This was in retaliation for a raid led by the Welsh rulers Gruffydd ap Rhydderch, Rhys ap Rhydderch, and Gruffydd ap Llywelyn.

Hirwaun moor, 4 miles to the north west of Aberdare, was according to tradition the scene of a battle at which Rhys ap Tewdwr, prince of Dyfed, was defeated by the allied forces of the Norman Robert Fitzhamon and Iestyn ap Gwrgant, the last Welsh prince of Glamorgan.

Hotspur issued an amnesty in March which applied to all rebels with the exception of Owain and his cousins, Rhys ap Tudur and Gwilym ap Tudur, sons of Tudur ap Gronw ( forefather of King Henry VII of England ).

" Another account has Rhys ap Thomas himself slaying the king.

Rhys's grandfather, Rhys ap Tewdwr, was king of Deheubarth, and was killed at Brecon in 1093 by Bernard de Neufmarche.

Rhys's father, Gruffydd ap Rhys, was eventually able to become ruler of a small portion, and more territory was won back by Rhys's older brothers after Gruffydd's death.

Rhys was the second son of Gruffydd ap Rhys, ruler of part of Deheubarth, and Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd, daughter of Gruffudd ap Cynan, king of Gwynedd.

Deheubarth was one of the traditional kingdoms of Wales, shown here as they were in 1093 when Rhys ap Tewdwr died.

Rhys married Gwenllian verch Madog, daughter of Madog ap Maredudd, the last Prince of all Powys.

His grandfather, Rhys ap Tewdwr, had been king of all Deheubarth until his death in 1093.

Rhys ap Tewdwr was killed in Brycheiniog, and most of his kingdom was taken over by Norman lords.

Gruffydd ap Rhys was forced to flee to Ireland.

A revolt spread through south Wales in 1136, and Gruffydd ap Rhys, aided by his two eldest sons, Anarawd and Cadell, defeated the Normans in a battle near Loughor, killing over five hundred.

Gruffydd ap Rhys continued his campaign against the Normans in 1137, but died later that year.

In 1143, when Rhys was eleven, Anarawd was murdered by the bodyguard of Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd, brother of Owain Gwynedd, king of Gwynedd.

In his later years Rhys had trouble keeping control of his sons, particularly Maelgwn and Gruffydd, who maintained a feud with each other.

The arms of Rhys ap Gruffydd feature three ravens

In his later years Rhys had trouble keeping control of his sons, particularly Maelgwn and Gruffydd.

In 1189 Gruffydd persuaded Rhys to imprison Maelgwn, and he was given into Gruffydd's keeping at Dinefwr.

In 1192 Rhys secured Maelgwn's release, but by now Maelgwn and Gruffydd were bitter enemies.

Rhys had nominated his eldest legitimate son, Gruffydd ap Rhys, as his successor, and soon after his father's death Gruffydd met the Justiciar, Archbishop Hubert Walter, on the border and was confirmed as heir.

* Gruffydd ap Rhys II ( died 1201 ) was the eldest legitimate son and was nominated by Rhys as his successor.

* Maelgwn ap Rhys ( died 1231 ), who was the eldest son but illegitimate, refused to accept Gruffydd as his father's successor.

* The last campaign of Rhys ap Gruffydd, from www. castlewales. com

* Places and artifacts associated with Rhys ap Gruffudd from Gathering the Jewels

cy: Rhys ap Gruffudd

Sir Owen Meredith Tudor ( ; c. 1400 – 2 February 1461 ) was a Welsh soldier and courtier, descended from a daughter of the Welsh prince Rhys ap Gruffudd, " Lord Rhys ".

Gruffudd fled to Ireland but in 1081 returned and made an alliance with Rhys ap Tewdwr prince of Deheubarth.

Rhys had been attacked by Caradog ap Gruffudd of Gwent and Morgannwg, and had been forced to flee to the St David's Cathedral.

Gruffudd this time embarked from Waterford with a force composed of Danes and Irish and landed near St David's, presumably by prior arrangement with Rhys.

He was joined here by a force of his supporters from Gwynedd, and he and Rhys marched north to seek Trahaearn ap Caradog and Caradog ap Gruffudd who had themselves made an alliance and been joined by Meilyr ap Rhiwallon of Powys.

The armies of the two confederacies met at the Battle of Mynydd Carn, with Gruffudd and Rhys victorious and Trahaearn, Caradog and Meilyr all being killed.

Owain and Cadwaladr in alliance with Gruffudd ap Rhys of Deheubarth gained a crushing victory over the Normans at Crug Mawr near Cardigan in 1136 and took possession of Ceredigion.

His daughter, Gwenllian, who married Gruffudd ap Rhys of Deheubarth, son of his old ally Rhys ap Tewdwr, is also notable for her resistance to English rule.

* Gwenllian ferch Gruffudd, married Gruffudd ap Rhys, prince of Deheubarth

Gruffudd started his acting career at the age of 13 in a Welsh television film called Austin ( 1986 ) and then later moved on to the Welsh language soap opera Pobol y Cwm ( People of the Valley ) from 1987 to 1994. He also played football with the Pobol y Cwm football team Cwmderi FC alongside co-stars Hywel Emrys, Gwyn Elfyn and Ieuan Rhys.

It was agreed that Dafydd would marry Emma of Anjou, who was Henry's illegitimate half sister, and receive the manor of Ellesmere as dowry, but unlike his southern counterpart, Rhys ap Gruffudd, he received no ' official ' recognition of his position in the north.

In recent years, Ron Davies, Rowan Williams, Matthew Rhys, Ioan Gruffudd and Rebecca Evans have been honoured in this way.

Rhys's grandson Rhys ap Gruffudd fell out of favour and was executed by Henry VIII for treason in 1531.

He married Gwladys ferch Rhiwallon daughter of Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn of the Mathrafal dynasty of Powys, by whom he had four sons, Gruffudd, Hywel ap Rhys, Goronwy and Cadwgan, and a daughter Nest ( who married Gerald de Windsor Constable of Pembroke, progenitors of the FitzGerald and de Barry dynasties of Ireland.

:" Soon after the death of Henry I, a memorable battle was fought near Crûg Mawr, a conical hill in this parish, between the Welsh, commanded by Gruffudd ap Rhys and the English, in which the latter sustained a signal defeat.

Llywelyn Bren ( died 1318 ), or Llywelyn ap Gruffudd ap Rhys or Llywelyn of the Woods ( English ), was a nobleman who led a revolt in Wales during the reign of King Edward II of England in 1316.

His father was Gruffudd ap Rhys.