File Peniarth MS 132 [RESTRICTED ACCESS]. - Achau,

Identity area

Reference code

Peniarth MS 132 [RESTRICTED ACCESS].

Title

Achau,

Date(s)

  • [16 cent., first ½]; 1554-64 (Creation)

Level of description

File

Extent and medium

167 ff. (f. i + pp. 1-334), Wiliam Llŷn’s foliation 1-135 survives on pp. 23-290 : paper ; 213 x 152 mm. Upper and outer edges towards the end damaged by rodents.
Formerly ‘half-bound in calf ’ [RMWL].

Context area

Archival history

After Gruffudd Hiraethog’s death the manuscript evidently passed to Wiliam Llŷn, who made his wholesale additions. There is annotation by Rhys Cain (e.g. pp. 14, 16, 246) and Robert Vaughan (e.g. pp. 4, 24, 316, 324). On p. 4 Vaughan notes and explains the letters or monograms by which he identifies the manuscript: ‘GhML’, ‘Mhl’, etc. The manuscript is listed by him in Old Hengwrt Catalogue A, sub nomine ‘Z.1.4.12’.

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

A composite manuscript containing:
(i) pp. 1-2. A large folio sheet, folded, containing pedigrees in the hand of Robert Vaughan, evidently part of the draft of his lost ‘Llyfr Achau y Deheudir’ [see P.C. Bartrum, ‘Notes on the Welsh genealogical manuscripts’, Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion, 1968, 63-98, esp. 86].
(ii) pp. 3-106, 151-334. An informal collection of Welsh pedigrees mainly written by Gruffudd Hiraethog in a variable hand over the period 1554-64 (see dates on, e.g., pp. 47, 229, 237, 239, 264, 269, 281). There are substantial sections (e.g. pp. 5-19, 23, 25-6, 31-5) and many additions in the hand of Wiliam Llŷn, some dated, e.g. 1570 (p. 250) and 1572 (p. 312). Foliated by Wiliam Llŷn; his ‘Tabl’ is on pp. 5-19. There are contributions by other hands, all contemporary with Wiliam Llŷn if not also with Gruffudd Hiraethog: A, an educated secretary hand, concerned with Edeirnion (pp. 36-7 and 58); B, Simwnt Fychan (p. 39); C, Huw Llŷn (‘Llyma gof am yr amser y bu Eisteddvod ynghaerwys … 1567’, pp. 59-63); D (pp. 174-5, where he offers a deviant opinion on the ancestry of Owain ap Bradwen, citing ‘rai yneheubarth’ and ‘John Wynn Unllawiawc’, and pp. 219-22); E (pp. 191-2); F, apparently from south-west Wales (pp. 193-4 and 196-211); G, ostensibly ‘per me Morgan Elfel’, but in a hand not recognizably his (pp. 275-7); H, a bold secretary hand, concerned with Cegidfa (pp. 283-90); I (pp. 297-9). Predominantly, the pedigrees relate to north Wales, but those on pp. 153-229 are mainly south Welsh. Gruffudd throughout is characteristically helpful in naming his sources [see P.C. Bartrum, ‘Genealogical sources quoted by Gruffudd Hiraethog’, National Library of Wales Journal, 26 (1989-90), 1-9]. Apart from pedigrees, other texts in the manuscript include ‘Dosbarth Arvau … o gynulliad Wmffre Llwyd o dref Ddinbych’, in the hand of Wiliam Llŷn [printed in Transactions of the Denbighshire Historical Society, 17 (1968), 66-82] (pp. 67-90). On p. 102, Gruffudd notes ‘Henwe hen brydyddion’, evidence of his acquaintance with the contents of the Hendregadredd manuscript (NLW MS 6680).
(iii) pp. 107-50. A valuable collection of genealogical tracts, of south Wales bias, written by an excellent hand temp. Henry VIII (see pp. 143, 149). Tracts include Y Pedwar Brenin ar Hugain, Pum Oes Byd, Bonedd y Saint, Rhandiroedd Powys, besides south Wales pedigrees. Of the hand, Robert Vaughan notes on p. 107, ‘llaw Lewys Morganwc sydd yn calyn medd Rys Cain’. This attribution is rightly rejected in P.C. Bartrum, ‘Notes on the Welsh genealogical manuscripts’, Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion, 1968, 63-98, esp. 74, and id., 1988, 37-46, esp. 41-2, where it is observed that these pages are cited elsewhere by Gruffudd Hiraethog as ‘Llyfr Lewys ap Edwart’ and as ‘Llyfr Ieuan ap Huw Kae Llwyd’. Gruffudd Hiraethog added text on pp. 141-2, which had been left blank.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Access to the original manuscript by authorised permission only. Readers are directed to use surrogate copies.

Conditions governing reproduction

Usual copyright laws apply.

Language of material

Script of material

Language and script notes

Welsh.

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

A detailed list of the manuscript's contents may be found in J. Gwenogvryn Evans, Report on Manuscripts in the Welsh Language, vol. I (London, 1898-1905), 822-829.
Description based on Daniel Huws, A Repertory of Manuscripts and Scribes c.800-c.1800 (Aberystwyth, 2022), I, 393.

Generated finding aid

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Available on microfilm at the Library.

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Related descriptions

Notes area

Note

Formerly Hengwrt MS 436.

Note

Preferred citation: Peniarth MS 132 [RESTRICTED ACCESS].

Note

Title based on contents.

Alternative identifier(s)

Virtua system control number

vtls004441775

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

March 2024.

Language(s)

Script(s)

Sources

Archivist's note

Description revised by Maredudd ap Huw.

Accession area

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Physical storage

  • Microform: $h - MEICRO PENIARTH MS 132.
  • Text: Peniarth MS 132 [RESTRICTED ACCESS]; $z - Access to the original manuscript by authorised permission only. Readers are directed to use surrogate copies..