When I think about the Romany, I remember a neighbour’s story about her brother and his friend struggling to return to their home in Llanybydder during the great snow of 1947. The pair managed to reach Carmarthen by vehicle but had to complete their journey on foot. The friend had started to faint in the intense cold, but they were both revived by a group of Romany who gave them tea, and they finally got home safely.

Romany camping, 1953 (Geoff Charles Collection)

This was not the only good deed performed by the Romany; they also succeeded in reviving Welsh traditional music when it was in danger of disappearing completely during religious revivals. This was the subject of Lord Thomas of Gresford when he came to the Library to deliver his lecture, ‘Teulu Abraham Wood : how the Gypsies saved Welsh harp, song and dance’. The lecturer revealed that he is himself a descendant of Abraham Wood.

Saiforella Wood’s depiction of her great-grandfather, Abraham Wood, was enchanting. I was also touched by her description of the old man’s funeral and the way in which a host of his relatives played the harp and fiddle as they accompanied his coffin all the way down from Bryncrug to Llangelynnin Church.

John Roberts (‘Telynor Cymru’) and his family, ca. 1890

It is amazing how so many of Abraham Wood’s descendants became musicians of renown. According to the Companion to Welsh literature, at least twenty of them joined the ranks of eminent Welsh harpists. The most famous of all was John Roberts, ‘Telynor Cymru’, who formed the musical group ‘Cambrian Minstrels’ from members of his own family. Howel Wood became famous for his dancing and Lord Thomas showed an excerpt from the film ‘Last Days of Dolwyn’ in which some of his talents are recorded.

During the period of the Methodist revivals, traditional singing and dancing were considered sinful by some, but this didn’t bother the Romany. They kept the tradition alive by mastering Welsh instruments, borrowing Welsh tunes and then returning these treasures safely back into the hands of the Welsh. David Wood, for example, gave lessons to Nansi Richards, one of our most iconic Welsh harpists. Other gifted harpists like Llio Rhydderch and Robin Huw Bowen also benefited from Romany guidance.

If you make a request to listen to the Library’s recording of this lecture, you will have an experience to remember.

Heini V. Davies

Sample of fabric from Ellen Owen’s gown

I recently read that in 1953 staff at the British Library found some eighteenth century condoms made from sheep-gut which had been used as book-marks in a Guide to Health, Beauty, Riches and Honour, dated 1783, (Paul Bahn and Bill Tidy, Disgraceful Archaeology (Tempus Publishing, 1999), p. 21). It must come as a severe disappointment to many of our readers that during my career at NLW I have encountered nothing so curious. However, it is not uncommon to find other organic items enclosed in manuscripts. In June 1754 Ellen Owen of Brogyntyn sent her mother a sample of the fabric from which her new gown was made:

I have got a new gown and have sent you a bit of it to see how you like it & would have sent you a bit of my spring Gown but could not show you the pat[t]ern without cutting a great pi[e]ce of it. (Brogyntyn estate and family records, PEC5/9/77)

In the same collection there is a tiny wisp of hair from Admiral Sir George Francis Seymour, whose daughter Emily had married George Ormsby Gore, second Lord Harlech. (Ibid., PEC6/9/54). It was customary in the past to keep a lock of hair as a memento and to make mourning brooches or rings. The hair is enclosed in a letter addressed to Emily, the envelope of which is entitled My dearly loved Father’s last letter to me before his fatal illness dated January 12th. 1870. The letter itself is barely legible in parts; amidst family matters and political news is the poignant remark:

My nights are detestable which increases my weakness more and more…

‘Dear father’s spare hair’

Equally interesting is a botanical specimen found in a diary of John Griffith of Garn, 1746-7 (Garn estate records, FPN2/1). Unfortunately the enclosing pages are blank and for written evidence of this family interest we must look to his grandson.

Diary of John Griffith

John Wynne Griffith was a proficient amateur botanist and horticulturalist, who corresponded with Sir Joseph Banks, James Hunter of Birmingham, and William Withering senior and junior. The depth of his knowledge may be judged from the plant lists which he exchanged with William Withering in 1794:

226. C[ircaea] intermedia. The specimen bearing this no. according to shape of the pairs belongs as you observe to C. lutetiana but the shape of the leaves much resemble those of C. alp. (Garn, FPG3/11/40).

I should be interested to know of any further interesting artefacts discovered among the archives of NLW or in other institutions.

Hilary Peters

Paul Russell, Professor of Celtic at the University of Cambridge, and Secretary of Seminar Cyfraith Hywel, acted as our academic advisor in the purchase and restoration of the Boston Manuscript of Welsh law in 2012. He inspected the manuscript at Sotheby’s before purchase, and attended the dis-binding of the volume at the Library last Autumn. His role has been that of the volume’s ‘advocate’, ensuring that we did not threaten its long-term interests in any way.

It was with some trepidation that we showed him the results of our endeavours here last week, and asked him to handle the original manuscript in its new, re-bound guise. We also showed him the three new facsimile copies, which are to be extensively used for exhibition and education purposes (one of which is paid for by the Friends of the National Library).

Professor Russell said: ‘The manuscript looks far happier than when we first saw it at Sotheby’s in June 2012. It has been well looked after, and immaculately repaired. It clearly enjoys its new environment.’

On seeing the copies, he said: ‘The facsimiles are worryingly identical! The teaching version is a masterpiece, and will give students far greater understanding of how a medieval manuscript was created.’

Professor Russell concluded his inspection by ‘signing off’ the original manuscript: he took the curatorial role of writing the volume’s new shelf-number, in pencil, and with great care, on the first fly-leaf.

Today (5 August), digital images of the Boston Manuscript will appear online, enabling greater access to the contents than ever before. One facsimile will be appearing at the Whitland Hywel Dda Centre at the beginning of October, and the original manuscript will be on display in our 4 Books exhibition here at the National Library on 12 October.

As ever, we are grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Friends of the National Libraries and the Welsh Government for making it all possible!

Maredudd ap Huw