Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 4th Baronet (23 September 1749 – 24 July 1789) was a Welsh landowner, politician and patron of the arts. The Williams-Wynn baronets had been begun in 1688 by the politician Sir William Williams, 1st Baronet, but had inherited, in the time of the 3rd baronet, Sir Watkin's father, the estates of the

Wynn baronets There have been two ''baronetcies'' created in the 17th and 18th centuries for persons with the same surname, Wynn; these titles were given to families from North Wales, United Kingdom: # The Wynn of Gwydir baronetcy was in the List of baronetcie ...

, and changed their name to reflect this.

Early life

Williams-Wynn was the eldest son of the second marriage of his father,

Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 3rd Baronet Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 3rd Baronet (c. 169226 September 1749) was a Welsh politician and landowner who sat in the British House of Commons from 1716 to 1749, when he died in office. A member of the Tory party, he was also a prominent Jacobit ...

, to Frances Shackerley of Cheshire. He was a baby when his father was killed by a fall from his horse while out hunting, and he inherited the extensive

Wynnstay Wynnstay is a country house within an important landscaped park 1.3 km (0.75 miles) south-east of Ruabon, near Wrexham, Wales. Wynnstay, previously Watstay, is a famous estate and the family seat of the Williams-Wynn baronets. The house wa ...

estates, the largest in North Wales. These straddled at least five Welsh counties and extended into

Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, and yielded an estimated rental income of £20,000 – a very substantial sum at the time, whose spending he tackled with enthusiasm and considerable success. On his coming of age in 1770, he held an extravagant party for 15,000 guests; the bills record consumption of "31 bullocks, 50 hogs, 50 calves, 80 sheep, 18,000 eggs...." An embroidered suit which he may have worn on this occasion is in the possession of the

National Museum of Wales National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

Career

Williams-Wynn's family had been powerful in politics for several generations, and Sir Watkin effectively controlled several Parliamentary seats and led a

Tory A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The To ...

faction in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

, though he was less involved in politics than his father, and tended not to lead his faction decisively. The influence of the family had declined during his long minority. He served as a Member of Parliament for

from 1772 to 1774, and for

Denbighshire Denbighshire ( ; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. It borders the Irish Sea to the north, Flintshire to the east, Wrexham to the southeast, Powys to the south, and Gwynedd and Conwy to the west. Rhyl is the largest town, and Ruthi ...

from 1774 until his death in 1789 aged 39. He was criticised for poor attendance. He was Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire from 1775 to 1789.

Patron of the arts

Sir Watkin made a Grand Tour to Europe from June 1768, returning by February the next year for his wedding in April. In Rome

Pompeo Batoni Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (25 January 1708 – 4 February 1787) was an Italian painter who displayed a solid technical knowledge in his portrait work and in his numerous Allegory, allegorical and mythological pictures. The high number of foreign vis ...

painted him with some companions, and a classical subject, ''Bacchus and Ariadne'' was commissioned later, in 1774. The

Rococo Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...

silver-gilt Silver-gilt or gilded/gilt silver, sometimes known in American English by the French language, French term vermeil, is silver (either pure or sterling silver, sterling) which has been gilding, gilded. Most large objects made in goldsmithing tha ...

toilet service he gave to his first wife, by the London goldsmith Thomas Heming, is now in the

. The Neoclassical grave monument for her is by Joseph Nollekens, in St Mary's Church,

Ruabon Ruabon (; ) is a village and community in Wrexham County Borough Wrexham County Borough () is a Principal areas of Wales, county borough, with city status in the United Kingdom, city status, in the North East Wales, north-east of Wales. I ...

Clwyd Clwyd ( , ) is a preserved counties of Wales, preserved county of Wales, situated in the north-east corner of the country; it is named after the River Clwyd, which runs through the area. To the north lies the Irish Sea, with the English cerem ...

. Sir Watkin played a significant role in the development of art in Wales, as an early patron of

landscape painting Landscape painting, also known as landscape art, is the depiction in painting of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, rivers, trees, and forests, especially where the main subject is a wide view—with its elements arranged into a cohe ...

there, which was to become the largest area of artistic activity in Wales. He brought both Richard Wilson and

Paul Sandby Paul Sandby (1731 – 7 November 1809) was an English map-maker turned Landscape art, landscape painter in watercolours, who, along with his older brother Thomas Sandby, Thomas, became one of the founding members of the Royal Academy in 17 ...

to his seat at

, Sandby staying six weeks in the summer of 1770, giving lessons to the family as well as painting, on his first visit to Wales. The next year Sandby returned and from 21 August to 4 September 1771 he and Sir Watkin toured through the mountains of northern Wales. From the sketches made on the tour Sandby published twelve

aquatint Aquatint is an intaglio printmaking technique, a variant of etching that produces areas of tone rather than lines. For this reason it has mostly been used in conjunction with etching, to give both lines and shaded tone. It has also been used ...

''Views in North Wales'' in 1776, and five of his ''Views in Wales'' in 1777. Matching sets from South Wales came from his tours there with Sir

Joseph Banks Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, (19 June 1820) was an English Natural history, naturalist, botanist, and patron of the natural sciences. Banks made his name on the European and American voyages of scientific exploration, 1766 natural-history ...

, who commissioned the whole series. A more ambitious tour together, to Italy, was planned but cancelled after Sir Watkin's second marriage. He supported the Concerts of Antient Music, and is caricatured by James Gilray in a depiction of King

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...

of Great Britain attending one he organised.

Personal life

He was married twice, first in April 1769 to Lady Henrietta Somerset, daughter of Charles Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort. As Williams-Wynn was a minor (under 21) he had to get Parliamentary permission by a special Act for the marriage settlement. Lady Henrietta died very shortly afterwards in July 1769. Secondly, in December 1771 he married Lady Charlotte Grenville, daughter of a former Whig Prime Minister.Hughes. Together, they had four sons and three daughters, including: * Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet (1772–1840), who married Lady Henrietta Antonia Clive, eldest daughter of

Edward Clive, 1st Earl of Powis Edward Clive, 1st Earl of Powis, (7 March 1754 – 16 May 1839), known as the Lord Clive between 1774 and 1804, was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1774 to 1794 when he was raised to the peerage as Baron Clive. E ...

, and Henrietta Clive, Countess of Powis, in 1817. * Frances Williams-Wynn (1773–1857), who remained unmarried, and whose political ''Diaries'' were published posthumously in 1864.Williams-Wynn, Frances. ''Diaries of a Lady of Quality from 1797-1844'', ed. by Hayward, A.. London: Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts, & Green, 1864. p. ix. * Charlotte Williams-Wynn (1775–1819), who married Lt-Col

William Shipley William Shipley (baptised: 2 June 1715 – 28 December 1803) was an English drawing master, social reformer and inventor who, in 1754, founded Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, an arts society in London that be ...

, MP for Flint Boroughs and

St Mawes St Mawes () is a village on the end of the Roseland Peninsula, in the eastern side of Falmouth, Cornwall, Falmouth harbour, on the south coast of Cornwall, England. The village, formerly two separate hamlets, lies on the east bank of the Carri ...

, and son of the Very Rev. William Davies Shipley. * Charles Williams-Wynn (1775–1850), who married Mary Cunliffe, daughter of Sir Foster Cunliffe, 3rd Baronet, and Harriet Kinloch, in 1806. * Henrietta Elizabeth Williams-Wynn (1780–1852), who married

Thomas Cholmondeley, 1st Baron Delamere Thomas Cholmondeley, 1st Baron Delamere ( ; 9 August 1767 – 30 October 1855), of Vale Royal Abbey, Vale Royal, Cheshire, was a British landowner and politician. He was elected Member of parliament, MP for Cheshire (UK Parliament constituency) ...

of Vale Royal.Cokayne, G. E.; Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors. ''The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed.. 13 volumes in 14. 1910–1959.'' Reprint in 6 volumes,

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

, U.K.:

Alan Sutton Publishing The History Press is a British publishing company specialising in the publication of titles devoted to local and specialist history. It claims to be the United Kingdom's largest independent publisher in this field, publishing approximately 300 ...

, 2000. * Sir Henry Williams-Wynn (1783–1856), who married Hon. Hester Frances Smith, daughter of Robert Smith, 1st Baron Carrington, in 1813. Sir Watkin died on 24 July 1789.

Residence

RobertJamesAdamengravedJohnRobertsfacadeWatkinWilliamsWynnStJames1777

Sir Watkin commissioned

Robert Adam Robert Adam (3 July 17283 March 1792) was a British neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam (architect), William Adam (1689–1748), Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and train ...

to build 20–21

St James's Square St James's Square is the only square in the St James's district of the City of Westminster and is a garden square. It has predominantly Georgian architecture, Georgian and Neo-Georgian architecture. For its first two hundred or so years it was ...

in London which was constructed between 1771 and 1775. Sir

Joshua Reynolds Sir Joshua Reynolds (16 July 1723 – 23 February 1792) was an English painter who specialised in portraits. The art critic John Russell (art critic), John Russell called him one of the major European painters of the 18th century, while Lucy P ...

received several commissions from Sir Watkin, some of which remain with the family. These include a portrait of him with his first wife in "Van Dyck" costume, and another of his second wife with her children, in around 1784, one with his mother (1768–69,

National Gallery, London The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of more than 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current dire ...

), one of Sir Watkin presiding over the

Society of Dilettanti The Society of Dilettanti (founded 1734) is a British society of noblemen and scholars that sponsored the study of ancient Greek and Roman art, and the creation of new work in the style. History Though the exact date is unknown, the Society i ...

(1777, now on loan to

Brooks's Brooks's is a gentlemen's club in St James's Street, London. It is one of the oldest and most exclusive gentlemen's clubs in the world. History In January 1762, a private society was established at 50 Pall Mall by Messrs. Boothby and James ...

), and one of his eldest son as

John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...

Coat of arms

Notes

References

*Hughes, Peter, "Williams-Wynn, Sir Watkin, 4th Baronet of Wynnstay." Grove Art Online,

Oxford Art Online Oxford Art Online is an Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press ...

, Oxford University Press, accessed 13 June 2015
subscription required
*"Rhagor"
"One of the wealthiest families of Wales"
National Museum Wales *Thomas, Peter, D.G.
Biography in ''History of Parliament Online''
extracted from ''The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1754–1790'', ed. L. Namier, J. Brooke., 1964 * *

External links

"The Williams-Wynn collection"
National Museum Wales {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams-Wynn, Watkin, 4th Baronet 1749 births 1789 deaths British MPs 1768–1774 British MPs 1774–1780 British MPs 1780–1784 British MPs 1784–1790 Lord-lieutenants of Merionethshire 4 Watkin Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Welsh constituencies People from Anglesey Fellows of the Royal Society Tory MPs (pre-1834)