage and castle repair
costs: I have set out all that I can find about the carve-up in the footnote
to this post, which I have derived, with due acknowledgments to Professor
Boynton of the University of Iowa, from a later exemplification at CPR 1342 pp.
496 et seq. The exemplification dates the enrolment of the relevant documents
to 1300 (18 Edw I), so clearly they were not enrolled for several years
after Owen's death.
Owen's son and heir Griffith ap Owen de la Pole prayed for his lands, with
reference to Powis Castle,
Welshpool SC 8/280/13997. He d. 1309 (CPR 6th Aug 1309, dealing with the
marriage of his widow Ela)
Said to have married Ela de Audley of Brimpsfield- dsp, since his sister
Hawise "Gadarn"- "the Hardy" became Owen ap Gruffyd's sole heir, marrying John
Cherleton in 1309, carrying to him the lordship of Powis: see her entry in
the Welsh DNB
5.. Owen's younger brother Sir William "Wilcox" de la Pole, Lord Mawddwy d..
<1302
6. His son Griffin de la Pole did homage and fealty, seemingly while still
under age, on 20th July 1302: CPR 5th March 1344, a subsequent
exemplification, which also records that on 11 March 33 Edw I the Lady Wladusa, late the
wife of Sir William de la Pole, who was dowered out of her husband's lands in
Powys and held two other thirds in her custody during the nonage of the heir,
made oath of fealty and was enjoined not to remarry without the Prince's
licence on pain of forfeiture. I know nothing more of this lady. but she must I
think have been the second wife of Sir William, since most sources give Sir
William's wife, mother of his son Griffin, as Elynor, sister of Owain
Glendower's mother Elen.
Griffin, son of William, petitioned for the land of Mawddwy/Mouthe, alleging
that his father William held Mawddwy as one of the parceners of Powys SC
8/258/12897 (circa 1316 according to the National Archives, but it was probably
much earlier, since he had done fealty and homage in 1302- v.sup)
Pardoned November 6th 1313 for besieging la Pole, then held by John Cherleton
Disseised of Deuddyr and Mechain le Coed by John Cherleton in 1328 SC
8/261/13027 and see CPR for 1331. He seems to have recovered the commote of
Deuddyr, for in 1332 he had royal licence to settle it on himself, remainder to
Richard, Earl of Arundel.
In 1343 John Cherleton the elder was detaining Griffin's wife Matilda at la
Pole castle: a commission was appointed to secure her release on 6th November
[CPR]. I do not know who this Matilda was.
7. John, Lord Mawddwy, disseised of Shropshire manors by Isolde, widow of
Sir John de More (petition SC8/221/11030, date 1390) and d.3 Nov 1403. Married
Elizabeth, daughter and sole heiress of Sir Fulke Corbet, King's Knight to
Ric II. I have seen no record of his having been the son of Griffin ap William
ap Griffin, but clearly he must have been heir in tail of Mawddwy, since
William was heir in tail of the Mawddwy lordship, and not the son but rather the
grandson of William.
8. John's son and heir Fulke Mouthe, ward of Joan Queen of England 1st Dec
1403 SC8/229/11446, CPR 1401-5,332. Proved his age 13 H IV
9. John's daughter, Fulke's sister Elizabeth, wife of Hugh Burgh, aged 24 in
1414
It seems that Camden nodded in placing the unnamed father in law of Hugh
Burgh as the son of William: if he were, he would have been aged 100 or so at
his death in 1403. Instead I believe him to have been the son of William's son
Griffin.
FOOTNOTE as to the division of Southern Powys between the six sons of
Griffin ap Gwenwynwyn
From CPR 1342, p496-7 July 10 Tower of London.
Exemplification for Owen son of Griffin Wenunwyn of enrolments on
the rolls of the Chancery of Edward I, as follows; —
(1) Composition] between Sir Owen son of Griffin ab Wenonwyn and
Griffin his brother to settle a contention touching lands assigned
by the father, with the assent and licence of the said king, to
the said Griffin. Owen grants that Griffin shall hold the land
of Mecheyn Iscoyt for the life of Hawisia their mother, and
then the land of Deudour which she holds in dower shall remain
to him in tail. The land in each instance to> be held by specified
services. Done at Westminster, 17 May, 18 Edward I, before
R. Burnell, bishop of Bath and Wells, the chancellor, H. de
Lascy, earl of Lincoln, 0. de Grandisono, W. his brother, Robert
de Tibotot, P. Corbet, H. de Turbervill, G. de Picheford, Roger
de Springhose, Thomas de Pyuelesdon, and others.
(2) The like between the said Owen and John son of Griffin, his
brother, to settle a like contention. Owen grants to John for
life five towns in Kereynon, to wit, Brynwayen, Lestynwormau,
Langadevan, Blaute and Coythalauc, by specified services, and
after the demise of Hawisia a moiety of the said land of
Mecheynhiscot, Enrolled with, these witnesses; R. bishop of
Bath and Wells, H. de Lascy, earl of Lincoln, Otto do
Grandisone, William his brother, Robert Tibotot, Peter Corbet,
Hugh de Turbervill, Geoffrey de Pioheford, knights, Malcolm de
Harlegh, Thomas de Pyuelesdon and others.
(3) The like between the said Owen and David his brother, touching
a like contention. Owen grants to David for life two towns
in Kereynon, to wit Penarth and Rewyreth, by specified services,
and after the demise of Hawisia, a moiety of the said land
of Mecheyn Hyscot. Done at Westminster, 16 May, 18 Edward I.
Enrolled as above.
(4) Charter of the said Owen, lord of la Pole, granting in tail
for his homage and service to William de la Pole his brother, the
land of Maudoe [sic], three articles excepted, to wit, going forth to
war, common tallage and' works of castles, which William and
his tenants owe to the grantor, with reversion to the latter.
Witnesses; Robert, bishop of Bath and Wells, Humphrey de
Bohun, earl of Hereford, Edmund de Mortuo Mari, Peter Corbet,
Robert Tibbetot, Roger Lestraunge, Walter de Hopton and
others.
(5) Grant in tail by the same Owen to Lewelin son of Griffin, his
brother, of the lands of Mochnant Huchraydre and Mechen
Huchkoyt [sic, but read Yscoed], with the towns of Lanmethad, Lanhurvil,
Leshyn and
Kevvinyl, with the pasture and chace of Kevenedron. Witnesses
as above.
(6) Release by John son of Griffin son of Wenonwyn to the same
Owen of all right in the lands of his father, saving such as
Owen and his heirs are bound to warrant to him for life. Dated
at Westminster, 16 May, 18 Edward I
(7) Release by the said Lewelin as above.
(8) The like by the said David.
(9) The like by the said William son of Griffin son of Wenonwyn.
Dated at Westminster, 16 May, 18 Edward I [1300]
All criticisms, corrections and amplifications are, as ever, welcome
MM