The historical reputation of most seventeenth-century Welsh gentlemen is somewhat inglorious and obscure. It is not often as ignominious, however, as that of Sir Thomas Hanmer, principal representative of the Hanmer family in the period 1640–78. As well as the usual references to obscurity Hanmer has been described by historians as ‘disillusioned’ and ‘lukewarm’ in his political stance, and included amongst Andrew Hopper’s ‘turncoats and renegadoes’ for his apparent willingness to settle with the parliamentarian regime after 1645. In contrast to the Davieses and Myddeltons, the Hanmers did not show a strong public interest in Welsh culture or traditions in the seventeenth century. Yet they did exhibit many of the key characteristics of Welsh gentry behaviour. They were early and committed royalists. They went into exile on the Continent and were in contact with many leading figures of the exiled English court. After their return they remained largely secluded on their estates and played no part in Interregnum political life. They were Members of Parliament before the Civil War and after the Restoration were deputy lieutenants, and held positions at court.

While the Hanmers’ commitment to the persecution of nonconformists was relatively enthusiastic after the Restoration, their own religious beliefs are somewhat murky. The evidence suggests that, at the very least, Sir Thomas Hanmer and his family were extremely conservative in their faith, if not ‘church papists’. While they were never presented as Catholic recusants, were awarded positions of local and national responsibility, and upheld the religious legislation against others in the seventeenth century, it appears that their religious identity was ambiguous at best. The Hanmers are interesting because of the ambiguity surrounding their religious allegiance, but also for what they reveal about attitudes to religious complexity in the North-East Wales region. After describing the family context of the Hanmers, this case study will examine the evidence on the one hand, that Sir Thomas Hanmer was an orthodox adherent of the Church of England and a typical member of the higher gentry of North-East Wales, and on the other, that he was a highly successful Catholic conformist or church papist.

Family context

The Hanmers were a long-established Welsh gentry family based at Hanmer and Bettisfield, only a few miles away from the border with Shropshire.