Papers of R. Williams Parry

A collection of original material and photocopies relating to Robert Williams Parry.

Amongst the original material, there are two poems entitled Canol Oed and Blodau'r Gog (later published as Clychau'r Gog, a translation of Howard Vane's play Outward Bound, as well as numerous Eisteddfod adjudications by R. Williams Parry.

There are letters, original and photocopies, written by R. Williams Parry to various correspondents including, Rev. Huw Llewelyn Williams and Islwyn Ffowc Elis. A bundle of photocopied letters addressed to Miss L.M. Roberts of Caerffili between 1916 and 1920 includes comments made by Prof Bedwyr Lewis Jones.

There are numerous note books of lecture notes made by several individuals who attended the extra-mural classes conducted by R.Williams Parry on such subjects as Dafydd ap Gwilym and 18th and 19th century Welsh literature.

Also, photocopies of photographs of R. Williams Parry winning the chair at the 1910 National Eisteddfod, and of a poem by Derwyn Jones, celebrating the centenary of the birth of R. Williams Parry in 1984.

Robert Williams Parry, 1884-1956, poet, came to prominence in 1910 when he won the chair at the National Eisteddfod for his ode on the subject of summer.

Born in Dyffryn Nantlle, Caernarfonshire, he studied Welsh under John Morris Jones at the University College of North Wales in Bangor and after graduating in 1908 he went on to teach at several schools throughout Wales. During the First World War he was called up and spent a couple of years at camps in England.

He married in 1923 and settled at Bethesda, Caernarfonshire and became a lecturer at his own former college in Bangor, in the Welsh and Extra-Mural Departments.

Known as The poet of summer, he published two volumes of poetry, Yr Haf a Cherddi Eraill (1924) and Cerddi'r Gaeaf (1952).

Several publications have appeared on the subject of R. Williams Parry and his work. Amongst them are Bro a bywyd R. Williams Parry (1998) and Robert Williams Parry (1972).

There is no apparent system of arrangement. All items were received at different occasions and have thus been catalogued separately and incorporated into the General Collection of Bangor Manuscripts

Open to all users.

Items 27283-27298 were obtained by Bedwyr Lewis Jones from Robin Gwyndaf of Sain Ffagan.

Description compiled by Elen Wyn Hughes, February 2002 and amended March 2004.

An item level typescript catalogue is available at the Archives Department of the University of Wales Bangor. Reference numbers: General Collection of Bangor Manuscripts: 11802, 14804-14805, 15388, 15422-15424, 18288-18318, 20031-20032, 22991-22992, 23044, 27283-27298, 32619, 32881, 34525, 36543-36544

Usual copyright conditions apply. Reprographics are made at the discretion of the Archivist.

Items 15422-15424 belonged to the collection of Rev. Huw Llewelyn Williams, Valley, Anglesey.

Items 27283-27298 were once in the possession of Mrs Annetta E. Roberts.

Related material is to be found amongst other collections held at the Archives Department of the University of Wales Bangor. For further details, consult the card index located in the Reading Room of the Department. There is also a collection of R. Williams Parry papers at the National Library of Wales.

Parry, R. Williams, Cerddi'r Gaeaf (1952)

Items 27283-27298 are copies of original letters which are now held by the National Library of Wales. Item 32619 is a copy of a letter in the possession of Mr Frank Rhys Jones.