Chepstow Castle - Sir Nicholas Kemeys Memorial - geograph

Sir Nicholas Kemeys, 1st Baronet (before 1593 – 25 May 1648) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

landowner and soldier during the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

South Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...

Lineage

The family claimed descent from a Stephen de Kemeys who held lands in the southern

Welsh Marches The Welsh Marches ( cy, Y Mers) is an imprecisely defined area along the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods. The English term Welsh March (in Medieval Latin ...

, in

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...

in the 1230s. A David Kemeys, the son of Ievan Kemeys of Began (near

St Mellons St Mellons ( cy, Llaneirwg) is a district and suburb of southeastern Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. Prior to 1996 St Mellons was the name given to the community largely north of Newport Road (B4487) which included the old St Mellons village. ...

) married Cecil, a daughter of Llewelyn ab Evan ab Llewelyn ap Cynfig of

Cefn Mably Cefn Mably is a district located approximately 6 miles north of Cardiff city centre and 5 miles south-east of Caerphilly. It's mostly within the city and county of Cardiff but is also partly within the Caerphilly County Borough. Notable Buildi ...

in or around 1450. David was succeeded by his son, Lewis Kemeys and his son and heir in turn was John Kemeys, succeeded by his son, also named David (possibly born 1564). David's eldest son Edward Kemeys,

High Sheriff of Glamorganshire This page is a list of High Sheriffs of Glamorgan. Sheriffs of Glamorgan served under and were answerable to the independent Lords of Glamorgan until that lordship was merged into the crown. This is in contrast to sheriffs of the English shires wh ...

for 1574, died without issue and the estate passed to a nephew, another David Kemeys, the son of Rhys Kemeys of Llanvair Castle (

Llanvair Discoed Llanvair Discoed ( cy, Llanfair Is Coed) is a small village in Monmouthshire, south-east Wales, 6 miles west of Chepstow and 10 miles east of Newport. History The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Lamecare'. The name means Ma ...

), who also became Sheriff of Glamorgan for 1616. He was succeeded by his son Edward who had no issue and the estate therefore passed to Nicholas Kemeys, the third son of Rhys Kemeys.

Biography

Nicholas Kemeys was MP for

1628 to 1629 and

High Sheriff of Monmouthshire This is a list of Sheriffs of Monmouthshire, an office which was created in 1536 but not fully settled until 1540. On 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972, the shrievalty of Monmouthshire was abolished, and replac ...

for 1631 and

Sheriff of Glamorganshire This page is a list of High Sheriffs of Glamorgan. Sheriffs of Glamorgan served under and were answerable to the independent Lords of Glamorgan until that lordship was merged into the crown. This is in contrast to sheriffs of the English shires wh ...

for 1638. At the outbreak of the

he was created a

Baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

King Charles I of England Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. He was born into the House of Stuart as the second son of King James VI of Scotland, but after hi ...

. He was a passionate

supporter In heraldry, supporters, sometimes referred to as ''attendants'', are figures or objects usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. Early forms of supporters are found in medieval seals. However, unlike the coro ...

of the King and monarchy and as

Custos Rotulorum of Monmouthshire This is a list of people who have served as ''custos rotulorum'' of Monmouthshire. * Richard Morgan bef. 1544–1556 * Thomas Somerset bef. 1558 – aft. 1562 * Rowland Morgan bef. 1564 – aft. 1577 * William Herbert bef. 1584&ndas ...

played a leading and high-profile part in Monmouthshire during the Civil War. He was appointed Governor of Cardiff castle. As an ally of

Sir Trevor Williams, 1st Baronet Sir Trevor Williams, 1st Baronet (c. 1623 – 1692) of Llangibby ( cy, Llangybi), Monmouthshire, was a Welsh gentry landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1660 and 1692. He played a significant part ...

of Llangibby, Sir Nicholas led the defence of

Chepstow Castle Chepstow Castle ( cy, Castell Cas-gwent) at Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales is the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification in Britain. Located above cliffs on the River Wye, construction began in 1067 under the instruction of the Norman L ...

and was killed there in combat on 25 May 1648 after refusing to surrender after the Castle's fall. The location, within the castle, is marked by a plaque erected by members of the Kemeys family in 1935. He had married Jane, daughter of Sir Rowland Williams, Kt, of

Llangibby Castle Llangybi (also spelled Llangibby) is a village and community in Monmouthshire, in southeast Wales, in the United Kingdom. It is located south of the town of Usk and north of Caerleon, in the valley of the River Usk. In 2011 the village itsel ...

and left a son and heir,

Sir Charles Kemeys, 2nd Baronet Sir Charles Kemeys, 2nd Baronet (–1658) was the second of the Kemeys Baronets, a Welsh family of landowners in the county of Monmouthshire, Wales. His father, Sir Nicholas Kemeys, 1st Baronet was MP for Monmouth in 1628, High Sheriff of Monmou ...

who also played an active role during the remainder of the war.

References

External links

Nicholas Kemeys – National Library of Wales
''

Dictionary of Welsh Biography The ''Dictionary of Welsh Biography'' (DWB) (also ''The Dictionary of Welsh Biography Down to 1940'' and ''The Dictionary of Welsh Biography, 1941 to 1970'') is a biographical dictionary of Welsh people who have made a significant contribution to ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Kemeys, Nicholas Baronets in the Baronetage of England Welsh landowners Cavaliers English MPs 1628–1629 High Sheriffs of Monmouthshire High Sheriffs of Glamorgan People killed in the English Civil War Year of birth unknown 1648 deaths Year of birth uncertain