Letters to the Reverend Elias Owen,

Thirty-two holograph letters, 1872-1898 and undated, some addressed to, and all, by inference, written to, the Rev[erend] Elias Owen. The writers include B[railsford] H[arty] Beedham, Bangor, Conway, and Kimbolton, 1872-1877 and undated (10) ( personal, the writer's visits to North Wales, and to sites of archaeological interest there, including Pen Gaer Helen, the cromlech at Bryn Celli du, the cromlechs at Presaddfed, and the chambered example at Trefigneth, hopes of ascending 'the Rivals, to that early British village' (1876), recipient's paper on the Llanllechid huts [see Elias Owen: 'Arvona Antiqua', Archaeologia Cambrensis, 3rd series, vol. XII, pp. 215-28, vol. XIII, pp. 102-08, 4th series, vol. III, pp. 239-48], sketches required by the writer in connection with a 'further work on Abp. Williams' [the British Museum Catalogue lists two items by Beedham relating to Archbishop John Williams (1582-1650), viz. The Unpublished Correspondence between Archbishop Williams and the Marquis of Ormond (London, 1869), and Notices of Archbishop Williams (London, 1869). Neither of these is illustrated], letters of the said archbishop amongst the London Corporation muniments, references to Sir John Lubbock: Prehistoric Times . . . (2nd edition [1869 ])), Tho[ma]s Darlington, Aberystwyth and West Dulwich, 1897 (2) (thanks for 'the Folklore' [recipient's work Welsh Folk-Lore, a collection of the folk-tales and legends of North Wales (Oswestry and Wrexham, ? 1896)], forms in connection with Porthywaen and Llanyblodwel [schools], a promise to write to John [aft. Sir John] Rhys [ principal of Jesus College, Oxford], and Sir John Williams, the latter's influence with the Prince [of Wales] and the Royal Family, lack of opportunity to write to Sir John owing to the writer's illness and Sir John's attendance upon the Duchess of York during her accouchement, a recommendation that Llanyblodwel [school] be given a higher grant), T. W. Davies, North and South Wales Bank Limited, Welshpool, 1893-1894 (3) (information relating to [the Reverend Griffith] Edwards ('Gutyn Padarn') [ poet and antiquary], the medals Edwards had won at eisteddfodau, forwarding recipient a photograph of Edwards and a volume of his poems, etc. [Gwaith Prydyddawl . . ., hefyd traethawd ar ansawdd a dibenion barddoniaeth (Bala, 1846)], the writer's correspondence with a co-executor concerning 'Mr. Edwards works' [subsequently edited by recipient, and published as The Works of the Rev. Griffith Edwards, 'Gutyn Padarn' . . . ( London, 1895)]), William H[enry] Goss, Stoke on Trent, 1897-1898 (4) (personal, pleasure owing to the fact that 'the Jewitt and Review volumes' had pleased recipient [the first possibly W. H. Goss: The Life and Death of Llewellynn Jewitt . . . (London, 1889)], enquiring whether recipient had received a copy of the writer's 'Hebrew Captives of the Kings of Assyria', the writer's work on his proposed book on 'Primitive Man and his work', proverbs sent by recipient), Robert Isaac Jones ('Alltud Eifion'), Madoc Printing Office, Tremadoc, 1896 (apologies for the fact that the Brython was out of print, except for a few copies of the 1860 volume and odd numbers for 1861-1862, drawing recipient's attention to 'the 2nd Edition of the Brython quarto in one Royal Octavo size, which we have in the press', forwarding prospectuses and a pamphlet, drawing attention to 'our list of School Books such as Rhodd Mam Eglwysig, Anerchiadau i Athrawon [? Robert Isaac Jones: Anerchiadau Caredig at Athrawon ac Athrawesau yr Ysgol Sabbothol yng Nghymru (Tremadog)], and Yr Eglwys yn gartre y Cristion [Y Parch E[dward] L[ewis] Lloyd: Yr Eglwys yn Gartref y Cristion (Tremadog)]', and to the writer's own volume on the antiquities of the neighbourhood of Tremadoc [Y Gestiana, sef Hanes Tre'r Gest . . . (Tremadog, ? 1892)]), [ the Honourable] Fanny [Mary Catherine] Bulkeley Owen, West Felton, Oswestry, [18]95 (thanking recipient for a book, thoughts of learning Welsh, forwarding an 'Ode to our Prince', the unanimity of all shades of opinion in 'joining in the Memorial', the writer's 'Mother's Union Litany', which had been translated [into Welsh], an offer to supply copies to Welsh speaking parishes), Alfred Neobard Palmer, Wrexham, 1892 (3) (the writer's change of address, a loan to recipient of two volumes of Antiquary, a reminder that 'similar traditions to those described by Mr. Gomme attach in Wales to the churches of Llangar, Corwen, and old St. David, Denbigh' [ See G. L. Gomme: 'Some Traditions and Superstitions connected with Buildings', The Antiquary, vol. III, pp. 8-113, and follow-up correspondence, ibid., vol. III, pp. 188-9, vol. IV, pp. 33-4, 85], the fear of the witch or dewines 'throughout this part of rural Wales', an example of this attitude amongst the writer's servants, the story of the fairies who removed the stones placed in position for building the church of St. David, Denbigh, the writer's wish to hear more of the game called ' chwareu twmpath', and of the mounds called 'twmpathau chwareu', a reference to nail parings as a love charm in [Ellis Wynne: Gweledigaetheu] y Bardd Cwsc), [the Reverend] H[enry] Parry [vicar of] Llanfairisgaer, [18]79 (2) (the location of ? Crug mound in the parish of Llanfairisgaer, mention of Crug house, the discovery of the 'shield of the Wynns of Crug', cut in stone in the wall of the parish church and plastered over, when the church was being restored five years previously, the geographical location of Isgwyrfae, mention of the remains of an old chapel in the area where Crug was situated, and of former arrangements concerning tithes in that portion of the parish), [Messrs] Elliot Stock, London, 1894 (matters relating to 'Mr. Edwards's papers' [? the recipient's edition of the works of the Reverend Griffith Edwards, published by Elliot Stock, London, 1895. See letters from T. W. Davies above]), Cha[rle]s Holland Warne, Brighton, 1888 (2) (notifying recipient that he was sending him a copy of [Charles Warne:] The Celtic Tumuli of Dorset . . . [(London, 1866)], acknowledging receipt of a copy of The Old Stone Crosses . . .), and Owen Williamson, Dwyran, Anglesey, 1895-1897 (3) (personal, the writer's ill health, some data re his schooling and teaching career, his book on New-borough [Hanes Niwbwrch (Lerpwl)], correspondence with recipient's brother, the Rev[erend] Elijah Owen, rector of Llangoed, a proposed 'historical novel on the modern progress of Newborough', the absence of literary men and archaeologists within reach of the writer, the lack of archaeological interest amongst the clergy of the rural deanery, profuse thanks to recipient for the gift of a book [? The Works of the Rev. Griffith Edwards ], mention of the writer's father R[obert] M[ona] Williamson ('Bardd Du Môn'), and two of his eisteddfodic compositions, viz., 'a marwnad to Sir Watkin [Williams-Wynn, 5th bart., of Wynnstay]', submitted for competition at an eisteddfod held at Liverpool, 1840, and 'Awdl y Greadigaeth', submitted at Aberffraw, 1848 [? recte 1849, and subsequently published under that title (Caernarfon, 1849)], an essay on 'Olion y Goresgyniad Gwyddelig yng Ngwynedd', which the writer had composed for an eisteddfod to be held at Llangefni, Easter 1897, his subsequent discovery that [William Basil Jones], late bishop of St. Davids, had written a book entitled Vestiges of the Gael in Gwynedd [(London, 1851)], his suspicion that someone, who had a copy of the bishop's work, had purposely made this topic the subject of the competition, enquiries whether recipient had a copy available, the publishing, in 1897, of a Welsh poem of over 3,000 lines on the wisdom of God, left in manuscript by the writer's father [Pryddest ar Ddoethineb Duw (Caernarfon [1897])]).

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Title based on contents.

Preferred citation: NLW MS 12645C.

The description is also available in the Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales, Volume IV (Aberystwyth, 1971).

Description compiled by Bethan Ifans for the retrospective conversion project of NLW MSS. The following source was used in the compilation of this description: Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales, Volume IV (Aberystwyth, 1971).

For further material of or relating to the Reverend Elias Owen see NLW MSS 12644D, 12646C.

Published

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