The first major clue is in a memorial found at Llywel Parish
Church. Gareth Jones, Brewood, in his survey, “The Memorial Inscriptions at St.
David’s Church, Llywel Parish, Breconshire” published in 1966 provides the
following details. “Found in the
shrubbery by the vestry, “Near this place lie interred Morgan Price of
Nantgwared Gent. And Blanche his wife, ye youngest daughter to Charles Hughes
of Trostre in the county of Monmouth, Esq. He had issue by her, viz. Jane,
Walter, Sarah, Charles, William, Richard, Rice, James, Thomas and John of whom
5 survived (later?), viz. Sarah, wife of John Crewe of Green Hall in Cheshire
esq., Charles of Nantgwared Esq. William and Jane(t), Rice of Brecon. He died
April 12th 1695 aged 4(1). She died September 17th 1735 aged 77. There is a
crest on the stone.”
This provides a number of interesting facts and clues. It
was almost certainly erected by Charles Price who inherited Nantgwared when he
came of age. It confirms Morgan’s death
in 1695 at a comparatively young age and also provides a list of all their
children and in particular those who survived the death of their mother Blanche
in 1735. It also confirms what we have learned already of Sarah Price and John
Crewe. Finally it also confirms Blanche’s family connection to the Hughes of
Trostre in Monmouthshire – an old family with links to aristocracy in the past
and also to Brecon and Breconshire through siblings of Blanche who settled in
the town.
Some clues to the story of Morgan and Blanche Price are to
be found firstly in Morgan’s will and also in estate papers which are lodged in
the Powys County Archive. Jeffreys and Powell are a long established firm of
solicitors in the county town of Brecon and in the archive of deeds and other
papers there are a number of documents which have reference to both Morgan
Price and his son Charles.
But the earliest reference is to be found in the Penpont
estate papers lodged at the NLW. Here there is a copy of a settlement which was
made by Morgan and Blanche Price following their marriage and possibly
following the death of Morgan’s father and hence his coming into his
inheritance. The NLW catalogue summary has:
#1512
1683, March 30
1. Morgan Price of the parish of
Penrose, co. Monmouth, gent., and Blanch, his wife;
2. Charles Hughes of Trostrey, esq.,
and Rowland Hughes of the town of Uske.
RELEASE in
consideration of the marriage of the said Morgan Price and Blanch, his wife, of
messuages and lands in the parish of Llywell, Llandiloervane, Llanvihangell
Nant brane, and Llanvaes, co. Brecknock. Copy.
It was obviously important to obtain a copy of this
settlement[1]
and it established a number of facts.
·
The settlement was drawn up in 1683 and as it
mentions Walter, the first son and heir of Morgan and Blanche, it was drawn up
some time after their marriage. Blanche was born in 1658 and so they were
likely to have married between late 1670’s and 1683. According to a later
document Walter died young and so ultimately Morgan’s heir was in fact his second
son Charles.
·
The settlement was in consideration that the
couple would receive the sum of £500 pounds as full and final settlement of Blanche’s
dowry from the Hughes estate.
·
Morgan Price would then place his lands and
possessions in trust in the hands of Charles and Rowland Hughes (Blanche’s
brothers) but continue to benefit from the income of all rents etc. due on the
properties during the term of his natural life. In the event of his pre-deceasing
Blanche his estate and its benefits would pass to her and thence to their heir(s).
·
The settlement provides a detailed list of
properties and lands which had come into Morgan’s hands by inheritance. These
include properties in the parishes of Llywel, Llandeilo’r Fan and Llanfihangel
Nant Bran as well as house in Llanfaes in the town of Brecon.
·
The settlement also allowed Morgan Price to
raise a further £500 on the properties through his will or other legal
transaction so as to provide for his younger children.
·
At the time of the settlement Morgan Price is
said to be “of Penrose” (a.k.a. Penros and properly Penrhos) - a small village
between Abergavenny and Monmouth and only around 5 – 10 miles north of Trostre
(or Trostrey as it is presently known), the seat of the Hughes family.
·
The settlement also names Morgan’s mother as Ann
Jeffreys, widow, in connection with certain property. This bit of information is
important in helping to trace Morgan Price’s ancestry and is confirmed by
Morgan’s will.
The question of why a copy of this settlement was found
among the Penpont papers seems a bit of a mystery – but there might be a clue
in Morgan’s ancestry.
So, summarising thus far, Morgan Price (1654 – 1695) married
Blanche Hughes of Trostre Monmouth and in ca. 1683, after the birth of their
first child Walter, a marriage settlement was drawn up. They had 10 children
between ca. 1680 and Morgan’s death in 1695, a period of some 10 - 15 years.
Morgan died tragically young. It could well be that he
did not enjoy good health from the time of his marriage and so deemed it
prudent to draw up a settlement which ensured that Blanch would benefit from
his death. This possibility is reinforced by the provision made in the
settlement for raising a sum of £500 on the property to provide for his young
children in the event of his early death. Both his will and also a settlement
among the estate papers confirm that he did exercise his right to will the
further £500 for his younger children, that will being carried out by his son
and heir Charles.
Following this settlement it seems that Morgan and Blanche
moved to Nantgwared in Llywel – a property that Morgan had inherited from his
father.