Sir John Salusbury

  General Notes:

The ancient palace of Lleweni was, in its time, one of the most princely mansions of North Wales, and although it stood on a dead level, surrounded by its extensive Forest, it commanded an enchanting view of the Castle and Town of Denbigh, - a city built on a hill; its eastern side. The original house was built in 720 A. D. This venerable and interesting mansion was taken down for materials to build Kinmel Palace. The old Lleweni Library (a collection of ancient, curious and rare works, valuable MSS, connected with the history of the Salusbury family, and the annals of Denbigh Castle; paintings of old masters, &c.,) became either scattered or lost. The fine-toned old organ, which once stood in the great hall, is that now in St. Hilary's Chapel [Denbigh]. The late Lord Dinorben's father also cut down the remains of the ancient forest, and realized a very large sum of money by the timber, having bought Lleweni for £209,000, much less, it is said, than the real value of the estate.

After the execution of Thomas Salusbury of Lleweni in 1586 Lleweni passed to his brother;
Sir John Salusbury of Lleweni, Knight, (d. 1612), who married Ursula, natural daughter of Henry Stanley, 4th Earl of Derby. On his death Lleweni passed to his son;
·Sir Henry Salusbury of Lleweni, 1st Bt. (d. 1632), then to his son;
·Sir Thomas Salusbury of Lleweni, 2nd baronet (d. 1643), then to his son;
·Sir Thomas Salusbury of Lleweni, 3rd Bt. (d. 1658) and then to the 3rd baronet's brother;
·Sir John Salusbury of Lleweni, 4th and last baronet, who died without issue in 1684. Lleweni then passed to his sister;
·Hester Salusbury, wife of Sir Robert Cotton of Combermere and Lleweni, 1st baronet, who died in 1712. Lleweni then passed to his son;
·Sir Thomas Cotton of Combermere and Lleweni, 2nd Bt. (d. 1715) and then to;
·Sir Robert Salusbury Cotton, 3rd Bt. (d. 1748) and then to his brother;
·Sir Lynch-Salusbury Cotton, 4th Bt. (d. 1775) and then to his son;
·Sir Robert Salusbury Cotton, 5th Bt. (d. 1807) who sold Lleweni to the Hon. Thomas Fitzmaurice in about 1770-1780.
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Before his [Sir Robert Salusbury Cotton's] death the Lleweni estate had been sold to the Hon. Thomas Fitzmaurice. The subsequent history of Lleweni may be of interest. Briefly, what happened was that Fitzmaurice erected there a large bleaching works at a cost of £20,000 for the treatment of linen woven on his Irish estate. Lleweni was sold and re-sold, and after the bankruptcy of Lord Kirkwall the works were closed down. Richard Fenton visited Lord Kirkwall at Lleweni in 1808. Unfortunately he does not give any details of the hall, but after a long description of the magnificent Gloddaeth Hall near Llandudno he adds: "But this hall is nothing to that at Lleweni either in size or perfection of costume."

Lleweni was afterwards bought by the Dinorben family for £209,000, and the remains of the ancient forest cut down. The Hall was dismantled and some of the material used in extending Kinmel Hall. The collection of paintings, etc., was dispersed, and the organ which stood in the great hall was taken to St. Hilary's Church, Denbigh. The present Lleweni Hall is used as a farmhouse, and is not mentioned by the Inspectors of Ancient Monuments Commission for Denbighshire (1911).

  Noted events in his life were:

• Address: Lleweni Hall, Denbigh.

John married Ursula Stanley, daughter of Henry Stanley 4th Earl of Derby and Jane Halsall.