THIS little book is meant for those who have never read any Welsh history
before. It is not taken for granted that the reader knows either Latin
or Welsh.
A fuller outline may be read in _The Story of Wales_, in the “Story of
the Nations” series; and a still fuller one in _The Welsh People_ of Rhys
and Brynmor Jones. Of fairly small and cheap books in various periods I
may mention Rhys’ _Celtic Britain_, Owen Rhoscomyl’s _Flame Bearers of
Welsh History_, Henry Owen’s _Gerald the Welshman_, Bradley’s _Owen
Glendower_, Newell’s _Welsh Church_, and Rees _Protestant Non-conformity
in Wales_. More elaborate and expensive books are Seebohm’s _Village
Community_ and _Tribal System in Wales_, Clark’s _Medieval Military
Architecture_, Morris’ _Welsh Wars of Edward I._, Southall’s _Wales and
Her Language_. In writing local history, A. N. Palmer’s _History of
Wrexham_ and companion volumes are models.
If you turn to a library, you will find much information about Wales in
_Social England_, the _Dictionary of National Biography_, the
publications of the Cymmrodorion and other societies. You will find
articles of great value and interest over the names of F. H. Haverfield,
J. W. Willis-Bund, Egerton Phillimore, the Honourable Mrs Bulkeley Owen
(_Gwenrhian Gwynedd_), Henry Owen, the late David Lewis, T. F. Tout, J.
E. Lloyd, D. Lleufer Thomas, W. Llywelyn Williams, J. Arthur Price, J. H.
Davies, J. Ballinger, Edward Owen, Hubert Hall, Hugh Williams, R. A.
Roberts, A. W. Wade-Evans, E. A. Lewis. These are only a few out of the
many who are now working in the rich and unexplored field of Welsh
history. I put down the names only of those I had to consult in writing
a small book like this.
The sources are mostly in Latin or Welsh. Many volumes of chronicles,
charters, and historical poems have been published by the Government, by
the Corporation of Cardiff, by J. Gwenogvryn Evans, by H. de Grey Birch,
and others. But, so far, we have not had the interesting chronicles and
poems translated into English as they ought to be, and published in well
edited, not too expensive volumes.