Philip Jones

Philip Jones became a significant figure in Cromwell’s Protectorate, rising from obscurity on the fringes of the Welsh gentry in his native Llangyfelach, Glamorgan, to be an MP, a member of Cromwell’s Council, a leading figure in Cromwell’s Protectorate househol and, in practice, the man Cromwell trusted to control South Wales. Jones’ background is examined to isolate his religious position in relation to his active support of parliament in the civil wars and the 1650s. From his link to Cromwell, from at least 1648 when Jones had a role in managing the estates awarded to Cromwell in South Wales, Jones, while predominantly based in London, was able to extend his own personal interests and create an extensive estate in Wales. Jones made use of his Welsh kin to help him manage his interests and administer South Wales for Cromwell from his position in London. Jones’ prominence as a Cromwellian Councillor and leading figure in the Protectorate household was also part of shaping Cromwell’s own conception of his Welsh identity.