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Notes compiled by Jan Morris in the course of research for 'The matter of Wales: epic views of a small country', together with some notes on her writings relating to India and America, especially Miami (in volume 17).

A volume containing journals of tours of Wales by Hugh Hughes (1790-1863), artist and author, during the years 1819-21. The English portions of the journals (1819-20) have been published in Wales, III, pp. 316-19, 353-8 and the Welsh portions (1820-1) in Cymru, VIII, pp. 21-4, 77-9, 133-7, 220-4, 265-6.

Nodiadau yn llaw John Thomas yn olrhain ei fynych deithiau ledled Cymru, sy'n cynnwys disgrifiadau byw o'r trefi a phentrefi a'u trigolion.

Typescript draft of part of 'The matter of Wales: epic views of a small country', from Chapter 9 onwards, with manuscript revisions.

Letters, mostly concerning Jan Morris's work, especially that relating to the British empire, Oxford, Everest, Venice, and her memoirs, as well as the Welsh language and Welsh politics.

Letters, mostly concerning Jan Morris's work, especially that relating to Wales, the British empire, Hong Kong, and her fiction and memoirs.

Letters, mostly concerning Jan Morris's work, especially that relating to Wales, Venice, the British empire, Europe, Abraham Lincoln, and her fictional writing.

Two notebooks marked 'Welsh Tour 1818' containing an account of part of a tour made by an unidentified writer, apparently an ordained clergyman of the Church of England, with two companions, 'Eliza' and 'Harriet'. The present narrative covers the period between 25 July 1818, when they left Tenby, and 28 August, when they reached home, 'having traversed in ye same vehicle 680 miles without a single accident or even alarm.' The itinerary includes Stackpool [sic], Pembroke, Pater [church], Haverfordwest, Picton Castle, Milford, Egglwys Wrw [sic], Newcastle, Cenarth Bridge, Cilgerran, Aberayron, Aberystwith, Borth, Llanbadern [sic], Devil's Bridge or Pont y Monach [sic], Hafod, Machynlleth, Tal y Llyn, Dolgelly, Barmouth, Rhaiadr dû, Cader Idris, Tan y Bwlch, Tremadoc, Capel Careg [sic], Snowdon, Bangor, Conway, Llanrwst, Cerig y Druidian [sic], Corwen, Llangollen, Oswestry, Shrewsbury, Iron Bridge in Coalbrook Dale, Shiffnal, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Worcester and Glocester [sic]. Mention is made of meeting 'Mr Sims' by chance at 'Aberayron'; others met en route were three clergymen, Oxonians, viz. Mr Natt of St John's, Mr Yeden [sic] of Lincoln and Mr Hughes of Jesus, who consented to accompany the writer's party on the ascent of Snowdon, and Mr Mitchell, an artist in lodgings [? at or near Betws-y-coed]. The writer also mentions writing to his brother Henry and on 27 August records 'Left my Brother Thomas'. There is no indication where the writer lived but he appears to have had an interest in schools. Loose in (2) are some notes on an itinerary corresponding in part to the one followed but also including the Lake District.

Twenty-eight notebooks and bundles, 1796-1815, consisting of travel journals and agricultural notes relating mainly to Iolo Morganwg's work for the Board of Agriculture in Glamorgan and Carmarthenshire in 1796 and his contribution to Gwallter Mechain's General View of the Agriculture and Domestic Economy of South Wales (London, 1815).
Also included are fragments of tours in parts of England (E5/13); a journal of his tour to North Wales in 1799, collecting materials for the Myvyrian Archaiology (E5/18, formerly 'IAW 144'); bundles of loose agricultural notes (E5/26-27); and geological notes relating to Glamorgan (E5/28).

Papers of David Richards, 1886-1894, including letters, 1891-1894, to his wife, describing his voyage and stay in the settlement; journal consisting of loose leaves of the journey to Cwm Hyfryd, Patagonia, September 1891 to January 1892; journal of the voyage home from Buenos Aires to Plymouth, July-August 1892; copies of Welsh poems transcribed and possibly composed by David Richards, proofs of, or cuttings containing, parts of a series of articles on 'Cyfoeth Mwnawl y Wladfa Gymreig' to Y Celt in 1891, and a printed copy of a report on the Garn Gold Mine near Dolgellau, 1888.

Personal diaries, 1892-1949, which include detailed accounts of his years in retirement at Barmouth, Merionethshire, from 1939 and subsequently at Ty'n y Ceunant, Islaw'r dref, Dolgellau; draft notebooks, 1895-1946, containing records of appointments, activities and descriptions of holiday visits, including many to Wales, detailed accounts of ascents of Cadair Idris, Merionethshire, and other British mountains, including Snowdon, Elidir Fach and Elidir Fawr in Caernarfonshire, and Pumlumon, Cardiganshire; registers of correspondence, 1939-1940, 1943-1944; a register of snapshots [which are not part of the archive], 1906-1940; a volume of statistics of his mountain ascents, holiday travels, and walks, 1892-1951, and family papers (including some relating to L. W. Brown of Bath), 1846-1926.

Papers, 1917-1980, of Tom Macdonald, including manuscript drafts of his published and unpublished novels and short stories; non-fictional writing and research notes relating to his work as a journalist; correspondence; poetry; plays; a collection of newspaper cuttings; minutes of committee meetings, 1917-1921; educational certificates, 1918-1919.

The group consists of notes, drafts, correspondence, press cuttings, leaflets and other printed material used in the preparation of books and articles, a large quantity of Condry's finished newspaper and magazine articles, and substantial number of card indexes, 1893, 1933-1998, on the subjects of wildlife, development and history of the landscape, nature conservation, ecology, other naturalists, past and present day travel and tourism. The subjects relate mainly to Wales, but also to other parts of Britain, Europe and Africa.

Cary's New Itinerary ... throughout England and Wales (London, 1806), together with additional manuscript notes, including particulars of the expenses and mileages of journeys through parts of England and Wales (e.g. to Monmouthshire) between 1807 and 1839, rough pencil sketches of Lichfield, Gloucestershire, etc., and an 'Index Begun by E[gerton Grenville Bagot] P[hillimore] Nov. 17, 1907'.

A journal of a tour of Wales undertaken from Bath by Dr. [ ] Robertson, in company with J. Goldwyer, between 24 June and 19 July, 1799. The tour comprised visits to Bristol, Caerwent, Caerleon, Newport, Caerphilly, Llandaff, Cardiff, Cowbridge, Llantwit [Major], St. Donats, Pyle, Margam, Aberavon, Baglan, Neath, Melincourt, Pont Neath Vaughan and the neighbouring waterfalls, Brecon, Builth, Rhaeadr (Rhayader Gowy), Devil's Bridge, Aberystwyth, Aberdovey, Towyn, Peniarth, Barmouth, Dolgellau, Bala (with an account of the stocking market), Llangollen, Llanfyllin (Llanvitlin), Welsh Pool, Montgomery, Bishop's Castle, Ludlow, Leominster, Hereford, Monmouth, Chepstow, Bristol, and Bath. Pasted on the flyleaf is the following inscription: 'My grandfathers' Dr. Robertson and J. Goldwyer's walking Tour in S. Wales in 1799 mentions Baglan. H. L. Goldwyer'.

A journal of a tour of Wales undertaken between 31 August and 24 September 1836. The itinerary included London, Meriden, Shrewsbury, Llangollen, Capel Curig, Bettws[-y-Coed], Conway, Bangor, Caernarvon, Llanberis, Beddgelert, Tan y Bwlch [Maentwrog], Ffestiniog, Harlech, Dolgelly, Machynlleth, Aberystwith, Devils bridge, Aberaeron, Lampeter, Llandovery, Newcastle Emlyn, Cardigan, Haverfordwest, Pembroke Carmarthen, Swansea, Neath, Pyle ('where I passed some of the happy days of my childhood') (including Greethill Cottage 'where my father died'), Margam, Pont Neath Vaughan, Merthyr Tydvil ('the town in which my eyes first opened to the light') (including the Talbut Inn 'where I was born'), Abergavenny, Ragland, Ross, and London. The text is illustrated with two coloured maps of North Wales and South Wales, three sepia drawings of Pyle Inn, Greethill Cottage, and Pyle Church, and forty-one engravings, and at the end are particulars of the mileage of each successive daily stage of the tour. The spine is lettered 'Tour in Wales. 1836'.

A volume (pp. i-xxii; 1-449) containing miscellaneous items, many relating to Welsh bardism, in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg'). The contents include pp. 1-3, a note re the proclamation in 1795 of a bardic meeting to be held at Pen Bryn Owain in co. Glamorgan in 1796; 3-7, notes re the times of holding bardic meetings ('Cadair a Gorsedd wrth Gerdd a Barddoniaeth'), etc.; 7-16, eleven rules under the superscription 'Darbodau Gorsedd Gyfallwy Cadair Morganwg . . . ar Benn Brynn Owain ym Morganwg . . . 1795' relating to the conduct of bardic meetings, the measures, content, and language of poems, the bards, etc.; 25-8, a note of a proclamation in 1798 of a 'Cadair a Gorsedd ar Gerdd a Barddoniaeth' to be held at Pen Brynn Owain in co. Glamorgan in twelve months time, notes on the times of holding future bardic meetings '. . . ymmraint Cadair Orsedd Morganwg . . . ar ben Twyn Owain', and a geographical definition of the term Morgannwg in this context; 35-44., notes headed 'Coelbren y Beirdd herwydd Llyfr Llywelyn Siôn' being notes relating to the special alphabet reputedly devised by the Welsh bards for carving or notching on wooden surfaces and different modes of constructing wooden appliances or so-called 'books' which could be used as writing surfaces when utilising this alphabet; 51, an incomplete version of a 'question and answer' conversation between a teacher and his disciple; 55-6, notes relating to early British bards called 'gwyddoniaid', a bardic meeting between Prydain ab Aedd Mawr and three of these bards called Plennydd, Alawn, and Gwron ('Tri Phrif Feirdd Ynys Prydain'), rules for the bardic order formulated then, etc.; 57-60, English definitions of, or notes in Welsh on, terms of bardic relevance, e.g. 'Alban', 'Gorsedd Arddangos', 'Arwest', 'Cerdd Arwest'; 63-73, extracts of varying length from the works of Welsh poets ? illustrating bardic or poetic terms ('Bardic Allusions from the Welsh Bards'); 79, a note on 'Colofn Prydain (sef felly y gelwir y Gyhydedd Gyrch yn Llyfr Gm. Tew)'; 80-82, notes on Welsh literary production up to and including the fifteenth century mentioning Dafydd ap Gwilym, Llawdden, Harri ap Rhys ap Gwilym, Ieuan Brechfa, Edeyrn dafawd aur, Einiawn offeiriad, Dafydd Ddu Hiraddug, and Hopkin ap Thomas; 82-6, notes relating to an 'eisteddfod' held under the patronage of Gruffydd ap Rhys ap Tewdwr in Aberteifi and to rules concerning the order of bards and musicians formulated there; 87-8, brief notes on the bardic 'cadair arddangos' and 'cadair dwmpath'; 89, a note relating to the original of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, an extract from the said work, and a note on 'a circumstance . . . exactly similar' in a poem by Dafydd ap Gwilym; 90-91, notes on Dafydd ap Gwilym and his poetry; 92-4, notes on the Welsh alphabet; 95-? 104, the rules and customs of the bardic chair of Tir Iarll ('Trefnau a Defodau Cadair Tir Iarll'); 111-13, bardic miscellanea; 119- 22, notes relating to the rights, etc., of the bardic order with the superscription 'Llyma ddangos amrafaelion o arferion a breiniau a defodau a barnau a chyfarwyddyd a berthynent i Feirdd a gwyr wrth gerdd o'r hen Lyfrau'; 127-33, notes on 'Cerdd Gadair', 'Cerdd Deuluaidd', 'Clergerdd', 'Datgeiniad Cadair', and 'Datgeiniad Penpastwn'; (continued)

135-7 + 145, further notes re rules for bardic meetings; 142, two triads; 143-4 + 155, notes relating to ? the Welsh bardic alphabet; 154, a note on 'Tair colofn Barddoniaeth'; 157-9, notes relating to the alleged association between (a) Gruffudd ap Cynan and Bleddyn ap Cynfyn and the code of rules for the bardic order, (b) Bleddyn ap Cynfyn and 'regulations for genealogies and armorial bearings', (c) Rhys ap Tewdwr and the introduction of the 'Bardic Laws of the Round Table' from Armorica, and (d) Gruffudd ap Cynan and 'a musical sessions in Glyn Achlach in Ireland . . . 1096'; 171-4, a transcript of twelve stanzas of Welsh verse attributed to Siencyn o'r Crwys y Prydydd; 174, a list of 'Plant Caw o Brydyn'; 175, a transcript of a twelve-line Welsh stanza allegedly composed by Thomas Glyn Cothi on the occasion of the French landing at Fishguard in 1797; 176-7, genealogical data relating to the family of Iestyn ab Gwrgan and related families; 178, a transcript of an 'englyn' relating to Owain Glyn Dyfrdwy attributed to Ieuan Gethin ap Ieuan ap Lleision; 179, a few entries relating to events in Welsh history, 870-959; 180, a transcript of 'englynion' ? attributed to Hywel Ystoryn; 181-6, an anecdote and notes relating to ? the reputed poetesses of Ty Talwyn, parish of Llangynwyd [co. Glamorgan]; 187 + 193, skeleton notes on Llanilid, Llanharan, Llanhari, Llantrisaint, St. Donats, and Flimston [co. Glamorgan]; 188-9, historical and other notes relating to the parish of Merthyr Tydvil [co. Glamorgan]; 190, a list of 'Antiquities in and about Merthyr'; 191, a note on Mallt Walbi 'a Brecon virago' and leader of a gang of freebooters, and a list of 'Remarkable Parishes' [in Glamorgan]; 192, a list of 'Antiquities in and about Lantwit Major' [co. Glamorgan]; 205, extracts relating to 'Melchin, an ancient British author', 'Hu Gadarn', etc., 'Ex Celtic Remains by Lewis Morris'; 206-07, a note on heroic poetry and the attitude of the 'descendants of the Celts' towards it; 219- 22, comments on orthography arising out of [William] Owen [Pughe]'s innovations with regard to Welsh orthography; 223-7, notes relating to the formation of compounds and plurals of monosyllabic words in ancient Cimbric and modern Welsh; 227-39, notes relating to the original home of the Cymry and early druidism and bardism, etc.; 241, a short list of Welsh words relating to worship with English definitions; 242-4, notes on the principles of druidism; 246-51, notes relating to the 'Great Eisteddfod at Caermarthen' [? 1451], 'the system of versification that received the sanction of that Eisteddfod', the adoption of this system by the bards of North Wales and some of those of South Wales, its rejection by the bards of Glamorgan and their compilation of 'a system of discipline, of Poetical Criticism, of Versification, and of whatever appertained to their science', the death of the Carmarthen system during the reign of James I, Gronwy Owen's verse, and the Gwyneddigion Society's annual Welsh poetry competition and its attempt 'to restore the system of the Carmarthen Eisteddfod'; 252-4, notes relating to an 'eisteddfod' held at Nant Gonwy, 1 Edward IV, incorporating 'englynion' attributed to Dafydd ap Edmund and Twm Tegid Brydydd 'o Langower ym Mhenllyn'; 259-66 + 274-82, an outline journal of a journey from South to North Wales and back, July-August 1800, the places mentioned on the northward journey including Cowbridge, Bridgend, Neath, Caeo, Dolau Cothi, Pumsaint, Clydogau Mountain, Llanfair Cludogeu, Llandewi Brevi, Tregaron, Pont Rhyd Fendigaid, Hafod, Pont ar fynach, Llanbadarn, Aberdyfi, Towyn, Dolgelleu, and Blaeneu (a visit to [Rhys Jones, antiquary and poet] and transcribing of manuscripts), and on the return journey Llanfachreth, Dolgelley (mention here of harpists and of the origin of the triple-stringed harp), Carneddi Hengwm, Tal y llynn, Abergyrnolwyn, Aberdyfi, Aberystwyth, Llanrhystid, Tal y sarn, New Inn, Abergwily, Caerm[arthe]n, Llangyndeyrn, Pont y Berem, Llan Nonn, Cydwely, Llanelly, Pont ar Ddulais, Swansea, Llangynwyd, and Bridgend; 262, a transcript of twelve lines of English verse entitled 'Loyalty by a Cobler'; 264, a transcript of an 'englyn' attributed to Huw Llwyd Cynfel; 270-73, a Welsh saints' calendar; 306, a plan of a 'Sheepfold at the foot of Cadair Idris, another in ruins on the same plan Cefn Merthyr, several more in Glamorgan'; (continued)

307, a transcript of the 'title-page' of Edward Jones: The Bardic Museum of Primitive British Literature . . .; 308-13, a series of eleven Welsh triads ('Llyma Drioedd y Beirdd') with an English translation thereof extracted from pp. 1-4 of the aforementioned Bardic Museum by Edward Jones; 316, a medicinal recipe for rheumatism in the head; 317, a 'Plan of a school house or accademy'; 323-38, extracts from Sharon Turner: History . . . of the Anglo-Saxons [vol. IV], relating to the language, literature, and music of the Anglo - Saxons; 339-43, notes on, and extracts from, [Walter] Scott's 'Lay of the Last Minstrel'; 359-62, extracts from a review of Edward Moor: The Hindu Pantheon which appeared in The Edinburgh Review, February 1811; 367-70, brief notes relating to the poetic dialect of the Welsh bards, the 'ancient [Welsh] Prose dialect', 'the modern [Welsh] literary Dialect', and 'The Venedotian Dialect' and its use in literature, and comments on the efforts of 'A Welsh (would-be literary) Society in London . . . to patronize the Welsh Language'; 373-80, notes relating to the introduction of Scaldic bardism into North Wales in the time of Gruffudd ap Cynan and the consequent disappearance of the old British bardism in that part of the country, the preservation of the old bardism in Glamorgan, and the invigorating effect of the 'Scaldic manner or system' on Welsh poetry and the Welsh language, general comments on the moral tone of Welsh literature, etc.; 381, three 'grammatical' triads; 382, a very brief list of Irish words in the Venedotian dialect; 383, an extract 'Ex Vol. 35 Plas Gwynn Mon' [i.e. Panton MS 35 now NLW MS 2003] relating to the 'dymchwelawl' poetic metre; 384, a note relating to an old manuscript volume containing Welsh miracle plays in the possession of 'Dr. Thomas yn Llwyn Iwrch' in the eighteenth century; 385-6, comments on the practice of calling 'the ancient British Religion Druidical'; 387-9, general observations on the development of the 'system of versification and of poetical criticism . . . of the Welsh Bards'; 390, a brief note on 'Bardism or Druidism'; 391-2, a list of fourteen chapter headings for a proposed 'History of the Bards' [? by Edward Williams], with a note at the beginning 'A Bad Plan' and at the end 'The above is only the first rude sketch of 1791 and here only retained as containing a few hints that may be useful' (in addition to material on British / Welsh bardism and druidism and Welsh music this work was to contain chapters on Irish and Highland bards, Scandinavian scalds, Provencal troubadours, and Saxon and English minstrels); 392-4, a list of thirty-six topics or subject or chapter headings being 'Another arrangement' [presumably for the proposed 'History of the Bards']; 395, a transcript of three 'englynion' attributed to Gutto'r Glyn, the third being attributed also to H[ywel] D[afydd] I[eua] n Rhys (an accompanying note mentions an 'eisteddfod' at Cardiff Castle); 396-7, a list of six 'Topics for the Bards Common Place book'; 398, a list of dates ? in connection with the holding of 'eisteddfodau' at Ystrad Ywain [co. Glamorgan]; 399-400, notes relating to the 'Polity or Discipline' of the druids and bards; 407, a list of fourteen 'names given by the ancient Bards to the Coronog faban' (part Welsh, part English, and derived from [Thomas] Pugh [: Brittish and Out-landish] Prophesies . . . [ London, 1658]); 408-18, notes relating largely to early British bardism and druidism with mention of [James] MacPherson and the Ossianic poems; 423-5, miscellaneous triads, etc.; 426 + 430-31, general reflections relating to etymology; 427-9, reflections on the use of conjecture in history particularly 'with respect to the peopling of Europe and America' if no historical records were available; 431-3, notes relating to the dissension between the bards of North Wales and those of Glamorgan consequent upon the 'succesful attempt of Daf[ydd] ab Edmund at the Caermarthen Congress [? 1451] to establish his own system [of versification]', the researches undertaken by the Glamorgan bards into 'Bardic history and science' and their discovery of 'the true principles of Poetry and versification', etc.; 435-7, notes containing general reflections on changes in the Welsh language and poetry from the late thirteenth century onwards; and 438, a list of six Welsh triads.

Transcripts, [c. 1827] (watermark 1825), in an unknown hand, of journals of tours in Wales and parts of England undertaken by Sir Richard Colt Hoare in 1793 and 1801-1803, taken from manuscripts now at Cardiff Central Library, MS 3.127 and MS 4.302.
The journals include a tour of North Wales, 12 April-1 August 1801 (ff. 1-88, original pagination 1-176), and tours of South Wales, 25 April-14 July 1802 (ff. 96-160, pp. 1-128), 1 May-7 July 1793 (ff. 164-180, pp. 1-33) and 14 May-11 June 1803 (ff. 183-190 verso, pp. 1-16). These are all published, in edited form, in The Journeys of Sir Richard Colt Hoare through Wales and England 1793-1810, ed. by M. W. Thompson (Stroud, 1983). An additional fragment of a tour from Hagley to Stourhead, 24-27 August 1802, is also included (ff. 91-95, pp. 1-10); this is not recorded by Thompson. Each individual tour is accompanied by a list of places visited (ff. 89-90, 162-163, 181-182, 191). A letter, 28 September 1904, from Emmeline Salvin, concerning the volume's provenance, has been tipped in on f. ii.

Journals of a tour in Wales and the English Midlands [1827], and in Ireland, 1826, by Maria Elizabeth Thomas, including rough pencil sketches of Dundrum Castle, Co. Down (f. 1), and Pwllheli and Llanbedrog, Caernarfonshire (ff. 54 verso, 55 verso), with a list, in a later hand, of German and Italian postage stamps, 1851-1876, pasted inside the back cover.

A volume containing notes, 1902, on the landscape and history of Wales, probably in the hand of James Matthew Thompson (1878-1956), fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, extracted from various printed sources, notably Thomas Pennant's Tours in Wales, and John Leland's Itinerary, with index (pp. 273-5).