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Dunraven Castle (Wales) -- History
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Agriculture of Glamorgan, etc.,

A composite volume consisting of previously separate, home-made booklets containing material in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') bound into one volume). P. 11 (probably the 'title-page' of the section now paginated 13-100) is inscribed 'General View of the Agriculture of the County of Glamorgan, 1796', and is followed (pp. 13-100) by an incomplete essay on the said county [by Edward Williams]. This essay contains four chapters with sectional sub-headings 'Situation, Extent, etc.', '[Divisions and] Market Towns', 'Climate', 'Soil and Surface', 'Minerals', 'Water' (rivers, springs), 'State of Property' (mode of tenure, a list of the principal landholders), 'Buildings' (building materials, a list of the seats of landed gentry, a description of a typical farmhouse, outbuildings, cottages, etc.), 'Size of farms and character of farmers', 'Rent', and 'Tithes'. P. 101 bears the inscription 'Antiquities of Lantwit Major in the County of Glamorgan. Collected from various Documents. By Edward Williams. 1800', and is followed (pp. 105-39) by material relating to St. Illtud and the monastery and monastic school at Llanilltud, descriptions of inscribed stones at Llanilltud, and details of a twelve- point plan for setting up a committee and employing salaried research workers to supervise and undertake research for a history of the county of Glamorgan. A good deal of the material relating to Llanilltud is allegedly taken from an account compiled by the Reverend David Nichols, M.A., in 1729, and the whole of the contents of pp. 105-39 is presented in the form of a letter [from Edward Williams] to David Thomas, esqr., at Bath, 20 October 1798 (see IM, t. 307). P. 165 is inscribed 'Collection for the History of Dunraven, 1814', and is followed (pp. 169-87) by miscellaneous historical, pseudo-historical, and genealogical material relating to Dunraven Castle [co. Glamorgan] and its owners, and to Bran Vendigaid ap Llyr and his son Caradog (Caractacus) both of whom allegedly resided at Dunraven, (p. 188) an outline scheme or chapter headings for a proposed history of Dunraven Castle, and (on two unnumbered leaves between p. 188 and p. 189) a copy of a letter, ? 2 February 1818, from [Edward Williams] from Keven Cribor [co. Glamorgan], to Mrs. Wyndham of Dunraven Castle relating to the writer's research work concerning the said seat and the notes he was forwarding. Pp. 211-17 contain an incomplete copy of 'An Account of the cause of the conquest of Glamorgan by Sir Robert Fitz Haymon and his twelve Knights by Sir Edward Mansell of Margam, Knight' (for this and a fuller 'account' attributed to the same author in NLW MS 13161A (Llanover C. 74) see TLLM, tt. 200-03). P. 251 is inscribed 'List of Sheriffs and Und[er]sheriffs For the County of Glamorgan From the year 1541 To the year (blank) From a MS. in the Possession of the Revd. Mr. Davies of Wenvoe . . . 1808', and is followed ( pp. 255-71) by the said list for the period 1541-1808. Other items in the volume include extracts from a biographical dictionary (1798) relating to the English poet John Gower, Robert of Gloucester (temp. Henry II), and [Thomas] Sternhold (ob. 1549) (pp. 155-6); further notes relating to Dunraven Castle (p. 190); an extract from a letter from W. Davies to O. Jones, 1792 (p. 195); anecdotes relating to the brothers Richard and William Twrch and the building of a porch at Bewper [co. Glamorgan] (see also NLW MSS 13089E, 13103B, and IM, tt. 272-3) (pp. 205-07); a list of 'Castles in Gower' (p. 232); notes on birds (unnumbered leaf between p. 232 and p. 233); a note on the construction of a wheelbarrow (p. 233); a copy of an 'englyn' by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg', etc. (p. 234); a copy of the inscription on the tomb of Edward Pritchard, rector of Flimnston (sic) [co. Glamorgan], ob. 1742, and his wife Margaret, ob. 1707/08, in Trefemin (Flemingston) church (p. 235); notes on Caer Fule, a Roman fortification near St. Olave's Church, Newport, and Trefela, a village in the parish of Llangwm near Usk (p. 236); a note on the rocks in Glam[organshire] (p. 237); copies of an 'englyn' and a six-line stanza of Welsh verse by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' (p. 238); brief notes referring to Jenkin Jones of Llangyfelach, 'minister of a Catabaptistical Congregation circa anno 1649', [William] Erbury, Walter Caradoc, Samuel Jones of Bryn Llywarch, and Morgan Llwyd (p. 239); a note on Huw Spencer, the younger, and his building activities in Glamorgan, ? temp. Edward II (p. 240); a list of Welsh superstitions ('Ofergoelion Gwlad Gymru') (p. 242 ); and notes on an outbreak of plague at Drenewydd Notais (Newton Nottage) [co. Glamorgan], circa 1620-1630 (p. 243).

Dunraven Castle; trioedd Pawl; etc.,

Miscellaneous papers in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') bound together in one volume. P. 19 is inscribed 'Historical Anecdotes of Dunraven Castle in the County of Glamorgan . . . Compiled from Authentic Historical MSS. in the Welsh Language by Edward Williams . . . 1814', and is followed by pp. 27-54, a pseudo - historical account of the princes or kings of Siluria and Glamorgan from the time of Bran fab Llyr to the time of Owain, son of Hywel Dda, these princes or rulers being linked with Dunraven; pp. 59-76, similar notes bringing the story down to the time of Gwrgan, possibly the great-great-grandson of Hywel Dda; and pp. 106-15, genealogical notes relating to the Wyndham family of Dunraven (see also N.LW MS 13114B above). Other items include pp. 133-81, extracts of varying length, some very copious, from the 'cywyddau' of Edmund Prys and Wiliam Cynwal presumably mainly to exemplify certain words and phrases; pp. 182- 203, 229-49, further extracts of varying length from the works of various Welsh bards again mainly to illustrate or provide examples of certain words and names, e.g. Hu, Huon, Hu Gadarn, Gal, Gwal, etc., and a copy of an 'awdl' attributed to Siôn Brwynog; pp. 211-14, incomplete notes headed 'Anecdotes of the making of Iron in Glamorgan'; pp. 263-74, 287-93, a tract entitled 'Preface to Paul's Triades'; pp. 299-327, a series of one hundred and seventy Welsh triads entitled 'Trioedd Pawl' (for text and English version see J. Williams ab Ithel (ed.): Barddas . . ., vol. I (Llandovery, 1862), pp. 290-323); pp. 339-49, notes headed 'Llyma Ddosparth ar y Saith Gelfyddyd'; etc. In two instances notes have been written on the blank verso or margins of a printed sheet advertising a 'Grand Musical Repository' in Castle Street, Bristol, and a printed sheet containing proposals for publishing Edward Williams's two volumes of English verse Poems Lyric and Pastoral in 1792.

Miscellanea,

Miscellaneous papers in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') bound together in one volume. The contents include pp. 11- 36, a draft version of the essay 'A short review of the present state of Welsh MSS.' which appeared as a preface to The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales . . ., vol. I (London, 1801), the present version being a much fuller one than that actually published (see also NLW MSS 13089E, 13104B above); 39-57, transcripts of Welsh poems attributed to Rissierdyn, Iorwerth Fynglwyd, and Huw Dafydd; 68-121, a transcript of a sequence of seventy-two 'englynion' ('Englynion y Clyweit') and poems attributed to Meredydd ap Rosser, Rhys Brychan, Dafydd Llwyd Matheu, Ieuan Rhydd, Siencyn Rissiart, In. Risiarts, Siôn Tudur, Wiliam Cynwal, William Llyn, ? Huw Arwystli, Rhisiart Davies, Esgob Mynyw, Robert Gruffudd ab Ifan, Bartholomew Jones, Huw Llyn, Elis ap Rhys ap Edward, R. Hughes 'o Fôn', D[afydd ap] G[wilym], William Elias, [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg', and Gronwy Ddu (or Hopkin ap Thomas ap Einion), miscellaneous extracts, lists of the children of Llywarch Hen, Urien Rheged, etc.; 125, a note on the poet Siôn Cent; 127-8, genealogical notes on the descendants of Rhys ap Tewdwr headed 'Morganiaid Tredegyr'; 129, memoranda ? relating to the parish of St. Mary, Cardiff; 140-41, a transcript of an incomplete English poem described as an 'Old Poem on Glamorgan. English'; 147-8, extracts from Patrick Symson: The Historie of the Church . . . (London, 1634); 150, an incomplete transcript of a 'cywydd' attributed to Wm. Egwad; 153-4, incomplete notes headed 'History of Dunraven Castle'; 165, a list of people who had attained to a considerable age in Glamorganshire; 166, a transcript of a fragment (end portion) of a letter, December 1726, from Edward Gamage, [rector of] St. Athan, which appears to have contained information relating to the Stradling family of St. Donats (see NLW MS 13100B above); 167-8, ? an outline scheme or chapter headings for a proposed 'History of the Lordship of Glamorgan'; 179-80, notes headed 'Bonedd ag Anfonedd' [from Panton MS 63 now NLW MS 2029B]; 180, transcripts of 'englynion' attributed to R. Nanmor, Iorwerth Fynglwyd, and Iolo Goch; 181-2, a list headed 'Llyma enwau Celloedd Cor Illtyd'; 184, notes relating to the descent of the Rev. John Williams, Sevenoaks, Kent, circa 1800, from the Cogan family; 185-6, a list of markets and fairs [in co. Glamorgan]; 187, a note relating to the reform of parliamentary representation; 192-3, chapter headings for a proposed 'History of the British Bards'; 194, a list of old castles in co. Glamorgan; 198 + 203, an account between Edward Williams and Thomas Williams relating to the tuition of the former's children Margaret, Ann, and Taliessin, 1796-1803 (verso used for writing notes); 200-01, a list of literary topics headed 'Testunau gwastadol a sefydledig Beirdd Cadair Morganwg a Gwent ac Euas ac Ergin ac Ystrad Yw . . . derbyniedig bob amser a ganer arnynt . . .'; 204, an anecdote relating to a blind man; 204, three stanzas of Welsh verse by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg'; 208-09, a copy of the inscription on the tomb of the Reverend Daniel Walter, master of Cowbridge School, ob. 25 August 1787, and his brother William, ob. 8 October 1789; 220-21, a short French - English - Welsh vocabulary; 223, an 'englyn' by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg'; 227-9, notes relating to Hindustani prosody, etc.; 230, a brief note on Welsh bards and minstrels; 233 + 240, extracts from [Nicholas Owen:] Caernarvonshire, a sketch of its history . . . [London, 1792]; 236-7, a list of 'Barbarisms in Walter Davies' Translation of [Thomas] Gisborne [A Familiar Survey of the Christian Religion . . .]'; 238 + 235, rules of a scheme for collecting subscriptions for a proposed ? emigration, ? 1797; 243-4, a list of titles of ninety-five Welsh poems, mainly 'cywyddau', headed 'Celfyddydau, moesau, ag arferion'; 246-7, descriptive notes on co. Glamorgan; (continued)

249-52, notes on the waste lands ? of Radnorshire with suggestions relating to inclosures; 255-8, notes on the production of wine in Germany with suggestions re vine growing in Britain; 261, a note on three wells in the lordship of Newton Nottage; 263-6, a list of 'Druidical maxims'; 265, a draft title-page for a second edition of Edward Williams: The Fair Pilgrim, a poem translated from Dafydd ap Gwilym; 268, a note on 'Brut y Saeson'; 269-71, medicinal recipes and other extracts from ? the Annual Register; 273-85, 335-8, religious and philosophical notes or observations; 290-92, notes on heraldic terms, etc ., ? from the Encyclopaedia Britannica; 293-4, ? extracts from [Thomas] Maurice: Indian Antiquities; 299-304, notes headed 'Eastern District of the County of Radnor' (topography, soil, the possibility of coal deposits); 312-13, a transcript of a 'cywydd' attributed to Gutto'r Glyn; 318-19, notes headed 'History of the Bards' referring to Ll[ewely]n Siôn's treatise on bardism; 321-2, notes headed 'Llymma Reithiadur Cerdd'; 341, extracts from Esdras II, chapter XIV; 344, notes on 'Trefn yr Albannau'; 348-9, a list of 'remarkable instances of longevity' ? extracted from the General Magazine, September 1789; 352-3 a 'Table of the fifteen Diationick Chords of the system of the antient'; 355, notes on 'Rheol bwrw pris', 'Y Cant hir', the burning of lime ? in Anglesey, etc.; 356, two lists of rules headed 'Hyn a wna wr yn hiroesawg ag yn iachus', and 'a Fyrhaant einioes dyn ac a'i heneiddia'; 357-9 a list headed 'Llyma rai o Gweiriau Cerdd dant'; 360, notes headed 'A Comparison of the pronounciation of the letters in the Welsh or British tongue to the Greek and Hebrew letters'; 361, notes headed 'Gogwyddor i ddallt y pricciad yn Llyfr Robert ap Hugh y Telynior'; 361 (2), extracts from Sion Rhydderch: Grammadeg Cymraeg [1728]; and 368, a few triads, a few Welsh proverbs, a note relating to Lewys Morys, and a note on the 'Wenhwyseg' as the language of Welsh literature to circa 1300. Interspersed amongst the above items are miscellaneous Welsh verse, lists or groups of Welsh words often with English definitions or explanatory notes, grammatical or etymological notes, etc. In one instance notes have been written on the blank sides of an incomplete copy of Herbert Croft's printed proposals, 1792, for publishing an English dictionary based upon that of Samuel Johnson, and in another on the blank verso of a broadsheet containing a copy of a Latin inscription found in the parish of Gelligaer, co. Glamorgan, with a Welsh translation thereof.