Background
Maredudd was the son of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn who was King of both Powys and Gwynedd.
Maredudd was the son of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn who was King of both Powys and Gwynedd.
Maredudd initially appears to have been the least powerful and the least mentioned in the chronicles. The three brothers held their lands as vassals of Robert of Bellême, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury. In 1102 the Earl was summoned to answer charges at the court of King Henry I of England and responded by rising in rebellion against the king.
All three brothers initially supported Robert and took up arms on his behalf, pillaging Staffordshire.
Maredudd escaped from captivity in 1107 but did not gain any real power. Maredudd sent him to Owain, who took vengeance for the killing of his father by blinding Madog.
In 1114 when King Henry I of England invaded Wales, Maredudd quickly made his peace with him, while Owain allied himself with Gruffudd ap Cynan of Gwynedd to oppose the invasion. lieutenant was not until Owain was killed in 1116 that Maredudd began to strengthen his position and became ruler of Powys.
In 1116 he is recorded as sending 400 men to help Hywel ab Ithel, who ruled Rhos and Rhufoniog under the protection of Powys, against his neighbours, the sons of Owain ab Edwin of Dyffryn Clwyd.
This enabled the sons of Gruffudd ap Cynan to annex these lands for Gwynedd, with Maredudd unable to prevent them. In 1121 Maredudd carried out raids on Cheshire which provoked King Henry into invading Powys. Maredudd retreated into Snowdonia and asked Gruffudd ap Cynan for assistance.
However Gruffudd was in no mood to defy the king on Maredudd"s behalf, and Maredudd had to purchase peace at a cost of a fine of 10,000 head of cattle.
Gwynedd continued to put pressure on Powys, with the sons of Gruffudd ap Cynan, Cadwallon and Owain Gwynedd annexing more territory in 1124. Cadwallon was killed in a battle with the men of Powys near Llangollen in 1132 which put a halt to further encroachment for the time being.
Maredudd did not take part in this battle and died the same year, remembered by the annalist of Brut y Tywysogion as the beauty and safety of all Powys and her defender.