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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).

Letter, 19 April 1893, from Adelina Patti Nicolini, Craig-y-nos Castle, Ystradgynlais, to a Miss Flynn, thanking her for her Christmas gift and describing her recent successes at Nice and Milan. The recipient is possibly the mezzo-soprano Miss Ellen Flynn who performed at the opening concert of the Patti Theatre at Craig-y-nos in July 1891 (see Herman Klein, The Reign of Patti (London, 1920), p. 285)

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).

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).

A holograph poem, [?1950s], entitled 'Birds in Winter' by B[erta] R[uck], written in red ink and accompanied by a pen, ink and watercolour drawing by Ruck, depicting an airman holding a bird.
The poem is written on the back of a sheet of Ruck's notepaper, headed 'From Berta Ruck Aberdovey Merioneth North Wales'; Ruck lived in Aberdyfi from 1939 until her death.

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.

A stipple-engraved ticket bearing an image of a putto playing a harp and the text 'For the Benefit of Mr. [Edward] Jones, a Concert of Music', to be held on 21 April [?1779] at the New Rooms, Tottenham Street, [London]. Edward Jones, harpist and antiquary, was appointed harpist to the Prince of Wales sometime in the 1780s.

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, 29 July 1896, from the inventor and telegraph engineer David Edward Hughes, London, to his 'nephew' J[ohn] D[avies] Hughes, Corwen, discussing a copy of 'Joseph's Book' at the British Museum, J. D. Hughes's recent visit to London and D. E. Hughes's forthcoming trip to Berlin and Paris (f. 90). Also included is a copy, 1961, of a photographic portrait of David Edward Hughes (f. 92).
'Joseph's Book' is British Melodies (London, 1839), a volume of tunes composed by D. E. Hughes's brother, the musical prodigy Joseph Tudor Hughes (Blegwryd). Since D. E. Hughes's surviving siblings and their descendants all lived in the USA, J. D. Hughes will not have been his actual nephew; the precise familial connection is unclear.

A holograph copy, [1971], of David Jones's poem 'A, a, a, Domine Deus', signed 'D.J. c. 1938 & 1966'. The manuscript contains a few minor variants to the final published text, most notably the substitution of 'signum' for 'symbol' (line 5). A substantial marginal note relates to 'certain motifs & the title'.
The poem is written in black ink with the title and certain words in red ink. An early version of the poem was published in the essay 'Art and Sacrament', in Catholic Approaches, ed. by Elizabeth Pakenham (London, 1955), pp. 143-182 (p. 181), and collected in David Jones, Epoch and Artist (London, 1959), pp. 143-179 (p. 179). In its final form it first appeared in Agenda, 5.1-3 (Spring-Summer 1967), 5, and was collected in David Jones, The Sleeping Lord and Other Fragments (London, 1974), p. 9.

A letter, 24 October 1913, from David Lloyd George to J[ohn] W[illiam] Gulland, Liberal MP for Dumfries Burghs, discussing arrangements to visit Glasgow to speak on land reform; the visit, suggested here for 1 December 1913, eventually took place on 4 February 1914. He also touches on the effects of the Dublin Lockout.
The letter is dictated but has Lloyd George's signature and a postscript in his hand.

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.

A typescript letter, 25 October 1911, from David Lloyd George, Chancellor of the Exchequer, to Sir Edward Brabrook, replying to Brabrook's letter, dated 19 October, concerning the National Insurance Bill. The Chancellor seeks to address Brabrook's concerns about the implications of the Bill for friendly societies, Brabrook being a former Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies. The National Insurance Act would receive royal assent on 16 December 1911.

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.

Cerdyn post, 3 Rhagfyr 1952, oddi wrth [y Parch.] Gwilym R. Tilsley, Bae Colwyn, at Miss [Sara] Roberts, JP, Trelan, Pwllheli, yn diolch iddi, ar ffurf englyn, am ei chroeso. = A postcard, 3 December 1952, from [the Rev.] Gwilym R. Tilsley, C[olwyn] Bay, to Miss [Sara] Roberts, JP, Trelan, Pwllheli, thanking her, in the form of an englyn, for her welcome.

Autograph manuscript draft, [?1823], of a poem entitled 'Song to the Swiss in a foreign land, from the German of Tieck' by F[elicia] H[emans].
A revised version of the poem, with the title 'Alpine Song', was published in The Edinburgh Annual Register for 1819 (Edinburgh, 1823), p. 368; it was collected, as 'Alp-horn Song', in The Works of Mrs. Hemans: With a Memoir of Her Life, 7 vols (Edinburgh, 1839), III, 109. The poem is a translation of Ludwig Tieck's 'Alphornlied' which appeared in the first version of his novel Franz Sternholds Wanderungen (1798), p. 233 (see Angela Esterhammer, 'Legendary Late-Romantic Switzerlands: Baillie, Polidori, Hemans, and Scott', in Romanticism, Rousseau, Switzerland: New Prospects, ed. by Angela Esterhammer, Diane Piccitto and Patrick Vincent (Basingstoke, 2015)).

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.

Autograph letter, 24 February 1981, from Kyffin Williams, Pwllfanogl, Llanfairpwll, to 'John', requesting his advice on how to acquire and prime new canvasses now that John has retired. The recipient may be John Reynolds of Highgate, supplier of materials to the artist.

Autograph letter, 2 February 1993, from Kyffin Williams, Pwllfanogl, Llanfairpwll, to Margaret [Toms], thanking her for a letter of appreciation for his autobiography A Wider Sky (Llandysul, 1991) (f. 86 recto-verso).
Williams and Toms, a former Royal Academy staff member, had a mutual friend in Sidney Hutchison, former Secretary of the Royal Academy, and Williams refers to their recent dinner together in Beaumaris (as recorded in Williams's journal, 14 September 1992, see NLW, Kyffin Williams Archive A2/3). Also included is a card with a printed portrait by WIlliams, inscribed 'Happy Christmas - Kyffin' (f. 87).

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.