Family and Education

b. c.1625, o.s. of Sir Owen Wynn, 3rd Bt., of Gwydir by Grace, da. of Hugh Williams of Werg, Caern. m. c.1654, Sarah (d. 16 June 1671), da. of Sir Thomas Myddelton of Chirk Castle, Denb., 1da. suc. fa. 15 Aug. 1660.2

Offices Held

Commr. for assessment, Caern. 1647, Caern. and Denb. 1657, Aug. 1660-d., Merion. 1661-d., N. Wales assoc. Caern. 1648, militia 1648; sheriff, Caern. 1657-8; j.p. Denb. July 1660-6. Caern July 1660-d.; custos rot. Caern. Sept. 1660-d., dep. lt. 1661-d., capt. of militia horse 1661-d.; commr. for oyer and terminer, Wales 1661, ‘alderman’, Denbigh 1665-6, common councilman? 1665-d.3

Biography

Wynn’s ancestors began to build up an estate in Caernarvonshire in the 14th century, acquired Gwydir about 1500, and supplied the first known county Member in 1542. Wynn’s uncle, the second baronet, although treasurer to Henrietta Maria, sat in the Long Parliament for Liverpool till Pride’s Purge. As Wynn’s father preferred alchemy and kindred studies to politics, Wynn himself was returned as recruiter for Caernarvonshire shortly after coming of age, but he did not sit in the Rump or hold local office under the Commonwealth. He was involved with his father-in-law in Booth’s rising in 1659 and imprisoned in Caernarvon Castle.4

Wynn did not stand at the general election to the Convention, but began preparing his candidature for its successor as early as 12 June 1660. It was feared that John Glynne would contest the seat, but Wynne was probably returned unopposed with the support of William Griffith. He was an inactive Member of the Cavalier Parliament, in which he was appointed to only eight committees. His correspondence shows him to have been in London in May-June 1661, May 1664, September-October 1666, January 1667, and February-March 1670. He was named to the committee of elections and privileges for the first five sessions, including those commencing in February 1663 and November 1664. His other committees were to consider bills for confirmation of public Acts (14 May 1661), for the better observation of the Lord’s day (11 Apr. 1663), and for the prohibition of Irish cattle (26 Sept. 1666). Though he was probably a court supporter, his name appears on no lists. A devotee of the bottle, like Griffith, he was undoubtedly irregular in attendance. On 13 Feb. 1668 his uncle Henry Wynn wrote that his excuses had been accepted by the House, but in April he was told that he had been fined £20 as a defaulter. On 3 Feb. 1674 John Wynne begged him to come up to Westminster to oppose the repeal of the Irish cattle bill, but his health was already undermined, and he died on 30 Oct. His daughter brought the Gwydir estate, worth at least £6,000 p.a., to her husband Lord Willoughby de Eresby (Robert Bertie II).5

Ref Volumes: 1660-1690

Author: A. M. Mimardière

Notes

• 1. Abstained after Pride’s Purge 6 Dec. 1648, readmitted 21 Feb. 1660.
• 2. J. E. Griffith, Peds. Anglesey and Caern. Fams. 281; Cal. Wynn Pprs. 205, 337, 360.
• 3. Cal. Wynn Pprs. 349, 360; Cal. North Wales Letters (Univ. Wales Bd. of Celtic Studies, Hist. and Law ser. xxiii) 152, 161; CSP Dom. 1665-6, p. 515; J. Williams, Ancient and Modern Denbigh, 113; Williams, Recs. of Denbigh, 137.
• 4. Keeler, Long Parl. 402-3; D. Underdown, Pride’s Purge, 273, 390; Caern. Hist. Soc. Trans. xx. 56.
• 5. Cal Wynn Pprs. 358-408 passim; Griffith, 281.