Evans (Aberglasney) Documents

This material is held atArchifau Sir Gaerfyrddin / Carmarthenshire Archives

  • Reference
    • GB 211 PD1
  • Alternative Id.
      GB 211 ABERGLASNEY
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1604 - 1945
  • Name of Creator
  • Language of Material
    • English Latin
  • Physical Description
    • 0.48 cubic metres (40 boxes)

Scope and Content

Family and estate papers relating to the Rudd family of Aberglasney, mainly concerning the Rudd Charity, [17th cent.]-1907; deeds of the Dyer family of Aberglasney, 1720-1805; deeds, rentals, correspondence and accounts of the Phillips / Philipps family of Aberglasney, 1756-1940; deeds of the Walters family of Perthcereint in the parish of Penbryn, Cardiganshire, 1724-1901; deeds and receipts of the Hughes family of Penhill in the parish of Llangathen, and Llwynybrain in the parish of Llandingad, Carmarthenshire, 1609-1753; deeds of the Griffith family of Llwynybrain, 1717-1778; deeds and papers of the Rice family of Llwynybrain, 1741-1872; deeds, correspondence and accounts of the Pryse and Pryse-Rice families of Bwlchbychan in the parish of Llanwenog, Cardiganshire, and of Llwynybrain, 1651-1915; and deeds of the Bowen family of Waunifor in the parish of Llandysul, and of Bwlchbychan, 1610-1848. The archive also includes documents relating to Hafod Neddyn in the parish of Llangathen, 1722-1858 and Llygadyrhaul in the same parish, 1784-1898.

Administrative / Biographical History

Anthony Rudd (bishop of St Davids, 1594-1615) , bought the Aberglasney estate, Carmarthenshire, from the Thomas family in about 1600. He pulled down the old mansion and built an imposing residence (assessed at thirty hearths in 1670) on the site. His son Rice Rudd (d. 1664) was created a baronet in 1628. Anthony Rudd, the son of Sir Rice, first baronet, died before his father, who therefore was succeeded by Anthony's son, Rice, the second baronet. He died without issue in 1701, and was succeeded by his cousin Sir Anthony Rudd (d. 1725), third baronet. Following the death of Sir Rice Rudd in 1701, burdened with debt, Sir Anthony never gained the fee simple of Aberglasney, which was sold in 1710 by Thomas Wentworth, a mortgagee, to Robert Dyer, a lawyer from Kidwelly. A century later, in 1803, again under the pressure of debt, Aberglasney was sold by William Herbert Dyer to Thomas Phillips for 10,000 guineas. Thomas's sister, Bridget married Abel Walters of Perthcereint in the parish of Penbryn, Cardiganshire in 1780. The Phillips family were previously living at Penhill, Llangathen, Carmarthenshire. The Penhill estate was originally the home of the Hughes family. Samuel Hughes of Penhill purchased Llwynybrain, Llandigat, Carmarthenshire from Sir Rice Rudd in 1649 and subsequently moved there. The estates descended to Samuel Hughes (d. 1747) whose three sons died without issue. Llwynybrain passed to the issue of Samuel's daughter, Mary, who had married the Rev. Rees Griffiths. After the death of their sons, the estate passed to their daughter, Bridget, who had married in 1740, Walter Rice. Walter and Bridget moved to Llwynybrain in 1763. The Rice family remained at Llwynybrain for three generations. Their last surviving issue, Decima Dorothea Rice married John Pugh Vaughan Pryse of Bwlchbychan, Cardiganshire. Their son, John Carbery Pugh Vaughan Pryse-Rice succeeded to Bwlchbychan and Llwynybrain in 1886. Bwlchbychan was previously the property of the Bowen family, who also owned the Waunifor estate, Llandysul, Cardiganshire. The Waunifor estate remained in the hands of the Bowen family until 1848. Thomas Phillips (d. 1824), purchaser of Aberglasney was a surgeon with thirty-two years service in India, and a nabob. He renovated and improved Aberglasney between 1803 and 1805, while retaining parts of Bishop Rudd's fabric. He was succeeded by his nephew John Walters, who added the surname Philipps to his name in 1825, a condition on succeeding to the estate. John Walter Philipps purchased Hafod Neddyn, Llangathen, from Charles Morgan. He was the descendant of the Walters family of Pethcereint. He married Anne Bowen, fourth daughter of Thomas Bowen of Waunifor. John and Anne's daughter, Mary Anne, married John Pugh Vaughan Pugh of Bwlchbychan, whose second wife was Decima Dorothea Rice of Llwynybrain. The family line ended with the death of John's grand-daughter Mrs Mayhew in 1939. Griffith Eric Carbery Vaughan Evans (d. 1950) succeeded to Aberglasney in 1939 on the death of Mrs Mayhew. The house, however, had been partially abandoned since about 1930 when flooded by burst pipes, and Eric Evans was the last to occupy the mansion, which rapidly became derelict.

Arrangement

Arranged into eleven sections: Rudd of Aberglasney; Dyer of Aberglasney; Phillips / Philipps of Aberglasney; Walters of Perthgerent; Hughes of Penhill and Llwynybrain; Griffith of Pantybettws and Llwynybrain; Rice of Llwynybrain; Pryse and Pryse-Rice of Llwynybrain; Mayhew; Bowen of Waunifor and Bwlchbychan; and general deeds and documents.

Access Information

Ar Agor / Open

Dim cyfyngiadau / No Restrictions

Acquisition Information

Adnau preifat / Private deposit

Other Finding Aids

Mae copiau clawr caled o`r catalogau ar gael yn Archifau Sir Gaerfyrddin ac yn y Gofrestr Cenedlaethol Archifau. Polisi Archifau Sir Gaerfyrddin yw catalogio yn iaith y ddogfen / Hard copies of the catalogue are available at Carmarthenshire Archives and the National Register of Archives. It is the policy of Carmarthenshire Archives to catalogue in the language of the document.

Physical Characteristics and/or Technical Requirements

Cyflwr da / Good condition

Archivist's Note

Compiled by Stephen Benham for the HMC/NLW Family and Estates project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Burke's Extinct Baronetcies (London, 2nd ed., 1841), Jones, Francis, 'Aberglasney and its families', National Library of Wales Journal, XXI (1979); Jones, Francis, Historic Carmarthenshire Homes and their Families, (Newport, 1997); Jones, Francis, Historic Cardiganshire Homes and their families, (Newport, Pembrokeshire, 2000); Beckley, Susan, 'The Carmarthenshire Record Office: a survey of holdings', The Carmarthenshire Antiquary, XV (1979)

Appraisal Information

Mae'r holl gofnodiadau sy'n cydymffurfio â pholisi casglu Archifau Sir Gaerfyrddin wedi eu cadw / All records which meet the collection policy of the Carmarthenshire Archives have been retained

Custodial History

Deposited in 1968.

Accruals

Ni ddisgwylir croniadau / Accruals are not expected

Related Material

Further papers relating to the Philipps family of Aberglasney are Ceredigion Archives, Lovesgrove Papers.

Bibliography

Jones, Francis, 'Aberglasney and its families', National Library of Wales Journal, XXI (1979-80), pp. 1-26.