Francis Gwyn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Francis Gwyn of Lansanor in the County of Glamorgan. And of Ford Abby in the Country of Devon. Esqr. 1698"[1]
Francis Gwyn PC (1648 – 14 June 1734), of Llansannor Court, was a Welsh Tory politician who sat in the English and British Houses of Commons at various times between 1673 and 1727.
Gwyn was the son and heir of Edward Gwyn of Llansannor, Glamorganshire, who married Eleanor, youngest daughter of Sir Francis Popham of Littlecott, Wiltshire. He was born at Combe Florey in Somerset about 1648. He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford, on 1 June 1666, aged 17 and was admitted at Middle Temple in 1667.[2] Although he trained as a lawyer, he had ample means and went into politics.
Member of Parliament
Gwyn was elected as Member of Parliament for Chippenham at the general election of 1673 and although his election was voided on 6 February, he was returned at a by-election on 11 February 1673. He was defeated at Chippenham at the 1679 general election and remained outside the House of Commons discharging his official duties. At the 1685 general election he was returned unopposed as MP for Cardiff. He was returned unopposed as MP for Christchurch on the recommendation of Lord Clarendon in 1689 and sat in the Convention Parliament of 1689 to 1690 and in its successor from 1690 to 1695.[3]
At the 1695 general election, Gwyn was returned unopposed as MP for Callington. He was returned unopposed as MP for Totnes at a by-election on 11 January 1699 and at the first general election of 1701. He was then returned unopposed for Christchurch at the second general election of 1701, in 1702, 1705 and in 1708. At the 1710 general election he was elected MP for Totnes and was returned unopposed in 1713.[4]
Gwyn was a Tory, and lost his seat at 1715 general election after the accession of George I. He was returned unopposed as MP for Christchurch at a by-election on 9 March 1717. At the general election in 1722 he was both returned unopposed for Christchurch and elected in a contest at Wells and chose to sit for Wells. At the dissolution in 1727 he retired from parliamentary life.[5]
Official
In return for the sum of £2,500 Sir Robert Southwell vacated for Gwyn the post of clerk of the council, and he was sworn in on 5 December 1679, holding the office until January 1685. Until the death of Charles II he was a Groom of the Bedchamber, and he was twice under-secretary of state, from February 1681 to January 1683, under his cousin, Edward, Earl of Conway, and from Christmas 1688 to Michaelmas 1689.
When Lord Rochester was lord high treasurer under James II, Gwyn was joint secretary to the treasury with Henry Guy, and when Rochester was made lord-lieutenant of Ireland in 1701 Gwyn was his chief secretary, and a privy councillor. At one time he served as a commissioner of public accounts. From June 1711 to August 1713 he was a commissioner of the board of trade, and he was then secretary at war until 24 September 1714, when he received a letter of dismissal from Lord Townshend. He was recorder of Totnes and steward of Brecknock.
