Welsh Journals

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6. THE PENNANT DEEDS AND DOCUMENTS. In March, 1941, Mrs. Alan Gough, Nanhoron, Pwllheli, deposited in the Library a small but nevertheless interesting collection of muniments of the family of Holland of Pennant, parish of Eglwysbach, Denbighshire. For descriptive purposes these records may be divided into three groups,-holograph letters, miscellaneous family and estate documents, and title deeds. The holograph letters, inclusive of draft and copy replies, number over forty, and are written almost entirely to members of the Holland family during the period extending from about the middle of the sixteenth century to the third decade of the nineteenth. The writers include Henry Sidney, President of the Council in the Marches of Wales, 1560, Elis Pryce (' Y Doctor Coch '), Plas Iolyn, 1585/6 and undated, Wm. Wall, 1586, Robert Wall, Chester, 1587, William Knight, Chester, 1588, Tho. Campion, Ludlow (16th cent.), Richard Lloyd, Oswestry, 1602/3, Roger Langford, Jesus College, Oxford, 1631, R. Vaughan, Wrexham, 1659, John Davies, Llanrwst, 1666-8, Robert Davies, Bala, 1703, Tho. Carter, senior, Denbigh, 1723, Jno. Cope, Westminster Abbey, 1803, George Giles Vincent, Chapter Clerk, Sanctuary, Westminster, 1805-7, the churchwardens of St. John Evangelist, Westminster, 1810, and B. Rose, clerk to J. Glanvill, Westminster, 1812. All the nineteenth century letters, fourteen in number, are addressed to the Reverend Howell Holland Edwards, successively incumbent of the consolidated rectory and vicarage of Pennant and Llanrwst, cursal canon of St. Asaph, prebendary of Westminster, and rector of St. John Evangelist, Westminster. The miscellaneous documents number about one hundred and twenty and include an incomplete transcript of the charter of Ros Venych, granted by Llywelyn, Prince of Aberffro and Lord of Snowdon, 12301; an extent of the township of Rithelyn [16th cent.] a warrant to the constables of the hundred of Isdulas, co. Denbigh, to levy a sum of money for the repair of a bridge called Rhydwriall over the river Llyfni between the parishes of Llanrhudd and Llanbedr, 1655/6; an assessment for the commote of Uchdulas, co. Denbigh, 1660; a volume of agreements of the tenants of the Nannau estate in co. Mer- ioneth, 1775-81 estate and other accounts of John Lloyd, Llwynucha, parish of Derwen, co. Denbigh, 1800-10 vouchers and receipts, including particulars of the sale of cloths to Robert Holland, 1620 poetry, including Advice to the Freeholders of Denbighshire' [1700], and Retaliation in Answer to Certain Verses handed about on the Anglesea election [18th cent.] De Graecae Linguae Studio by John Randolph, successively bishop of Oxford, of Bangor, and of London, 1782 and a large group of legal papers, 16th cent.- 1784, some of which relate to the boundaries of a lead mine at Tanurogo, parish of Abergele, co. Denbigh, 1737. The remainder of the collection consists of about three hundred and thirty title deeds, 1458-1778, relating to properties mainly in co. Denbigh and to a weir in the river of Conway and a seat in the parish church of Abergele. They include a deed of appointment by Arthur Prince of Wales of ringilds for the commote of Iscorvai, co. Caernarvon, 1493, and numerous marriage settlements and wills of members of the Holland family, 1539/40- 1636. A preliminary schedule of the collection, prepared in the Department of Manuscripts and Records, is now available in typescript form. B. G. OWENS. 1 See Evans Report on Manuscripts in the Welsh Language, vol. II, p. 859.