This article intends to enlighten the life of one of the greatest Welsh men who, despite lacking royal blood, is not less important than other royals born in Wales before him. Born in a family known for their loyalty towards the House of Lancaster, due to the benefits granted by King Henry IV of England in days where Owain Glyndwr (see previous article) rebelled against his rule, to all families who supported him instead, this third son of a landowner came to be known as 'Tudor Kingmaker' due to the important role he culminated into the rise of a dynasty and the fall of another.
Born in 1449, in Carmarthenshire, Wales, the youngest son of Thomas Hynaf ap Gruffudd and Elisabeth (sometimes spelled Elsbeth) Griffith, few is known about this prominent young man, except that it was not expected he'd inherit the lands of Dinefwr from his father anytime soon. What can be inferred is that, before the death of his father and brothers, he spent a few years in exile at Burgundy when Edward, Duke of York, became King Edward IV, thus usurping Henry VI, whose house of Lancaster Rhys's family was loyal to. As said here:
"During this period of dynastic turmoil Rhys's grandfather Gruffydd ap Nicholas was killed at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in 1461, and for their support of the defeated Lancastrians his sons forfeited the family's extensive lands in the Tywi valley. (But not before two of them, Thomas and Owain, had held Carreg Cennen Castle against a Yorkist onslaught of 200 men in 1462, only surrending after a siege. To ensure no such resistance occurred again Carreg Cennen's fortifications were destroyed afterwards. It has never been occupied since).
Henry VI briefly regained his throne in 1470 but promptly lost it again in 1471 when he, along with his son and heir to the throne, were killed in his last battle, and Edward IV was now secure on the throne, or as secure as it was possible to be during this period of utter chaos. When Rhys ap Thomas returned to Wales, probably early in 1470s, his family was still eclipsed during Edward IV's restored regime."
After four or five years spent at the court of Philippe, the Good, duke of Burgundy, what we can possible discuss of the time Rhys spent back to Wales is that he not only inherited his father's lands with his death (and the death of his older brothers), but was also married to a woman named Eva, daughter of Henri ap Gwilym of Cwrt Henri, although it's possible that his legitimate son Gruffydd was born from his second wife, Jane, daughter of Thomas Mathew of Radyr. It's also said that he had several mistresses and, with them, quite some illegitimate children who later would be married into great houses of South Wales.
Nevertheless, in 1483, when the duke of Gloucester, Richard, becomes King Richard III, right after he takes the throne from his nephew, Edward, upon the death of his brother, King Edward IV, there's a rebellion leaded by the Duke of Buckingham.
"In 1483 Henry Stafford, duke of Buckingham and lord of Brecon, rose up in rebellion against the newly enthroned Yorkist Richard III but Rhys declined to join in on the side of Stafford, wisely as it turns out, as the rebellion was crushed. Richard III made an annuity of 40 marks to Rhys in order to buy his support, but this may not have prevented him from communicating with Henry Tudor, who was in exile in Brittany, perhaps even promising to support Henry's invasion in 1485. His biography states that Richard III demanded the surrender of Rhys's only legitimate son, Gruffudd, as a guarantee of his loyalty. The Life also claims that Rhys welcomed Henry Tudor on arrival in Pembrokeshire on 7 August 1485, but he is likely to have been cautious initially about declaring for the insurgents, and there was uncertainty about his attitude while he shadowed Henry's advance through mid-Wales."
The view that presents Rhys as cautious towards Henry Tudor can be argued by his loyalty before the Lancastrians, though it is understandable his attitude since it would not be wise to openly defy Richard III in the wrong time, especially after vowing loyalty to the Yorkist King. About that, there is a legend that says that:
"The oath he was supposed to have made to Richard was, according to a legend which has found its way down the ages: "Whoever ill-affected to the state, shall dare to land in those parts of Wales where I have any employment under your majesty, must resolve with himself to make his entrance and irruption over my belly." The story is told that after Henry Tudor's return to Britain (at Dale, Pembrokeshire, in 1485), Rhys eased his conscience by hiding under Mullock Bridge, as Henry marched over, thus absolving himself of his oath to Richard."
Whatever it was the nature of this legend, whether it was true or not, it is unquestionable that they eventually met when Tudor landed in Wales in August, the year being of 1485.
"Whatever his motives, the fact that Rhys made a major contribution to Henry's victory at Bosworth in 1485 is undisputed. Rhys may well have entertained Henry at Carew Castle before they split up on their way north, recruiting men along the way. When they met up again at Welshpool, Rhys had a large army of levied Welshmen with him. Many of there were Rhys' men for he had raised 500 trained cavalry to support the young Tudor - stout hearted men from the tenant farms of the Carew estates in South Pembrokeshire and all expert horsemen".
When the Lancastrian army marched to Bosworth field on the 22nd day of August that year to meet the Yorkist one, this latter, leaded by Richard III, was outnumbered. A doubt that remained initially unanswered was: which side would fight for the Stanley brothers, who were know for changing sides?
Nevertheless, the battle was successful, having some rumours pointing out that it was Rhys who took away Richard III's life, giving, thus, the victory to Henry Tudor, making him now King Henry VII. Soon afterwards, as a gift for his loyalty, Rhys ap Thomas was "appointed for life the king's lieutenant and steward of Brecon, steward of Builth and chamberlain of south Wales, all highly lucrative positions...", becoming the man Henry VII most trusted and after him, fighting with his son, Henry VIII, in France, in 1513.
During the early years of Henry VII's reign as King of England, Rhys "helped suppress the Brecon rising of 1486, Simnel's rebellion in 1487, the Cornish rising of 1497, and Perkin Warbeck's rebellion of October 1497. He also accompanied Henry VII on his French expedition in October." Rhys's son, Gruffudd, was placed into the same household of Henry's Prince of Wales, Arthur, and both young men were said to be closest friends, having both as well predeceased their fathers.
Rhys ap Thomas had, unlike his grandson, who was beheaded for treason against King Henry VIII, a pleasant life, dying in 1525. Sometimes compared to Richard Neville, a generation before, it is fair to say to that, were not his support, no Tudor dynasty would have come to be established in England. He did performed a great part by placing that Welshman on the English's throne and helped him keeping it against all odds, being fairly rewarded for it. Unfortunately, however, his name slipped away from History next to Henry VII and today, much of what it's acknowledged of Wales and Tudor's History is through famous characters as Henry VIII or Elizabeth I.
Indeed, Wales has produced many characters that, without them, History itself would be different were it not for each part they played in their moments. Rhys ap Thomas, until the end of days, was the most powerful man of that Welsh generation, leaving with good justice his mark in History.
Sources:
http://worcestercathedrallibrary.blogspot.com.br/2012/12/griffith-ap-rhys-important-welsh-knight.html
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/descendant-knight-who-slew-richard-10013468
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhys_ap_Thomas
http://www.casgliadywerin.cymru/items/3317
http://www.beekmanbooks.com/biography-autobiography/sir-rhys-ap-thomas/
http://www.carmarthenjournal.co.uk/King-s-killer-big-draw-Carmarthen/story-18199116-detail/story.html
http://www.historytoday.com/robin-evans/battle-bosworth-field-welsh-victory
http://www.pembrokeshirecoast.org.uk/?PID=305
http://www.castlewales.com/rhysap.html
http://www.llandeilo.org/rhys_ap_thomas.php
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=82786197
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