The Family of Kemmis

Edition 3.3 - 5 June 2020

Kemeys of Began

Archdeacon Coxe, describing his tour in Monmouthshire, writes "the Counties of Monmouth and Glamorgan are separated by the river Rumney, over which is a stone bridge leading to Cefn Mably. On the eastern bank of the river is an old cottage, called Begam, pleasnantly situated, said to be the site of the ancient mansion inhabited by the Kemeys family". Both Cefn Mably and Began are in the parish of Machaelston-y-Vedw, or Llanvihangel-y-Vedw as it is sometimes called, about 5 miles S.W. by S. from Newport, the former in that part of the parish which lies in Glamorgan, the latter in the portion situated in Monmouth. Began, or Bakaneslegh as it was anciently called, was a Manor held of the lords of Wentloog and is described in the inquisition port mortem, in 1299, of Wm. brother and heir of Thos. Earl of Stafford as "quarta pars feodi per Johem Kemeys": it is also mentioned in inquisitions of the Earls of Stafford in the years 1387, 1393 and 1403, but in no case is the name of the occupier given: it would appear to have passed from the Kemeys family prior to 1460, in which it occurs in the inquisition of Humphrey, Duke of Buckingham as "per Meu' ap Jor'." It is now the property of Colonel Kemeys Tynte.

• XII. Jenkin Kemeys: 3rd. son of John de Kemmeys (XI) of Kemeys and Began by Margaret his wife: returned as holding Began in 1389, during his father's life: in the same year one of a jury upon an inquisition at Magor respecting certain outrages committed upon the King's tenant by the officers of the Countes of Norfolk: married Jenet, daughter of Jevan ap Lleison of Baglan, Co. Glamorgan. Issue,
  • 1. Jevan.
  • 2. Margaret: married 1st. Jevan ap Morgan ap Williams (117), of New Church, near Cardiff, 2nd. Raffe Langley of Christchurch, Co. Monmouth. (118)
  • 3. Joan: married Jenkin David of Grossmont, and probably 2ndly Sir Gilbert Denys of Syston, Co. Gloucester.

• XIII. Jevan Kemeys: (118a) of Began: married Christian, daughter of Morgan ap Llewelyn of Tredegar, Monmouthshire: served on juries in Wentloog in the years 1387, 1392 and 1393: his name occurs frequently in the Tredegar deeds down to 1393. Issue,
  • 1. Morgan.
  • 2. William: whence Kemeys of Newport. (see which branch)
  • 3. John: whence Kemys of Syston and of Bedminster (see which branches).
  • 4. David: whence Kemeys of Cefn-Mably (see which branch).
  • 5. Henry: whence Kemeys of Caldicot (see which branch).
  • 6. Howel: whence Kemeys of Llanrhymny (see which branch). (119)

• XIV. Morgan Kemeys: of Began: a tenant in the Manor of Pencarn and Davelas in Wentloog 1447: appears to have sold Began prior to 1460: Father of
  • 1. David.
  • 2. Jenkin: coroner of Wentloog 1457: died the same year: father of Margery, married Thos. Huntley, junior, of Treowen, who was killed in the battle of Banbury 26th. July 1469.

• XV. David Kemeys: married Ellen, daughter of John, 7th. son of Morgan ap Jenkin Philip of Langston, Co. Monmouth in or before 1460. Father of
  • 1. James.
  • 2. Thomas: married Catherine, daughter of John Turberville of Llanblethiank, Co. Glamorgan.
  • 3. William: mentioned as William ap David Morgan Kemeys in deeds 1470, 1483 and 1485. (120)

• XVI. James Kemeys: held lands in Llanvihangel-Vach, Glamorganshire: married Isabella, daughter of Sir John Morgan of Tredegar, Knight of the Sepulcre and Steward of Wentloog, whose inquis: post mortem is dated 1491-2. Issue,
  • 1. John.
  • 2. Probably a daughter, who became 2nd. wife of Llewelyn 3rd. son of Howel ap Evan. (?)
  • 3. James held jointly with Morgan Morice in 1537 a lease for 12 years of the Lordships and Manors of Manerbere and Penallen, Co. Pembroke, from Henry, Duke of Richmond and Somerset. (121)

• XVII. John Kemeys: held lands in Llanvihangel-Vach: living 1503-44: (122) married Maud, daughter of henry Vaughan of Tretower. Father of,

• XVIII. David Kemeys of Marchfield: Co. Monmouth, (123) (?) the David Kemeys whose estate is said to have been administered in London in 1561, father of,

• XIX. Kynie Kemeys: who married (124) in 1574 Trehearne Morgan of St. Mellons.

Footnotes to Kemeys of Began

• (117) "Grandmother of Morgan Williams, temp. Hen. VIII, who married a sister of Thos. Cromwell, Earl of Essex, and had a son Sir R. Williams, who assumed at the King's desire the surname of his uncle Cromwell and through the influence of that once powerful relative obtained wealth and station: he was great-grandfather of Oliver Cromwell". Burke's Landed Gentry.
• (118) Vide "Visitation of Gloucestershire"; one of their descendants was Mangotsfield, Co. Gloucester in 1619.
• (118a) Jevan-Anglice John.
• (119) These six sons are mentioned in the records of the great lordship Marcher of Wentllwch or Wentloog, as children of Jevan ap Jenkin Kemeys: the Herald's Visitation corroborates this, but adds two others, Thomas and Griffith. Sir Thomas Phillipps in his pedigrees of Kemis inserts Thomas in place of John. Mr. Wakeman says "The descent of the different branches from these six sons in 1447 is proved in most instances by abundance of documentary evidence, public and private, which I have had opportunity of inspecting; and before that date the evidence is not so full but sufficient to establish the direct descent correctly."
• (120) Wakeman.
• (121) Gairdner's Letters and Papers relating to the reign of Henry VIII. Vol. 12, pt. i.
• (122) He is mentioned in deeds of these dates - Wakeman.
• (123) Marshfield lies about 2.5 miles E. by S. from Began.
• (124) Wakeman.

Beginning of Document
Table of Contents
Kemeys of Ferns
Kemeys Newport

John L. & Irene Kemmis
E-mail:john.kemmis@kemmisfamily.info