Fonds GB 0210 GOGERDDAN - Gogerddan Estate Records

The Pryses of Gogerddan traced their lineage back to Gwaethfod, Lord of Cardigan (c. 1057). They settled at Gogerddan in the first half of the fourteenth century. The mansion was originally built in the latter half of the fifteenth century. The first member of the family to live there was probably Rhys ap Dafydd. His son Rhisiart was apparently the first to use the surname Pryse.. John Pryse was the first member of the Gogerddan family to become a Member of .Parliament (1553-1555). Richard Pryse (d. 1623), eldest son and heir of John, married Gwenllian, daughter and heiress of Thomas ap Rhys ap Morris ap Owen of Aberbechan, Montgomeryshire. He was succeeded by his son, Sir John Pryse (d. 1621), referred to as ‘of Aberbechan’, Montgomeryshire. His son, Richard Pryse (d. 1651), succeeded to the estates and bought himself a baronetcy in 1641. Richard's eldest son, Sir Richard Pryse, 2nd Bart., was a supporter of Cromwell and held various offices during his administration. Sir Richard died without issue in 1675 and was succeeded by his brother, Sir Thomas Pryse, 3rd Bart. who died unmarried in 1682. Sir Carbery Pryse, 4th Bart., a nephew, then succeeded to Gogerddan and became M.P. for Cardigan 1690-1694. In 1690 lead was discovered on the estate at Bwlch yr Esgair Hir and Sir Carbery formed a company to mine these deposits. When he died unmarried in 1694 the baronetcy expired. The estates passed to Edward Pryse who sold his interest in the mines to Sir Humphrey Mackworth for £16,000. After Edward Pryse’e death in 1699, the estate passed to Lewis Pryse, who became M.P. for Cardiganshire in 1701, when only 18 years old. Lewis married Ann, daughter and heiress of John Lloyd, of Aberllefenni, Merionethshire. Lewis Pryse died without male issue in 1720 and the estate devolved to his cousin, Thomas. Thomas Pryse married Maria, daughter and heiress of Rowland Pughe of Mathafarn, Montgomeryshire [c. 1738]. Their son, John Pugh Pryse died unmarried in 1774 and the estate passed to his cousin, Lewis Pryse (1716-1779). Lewis married Margaret, heiress of Edward Ryves of New Woodstock, Oxfordshire. In addition to Gogerddan, he also inherited the estates which his father, Walter Pryse of Painswick, had gained by his marriage to Elizabeth Lewes, comprising Llan-gors, Breconshire, lands in Pembrokeshire once belonging to Nicholas Lewes of Hean Castle and the Abernantbychan estate in South Cardiganshire..His son, also called, Lewis, pre-deceased himr and died unmarried in 1776., leaving his daughter Margaret as sole heiress. Margaret had married Edward Loveden Loveden of Buscot Park, Berkshire in 1773 and her husband took an active interest in the management of the Welsh estates. By this period the estate comprised some 30,000 acres in Cardiganshire alone, with other land in Pembrokeshire, Merionethshire and Breconshire. It was Edward and Margaret's son, Pryse Loveden (1774-1849) who inherited Gogerddan and Buscot. He took the surname Pryse by royal licence in 1798. Pryse was M.P. for Cardigan Borough 1818-1835, 1837-1849. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Pryse Pryse (d. 1855) who reverted to the surname and arms of Loveden. His son and heir, Pryse (1838-1906) took the Loveden surname by royal licence in 1855. He then re-took the surname and arms of Pryse in 1863. and became Sir Pryse Pryse, 1st Baronet of the second creation in 1866. Sir Pryse Pryse sold the Buscot estate of 3,548 acres in 1860. According to the return of owners of land, he owned an estimated 32,359 acres in Wales (in Cardiganshire, Montgomeryshire and Pembrokeshire) with an estimated rental of £11,325. However, he was forced to sell parts of the estate, begining in 1875, when management of the estate passed to his son, Pryse Pryse Pryse, who pre-deceased his father in 1900, and land to the value of £186,552 was sold up to 1895. The estate was inherited by Sir Pryse Pryse's second son, Sir Edward John Webley-Parry-Pryse, 2nd Bart. In 1892 he had taken on the additional surname and arms of Webley-Parry by royal licence following his marriage to Nina Catherine Angharad, only daughter of David Kedgwin William Henry Webley-Parry of Noyadd Trefawr. Sir Edward died without issue in 1918 and was succeeded by his brothers, Sir Lewes Thomas Loveden Pryse (1864-1946), 3rd Bart., and George Rice-Pryse-Saunders (1870-1948), 4th Bart. The latter had taken on the additional surname of Saunders when his wife, Geraldine Mabel Saunders (b. 1872), inherited the Glanrhydw estate. in Carmarthenshire. George's son, Sir Pryse Loveden Pryse-Saunders-Pryse (d. 1962) of Glanrhydw became the 5th and last baronet. Gogerddan had been the home of the Pryse family for 600 years before it was eventually sold Over 7,000 acres were sold in 1930 to the Forestry Commission. The remaining 3.700 acres were sold, and the mansion and home farm were acquired by the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, between 1948 and 1950..