Cyfres GCC1 - Letters and papers of Thomas Pryse and Thomas Lloyd

Various letters and papers accumulated by Thomas Pryse of Gogerddan (d. 1745) or his trustee Thomas Lloyd of Abertrinant, which include some earlier material, 1660-1790. They incorporate papers from Gogerddan together with the estates which belonged to his wife’s family, Pughe of Mathafarn and Salusbury of Rug. The letters are mainly from Thomas Pryse’s estate agents, his uncle Walter Pryse, other landowners, solicitors, trustees, tradesmen and creditors. They cover the main aspects of his life among the Cardiganshire gentry, as a Member of Parliament (1741-1745) and sheriff of Merioneth (1739). There is much information on Cardiganshire politics and county administration in the mid-eighteenth century. The letters reflect the close social and political relations of the Pryse family with other Cardiganshire gentry such as Powell of Nanteos, Lisburne (Vaughan) of Trawsgoed, Lloyd(e) of Mabws, Lloyd of Peterwell and Richardes of Penglais. There are interesting reports by Walter Pryse, Richard Lloyde and others about parliamentary affairs during Robert Walpole’s ministry, 1730s-1740s. Other major themes include the administration and discharge of debts on the Mathafarn and Rug estates, and the settlement of the Mathafarn estate in 1742; the birth of Thomas Pryse’s son in 1739; the administration of the Gogerddan, Cardigan Priory and Abernantbychan estates; the commercial interests of Gogerddan in lead mining and shipping; and parish affairs in Cardiganshire, Pembrokeshire and Merioneth. The letters of David Roberts describe the management of the Rug estate, parish affairs in Corwen; and the role of the drovers in financial transactions. The letters of James Lewes of Gellidywyll reflect his own functions as estate agent, JP and mayor of Cardigan, discussing politics, county administration, Cardigan town corporation business, the Gogerddan and Mathafarn servants, agricultural practices and the state of the tenantry in rural Wales. Other papers in this series derive from the trust of John Pughe Pryse, by Sir John Philipps, Sir Watkin Williams Wynn and ?Richard Gwynne following the death of Thomas Pryse, in 1745. Most files include copies of outgoing correspondence and letters forwarded from third parties.