Hugh Ellis-Nanney
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Sir Hugh John Ellis-Nanney, 1st Baronet, (16 February 18457 June 1920) was a
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landowner, magistrate and political candidate. During his lifetime, Ellis-Nanney gained wealth and stature residing in
North Wales North Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdon ...
, UK. He was granted the title of
Baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...
'' Ellis-Nanney of Gwynfryn and Cefndeuddwr'' in the year 1898. Ellis-Nanney was a landowner and had accumulated land and wealth through inheritance. The baronet invested in property which enabled him to build a new mansion called ''Gwynfryn'', near
Llanystumdwy Llanystumdwy () is a predominantly Welsh-speaking village, community and electoral ward in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd in Wales. The village lies on the southern coast of the Llŷn Peninsula, with a beach facing Cardigan Bay, between Cricci ...
. Ellis-Nanney was made a
sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...
and had also become a justice of the peace in Caernarvonshire. Prior to becoming a baronet he stood in local elections.


Personal life

''Hugh Ellis-Nanney'' was born in 1845. His father, Owen Jones ''Ellis-Nanney'' was 53 when Owen married Hugh's mother, Mary Jones (d. 8 July 1849) in 1843, she was 23 years old. Mary was the daughter of Hugh Jones of ''Hengwrt-Uchaf'' in
North Wales North Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdon ...
. Owen Jones (Ellis-Nanney), The Old
Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
,
Lord of the Manor Lord of the manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England and Norman England, referred to the landholder of a historical rural estate. The titles date to the English Feudalism, feudal (specifically English feudal barony, baronial) system. The ...
of Gwynfryn (17901870) inherited the ''Ellis-Nanney''
estate Estate or The Estate may refer to: Law * Estate (law), a term in common law for a person's property, entitlements and obligations * Estates of the realm, a broad social category in the histories of certain countries. ** The Estates, representativ ...
from his uncle on the condition he also assumed a double-barrelled surname. David Ellis (Nanney), Owen's uncle (childless) married Henrietta Watts, daughter of Rev. Watts of
Uffington, Oxfordshire Uffington is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about south of Faringdon and west of Wantage. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 783. Lying within the historic county boundaries of Berkshire, in 1974 it was transf ...
. David was the
attorney general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...
for North Wales. Owen Ellis-Nanney was a contemporary on personal terms with
Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...
s and political candidates in the North Wales constituencies, including politicians such as
Thomas Wynn, 1st Baron Newborough Thomas Wynn, 1st Baron Newborough (1736 – 12 October 1807),Harris & Hradsky, p. 47. known as Sir Thomas Wynn, 3rd Baronet, from 1773 to 1776, was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1761 and 1807. Career Wynn was the ...
of
Glynllifon Glynllifon is an old estate which belonged to the Baron Newborough, Barons Newborough, near the village of Llandwrog on the main A499 road between Pwllheli and Caernarfon in Gwynedd, Wales. The original mansion was until recently a privately own ...
,
Charles Griffith-Wynne Charles Wynn Griffith-Wynne (4 March 1780 – 22 March 1865), sometimes known more simply as Charles Griffith-Wynne, was a British Tory-leaning politician and, between 1830 and 1832, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Caernarvonshire in North Wa ...
and
Sir Robert Williams, 9th Baronet Sir Robert Williams, 9th Baronet (20 July 1764 – 1 December 1830) was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1790 to 1830. Biography Williams was the son of Sir Hugh Williams, 8th Baronet and his wife Emma Rowland. Willia ...
. Owen Ellis-Nanney was a Conservative party politician who briefly held the seat of the
Caernarfon Caernarfon (; ) is a List of place names with royal patronage in the United Kingdom, royal town, Community (Wales), community and port in Gwynedd, Wales. It has a population of 9,852 (with Caeathro). It lies along the A487 road, on the easter ...
constituency in 1833 against
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(son of the Baronet of Plas Newydd, Anglesey). Owen then lost to Love Jones-Parry in the 1835 general election. Hugh Ellis-Nanney was a graduate of
Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...
and then completed his university studies at the
University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
in
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. Returning to
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, he served as a Justice of the Peace for
Carnarvonshire Caernarfonshire (; , ), previously spelled Caernarvonshire or Carnarvonshire, was one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It was located in the north-west of Wales. Geography The county ...
and
Merionethshire Merionethshire, or Merioneth ( or '), was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It was located in the North West Wales, north-west of Wales. Name 'Merioneth' is a ...
and a Deputy Lieutenant of Carnarvonshire. He also served as
High Sheriff of Caernarvonshire This is a list of Sheriffs of Caernarvonshire (or Carnarvonshire). The Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in a county but over the centuries most of the responsibi ...
during 1870, and as the
High Sheriff of Merionethshire This is a list of Sheriffs of Merionethshire (or Sheriffs of Meirionnydd). The historic county of Merioneth was originally created in 1284. The administrative county of Merioneth was created from the historic county under the Local Government Act ...
in 1877. Hugh Ellis-Nanney married the
honorary An honorary position is one given as an honor, with no duties attached, and without payment. Other uses include: * Honorary Academy Award, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, United States * Honorary Aryan, a status in Nazi Germany ...
Elizabeth Octavia Dillon, youngest daughter of Robert Dillon, 3rd Baron Clonbrock of
Clonbrock Castle Clonbrock Castle is a 15th-century tower house near Ahascragh in County Galway, Ireland. It was owned by the Dillon family, who were later created Baron Clonbrock, Barons Clonbrock. History The estate, including the 15th-century tower hous ...
,
County Galway County Galway ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region, taking up the south of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. The county population was 276,451 at the 20 ...
,
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, on 13 January 1875. They had two children, daughter Mary Elizabeth (18771947) and son Owen Gerald (born 1879, died 1887 in
Bournemouth Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...
). Hugh was a member of the
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in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
.


Politics

Ellis-Nanney stood unsuccessfully for the Conservative party (Tory) in the former Welsh, UK parliamentary constituency of
Caernarfon Caernarfon (; ) is a List of place names with royal patronage in the United Kingdom, royal town, Community (Wales), community and port in Gwynedd, Wales. It has a population of 9,852 (with Caeathro). It lies along the A487 road, on the easter ...
. He lost in the 1880 Caernarvonshire by-election to
William Rathbone VI William Rathbone VI (11 February 1819 – 6 March 1902) was an English merchant and businessman noted for his philanthropic and public work. He was also a Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1868 and 1895. Bac ...
. And in the Eifion constituency against John Bryn Roberts for
1885 Events January * January 3– 4 – Sino-French War – Battle of Núi Bop: French troops under General Oscar de Négrier defeat a numerically superior Qing Chinese force, in northern Vietnam. * January 17 – Mahdist ...
general election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...
, then also the 1890 Caernarvon Boroughs by-election, and
1895 Events January * January 5 – Dreyfus affair: French officer Alfred Dreyfus is stripped of his army rank and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island (off French Guiana) on what is much later admitted to be a false charge of tr ...
general election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...
. He was defeated in his four local elections, the final two times by the future
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister Advice (constitutional law), advises the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign on the exercise of much of the Royal prerogative ...
,
David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. A Liberal Party (United Kingdom), Liberal Party politician from Wales, he was known for leadi ...
, losing by only 18 votes out of a total of almost 4,000 in the 1890 by-election.


Baronetcy

On March 7, 1898, Hugh Ellis-Nanney was given a royal title, ''
Ellis-Nanney baronets The Baronetcy of Ellis-Nanney of Gwynfryn and Cefndeuddwr was granted to in 1898. The 1st baronet was a landowner with a estate in North Wales, UK, most of which was inherited from his father, Owen Jones Ellis-Nanney. The family were polit ...
of Gwynfryn and Cefndeuddwr''. The
baronetcy A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...
was conferred by
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
from the
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for the monarch's Diamond Jubliee celebrations in London. Upon the return to Criccieth, the newly created Baronet and his wife had a meeting to commemorate the occasion with the most prominent people in the area. The title represented his ancestral manors () Gwynfryn in the
parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
of
Llanystumdwy Llanystumdwy () is a predominantly Welsh-speaking village, community and electoral ward in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd in Wales. The village lies on the southern coast of the Llŷn Peninsula, with a beach facing Cardigan Bay, between Cricci ...
of the County of Caernarvon and Cefndeuddwr in the parish of
Trawsfynydd Trawsfynydd (; Welsh language, Welsh for ) is a linear village in Gwynedd, Wales, near Llyn Trawsfynydd reservoir, and adjacent to the A470 road, A470 north of Bronaber and Dolgellau and 10 km (6 miles) south of Blaenau Ffestiniog. It als ...
of the County of Merioneth. The two towns of Llanystumdwy and Trawsfynydd lie in what is now
Dwyfor Meirionnydd (UK Parliament constituency) Dwyfor Meirionnydd is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (at Westminster), represented since 2015 by Liz Saville Roberts of Plaid Cymru. Like its predecessors, it is a Plaid Cymru stronghold, with t ...
, Wales, UK.


Plas Gwynfryn

Near
Criccieth Criccieth, also spelled Cricieth (), is a town and community (Wales), community in Gwynedd, Wales, on the boundary between the Llŷn Peninsula and Eifionydd. The town is west of Porthmadog, east of Pwllheli and south of Caernarfon. It had a ...
in Gwynedd are the ruins of ''Plas Gwynfryn'', a 19th-century "stone mansion with castellated towers and turrets and stone-mullioned windows"
mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word ''manse'' originally defined a property l ...
built by Hugh Ellis-Nanney. He had demolished his existing manor house (c. 16th century) and rebuilt a new family residence c. 1870s. The location of ''Gwynfryn'' is on the
Llŷn Peninsula The Llŷn Peninsula ( or , ) is a peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales, with an area of about , and a population of at least 20,000. It extends into the Irish Sea, and its southern coast is the northern boundary of the Tremadog Bay inlet of Cardigan Ba ...
overlooking Wales' highest mountain range,
Snowdonia Snowdonia, or Eryri (), is a mountainous region and National parks of the United Kingdom, national park in North Wales. It contains all 15 mountains in Wales Welsh 3000s, over 3000 feet high, including the country's highest, Snowdon (), which i ...
(Eryri) with views of
Cadair Idris Cadair Idris or Cader Idris is a mountain in the Meirionnydd area of Gwynedd, Wales. It lies at the southern end of the Snowdonia National Park near the town of Dolgellau. The peak, which is one of the most popular in Wales for walkers and hikin ...
, and also to the south,
Cardigan Bay Cardigan Bay () is a large inlet of the Irish Sea, indenting the west coast of Wales between Bardsey Island, Gwynedd in the north, and Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire at its southern end. It is the largest bay in Wales. Geography Cardigan Bay ha ...
. The land was a 12,072-acre estate in 1873, and the annual rental income was £5,814. Designed by George Williams from London, the mansion was constructed over 10 years between 1866 and 1876, its total cost was £70,000 (). The mansion was featured in the June edition of '' The Builder'' magazine in 1877. The former residence became a hospital during the
World War A world war is an international War, conflict that involves most or all of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World War I ...
, then later used as an orphanage, and finally sold to become a hotel. The mansion was devastated by a fire in 1982 and again in 2014. As of 2011, the former house was classified by Save Britain's Heritage who said it is at risk of being lost. The former Grade II castellated mansion was put up for sale in 2019 with an asking price of £500,000. However, it would take £1.5m to restore. Although a ruin it still has original features such as its porte-cochere, and stone mullioned and transom windows. As of 2020, a property group has explored renovating the derelict mansion into 25-30 apartments. Since February 2021, a professional member of
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is a global professional body for those working in the Built Environment, Construction, Land, Property and Real Estate. The RICS was founded in London in 1868. It works at a cross-governmental ...
working in coordination with the Welsh Government,
Cadw (, a Welsh verbal noun meaning "keeping/preserving") is the historic environment service of the Welsh Government and part of the Tourism and Culture group. works to protect the historic buildings and structures, the landscapes and heritage ...
and
Coflein The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW; ; ), established in 1908, is a Welsh Government sponsored body concerned with some aspects of the archaeological, architectural and historic environment of Wales. I ...
made a proposition for a renovation and conversion to turn Plas Gwynfryn into apartments, similar to Blencowe Hall in Cumbria, which also features a collapsed tower, now with an inserted glazed structure. The name 'Plas Gwynfryn' was taken from the Welsh language, an ancient
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...
language of the
Welsh people The Welsh () are an ethnic group and nation native to Wales who share a common ancestry, History of Wales, history and Culture of Wales, culture. Wales is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. The majority of people living in Wa ...
. 'Gwynfryn' is also a Welsh boy's name which translates as 'White Hill', or 'happy hill', while 'Plas' translates as 'Mansion'.


Criccieth - the Promenade

The east side of the town was developed by the Ellis-Nanney family during the Victorian era. With private funding, a promenade was constructed in 1888, with plans for 25 homes on the surrounding land. The promenade/esplanade was built with 4 homes designed and constructed by George Leedham Fuller. However, during the first winter, the sea wall didn't protect the land, the homes were flooded and no more homes were constructed. The homes were demolished in 1925. The land was eventually donated to the community by Hugh's daughter Mrs. Lewis. The promenade remains a popular destination for walks to this day.


Death and estate

''Hugh John Ellis-Nanney'' died on 7 June 1920. After the baronet's death, his personal properties of ''Gwynfryn'', ''Talhenbont'' (Plas Hen), and ''Brynhir'' were left to his only surviving child, his daughter, Mary Elizabeth Lewis. Mary had married the
Reverend The Reverend (abbreviated as The Revd, The Rev'd or The Rev) is an honorific style (form of address), style given to certain (primarily Western Christian, Western) Christian clergy and Christian minister, ministers. There are sometimes differen ...
John Price Lewis (
M.A. A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...
) in 1913. Reverend Lewis was the rector of Llanystumdwy. Lewis had lived in her ancestral home of ''Plas Hen'', now called Talhenbont hall. The mansion today is located to the northeast of its local
village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...
,
Chwilog Chwilog () is a village in Gwynedd, north Wales, and located on the Llŷn Peninsula. It is in the community (Wales), community of Llanystumdwy, near Criccieth, and in the medieval commote () of Eifionydd, named after a 5th-century ruler. It is w ...
, that's within the Llanystumdwy
community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...
. The Ellis-Nanney, Gwynfryn, and Cefndeuddwr estates were broken up and sold to their property
tenants A leasehold estate is an ownership of a temporary right to hold land or property in which a lessee or a tenant has rights of real property by some form of title from a lessor or landlord. Although a tenant does hold rights to real property, a lea ...
in 1959. The local family church was St. John the Baptist Churchyard, Llanystumdwy, which is where the ''Ellis-Nanneys'' were buried from the 19th century onwards.


References


Notes


Books sourced

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ellis-Nanney, Hugh John 1845 births 1920 deaths Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Conservative Party (UK) parliamentary candidates Deputy lieutenants of Caernarvonshire High sheriffs of Caernarvonshire High sheriffs of Merionethshire Welsh justices of the peace People from Criccieth People educated at Eton College People educated by school in Berkshire