Showing 27 results

A volume in the hand of J. H. Davies, with a few additions by Thomas Iorwerth Ellis, containing mainly pedigrees, extracts from wills and other documents, and notes relating to Cardiganshire families, with a few pedigrees of families from the counties of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire (Charles, Phillips, and Wogan). T. I. Ellis's additions relate mainly to the pedigree of J. H. Davies's family and the connected families of Charles and Phillips. There are also extracts from Llanddewi Brefi parish registers, mainly relating to the Rowland family, and pedigrees and notes relating to the Rowland family (pp. 208-217), a list of Cardiganshire manors (pp. 45-7) and lists (pp. 122-142) of officials (beadles, etc.) of Cardiganshire manors, 1317-1444 (with gaps). The original title of the volume was 'Beirdd Ceredigion yn y Canol Oesoedd' but it contains transcripts of only two poems viz. 'Cywydd i ddioddefaint Christ (sic) ...' ('Y grog aur droediog drydoll') by Ieuan ap Rytherch ap Ieuan Llwyd, transcribed from BM Add. MSS 14866, and an 'awdl' in praise of Rhydderch ap Ieuan Llwyd 'o ywch ayronn' ('Dy annerch Rydderch vab rieddawg - hael') by Daio dy (sic), transcribed from BM Stowe MSS 959.

Transcripts of two portions of Psalmae y Brenhinol Brophvvyd Dafydh Gann Gapten Wiliam Middelton (London, 1603); and 'cywyddau' by [Siôn] Tud[u]r (whose autograph appears in the manuscript), Mor[y]s a[b Ieu]an ap Eini[o]n, Ll[ywely]n [ap] Moel [y] Pantri and Tudur Aled, and also an 'englyn' by Robin Ddu.

Poetry in praise of William Owen of Henllys (c. 1486-1574) and his son George Owen (c. 1552-1613), of George William Griffith (1584-1655?) of Penybenglog, Pembrokeshire and others. The text is in several hands; pp. 1-62 shows beautiful penmanship. Some of the poems are dated and several (Dafydd Emlyn (pp. 145, 161, 186), Dafydd Llwyd Mathew (pp. 149, 153), Gruffudd Hafren (p. 157), Harri Howel (p. 180), Robert Dyfi (p. 182), Siams Emlyn (p. 183) appear to be autograph. Pp. 129-136 are apparently in the autograph of R. Phillipp [Rhisiart Phylip]. Other cited poets include Iolo Goch, Dafydd Nanmor, Sion Mawddwy and Taliesin.

A manuscript, probably in the hand of David Parry (certainly pp. 353-367 are in his writing, and cf. Llanstephan MSS 138, 147, 148) and written c. 1640 (see p. 360) containing Dares Phrygius; Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia; Brut y Tywysogion; Cantreds and Commotes of Wales; Brut y Saeson; 'O oes Gwrtheyrn', etc.; Imago mundi; Buchedd Silvester; and poetry (cols 1396-1442, 1357-1361). This is followed by 'Meddyginiaeth', etc.; 'Music Telyn a Chrwth'; 'Englynion i Dduw ar byd by W. Cynwal'; the names of the Lord Chancellors of England, of the Bishops of Bangor down to William Roberts (bishop from 1637 to 1665), and of the Lord Presidents of Wales to John Egerton, Earl of Bridgewater (President from 1631 to 1642); followed (pp. 362-368) by poetry from a manuscript in the possession of Roger Salesbury of Rhug, the poets cited including Taliesin and Rhys Fardd.
Pp. 1-351 are copied from the Red Book of Hergest.

A collection made by William Jones ('Bleddyn'), Llangollen of 'cywyddau' by Guto'r Glyn, Wiliam Llŷn, Dafydd Llwyd ap Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Ieuan Llafar, Lew[y]s Môn, Thomas Prys, Gruffudd Phylip, Richard Goch, John Morris, Rhys Cain, Wiliam Phylip, Wiliam Cynwal and Morys Dwyfech [Morus ap Dafydd ab Ifan ab Einion]; also included are proverbs and couplets.

Transcripts by Llywarch Reynolds of poems by Rhisiart ap Rhys, Lewis Morganwg (Llywelyn ap Rhisiart), Dafydd Benwyn, Hywel Swrdwal, Iorwerth Fynglwyd, Guto'r Glyn, Sion Mowddwy and Dafydd ab Edmwnd.

'Cywyddau' and other poems by Guto'r Glyn, Sion Brwynog, Wiliam Llŷn, Dafydd Llwyd ap Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Llywelyn ap Gutun, Huw Arwystli, Sion Tudur, Edmwnd Prys, Wiliam Cynwal, Tudur Penllyn, Hywel Borthor ('o'r Trallwm'), William Myddelton, Owain Meurig, Wiliam Burchinsa[w], Mor[ri]s [K]yffin and Edward [K]yffin, transcribed by Thomas Jones, Trawsgoed, Llanuwchllyn.

A miscellany of prose and verse begun by Robert Edmund, corvizer, Bala. It includes 'englynion' by David Thomas ('Dafydd Ddu Eryri') [1759-1822], 1784-1792, Rolan[t] Huw [1714-1802], Evan [Evans] 'Fardd ac Offeiriad' ['Ieuan Fardd' or 'Ieuan Brydydd Hir'] [1731-1788], Robert Lewis, Robert Edwards, Sion Brwynog 'o Edeyrnion' [d. ?1567], Evan Ellis (Llanfawr, 1791), John Williams (Dolgellau), W[illiam] Jones (Llangadfan) [1726-1795], Thomas Jones, J. Robert, Rice Jones, Rhobert Gwilym and Robert Edwards (Llandderfel); a hymn by Walter Davies ('Gwallter Mechain') [1761-1849], with a letter and 'penillion' by David Jones ('Dafydd Sion Siams'); 'cywyddau' by Evan Ellis, 1791-1793, Robert William [1744-1815], Maredudd ap Rhys [fl. 1440-1483], Tudur Aled [c. 1465-c. 1525], Edward ap Raff [fl. 1587], Hugh Hughes ['Huw ap Huw' or 'Y Bardd Coch o Fôn'] [1693-1776], John Prys (Cae'rddinen), John Roberts (Tydu, 1782-1787), Rhys Jones ('o'r Blaenau', 1789), William Jones (Llangadfan) and Walter Davies; 'awdlau' by Robert William, Pandy, 1793, John Williams alias Shon Cynwyd, 1792, Rowland Huw and Rhys Jones 'o'r Blaenau' [1713-1801]; a copy of the first twelve chapters of Rhetoreg ... by Henry Perry [1560?-1617]; copies of letters by John and Evan Robert, 1793-1794; correspondence concerning Llandderfel, 1843; an extract from the will of 'Mr. Meyrick' relating to a charity school at Bala.

Transcripts by Charles Ashton, Dinas Mawddwy of poetry by Tudur Aled, together with a note on the families of Jones of Llanio, Llanddewibrefi and Rogers of Brynele and Abermeurig.

A transcript by David Lewis Evans, father of George Eyre Evans, of two poems by Lewis Glyn Cothi, with explanatory notes.

A volume lettered on the spine 'Papers concerning Caermarthen'. It contains transcripts of the records of the county borough of Carmarthen, 1581/2-1610, 1738-1835, and transcripts and/or English translations of the charters of Carmarthen, 1546-1604, and Kidwelly, 1357-1618; the opinion of Mr. [ ] Cason, Thomas Mallet, and Edward Mallet, undated, touching the right of a county magistrate to intermeddle with the internal affairs of the borough of Kidwelly; a note of searches made for the endowment and terrier of the church of Kidwelly; particulars of fees paid for the charter of 1618 of Kidwelly; a lithograph of St. Peter's Church, Carmarthen, drawn by C. W. and published by Messrs. White & Sons, Carmarthen; the opinion of Henry Wm. Hewlett, 34 Great James Street, Bedford Row [London], 1840, touching the tithes of the vicarage of Saint Peter's, Carmarthen; a map of the dioceses of St. Davids and Llandaff; transcripts of entries relating to the diocese of St. Davids from Valor Ecclesiasticus, 1536, and Taxatio Ecclesiastica, 1291; a transcript of Janus Caecilius Frey: Philosophia Druidarum (Paris, 1646); abstracts of deeds and documents, 1641-1797, among the Highmead (Lampeter) estate records relating to the families of Evans of Achaeth Isa, Llansawel, etc., and Williams of Abercothi, etc., together with an accompanying pedigree; 'A short view of the long life of that ever wise, valiaunt, and fortunate commander Rice ap Thomas. . .' ('written by, it is supposed, a Captain Powell of Penybanc, near Abergwili'), extracted from the Cambrian Register, 1795; additional material relating to Rhys ap Thomas and his family, including extracts from Benjamin Heath Malkin: The Scenery, Antiquities, and Biography of South Wales (London, 1803), transcripts of 'cywyddau' by Rhys Nanmor and Lewis Morganwg, and 'Objections against Rice Griffith (the grandson of Sir Rice ap Thomas) in his Indictment, with the Answers thereunto'; biographical sketches of Carmarthenshire persons arranged alphabetically; 'Cywydd i'r Grog o Langynwyd' by Lewis Morganwg; 'The Life of Francis Mansel, D.D., Principal of Jesus College, Oxford'; transcripts, with some English translations, of early Welsh poetry, largely from the Black Book of Carmarthen [extracted from the Myvyrian Archaiology]; a text of Meddygon Myddvai transcribed in 1851 from a manuscript of [James Davies ] 'Iago ap Dewi' [Llanstephan MS. 87]; a pen-and-ink plan of Caermarthen Grey Friary, 1850; an abridgement, in English, of the Laws of Howell Dda; and a pen-and-ink sketch of the monument erected in Lammas Street, Caermarthen, to commemorate those of the 23rd Royal Welsh Fusileers who perished, 1854-1855, in the War with Russia (work commenced 21 July 1858, completed August 1858). There is an 'Index', or more correctly a detailed list of contents, at the beginning of the volume, and a brief classification of contents, printed on a vellum panel, is laid on the upper cover.

A transcript by John Thomas ('Sion Wyn o Eifion') of cywyddau and other poems by Robin Ddu, Rhys Goch Eryri, Iolo Goch, Tudur Aled, Dafydd Gorlech, Dafydd Llwyd ap Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Dafydd ap Hwlcyn ap Madog, Rhys Llwyd ap Rhys, Maredudd ap Rhys, Mathew Owen, Edward Morus and Sion Lleyn; the manuscript also contains triads, genealogies, 'Breiniau Gwŷr Arfon', 'Meddygon Myddfai', 'geirlyfr William Lleyn', etc.

A negative photostat facsimile of Welsh MS. 2 in the John Rylands Library, Manchester, being an incomplete early eighteenth century collection of poetry, largely in the form of 'cywyddau', by Sion Philip, Rhisiart Philip, Edmund Price [sic], William Cynwal, Evan Bry[dy]dd hir, Lewis Môn, Sion Cent, Tudyr Aled, David ap Gwillim [sic], David Nanmor [sic] and others. On p. 76 is a text of 'Brenin dlysau ynys Brydai[n]'. Later eighteenth century additions include a certificate of a declaration of an oath by Edd. Vaughan of Lanymowddy, Merioneth, 2 November, 1750, that a red heifer sold at Dinnas Mowddy and the herd from which it is taken are free from the infection now raging among horned cattle in the Kingdom.

A manuscript volume with the title 'PEREDUR' in gold lettering on the spine. The manuscript, written in the year 1800 by William Owen [-Pughe], contains an English translation of the tale 'Peredur' which is sub-titled 'A Tale Of the Britons' with the Welsh text facing. The Welsh version is said on p. 234 to be transcribed from a manuscript in the hand of the poet Huw Llyn [i.e. B.M. Add. MS 14967, pp. 284-321], 'Adysgriviad o hen lyvyr wedi ei ysgrivenu gan Huw Llyn y Barz', but a note on page 60 suggests that the beginning of the tale was missing when the present manuscript was bound and that the transcriber added the missing part of the text on 21 Sept., 1827, 'Cyvysgrivwn odd y deçreu hyd yma, a oedd a'r goll pan rwymid y llyvr. D. Gwener, Medi 21. 1827. W. O. P. Segrwyd'. The following note appears on p. 235: 'Finished Dec. 31 1800, 9 o'clock at night - 3 hours before end of the 18th. century - Wm. Owen'. Written on the front fly-leaf is a medical recipe for 'Sore throat ulcerated' as well as the name 'W. Owen No. 40 Penton Street, Pentonville'. Pages 1-2 and 236-7 contain quotations from the works of medieval Welsh poets and the triads referring to Peredur with references to The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales . . ., Vol. 1 (1801), and Barddoniaeth Dafydd ab Gwilym (1789).

A volume containing transcripts, [c. 1931], by Owain Llewelyn Owain of poems by Siôn Prisiart (Siôn o'r Garth), Gwerful Mechain, Huw Morys and others, including carols and occasional verse copied from manuscripts in the possession of the transcriber's father, Hugh Owen, Tal-y-sarn, and englynion copied from gravestones at Llanfachreth churchyard, Merionethshire.

An imperfect copy, lacking title-page, and all following f. cxxxvi, of an unidentified early sixteenth-century printed edition of the Latin Decretales of Gregory IX. The text ends at the beginning of c. 1, X, De fideiussoribus, III, 22. Preceding the Decretales are sixteen originally-blank paper leaves, and a vellum leaf containing a fragment of a medieval Latin text, in a XIII cent. hand, originally used as a front pastedown, now raised and left as a fly-leaf. The covers bear blind-tooled rolled decorations of Oldham's 'heads in medallions' type, similar to his HM. h (29), identified as a London production of 1533-44; see further J.B. Oldham, English Blind-Stamped Bindings (Cambridge, 1952), 54 & plate L.
The volume was owned at the end of the sixteenth or beginning of the seventeenth centuries by 'Lewis Johnes', who added his name on ff. 16, xlvv, xlvi and inside rear cover. He also added pen trials and Welsh poetry to the sixteen preliminary blank leaves. The poems include an early cywydd attributed to Siôn Tudur (c. 1522-1602) (ff. 9 verso-10), a text seemingly first attested in Cardiff MS 2.114 of 1564-5, see Enid Roberts, Gwaith Siôn Tudur (Caerdydd, 1980) I, 672; an incomplete cywydd, attributed elsewhere to Gruffudd ab Ieuan ap Llywelyn Fychan (c. 1485-1553) (f. 12); and a series of 37 englynion of gnomic type, each beginning with 'Eira mynydd ...' (ff. 5 verso-9). These englynion are not among those appearing in Oxford Jesus College MS 111 (Llyfr Coch Hergest), col. 1028-9 (see Kenneth Jackson, Early Welsh Gnomic Poems, Cardiff, 1935, 22-6), and their form and contents suggest that they are later-dating imitations of the genre, seemingly unattested. The name of Lewis Johnes (or Jones), again in a late sixteenth- or early seventeenth-century hand, also appears in the first part of NLW MS 5283B (pp. 7, 98, 119, 126, 161, 166 and 170), a collection of cywyddau, mostly written in his hand, which begins with the above-mentioned poem attributed to Siôn Tudur. Johnes' legal connection, exemplified by his ownership of the Decretales, may also be reflected in the legal script which he adopts when writing his name on pp. 98 & 126 of this manuscript, a volume which also bears the names of Evan Johnes (p. 166), Hughe Johnes (p. 55) and Harry Jones (pp. 13, 43, 88, 140), possibly kinsmen.

A composite volume comprising several incomplete manuscripts and fragments written in a number of mid-sixteenth century hands, and containing mainly pseudo-Aristotelian and religious prose texts and strict-metre poetry in Welsh, several of the poems addressed to members of the Lloyd family of Hafod-wen (Marrington), Chirbury, Shropshire. The Lloyd family were owners of portions, if not the whole, of the volume during the mid and second half of the sixteenth century, as contemporary notes and marginalia testify.
The volume comprises (a) ff. 1-43 verso, 133-191 in the hand of Harri ap Llywelyn ap John ap Gruffudd ap Siencyn of Welshpool ('Hari ffab llwelin a biav y llifer h[wn]' (f. 190), 'Hari fab llwelin ap Iohn ap grvfvdd ap cangkin or Trallwng a byav y llyffyr hwn ac ai ysgrifenodd ...' (f. 191)); (b) ff. 44-51 verso, consisting of fragments in several unidentified hands; (c) ff. 52-71 verso, 102-103 verso, 104 verso, 111-115 verso in an unidentified hand; (d) ff. 72-75, 76-78 verso, 100-102, 109-110, 118-132 verso, possibly in the hand of Cadwaladr ap Rhys Trefnant (the same hand occurs in Peniarth MS 79, pp. 41-44, 101-103, and Peniarth MS 82, pp. 285-287); (e) ff. 75, 89-99 verso in the hand of Llywelyn ap Rhys ab Ieuan ('lln ap Rys ap Ieuan ai ysgrifenodd pan oedd oed Krist yn M ccccc liii' (f. 94), 'lln ap Rys ap Ieuan ai ysgrifenodd pan oedd oed krist /1500/40/15' (f. 95)); (f) ff. 81-84, 85-88 verso, 96 verso, 105-107 in the hand of Huw Arwystl; (g) ff. 107-108 verso in an unidentified hand; and (h) ff. 116 verso-117 verso, an holograph cywydd by Owain Gwynedd. Englynion and verses have been added on several pages, mostly in unidentified hands of the mid sixteenth to late seventeenth centuries, but including some in the hands of Oliver Lloyd (f. 59), Huw Arwystl (f. 96 verso), Owain ap Syr Ieuan (probably) (f. 96 verso) and Wiliam Dyfi (f. 104).

A composite volume consisting of two incomplete manuscripts written by several mid-seventeenth century scribes and containing Welsh poetry mostly in strict-metre.
It comprises: (a) pp. 1-498, 595-622 (many misplaced leaves, the original order being pp. 615-616, 179-186, 37-38, 595-598, 619-622, 599-602, 35-36, 1-34, 39-178, 187-432, 603-614, 433-498) mainly in the hands of Richard Cynwal (pp. 37-38, 179-186, 615-619) and an unidentified mid-seventeenth century scribe, containing Welsh poetry addressed mostly to the Maurice family of Clenennau and related families, including those of Bryncir; Wern, Penmorfa; Craflwyn, Beddgelert; Ystumcegid and Corsygedol; (b) pp. 499-594 in the hand of an unidentified mid-seventeenth century scribe, containing Welsh poetry addressed to families of north-east Wales, particularly those of Eutun of Leeswood and Lloyd of Bodidris. Poems, probably holograph, by Ellis Rowland, Jane Vaughan of Caer Gai and William Wynne are tipped in at the end of the volume (pp. 623-625).

A volume containing poetry mostly in strict metre, together with some prose items and a significant body of prophetic prose or vaticinatory verse, transcribed between 1649 (see pp. 285-288) and 1660 by Wiliam Bodwrda; the volume would appear to have been 'No. 17' in his own collection of manuscripts (see f. iv and p. 342).
The cited works are mainly those of fifteenth-century poets, including eulogies by Lewys Glyn Cothi and prophetic poetry by Dafydd Gorlech, Dafydd Llwyd ap Llywelyn ap Gruffudd o Fathafarn and Robin Ddu. Several pieces of prophecy are either anonymous or attributed to ambiguous and obscure authors such as Taliesin, y Bardd Cwsg and y Bergam. Eulogies composed in praise of the Bodwrda family are found on pages 181-193 and 285-288. Wiliam Bodwrda himself has paginated the manuscript from 1-341, but some of these numbers have been cropped in binding. The paper, according to the transcriber's practice, has been folded before use giving three vertical creases on every page, the left-hand crease being used as a guide for the alignment of the text. The transcriber uses a catchword on the bottom right-hand corner of most verso pages.

A volume containing Welsh poetry in strict and free metre, including a poem dated 1627 (f. 280), in an unidentified hand of the early seventeenth century; the same hand also wrote NLW MS 6471B and Jesus College, Oxford MSS 139 and 140.
The scribe was copying from at least six different manuscripts, the beginnings and ends of which he usually indicates, e.g. 'dechre llyfyr Mr Iohn peers' (f. 1), 'dechre llyfyr arall (ff. 60 verso, 225 verso) and 'diwedd i llyfr yma' (ff. 135, 225 verso). Books begin on ff. 1, 60 verso, 105, 135 and 225 verso; the sixth book probably began in the gap resulting from the excision of leaves between ff. 245 and 246. Additions include a poem, dated 1630, written in a contemporary hand on ff. iii-iv; englynion on ff. iv verso, and on f. 176 verso, probably in the hand of Lowry Evans; verses in free metre in an early-nineteenth century hand tipped onto f. 305; and a subject index of contents of the volume when it was complete in a hand of the second half of the seventeenth century on ff. 306-310.