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Correspondence, deeds and papers of various members of the James and Williams families of Penralley in the town of Rhayader, Radnorshire, including ships' log books, ships' orders and other naval records, 18-19 cent., and the papers of Lieutenant John James RN (1737-1790), Commander Horatio James RN (1789-1850), Brigadier-General Horatio James Evans (1859-1932), and Stephen William Williams (1837-1899), county surveyor for Radnorshire and antiquarian.

'Captain' James Jones was born in the parish of St Harmon, co. Rad. He was an uncle and benefactor of Lt John James. He died in January 1774 and was buried in Llansanffraid Cwmteuddwr churchyard, co. Rad. There is a transcript of the inscription on his tomb in NLW MS 13452A, p.24.

Letter from Aunt Gretta (8 Oakfield Tce, Cheltenham) to HPBE: "... I am very glad that you have found your great-grandfather's Navigational Directions in 1770; ... your great-grandfather, Horatio James, though he was only a commander, was always called 'Capt. James' by the Rhayader people ...Did you find the bills for uniform of James Jones and John James. James Jones was the uncle and guardian of John James. He was a sailing master, his tomb is in Cwmdauddwr churchyard. He was a native of St Harmon ...".

Manuscript entitled 'Directions sent from Holland, to the Lord Berkley' for the treatment of gout. [Possibly copied from the Bath Chronicle, 4 Sept. [? 1763].

Deeds relating to the tenements and land of Bailey Bevan and Gwern vap Eynion, p. Llanfihangel Helygen, co. Rad. Sold by John Wilkinson, cooper, St Luke's parish, Middlesex, and John Palley, of the same parish, to James Jones, gent of Rhaeadr, 23-24 June 1761.

Sale by Herbert Miles, gent. of parish of Llanfihangel Helygen, co. Radnor, to John Miles, esq., late of Evenjobb, and now of Presteigne and to Henry Williams, of Cilfach yr Rhiw, co. Montgomery, the tenements and lands of Bailey Bevan and Gwern vap Eynion, pa. of Llanfihangel Helygen, Radnorshire. (Impersonal seals of grantors).

Bound volume of 'Old Letters and Papers Commencing 1760', and mostly relating to James Jones of Rhaeadr (ff. 1-37), Lt John James, RN (ff. 38-49), and Mrs Jane James (ff. 50-51). The volume includes a copy made by Lt Horatio James in 1827 of the will of James Jones [buried at Llansanffraid Cwmteuddwr on 25 January 1774] naming his kinsman, John James, as his sole heir; naval orders to Lt John James; memoranda made by John James [1789, the year before his death], noting that his widow, Jane, was entitled to a £30 p.a. naval pension so long as she did not marry again, and mentioning his 'New and Old Houses at Penralley'; deeds relating to property. F.1. (12 December 1760), f.3 (27 June 1763, including blue cloth), f.4 (1 December 1766). Receipted accounts to JJ from Jeremiah Oliver, tailor, for clothes made and purchased; f.9 (23 April 1768) unsigned letter to Thomas Halcott, esq., with on reverse a List of Persons who were Debtors to Mr Jeremiah Oliver. F.2 (March 1761). Received of JJ by Jeremiah Oliver, £20 for Lodge and Diet. F.5. (1 June 1764). Bond of Catherine Vaughan of Nantmel, Radn., in sum of £40, to Mr James Jones, gent., of . Rhaeadr. F.6. (24 April 1767). Thomas Evans of Rhaeadr leases to JJ, 'of no fixed Residence', the 'Booth House'. (Signatures of Thomas Evans and James Jones, and the witnesses, Griffith Thomas and Edward Jones). F.7. (17 November 1764). Orders to Lt. JJ from Capt. Archibald Kennedy, Commander of HMS Coventry, to patrol the sloop, Hawke, under his command, between Sandy Hook and Great and Little Egg Harbours, 'for the protection of trade and prevention of smuggling'. F.8. (11 February 1768). Letter to Lt. JJ from his old friend, ? J.T. Kempe, visiting London from New York. F.10. (15 October 1763). Rear-Admiral Lord Colvill, on board the Romney in Halifax harbour (Nova Scotia) gives orders to Capt. Kennedy, commander of the Coventry. Ff.11-33: (13 October 1768 to 20 July 1773). Letters (sometimes with accounts) to JJ, from Thomas William Jolly, London, to whom JJ had granted Power of Attorney for Receiving Pension and Dividends. Jolly was effectively his business manager, but also a friend. In f.18 (28 May 1771) Jolly adds a footnote to JJ (who must have been at home in Rhaeadr : "Could a good Welch Poney about Thirteen hands and a half or rather near Fourteen hands high be procured near you? And at what price? It would be necessary - it should be gentle and perfectly sure footed - and a good Mouth to obey the Rein". A later letter tells that the pony was wanted for Mrs Jolly. In f.24 (24 May 1771) Jolly mentions that he had contact with Lt. John James (JJ's friend and nephew), and thanked JJ for the present received "of the Hare and the fine fleech of Pig Bacon". In f.30, written by John Jolly, Thomas's father, reference is made to Thomas's "late misfortune" (other letters suggest that this was partly ill-health and partly troubles with his business partner). The father hoped that JJ would visit them in Lewisham when he came to town. F.34. (22 July 1769). Letter to JJ from James Ferguson in London. Refers to naval matters and the East Indies. Tells that "the scoundrell Dugdale was about the town", and mentions that he thought to pass the winter in France, "and improve myself in the French language", and hoped that JJ might accompany him. It is clear that Ferguson had stayed in Rhaeadr. F.35. (10 February 1774). Account (receipted) from D. Cadwallader, Rhaeadr, mourning and other materials supplied for the funeral of the late JJ; includes 4 sets of hat, band, scarf and gloves, for the bearers, and a total of 24 other sets of hats and bands, and a total of 62 other sets of gloves. Mention is made of Jane Jones, his widow. Mourners included members of the Oliver family of Rhydoldog, Mrs Jones of Dol-y-mynach, and James Morgan and Mrs Davis of Tower Hill. F.36. (1775). Particulars of the Estate of JJ. F.37. (1 May 1773) Will of JJ, "late a Master in His Majesty's Navy" (as copied by Horatio James on 7 December 1827). Appoints his kinsman, John James, now or lately of HMS Levant, sole heir and executor. Beneficiaries are named, but do not include his wife - perhaps she had been separately provided for? They included his cousin, Hugh James, of Llanddwy, Radnorshire, and his godchildren: Edward Edwards, Ann Evans, Jane Jones, Edward Jones (5 guineas each), and Jeremiah Oliver (50 guineas). F.38. (29 April 1775). Edward Evans, esq., of Noyadd, regarding the proving of JJ's will, in a letter presumably to Lt. John James. F.39. (13 April 1775). Evan Evans to (seemingly) Lt John James, noting that he had "safely arrived in this Island". F.40. (4 April 1775). Letter from the Admiralty Office to Lt John James, HMS Levant, that (like others), as he had served three years or more, he was being replaced as First Officer by Lt Erasmus Gower. F.41. (18 Dec. 1775). Receipt by Meredith Price, by the hands of John James, of £40 from Evan Evans, esq., for land purchased. F.42. (30 Sept. 1776). Conveyance by Lt John James, RN, now of Rhaeadr, to David Thomas, carpenter, of the site of a house in High Street. F.43. (16 May 1783). Acknowledgement to John James by Catherine Arthur, of Talerddig, of a legacy bequeathed her by James Jones. F.44. (4 Dec. 1787). Receipt of money received for dancing lessons for Mr and Miss James. F.45. (3 Dec. 1778). Account from William North to John James for books and magazines bought, including a four volume Fellowe's Bible. F.46. (3 Aug. 1782). Instructions (from Samuel Johnson, Leominster; probably for John James) for making various coloured paints. F.47. (11 September 1789). John James, Rhaeadr, gives details of his estate, and says that his widow is entitled to a £30 pension, paid half-yearly in London, unless she remarried. Mentions "My New and Old Houses with Close and garden of Penyralley". F.48. An account of Rhaeadr, possibly by Horatio James and perhaps summarised from a book on the county. Mentions the stone bridge erected over the Wye in 1780; the Town Hall built in 1762; the rebuilding of St Clement's Church in 1733 with the tower or steeple added in 1783, and the Grammar School House built in 1793. F.49. (London, 12 February 1791). Letter from Ommaney and Page to Mr Thomas Price, regarding probate of the will of Lt John James, with details of his Estate in account with the firm. F.50. (London, 5 September 1795). Mrs Jane James in account with Messrs Ommaney and Page. F.51. (4 October 1804). Lease by Mrs Jane James, widow, to John Powell of Nantmel, of Ffynnon-lâs in Nantmel.

List of 'Old Captain Jones' legacies, which includes one to his cousin Hugh James of the parish of Llanddewy and to each of his sisters now living.

John James (1737-1790) enlisted as a midshipman in the Royal Navy in 1751 and served mainly off the North American coast, on the sloop Friendship, 1751-2, HMS Northumberland, 1757-8, then as Acting Lieutenant and Commander of the schooner Moncton, 1757-8. He was commissioned as a lieutenant on 12 May 1758 and he served in that capacity on the Orford, Sutherland and the Northumberland. He was First Lieutenant on the Coventry, 1763-4, and briefly commanded the schooner Hawke, 1764. He then became First Lieutenant on the Romney, 1765-6, and during this period he was involved in the siege of Cape Breton and Quebec and served with General Wolfe. He was later involved in action off Newfoundland. He then became First Lieutenant upon HMS Tweed in the Channel, 1769-72. His last position was that of First Lieutenant on HMS Levant in the Mediterranean, 1772-5. He then retired from naval life, ill-health being alleged, having inherited property from his uncle, James Jones, RN, who died in Rhaeadr in 1774. In 1780 John James married Jane Probert, daughter of Evan Probert of Kempsey, co. Worcs., and had eight children. He died on 14 Sept. 1790, aged 52, and was buried in Rhaeadr churchyard. See also NLW BRA 145-7 (pp.40-1) in which John James appears as party to two deeds.

Log book of entries, also listing JJ's time of service on various ships: the sloop Friendship; HMS Northumberland; HMS Sutherland; HMS Coventry; the sloop Hawke; Romney; HMS Tweed; and HMS Levant. [These details are slightly different from his son's later memorial, see no. 231, upon which the introduction has been based.].