Administrative and biographical history: The Vaughan family settled in Golden Grove, Carmarthenshire, when John Vaughan built a mansion on the site in 1560-1565. His father, Hugh Vaughan came from Kidwelly. A direct descendant, Richard Vaughan (?1600-1687), who served as Lord President of Wales and the Marches in 1661, married Margaret Elizabeth, daughter of Charles Phillips of Bremenda and Lletty Gariad. Through this marriage the Vaughan family inherited the estates of Lletty Gariad, Bremenda, Piodau and Plas Llandybie, all in Carmarthenshire, which had previously been farmed by the Brigstocke family in the second half of the 17th century. He was also granted Friars Park, Carmarthen, by Lewis Walton of Worcester, in 1632. On the death of Richard Vaughan, 2nd Earl of Carbery the estate comprised 50,000 acres. He also owned land in Ireland. Richard's eldest son Francis Vaughan died in the lifetime of his father. The estate and title therefore passed to his younger brother, John Vaughan (1639-1713), also Baron Vaughan of Emlyn, who was MP for the Carmarthen boroughs, 1661-1679, and for Carmarthenshire, 1679-1681 and 1685-1687; and Governor of Jamaica, 1674-1678. On his death without male issue in 1713, the title became extinct. John's only child and heir was Lady Anne Vaughan (d. 1751), who married Lord Bolton. She died without issue and the estate passed to a distant cousin, John Vaughan, (1693-1765), of Shenfield and Ty'nycoed (or Ty-ar-y-coed) who built a new Golden Grove mansion in 1754-1757 alongside the old mansion which was destroyed by fire in 1729. His grandson, John Vaughan (1757-1804), died without issue and devised the estate to his friend John Campbell, Lord Cawdor. The Campbell family had already acquired the substantial Stackpole estate, located mainly in Pembrokeshire, following the marriage of Sir Alexander Campbell of Cawdor Castle, Scotland, with Elizabeth Lort (d. 1714). Sir Alexander's son, John Campbell married Mary, eldest daughter and co-heiress of Lewis Pryse of Gogerddan, who inherited the Glanfraed estate in Llanfihangel Genau'r-glyn, Cardiganshire. John Campbell (d. 1821), who was created Baron Cawdor in 1796, sold parts of the Stackpole estate in 1802, including Henllan, Mullock, and Sandyhaven, and the Glanfraed estate. It was this John Campbell who inherited the Golden Grove estate in 1804 from his friend John Vaughan, Earl Carbery. John's son, John Frederick Campbell (1790-1860), second Baron Cawdor, created Earl of Cawdor in 1827, built a new mansion at Golden Grove which was completed in 1834. During the 19th century the family also acquired the Wiston estate in Pembrokeshire, although little is known about the property. John Frederick Campbell was succeeded by his son John Frederick Vaughan Campbell (1790-1860), second Earl of Cawdor, Lord lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum of Carmarthenshire, and MP for Pembrokeshire 1841-1859. His son was Frederick Archibald Vaughan (1847-1911), Lord lieutenant of Pembrokeshire 1896-1911 and MP for Carmarthenshire 1874-1885. According to the 1873 return of owners of land, the Earl of Cawdor owned an estimated 51,538 acres in Wales, all in Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire, with an estimated annual rental of £35,043. The family's principal seat had been Stackpole until the beginning of the 20th century when they reverted to Cawdor Castle. Frederick's grandson, John Duncan Vaughan (1900-1970), 5th Earl of Cawdor, spent most of his time at his estates in Scotland. He therefore sold the contents of the Stackpole mansion, the mansion subsequently being demolished. He also leased Golden Grove mansion and the surrounding lands to the Carmarthenshire County Council, who used it as an agricultural college. It had been used during World War II by the US Air Force. Hugh John Vaughan (b. 1932), Viscount Emlyn, later sixth Earl of Cawdor, built the Golden Grove House in 1962.