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Two volumes containing over one hundred and sixty holograph letters and postcards and fragments of letters from B[enjamin] Williams ('Gwynionydd') to D. Silvan Evans ('Hirlas'). The letters are addressed from a variety of places, such as Rhydlewis, Llanfihangel ar Arth, Llangeitho, Llangan, Trefilan, Cenarth, Newcastle Emlyn, Cwmdwr, Abergwennol, Llandovery, Llanddeusant, Penboyr, Pontlottyn and Llanover. The inclusive period of the letters is 1860-91 but the majority are dated within the years 1882-8. The main subjects of discussion are family bereavements and other news, South Cardiganshire pedigrees and biographies, the etymology of place and dialect names, institutions within the Established Church generally of interest to the writer, and day-to-day events and conditions of life and employment at Plas Llanofer. In addition there are copious references to other matters, such as the election of H[enry] Richard ('y dihyryn') for Merthyr [Tudful]; the recipient's edition of Llyfryddiaeth y Cymry; the writer's visits to North Pembrokeshire and South Cardiganshire parishes to examine registers; a proposed second edition of the writer's Enwogion Ceredigion; the writer's activities with the Archaeological Association; the writer's visits to Bronwydd, to St Davids, etc.; the discovery by the writer of an ogham stone at Llandygwydd; news of the family of David Owen ('Brutus'); a new lease of the writer's home at Wenallt, [in Troedyraur]; the library of D. L Wooding at Beulah; the absence of Welsh services at Llechryd Church; the writer's purchase of Tir y felin Ban [near Wenallt] on the Gogerddan estate; the death of [John Morris Jones] 'Ioan Cunllo' and the sale of his library; rumours of the appointment of the recipient to the see of Llandaff (1883); the political and religious affiliations of contemporary Welsh barristers; the reroofing of Tirabad Church (1883); the progress of the recipient's Dictionary; the award to the recipient of a Cymmrodorion medal; the consecration of Llanfair ar y Bryn Church (1883); coming-of-age celebrations at Pentre [in Maenordeifi, Pembrokeshire]; the frequency of bastard words in the work of Rhys Prichard; the proposed memorial chapel to 'Williams Pantycelyn' at Llandovery; the progress of the woollen industry at 'Felindre Siencyn y Drefach'; the reluctance of H. M. Stanley to acknowledge his Welsh origins; the shortcomings of Yr Haul; the efforts of [Richard Lewis] the bishop of Llandaff to save Y Llan; the presence of Father Ignatius in the writer's congregation; the writer's mistrust of Welsh Nonconformity; the writer's acquisition of copies of Seren Gomer at Dalar Wen, near Ystradffin; eisteddfodau at Caerwys and Abergavenny; the use of Welsh in religious services in Goettref Church; tithe disputes in Penbryn and Troedyraur; the literary knowledge of Dafydd Evans of Glynbuarth in Llangeitho; the phenomenal knowledge of plant names of Pritchard of Crynca in Llanddeusant; the erection of an iron church at Abercarn; a shield designed by Milo Griffith for presentation to the Prince of Wales, and a detailed pedigree of Miles Griffith; a secret conference at Lampeter to promote the union of the Episcopal Church and 'Y Corff' [the Calvinistic Methodists] (1889); the efforts of Mr (aft. Sir) [Joseph Alfred] Bradney at Llandeilo Croesenni to learn Welsh and to promote the learning of the language in that area; etc. At the end of the volume are verses and miscellaneous notes, and a holograph letter to [D. Silvan] Evans from Ivor P. Williams [son of 'Gwynionydd'] from Wenallt, Rhydlewis, [18]91 (the will of 'Gwynionydd').

A volume in continuation of Cwrtmawr MS 758 containing fifty holograph letters, postcards, etc., from John Rhys and one holograph letter on his behalf by Elspeth Rhys from Oxford, etc., 1885-1901, to D. Silvan Evans at Llanwrin. Subjects of the correspondence include an interpretation of a text ('Neu vi luossawc yntrydar ....') from the Book of Taliesin, numerous problems of Welsh etymology, a manuscript dictionary discovered by Gwenogvryn Evans at the Bodleian Library, observations on the recipient's dictionary, adjudication on essays [submitted to the London national eisteddfod, 1887], arrangements for meetings of the Tithe Agitation Committee (1887) (of which the writer was Secretary), an address at Bangor, a contribution to Y Traethodydd, the application of J. M[orris] Jones for the lectureship at Bangor [University College], the illness of Dr [Gudbrandur] Vigfússon [at Oxford], an English version of an inscribed englyn at Michaelston-super-Ely, condolence on the recipient's bereavement [i.e. the death of his wife], a gift to the recipient of the writer's Studies in the Arthurian Legend, Mr [E. G. B.] Phillimore's attack on the 'caddishness' of Welsh people and especially of members of the 'Dafydd ab Gwylym Club', the interpretation of the old stones at Wareham, the progress of [J. Morris] Jones's publication of 'Llyfr yr Ancr', the treatment of Wales 'under the rule of Lord Aberdare quite recently' (12 November 1892), letters of congratulations to the writer [on his appointment as Principal of Jesus College, Oxford], the application for the grant to the recipient of a Civil List pension, the election of the recipient to a three years' fellowship of Jesus College, Oxford, the possibility of the grants of Cymmrodorion medals to the writer and the recipient (1897) (with observations on Phillimore's work as editor of the Society's publications), thanks for a new 'Sten [Sioned] (1901), personal, etc. The volume also contains holograph letters and postcards from T. Marchant Williams [from London] to Egerton Phillimore and to [Daniel Lewis Lloyd] bishop [of Bangor] (copy), 1897 (2) (a Civil List grant to D. Silvan Evans), John Rhys to 'Harry Silvan' [J. H. Silvan Evans], 1897-1906 and undated (3) (a Civil List grant to D. Silvan Evans, the livings of Llanddewi Velfrey and Llandow (with a reference to the claim of [John Edwin] de Hirsch-Davies), John Rhys to [Robert Roberts ('Y Sgolor Mawr')], 1879 (1) (Celtic philology) (23pp.), and Myvanwy Rhys, Aberystwyth to [J. H.] Davies, [19]20 (1) (returning the John Rhys letters contained in Cwrtmawr MSS 758-9).