This family, settled in
Rhufoniog
for several centuries, claimed descent from
Marchweithian
. There are alabaster effigies of
RHYS AP
, also called
RHYS
, of
Plas Iolyn
,
standard-bearer
in the
battle of Bosworth Field
, and of his wife
Lowry
, in
Ysbyty Ifan church
(
Syr
Robert ap Rhys
, son of
Rhys Fawr
and
Lowry
, is also represented by an alabaster effigy in
Ysbyty Ifan church
; a
chaplain
to
cardinal
Wolsey
, he was the father of
Elis ap Rhys
, i.e.
Dr.
Elis
Prys
(q.v.)
(see also
Vaughan
family,
Pant Glas
). Their eldest son,
MAURICE
GETHIN
,
steward
of the
abbey of Aberconway
, m.
Ann
, daughter of
David
Myddelton
‘
Hen
,’
Gwenynog
,
receiver-general for North Wales
in the time of
Edward
IV
, and had a large family, the heir being
CADWALADR
WYNNE
I
,
high sheriff
of
Denbighshire
,
1548
, who, by a deed of partition
8 Feb. 1546
, executed by him and his brother,
Robert
Wynne
(in whose memory and that of his wife — they d. in
1598
— there is a brass in
Ysbyty Ifan church
), obtained
Voelas
Robert
receiving
Cernioge
as a royal grant. His heir,
ROBERT
WYNN
,
steward
to
queen
Elizabeth
for the land of the
abbey of Aberconway
, m.
Grace
, a daughter of the house of
Salusbury
of
Lleweni
, and by her was the father of
CADWALADR
WYNNE
II
(d.
1612
),
high sheriff
of
Denbighshire
in
1605
, who by his first wife,
Anne
(
Holland
)
, of
Berw
,
Anglesey
, was the father of
ROBERT
WYNNE
II
(b. [
before 1602
]), whose wife, whom he m. in
1645
, was
Jane
Thelwall
,
Plas y Ward
.
Robert
Wynne
, who was
high sheriff
of
Denbighshire
in
1631
, was succeeded by
CADWALADR
WYNNE
III
(buried at
Conway
6 Feb. 1719/20
), aged 79; he, by his second wife,
Sidney
(another
Thelwall
, of
Plas y Ward
), was the father of
CADWALADR
WYNNE
IV
, who m.,
1716
,
Jane
, daughter of
Edward
Griffith
,
Garn
.
Sidney
(q.v.
on p. 300), a daughter of this marriage, m.
William
Griffith
of
Cefn Amwlch, Caerns.
; the heir of this marriage (see article on
Griffith
,
Cefn Amwlch
) was
JOHN
GRIFFITH
,
high sheriff
of
Caernarvonshire
in
1765
, who died without an heir and bequeathed his
Cefn Amwlch estate
to his cousin,
JANE
WYNNE
,
Voelas
.
The heir of
Cadwaladr
Wynne
IV
was
WATKIN
WYNNE
(
1717
-
1774
), who was
high sheriff
of
Denbighshire
in
1755
, and who built the first church at
Pentrefoelas
(
1766
). He m.
Jane
, daughter of
Richard
Clayton
,
Leon Hall
,
Salop
; they were the parents of
JANE
WYNNE
(d.
3 Oct. 1811
), sole heiress of
Voelas
, and by the will of her cousin,
John
Griffith
(above),
Cefn Amwlch
also.
Jane
Wynne
m. (
28 Dec. 1778
) the
hon.
CHARLES
FINCH
(
1752
-
1819
), second son of
Heneage
,
3rd earl of Aylesford
(
Jane
Wynne
's sister,
Elizabeth
, m.
Thomas Assheton
Smith
of
Vaenol
, q.v.
). The eldest son (and heir) of the
Wynne-Finch
marriage was
CHARLES
FINCH
, afterwards called
CHARLES
WYNNE
(
1780
-
1865
), who built the present church at
Pentrefoelas
. He was succeeded by his son
CHARLES
WYNNE
, afterwards
CHARLES
FINCH
(d.
1874
), who was educated at
Christ Church
,
Oxford
. He it was who built the present house of
Voelas
(
1865-8
). He was
Member of Parliament
for
Caernarvon boroughs
,
1859-63
. His eldest son was
CHARLES
FINCH
(
1841
-
1903
), who was succeeded at
Voelas
by his second son, and at
Cefn Amwlch
by the third son — the eldest son having d. in
1890
.
Sir William Llewelyn Davies, M.A., LL.D., F.S.A. (1887-1952),
Aberystwyth.
