Edward of Van

Caerphilly Castle

Edward Lewis was the first in his line to use the surname of Lewis. Previous generations used the ap or ab in their names that referred to as "son of". His father was known as Lewis ap Richard. The Welsh also used the term "verch" which referred to "daugher of".

Edward Lewis was already a wealthy man when in 1529, he brought his family to the Van, a hamlet in the Monmouthshire parish of Bedwas, situated in Glamorgan, Wales. He built the Manor House here, referred to as the Van. It was added to in later years by his son Thomas, who was permitted to use some of the material from the dilapidated Caerphilly Castle which he did not own.

Edward was also the first in his family to use the title "of Van", sometimes spelled "Vann".

The ancestors of Edward were, for many generations, great Lords in East Glamorgan decending from Gwaethfoed, Prince of Cardigan. Although references to time periods in Welsh genealogy are vague, it was know that Gwaethvoed died near the end of the fifth century.

The following pedigree is based on information retrieved from the book, "Limbus Patrum Morganiae et Glamorganiae, Lordships of Morgan and Glamorgan", written by George T. Clark and published in London by Wyman & Sons in 1886.

PEDIGREE

Gwaethfoed Fawr
Lord of Ystrad Towy, and Gwynve, son of Clodien, Prince of Powys and Morvydd, daughter of Owain, Lord of Cardigan which lordship Gwaethfoed inherited. He married another Morvydd, daughter of Ynir, Lord of Gwent.

Cydrych ap Gwaethfoed
Lord of Ystrad Towy and Gwynvae, second son of Gwaethfoed, married Nest, daughter of Tangno ap Cadvan. They had three children: Griffith, Lord of Gwynvae, Cadifor and Clydwen.

Cadivor ap Cydrych
Second son, Lord of Iscaiach, married Mevanwy, daughter of Gwrgan ap Ithel ddu ap Owain ap Morgan hen, Lord of Morganwg, and Angharad, daughter of Ednowain, Lord of Tegengel. Child: Meuric.

Meuric ap Cadivor
Married Gwladys, daughter of Ythel and Jane, daughter of Sir John Russell of Kentchurch. Child: Ivor

Ivor ap Meuric
Child: Ivor Bach

Ivor Bach ap Ivor
Married Nest, daughter of Madoc ap Caradoc ap Einon ap Collwyn, Lord of Senghenydd. Children: Griffith, Llewelyn Hagar, Philip ap Ivor and Wenllian.

Griffith ap Ivor Bach
Of Senghenydd, married Mabel, possibly daughter of William Earl of Gloucester. Child: Rhys.

Rhys ap Griffith
Married Ellen or Elleanor, daughter of Rhys ap Griffith ap Rhys ap Twdwr, Prince of South Wales. Child: Griffith

Griffith ap Rhys
Of Senghenydd. Children: Howel Velyn, , Rhys, Jevan, David, Wenllian, Maud, and three other unkown daughters.

Howel Velyn ap Griffith
Married Sarah, daugher of Sir Mayo le Sore. Children: Madoc, Llewelyn, Roger, Griffith, Thomas, Unkown daugher, and Nest, another daughter.

Madoc ap Howel Velyn
Of Merhyr Tydvil, married Everydd, daughter of Lewis Rhys ap Rosser ap Ralph ap Madoc (Cardoc) ap Bleddyn. Children: Llewelyn, Gwilim, Evan Hir, Thomas Hir, Griffith, Madoc vychan, Roger, Thomas dhu. Gwilim sais, Rhys, Evan Voya, Everydd. Unkown daughter, Margaret, and Howell.

Llewelyn ap Madoc
Of Merhyr, married Joan, second daughter of Rhys Llewelyn of Glyn Nedd, ap Rhys ap Gronow ap Cardoc ap Richard, Lord of Miscin, ap Collwyn. Children: Llewelyn vychan, Evan, Unkown daughter, Jenet, and Gwladys.

LlewelynYchan ap Llewelyn
Of Merthyr, married Gwervil, daughter of Evan ap Einon of Priscedwyn. Children: Rhys Vwya and Joan.

Rees Vwya ap LlewelynYchan
Of Merthyr Tydvil, married Margaret, daughter of Thomas Basset of St. Hilary. Children: Llewelyn. Philp and Howell.

Llewelyn Anwyl ap Rees Vwya
Of Pont Rhun in Merthyr, married Joan or Jenet, daughter of Griffith ap Howell gam, Lord of Llanvyrnach, ap Jevan ap Cadwgan. Children: Richard, Jevan, Howell, David, Griffith, Thomas, Margaret, Wenllian and another daughter Margaret (base)

Richard Gwyn ap Llwewlyn Anwyl
Richard married his cousin, Crisly, daugher of Jevan ap Traherne ap Meyric of Merthyr ap Gwilim Sais. Crisly had by Sir Roger Vaughan of Tretower, Lewis Vaughan of Merthyr. Crisly had a second husband, Lewis ap Jenkin of Brecknoc. Richard and Crisly had: Lewis, Thomas and Malt.

Lewis ap Richard Gwyn
Of Pont Rhun in Merthyr. By his first wife, children were: Edward and Elizabeth. By his other wife, he had Richard ap Lewis, Isabel, Unknown daughter, Maud, Joan, Ann, Wenllian. Elizabeth,Cahterine, Alice, Margaret Ddu, Margaret. By another mother, he had Jenet.

Edward Lewis
Of Van, in Bedwas, the first of that place and surname. He married Ann, daughter of Sir William Morgan of Pencoyd and Flroence Bridges of Cuberley. Their children were: Thomas, William, Edward, Mary, Elizabeth, Margaret, Jane, Cecil and Lewis.

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