11th century | 13th century | Other years in Wales Other events of the century This article is about the particular significance of the century 1101–1200 to Wales and its people.
Events 1102 Henry I of England has a series of charges drawn up against the rebel Robert of Bellême, Earl of Shrewsbury and, when Robert refuses to answer to them, has Robert's former vassal and ally Iorwerth ap Bleddyn, prince of Powys, persuaded to besiege and capture Robert's castles in Shropshire; Iorwerth also delivers his own brother Maredudd ap Bleddyn to the king. The king banishes Robert and his brothers from England and Wales; his brother Arnulf of Montgomery, lord of Pembroke, goes to serve his father-in-law, Muirchertach Ua Briain, High King of Ireland. Gerald de Windsor is appointed by Henry I of England as Constable of Pembroke Castle. 1103 Iorwerth ap Bleddyn, prince of Powys, having been insufficiently rewarded for his actions the previous year, again rebels against Henry I and is arraigned before a royal tribunal at Shrewsbury, convicted and imprisoned, leaving his brother Cadwgan ap Bleddyn as sole ruler of the parts of Powys not already in Norman hands. 1109 Nest ferch Rhys is abducted from Cilgerran Castle by Owain ap Cadwgan, son of Cadwgan ap Bleddyn. 1110 Cadwgan ap Bleddyn loses Ceredigion to the Norman Gilbert Fitz Richard. Iorwerth ap Bleddyn is released from prison. Philip de Braose, 2nd Lord of Bramber, rebels against King Henry I of England, and his estates are confiscated. 1111 Madog ap Rhiryd, an ally of Owain ap Cadwgan, kills Iorwerth ap Bleddyn (Owain's nephew) through arson near Llanfair Caereinion, allowing Cadwgan ap Bleddyn (Iorwerth's brother) to return to rule all of Powys; soon afterwards, Madog also kills Cadwgan at Welshpool (Y Trallwng) so that Owain (son of Cadwgan) takes over their possessions in Powys. 1112 Philip de Braose regains possession of the estates lost two years earlier. 1113 Gruffydd ap Rhys of Deheubarth, heir of Rhys ap Tewdwr, returns from exile in Ireland. Maredudd ap Bleddyn captures Madog ap Rhiryd and sends him to Maredudd's nephew, Owain ap Cadwgan, Prince of Powys, who takes revenge for the killing of his father by having Madog's eyes gouged out. 1114 King Henry I of England invades Gwynedd, obliging Gruffudd ap Cynan to pay homage to him. 1115 Bernard replaces Wilfred as Bishop of St Davids, as a result of Henry I's determination to take the diocese out of Welsh control. Owain ap Cadwgan is knighted by King Henry I of England for his service in Normandy. Gruffydd ap Rhys seeks sanctuary in Gwynedd but receives no assistance from Gruffudd ap Cynan. 1116 Revolt against the Normans, led by Gruffydd ap Rhys. He successfully attacks Swansea Castle, Carmarthen Castle, and Kidwelly Castle, but fails to take Castle Llanmyddyfri or Aberystwyth. 1119 Bernard, Bishop of St Davids, attends the council of Reims. 1120 4 April – The Archbishop of Canterbury grants a request from Gruffudd ap Cynan to recognise David the Scot as Bishop of Bangor. May – The remains of Dubricius (Saint Dyfrig) are moved from Bangor to Llandaff. Canonization of Saint David is recognised by Pope Callixtus II. 1121 April/May – Sibyl, daughter of Bernard de Neufmarché, marries Miles of Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford; the marriage is personally arranged by King Henry I of England. Robert Turberville is recorded as a principal tenant of Bernard de Neufmarché at Crickhowell. Walter of Gloucester enters Llanthony Priory as a monk; his title passes to his son Miles. 1123 Bernard, Bishop of St Davids, visits Rome. 1124 Cadwallon ap Gruffydd kills the three rulers of the cantref of Dyffryn Clwyd, Meilyr ab Owain, Rhiryd ab Owain and Gronw ab Owain, his maternal uncles, to annexe it to his father's Kingdom of Gwynedd. 1125 Bernard, Bishop of St Davids, ejects the Benedictines from Carmarthen, replacing them with the Augustinian order. David, Bishop of Bangor, visits the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth. 1127 Bishop Urban of Llandaff unsuccessfully seeks support from the Council of Westminster to extend the boundaries of his diocese from the River Tawe to the River Towy. Gruffydd ap Rhys of Deheubarth goes into a brief exile in Ireland. Caradog ap Iestyn of Glamorgan, and his brothers Gruffydd and Goronwy are involved in a “deed of violence”. 1128 19 April - Bishop Urban of Llandaff seeks support from the Pope for the extension of his diocese. 1129 Bishop Urban of Llandaff makes a second appeal to the Pope. Bishop Bernard of St Davids follows him to Rome and obtains a deferment of the decision. Bledri ap Cydifor makes a grant of land to Carmarthen Priory. Richard I de Grenville makes a grant of land to the Congregation of Savigny for foundation of Neath Abbey; the first monks arrive in 1130. The name of Geoffrey of Monmouth appears on the charter of Osney Abbey in Oxfordshire. Penhow Castle is first known to be occupied. 1130 Robert de Bethune, prior of Llanthony, is made Bishop of Hereford by King Henry I of England. Construction of Painscastle by Pain fitzJohn. 1131 9 May - Tintern Abbey is founded. Bernard, Bishop of St Davids, is present at a second council of Reims. His cathedral at St Davids receives a “dedication”, possibly indicating a partial rebuilding. 1132 Basingwerk Abbey is founded. Madog ap Maredudd succeeds his father as ruler of Powys. 1133 Cadwallon ap Gruffydd is defeated and killed by an army of the Kingdom of Powys near Nanheudwy. 1135 Monks of Llanthony Priory are forced by persistent attacks from the local population to flee across the English border and establish a daughter cell, Llanthony Secunda. Geoffrey of Monmouth gives permission to Caradog of Llancarfan to use material from his History of the Kings of Britain. Ordericus Vitalis quotes from Geoffrey's work in his Historia Ecclesiastica. 1136 January - Rebellion breaks out in Ceredigion. Owain Gwynedd and his brother Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd invade the region and take five of its castles, including Aberystwyth. Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd is killed in battle near Kidwelly. September/October - Battle of Crug Mawr; a signal victory for the Welsh. Cardigan Castle is taken by the Welsh and burned. Llanthony Secunda Priory is founded by Miles of Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford. 1137 Death of Gruffudd ap Cynan, king of Gwynedd; he is replaced by Owain Gwynedd. Owain and his brother Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd ap Cynan complete their conquest of Ceredigion by capturing the castles in the east and south of the region. William of Wycombe becomes prior of Llanthony Priory. 1138 A shrine to St Winefride is established in Shrewsbury, and the saint's remains are transferred there from Holywell. Owain Gwynedd and Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd ap Cynan fail to take Cardigan with the aid of a Danish fleet. Their allies include Anarawd ap Gruffydd and his brother Cadell. Cadwaladr consolidates their previous gains and retains control of northern Ceredigion. King Stephen of England gives Gilbert de Clare the title of Earl of Pembroke. 1139 Owain Gwynedd places southern Ceredigion under the control of his son Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd. Owain and his brother Cadwaladr oppose the appointment of Meurig to the see of Bangor. They are supported by Anarawd ap Gruffydd. 1140 January - Meurig is consecrated Bishop of Bangor. 16 September – Whitland Abbey is founded at Little Trefgarn near Haverfordwest by monks from Clairvaux. 1141 2 February – Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd ap Cynan is an ally of Earl Randolph of Chester in his attack on Lincoln. Ewenny Priory is founded. 1143 Following the murder of Anarawd ap Gruffydd by supporters of Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd ap Cynan, Owain Gwynedd and his son Hywel drive Cadwaladr out of Ceredigion. Gilbert is appointed Bishop of St Asaph. 1144 Bernard, Bishop of St Davids, gives land at Trefgarn to the first Cistercian monks to settle in west Wales. Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd ap Cynan brings a Danish fleet to Abermenai from his Irish allies; the Danes are driven out by his brother Owain Gwynedd. Cadwaladr is reconciled with Owain and restored to Ceredigion. Hugh de Mortimer recaptures Maelienydd and Elfael from the Welsh. 1145 Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd and his brother Cynan sack Cardigan but fail to take the castle. Hugh de Mortimer captures a local leader, Rhys ap Hywel. Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke, fortifies the castle of “Dinwileir”. 1146 Owain Gwynedd takes Mold from Ranulf de Gernon, 4th Earl of Chester. Cadell ap Gruffydd takes the castle of Dinwileir from Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke. With help from Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd, he also takes the castles of Carmarthen and Llansteffan. Rhys ap Gruffydd (the Lord Rhys) begins his military career, aged 13, fighting under his brother Cadell. Hugh de Mortimer brings about the death of Maredudd ap Madog ab Idnerth. 1147 In alliance with Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd and the Fitzgeralds of Pembroke, Cadell ap Gruffydd takes the castle of Wiston from Walter Fitzwiz. Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd and his brother Cynan invade Meirionnydd and take the castle of Cynfail from their uncle, Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd ap Cynan. Margam Abbey founded. 1148 19 December – David FitzGerald is consecrated Bishop of St Davids, at Canterbury. 1149 Madog ap Maredudd mounts an expedition into England and takes the Fitzalan lordship of Oswestry. He appoints his nephew Owain Cyfeiliog to rule Cyfeiliog on his behalf. Tegeingl and Iâl are annexed by Owain Gwynedd. 1150 Cadell ap Gruffydd launches a raid on Kidwelly. Cynan ab Owain Gwynedd is imprisoned by his father Owain Gwynedd, for unspecified reasons. Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd captures his cousin Cadfan, son of Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd ap Cynan, and occupies the new castle at Llanrhystud. Bertha of Hereford marries William de Braose, 3rd Lord of Bramber. 1151 Cadell ap Gruffydd is attacked by Normans while hunting in the forest of Coed Rhath. Although he survives the attack, he is unable to continue his military activities. 1152 21 February - Geoffrey of Monmouth is consecrated Bishop of St Asaph, ten days after being ordained a priest. Another quarrel takes place between Owain Gwynedd and his brother Cadwaladr; Cadwaladr goes into exile in England. 1153 Cadell ap Gruffydd makes a pilgrimage to Rome. His brothers Maredudd and Rhys ap Gruffydd drive Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd out of Ceredigion. Rhys ap Gruffydd attacks the territory of Owain Cyfeiliog, beginning a feud between the two princes, and captures the Norman castle at St Clears. 1154 Morgan ab Owain, grandson of Caradog ap Gruffydd, is recognised as lord of Caerleon by King Henry II of England. 1155 The sudden death of Maredudd ap Gruffydd leaves his brother Rhys sole ruler of Deheubarth. 1157 King Henry II of England invades Wales, with the support of Madog ap Maredudd, attacking Anglesey by sea. Following a highly successful ambush in Hawarden Woods (led by Owain's sons Dafydd and Cynan) near Ewloe in north-east Wales, Owain Gwynedd repulsed Henry II's army, his forces scattering in disarray and his royal standard was thrown to the ground; a symbol of surrender in those times. The standard bearer was later killed in a judicial duel connected to this humiliating retreat. King Henry escaped with his life but had suffered a humiliating set back. Realising that further confronting the Plantagenet king would be a highly risky affair, the subsequent peace agreement between Henry and Owain saw the latter buy peace with a certain number of cattle and, although he also cedes Tegeingl to Henry; it is recovered into Welsh hands in the late 1160s. Owain is also made to return his brother Cadwaladr to his former position. 1158 Rhys ap Gruffydd is forced to pay homage to King Henry II of England; Rhys temporarily loses Ceredigion and part of Ystrad Tywi.