File NLW MS 24058A - T. Gwynn Jones diary

Identity area

Reference code

NLW MS 24058A

Title

T. Gwynn Jones diary

Date(s)

  • 1905-1907 (Creation)

Level of description

File

Extent and medium

39 ff. ; 130 x 75 mm.

Paper covers.

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Ganwyd Thomas Gwynn Jones (1871-1949), bardd, newyddiadurwr, cyfieithydd, nofelydd, dramodydd, beirniad ac ysgolhaig, yn y Gwyndy Uchaf, Betws yn Rhos, sir Ddinbych. Yn 1899 priododd Margaret Davies, a chawsant ferch a dau fab. Heblaw am addysg elfennol, yr oedd Jones yn hynanddysgedig, er iddo dderbyn gwersi mewn mathemateg, Lladin a Groeg gan gymydog. Rhwystrwyd ei uchelgais o astudio yn Rhydychen gan afiechyd, a gweithiodd fel newyddiadurwr gyda Baner ac Amserau Cymru, Y Cymro (y daeth yn olygydd arno faes o law), Yr Herald Gymraeg a phapurau newydd eraill rhwng 1891 a 1909, pan gymerodd swydd yn Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru yn Aberystwyth. Fe'i penodwyd yn ddarlithydd yn Adran y Gymraeg yng Ngholeg Prifysgol Cymru, Aberystwyth, yn 1913, a'i ddyrchafu i Gadair Gregynog mewn Llenyddiaeth Gymraeg yn 1919; ymddeolodd yn 1937. Derbyniodd y CBE yr un flwyddyn. Dylanwadwyd Jones yn gryf gan y llenor Robert Ambrose Jones (Emrys ap Iwan,1851-1906) ac yn arbennig gan y newyddiadurwr a'r cyfieithydd Daniel Rees (1855-1931), gyda'r hwn y magodd berthynas glos. Yn ogystal ag ymhyfrydu mewn llenyddiaeth Gymraeg a Saesneg cyfoes ac o'r bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg, datblygodd ddiddordeb mewn llenyddiaeth Gymraeg yr oesoedd canol a'r cyfnod modern cynnar, a hefyd llên gwerin ac ieithoedd tramor, yn enwedig Gwyddeleg ac ieithoedd Celtaidd eraill; bu ar ymweliad ag Iwerddon deirgwaith rhwng 1892 a 1913, daeth i gysylltiad ag ysgolheigion Gwyddelig, a defnyddiodd lysenwau fel Fionn mhac Eóghain yn ei ohebiaeth atynt. Ei brif lwyddiant oedd fel bardd pwysicaf ei genhedlaeth, yn cyfansoddi'n bennaf yn y mesurau caeth. Cyfansoddodd a chyhoeddodd farddoniaeth yn y 1880au, ac enillodd y Gadair yn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yn 1902 a 1909 (am 'Ymadawiad Arthur a 'Gwlad y bryniau'); ymhlith gweithiau eraill o'i eiddo mae 'Tir na nOg', 'Madog' ac 'Y Dwymyn'. Cyfieithodd Jones waith Goethe, Ibsen, Shakespeare ac eraill i'r Gymraeg, a chyhoeddodd gyfieithiad Saesneg o Gweledigaethau y Bardd Cwsc Ellis Wynne (1670/1-1734). Mae ei brif gyhoeddiadau academaidd yn cynnwys astudiaeth ar waith y bardd Tudur Aled (bl. 1480-1526), ac roedd yn awdur nofelau, dramâu, cofiannau a llyfr taith hefyd. Yn ogystal, yr oedd yn beirniadu a darlithio mewn eisteddfodau yn rheolaidd, ac yn athro dylanwadol.

Archival history

Possibly once owned by Dr David Jenkins (1912-2002), whose name appears on an envelope formerly accompanying the manuscript (now NLW, Thomas Gwynn Jones Papers D292a); however it was apparently unknown to him at the time of writing Thomas Gwynn Jones: Cofiant (Denbigh, 1973).

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Siop Lyfrau'r Hen Bost; Blaenau Ffestiniog; Purchase (with NLW, Papurau Thomas Gwynn Jones D292a); May 2014; 006740780.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Notebook, 1905-1907, of T. Gwynn Jones, mostly written in pencil, used by him during his stay in Egypt during the Winter of 1905-6 as a diary and for composing English poetry.
The volume contains diary entries for his voyage to Egypt, 21 October-5 November 1905 (ff. 22 verso, 23-28 rectos only), the beginning of his stay there, in Alexandria, Cairo and Helouan, 6 November-23 December 1905 (ff. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34-37), and the return voyage, 28 April-13 May 1906 (ff. 21 verso-22). Also included are some eighteen poems in English, dated 4 December 1905-6 April 1906, mostly drafts, some crossed through or heavily revised, the majority being love poems to his wife (ff. 2 verso-5, 6, 7-17, 18-19, 20, 21). Some are published: 'The Ferry' (f. 7 recto-verso) in David Jenkins, Thomas Gwynn Jones: Cofiant (Denbigh, 1973), p. 169, 'I saw thee' (ff. 8 verso-9) in ibid., p. 109, and 'A Memory' (f. 10 verso) in the Western Mail, 30 September 1920, p. 4; while 'The Rising Sun' [published as 'Come my love'] (f. 11) and 'I will come to thee' (f. 13 verso) were set to music by Robert Bryan (both scores published 1921). Three further verses, October 1905 and February 1907, are in Welsh (ff. 23 verso-24, 37 verso). Eight pages are written in shorthand (ff. 17 verso, 24 verso-31 verso, versos only), these remain undeciphered by the cataloguer. Jones's travel book Y Mor Canoldir a'r Aifft (Caernarfon, 1912), which relates incidents recorded in the diary, such as the Coptic wedding (ff. 34-35 verso), is based mostly on his letters to his wife rather than on the present manuscript.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Conditions governing reproduction

Usual copyright laws apply.

Language of material

  • English
  • Welsh

Script of material

Language and script notes

English, some Welsh

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Leaves torn out after ff. 5, 13, 17, 19, 22 (2), 37 (8), 38 and 39 (2) (some stubs with remains of text); lower half of f. 39 missing; covers worn.

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

See also NLW MS 24054A and NLW, Papurau Thomas Gwynn Jones.

Related descriptions

Notes area

Note

Title based on contents.

Note

Preferred citation: NLW MS 24058A.

Alternative identifier(s)

Virtua system control number

vtls006740780

Access points

Place access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales

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

August 2015

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

Sources

Archivist's note

Description compiled by Rhys Morgan Jones.

Accession area

Related places

Physical storage

  • Text: NLW MS 24058A; Leaves torn out after ff. 5, 13, 17, 19, 22 (2), 37 (8), 38 and 39 (2) (some stubs with remains of text); lower half of f. 39 missing; covers worn.