| Description | An undoubted miscellenea, but particularly interesting and informing. A perfect mine, Index on p. 1 with little semblance of order, many interpersions. No reference to list of Welsh directories (fly-leaf). Many careful and comprehensive pedigress of prominent members of Welsh nobility and squirearchy, such as Penrhyn, Glyn llifon, Trawscoed, Brogyntyn, Devereux, Herberts, Salisbury, Myddelton, and others; but more interest attaches to such tables as include the Rev H. Longueville Jones (21), A. Ivor Pryce, the late diocesan registrar of Bangor (13), the Chwibren family of Llansannan (24), the descendents of Daniel Rowlands of Llengeitho (35 left), the Thomas Charles ramifications (56), the Plas-yn-Dre and Foulkes Roberts nexus, (38), the Hollands of Liverpool and Ffestiniog (which included Mrs Gaskell) (86), and Sir Leonard Twiston Davies (81). The older part of the book - it was commenced in 1889 - has notes on Ceiriog (3 - 9), Islwyn (11 - 12), and Morgan Llwyd (17 - 19), but he has not forgotten to bring the information up-to-date, in that the notes include references to Dr W.J. Gruffydd's lecture on Ceiriog in 1939 and on Islwyn in 1942. He knew of Ceiriog's peregrinations in great detail, and had enlisted the services of the late O. Glynne Roberts to find out if he (C.) had ever been in the employ of the L.N.W.R. at Manchester (see especially p.3, left). He had gathered together notes on Shakespeare and Wales (50 - 52), and on Wordsworth and Wales (9, left), paying particular attention to Robert Jones, W's Welsh friend (56, left). The summaries on Maurice Kyffin (2) end on Thomas Traherne (22) should be noted. And the pages devoted to the Caerwys Eisteddfodau (73 - 5). At one time, and throughout, he was interested in early Welsh Puritanism, and its broadening out into modern nonconformity - this accounts for the notes on pp. 25 - 45 on John Penry, the preachers of the Civil War period, the rise of Independent academies, and the relations between early Methodism and the older Dissent; the notes include a concentrated study of the Neuadd Llwyd academy (43, left), a thorough search into the pedigree of the late Principal E.H. Griffiths of Cardiff (also 43, left), and the analysis of the minute-book of the old Bala Independent College (44-45), - large octavo, bound in vellum with brass clasp - with its story of fierce controversy. the setting up of a rival College, and the eventual merger into Bala-Bangor in 1890. Quite as interesting as any are his notes on London Welshmen (2), Chester Welshmen (10), Isle of Man (69), and on Liverpool developments (87) - in his references to Corfanydd (87, left) he does not seem to have heard of his sojourn for some years in Drogheda. Then come a rich group of notes extending from 57 to 68 dealing with Henry VII and Wales, Henry VIII and Wales (including the Act of Union), Elizabeth and Wales (including full references to the Cecil ancestry (64 - 65), James I and Wales, with a summary of the arguments whether Sir William Maurice of Clenannau was the real first proposer of James's title as King of Great Britain (p.8). Special room is made for Welshmen in public life, time of Queen Elizabeth (53 - 4), Welsh Catholics of the 16th, century (48), prominent Welshmen of the 18th century (55), and of the 19th (56), while further pages (64 - 68) are given to the Welsh ancestry of famous historical figures. On pp. 76 - 78 are assembled many facts to illustrate the retreat of Welsh as a spoken lenguage on the Border; on p.11, left, is a calm statement of facts bearing upon the thorny question of Monmouthshire and Wales; 70 - 71, the Council of Wales and the Marches; 84, the Welsh cattle trade. This somewhat long catalogue does not exhaust the interest of this veritable feast - book: we have not found place for the pedigree of Humphrey Toy the printer, with its careful discrimination between the two Humphreys of the name (85), nor for the Welsh connections of Colwyn E. Vulliamy (39), nor the gipsy family of Wood on p. 83, with entries for Abraham, Valentine, Archelaus, Solomon, "Jerry bach Gogerddan", "Black Henry" of Llanidloes, and John Wood Jones. |