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Humphrey Llwyd (also spelled Lhuyd) (1527–1568) was a
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
cartographer Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an ...
, author,
antiquary An antiquarian or antiquary () is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifacts, archaeological and historic si ...
and Member of Parliament. He was a leading member of the
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...
period in Wales along with other such men as
Thomas Salisbury Sir Thomas Salisbury (or Salusbury) (1564 – 21 September 1586) was one of the conspirators executed for his involvement in the Babington Plot. Early life Salisbury was the elder son of Katheryn of Berain and her first husband, Sir John Salusbu ...
and William Morgan. His library, together with those of his patron, the Earl of Arundel and his brother-in-law, Lord Lumley, formed the basis of the
Royal Collection The Royal Collection of the British royal family is the largest private art collection in the world. Spread among 13 occupied and historic royal residences in the United Kingdom, the collection is owned by King Charles III and overseen by the ...
of books; currently housed at the
British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the Briti ...
. His motto was ("Fame lasts longer than wealth").Jones 2014.


Life

Llwyd was born at Foxhall, his family's estate in
Denbigh Denbigh (; cy, Dinbych; ) is a market town and a community in Denbighshire, Wales. Formerly, the county town, the Welsh name translates to "Little Fortress"; a reference to its historic castle. Denbigh lies near the Clwydian Hills. History ...
, the county seat of the then county of
Denbighshire Denbighshire ( ; cy, Sir Ddinbych; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name. This part of Wales contains the country's oldest known evidence of habitation – Pontnewydd (Bontnewy ...
. His father, Robert Llwyd, was descended from Harry Rossendale, henchman and grantee of the
Earl of Lincoln Earl of Lincoln is a title that has been created eight times in the Peerage of England, most recently in 1572. The title was borne by the Dukes of Newcastle-under-Lyne from 1768 to 1988, until the dukedom became extinct. Earls of Lincoln, first ...
. The first of the family that came to Wales from England appears to have been Foulk Rosindale, from whom Foxhall, or Foulk's Hall, was called. He married into the family of the Llwyd's of Aston, the probable source where his descendants derived their name, as well as their extraction from Einion Evell of the 12th Century. Einion Evell, Lord of part of Cynllaith, resided at Llwyn y Maen, in the parish of
Oswestry Oswestry ( ; ) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483 and A495 roads. The town was the administrative headquarters of the Borough ...
. He and his twin brother, Cynwrig Evell, Lord of Y Glwyegl in Maelor Gymraeg, were the illegitimate sons of Madog ab Maredydd, Prince of Powys, by Eva, daughter of Madog (ab Einion Hael) ab Urien of Maen Gwynedd, ab Eginir ab Lies ab Idnerth Benvras, Lord of Maesbrwg. As a young man, Llwyd was educated at
Brasenose College, Oxford Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The library and chapel were added in the m ...
and fared so well in the sciences and engineering that he was given a position as a physician to the Earl of Arundel during the Earl's tenure as Chancellor of the university. He was Minister to Parliament for
East Grinstead East Grinstead is a town in West Sussex, England, near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders, south of London, northeast of Brighton, and northeast of the county town of Chichester. Situated in the extreme northeast of the county, the civ ...
during
Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". Eli ...
's first parliament (1559). In 1563, Llwyd returned to Denbigh and lived at
Denbigh Castle Denbigh Castle and town walls (; cy, Castell Dinbych a waliau tref; ) were a set of fortifications built to control the lordship of Denbigh after the conquest of Wales by Norman King Edward I in 1282. The King granted the lands to Henry de Lac ...
at the permission of Sir John Salusbury who was then the Lord of the Manor of Denbigh. That year, he was elected MP for Denbigh Boroughs during Elizabeth's second Parliament. It has been suggested that he promoted passage of the act requiring the translation of the Bible into Welsh, but no evidence has been found to support that claim. From 1566 he toured Europe, including Brussels, Augsburg, Milan, Padua and Venice. In
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
, he learnt from, and collaborated with, map maker
Abraham Ortelius Abraham Ortelius (; also Ortels, Orthellius, Wortels; 4 or 14 April 152728 June 1598) was a Brabantian cartographer, geographer, and cosmographer, conventionally recognized as the creator of the first modern atlas, the '' Theatrum Orbis Terraru ...
. In 1567, when Llwyd returned to Denbigh, he was given a stipend from the Crown to create the first printed map of Wales for the Dutch geographer Ortelius, for inclusion in his forthcoming ''
Theatrum Orbis Terrarum ''Theatrum Orbis Terrarum'' (, "Theatre of the Orb of the World") is considered to be the first true modern atlas. Written by Abraham Ortelius, strongly encouraged by Gillis Hooftman and originally printed on 20 May 1570 in Antwerp, it consi ...
''. Although the map contained inaccuracies, it was nonetheless a pioneer work that proved itself useful into the eighteenth century. Llwyd did not live to see his map published, however, for he died in Denbigh on 31 August 1568. He is buried in St. Marcella's Church, known locally as Whitchurch or Yr Eglwys Wen in Welsh. The church and cemetery are on the Denbigh outskirts on the road to
Llandyrnog Llandyrnog is a large village and community in Denbighshire, Wales lying in the valley of the River Clwyd, about from Denbigh and from Ruthin. The village has good road links to Denbigh and the main A541 road at Bodfari, and is served by buse ...
.


Legacy

In 2019, Llwyd was the subject of a major exhibition, "Inventor of Britain", at the
National Library of Wales The National Library of Wales ( cy, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru), Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales and is one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies. It is the biggest library in Wales, holding over 6.5 million ...
,
Aberystwyth Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location i ...
.


Works

No copy exists of Llwyd's translation into English of
Agostino Nifo Agostino Nifo ( Latinized as Augustinus Niphus; 1538 or 1545) was an Italian philosopher and commentator. Life He was born at Sessa Aurunca near Naples. He proceeded to Padua, where he studied philosophy. He lectured at Padua, Naples, Rome, and P ...
's ''De auguriis''; Llwyd's other work includes: *''An Almanacke and Kalender, conteynynge, the daye houre, and mynute of the change of the Moone for ever, and the sygne that she is in for these thre yeares, with the natures of the sygnes and Planetes.'' *'' Cronica Walliae a Rege Cadwalader ad annum 1294'' (1559 – English adaptation of Brut y tywysogyon) *''De Mona druidum insula … epistola'' (1568 letter to Ortelius, who published it in ''
Theatrum Orbis Terrarum ''Theatrum Orbis Terrarum'' (, "Theatre of the Orb of the World") is considered to be the first true modern atlas. Written by Abraham Ortelius, strongly encouraged by Gillis Hooftman and originally printed on 20 May 1570 in Antwerp, it consi ...
'') *''Commentarioli Britannicae descriptionis fragmentum'' (1568). Coins the term "British Empire". *'' Cambriae Typus'' (1568), map of Wales published in the Additamentum to ''Theatrum Orbis Terrarum'') *''Angliae regni florentissimi nova descriptio'' (A map of England & Wales – also published in the Additamentum) Llwyd also produced two known works in the
Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province, Argentina). Historically, it h ...
.


Footnotes


Bibliography

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External links


BBC biography on Humphrey Llwyd
{{DEFAULTSORT:Llwyd, Humphrey Welsh cartographers People from Denbigh Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford Members of the Parliament of England (pre-1707) for constituencies in Wales 1527 births 1568 deaths Welsh antiquarians 16th-century antiquarians 16th-century Welsh writers 16th-century male writers English MPs 1559 English MPs 1563–1567