WYNN, PRYSE, and CORBET families, Ynysmaengwyn, Meironnydd, and GWYN and NANNEY families, Dolau Gwyn, Meironnydd

This is another Merioneth family claiming descent from Osbwrn Wyddel. Osbwrn's son Kenric (Cynwrig) had a son LLYWELYN, who married Nest, daughter and heiress of Gruffydd ab Adda of Dôl Goch and Ynysmaengwyn. The descendants of Llywelyn and Nest, in direct line (as far as Ynysmaengwyn was concerned), were GRUFFYDD, EINION (who married Tanglwst, daughter of Rhydderch ab Ieuan Llwyd, Gogerddan, Cardiganshire), IORWERTH (living in 1425), and JENKIN AP IORWERTH. Jenkin ap Iorwerth was ' farmer ' (lessee under the Crown) of the mills of Kevyng and Caethleff (Caethley) and of the ferry of Aberdovey, in the thirty-sixth year of Henry VI. Jenkin ap Iorwerth's son, HOWEL, died of the plague in 1494, but HUMPHREY (died 1545), his son by his wife Mary, daughter of Sir ROGER KYNASTON, constable of Harlech castle, continued the line. Humphrey married Annes, daughter of Sir Richard Herbert, Montgomery, and was, by her, the father of JOHN WYNN AP HUMPHREY, who married Ann, daughter of Rhys Vaughan of Corsygedol, and was succeeded by his son, HUMPHREY WYNN (living in 1571). Humphrey Wynn, to whom Siôn Phylip addressed a cywydd asking him to give a harp to Siôn ap Richard, Pennal, married Jane (Hughes, of Maes y Pandy) and left two daughters, coheiresses - (1) ELIZABETH (died 17 May 1642); she married Sir JAMES PRYSE of Gogerddan (died 1642), who was high sheriff of Merioneth in 1606 and to whom Rhisiart Phylip, Siôn Phylip, and Siôn Cain wrote poems, and (2) CATHERINE, whose husband was John Owen ap John ap Lewis ab Owen, of Llwyn, Dolgelley.

The heir of Elizabeth and Sir James Pryse was their daughter BRIDGET, who married (1) ROBERT CORBET, third son of Sir Vincent Corbet, Moreton Corbet, Salop, and (2) Sir Walter Lloyd, Llanfair Clydogau, Cardiganshire. Robert and Bridget Corbet were succeeded by VINCENT CORBET (died 1723), high sheriff of Merioneth, 1682, who married Ann, daughter of William Vaughan of Corsygedol. They left four coheiresses - (1) ANN, who married Athelstan Owen, Rhiwsaeson, Montgomeryshire, and through whom the Ynysmaengwyn line was continued, (2) Jane, (3) Elizabeth, and (4) Rachel. Corbet Owen and Richard Owen, the sons of Ann and Athelstan Owen, left no heirs, the line being continued by their sister ANN OWEN (died 1767) and her husband, PRYSE MAURICE (1699 - 1799), Lloran Ucha, etc., who assumed the name of CORBET, as did others who succeeded him, the last being ATHELSTAN JOHN SODEN CORBET (born 1850), who was high sheriff of Merioneth in 1875.

The story of the 'disinheriting' of Thomas Vincent, 'son' of the Vincent Corbet who died in 1723, calls for investigation. The only ' Thomas Vincent ' in Foster's Alumni who fits the dates is the Thomas Vincent, son of Thomas, 'of Merioneth (town)' - query 'Merioneth (Towyn)' - who matriculated from S. Mary Hall 16 April 1698 'aged 19', and was B.A. in 1701. And he is described as ' pauper puer '.

The Ynysmaengwyn estate was sold in 1874 to John Corbett, of Impney, Member of Parliament for Droitwich, who, however, was not connected by blood with the other Corbets. For a note on the house, see article by W. J. Hemp in Archæologia Cambrensis, xcvii, 230.

There was a connection between Ynysmaengwyn and the adjoining house of Dolau Gwyn, which is just off the road leading from Towyn to Abergynolwyn. LEWIS GWYN (died 1630) of Dolau Gwyn, who was high sheriff of Merioneth in 1617, was the second son of John Wynn ab Humphrey (above). By his first wife, Jane, daughter of Hugh Nanney, of Nannau, Lewis Gwyn had two daughters, Gwen (below) and Elizabeth, who married Edward (?) Nanney, of Nannau. By his second wife, Annes, daughter of Hugh Gwyn ab Evan, Llwyn Griffri, Llanddwywe, Meironnydd, he had four daughters, one of whom became coheiress with her sister, Elizabeth.

Lewis Gwyn figures quite prominently in the work of some bards who were contemporary with him, particularly Rhisiart Phylip - see the article Phylipiaid Ardudwy and consult Cymm., xlii, 155-268 - who wrote two cywyddau to a drinking vessel ('ffiol frech') which was at Dolau Gwyn at that time, a to ask John Vaughan of Caer-gai to give a greyhound to Lewis Gwyn, an elegy on the death of Lewis Gwyn and on the death of his daughter (and coheiress), Gwen Gwyn, who was the first wife of Lewis Lloyd, Rhiwedog, near Bala. There was also an interesting 'bardic controversy' concerning Dolau Gwyn in which Rhisiart Phylip figured together with his brother Siôn Phylip, Gruffydd Hafren, and Ieuan Tew. Gruffydd Phylip, son of Siôn Phylip, wrote an elegy on GRIFFITH NANNEY of Dolau Gwyn, son of Hugh Nanney (1588 - 1647) of Nannau. Griffith Nanney, who was sheriff of Merioneth in 1642, became the husband of ANN GWYN, coheiress of her father, Lewis Gwyn (above).

Dolau Gwyn was built by Lewis Gwyn, probably just before 1620. The house has the initials L.G.A.G. with the date 1620, these standing for Lewis Gwyn and Ann Gwyn. Elsewhere are the initials of G.N.A.N., and the date 1656 - for Griffith Nanney, and Ann his wife.

Authors

Sir William Llewelyn Davies, (1887 - 1952)
Emeritus Professor Robert Thomas Jenkins, (1881 - 1969)

Sources

J. E. Griffith, Pedigrees of Anglesey and Carnarvonshire Families (1914), 237
E. Breese, Kalendars of Gwynedd â€¦ (1873)
An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire. VI-County of Merioneth (1921), 169
Caernarvonshire Historical Society Transactions, 1949, 25
NLW Archives: Peniarth MS 116: Barddoniaeth Siôn Cain
Heraldic Visitations of Wales and Part of the Marches between the years 1586 and 1613, under the authority of Clarencieux and Norroy, two kings at arms (Llandovery 1846)

Images

NLW: Anne Corbet (nee Vaughan), Wife of V.Cbt
NLW: Anne Corbet, Eldest Daughter of V Corbet

Published date: 1959

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