By Any Other Name

          After the place of your birth or, after a famous and well known individual or, after a recognized geographic landmark or, after the year you were slain...say what...the year you were slain? Who would want to be remembered upon the pages of history for the year you were slain? Well, most of the first six generations of my Jones surname family tree had all of the above.

      Tudor Trevor (JC-1) was named after his place of birth. Ynyr (JB-1) was named after a well know Celtic name and, Rhiwallon (JE-1) was named after a rock formation. These names are all so well remembered. It is my 6th generation grandfather down from the top, that seems to be remembered upon the pages of history by the year he was slain, 1073! Say what...was my thinking. The events of the day must have been important for those in the family who wanted to remember such an activity.

      Well let's see. Life and death was certainly on top of the list. Lots of folks were knocking at the family's door from all kinds of different directions (see last post). The in-laws of Tudor Trevor (JC-1) had kept the family in some kind of feuding along the way until 1063 when a fellow named Harold came knocking. Under his wings, he placed new family members in charge of the household. These brothers were named Bleddyn ap Cynfyn and Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn. They needed to swear their faithfulness to Edward The Confessor, who at this time was overlord to Harold. Can you believe it, my grandfather was named Cynwrig (JF-1) ap Rhiwallon (JE-1) and not Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn. To add to the confusion, some spelled this name Cynrig, Cynfrn, Cynan, or Cynfyn. Now, if that old Harold's visit was not enough, a new set of busy pioneers and colonist arrived in 1066 to completely move the furniture around in the house. New bullies named "Earls" claimed Shrewsbury in 1069 and Chester in 1070.  During the battle of Mechin, 1070, Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn was killed, and some years later his brother Bleddyn ap Cynfyn was slaughtered in 1075. Right between these two fellows, my grandfather Cynwrig (JF-1) ap Rhiwallon (JE-1) ap Dingad (JD-3) was slain, 1073. 

      By this time you might guess that there is much more to the story and, if interested in exploring these pathways of time, the text by J.E. Lloyd covers all the bases. It was first published in 1911 and, paints a very clear picture of the events of the day pp. 1-26. The cover of my copy is shown.

      This edition was published by Barnes & Noble Books, 2004.

P.S. The son of Cynwrig (JF-1), Ninnian (JG-1) in 1073 was too young to swing the family's sword, so a little later in 1081, the sons of a cousin Rhys Sais (JG-4), at the battle of Mynydd Cam, helped keep the family standing. [Lloyd per above, p. 21] Interestingly, Rhys Sais (JG-4) had a son named Bleddyn (JH-4) who would have named his son after Bleddyn ap Cynfyn who was slain in 1075. It must have been a family thing in 1081. But hey, family survival by any other name was priority.

       The following figure places all the family members in relationship to one another around this time in the pathway of history. [from RN#224]