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XXVI.— T7ie late Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, Bart, M.P. 
A Biographical Memoir. By Reginald K. Mainwakisg, 
of Market Drayton, Salop. 
The subject of this brief Memoir passed away at Wynnstay, 
near Ruabon, on the 9th of May last, within a few days of the 
65th anniversary of his birth. A long and trying illness W"as 
terminated by a peaceful death in the country home he loved, 
and amongst those by whom he was beloved. The late Sir 
Watkin was the sixth baronet, and was born on May 20th, 1820. 
The rejoicings throughout Xorth Wales upon this auspicious 
event were most enthusiastic, to be renewed with equal vigour 
upon his coming of age and marriage. After schooldays at 
Westminster, Sir Watkin matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford, 
whence, after a sojourn of two years, during which time he 
made some lifelong friendships, he was gazetted to a cornetcy 
in the First Life Guards, of which regiment the late Lord Com- 
bermere was Colonel, and with whose son, the present \ iscount. 
Sir Watkin maintained the most intimate friendship until the 
day of his death. He remained in the Life Guards until 1843, 
when he found that his duties as a country gentleman and a 
Member of Parliament were pressing upon him ; but his love 
for military life did not die out with his retirement from the 
service. In 1840 the late Sir Watkin's father died, and in the 
next year his son came of age, and inherited the immense 
estates, with their cares and responsibilities. As soon as he was 
of age, he was elected Member of Parliament for the county of 
Denbigh, as his father and grandfather had been before him, 
and which he faithfully represented until his death. He was 
a staunch Conservative, and although his voice was seldom raised 
in the House, he was generally in his place to give his support 
to any measure likely to further the interests of the Consti- 
tution, or to ameliorate those of the Principality, preferring 
rather to represent his native county in the House of Commons 
than to accept the Peerage which was offered to him, and which 
had also been refused by his predecessors. Perhaps Sir Watkin 
was best known throughout the country in his capacity as 
Master of Foxhounds. The Williams- Wynns of Wynnstay 
have long been fox-hunters, the first Sir Watkin, who was 
the third baronet, having been killed by a fall from his horse 
whilst out hunting near Wrexham, in 1749. Sir Watkin's 
father had kept hounds, but gave them up in 1837 ; but when 
his son came of age in 1841, he purchased the hounds of 
Mr, Leche of Garden, and hunted a very large country four 
