Corfanydd Papers

A collection of 441 items, which includes papers and commonplace books; some of 'Corfanydd's' various attempts to translate Milton's Paradise Lost into Welsh blank verse are included in the collection; Cofanydd's reminiscences of, and notes on, notable Liverpool Welshmen (among whom John Gibson the sculptor attracts much of his attention); and his recollections of some of the city's Welsh chapels, Rose Place, Bedford Street, Stanhope Street and Clarence Street, and Everton; a few papers relating to his life and activities in Ireland.

Robert Herbert Williams, otherwise known as 'Corfanydd' was a musician. He was born in the parish of Bangor, Caernarvonshire in 1805. His parents moved to Liverpool when he was quite young. He was brought up as a clothier and he established a business in Basnett Street, Williamson Square. When he was 17 he composed one of his best-known hymns, Dymuniad , which appeared first in Y Drysorfa , January 1835. It was later published in Casgliad o Donau (J. Ambrose Lloyd), 1843. He composed several hymn tunes and published a small collection in 1848 under the title of Alawydd Trefriw . He was also devoted to propagating an interest in metrics and particularly blank verse.

For some years Corfanydd lived at Drogheda, Ireland. He returned to Liverpool for a while and then, owing to ill health, went to live in a house called Corfandy in Menai Bridge, Anglesey. He died 20 November, 1876.

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Parch. R. Hughes y valley, Enwogion Mn, (1850-1912) , (Dolgellau: E.W. Evans, Swyddfa'r "Goleuad", 1913)

M.O.Jones, Bywgraffiaeth Cerddorion Cymreig , (Caerdydd, 1890).

J.Roberts (Ieuan Gwyllt) (ed), Y Cerddor Cymreig , (Merthyr: published by J. Roberts, 1861 - 1873).