Welcome To The Neighborhood...NOT

       "World's End" is not exactly the name you would have selected for your neighborhood. Maybe if you wanted to hide out for a while you might just wish for such a place, but it is not the type of nomenclature you would want to hang your hat on coming through the front door. Ironically, when the Romans took over the neighborhood, they applied the name Britannia Prima for the location of my Jones surname family tree. Anyhow, my ancestors survived for many generations no matter who came knocking. 

      The land route seemed the usual pathway to arrive, and from the earliest days the Northumbrians  invited themselves starting from the battle of Chester (613 A.D.). It was not until the folks from Mercia arrived (700 A.D.-815 A.D.), and built that ditch called Offa's Dyke that gave the land route new meaning. However, it was the Scandinavians (815 A.D.) that introduced a new pathway, by water, that brought all sorts of problems for the neighborhood. Settlements here, and settlements there, when would all the dust start to settle? Then, Wessex (1000 A.D.) started their run for political influence [Griffith ap Llywelyn verses Harold] and almost brought the house down, but it was those folks from Normandy that shook the very foundations. Would you welcome any of these folks to your neighborhood? NOT!

      PS. Here is a map which was first discussed in post of May 24, 2022. It should help you to visualize all the locations around the neighborhood.

      Check the location for Oswestry and Whittington where many of the family kept their fires burning.

In The Neighborhood

      The first six grandfathers of my Jones surname family tree seemed to like their homeland. The labels attached to their Welsh name gives some description as to this idea. The second down from the top of the tree, Ynyr ap Gadforch (JB-1), is given the title "Lord of both Maelors, Oswestry, and Whittington, in Powys,". By way of mental recall, the figure which follows, pictures the geographic location of these places named.

      The river Dee divides the two Maelors, both being north of Whittington and Oswestry. The next grandfather, three down from the top, Tudor Trevor (JC-1), "(so called because born and nursed at Trefor)", begins his life smack in the middle of the Maelors. Later he is titled "Lord of Hereford, Whittington, and both Maelors, and founder of the Tribe of the Marches". His son Dingad (JD-3) has been discussed as having his land near Selattyn (see post of May 20th) and gets the title "Prince of Powys". Continuing on down the line, Rhiwallon (JE-1) was named "Lord of Bromfield" which was actually Welsh Maelor. Finally, the sixth down the chain from the top Cynrig (JF-1), who stirs up quite a dust storm himself, completes the tree being titled, "Lord of Whittington, Maelor Cymraeg, in Powys". It is recorded that he was slain in 1073, which was just at the beginning of the new Millenium.  What stories they all must have told sitting around the evening dinner fire. 

      The following figure tries to show the relationship between each of these grandfathers and their townlands as they are recorded in the references.

      The townlands of Trevor and Selattyn are shown in relationship to the Maelors, Whittington, and Oswestry (all colored pink). The grandfathers are shown by their codes, JB-1 through JF-1. You can see that these lands were all fairly close to one another, pretty much all in the neighborhood.

P.S. The references for all this information is taken from Nicholas, Vol I, p.354. My copy is shown as written (except for the scribbling). What happens to Hereford is a whole different story.

Incorrigible Conflicts

      Next in line down my Jones surname family tree is Cynwrig (JF-1) [which is also spelled Cynrig, and Kynfrig]. "Flop, flop...fizz, fizz...oh, what a relief it is" echoes down the hallways of my memory when looking into the windows of this distant grandfather. His father Rhiwallon (JE-1) had occupied the family lands of his father Dingad (JD-3), which then would be passed down the branches. However, many changes had occurred to the unity and cooperative spirit accomplished during the life of Hywel Dda [ca. 880 A.D. to 950 A.D.]. The sons of this father-in-law to Tudor Trevor (JC-1), ironically, by the laws just assembled and written [ca. 940s A.D.], wanted their inheritance equally divided. In addition,  all the maternal side of the relatives [Nest of Powys 855 A.D., Anghard of Seisyllwg 871 A.D., and Elen of Dyfed 905 A.D.] all wanted their slice of the pie. Added to all this, the Vikings had started their raids, the Mercians wanted to take back the land reclaimed by those of Powys, and all the first, second, and their cousins wanted their wishes known.  No wonder the antiacids would be needed on most days since you would not be sure who would show up at your door with their swords drawn.

      Now Cynwrig (JF-1) labeled "Chieftain of Powys", and his wife Judy (JF-2) named of Rhos, seemed to have managed these years [c. 1025 - 1073 A.D.] fairly well. Their seven children born after 1040 A.D., would have taken roughly 14 years of these 30 some years. The three daughters Gwenllian (JG-28), Arddyn (JG-30), and Jane (JG-32) must have been the oldest because all four boys, Ninnian (JG-1), David (JG-3), Ednyfed (JG-15) and, Hwvm (JG-17) would have to be younger than age 14 at the time of the death of their father in 1073 A.D. It is stated that Cynwrig (JF-1) was slain by the men of Gwynedd and, it was also recorded that the sons of Rhys Sais (JG-4) took our family's blood-feud back to Gwynedd by killing Gwrgenau ap Seisyll in 1081. If any of the sons of Cynwrig (JF-1) had been older then 14 and, had their military training by 1081, they would have taken revenge into their own hands. Needless to say, the sons of Tudor Trevor (JC-1) were still working together before that huge storm cloud that was forming on the other side of the Island blew its way over my ancestor's town-lands. 

      For a big picture of the day, the following figure shows my kindred from the top of the family tree.

      Gadforch (JA-1) to Ynyr (JB-1), to Tudor Trevor (JC-1) to Dingad (JD3), to Rhiwallon (JE-1), and finally to Cynric (JF-1) shows my branch of this rapidly growing kindred group. [outlined in blue] The other sons of Tudor Trevor (JC-1); Llydocka (JD-2) [outlined in orange], and Gronwy (JD-1) [outlined in pink] are shown in their position to my baby brother's branch.

      The next diagram continues these branches down the tree, showing the relationship of the sons of Rhys Sais (JG-4) to the branches of Cynrig (JF-1). You can see the generational differences because of the passage of time, the age of children, and the story being told, given through the windows of history.

      P.S. The name Rhys Sais suggest that he could speak English, and would have played a special roll in the events of the day.  The references used to document all above are given in the posts of April 9th, and May 3rd.

Not Alone

       It has been more than 1025 years since Rhiwallon (JE-1) and his wife Lettice (JE-2) shared their lives together upon this land and earth. He would have grown to fighting age (14 yrs.) around the townlands of his father Dingad (JD-3) which has been discussed in the last post. He becomes known as the "Lord of Bromfield" which at the time was most of "Maelor Gymraeg" (Welsh Maelor). At first his name was thought to be unique among the folks, and when his name appeared elsewhere, it was concluded that it was he. Not! The most prominent "other" discovered was Rhiwallen ap Cynfyn instead of Rhiwallen (JE-1) ap Dingad (JD-3). Digging around a little more, there were Rhiwallon ap Beli, Rhiwallon ap Gwlfrid, Rhiwallon ap Gwrydr, Rhiwallon ap Rhun, and Rhiwallon ap Tudfwich. A lesson learned indeed it was. Other folks with the same name, at the same geographic area, and around the same date should be evaluated to see if they are the real relative that belongs "in or out" of your family tree. Anyway, Rhiwallon (JE-1) ap Dingad (JD-3) fit my family tree, although even with this name, he was not alone.

      For a discussion of this phenomenon see K.L. Maund Ireland, Wales, and England In The Eleventh Century p. 93. This text deals with Tudor Trevor (JC-1) and these two Rhiwallons. All the folks which share this name are listed in his index p.228, and several did not live around the same dates. For a discussion of "brick walls" which often face the genealogist see https://thebrickwallprotocol.blogspot.com. The research by Maund was first published by The Boydell Press, Woodbridge, 1991. The following map is taken from Saxton's Survey of England and Wales of 1583. It is an enlargement of the area around Selattyn showing its location near Whittington which was one of the lands of Tudor Trevor (JC-1). Who would have guessed? The orange line represents Wat's Dyke.

      My copy was printed in the Netherlands, 1974, by Nico Isael Amsterdam.