A Dissertation on the Welsh Language, pointing out it's [sic] antiquity, copiousness, grammatical perfection, with Remarks on it's Poetry; and other Articles not foreign to the Subject.

WALTERS, John.

About this Item

Cowbridge: Printed for the Author, by R. and D. Thomas. 1771. 8vo. Entirely uncut in late 19th-century blue half-morocco over marbled boards by Henry Blackwell, spine lettered in gilt, marbled endpapers; pp. 70; binding a little rubbed, front hinge re-inforced, title-page with missing portion of upper outer corner, p. 53 with small paper-flaw; otherwise a very attractive copy with the Welsh bookplate of Henry Blackwell inside front cover.First edition. Walters is the author of the magisterial and still relevant Dictionary of the Welsh Language (1770-1794). Walters needed a printer nearby and Rhys Thomas moved to Cowbridge to establish the first press in Glamorganshire, and this is its first product.Provenance: Henry Blackwell (1851-1928) left Britain for New York in 1877 and ran a large bindery. "Blackwell played a prominent part in the Welsh-American life of his adopted country. He was a life-member of the S. Davids Society of the State of New York, a life-member of the Virginia Historical Society, one of the founders of the Ex-Libris Society, Washington, a vice-president and governor of the American Society, 1912, a member of the Welsh Society of Philadelphia, and a member of a committee formed in 1890 to found a chair of Celtic at Marietta College. He was secretary of the eisteddfod held in New York in February 1886; at this eisteddfod he won the prize for a bibliography of Welsh books and Welsh authors in America. He was also secretary of the New York eisteddfod of 1888. In Britain he was a member of the Hon. Society of Cymmrodorion and of the Welsh Bibliographical Society. He visited Wales in 1911 for the national eisteddfod held at Carmarthen . At one time Blackwell possessed what was probably the most extensive library in America relating to Wales" (Dictionary of Welsh Biography).

Seller Inventory # 2110875

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Dissertation on the Welsh Language, pointing out it's [sic] antiquity, copiousness, grammatical perfection, with Remarks on it's Poetry; and other Articles not foreign to the Subject.
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition