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The Williams family of Edwinsford, also known as Rhydodin, claimed descent from Hywel Dda and Rhodri Mawr, and through Ellen, wife of Llewelyn ap Phylip, from Henry I of England. In common with many other Welsh landed gentry, the family married into other leading Welsh houses, such as the Morgans of Tredegar and the Vaughans of Golden Grove. Through such a marriage in 1600 the family acquired the Llether Cadfan estate in Carmarthenshire.
The estate then descended in direct male line until the death without issue of Nicholas Williams in 1745: the estate then passed to his brother, Thomas Williams. He married firstly, Arabella, daughter and co-heiress of John Vaughan of Court Derllys, Carmarthenshire. Arabella died without issue and Thomas married secondly, Anne, daughter of William Singleton of London. Their eldest daughter Bridget married Robert Bankes Hodgkinson of Overton and also of Edwinsford in right of his wife. They died without issue and the estate passed to Thomas's second daughter, Arabella, who had married Sir James Hamlyn, 1st Bart., of Clovelly Court, Devon, therefore uniting the estates of Edwinsford and Clovelly.
Sir James died in 1811 and was succeeded by his only surviving son, James, who took on the arms and surname of Williams after the death of his mother in 1797. On his death in 1829 the estate passed to his eldest son, Sir James Hamlyn Williams (1790-1861). He left no male heir and with his death the baronetcy became extinct. By Sir James's will, his daughter, Mary Eleanor, inherited the Edwinsford estate, Clovelly passing to her sister, Christine. Mary married Sir James Drummond (1814-1866), 3rd Bart., of Hawthornden, Midlothian. He took on the additional surname of Williams in pursuant of his father-in-law's will. On his death in 1866, the estate passed to his eldest son, Sir James H. W. Williams-Drummond (1857-1913) and then upon his only child, Sir James Hamlyn Williams Williams-Drummond (b. 1891).
According to the 1873 return of owners of land, Sir James Hamlyn Williams-Drummond of Edwinsford owned an estimated 9,282 acres in Wales (all in Carmarthenshire) with an estimated rental of £6,358.

Elizabeth Lewis (d. 1733) of Van, St Fagans, and Soberton, Hampshire, the sole heiress of Thomas Lewis of Van, married Other Windsor (1707-32), 3rd earl of Plymouth (second creation). At the time of Thomas Lewis's death in 1736, the estate was so encumbered with debts that the interest exceeded the rental, and three private Acts of Parliament were obtained to sell the estate. The estate was in fact purchased by the trustees of Elizabeth Lewis's marriage settlement for £47,000. St Fagans castle became the Glamorgan seat of the Windsor family.

Other and Elizabeth's only son and heir, Other Lewis Windsor, 4th earl (1731-71) was succeeded by his son Other Hickman, 5th earl (1751-1799), who was succeeded by his only son and heir, Other Archer Windsor, 6th earl (1789-1833, dsp.), on whose death the barony of Windsor de Stanwell fell into abeyance. The Rev. Andrews Windsor (1754-1837, dsp.) succeeded as 7th earl, being a younger brother of the 4th earl, and he was succeeded by his brother Henry Windsor, 8th earl (1768-1843, dsp.)on whose death the earldom became extinct.

In 1855 the abeyance of the barony of Windsor was terminated in favour of Harriet Clive (1797-1869), one of the sisters of the 6th earl, who had married in 1819 with Robert Henry Clive, MP, 2nd son of the 1st earl of Powys. She assumed the additional surname Windsor in 1855. Her son and heir apparent Robert Windsor-Clive, MP, dying before her, Harriet was succeeded by her grandson Robert George Windsor-Clive (1857-1923), who was created Viscount Windsor of St Fagans and Earl of Plymouth (third creation) in 1905. He was succeeded by Ivor Miles Windsor-Clive, 2nd earl (1889-1943), who was succeeded by his son Other Robert Ivor Windsor-Clive, 3rd earl (b. 1923). The family also acquired the Alrhey estate in Flintshire through marriage with the Ellis family in the 18th century.

According to the 1873 return of owners of land, Lord Windsor owned an estimated 15,383 acres in Wales (all in Glamorgan and Flintshire), with an estimated annual rental of £39,069.