Peter C. (Peter Clement)Bartrum
b. 1907–d. 2008
Works authored
This dictionary is effectively a series of notes arranged alphabetically under personal names and a few place-names. They are the result of many years of working in the field of early Welsh history, legend and fiction, and are to some extent biassed towards subjects which were of personal interest to the author. For example there is perhaps a leaning towards genealogy and to the development of historical ideas (historiography). Thus old ideas which were current in the middle ages, but now super-seded, are referred to in order to explain their occurrence in old manuscripts and books. In particular the fictions of Geoffrey of Monmouth, and those who followed him and added to his stories, are included, but the inventions of Annius of Viterbo (1498) and his imitators, as well as those of Iolo Morganwg (Edward Williams, d.1826), have only occasionally been mentioned, although each of the last two fabricators was taken seriously for a century or so. An attempt has been made to give the essential outlines of legends and fictions, generally telling the stories without comment, interpretation or speculation
This dictionary is effectively a series of notes arranged alphabetically under personal names and a few place-names. They are the result of many years of working in the field of early Welsh history, legend and fiction, and are to some extent biassed towards subjects which were of personal interest to the author. For example there is perhaps a leaning towards genealogy and to the development of historical ideas (historiography). Thus old ideas which were current in the middle ages, but now super-seded, are referred to in order to explain their occurrence in old manuscripts and books. In particular the fictions of Geoffrey of Monmouth, and those who followed him and added to his stories, are included, but the inventions of Annius of Viterbo (1498) and his imitators, as well as those of Iolo Morganwg (Edward Williams, d.1826), have only occasionally been mentioned, although each of the last two fabricators was taken seriously for a century or so. An attempt has been made to give the essential outlines of legends and fictions, generally telling the stories without comment, interpretation or speculation
Contributions to journals
Miscellaneous
The Bartrum Project is based on the work of Dr P. C. Bartrum who died in 2008 at the age of 100. A native of Hampstead, London, he had no links with Wales whatsoever, and worked as meteorologist until his retirement in 1955. Nevertheless, in the words of Dr Michael Siddons, he became 'the foremost scholar of medieval Welsh genealogy' (obituary in Studia Celtica 43 (2009) 221-2).
Since 1929 he collected information about Welsh ancestry from early works such as Brut y Tywysogion, manuscripts such as Harley 3859 (which is kept at the British Library) which dates from around 1100, and other manuscripts largely from the 15th century onwards, which were compiled by heraldic bards, poets who were experts in the ancestral history of noble families.
In 1974 Dr Bartrum published an 8 volume series under the title Welsh Genealogies AD 300-1400 (WG1) (University of Wales Press), and in 1983 he published a further 18 volumes, Welsh Genealogies AD 1400-1500 (WG2) (National Library of Wales).
Since their publication Dr Bartrum revised the work adding significant amendments and corrections. He then handed his own emended typescript over to the Welsh Department where a team of researchers started on the work of electronically scanning all the work so that it can be published on-line and as a DVD.
Archive Cyff-Cyfl contains the introduction with all abbreviations etc to Welsh Genealogies 300-1400 (WG1) and Welsh Genealogies 1400-1500 (WG2).
Archives CyffA to CyffY are colour scans of the entire contents of WG1; and archives WG1Ind1 to WG1Ind11 contain the indices to those volumes.
N.B. Plates 32-40 of CyffRh were left blank by Dr. Bartrum.
Archives Tab1 to Tab9 are colour scans of the entire contents of WG2; and archives WG2Ind1 to WG2Ind23 contain the indices to those volumes.
The Bartrum Project is based on the work of Dr P. C. Bartrum who died in 2008 at the age of 100. A native of Hampstead, London, he had no links with Wales whatsoever, and worked as meteorologist until his retirement in 1955. Nevertheless, in the words of Dr Michael Siddons, he became 'the foremost scholar of medieval Welsh genealogy' (obituary in Studia Celtica 43 (2009) 221-2).
Since 1929 he collected information about Welsh ancestry from early works such as Brut y Tywysogion, manuscripts such as Harley 3859 (which is kept at the British Library) which dates from around 1100, and other manuscripts largely from the 15th century onwards, which were compiled by heraldic bards, poets who were experts in the ancestral history of noble families.
In 1974 Dr Bartrum published an 8 volume series under the title Welsh Genealogies AD 300-1400 (WG1) (University of Wales Press), and in 1983 he published a further 18 volumes, Welsh Genealogies AD 1400-1500 (WG2) (National Library of Wales).
Since their publication Dr Bartrum revised the work adding significant amendments and corrections. He then handed his own emended typescript over to the Welsh Department where a team of researchers started on the work of electronically scanning all the work so that it can be published on-line and as a DVD.
Archive Cyff-Cyfl contains the introduction with all abbreviations etc to Welsh Genealogies 300-1400 (WG1) and Welsh Genealogies 1400-1500 (WG2).
Archives CyffA to CyffY are colour scans of the entire contents of WG1; and archives WG1Ind1 to WG1Ind11 contain the indices to those volumes.
N.B. Plates 32-40 of CyffRh were left blank by Dr. Bartrum.
Archives Tab1 to Tab9 are colour scans of the entire contents of WG2; and archives WG2Ind1 to WG2Ind23 contain the indices to those volumes.
