ABERCONWY. 73 



gwn, who died in 1230;^ Davydd, sonof Llywelyn 

 the Great, who died at his palace of Aber in 1246;^ 

 Howel the son of Gruffydd ab Cynan ab Owen 

 Gwynedd ;"* and likewise Gruffydd,^ an illegimate 

 son of prince Llywelyn, who was kept a prisoner 

 in the tower of London by Henry IIL and in en- 

 deavouring to escape, he fell from a great height 

 and was killed ; his body was recovered from tiie 

 king of England by the earnest solicitations of the 

 abbots of Aberconwy and Ystradflur, who con- 

 veyed it here, and buried it with great pomp and 

 honour : this was in 1248. 



In 1243, the abbots of Aberconwy and Cymer, 

 in a dispute between prince Davydd and king 

 Henry, had commission from the Pope to absolve 

 their prince from his allegiance to the king of 

 England. 



Edward L after the conquest of Wales, not 

 wishing to have the abbey in his new English town 

 of Aberconwy, removed it, in 1289, to Maenan, 

 about ten miles higher up the river ; he acted very 

 honourably and kindly to the monks, leaving them 



3 Powell's Wales 



■* Wynn's Gwydir History, 26. 



