I have seen various hypotheses that Rhys ap Thomas might have been the grandfather of Tristram Thomas of St. Nicolas Parish, Alfold, Surry England in about 1558. I ordered the following book on Interlibrary Loan to check this hypothesis: Ralph A Griffiths, Sir Rhys ap Thomas and his Family : a Study in the Wars of the Roses and Early Tudor Politics. Cardiff, University of Wales Press, 1993. Pp. 268-270. I found the following information which suggests to me a couple of things: There is no documented evidence of a Nicolas Thomas, son of Rhys ap Thomas who could have been the father of Tristram Thomas, rector of the above parish. It appears that the descendents of Rhys ap Thomas later used the surname Rice -- which is logical, given the naming patterns of the time. Therefore, it is my conclusion that Rhys ap Thomas could not have been the ancestor of Tristram Thomas, appointed rector of St. Nicolas Church, Alford Parish, Kent, England 1558 by Bishop White. His first wife was Eva, daughter and co-heiress of Henrie ap Gwillim, of Cort Henrie, by which marriage his estates were considerablie increase, and the long subsisteinge feudes betweene the twoe families weare, att lengthe, hapilie extinguished. The fruite of this union was one sonne, Sir Griffith Rice, whose birth his mother survyved nott longe. To his second wife he matcht with Jonett, daughter of Thomas Mathewes, of an auntiente house in Glamorganshire, by whome he left noe issue. Butt the children he had by different concubynes weare verie numerouse for of hum itt maie be saide, that, in his younger dayes, under the standarde of Venus as well as thatt of Mars, “militavit non sine gloria” [he fought not without glory], and in the servyce of bothe, with him, it was butt ‘veni, vidi, vici.’ And, as most of his illegitimate offspring were matcht to, or became the founders of, house of prime note in Southe Wales, and weare richlie endowed, itt may not altogether be superfluouse or foraigne to our purpose to enumerate as many as weare publicklie acknowledged by their father, and maintayned with suitable respecte. By Gwenllian, sister to his counsellor and confidentiall secretarie, whoe, as well as her brother, might be styled e secretis consiliis [of secret councils]; he had issue Margarett, Ellen the elder, Ellen the younger, Margarett the younger, Mawd, William, David the elder, David the younger, Thomas and Phillip. By elizabeth Mortimer, one daughter, Jane. By Jennett, daughter of Meredydd Vychan of Talley, he had Gwenllian. By Alice Kyffin, of Montgomerieshire (for he mighte well saye, Quae regio in terris nostri non plena laboris [which region of the earth is not full of our toil?] a daughter who died yonge. And, lastlie, by a daughter of Howell ap Jenkin, of Ynisymangwyn in Merionethshire, Anne, whome itt is sayde her father notyced above the rest, and had brought up under his owne eie, matcheinge her into one of the first families of Pembrokeshire…… Son – Gruffyd ap Rhys died between July and Oct 1521 – without issue Grandson – Rhys ap Gruffyd executed 4 Dec. 1531 His son Gruffyd Rice took the family surname of Rice Henry Rice – 1590-1651 wrote the Life and Objections to the alleged treason of Rhys ap Gruffyd first published in the inaugural volume of The Cambrian Registerin 1796. p. 135, Ralph A Griffiths, Sir Rhys ap Thomas and his Family : a Study in the Wars of the Roses and Early Tudor Politics. Cardiff, University of Wales Press, 1993. Pp. 268-270. Judy Voran Strawberry, AZ