MAURICE, HUGH (1775 - 1825), skinner, and transcriber of Welsh manuscripts

Born at Tyddyn Tudur, Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr, Denbighshire, in 1775 (christened 5 June), son of Peter Maurice and Jane, his wife, sister of Owen Jones (Owain Myfyr). He worked with his uncle in Upper Thames Street, sharing his literary and social activities in London. Under the latter's direction he began to transcribe Welsh manuscript texts in prose and verse, and he became a prominent member of the Gwyneddigion Society. Practising the trade of a skinner, he settled in Tooley Street. On the Gwyneddigion Society's annual dinner day in 1800 he married, at S. Olave's, Tooley Street, without her father's knowledge, Elizabeth Mary Louisa, daughter of Rowland Jones of Greenwich, a native of Llan-ym-Mawddwy and a past president of the Society. He himself was vice-president for that year, and the president, Thomas Roberts, Llwyn-rhudol, and the recorder, John Jones ('Jac Glan-y-gors') were at the wedding. He later resided at Greenwich, Pengwern (Ffestiniog), Tremadoc, and Plâs Gwyn, Llan-rug, where he died 18 March 1825. He was buried at Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr. An excellent penman, he was also an amateur artist. One of his early transcripts, poems by Gwalchmai, is written in 'bardic script,' with illustrations (NLW MS 5941A , transcribed in 1796). He wrote Llanstephan MS 161 , NLW MS 36B , NLW MS 47B , NLW MS 113B , NLW MS 119B , NLW MS 122C , and NLW MS 185D . Several of his transcripts survive in the Cymmrodorion collection in the British Museum (B.M. Add. MSS. 14962-15089), and in 1849, his daughter, Jane Maurice, presented to the British Museum the Caerhun MSS. containing forty-nine volumes of transcripts by Hugh Maurice and Owen Jones (B.M. Add. MSS. 31062-31110). His contribution to The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales was acknowledged in the preface, 1801. He was the author of the best poem on the subject set for competition by the Gwyneddigion Society in 1804-5, but as he did not divulge his name within the period set by the rules, the medal was presented to David Owen (Dewi Wyn o Eifion), the author of the second-best poem.

His eldest son, ROWLAND JONES MAURICE, wrote a translation of Nennius at the end of NLW MS 119B , on 4 July 1817.

His second son, PETER MAURICE, born at Plâs Gwyn, 29 June 1803, christened at Greenwich 1 July 1804, was educated at Jesus College, Oxford (matriculated 1822, B.A. 1826, M.A. 1829, B.D. 1837, D.D. 1840), was ordained deacon (licensed to the curacy of Llanbedr and Caerhun) 27 January, and priest 13 October 1827. He was chaplain of New College, Oxford, 1828-58, and of All Souls, 1837-58, and vicar of Yarnton, Oxford, from 1858 till his death 30 March 1878. He is known for his hymns, his works on church music, and his pamphlets against Popery. Their sister, JANE MAURICE (born at Tyddyn Tudur, 19 October 1812), contributed twenty hymns to his Choral Hymn Book, 1861.

Author

• Evan David Jones, (1903 - 1987)

Sources

• The National Library of Wales Journal, i, 230-2
• The Records of the Church in Wales at the National Library of Wales, Bangor ordination papers
• John Julian, A dictionary of hymnology, setting forth the origin and history of Christian hymns of all ages and nations (London 1907)
• Leathart, Origin and Progress of the Gwyneddigion Society of London (London 1831), 44-5
• Foster, Alumni Oxonienses: the members of the University of Oxford
• Y Cymmrodor, 1951, 94-5

Further Reading

• Wikipedia Article: Hugh Maurice

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20733198

Published date: 1959

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