Breese Jones and Casson Additional Papers (Trefan and Hafodgaregog Papers)

Records collected by Breese Jones and Casson, Solicitors, 1618-1899, relating to the Trefan and Hafodgaregog estate, including deeds, 1618-1811; estate papers, 1792-1899; Hughes and Priestley family papers, 1793-1830; court case records, 1798-1812; rentals, 1797-1821; tithe records, 1816-1898; and miscellaneous papers; 1797-1859.

Breese Jones and Casson, solicitors, were based in Porthmadog, Caernarfonshire, during the 19th and 20th centuries. The firm dealt with property and land throughout Caernarfonshire, Merionethshire and Montgomeryshire, and accumulated papers relating to their clients' interests. The Trefan estate, based in the parish of Llanystumdwy, Caernarfonshire, was established by the 16th century. The estate was subsequently inherited by the Hughes family when Zacheus Hughes, the youngest son of Nanhoron Isaf, married Elizabeth, oldest daughter of John Owen and Jane of Trefan. Their grandson, Zaccheus Hughes (d. 1794) married Jane (1736-1765), daughter and sole heiress of Morris Wynne (d. 1739) of Hafodgaregog. The Hafodgaregog estate, containing lands in Nantmor and Llandecwyn, Merionethshire, and in Llangain, Caernarfonshire, descended in the male line of the Williams family until Morris Williams's heiress, Luce, died an infant in 1723. The estate then passed to her cousin Morris Wynne (d. 1739) from where it passed to the Hughes family. Zaccheus Hughes, as well as owning Trefan as heir of his father, also owned three farms in Cwm Ystradllyn, the small estate of Braich-y-bib, and the larger estate of Cefn Isaf to the north of Trefan; adding Hafodgaregog to his properties on his marriage to Jane. Zaccheus and Jane's heir was their son, John Wynn Hughes (1760-1795) who married Jane Jones. Jane was a minor when she married and after John Wynn's death the marriage was declared void in 1808 following a lawsuit between Samuel Priestley, whose wife Mary was a cousin of John Wynn Hughes, and the Hughes family. John Wynn and Jane's daughter, Jane Wynn Hughes was deemed to be illegitimate and Mary Priestley became the rightful heir of Trefan. Mary had already inherited the land of Tyddyn Madog Goch on succeeding her father, Owen Jones. Samuel died relatively young and the estates came into the possession of his wife, Mary. When Mary died in 1845, the estate was split up between her two sons. Samuel received Trefan and the bordering lands, while John inherited the Hafodgaregog estate and the three farms in Cwm Ystradllyn.

Arranged into the following: title deeds; court cases; rentals; estate papers; family papers; records relating to tithes; and miscellaneous.

No restrictions

Compiled by Richard Burman for the ANW project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Caernarfon Record Office, Cofnodion Ychwanegol Breese Jones a Casson (Papurau Ystadau Trefan a Hafodgaregog/ Breese Jones and Casson Additional Papers (Trefan and Hafodgaregog Estate Papers, catalogue; National Library of Wales, Hafodgaregog and Trefan Estate Records, catalogue; Gresham, Dr Colin, Teulu'r Trefan, ([Caernarfon],1982); Griffith, John Edwards, Pedigrees of Anglesey and Carnarvonshire Families, (Wrexham, 1998 reprint).

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

Usual copyright regulations apply.

All records deposited at Caernarfon Record Office have been retained.

Accruals are not expected

Further material relating to the Trefan and Hafodgaregog estates are National Library of Wales, HAFFAN.