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KINMEL HALL
THE HUGHES FAMILY
1786 - 1929

                                                 HUGHES OF KINMEL

Hugh Robert Hughes, Esquire of Kinmel, county Denbigh, was Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire and was born in 1827. In 1853, he married Lady Florentia Emily, daughter of Henry Thomas, the 1st Earl of Ravensworth, and had seven issue with her: Hugh Seymour Bulkeley Lewis (1862), Henry Bodvel Lewis (1864), Elizabeth Bronwen, Mary Florentia, Frances Ann, Eleanor, Horatio Maria Susanna, and Anne Gwendolen.

Burke's Peerage traces the lineage back to Hwfa Ap Cynddelw (born 1085-1169 AD), Lord of Llys Llifon, in Anglesey (living in the time of Owen Gwynedd, Prince of North Wales, who was the founder of the first Noble Tribe of Wales.

His office was to bear the Prince’s coronet and place it on his head when the Bishop of Bangor anointed him. He had residence at Presaddfed, in Anglesey, and he possessed other lordships which are mentioned in the “Extent to North Wales”, which were divided among his five sons: Mathusalen, Cyfnerth, Ievan, Iorweath, and Blettrws. He married Ceinfryd, daughter of the Chief of the 15th Noble Tribe, and had a son with her named Mathusalem. Mathusalem had two sons: Iorwerth (whose daughter was named Gwenhwfa married Llewellyn ap Madoc ap Einion) and Meredith. His son Meredith had two sons: Iorwerth and Griffith.

His son Iorwerth ap Meredith had three sons, one named Meredith. This Meredith had sons. One son was named was named Griffith ap Iorwerth, who married Gwenllian, daughter of Ririd Flaidd, with whom he had six issue: Iowerth, Griffith Vychan, Llewellyn, Sir Howel y Pedolau, Rhys, and Gwenllian.

His son Iorwerth Ap Griffith married Gwladys, daughter and heir of Howel Goch ap Iorwerth ap Cagwgan and had several children with her. The eldest son was Iorwerth Ddu Ap Iorwerth, who married Gwenllian, daughter and heir of Meredith benhir ap Meredith ap Llewellyn, and had issue with her. The eldest son of this marriage was Howe lap Iorwerth Ddu, who married Angharad, daughter of Howell ap Crynrige Vychan of Hiraethog and had issue with her, including: Hwlkin, Rhys, Iorwerth, Llewellyn, Kwnnws, and Margaret.

The following is a list of descendants from the eldest son, Hwlkin ap Howell (who was alived during the 21st year of the reign of King Richard II of England, which was 1398 AD), in each successive generation:

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  • Llewellyn ap Hwlkin (lived during the reign of King Henry VI)

  • Hugh Lewis, Esq. of Presaddfed (lived in 1485)

  • John Lewis, Esq. of Presaddfed (married Elizabeth Vaughan)

  • Hugh Lewis, Esq. of Presadded (married Agnes Griffith)

  • William Lewis, Esq. of Presadded -                                                                                                   (Justice of the Peace, High Sheriff, & Member of Parliament)

  • Hugh Lewis Esq. of Presadded (married Margaret ap John ap Rhys)

  • John Lewis Esq. of Presadded (High Sheriff of Anglesey, married Anne                                      Owen)

  • John Lewis Esq. of Presadded (High Sheriff in 1618, married Catherine Lloyd)

  • Anne Lewis - had two sons who became Viscount Dungannon,


                       but died without heirs so the line passed to

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  • William Lewis (High Sherrif in 1549, married Elin ap Hugh ap Gwyn)

  • Robert Lewis, Esq. of Cemlyn (born 1599, married Gaynor Roberts)

  • William Lewis of Cemlyn (died 1676, married Anne Bulkeley)

  • Ambrose Lewis (died 1729, Rector of Llanrhyddlad)

  • Robert Lewis (M.A. of Cemlyn, Rector of Trefdraeth, married Margaret Price).


His daughter was Mary Lewis, daughter of Robert and co-heir to her uncle William from whom she inherited Cemlyn and Llysdulas. She married Reverend Edward Hughes in 1765, who was the eldest son of Hugh Hughes of Lleiniog in Anglesey, and had the following issue with her:
 

  • William Lewis (1st Lord Dinorben),

  • Hugh Robert (born 1774),

  • James (colonel in the Army, married Fanny Stanhope),

  • Margaret (married Owen Williams of Temple House),

  • Anne (married Sir Robert Williams, Baronet of Penrhyn),

  • Eliza, Martha (married Cynric Lloyd and later Sir Henry Wyatt) 

  • Mary Hester.


The eldest son was William Lewis Hughes who was born in 1767. He became a Member of Parliament for Kinmel Park, Dinorben and Llysdulas and was created Baron Dinorben in 1831. In 1804, he married Charlotte Margaret, daughter of Ralph William Grey of Backworth, and had ten children with her:

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  • Edward,

  • William Lewis Hughes (2nd Baronet),

  • Charlotte Mary (married Sir Richard Williams Bulkeley),

  • Frances Margaret (married Allan Legge),

  • Martha Mary,

  • Eliza Anne,

  • Laura,

  • Caroline Anne,

  • Emily,

  • Augusta.


He later married Gertrude, youngest daughter of Grice Smyth, and had two daughters with her:

 

 

  • Gertrude

  • Gwen-Gertrude.


Lord Dinorben died in 1852 and was succeeded by his only surviving son, William Lewis.

William Lewis, the 2nd Baronet, was born in 1821 and died in 1852, whereupon the title became extinct.

The estates devolved to his cousin and male heir, Hugh Robert Hughes, Esquire of Kinmel and Dinorben (mentioned at the very beginning of this section.

The Hughes Coat of Arms - called the Hughes Family Crest - was blazoned in heraldry as follows:

Gules, two lions passant in pale and a rose in chief argent. Crest: Out of a coronet or, a demi-lion rampant argent holding between the paws a rose gules slipped vert. Motto:

                                 HEB DDUW HEB DDIM, DUW A DIGON

They were seated at Kinmel Park, Abergele and Glanywern, Denbigh.

 

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