Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales Cymorth chwilio | Finding Aid - Peniarth Estate Records, (GB 0210 PENIARTH) Cynhyrchir gan Access to Memory (AtoM) 2.3.0 Generated by Access to Memory (AtoM) 2.3.0 Argraffwyd: Mai 04, 2017 Printed: May 04, 2017 Wrth lunio'r disgrifiad hwn dilynwyd canllawiau ANW a seiliwyd ar ISAD(G) Ail Argraffiad; rheolau AACR2; ac LCSH This description follows NLW guidelines based on ISAD(G) Second Edition; AACR2; and LCSH https://archifau.llyfrgell.cymru/index.php/peniarth-estate-records archives.library .wales/index.php/peniarth-estate-records Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales Allt Penglais Aberystwyth Ceredigion United Kingdom SY23 3BU 01970 632 800 01970 615 709 [email protected] www.llgc.org.uk Peniarth Estate Records, Tabl cynnwys | Table of contents Gwybodaeth grynodeb | Summary information .............................................................................................. 3 Hanes gweinyddol / Braslun bywgraffyddol | Administrative history | Biographical sketch ......................... 3 Natur a chynnwys | Scope and content .......................................................................................................... 5 Trefniant | Arrangement .................................................................................................................................. 6 Nodiadau | Notes ............................................................................................................................................. 6 Pwyntiau mynediad | Access points ............................................................................................................... 7 Disgrifiad cyfres | Series descriptions ............................................................................................................ 7 - Tudalen | Page 2 - GB 0210 PENIARTH Peniarth Estate Records, Gwybodaeth grynodeb | Summary information Lleoliad | Repository: Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales Teitl | Title: Peniarth Estate Records, ID: GB 0210 PENIARTH Virtua system control vtls004250267 number [alternative]: GEAC system control (WlAbNL)0000250267 number [alternative]: Dyddiad | Date: 1362-1963 / (dyddiad creu | date of creation) Disgrifiad ffisegol | 1.07 cubic metres (106 boxes) Physical description: Iaith | Language: English Iaith | Language: Latin Dyddiadau creu, golygu a dileu | Dates of creation, revision and deletion: Nodyn | Note Title supplied from contents of fonds. [generalNote]: Hanes gweinyddol / Braslun bywgraffyddol | Administrative history | Biographical sketch Nodyn | Note Between c.1416 and c.1441 Griffith ap Aron of Peniarth built up a small estate through purchases of parcels of land by means of tir prid conveyances, a practice continued by his son Rhys ap Griffith ap Aron. The estate then descended from father to son until William ap David Lloyd. He died without issue and the estate passed to his nephew or cousin Lewis Owen who was responsible for the first substantial addition to the Peniarth estate following his marriage, in 1653, to Jane, daughter of Richard Lloyd of Esclusham, Denbighshire, who eventually brought with her the Gelli Iorwerth estate in Trawsfynydd and Llanddwywe. This estate, which measured about 850 acres in 1654, prior to the Civil War belonged to the Royalist Capt. John Morgan. With the Republic established, Morgan's estate was forfeited to the Commonwealth for treason and subsequently sold to Richard Lloyd. Lewis Owen died in 1691 and he was succeeded by his son Richard Owen (1668-1714). He married Elizabeth Pugh of Aberllefenni and Abergwidol, Montgomeryshire, which expanded the estate to any Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales Tudalen | Page 3 GB 0210 PENIARTH Peniarth Estate Records, significant extent outside Merioneth. Later purchases in the eighteenth century meant that by around 1800 this portion of the Peniarth estate measured 3,838 acres, or about 27 acres more than the home estate itself measured in 1871. Richard Owen was succeeded by his son Lewis who married Margaret, daughter of Sir William Williams of Llanforda, Shropshire, in 1710. Lewis died in 1729, the same year as his only son Richard. The estate therefore devolved upon his eldest daughter, Jane. She married Richard, 5th viscount Bulkeley of Baron Hill, Anglesey, in 1732. Richard Bulkeley died, however, in 1735. Four years later Jane married Edward Williams (c. 1710-1762), son of John Williams of Chester and Bodelwyddan. Edward Williams had already purchased in 1738 from Jane Holland the Friars estate and other lands for £3,000. Four years later he purchased the small Clegyrog estate in Llanbadrig and Llanfechell, Anglesey. Neither the Friars nor the Clegyrog estates remained within the Peniarth estate for long. Friars was sold in 1767 to Sir Hugh Williams in trust for Thomas James, 7th Viscount Bulkeley of Baron Hill; the fate of Clegyrog remains unknown. Neither of Jane Owen's marriages produced a male heir so that when she died in 1765 the estate passed to her daughter Jane by her second marriage. In 1771 Jane married William Wynne of Wern, Caernarfonshire. Through a combination of judicious marriages and rather injudicious purchases the Wern estate was one of the fastest growing estates in eighteenth century Caernarfonshire and Merioneth. In 1744 William Wynne II (1708-1766) married Eleanor, daughter and heiress of the Rev. Griffith Williams of Llandygwning in Llyn. The Llandygwning estate in its turn had acquired properties in Llanllyfni, Llanfaglan, Caernarfon, including Plas Bowman, and in West Kirby and Woodchurch in Cheshire, the Abercain estate in Llanystumdwy and Cricieth; and the Tanrallt estate in Pwllheli. The Wern estate was considerably enhanced by the purchase of the Parc estate in 1761 and of the Bryncir estate, purchased for £15,000. The purchases of additional lands, the cost of fighting, unsuccessfully, the Caernarfonshire election of 1768, and over generous jointures and portions proved to be the estate's undoing. William Wynn IV inherited not only a sizeable estate measuring about 4,700 acres in 1747, but also a mass of debts. Six years after his marriage with Jane Williams of Peniarth about 2,000 acres of the Wern estate in both Caernarfonshire and Merioneth was sold for £17,890. This sum was totally inadequate to repay £48,000 due to Sir George Warren, an extremely rich and distant relative of Jane Wynne as she now was. William Wynn had little option but to convey what remained of the Caernarfonshire estate to Warren in lieu of debt. The union then between the Peniarth and the Wern estates proved to be short lived. Practically all the Wern estate title deeds in this archive relate to premises which only formed a part of the Peniarth estate for about ten years. William Wynn's son, William Wynn IV did, however, manage to extend the Peniarth estate by purchasing the Pickhill estate in Flintshire for £1,500 in 1801. Eight years later Pickhill was sold to a Mr Newton of Liverpool. In September and November 1640 the post-nuptial settlements of Robert Mostyn, fifth son of Sir Roger Mostyn of Mostyn, and Margaret Conway, daughter and co-heiress of Henry Conway of Nant in Prestatyn were executed. As a result of these settlements Robert Mostyn eventually acquired a moiety of the Nant estate to add to his own lands in Hiraddug, Cwm, and Llanasaph. The Nant estate, however, devolved upon Richard Mostyn, third son of Sir Roger Mostyn (grandson of the Sir Roger Mostyn above), and a nephew of Robert Mostyn. In the 1670s Sir Roger made a number of extensive purchases. All the purchases made by Sir Roger were eventually conveyed by him to Richard and his heirs upon his marriage to Charlotta Digby in 1687. These included the Rhydorddwy estate in Rhuddlan, the Brynie estate in Eglwys-rhos, an estate in Llandudno, the Llystynhunydd estate in Cilcain, and, more significantly, the manor and mansion house of Penbedw, purchased in 1675 from Owen Thelwall of Blaen-Ial for £1,360. Later, in the 1680s, Richard Mostyn himself made a number of substantial acquisitions of his own, the most expensive being the other moiety of the Nant estate which he purchased Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales Tudalen | Page 4 GB 0210 PENIARTH Peniarth Estate Records, from Sir Robert Owen of Porkington in 1690 for £4,000. In 1770-1 the Penbedw estate measured 3,200 acres with an annual rental of £1,556. Richard Mostyn's heir was his daughter Charlotta who married Richard Williams, third son of Sir William Williams of Llanforda in Shropshire in 1729. Richard in turn devised all his estate in 1759 to his eldest son Watkin Williams. In 1729 Richard Williams's brother Robert Williams married Meriel Williams of Ystum Colwyn, Montgomeryshire. On this marriage Robert's father, Sir William Williams of Llanforda, settled the Mallwyd estate upon the couple and their heirs. The marriage produced no heirs and the Mallwyd estate devolved upon Richard Williams. The Mallwyd estate, measuring about 600 acres in 1770-1771 with an annual rent of £177. One of the founders of the estate was the renowned Welsh scholar, Dr John Davies. The Mallwyd deeds in this archive shows that he was busy leasing, purchasing and exchanging lands, lending money on mortgages and that he rebuilt the rectory of Mallwyd. One other notable owner of parts of the Mallwyd estate was the regicide John Jones of Maesgarnedd. Eventually all the Mallwyd estate was sold to John Williams of Chester who in turn