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LLOYD family, of Bodidris, Denbighshire

This was an ancient Denbighshire family which rose into prominence under the Tudors, largely as a result of successful marriages into neighbouring houses, one of which made them heirs to Glyndyfrdwy, the patrimony of Owain Glyn Dŵr. JOHN LLOYD became sheriff of Denbighshire in 1551; his son, Sir EVAN LLOYD (died 1586), succeeded him in the office in 1583, and was elected M.P. for the county in 1585. He was claimed as a papist in 1574, but strenuous efforts by Richard Gwyn failed to 'reconcile' him openly to Rome, and in 1578 he was included with bishops and judges in a special commission to root out recuscany in north-eastern Wales. He fought in the Low Countries under Leicester, was knighted by him in 1586, and died in London (11 March 1586) soon after landing in Kent on his return, his body being conveyed (at his request) to Llanarmon for burial next day. He and his father were both the subjects of panegyrics by Simwnt Vychan.

Sir JOHN LLOYD (died 1606), squire

Son of Sir Evan. He appears to have accompanied him to Flanders in 1586. He was one of a group of east Denbighshire squires (many of them recusant in sympathy) who favoured the cause of Robert Devereux, 2nd earl of Essex and revolted against the local domination of the Salusbury family of Llewenni. His partisanship had landed him in riots and Star Chamber suits by 1591, but his association with Essex began in 1596, when he helped his brother-in-law, captain John Salusbury of Rûg, to recruit forces in Denbighshire for the earl's Cadiz expedition, probably sailing with it himself, and later (1601) facing in Star Chamber charges of corrupt management of the musters. In 1599 he went to Ireland with Essex, and was knighted in the field. Returning to Denbighshire in 1600 to raise fresh forces, he and Sir Richard Trevor became involved in further broils with the Llewenni faction, which were investigated in Star Chamber in 1602. Meanwhile, in December 1600, a meeting of local supporters of Essex was held at Lloyd's Wrexham house, and it was with funds supplied by him that captain John Salusbury left for London on the earl's summons to participate in the conspiracy of February 1601. Lloyd was denounced to the government but escaped punishment, and in the county election of the following September he was among the old adherents of Essex who backed with force the candidature of Sir Richard Trevor against that of Sir John Salusbury of Llewenni, himself bringing (according to later allegations in Star Chamber) a hundred armed men to the polls, and thereby contributing to the tension which caused the sheriff to stop the poll. Lloyd returned to Ireland in James I's reign, and died at Newry in 1606. Thomas Prys of Plas Iolyn acclaims him in two cywyddau as a comrade-in-arms, and he was also eulogised by Lewis Dwnn.

EVAN LLOYD (died 1637), captain

Sir John's grandson, was a captain in Ireland, with lands in Newry; the latter's son, Sir EVAN LLOYD, fought for Charles I and served him as sheriff of Denbighshire from 1644-6, for which he was fined £1,000 by parliament (16 June, 1646) but rewarded with a baronetcy by the king (21 June, 1647). The title lapsed on the death without heirs (6 April 1700) of the latter's son Sir EVAN LLOYD, who upheld the family's military tradition by fighting in Holland at the head of a Welsh company in 1673.

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Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/

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