Letters to Abraham Howell,

Holograph letters addressed to Abraham Howell at Welshpool and very occasionally elsewhere, by his brother David Howell mainly from Machynlleth. 12558D. Seventy-seven letters, 1833-1837 (financial and legal matters [relating to the professional activities of the two brothers in the solicitors' offices in which they were working in Welshpool and Machynlleth respectively], personal and family affairs including the writer's efforts to improve his education, his inclination to seek a post in Manchester so that he could study at the Mechanics' Institution, his prospects in his law career at Machynlleth, his attempts to become an articled clerk, the problem of deciding upon a career for [their brother] George, the sending of [their sister] Elinor to school at Minsterley [co. Salop], and the health of their brother Edward, the possibility of a new bank being opened at Machynlleth, the certificates of registration of a chapel at Mallwyd and of Hebron chapel at Aberangell (1836), mention of Llanbrynmair and Diosg schools, the presenting of the rules of the Darowen Friendly Society to the [Quarter] Sessions (1836), a fire at [Machynlleth] (1836), mention of the Mer[ioneth] election (1836), a public dinner and ? firework display to be organised [at Machynlleth] to celebrate the coming of age of Princess Victoria) (one of the letters contains an abstract of the contents of a letter sent by another brother, Lewis Howell, from Lake Providence, Louiziana, to his father and mother, January 1837, in which he comments on wages, land transactions, cotton growing, etc., in that state). 12559D. Seventy-two letters, 1838-1840 (the financial and legal activities of the two brothers, personal and family news, the writer's career prospects in the solicitor's office in which he was employed at Machynlleth, [their sister] Ellen's schooling at Minsterley, the writer's impressions of James Rees Jones ['Kilsby'] the prospective minister of Capel y Graig [Independent Church at Machynlleth], the members who had separated from Capel y Graig, trouble concerning possession of the said chapel and the advisability of having it registered, a plan to invest in property in London (the letter referring to this topic is accompanied by a copy of a letter from David Howell to his brother Evan in London giving more details of the plan), the tenancy of a factory [? at Llanbryn- mair] (the letter referring to this point is on the dorse of a lengthy letter to Abraham Howell from [Elinor Howell] his mother, from Llanbrynmair, 27 November 1838, containing local news including details of a fatal shooting accident near Diosk [farm, Llanbryn-mair], news of [the recipient's brother] Lewis in America, moral exhortations to the recipient and his brothers and sisters in the form of verse, and a long poem advocating the cause of temperance), an attack by Hugh Thomas, clerk to the Board of Guardians [of the Machynlleth Union], on Captain Thruston [? chairman of the board] at [his home in] Talgarth, the election of the writer as clerk to the aforementioned Board of Guardians as successor to Thomas (some of the letters dealing with this election are dated January 1838, but this is a mistake for 1839 as the election was held in January of that year), a query with regard to the registration of a Calvinistic Methodist chapel at Aberangell in 1836, a subscription by the writer towards six copies of the Rev[eren]David W[illiam] Williams ['Caledfryn']: Drych Barddonol [neu Draethawd ar Farddoniaeth . . ., Caernarfon, 1839], a meeting to discuss enclosing 'the Park and other Commons', possible proposals for enclosures in the manor of Cyfeiliog) the letters contain occasional references to Samuel Roberts and John Roberts, the writer's cousins). 12560D. Eighty letters, 1841-1845 (personal and family news, legal and financial transactions by the writer and recipient, the commutation of Machynlleth tithes, a query concerning the legal venue for the parliamentary election for the county of Montgomery (1841), doubts as to 'whether the Conservative voters at Newtown will be allowed by the mob to vote' [? in the election for the borough seat], a post for [their brother] George in Liverpool, the moving of the Dovey bridge toll gate and the building of a road by Sir John Edwards, owner of Ffrydd, in order to evade paying toll at the new gate, the birth of recipient's son, mention of the certificate of registration of Capel y Graig [Independent Chapel at Machynlleth], [their sister] Hannah's schooling, the mental illness of [ their brother] Samuel, a request for advice in connection with the commutation of Darowen tithes).

Title based on contents.

Formerly known as A. Stanley Davies 1-3.

Preferred citation: NLW MS 12559D.

Published