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.