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Morgan Gam (died February 1241) was a Welsh lord of Afan, a small Welsh lordship in Glamorgan.
Morgan Gam was a younger son of Morgan ap Caradog and presumably Gwenllian, a daughter of Ifor Bach. After the death of his older brother Lleision, he became lord of Afan in 1213, which stretched across the hill country between River Afan and River Neath. As head of the oldest line of the descendants of Iestyn ap Gwrgan, he claimed supremacy over the neighbouring Welsh lords of Meisgyn and Glynrhondda. [1]
Both Morgan's father and brother had been loyal supporters of the English king John after he had handed Newcastle Castle over to Morgan ap Caradog in 1189. After his brother Lleision's death Morgan Gam did not inherit the castle. Instead King John gave it to his first wife, Isabella, Countess of Gloucester, after their marriage had been annulled. Morgan Gam tried to regain possession of the castle throughout his life. [2] In the fight against Gilbert de Clare, who was the heir of Isabella and thus in 1217 came into the possession of Newcastle as Lord of Glamorgan, he was supported by his relative Morgan ab Owain from Glynrhondda, who attacked Margam Abbey in 1224. Over the next few years, Morgan Gam raided other English settlements, including Laleston, St Nicholas and Newcastle in 1226. Nevertheless, he could not enforce his claims, but he received increasing support from Prince Llywelyn the Great of Gwynedd, who wanted to expand his influence in Glamorgan. [3] In 1228 Gilbert de Clare undertook a campaign in the mountains of Glamorgan, during which he was able to capture Morgan Gam. Morgan was taken to Clare Castle in eastern England and did not regain his freedom until the hostages were released in 1229. [4] After his release, Morgan Gam allied again with Llywelyn the Great and destroyed Neath Castle in 1231 during the Anglo-Welsh War. In the following year he attacked the castle and settlement of Kenfig, but failed to capture the keep of the castle. [5] In 1233 he supported together with Llywelyn the Great a failed revolt of Richard Marshal, 3rd Earl of Pembroke against the English King Henry III. With the support of the Anglo-Norman lords of Glamorgan, Richard Marshal had occupied Glamorgan during this rebellion, leading to the unusual situation when Morgan Gam and the other Welsh lords of Glamorgan became allies of the Anglo-Norman lords. Marshal promised the native Welsh rulers parts of Glamorgan as a reward. When the rebellion failed, Richard Siward, the new royal administrator of Glamorgan, demanded the return of these areas. Morgan Gam refused to return the territories taken until Llywelyn the Great convinced Morgan Gam to concede. [6]
Morgan Gam was married twice, first to Janes ferch Elidyr Ddu and second to Ellen, daughter of Gronw ap Einion. He had at least three sons, including:
He was buried in Margam Abbey. His heir was first his son Lleision, after his death his younger son Morgan Fychan.
Caerphilly Castle is a medieval fortification in Caerphilly in South Wales. The castle was constructed by Gilbert de Clare in the 13th century as part of his campaign to maintain control of Glamorgan, and saw extensive fighting between Gilbert, his descendants, and the native Welsh rulers. Surrounded by extensive artificial lakes – considered by historian Allen Brown to be "the most elaborate water defences in all Britain" – it occupies around 30 acres (12 ha) and is the largest castle in Wales and the second-largest castle in the United Kingdom after Windsor Castle. It is famous for having introduced concentric castle defences to Britain and for its large gatehouses. Gilbert began work on the castle in 1268 following his occupation of the north of Glamorgan, with the majority of the construction occurring over the next three years at a considerable cost. The project was opposed by Gilbert's Welsh rival Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, leading to the site being burnt in 1270 and taken over by royal officials in 1271. Despite these interruptions, Gilbert successfully completed the castle and took control of the region. The core of Caerphilly Castle, including the castle's luxurious accommodation, was built on what became a central island, surrounding by several artificial lakes, a design Gilbert probably derived from that at Kenilworth. The dams for these lakes were further fortified, and an island to the west provided additional protection. The concentric rings of walls inspired Edward I's castles in North Wales, and proved what historian Norman Pounds has termed "a turning point in the history of the castle in Britain".
The Kingdom of Powys was a Welsh successor state, petty kingdom and principality that emerged during the Middle Ages following the end of Roman rule in Britain. It very roughly covered the northern two-thirds of the modern county of Powys and part of today's English West Midlands. More precisely, and based on the Romano-British tribal lands of the Ordovices in the west and the Cornovii in the east, its boundaries originally extended from the Cambrian Mountains in the west to include the modern West Midlands region of England in the east. The fertile river valleys of the Severn and Tern are found here, and this region is referred to in later Welsh literature as "the Paradise of Powys".
Iestyn ap Gwrgant[ˈjɛstɪn ap ˈgʊrgant] was the last ruler of the Welsh kingdom of Morgannwg, which encompassed the counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire.
Aberavon is a town and community in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales. The town derived its name from being near the mouth of the river Afan, which also gave its name to a medieval lordship. Today it is essentially a district of Port Talbot, covering the central and south western part of the town. Aberavon is also the name of the nearby Blue Flag beach and the parish covering the same area.
Llywelyn Bren, or Llywelyn ap Gruffudd ap Rhys or Llywelyn of the Woods (English), also spelt Llewelyn Bren, was a nobleman who led a 1316 revolt in Wales in the reign of King Edward II of England. It marked the last serious challenge to English rule in Wales until the attempts of Owain Lawgoch to invade Wales with French support in the 1370s. Hugh Despenser the Younger's unlawful execution of Llywelyn Bren helped to lead to the eventual overthrow of both Edward II and Hugh.
Madog ap Llywelyn was the leader of the Welsh revolt of 1294–95 against English rule. The revolt was surpassed in longevity only by the revolt of Owain Glyndŵr in the 15th century. Madog belonged to a junior branch of the House of Aberffraw and was a distant relation of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last recognised native Prince of Wales.
Ifor Bach also known as Ifor ap Meurig and in anglicised form Ivor Bach, Lord of Senghenydd, was a twelfth-century resident in and a leader of the Welsh in south Wales.
Ednyfed Fychan, full name Ednyfed Fychan ap Cynwrig, was a Welsh warrior who became seneschal to the Kingdom of Gwynedd in Northern Wales, serving Llywelyn the Great and his son Dafydd ap Llywelyn. Fychan claimed descent from Marchudd ap Cynan, Lord of Rhos, 'protector' of Rhodri Mawr, King of Gwynedd. He was ancestor of Owen Tudor and thereby of the Tudor dynasty.
Powys Fadog was the northern portion of the former princely realm of Powys, which split in two following the death of Madog ap Maredudd in 1160. The realm was divided under Welsh law, with Madog's nephew Owain Cyfeiliog inheriting the south and his son Gruffydd Maelor I, who inherited the north.
Gwent was a medieval Welsh kingdom, lying between the Rivers Wye and Usk. It existed from the end of Roman rule in Britain in about the 5th century until the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century. Along with its neighbour Glywyssing, it seems to have had a great deal of cultural continuity with the earlier Silures, keeping their own courts and diocese separate from the rest of Wales until their conquest by Gruffydd ap Llywelyn. Although it recovered its independence after his death in 1063, Gwent was the first of the Welsh kingdoms to be overrun following the Norman conquest.
Glywysing was, from the sub-Roman period to the Early Middle Ages, a petty kingdom in south-east Wales. Its people were descended from the Iron Age tribe of the Silures, and frequently in union with Gwent, merging to form Morgannwg.
This article is about the particular significance of the century 1301–1400 to Wales and its people.
This article is about the particular significance of the century 1201–1300 to Wales and its people.
Morgan ap Maredudd sometimes referred to as “Morgan the Rebel”, rebel, of Glamorgan.
The history of Gwynedd in the High Middle Ages is a period in the History of Wales spanning the 11th through the 13th centuries. Gwynedd, located in the north of Wales, eventually became the most dominant of Welsh kingdoms during this period. Distinctive achievements in Gwynedd include further development of Medieval Welsh literature, particularly poets known as the Beirdd y Tywysogion associated with the court of Gwynedd; the reformation of bardic schools; and the continued development of Cyfraith Hywel. All three of these further contributed to the development of a Welsh national identity in the face of Anglo-Norman encroachment of Wales.
Neath Castle is a Norman castle located in the town centre of Neath, Wales. Its construction was begun by Robert, Earl of Gloucester, the nominal Lord of Glamorgan, at a date estimated between 1114 and 1130. It is also referred to as "Granville's Castle", after Richard I de Grenville, Lord of Neath, who has also been credited with its construction. The town of Neath takes its Welsh name, "Castell-nedd", from the castle.
Newcastle Castle is a medieval castle located on Newcastle Hill, Newcastle, overlooking the town centre of Bridgend in Glamorgan, South Wales. It was originally believed to date from 1106 when a ringwork was created at the site by the Norman baron Robert Fitzhamon. Some of the fine stonework survives, but today the castle is ruinous.
The Lords of Afan ruled over an area between the rivers Afan and Neath in Glamorgan between c. 1100 and the latter half of the 14th century.
Morgan ap Hywel was Lord of Gwynllwg in Wales from about 1215 until his death in 1245, and for many years laid claim to the lordship of Caerleon, which had been seized by the Earl of Pembroke. For most of his life he was at peace with the English, at a time when there were periodic revolts by Welsh leaders against their rule. He may have participated in a crusade between 1227 and 1231.
Maredudd ap Rhys Grug, was the son of Rhys Gryg and Mathilde de Clare. Maredudd initially ruled north east of Ystrad Tywi, including Llandovery castle, until he expanded to rule the region encompassing Dryslwyn castle.