Fonds GB 0210 GWYDIR - Wynn (of Gwydir) Papers,

These papers remained in the 'old paper-room' at Gwydir until at least 1789, when four letters from the collection were sent to the Gentleman's Magazine for publication. Shortly afterwards, the papers were dispersed, being divided into two main groups, one of which went to Paul Panton (1727-1797) of Plasgwyn, Anglesey, and the other to the Rev. John Williams (1760-1826), lecturer and master of the free school at Llanrwst.
The Panton papers were purchased from Panton's heirs in 1919 by Sir John Herbert Lewis (1858-1933), president of the NLW, and presented by him to the library. These papers are now NLW MSS 9051-69. A few documents remained at Plasgwyn, where they were seen by the compilers of the Calendar of Wynn (of Gwydir) Papers.
The other main group of papers were less fortunate. The Rev. John Williams became rector of Llanbedr-y-cennin and Caerhun, and, in addition to the Gwydir papers, he acquired an extensive collection of papers and manuscripts. These were all rather hurriedly sold by his daughters after his death, being obliged to vacate the rectory of Llanbedr-y-cennin. Part of the collection was sold to the Rev. Howell Holland Edwards of Pennant Erethlyn, Eglwysbach, Denbighshire. The papers passed successively to his brother-in-law, the Rev. John Boulger, and to his nephew, the Rev. Henry Palmer (d. 1871). He took the letters and their large wooden box to his parish of Little Laver, in Essex. On his death his executor gave the contents of the box to the Rev. D. James Davies, vicar of North Benfleet, also in Essex. He presented two letters written by William Morgan, bishop of St Asaph and translator of the Bible into Welsh, to the St Asaph cathedral library, and sent the remainder to his cousin, Sir John Williams, who in January 1909 transferred the collection to NLW along with his library of manuscripts and printed books.
In 1896 Cardiff Public Library acquired a group of 58 Gwydir papers as part of the Welsh manuscripts from the library of Sir Thomas Phillipps (1792-1872) of Middle Hill, Worcestershire. It is not known how he acquired these Gwydir papers, but it is quite possible that he bought them at the 1826 sale of Rev. John Williams's library, or from a dealer who bought them then. These papers are held among the Cardiff MSS, and are included in the Calendar of Wynn (of Gwydir) Papers.
A few papers included in the Calendar had become detached from the main groups. When the Rev. Henry Palmer removed the old box of papers to Essex, the Rev. Howell Holland Edwards's books (with at least a few papers inserted) remained at Pennant Erethlyn until the death in 1903 of Miss Margaret Grace Jones of Bryneisteddfod, near Conwy, who had succeeded to Pennant Erethlyn after the death of the Rev. John Boulger. Miss Jones bequeathed her estate to the children of Francis W. Lloyd Edwards of Nanhoron, and the books at Pennant were divided between his surviving son and daughter, Claude Henry Lloyd Edwards of Nanhoron and Mrs Alan Gough [i.e. Mary G. Gough] of Gelliwig, Pwllheli.
Of the 2,891 items in the collection, 2,806 were in NLW in 1926, and 58 in Cardiff Public Library. The remaining papers were then still in private hands, and their present whereabouts is unknown. Most of the papers at NLW are now NLW MSS 407 and 463-70 (Sir John Williams's 1909 donation), and 9051-69 (the Panton Gwydir papers). Those papers at Cardiff Public Library are now among the Cardiff MSS.