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Papers relating to Mary Jones, Llanfihangel y Pennant, Merionethshire and her journey on foot to Bala in 1800 to obtain a Welsh Bible from Thomas Charles, who was afterwards one of the founders of the British and Foreign Bible Society. They include the original manuscript and draft copies of Robert Oliver Rees: Mary Jones, y Gymraes fechan heb yr un Beibl, a sefydliad y Feibl Gymdeithas ... (Dolgellau, 1879), press cuttings containing reviews and correspondence relating to the work and to the truth of the story, a short biographical note on Mary Jones, and letters, including two from D. E. Jenkins, Denbigh to Edward Griffith, 1909.

Miscellaneous items relating to Mary Jones [of Llanfihangel-y- Pennant, co. Merioneth] and her journey on foot to Bala in 1800 to seek a Bible from the Reverend Thomas Charles. They include a holograph letter from R[obert] Rowlands, Llandrillo, near Corwen, to [D. E.] Jenkins, 1910 (replying to a request recipient had sent to the writer's wife [Lizzie] Rowlands for information relating to Mary Jones [whom she had visited regularly for several years when she (Mary Jones) lived at Bryn-crug, co. Merioneth], forwarding an incomplete, manuscript copy of a paper on Mary Jones by Mrs. Rowlands (see below), the contents of the missing portion of this manuscript, a 'very full account' [of the story of Mary Jones] written by Mrs. Rowlands for Mrs. Edwards, wife of Dr. Lewis Edwards [principal of the C.M. College, Bala] (see below), the value of Mrs. Rowlands's testimony as a weekly visitor [to Bryn-crug], a letter she had written to R[obert] Oliver Rees concerning inaccuracies in his book on Mary Jones, the 'Goleuad correspondence' (see NLW MS 12808D above), an invitation to recipient to visit the writer and his wife); two incomplete, typewritten copies of a paper read by Mrs. Rowlands to the children of Gorphwysfa [C.M. Church, Penrhyndeudraeth], 1904, in which she described her visits to Bryn-crug, told the story of Mary Jones's walk to Bala and purchase of three Bibles from Thomas Charles (as told by Mary Jones herself), and explained how Mary Jones's niece, Lydia Williams, had presented her (Mrs. Rowlands) with one of the three Bibles as a keepsake; two typewritten copies of a letter from Lizzie [Rowlands] from the Board School, Penrhyn Deudraeth, to Mrs. Edwards [wife of Dr. Lewis Edwards, Bala], 1885 (reminiscences of Mary Jones largely as in the preceding item); typewritten notes of an interview between D. E. Jenkins and Mrs. Rowlands, 21 October 1910, in which she explained how Mary Jones's Bible came to be presented to the library of the C.M. College, Bala, and subsequently to the Bible Society in London, and how the Lydia Williams Bible had been donated to Bala College as a replacement; typewritten notes giving the substance of a letter sent by Mrs. Rowlands to D. E. Jenkins, 30 October 1910, subsequent to the above mentioned interview, confirming the information given and providing more details (attested by Mrs. Rowlands, 10 November 1910); typescript copies of letters from D. E. Jenkins to Ieuan R. Jones, Llandrillo [son of Mrs. Rowlands by a previous marriage], and [Robert] Rowlands [husband of Mrs. Rowlands], 27 October 1910 (returning manuscripts borrowed from Mrs. Rowlands, the controversy between the writer and 'Nodwr' in Y Goleuad (see NLW MS 12808D above), a suggestion that Mrs. Rowlands or I. R. Jones should contribute a note to Y Goleuad); and a holograph letter from the aforesaid Ieuan R. Jones, Llandrillo, to [D. E.] Jenkins, 30 October 1910 (acknowledging the return of manuscripts, forwarding a letter from his mother with permission to publish it, the possibility of publishing his mother's account of the story of Mary Jones, his regret for the fact that the [Lydia Williams] Bible had been given to [Bala C.M.] College).

Seven note-books containing miscellaneous extracts, transcripts, etc., including extracts, 1798-1808, from the diary of David Jones, [? rector of] Llangan; extracts, 1792-1807, ? from the minute books of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge relating mainly to preparations for publishing successive editions of the Welsh Bible; a transcript of a letter from [the Reverend] Tho[ma]s Charles, Bala, to [John] Walker, Chester, 1801 (personal, religious reflections, the church [established by the Reverend Phillip Oliver] at Boughton); a transcript of a report, 1903, by William Weir of Abingdon on Llanfihangel Abercowin church; a transcript of an indenture, 21 July 1800, appointing the Reverend Thomas Charles, Jonathan Wilcoxon of Chester, and John Walker, also of Chester, trustees of the aforementioned Phillip Oliver's church at Boughton; transcripts of the title-pages and prefaces of Thomas Charles: A Short Evangelical Catechism . . . (2nd ed., Bala, 1804) and (3rd ed., Bala, 1808), and of the same author's An Exposition on the Ten Commandments . . . (Bala, 1805), and of Sir Richard Hill's testimonial in favour of, and Thomas Charles's post-script to, the third edition of the Catechism; an abridged version of an account of the life and career of Griffith Davies, actuary , ? taken from The Assurance Magazine and Journal of the Institute of Actuaries, vol. V, pp. 337-48; an incomplete copy of a Welsh translation of a letter from [the Reverend] Thomas Charles to [Mary Hughes, Liverpool, 1812] (see Goleuad Cymru, 1823, Llyfr III, tt. 225-7); extracts from the reports of the British and Foreign Bible Society, 1805-1815, relating mainly to the publication by the Society of Welsh Bibles and Testaments; and extracts containing an account of disbursements in respect of Northampton Chapel, Spa Fields, Clerkenwell, London, 1780-1816.

An exercise book containing transcripts of letters from [the Reverend] Tho[ma]s Charles, Bala, to the Reverend Walter Davies ['Gwallter Mechain'], 1805 (1 + 1 by inference) (forwarding, with comments, the copy of the Welsh Bible which the writer and Tho[ma]s Jones, Ruthin, had corrected at the request of the British and Foreign Bible Society in preparation for a new edition, requesting the return of same);and Sarah Charles [wife of Thomas Charles], Bala, to Mr. Edwards, 1810 (personal).

A note-book containing transcripts of letters from [the Reverend] Tho[ma]s Charles, Bala, to Henry Boase, London, 1803 (2) (a proposal by recipient that 'a new, cheap impression of the Bible in the Welsh Tongue' be published, the need for such Bibles, the edition printed at the Clarendon Press, Oxford, at the expense of the S.P.C.K. in 1799, the edition then being printed in Chester to appear in thirty-six numbers, two editions printed in Carmarthen prior to the 1799 Oxford edition, enquiries made and suggestions put forward as to the format, price, distribution, number of copies, etc. of the new edition), his brother [the Reverend David Charles, Carmarthen, ?1814] (personal, 'our Association [meeting at Bala]', his intention of going to Llangeitho), his wife [Sarah] Charles, at Chester [1784] (personal), Mrs. [Lydia] Foulks, Machynlleth, 1811 (2) (personal, his wife's health, religious reflections), and Miss [Mary] Foulkes, Machynlleth, undated (forwarding a copy of a Welsh Bible, praise of the Bible). These seven letters have been published in D. E. Jenkins: The Life of the Rev. Thomas Charles . . .

Two note-books containing transcripts of, or extracts from, forty-four letters, 1802-1811 and undated, and a few other miscellaneous items. The writers of the letters include Mr. Bensley, Thomas Bowen, Neath, [the Rev.] E[dward] Burn, Birm[ingha]m, [the Rev. Thomas] Charles, Bala, R. Davies, Goodmansfield, [the Rev.] W[illiam] Dealtry, E[ast] I[ndia] College [Haileybury], Geo[rge] Gaskin, secretary [of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, London], John Griffith, Neath, [?the Rev.] D[avid] Jones, [?vicar of] Llangan, [the Rev.] Sam[ue]l Jones, Kildimo Glebe [Limerick], Mr. Jones, Durham, [the Rev.] John Owen [joint home secretary of the British and Foreign Bible Society (B.F.B.S.)] from Cambridge and Fulham, [William Owen], Denbigh, the Rev. Legh Richmond [rector of Turvey], L. B. Seeley [London], [John Shore, 1st baron] Teignmouth [president of the B.F.B.S.], J. Smith, University Printing Office [Cambridge], Tho[mas] Smith [collector for the B.F.B.S., London], R[ichard] Watts [university printer], Cambridge, [?the Rev.] M. Whist [recte Whish], Redcllff Vicarage, and [the Rev.] W[illia]m Williams [previously curate of St. Genys], from Carmarthen. Such of the letters as bear addresses are directed to the following officials of the B.F.B.S., viz. [John Shore, 1st baron] Teignmouth (president), the Rev. John Owen and the Rev. J[oseph] Hughes (joint home secretaries), and Joseph Tam (assistant secretary). The letters and other items relate mainly to the activities of the Bible Society more particularly in respect of the demand for, and the publication of, Welsh editions of the New Testament and Bible.

Two note-books inscribed on the outside, upper covers 'C[hurch] M[ issionary] S[ociety]', and containing transcripts of, or extracts from, forty-two letters, 1799-1816, and other miscellaneous items. The writers of the letters include E[dward] Bickersteth, Norwich, John Davies of Vronhaulog, near Corwen, from Dolgelley, [the Reverend] Josh[ua] Davies [vicar of Dingestow and Tregare] from Goytre Lodge, near Abergavenny, Tho[mas] Evans, [?curate of] Llanddowror, Tim[oth]y Evans, [? vicar of] Llanbadarn Trefeglwys, Nath[aniel] Gilbert, [? rector of] Bledlow, W[illia]m Grey, York, [the Reverend] Edw[ar]d Griffin, [the Reverend] D[avid] Griffith, vicar of Nevern, ?John Hughes, Talsarn, near Lampeter, [the Reverend] John Jenkin, minister of Newchurch, from Mydrim, Benj[ami]n Jones, Haverfordwest, Hezekiah Jones [? curate of St. Bride's Wentlloog] from Cadaxton [sic], [the Reverend] Tho[ma]s Jones, [curate of] Creaton, John Mayor [? vicar of Shawbury] from Shrewsbury, [the Reverend] W[illia]m Owen, curate of Milborne Port, [the Reverend] D[avi]d Prothero, curate of Llanstephan, near Carmarthen, [the Reverend] John Roberts, [vicar of] Tremeirchion, [the Reverend] Tho[ma]s Scott, [rector of] Aston Sandford, Tho[ma]s Smith, Little Moorfields [London], [the Reverend] Ja[me]s Thomas, vicar of St. Mary's, Haverfordwest, John Venn, [? rector of] Clapham, J[ohn] Walker, Chester, and Rowland Williams, Bangor. Only in a few instances are the names of the addressees given, and on every such occasion the recipient is either the Reverend Tho[ma]s Scott or the Reverend Josiah Pratt. Both these clergymen served as secretaries of the missionary society founded in 1799 and called firstly 'The Society for Missions to Africa and the East', and subsequently 'The Church Missionary Society for Africa and the East', and the correspondence and other items transcribed in these two note-books relate largely to matters (financial contributions, recruiting, etc.) ? appertaining to this society. Other matters referred to include the edition of the Welsh Bible [published in 1799 by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge] and [the Reverend Thomas] Charles's interest in obtaining supplies thereof (No. 2), a clerical meeting held at Creaton, August 1800 (No. 4), the persecution of [the Reverend Edward] Griffin (No. 4), a proposed new edition of the Bible [with commentaries] published by Thomas Scott (Nos. 4-5), the possibility of forming a society for publishing ? abridged editions of 'the best of our divinity books' (No. 5), a Welsh treatise on infant baptism being written by Thomas Jones, Creaton (No. 5), the founding of the Bible Society in 1804 (No. 7), clergymen who had allegedly 'espoused [Joanna] Southcott's imposture' (Nos. 8 + 10), Welsh orthography (No. 29), a letter from [the Reverend Thomas] Charles, ?in the Evangelical Magazine, on the subject of teaching Welsh children to read the scriptures in their own language rather than through the medium of English, and the applicability of this principle to work in the foreign mission field (No. 42), etc.