PROJECTION AND PERCEPTION: THE SELF-FASHIONING OF SIR JOHN WYNN OF GWYDIR

Abstract

PROJECTION AND PERCEPTION: THE SELF-FASHIONING OF SIR JOHN WYNN OF GWYDIR.
ABSTRACT
During the early modern era, the uchelwyr (gentry) became great landowners in Wales, and increasingly powerful in court, administration, and legal circles. Their enhanced wealth and status, coupled with the political stability of the Tudor and Stuart reigns, provided a vehicle for change in their living standards. To succeed, they needed to project an image, and uphold the values, of both a Renaissance gentleman and a traditional Welsh uchelwr. Appeasing different audiences at home in Wales, and at the centre of national politics at court proved to be a difficult balancing act. The Wynns straddled the divide between Welsh uchelwriaeth and English gentility, like others of their milieu who benefited from acquiring Crown leases, government office, and knighthoods, especially in the century after the Acts of Union (1536 and 1543). This thesis argues that it was equally important for an early modern uchelwr to engage with both the traditional Welsh values of his ancestors and embrace the new cultural concepts introduced by the European Renaissance. This multi-disciplinary approach takes full advantage of the available material to give a fresh perspective on Sir John Wynn (1553-1626/7), a much-documented character, to discover how the spread of new continental ideas necessitated the combination of both a Renaissance and traditional Welsh vocabulary to project the dual identity needed to be considered successful. In a departure from the work of historians such as J. Gwynfor Jones which has provided an excellent foundation for any research into the political and administrative structure of north Wales during this period, this thesis focuses more on the personal lives and relationships of the family by emphasising their use of the visual, built, and textual material culture to demonstrate their status and authority both locally and on a national stage. Five mechanisms of status projection are used to demonstrate the design, purchase and display choices made by Sir John Wynn of Gwydir to project his image as both a tradition Welsh uchelwr and a modern Renaissance gentleman. These mechanisms included the building of a new mansion to demonstrate his prowess, his ‘finest house’, surpassing what his ancestors had built. He indulged in scholarly reading and writing, documenting a detailed family history, and in his early years, patronised the bards and campaigned for an eisteddfod. The marriage matches arranged for his children also reflected the duality of his image; the heirs were married into English gentry families, whilst good Welsh matches were made for the others, all of whom provided friendship, social and political allegiance or often a muchneeded financial boost to the estate. Sir John indulged himself with fine clothes bought from London, along with luxurious fabrics for the house and exotic food and wine to impress his guests. Even his funerary memorials were brought from London but embellished with the traditional family heraldry which connected him and his posterity to the line of Owain Gwynedd and Gruffudd ap Cynan. The monuments of the Wynn family are an excellent example of the use of heraldic devices, which also feature prominently in elegies as a performative aspect of the funerary ritual. As the head of one of the most prestigious gentry families in north Wales during the early modern era Sir John was well positioned to adopt cultural trends in a similar context to his English counterparts. The introduction of Renaissance material culture and leisure into Wales needed to be done in a considered manner. Wales was a nation with a rich cultural tradition, the patronage of which was an indication of status and authority. Therefore, a careful balancing act was needed to maintain traditional values and embrace progressive Renaissance ideals.

Date of Award	29 May 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Bangor University
Supervisor	Euryn Roberts (Supervisor) & Shaun Evans (Supervisor)