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Miscellaneous letters and papers
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Vernon Watkins letters to John Lehmann

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).

Watkins, Vernon Phillips, 1906-1967

Vernon Watkins letter to Neville Braybrooke

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.

Watkins, Vernon Phillips, 1906-1967

Berta Ruck's 'Birds in Winter'

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.

Ruck, Berta, 1878-1978

Letters relating to Edward Thomas

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).

Brett-James, Norman G. (Norman George), 1879-

Llythyr Rachel Bromwich at David Jenkins

Llythyr, 22 Awst [1976x1979], oddi wrth Rachel Bromwich, Bethesda, at Mr [David] Jenkins, [Penrhyn-coch, sir Aberteifi], yn trafod rhai lleoliadau yng ngogledd sir Aberteifi ac iddynt gysylltiad â Dafydd ap Gwilym, yn arbennig 'Melin y Prior' a 'Bwlch y Maen'. Aeth Jenkins a Bromwich ar daith tywys o amgylch yr ardal wythnos ynghynt; ganed Dafydd ap Gwilym, mae'n debyg, ym Mrogynin, Penrhyn-coch. = A letter, 22 August [1976x1979], from Rachel Bromwich, Bethesda, to Mr [David] Jenkins, [Penrhyn-coch, Cardiganshire], discussing certain places in northern Cardiganshire associated with the poet Dafydd ap Gwilym, in particular 'Melin y Prior' and 'Bwlch y Maen'. Jenkins had given Bromwich a tour of the area the previous week; Brogynin in Penrhyn-coch was Dafydd ap Gwilym's probable birthplace.

Bromwich, Rachel

Miscellaneous letters and papers

  • NLW MS 24044D.
  • File
  • 1645-[1993x1999]

A collection of miscellaneous letters and papers, 1645-[1993x1999], purchased or received by donation from various sources by the National Library of Wales during the period April 2013-November 2020 and boxed as one volume.

Ada Lovelace letter

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).

Lovelace, Ada King, Countess of, 1815-1852

Cynhadledd Cymdeithas Cynghorau Bro a Thref Cymru

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.

Parry, R. E. (Robin E.)

Frongoch prisoner's letter

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.

Hales, Seán, 1880-1922

Llythyr at Hugh Evans, awdur Cwm Eithin

Llythyr, 6 Chwefror 1933, oddi wrth [Griffith Jones] (Elldeyrn), Nantglyn, Dinbych, at [Hugh Evans], awdur y llyfr Cwm Eithin (Lerpwl, 1931) yn tynnu ei sylw at ddau gamgymeriad ffeithiol yn y gyfrol. = A letter, 6 February 1933, from [Griffith Jones] (Elldeyrn), Nantglyn, Denbigh, to [Hugh Evans], author of the book Cwm Eithin (Liverpool, 1931), pointing out two factual errors in the volume.
Cydnabuwyd un o gywiriadau Elldeyrn gan Evans yn yr Atodiad i ail argraffiad Cwm Eithin (Lerpwl, 1933) (t. 222). = One of Elldeyrn's corrections is acknowledged by Evans in the Appendix to the second edition of Cwm Eithin (Liverpool, 1933) (p. 222).

Jones, Griffith, 1853-1937

David Edward Hughes letter and photograph

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.

Hughes, David Edward, 1829-1900

David Lloyd George letter to Cecil Harmsworth

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.

Lloyd George, David, 1863-1945

W. E. Gladstone letter to Clarence Paget

Autograph letter, 24 December 1868, from William Ewart Gladstone, 10 Downing Street, to [Vice-Admiral Lord] C[larence] Paget, [Commander-in-Chief for the Mediterranean Fleet], in which Gladstone discusses the formation of his first government, having become Prime Minister on 3 December.
The letter contains references to Paget's brother-in-law [Arthur Otway, Gladstone's new Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs], and to [Hugh] Childers, [First Lord of the Admiralty]. In a postscript he states 'The Welsh have made a notable demonstration in many of their elections and one which ought to warn the Clergy of what they are about'.

Gladstone, W. E. (William Ewart), 1809-1898

Kyffin Williams letter

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).

Williams, Kyffin, 1918-2006

Llythyr R. S. Thomas

Llythyr, 29 Tachwedd 1975, oddi wrth y bardd R. S. Thomas, Aberdaron, at Helen Thomas, disgybl ysgol yng Ngresffordd (f. 84). Mae’n trafod anghenion beirdd ifanc wrth ddatblygu arddull ac yn rhoi ei farn ar newyddiadurwyr, mewn ymateb i erthygl amdano yn y wasg, o bosib 'The Enigma of Aberdaron' gan Byron Rogers (Daily Telegraph Magazine, 7 Tachwedd 1975, tt. 25-26, 28-29). = A letter, 29 November 1975, from the poet R. S. Thomas, Aberdaron, to Helen Thomas, a school pupil from Gresford (f. 84). He comments on the needs of young poets learning their craft and gives his opinion on journalists, in response to an article on him in the press, possibly Byron Rogers's 'The Enigma of Aberdaron' (Daily Telegraph Magazine, 7 November 1975, pp. 25-26, 28-29).
Ceir hefyd gyfieithiad Saesneg o'r llythyr, mewn llaw anhysbys (f. 85), ac amlen hunan-gyfeiriedig a yrrwyd gan Helen Thomas gyda'i llythyr gwreiddiol (f. 84a). = Also included is an English translation of the letter, in an unknown hand (f. 85), and a self-addressed envelope presumably sent by Helen Thomas with her original letter (f. 84a).

Thomas, R. S. (Ronald Stuart), 1913-2000

Kyffin Williams letter

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.

Williams, Kyffin, 1918-2006

David Lloyd George letter to Sir Edward Brabrook

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.

Lloyd George, David, 1863-1945

Caitlin Thomas letter to Henry Meulen

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.

Thomas, Caitlin

Llythyr Pêr Denez at Gerald Morgan

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).

Denez, Per

Llythyr Gerallt Lloyd Owen

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).

Owen, Gerallt Lloyd, 1944-2014

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