LLOYD, HUMPHREY (1610 - 1689), bishop of Bangor

Born at Bod-y-fudden, Trawsfynydd, July or August 1610, third son of Richard Lloyd, D.D., (1573/4–1647?) vicar of Ruabon, and Jane, (died in or after 1648), daughter of Rhydderch Hughes of Maesypandy, and grandson of Howel Lloyd of Dulasau, Penmachno. He matriculated from Jesus College, Oxford, 25 January 1627/8, but graduated from Oriel College, 1629. He proceeded M.A. in 1635 and was created D.D. in 1661.

In 1647, at his father's death, he was appointed to the vicarage of Ruabon, having since 1627(?) held the rectory of Erbistock. From Ruabon, however, as well as from a prebend in Chester cathedral, he was ejected in 1650 by the committee for the Propagation of the Gospel in Wales. In the meantime he had been presented in 1644 to the prebend of Ampleforth in York cathedral by archbishop John Williams, who had made him his chaplain; but his installation was prevented by the advance of the Scottish army.

At the Restoration he was restored to Ruabon, successfully petitioned for the Ampleforth prebend, but failed in his bid for the deanery of Bangor. In 1663, however, he succeeded to the place of Dr. David Lloyd as dean of St Asaph, with the rectory of Henllan annexed to that deanery. At S. Asaph he distinguished himself by his stout and uncompromising opposition to the granting of a lease to Sir Roger Mostyn of the tithes and profits of the rectory of Whitford. In 1673 he removed from Ruabon to the rectory of Gresford, and on 5 January 1673/4 was enthroned bishop of Bangor. By a special Act of Parliament in 1685 he procured the archdeaconries of Bangor and Anglesey, the sinecure rectory of Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch, and two-thirds of the comportions of Llandinam to be annexed to the see for the upkeep of the fabric and choir of the cathedral. Lloyd's efforts to appropriate the Llandinam comportions brought him into sharp conflict with archbishop Sancroft of Canterbury, who at one stage did not hesitate to charge him with covetousness, if not with actual pluralism. It is in this dispute as well as in that over the Whitford leases that the bishop's ability and pertinacity as a controversialist are seen to advantage.

He had no sympathy with the work of Thomas Gouge and the 'Welsh Trust,' and ridiculed the campaign to collect subscriptions for a new Welsh edition of the Bible. Humphrey Humphreys says that Gouge particularly incensed Lloyd by removing the name of Lewis Bayly from the title page of the 1675 Welsh edition of the Practice of Piety, and that Lloyd himself wrote the author's name on the copies to be distributed in the Bangor neighbourhood.

He married Jane, daughter of John Griffith the younger of Cefnamwlch and widow of Owen Brereton of Borras. By her he had three sons, John, Francis, and Richard. He died 18 January 1689, and was buried in Bangor cathedral.

Author

• Emyr Gwynne Jones, (1911 - 1972)

Sources

• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, and the authorities cited therein
• J. E. Griffith, Pedigrees of Anglesey and Carnarvonshire Families (1914), 330
• Browne Willis, A survey of the cathedral church of Bangor; and the edifices belonging to it … (1721), 116-8
• T. Richards, Religious Developments in Wales, 1654–1662 (1923), 325, 334, 338
• T. Richards, Wales under the Penal Code, 1662-1687 (1925), 132 n., 138, 151, 139-60, 169
• T. Richards, Archaeologia Cambrensis, 1925, 45-74
• T. Richards, The Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion, 1924-5, 1-76
• Anthony Wood, Athenae Oxonienses (1813–20), (ed. Bliss), ii, 529-30

Further Reading

• Wikipedia Article: Humphrey Lloyd

Works

• Humphrey Lloyd, Articles of visitation and enquiry concerning matters ecclesiastical, exhibited to the ministers, church-wardens and side-men of every parish within the Diocess of Bangor: in the first episcopal visitation of the Right Reverend Father in God, Humphrey, by Divine Permission, Lord Bishop of Bangor, A.D. 1675 (London 1675)

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q14508516

Published date: 1959

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