Family and Education

b. by 1511, 1st s. of Jenkin ap David ap Lewis ap Stephen of Gladestry by Agnes, da. of Henry ap Hywel ap Edward. m. by 1532, Sibyl, da. of Rhys ap Gwilym ap Llywelyn, 4s. inc. Rhys 2da.1

Offices Held

Escheator, Rad. 1553-4; j.p. 1554-8, q. 1558/59-d.; sheriff 1556-7, 1561-2, 1574-5, 1580-1, 1588-9; commr. subsidy 1557/58.2

Biography

The Lewis family of Gladestry Court was of ancient descent. The taxable valuation of Ieuan Lewis’s lands at Gladestry was set in 1558 at £10 a year and in 1559 at £13 16s.8d. He was a cousin of Thomas Lewis I, whose election for the Radnor Boroughs in 1545 he attended, but whereas during Mary’s reign Thomas Lewis was to fall into the background this was the time of Ieuan Lewis’s first advancement, culminating in his knighthood of the shire in the Queen’s last Parliament and his son Rhys Lewis’s election at the same time for the Boroughs. It was to be 30 years before he again represented the shire, but his record in the administration was unbroken although not without incident. He is said to have died in 1597.3

Ref Volumes: 1509-1558

Author: P. S. Edwards

Notes

• 1. Date of birth estimated from marriage. Dwnn, Vis. Wales, i. 253-5.
• 2. E179/224/568; CPR, 1554-5, p. 33; 1560-3, p. 445; 1563-6, p. 29; SP12/93/9.
• 3. F. G. Payne, Crwydro Sir Faesyfed, i. 39; E159/224/568-9; C3/83/41; 218/18C/189; St.Ch.5/L15/17. On a copy of the Crown Office list for the Parliament of 1558 Lewis’s christian name ‘Jevn’ has been struck out and ‘Henr.’ superscribed, Wm. Salt Lib. SMS 264.