Manuscripts
Approximate century:
Arthur (Thomas) (1593–1675)
Limerick physician educated at Bordeaux and a Catholic with an interest in devotional literature. One of his better known patients was bishop James Ussher, who at one time appears to have lent him a manuscript of the so-called Kilkenny recension of Latin lives of Irish saints. A manuscript of transcripts by Thomas is still extant.
Bale (John) (1495–1563)
English protestant churchman; bishop of Ossory (1552/3); antiquarian and collector of manuscripts; author of a number of polemical plays, such as Kynge Johan, and an autobiographical work called The Vocacyon of Johan Bale.
Brooke (John) ... of Mawddwy (fl. 16th century)
Welsh antiquary and scribe.
Colgan (John) (d. 1658)
Irish Franciscan at St Anthony’s College, Louvain; scholar, theologian, editor and hagiographer.
Cotton (Robert) (1570/71–1631)
Sir Robert Bruce, 1st baronet, of Connington Hall, was an English politician, antiquary and collector of manuscripts, who established the Cotton library.
Davies (John) ... of Mallwyd (d. 1644)
John Davies of Mallwyd, Welsh scholar, author of a Welsh grammar and dictionary
Evans (Hugh) ... Denbighshire clergyman, fl. 16th c. (fl. 1550s–d. 1587)
A clergyman active in Denbighshire. Evans was born ca. 1523 in Wales. He graduated at Brasenose College in Oxford in 1548-9 and took his MA there in 1553. He held a prebendary at St Paul’s cathedral in 1558. In 1560 he moved to north Wales, where he became dean of St Asaph, Denbighshire (1560-1587); sinecure rector of Cwm, Flintshire (1566-1574); vicar of Northop, Flintshire (1571-1577); and vicar of Henllan, Denbighshire (1582-d.1587). Evans died on 17 December 1587, aged 64 (Marx 2015). It has been suggested (O'Rourke 2003) that he may well have been the same Hugh Evans who was responsible for compiling the composite manuscript NLW Peniarth MS 12.
Evans (Thomas) ... of Hendreforfydd (fl. 1596–1633)
Gruffydd (Elis) (c.1490–1552)
Welsh administrator and soldier as well as a chronicler and translator, who is probably known for having compiled an extensive Welsh-language chronicle of world history.
Huw Machno (fl. 1585–1637)
Welsh poet.
Johns (David) ... cleric and poet (fl. 1569–1586)
Welsh cleric, vicar (or parson?) of Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd (Denbighshire), and poet.
Jones (John) ... of Gellilyfdy (1570s–1658?)
Welsh calligrapher and transcriber of Welsh manuscripts
Leland (John) (c.1503–1552)
English antiquary and poet.
Lewis (John) ... of Llynwene (d. 1615/1616)
Welsh barrister and historian. He was author of a History of Great-Britain, which did not appear in print until 1729.
Llywelyn Siôn (c.1540–c.1615(?))
Llywelyn of Llangewydd, Welsh poet and farmer
Mac an Leagha (Uilliam) (fl. 15th century)
Irish author, translator and scribe
Mac Aodhagáin (Conall) (fl. 15th/16th century?)
Irish scribe.
Mac Fhir Bhisigh (Ciothruadh mac Taidhg Ruaidh) (fl. 1510 x 1530)
Mac Fhir Bhisigh, Ciothruadh mac Taidhg Ruaidh - apparently a great-great-grandson of the scribe Giolla Íosa Mac Fhir Bhisigh. He is known primarily because he added a footnote to cols 380–81 of Yellow Book Lecan (TCD 1318), in which he states his name and gives the title of the manuscript as Leabhar buidhe ‘Yellow book’. When Ciothruadh's manuscript was bound together with other, unrelated parts, the title was carried over to the compilation as a whole.
Irish scholar and scribe of the Mac Fhir Bhisigh learned family
Morris (Roger) ... of Coed y Talwrn (fl. 1590)
Humanist scholar and collector and copier of manuscripts.
Ó Cadhla (Corc Óg) (fl .1570s–80s)
Irish medical scribe
Archdeacon of Clogher, known for his scribal work in manuscripts of the Annals of Ulster.
Ó Cléirigh (Giolla Riabhach mac Tuathail) (fl. 15th/16th century)
Irish scribe, son of Tuathal son of Tadhg Cam Ó Cléirigh. He is the main scribe of the miscellany Harley MS 5820 and Rawlinson MS 514 containing Maghnus Ó Domhnall’s Life of Colum Cille. His own floruit cannot be pinned down with any precision but his father is kown to have died in 1512.
Ó Cléirigh (Mícheál) (d. 1643)
Irish scholar, historian and scribe.
Ó Conchubhair (Risteard) (1561–1625)
Irish scribe and physician from a medical family in Ossory.
Ó Duibh Dá Bhoireann (Domhnall) (16th century)
Domhnall mac Aodha Ó Duibh Dá Bhoireann, main scribe of BL Egerton 88.
Ó Duibhgeannáin (Pilib Ballach) (fl. second half of the 16th century)
Irish historian and scribe, known for producing NLI MS G 1.
Ó Duibhgheannáin (Paitín) (fl. 16th century)
Irish scribe from a learned family of historians
Ó Duibhgheannáin (Seán Riabhach) (16th century)
Irish scribe
Ó hEoghusa (Muiris) (16th century?)
Irish scribe (NLI MS G 14) and poet, whose name is invoked as the author of Díon Ulltach 'na n-urríoghaibh (39 qq, Copenhagen NKS MS 268b = no. XXI in Greene's edition) and a poem on the birth and crucifixion of Christ, Tosach ar mbeathadh bás Dé (Eg. 136, TCD 1285).
Ó Luinín (Matha) (fl. 16th century)
Irish scribe and scholar of Arda on the Erne (Co. Fermanagh)
Ó Luinín (Ruaidhrí) (fl. 16th century)
Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, Irish scribe
Ó Maoil Chonaire (Muirgheas mac Pháidín) (d. 1543)
Muirgheas mac Pháidín Uí Maoil Chonaire, of Cluain Plocáin, scribe and compiler of the Book of Fenagh (RIA MS 23 P 26).
Ó Maoil Chonaire (Muiris mac Torna) (d. 1645)
Irish scholar, poet and scribe of the Ó Maoil Chonaire family. He is known to have made a small contribution to the Annals of the Four Masters.
Important learned family of poets, historians and scribes based in Connacht.
O'Sullivan Beare (Philip) (d. 1634 or after)
Irish historian and author, of the O'Sullivans of Beare and Bantry, who lived as an exile in Spain and Portugal, following the Nine Years’ War and the Irish defeat at Kinsale. He wrote a number of Latin treatises on subjects of Irish interest.
Parker (Matthew) (1504–1575)
archbishop of Canterbury, antiquarian and patron.
Pennant (Huw) ... Syr (fl. 15th century (second half)–1514)
Welsh poet; scribe of Peniarth MS 182.
Prise (John) (1501/2–1555)
Scholar and administrator of Brecon; son of Rhys ap Gwilym ap Llywelyn and of Gwenllian daughter of Hywel ap Madog.
Rhys (John David) (1534–1609?)
Welsh physician, scholar and grammarian
Salesbury (William) (c. 1520–c. 1584)
Thomas ab Ieuan ap Deicws (fl. 16th century)
Welsh priest(?) and scribe.
Vaughan (Robert) (d. 1667)
Welsh antiquary; collector of manuscripts in the Hengwrt library
Ward (Hugh) (c.1592–1635)
Irish Franciscan friar, historian and author
Ware (James) (d. 1666)
(Sir) James Ware, Irish scholar, historian and antiquarian
Wiliems (Thomas) (c.1545–1622?)
Welsh priest, physician, scribe and scholar.
Wynn (John) ... 1553-1627 (d. 1627)
Welsh politician and landowner, member of the Wynn family of Gwydir (Caernarfonshire) and author of a history of that family.
