Gwrgan Family History

1. Annyn of Troy, called Ieuan Deulwyn’s book, Einion of Troy was the first king of Cambria, he was the son of Prydain the sun of Aedd the great who was king if the Cimbric nation before they came to the island of Britain which before it was inhabited by was called Sea-girt Country. After it became populated by some nation it was named the Honey Island from the abundance of honey found here. When Prydain the son of Aedd the Great understood this that he furnished men and means to conquer the Honey Island which having effected he called it Prydain after is own name. He divided the island into three parts; one was given to Locrinus his oldest son who gave name to that division. Another son the youngest had the northern part of the island. The second Annyn of Troy had the territory of Cambria lying between the Severn and the Irish Sea (included the thirteen counties of Wales and also Shropshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Hereford) “tair-sir-ar-ddeg Cymru” (the thirteen counties of Wales).

2. Selys the aged, the son of Annyn.

3. Brwth the son of Selys the Aged.

4. Cymryw, the son of Brwth first instituted laws in Britain.

5. Ithon the son of Cymryw was a great improver of national government; he systematized the manner of sowing corn.

6. Gweirydd the Great the son of Ithon was a very wise prince.

7. Peredur the son of Gweirydd became in succession a powerful king.

8. Llyfelinydd the son of Peredur was a mighty man.

9. Gorwst the son of Llyfeinydd.

10. Tewged the Dark the son of Llyffeinydd succeeded to the kingdom after is brother Gorwst. In time the strangers came from the city of Troy to Britain and performed here the actions recorded of them in the works of Guttyn Owain and others.

11. Llarian the Gentle the son of Tewged.

12. Ithel the son of Llarian was a very beneficent king and the first who taught effectually the proper culture of wheat. It was he that originally organised the laws of landed property.

13. Enir the son of Ithel called Enir the Bard was am exceedingly a wise king and a good bard. He reduced to fair order the maxims of wisdom, and conferred high distinctions on bards and druids, so that he and they became supreme through the world for wisdom and knowledge. "Druids" was the appellation, in those days, given to persons of learning and faith.

14. Calchfynnydd the Aged the son of Enir the Bard was the first who made lime which he discovered first my making a bread kiln with stones under is hearth. These stone being pulverised by fire were thrown away and then the rain having firstly completely reduced them to dust converted them to mortar that hardened exceedingly in the weather. With some of the lime he whitewashed his house and hence his name.

15. Llywarch the son of Calchfynnydd was the first who constructed fortresses of stone and mortar.

16. Idwal the Proud the son of Llywarch was a man supreme in all great exploits and lived in the time of Dyfnwal Moclmud (Welsh legislator) of whose court he was chief elder and thence the princes descended from him became chief elders in the courts of all the kings and princes of the island of Britain.

17. Archwyn the son of Idwal was a deaf and dumb king but a very wise and brave man still for his defects he was dethroned.

18. Rhun Gamber the son of Idwal was a valiant king he enacted a law that no one should intermeddle with his neighbour’s concerns, except by permission or request.

19. Gorfyniaw the son of Rhun Gamber was a wicked and cruel king, he was killed.

20. Cynfarch the son of Rhun was killed for his cowardice, his brother Bleddyn succeed him.

21. Bleddyn the son of Rhun was a good king and many times triumphant over his enemies whence his name Bleddyn the Wolf, he was held in high esteem.

22. Morgan son of Bleddyn was truly a good king who effected incalculable benefits for his country both in peace and war.

23. Berwyn the son of Morgan was a mighty king who inflicted summary vengeance on his enemies.

24. Ceriant the Drunkard the son of Berwyn was the first who made malt liquor properly: After he boiled the wort together with field flowers and honey, a boar came there and drinking of it cast his foam, which caused the liquor to ferment. The beer thus prepared was superior to any ever known before and thence arose the practice of putting barm in wort. Having attained this knowledge Ceraint gave himself up entirely to drunkenness in which state he died.

25. Brywlais the son of Ceriant a good king a melodious bard and a sweet singer.

26. Alafon son of Brywlias was a kind king in word and action and a bard of transcendent compositions.

27. Annyn the Rugged son of Alafon was a potent monarch, in his time a new king sprang up in Gwynedd in utter violation of justice. Severe war took between Annyn and the Coranians in which he frequently vanquished them. The Dragon Aliens (Picts) came in his reign to Britain and Ireland. In Britain they perfidiously confederated with the Romans against the Cimbri (Wales) and subsequently with Saxons but they are now quite extinct in this island. Although they still entirely possess Ireland where they are treed Gwyddelians (Woodmen), the invasion of these people constituted the second principal of the “Three Chief Depredations of the Island of Britain” the third was that of the Saxons.

28. Dingad son of Annyn was the first who raised cavalry to repel hostile invasion. He constructed many strong cities and wood-fortresses. He also was the first who accustomed people to live in place of defence.

29. Greidiol son of Dingad fought against the Coranians slew them and drove them entirely from Cambria upon which many of them went to Gwyddelians (Woodmen) in Ireland and number went to Alban (Scotland).

30. Ceriant son of Greidiol a wise king but fell in love who did not requent is love, became deprived of memory and reason.

31. Meirion son Dingad Ceriant’s uncle succeed him, and it was from him that Merionydd (Merionethshire) was named where he lived as lord before he became king.

32. Arch son of Merion systemised the art of war beyond that nothing is known.

33. Caid son of Arch was the first who constructed bridges over rivers, the repairs of which he enjoined the on the country he had no children.

34. Caradog son of Arch succeeded because of the infancy of Ceri the son of Caid. This Caradog (Caractacus) was the bravest and the most renowned of any in the whole world having evinced pre-eminent valour on all occasions. He vanquished the Romans in many battles but was overcome through treachery and was taken to Rome where he returned eventually to Cambria. By this time Ceri had assumed the government. This Caradog build a palace after manner of the Romans at Abergwerydwyr called now St Donat’s. His daughter Eurgain married a Roman chieftain who accompanied her to Cambria. This chieftain had been converted to Christianity as well as Eurgain who first introduced the faith among Cambro-britons and sent for Ilid a native of Israel from Rome to Britain. This Ilid is called in the service of his commemoration, St Joseph of Arimathea. He became the principal teacher of Christianity to the Cambro-britons and introduced good order into the choir of Eurgain which she had established for twelve saints in Llantwit, it was burnt in the time of King Edgar. After this arrangement Ilid went to Ynys Afallon in the summer county (Somersetshire) where he died and was buried. Ina king of Wessex of that country raised a large church over is grave as a place called Glasinbyri (Glastonbury) in Welsh Aberglaston.

35. Ceri son of Caid was a remarkably wise man and constructed many ships at the expense of the country and its lords. Hence he was called Ceri of the extensive navy having numerous fleets out to see. He lived at the place called Porth-Kery.

36. Baran son of Ceri a mighty king far surpassing any of his predecessors in military courage being deemed the most redoubtable of all princes. He lived to be 137 years of age, married eighteen wives and had a hundred children. He would wrestle with and overthrow the three strongest men in existence and vanquished the Romans in every engagement.

37. Lleyn son of Baran was a sagacious monarch of courageous might. He fought against the king of Gwyneth (North Wales) conquered his dominion and called it the country of Lleyn. He lived like his father to extreme old age. (an ancient Cantref of Caernarvonshire)

38. Tegid son of Baran a wise and a good bard, he enacted excellent regulations for literature restored ancient learning which nearly had been lost and instituted a council of bards and druids as of old. He continued at war with is enemies but they took him at last through treachery and drowned him in the great lake call Llyn Tegid (Tegid’s Lake) in Gwynedd he had no children.

39. Llyr (Lear) son of Baran fought powerfully with many hostile nations, he expelled the Romans from Debeubarth (South Wales) the Gwyddelians from Gwynedd (North Wales) and the Armoricans from Cornwall. He united Cornwall to Cambria and went to reside there: transferring Siluria by which time Glamorgan was then called to Bran the eldest son.

40. Bran son of Llyr was a valiant king who affected much good repelling his enemies. On the death of his brothers with out children he left Siluria to his second son Caradog and went to reside in Cornwall where he permitted the Armorians to remain on condition of assisting him against the Romans, which they did manfully and vanquished that power. This Bran became Emperor of Britain but his other sons being dead his last son Caradog succeed him in government.

41. Caradog (Caractacus) son of Bran was a puissant king, and when the Empire of Britain devolved on him he went to Cornwall to reside giving his son Cyllin Siluria.

42. Cyllin son of Caradog was an exceedingly wise and mild king, in his time a considerable number of Cambrians became converts to Christianity, through ministry of the saints of Eurgain’s congregation and many other holy men from Greece and Rome who were on Cambria at this time. This prince was the first in this country who gave proper names to infants for previously person were not named before years of maturity, when the disposition became developed.

43. Owain son of Cyllin did signal service to the Christians, he constructed a large fair palace in the Roman style on the site of Caradog the son of Arch’s court at St. Donat’s and the princes descended from him resided until the time of Meyrig son of Meirchion. He endowed the congregation of Eurgain with adequate means of subsistence for twelve saints.

44. Eirchion son of Owain in his time the infidels slew great numbers of the Christians but he went against them and without even an edged weapon or anything else save his bare hands killed many of them from which circumstance he was called Eirchion the thumb warrior.

45. Gorwg son of Eirchion was a wise and religious king, he caused wars to cease procured skilful men from Rome to instruct his subjects in the right systems of agriculture, raising corn and architecture, contributed largely towards the support of learning and piety and was a good bard. He gave a new name to the court calling it “Tresillian” from a saint of that name whom the infidels killed, which name was retained till the time of Iestyn ap Gwrgan.

46. Gorddyfwn son of Gorwg was a turbulently mad king, for which reason he was deposed and his brother Rhun place instead.

47. Rhun son of Gorwg an exceedingly sagacious monarch pursued the invariably beneficent course of his father. He instituted laws for learning and science so as to confer freedom and immunities on literary and skilful persons according to the Roman usage; he became like his father distinguished above all other kings for peace and wisdom. When his nephew became of age he resigned to him the government.

48. Einydd son of Gorddyfwn a good king, he adhered to the faith of his uncle and grandfather, raised to exalted privileges all who professed to Christianity and was the first who constructed towns after the manner of the Romans.

49. Arthfael son of Einydd called Arthfael the aged erected like his father many churches, towns and villages, in old age he became an infidel.

50. Gwrgan the Freckled the son of Arthfael was puissant sovereign, he enacted a law that no one should bear a shield, but only a sword and bow, hence his countrymen became very heroic.

51. Meirchion son of Gwrgan he built many towns subdivided the country into cantreds, established literary and scientific regulations, and gave increased force to the privileges and degrees instituted for persons of approved learning art.

52. Meyrig sin of Meirchion a brave far-famed king, in his time the Irish-Picts came to Cambria he however marched against them and drove them away and slew them but was killed by an Irishman concealed in a wood Ystrad Meyrig. (Probably Ystrad Meuric Cardingshire).

53. Crair son of Meyrig a very religious, wise and merciful prince was slain by the unconverted.

54. Edric son of Cair was an unwise sovereign and the cause of great ignorance and impiety in the country, he died of gluttony.

55. Bran son of Edric was a frantic and wicked king was died of anger and rage.

56. Tryhearn son of Edric succeeded was a haughty impetuous sovereign, in histime the Saxon and Picts came to Gower in Cambria, he would not have them harassed for which reason he was put to death.

57. Nyniaw son of Bran who was a better king than more than his immediate predecessors, cleared the country of enemies and gave possessions to the churches, in the latter period he became deprived of memory and reason.

58. Teithfallt the son of Nyniaw called also Teithfalch in some books, was a beneficent and religious, a wise and heroic monarch. He fought powerfully with the Saxon and vanquished them; he passed a law that made it imperative on all to contribute a portion of wealth towards support religion, the clergy, learning and the repairs to the church. Many of the Saxons and Picts came to Cambria in his time and slew great numbers of the natives, burning also churches and choirs. He retired in his latter days to a life of sanctity, transferring the government on his son Tewdric.

59. Tewdric son of Teithfallt and eminently good king who drove the infidels and Irish out of the country. He founded many churches and colleges endowing them with possessions, build the Church of Llandaff where formerly stood the church of Lucius the son of Coel which was burnt down by infidels and endowed it amply with extensive lands.