According to P.C. Bartrum, writing in "The National Library of Wales Journal," 1963, "Pedigrees of the Welsh Tribal Patriarchs,"
"There seem to have been several persons named Gwaithfoed, all of whom were eventually combined into one 'Gwaithfoed Fawr'."
So if we have our Gwaithfoeds confused, it is understandable.
For now, I'm trying to focus on two of them (because otherwise my head might explode), both from North Wales, one the ancestor of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, and the other the ancestor of Ednowain Bendew (you sometimes see this as Owain Bendew).
The full text of Bartrum's article is here -- http://welshjournals.llgc.org.uk/browse/viewpage/llgc-id:1277425/ll... -- but the note that lines out the Gwaithfoeds gives first: "Gwaithfoed of Powys (b. c. 940) ap Gwynnan, father of Gwerystan and ancestor of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn. His correct pedigree, based on MG 3 with corrections from
later versions, seems to have been Gwaithfoed ap Gwynnan ap Gwynnog Farfsych ap
Lies Llawddeog ap Ceidio ap Corf ap Caenog ap Tegonwy."
Secondly, the note dicusses the ancestor of Ednowain Bendew: "Gwaithfoed (b. c. 960) ap Gwrydr, father of Neiniad and grandfather of Ednywain Bendew I (b. c. 1020). See ABT 2d and note, 8h, HL ib and note, 2i, 9a. From ABT
ib it seems that Gwrydr was the son of Caradog ap Lies Llawddeog, at which point the
pedigree joins that of Gwaithfoed of Powys (above). This pedigree, with a change in
the order of names, was early appropriated to Gwaithfoed of Powys, as in ABT ib.
Later on further names were added in some texts, viz. Gwlydd(i)en in ABT 12, Gwyn
and Gwlydd(i)en in ABT 8g, and finally Gwybedydd in §§ 2(2) and 53(3) intra. These
new names may have come from the pedigrees of Gwaithfoed of Ystrad Tywi or Gwaith-
foed of Gwent, but there seems to be no definite evidence for this.
This Gwaithfoed who was the ancestor of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn was, from very many accounts, married to Morfydd verch Ynyr Ddu. In the geni profile I'm writing from, his wife is unknown.
We do have in the Geni profiles a Gwaithfoed married to Morfydd verch Ynyr Ddu, over at Gwaethfoed of Ystrad Tywy
Darrell Wolcott, working with the various Gwaithfoeds (see http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id125.html), sorts out the two lines thusly:
855 Lles Llyddog
_________________l______________
l l
885 Gwynnog Farfsych 890 Caradog
l l
915 Gwaithfoed of Powys 920 Gwrydr Hir
l l
950 Gwerystan 955 Gwaithfoed of Tegeingl
l l
985 Cynfyn 985 Neiniad
l l
1025 Bleddyn 1020 Ednowain Bendew
Other relevant materials include:
The children of Gwaithfoed Fawr, as given in Yr Haul: neu drysorfa o wybodaeth, hanesiol a gwladwriaethol, 1862 (The Sun, a Treasure Trove of Anecdotal and Official Information -- that's my best on that):
Gwaithfoed, Gwaithfoed Fawr, Ar glwydd Ceredigion a Gwent. Dyma restr o blant Gwaithfod, wedi ei thynu alian o hen gyfysgrif yn y Gywreinfa Brydeinig : —
1. Gwerystan, hynaf, holl Bowys.
2. Cadifor ap Gwaithfoed, lor Ceredigion, Pryse o Gogerddan, ac ereill.
3. Cynan Feiniad ap Gwaithfoed, Ar glwydd Tëgana.
4. Rhydderch ap Gwaithfoed, Arglwydd Gwynfai.
5. Aeddan ap Gwaithfoed, Arglwydd y Grisonant.
6. Gwyn ap Gwaithfoed, lor y Castell Gwyn.
7. Bach ap Gwaithfoed, Arglwydd Ysgyn- fraith.
8. Enowain ap Gwaithfoed, Esgob Llan- badarn Fawr.
9. Cynddrych, neu Cedrych ap Gwaith foed, Arglwydd Sair Hynydd (Sengenydd).
10. Cinillin ap Gwaithfoed, Arglwydd y Cwm.
11. Cristian vch. Gwaithfoed, Abades Tal y Llychau.
Also a short note in the "Cambrian Correspondence," from Jan 1, 1854, giving the line of Ednywain Bendew, through Cynan:
" Anwyl Ddarlleydd llyma Lyfr Sion ap Wiliam ap Sion ap Wiliam ap Sion ap Dafydd ap Ithel Vychan ap Kynfrig ap Rotpert ap Ierwerth ap Ryrid up lerwerth ap Madawc ap Ednowain Bendew un o bymtheg Llwyth Gwynedd ap Kynan Feiniad ap Gwaithfoed fawr llwyth y Dehan Arghvydd Powys, Gwent, ac Aberleifi — Yr hwn a elwir hefyd yn ol y Saesnigawl arfer John Jones 1606."
And lastly (today), from Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol 1, p. 847:
GWAETHVOED VAWR, a Noble of the Kingdom of Powys in Wales, m. Morvydd, dau. nnd co-heir of Ynyr Ddu, King of Gwent, " who lived in King Athelstnn's time, A.D. 921, as Rog.Hovcndon hath recorded it," (Vanghan's British Antiquities Revived, 4to, 1602 ;) by this Princess. Gwaethvoed Vawr (whose ensigns are said to have been • Vert, a Lion rampant, argent, imbrued head, feet and tail,") was father of two sons,
i. Gwerystan ap Gwaethvoed Vawr, a Noble of Powys, who ni. Nc-st, clau. and heir of Cadell ap Brochwell, derived from Ysgithrog, King of Powys, (whose arms were " Sable, three Nags' head* erased, two and one,") and was father of
CYNPYN AP GWERYSTAN, a Noble of Powys, who bore - • Or. a Lion rampant, gules, armed and languod, of the first." This potent Lord m. Angharad, Queen of Powys, A.D. 998, dau. and heir of Meredith, King of Powys, great-grandson of Mervyn, King of Powys, third son of Bliodri Mawr, King of Wales, A.D. K43. (fife HUGHES OF GWEKCLAS.) By the Sovereign of Powys, (whose ensigns are stated to have been " Ar gent, three Lions passant, regardant, hi pale, gules,")
Cynfyn ap Gwerystan was father of,
BLEDDYN AP CINFYN, King of Powys, and, by usurpation, of North and South Wales, Founder of the in. Royal Tribe of Wales, progenitor of the SOVEREIGNS OF POWYS, from whom derived,
I. OWEK GLENDOWER ;
11. HOOHES'S or GWERCLAS, BARONS OF KYMMER-YN-EDEIRNION, (Refer to that Family;) in. LLOYDS OF PALE, (See that name;)
iv. RHYS'S, LORDS OF RUG ;
v. MAES- MORS OF MAESHOR ;
vi. DAVIES OF GWYSANEY, (See that Family, under COOKE OF OwflTON;)
VII. DAVIES'S OF MARRINGTON HALL, (Refer to that name;)
vui. EYTONS OF LEESWOOD, (See that name;)
IX. EDWARDB'S OF NESS STRANGE, (Refer to that Family ;)
x. LLOYDS OF ASTON, (See that name;)
XI. VAUGHANS, EARLS or CAKBKRY, (See BCEKE'S Extinct Peerage;)
xn. VAUGHANS OF GOLDEN GROVE ;
xin. KYNASTONS OF HARDWICK. BARTS. (See BURKE'S Peerage and Baronetage;)
xiv. KYNASTONS OF OTELEY, (Refer to that Fa mily, under MAINWARING OF OTELEY ;)
xv. NAN- NEYS OF NANNAU; xvi. LLWYDS OF CWM BYCHAN AND CAERWYS ; xvn. VAUGHANS OF WENGRAIG, HENGWRT, AND NANNAU, BARTS. (See BURKE'S Peerage and Baronetage;)
xvm. VAUGHAN OF RUG, (See that name;)
xix. VAUGHAN OF DOL- Y-MELYNLLYN, (Refer to that Family.) n. CYNAN AP GWAETIIVOED VAWR.
The second son, CYNAN AP GWAETIIVOED VAWR, Lord of Tcgaingl (or Knglefield) Isceiflop, now forming part of the county of Flint, m. Efa, sister of Jestyn ap Gwrgnnt, Tributary Prince of Glamorgan, Founder of the iv. Royal Tribe of Wales, and was father of,
EDNOWAIN BF.NDEW AP CYNAN, Lord of Tegaingl- Tscciflog, Founder of the xm. Noble Tribe of North Wales and Powys, represented to have livpA in the roign of Llewelyn ap Scissylt, about the year loi5,(Cymmrodorion Transactions, Part 3, p. 12S.) This Chief, whose ensigns were " Argent, a chevron, between three Boars' heads, couped, sable," m. Gwerfyl, dau. of Ludocca, son of Tudor Trevor, Lord of Hereford, (Refer to JONES- PARRY OF LLWYNON,) and had issue,
I. Madoc ap Ednowain, who m. Arddun, dau. of Rradwen Chwaen, and was ancestor of the HANKERS OF CAER- VALLWCH.
II. Grono ap Ednowain, who m. and had issue, in. BLETTRWS AP EDNOWAIN, of whom presently.
iv. Robert ap Ednowain.
v. Gwyn ap Ednowain.
vi. levan ap Ednowain.
vii. Meredith ap Ednowain, progenitor of the GRIFFITHS OF PANT-Y-LLONGDU.
vui. Griffith op Ednowain.
ix. Ednyfed ap Ednowain.
X. Marred,
xi. Perweyr, who m. Rhys Goch. The third son, Blettrws ap Ednowaiu, was father of,
i. BLEDDYN AP BLETTHWS.
II. Efa, mother by Meredith ap Bleddyn, Prince of Powys, (See HUGHES OF GWERCLAS,) of lorwerth Goch, (Edward the Red,) Lord of Mochnant in Powys, progenitor of the KYNASTONS OF OTELEY PARC, (Refer to that name, under MAINWARING or OTELBY PARK,) and KYNASTONS OF HARDWICK, BARTS. (See BURKE'S Peerage and Baronetage.)
I'm going to walk away from this for a while, so I can come back fresh. But several things need to happen with our Gwaithfoeds; quite understandably, the lines have gotten very tangled.
