OWEN family of Peniarth, Llanegryn, Meironnydd

As is shown in the article on the Wynne family of Peniarth, the Peniarth property came into Wynne hands by the marriage, in 1771, of a Peniarth heiress, Jane viscountess-dowager Bulkeley, eldest daughter of Lewis Owen, Peniarth, with William Wynne of Wern, Caernarfonshire

Particulars about the family living in Peniarth before the time of this marriage are given (a) by W. W. E. Wynne in his notes to Edward Breese, Kalendars of Gwynedd, and to S. R. Meyrick's edition of Dwnn's Heraldic Visitations and (b) in J. E. Griffith, Pedigrees, 323. What follows here is, therefore, but a summary.

The family traced its descent from Ednowain ap Bradwen down to a LLYWELYN who did homage for his land to Edward I. Llywelyn's son, EDNYFED, married GWENLLIAN, daughter and co-heiress of Gruffydd ab Adda ap Gruffydd of Dol-goch, raglot of the commote of Ystumanner on two occasions during the reign of Edward III - his tomb is at Towyn church. Their son, ARON AB EDNYFED, was succeeded by EDNYFED, whose son was GRUFFYDD, father of the RHYS AP GRUFFYDD whose will is dated 1476. JOHN AP RHYS married Angharad, daughter of Dafydd ap Meurig Fychan, Nannau, their heir being WILLIAM, living in 1566, whose wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Howel ap Jenkin ab Iorwerth of the neighbouring house of Ynysmaengwyn, and whose heir was known as DAVID LLOYD (will dated 11 July 1570). David Lloyd married Nest (or Annes), daughter of Gruffydd ap John ap Gruffydd of Cefnamwlch, Caernarfonshire but as he died without issue his sister, ELIZABETH, became the heiress of Peniarth By her husband, GRUFFYDD OWEN, of Tal-y-bont, Llanegryn, 4th son of baron Lewis Owen, of Dolgelley, Elizabeth was the mother of LEWIS OWEN I (died 1633), who left two daughters (1) MARGARET (died 4 October 1667), the heiress, and (2) Susan, mother of Hugh Owen (1639 - 1700), who was given Bronyclydwr, a few miles from Peniarth. Margaret, by her first husband, Richard Owen of Morben, Machynlleth, was the mother of LEWIS OWEN II (1625 - 1691), who was high sheriff of Merioneth in 1646-7, and elected Member of Parliament for the county in 1659. The heir of Lewis Owen II by his wife Jane, daughter of Sir Richard Lloyd of Esclusham and Dulasau, was RICHARD OWEN I (died 1714), who was sheriff of Montgomeryshire, 1694, of Merioneth, 1695, and of Caernarvonshire, 1705. He and his wife, Elizabeth (daughter and heiress of Humphrey Pughe of Aberffrydlan), were succeeded by LEWIS OWEN III (died 1729), sheriff of Merioneth, 1714, of Caernarvonshire, 1715, and ' Custos Rotulorum ' of Merioneth, 1722-8. By his wife, Margaret, daughter of Sir William Williams of Llanforda, 2nd baronet (son of ' Speaker Williams '), Lewis Owen III was the father of RICHARD OWEN II, who died 29 September 1729 at the early age of 13. Richard Owen's sister JANE (died 1765), married, as her second husband, Edward Williams (died 1762), son of John Williams of Bodelwyddan, the issue of that marriage being three daughters, (1) Jane (died 1811), (2) Elizabeth, and (3) Margaret. It was this JANE, the heiress of Peniarth, who married WILLIAM WYNNE, of Wern, Penmorfa, Caernarvonshire, in 1771.

Author

Published date: 1959

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