John Thomas (Pencerdd Gwalia) Manuscripts,

Papers, 1830-1930, of or relating to John Thomas (Pencerdd Gwalia), including original musical manuscripts, mainly compositions and arrangements for the harp, 1853-1905; correspondence mainly relating to his concerts, compositions and travels, and to musical circles in London and Wales, 1842-1930; journals of European concert tours, 1851-1883; concert programmes, 1851-1905; papers of his wife, Joan Frances Thomas, 1878-1926, including tour journals, 1878-1883; and passports, 1873, 1885.

John Thomas (Pencerdd Gwalia, 1826-1913), harpist, was born on St David's Day 1826 in Bridgend, Glamorgan. At the age of twelve, he won the prize of a new triple-strung harp at the 1838 Abergavenny National Eisteddfod. From 1840 to 1846, sponsored by Ada, Lady Lovelace, Thomas studied at the Royal College of Music. During the 1850s he gave concerts throughout Europe. From 1850 to 1910 he published over two hundred works, including editions of harp works by Handel, Spohr and Mozart, and four volumes of his own Welsh Melodies for harp and voice (1857, 1862, 1870, 1874). From 1862 Thomas promoted some forty annual concerts of Welsh music, which included large choral sounds and multiple harps. At the National Eisteddfod of Aberdare in 1861 he was invested with the title 'Pencerdd Gwalia'. In 1871 Thomas succeeded to the post of professor at the Royal Academy of Music and the following year was appointed harpist-in-ordinary (and, in 1885, musician-in-ordinary) to the queen; following Victoria's death in 1901 he continued as harpist to Edward VII. Thomas married Alice Ann Keate (1855-1880) in 1878; he married his second wife, Joan Frances Denny (1849-1926) in 1885; both were his former pupils. He gave his last concert on 17 June 1905 and died 19 March 1913.

Arranged according to NLW MSS reference numbers: NLW MSS 19118-19147, 21822D, 23389-23409, 23795A.

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NLW MSS 19118-19146; Lt-Gen. Sir G. Ivor Thomas; Bushey Heath; Donation; 1950
NLW MS 19147E; Mr Philip Fitzhugh Stryker; Washington, DC; Purchase; October 1965
NLW MS 21822D; Phillips; London; Purchased at auction, lot 546; 10 June 1982; B1982/15.
NLW MSS 23389-23409; British Library; London; Donation (previous provenance unknown); March 1995; A1995/38.
NLW MS 23795A; Mrs Mary Grindley; Mottingham, London; Donation; 1999

John Thomas (Pencerdd Gwalia, 1826-1913), harpist, was born on St David's Day 1826 in Bridgend, Glamorgan. At the age of twelve, he won the prize of a new triple-strung harp at the 1838 Abergavenny National Eisteddfod. From 1840 to 1846, sponsored by Ada, Lady Lovelace, Thomas studied at the Royal College of Music. During the 1850s he gave concerts throughout Europe. From 1850 to 1910 he published over two hundred works, including editions of harp works by Handel, Spohr and Mozart, and four volumes of his own Welsh Melodies for harp and voice (1857, 1862, 1870, 1874). From 1862 Thomas promoted some forty annual concerts of Welsh music, which included large choral sounds and multiple harps. At the National Eisteddfod of Aberdare in 1861 he was invested with the title 'Pencerdd Gwalia'. In 1871 Thomas succeeded to the post of professor at the Royal Academy of Music and the following year was appointed harpist-in-ordinary (and, in 1885, musician-in-ordinary) to the queen; following Victoria's death in 1901 he continued as harpist to Edward VII. Thomas married Alice Ann Keate (1855-1880) in 1878; he married his second wife, Joan Frances Denny (1849-1926) in 1885; both were his former pupils. He gave his last concert on 17 June 1905 and died 19 March 1913.

Title based on contents.

The contents of NLW MSS 23389-23409 are indexed in greater detail in Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales, vol. 9 (Aberystwyth, 2003).

April 2009 and June 2012.

Description compiled by Bethan Ifans for the retrospective conversion project of NLW MSS and revised by Rhys Morgan Jones. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales, Volume 8 (Aberystwyth, 1999); Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales, Volume 9 (Aberystwyth, 2003); Y Bywgraffiadur Cymreig hyd at 1940 (London, 1953); Oxford Dictionary of National Biography WWW site, viewed 21 April 2009;

Usual copyright laws apply.

See also NLW MSS 19764-71E which contain autograph and holograph manuscripts of John Thomas. Newspaper cuttings and other items donated with NLW MSS 23389-23409 are NLW ex 1678; photographs and an album of pencil drawings and water-colours by Joan Thomas are now NLW Photo Album 2115 and NLW Drawing Volume 485 (8vo) respectively.

Published

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales