Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- [1350-1425] (Creation)
Level of description
File
Extent and medium
101 ff. (foliated [1]-92 by Lhuyd, and continued 93-101 at NLW (in 2012), paginated [1]-198 by an unidentified hand of the 17-18 centuries) : Parchment ; 150 x 95-100 mm. (leaves measured in unbound state), writing frame 105-110 x 70 mm., text block c. 110 x c. 68 mm., 22-26 lines per page.
When purchased by NLW, the manuscript was bound on three cords within 19 cent. [c. 1840] American covers of dark blue morocco leather over pasteboards, with 'Welsh Manuscript' lettered on the rebacked spine. Old shelfmarks 'C,101.23' and '10.13' in pencil were visible inside the front cover, and 'C' in ink on the top right corner of the first endpaper. The 101 parchment folios were then interleaved with paper representing missing leaves. Following disbinding at NLW, the paper leaves were removed, and retained, together with the covers. The parchment leaves were resown in 2013 on three cords, following original perforations, with headbands tied in. They were covered with bevelled oak boards, rebated to accommodate the thickness of the alum-tawed leather cover which partially covers the whole, and four leaves of new parchment endpapers were added at the beginning and end.
Context area
Archival history
Early marginalia, in crude italic hands of possible 16th century date, are on ff. 18, 46 verso, 96 verso, 97 verso, and include the name of 'Ieuan ap Gr' ap' on f. 13. Later marginal notes, of late 17th and early 18th century dates, are on ff. 2 verso, 3 verso, 4, 4 verso, 6, 6 verso, 8, 12 verso, 13 verso, 16, 16 verso, 18, 30 verso, 37 verso, 62, 65, 78 verso, and include the name of 'Wm Phillips' and the figures '1417' (in a later hand) on f. 101 verso. Morfydd Owen (p. 342) recognises this autograph as being that of William Phillips (died 1686), Town Clerk of Brecon, whose research into town muniments in 1679 unearthed 'ancient records'. His interest in legal texts is attested by the transcript he made of Llyfr Iorwerth in 1663, now NLW, Llanstephan MS 70. According to Edward Lhuyd's Archaeologia Britannica (Oxford, 1707), p. 258, the manuscript was then owned by his son, William Phillips (1663-1721), Recorder of Brecon; see Theophilus Jones, A History of the County of Brecknock, iv (Brecknock Society, 1930), p. 135. Foliation at the foot of rectos, and annotations on ff. 2 verso and 6 verso, are by Lhuyd, whilst Moses Williams has added notes on ff. 36 verso and 65, probably whilst the manuscript was being transcribed by his amanuensis, c. 1721, for William Wotton's Cyfreithjeu Hywel Dda ac Ereill, seu Leges Wallicae (London, 1730), where the text appears under the siglum 'P' as the property of 'Gulielmus Philipps' of Brecon. The history of the manuscript's journey from Brecon to Boston, Mass., is unknown, but the volume is referred to in its Proceedings as being in the possession of the Massachusetts Historical Society in 1831.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Sotheby's; London; Purchased at auction, lot 23; 10 July 2012; 006286263.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
A manuscript of the second half of the fourteenth century containing a Llyfr Blegywryd version of the Laws of Hywel Dda, with main text close to that of BL, Cotton, Titus D ix (siglum L). The manuscript was written by four scribes: scribe A (ff. 1-93), scribe B (f. 93), and the more cursive hand of scribe C (ff. 93 verso, 100-101 verso). Scribe D, of the early 15 cent. (f. 97), was responsible for the extraneous section of quire 12 (ff. 94-99), possibly part of another manuscript. This section includes the prayer Emyn Curig (ff. 98-99 verso).
The main text of folios 1-93 (to ln. 6 of f. 93) was transcribed line-for-line for Moses Williams, 'o lyfr William Philips o Aberhodni', in NLW, Llanstephan MS 75, when all but two leaves were present in the manuscript (ff. 7 & 17 being already lost).
A transcript of the present manuscript is available on the Welsh Prose (Rhyddiaith Gymraeg) 1350–1425 project website, and is available online at http://www.rhyddiaithganoloesol.cardiff.ac.uk/en/ms-home.php?ms=Bost5 (viewed December 2012)
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Item: 1.1 Manuscript Volume (NLW MS 24029A). Action: Condition reviewed. Action identifier: 6286263. Date: 20120606. Site of action: Sotheby’s, New Bond Street, London. Authorization: Selected for conservation. Authorizing institution: NLW. Action agent: I. B. James. Status: Manuscript Volume (NLW MS 24029A) : Rigid binding with resulting splitting of parchment leaves. Institution: WlAbNL.
Item: 1.2 Manuscript Volume (NLW MS 24029A). Action: Conserved. Action identifier: 6286263. Date: 20121029. Authorizing institution: NLW. Action agent: E. Pugh and D. Williams. Status: Manuscript Volume (NLW MS 24029A) : Tight binding, cockled and split leaves, fragile initials. Manuscript disbound: the leaves flattened, repaired and attached to new covers, and the whole retained in a new box. Institution: WlAbNL.
Item: 1.3. Action: Digitized. Date: 20121101. Institution: WlAbNL.
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Access to the original manuscript by authorised permission only. Readers are directed to use surrogate copies.
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Welsh.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Seymour De Ricci & W.J. Wilson, Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada (New York, 1935-40), vol. 1, p. 938, item 5.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Digital version available http://hdl.handle.net/10107/4630962 (April 2016)
Digital version available https://www.library.wales/discover-learn/digital-exhibitions/manuscripts/the-middle-ages/the-boston-manuscript-of-the-laws-of-hywel-dda
NLW MS 11125A is a monochrome facsimile of the manuscript, purchased by NLW from the Massachusetts Historical Society, and dated 16 July 1937.
Three facsimile copies, in colour, were created at NLW in 2013.
Related units of description
Publication note
Morfydd E. Owen, ‘Llawysgrif Gyfreithiol Goll’, The Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies, 22 (1966-1968), 338-343.
Notes area
Note
Varying form of title: Boston Manuscript of the Laws of Hywel Dda.
Note
Title supplied by cataloguer at NLW.
Note
Formerly Boston, Massachusetts Historical Society, MS 5.
Note
Siglum Bost.
Note
Collation of ff. 1-101 (undertaken whilst in an unbound state): 1 (8: wants 7, and most of 1), 2 (8: wants 1-3), 3 (8: wants 1, 3-7), 4 (8: wants 1, 3 and 8), 5-6 (8), 7 (8: wants 4 and 5), 8 (8: wants 2, 4 and 5), 9 (8: wants 3-6), 10 (8: wants 1-2), 11 (8: wants 1-8), 12 (8, and inserted gathering of 6). Folios 94-99, possibly taken from another manuscript, inserted as a gathering into final quire.
Note
Ink: dark brown (ff. 2-93), followed by a lighter brown (ff. 94-101). Red ink for capitals, decoration, and rubrics (ff. 2-99), and green ink for other capitals and decoration (ff. 2-92). Exclusive use of brown ink on ff. 100-101. Guide holes for ruling on ff. 94-99.
Note
Decoration: parti-coloured red and blue initials with skilled filigree infill, 2- to 6- line. Some lost, some cut out. 2 line initials extending downwards into lower margins: T faded green, with slight purple outlining (f. 33, lns. 24-25); T in purple (f. 44, lns. 25-26). Other initials 3 line: D in purple (f. 2, lns. 20-22), O in purple (f. 4, lns. 19-21); D in green (f. 8, lns. 2-4); G in green, repaired [cracked in 1937] (f. 23, lns. 1-3); C in green and red (f. 90, lns. 23-25). 4 line: T in purple (f. 28 verso, lns. 9-12); T in purple (f. 34 verso, lns. 1-4); T in green (f. 35, lns. 1-4); T in green (f. 35 verso, lns. 4-7); T in green, inside burned away [as in 1937], now filled with goldbeater skin at NLW (f. 36, lns. 9-12); T in purple (f. 36 verso, lns. 18-21); T, green burned through [as in 1937], reinforced at NLW (f. 38, lns. 8-11); T in green, some burn through [as in 1937] (f. 39, lns. 6-9); O in light purple (f. 42 verso, lns. 5-8); O in purple (f. 43 verso, lns. 18-21); O in purple, outlined in green and red (f. 58 verso, lns. 5-8); capital O, without colour (f. 64, lns. 19-22); S in red (f. 76 verso, lns. 11-14); G in red, outlined in green (f. 79 verso, lns. 12-15). 5 line: T, with green traces showing burn through of purple inside colouring (f. 32 verso, lns. 16-20); R in green (f. 54, lns. 19-23); P, inside green burned away [as in 1937], reinforced at NLW (f. 71, lns. 19-23); A in red with burn through in the border [as in 1937] (f. 90 verso, lns. 11-15). 6 line: P in purple (f. 49 verso, lns. 9-14). Red and green sectional one line capitals throughout, greens showing some corrosive tendencies. Guide letters in light brown ink evident throughout. Thin double red lines framing text throughout, with further occasional ornamentation in the same red ink in left hand margins. Decorated S in red ink, falling into lower margin (f. 58, ln. 25), and decoration in margin of last 3 lines [as in 1937], in red ink (f. 78, lns. 23-25).
Note
Rubrication: two-line rubric (f. 41, lns. 19-20); seven-line rubric (f. 90, lns. 16-22).
Note
Original incipit, taken from the transcript of c. 1721 in NLW, Llanstephan MS 75: Hywell da orat duv mab.
Note
Original secundo folio, taken from the transcript of c. 1721 in NLW, Llanstephan MS 75: vdunt ar y gyfreith honno.
Note
Condition: two folios (ff. 7 & 17) lost prior to the transcript of c. 1720 (vide inscriptions 'caret folio uno', in an early 18 century hand, on ff. 6 verso and 16 verso). Thirty folios (ff. 1, 9-11, 19-22, 24, 26, 31, 51-2, 57, 59-60, 66-69, 72-3, 80-7) lost between c. 1720 and the rebinding of c. 1840 (including the whole eleventh quire, ff. 80-87). Lost leaves now represented by new parchment stubs or leaves. Signs of cropping by binder(s), evident in later marginalia, e.g. ff. 3 verso, 4 verso, 30 verso and 46 verso. One-line capitals damaged as a result of corrosive green ink, probably copper-based verdigris, seemingly between 1720s and 1937, some now consolidated with goldbeater skin adhered with gelatin, or with parchment, at NLW: B on f. 3 verso (ln. 2); N on f. 5 verso (ln. 12); G on f. 55 (ln. 13); G on f. 56 (ln. 16); T on f. 79 (ln. 23); a on f. 88 verso (ln. 3); y on f. 89 verso (ln. 12). Other initials in a similar state include a 2 line initial P on f. 14 (lns. 21-22); 3 line initials O on f. 4 verso (lns. 6-8); P on f. 13 verso (lns. 1-3); G on f. 15 verso (lns. 13-15); M on f. 18 (lns. 20-22); 4 line initials K on f. 2 (lns. 6-9); T (partly) on f. 34 (lns. 18-21); O on f. 55 verso (lns. 16-19); O on f. 74 (lns. 12-15); O on f. 77 (lns. 16-19); 4 or 5 line initial K on f. 25 (lns. 15-?18/19); and initials of unknown size, T of f. 12 verso (lns. ?8-10), G on f. 18 verso (lns. ?11-13), N on f. 27 verso (lns. ?1-5, possibly tided with knife between 1720s and 1937), and T in purple on f. 35 (lns. 18-?). The corrosive ink has resulted in loss of text on reverse sides of pages, e.g. ff. 2 verso, 4, 5, 12, 13, 14 verso, 15, 18, 18 verso, 25 verso, 27, 32, 34 verso, 36 verso, 38 verso, 55, 74 verso and 77 verso. A 4 line initial N has been lost because of tearing of a wider section of folio (f. 74 verso, lns. 17-20). Comparison of the manuscript of 2013 with the facsimile of 1937 shows no obvious further deterioration during the 20 cent.
Note
Secundo folio of present manuscript (i.e. f. 3): ybrenhin pan eistedo ynny gadeir.
Note
Catchwords (all boxed, in brown ink): 'eint' (of hugeint) (f. 8 verso); 'th' (f. 16 verso); 'haet' (of sarhaet) (f. 23 verso); 'gys' (of megys) (f. 47 verso); 'punt atal' (f. 55 verso); 'that' (f. 63 verso); 'galan mei' (f. 79 verso).
Note
Line fillers: chain decoration in red on ff. 4 verso, 12 verso (boxed), 32 verso, 36; 54; 58 verso; 76 verso. Chain decoration in green on f. 90. Lozenged boxed decoration on ff. 38, 43 verso (two).
Note
Lost folios replaced at NLW in 2013: represented by new parchment stubs, ff. 7, 9-11, 17, 57 (remaining stub finished with new parchment), 73 (remaining stub finished with new parchment), or represented by new parchment leaves, ff. 19-22, 24, 26, 31, 51-52, 59-60, 66-69, 72, 80-87. The paper leaves inserted into the 1840s binding to represent lost leaves were removed and retained at NLW in 2012.
Note
Detailed examination of sewing holes when the manuscript was disbound revealed the possibility of four previous stages of binding history: (1) the temporary sewing of bifolia as individual, stand-alone, gatherings, using three stitches; (2) the stab stitching of gatherings (with three groups of four holes), and attachment to flexible (possibly vellum) covers; (3) stitching of gatherings onto three cords, possibly attached to pasteboard covers; (4) following the previous stitching, attachment [c. 1840] to American covers of dark blue morocco leather over pasteboards. Worm holes in the fourth quire (ff. 25-30) reveal the possibility of that quire having been detached from the other gatherings at some time.
Note
Purchased with financial assistance from The Heritage Lottery Fund, The Friends of the National Libraries and the Welsh Government.
Note
Preferred citation: NLW MS 24029A.
Alternative identifier(s)
Virtua system control number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Description follows NLW guidelines based on ISAD(G) 2nd ed.; AACR2; and LCSH
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
December 2012.
Language(s)
- English
Script(s)
Sources
Archivist's note
Description compiled by Maredudd ap Huw;
Digital object metadata
Latitude
Longitude
Media type
Image
Mime-type
image/jpeg