Born on 22 March 1693, he was son of Gruffydd Hughes, who claimed lineage, according to the Welsh genealogies, from Tegeryn ab Carwed, the lord of Twrcelyn.
He was mainly self-educated, and generally lived on his estate at Llwydiarth Esgob, near Llanerchymedd, Anglesey.
[1] Hughes left manuscripts containing poems, translations, tales, and biographies.
Most of these came into the possession of his son, who succeeded to the estate, and of those some have since been lost; but some went the British Museum.
Other poems by him occur in the Blodeugerdd, Diddanwch i'w Feddianydd (Dublin, 1773), and Dewisol Ganiadau.