File NLW MS 13936C. - Hester Lynch Piozzi letters

Hester Lynch Piozzi (1741-1821) inherited the Bachegraig estate of the Salusbury family on the death of her mother, Hester Maria, in 1773. The estate comprised a wood, a few farms, a dilapidated church and a few cottages, along with Bachegraig House. Hester and her husband, Gabriele Piozzi (d. 1809) built a new house on the estate called Brynbella, taking up residence in 1795. Bachegraig was the earliest example of a brick house in Wales, erected by Sir Richard Clough in 1567 at the foot of Tremeirchion Hill.

Hester was the daughter of John Salusbury (1710-1762) of Bachegraig, Governor of Nova Scotia and Hester Maria (d. 1773), a descendant of the Salusbury family of Lleweni. Hester married firstly, Henry Thrale (d. 1781), a London brewer. In 1784, she married secondly, Gabriele Piozzi, an Italian music master. In January 1798 Hester and Gabriele adopted the five year old son of Gabriele's brother, Giovanne Battiste. The boy became known as John Piozzi (d. 1858). Hester was part of a literary circle, and was a friend and correspondent of Dr Samuel Johnson.

The Brynbella estate passed to John on his marriage to Harriet Maria Pemberton of Condover Hall, Shropshire. Hester thereafter resided at Bath. Sir John was knighted in 1817 and became known as Sir John Salusbury Piozzi Salusbury.