Sir Trevor Williams, 1st Baronet
Sir Trefor Williams (1623 - 1692) of Llangibby, Monmouthshire was a Welsh politician, gentry landowner, military commander and rebel who played a significant part in events during and after the English Civil War in South Wales.
Family & lineage
Trefor Williams was a descendant of a marriage, in 1300, between one Howel Gam ap David to a daughter of the Herefordshire based Scudamore family, the Williams surname being adpoted by Roger Williams, Trefor's grandfather and a Sheriff of Monmouthshire in 1562. His son, Charles, also becoming Sheriff of Monmouthshire in 1627, having already been knighted in 1621. Sir Charles, Trefor's father was returned as MP for Monmouthshire, dying in 1642.
English Civil War
Young Trefor Williams was appointed a 'Commissioner of Array' at the outbreak of the Civil War, with responsibilities for raising an army within Monmouthshire for the King. Maybe in order to consolidate him in this conspicuous role he was also made a Baronet in 1642 (one of several Williams Baronetsin Wales), and having set about his alloted task was captured by Parliamentary forces in 1643 at the Battle of Highnam and having been released, as befitting an officer of his standing and dependent on certain conditions no doubt, returned to Llangibby where he set about fortifying the ruined medieval stone castle beside the Caerleon to Usk road, garrisoning it with 60 men, and furthermore was involved in operations around Monmouth, to the north by 1644.
As a tenant of the Earl of Pembroke, as were his family before him, he naturally took up the shared feud with the Somersets and came to resent the favours of the King to the Catholic family and the Earl of Glamorgan's plan to bring in Irish soldiers to south east Wales. He resisted further recruiting himself and the recruiting activities of Sir Jacob Astley for the King across South Wales and was immediately arrested at Abergavenny. He was quickly bailed and seized and held nearby Monmouth Castle - this time against the King. He then fought at the bitter and lengthy seige of Raglan Castle on the side of Parliamant, the winning side.
However by the time the Second Civil War was developing he had come to hold anti-Cromwellian feelings. Cromwell had given himself lands in South Wales, both in Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, much to the chagrin of Trefor and no doubt other local landowners, such as Sir Nicholas Kemeys who together seized and held mighty Chepstow Castle in defiance in 1648.
Cromwell's response was to storm Chepstow, regaining the fortress and arresting and seizing all the lands of the rebels involved. Trefor Williams' lands were sequestered by Parliament but an appeal was made, heard and his lands were returned to him.
On his release and the return of his lands Trefor Williams bought himself further lands, which had belonged to others who had their lands sequestered, buying up much land in and around modern St Mellons between the modern cities of Cardiff and Newport by 1650. He was reconciled to the Protectorate by 1660 and was once again trusted to hold public office.