BLAYNEY
family, of
Gregynog, Mont.
The family claimed descent from
Brochwel Ysgythrog
. The first member of the family about whom there is definite information is
EVAN
BLAYNEY
, whose name appears eighteenth in the roll of
burgesses
found in the charter of
Welshpool
,
7 June, 7 Henry IV (1406)
, where he is described as ‘of
Tregynon
.’ His son,
GRIFFITH AP
EVAN
BLAYNEY
, is mentioned by the
poet
Lewis Glyn Cothi
. The
Gregynog
line of the family was continued by
Griffith
's son
EVAN
LLOYD
ap GRIFFITH
and
by his grandson
THOMAS AP
EVAN
LLOYD
whose son,
DAVID
LLOYD
BLAYNEY
, was
sheriff
of
Montgomeryshire
in
1577
and
1585
.
David Lloyd
Blayney
's wife was
Elizabeth
, daughter of
Lewis
Jones
of
Bishop's Castle
, and their eldest son,
LEWIS
BLAYNEY
, was
deputy-sheriff
to his father in
1577
and
1585
.
Lewis
Blayney
m.
Bridget
, daughter of
John
Price
of
Newtown
, and their son,
JOHN
BLAYNEY
, was entered a
barrister
of the
Inner Temple
in
1609
and was
sheriff
in
1630
and
1643
. In
8 Charles I
he was
chief steward
of the lordships of
Kerry
,
Cydewain
,
Halcetor
, and
Montgomery
. In
1666
he was one of those deemed qualified to be made
Knights of the Royal Oak
, an order intended by
Charles
II
as a reward to his followers. He m.
Elizabeth
, daughter of
Jenkin
Lloyd
of
Berth-lwyd
,
Llanidloes
. Their daughter and heiress,
JOYCE
, m. her second cousin,
Sir
Arthur
Blayney
, who belonged to the
Irish
branch of the family. His father was the
1st lord Blayney
who, in turn, was the third son of
David Lloyd
Blayney
(
sheriff
1577
,
v. supra
).
EDWARD
, the
1st LORD
BLAYNEY
, was a
soldier
from his youth, and in
1598
he accompanied the
earl of Essex
to
Ireland
. He distinguished himself in the fighting in
Ireland
, and in
1603
he was
knighted
and, in
1621
, elevated to the
peerage of Ireland
as
lord Blayney
,
baron of Monaghan
,
co. Monaghan
. His second son,
ARTHUR
(the husband of
Joyce
Blayney
), was
knighted
for bravery in the
battle of Beaumaris
. He was
sheriff
of
Montgomeryshire
in
1644
. During the
Civil War
he assisted
Sir
William
Owen
of
Brogyntyn
in the defence of
Harlech Castle
for the
king
, and was one of the
Commissioners
appointed by him to sign the articles of surrender in
March 1647
. He d. in
1659
.
Arthur
's third son,
HENRY
, was the father of
JOHN
BLAYNEY
, who was
sheriff
in
1716
.
John
Blayney
m.
Anne
, daughter of
Arthur
Weaver
of
Morville
,
Salop
, the
sheriff
of
Montgomeryshire
in
1667
. Their youngest son and eventual heir,
Arthur
Blayney
(
v. infra
), was the last of the
Blayneys
of
Gregynog
, though the
Irish
line — the
Blayneys
of
Blayney Castle
— continued for some years. The
Blayney estates
in
Montgomeryshire
and
Salop
passed to the
Hon.
Henry
Tracy
, who became the
8th viscount Tracy
and whose wife was
Susanna
Weaver
, a second cousin of
Arthur
Blayney
[see note at end of article
‘
Hanbury
,
John
’
].
BLAYNEY
,
ARTHUR
(
1716
-
1795
),
the last of the
Blayneys
of
Gregynog
; b.
11 Feb. 1716
, was the youngest of the eight children of
John
Blayney
and
Anne
Weaver
his wife. As a result of the death of his elder brother he succeeded to the family estates. In
1764
he served the office of
sheriff
. He was noteworthy as a fine example of a
country gentleman
. He was a good
landlord
and concerned himself with the welfare of his tenants, often assisting them by buying their produce. He
gave land for the building of good roads
, and
encouraged the planting of trees
. He d.
1 Oct. 1795
and was buried at
Tregynon
on
6 Oct
.
Bibliography:
-
Collections Historical and Archaeological
relating to Montgomeryshire
, xviii, 229, xxi, 273, xxii, 71, xxv, 105;
-
R. Williams
,
Montgomeryshire Worthies
, second ed.,
1894
;
-
National Library of Wales Manuscript
9252.
Author:
Elwyn Evans, M.A., Aberystwyth
