Beaumaris Documents

Miscellaneous documents relating to the borough of Beaumaris and the Bulkeley family of Baron Hill.

• Deed of lease by the mayor, aldermen etc. of Beaumaris to Bartholomew Bulkeley of Beaumaris, upon lands and houses, 1470
• Deed of mortgage by John Stanley to Edmund and Rowland Bulkeley, on lands in the townships of Cerriggwyddyl, Bodweiliog and Dinsylwy, 1476
• Last will and testament of Rowland Bulkeley of Baron Hill, 1537
• Royal report on conflict between the burgesses of nine towns in north Wales and foreigners and inhabitants of the shires, 1538
• Probate of last will and testament of Robert Williams of Conwy (alias Robert ap William ap Griffith ap Robin), 1546
• Last will and testament of Sir Richard Bulkeley of Beaumaris, 1st knight, 1544
• Deed of lease by mayor of Beaumaris, Hugh Goodman, the bailiffs and burgesses of Beaumaris to Sir Richard Bulkeley of Baron Hill, 2nd knight, upon property in Llan-faes etc, 1568. Attached is power of attorney given to Rowland Kenrick and Richard Thomas to enter premises, 1651
• Orders and regulations for the government of the borough town and liberties of Caernarfon, 1573
• Indenture between Dr Ellis Price of Plas Iolyn, high sheriff of Anglesey and the corporation of Beaumaris sanctioning the appointment of Thomas Bulkeley, recorder of the borough, as M.P. for the boroughs
• Notice of the election of Thomas Bulkeley, 1593
• Indenture between William Glynne of Lleuar, Caernarfonshire, high sheriff of Anglesey, and various others, 1597
• Decree of the court of wards in a case relating to the will of Sir Richard Bulkeley (died 1621) and certain indentures which seemed to conflict with the will, 1622-1623
• Levy of a fine at the Great Sessions of Caernarfonshire relating to Thomas Bulkeley (1585-1659), constable of Beaumaris Castle, 1654
• Deed of appointment of Robert Bulkeley as constable of Beaumaris Castle, 1660
• Last will and testament of William Bulkeley, archdeacon of Dublin, 1671-1672
• Letters of administration regarding the goods and chattels of Sir Griffith Williams of Faenol, 1673
• Sheriffs' returns of Richard 3rd Viscount Bulkeley as knight of the shire for Anglesey, 1695, 1698, 1701, 1702 and for Richard 4th Viscount Bulkeley, 1705
• Recital of the financial difficulties of Francis Bulkeley of Porthaml and Plas Llangefni, 1722
• Letter issued on behalf of Richard Bulkeley Williams-Bulkeley, then M.P. for Anglesey, relating to the possible candidacy of his son Captain Richard Lewis Mostyn Williams-Bulkeley with the Liberal Party in the event of his retirement, 1861
• Petition of Mary Bulkeley, widow of Sir Richard Bulkeley (died 1621), to the court of wards and liveries, 1623
• Petition of Dorothy Bulkeley, widow of Richard Bulkeley of Whatcroft, c. 1641-1642
• Letters written during the Civil War, from Arthur Capell to Dr John Williams, Archbishop of York, 1643-1644 and from archbishop Williams to Thomas Bulkeley of Baron Hill, 1644, 1645-1646, etc.
• Appointment of mayors, 1712-1717, 1719-1747; oaths of port officers, 1694-1695
• Jury lists, 1697-1722; court writs, warrants, actions, mainly for assault, trespass and debt, 1698-1756
• Churchwardens' accounts 1674-1677, 1680-1685, 1687-1688
• Churchwardens's books, 1676, 1681-1682, 1684-1685, 1687-1688
• Bailiffs' accounts, 1682-1693; quarterage accounts, 1675-1676, 1680-1681, 1723-1724, 1733-1734
• Sacrament certificates, taken by Beaumaris officials, customs and excise officers etc., under the provisions of the test acts of Charles II, 1674-1723
• Oath rolls, relating to officials of the corporation of Beaumaris and abjuration of transubstantiation and the Pretender, 1679-1783
• Correspondence between Sir Richard Williams-Bulkeley with James Sparrow and Mr. Assheton Smith of Faenol, relating to controversy over the most economical way of running packet boats from Holyhead to Dublin, 1832
• Studies compiled by Richard Lloyd Humphreys of Beaumaris. Includes lists of M.P.s for various counties and boroughs of England, mainly in the 18th century; lists of sheriffs for Welsh Counties and M.P.s for Wales, c. 1800-1880; catalogue of the officers and members of the corporation of Beaumaris, 1871, 1872; register of Calvinistic Methodist deacons of Anglesey, 1880. Also includes various genealogical studies relating to Anglesey and the Bulkeleys of Baron Hill.
• Rental, Bartholomew Bolde's lands in Caernarfonshire, c. 1450
• Writs and warrants issued by the Beaumaris Sessions Court, 1678-1724
• Proclamation from Robert Bulkeley and others to the high constables of the hundred of Talybolion regarding the summoning of the militia, 1683, 1689, etc.
• Orders from Queen's Council to Hugh, Lord Cholmondeley, lord lieutenant of Cheshire and North Wales regarding laws against Roman Catholics and meetings, etc., 1699-1708, 1714

The Bulkeley family of Baron Hill, Beaumaris in Anglesey, north Wales, migrated from their ancient home in Cheshire and settled in north Wales sometime before 1450. They acquired land in Caernarfonshire and Anglesey and grew to become one of the most powerful and influential political dynasties in the area representing, in person or through their nominees, the borough of Beaumaris or county of Anglesey from the 16th to the 19th century. William Bulkeley of Cheadle, constable of Beaumaris Castle in 1440 and one of the first Bulkeleys of Anglesey had sons Edmund and Rowland; the descendants of his son Edmund were mostly associated with Ireland; Rowland became the ancestor of the main line of Bulkeleys of Baron Hill. About 1534 Richard Bulkeley (died 1546 or early 1547) was knighted and his brother Arthur (died 1552) became bishop of Bangor.

Other well known early family members include, Thomas Bulkeley of Plas Goronwy, recorder of the borough of Beaumaris and its parliamentary representative, who was a son of the first Sir Richard Bulkeley and married to Catherine, daughter of David Lloyd of Marian Heilin, Llanddyfnan. The second knight, Richard (died 1572) was twice married, firstly to Margaret Savage and then to Anne Needham. Lancelot Bulkeley (died 1650), a son from the second marriage was archbishop of Dublin and his son William Bulkeley (died c. 1672) was archdeacon of Dublin. The third knight Richard Bulkeley (died 1621) was constable of Beaumaris Castle. He built Baron Hill in 1618 and was the first mayor of Beaumaris. Thomas Bulkeley (1585-1659) who was constable of Beaumaris Castle, c. 1640, succeeded to the Baron Hill estate on the death of his nephew Richard Bulkeley c. 1639-40, the son of the fourth knight Sir Richard Bulkeley, who apparently died from poisoning ?c. 1630/45.

Other notable family members include Francis Bulkeley, a member of the branch of the Bulkeley family of Porthamel, who, in debt, shot himself in 1714. Later Bulkeleys include Richard Bulkeley Williams-Bulkeley (1801-1875), 10th knight who was M.P. for Anglesey, high sheriff in 1870 and lord lieutenant of Caernarfon 1851-1866. He was succeeded by his son Richard Lewis Mostyn Williams-Bulkeley (1833-1884), a captain in the Royal Horse Guards.

Richard Lloyd Humphreys was clerk and treasurer of the borough of Beaumaris, c. 1871.

Much of the above genealogical information was compiled using John Edward Griffith's Pedigrees of Anglesey and Caernarfonshire Families(1914).

Material was received on separate occasions, arranged in chronological order and incorporated into the General Collection of Bangor Manuscripts .

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Description compiled by Anne Lenaghan, September 2002.

Item level word-processed list is available at the Archives Department, University of Wales, Bangor. Reference numbers: General Collection of Bangor Manuscripts: 1920-1939, 1976-1978

Usual copyright conditions apply. Reprographics are made at the discretion of the Archivist.

Also held at the Archives Department of the University of Wales, Bangor are the Beaumaris and Anglesey Records and the Baron Hill Manuscripts ; collection level descriptions are available on the Archives Hub.