The Hengwrt-Uchaf Collection

Deeds, 1641-1912, relating to the Hengwrt-uchaf estate mainly in Llanfachreth, Merionethshire, and Llanwrin, Montgomeryshire.

Hugh Jones, a banker and attorney, was the owner of Hengwrt-Uchaf. He was also a partner in the Diphwys Slate Quarry in Ffestiniog in 1800, and in 1809 became involved with William Turner, Thomas Wright and the landowner Thomas Assheton Smith in the Dinorwic Slate Quarry. He extended his estate with the purchase of Penrhiw-goch in Llandanwg, Stentir and Minffordd in Llanfihangel-y-traethau, and Cae'rdefaid, Traian and Friog in Llanfachraeth, all in Merionethshire, Esgair Llewellyn in Llanwrin and Bryneini in Darowen, Montgomeryshire. Hugh Jones's eldest daughter, Mary married Major Owen Jones-Ellis-Nanney. On the birth of their son, H.J. Ellis-Nanney, Hugh Jones purchased Plas Hen from the Mostyns for £50,000. He died in 1850 and at the time of the 1851 census, his widow Mary lived at Hengwrt-uchaf with her two daughters, Anne and Catherine. The Plas Hen estate eventually passed to Hugh Jones's grandson, H. J. Ellis-Nanney. However, by a deed of partition, the estate of Hengwrt-uchaf was divided and held by agreement between his two aunts, Anne and Catherine. Anne claimed most of the southern part, while Catherine held the northern part. The main house of Hengwrt-uchaf was destroyed by fire in about 1885 and the present mansion was built in 1892. Hengwrt-uchaf was subsequently sold to Hugh Evans in 1927. It was owned in 1945 by Mrs Mary Matilda Owen.

Arranged chronologically by parish.

No restrictions

Compiled by Mair James for the HMC/NLW Family and Estates project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Griffith, Margaret O., 'Abereiddon and Esgaireiddon', Journal of the Merioneth Historical and Record Society, vol. IX, part IV (1984).

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

Usual copyright regulations apply.

All records deposited at the Meirionnydd Archives have been retained

Part of the collection was at one time sorted into bundles which were numbered, but the arrangement appears to have had no significance: the number of the bundle is however given after each entry classified as such. Some of the deeds, notably these of the Friog and Esgair Llywelyn estates, are individually numbered - archival marks of a previous custodian; these too have been retained and appear in round brackets after each relevant entry.

Accruals are not expected

Papers relating to the Hengwrt-uchaf estate, 1945-1963, amassed by Major C. Ll. Wynne-Jones, as executor and trustee, are Meirionnydd Archives, Z/DBQ (Penmaen Ucha Papers).