Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-2xdlg Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-21T11:16:10.908Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

‘The Old Leaven’: The Welsh Roundheads after 1660*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

Philip Jenkins
Philip Jenkins
Affiliation:
Pennsylvania State University
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Like other areas central to the royalist cause, Wales experienced a social and political revolution between about 1648 and 1660. In every county except Pembrokeshire, only a small minority of the traditional ruling families had supported the parliamentary side before 1645, and even fewer accepted the radical solutions proposed after 1648, or during the extremist revival of 1659. As a result, governments during the ‘radical’ periods had to turn to new social groups to administer these recalcitrant areas, and to supervise their conversion to puritanism and republican loyalty. The radicals in county society can normally be identified from their participation in local government in such periods (1649–53, 1659) although this is not an infallible guide, and appointment to a committee did not necessarily mean active service. If we compare the lists of justices, sequestration commissioners and committee men for, say, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Radnorshire, then in each case we find that about thirty or forty names consistently appear during radical periods. In Pembrokeshire these were mainly drawn from the traditional rulers who had supported parliament in 1642, while the ‘radicals’ of Carmarthenshire were broadly the socially conservative followers of the powerful earl of Carbery, the old royalist leader who won and retained the favour of Cromwell. In Radnorshire by contrast, the committees for these years contained a very strong radical element, from families often not hitherto represented in county government. Of about thirty-three men whose radicalism is suggested by their periods in office, at least seven were not only strong republicans, but also followers of the millenarian Vavasor Powell, who loyally supported the Rump and the Barebones experiment, and plotted against Cromwell. Moreover, it was Radnorshire which was representative of Welsh counties in the 1650s, while the two south-western shires were exceptional in their preservation of gentry continuity in government.

Type
Articles
Information
The Historical Journal , Volume 24 , Issue 4 , December 1981 , pp. 807 - 823
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1981

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 The only Welsh M.P.s to support the coup of 1648 were John Jones, Thomas Wogan, Henry Herbert, and Algernon Sidney: Underdown, D., Pride's purge (Oxford, 1971), pp. 366–90Google Scholar. Sources which have been used throughout this article, notably to identify radical supporters are: Phillipps, J. R. S., The justices of the peace in Wales and Monmouthshire(Cardiff,1975)Google Scholar; Firth, C. H. and Rait, R. S., eds., Acts and ordinances of the interregnum (3 vols., London, 1911)Google Scholar; Dodd, A. H., Studies in Stuart Wales (Cardiff, 1971), pp. 110–76Google Scholar; Sir Berry, James and Lee, S. G., A Cromwellian major-general (Oxford, 1938); Glamorgan record office, Fonmon MSS, D/DF/L 2–8; Bodleian Walker, MSC4, fos. 65–70.Google Scholar

2 National library of Wales, Llanstephan MSS 120, 145.

3 The Glamorgan M.P.s from this group were John Price, Evan Lewis, Rowland Dawkins and Evan Seys.

4 PRO State Papers, 29/398, fos. 257–8.

5 The ‘deputies’ were John Gawler and Henry Bowen. Gawler, F., Record of some persecutions… (London, 1659)Google Scholar; Nuttall, G. F., The Welsh saints (Cardiff, 1957), chap. iv.Google Scholar

6 For the events of 1659–60, see A. Woolrych, ‘Last quests for a settlement’ in G. E. Aylmer (ed.), The interregnum (1974 paperback edn), pp. 183–204; Roots, I., ‘Tactics of the Commons-wealthsmen in Richard Cromwell's parliament’, in Pennington, D. and Thomas, K. (eds.), Puritans and revolutionaries (Oxford, 1978), pp. 283–309Google Scholar. For the phrase and concept of the ‘old leaven’: Bodleian MS Tanner 146, fo. 138 (Bishop Lacy, 1672); Historical MSSCommission 12th report, app., part ix, Beaufort MSS, p. 77 (Lady Worcester, 1678); Godwyn, T., Phanatical tenderness… (London, 1684), p. 25Google Scholar. The phrase is taken from I Corinthians, 5, vii: ‘Purge out therefore the old leaven…’

7 Bodleian MS Tanner 146, fo. 138.

8 The castles were Powis, Caernarvon, Beaumaris, Denbigh and Conway; Dodd, A. H., ‘Remonstrance from Wales’, Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies, xvii (1958), 279–92Google Scholar; and ‘Background to the Welsh quaker migration to Pennsylvania’, Journal of the Merioneth History and Record Society, iii (1958).Google Scholar

9 Calendar of state papers (hereafter, CSPD) 1660–1, p. 124; Smith, W. J. (ed.), Herbert correspondence (Cardiff, 1963), pp. 162–9Google Scholar; Charles, B. G. (ed.), Calendar of the records of the borough of Haverfordwest (Cardiff, 1967), pp. 162–72; National Library of Wales, Llanstephan MS 120;G. F. Nutall,’ Early quaker letters…’ (Friends' House, London), nos. 511–19.Google Scholar

10 Jones, R. T., ‘Religion in post-Restoration Breconshire’, Brycheinog, viii (1962), 11–67, esp. p. 26Google Scholar; Dodd, A. H., History of Caernarvonshire (Denbigh, 1968), p. 154Google Scholar; Western, J. R., The English militia (London, 1965), p. 34Google Scholar. I cannot agree with the conclusion of Dr A. M.Johnson's ‘Wales during the Commonwealth and Protectorate’ (in Pennington and Thomas, Puritans and revolutionaries, pp. 255–6) that’ There was, in general, very little retribution practised against former committee-men…’ Apart from these recorded instances, old roundheads were subject to many casual acts of violence and persecution, as when the Montgomeryshire Vavasorian Henry Williams emerged from prison to find his father murdered and his house burned (Watts, M., The Dissenters, I (Oxford, 1978), 239).Google Scholar

11 Howells, B. E. (ed.), Calendar of letters relating to north Wales (Cardiff, 1967), pp. 110–12, 154Google Scholar; Glamorgan record office, Society of Friends MSS, D/DSF/313, fos. 1–19.

12 CSPD 1661–2, 546; Bagshaw, E.Life…of Mr Vavasor Powell (London, 1671), pp. 128–32Google Scholar. Powell tended to create his own difficulties, for when a friendly royalist told him to flee arrest, Powell replied that recently, it had been the cavaliers that had usually run away - so he would stand and await events (p. 131). Wogan's exile provoked the tantalising incident in 1667 when a Pembrokeshire woman was prosecuted for collecting towards a relief fund for exiled regicides. (F.Jones, ‘Disaffection and dissent in Pembrokeshire’, Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion, 1967).

13 Price, E., Eye salve for England (London, 1667); DNB, ‘Richard Salwey’ (died 1685) and 'sir John Pakington’ (1620–80).Google Scholar

14 Dodd, Caernarvonshire, pp. 159–61; National Library of Wales, Brogyntyn MSS, Clennenau letters, 706.

15 NLW Brogyntyn MSS, Clennenau letters 1955 b; CSPD, 1663–4, many documents, but see, for example, pp. 294, 359, 532, 539–540.

16 In the 1663 plot, the followers of Philip Jones listed are Evan Lewis, Walter Jones and John Creed. Jones was also connected with Lord Wharton (CSPD, 1661–2,607). NLW Brogyntyn MSS, Clenennau letters, 1955 b; and 745. Lewis was a supporter of the regicide, at which time he had promoted a loyal petition to the new republic. After 1660 he was said to have turned to banditry before his capture. See below, note 53.

17 Ashley, M., John Wildman (London, 1947), p. 199.Google Scholar

18 R. L. Hugh,’ Annibyniaeth yng Ngorllewin Morgannwg’, M.A. thesis, University of Wales, 1945.

19 Dodd, Caernarvonshire, pp. 159–61; Turner, G. L., Original records of early nonconformity (3 vols., London, 1911–1914).Google Scholar

20 Williams, G. (ed.), Glamorgan County history (Cardiff, 1974), iv, 497–9 (volume hereafter cited as GCH); Bodleian MS Walker C4, fos. 65–70. Watts, Dissenters, pp. 221–7, 238–9.Google Scholar

21 Jones, ‘Breconshire’, pp. 41–52, discussing the families of Gwyn, Lloyd and Watkins.

22 Account of the convincement…of that ancient servant of the Lord, Richard Davies(London,1710), pp. 91–5, etc.Google Scholar

23 Dodd, ‘Background’; Glamorgan record office, D/DSF/320.

24 Maurice list, in Underhill, E. B. (ed.), Records of a church of Christ meeting in Broadmead (London, 1847), pp. 511–18: hereafter described as ‘Maurice’.Google Scholar

25 Richard Price and William Wynne.

26 Henry Williams and Thomas Evans: see below. CSPD 1683, June-Dec, pp. 262–70, 285–6, 302.

27 A typical Monmouthire representative in such plots was Edmund Morgan of Penllwynsarth.

28 NLW Penrice and Margam MS 1137.

29 Sir Duckett, George (ed.), Penal laws and Test Act (2 vols., London, 1882)Google Scholar; Leicestershire record office, Finch MSS, Law papers, no. 15.

30 NLW Penrice and Margam MSS A 50, A 96.

31 William Wynne.

32 Bodleian MS Walker C4, fos. 65–6; Jones, ‘Breconshire’, p. 43; Bagshaw, Life; NLW Bute MS, box 132, A 8.

33 GCH, 484–5; NLW Church in Wales MSS, LL/QA/I, 1763.

34 Williams, G., Merthyrpolitics (Cardiff, 1966)Google Scholar; Williams, G. A., Merthyr rising (London, 1978).Google Scholar

35 The chapel was founded by Charles Lloyd, and among its ministers were David Price and Vavasor Griffiths - all discussed in the Dictionary of Welsh biography. Price and Griffiths both taught Harris.

36 Charles, Haverfordwest, 172.

37 In Monmouthshire, the 1665 proportion was 7 out of 27; and in Herefordshire, 9 out of 38 (M. A. Faraday, Herefordshire militia assessments of1963, Camden 4th series, x (1972); Aylmer, G. E., ‘Who was ruling in Herefordshire from 1645 to 1661?’, Transactions of the Woolhope club, XL (1972), 373–87)Google Scholar. The latter county was chosen because its politics were very close to those of south-east Wales in the latter half of the century, and there was much overlap between its Bench and committees and those of neighbouring Welsh counties. Glassey, L., Politics and the appointment ef justices of the peace (Oxford, 1979).Google Scholar

38 Faraday, Militia; in Glamorgan about eleven of the seventy regular committee men of the 1650s were ‘presbyterians’, and this is confirmed by their post-Restoration connexions - for example, with Rees Powell of Maesteg, who supported the main Welsh presbyterian academy until the end of the century.

39 Western, Militia, pp. 1–70. Beddard, R. A., ‘The Restoration Church’ in J. R.Jones, The restored monarchy 1660–88 (London, 1979, paperback edition), pp. 155–75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

40 For the ‘Royal Oak’, see Banks, T. C. (ed.), The antient usage of arms by Sir William Dugdale… (London, 1811), pp. 160–72Google Scholar; Kidson, Ruth M. (ed.) ‘The gentry of Staffordshire 1662–3’,Collections for a history ofStaffordshire, II (1958), 1–41.Google Scholar

41 PRO, State papers, 29/88, fo. 95.

42 NLW Llanstephan MS, 120.

43 PRO State papers, 29/97, fo. 47.

44 Faraday, Militia.

45 Bagshaw, Life, p. 133; Western, J. R., Monarchy and revolution (London, 1972), p. 51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

46 The Glamorgan sheriffs included George Bowen (1679), Oliver Jones (1681) and John Price (1691); in Merionethshire, John Jones served in 1689; in Breconshire, Charles Jones (1681), a kinsman of Jenkin Jones of Llanddetty; while in Cardiganshire, the sheriff of 1689 was William Herbert, son of that Morgan Herbert who had held the same office every year between 1657 and 1660.

47 Charles Bevan was said to be involved in the 1683 plot.

48 Godwyn, Tenderness, pp. 23–6.

49 Bodleian MS Tanner 146, fo. 139.

50 Transactions of the Neath Antiquarian Society, 1 (1930–1); NLW Penrice and Margam MS L 242.

51 Godwyn, Tenderness, p. 19; GCH, pp. 468–86.

52 Bodleian MS Tanner 146, fo. 138. This claim was remarkable, for the chancellor was Thomas Aubrey, whose brother Sir John was one of the leading royalists of south Wales; and who was moreover a close personal friend of Archbishop Sheldon.

53 In 1682 Philip Jones's son Oliver was claiming that Lewis had defrauded the family of a large sum during his stewardship: PRO C 5/508/48. See above, note 16.

54 A. G. Veysey, ‘Colonel Philip Jones’, MA thesis, University ofWales 1958; NLW Additional MS 11017 E; Cardiff central library, deeds collection no. 326 A; Gawler, Record; Bodleian WalkerMS C 4, fos. 65–70.

55 See my articles, ‘Anti-popery on the Welsh Marches’, Historical Journal, xxiii (1980)Google Scholar, and ‘The Gibbs family’, Morgannwg (forthcoming).Google Scholar

56 For example, Roger Williams, Roger Oates and Edmund Morgan.

57 Bodl. MS Walker C 4 fo. 63; for the j.p.s, PRO C 234/85 (Glamorgan)-listing the families of Thomas of Ogmore and Pwllywrach, Seys and Dawkins. For the ‘rank whig’ in 1728, Iolo Davies, A certaine schoole (Cowbridge, 1967), p. 31 (Robert Thomas).Google Scholar

58 Dictionary of Welsh biography, ‘John Jones’.

59 Birch, T. (ed.), Collection of stale papers of John Thurloe esq. (London 1742), 11, 118; NLW Additional MS 11449 E, fo. 5.Google Scholar

60 Such new men are most apparent in Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, but only a handful can be identified even here.

61 Blome, R., Britannia (London, 1673)Google Scholar, for the twelve’ veteran’ families-Bowen, Gamage, Jones of Fonmon, Mansell of Briton Ferry, Mathews of Roath, Powell of Maesteg, Thomas of Flemingston and Wenvoe, Seys, Wyndham, Lewis, Stradling of Roath. For the lack of a new gentry in Lancashire, see Blackwood, B. G., The Lancashire gentry and the great rebellion (Manchester, 1978), pp. 159–62.Google Scholar

62 A good example of such a ‘middle-class’ line would be the Glamorgan Deeres, but one could equally well choose the Thomas's of Tregroes in Glamorgan, or the Catchmays of Monmouth.

63 Bodleian MS Tanner 146, fos. 138–9.

64 NLW Brogyntyn MS 1955b.

65 Anon, , An alarum to corporations (London, 1659); Davies, Convincement; DBW, ‘Christopher Price’ (died 1697).Google Scholar

66 Godwyn, Tenderness, pp. 1–14, 22; CSPD, 1663–4, 297,428, 437, 477, 480.

67 Bodleian MS Tanner 146, fo. 138; L. W. Dillwyn, Contributions to the history of Swansea (Swansea, 1840), pp. 6–20, 28, 44. The vicar was the son of Marmaduke Matthews. In 1662 the portreeve was Isaac Affter, son of an ejected minister.

68 Bodleian MS Tanner 146, fos. 113, 138; Owen, C., Some account of the life and writings of… Mr. James Owen (London, 1709), pp. 1–4; there was an interesting account of Picton in University library Swansea, Padley papers, 1, but this had apparently been lost by 1976.Google Scholar

69 The parliamentary soldier involved was Richard Castle, a 1659 militia commissioner: Maurice; Francis, G. G., The case of Tenby and Narberth (Tenby, 1864)Google Scholar. Anothersmallboroughof the south-west was Loughor-the home in 1670 of Timothy Wedlock, who hadaccompaniedJames Naylor on his messianic entry into Bristol. Naylor's group had a strong Welshcontingent, including the Erberys.

70 Davies, Convincement, p. 161.

71 Charles, Haverfordwest, pp. 165–72; Maurice; Godwyn, Tenderness, pp. 22–32, which mentions the mob support for the old roundheads; Lacey, D. R., Dissent and parliamentary politics (Rutgers university, 1969), p. 431Google Scholar; the Welsh quakers held their annual meetings in the town in 1684, 1691 and 1715.

72 DWB, ‘John Evans’ (1628–1700); Dodd, A. H., History of Wrexham (Wrexham, 1957).Google Scholar

73 Davies, Convincement, pp. 58–9, and passim; CSPD, 1663–4, 298; Smith, W.J. (ed.), Herbert correspondence (Cardiff, 1963), pp. 162, 167Google Scholar. The leading Vavasorian republicans here were Lewis Price and Henry Jones; while the chief magistrate in 1659–60 was Charles Jones, a quaker sympathizer.

74 Davies, Convincement, pp. 64–7; for the ‘vision’, Burton, R., History of the principality of Wales (London, 1695), p. 177Google Scholar; Lee, M. H., Diaries and letters of Philip Henry MA… (London, 1882), p. 105 (dating it to 20 Dec. 1661).Google Scholar

75 CSPD 1682, 77, 476. Dodd, Studies, pp. 230–1.

76 Thirsk, J. and Cooper, J. P. (eds.), Seventeenth-century economic documents (Oxford, 1972), p. 406.Google Scholar

77 Boroughs purged included Cardiff, Cowbridge, Swansea, Conway and Carmarthen.

78 Dillwyn, Swansea, p. 13; Banks, R. W. (ed.), Official progress of the duke of Beaufort, by Thomas Dineley (London, 1888)Google Scholar; Clark, P. and Slack, P., English towns in transition 1500–1700 (Oxford,1976), pp. 138–140.Google Scholar

79 DWB for these families; CSPD, 1661–2, p. 347.