SYMMONS family, of Llanstinan, Pembrokeshire
JOHN SYMMONS (1701 - 1771?), Member of Parliament for Cardiganshire
Son of John Symmons of Llanstinan (high sheriff of Pembrokeshire, 1713) by Martha, daughter of George Harries, Tregwynt, was born 12 September 1701. He was unsuccessful in the contest for the parliamentary representation of Pembrokeshire in 1741 but was returned for Cardigan in 1746 (20 March), retaining the seat until 1761. He gave financial help towards restoring Cardigan church and towards recasting and setting up the bells, 1748 (Meyrick, Cardiganshire). He was joint secretary of the Society of Sea Serjeants at their meeting held at Swansea on 13 June 1752. It is believed that he was the John Symmons who died 7 November 1771, at George Street, Hanover Square, London. He was the father of Charles Symmons.
CHARLES SYMMONS (1749 - 1826), cleric and author
Born at Cardigan (Asaph), son of John Symmons above. He entered Westminster School, 14 January 1765, and proceeded to the universities of Glasgow, Cambridge (B.D. 1786), and Oxford (D.D. 1794). Ordained c. 1775, he received the rectory of Narberth (with Robeston), Pembrokeshire, 1778, to which, by the influence of his friend William Windham, that of the adjoining rectory of Lampeter Velfrey was added in 1794; he received the prebendal stall of Clydey in the cathedral church of S. Davids on 11 October 1789. He married, 1779, Elizabeth (died 1830), daughter of John Foley, Ridgeway, Pembrokeshire, and sister of Sir Thomas Foley. Among the five children of the marriage were Caroline and John. He died 27 April 1826 at Bath.
Full details of the career of Symmons are given in D.N.B. From 1787 he was busy publishing books - some of them sermons, the series starting with a sermon which he preached at the university of Cambridge just before he was due to proceed D.D., which caused him to migrate to Jesus College, Oxford, where he was incorporated on 24 March 1794, proceeding D.D. two days later. Of some of his works more than one edition appeared; excluding the sermons, they are - (a) Inez, 1796, a tragedy; (b) Constantia, 1800, a dramatic poem; (c) Life of Milton, 1806; (d) Poems by Caroline and Charles Symmons, 1812 (CAROLINE was his daughter; she died of consumption, 1 June 1803); (e) The Aeneis of Virgil translated, 1817; (f) Life of Shakespeare, 1826.
His son was
JOHN SYMMONS (1781 - 1842), barrister
He was educated at Westminster School and at Christ Church, Oxford (matriculated 11 April 1799, B.A. 1803, M.A. 1806), and became a barrister (as of Lincoln's Inn), admitted 24 November 1807; he joined the Welsh circuit. He translated the Agamemnon of Æschylus and assisted his father with the translation of Virgil. He died in 1842, probably at Deal.
Author
- Sir William Llewelyn Davies, (1887 - 1952)
Sources
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and the sources named therein
- James Allen, Notes on the Sheriffs of Pembrokeshire, 1541-1899 (Denbigh 1900)
- W. R. Williams, The parliamentary history of the principality of Wales, from the earliest times to the present day, 1541-1895 (Brecknock 1895)
- Richard Fenton, A Historical Tour through Pembrokeshire (London 1811), (1903 ed.), 188-9
- Charles Symmons, On the consideration due to the clergy from their importance in society. A sermon preached at the Anniversary Meeting of the Sons of the clergy, of Pembrokeshire, on Tuesday June 30, 1789, in the Parish Church of St. Mary, Haverfordwest (Carmarthen 1789)
- Wikipedia article: Charles Symmons
Further Reading
- Wikidata: Q20804782
Additional Links
Published date: 1959
Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-RUU/1.0/
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