The Thomas Family; Part I

The Thomas Family:

Part one of the Thomas line deals with the generations in Wales. Welsh naming patterns were patronymic, the children taking the father's name as a surname. For males the prefix 'ab' or 'ap' preceded the father's name. For girls 'verch' or 'ferch.'

 

First Generation

1.  Gruffudd ap Nicolas^1–2 was born circa 1385 in Carmarthenshire, Wales.¹ He died in 1456–1460 at the age of 71 in Newton, Dinefwr, Carmarthenshire, Wales.² Gruffudd was the posthumous son of Nicolas ap Philip.
Gruffudd was Sheriff of Carmarthen in 1426, Deputy Constable of Dinefwr Castle in 1429 and Escheator of Carmarthen from 1429 to 1432. He served as Deputy Justicar of South Wales in 1437, Deputy Chamberlain of South Wales 1443-1454 and Deputy Justicar of South Wales 1447-1456. Gruffudd also served as Escheator of Carmarthen 1454-1455 and Mayor-Escheator of Carmarthen 1456-1457. He resided at Newton, Dinefwr, Wales. Gruffudd was known for his ruthless execution of his offices in South Wales. Gruffudd has frequently been said to have died during the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in 1461. It is more likely that he died in 1456, since only his sons Owain and Thomas are chronicled in historical records. Gruffudd may have died as late as 1460, when the Lordship of Castle Narbeth was transferred to Owain.

Mabli ferch Maredudd¹ was born circa 1395 in Carmarthenshire, Wales.¹ Mabli ferch Maredudd Dwnn ap Henry Dwnn ap Gruffudd Gethin ap Cadwgan ap Gruffudd ap Cadwgan Fawr. Cadwgan Fawr was descended from Llewelyn ap Gwrgan of Cydwlli.

Gruffudd ap Nicolas and Mabli ferch Maredudd had the following child:

              2              i.   Thomas ap Gryffudd, born ca 1415, Carmarthenshire, Wales; married Elizabeth Griffith; died 1474, Bardsley Island, Carmarthenshire, Wales.

Second Generation

2.  Thomas ap Gryffudd³ (Gruffudd-1) was born circa 1415 in Carmarthenshire, Wales. He died in 1474 at the age of 59 in Bardsley Island, Carmarthenshire, Wales. Thomas supported Henry VI [Houseof Lancaster] against the Yorkists. Along with brother Owain, he defended Carreg Cennen  Castle near Llandeilo. They were forced to surrender in 1462. The castle was destroyed & lands confiscated.
Thomas served as escheator for Cardiganshire from 1438 until 1450. He succeeded his father as deputy Chamberlain in 1454 and was leaseholder of Dinewfr in 1460. Thomas and Owain supported Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke. The Tudors were defeated at Mortimer's Cross in 1461.

Thomas & his youngest son, Rhys, went into exile at the court of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy. They returned to reclaim some of their lands in 1467. Thomas died in 1474.

Thomas’s wife Elizabeth was the heiress and only child of Sir John Gruffudd of Abermarlais, lord of Llansadwrn and of lands in Cardiganshire. The family descended from Ednyfed Fychan, seneschal of Llywelyn the Great, and Gwenllian, the daughter of the Lord Rhys, as did the Tudor family. After Elizabeth’s death, Thomas married Jonet Malephant, sister of Owain’s wife Alswyn.

Thomas ap Gryffudd and Elizabeth Griffith were married.⁴ Elizabeth Griffith⁵, daughter of John Griffith and Catherine Tyrwhitt, was born circa 1425 in Staffordshire, England.⁵ She died circa 1458 at the age of 33 in Abermarlais, Pembroke, Wales.⁴ Elizabeth was the daughter of Sir John Griffin ap [Sir] Thomas Griffin ap [Sir] Rhys Ieuanc ap [Sir] Rhys Hen ap Gruffudd ap [Sir] Hwyel ap Gruffudd ap Ednyfed Fychan.

Thomas ap Gryffudd and Elizabeth Griffith had the following child:

              3              i.   Sir Rhys ap Thomas, born ca 1449, Carmarthenshire, Wales; married Gwenllian ferch Gwilym ap Henry; died ca 1526, Carmarthenshire, Wales.

Third Generation

3.  Sir Rhys ap Thomas^5–8 (Thomas-2, Gruffudd-1) was born circa 1449 in Carmarthenshire, Wales.⁵ He died circa 1526 at the age of 77 in Carmarthenshire, Wales.⁵ Sir Rhys married Gwenllian ferch Gwilym ap Henry ab Ieuan Gwynab Ieuan ap Gruffudd ab Elidyr* ap Rhys ap Growny ab Einon ap Llywarch Hen (*brother of Elidyr Dwy). He was the youngest legitimate son of Thomas & Elizabeth of Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire. He joined his father in exile in Burgandy in 1461, following the Yorkist victory. They probably returned to Wales during the early 1470s. When Thomas died in 1474, Rhys inherited his estates.
 Rhys was a Welsh soldier & landholder, a faithful supporter of Henry of Tudor during the War of the Roses. He had welcomed Henry's arrival at Pembrokeshire in 1485 and joined him at Welshpool for the march to Bosworth. According to legend, Sir Rhys delivered the fatal blow to Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth with his pole axe.
Rhys became the second most powerful man in Wales after Jasper Tudor, the king's uncle. He was knighted three days after the Battle of Bosworth.

He suppressed a Yorkist rebellion at Brecon in 1486. Rhys was awarded the Knight Benneret for capturing Lord Audley during the 1497 Cornish Rebellion. He also commanded his light cavalry at Sinnnel's rebellion [1487], Warbeck's rebellion [1497] and the French expedition of 1492. Rhys was elected to the Order of the Garter in 1505.

He was appointed the king's lieutenant and steward in Brecon, steward of Builth, chamberlain of South Wales and served as mayor of Carmarthen four times between 1488 and 1516. Rhys was awarded lands and offices for his service to Henry VIII. [Steward of Pembroke (1509), Haverford and Rhos (1517)] After the death of son Gruffudd in 1521, Rhys was commissioned to guard Milford Sound and defend Ireland.

Following his death in the spring of 1526, Rhys' lands were confiscated by the crown. He was buried at Grayfriars in Carmarthen, but later removed to St. Peter's Church, also in Carmarthen.

Sir Rhys ap Thomas and Gwenllian ferch Gwilym ap Henry were married.⁵ Gwenllian ferch Gwilym ap Henry⁵ was born circa 1455 in Wales.⁵ Gwenllian ferch Gwilym ap Henry ap Ieuan Gwyn ap Gruffudd ap Elidyr ap Rhys ap Gronwy ap Einon ap Llywarch. Gruffudd ap Elidyr was a brother of EldyrDwy ap Elidyr, Rhys ap Thomas' ancestor.

Rhys ap Thomas and Gwenllian ferch Gwilym ap Henry had the following child:

              4              i.   Thomas ap Rhys, born ca 1485, Monmouthshire, Wales.

Fourth Generation

4.  Thomas ap Rhys⁵ (Rhys-3, Thomas-2, Gruffudd-1) was born circa 1485 in Monmouthshire, Wales.⁵ Thomas was the 2nd youngest legitimate son of Sir Rhys ap Thomas. There is some confusion as to whether Thomas or his son Philip was married to Sibyl Scudamore.

Thomas ap Rhys had the following child:

              5              i.   Philip Thomas, born ca 1515, Monmouthshire, Wales; died bef 1585, Wales.

Fifth Generation

5.  Philip Thomas⁵ (Thomas-4, Rhys-3, Thomas-2, Gruffudd-1) was born circa 1515 in Monmouthshire, Wales.⁵ He died before 1585 at the age of 70 in Wales.⁹

Sibyl Scudamore⁵ was born (date unknown).

Philip Thomas and Sibyl Scudamore had the following child:

              6              i.   John Philip Thomas, born ca 1554, Monmouthshire, Wales; married Gwellian Herbert, ca 1578, Swansea, Glamorganshire, Wales; died aft 1591, Monmouthshire, Wales.

Sixth Generation

6.  John Philip Thomas¹⁰ (Philip-5, Thomas-4, Rhys-3, Thomas-2, Gruffudd-1) was born circa 1554 in Monmouthshire, Wales.¹⁰ He died after 1591 at the age of 37 in Monmouthshire, Wales.¹⁰ John Philip Thomas was the son of Philip ap Thomas and Sybil Scudamore, daughter of Philip Scudamore  and Joan Warnecome. John Philip was his father's heir and inherited from his mother the lands of Grosmont Manor, Monmouthshire, Wales and a nearby gristmill about 1585. He was Queen's lessee of mills in Kentchurch, Monmouthshire in 1591.

John Philip Thomas and Gwellian Herbert were married circa 1578 in Swansea, Glamorganshire, Wales.¹⁰ Gwellian Herbert¹¹, daughter of Walter Herbert and Catherine ferch Thomas, was born circa 1558 in probably Wales.¹¹ She died in Wales.¹¹

John Philip Thomas and Gwellian Herbert had the following child:

              7              i.   Evan Thomas, born ca 1580, Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales; married Sarah _______, ca 1604, Wales or Bristol, England; died 1650, Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales.