A Chronological of Celtic Wales
(Some dates may be incorrect or a few years out)
AD750
The kings of Gwent and probably of the whole of Glamorgan were the sons and grandsons of Morgan ab Arthwys, it is clear that their kingdoms wielded considerable influence, and on the basis and a study by Wendy Davies has shown that it had a high degree of social stability.
AD757
To 796 was the construction of Offa’s Dyke named Offa, king of Mercia.
AD760
Battle at Hereford between King Eliseg of Powys freed power of Powys from the English. There is a monument to King Eliseg who died at Llangollen.
AD768
Elfoddw, “archbishop of Gwynedd” induces the church in Wales to accept the Roman dating of Easter.
AD790
Around this time the Pagans first visited Ireland.
AD796
The battle of Morva Rhuddlan, this is where Caradog and Offa and his men on Morva Rduddlan a battle never to be forgotten by the Welsh. The Welsh were utterly over- whelmed, it is rumoured that Caradog was slain in the marsh, while Offa was wounded , and died very soon after. Flying from the battle the men of Caradog were drowned in the flowing tide.
AD800
Gwriad of the lineage of the Men of the North, married Esyllt of the line of Maelgwyn Fawr, their son Merfyn who became king of Gwynedd in 825 on the death of Esyllt’s uncle, Hywel ap Rhoderi. Merfyn married Nest of the house of Powys and their son Rhodri married Angharad of the house of Seisyllwg (Ceredigion and Ystrad Tywi).
AD809
Elfoddw, archbishop of Gwynedd died in this year.
AD825
The accession of Merfyn ap Gwria as king and the establishment of the Second Dynasty of Gwynedd.
AD825
Hywel ap Caradog died in this year.
AD844
Merfyn died this year and his son Rhoderi became ruler of Gwynedd and became king of Powys in 855 on the death of his uncle Cyngen who died in Rome, and of Seisyllwg in 871 on the death of his brother-in-law Gwgon he died in 877, king of the realm extending from Anglesey to Gower.
AD850
Around this time the Pagans landed in Wales.
AD855
Cyngen ab Cadell king of Powys died in this year in Rome.
AD856
Rhodri Mawr won a battle around this time against Horn the leader of the Danes at Anglesey where Horn dies.
AD860
Rhys king of Glamorgan died is proof of an ability to carve stone with skill and imagination on his memorial stone.
AD877
Rhodri Mawr and his son Gwriad were killed in a battle against the Saxons in Powys.
AD878
Anarawd ap Rhodrin king of Gwynedd.
AD885
Asser of St David’s visits Alfred ling of the West Saxons and agrees to spend 6 months of each year in his service. Between this time and 893 the kings of South Wales submit to Alfred. (Alfred the Great)
AD893
Anarawd king of Gwynedd submits to Alfred king of the West Saxons, and Asser completes his book “Life of King Alfred”.
AD904
Llywarch ap Hyfaidd king of Dyfed died, his kingdom came into the possession of Hywel ap Cadell ap Rhodri (Hywel the Good), the ruler of Seisyllwg and the of Elen, Llywarch’s sister. It would appear that he also took possession of Bryncheiniog, for its royal line ends with Tewdwr ap Giffri, who died about 930.
AD916
Anarawd king of Gwynedd dies.
AD927
Morgan king of Gwent and Glywysing and Hywel Dda king of Deheubarth submit to Athelstan king of the West Saxon at Hereford.
AD930
Around this time Deheubarth came in existence due to Hywel ap Cadell enlargement of his lands. During the following 4 centuries Deheubarth was united with the territories of Idwal ab Anarawd ap Rhodri of Gwynedd and Powys.
AD930
The Saxon King Athelstan of Wessex (Alfred the Great grandson) was consolidating his kingdom by conquering the Celts.
AD935
King Athelstan fought and won a battle in Northumbria against the combined forces British forces from Strathclyde, Cumbria, Wales, Cornwall and the Isle of Man.
AD940
A scholar around this time a manuscript known as “The Computus Fragement” which is a study of the stars and it testifies to the ability of a Welshman of about 940 to discuss complex matters in his mother tongue.
AD942
Idwal king of Gwynedd died in this year after a revolt against the English.
AD950
Hywel ap Cadell died in this year, his Owain a man of historical interests for it would appear that the genealogies and the “Annales Cambriae” were compiled at his request. Gwynedd and Powys returned to the line of Idwal ab Anarawd while Glamorgan continued to be subject to its own kings.
AD952
The sons of Idwal, Iago and Ieuaf ravage Dyfed twice in this year.
AD954
The sons of Idwal, Iago and Ieuaf ravage Ceredigion in this year.
AD967
Iago son of Idwal was blinded by his brother Ieuaf, and Ieuaf was imprisoned and then hanged, then the son of Ieuaf made war upon his uncle Iago, and drove him out of his kingdom and slew him after all. After this the grandsons of Idwal warred upon the grandsons of Howel, the sons of Iago fought against the sons of Ieuaf.
AD973
Iago, king of Gwynedd and his nephew Hywel among the
AD974
Morgan king of Gwent and Glywysing died this year.
AD984
Hywel king of Gwynedd died this year also this year Einion prince of Deheubarth died.
AD984
Morgenau bishop of St David’s (984-999) was bishop in the reign of Maredudd ap Owain at a time when the churches of Deheubarth suffered attacks of Irish Vikings, and in 999 was killed by them. According to legend he introduced meat into the diet at St David’s thereby breaking with the tradition of a strict vegetarian diet which was supposedly established by St David so that his death acquired retributive overtones.
AD987
The Northern men attacked Anglesey and seized two thousand men and sold them as slaves, from their stronghold at Dublin and the Isle of Man.
The Danes landed on the coast of this county, in which they committed great ravages, burning the churches of Llanilltyd and Llandaff, with other religious edifices.
AD987
The Danes landed on the coast of this county, in which they committed great ravages, burning the churches of Llanilltyd and Llandaff, with other religious edifices. As Morgan Hen advanced in years, he resigned the government to his sons, of whom Owain and Ithel are expressly mentioned in the Welsh annals, as reguli, of the country during the lifetime of their father, Ithel, surnamed Ddu, or " the Black," from the colour of his hair, lived occasionally at Ystrad Owain, and had a summer residence at a place called Ton Ithel Ddu, a few miles, to the north of Bridgend: he survived Owain.
AD988
The Northern men plundered Llanbadarn, St Dogmael’s, Llancarfan and Llantwit Major and in the following year Maredudd ab Owain was obliged to raise a penny poll tax to bribe them to stay away.
AD990
Owain territories were attacked and ravaged without mercy by Edwin, son of Eineon, who, in alliance with Meredydd, sovereign of all Wales, and aided by parties of Saxons and Danes, entered them from Carmarthenshire through Gower ; but Hywel, the younger brother of Ithel, exasperated to heroic exertion by the depredations which these invaders everywhere committed, suddenly raised the country in their rear, and, having assembled an immense multitude, armed with the first weapons they could obtain, fell upon them on their return, at a place called Cors Eineon, in the parish of Llangyvelach, routed their force with great slaughter, and recovered the plunder which they were carrying away.
AD994 Ithel the son of Owen was a very valiant and potent king and lived mostly at his new summer-house called Ton Ithel Ddu (In the parish of Llangwynwyd 5 miles outside Bridgend). He fortified Cardiff Castle where he held his national and juridical courts. He was called Ithel Ddu (Ithel the Dark) from his very black beard. Ithel died in this year.
AD994
Ithel died in 994, and was succeeded in the government of Glamorgan by his son Gwrgan, who is described as an enlightened and peaceable prince, and who gave to his subjects a large common in the northern part of the county, for the de-pasturing of cattle and sheep, and the cultivation of grain, which has ever since been called Hirwaun Wrgan, or "Gwrgan's Long Meadow.
AD999
The Northern men attacked St David’s Cathedral killing Morgenau the bishop. Maredudd ab Owain died this year.