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Birth:          ABT 1232 
Death:          1310 

Notes
Chart of the Lords of the Manor of Deytheur, in "Collections Historical and 
Archaeological Relating to Montgomeryshire, vol 28"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawise_Lestrange
Hawise Lestrange (died 1310) was the daughter of the Marcher lord John Lestrange 
(d.1269) of Great Ness, Cheswardine and Knockin (Shropshire).[1] Married at a young 
age to the ruler of southern Powys, Gruffudd ap Gwenwynwyn, she became a key 
figure in border affairs and in the management of her family and estates until her death 
at a great age. She was deeply implicated in a plot to overthrow the prince of Wales, 
Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, in 1274, and with her husband sided with Edward I in the 
English king's conquest of Wales.
Early life and marriage[edit]

The date of Hawise's birth is unknown, but she was probably still a teenager when she 
was married to Gruffudd around 1242. In that year that Gruffudd gained the king's 
permission to dower Hawise with land in the royal manor of Ashford in Derbyshire.[2] 
Hawise and Gruffudd are unlikely to have been complete strangers at marriage, for 
Gruffudd - part-English by birth - had spent most of his life to that point in exile in 
England and the Marches. His mother Margaret was a member of the prominent Corbet 
family from the nearby Marcher lordship of Caus, and appears to have considerable 
contact with her son and daughter-in-law until her death around 1250.[2]

During the early years of the marriage, the couple resided mainly in the castle of Pool 
or Powis Castle, lying to the west of the town of Welshpool. Gruffudd served Henry III 
loyally, for which he received various rewards and inducements to further loyalty. In 
1248 Hawise received two stags from the king, perhaps for her own loyal service.[3] 
In 1257, however, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, prince of Gwynedd and would-be ruler of 
Wales at large, invaded southern Powys and Hawise and Gruffudd were driven out. 
Finding a lack of royal support for their plight, in 1263 Gwenwynwyn transferred his 
allegiance to Llywelyn.

Attitude toward Llywelyn ap Gruffudd[edit]

Although her husband allied himself to Llywelyn ap Gruffudd in 1263, Hawise's natal 
family were (with one or two exceptions) notable allies of the Crown. Hawise herself 
seems to have remained hostile to Llywelyn for much of her career.

Attempt to overthrow Llywelyn[edit]

By 1274, Gruffudd ap Gwenwynwyn was firmly back in royal favour. In that year his 
family became involved in an attempt on the life of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd. Hawise and 
her eldest son, Owain, were leading participants in the plot, which also involved 
Llywelyn's disaffected younger brother, Dafydd ap Gruffudd.[4][5] The intention had 
been for Dafydd and Owain to murder Llywelyn at his court and for Dafydd to take his 
place, while Owain would marry Dafydd's daughter and take the commotes of Ceri and 
Cydewain as a marriage settlement. Ultimately the plot failed, foiled by a snowstorm 
that prevented the would-be assassins from carrying out their mission, and Llywelyn's 
suspicions were aroused. Owain was taken into captivity. Our knowledge of Hawise's 
involvement comes from a confession allegedly made by Owain in the presence of the 
bishop of Bangor and others, and set down in a letter written by the Bangor clergy to 
the archbishop of Canterbury in the spring of 1276. In this confession Owain identified 
his mother as the designated guardian of the conspirators' plot documents, keeping 
them under lock and key in her own private chest in the family residence at Pool.[5] 
The historian Emma Cavell argues that Hawise's status as a married woman, and her 
resulting centrality to family and household management, made her an"ideal focus for 
the protection and/or transmission of privileged information."[5]

Conquest of Wales[edit]

There is no explicit mention of Hawise Lestrange in any of the contemporary sources 
relating to the killing of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, and the fall of native Wales, in 
December 1282. Yet, the pattern of her activities to that point, combined with the 
clear, central involvement of her husband, several of her sons, and several 
neighbours in tracking Llywelyn's movements and engaging him in the field, make it 
highly likely that she did play her part.[5] She also had a kinswoman, Margaret 
Lestrange, who was married to a prominent defector from Llywelyn's court, and who 
may have been among those channeling sensitive information back and forth between 
Gwynedd and the Marches in the run-up to Llywelyn's defeat.[5]

Middle and Later Years[edit]

From the 1270s Hawise began to take more a prominent role in the management of the 
family estates, in part perhaps because she was much younger than her aging, though 
still active, husband Gruffudd. Around 1270 she took personal control of her brother 
Hamon's manor of Church Stretton, Shropshire, while he went on crusade, and 
ultimately assumed full responsibility for the manor in her own right when Hamon died 
on crusade.[6][7] She was a figure of family authority, seemingly central to the 
arrangements made both for her children's marriages and for the future of her 
husband's patrimonial lands.[2] In providing for the family after his death, Gruffudd ap 
Gwenwynwyn made sure his Hawise's dower was preserved. In 1277 he issued a 
charter to his wife granting her dower interests then included the township of 
Buttington, the commotes of Deuddwr and Caereinion and pastures in Cyfeiliog and 
Arwystli.[8] Certain of these territories had also been held in dower by her mother-in-
law Margaret Corbet.

After Gruffudd's death in 1286, Hawise ruled her family and much of their territory with 
something of an iron fist, becoming involved in (among other things) the determined 
harassment of her daughter-in-law Joan, the widow of her eldest son Owain.[2] By 
1302, however, Hawise was finding estate administration a burden, and between that 
year and 1306 she was granted permission by the crown to present her debts at the 
Exchequer of Chester, rather than at Westminster, 'for her easement'.[9] In 1308 she 
relinquished the custody of the barony of Pool to her only surviving son, Gruffudd 
Fychan.

Hawise Lestrange died in November 1310, probably aged in her mid-late eighties. 
There is evidence to suggest that she was buried at the Cistercian Abbey of Strata 
Marcella Abbey, the foundation of her husband's ancestor Owain Cyfeiliog.[2]

Family[edit]

Hawise's first child with Gruffudd was a daughter, Margaret, possibly named after her 
mother-in-law Margaret Corbet. Several sons followed, of which six sons survived into 
adulthood:
Margaret, married Fulk, son of Fulk FitzWarin of Whittington
Owain 'de la Pole', married Joan Corbet
Llywelyn, married Sybil Turberville, and widow of Grimbald Pauncefoot, a knight of 
Edward I
Gruffudd Fychan, married a kinswoman of Roger Springhose of Shropshire
Gwilym, married Gwladus, whose background is unknown.
Dafydd, a cleric
Ieuan, a cleric

Seal[edit]

Hawise's seal matrix was discovered in Oswestry in the 19th century. It shows a 
standing female wearing a loose-fitting kirtle, a flowing mantle, cap and gorget, and a 
pair of pointed shoes. In her right hand she holds a shield with the arms of her 
husband, and in her left hand the shield of her natal Lestrange family. The legend 
reads 'Hawise, Lady of Cyfeiliog' (S' HAWISIE DNE KEVEOLOG).[10]

Parents
LE STRANGE John (ABT 1194 - ABT 1269)
DE TREGOZ Lucy (ABT 1210 - 1294)

Siblings
LE STRANGE John IV (ABT 1226 - BEF Feb 1276)
LE STRANGE Hawise (ABT 1232 - 1310)

Marriage To AP WENWYNWYN Gruffydd (ABT 1210 - 1286)
    m. ABT 1245 

Notes

Parents
AP OWAIN CYFEILIOC Wenwynwyn (1190 - 1218)
DE CORBET Margaret (ABT 1188 - ABT 1250)

Children by AP WENWYNWYN Gruffydd ABT 1210 - 1286
VERCH GRUFFYDD Gwladus ()

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