Rhys ap Gruffydd (rebel)
Rhys ap Gruffydd (* 1508, † December 4, 1531 ) was a Welsh nobleman. He was the son of Gruffydd ap Rhys († 1521) and his wife Catherine St John. His mother had married after the early death of his father in 1525, his second marriage Piers Edgcumbe. After the death of his grandfather, Rhys ap Thomas Rhys inherited in 1525 whose extensive estates in Wales, but because of his youth and not its offices.
To 1521, he married Katherine Howard, a daughter of the Duke of Norfolk. To 1529 he added to his name the epithet FitzUrien added. He was referring its origin to the mythical Celtic king Urien, this reference had been attempting his great-great grandfather Gruffudd ap Nicolas produce mid-15th century.
In June 1529 began a violent feud between Rhys and Walter Devereux who took over the offices of his grandfather. Due to various quarrels Rhys came with a 40-strong entourage into the rooms of Devereux in Carmarthen Castle. When he was subsequently detained by Devereux in the castle, his wife incited a large crowd, who demanded his release and finally stormed the castle. In the following years there were repeated armed and deadly clashes between followers of Devereux and Rhys supporters, which is why he and Devereux have had to appear in court in London in October 1531. He was eventually accused of plotting a conspiracy with the King of Scotland to overthrow by Henry VIII in court. The evidence of his betrayal were very poor, a proof was his name suffix FitzUrien, which was taken as evidence that he wanted to be Prince of Wales. Rhys was convicted of treason and beheaded in December 1531. Through his downfall were his extensive possessions of the Crown, his mother was allowed to live until her death in Weobley Castle as a widow seat. In addition to the feud with Devereux the reasons for his conviction were probably in his Catholicism and his opposition to the divorce of the king of Catherine of Aragon.
His son Griffith Rice ( * 1530, † 1584) was from 1567 to 1583 Sheriff of Carmarthenshire and received under Mary and Elizabeth back I. smaller areas of land his family. Rhys widow remarried Henry Daubeney, 1st Earl of Bridgewater.