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A journal, 1 June 1832 (not 1831 as written in the top left of the first page) - July 1836, with a few additional entries to 1841, kept by the Reverend W[illia]m Davies, Independent minister and schoolmaster, better known as Dr William Davies (1805-59), Ffrwd-fâl or Froodvale, Cynwyl Gaeo, Carmarthenshire. The writer was ordained 29 June 1832 and in a copy of a certificate of baptism, 1833, to be found in the volume he described himself as 'Independent Minister, officiating at Coverack, Prelow [sic] and Helford [Cornwall].' He left Cornwall 7 July 1834, sailing from Coverack, and returned home to Wales. Other entries record that he went to Froodvale 25 August 1834 and that he opened his grammar school near Froodvale on 2 February 1835. It appears that in the period 1837-41 he received annual payments from Crugybar Congregation for services performed monthly in the chapel. The journal also contains items of verse by William Davies, including a Welsh translation of the hymn by [Isaac] Watts 'How glorious is our heav'nly king' ('O mor fawr a gogoneddus ydyw Brenin daer a Nef'); lines composed by M. M., Coverack, Cornwall received in a letter from 'C. R.' dated 15 September 1834, the second stanza of which begins 'In search of health that boon of heaven For Wales his course does tend'; and lists of books, e.g. 'Books that I read since I came to Froodvale - Aug. 25, 1834' and ' The Books which I use in teaching children'.

A notebook of William Davies, Froodvale (Ffrwdfâl), bound in brown paper and inscribed 'W. Davies, Ph. D. April 12, 1846'. It contains extracts from expositary notes on scripture and notes of sermons, 1846-9 and undated, preached at Park[-y-rhos], Crug[-y-bar], Esger[dawe] and Rhydybont Congregational churches and at farmhouses called Penrhiwe and Tynypyllau in the Cynwyl Gaeo area, Carmarthenshire; poetry in Welsh and English, 1847 and undated, titles which include: 'To Rev. D[avid] E[vans, rector of] Kilgerran', 'On the Marriage of Rev. M. Jones R[ural] Dean', and 'To Tegid' [i.e. John Jones ('Ioan Tegid')], etc.; a few particulars of 'Pubs', i.e. preaching publications, mainly in Pembrokeshire, June-July 1847; and memoranda of curricula at Brecon [Independent] and Carm[arthen Presbyterian] Colleges 1846, and of book titles, of personal addresses, etc.

A notebook of William Davies (1805-59), Independent minister and schoolmaster of Froodvale (Ffrwdfâl), Cynwyl Gaeo, Carmarthenshire, etc. The volume is bound in brown paper and entitled on the upper cover: 'Liber Poeseos. Composed by Wm Davies at Carnsullom in Cornwall. Scriptum Feb 8th 1831'. With the exception of a series of five 'tribannau', without a title, all the poems are in English, and an indication of their general theme may be gathered from the following titles: 'Loss of friends', 'Creation', 'Providence', 'Goodness of God', 'The Benefit of the Gospel', 'Shortness of life', 'Sufferings of Christ', 'Death of Martyrs', 'The Bible', etc. Most of the poems are dated within the period 22 February 1831-21 August 1832 and the majority are likewise subscribed 'W. D.' or 'W. D. Fecit'. An entry on the inside upper cover reads as follows: '1831. I W. D. started from Loftycyff July 6th, was at Bristol July 9th, at Exeter July 13, at Coverack July 16th'.