CHARACTERS FROM CHESTER - STARTING "O"

BY PHILLIP E JONES

[Offa], [Owain ap Gruffudd]

Offa

King of Mercia around 757 AD, he was responsible for the construction of “Offa’s Dyke” which marked the boundary between England and Wales and replaced the earlier “Wat’s Dyke”. This later structure ran from Chester in the north, through to Bristol in the south. Offa was also credited with the founding of St Bridget’s church in the city around the same time. 

Owain ap Gruffudd

He was reported to be the youngest son of the Welsh ruler Gruffudd ap Cynan and who later became better known as Owain Gwynedd. Along with Cadwaladwr, his older brother, Owain was said to have taken over the rule of Gwynedd in 1137 and remained in power until around 1170. During that 33 year period, Owain was thought to have expertly exploited internal disputes which occurred within the English court and the kingdom of Powys, allowing the ruler of Gwynedd to expand both the power and limits of his own realm.

Because of his younger brother’s growing reputation and power, Cadwaladwr was thought to have become extremely jealous of his sibling, which caused a great deal of friction within the Welsh court. Around 1146 Owain’s forces were thought to have captured the Norman border stronghold at Mold, which would normally have brought the brothers into direct conflict with the Earl of Chester Ranulph de Gernons. However, at the time the Earl was reported to have been held captive by the English monarch Stephen, for his support of the foreign claimant to the English throne, the Empress Mathilda.

Some 4 years later and with Earl Ranulph now restored to his lands at Chester, the Norman Earl was said to have allied himself with another Welsh leader Madog ap Maredudd who was a ruler within Powys. Together they hoped to suppress the ongoing expansion of Owain Gwynedd’s kingdom, which both regarded as a direct threat to both of their individual interests. The two sides were reported to have met at the Battle of Coleshill in around 1150, where despite the combined forces which were ranged against him, Owain Gwynedd gained victory over De Gernons and Maredudd.

Despite his military victory over his two main regional adversaries, things within Owain’s own court were not quite so straightforward and in 1152 he was said to have seriously injured one of his nephews, a man called Cunedda. Sometime after that particular incident, deep divisions between Owain and Cadwaladwr, which had been simmering for some years finally boiled over, leading to a serious split between the two brothers. As a result of their differences, Owain was said to have dispossessed Cadwaladwr of his lands and titles and eventually forced him into exile in England.

The succession of Henry II to the English throne in 1154 marked a dramatic change of fortune for the Welsh leader, given that the new king had resolved to restore some level of English control over the region generally. Henry was aided in his campaigns by a number of lesser Welsh rulers and landowners who had suffered at Owain’s hands, including of course his exiled sibling, Cadwaladwr. In 1157, the monarch along with his assorted allies was said to have raised a large army and marched into Wales, determined to meet and defeat the Welsh ruler.

Having reached Rhuddlan however, Henry’s Anglo Welsh force found itself stalled and unable to meet their enemy in any sort of decisive military engagement. With time passing and his being away from the English court, Henry settled for a peace treaty with Owain, which saw the Welsh Prince accept Henry as his overlord, the return of Rhuddlan to English hands and the reinstatement of Cadwaladwr to his lands and titles.

In spite of the agreement that he had been forced to sign, Owain continued to exploit any and all opportunities which might help to further extend and enhance his kingdom’s power and wealth. Henry’s public quarrel with the churchman Thomas Beckett became such a divisive issue within England and its attendant aristocratic family’s that little time was given over to the question of the Welsh provinces and their native leaders. With the English nobility distracted, Owain was reported to have launched a further rebellion in 1164, which forced Henry to bring an army into Wales yet again, but as before he was unable to force Gwynedd into any sort of decisive engagement. With him and his troops regularly ambushed and raided by Owain’s native forces, Henry was yet again forced to withdraw from the area and retreat back across the English border, without having resolved the issue once and for all.

With his power, influence and territories still relatively intact, Owain was thought to have strengthened his grip on the region and around 1166 was said to have razed Basingwerk Castle, which would later house a monastery. However, this particular high point in Welsh affairs, was also thought to mark the end of the widespread unity which had allowed the Welsh people to achieve so much.

Early in around 1164 Owain was said to have entered into an agreement with the French monarch, King Louis VII, who was a sworn enemy of the English king Henry II. With a common foe to unite them, the Welsh ruler was said to have supplied troops to fight with Louis’ forces against Henry’s army in France in 1168, a move that would make the Welsh ruler even more hated by his counterpart who sat on the English throne. However, there was little time for Henry to seek any sort of revenge on Owain Gwynedd, as the Welsh ruler was reported to have died in around 1170, leaving his kingdom as the most powerful and influential regions within western Britain.               

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