MADOC AP MAREDUDD AP BLEDDYN
b.c. 1125, d. 1160
D in Welsh Madoc Dynasties: Kingdom of Powys”
Also
D in “The Prince Madocs of Acton, Lancashire”
Also
D in “The Prince Madocs of Sutton-Madoc, Shropshire”
This Prince Madoc became ruler
of all the kingdom of Powys in northeast Wales in 1132 after the death of his
father Prince Maredudd.
His army took part in the Battle
of Lincoln in 1141, coming to the aid of the Earl of Chester and against his
brother-in-law, the King of Gwynedd on the western border of Powys. But in 1150, King Owain defeated Madoc and
took over part of his lands. Then in
1157, King Henry II of England (William the Conqueror’s grandson) invaded
Gwynedd, so the brothers-in-law became friends again and Prince Madoc helped
drive King Henry back.
In 1149, Prince Madoc seized
Oswestry in Shropshire, England. For
the next eight years, he occupied Oswestry Castle. See www.castlewales.com/oswestry.html
But after the invasion of King Henry II in 1157, he had to give up
Oswestry.
Madoc ap Maredudd was the last
prince of the entire kingdom of Powys.
He died in 1160 and is buried in
the church of St. Tysilio at Meifod.
The photo above right is from www.welshpool.org/
Prince Madoc’s eldest son was killed soon after he
succeeded his father, so the rule of Powys was shared by several sons and
nephews. After this, Powys was divided
into two parts ~ Powys Fadog/Madog in the north, and Powys Wensynwyn in the
south.