17th century in Wales

16th century | 1700s | Other years in Wales

Other events of the century

This article is about the particular significance of the century 1600 - 1699 to Wales and its people.

Princes of Wales

• Henry Stuart (1610-1612)
• Charles Stuart (later Charles I) (1616-1625)
• Charles Stuart (later Charles II) (1630-1649)
• James Francis Edward Stuart (1688)

Princesses of Wales

• none

Events

1605

• The earldom of Montgomery is created for Philip Herbert, a favourite of King James I of England.

1607

• Serious outbreak of plague in Conwy.

1610

• June 4 - Henry Stuart is created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester.

1614

• Foundation of Monmouth School.

1616

• November - Charles Stuart is created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, four years after the death of his elder brother.

1625

• July 8 - A deputation including Sir Sackville Trevor takes a deputation to King Charles I.

1639

• Abergavenny received its charter of incorporation.

1643

• November 9 - Thomas Myddelton takes the bridge at Holt on behalf of Parliament.

1644

• Thomas Bulkeley is created 1st Viscount Bulkeley in recognition of his service to the Royalist cause in the English Civil War.
• Roch Castle is captured by Parliament; the owner's daughter, Lucy Walter, flees to London and thence to The Hague.

1645

• June - King Charles I of England begins a tour of South Wales, in the wake of his defeat at the Battle of Naseby, to rally support
• July 16 - King Charles I dines with the Morgans at Tredegar Park.
• July 25 - King Charles I is entertained by the Morgans of Ruperra Castle.
• August 5 - King Charles I visits Colonel Edward Prichard at Llancaiach Fawr.

1646

• August 19 - Raglan Castle surrenders to Parliament forces.

1647

• March 16 - Harlech Castle surrenders to Parliament's forces, the last Royalist stronghold of the English Civil War.
• date unknown - Katherine Fowler ("Orinda") marries James Philips of Cardigan Priory.

1648

• May 8 - Battle of St. Fagans

1649

• January - Thomas Wogan and John Jones Maesygarnedd are among the signatories to the death warrant of King Charles I.
• April - Rowland Laugharne, John Poyer and Rice Powel, former Parliamentary commanders, are condemned to death for their role in the rebellion leading to the Battle of St Fagans. They draw lots and the sentence is carried out only on Colonel Poyer.
• April 9 - Lucy Walter, mistress of the Prince of Wales, gives birth to the future Duke of Monmouth.

1657

• George Fox visits Dolgellau, resulting in the foundation of a local Quaker community, led by Rowland Ellis.
• Jenkin Jones becomes minister at Llanddetty.

1659

• The Cheshire Rising proclaims Charles II as King. Its leaders include Thomas Myddelton of Chirk Castle.

1660

• July 23 - Creation of the Aubrey baronets of Llantrithead
• October 17 - Hugh Lloyd becomes Bishop of Llandaff.

1661

• April 20 - Royalist Arthur Annesley is created Earl of Anglesey.

1664

• Thomas Wogan, former Parliamentary commander and regicide, escapes from York Castle and flees to the Netherlands.

1666

• Last recorded news of Thomas Wogan, resident in Utrecht and plotting against King Charles II.

1678

• The gardens of Bodysgallen Hall are laid out.

1680

• September 9 - Regicide Henry Marten dies a prisoner in Chepstow Castle.

1682

• August 30 - A group of Welsh settlers, including Thomas Wynne, set sail for Pennsylvania.

1686

• Rowland Ellis and his fellow Quakers leave Wales for Pennsylvania to avoid religious persecution.

1688

• December 10 - Mary of Modena, queen consort of King James II of England, flees to France, taking with her the six-month-old James Francis Edward Stuart, Prince of Wales.
• The chief officers of the corporation of Abergavenny refuse to take the oath of allegiance to King William III, and the town's charter is annulled.

1689

• July 25 - Council of Wales and the Marches is abolished.

1699

• Bryn Celli Ddu is plundered by grave robbers.

Arts and literature

Books

1600

• Robert Holland - Darmerth, neu Arlwy i Weddi
• William Vaughan - Golden Grove

1603

• John Davies of Hereford - Microcosmos

1611

• Lewis Bayly - Practice of Piety

1615

• Rhosier Smyth - Gorsedd y Byd

1618

• Ben Jonson - For the Honour of Wales (masque, first performed February 17)

1621

• Edmwnd Prys - Salmau Cân

1630

• Rowland Vaughan - Yr Ymarfer o Dduwioldeb

1632

• John Davies (Mallwyd) - Dictionarium duplex

1651

• Henry Vaughan - 'Olor Iscanus

1653

• William Erbery - A Mad Mans Plea
• Morgan Llwyd - Llyfr y Tri Aderyn

1656

• Morgan Llwyd - Gair o'r Gair

1657

• Morgan Llwyd - Yr Ymroddiad

1658

• Rowland Vaughan - Yr Arfer o Weddi yr Arglwydd

1660

• Rowland Vaughan - Evchologia: neu Yr Athrawiaeth i arferol weddio

Births

1619

• date unknown
  • Morgan Llwyd, writer (d. 1659)
  • William Price, Royalist colonel (d. 1691)

1622

• April 17
  • Henry Vaughan, poet (d. 1695)
  • Thomas Vaughan, philosopher (d. 1666)

1627

• July 20 - Thomas Wynne, personal physician of William Penn (d. 1691)

1634

• date unknown - William Williams, politician (d. 1700)

1649

• April 5 - Elihu Yale, founder of Yale University (d. 1721)
• April 9 - James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, son of the future King Charles II of England and Lucy Walter (d. 1685)

1655

• date unknown - Henry Rowlands, antiquary (d. 1723)

1671

• date unknown - Ellis Wynne, clergyman and author (d. 1734)

1682

• May 17 - Bartholomew Roberts, pirate ("Black Bart") (d. 1722)

1675

• date unknown - William Jones, mathematician (d. 1749)

1683

• March 1 - Caroline of Ansbach, future Princess of Wales (d. 1737)
• November 10 - Prince George of Hanover, future Prince of Wales (d. 1760)

1688

• November 1 - Morgan Morgan, American colonist

1693

• February - Theophilus Evans, historian (d. 1767)

Deaths

1601

• June 17 - Gabriel Goodman, Dean of Westminster, 72

1604

• September 10 - Bishop William Morgan, Bible translator

1606

• date unknown - Simwnt Fychan, poet

1609

• date unknown - John Dee, mathematician and occultist

1610

• December 10 - John Roberts, Catholic martyr (executed)

1612

• November 6 - Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, 18

1613

• August 26 - George Owen of Henllys, antiquary, 61
• September 4 - John Williams, principal of Jesus College, Oxford

1620

• June - Griffith Powell, principal of Jesus College, Oxford

1621

• date unknown - Sir Richard Bulkeley, politician

1622

• date unknown - John Owen, epigrammatist

1626

• December 10 - Edmund Gunter, mathematician

1627

• March 1 - Sir John Wynn, 1st Baronet

1633

• probable - Sir Sackville Trevor, sea captain

1641

• August - William Vaughan, writer and colonist

1646

• June 30 - Philip Powell, Catholic martyr, 52 (executed)

1649

• January 30 - Charles I of England, a former Prince of Wales, 48 (executed)
• April 24 - John Poyer, rebel commander (executed)

1650

• March 25 - John Williams, Archbishop of York, 68
• date unknown - Thomas Howell (Bishop of Bristol), 62

1656

• June 9 - Thomas Tomkins, composer

1658

• September/October - Lucy Walter, former mistress of King Charles II

1659

• June 3 - Morgan Llwyd, Puritan preacher and writer

1660

• August 13 - Sir Owen Wynn, 3rd Baronet, 68
• October 13 (or 17) - John Jones Maesygarnedd, regicide (executed)

1663

• December 6 - David Jenkins, judge

1664

• June 22 - Katherine Philips, poet, 33

1670

• October 27 - Vavasor Powell, Nonconformist leader and writer

1674

• September 5 - Colonel Philip Jones of Fonmon, 56?

1679

• April 13 - Sir Thomas Morgan, 1st Baronet, soldier, 75
• July 22 - Philip Evans and John Lloyd, Roman Catholic priests (executed at Cardiff)
• date unknown - Francis Howell, Principal of Jesus College, Oxford, 54

1688

• August 25 - Henry Morgan, privateer

1689

• April 18 - George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys, the "hanging judge"

1694

• September 10 - Thomas Lloyd, lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania

1695

• April 28 - Henry Vaughan, poet, 73

1698

• date unknown - Henry Bulkeley, politician