Bleddyn and his brother Rhiwallon were half-brothers of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn. Their mother, Angharad, married Cynfyn ap Gwerstan o the death of Llywelyn ap Seisyll. Cynfyn ap Bwerstan may have been a Powys nobleman; there is also some suggestion that he may have been half Saxon. Bleddyn remained a strong supporter of the Mercians in their battles against the Normans.
Bleddyn and Rhiwallon also had to contend with internal revolution. The sons of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, Maredudd and Idwal, attempted to reestablish their claim to the throne. However, they were also killed in the Battle of Mechain in 1070; Bleddyn now ruled without internal challenge.
He is reported to having been a generous king, giving to church and populous. He was the first king in over 100 years to revise the laws developed under Hywel Dda. Unfortunately, in 1073, the Normans began their advance through north Wales, and defeated Bleddyn in a surprise attack. Weakened, he became vurnerable to his southern neighbor, Rhys ab Owain of Deheubarth. In 1075, Rhys betrayed Bleddyn, leading to his murder. However, Bleddyn's descendents became the main ruling family of Powys. [The Welsh Kings]
During the later years of the reign of his half-brother, Gruffyd, the English had brought Wales into at least nominal subjection. Gruffyd was killed by the English 5 Aug 1063. Bleddyn and his brother Rhiwallon, having submitted to King Edward, were made rules of Gwynedd and Powys. The Normans who came with William the Conqueror soon encroached upon the Welsh who resisted them and Rhiwallon was slain in battle in 1070. Bleddyn was then the sole Ruler. [The Weaver Genealogy]
In 1075, Bleddyn was killed by Rhys, the brother of Maredudd ab Owain, and Rhys in turn was likeed in 1078 by Caradog ap Gruffudd. Bleddyn's kingdom passed to his cousin, Trahaearn ap Caradog, but Trahaearn was killed, along with Caradog ap Gruffudd, in the battle of Mynydd Carn in 1081. [A History of Wales; John Davies].1
Lionel (de Welles), Lord Welles, 6th Baron Welles, grandson and heir, being son and heir of IVES (or EON) DE WELLES, by Maud his wife, was born 1406; knighted in the Parliament at Leicester, 19 May 1426, by the infant King Henry VI; and had seisin of his lands, 5 December 1427. He accompanied the King to France in 1430; was summoned to Parliament from 25 February 1431/2 to 30 July 1460, by writs directed Leoni de Welles; P.C. before 12 November 1434; a member of the King's Household, before February 1437/8; Lieutenant of Ireland, 12 February 1437/8-February 1441/2; joint Deputy, with Lord Rivers, in Calais for his brother-in-law, the Duke of Somerset, then Lieutenant of Calais, 1451-55. A firm adherent of the House of Lancaster, he was nominated K.G. before 13 May, and installed, with the Earl of Shrewsbury, 14 May 1457; was sent with reinforcements to Calais, October 1457; taken prisoner by the Yorkists at Blore Heath, 3 September 1459; was with Queen Margaret's army, which advanced on London and won St. Albans, 17 February 1460/1; but was killed at the battle of Towton, 29 March 1461.
He married, 1stly, 15 August 1417, at St. Oswald's, Methley, co. York, Joan (or Cecily), daughter and (eventually, in her issue) heir of Robert Waterton, of Methley, by Joan, widow of Sir William Ellis, of Kiddal, co. York, daughter of William de Everingham, of Laxton, co. Nottingham. She (described as Joan), who was living, 18 October 1434, was buried in the Waterton chapel at Methley. He married, 2ndly (licence 14 April, settlement 20 April 1447), Margaret, de jure suo jure (according to modern doctrine) Baroness Beauchamp of Bletsoe, widow of John (Beaufort), 1st Duke of Somerset (who died s.p.m. 27 May 1444), and before that of Sir Oliver St. John, sister and heir of John Beauchamp, daughter of John Beauchamp, of Bletsoe (according to modern doctrine 4th and 3rd Lords Beauchamp of Bletsoe), by Edith, daughter of Sir John Stourton. He died 29 March 1461, aged about 55, and was buried with his 1st wife at Methley. After his death he was attainted by Act of Parliament, 21 December 1461, whereby all his honours were forfeited. His widow died, apparently shortly before 3 June 1482, certainly on or before 20 July following.
[Complete Peerage XII/2:443-4, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]
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Sir Lionel de Welles, KG, b. 1406, d. Towton 29 Mar 1461, Lord Welles, Governor of Ireland 1438-1442; m. (1) Methley, 15 Aug 1417, Joan de Waterton, d. bet. 14 Oct 1434 and 14 Apr 1447, daughter of Robert de Waterton of co. York. [Magna Charta Sureties]
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Sir Leo, or Lionel de Welles, as 6th baron, summoned to parliament from 25 February, 1432, to 30 July, 1460. This nobleman received the honour of knighthood in the 4th Henry VI [1426] from the Duke of Bedford at Leicester, with the young king himself and divers other persons of rank. His lordship for several years after served with great honour in France and was made lieutenant of Ireland for seven years in the 16th of the same reign. When the fatal feud between the houses of York and Lancaster broke out, Lord Welles arrayed himself under the banner of the latter, and adhering to his colours with unbending fidelity, fell at the battle of Towton field on Palm Sunday, 1461. His remains were deposited in Waterton Chapel, at Methley, co. York. His lordship m. 1st, Joan, or by some accounts, Cecilia, only dau. of Sir Robert Waterton, of Waterton and Methley, co. York, and sister and heir of Sir Robert Waterton, also of Waterton, Knt., and had issue, Richard, Alianore, Cecily, Margaret, and Catherine. Lord Welles m. 2ndly, Margaret, sister and heir of Sir John Beauchamp, of Bletshoe, and widow of John Beaufort, Earl of Somerset (by whom she was mother of Margaret, Countess of Richmond, mother of King Henry VII) and had another son, John, created Viscount Welles. An attainder followed his lordship's decease, under which the Barony of Welles became forfeited. [Sir Bernard Burke, Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage, Ltd., London, England, 1883, p. 572, Welles, Barons Welles]
The rolls of parliament show that, in the first year of Henry VII [1485[, a statute passed finally reversing all acts of attainder or forfeiture which had ever been enacted aginst the Barony of Welles. [Sir Bernard Burke, History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, Burke's Peerage, Ltd., London, England, 1883, Vol. II, p. 558, Walrond, of Dulford House].3
Joan (or Cecily), daughter and (eventually, in her issue) heir of Robert Waterton, of Methley, by Joan, widow of Sir William Ellis, of Kiddal, co. York, daughter of William de Everingham, of Laxton, co. Nottingham. She (described as Joan), who was living, 18 October 1434, was buried in the Waterton chapel at Methley.
[Complete Peerage].2
IVES (or EON) DE WELLES, son and heir apparent, by 1st wife, took part in the rebellion of 1405, for which he was fined 100 marks and pardoned, 7 August 1405. He had licence to travel abroad, 20 December 1407. He married Maud, daughter of Ralph (DE GREYSTOKE), 3rd LORD GREYSTOKE, by Katherine, daughter of Roger (DE CLIFFORD), 5th LORD CLIFFORD.
Eudo de Welles, d. bef. 26 Aug 1421, oldest son of John de Welles & wife Eleanor, daughter of John de Mowbray by wife Elizabeth de Seagrave. [Magna Charta Sureties].2
JOHN (DE WELLE, afterwards WELLES), LORD WELLES, son and heir, was born 20 April 1352 at Conisholme, Lincs, and baptised that day in the church of St. Peter there. He was retained to stay with the Duke of Lancaster for life, 12 February 1371/2, and accompanied the Duke on his historic but fruitless march from Calais to Bordeaux, August-December 1373; was given seisin of his lands, 6 May 1373; and served on many commissions of the peace, of array, &c., in Lincolnshire from 1374.
He was summoned to Parliament from 20 January 1375/6 to 26 February 1420/1, by writs diiected Johanni de Welle, or Welles, such summonses being apparently continued no less than 7 years after his death, viz. from 29 September 1422 to 3 August 1429. He was frequently abroad or serving in the French wars, 1377, 1379-83 and 1387-88; was with the garrison of Berwick-on-Tweed, 1378-79; had licence to go to France "pro Declaratione Honoris ac Nominis sui Salvatione," 22 August 1384; and took part in Richard Il's only expedition to Scotland in 1385
During the Scottish wars he was ambassador to Scotland. In My of 1390, being at a banquet where deeds of arms becoming the subject of conversation, his lordship exclaimed, "Let words have no place; if ye know not the chivalry and valiant deeds of Englishmen, appoint me a day and place when ye list, and ye shall have experience." This challenge was immediately accepted by David, Earl of Crawford, and London Bridge appointed as the place of combat. The battle was fought on St. George's Day, and the Scottish earl was declared victor. Indeed, he displayed such an extraordinary degree of prowess, that notwithstanding the spear was broken upon his helmet and visage, he remained so immovably fixed in his saddle that the spectators cried out that in defiance of the laws of arms, he was bound thereto. Whereupon he dismounted and got up again and ran a second course, but in the third, Lord Welles was unhorsed and flung to the ground, on which Crawford dismounting, embraced him that the people might understand that he had no animosity, and the earl subsequently visited his lordship with great courtesy until his recovery.
He was present at Lowestoft, October 1398, on the embarkation of his brother-in-law, the Duke of Norfolk, who had been banished by Richard II; was summoned, 18 May 1400, to perform homage and fealty to Henry IV, was appointed, 11 May 1402, to proclaim, in Lincolnshire, the King's intention of enforcing law and order; and ordered, 8 September 1403, to stop granting livery and making unlawful assemblies.
He married, (?) 1stly, before May 1386, Eleanor, sister of John (DE MOWBRAY), EARL OF NOTTINGHAM, and of Thomas (DE MOWBRAY), DUKE OF NORFOLK and EARL MARSHAL, 1st daughter of John, 4th LORD MOWBRAY, by Elizabeth, suo jure (according to modern doctrine) BARONESS SEGRAVE, daughter and heir of John (DE SEGRAVE), 4th LORD SEGRAVE. She, who was born shortly before 25 March 1364, may have been living in 1399. He married, (?) 2ndly, before 13 August 1417, Margery. He died 26 August 1421. She died 8 April 1426.