The Boston Manuscript
Saturday 13 July at 1.00 p.m. is certainly one of this year’s highlights for the Friends of The National Library.
Dr Maredudd ap Huw discusses the Boston Manuscript and its signifigance.
The manuscript was bought by the National Library for £541,250 at auction in Sotheby’s in London on Tuesday 10 July 2012.
The Heritage Lottery Fund supported the bid with a grant £467,000 with the remainder of the money from the Library’s own funds and a grant from the Welsh Government.
The pocket-sized book, written in medieval Welsh and featuring coloured decoration, is one of the earliest manuscript of its kind ever offered in a public sale and was auctioned by the Massachusetts Historical Society who were likely to have been given the manuscript as a gift from Welsh emigrants in the early 19th century.
This small parchment volume is a very early example of a key text in the history of Welsh law and would have been used by an itinerant judge in South Wales in the 14th century. It offers a new window into the development of Welsh identity and cultural life.
Gwyneth Davies describes volunteering oppurtunities for members of the public to play their part in helping the Library achieve its objectives. This enables them to work on a variety of interesting projects and tasks that the Library staff would never have the time to complete.
Finally John Dilwyn Williams, Chair of the Association relates to the history of the
Madryn Estate on the southern coast of the Llŷn Peninsula.
The Grade 2 listed building houses a magnificent Jacobean staircase, stained glass windows, hammer beam roof and 10 airy gallery spaces.
Admission by ticket – £3.50
(01970) 632 548