Southey and Williams Wynn Papers,

This collection comprises poetry by Robert Southey and correspondence between him and his friend and patron Charles Watkin Williams Wynn, son of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, 4th bart, of Wynnstay, Denbighshire, also letters to Charles's brother, Sir Henry Watkin Williams Wynn. There are 540 letters from Southey to Charles, 364 from Charles to Southey and 759 from Charles to Henry (see also NLW MSS 2789-2806).

Robert Southey (1774-1843), poet and reviewer, was born in Bristol. He was appointed poet laureate in 1813.

Charles Watkin Williams-Wynn of Llangedwyn, Denbighshire was the second son of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, 4th bart, of Wynnstay. Following private tutorship, Wynn was admitted to Westminster School in 1784 before entering Christ Church, Oxford in 1791, where he met his lifelong friend, the poet Robert Southey. In 1795 Wynn was admitted to Lincoln's Inn and was called to the bar in 1798. He served as recorder for the Oxford and North Wales circuits for some seven years before being elected bencher in 1835. Wynn is best known for his glittering political career, successively serving as Undersecretary for the Home Department from 1806 to 1807, President of the Board of Control from 1822 to 1828, Secretary of War from 1830-1831 and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from 1834 to 1835. He continued as M.P. for Montgomeryshire from his election in 1799 until his death over fifty years later. Wynn held some interest in Welsh antiquities and the Welsh language and attended eisteddfodau, but was not an ardent patriot, as evidenced by his support, in 1817, of assimilating the (separate) Welsh judiciary system with that of England. Wynn's later years were dogged by ill-health, no doubt exacerbated by the deaths of family members, including his wife Mary (née Cunliffe) in 1838, and that of his friend Robert Southey in 1843. He died at his London home and his only surviving son, also called Charles, succeeded to his 1,600 acre Montgomeryshire estate of Coed-maen, near Meifod.

Arranged according to NLW MSS reference numbers: NLW MSS 4811-4819.

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Presented by Arthur W. Williams Wynn, Coedymaen, Meifod, Montgomeryshire, October 1922 & July 1923.

Robert Southey (1774-1843), poet and reviewer, was born in Bristol. He was appointed poet laureate in 1813.

Charles Watkin Williams-Wynn of Llangedwyn, Denbighshire was the second son of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, 4th bart, of Wynnstay. Following private tutorship, Wynn was admitted to Westminster School in 1784 before entering Christ Church, Oxford in 1791, where he met his lifelong friend, the poet Robert Southey. In 1795 Wynn was admitted to Lincoln's Inn and was called to the bar in 1798. He served as recorder for the Oxford and North Wales circuits for some seven years before being elected bencher in 1835. Wynn is best known for his glittering political career, successively serving as Undersecretary for the Home Department from 1806 to 1807, President of the Board of Control from 1822 to 1828, Secretary of War from 1830-1831 and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from 1834 to 1835. He continued as M.P. for Montgomeryshire from his election in 1799 until his death over fifty years later. Wynn held some interest in Welsh antiquities and the Welsh language and attended eisteddfodau, but was not an ardent patriot, as evidenced by his support, in 1817, of assimilating the (separate) Welsh judiciary system with that of England. Wynn's later years were dogged by ill-health, no doubt exacerbated by the deaths of family members, including his wife Mary (née Cunliffe) in 1838, and that of his friend Robert Southey in 1843. He died at his London home and his only surviving son, also called Charles, succeeded to his 1,600 acre Montgomeryshire estate of Coed-maen, near Meifod.

The descriptions are also available in the Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales, Volume II (Aberystwyth, 1951).

September 2005.

This description was compiled by Bethan Ifans for the retrospective conversion project of NLW MSS;

Certain of the Wynn-Southey letters have been published, first in 1849-1850 by Southey's son, Charles Cuthbert Southey, and afterwards, in 1856, by John Wood Warter.

Published

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales