Rhys Thomas, Esq.

Rice Thomas was the founder of this family's fortune in Caernarvonshire. Rice was a son of Sir William Thomas , Llangathen, Carms. , sheriff of Carmarthenshire in 1541-2 . Rice married Jane , daughter of Sir John Puleston of Caernarvon and widow of Edward Gruffydd of Penrhyn , who had d. at Dublin in 1540 . He was appointed by Roger Williams , the surveyor of crown lands in North Wales , to be his deputy in the counties of Anglesey , Caernarvon , and Merioneth ; this doubtless helped him to acquire, in 1551 , leases of the valuable manors of Aber ( Caerns. ) and Cemaes ( Anglesey ). In 1553 he and his wife acquired for themselves and his heirs the grant of these two manors ( Cal. Pat. Rolls. , 1553 , 121). His first appearance in extant records as a justice of the peace for Caernarvonshire occurs in 1552 . He was sheriff of Anglesey in 1563-4 , and of Caernarvonshire in 1573-4