| Principality of Powys Wenwynwyn Tywysogaeth Powys Wenwynwyn |
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| Powys as divided in 1190. | |||||
| Capital | Welshpool | ||||
| Language(s) | Welsh | ||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||
| King | |||||
| - 1160 - 1195 | Owain Cyfeiliog | ||||
| - 1195 - 1216 | Gwenwynwyn ab Owain | ||||
| - 1216 - 1286 | Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn | ||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||
| - Established | 1160 | ||||
| - Abolished by Act of Parliament | 1283 | ||||
| ^ Powys Wenwynwyn was often known in English as Upper Powys | |||||
Powys Wenwynwyn or Powys Cyfeiliog was the southern portion of the former princely state of Powys which split following the death of Madog ap Maredudd of Powys in 1160. The realm had been split, with the northern portion (Maelor) going to Gruffydd Maelor and becoming known, eventually, as Powys Fadog and the southern portion (Cyfeiliog) going to Owain Cyfeiliog and becoming known, eventually, as Powys Wenwynwyn after Prince Gwenwynwyn ab Owain, its second ruler.
Powys Wenwynwyn and Gwynedd became bitter rivals in the years that followed with the former frequently allying itself with England to further its own aims in weakening the latter.
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Gwenwynwyn seized the cantref of Arwystli in 1197 when he was aligned with England. Following the marriage of Llywelyn the Great and Joan of England in 1208, warfare broke out once more between Gwenwynwyn and Llywelyn. In 1212 Gwenwynwyn's ancient royal seat at Mathrafal was destroyed and he was evicted from his territories. He changed allegiances again and was restored to his realm in 1215 making a new capital at Welshpool. In 1216 he was defeated in battle with the forces of Llywelyn and fled to England, where he died shortly afterwards. He was succeeded by his son.
Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn was forced to submit to Llywelyn Fawr in 1216. Like his father he repeatedly switched allegiances and was invested with the lordships of Arwystli, Cyfeiliog, Mawddwy, Caereinion, Y Tair Swydd and Upper Mochnant by Henry III of England in 1241.
Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn married Hawise daughter of John Le Strange of Salop in 1241. He transferred his allegiance back to Llywelyn ap Gruffydd in 1263 before returning to England's protection again after 1276 following a failed plot to murder Prince Llywelyn in collusion with his rival's own brother, Dafydd ap Gruffydd. His forces commanded by his son Owen mobilised during the Welsh War of 1282–1283 with those of John Le Strange and Hugh le Despenser and it was their soldiers who ambushed and killed the last native Prince of Wales near Builth on that fateful day in 1282.
Owain ap Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn alias de la Pole (i.e. of Welshpool); allegedly surrendered the principality of Powys to Edward I at the Parliament of Shrewsbury in 1283 (his rival in Powys Fadog had already been deposed for fighting on the wrong side). In return for surrendering the principality he received it again from the king as a free Baron of England "sub nomine et tenura liberi Baronagii Angliæ, resignando Domino Regi heredibus suis et Coronæ Angliæ nomen et circulum principatus." The date should be accepted with reserve because Owen did not succeed his father in possession till 1286 - it is possible that Owen was acting on his father's behalf who was by now an old man. It is from about this time that the former princely family began using the Normanized surname de la Pole in favour of Welsh patronymics. The name derives from Pool (now called Welshpool), his principal town.
After the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 all of the other old princely titles in Wales also ceased to exist and henceforth, with the exception of the Kingdom of Scotland after 1344, the English Crown did not recognise the title of "prince" or "king" in any native dynasty other than their own. However, the principality continued as a marcher lordship.
The ruling family of Powys did survive in the children and future descendants of Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn, henceforth known as the de la Pole family who dwelt at the newly built Powis Castle. In 1293 Owen died and was succeeded by his son Griffith de la Pole who died without heirs in 1309. Following this the lordship was inherited (according to English law) by his sister Hawise "Gadarn" (often simply referred to as The Lady of Powis) and on her death in 1353 the lordship passed to her descendants, the de Cherleton family and thenceforth out of native Welsh hands, rather than to the heirs male (according to Welsh law).
His heiresses were:
The Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542 abolished the feudal rights of the lord of Powis and saw the territory of the Lordship of Powis almost entirely incorporated within the new county of Montgomeryshire. However the lordship continued to exist as a great landed estate.
The estate then descended to successive holders of the titles, Baron Powis, Marquess of Powis, and Earl of Powis (q.v.).[2]
Owen de la Pole (ap Gruffydd) had several brothers, whom he enfeoffed as his feudal tenants with lordships within his own lordship. However none of them left issue except William de la Pole (of Mawddwy), who had the lordship of Mawddwy, comprising that parish and most of Mallwyd. There descendants of the ancient princes of Powys were lords for several generations, until the lordship passed to an heiress and then was divided between four coheiresses. One of these coheiress, Elisabeth de Burgh married Sir John Lingen d 1506 and their descendants still exist today.
Certain genealogical sources have claimed (though apparently without reliable sources) that Owen de la Pole had other sons, including an alleged William de la Pole (rather than the historical Gruffydd de la Pole), who succeeded to the lordship on Owen's death in 1293. Some have sought to identify him with the father of William de la Pole (of Hull),[3][4] who may possibly also have been called William, but whose name is not certainly known. However, the link is most improbable, the merchants' surname probably being derived from a place near Hull.[5] William de la Pole and his brother Richard were successful merchants from Hull, who rose to become royal financiers under Edward II and Edward III, William's son Michael being created 1st Earl of Suffolk.