File NLW MS 13212D. - George Owen's 'Description of Penbrokeshire',

An early seventeenth century manuscript containing the first book of the 'Description of Penbrokeshire' by George Owen of Henllys. The date at the beginning of the text, following the list of contents, is 'Lune 13 Decembr' 1602' and at the end is the inscription 'finis 18 Maij 1603' followed by 'Opus iij Mensu[m] Magna per Intervalla'. There are a number of directions to the copyist and Harleian MS 6250, the text edited by Henry Owen in the Cymmrodorion Record Series, No. I (1892), is probably a fair-copy of the present manuscript. There are also marks indicating that George Owen checked the copy in late July-August 1603. Comparison with the text edited by Henry Owen shows that a few sections (underlined or crossed out, etc.) in the present manuscript have been omitted in Harleian MS 6250, viz. the passage in chapter 1 which is quoted by Henry Owen on p. 239 of his edition, n. 1, a paragraph on ff. 23 verso-24 recto (anc. 13 verso- 14 recto) of the present manuscript beginning 'Giraldus Cambrensis writinge of the nature of the people of this Countrye hath these wordes', a list of fish on ff. 65 verso-66 verso (anc. 56 verso-57 verso), and a section in chapter 21, ff. 95 verso- 96 verso (anc. 87 verso-88 verso), beginning '& gave them his said deputies his absolute power to execute all thinges in his absens . . . by the kinges maties [sic] that nowe is kinge James kinge of England Scotland Fraunce & Ireland &c' (cf. Henry Owen, op. cit., p. 167, n. 2). Loose inside is a description of the manuscript by 'H.G .' [? Henry Gough], 19 Dec. 1871.