Meyrick of Bodorgan

THE MEYRICKS WERE THE SECOND LARGEST LANDOWNERS IN THE ISLE OF ANGLESEY, WITH 16,918 ACRES

The Family of MEYRICK is descended from Cadafael, Lord of Cedewain, Powys.

LLOWARCH AP BRAN was succeeded by his son, who married his cousin, Gwenllian, granddaughter of Prince Owen Gwynedd (ca 1136).

He was succeeded by his son,

MEREDYDD, of Bôdorgan, whose only child and heiress,

EVA, wedded Einion Sais, the direct descendant and representative in the sixth degree from Cadafael Ynnyd, Lord of Cydewain, Montgomeryshire.

He was usher or chamberlain of the palace of Sheen (Richmond) to HENRY VI, and so was called Sais (Saxon), on account of his being so much in England.

He was succeeded by his son,

HEYLIN, of Bodorgan, whose son and successor,

LLEWELLYN AP HEYLIN, espoused Angharad, daughter of William ap Evan, another descendant of Prince Owen Gwynedd. 

Llewellyn fought at the battle of Bosworth on the side of HENRY VII, and his two-handed sword and salt-cellar are still preserved at Bôdorgan.

His son,

MEYRICK AP LLEWELLYN, was Captain of the Guard at the coronation of HENRY VIII.

He was the first High Sheriff of Anglesey, which office he held till his death.

From him the name MEYRICK, signifying "Guardian," is derived, as a surname, in pursuance of the act of HENRY VIII, requiring that the name of every man at that time should be borne by his descendants as a surname, there being no surnames before that time in Wales.

Rowland, second son of Meyrick ap Llewellyn, was the first Protestant Bishop of Bangor, and was buried in Bangor Cathedral; from him are descended the MEYRICKS of Goodrich Court, and of Bush.

Meyrick ap Llewellyn was succeeded by his eldest son,

RICHARD MEYRICK, a man of great influence in the county; he was succeeded by his eldest son,

RICHARD MEYRICK, who was succeeded by his eldest son,

RICHARD MEYRICK, High Sheriff of Anglesey, 1641, who was succeeded by his eldest son,

RICHARD MEYRICK, High Sheriff of Anglesey, 1647-8, whose eldest surviving son,

WILLIAM MEYRICK, High Sheriff of Anglesey, 1675, was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

OWEN MEYRICK (1682-1759), of Bôdorgan, High Sheriff of Anglesey, 1706, MP for Anglesey, 1715-22, married Anne, daughter of Piers Lloyd, of Lligwy, and was father of

OWEN MEYRICK (1705-70), of Bôdorgan, MP for Anglesey, 1761-70, who wedded, in 1745, Hester, daughter of John Putland, of London, and was succeeded by his son,

OWEN PUTLAND MEYRICK, of Bôdorgan, who espoused, in 1774, Clara, eldest daughter and heiress of Richard Garth, of Morden, Surrey, and had issue, a daughter,

CLARA MEYRICK, who wedded, in 1801, Augustus Elliott, son of John Trayton Fuller, and had issue,

OWEN JOHN AUGUSTUS;

Clara, grandmother of Sir George Augustus Eliott Tapps-Gervis-Meyrick Bt;

Lucy Ann; Catherine Sarah; Augusta Maria.

The only son and heir,

OWEN JOHN AUGUSTUS FULLER-MEYRICK DL (1804-76), of Bodorgan, High Sheriff of Anglesey, 1827, whose patronymic was FULLER, succeeded to the estates of his maternal grandfather, and assumed in consequence, by royal licence, the surname and arms of MEYRICK.

Following Mr Fuller-Meyrick's death in 1876, the Bodorgan Estate passed to his cousin,

SIR GEORGE AUGUSTUS ELIOTT TAPPS-GERVIS-MEYRICK, 4th Baronet (1855-1928), of Bodorgan Hall, Anglesey, and Hinton Admiral, Hampshire.

Bodorgan is now the residence of Sir George William Owen Tapps-Gervis-Meyrick, 8th Baronet (born 1970) and his family.

Bodorgan Hall (Image: Coflein)

BODORGAN HALL is a neo-classical mansion, comprising smooth ashlar masonry in a pale, yellowish stone, with a slate roof.

The entrance to the mansion is on the north front, which has a central portico.

The tops of two doors of the facade are adorned with bas-reliefs, and there are half-columns and four alcoves along this side.

The east front of the house has nine bays, with three in the centre "on a semi-circular bow with a domed roof."

Bodorgan Hall (Image: Pinterest)

The north and south sides have single-storey wings, added in the mid 19th century, and are of a lesser quality.

An aviary was once located in the southern extension, which now has "two open-fronted loggias."

First published in January, 2021.

The Williams-Bulkeley Baronets

THE WILLIAMS-BULKELEY BARONETS OWNED 16,516 ACRES IN THE COUNTY OF ANGLESEY

This eminent family, in common with the Royal House of TUDOR and other distinguished lines derives from EDNYFED FYCHAN (c1170-1246), Chief Minister of Llewelyn the Great. William ap Griffith, of Cochwillan, Caernarvonshire, tenth in descent, assisted HENRY VII at Bosworth. His son, William Williams, of Cochwillan, was the first of the family who assumed the name of WILLIAMS.

William Williams' great-great-grandson,

SIR GRIFFITH WILLIAMS, of Penrhyn, Carnarvonshire (who succeeded to the estates of his uncle, the Rt Hon and Most Rev Dr John Williams, Lord Archbishop of York, 1641-6), was created a baronet in 1661, designated of Penrhyn, Caernarvonshire.

Sir Griffith's great-great-grandson,

SIR ROBERT WILLIAMS, 9th Baronet (1764-1830), married, in 1799, Anne, daughter of the Rev Edward Hughes, and had issue,

RICHARD, his successor;

Robert Griffith;

Arthur Wellesley;

Harriet Georgina; Emma; Anne Susanna; Charlotte Jemima; Eliza Martha; Selina Mary; Amelia Jane.

Sir Robert was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR RICHARD WILLIAMS-BULKELEY, 10th Baronet (1801-75), who assumed, in 1827, the additional surname of BULKELEY; having inherited, in 1822, the property of Thomas James, 7th Viscount Bulkeley.

He married firstly, in 1828, Charlotte Mary, daughter of William Lewis Hughes, 1st Baron Dinorben, but had no issue; and secondly, in 1832, Maria Frances, daughter of Sir Thomas Stanley-Massey-Stanley Bt, and had issue,

RICHARD LEWIS MOSTYN, his successor;

Robert Stanley;

Thomas James;

Charles William.

Sir Richard was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR RICHARD LEWIS MOSTYN WILLIAMS-BULKELEY, 11th Baronet (1833-84), who wedded firstly, in 1857, Mary Emily, daughter of Major Henry Bingham Baring, and had issue,

RICHARD HENRY, his successor.

He espoused secondly, in 1866, Margaret Elizabeth Peers, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Peers Williams, and had further issue,

Bridget Henrietta Frances.

Sir Richard was succeeded by his only son,

SIR RICHARD HENRY WILLIAMS-BULKELEY, 12th Baronet (1862-1942), KCB VD JP, High Sheriff of Anglesey, 1887, Lord-Lieutenant of Anglesey, 1896, who wedded, in 1885, the Lady Magdalen Yorke, daughter of Charles, 5th Earl of Hardwicke, and had issue,

RICHARD GERARD WELLESLEY, his successor;

Generis Alma Windham; Æira Helen; Siriol Penelope Diana Katherine.

Sir Richard's only son,

RICHARD GERARD WELLESLEY WILLIAMS-BULKELEY MC (1887-1918), Major, Welsh Guards, married, in 1909, Victoria Alexandrina Stella, daughter of the Hon Sir Henry Charles Legge, and had issue,

RICHARD HARRY DAVID, his successor;

David;

Victoria Sylvia Jane.

Major Williams-Bulkeley was killed in action, 1918, when the baronetcy devolved upon his elder son,

SIR RICHARD HARRY DAVID WILLIAMS-BULKELEY, 13th Baronet (1911-92), TD JP, Lord-Lieutenant of Anglesey, 1947-73, Gwynedd, 1974-92, who wedded, in 1938, Renée Arundel, daughter of Sir Thomas Lewis Hughes Neave Bt, and had issue,

RICHARD THOMAS, his successor;

Michael.

Sir Richard was succeeded by his elder son,

SIR RICHARD THOMAS WILLIAMS-BULKELEY, 14th Baronet (1939-), DL, High Sheriff of Gwynedd, 1993, who married, in 1964, Sarah Susan, daughter of Sir Henry Josceline Phillimore, and has issue,

RICHARD HUGH (Major, Welsh Guards), born in 1968;

Harry David, born in 1968;

Victoria Mary, born in 1973.

(Image: 28 Days Later)

BARON HILL, Beaumaris, Anglesey, is mainly a two-storey Georgian mansion.

Its south front rendered with stucco.

The five-bay eastern elevation comprises a central projection with a segmental bowed front, a recessed bay either side of this, and semi-octagonal projections at the corners.

The western front has a central porch with four Tuscan columns, with flanking bays projecting slightly, and two further projecting bays at the ends.

There is a balustraded parapet in the central sections of the eastern and western elevations, and also below some of the first floor windows.

The estate, named after the hill on which it stands, was established in 1618 by Sir Richard Bulkeley, as the seat of the influential Bulkeley family, who were originally from Cheshire, until William Bulkeley was appointed Deputy Constable of Beaumaris Castle.

This William Bulkeley married one of the daughters of Gwilym ap Gruffydd ap Gwylim, and began to accumulate land and public offices, which eventually lead to the Bulkeley family becoming the biggest landowners in Anglesey.

The mansion house was begun in 1618 during the reign of JAMES I, and was re-modelled in the Neo-Palladian style in 1776.

EDWARD VII visited Baron Hill and had tea on the terrace in 1907.

Shortly thereafter, during the 1st World War, death duties caused the family fortune to collapse, and made it practically impossible for the family to continue to maintain the house.

They were subsequently obliged to move into more modest accommodation (Red Hill) nearby.

Baron Hill was consequently used for storage until the beginning of the 2nd World War, when it was converted into a billet for Polish soldiers.

It is said that Baron Hill was so cold at night that the Poles burnt down part of the building in the hope that they would be transferred to warmer accommodation.

The estate today contains a golf course, and there have been plans to convert Baron Hill into de luxe apartments.

First published in March, 2021.