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Only top-level descriptions Foster, Idris, 1911-1984 File Wales -- History
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David Jones letters to Valerie Wynne-Williams

  • NLW MS 24167i-iiiE.
  • File
  • 1958-1974

One hundred and twenty-four autograph letters, 1959-1974, from painter-poet David ('Dafydd') Jones, all addressed to Valerie ('Elri') Wynne-Williams (née Price), with the exception of two to her husband Michael ('Mihangel') (ff. 54, 112-113) and one to them both (ff. 55-56), discussing a variety of topics including his, and her, health and living conditions, his work, his friends, the Welsh language and Welsh history and politics. Some letters are illustrated with coloured pencil, pen and ink drawings, mainly of animals and flowers (ff. 8, 32, 33, 45 verso, 46 verso-47, 48 verso, 76, 103, 104 verso, 152), inscriptions (ff. 9, 34, 124 verso, 128, 136 verso) and sketch maps of Harrow (ff. 143, 144).
There are references throughout to friends and correspondents including Saunders Lewis (ff. 2-11 passim, 42-188 passim), Harman Grisewood (ff. 4-192 verso passim), René Hague (ff. 42 verso-187 passim), David Blamires (ff. 160, 186, 190 verso, 192), Louis Bonnerot (ff. 123, 186 verso), Tom Burns (ff. 13, 14 verso, 48, 64 verso, 68 verso, 77, 85 verso, 86 verso, 89 verso, 110, 116, 140 recto-verso, 188 verso), Douglas Cleverdon (ff. 68 verso, 160 verso, 162, 163 verso, 187), Aneirin Talfan Davies (ff. 9 verso, 11, 14 verso, 16, 33 verso, 63 verso, 71 verso, 123, 124, 128, 129 verso, 154 verso, 162), Clarissa Eden (f. 107 verso), T. S. Eliot (ff. 51 recto-verso, 62 verso, 67 verso, 69 verso, 71, 73, 74, 85), Gwynfor Evans (ff. 29 verso, 31, 131-192 verso passim), Illtud Evans (f. 6, 11 recto-verso, 37, 46 verso, 57, 61), Arthur Giardelli (ff. 150, 151 verso, 171 verso, 186), Eric Gill (ff. 45 verso, 66, 67 verso, 68 verso, 121), Stanley Honeyman (ff. 84, 140, 154 verso, 159 verso), Morag Owen (ff. 59, 98, 140), Catherine Rousseau (née Ivainer) (ff. 36 verso-127 passim), Stephen Spender (ff. 81 verso-82, 83 verso, 91), Bill Stevenson (f. 158 verso) and Helen Sutherland (ff. 68, 97 verso, 157). There are also occasional references to Desmond Chute (f. 120 verso), Idris Foster (ff. 60 verso, 63 verso), Philip Jones Griffiths (ff. 1, 131), David Lloyd George (ff. 108 verso-109, 127 verso), Megan Lloyd George (ff. 18 verso, 20, 21-22), J. D. Innes (f. 49 verso), Augustus John (f. 85 verso), Alun Oldfield-Davies (ff. 37, 77), Tristram Powell (ff. 142 recto-verso, 144), Caradog Prichard (ff. 19 verso, 77, 108), Kathleen Raine (f. 59 verso), Keidrych Rhys (ff. 6 verso, 8, 9, 16, 30 verso, 36 verso), Meic Stephens (ff. 171, 175), Vernon Watkins (ff. 47, 128 verso), D. J. Williams (f. 106 recto-verso), Kyffin Williams (ff. 49, 63, 77) and R. O. F. Wynne and his family (ff. 61, 62, 63, 64 verso, 67 verso, 81, 94 verso, 96 verso¸ 98, 130 verso), and brief reminiscences of his experiences during the First World War (ff. 70 recto-verso, 76, 79 recto-verso, 108 verso-109, 130 recto-verso, 151 verso, 164). Also included is a copy of his letter, dated 10 August 1959, to Megan Lloyd George (f. 21; for her reply see NLW, David Jones (Artist and Writer) Papers CT3/3, f. 247); cuttings of letters to the Times by David Jones, Valerie Price and others, 1958 (ff. 193-196); and a copy of a 1959 photograph of the two by Philip Jones Griffiths (f. 197). The letter of 23 September 1973 (ff. 178-179 verso) was published under the title 'Yr Iaith' in Planet, 21 (January 1974), 3-5.

Jones, David, 1895-1974