Gwyn was the son of William Gwyn and Mary Anne Roberts. His mother was the daughter of John Roberts of Barnstaple, Devon.[1] He was educated privately at Neath and at Swansea Grammar School.[1]
Public life
Statue of Gwyn, Victoria Gardens, Neath,1889, by Mario Raggi
Gwyn successfully contested Penryn and Falmouth at the 1847 General Election and continued to represent the borough until 1857.[1] He represented Brecon from 1866 until 1869 when he was unseated by petition. Having been returned for Brecon in 1868 it was generally accepted that his supporters had been caught engaged in bribery.[2]
The following year, a petition was brought forward to unseat him due to allegations of bribery and illegal activities. Gwyn was largely exonerated personally but the charges were upheld and his election annulled in April 1869.[3]
Gwyn played a prominent role in the public life of the Borough of Neath and contributed land towards the building of a hall, known as the Gwyn Hall.[1]
He died at his home in 1888.[1] The radical Welsh language newspaper, Tarian y Gweithiwr, recalled him as an old-fashioned Conservative who was a staunch defender of the Church of England.[4]
