Showing 46 results

A signed typescript letter, 24 November 1939, from David Lloyd George, Bron-y-de, Churt, to Cecil Harmsworth, [Lord Harmsworth of Egham in the County of Surrey], thanking him for his letter in support of Lloyd George's recent speeches and articles advocating a negotiated peace with Germany following the outbreak of the Second World War.

Three letters, 1917, to P[hilip] H[enry] Thomas, father of the poet Edward Thomas who was killed in the Battle of Arras on 9 April 1917. They comprise a letter of condolence, 16 April 1917, from Capt. N. G. Brett James, a fellow student of Thomas's at Lincoln College (f. 12); and letters from the authors Arthur L. Salmon, Bristol (f. 13), and D. L. Kelleher, Dublin (f. 14), both dated 29 October 1917 and both prompted by Philip Thomas's letter to The Nation the previous week defending his son's reputation (see The Nation, 22.3 (20 October 1917), p. 95, for Thomas's letter, which was in response to an unfavourable review of his son's The Tenth Muse (London, 1917) in The Nation, 22.2 (13 October 1917), pp. 73-74).

Two letters, 16-18 November 1953, from [the Rev.] S[ydney] B[owen] Williams, Vicar of St Martins, Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, to Dr [Daniel] Jones, concerning arrangements for Dylan Thomas's funeral. Thomas died in New York on 9 November 1953 and would be buried in Laugharne on 24 November.

Three letters, 1916-1918, relating to Augustus John, including one letter sent by John, at the Canadian Corps HQ, [France], to the artist [Peter] Harrison, 21 February 1918, commenting on John's exhibition at the Alpine Club, London, and his current work as a war artist with the Canadian War Memorials Fund (f. 4).
Also included are two letters from George Moore, London, the first to Henry Tonks, 1 December 1916, discussing John's portrait of [Admiral] Lord Fisher [of Kilverston] (f. 2), and the second to Harrison, 5 February 1918, concerning the Alpine Club exhibition (f. 3).

Letter, 15 November 1968, from Kyffin [Williams] in Gaiman, Patagonia, to his friend the painter Gwyn Brown and her husband Harry, Tegfryn [Art Gallery], Menai Bridge, Anglesey, containing observations on the scenery and people, the weather, the challenging conditions for painting and the difficulties of communicating in Welsh and Spanish.
Williams was in Patagonia from October 1968 to early 1969 on a Fellowship awarded by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. The letter was published in David Meredith and John Smith, Obsessed: The Biography of Sir Kyffin Williams (Llandysul, 2012), pp. 134-5.

An autograph letter, dated 17 May 1645, from Prince Rupert, at Newport, [Shropshire], to [Sir Edward Nicholas, secretary of state], [?at Oxford], communicating the news that Montgomery Castle, under Sir John Price [or Pryce] the parliamentary governor, has come over to the Royalists, and that 'the Ennemys have drawne their cannon from Harding [Hawarden] Castle' (f. 28).
Also included is a letter, 30 March 1976, from the military historian Brigadier Peter Young to Anthony S. Gilbert, discussing the letter and tentatively suggesting General Charles Gerard or the Marquis of Worcester as its intended recipient (ff. 29-30). However, Thomas Thorpe's catalogue of autograph letters (1836) identifies the recipient as 'Sir Edw. Nicholes [sic]' and the Prince Rupert letter is endorsed in Nicholas's hand ('Maij. 1645. R[eceived] 21o. P. Rupert to me' on f. 28 verso).

Two letters, 19 April 1981 and 21 May 1993, from the artist Kyffin Williams, Pwllfanogl, Llanfairpwll, to Elin [McGorran], who, as a student of Fine Art at University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, in 1981 was writing a dissertation on Williams.
Williams refers to McGorran's recent visit to interview him for the dissertation (f. 32) and discusses the antagonism of some members of the Welsh art establishment towards him (f. 33). Williams includes a self-portrait sketch in ink, depicting himself on horseback 'on a sheep station … in the Australian Outback' (f. 33 verso).

A letter, 30 August 1916, in pencil, from the Irish nationalist [Seán] Hales of Bandon, County Cork, then a prisoner at Frongoch Internment Camp, Merioneth, to his friend [William] McDonnell, Bandon, in which he describes life during his incarceration and pays tribute to McDonnell's wife, [Kathleen], for her support (f. 34). The letter was apparently smuggled out of the camp by a visitor.
Also included is a typescript transcript of the letter, [?20 cent., second ¼], apparently supplying the fragments of text now lost in the original (ff. 35-36). Hales was later a member of the Dáil Éireann but was assassinated on 7 December 1922.

Two letters, 15 August 1987, 6 January [1988], from the architect (Sir) Alex Gordon, Llanblethian, to John Harry Fisher Evans, in Leicester (ff. 41, 43), together with a [?draft] letter, [31 December 1987], from Evans to Gordon, congratulating him on his award of a knighthood in the New Year's Honours List (f. 42).
Also included is the order of service for John Fisher Evans's funeral, on 28 October 1988 (f. 44).

Two typescript letters, 1953-1955, from Vernon Watkins, Pennard, to poet and publisher John Lehmann, the first, 13 November 1953, concerning the death of Watkins's close friend Dylan Thomas four days earlier (f. 46), the second, 8 August 1955, concerning his foreword to Dylan Thomas, Adventures in the Skin Trade (London, 1955) (f. 47).

A letter, 12 December 1964, from Vernon Watkins, Pennard, to the poet and editor Neville Braybrooke, in which he discusses 'The Beach of Falesá', the recently published adaptation by Dylan Thomas of R. L. Stevenson's novella (see Dylan Thomas, The Beach of Falesá (New York, 1963)), as well as his recent work and his visit to Seattle the previous Spring.

A letter, 1986 (postmark 13 May 1986), from Diana ('Didy') Asquith, Overbury, [Worcestershire], to Sara John, London, concerning her recollections of Sara's father Edwin John. The letter discusses Edwin's boxing career and his exploitation by his manager.

Copi carbon o lythyr teipysgrif, 17 Chwefror 1971, oddi wrth Yr Athro Melville Richards, [Coleg Prifysgol Gogledd Cymru, Bangor], at E. T. Jones, Clerc Cyngor Dosbarth Gwledig y Fali, [sir Fôn], yn ymateb i ymholiad ganddo ynglŷn â tharddiad yr enw 'Valley'. = A carbon copy typescript letter, 17 February 1971, from Prof. Melville Richards, [University College of North Wales, Bangor], to E. T. Jones, Clerk of Valley Rural District Council, [Anglesey], in response to his enquiry concerning the origin of the name 'Valley'.

Copi [?serocs], [1986], o adroddiad llawysgrif manwl gan R[obin] E. Parry, [?o Gyngor Tref Nefyn], yn dilyn degfed cynhadledd flynyddol Cymdeithas [Cynghorau] Bro a Thref Cymru yn Llanbadarn Fawr, 18 Hydref 1986. Ysgrifennwyd yr adroddiad yn ôl bob tebyg i'w gyflwyno i'r Cyngor Tref. Mynychodd Parry’r gynhadledd yng nghwmni’r Cynghorydd Humphrey Evans, [?o Gyngor Dosbarth Dwyfor], ac mae'r adroddiad yn cynnwys nifer o sylwadau anffurfiol amdano. = A [?xerox] copy, [1986], of a detailed handwritten report by R[obin] E. Parry, [?of Nefyn Town Council], following the tenth annual conference of the Wales Association of Community and Town Councils in Llanbadarn Fawr, 18 October 1986. The report was presumably written to be submitted to the Town Council. Parry attended the conference with Councillor Humphrey Evans, [?of Dwyfor District Council] and the report contains a number of informal anecdotes concerning him.

A letter, 14 March 1964, from the novelist Richard [Vaughan], Talley, Carmarthenshire, to the actor Emrys [James], concerning the BBC television series Moulded in Earth, then in production, in which James was appearing as Edwin Peele (it was first transmitted on BBC Wales, 5 April-24 May 1964). The series adapted Vaughan's novel Moulded in Earth (London, 1951) and its sequel Son of Justin (London, 1955) (f. 67 recto-verso). Vaughan also discusses the whereabouts of some of his manuscripts and the commencement of work on a new novel (f. 67 verso).
Also included is a postcard, [?1990s], from Emrys James's widow, the author Siân James, to Tony [Curtis] giving him the Richard Vaughan letter (f. 68).

Llythyr, 24 Chwefror 1963, oddi wrth Emyr Llew[elyn] Jones, Llandysul, at ddisgyblion chweched dosbarth Ysgol Ardudwy, Harlech, yn eu mysg William H. Owen, i ddiolch am eu llythyr yn cefnogi ei safiad, ar ôl iddo danio ffrwydryn ar safle adeiladu argae Tryweryn ar y 10 Chwefror. Cafodd ei arestio yn fuan wedi'r digwyddiad, a'i ryddhau ar fechnïaeth ar y 21 Chwefror. = A letter, 24 February 1963, from Emyr Llew[elyn] Jones, Llandysul, to sixth-form students at Ysgol Ardudwy, Harlech, including William H. Owen, thanking them for their letter supporting his action in detonating an explosive device at the construction site of the Tryweryn dam on 10 February. He had been arrested soon after the incident but was released on bail on the 21 February.
Mae'r llythyr hefyd yn trafod safbwynt Plaid Cymru a Gwynfor Evans tuag ato, ac yn cymeradwyo'n llwyr eu penderfyniad i ymatal rhag ei gefnogi yn gyhoeddus. = The letter also discusses the stance of Plaid Cymru and Gwynfor Evans towards him and fully endorses their decision to refrain from supporting his actions publicly.

Llythyr, 18 Gorffennaf 1966, at William H. Owen oddi wrth y bardd Gerallt Lloyd Owen, yn trafod y syniad o ddechrau comic yn y Gymraeg i blant hŷn yn dwyn y teitl Yr Hebog. Bu'r ddau yn gyfeillion yn y Coleg Normal, Bangor, 1963-1966 (f. 71). = A letter, 18 July 1966, to William H. Owen from the poet Gerallt Lloyd Owen, discussing the idea of starting a comic in Welsh for older children entitled Yr Hebog. The two men were friends as students at the Normal College, Bangor, 1963-1966 (f. 71).
Ceir hefyd ffotograff o'r criw ffrindiau coleg a dynnwyd rhywbryd ar ôl i Gerallt ennill y gadair yn Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yr Urdd 1965 (yn sefyll, o'r chwith i'r dde: William Henry Owen, Dyffryn Ardudwy, William Lloyd Davies, Melin-y-Wig, Trefor Bertram Owen, Llanberis, a Walter Glyn Davies, Amlwch; yn y canol, yn cael ei gario: Gerallt Lloyd Owen; yn eistedd: Edward Morris Jones, Llanuwchllyn) (f. 72). = Also included is a photograph of their circle of college friends, taken following Gerallt's victory in the chair competition at the 1965 Urdd National Eisteddfod (standing, left to right: William Henry Owen, Dyffryn Ardudwy, William Lloyd Davies, Melin-y-Wig, Trefor Bertram Owen, Llanberis, and Walter Glyn Davies, Amlwch; centre, carried aloft: Gerallt Lloyd Owen; sitting: Edward Morris Jones, Llanuwchllyn) (f. 72).

A letter, 17 May [1840] (watermark 1840), signed Augusta Ada Lovelace, to a Mrs Tynte, discussing the educational future of a musical prodigy, presumed to be the harpist John Thomas [Pencerdd Gwalia], and asking Tynte to use her Welsh connections to advance his career. Lovelace refers to her communications with [John Fane], Lord Burge[r]sh, co-founder of the Royal Society of Music (f. 73).
Also included is a photocopy of a letter, 10 April 1961, to H. B. Ward, Great Baddow, from the bookseller Winifred Myers, London, offering the Ada Lovelace letter for sale and transcribing its contents (f. 74).

Llythyr, 30 Ionawr 1969, yn llaw'r awdur Llydewig Pêr Denez (wedi ei llofnodi 'Fel Arfer') at Gerald Morgan ('Gerallt'), ynglŷn â thriniaeth egr dros hanner cant o ddynion a gwragedd Llydewig a gawsant eu harestio, carcharu a'u holi o dan amheuaeth o gymryd rhan yng ngweithgareddau'r Front de Libération de la Bretagne (FLB). = A letter, 30 January 1969, in the hand of the Breton writer Pêr Denez (signed 'Fel Arfer') to Gerald Morgan ('Gerallt') concerning the harsh treatment of over fifty Breton men and women recently arrested, incarcerated and interrogated on suspicion of involvement in the activities of the Front de Libération de la Bretagne (Breton Liberation Front; FLB).

Autograph letter, 13 December 1958, from Caitlin Thomas, Catania, Sicily, to [Henry] Meulen, editor of the journal of the Personal Rights Association and advocate of free banking, conveying her low opinion of her late father, Francis Macnamara.