#20 - Meilyr Gryg

"Meilyr Gryg ap Gruffudd ap Iorwerth ap Owain ap Rhodri ap Gwaeddan ap Brochwel ap Aeddan ap Cyngen ap Eliseg"

"Meilyr Gryg, born c. 1170, is said to have lived at Llwyn Melyn near Gregynog, about nine miles west of Montgomery. He was ancestor of families in Cydewain, including Blayney of Gregynog."

This is the pedigree of the first Meilyr Gryg, born c. 1025. The Brochwel ap Aeddan in his ancestry was the first of that name in the Powys Royal family; Gwaeddan was a younger brother of the first Selyf ap Brochwel. However, the pedigree errs in making Cyngen a son of Eliseg; this Cyngen was a son of Brochwel ap Eliseg.[1]

Five generations after this 11th century Meilyr Gryg, the family produced another Meilyr born c. 1190 who may, or may not, have been called "Gryg".[2] The male generations which separated the two men named Meilyr (Llewelyn, Einion, Llewelyn and Llewelyn Fychan) were repeated by the later Meilyr and occur in the pedigree of Evan Blayney of c. 1385.

Others have attempted to explain the missing 5 generation gap in the Blayney pedigree[3], but like Bartrum simply ignore a series of marriage matches which confirm a c. 1025 Meilyr Gryg. By including all these ladies, and accurately dating the men they married, we arrived at this pedigree for Evan Blayney:

[1] Harleian Ms 3859, 31 as written and not including Bartrum's unwarranted emendation

[2] See the paper "The First Meilyr Gryg of Gregynog" at the link below:

[3] W. V. Lloyd, "A Genealogical Crux and Solution", Montgomeryshire Collections Vol XXV, pp 291-295

[4] This Llewelyn had 3 daughters (Lleuci, Nest and Sioned) who married men born 1075 to 1085

[6] This Llewelyn married Angharad ferch Adda ap Madog ap Idnerth ap Cadwgan ap Elystan Glodrydd, a lady born c. 1145

[7] This Llewelyn Fychan had a son, Cadwaladr, who married Alison ferch Trahaearn ap Iorwerth of Garthmyl, a lady born c. 1205