Sir Trevor Williams, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Trevor Williams, 1st Baronet (c.1623 - 1692) of Llangibby
, Monmouthshire
, was a Welsh
politician, gentry
landowner, military commander and rebel. He played a significant part in events during and after the English Civil War
in South Wales
, siding first with King Charles
, then with the Parliamentarians
, before rejoining the Royalists
in 1648.
and Joyce, a daughter of the Herefordshire
based Scudamore family. Roger Williams, Trevor's grandfather and High Sheriff of Monmouthshire
, acquired Llangibby Castle in 1545 and adopted the surname Williams (derived from his father's name, William) in 1562. His son, Charles
, who became M.P.
for Monmouthshire
and was knighted in 1621, also became Sheriff
of Monmouthshire in 1627. Sir Charles, Trevor's father, was a noted Puritan
who presented a fine Jacobean
pulpit
with the text "Woe Be to Me if I Preach not the Gospel" to Caerwent
church in 1632. He died in 1642.
. At the outbreak of what was to become the First English Civil War
, this gave him responsibilities for raising an army within Monmouthshire for the King, and holding the county against opposition. He was also created a baronet
(one of several Williams Baronets
in Wales
). Having set about his alloted task he was captured by Parliamentary forces in 1643 at Highnam
during the Siege of Gloucester
. After his release, he set about fortifying the ruined medieval stone castle
at Llangibby, beside the Caerleon
to Usk
road, and garrisoned it with 60 men. In 1644 he helped lead operations around Monmouth
. After the town was lost to the Parliamentarians he pleaded with Prince Rupert for more men and ammunition, following which he helped lead its recapture.
As a tenant of the Earl of Pembroke
, as were his family before him, he naturally took up the shared feud with the successive holders of the title Duke of Somerset
. He especially came to resent the favours of the King to the Catholic
Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset
, and the Earl of Glamorgan's plan to bring in Irish soldiers to south east Wales. He resisted the recruiting activities of Sir Jacob Astley, 1st Baron Astley of Reading
for the King across South Wales in 1645, and was immediately arrested at Abergavenny
. He was quickly bail
ed, the King recognising his power base in the area, whereupon he seized and held nearby Monmouth Castle
, this time against the King. In 1646, he helped relieve the Parliamentarians besieged in Cardiff
and was temporarily given the role of Commander in Monmouthshire. However, he lost this position after a few months, and also failed to secure sufficient patronage to allow him to be elected as a Member of Parliament. He then fought at the bitter and lengthy siege
of Raglan Castle
on the side of Parliament, the winning side.
However, by the time the Second English Civil War
was developing, Williams had become alarmed at Cromwell
's ascendancy, and in particular Cromwell's decision to give himself lands in Glamorgan
and Monmouthshire, including Chepstow Castle
, which he had coveted for himself. As a result, in 1648 he helped Sir Nicholas Kemeys, 1st Baronet
and Custos Rotulorum of Monmouthshire
, to seize and hold Chepstow for the King. Cromwell's response was to storm Chepstow, regaining it and arresting and seizing the lands of the rebels involved. Williams' lands were sequestered
by Parliament but he appealed and his lands were returned to him.
On his release, Williams bought further lands which had belonged to others who had their lands sequestered, particularly in and around St Mellons
between Cardiff
and Newport
. He was reconciled to the Protectorate
by 1657, to the extent of temporarily abandoning his title of baronet. However, with The Restoration of 1660, he was made Colonel of the county militia, to help disarm the radicals and win their support.
that Worcester - who by now had become the Duke of Beaufort
- be removed from the royal court and council, on the grounds that he was secretly a "Papist
", and that Worcester's garrison at Chepstow
should be disbanded.
However, by 1683 Williams was accused of fomenting trouble among the youth of Monmouthshire, and the following year Beaufort successfully sued him and his ally John Arnold for scandalum magnatum, libel against a peer
. Williams was fined £20,000 (equivalent to £2,477,245 in 2007 http://www.measuringworth.com/index.html) and imprisoned, ending his political career. He died in 1692.
* Charles Somerset, Marquess of Worcester
was styled "Lord Herbert" until 1682.
Llangybi, Monmouthshire
Llangybi is a village in Monmouthshire, in south east Wales, United Kingdom. It is located 3 miles south of the town of Usk and 5 miles north of Caerleon, in the valley of the River Usk.- History and buildings :...
, Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
, was a Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
politician, gentry
Gentry
Gentry denotes "well-born and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past....
landowner, military commander and rebel. He played a significant part in events during and after the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
, siding first with King Charles
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
, then with the Parliamentarians
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
, before rejoining the Royalists
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
in 1648.
Family and lineage
Trevor Williams was a descendant of a marriage in 1300 between Howel Gam ap David of Penrhos CastlePenrhos, Monmouthshire
-History and amenities:Penrhos has an old Norman motte and bailey castle site. Raglan Castle is located just north of Raglan village. Penrhos sits on a tributary stream of the River Trothy.The parish church is dedicated to Saint Cadoc .-External links:* *...
and Joyce, a daughter of the Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
based Scudamore family. Roger Williams, Trevor's grandfather and High Sheriff of Monmouthshire
High Sheriff of Monmouthshire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Monmouthshire, which was created in 1536 but not fully settled until 1540. The shrievalty was finally abolished in 1974 when the county and shrievalty of Gwent was created.-List of Sheriffs:Served under Henry VIII:...
, acquired Llangibby Castle in 1545 and adopted the surname Williams (derived from his father's name, William) in 1562. His son, Charles
Charles Williams (of Llangibby)
Sir Charles Williams was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1621.Williams was the son of Sir Rowland Williams of Llangibby. He matriculated at Jesus College, Oxford on 16 June 1610 aged 19, He became a student of Inner Temple in November 1611.In 1621, Williams was elected...
, who became M.P.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Monmouthshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of Parliament of England from 1536 until 1707, of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1801, and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885...
and was knighted in 1621, also became Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Monmouthshire in 1627. Sir Charles, Trevor's father, was a noted Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
who presented a fine Jacobean
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
with the text "Woe Be to Me if I Preach not the Gospel" to Caerwent
Caerwent
Caerwent is a village and community in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located about five miles west of Chepstow and eleven miles east of Newport, and was founded by the Romans as the market town of Venta Silurum, an important settlement of the Brythonic Silures tribe. The modern village is built...
church in 1632. He died in 1642.
English Civil War
In 1642, young Trevor Williams, as a well connected local man and strong Protestant, was appointed by the King with a Commission of ArrayCommission of Array
A Commission of Array was a commission given by English royalty to officers or gentry in a given territory to muster and array the inhabitants and to see them in a condition for war, or to put soldiers of a country in a condition for military service...
. At the outbreak of what was to become the First English Civil War
First English Civil War
The First English Civil War began the series of three wars known as the English Civil War . "The English Civil War" was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations that took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651, and includes the Second English Civil War and...
, this gave him responsibilities for raising an army within Monmouthshire for the King, and holding the county against opposition. He was also created a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
(one of several Williams Baronets
Williams Baronets
There have been twenty Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Williams, eight in the Baronetage of England, three in the Baronetage of Great Britain and nine in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. Only six of the creations are extant...
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...
). Having set about his alloted task he was captured by Parliamentary forces in 1643 at Highnam
Highnam
Highnam is a village and civil parish on the outskirts of the city of Gloucester. It is three miles northwest of the city on the A40, on its way to Ross, west of Alney Island and Over Bridge. The parish includes the villages of Lassington and Over...
during the Siege of Gloucester
Siege of Gloucester
The Siege of Gloucester was an engagement in the First English Civil War. It took place between August 3 and September 5, 1643, between the defending Parliamentarian garrison of Gloucester and the besieging army of King Charles I. The siege ended with the arrival of a relieving Parliamentarian army...
. After his release, he set about fortifying the ruined medieval stone castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
at Llangibby, beside the Caerleon
Caerleon
Caerleon is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. Caerleon is a site of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hill fort...
to Usk
Usk
Usk is a small town in Monmouthshire, Wales, situated 10 miles northeast of Newport.The River Usk flows through the town and is spanned by an ancient, arched stone bridge at the western entrance to the town. A castle above the town overlooks the ancient Anglo-Welsh border crossing - the river can...
road, and garrisoned it with 60 men. In 1644 he helped lead operations around Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
. After the town was lost to the Parliamentarians he pleaded with Prince Rupert for more men and ammunition, following which he helped lead its recapture.
As a tenant of the Earl of Pembroke
Earl of Pembroke
Earl of Pembroke is a title created ten times, all in the Peerage of England. It was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title is associated with Pembroke, Pembrokeshire in West Wales, which is the site of Earldom's original seat Pembroke Castle...
, as were his family before him, he naturally took up the shared feud with the successive holders of the title Duke of Somerset
Duke of Somerset
Duke of Somerset is a title in the peerage of England that has been created several times. Derived from Somerset, it is particularly associated with two families; the Beauforts who held the title from the creation of 1448 and the Seymours, from the creation of 1547 and in whose name the title is...
. He especially came to resent the favours of the King to the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset
Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset
Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset, , was a politician, and favourite of King James I of England.-Background:Robert Kerr was born in Wrington, Somerset, England the younger son of Sir Thomas Kerr of Ferniehurst, Scotland by his second wife, Janet, sister of Walter Scott of Buccleuch...
, and the Earl of Glamorgan's plan to bring in Irish soldiers to south east Wales. He resisted the recruiting activities of Sir Jacob Astley, 1st Baron Astley of Reading
Jacob Astley, 1st Baron Astley of Reading
Jacob Astley, 1st Baron Astley of Reading was a Royalist commander in the English Civil War.-Life:He came from an established Norfolk family, and was born at Melton Constable. His first experiences of war were at the age of 18 when he joined the Islands Voyage expedition in 1597 under the Earl of...
for the King across South Wales in 1645, and was immediately arrested at Abergavenny
Abergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
. He was quickly bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
ed, the King recognising his power base in the area, whereupon he seized and held nearby Monmouth Castle
Monmouth Castle
Monmouth Castle is a castle site in the town of Monmouth, county town of Monmouthshire, south east Wales.- Location :Monmouth Castle is located close to the centre of Monmouth town on a hill towering over the River Monnow, behind shops and the main square and streets...
, this time against the King. In 1646, he helped relieve the Parliamentarians besieged in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
and was temporarily given the role of Commander in Monmouthshire. However, he lost this position after a few months, and also failed to secure sufficient patronage to allow him to be elected as a Member of Parliament. He then fought at the bitter and lengthy siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
of Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle is a late medieval castle located just north of the village of Raglan in the county of Monmouthshire in south east Wales. The modern castle dates from between the 15th and early 17th-centuries, when the successive ruling families of the Herberts and the Somersets created a luxurious,...
on the side of Parliament, the winning side.
However, by the time the Second English Civil War
Second English Civil War
The Second English Civil War was the second of three wars known as the English Civil War which refers to the series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1652 and also include the First English Civil War and the...
was developing, Williams had become alarmed at Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's ascendancy, and in particular Cromwell's decision to give himself lands in Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
and Monmouthshire, including Chepstow Castle
Chepstow Castle
Chepstow Castle , located in Chepstow, Monmouthshire in Wales, on top of cliffs overlooking the River Wye, is the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification in Britain...
, which he had coveted for himself. As a result, in 1648 he helped Sir Nicholas Kemeys, 1st Baronet
Sir Nicholas Kemeys, 1st Baronet
Sir Nicholas Kemeys, 1st Baronet was a Welsh landowner and soldier during the English Civil War in South Wales and played a key part in events in the region during that conflict.- Lineage :...
and Custos Rotulorum of Monmouthshire
Custos Rotulorum of Monmouthshire
This is a list of people who have served as Custos Rotulorum of Monmouthshire.* Richard Morgan bef. 1544–1556* Thomas Somerset bef. 1558 – aft. 1562* Rowland Morgan bef. 1564 – aft. 1577* William Herbert bef. 1584–1593...
, to seize and hold Chepstow for the King. Cromwell's response was to storm Chepstow, regaining it and arresting and seizing the lands of the rebels involved. Williams' lands were sequestered
Sequestration (law)
Sequestration is the act of removing, separating, or seizing anything from the possession of its owner under process of law for the benefit of creditors or the state.-Etymology:...
by Parliament but he appealed and his lands were returned to him.
On his release, Williams bought further lands which had belonged to others who had their lands sequestered, particularly in and around St Mellons
St Mellons
St Mellons is a district and suburb of eastern Cardiff, the capital city of Wales.-History:St Mellons began as a small commercial centre in the historic county of Monmouthshire, relying heavily on rural agriculture, farming and travel...
between Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
and Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
. He was reconciled to the Protectorate
The Protectorate
In British history, the Protectorate was the period 1653–1659 during which the Commonwealth of England was governed by a Lord Protector.-Background:...
by 1657, to the extent of temporarily abandoning his title of baronet. However, with The Restoration of 1660, he was made Colonel of the county militia, to help disarm the radicals and win their support.
Political career
In 1667, he was elected M.P. for Monmouthshire after a strongly contested election against the Marquis of Worcester's nominee, subsequently making a name for himself on anti-Catholic committees. He sat for the Monmouthshire boroughs in the Parliament of 1679, and again for the county in those of 1680 and 1681, as a member of the grouping which later became known as Whigs. In 1680 he proposed in the House of CommonsHouse of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
that Worcester - who by now had become the Duke of Beaufort
Duke of Beaufort
Duke of Beaufort is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created by Charles II in 1682 for Henry Somerset, 3rd Marquess of Worcester, a descendant of Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, illegitimate son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset, a Lancastrian leader in the Wars of the...
- be removed from the royal court and council, on the grounds that he was secretly a "Papist
Papist
Papist is a term or an anti-Catholic slur, referring to the Roman Catholic Church, its teachings, practices, or adherents. The term was coined during the English Reformation to denote a person whose loyalties were to the Pope, rather than to the Church of England...
", and that Worcester's garrison at Chepstow
Chepstow
Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
should be disbanded.
However, by 1683 Williams was accused of fomenting trouble among the youth of Monmouthshire, and the following year Beaufort successfully sued him and his ally John Arnold for scandalum magnatum, libel against a peer
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
. Williams was fined £20,000 (equivalent to £2,477,245 in 2007 http://www.measuringworth.com/index.html) and imprisoned, ending his political career. He died in 1692.
External links
- http://yba.llgc.org.uk/en/s-WILL-TRE-1623.htmlSir Trevor Williams on The National Library of Wales Dictionary of Welsh BiographyDictionary of Welsh BiographyThe Dictionary of Welsh Biography is a dictionary of biographies of Welsh men and women who have made a unique contribution to Welsh life over seventeen centuries...
] - Oliver Cromwell's Letters & Papers referring to Sir Trevor Williams revolt
* Charles Somerset, Marquess of Worcester
Charles Somerset, Marquess of Worcester
Charles Somerset, Marquess of Worcester was the eldest son of a peer in the peerage of England and an MP.-Private Life:...
was styled "Lord Herbert" until 1682.