Saxon dominance was now rapidly approaching to its close; and the Britons were about to be exposed to the incursions of a new body of invaders, under the usurpation of William, surnamed the Conqueror. Bleddyn ab Cynvyn, with his brother, obtained in 1062 the sovereignty of North Wales and Powys, through the influence of the Saxon King Edward. Bitter hostilities subsequently occurred between Bleddyn and his kindred; at length the succession to the whole principality passed from his children, but Powys-land devolved to his sons, and came at length entire to Meredydd, the eldest born, after the contentions and slaughter incident in those days to such partitions. Oswestry, we are told, was called _Trefred_ (a contraction of _Tre Meredydd_, Meredydd’s Town), in honour of this prince, but after his death the name was soon discontinued, and the town resumed its former appellation of Oswald’s-tree, or Oswestry. His eldest son, Madog, inherited from his father the tract known by the name of Powys Vadog, which consisted, according to the division of the times, of five cantrevs, or hundred townships; and these were subdivided into fifteen commots, or cwmwds: CANTREVS. CWMWDS. COUNTIES. Y BARWN, Dinmael Denbighshire. Edeyrnion Merionethshire. Glyndyfrdwy Ibid. Y RHIW, Yale, or Ial Denbighshire. Ystrad Alun, or Mold Flintshire. Hope Ibid. UWCHNANT, Merffordd Ibid. Maelor Gymraeg, or Bromfield Denbighshire. Maelor Saesnaeg Flintshire. TREFRED, Croes-Vaen Denbighshire. Tref-y-Waun, or Chirk Ibid. CROES-OSWALLT, or Oswestry Shropshire. RHAIADR, Mochnant-is-Rhaiadr, Cynllaeth, Denbighshire. &c. Nanheudwy Ibid. Whittington Shropshire.