Idwal ap Meurig

Last updated October 02, 2019

Idwal ap Meurig (died 997), was king of Gwynedd.

He was the son of Meurig ab Idwal Foel, who, though the rightful heir to the throne, was killed in 986, in the course of one of the many struggles for the kingship which characterised the period from the death of Hywel Dda in 950 until the time of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn. Idwal, on the death of his father, fled for safety to the collegiate establishment at Llancarfan. Maredudd ab Owain then succeeded in usurping the sovereignty of Gwynedd, and a few years after he marched on Glamorgan with an army of Danish mercenaries and laid waste the country; his object was to seize the fugitive Idwal, but in this he was unsuccessful.

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Llancarfan is a rural village and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The village, located west of Barry and near Cowbridge, has a well-known parish church, the site of Saint Cadoc's 6th-century clas, famed for its learning. Cainnech of Aghaboe, Caradoc of Llancarfan and many other Welsh holy men studied there. At the 2001 census, the community had a population of 736. Most of the village lies within a conservation area designated by the local authority in 1971. Buildings listed as being of special historic interest include The Fox and Hounds public house, the former Bethlehem Chapel, the former Wesleyan Chapel, Chapel Cottage, Great House, Corner House and Llancarfan Primary School.

By the year 995 the sons of Meurig gathered a sufficient following to return to North Wales, and, by defeating Maredudd at the battle of Llangwm, Idwal at last succeeded to the sovereignty. But the Danes had overrun the country during Maredudd's reign: the churches had been spoiled, the people were demoralised, and there was a great scarcity of food. Idwal is eulogised in the Gwentian Chronicle for his bravery and statesmanship in attempting to repair these disasters. But he was killed in 997 in attempting to expel the Danes, who, under Sweyn, the son of Harald, were once more devastating Anglesey. He left an infant son, Iago ab Idwal ap Meurig.

Llangwm is a village and community in Conwy County Borough, in Wales. It is located in the valley of the Afon Medrad, close to the borders with Denbighshire and Gwynedd, 2.9 miles (4.7 km) south of Cerrigydrudion, 7.8 miles (12.6 km) west of Corwen and 27.9 miles (44.9 km) south east of Conwy. At the 2001 census the community had a population of 516, decreasing to 470 at the 2011 census. It is one of three communities in the Uwchaled ward, and includes the villages of Dinmael, Gellioedd, Glan-yr-afon, Llangwm, Maerdy and Ty-nant.

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References

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : "Idwal ab Meirig". Dictionary of National Biography . London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

The public domain consists of all the creative work to which no exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or may be inapplicable.

The Dictionary of National Biography (DNB) is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB) was published on 23 September 2004 in 60 volumes and online, with 50,113 biographical articles covering 54,922 lives.

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