Llanarth Court MSS

Deeds, [c. 1290]-1720, of the Llanarth estate in Monmouthshire with a smaller number of deeds relating to premises in about ten English counties, [late 13th century]-1732; papers relating to ecclesiastical matters, 1441-1724, a letter book of Richard Crawshay, 1788-1797, and papers relating to a Bill for the relief of Catholics, 1789-1792.

William ap John Thomas (fl. 1556) of Treowen, Monmouthshire, alias William Jones, was the first of his family to assume a surname, and left issue by four wives and at least one concubine. William's eldest son, John Jones (d. pre 1609), succeeded his father at Treowen. Blanche, the only child of William's first marriage, had Castell Arnallt and married Rowland Morgan of Machen, Monmouthshire. The property devolved on their descendants, the Morgan family, barons Tredegar. Philip Jones (d. 1603), John's half-brother, made a large fortune as a London merchant and became a member of the Grocers' Company, and was MP for the Monmouth boroughs 1588-1593. He built a town hall and a market house in Monmouth, left money to build a market house in Abergavenny and to make the Monnow bridge at Monmouth free from tolls. John's son, William Jones (d. 1640), acquired Hendre-obaith following his marriage in 1599 to Jane, daughter and heir of Moore Gwillim, MP for Monmouth. The estate also acquired the Penllwyn-sarph estate following the marriage of John Jones ([c. 1687]-1788) with Florence Morgan. He was succeeded by his son Philip Jones (d. 1782), who married firstly Catherine, sister and coheir of John Wyborne of Hawkwell, Kent. Their son John Jones (d. 1828) of Llanarth and of Upton in Berkshire was succeeded by his eldest son John Jones (1790-1848). The Jones family were a long standing Catholic family. John Jones's son, John Arthur Jones (1818-1895), obtained a royal licence in 1848 for himself and his brothers and sisters to assume the surname of Herbert in lieu of Jones, being the senior existing branch of the house of Herbert. In 1846 he married Augusta Hall, the only surviving child and heir of Benjamin Hall (1802-1867), Lord Llanover. Their eldest son, Major-General Sir Ivor John Caradoc Herbert (1851-1934), became Baron Treowen in 1917. He married Albertina, daughter of Albert, Lord Londesborough, the second son of Henry, 1st marquis Conyngham, and had a son, Elydyr John Bernard Herbert (b. 1881). The family were renowned Catholics.

Arranged chronologically within the following sections: Jones family papers; title deeds arranged by each parish in Monmouthshire, and by county outside Monmouthshire; and general papers arranged within subjects- financial, ecclesiastical, English catholic, judicial, industrial and miscellaneous.

No restrictions

Part deposit. It is Gwent Record Office's policy to withold information about donors or depositors in view of possible misuse. Part (D583) purchased.

Compiled by Stephen Benham for the HMC/NLW Family and Estates project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Monmouthshire Record Office, Catalogue of documents relating to Jones family of Llanarth and Treowen; Bradney, Sir Joseph, A History of Monmouthshire (London, 1992 facsimile ed.), vol. 1, parts 1 and 2b; Dictionary of Welsh Biography down to 1940 (London, 1959); Clark, George T., Limbus patrum Morganiae et Glamorganiae (London, 1886).

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

Usual copyright regulations apply.

All records deposited at Gwent Record Office have been retained

This archive is the result of an amalgamation of two groups of papers by the Gwent Record Office. Another group, relating mainly to the Gloucestershire parish of Newland, was purchased by the Gloucestershire Record Office.

Accruals are not expected

Further papers are held at the Gwent Record Office, deposited in the Newport Central Library by the trustees of Lord Treowen in 1944/5, transferred to the Monmouthshire Record Office, and now numbered 4785-5344 inclusive; and National Library of Wales, Kyrle Fletcher (Second Group), and further papers, all pre-1500, relating to the Newlands portion of the estate in Gloucestershire, are in the Gloucestershire Record Office.