| Disgrifiad | Papers in an action in Chancery between Margaret Lewis of Llysdulas, the Rev. Edward Hughes of Porthllongdy [later of Kinmel] and Mary his wife and William Lewis Hughes his eldest son, then an infant aged 5, plaintiffs, and Sir Nicholas Dayly of Plas Newydd, defendant, concernin the working of the copper mines discovered on a farm called Parys in the parish of Amlwch which was held in common by William Lewis of Llysdulas (and afterwards by his successive legatees, Elizabeth, his wife, Margaret Lewis, his sister, and Mary Lewis, his niece, the wife of the Rev. Edward Hughes) and Bayly. Several intrersting facts emerge from these papers, which should be studied in conjunction with the important collection of Mona Mine papers deposited in the Library. In or about 1764 Bayly discovered a rich vein of copper on his land called Cerrig y bleiddia which adjoined the Parys farm; its working was entrusted to Messrs. Roe of Macclesfield, a company which had been interested in mines in Caernarvonshire and Anglesey since 1764, employing Jonathan Roose as its principal agent. The operations soon extended to the Parys property itself, of which Bayly was possessed not only of his own individual moiety but, by virtue of a lease, of William Lewis' moiety as well. In 1769 he filed a Bill of Complaint in the Chancery Court of Great Sessions against Elizabeth Lewis, Margaret Lewis, Edward Hughes and his wife Mary, praying for an injunction against the defendants to restrain them from obstructing him in the working of the mines. The Bill was dismissed by the Court with costs against Bayly. In Michaelmas, 1771 Margaret Lewis and Edward and Mary Hughes filed their own Bill against Bayly in Chancery, and in January of the following year an amended Bill was brought by Edward Hughes, Mary his wife, William Lewis Hughes their infant son and Thomas William of Llanidan as trustee for HUghes and his wife. In it they allege that on the expiration in 1767 of William Lewis's lease to Bayly of the former's moiety of Parys, Elizabeth Lewis tried to get Thomas Price, to whom Bayly had leased the whole of the farm, to attorn tenant to her for her moiety. Bayly refused his permission to do so. In order to avoid litigation no action was taken by either Elizabeth or, after her death, by Margaret Lewis, and Bayly remained as the latter's tenant at will until Michaelmas 1770. Then in November of the foloowing year, Margaret Lewis insisted on Price's attorning her tenant. This he now did and also signed a licence to Mragaret to enter on the premises and work the mines thereon. The plaintiffs then go on to charge Bayly with working the mines in an improvident fashion, selling the ore at a price below the market price, employing inexperienced agents, neglecting to keep proper accounts, etc. They pray a proper account be taken of the expenses and profits of the mne and that half of such profits be paid into the bank, invested in Government securities, and the interest paid to Margaret Lewis during her life, with remainder to Edward and Mary Hughes; that proper agents be appointed by the Court to run the mines, and that a good and sufficient lease be made thereof. Bayly in January 1775 commenced a counter-suit against the Hugheses, Williams and Margaret Lewis which only added to the mass depositions, affidavits and other papers which had already accumulated. Some of these papers disclose supplementary information of considerable interest. In particular, note should be taken of the affidavit of Jonathan Roose, who, although originally employed by Bayly, substantiates the plaintiffs' charges against him of improper management of the mine; also that of Edward Hughes and Thomas Williams dated 15 November, 1774, which states that in June 1772 Margaret Lewis made a 99 year lease of her moiety of Parys to Thomas Williams in trust for Hughes, who in July 1774 began to work the mines himself. The final order of the Court in this action is not included, but there are reference in the various affidavits to the appointment of a third impartial mine agent by the Court and to an order dated 19 December 1775 for the equal division between the parties by the three agents of the ores raised by them.
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