IEUAN ap RHYDDERCH ap IEUAN LLWYD (fl. 1430-1470), gentleman and poet, of Cardiganshire

Son of Rhydderch ap Ieuan Llwyd of Rhydderch Park, in the parish of Lanbadarn Odyn, a wealthy landowner who held office under the Crown in 1387. According to Dwnn, i, 28, the mother of ' Ieuan ap Rhydderch ab Ieuan Llwyd y prydydd ' was Annes, daughter of Gwilym ap Philip ab Elidir. But Dwnn, i, 45, 85, states that Rhydderch ap Ieuan Llwyd married twice, (1) ' Marged ferch Gruffydd Gryg ap Ieuan Vychan ap Ieuan ap Rhys ap Llawdden,' and (2) ' Mawd, daughter of Sir William Clement, lord of Tregaron.' It is difficult to decide whether there were two men called Rhydderch ap Ieuan Llwyd , or whether the poet's father married a third time. Ieuan is usually connected with two districts in Cardiganshire, but the earliest extant manuscripts link him with Genau'r Glyn rather than with the vale of Aeron. It appears likely that he was born in the latter place, but spent the greater part of his life in Genau'r Glyn, where it is known that some of his descendants (including the Pryses of Gogerddan lived. A contemporary of Ieuan ap Rhydderch was Rhys Lleision (fl. 1441-61). Ieuan wrote a vaticinatory poem (cywydd brud) about the Wars of the Roses which reveals his knowledge of the prophecies of Taliesin, the two Merlins, and the ' Red Book of Hergest.' That he was well acquainted with the works of the older Welsh bards is shewn by his poem ' Y Fost ' written after the style of Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd's 'Gorhoffedd.' From this poem it can be deduced that he was educated at one of the universities - probably Oxford - and certain references to courses of study which he pursued indicate that he probably graduated B.A., M.A., and B.C.L. (Llanstephan MS 155 - written about 1583 - asserts that he was ' a doctor of laws'). Ieuan boastfully maintains that he was a good athlete, capable of numerous feats, that he was very wealthy, and that he had held numerous offices (probably under the Crown). He wrote an awdl to Mary - wherein Latin and Welsh are interwoven in perfect cynghanedd. B.M. Add. MS. 14866 (45) also attributes to him an English awdl to the Virgin Mary, and he is also credited with the Welsh translation of the ' Te Deum.'

Author

• Dr David Jenkins, (1912 - 2002)

Sources

• H. Lewis, Thomas Roberts, Ifor Williams (eds), Cywyddau Iolo Goch ac Eraill, 1350–1450 (Caerdydd 1937)
• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
• S. R. Meyrick, The history and antiquities of the county of Cardigan (Brecon 1907), 255

Further Reading

• Wikipedia Article: Ieuan ap Rhydderch ap Ieuan Llwyd

Additional Links

• VIAF: 51203791
• Wikidata: Q5990167

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/