View source for Iorwerth ap Bleddyn

{{onesource|date=February 2025}}
{{Short description|Prince of Powys}}
[[File:Escutcheon of the Powys.svg|thumb|Arms of Powys]]
'''Iorwerth ap Bleddyn''' (1053–1111) was a prince of [[Kingdom of Powys|Powys]] in eastern [[Wales]]. Iorwerth was the son of [[Bleddyn ap Cynfyn]] who was king of both Powys and [[Kingdom of Gwynedd|Gwynedd]]. When Bleddyn was killed in 1075, Powys was divided between three of his sons, Iorwerth, [[Cadwgan ap Bleddyn|Cadwgan]] and [[Maredudd ap Bleddyn|Maredudd]].

Iorwerth, Cadwgan and Maredudd held their lands as vassals of [[Robert of Bellême, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury]]. In 1102 the Earl was summoned to answer charges at the court of King [[Henry I of England]] and responded by rising in rebellion against the king. All three brothers initially supported Robert and took up arms on his behalf, pillaging [[Staffordshire]]. The king deputed [[William Pantulf]] to detach Iorwerth, who was considered to be the most powerful of the three brothers, from his alliance with Robert and his own brothers by the promise of large gifts of land. William succeeded in this, and Iorwerth led a large Welsh force to ravage [[Shropshire]] on behalf of the king. Robert was forced to surrender and was banished from the realm. Iorwerth also captured his brother Maredudd and handed him over to the king.

Iorwerth's support for the king did not last long however. Many of the lands which he had been promised were given to others, and in 1103 Iorwerth was arraigned before a royal tribunal at [[Shrewsbury]], convicted and imprisoned. He was not released until 1110 after [[Owain ap Cadwgan]], son of Iorwerth's brother Cadwgan, had abducted [[Nest verch Rhys|Nest]] wife of [[Gerald de Windsor|Gerald of Windsor]] resulting in an outbreak of hostilities. Iorwerth was able to drive Owain out of Powys and briefly regained his position as ruler. However, in 1111 Owain's ally, Madog ap Rhiryd, attacked Iorwerth at a house in which he was staying in the commote of Caereinion. Iorwerth's bodyguard was put to flight, the house set afire and Iorwerth was forced back at spearpoint into the burning building where he died. He left no heir, and when Cadwgan was also killed by Madog shortly afterwards, Owain ap Cadwgan took over the kingdom

==References==
*{{cite book|author=John Edward Lloyd|author-link=John Edward Lloyd|title=A history of Wales: from the earliest times to the Edwardian conquest |url=https://archive.org/details/ahistorywalesfr01lloygoog|publisher=Longmans, Green & Co.|year=1911}}

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{{s-hou|[[House of Mathrafal|Mathrafal Dynasty]]||Unknown||1111}}
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{{s-bef|before=[[Bleddyn ap Cynfyn]]|}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of rulers of Wales#Gwynedd|Prince of Powys]]|years=1075&ndash;1103}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Cadwgan ap Bleddyn]]}}
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{{Rulers of medieval Wales}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iorwerth Ap Bleddyn}}
[[Category:1053 births]]
[[Category:1111 deaths]]
[[Category:Monarchs of Powys]]
[[Category:House of Mathrafal]]
[[Category:11th-century Welsh monarchs]]
[[Category:12th-century Welsh monarchs]]
[[Category:Welsh princes]]