Gloucester, Miles of, Earl of Hereford (d.1143)
Miles was the son of Walter of Gloucester, hereditary sheriff of Gloucester. He was one of Henry I's "new men" on the March, and he married Sibyl, the daughter and heiress of Bernard de Neufmarché, who brought him the lordship of Brecon. When the great revolt against Norman rule broke out among the Welsh in 1135 Miles was able to keep control of Brecon, despite great disruption caused by Hywel ap Maredudd. In 1139 Miles openly declared for the Empress Matilda when she landed in England, in her war against Stephen; in 1141 she made him earl of Hereford. He died in 1143 in a hunting accident leaving 4 sons (Roger, Walter, Henry and Mahel) and 3 daughters (one of whom, Bertha, married William de Braose and another, Margaret, married into the Bohun family). The last of the sons died in 1165, and as all had died without issue Miles' inheritance was divided between his three daughters. [G.R.]
[R.R. Davies, Lloyd, Walker]
[R.R. Davies, Lloyd, Walker]
Glynn (or Glynne), Evan (d.1643)
The son of Morgan Glynn of Glynclywedog, Llanidloes. He served as steward for the manor of Arwystli Iscoed for his cousin Edward Lloyd of Berthloyd who had leased it from Sir William Owen. Evan Glynn also served as a magistrate from 1618 and Sheriff of Montgomeryshire in 1628.
[MC 8]
[MC 8]
Glynn, Evan (d.1703)
Son of Evan Glynn (see above) of Glynclywedog (or The Glyn), Llanidloes, whose family provided many sheriffs of the county in the 17th century. Evan married Mary Devereux of Vaynor whose father George was Sheriff of Montgomeryshire in 1658. Both he and his father-in-law were active county magistrates with different attitudes to Quaker independence. It is reported that when "Mr Justice Glynn" once imprisoned some Quakers for breaches of the law, his father-in-law "gave him hard language for so doing". He served as sheriff for the county himself in 1675.
[MC 27]
[MC 27]
Glynn, Richard (1652-1715)
Of the Glynn family of Glynclywedog, Llanidloes, Richard was the younger brother of Edward Glynn who was Sheriff in 1675. Richard attended Jesus College, Oxford and settled at Maesmawr in Llandinam parish. It is uncertain whether references to Maesmawr are to the township or Maesmawr Hall. He was appointed Sheriff of Montgomeryshire in 1689. He also inherited Plasaudon in neighbouring Llanwnog. His daughter married into the Devereux family.
[MC 62]
[MC 62]
Godolphin, Sidney (1651-1732)
Born into a branch of the powerful Godolphin family of Cornwall, he was a prominent Royalist and served as Auditor of York, MP for St Germans, Governor of Gibraltar, of Scilly and of the Greenwich Hospital and the Auditor for Wales. He married Susanna daughter of Rees Tanat of Abertanat, Llanyblodwel through whom he inherited the estates. Sidney Godolphin was appointed Sheriff of Montgomeryshire in 1679. Both he and his son Tanat Godolphin fought for William III, Tanat dying of fever in Flanders. He died in 1732 and his memorial in Thames Ditton, Surrey records that he was MP for nearly fifty years. The Abertanat estate was left to Francis, 2nd Lord Godolphin.
[MC 61]
[MC 61]
Goodwin, Geraint (1903-1941)
Novelist and short story writer from Newtown. He was educated in Mid Wales and began his career as a reporter on the Montgomeryshire Express before taking a job as a journalist in London in the early 1920s. His first book was Conversations with George Moore published in 1929. His career was affected by his struggle with tuberculosis and the long periods in hospitals and convalescent homes. This was reflected in his first novel Call Back Yesterday published in 1935. He published The Heyday in the Blood the following year. This novel proved his most popular and was lauded by critics at the time, the author being compared with D.H. Lawrence and Thomas Hardy. Collections of short stories followed and two novels with Newtown settings (albeit disguised as ‘Moreton’), Watch for the Morning and Come Michaelmas. His illness drove him back to Wales and he spent his last years at Montgomery. He died in 1941 just 38 years old.
[Hanes Maldwyn: issue 18]
[Hanes Maldwyn: issue 18]
Green-Price, Sir Richard (1803-1887)
Born plain Richard Green at Madley in Herefordshire, he trained as a solicitor and came to work in Knighton. He saw the poor conditions the working people were living in and worked to improve them.He earned the respect of local men of influence and was made Chairman of the Board of Health, which tried to combat disease and infection. He was also County Treasurer for Radnorshire.He lived with his family at The Cottage in Knighton. His wife died after 5 years of marriage and he re-married in 1844. In all he was father to 15 children, 3 of whom died in childhood. In 1861 he inherited Norton Manor from his uncle Richard Price. In his honour he changed his name to Richard Green Price.
He realised the importance and advantages of the new railways and invested his money in them, working hard to bring them to Radnorshire. He served on the boards of several smaller local railways. He bought Rock House on the edge of Llandrindod Common, and was involved in developing the new town there.
He built up an estate of 9000 acres which earned him £7000 a year in rents from his tenants. This made him a rich man in Victorian times. He was made a Justice of the Peace and was the Sheriff for Radnorshire in 1876. He was the member of parliament for the Radnor Boroughs from 1862 to 1869 and the county of Radnor from 1880 to 1885 and was made a baronet by the Prime Minister.
He organised the restoration of Norton Church, and built a new school at Norton and comfortable new cottages for his estate workers. He was very active in the area and fought an election at the age of 83. He died a year later in 1887.
[RT 55; DEW]
He realised the importance and advantages of the new railways and invested his money in them, working hard to bring them to Radnorshire. He served on the boards of several smaller local railways. He bought Rock House on the edge of Llandrindod Common, and was involved in developing the new town there.
He built up an estate of 9000 acres which earned him £7000 a year in rents from his tenants. This made him a rich man in Victorian times. He was made a Justice of the Peace and was the Sheriff for Radnorshire in 1876. He was the member of parliament for the Radnor Boroughs from 1862 to 1869 and the county of Radnor from 1880 to 1885 and was made a baronet by the Prime Minister.
He organised the restoration of Norton Church, and built a new school at Norton and comfortable new cottages for his estate workers. He was very active in the area and fought an election at the age of 83. He died a year later in 1887.
[RT 55; DEW]
Grey, Edward, Lord Powis (c.1503-1551)
Edward Grey's family inherited half of the great lordship of Powys when Edward Charlton died without male heirs. His two daughters inherited a half-share each of the estates. The eldest daughter married Sir John Grey, a Northumbrian knight who was killed in 1421 at the battle of Bauge. Not only was Powys itself split into two moieties, but the castle also. When the young Lord Powis reached majority in 1525 he took over an inheritance which had been out of Grey family control for over thirty years because of his father's and his inheriting the title as minors. Their estates had been for part of that time in the wardship of Lord Dudley who controlled the other moiety. At some time between 1521 and 1525 Edward Grey married Anne Brandon, the illegitimate daughter of the Earl of Suffolk. By the 1530's Edward Grey had not only become Lord Powis but had regained control of the whole of Powis Castle for the family.
The marriage to Anne Brandon was not a success and by the late 1530s they were separated. By about 1540 Grey was living with Jane (or Joan) Orwell by whom he had three children. Records show that Lord Powis regularly attended the House of Lords, and visits there and to Court frequently kept him away in London. He was involved in accusations of irregularities in two trials in Montgomeryshire and this led to the intervention of Thomas Cromwell in the administration of justice in the lordship. This intervention came at a time when the judicial powers of the marcher lords was in decline. In 1536 new arrangements for the administration of justice led to a decline in Grey's revenues. In recompense for this he was granted the lands of the newly dissolved monastery at Strata Marcella. He had been a steward of the monastery for some time and had negotiated with the last Abbot John Price (or ap Rhys) for the sale of the Abbey which was in a decaying state. He was also granted the lands of another Cistercian house at Buildwas in Shropshire. He died without a legitimate heir in 1551.
[MC 67]
The marriage to Anne Brandon was not a success and by the late 1530s they were separated. By about 1540 Grey was living with Jane (or Joan) Orwell by whom he had three children. Records show that Lord Powis regularly attended the House of Lords, and visits there and to Court frequently kept him away in London. He was involved in accusations of irregularities in two trials in Montgomeryshire and this led to the intervention of Thomas Cromwell in the administration of justice in the lordship. This intervention came at a time when the judicial powers of the marcher lords was in decline. In 1536 new arrangements for the administration of justice led to a decline in Grey's revenues. In recompense for this he was granted the lands of the newly dissolved monastery at Strata Marcella. He had been a steward of the monastery for some time and had negotiated with the last Abbot John Price (or ap Rhys) for the sale of the Abbey which was in a decaying state. He was also granted the lands of another Cistercian house at Buildwas in Shropshire. He died without a legitimate heir in 1551.
[MC 67]