Life and legacy of Dr Lewis Bayly (c.1575-1631)Â
We are pleased to share this article by Tomos Cahill, undergraduate student in History at Bangor University and a friend of ISWE.
Most who visit Plas Newydd today will be aware of the house’s most famous residents, the Paget family. Indeed, the words Paget, ‘Marquis of Anglesey’ and Plas Newydd nowadays seem almost synonymous to us; however, the importance of the legacies left by the families which owned the Plas Newydd estate before 1737 is often forgotten. Indeed, the Griffiths, Bagnalls, and Baylys all contributed to the development of what would become the house at Plas Newydd. This article will thus seek to explore one individual in particular, whose legacy left its unique mark upon Plas Newydd - that of Lewis Bayly (c.1575-1631). An adherent puritan, Lewis’s radical opinions made him an unpopular figure within both the Anglican Church and the politics of contemporary North Wales; nevertheless, he was the first to make major additions to the mediaeval hall-house of Llwyn-y-Moel and the first to rename it as Plas Newydd (New Manor). Perhaps following in his great-grandfather’s footsteps, Sir Nicholas Bayly (1709-1782) would then go on to completely transform Plas Newydd into the awe-inspiring 18th-century Neo-Gothic mansion that we see today.
From Carmarthen to Oxford, Lewis’s early life
Not much is recorded about Lewis’s early life, he was probably born around 1575 in Carmarthen due to a reference to the town in his last will and the fact that his father, Thomas Bayly, was noted among the town clergy. Early in his life, Lewis is known to have gained the patronage of the Jones family of Abermarlais in Carmarthenshire, living there for a period before beginning his career within the Church by becoming the vicar of Shipton-on-Stour in 1597, of Evesham in 1600, and parson of Llanedi from 1606-13. He later went on to receive his theological training at Exeter College, Oxford, where he was awarded a B.D. in 1611 and a doctorate in 1613.1 Following his training, Lewis acquired substantial promotions within the Church, becoming a chaplain to King James I by 1616 and being nominated Bishop of Bangor later that same year.2
‘Piety hath the Promiſe’: Bayly as Bishop and acquisition of Plas Newydd
Swiftly following his attainment of a doctorate at Oxford University, Lewis produced his work, The Practice of Piety. Likely first published in 1611,3 the book was a ‘manual of devotion’ compiled from several of Lewis’s sermons and became one of the key texts of Puritan thought, having a profound influence on the works of John Bunyan (1628-1688).4The book became exceedingly popular throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, being translated from English into several languages, including French, Dutch, Polish, Italian and Romansh, as well as into Welsh in 1629 by Meirionydd statesman Rowland Vaughan of Caer-gai (c.1590-1667) as Yr Ymarfer o Dduwioldeb.5 Despite this, Lewis’s time as Bishop of Bangor was marked by mistrust and unpopularity among both the local gentry and his fellow clergymen. Upon being appointed bishop, his Puritan ideals and opinions made him an already unpopular figure within the Diocese, being particularly disfavoured by John Williams of Cochwillan (the later Bishop of Lincoln and Archbishop of York)6 and Griffith Williams (c.1587-1673), rector of Llanllechid.7 Early during his time as bishop, Lewis is recorded to have persecuted the Catholic Puw family of Penrhyn Creuddyn, particularly after Crown officials discovered the illegal printing of the Catholic essay, Y Drych Cristianogawl, in the cave on the Rhiwledyn.8 He was also quick to challenge the powers held by layman Sir John Wynn of Gwydir, especially concerning leases of Church lands,9 however before long, Lewis appears to have become one of John’s greatest friends, using his influence in an attempt to get John’s son to return as MP for Caernarfonshire in place of his rival; John Griffith of Cefn Amlwch ³¢±ôÅ·²Ô. In parliament, too, Lewis was accused of bribery and briefly found himself in Fleet Prison in London, but was released having regained the favour of King Charles I.10 Lewis then returned to North Wales where is said to have spent a vast sum of money upon repairs to Bangor Cathedral, he then married Anne, the daughter of Sir Henry Bagnall (1556-15980) who held the Llwyn-y-Moel estate on Ynys Môn. Upon acquiring the estate through his marriage to Anne, Lewis is known to have made the first major change to the hall-house and is credited with renaming it as Plas Newydd, certainly suggesting that he had a knowledge of the Welsh language. With this union, Plas Newydd would remain in the Bayly family for the next three generations until Lewis’s great-grandson Sir Nicholas Bayly (1709-1782) married Lady Caroline Paget (d. 1766).
Remembering the legacy of Dr Lewis Bayly
Lewis is thought to have died aged around 56 on the 26th of October 1631,11 his body was then interred at Bangor Cathedral, although no memorial dedicated to him can be found inside the cathedral today. Indeed, it is a sad revelation that by now, the turbulent legacy of Lewis as Bishop of Bangor and the essential role that he played in shaping the foundations for what would become the Plas Newydd estate have all but been forgotten. Eclipsed within Plas Newydd’s history, much like his Bayly descendants and the preceding Bagnalls and Griffiths, by the later activities of the Paget family in the early 19th to 21st centuries. Lewis is perhaps best remembered rather for the success of his exceedingly popular ‘Practice of Piety’ among the Puritans of 17th and 18th century Europe and Colonial America,12 however, the importance of his role in the development of the Plas Newydd estate cannot be denied as his marriage to Anne Bagnall had inadvertently secured the estate to the possession of the Bayly family for the next three generations and also then paved the way for their marriage into the Paget family.
A personal note from this article’s author
As House Welcomer, I am privileged to be part of the incredible team at Plas Newydd, all of whom, including our outstanding volunteers, help to ensure that Plas Newydd remains open to the public so that everyone can experience the fascinating history and beautiful gardens of this otherworldly location facing out towards the Afon Menai to the backdrop of the stunning mountains of Eryri. As an undergraduate student of Mediaeval and Early Modern History at Bangor University, it is also a massive pleasure to work in a historic house with connections to eminent Welsh gentry families such as the Griffiths and the Baylys. In this regard, I would also like to thank the Archives and Special Collections team at Bangor University Archives for the amazing service they provide and also for the privilege of being allowed to handle original copies of both Vaughan and Bayly’s works, and to the ISWE (Institution for the º£½ÇÌìÑÄof Welsh Estates) based at Bangor University for providing me with the inspiration to write this article.
(Authored by Tomos Cahill)
References
1 Richards, Thomas, ‘BAYLY, LEWIS (died 1631), bishop and devotional writer’, Dictionary of Welsh Biography, online edn., (accessed: 11/05/2025).
2 A. Louth, ‘Bayly, Lewis’, Oxford Reference, online edn., <https://www-oxfordreference-com.bangor.idm.oclc.org/display/10.1093/acref/9780199642465.001.0001/acref-9780199642465-e-761> (accessed: 11/05/2025).
3 Richards, ‘BAYLY, LEWIS (died 1631), bishop and devotional writer’, Dictionary of Welsh Biography, online edn., (accessed: 11/05/2025).
4 O. Garnett, Plas Newydd Country House and Gardens (Swindon, 2010), p.37.
5 M. Ellis, ‘VAUGHAN, ROWLAND (c.1590-1667), of Caer-gai, Merioneth, poet, translator, and Royalist’, Dictionary of Welsh Biography, online edn., (accessed: 12/05/2025).
6 B.D. Roberts, ‘WILLIAMS, JOHN (1582-1650), dean of Westminster, lord keeper of the great seal, archbishop of York’, Dictionary of Welsh Biography, online edn., (accessed: 12/05/2025).
7 G.T. Roberts, ‘WILLIAMS, GRIFFITH (?1587-1673), bishop and author’, Dictionary of Welsh Biography, online edn., (accessed: 12/05/2025).
8 Caernarfonshire Historical Society Transactions 1957, ’Puw, Pue, Pugh, family, of Penrhyn Creuddyn, Caernarfonshire, a prominent Roman Catholic family, Dictionary of Welsh Biography, online edn. (accessed: 22/05/2025).
9 Richards, ‘BAYLY, LEWIS (died 1631), bishop and devotional writer’, Dictionary of Welsh Biography, online edn., (accessed: 11/05/2025).
10 Richards, ‘BAYLY, LEWIS (died 1631), bishop and devotional writer’, Dictionary of Welsh Biography, online edn., (accessed: 11/05/2025).
11 Richards, ‘BAYLY, LEWIS (died 1631), bishop and devotional writer’, Dictionary of Welsh Biography, online edn., (accessed: 11/05/2025).
12 M.P. Winship, ‘Were There Any Puritans in New England?’, The New England Quarterly, 74 (2001), 118-38, (accessed: 14/05/2025).