On the south side are two stately pyramidal columns of variegated marble, decorated with martial insignia; one to the memory of Meredith Wynne, the other to Sir John Wynne and Sydney his wife; on their pedestals are Latin inscriptions on black marble which have been thus translated:—
“To the Memory of Meredith Wynne, a descendant of Owen Gwynedd, Prince of Wales, who under happy auspices, founded the House of Gwydir, removed and endowed the Church of Sant Gwyddelen, during the third Tournean expedition, in the fifth year of Henry the Eighth. He died in the month of March, 1525.”
“To the Memory of John Wynne of Gwydir, Knight and Baronet, with Sydney the daughter of William Gerrard, Knight, Chancellor of the Kingdom of Ireland, the wife of his youth, to whom she bore eleven sons and two daughters; they lie here waiting the appearance of Christ in Glory.”
Between the above monuments is a small tablet of white marble to the memory of John Wynne ab Meredith with a Latin inscription to the following effect:—
“John Wynne ab Meredith,
an inheritor of his Father’s virtues, a just and pious
man, to whom Euna, his wife, brought five
sons and two daughters. He died
the 9th of July, 1559.”
On the floor is a stone effigy in armour, with the feet resting on a lion couchant, of Howel Coetmore ap Gruffydd Vychan ap Dafydd Gam, alias Gôch, natural son to David, Prince of Wales, from whose descendants according to tradition, Gwydir was purchased by the Wynnes.
Near to the effigy of Howel Coetmore is the under-part of a stone coffin in which Llewelyn ab Iorwerth, surnamed the Great, the son-in-law of King John, was buried at the Abbey of Conwy; to the coffin is fixed a piece of brass with this inscription:—
“This is the coffin of Leolinus Magnus, Prince
of Wales, who was buried at the Abbey of
Conwy, which upon the dissolution
was removed thence.”
On going from the chapel to the church, you pass over a large square flag of free stone, having on its sides a Latin inscription thus translated:—
“To the Memory of the Sons of John Wynne of Gwydir, Knight and Baronet, who died during their father’s life time; John, Knight, was buried at Lucca, in the free State of Italy, in the year of his age 30, of our Lord 1613. Robert, who had entered into holy orders, in the year of his age 24, of our Lord 1617. Thomas, Roger, Thomas, in their minority.—Death! a vapour! Behold! we have existed.”
In the chancel, between the reading desk and the communion table, is a flag of free stone on the remains of Margaret Vaughan, heiress of Caergai; she was esteemed the Sappho of her age; many of her poetical productions are still extant.