A large proportion of the deeds and documents collected by Sir John relate to properties in co. Carm.. Nos 1-33 (1547-1677) seem to belong to a definite group. Nos 1-6, 8-22, 24, 26, 28, 30-32 are marked on the dorse '/n' which suggests that they were formerly grouped together. To these must be added No. 125, a volume of 40 deeds, bound between Middlehill boards (formerly Phillipps MS 25103) in which many of the deeds relate to properties in the same parishes as those found in Nos 1-33, and, in some cases, to the same properties. The following parishes are represented: Kidwelly, Laugharne, Llanarthne, Llandyfaelog, Llanelli, Llangennech, Llan-non, Llanstephan, Pen-bre (Pembrey). The deeds in this group attest to three main families acquiring property: (i) the Penries of Swansea and Llanelli, (ii) the Daltons of Pen-bre, and (iii) the Vaughans of Llanelli. (I) The Penries of Swansea and Llanelli. The deeds record that the Penries were acquiring land in p's Llanarthne, Llanelli, and Llangennech, co. Carm., in the period 1577-1627. The first member of the family to be party to deeds in the collection is Lewis Penry of Llanelli, gent. (No. 6 and bound Vol. No. 125/31). The other is his son, Griffith Penry (Nos 12-13, 15, 18, and bound Vol. No. 125/20, 31, 33). (Ii) The Daltons of Pen-bre. The deeds record that the Daltons were acquiring land in p's Llanelli and Pen-bre in the period 1653-1714. Walter Dalton of Pen-bre, gent., is party to No. 22, Charles Dalton to Nos 30-3 and bound Vol. No. 125/9, 17, 38, and Edward Dalton to No. 125/19. For a pedigree of the Daltons of Pen-bre, see NLW, Schedule of Sir John Williams Papers, p. iv. (Iii) The Vaughans of Llanelli. The deeds record that the Vaughans of Llanelli were acquiring land in p's Llandyfaelog, Llanelli, Llangennech, and Llan-non in the period 1619-1675. Walter Vaughan of Llanelli is party to Nos 14, 17, 21, and bound Vol. No. 125/1, 4, 6, 8, 12, 40. Other members of the family who are party to the deeds are John Vaughan, esq. in Nos 24, and bound Vol. No. 125/11, 39, and Henry Vaughan of Derwith, esq., in No. 27. Nos 34-64 (1632-1793) relate to properties in p. Llansadwrn, co. Carm., and record transactions executed by the ancestors of John Jones, esq., MP, of Ystrad, p. St. Peter's, Carmarthen. John Jones of Ystrad (1777-1842) was the second son of Thomas Jones of Capel Dewi (1741-90) and was descended from Thomas Jones, vicar of Llansadwrn, co. Carm. (will proved at Canterbury, 1 July 1654, see NLW facsimile No. 286). John Jones's pedigree is given by Alcwyn Evans in 'Bonedd y Cymry', NLW 12357, p. 1467. (This pedigree is reproduced below with certain emendations and additions). He says that the family were descended from a younger branch of the house of Abermarlais in Llansadwrn, and that the ancestor of the line settled at Llansadwrn about 1556 and possessed there an extensive landed property including the village and the tithes. Because of the religious and political opinions of the family, the estates were forfeited, but the Rev. Thomas Jones was allowed the quiet possession of Twy-y-llwyn-gae and other lands in 1640. Nearly half a century later, Walter and Randolph Jones were still struggling for the same property which was granted in 1689 through the influence of their kinsman, Thomas Powell, afterwards the celebrated Judge Powell. Unfortunately, Alcwyn Evans does not give his sources. The Rev. Thomas Jones is party to a number of deeds, namely Nos 34-5, 38, 42, 47-8. Thomas Jones, gent., is party to Nos 49-51, 54-5, and Walter and Randolph Jones are parties to Nos 43, 60(a)(b). Alcwyn Evans begins his pedigree of John Jones of Ystrad with Walter and Randolph Jones and fails to show the connection between them and the Rev. Thomas Jones. However, by his will, proved at Canterbury, 1 July 1654 [see NLW facsimile No. 286], Thomas Jones, vicar of Llansadwrn, divided his property in Llansadwrn among his four sons, Thomas, Morris, Randolph, and Walter. (I) Thomas Jones received a tmt called Tyr John David Thomas with 2 parcels of land called Erw Bant and Rhandyr a'i Phen y Ffynnon Sadwrn, tmt's called Tyr Llwyn Gwenno, Tir Cwm Bran alias Tyr Llwyn Gwenno with parcels of land called Kay Llwyn Gwenno Issa, Kae y Dderwen, Rhandir ty hwnt yr Erw Bant, Kae yr Odyn, Kae y Werne Issa, Kae ty hwnt y [ ] Bran. (Ii) Morris Jones received a close of land called Kae Erw'r Porth, Rhandiroedd Hirion, which had been mortgaged to Thomas Jones by Rowland Gwynn of Taliarris, esq., dec. (Iii) Randolph Jones received a parcel of land called Y Vron Heir, 2 parcels of land called Kae Dy and Kae Jenkin which Thomas Jones had purchased from Jenkin Thomas Jones of Llansadwrn, corviser, 3 parcels of land called Kae yr Gwenyth, Rhandyr Llwyn y Garn, and Rhandyr y Bulken which T.J. had purchased from James William Morris of Llansadwrn, dec. (Iv) Walter Jones received parcels of land called Kae Hen, Kae Gronvn Arleis Ucha, Kae Gwayn Arleis Issa, and Kae Sarn Van. All the above properties are in p. Llansadwrn, co. Carm. That a dispute over land took place in the latter part of the seventeenth century is suggested by the endorsements on Nos 54-55 which note that these documents had been produced to the deponents, Randolph Jones, David Rudderch, and William Thomas in 1673 at the time of their examination. That the Jones family had property in Llansadwrn in the first half of the eighteenth century is shown by a prenuptial settlement (6 Aug. 1736) of Thomas Jones of Carmarthen, grandfather of John Jones of Ystrad, and Mary Davies, daughter of Thomas Davies of Blaenau, Llandebie, whereby tmt's and lands called Llwyn y Bwch and Llwyn Gwenno in p. Llansadwrn, were settled by T.J. to the uses of the marriage, and Mary Davies settled a tmt called Cillyrhedyn in p. Llandebie to the uses of the marriage [see D. T. M. Jones No. 3240 for copy dated 12 May 1819]. For a pedigree of this Jones family, see NLW, Schedule of Sir John Williams Papers p. ix. The group of deeds and documents, Nos 65-83 (1611-1826), relating to co. bor. Carmarthen, are also connected with John Jones of Ystrad. John Jones is a party to Nos 80 and 82, while No. 71 is endorsed with the signature of 'M. A. Jones', namely Mary Ann Jones, sister and heiress of John Jones. In No. 74 (19 April 1759) property in p. St. Peters, Carmarthen, is leased to Rees Price of p. St. Peters, who was High Sheriff of co. Carm., 1755, and brother of William Rees of Capel Dewi, whose daughter, Elizabeth, married Morris Jones, the great-grandfather of John Jones of Ystrad. [See pedigree in J. Buckley, Genealogies of the co. Carm. Sheriffs, Vol. II, p. 202.]. No. 84, dated 29 June 1869, is too late to be considered as being connected with John Jones. Nos 124-6 are bound volumes of deeds and documents (formerly Phillipps MSS 9941, 25103, 3613). No. 125 has been dealt with above. [see p. iii]. No. 124 contains 23 deeds relating to properties in p's Berrira, Betws, Castell Caereinion, Churchstoke, Llandysul, Welshpool, co. Mont., Burton, Freystrop, Hodgeston, Martletwy, co. Pemb., Bryngwyn, co. Rad., and documents relating to the debts of Morgan Davies of Llandeilofawr, co. Carm. (No 124/20-1), the appointment of William Morgan of Myddfai as Bailiff of hd Perfedd, co. Carm. (No. 124/22) and the appointment of Sir Charles Lloyd as High Sheriff of co. Carm. (No. 124/23). No. 126 contains copies in a 17C. hand of Letters Patent (5 May 1604) granting the Barony of Le Dispenser to Mary Fane, an inquisition taken at Oswestry (6 Oct. 1400) relating to Owain Glyndwr's rebellion, and copies of 3 deeds (1324-1380/1) relating to property in p's Bodenham and Hope Bowdler, Herefordshire. Nos 127-60 (1352-1797) form a small group of deeds and documents, many of which record transactions by members of the family of Wynn of Gwydir and it is probable that they formed part of the Gwydir collection of papers and documents which had been acquired by the Rev. John Williams of Llanrwst (1760-1826) and which were given to Sir John Williams in 1894. The main collection of Wynn papers in the Rev. John Williams group are now NLW MSS 407, 463-70. The other group of Wynn papers and documents which had been acquired by Paul Panton (1727-97) were purchased in 1919 by Sir John Herbert Lewis who presented them to the NLW. These are now NLW MSS 9051-69. A small group of Wynn papers is also found in the Collection of Panton Deeds and Documents in the NLW [See Schedule of Panton Deeds and Documents]. A further group was acquired by Cardiff Public Library in 1896 from the library of Sir Thomas Phillipps. The history of the two main groups of Wynn Papers and documents has been described by Sir John Ballinger in Calendar of Wynn (of Gwydir) Papers 1515-1690, pp. ix-xiii. Nos 161-82 (1576-1853) form a miscellaneous collection of deeds and documents relating to properties in the following p's: Llanbadarn Fawr, Llanddewibrefi, Llanychaearn, co. Card., Bridgend, Coety, Llangyfelach, Swansea, and a survey of man.
Millwood, 1641 (No. 164), co. Glam., and Langstone, co. Mon. Other documents of interest are the will (probate dated 16 May 1656) of the puritan, Daniel Lloyd of Wrexham, in which Morgan Llwyd, minister of Wrexham Church is mentioned (No. 165), and a patent and specification of the invention of John Roberts, Llanelly, to prevent stagecoaches from overturning, dated 15 Jan. and 1 July 1819 (Nos 179-80). No. 197 (formerly Phillipps 32397) is a volume bound between Middlehill boards, containing 34 deeds relating to properties in Bedfordshire, co. Durham, Kent, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Oxfordshire, Rutland, Suffolk, Surrey, Wiltshire, and the city of London. The rest of the deeds and documents relates to properties in Cambridgeshire, Devon, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Middlesex, Staffordshire, Suffolk, and Wiltshire. There are also a number of wills of persons in Herefordshire.
