Series of documents bearing upon the lives and careers of Hugh Owen of Bronclydwr in Merioneth, a famous Puritan, and Dr. Hugh Williams, rector of Llantrisant and Llanrhuddlad (also father of Sir. William Williams, Speaker of the House of Commons)

This material is held atArchifdy Prifysgol Bangor / Bangor University Archives

  • Reference
    • GB 222 BMSS/2632
  • Dates of Creation
    • n.d.

Scope and Content

1-12 refer to Hugh Owen and consist of family notes written down by him, names of his children, dates of birth; reference to his marriage at the church of St. Pancras, 24 November 1668; names (presumably) of members of his Merioneth congregation who bought religiousbooks published by Stephen Hughes, Charles Edwards, and others.

13-15 refer to Dr. Williams. He had been ejected from his livings in 1650 by the Welsh Commissioners for the Propagation of the Gospel "for delinquency and scandall" and was later accused of disturbing the tenants to whom the tithes were set by the Commissioners' officials - 13 is a copy of his petition in 1654 to the Committee for Sequestrations to have his case heard by counsel and to dispense with his own attendance, "for that the Petitioner is very aged & infirme being neere 70ty yeares of Age, and living about 200 Myles distant from London." This "neere 70" in 1654 does not agree with the Pedigrees of J.E. Griffith (p. 18), in which it is stated the Doctor died in 1670, aged 74; accordingly, if the Pedigrees are correct, he was only 58 in 1654.

14-15 refer to the death of Dr. William Roberts, Bishop of Bangor, the consequent sede vacante, and the leave given to the Dean and Chapter to elect a new Bishop; it seems that Dr. Williams was at the time acting Dean as proxy or substitute for Dr. Griffith Williams, Bishop of Ossory in Ireland, who was allowed to hold the deanery of Bangor in commendam till his death in 1672. The order to elect is dated 2 January, 1665.