George Owen's 'Description of Penbrokeshire',

An early seventeenth century manuscript containing the first book of the 'Description of Penbrokeshire' by George Owen of Henllys. The date at the beginning of the text, following the list of contents, is 'Lune 13 Decembr' 1602' and at the end is the inscription 'finis 18 Maij 1603' followed by 'Opus iij Mensu[m] Magna per Intervalla'. There are a number of directions to the copyist and Harleian MS 6250, the text edited by Henry Owen in the Cymmrodorion Record Series, No. I (1892), is probably a fair-copy of the present manuscript. There are also marks indicating that George Owen checked the copy in late July-August 1603. Comparison with the text edited by Henry Owen shows that a few sections (underlined or crossed out, etc.) in the present manuscript have been omitted in Harleian MS 6250, viz. the passage in chapter 1 which is quoted by Henry Owen on p. 239 of his edition, n. 1, a paragraph on ff. 23 verso-24 recto (anc. 13 verso- 14 recto) of the present manuscript beginning 'Giraldus Cambrensis writinge of the nature of the people of this Countrye hath these wordes', a list of fish on ff. 65 verso-66 verso (anc. 56 verso-57 verso), and a section in chapter 21, ff. 95 verso- 96 verso (anc. 87 verso-88 verso), beginning '& gave them his said deputies his absolute power to execute all thinges in his absens . . . by the kinges maties [sic] that nowe is kinge James kinge of England Scotland Fraunce & Ireland &c' (cf. Henry Owen, op. cit., p. 167, n. 2). Loose inside is a description of the manuscript by 'H.G .' [? Henry Gough], 19 Dec. 1871.

George Owen (1552-1613), antiquary, was born at Henllys, near Newport, Pembrokeshire. His most important work, The Description of Penbrokshire, was begun in December 1602.

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George Owen (1552-1613), antiquary, was born at Henllys, near Newport, Pembrokeshire. His most important work, The Description of Penbrokshire, was begun in December 1602.

Title based on contents.

Preferred citation: NLW MS 13212D.

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

Text

Folios 6, 48 (?blank), 66 (blank) and 116-20 (=chapter 26) wanting; f. 75 torn.

June 2010.

Description compiled by Bethan Ifans for the retrospective conversion project of NLW MSS.

The manuscript was formerly in the library of the Marquis of Bute (H.M.C. Third Report, pp. 202-3). It had previously been in the Sebright collection (seal and number '51') (see Eiluned Rees and Gwyn Walters, 'The Dispersion of the Manuscripts of Edward Lhuyd', in The Welsh History Review, Vol. 7, No. 2, 1974, pp. 148- 78). The name 'John Owen Esq.' occurs on the cover and on f. 138 verso are the names 'John Owen', 'John Lewis', and 'Erasmus Saunders de Kilrhedin in Com' Carmarthen gent.'

See B. G. Charles, George Owen of Henllys (Aberystwyth, 1973), pp. 189-90, 193, et passim, and Annual Report of the National Library of Wales, 1971-1972, pp. 57-8.

Published

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales