Marmaduke Gwynne

Marmaduke Gwynne (1691–1769) was a Welsh squire, and an early and influential Methodist convert. He was a scion of the Gwynne family of Glanbrân near Llandovery. Gwynne married well and employed Theophilus Evans as an Anglican private chaplain. He was converted to Methodism by Howell Harris. He served as a legal adviser and financial supporter to the Methodists and his daughter Sarah married Charles Wesley.

Life Glanbran, Carmarthenshire. This house was built by Marmaduke's brother Roderick Gwynne Garth House. Gwynne's home and the house where Charles Wesley courted Sally Gwynne Gwynne was born in Llanafan Fawr, Breconshire, to Howell and Mary (née Gwynne) Gwynne; his parents both had the surname Gwynne, but were not closely related. He was baptised on 1 January 1692. He was the eldest of seven children and his name was the same as his maternal grandfather who had built up the family fortune in a life of public service driven by self-interest. His grandfather had lost his position as a judge in Anglesey due to allegations of corruption and Jacobitism.

Gwynne attended Jesus College, Oxford before joining Gray's Inn in 1711. He seemed to get his interest in the law from his namesake and his interest in religion from his father and Sackville Gwynne who was the squire at Glanbrân near Llandovery.

By the time Gwynne had reached his majority he had returned from London to take up a substantial inheritance of Garth and Llanelwedd from his grandfather (as his father had died in 1708). When Gwynne married Sarah Evans of Peterwell at Lampeter His house guests also included John and Charles Wesley. The Gwynne family had twenty servants who looked after them and a minimum of ten house guests and frequently more. Sarah had met Charles two years before and it was said to be "love at first sight" and a rare happy marriage in the Wesley family. Sarah's mother is said to have brought a sixth share of £30,000 and £600 per year to the marriage whereas Charles had to get his brother to underwrite a potential income of £100 per year from book sales to reassure Sarah's family.

Gwynne's enthusiasm for the Wesleys cooled his relationship with Harris. Gwynne eventually stepped back from his active support for Methodism but he remained on good terms with the Wesleys and Howell Harris. Gwynne lived in Ludlow for several years after 1745 but then returned to Breconshire.

Marmaduke Gwynne died in 1769, aged 77, and was buried at Llanlleonfel parish church near the Garth estate. He had six daughters and three sons Howell, Roderick and Marmaduke. In time it was the descendants of his second son Marmaduke (who died in 1782) who inherited the family's wealth and lived at Llanelwedd Hall until the early 20th century.