Welsh Journals

Bowen [of Llwyngwair], Thomas Powell, Devereux Barrett, Esquier, Thomas Phillips of Pentre Ieuan, Hughe Owen [of Orielton], Esquier, Elizabeth Wiriot ux' Hugonis Owen ar', Roland Laugherne [of St. Brides], Esquier, Alban Stepneth [of Prendergast], Esqr., Rees Lloide of Pentre Ieuan, John Loughor, Maud Wogan ux' Morgan Powell, and John Voyle of ffilbech. The work had not attained a standard satisfactory to the author when this manuscript left his hands for, besides a number of gaps and later additions and correct- ions in his own hand, there are notes of queries to be settled and memoranda of points for further research. The manuscript was probably written in the early years of the 17th century. On eight loose sheets which form N.L.W. MS. 13688 George Owen has roughly written a series of genealogical notes mostly pertaining to Pembrokeshire families. The inscription on the outer leaf, which reads 4 m'tii 1601, notes to the booke of 8 ancestors with the armes to some extent explains the contents. Whether the Book of Eight Ancestors was Owen's own compilation, to which these are supplementary notes, is uncertain. At the head of each note the author has inserted the folio reference of the Book of Eight Ancestors.' The highest folio number is 97 which is a clue to the size of this unknown genealogical manuscript, probably the work of George Owen. The fourth manuscript (N.L.W. MS. 13689), which consists of 16 unbound folios, is a transcript by George Owen of a tract called' The History of Brecknok.' In a note on folio 15 Owen explains that he received it from Roger Griffes (a facsimile of whose signature is made by the transcriber at the end of the work), who in his turn had it from Sir John Ganes [Games], knight, April 1612, and as he said the same was collected by on Mr John ? Jones a gent of Brecknokshere." The name' Geo Owen,' probably a signature, appears on the outside end leaf. In all probability George Owen transcribed Roger Griffes's copy of a work presumed to have been written by John Jones. The full title is The historie of Brecon from the time of Meyricke kinge of Brittain and sonne to the noble Gweyrydd (who forced Claudius Cesar to flight) untyll Barnard Newmarch.' Intrinsically it is of little merit, being a bare chronicle of British history leading to the coming of the Normans and the conquests of Bernard Newmarch. It is written in English except for the customs on folios I4b-I5b which are in Welsh under the heading Llyma tair defod ar ddeg a haner y gafas hoell ap trehaern gan Reinall Debrerois arglwydd Brecheinog o gyfyndeb gwlad ag arglwydd." These customs seem to be the most interesting and instructive part of the manuscript. The title of the work at once suggests connection with' The Historie of Brecon from the time of Meurick, king of Brittaine, and sonne to the noble Gweirudh, who forced Claudius Caesar to flight, untill the yeare of redemptc'on 1606 in Harleian MS. 6108, of which Harleian MS. 7017, folios 251-259^, is a transcript. Comparison of our manuscript with the latter transcript shows that they are two entirely different tracts except that the first few sentences are almost identical. The Harleian MS. is said to be probably by Thomas ap John, great grandfather of Hugh Thomas.1 From the same library comes a single mutilated sheet of paper (now N.L.W. MS. 13,813) on which is written over the name John Browne' a note on The Mapp of Penbrokshire first made and contryved by my ould Mrs direction & commandment John Browne's master was undoubtedly George Owen and the map is the manuscript map by George Owen now in the National Library. The fact that John Browne's hand closely resembles his master's will perhaps raise new problems for students of George Owen's manuscripts. B. G. CHARLES. I See Edward Owen A Catalogue of Manuscripts relating to Wales in the British Museum, Part II, pp. 418, 460.