Ceiriog manuscripts

Papers, 1827-1914, of or relating to John Ceiriog Hughes (Ceiriog) containing material largely of literary and eisteddfodic interest. They include correspondence, [1852x1855]-1914, to and from Ceiriog, and also letters of his wife Annie Hughes and his daughter Delia Ceiriog Evans; autograph poetry, 1857-1887; press cuttings, [1853x1911], which include poetry by Ceiriog and obituaries and tributes to him; and a copy of Oriau'r Hwyr (Ruthin, [1860]), with press cuttings of reviews.

John Ceiriog Hughes, poet, was born John Hughes at Llanarmon in 1832. At a very young age he had already published poems in the periodical Baner Cymru and edited a poetry column in Y Greal. His first poetical mentor was Robert Ellis (Cynddelw). In 1849 Hughes moved to Manchester, obtaining a job as goods station clerk in London Road. The young man soon entered the circle of influential Welsh literary figures living at that time in Manchester, a circle which included William Williams (Creuddynfab), Robert Jones Derfel and John Jones (Idris Fychan). It was R. J. Derfel who taught Hughes the value of Wales, the Welsh language and its poetical tradition and it was under Derfel's influence that Hughes added 'Ceiriog' to his name. Idris Fychan passed on to Hughes his love of collecting Welsh airs and melodies, a practice which Hughes kept up thereafter throughout his life. Around 1863, Hughes published Cant o Ganeuon, a collection of Welsh airs to which he had added words of his own composition, effectively rendering the airs into songs. The composer Brinley Richards included Hughes's words to music in his Songs of Wales (London, 1873). In 1865 Hughes returned to Wales and took up the post of station-master at Llanidloes, transferring in 1870 to Tywyn. In 1871 he was appointed railway inspector on the newly-opened line between Caersws and the Van lead mines near Llanidloes. He died in 1887 and was buried at Llanwnog. A collection of Hughes's last poems, Yr Oriau Olaf, were published by Isaac Foulkes (Llyfrbryf) in 1888.

Arranged according to NLW MSS reference numbers: NLW MSS 4551-4553, 5400A, 5559B, 10165-10195, 15599-15601, 17527B, 21620B, 24172D.

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NLW MSS 4551-4553: David Jones, JP; Liverpool; Donation; October 1920.
NLW MS 5400A: Mrs Delia Ceiriog Evans, daughter of Ceiriog; Donation; October 1927.
NLW MS 5559B: Mr R. Barrow Griffith; Barmouth; Donation; May 1927.
NLW MSS 10165-10195: Mrs Delia Ceiriog Evans; London; Purchase; 1935.
NLW MSS 15599-15601: Mrs D. Ceiriog Evans; Aberystwyth; Purchase; December 1947.
NLW MS 17527B: Mrs Victoria Decima Evans, daughter-in-law of Mrs D. Ceiriog Evans (per Mr Ffransis G. Payne, MA, FSA, St. Fagans); Penarth; Donation; December 1960.
NLW MS 21620B: Mrs Phyllida Lindsay, great-grand-daughter of Ceiriog; London; Donation; April 1979.
NLW MS 24172D: Mr Gareth Vaughan Williams; Wrexham; Donation; April 2021; 991110928602419.

John Ceiriog Hughes, poet, was born John Hughes at Llanarmon in 1832. At a very young age he had already published poems in the periodical Baner Cymru and edited a poetry column in Y Greal. His first poetical mentor was Robert Ellis (Cynddelw). In 1849 Hughes moved to Manchester, obtaining a job as goods station clerk in London Road. The young man soon entered the circle of influential Welsh literary figures living at that time in Manchester, a circle which included William Williams (Creuddynfab), Robert Jones Derfel and John Jones (Idris Fychan). It was R. J. Derfel who taught Hughes the value of Wales, the Welsh language and its poetical tradition and it was under Derfel's influence that Hughes added 'Ceiriog' to his name. Idris Fychan passed on to Hughes his love of collecting Welsh airs and melodies, a practice which Hughes kept up thereafter throughout his life. Around 1863, Hughes published Cant o Ganeuon, a collection of Welsh airs to which he had added words of his own composition, effectively rendering the airs into songs. The composer Brinley Richards included Hughes's words to music in his Songs of Wales (London, 1873). In 1865 Hughes returned to Wales and took up the post of station-master at Llanidloes, transferring in 1870 to Tywyn. In 1871 he was appointed railway inspector on the newly-opened line between Caersws and the Van lead mines near Llanidloes. He died in 1887 and was buried at Llanwnog. A collection of Hughes's last poems, Yr Oriau Olaf, were published by Isaac Foulkes (Llyfrbryf) in 1888.

The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales, Volume III (Aberystwyth, 1961); Y Bywgraffiadur Cymreig hyd 1940 (Llundain, 1953); Oxford Dictionary of National Biography on-line

Title based on contents of fonds.

NLW MSS 10165-10195 formerly Ceiriog MSS 1-31.

In a letter, dated 12 November 1947, to the Librarian at NLW, Delia Ceiriog Hughes confirms that her Father 'did have a disastrous fire in the little room where he kept his precious papers', accounting for the condition of NLW MS 15601E and possibly suggesting the loss of other papers.

NLW MSS 10165-10195: Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales, Volume III (Aberystwyth, 1961), pp. 193-198.

August 2008 and May 2011.

Description compiled by Bethan Ifan for the retrospective conversion project of NLW MSS, and revised by Bethan Ifan.

Usual copyright laws apply.

NLW MSS 15599-15601 purchased by Delia Ceiriog Evans from an unidentified seller (cf. NLW MS 17527B, ff. 57-70).

See also NLW MSS 239B, 307B, 585B, 7381B and 9019C.

Published

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales