Prince of the northern half of Powys, the lands north of the Rhaeadr and Tanat: the two Maelors (Bromfield round Wrexham and English Maelor round Overton), Ial (Yale), Nanheudwy (Llangollen), Cynllaith and Mochnant Is Rhaeadr.
A cousin of Llywelyn and close to him in these years. His Cistercian foundation of Valle Crucis, with monks from Strata Marcella, comes on 28 January 1201 (the traditional date), thirteen months after the game opens; on 1 January 1200 the abbey does not yet exist.
Who he is
- Name
- Madog ap Gruffudd Maelor
- Title
- Lord of northern Powys (Powys Fadog)
- Since
- 1191 jointly with his brother Owain; alone since Owain's death in 1197
- Born
- Not pinned
- Family
- Elder son of Gruffudd Maelor (died 1191) and Angharad, daughter of Owain Gwynedd, so first cousin of Llywelyn ap Iorwerth. Wife Esyllt (Isolda); sons Gruffudd Maelor II, Gruffudd of Ial, Maredudd, Hywel, Madog Fychan; daughter Angharad (birth years not pinned).
- Confidence
- high
Wikipedia (Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor).
Overlord
None in practice
What it holds
- Maelor Gymraeg (Bromfield, round Wrexham)
- Maelor Saesneg (English Maelor: Overton, Hanmer, Bangor-on-Dee)
- Ial (Yale)
- Nanheudwy (Llangollen and Chirk)
- Cynllaith
- Mochnant Is Rhaeadr
How it was acquired
Inheritance (1191, 1197).
Allies and rivals
Close to Llywelyn; neighbour of the earl of Chester across the Dee, of William FitzAlan at Oswestry and of Dafydd ab Owain's Ellesmere.
How things stand that morning
Holds all of northern Powys quietly.
Wealth
Cattle, the lowland grain of Maelor, the Dee crossings and trade with Chester and Shrewsbury.
Military
His teulu and levy; the old castles of the Maelor border (Overton; the earlier fort on Dinas Bran is not pinned).
Threats
- The earl of Chester and the Shropshire barons along the Dee and Ceiriog
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
- 28 January 1201Founds the Cistercian abbey of Valle Crucis near Llangollen with monks from Strata Marcella.Depends on: Peace in the Dee valley Stopped by: War
Places of note
- Valle Crucis (site): Abbey founded 28 January 1201
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Succession and holdings from Wikipedia; little is recorded of 1199-1200.
On the map: The Dee is taken as the boundary with Cheshire; Ellesmere and Whittington are left to their English lords.
Primary sources for Powys
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Annals of Wales, Anonymous (St Davids and other Welsh houses) (10th to 13th centuries; the B and C texts continue to 1286 and 1288). Short Latin annals whose later versions are kept at St Davids and Cistercian houses. Read online
- Chronicle of the Princes, Anonymous (Welsh translation of a lost Latin chronicle kept at Strata Florida) (Latin original to about 1282, compiled from contemporary annals; Welsh versions about 1300 and later). The native Welsh record of the year. Read online
- The Journey through Wales; The Description of Wales, Gerald of Wales (Giraldus Cambrensis) (Itinerarium 1191, revised to about 1214; Descriptio 1194). The standing description of Wales a decade before 1200: the cantrefs and their lords, the castles of the March, the bishoprics, the Welsh way of fighting and living, and Gerald's advice on how the Welsh might be conquered and how they might resist. Read online
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.