Family and Education

b. c.1613, 2nd but 1st surv. s. of Sir Henry Vaughan^† of Derwydd by Sage, da. and coh. of John Gwyn William of Piode, Carm., wid. of Edward Rice of Newton. m.Elizabeth, da. and coh. of William Herbert of Llangattock-nigh-Usk, Mon., 1da. suc. fa. c.1660; kntd. 9 Jan. 1662.1

Offices Held

Maj. of ft. (royalist) 1642, lt.-col. 1643-5, 1648.2

J.p. Carm. July 1660-7; commr. for assessment, Carm. Aug. 1660-d., Carmarthen 1663-d.; dep. lt. Carm. c. Aug. 1660-7, 1674-d., sheriff 1661-2, capt. of militia ft. 1661-?67, commr. for loyal and indigent officers, 1662; mayor, Carmarthen 1670-1.3

Biography

Vaughan’s father, a younger brother of the 1st Earl of Carbery, was knight of the shire in the Long Parliament and a prominent South Wales Royalist, who was taken prisoner at Naseby. Vaughan himself fought in both Civil Wars and was imprisoned in Tenby Castle for some time in 1648. He took no known part in subsequent royalist conspiracy, but was knighted in 1662, soon after succeeding to the estate. As one of the securities for a defaulting hearth-tax official, probably a kinsman, he was outlawed for debt in June 1667, and removed from local office. Nevertheless he was returned unopposed for the county at a by-election six months later. The validity of his election was questioned, in view of his outlawry, but John Vaughan spoke in his defence, and the committee of elections reported in his favour because he was a surety, not a principal, ‘and besides there was proved to be very indirect dealings by Jervas the attorney’. He was manifestly interested in Parliament solely as a refuge from his creditors: he made no recorded speeches and sat on no committees, but he loyally supported the court party. In 1669 Sir Thomas Osborne listed him among those to be engaged for the Court by the Duke of Buckingham; he was included in the working lists in 1675 and in Wiseman’s account. By this time his financial position had improved; he was restored to the lieutenancy in 1674, and in July 1676 he regained possession of Derwydd. He died on 26 Dec. 1676, aged 63, and was buried in Llandybie church. The Derwydd estate eventually devolved upon his nephew, Richard Vaughan.4

Ref Volumes: 1660-1690

Authors: Leonard Naylor / Geoffrey Jaggar

Notes

• 1. G. M. Roberts, Llandybie, 92; Bradney, Mon. i. 189; Keeler, Long Parl. 371.
• 2. A. L. Leach, Civil War in Pemb. 187; Cal. Comm. Comp. 1825; information from Brig. Peter Young.
• 3. Carm. RO, Cawdor pprs. 1, box 44.
• 4. Grey, i. 80; Milward, 253; Cal. Treas. Bks. v. 269.