A volume in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') containing accounts of a journey made by the said Edward Williams through parts of cos. Glamorgan and Carmarthen in June 1796, agricultural data, etc. P. ix is inscribed 'Agricultural Observations, &c., 1796', and p. xi 'Agricultural Observations Made in a Journey thro some Parts of Glamorgan and Caermarthenshire In June 1796 By Edward Williams'. Pp. 1-116 contain an account of the aforementioned journey, the writer setting out from the parish of Flimston, co. Glamorgan, and travelling via the parish of St. Athan, Newton Down, Pyle, Margam, Swansea, the parish of Langyvelach, Pont ar Dulais, Llanedy Forest, Llanon, Llandarog, Carmarthen, Abergwily, Llanllawddog, Glangwily, and Brechva, to Ystyffylau Carn Mountain, co. Carmarthen, and thence back via Pibwr Village, Llangyndeyrn, Llandyfaelog, Kidwely, Llanelly, Lougher, Swansea, Morris Town, the parish of Llansamled, Neath, and Pont Rhyd y Fen, to Llangynwyd. Observations are made on the topography, geology, soil, climate, vegetation, horticultural and agricultural produce and methods, local industries, mineral resources, buildings, people, etc., of the areas visited, and there are also agricultural and horticultural observations and suggestions of a more general nature arising from what the writer saw. Pp. 117-20 + 125 contain further notes being addenda to the material in pp. 1-116, and pp. 121-4 (misplaced) notes headed 'Orchards and Gardening'. Pp. 133-61 contain a section headed 'Anecdotes of Ancient Agriculture In the County of Glamorgan' which includes notes relating to ancient lime quarries and marl pits in Glamorgan, allusions to references relating to agriculture and horticulture in the works of certain Welsh bards, the Welsh laws, and other Welsh manuscripts, a reference to a 'very ancient' Welsh manuscript treatise on agriculture called 'Cynghorion Hen wr izei vab yng nghylch trin Tir a Neveilod' or 'Cato Gymraeg', and notes on the practice of alternating manures, whilst pp. 165-224 contain an incomplete section headed 'Manures' which lists eighteen 'manures of Glamorgan' and deals in great detail with the properties, results, etc., of two of these, viz. marl and lime. Pp. 237-84 contain a section dealing with the rotation of crops [? in co. Glamorgan] which outlines and comments on different schemes or courses of rotation for different soils, and pp. 285-316 contain fifty-one numbered paragraphs providing miscellaneous information and data relating to co. Glamorgan including a list of buildings, etc., attributed to Inigo Jones, notes on Frampton House, a measure called 'Mesur Llath Fleddyn', locations where astroites, trochites, alabaster, mundic, tobacco-pipe clay, and Stourbridge clay were to be found, New Margam (or Tai Bach) with the copper works and colliery located there, Melin Grufudd and the tin mills there, St. Mary Hill Down, Penlline Castle, the building of Rumney Bridge, Ffynon Gattwg, the islands called Landaff Arles in the river Tave, the locations of veins of rag lias and bastard lias, 'the several Tracts of [the] Country [of Glamorgan] and their soil', Dyffryn Goluch, and Riwperra Castle, copies of memorial inscriptions in various churches and churchyards, etc. Another or draft version of the account of the journey described on pp. 1-116 is to be found on pp. 317-80.

Miscellaneous papers containing notes, extracts, transcripts, lists, etc., in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') bound together in one volume. Pp. 9-62, 68-73, 76- 90, 107-48, 213-20 and various other pages in the volume contain miscellaneous Welsh word lists frequently, but not invariably, with English definitions and illustrative excerpts from the works of Welsh poets. Other items include pp. 63-5, an incomplete 'Cornish - Silurian vocabulary' (words beginning with letter A only); 75, a comparative word list with the superscription 'Peculiarities of the Silurian and Venedotian dialects'; 93-106, a list of popular proverbial and figurative expressions or phrases in Welsh (see IM, t. 389); 149-50, 157-63, lists of Latin proper names, common nouns, etc., largely connected with ancient Gaul; 153- 6, 165-208, a French - English vocabulary with Welsh cognates of the French words; 221-30, a Cornish - English vocabulary with the superscription 'Borlace Vocabulary' [probably transcribed from, or based upon, the vocabulary to be found in William Borlase: Antiquities, Historical and Monumental, of the County of Cornwall . . . (1754, 2nd ed. 1769)], with Welsh cognates of the Cornish words; 236, 'Some Names of Rivers in Glamorganshire'; 237, a copy of a poem attributed to Taliesin; 240, notes headed 'Names of Mountains'; 241-2, notes headed 'Appelative Name of Watter', and 'Proper Names of Rivers'; 251-8, a collection of Welsh proverbs arranged alphabetically according to the initial letter (incomplete, G-Y only); 260-61, a Welsh poem by Edward Williams; 262, a list of 'Silurian words agreeing with Armoric'; 273-4, two lists with the headings 'Books and MSS. useful towards the History of Cardiff', and 'Hints and Materials for the History of Cardiff' respectively; 281-2, a copy of a thirty-eight stanza anti-Puritan poem entitled 'Cân i Ladron Morganwg' attributed to 'Jenkin Rhichards o Flaenau Gwent' and dated 1646 (for an assessment of the historical evidence presented in this poem see Thomas Richards: A History of the Puritan Movement in Wales (London, 1920), p. 211, and the same author's Religious Developments in Wales, 1654-1662 ( London, 1923), pp. 191-4, and for doubts as to its authenticity IM, tt. 254-63); 283-4, a transcript of a letter from [the Reverend] Edw[ar]d Gamage [from St. Athan] to Llywelyn [ab Ifan] 'o'r Cannerw', undated (replying to a request for the names of books for the study of the Welsh language, observations on differences between the dialects of Glamorgan and North Wales, a suggestion that a scholarly, bardic language be formed from the best elements in all regional dialects) (for a holograph copy of a letter from Edward Gamage to Llywelyn ab Ifan see NLW MS 13077B and for transcripts by Edward Williams of letters from, or allegedly from, Gamage to the same recipient in addition to the present example see NLW MSS 13095B, 13100B; for observations on these letters and the dubious authenticity of the Williams transcripts see IMCY, tt. 58-60, TLLM, tt. 107, 195, and IM, tt. 245-6); 285, a copy of an 'englyn' descriptive of a silkworm and 'composed of vowels'; 291, an incomplete transcript of [Thomas] Gray's 'Ode on the Pleasure arising from Vicissitude'; 295-8, a chronicle of events in British-Welsh history, 1076-1110; 299-300, notes on the Welsh bardic order with references to [James] Macpherson's theories about the druids and bards and a comment on his Fingal poem; 302, extracts from the Universal Magazine of Knowledge and Pleasure, 1768; 303-04, a transcript of [Taliesin's poem] 'Gwaith Argoed Llwyfain' with an English translation thereof by W[illia]m Whitehead (see Edward Jones: Musical and Poetical Relicks of the Welsh Bards . . . (1784), pp. 5-6); 307-10, an English translation of the title-page of Theophilus Evans: Drych y Prif Oesoedd . . ., ail arg. [1740], and of pp. 107-10 of the text of the work; 315-16, a copy of a letter from 'Christopher Crabstick', servant of Mr. Windham [Thomas Wyndham of Dunraven Castle, co. Glamorgan], to Captain Wind[s]or [Captain Thomas Windsor, R.N.), undated (a satirical attack on recipient's decision to offer himself as a candidate in the parliamentary election for the county of Glamorgan [?1789]); 323, draft copies of an election song to accompany the preceding item; 317-20, brief notes on the topography, agriculture, mineral wealth, etc., of the three main divisions of Glamorgan; 321-2, an advertisement for a proposed history of the town of Cardiff and lordship of Glamorgan; 326, a copy of the proposed title- page of Edward Williams's intended 'History of the Ancient British Bards or Druids' to be published in 1795; 327-30, notes on Welsh poetic metres ('Am gysefin ansawdd y mesurau') and on bardic ceremonial ('defodau . . . wrth gynnal gorsedd'); 333-4, prose items with the superscriptions 'Casbethau serchog', 'Llyma lythr anfon serch o waith D.G. o lyfr Ovydd', 'Dewisbethau serchog o lyfr Ofydd', and 'Casbethau Eiddig'; 335-6 two sequences of stanzas (twenty-one and twenty-four respectively) of Welsh prophetic verse with each stanza commencing with the words 'Coronog faban . . .', the first sequence being taken, with revised orthography, from Thomas Pugh: Brittish and Out-landish Prophesies . . . (London, 1658) [pp- 47-51, 37-8] (for the text of both sequences see Iolo Manuscripts . . ., pp. 276-82); 337-8, an incomplete copy of a Welsh poem describing the county of Glamorgan, its towns, etc. (for the missing portion, i.e., stanzas 1-30, see Iolo Aneurin Williams MS 97 in the National Library of Wales); 339-40 transcripts of two 'cywyddau' attributed to Ieuan ap Hywel Swrdwal and Gruff. ap Ieuan ap Llywelyn Fychan; 341-2, a transcript of a letter in Welsh from the poet Gronw Owen from Donnington, co. Salop, to William Elias, 1751 (for the text of this letter and notes on problems relating thereto see J. H. Davies (ed.): The Letters of Goronwy Owen . . . (Cardiff, 1924), pp. 3-4, 203-04); 343-5 medical maxims in Welsh; and 347-8, transcripts of 'englynion' by Wm. Llyn, H[uw] Llyn, and Edward Morris. Also included are miscellaneous notes on bardic, literary, and historical matters, etc.

Correspondence, deeds etc., relating to mines, clay works, furnaces, and estates etc., in Glamorgan, mostly addressed to Thos. Mansel Talbot, Penrice Castle. (a) 1784, Nov. 30. Letter: G. Smith, Sec. [Copper works?] to Mr Thomas Tyler. Exportation of clay. (b) 1793, Aug. 16. Copy of a draft of a lease of Melyn y Court Furnace etc, from the Right Hon. Lord Vernon to Messrs Bush, Walker and Wade (c) 1795, Nov. 10. Letter. 'Jno. Gunston, Sec. 'Govn. & Comp. of Copper miners in England' to [T. Mansel Talbot]. Mynith Bychan mine. (d) 1795, Nov. 15. Letter. Thomas Lott, Forest to Prices of clay and fire bricks. (e) 1796, Jan. 25. Copy of lease of Penrwtting Furnace, etc., for 21 years, from the Right Hon. Lord Vernon to Alexander Raby, Merchant. (f) 1796, Jan. 25. Copy of lease of coal mines and iron mine in Michaelstone Super Avan and Baglan, from the Right Hon. Lord Vernon to Alexander Raby, Merchant. (g) 1797, Nov. 19. Letter. T.M. Ta[lbot], P[enrice] Castle to [Thomas Powell]. Property at Llanrhidian. (h) 1797, Nov. 22. Letter. Thomas Powell, Swansea to [Thos. Mansel Talbot ]. Ownership of land at Llanrhidian, etc. (i) 1798, Aug. 3. Letter. J.N. Miers, Cadoxton, to [T. Mansel Talbot]. Leases of ironworks. (j) 'An account of money received from the English copper co. for coal, clay, and timber, furnished them by contract from Sept. 28, 1798-Dec. 28, 1799.' (k) 1798, Dec. 26. Letter. James Cockshutt, Wortley Ironworks. Near Barnsley to T. Mansel Talbot, Penrice Castle. Mines and ironworks. (l) 1799, Feb. 23. Letter. John Wade, No. 50 Cannon Street, London to T. Mansel Talbot. Lease of Aberavon Forge, etc. (m) 1799, July 26. Bill, for £722. 14s. issued from the tax office to Thos. Mansel Talbot, esq., Penrice. Signed Wm. Tucker, collector. (n) 'An account of timber sold from Margam estate exclusive of the forge and copper company's contracts from Lady day 1799'. (o) 1799, Oct. 23. Letter. Richard Crawshay to Thos. Mansel Talbot. Suitability of land for furnace building etc. (p) 1800, Feb. 4. Letter. Griff. Llewellyn, Baglan to Thomas Mansel Talbot, Penrice Castle. Rents etc. (q) 1800, March 6. Letter. Robert Thomas, Ponteynon to Mr Talbot. Conditions of certain property. (r) 1800, March 17. Letter. Griff. Llewellyn, Baglan to [T. Mansel Talbot]. Lease and rent of a tenement in Hafodyporth, etc. (s) 1800, March 21. Income tax bill for £261. 7s signed by Wm. Tucker, collector, made out to Thos. Mansel Talbot, esq., Penrice Castle. (t) 1800, March 30. Letter. Griff. Llewelyn, Cardiff to Thos. Mansel Talbot, Penrice castle. Mine surveying, etc. (u) 1804, April 4. Letter. M. Horton, Bath to [Hicks Beach?]. Amount of rent due, etc. (v) 'A survey of Kenffigg farm' (25 acres 3r 13p). (w) 'Proposals for an Iron work at Mynydd bychan'. (x) 1805, May 30. Letter. M. Hicks Beach, Williamstrip Park to Thomas Mansel Talbot, Penrice Castle, re money matters. (y) 1805, July 2. Letter. M. Hicks Beach, Williamstrip Park to Thomas Mansel Talbot, Penrice Castle. Personal; money matters. (z) 1805, Aug. 2. Letter. M. Hicks Beach, Williamstrip Park to Thomas Mansel Talbot, Penrice Castle. Money matters. Copies of letters from T. M[ ansel] T[albot] to [M. Hicks Beach] promising the loan of money. (z1) 1805, Sept. 20. Letter. M. Hicks Beach, Williamstrip Park to Thomas Mansel Talbot, Penrice Castle. Money matters; a loan from Talbot. (z2) Tables [printed] showing the number of tons of iron sent down the Glamorgan & Monmouthshire Canals for the years 1829 to 1838, inclusive. (z3) Extract from 'The Cambrian' for (Dec. 1844?), giving 'a description of the mineral district of South Wales', and 'the advantages of the proposed railway' by J.M. Buckland. [Reprinted from the 'Mining Journal']. (z4) An account of coal shipped to sea at Briton Ferry, from June 1, 1712, to July 1, 1712, sent by Tho[mas] Williams to the Right Honourable Lord Mansel. (z5) 'Account sheet of Thos. Price, Esq. & Co. with Lle. Treherne, for lead ore raised and sold from Clunn Park from Xmas 1754 to May 23, 1760'.

Press cuttings, printed circulars, broadsides, prints, poems and autograph letters, etc. preserved by J[ohn] M[ontgomery] Traherne, together with miscellaneous material relating mainly to Glamorgan, particularly to elections, the church and ecclesiastical affairs, agriculture (including the Glamorganshire Agricultural Society), Cardiff and Abergavenny 'eisteddfodau', education, music, savings banks, railways, antiquities, archaeological associations, mines and mining, etc.