Mansel of Margam

THE MANSELS WERE THE LARGEST LANDOWNERS IN GLAMORGANSHIRE, WITH 33,920 ACRES

This family is descended from Philip Mansel, who came into England with WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR.

SIR EDWARD MANSEL (c1530-85), of Margam, Glamorganshire, MP for Glamorganshire, 1554, High Sheriff of Glamorganshire, 1576, who had received the honour of knighthood in 1572, was Chamberlain of Chester, and a man of great honour, integrity, and courage, distinguishing himself in many services during the reign of ELIZABETH I.

He married the Lady Jane Somerset, youngest daughter of Henry, 2nd Earl of Worcester, and had numerous issue, including,

THOMAS, his heir;

Francis, cr a Baronet, designated of Muddlescombe;

Robert (Sir);

Philip;

Elizabeth; Cecil; Mary; Anne.

Sir Edward was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR THOMAS MANSEL (c1555-1631), of Margam, MP for Glamorgan, 1597-1614, High Sheriff of Glamorganshire, 1594, who wedded firstly, Mary, daughter of Lewis, 3rd Baron Mordaunt; and secondly, Jane, daughter of Thomas Pole.

By the latter he had a daughter, Mary; and by the former he had three sons.

Sir Thomas Mansel, 1st Baronet, and Lady Mansel (Image: National Museum Wales)

Sir Thomas was created a baronet in 1611, designated of Margam, Glamorganshire.

He was succeeded by his son,

SIR LEWIS MANSEL, 2nd Baronet (c1594-1638), High Sheriff of Glamorganshire, 1537, the Lady Katherine Sydney, daughter of Robert, 1st Earl of Leicester, and aunt of ALGERNON SYDNEY, but by that lady had no issue.

He espoused secondly, Katherine, daughter of Sir Edward Lewis, by whom he had two daughters; and thirdly, the Lady Elizabeth Montagu, daughter of Henry, Earl of Manchester, by whom he hd issue,

HENRY, his successor;

EDWARD, 4th Baronet;

Henry;

Elizabeth; Mary.

Sir Lewis was succeeded by his elder son,

SIR HENRY MANSEL, 3rd Baronet (c1629-c1640), who died unmarried, when the title devolved upon his brother,

SIR EDWARD MANSEL, 4th Baronet (c1637-1706), High Sheriff of Glamorganshire, 1688, who wedded Martha, daughter of Edward Carne, of Ewenny, Glamorganshire, and had issue,

THOMAS, his successor;

Martha; Elizabeth.

He was succeeded by his son,

SIR THOMAS MANSEL, 5th Baronet (1667-1723), Comptroller of the Household to Queen Anne, Privy Counsellor, Commissioner of the Treasury, High Sheriff of Glamorganshire, 1701, who married, in 1686, Martha, daughter and heir of Francis Millington, of the city of London, merchant, and had issue,

Robert (1695-1723), father of Thomas, 2nd Baron Mansel;

Christopher, 3rd Baron;

Bussy, 4th Baron;

Martha; Elizabeth;

MARY, of whom we treat;

three other daughters.

Sir Thomas was elevated to the peerage, in 1712, in the dignity of BARON MANSEL, of Margam, Glamorganshire.

His lordship's third daughter,

THE HON MARY MANSEL, wedded, ca 1717, JOHN IVORY-TALBOT, of Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire, and had issue,

Thomas;

John;

Martha.

The elder son,

THE REV THOMAS TALBOT (1719-58), wedded Jane, daughter of Thomas Beach, and had issue,

THOMAS MANSEL, his heir;

Christopher;

Anne; Jane.

The elder son,

THOMAS MANSEL TALBOT (1747-1813), High Sheriff of Glamorganshire, 1782, married, in 1794, the Lady Mary Lucy Fox-Strangways, daughter of Henry Thomas, 2nd Earl of Ilchester, and had issue,

CHRISTOPHER RICE MANSEL;

Emma Thomasina.

The only son,

CHRISTOPHER RICE MANSEL TALBOT (1803-90), of Margam Castle and Penrice Castle, MP for Glamordan, 1830-85, married, in 1835, the Lady Charlotte Butler, daughter of Richard, 1st Earl of Glengall, and had issue,

Theodore, died in 1876 following a hunting accident;

EMILY CHARLOTTE;

Olive Emma.

Margam Castle (Image: Robert Davies)

MARGAM CASTLE, near Port Talbot, Glamorganshire, is a large Victorian mansion, built in the Tudor-Gothic style in 1830-40 by Thomas Hopper for Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot.

The mansion was built of Pyle ashlar stone and arranged around three courtyards.

It has two main storeys with a gabled third storey.

An octagonal tower with attached stair turret rises two storeys above the main house.

The main entrance is a Gothic, two storey gabled porch.

Margam Castle (Image: Tripadvisor)

Following the death of Emily Charlotte Talbot, the daughter of its first owner, the castle passed to her nephew and continued to be used by the Talbot family until 1941, when it was sold.

David Evans-Bevan, who purchased it, found it too large to inhabit, but could not find any public organisation interested in acquiring, and subsequently the house fell into disrepair.

For many years it belonged to the local authority, but was not open to the public.

In 1977, a fire caused substantial damage, and it was only after this that a restoration project began in earnest.

It has become a very popular venue for paranormal investigation events groups.

Today Margam Castle is in the care of the local county borough council.

Other former seat ~ Penrice Castle, near Swansea, Glamorgan.

First published in February, 2021.