MORRIS, ROGER, of Coed-y-talwrn, Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd (fl. 1590), transcriber of manuscripts

Nothing is known of his private life. He wrote an exceptionally neat hand, and he had opportunities to copy some of the older Welsh manuscripts, e.g. the ' Black Book of Carmarthen ' and the ' White Book of Rhydderch,' possibly through friendships with Jasper Griffith. His interests were wide and there remain of his transcription collections of lives of saints (Llanstephan MS 34 ), a botanology (NLW MS 4581B ), heraldic, genealogical, and historical texts in Welsh and English (Mostyn 113, Peniarth MS 168 ), poetry (Llanstephan MS 9 , NLW MS 1553A ), the Mabinogion and romances (Mostyn 135), grammars (Peniarth MS 169 ), and anecdotes and miscellanea (Llanwrin 1). It is obvious from references by other copyists that all his work has not survived. A notable feature of his writing is that he adopted the orthography of Dr. Gruffydd Robert, and under-dotted letters instead of doubling them. A number of his manuscripts had come into the possession of Thomas Evans, Hendreforfudd, by 1607.

Author

• Evan David Jones, (1903 - 1987)

Sources

• Reports on Manuscripts in the Welsh Language (Historical Manuscripts Commission 1898–1910), and the manuscripts cited

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20734372

Published date: 1959

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