The Welsh gentry 鈥 Katheryn of Berain and the Wynn family
The emergence of the gentry
During Elizabeth鈥檚 reign the gentry became a powerful force in Wales. They dominated political and social life, building their fortunes and influence through careful marriages, prominent positions in local government and the accumulation of land.
However, it was not only men who were able to increase their wealth, power and influence during this period.
Katheryn of Berain (1534/5-1591)
Carefully arranged marriages served to increase wealth and power, and one of the best examples of this period was the life of Katheryn of Berain.
Born into a gentry family in Denbighshire, the granddaughter of an illegitimate son of King Henry VII, she married four times into prominent gentry families.
- John Salusbury, who owned the wealthy Lleweni estate outside Denbigh, who died in 1566.
- Sir Richard Clough who was a successful merchant, prominent in banking, who died in 1570.
- Morus Wynn of Gwydir near Llanrwst, who was the father of Sir John Wynn. The Wynn family would become one of the most powerful families in north Wales. Wynn died in 1580.
- Edward Thelwell, who outlived Katheryn.
The Wynn family
Katheryn鈥檚 third husband Morus Wynn of Llanrwst was the Sheriff of Caernarvonshire. Before he married Katheryn, he had a son, John, by a previous marriage, who succeeded to his father鈥檚 estate in 1580, with the family becoming one of the most influential in north Wales.
John Wynn used his status to occupy many important positions in local government and his example shows how local government was dominated by such figures. For example, he served as a sheriff, MP and Deputy Lieutenant before being knighted in 1608. After this he became a member of the Council of Wales and the Marches, becoming a baronet in 1611.