Edmund Meyrick
Encyclopedia
Edmund Meyrick (1636 – 24 April 1713) was a Welsh
cleric and benefactor of Jesus College, Oxford
, where scholarship
s are still awarded in his name.
(near Bala
, Merionethshire
) and christened in Llandderfel on 11 June 1636. He attended four schools, including one year at Ruthin School
, before matriculating
at Jesus College, Oxford in 1656. He was elected to a scholarship in 1658 and obtained his B.A.
degree in 1659. He was ordained both deacon and priest by Robert Skinner
, Bishop of Oxford
, on 30 August 1660 in the chapel of New College, Oxford
. In 1662, he was elected to a probationary Fellowship of the college, but married in 1663 and became ineligible for a full fellowship. He became vicar of Eynsham
on 10 August 1663. He was chaplain to Richard, Earl of Carbery
— the Meyricks and the Carberys being related — and this connection led to Meyrick's appointment to a number of lucrative positions in West Wales. Meyrick became vicar of Llangathen
in 1665, vicar of Llanegwad
and a Canon
of St David's Cathedral
in 1667, rector
of Burton, Pembrokeshire
in 1670, treasurer of St David's in 1690 and rector of Penboyr
in 1713. He was also a canon of Christ College, Brecon and vicar of Carmarthen
; he held many of these positions at the same time. He died in Carmarthen, where he was then living, on 24 April 1713, and was buried in St Peter's Church; a memorial to him was placed on the north wall of the chancel.
, Merionethshire
and Meyrick also owned several houses in Carmarthen. In 1708, he set up a charity-school in Carmarthen but for some reason directed in his will that the school and master should be moved to Bala, where it became the Bala Grammar School. The will provided for an annual payment of £15 to the schoolmaster together with the use of the schoolhouse, and £15 per year for clothing for the students.
His will, dated 25 March 1712, said: He left family property in Denbighshire
and Merionethshire, as well as his Carmarthen property after expiration of some life interests, to the college to provide six scholarships of £10 and six exhibitions of £8. The scholarships and exhibitions were to be awarded to Jesus College students from North Wales, until they obtained their Master of Arts degree or were receiving more than £40 per year from a parish appointment. Any surplus was to be used to buy advowson
s so that the College might present one of the scholars (or in default of a suitable scholar, a Meyrick exhibitioner or a North Wales fellow of the College) to a parish position. Whilst the estate produced a surplus, only one living
was purchased by the trustees, that of the rectory of Llandow
in 1735. Further increases in the surplus led to an increase in payments to Bala School and to the scholars and exhibitioners, and to the purchase of other property in Cheltenham
and Carmarthen. This proved to be a profitable investment since, by 1840, the college had received more than £10,000 through the sale of trust land near Cheltenham for railway purposes. Payments to Bala School ended in 1862, when the annual payments were commuted for a lump-sum payment of £5,333.
Meyrick scholarships and exhibitions are still awarded to students at Jesus College, based on academic merit. Students performing consistently at a first-class
standard during the year in the opinion of their tutors may be awarded a Meyrick scholarship, with consistent performance at upper second
to first-class standard potentially leading to the award of a Meyrick exhibition. The restriction in Meyrick's bequest that the scholarships were for students from North Wales only was relaxed in 1857 to cover students from all of Wales and Monmouthshire
. The restrictions have been further relaxed and students who were not born in Wales are also now eligible for a Meyrick scholarship or exhibition if they are the child of a native of Wales, are able to speak Welsh
or they were educated for the last three years of secondary school in Wales.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
cleric and benefactor of Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
, where scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s are still awarded in his name.
Life
Meyrick was born at Garthlwyd, LlandderfelLlandderfel
Llandderfel is a village in Gwynedd, Wales.It was formerly served by the Llandderfel railway station....
(near Bala
Bala, Gwynedd
Bala is a market town and community in Gwynedd, Wales, and formerly an urban district of the historic county of Merionethshire. It lies at the north end of Bala Lake , 17 miles north-east of Dolgellau, with a population of 1,980...
, Merionethshire
Merionethshire
Merionethshire is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, a vice county and a former administrative county.The administrative county of Merioneth, created under the Local Government Act 1888, was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 on April 1, 1974...
) and christened in Llandderfel on 11 June 1636. He attended four schools, including one year at Ruthin School
Ruthin School
Ruthin School is one of the oldest public schools in the United Kingdom. Located on the outskirts of Ruthin, the county town of Denbighshire in North Wales, the school is over seven hundred years old and has been co-educational since 1990.- Beginnings :...
, before matriculating
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
at Jesus College, Oxford in 1656. He was elected to a scholarship in 1658 and obtained his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1659. He was ordained both deacon and priest by Robert Skinner
Robert Skinner
-Life:He was a Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford in 1613, and graduated M.A. in 1614.His father Edmund Skinner was rector of Pitsford, and Robert succeeded him in 1628. He was vicar of Launton from 1632....
, Bishop of Oxford
Bishop of Oxford
The Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford...
, on 30 August 1660 in the chapel of New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
. In 1662, he was elected to a probationary Fellowship of the college, but married in 1663 and became ineligible for a full fellowship. He became vicar of Eynsham
Eynsham
Eynsham is a village and civil parish about east of Witney in Oxfordshire, England.-History:Eynsham grew up near the historically important ford of Swinford on the River Thames flood plain...
on 10 August 1663. He was chaplain to Richard, Earl of Carbery
Richard Vaughan, 2nd Earl of Carbery
Richard Vaughan, 2nd Earl of Carbery KB, PC , styled The Honourable from 1621 until 1628 and then Lord Vaughan until 1634, was a Welsh soldier, peer and politician...
— the Meyricks and the Carberys being related — and this connection led to Meyrick's appointment to a number of lucrative positions in West Wales. Meyrick became vicar of Llangathen
Llangathen
Llangathen is a community located in Carmarthenshire, Wales....
in 1665, vicar of Llanegwad
Llanegwad
Llanegwad is a community located in Carmarthenshire, Wales.Llanegwad is built up mainly of small farms and detached homes. Most of all homes located in Llanegwad are older Victorian properties; As well as a number of more modern homes...
and a Canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of St David's Cathedral
St David's Cathedral
St David's Cathedral is situated in St David's in the county of Pembrokeshire, on the most westerly point of Wales.-Early history:The monastic community was founded by Saint David, Abbot of Menevia, who died in AD589...
in 1667, rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Burton, Pembrokeshire
Burton, Pembrokeshire
Burton is a small village in south Pembrokeshire, Wales. The village is set on a hill overlooking the River Cleddau.The setting of the village makes it a popular holiday destination . It enjoys views of the Cleddau estuary to the south east and west and has a waterfront pub on the river...
in 1670, treasurer of St David's in 1690 and rector of Penboyr
Penboyr
Penboyr is a hamlet in the county of Carmarthenshire in west Wales consisting of a number of houses, smallholdings, farms and a church.-About:...
in 1713. He was also a canon of Christ College, Brecon and vicar of Carmarthen
Carmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
; he held many of these positions at the same time. He died in Carmarthen, where he was then living, on 24 April 1713, and was buried in St Peter's Church; a memorial to him was placed on the north wall of the chancel.
Bequests
Meyrick's wife and only child had predeceased him, enabling a more generous disposition of his assets. He had extensive property interests, in both North and South Wales. The family seat was in Ucheldre, GwyddelwernGwyddelwern
Gwyddelwern is a small village and community of 508 residents, situated approximately north of Corwen in Denbighshire in Wales. Historically the village was part of the Edeirnion district of Meirionnydd. Edeirnion was part of the Glyndwr district of Clwyd from 1974 to 1996, when the area became...
, Merionethshire
Merionethshire
Merionethshire is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, a vice county and a former administrative county.The administrative county of Merioneth, created under the Local Government Act 1888, was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 on April 1, 1974...
and Meyrick also owned several houses in Carmarthen. In 1708, he set up a charity-school in Carmarthen but for some reason directed in his will that the school and master should be moved to Bala, where it became the Bala Grammar School. The will provided for an annual payment of £15 to the schoolmaster together with the use of the schoolhouse, and £15 per year for clothing for the students.
His will, dated 25 March 1712, said: He left family property in Denbighshire
Denbighshire (historic)
Historic Denbighshire is one of thirteen traditional counties in Wales, a vice-county and a former administrative county, which covers an area in north east Wales...
and Merionethshire, as well as his Carmarthen property after expiration of some life interests, to the college to provide six scholarships of £10 and six exhibitions of £8. The scholarships and exhibitions were to be awarded to Jesus College students from North Wales, until they obtained their Master of Arts degree or were receiving more than £40 per year from a parish appointment. Any surplus was to be used to buy advowson
Advowson
Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...
s so that the College might present one of the scholars (or in default of a suitable scholar, a Meyrick exhibitioner or a North Wales fellow of the College) to a parish position. Whilst the estate produced a surplus, only one living
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
was purchased by the trustees, that of the rectory of Llandow
Llandow
Llandow is a village in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The village is located south west of Cardiff.- Amenities :Within Llandow is a small medieval parish church, whose history dates back to the 11th century, with a saddleback tower dedicated to the Holy Trinity.Adjacent to the village is a...
in 1735. Further increases in the surplus led to an increase in payments to Bala School and to the scholars and exhibitioners, and to the purchase of other property in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
and Carmarthen. This proved to be a profitable investment since, by 1840, the college had received more than £10,000 through the sale of trust land near Cheltenham for railway purposes. Payments to Bala School ended in 1862, when the annual payments were commuted for a lump-sum payment of £5,333.
Meyrick scholarships and exhibitions are still awarded to students at Jesus College, based on academic merit. Students performing consistently at a first-class
British undergraduate degree classification
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading scheme for undergraduate degrees in the United Kingdom...
standard during the year in the opinion of their tutors may be awarded a Meyrick scholarship, with consistent performance at upper second
British undergraduate degree classification
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading scheme for undergraduate degrees in the United Kingdom...
to first-class standard potentially leading to the award of a Meyrick exhibition. The restriction in Meyrick's bequest that the scholarships were for students from North Wales only was relaxed in 1857 to cover students from all of Wales and Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
. The restrictions have been further relaxed and students who were not born in Wales are also now eligible for a Meyrick scholarship or exhibition if they are the child of a native of Wales, are able to speak Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
or they were educated for the last three years of secondary school in Wales.