William Maurice (antiquary)

William Maurice (1620–1680) was a well-known seventeenth-century collector and transcriber of Welsh manuscripts and books from Denbighshire, Wales.

Maurice was born around 1620 in the small community of Cefn-y-Braich in the parish of Llansilin in the historic county of Denbighshire in Wales.^[1] He owned land and lived most of his life in the area.^[1][2]

Maurice collected Welsh literature. He had so many books and manuscripts that he built a three-storey library near his home in Cefn-y-Braich called "the Study" in which to store them.^[1][3] He spent much of his time there.^[4] His collection of books was a fac simile of Friar Baeon's Study, because his library was similar to Roger Bacon's books and manuscripts.^[4][5][6] Maurice was associated with the antiquary Robert Vaughan in the collecting and maintaining of these ancient Welsh manuscripts and books that ultimately became a collection of the Hengwrt-Peniarth library, an important part of the National Library of Wales.^[7][8][9] Maurice cataloged the Hengwrt manuscript collection in 1658.^[10] Many manuscripts are in Maurice's own hand.^[A]

Maurice's father was Lewis Maurice, from the family line of Moeliwrch of Powys, Wales.^[3] He is descended maternally from the sister of Owain Glyndŵr. Maurice married Laetitia, a descendant of Glyndwr's opponent Henry Bolinbroke.^[4] Maurice had a daughter named Laetitia (also known as Anne),^[11] who inherited his estate^[5] and married David Williams of Glan Kynlleth.^[11] Maurice's third great-grandchild was John Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley of Alderley. His ninth great-grandchild is James Robert Bruce Ogilvy, founder of Luxury Briefing (a magazine about luxury items).^[12]

Maurice died around 1680.^[5][10]

Maurice wrote an historical account of the North Wales civil war, which was later reprinted in the journal Archaeologia Cambrensis.^[1] He edited and republished Humphrey Llwyd's historical manuscript Cronica Walliae that was previously published by David Powel's 1584 History of Cambria.^[13]

• Hengwrt Chaucer

• Cathrall, William (1855). The history of Oswestry. Oswestry: George Lewis. p. 231.
• Davies, Walter; Evans, D. Silvan, Rev., Ed. (1868). Gwaith, dan olygiad D.S. Evans—The English Works of the Reverend Walter Davies. Carwarthen London: William Spurrell; Simpkin, Marshall & Co. p. 45.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Hellinga, Lotte (2002). The Cambridge History of the Book in Britain. Cambridge, UK; New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-66182-9.
• Jones, Evan David (1959). "MAURICE, WILLIAM (died 1680)". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales.
• Koch, John T. (2000). Celtic culture: a historical encyclopedia. Vol. 1. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-85109-440-0.
• Limbird, J. (June 1820). The Cambro-Briton. London: Mills & Rhynd, J. Limbird. p. 380.
• Myddelton, William Martial (1931). Chirk Castle Accounts, A.D. 1666-1753. Manchester University Press. GGKEY:DB442W3PBS5.
• Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, Great Britain. (2003). Papers of British Antiquaries and Historians. Vol. 12. London: Stationery Office. ISBN 978-0-11-440279-2.
• Williams, Robert (1836). A Biographical Sketch of some of the most eminent individuals which the principality of Wales has produced since the Reformation. With an addenda, etc. London: H. Hughes.
• Williams, Robert (1852). A Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Welshmen: From the Earliest Times to the Present, and Including Every Name Connected with the Ancient History of Wales ... William Rees.