Charles Watkin Williams-Wynn Papers,

Papers, [1701x1936], of Charles Watkin Williams-Wynn, which include pedigrees, [18 cent.], of the Lloyd family of Blaen-y-ddol and Llwyn-y-maen, Oswestry and papers, 1719, relating to the erection of monuments to members of the Wynn family in Ruabon church; correspondence, 1797-1840 and n.d., of the Wynn family, including sixteen letter-books, 1807-1831, kept by Charles Watkin Williams-Wynn; transcripts of correspondence, 1803, between the Chancellor of the Exchequer Henry Addington and George, Prince of Wales (afterwards George IV) and between George and his father, George III; and a typescript copy, 1936, of a memoir of Charles Watkin Williams-Wynn compiled by his grandson, Arthur Watkin Williams Wynn, donor of the collection.

Charles Watkin Williams-Wynn of Llangedwyn, Denbighshire was the second son of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, 4th bart, of Wynnstay. Following private tutorship, Wynn was admitted to Westminster School in 1784 before entering Christ Church, Oxford in 1791, where he met his lifelong friend, the poet Robert Southey. In 1795 Wynn was admitted to Lincoln's Inn and was called to the bar in 1798. He served as recorder for the Oxford and North Wales circuits for some seven years before being elected bencher in 1835. Wynn is best known for his glittering political career, successively serving as Undersecretary for the Home Department from 1806 to 1807, President of the Board of Control from 1822 to 1828, Secretary of War from 1830-1831 and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from 1834 to 1835. He continued as M.P. for Montgomeryshire from his election in 1799 until his death over fifty years later. Wynn held some interest in Welsh antiquities and the Welsh language and attended eisteddfodau, but was not an ardent patriot, as evidenced by his support, in 1817, of assimilating the (separate) Welsh judiciary system with that of England. Wynn's later years were dogged by ill-health, no doubt exacerbated by the deaths of family members, including his wife Mary (née Cunliffe) in 1838, and that of his friend Robert Southey in 1843. He died at his London home and his only surviving son, also called Charles, succeeded to his 1,600 acre Montgomeryshire estate of Coed-maen, near Meifod.

Arranged according to NLW MSS reference numbers: NLW MSS 10798-10806.

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Arthur Watkin Williams Wynn, grandson of Charles Watkin Williams Wynn; Llansantffraid, Montgomeryshire; Presentation; 1935

Charles Watkin Williams-Wynn of Llangedwyn, Denbighshire was the second son of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, 4th bart, of Wynnstay. Following private tutorship, Wynn was admitted to Westminster School in 1784 before entering Christ Church, Oxford in 1791, where he met his lifelong friend, the poet Robert Southey. In 1795 Wynn was admitted to Lincoln's Inn and was called to the bar in 1798. He served as recorder for the Oxford and North Wales circuits for some seven years before being elected bencher in 1835. Wynn is best known for his glittering political career, successively serving as Undersecretary for the Home Department from 1806 to 1807, President of the Board of Control from 1822 to 1828, Secretary of War from 1830-1831 and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from 1834 to 1835. He continued as M.P. for Montgomeryshire from his election in 1799 until his death over fifty years later. Wynn held some interest in Welsh antiquities and the Welsh language and attended eisteddfodau, but was not an ardent patriot, as evidenced by his support, in 1817, of assimilating the (separate) Welsh judiciary system with that of England. Wynn's later years were dogged by ill-health, no doubt exacerbated by the deaths of family members, including his wife Mary (née Cunliffe) in 1838, and that of his friend Robert Southey in 1843. He died at his London home and his only surviving son, also called Charles, succeeded to his 1,600 acre Montgomeryshire estate of Coed-maen, near Meifod.

Title based on contents.

Preferred citation: NLW MSS 10798-10806.

Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales, Volume III (Aberystwyth, 1961), pp. 248-249.

October 2008 & June 2011.

Description compiled by Bethan Ifan for the retrospective conversion project of NLW MSS, and revised by Bethan Ifan. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales, Volume III (Aberystwyth, 1961); Y Bywgraffiadur Cymreig hyd 1940 (Llundain, 1953); Oxford Dictionary of National Biography on-line;

Usual copyright laws apply.

See also NLW Coedymaen 2, which contains correspondence and papers of Charles Watkin Williams Wynn, including extensive correspondence with Lord Grenville; NLW MSS 4811-4815D, which include correspondence, 1796-c. 1839, between Charles Watkin Williams Wynn and Robert Southey, and NLW MSS 4816-4818D, which contain correspondence, 1820-1853, to Henry Williams Wynn mainly from Charles Watkin Williams Wynn.

Published

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales