History of Plas Newydd

Early history and the Battle of Waterloo

William Paget, 1st Baron of Beaudesert

Plas Newydd's family story begins with William Paget. Born around 1505, he was employed by King Henry VIII as Secretary of State. He built the main family home, Beaudesert, near Cannock Chase in Staffordshire and was given the title of 1st Baron of Beaudesert. 

1st Marquess of Anglesey and the Battle of Waterloo

Henry William Paget, born in 1768, was Henry Bayly Paget’s second child. As eldest son, he inherited the title, 2nd Earl of Uxbridge. 

Most famous for leading the cavalry in the Battle of Waterloo 1815, he lost a leg and was awarded the title ‘Marquess of Anglesey’ for his bravery. 

5th Marquess of Anglesey

Born Henry Cyril Paget in 1875, Henry was the only son of the 4th Marquess and Blanche Mary Boyd. Henry’s mother died when he was two. He first came to Ynys Môn (Anglesey) when he was eight years old. Following the death of his father in November 1898, he then became the 5th Marquess, inheriting the family estates at Beaudesert in Staffordshire and Plas Newydd. He had an annual income of £110,000, which would be around £18 million today.

Between 1898 and 1904, Henry Cyril created a place of joy and creativity on Ynys Môn. He renamed Plas Newydd ‘Anglesey Castle’ and created a home where he could be himself. Not fitting the expected image of an aristocrat, theatricality was a large part of his life. During his relatively short time as Marquess, he made a big impact on the building, the lives of the local community around him.

Henry’s spending and lifestyle were unsustainable, and warning signs were ignored. His spending continued and he was eventually declared insolvent. This meant that everything he owned had to be sold to pay off his debts.

When the money trouble began, Henry Cyril left Plas Newydd, never to return.  He died in March 1905, just before his 30th birthday.

6th Marquess of Anglesey 

Charles Alexander Henry Paget, first cousin to the 5th Marquess, inherited the title in 1905. 

He sold Beaudesert, the main family home and modernised Plas Newydd. He installed electricity, heating, bathrooms and a telephone system. 

Rex Whistler

Rex Whistler, born in 1905, was commissioned to paint a large mural in the Dining Room. 

Rex spent much time with the family in the 1930s, becoming a great friend to the 7th Marquess when he was a boy. 

Life below stairs 

In the 1920s and 1930s Plas Newydd was a busy home with a vast servants' area and bustling kitchens. Changes made in the 1950s mean that those areas look very different today. 

HMS Conway at Plas Newydd

For years, Plas Newydd was home to hundreds of Conway cadets learning about life at sea. 

HMS Conway had been moored at Liverpool docks and moved to Bangor to keep her safe during the Second World War. In the late 1940s a local shore base was required. Plas Newydd was chosen as a base for the cadets and the ship. 

The popularity of the training in 1949 meant that many cadets moved into the house and took more than half of the rooms. 

Changes over the years

Plas Newydd means 'new house'. The home has seen many changes over the years and was originally called Llwyn y Moel. It has been transformed from a Victorian party house'to the comfortable family home that you see today.