Person Page 56

Bridgewater MEREDITH was born about 1791.

Elizabeth MEREDITH was born about 1778. She died about 1838, at age ~60.

Mary Eleanor MEREDITH was born about 1777. She and Marmaduke Howell Thomas GWYNNE were married on 27 July 1797 in Gretna Green.¹ She died on 5 July 1809, at age ~32.²

Mary BEAVAN was born about 1763. She and Thomas MEREDITH were married about 1792 in Kington, Herefordshire. She died about 1821, at age ~58.

Bridgewater MEREDITH was born about 1799. He and Caroline ARNOLD were married on 28 February 1828.¹ He died on 30 August 1881, at age ~82, in Piscataway, New Jersey.

Margaret Louisa MEREDITH was born about 1816.

William MEREDITH was born about 1813.

John MEREDITH was born about 1801.

Thomas MEREDITH was born about 1794. He and Sarah TRINGHAM were married about 1828 in Kington, Herefordshire.

Mary MEREDITH was born about 1797.

James Beavan MEREDITH was born about 1795.

Edward Edwards MEREDITH was born about 1810. He and Elizabeth POWELL were married on 23 February 1829 in Llyswen, Breconshire. He died in Galway, New York.

Richard MEREDITH was born about 1800.

John MEREDITH was born about 1713 in Upper Rowley, Herefordshire.¹ He and Anne WEAL were married on 9 February 1742 in Kington, Herefordshire.¹

Anne WEAL was born about 1722.¹ She and John MEREDITH were married on 9 February 1742 in Kington, Herefordshire.² She died in 1764, at age ~42.¹

Frances MEREDITH was born about 1755.

Ann MEREDITH was born about 1745.

Elizabeth MEREDITH was born about 1758.

Margarett MEREDITH was born about 1761.

John MEREDITH was born about 1743.

Thomas MEREDITH was born about 1754.

Sarah MEREDITH was born about 1747.

Unknown MEREDITH was born about 1750.

Richard MEREDITH was born in 1712 in Upper Rowley, Herefordshire.^1,2 He and Elizabeth MILES were married on 3 August 1739 in Kington, Herefordshire.¹ He died on 2 April 1779, at age ~67.^1,3

Richard Meredith was a woolstapler in Kington at the time of his marriage in 1739. He inherited the ironmongery business of his father in law, and developed it by setting up a workshop and building a warehouse at Lower Cross. He was evidently very successful as he left assets of £100,000 on his death. The ironmongery passed to his nephew John Meredith.⁴

Elizabeth MILES was born about 1708.² She and Richard MEREDITH were married on 3 August 1739 in Kington, Herefordshire.¹ She died on 10 August 1772, at age ~64, in Kington, Herefordshire.³

Elizabeth Miles was the daughter of Thomas Miles, an "ironmonger of Kington".⁴

Thomas MEREDITH was born about 1743. He died before 1779.

Thomas Meredith is assumed to be the son of Richard Meredith and Elizabeth Miles, based on the date and place of christening, though the baptism record does not give his mother’s maiden name. He is assumed to have died before his father’s death in 1779 as his cousin inherited his father’s business.

Elizabeth APPLETREE was born on 24 March 1778 in Deddington, Oxford. She and John MEREDITH were married on 25 July 1809 in Kington, Herefordshire.¹ She died about 1838, at age ~60.

Elizabeth Appletree was the only daughter of William Appletree of Deddington, Oxfordshire.²

Elizabeth Julianna MEREDITH was born on 30 January 1819. She died on 30 April 1890, at age 71.

Ann Sarah MEREDITH was born on 18 November 1816. She and Robert BEBB were married on 23 November 1854 in Kington, Herefordshire. She died on 14 July 1877, at age 60.

Bridgewater MEREDITH was born on 13 August 1814 in Kington, Herefordshire. He died on 2 July 1891, at age 76, in Kington, Herefordshire.

Mary Eleanor MEREDITH was born on 13 August 1814. She and John PRICE were married about 1834 in Kington, Herefordshire. She died about 1865, at age ~51.

Florence Winifred MEREDITH was born in 1847 in Presteign, Radnorshire. She died in 1920, at age ~73, in Kington, Herefordshire.

Elizabeth Laura MEREDITH was born in 1843 in Presteign, Radnorshire. She and Armand Marie Ludovic De BRUNIT DE LA RENOUDIERE were married. She died about 1922, at age ~79.

Anne Agnes MEREDITH was born on 20 May 1841 in Presteign, Radnorshire. She and Jean Henri RODRIGUE were married on 12 July 1871 in Kington, Herefordshire.

John MEREDITH was born about 1835. He and Emma PARRY were married 1865 - September Quarter in Hay, Herefordshire. He died about 1915, at age ~80.

James MEREDITH was born in 1840 in Presteign, Radnorshire. He and Winifred MITCHELL were married on 11 April 1872 in London. He died about 1917, at age ~77.

Sarah Jane MEREDITH was born in 1839 in Presteign, Radnorshire. She died about 1918, at age ~79.

John MORGAN, III, was born about 1795 in Glasbury, Radnorshire. He and Winifred MEREDITH were married on 30 March 1819.

Nicholas MEREDITH was born about 1592 in Upper Rowley, Presteigne, Herefordshire. He and Jane KEFFINE were married. He died about 1655, at age ~63.

He was Sheriff of Radnorshire under Charles I in 1635.

Nicholas MEREDITH was born in Presteigne, Herefordshire. He and Mary POWELL were married about 1591 in Presteign, Radnorshire. He died about 1625.

Nicholas MEREDITH and Anne were married. He died about 1597.

The following research into the life of Nicholas Meredith was reported by E. J. L. Cole in the Radnorshire Society transactions Vol. 33 (1963), p. 43-46, under the title ‘Nicholas the First’:
“This has nothing to do with the Papacy or the Kremlin, as you will
soon discover. The subject of this paper first came to my notice as
'Nicolas ap Rhise ap Meredith ap Ll'n Du in a letter written by Dr.
John Dee (Harl. MS. 473, f. 10b), identified some years ago by Mr. Noble
(Trans. XXVI., p. 40)-but more readily known as Nicholas Meredith of
Presteigne, gentleman-Nicholas the First, to distinguish him from his
son and grandson of that name.
Another manuscript in the British Museum (Harl. 1279, f. 30b) takes
his pedigree back a generation beyond Llewelyn Du to one styled Howell,
de Hergest while in Llyfr Baglan' (p. 208) the pedigree of Dr. John
Dee names an ancestor who married the daughter of 'Ll'n Dde ap Howell
ap Herest'. (Dee claimed kinship with Meredith whom he addresses as
'cosen Nicholas' in a letter of 20 March 1576 (Trans. XXV, pp. 15/16),
wherein he speaks of the pedigree of our ancestors ').
I had doubts about the Ap Herest' until I learned that in 1391/2
a certain Hoel ap Herast was reeve of 'Soithroill', one of the three
swyddau' of Maelienydd, as became apparent from an examination of a
Ministers' Account, No. SC6/1209/16 (15-16 Richard II) in the Public
Record Office. Up to that point he was doubtful': now one can accept
him as an historic personage. If one allows him an active life of 60
years, from 1370 to 1430, and a similar span for his son and grandson, it is
quite feasible that Rees ap Meredith's life should have overlapped the first
half of the 16th century, and that Nicholas should have been born early in
the reign of Henry VIII.
Rice ap Meredith, appears in the Presteigne subsidy for the third
year of Edward VI as worth £ 20 in goods, upon which the subsidy was 20s.
He ranks in wealth with John Bradshaw senior, John Bradshaw junior,
and John Bedowe the founder of the grammar school at Presteigne. His
name also appears in the subsidy of 1551. There are earlier mentions of
him in wills of the period and still earlier references in Great Sessions
Papers, but at one time there were men of this name at Cefnllys, Rhayader,
Llandegley and Llananno, so one must be careful about identification. He
had two brothers, Richard and David, the former still alive in 1574, the
latter apparently dead by 1559. Reece was alive on 18 May 1556 when a
writ issued at Presteigne by John Rastall, deputy for John Pollard, Justice
of Great Sessions, describes him as 'late of Presteigne clothier, otherwise
known as Res ap Meredd of Frogstrete in the county of Hereford, yeo-
man' (Wales 4, 539-5). Reece was dead by 20 August 1556, on which
day Nicholas was named in a writ as his executor. Earlier that year father
and son had made a fine concerning lands in Llanfihangel Rhydithon, while
on 22 February 1556/7 there was confirmed to Nicholas by Peter Grene-
waye of Otecroft, gent, a grant of 80 acres of land called Hill filds in the
parish of Titley.
Nicholas was a man of substance, engaged in numerous land purchases
about this time. In 1558, the year in which he was assessed at 4s in the lay
subsidy for Presteigne, he is to be found making a fine with Lewis ap
Howell ap Bedo and Margaret his wife concerning 1 messuage, 1 granary,
1 orchard, 1 garden, 100 acres land, 6 acres meadow, 40 acres pasture,
20 acres wood and 40 acres of heath in Rowley. This land was named some
eighty years later, in 1640, in a dispute concerning a right of way, heard
in the Council in Wales and the Marches (NLW. Coleman Deeds).
In 1559 Nicholas made a fine with John ap Lewes, gent, and Mary
his wife, concerning a messuage called Stollin', 60 acres land & 20
acres wood in Bleddfa and Stollin This is probably Old Storling Farm,
south of the Lugg and on the north slope of Storling Bank. At the same
time he was engaged in obtaining possession from Thomas Trilo and
his wife Margaret of three messuages, 3 gardens, 6 acres land, 2 acres
meadow in Presteigne. The Final concord is dated 13 July 1559.
In the second year of Elizabeth, Nicholas became Bailiff of the town
of Presteigne (Wales 4, 463-2). In 1565, with the founding of the grammar
school, he became one of the first Feoffees (see 'School and Bell' by W. H.
Howse F.S.A.). There would be little bar to progress now, so it is not
surprising to find him named as collector of the subsidy for Radnorshire
for the 18th year of Elizabeth (10 Nov 1576).
He appears often as a witness in Elizabethan wills, sometimes as
Overseer, sometimes as an executor or as a trustee, and always as a man of
importance. We see him in receipt of letters from his cousin Dr. John Dee-
he had sent Dee a present of cheese in 1576-and we find him allied to the
Lewis family of Harpton, Thomas Lewis being married to Nicholas's
sister Margaret. In a will of 1584 he ranks as a fellow overseer with the
Right Honourable Fabian Phillips esquire, M.P. for Leominster in 1572
and a Counsellor in the Court of Wales and the Marches. What does seem
strange is that he never attained the office of Sheriff, though some of his
descendants did.
At the Great Sessions in June 1565 he was summoned to jury service
-just as he had been summoned numerous times in former years-to hear
a case for assault brought by Charles Vaughan of Hergest esquire against
Rees Hergest of Cregrina. On the 8th June at Presteigne Hergest 'dyd
strike the said Charles Vaughan with a dagger upon the head & drue
blood contrarye to the quenes peace & Dygnytye of her crowne' and one
'Wyllyam Haryngton of Hergast foresayde beynge servant of saide Charles
Vaughan in the deffence of his sayde Mr dyd stryke the sayde Rs Hergast
and upon hym dyd draw bloode & hym dyd wounde The words Billa
Vera on the presentment have been deleted, and I don't know yet what the
outcome was. Nicholas was one of two dozen jurors called but was not
among the eleven whose names are 'pricked'.
In 1586 he heads the list of tenants of demesne lands in the manor of
Burlingjobb under Edward Abington 'lately attainted of treason' (for his
part in the Babington Plot). Nicholas held by copyhold of 1509 one
meadow called Hurley meadow at a rental of ten shillings.
There is no doubt that Nicholas lived long and industriously but it
is not clear what his main occupation was. His father had a part in the
cloth trade-there were many in Presteigne connected with the production
of cloth-weavers, walkers, fullers, shearmen, from whose activities some
local families took their names-while his son and heir Richard, who only
survived Nicholas by a few months, had a lease of two mills in 'Frogstreate'
and owned a tanhouse and diehouse there. It does not seem that these were
bestowed by Nicholas upon his son during the former's lifetime, although
the lease was for three lives. The longest, most industrious, life must end
sometime, and on 2 May 1597, Nicholas, being sick, summoned eight of
his friends, presumably to his house in St. David street in Presteigne, and
there made his last will and testament. He bequeathed his soul to God and
his body to be buried in the parish church. He made a bequest to the poor
and then disposed of his goods thus: -to his wife Anne the house in Saint
Davies street in which I now dwell', a house in West street, parcels of
land called Belsmoore, Sylver & Sloughe, a house in Whitton-all these
for life, and after to Nicholas son of his son Nicholas. He also left Anne
all goods chattels and householdstuff. To Richard son of his son Nicholas
he gave a messuage called Y ty in y pounde, Bleddfa, or the 100 marks
for which it was mortgaged by John Watkins. To Anne daughter of his
son Nicholas he gave certain mortgaged lands in New Radnor and
Llanfihangel, £ 10 for arrears of rent, and 20 marks due from Hugh Davis
of New Radnor. To Ambrose, son of Nicholas the younger, he gave lands
in Old Radnor, the subject of a mortgage by Charles Lewis gent, with
£ 6.13.4 arrears of rent. To his son and heir Richard he gave two messuages
in Rowley and one meadow called 'the meadowe near the house of the
hill,' and for lack of issue to grandson Richard son of Nicholas the younger.
To son Richard he gave lands in the fee of The Ditche, Old Radnor. To
his son Nicholas one meadow called Stainart in the lordship of Knill and
one close of arable land called Pyryes close in the fee of Brompton; also
two acres arable land near the highway leading from Presteigne to
Boultibrook, and three acres arable land in tenure of Thomas ap Jevan
Blayney, 'which 5 acres I late had by way of exchange of John Bradshawe
esquire deceased, and if it happen the heirs of Bradshawe enter upon the
said 5 acres exchanged and do interrupt sd Nicholas then I give to sd
Nicholas 5 acres near Coold Harbart which John Bradshawe had of me in
exchange'. To Nicholas one house & 2 acres arable land in the upper end
of the West street & one close arable land, about 4 acres, which house and
six acres I late purchased of Thomas Trylo deceased. To sd Nicholas
'one tenement in which Humphrey Wall now dwells, which I hold by
coppie for a term of years yet enduring sometime belonging to the late
dissolved monastery of Wigmore'. To Nicholas, grandson, one messuage
in Ackhill, also 1 close of arable land & a parcel of meadow ground both
adjoining to St. Marie Mill, which I late purchased of Thomas Trylo
deceased, to have and to hold from the day of death of Elizabeth Goughe
wife of Phillippe Goughe gent & late wife of Roger Meredith gent. deceas-
ed. Rest of lands to son Nicholas, executor. (P.C.C. Wills, 41 Cobham).
The sickness was of short duration, for probate of this will was
granted on 26 May 1597 to his son Nicholas.
I am aware that there are many gaps in this brief account of Nicholas
Meredith. The facts are those noted while reading through many docu-
ments bearing on other matters. It is, indeed, astonishing what one
discovers almost by accident, and there is still a lot to discover about the
life and times of Nicholas the First. We have among our members his
descendant Mr. C. W. Meredith of Northwood.”.

Rhise Ap MEREDITH died before 1556.

Winifred MITCHELL was born about 1852. She and James MEREDITH were married on 11 April 1872 in London. She died about 1924, at age ~72.

James WOODHOUSE was born about 1758 in Kington, Herefordshire.¹ He and Anne MEREDITH were married on 2 April 1782 in Kington, Herefordshire.² He died on 16 January 1809, at age ~51.³

James Woodhouse was an Attorney at Law in Hereford in 1782.²

William BEAVAN was born about 1756 in Kington, Herefordshire. He and Winifred MEREDITH were married on 1 February 1785 in Kington, Herefordshire.^1,2 He died about 1815, at age ~59.

Richard RUSSELL was born about 1768 in Kington, Herefordshire. He and Margaret MEREDITH were married on 20 September 1791 in Kington, Herefordshire.

Robert MEREDITH was born on 25 June 1710 in Upper Rowley, Herefordshire.¹ He and Margaret MEYRICK were married on 24 July 1737 in Llangunning.² He died on 9 January 1781, at age 70, in Ellesmere, Shropshire.¹

Robert Meredith was the son of Richard Meredith and Margaret Bridgewater. The Will of Robert Meredith, Gentleman of Ellesmere, Shropshire was dated 26 Dec 1780 and proved on 6 June 1782. It names:
- Margaret Meredith, wife
and children:
- Meyrick Meredith
- Robert Meredith
- Richard Meredith
- Charlotte Meredith
- Catharine Meredith
- Ann Meredith
- Jane Meredith
- Margaret Harpur.³

Margaret MEYRICK was born about 1716 in Upper Rowley, Herefordshire. She and Robert MEREDITH were married on 24 July 1737 in Llangunning.¹ She died about 1791, at age ~75, in Baschurch, Shropshire.

The Will of Margaret Meredith, Widow of Baschurch, Shropshire, and previously of Ellesmere, was dated dated 2 Dec 1790 and proved on 16 June 1791. It named:
- Margaret Harper, daughter
- Ann Meredith, daughter
- Catherine Morris, daughter
- Charlotte Meredith, daughter
- David Morris , son in law.²

Rev. Thomas LLOYD was born about 1761 in Kington, Herefordshire. He and Hester MEREDITH were married on 4 October 1796 in Pipe, Herefordshire.¹

Thomas Lloyd was Rector of Putley in 1796 and one of the Vicars Choral of Hereford Cathedral.

Richard PARRY was born about 1751 in Kington, Herefordshire. He and Elizabeth MEREDITH were married on 11 October 1778 in Kington, Herefordshire.