MEYRICK, EDMUND (1636 - 1712), cleric and benefactor of education

One of the Meyrick family of Ucheldre, Gwyddelwern, Meironnydd (a cadet branch of the Meyrick family of Bodorgan - see J. E. Griffith, Pedigrees, 308), but born at Garthlwyd, Llandderfel, the house of his father's first wife, and christened at Llandderfel, 11 June 1636; his mother was Jonet, daughter of John Vaughan of Cefnbodig, Llanycil who was Member of Parliament for Merioneth 1654-5 and died 1671.

He went to Jesus College, Oxford, in 1656 and became Fellow in 1662, but resigned almost immediately to marry (Sarah West, of Buckinghamshire), and to become vicar of Eynsham, Oxfordshire. He was chaplain to the earl of Carbery (to whom he was related), and the Carbery interest procured him a whole series of lucrative livings in west Wales (see Yardley, Menevia Sacra, 168-70); he became vicar of Llangathen (1665), vicar of Llanegwad, and canon of S. David's (1667), rector of Burton, Pembrokeshire (1670), canon of Christ College, Brecon, and vicar of Carmarthen (n.d.), treasurer of S. Davids (1690), rector of Penboyr (1713) - he held several of these preferments simultaneously.

At the end of his life he was living at Carmarthen, where he died 24 April 1713, and was buried in S. Peter's church; his extremely florid memorial may still be read on the north wall of the chancel. His wife and only child had predeceased him so that he could do as he liked with his ample means. He was attracted to the charity-school movement, and in 1708 set up such a school at Carmarthen, with Evan Griffiths of that town as master. He clearly intended to endow this school, but on account of some offence, a codicil to his will directed that school and master should be removed to Tŷ-tan-domen at Bala (Report of the Charity Commissioners, 1834, xli, 553) - it became the Bala Grammar School. The will also left considerable property to Jesus College, Oxford (see E. G. Hardy, Jesus College, 159-62), and Meyrick's name is still associated with scholarships there.

Author

• Emeritus Professor Robert Thomas Jenkins, (1881 - 1969)

Sources

• Journal of the Merioneth Historical and Record Society, i, 133-41
• information from Mr. Evan Roberts, Llandderfel

Further Reading

• Wikipedia Article: Edmund Meyrick

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q5339668

Published date: 1959

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