Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- [c. 1584]-1616 (Creation)
Level of description
File
Extent and medium
349 ff. (ff. i-ii + pp. 1-698) : paper ; 203 x 152 mm. Foliation 1-343 (= pp. 1-690) by Siôn Rhydderch, with a few errors (see note by W.R.M. Wynne on loose slip at f. ii); his ff. 267-8 are now wanting. Pages 691-8 are extraneous loose leaves: pp. 691-2 contain French verse, [18-19 cent.]; on pp. 693-4, a fragmentary leaf, ‘Fui liber Edwardi Davies de Rhiwlas’, probably a stray from Peniarth MS 144 or 145.
Rebound in white vellum about 1900. A cardboard wrapper of about that date is preserved apart.
Context area
Archival history
Added in margins (e.g. pp. 195, 199, 219) are Latin tags, and on pp. 140 and 446 verse in English and Welsh, [17 cent.]. Inscribed names, [17 cent.]: John Davies (pp. 71, 76, 237, 269, 433, 446), Mathew Humphreys (p. 269), David Morgan (p. 433), Owen Jones (pp. 237, 265, 446) and Lewis Gwynne (p. 446); of [17-18 cent.]: Siors Williams (p. 141) and David Manuel (p. 329). Perhaps associated with the latter is an englyn by ‘D M’ added on p. 156, though not by the same hand. On pp. 16, 18 and 462 is an index of contents, up to p. 402, in the hand of Siôn Rhydderch, who also provided the corresponding foliation. A note on p. 402, ‘Thus far you’ll find in the index Fol. 8 & 9’, is in the hand of William Wynn of Llangynhafal: the manuscript probably reached Hengwrt with the collection of Griffith Roberts.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
A volume of collections of poems by Lewys Dwnn probably made up after his death. Lewys Dwnn customarily made retrospective copies of his own poems and usually gave their dates; he is explicit in his subscription on p. 402, dated 1607. The apparent constituent parts are six. Many leaves are damaged at their edges.
(i) pp. 1-72. Poems by Lewys Dwnn, mostly cywyddau, for the most part dated 1600-7, one as early as 1590, all probably written about 1607, together with copies of a few other cywyddau of [15 cent.], all in the hand of Lewys Dwnn.
(ii) pp. 73-432. Poems by Lewys Dwnn dated 1599-1603, a few dated 1577-83, all probably copied c. 1603, with a few cywyddau by others, of [14-16 cent.], and on pp. 231-40 ‘Ymddiddan Tristan ac Esyllt’ [printed in Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies, 5 (1929-31), 115-29]. Written by Lewys Dwnn (pp. 80-6, 91-9, etc.) with the help of perhaps five amanuenses: A, probably the young James Dwnn (pp. 73-80); B, the main helper (pp. 87-91, 100-6, 115-26, etc.); C (pp. 136-40, 187-94); D (pp. 195-7). Many poems copied by the amanuenses are signed by Lewys Dwnn himself.
(iii) pp. 433-46. Poems by Lewys Dwnn dated 1614-16, all autograph, his hand tremulous.
(iv) pp. 447-506. Poems by Lewys Dwnn dated 1601-4, with two earlier, 1590 and 1592, all probably written c. 1604, autograph except for pp. 491-5 (by Dwnn’s amanuensis, apparently James Dwnn).
(v) pp. 507-616. Poems by Lewys Dwnn dated 1568-84, in his early hand, all probably written c. 1584, headings in red.
(vi) pp. 617-90. Poems by Lewys Dwnn dated 1604-5, all autograph except for pp. 649-58, which are written by a good collaborating secretary hand; one poem dated 1607 (pp. 689-90).
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Access to the original manuscript by authorised permission only. Readers are directed to use surrogate copies.
Conditions governing reproduction
Usual copyright laws apply.
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Welsh.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
A detailed list of the manuscript's contents may be found in J. Gwenogvryn Evans, Report on Manuscripts in the Welsh Language, vol. I (London, 1898-1905), 592-603.
Description based on Daniel Huws, A Repertory of Manuscripts and Scribes c.800-c.1800 (Aberystwyth, 2022), I, 376.
Generated finding aid
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Available on microfilm at the Library.
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Formerly Hengwrt MS 176.
Note
Preferred citation: Peniarth MS 96 [RESTRICTED ACCESS].
Note
Title based on contents.
Alternative identifier(s)
Virtua system control number
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Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
March 2024.
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
Archivist's note
Description revised by Maredudd ap Huw.