Traherne-Mansel Franklen Manuscripts,

Manuscripts, [16 cent.]-1930, consisting to a large extent of the collections of the Reverend John Montgomery Traherne of Coedriglan, Glamorgan and of members of his family and that of the Mansel Franklen family of St Hilary, Glamorgan. A minor group included in the collection (MSS 6606-6615) represents the papers of William Davies, Cringell, near Neath, Glamorgan. The material includes correspondence of John Montgomery Traherne and correspondence and other material of or relating to John Walters, rector of Llandough; nineteenth-century music manuscript books, some of which belonged to members of the Talbot family of Penrice and Margam; a manuscript in the hand of Thomas Richards of Coychurch; a notebook of Jean Poingdestre; historical and other material of Glamorgan interest, including material relating to the Stradling family of St Donat's Castle, the Mansel and Talbot families of Margam and Penrice, and Sir Matthew Cradock; a sixteenth-seventeenth-century manuscript of poetry; together with political material, antiquities, pedigrees, transcripts and translations, newspaper cuttings, etc.

John Montgomery Traherne, probably the most notable Glamorgan antiquary of his day, was born at Coedriglan, near Cardiff, the son of Llewellyn Traherne, who had inherited the Coedriglan estate. John Montgomery Traherne's early interest in scientific matters is evidenced by his later election to the Linnaean Society (1813), the Geological Society (1817) and the Royal Society (1823). In 1830 he married Charlotte Louisa, daughter of Thomas Mansel Talbot of Margam. Having been for some time deeply immersed in the history of Glamorgan, he was elected to the Society of Antiquaries in 1838. From 1844 to 1851 he served as chancellor of the diocese of Llandaff. Traherne corresponded extensively with leading figures in both the scientific and literary worlds. Sir Rice Mansel (d. 1559) of Penrice and Oxwich purchased Margam Abbey from the Crown. The family's connection with the Talbots of Wiltshire was established when John Talbot of Lacock Abbey married Mary Mansel, daughter of Thomas Mansel (d. 1723), the first baron Mansel. The manor of St Hilary in Cowbridge, Glamorgan originates from the sixteenth century. It became part of the Traherne estate during the nineteenth century and was also the residence of Sir Thomas Mansel Franklen (d. 1928), antiquary and clerk of the peace for Glamorgan.

Arranged according to NLW MSS reference numbers: NLW MSS 6511-6615, 11964-11981.

Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to abide by the conditions noted on the 'Modern papers - data protection' form issued with their readers' tickets.

NLW MSS 6511-6615; Lady Mansel Franklen; St Hilary, Glamorgan; Presentation; 1928 and 1929
NLW MS 11964; Lady Mansel Franklen; St Hilary, Glamorgan; Presentation; 1938
NLW MSS 11965-11967; Executors of Lady Mansel Franklen; Presentation; 1938
NLW MSS 11968-11981; Executors of Lady Mansel Franklen; Purchase; 1938

John Montgomery Traherne, probably the most notable Glamorgan antiquary of his day, was born at Coedriglan, near Cardiff, the son of Llewellyn Traherne, who had inherited the Coedriglan estate. John Montgomery Traherne's early interest in scientific matters is evidenced by his later election to the Linnaean Society (1813), the Geological Society (1817) and the Royal Society (1823). In 1830 he married Charlotte Louisa, daughter of Thomas Mansel Talbot of Margam. Having been for some time deeply immersed in the history of Glamorgan, he was elected to the Society of Antiquaries in 1838. From 1844 to 1851 he served as chancellor of the diocese of Llandaff. Traherne corresponded extensively with leading figures in both the scientific and literary worlds. Sir Rice Mansel (d. 1559) of Penrice and Oxwich purchased Margam Abbey from the Crown. The family's connection with the Talbots of Wiltshire was established when John Talbot of Lacock Abbey married Mary Mansel, daughter of Thomas Mansel (d. 1723), the first baron Mansel. The manor of St Hilary in Cowbridge, Glamorgan originates from the sixteenth century. It became part of the Traherne estate during the nineteenth century and was also the residence of Sir Thomas Mansel Franklen (d. 1928), antiquary and clerk of the peace for Glamorgan.

The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales, Volume II (Aberystwyth, 1951) and Volume IV (Aberystwyth, 1971); Archifau Cymru=Archives Wales WWW site, viewed 4 Nov. 2009; Vale of Glamorgan County Treasures on-line site, viewed 4 Nov. 2009; Y Bywgraffiadur Ar-lein, viewed via WWW 4 Nov. 2009; Oxford Dictionary of National Biography WWW site, viewed 11 Nov. 2009; Wikipedia WWW site, viewed 12 Nov. 2009; The Peerage WWW site, viewed 10 March 2010.

Title based on contents.

Formerly known as Traherne-Mansel Franklen 1-123.

The descriptions are also available in the Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales, Volume II (Aberystwyth, 1951) and Volume IV (Aberystwyth, 1971).

November 2009 and March 2010.

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

Usual copyright laws apply.

Some parts of the the Reverend John Montgomery Traherne's collection were originally housed at Margam Abbey, Glamorgan.

See NLW MSS 5231E, 5232-5233D, 5234E for further papers from William Davies, Cringell's collection. See also the NLW Mansel Franklen collection of Glamorgan historical papers. For details of the main Margam Abbey group of muniments, refer to the six-volume Catalogue of the Penrice and Margam Manuscripts prepared by Walter de Gray Birch and also the three volumes of typewritten schedules prepared by the National Library.

Published