Welsh Journals

Pryses was particularly distinguished as a politician, although parliamentary history was made on more than one occasion because of them. In this article it is not proposed to pursue the political life of each or any one member of the family in detail, but rather, by selecting various incidents, supported by family and State papers, to highlight various phases of electioneering in Wales, thus detailing some of the points discussed in Professor Dodd's chapter on 'The Dawn of Party Politics' in his book Studies in Stuart Wales (Cardiff, 1952). The first member of the Gogerddan family to become a Member of Parlia- ment for Cardiganshire was Sion ap Rhisiart ap Rhys Dafydd Llwyd, otherwise known as John Pryse, one of the Council of the Marches of Wales, to whom, with his father, the poet Sion Kain composed the elegy previously referred to.3 Richard Pryse, eldest son and heir of John Pryse, was knighted in July 1603, and, on 17 April following, the House of Commons ordered him to be sent for by the Serjeant at Arms to answer certain charges concerning his conduct as sheriff of the county at the parliamentary election of 1604, when a double return was made for the Boroughs.4 It appears that Sir Richard, as sheriff, having received the King's writ for a choice of a Knight for the Shire and a Burgess for the Boroughs, made forth his precept to the mayor of Cardigan, who accordingly proclaimed William Bradshaw duly elected. The sheriff, however, desiring to see one of his friends returned, proceeded with the connivance of the mayor of Aberystwyth, one of the contributory towns, to secure the election of Richard Delabarr. Quite unperturbed, Sir Richard thereupon returned both indentures of election, and his unseemly conduct earned the censure of the Committee of Privileges, which de- clared in favour of Bradshaw. At succeeding elections held in 1614 and 1621 Sir Richard Pryse was returned for the County of Cardigan. On 9 August 1641 Sir Richard Pryse of Gogerddan was made a baronet. He was a Member of Parliament from 1646 to December 1648 when he was seclud- ed by Colonel Pride. His eldest son and heir, Sir Richard Pryse, bart., was such a thorough-going supporter of Cromwell as to be chosen one of the six who repre- sented Wales in the first Commonwealth Parliament of 1653. His mother was Hester, daughter of Sir Hugh Myddelton, and his wife Elizabeth the daughter of Sir Bulstrode Whitlocke, knt. He is often described as 'a young gentleman not of full age in the tyme that the discovery of principles was most dangerous; and it is conceived he hath not as yet any that he is too much obliged unto. He ran through several publique offices under all Governments that have been from 1652 to this time, but probably more by the direction of his father-in-law than by his own desires'.5 Sir Richard died without issue and was succeeded by his brother, Sir Thomas Pryse, the third baronet, who likewise died without issue, and unmarried. The title and the Gogerddan estate then descended to their nephew, Sir Carbury Pryse, whose father had married Hester, another of the daughters of Sir Bulstrode Whitlocke, and had died during the lifetime of the third baronet. Sir Carbury Pryse is in many respects perhaps the most notable member of his family. He achieved more than ordinary success, as we shall see later, by his incursion into the lead-mining industry of north Cardiganshire. He was first