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Brân (Bendigeidfran fab Llŷr)
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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 containing notes, lists, transcripts, jottings, etc., in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') bound together in one volume. Verse items include Welsh poems by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' including an eighteen-stanza poem ?composed in connection with a bardic meeting at Llanilldud Faerdref, Glamorgan, 1797 ('a ddatganwyd yngorsedd Alban Hefin ar fynydd Garth Llanilldud Faerdref ym Morganwg, 1797') (17-29 ), six stanzas ('Salm Newydd') written in connection with 'cadair Morganwg, Alban Hefin, 1797' (35-6), four 'englynion' written in connection with 'cadair Llantrisaint, Alban Hefin, 1767' (93), and miscellaneous other poems (43-4, 53-?7, 61, 70, 73, 77-8, 82, 91, 97, 113, 120, 149-50, 312, 365); transcripts of Welsh poems by other poets including a 'cywydd' attributed to Hywel Llwyd (103-07), eleven stanzas entitled 'Can yr Hen wr o'r Coed' with a note on the author Siencyn lygad Rhawlin of the parish of Llantrisaint Misgin (143-6), three 'englynion' attributed to Siôn Tudur (151), poems attributed to Edward Dafydd and Llen. Siôn 'o Langewydd' (161- 7), an 'englyn' attributed to Ednyfed Fychan (197), 'Cywydd y Messiah' attributed to the Rev. Evan Evans ('Ieuan Wynfardd o Geredigion') (205-16), a sequence of six 'englynion' attributed to Elis Wynn with a note on the author (217-19), an 'englyn' attributed to Richard Philip (307), 'englynion' attributed to Siôn Cent and Gruff. ab Lleision (321), and a sequence of five 'englynion' attributed to D[afydd ap] Gwilym (328); transcripts of, or extracts from, miscellaneous Welsh poems, mostly anonymous (37-41, 48-52, 58-60, 65, 72, 75, 78-9, 89-90, 95, 97-8, 102, 168-72, 341, 366, 372, 380-82 (eight stanzas entitled 'Ffanni Blodau'r Ffair'), 387-8, 390); and transcripts of English poems (89-90, 92, 97, 99- 101, 147, 312, 377-9 (fourteen stanzas headed 'Neath volunteers, a new song' and having the name 'Mrs. Bevan, Neath' at the end), 387-90). Prose items include notes on Bran ab Llyr and his family referred to in the Welsh poem by Edward Williams to be found on pp. 23-9 (30-34), data relating to the birth, baptism, marriage, and death of an Edward Williams, and the birth, baptism, and death of his daughter Elizabeth, the dates ranging from 1747 to 1795 (111; see IM, tt. 80-81), a list of twenty-four personal names under the heading 'MSS. in the hands of common people in Wales' (119), brief notes on post - Roman Wales, historical and literary (121 + 123), a brief note relating to literary figures associated with Glamorgan in medieval times (125), comments, presumably by Edward Williams, on contemporary literary figures in Gwynedd, viz. [David Thomas] 'Dafydd Ddu a'i gywion' and Robert Davies, and in South Wales, viz. Lewis Hopcin of the parish of Llandyfodwg, Siôn Bradford ('Ieuan Tir Iarll'), the Reverend Edward Ifan of Aberdar, the Reverend Thos. Richards of Llangrallo, the Reverend J. Walters, the Reverend [Thomas] Llywelyn, Rhys Morgan of Pencraig Nedd, Dafydd Nicolas of Aberpergwm, and Edward Williams of Llancarvan, these latter being acquaintances of the writer (127-33), a brief note on aphoristic literature, proverbs and triads, etc., in Welsh (138), a note on the natural features of the parish of Llancarvan [co. Glamorgan] (141), a note on 'cynghanedd' attributed to Meiryg Dafydd (151), incomplete notes on bardism beginning 'Llyma Lyfr y Barddas sef Dosparth cyfarwyddyd a wnaeth Ceraint Fardd Glas ar gelfyddyd a gorwyddawd . . . Beirdd Ynys Prydain' (156-7), a list of words [in the Scottish language] headed 'Alan Ramsay's Glossary' (175-9), a medicinal recipe (184), a copy of the inscription on the tombstone of Lydia Phell (ob. 1699) in Quaker's Yard, parish of Merthyr Tydvil, and notes relating to her and her connection with the Quakers (186-7), a brief chronicle of events in Welsh history, mainly in South Wales, 1172-1280 (193-8), notes relating to Gilbert de Clare (temp. Edward I) and to a battle between Wiliam ab Ysbwrn and Iestin ab Gwrgan in 1072 (199-200), ? a copy of the title-page of Theophilus Lindsey: Conversations on the Divine Government . . . (London, 1802) (225), a Welsh version of the text of the Gospel of Nicodemus ('Llyma Efengyl Nicodemys . . . a drosed o'r Lladin gan Syr Dafydd Fychan . . . ') (239-87), horticultural notes (303), a transcript of a letter to the reader written by Dafydd Llwyd in 1663 as an introduction to a history of the Norman Conquest of Glamorgan compiled by him from such sources as the works of Caradoc of Llancarvan, Syr Edward Stradling, Syr Edward Mawnsell, and Antoni Powel of Llwydarth (305-06, 313-16; for an opinion that this prefatory letter was compiled by Edward Williams himself see TLLM., t. 201), a copy of proposals for raising funds for financing a new version of the English Bible (308-09), the music of a 'March by E. Wms' ( 310), brief notes of historical events, meteorological phenomena, etc., in Britain, 60 A.D.-1703 A.D., in non-chronological order (317-18, 322-4), a copy of an epitaph to William Collins ? in Bath abbey (329), a note relating to the mythological account of the origin of letters and subsequent additions to the original number (334), an anecdote relating to a visit to the court of the Emperor of Constantinople by Rhys ap Tewdwr and Iestin ab Gwrgant, their return to Wales, and their quarrel concerning Nest, wife of Iestin, etc. (335-6), notes on 'greeting' and 'questing' poems in Welsh and the practice of making birds, the wind, etc., messengers in such poems (337-8), notes on the early 'systematizing' of the Cimmeric language (346), chronological extracts from the Welsh chronicle 'Brut y Saeson' (349-50, 353-4), a scheme or chapter subject - headings for a proposed history of Wales ('Hanes Cymru yn wyth rhann') ( 352), 'A Table of the Roman Kalendar' (356-7), genealogical data relating to Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg')'s family on his mother's side gathered allegedly in conversations with Lewys Hopcin, a kinsman (363-4), very brief notes relating to the bards D[afy]dd ap Gwilym, Sion Cent, Rhys Goch Eryri, Iolo Goch, and Rhys Goch 'o Dir Iarll' (375), a copy of a letter from [Edward Williams] 'Iorwerth Gwilym' from Trefflemin, 1770, [to the publishers of Trysorfa Gwybodaeth] expressing his delight at their publishing venture and offering a sequence of twelve 'englynion' (also transcribed) for publication (see Trysorfa Gwybodaeth neu Eurgrawn Cymraeg, 1770) (384-6), and groups or lists of Welsh words including place-names and proper names (62, 71, 81-2, 92, 148, 341, 347-8 371, 376). Notes in a few instances have been written on the blank dorse or margins of copies of a printed leaflet announcing the publication of Edward Williams's two volumes of English verse Poems Lyric and Pastoral, and a copy of a printed leaflet announcing the publication of 'A Complete Directory and Guide to the town of Cardiff, the Town and Castle of Caerphilly, . . .' in 1813.