dydd ab Rhys ab' David Lloyd of Newtown Hall, Esq.), married Goleubryd, daughter of John Goch ab Gruffydd Lloyd ab David Lloyd, and was the father, together with other children, of

Meredydd of Llandinam, who afterwards appears to have settled at Llanidloes, and is probably the "M'edd John, gent., maior de Llanidloes," 17 Eliz., 1574. He married Elen, daughter of Rhys ab Thomas ab Rhys, descended from Elystan Glodrudd, and was the father

of

1. David Lloyd, of Llanidloes.

2. John Meredydd of Llandinam, who married Margaret, daughter of Ieuan ab Owen ab Llewelyn, of Pen yr allt, and had four sons, Richard, David, Jenkyn, and John.

3. Margaret, who married John Gwynn, M.A., (see account of the Gwynns).

4. Jane, the wife of David ab Rhys ab Maurice ab Llewelyn of Llangurig.

"David Lloid ap M'dd, gent.", was "Maior de Llanidloes" 21 Eliz., 1578, and his name appears on the Grand Jury lists from the year 1581 to the year 1589. In 1576, he acted as deputy-sheriff to his cousin, Richard Herbert of Park Llanwnog, and in 41 Eliz., 1598, he was appointed coroner. He was twice married, his first wife being Gwenllian, daughter of David Lloyd Blayney of Gregynog, sheriff in 1577, while Mallt, daughter of Jenkyn ab Ieuan of Berthloyd, was his second wife. The Add. MS. 9865, gives him a son Rowland by his first wife; and the Wynnstay MS. a son, Richard, by his second wife. Neither of these MSS. trace this family lower.

GARTH.

This old residence is beautifully situated on a gentle eminence, which commands a delightful view of the

1 The family of Newtown Hall derived its descent from Elystan Glodrudd, founder of the fourth Royal Tribe of Wales. A full pedigree of the family is given in Dunn, i, 313.

vale of the Ceryst. It has for more than a century been a farm-house, and was a few years ago rebuilt and greatly improved. Upon the Garth Estate is situated the celebrated Van Mine.

The earliest possessor of the property that we have been able to trace' was Richard Evans, Esq., who appears to have been of good family, and to judge from his seals (bearing a chevron, between three nags' heads, erased), to have claimed descent from Brochwel Ysgythrog, Prince of Powys. He appears to have practised as a solicitor, in which calling he amassed considerable wealth, and was a man of some local pre-eminence, as he went to the expense of procuring a faculty for a family-seat in Llanidloes Church, and also buryingground. Among other lands which he acquired, may be mentioned a portion of the Berthloyd estate, which he purchased from Edward Lloyd, Esq., and bequeathed, with other property, to his great-grandson. He was in possession of Garth previous to the year 1660, and lived to an advanced age, being alive in the year 1700; his will was proved in 1702.

Besides a son, Evan, who is described in his father's will (bearing the date 1695) as his "son and heir apparent," and was resident at Crywlwm in 1691, and the father of a daughter,' Eleanor, mentioned in her grandfather's will, Richard Evans had a daughter, Catherine, who became the wife of a Mr. Owen. In a document, bearing the date of September 24th, 12 Charles II, 1660, only four months after the Restoration, she is described as a widow. According to the late Rev. Walter Davies (Gwallter Mechain), among the eight gentlemen of Montgomeryshire, mentioned by Le Neve, who were in 1660, on account of their attachment to the royal cause, deemed "fit and qualified" to be made Knights of the Royal Oak, was Richard Owen of the 1 Ex inf., Morris C. Jones, F.S.A.

2 No son of Evan Evans is mentioned in the will, from which it may be inferred that he had no male issue at the time the will was made, a fact which probably accounts for his bequeathing the bulk of his property to his daughter's grandson.

Garth, who was sheriff of the county in the year 1653. Mr. Owen's property was at that time valued at £800 per ann. Although the list was made in the year 1660, it is quite possible that Mr. Owen's name might have been inserted before his death, but his father-in-law was at this time proprietor of the Garth.* It is not very clear to which of the numerous families of Owens, residing in the west and south-west of the county at this time, the husband of Catherine Evans belonged; but if we are to be guided by the arms granted by the College of Arms, after investigating the evidence laid before it, viz., "Sable, on a fess, between a lion rampant, in chief argent, and a fleur-delys in base or, three snakes entwined proper," he appears to have been related to the families who claimed their descent from Ednowain ab Bradwain, founder of one of the noble tribes of Wales. Mr. Owen left two sons (1) Daniel; (2) John, of Rhydlydan.

Daniel Owen succeeded his maternal grandfather at Garth. From a document, dated 24th September, 1660, we find that he was already married to his first wife, Elizabeth, by whom he appears to have left no issue. By his second wife, Catherine, he had two daughters

Elizabeth and Catherine, together with a son, Richard Evans Owen. Daniel Owen was appointed sole executor to his grandfather's will, and was alive in the year 1707.

Richard Evans Owen, who is mentioned as the principal beneficiary in his great-grandfather's will, succeeded his father at the Garth. He married Bridget, youngest daughter of Richard Hughes, of Vrongreen, in the parish of Llanllugan. The marriage settlement was dated in the year 1707. He was the father of— 1. Richard, his heir.

2. Valentine Owen, who appears to have settled at Newtown, and married the mother of the Rev. Evan 1 Cambrian Quarterly, ii, 176.

2 "Ricus Evans de Garth, gent.," on a jury list, 14th Charles II (1662).

Jones. According to a statement made by his grandson, Valentine was the father of David Owen, who had two sons, David and John Owen, late of Llanidloes, who have left several children still living.

3. Rev. Daniel Owen, who was appointed vicar-choral of St. Asaph in 1760, and Vicar of Guilsfield in 1769; his successor in the vicarage was appointed in the year 1777. He married a Miss Lloyd of Domgay.

4. Frances, who married John Williams, Esq.; 5. Elizabeth, the wife of the Rev. George Herbert; 6. Mary, the wife of D. Matthews, Esq.; together with other children who died young.

The following entry in the "Llanidloes Register", "Richard Owen of Garth, gent., was buried 27th September, 1729," probably records the date of Mr. Owen's burial. He was succeeded at Garth by

Richard Owen, who was baptized 20th May, 1708. His name appears on the list of churchwardens for the parish of Llanidloes in the year 1736, and he was sheriff of the county in the year 1760. He married Anne, daughter of Thomas Owen, Esq., of Llunllo or Llynlloed, near Machynlleth, a family descended from Edwin ab Gronw, lord of Tegengl, head of one of the fifteen noble tribes. The baptisms of four children, born of this marriage, are recorded in the Llanidloes Register. 1. Daniel, baptized October 30th, 1741; 2. Cornelia, June 14th, 1745; 3. Anne, September 29th, 1746; and, 4, John, August 6th, 1748. Of these, his eldest daughter, Cornelia, alone survived her parents. If the following entry, "Richard Owen of Garth, Esquire, was buried June 26th, 1760", refers to the sheriff, he must have died during his term of office. "Madam Owen" (probably his widow) "was buried December 29th, 1777", at Llanidloes.

Cornelia, only surviving child and heir of Richard Owen, married John Edwards, Esq., of Greenfields, Machynlleth, third son of Lewis Edwards of Talgarth, descended from Llewelyn ab Iorwerth, prince of North Wales, and was the mother of a daughter, Mary, the

wife of John Mirehouse, Esq., of Brownslade, Pembrokeshire, sheriff of that county in 1806, and had issue John, born 1789, Henry, born 1794, and William Squire; together with a son,

John, born January 15th, 1770, who, upon his father's death, 3rd April, 1789, succeeded him at Greenfields. He married, first (28th January, 1792), Catherine, eldest daughter and co-heir of Colonel T. Brown, of Mellington Hall, by whom he had no issue; and, secondly (7th December, 1825), Harriet, daughter of the Rev. Charles Johnson, and widow of John Owen Herbert of Dolforgan (who died 1824, leaving Harriet Avarina Herbert, his only daughter and heiress), by whom he had an only daughter, Mary Cornelia, who was born November 13th, 1828. In 1818 Mr. Edwards was appointed high sheriff of the county, was a lieutenantcolonel in the volunteers and local militia of the western division of the county; and in 1833 he successfully contested the Montgomeryshire district boroughs against Mr. David Pugh; was returned to the next Parliament (1835) unopposed; but in 1837, after a close contest, succeeded in defeating Mr. Corbett. As a reward for his services in the Liberal cause, he was created a baronet under the title of "Sir John Edwards of Garth," 1838; but at the election in 1841 he was defeated by the Hon. Hugh Cholmondeley, the present Earl Delamere. Sir John died in 1850, and his only daughter,

Mary Cornelia, in the year 1846, married George Henry Robert Charles William Vane Tempest, eldest son, by his second wife, of Charles William, third Marquess of Londonderry, K.P. He was born April 26th, 1821, educated at Balliol College, Oxford, was Member of Parliament for North Durham 1847-54; succeeded his father (by special limitation) as second Earl Vane and Viscount Seaham in 1854, and his half-brother as fifth Marquess of Londonderry in 1872.