File Peniarth MS 145 [RESTRICTED ACCESS]. - Llyfr Edward ap Dafydd

A collection of pedigrees made by Edward Davies of Rhiwlas, Llansilin (signatures, some in legal script, are on, e.g., pp. 267, 286, 289, 290). The pedigrees, set out in narrative form, are mainly of local interest. Edward Davies is the primary hand, a variable one, of pp. 23-6, 35-6, 45-50, 55-62 and 71-298. On pp. 133-4, 283-5 and 291-2 he copied cywyddau, an englyn and a cerdd rydd, of [16-17 cent.], and in his later hand added two Llywarch Hen englynion on p. 233. He was writing in 1640-1 (pp. 267, 288) and appears by 1641 to have written much of the manuscript ('rhyfedi dolene y llyfer yma ydiw un a deigain ... 1641', p. 292). Characteristic of his later additions, including ones dated 1646 (pp. 200, 201), 1663 (p. 126) and 1670 (p. 47), is ink of an orange shade. On p. 267 he cites as a source ‘Llyfr Lewys Gwynn vicar Llanrhaidr y Mochnant’ [Lewis Gwynn(e), vicar 1616–25, cf. BL Add. 9867]. Another hand, also in 1641, added ‘Iach Llwydied Llwynymaen’ on pp. 51–4. The title ‘Llyvyr Edward ap Davydd’ [see RMWL] was probably taken from the cover of ‘old limp vellum’, no longer preserved. On pp. 310–11 a neat hand of [17 cent., second ½] added the pedigree of Richard earl of Carbery. Another, writing in 1685 (see pp. 11, 16), made substantial additions to the manuscript, notably of Kynaston pedigrees, with new foliation, and on pp. 1–4 an index of names of abodes. This hand wrote, e.g., pp. 7–23, 299–309 and 313–16, besides making other additions. Further additions were made throughout by John Davies of Rhiwlas (son of Edward) (pp. 4–6, 29–34, 37–44, etc., one on p. 41 dated 1698).