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A Llanelli Chronology

The information in this section is an edited version taken from Llanelli - Birth of a Town a CdRom by William and Benita Rees

1000 to 1099

Chronology 

Gruffydd ap Llywelyn  Edward the Confessor  Battle of Hastings

1018 Llywelyn ap Seisyll became Prince of Wales when he seized power in Gwynedd and Powys by killing Aeddan ap Blegywryd and his four sons.

1022 Llywelyn ap Seisyll defeated Rhain – another pretender – at Abergwili.

1023 Llywelyn ap Seisyll was killed by his own men. However, before he was murdered, Llywelyn had married Angharad, the daughter of Maredudd ab Owain ap Hywel Dda, who was the sole woman descendant of that line. Llywelyn and Angharad had a son, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, who became an outstanding leader and hero.

Rhydderch ab Iestyn ab Owain (great grandson of Hywel Dda), seized power to become King of Deheubarth from 1023-33.

1033 Deheubarth reverted to Maredudd ap Edwin ap Einon, ab Owain (great great grandson of Hywel Dda), from 1033-35.

1035 Maredudd ap Edwin’s brother, Hywel claimed Deheubarth from 1035- 44 until Gruffydd ap Llywelyn killed him.

1038 Although Gruffydd ap Llywelyn inherited his father’s kingdom in 1023, he did not become Prince of Wales until much later. Because of turmoil and unrest, Gruffydd spent a number of years as an exile in Ireland. In 1038 he had assembled sufficient resources and returned to challenge the Mercians, reclaiming his inheritance.

1039 Gruffydd ap Llywelyn had driven out the Mercians from Gwynedd and set his sights on South Wales.

1041 Gruffydd ap Llywelyn defeated Hywel ap Edwin (great great grandson of Hywel Dda), Prince of Deheubarth 1044 Gruffydd ap Llywelyn killed Hywel ap Edwin during an encounter near Cardigan, by which time Gruffydd had become ruler over the greater part of Wales.

Another rival to Gruffydd ap Llywelyn appeared on the scene when Gruffydd ap Rhydderch the new ruler of Deheubarth led his men in a conflict that lasted two years.

1047 From 1047-55 both Dyfed and Ystrad Tywi suffered as a result of the conflict between Gruffydd ap Rhydderch and Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, both great great grandsons of Hywel Dda.

1055 Shortly after his success with Deheubarth, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, added Morgannwg and Gwent to his kingdom to become King of all Wales. The result of these turbulent times was that communities were devastated by destructive raids. It may well be that the Llanelli again witnessed violent conflicts.

1063 Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was betrayed and killed by his own men who hacked off his head and presented it to Harold II Godwinson, who then presented it to Edward the Confessor.

1066 When Edward the Confessor died early in 1066 Harold Godwinson, the powerful Earl of Wessex and the King’s brother-in-law, became King of England from January to October. However, he was not to enjoy his success for long because William the Conqueror’s victory at the Battle of Hastings was just around the corner and the whole pattern of English and Welsh history was to change dramatically.

Bishop Herwald as Bishop of Llandaff took steps to dedicate or rededicate his churches to Welsh Saints. Both St Illtyd’s Parish Church at Pembrey and Saint Elli Parish Church were either consecrated or re-consecrated around this time.

1070 The Life of St Cadog (sic) was written by Lifris, probably between 1070 and 1090 (certainly before 1104).

1075 Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, Prince of Powys, who had tried to take advantage of Deheubarth’s weakness, was killed during the battle of Ystrad Tywi.

1081 The battle of Mynydd Carn enabled Rhys ap Tewdwr to take Deheubarth.

The Normans had invaded the south and south western lowland coastal areas but William the Conqueror recognised the wisdom of allowing local leaders to rule. As William I, King of England he journeyed through South Wales to St David’s and recognised Rhys ap Tewdwr as overlord of South Wales.

1086 Liber Landavensis, the Book of Llandaff, a survey around the time of the Doomsday Book, contains the first references to Llanelli. An extract from the ancient record shows the names of five priests who served the Parish of Llanelli in the 11th century, namely Umel, Uchryd, Ionas, Gwasdwyn and Aeddan.

1087 William the Conqueror died and his son became William II from 1087 to 1100. He was known as William Rufus.

1093 Rhys ap Tewdwr was killed by Bernard de Neufmarche near Brecon which allowed the Normans to establish a foothold across much of South Wales because Rhys’s sons were too young to provide an effective opposition.

1095 Two Royal expeditions into Wales during 1095 and 1097 achieved very little but the Normans were able to consolidate their hold over Brycheiniog and Morgannwg. The Norman advances into South Wales were not just made by overland routes they also invaded by sea.

Morgannwg was the first to be invaded from Gloucestershire, followed by Gower from Somersetshire, Carmarthenshire from Devonshire and Pembrokeshire from the North.

William de Londres (William of London) seized Ogmore where he built a castle and settled with his family. The de Londres family later moved further West and settled in Kidwelly, which included the Commotes of Cydweli and Carnwallon (Carnwyllion).

1100-1199