PLAS ONN ESTATE PAPERS

Deeds, 1564-1902, rentals, [c. 1857]-1861, family and estate correspondence including letters relating to lead and coal mines, 1880-1907; and legal records, 1773-1914, including correspondence, 1880-1914, mainly relating to the dispute over title to the Plas Onn estate.

This collection comprising deeds and a few family, estate and legal papers, provides an almost unbroken record of the Plas Onn estate from the late sixteenth to the early twentieth century. In a deed of 1708, a certain Griffith Williams, clerk, is the first person to be described as "of Plas Onn", though his family appears previously to have been living in Nerquis. His kinsmen also owned lands in Llanarmon yn Ial and Llanferres, co. Denbigh. By 1712, Plas Onn had passed to a branch of the Coytmore family of Llanllechid, co. Caernarvon. At that date the estate comprised lands in Nerquis, Arddynwent, Bryncoed, Brynkinallt, Tre'r beirdd, Hartsheath and Mold townships. It remained in the hands of the Coytmores, though heavily mortgaged, until the death of Richard Coytmore without issue in c.1766. It then descended to John Williams of Ruthin and Edward Jones of Llandyrnog, co. Denbigh, as co-heirs of the late Mary Coytmore, mother of Richard Coytmore, and of the late Mary Adams, his niece. John Williams did not maintain his interest in the estate, which together with lands in Denbighshire, passed in turn from Edward Jones to his sons, William and Thomas (died c.1815). Edward Jones Hughes then inherited the estate, though his relationship is not explained*, and from c.1834 - c.1882 Plas Onn was held together with lands in Llanarmon yn Ial and Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd by Robert Hughes. On his death the inheritance came into dispute between Frederick James Hughes of London, Margaret Simner of Denbigh, Jane Jones of Denbigh and later of Rhyl, and John Jones of Denbigh, all of whom claimed to be the lawful heirs of Robert Hughes. After a long legal battle the estate was divided. John Jones took the Denbighshire portions but very quickly dissipated his inheritance and was finally found drowned in the river near Llanfair. F.J. Hughes took Plas Onn and the Flintshire estate, though sharing the mineral rights with Jane Jones. The property did not, however, prove to be as lucrative or rich in minerals as had been hoped and in 1903 it was put for sale in lots.

*In the Will of Jane Jones of Plas Onn, co. Flint, spinster, 1808 (D/PO/178-179), Edward Jones Hughes is named as a beneficiary. He was Jane Jones's nephew via her sister Mary, whose children were named as her beneficiaries. All the elder children died without surviving issue, so Edward Jones Hughes inherited from her.

Arranged chronologically into the following: deeds; estate records; family papers; and legal records.

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Compiled by Mair James for the HMC/NLW Family and Estates project. The following source was used in the compilation of this description: Veysey, A.G., ed., Guide to the Flintshire Record Office (Flintshire County Council, 1974).

Hard copies of the catalogue are available at Flintshire Record Office, National Library of Wales and the National Register of Archives.

Compiled by Mair James for the HMC/NLW Family and Estates project, updated by Steven Davies at Flintshire Record Office. The following source was used in the compilation of this description: Veysey, A.G., ed., Guide to the Flintshire Record Office (Flintshire County Council, 1974).

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All records deposited at Flintshire Record Office have been retained

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