Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd (died 1203) was Prince of Gwynedd from 1170 to 1195. He was the son of Owain Gwynedd by Cristin verch Goronwy. For a time he ruled jointly with his brothers Maelgwyn ab Owain Gwynedd and Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd.
Upon the death of Owain Gwynedd in 1170, his sons fell into dispute over lordship of Gwynedd. Together, Dafydd and Rhodri attacked and killed their brother Hywel that same year. Dafydd drove out Maelgwn in 1173, sending him fleeing to Ireland. Another brother, Cynan, died in 1174, removing one more contender for the throne.
Dafydd married Emme of Anjou, the half-sister of King Henry II of England, in summer 1174. Emme was an illegitimate daughter of Geoffrey of Anjou. They had four children: Owain, Einion, Gwenllian, and Gwenhwyfar.
In 1175 he captured his brother, Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd. Rhodri escaped however, and the two brothers continued to vie for lordship. In 1194 Dafydd faced his nephew, Llywelyn Fawr, who drove him from most of his possessions and imprisoned him in 1197. He was released a year later thanks to the efforts of Hubert Walter, Archbishop of Canterbury. Dafydd retired to England, where he died in May 1203. Emme died in or after 1214, when she disappears from the Pipe Rolls.
The Chronicle of Ystrad Fflur (http://www.webexcel.ndirect.co.uk/gwarnant/hanes/chronicle/chroniclearglwyddrhys.htm)
| Preceded by: Owain Gwynedd | Prince of Gwynedd 1170-1195 | Succeeded by: Llywelyn Fawr |
