A Manuscript of considerable interest and importance. It is useless to find in it details of cases or verdicts of trials, but there is plenty of light on procedure, on writs and warrants, payments to hosts of officials, and on the delaying tactics of Great Sessions business. The pagination up to 171 is quite in the old fashion, that is, 171 represents two pages, one being obverse; onwards from 171 there was no pagination at all, and opportunity was taken to let one figure represent a separate page. Total pages, 351. Unfortunately, there has been much vandalism committed : the first 43 are absent; 44 to 47 have been shamelessly cut; 48 to 51 are in poor condition; many leaves have been cut out altogether between the present pp.171-172.
There is not much doubt that the main personality behind the entries was John Jones of Dôl-y-moch by Maentwrog : his father Richard Jones is described as "Clerk of the Peace" (of Merioneth, presumably), while his cousin Humphrey Jones of Craflwyn by Beddgelert, was Receiver of the King's Revenue for North Wales. His father's signature can be seen on p.104b, and that of his father-in-law on p.120 - he was John ap Hugh ap John ap Robert of Braich-y-bib, and alive on 7 Oct., 1638. J.J.'s own signature occurs several times, which proves that the main script is not in his hand but in that of his clerk Ellis Hughes. J.J. died about the end of 1646 (p.171); his daughter Elizabeth, to whom reference is made on that page, was later married to Robert Wynn of Maes Mochnant in Denbighshire. Towards the end of his life John Jones had considerable interests at Meillionen near Beddgelert. A close reading of pp. 226-242 will supply evidence on the extent of the Dôl-y-moch lands and about tenancies held under J.J. Naturally, the name of his cousin Humphrey Jones occurs quite often - on 29 April, 1640 (p.140) he was at Ddôl in Edeyrnion (an estate which he had bought), while 1645 sees him at Penrhyn (170).
The names of persons in cos. Caernarvon and Anglesey are legion. E.g. John Jones acted for Thomas Cheadle of Beaumaris and Penmon (58,79,135), before and after T.C.'s marriage with Lady Anne Buckeley, widow of the fourth Sir Richard, a marriage that led to such a venomous vendetta with the Bulkeley family; also for Dr. Rowland Cheadle, T.C's brother (63, 79); also for Rowland Vaughan of Caergai (69,118); for Robert Vaughan of Hengwrt and his son Ynyr (84, 141). There was litigation Between Elizabeth Vaughan of Cors-y-gedol and the Bucks and Tanants who had married her sisters (cp. 71 with Pedigrees, 218); and in 1640 between Sir James Price of Ynysmaengwyn and the Bp. of Coventry and Lichfield who was patron of the rectory of Towyn (143). We come to know of several points hitherto obscure - how Morris, son of Sir John Wynn of Gwydir, became in 1639 owner of Crogen instead of Morgan Lloyd (142b); that the name of the tenant of Cerrigellgwm in 1640 was a John Vaughan (154); that John Lloyd of Dduallt did not die "before 1615" (Pedigrees 192), but was alive in 1642-3 (157). We learn a good deal about procedure in the Court of Wards and Liveries from the case of Richard Griffith (156b), and how easy it was to lose or mislay the records of the Exchequer at Caernarvon by their being carried away for several days to Beaumaris (144).
Pp. 172-225 are in a much later hand, probably of the same family, relating to various disbursements, 1672-1675.