Peniarth Manuscript 259B, known as ''Pomffred'' since it had previously been owned by the constable of

Pontefract Castle Pontefract (or Pomfret) Castle is a castle ruin in the town of Pontefract, in West Yorkshire, England. King Richard II is thought to have died there. It was the site of a series of famous sieges during the 17th-century English Civil War. ...

, is a version of the

Laws of Hywel Dda ''Cyfraith Hywel'' (; ''Laws of Hywel''), also known as Welsh law ( la, Leges Walliæ), was the system of law practised in medieval Wales before its final conquest by England. Subsequently, the Welsh law's criminal codes were superseded by the ...

Aneurin Owen Aneurin Owen may refer to: * Aneurin Owen (antiquarian) * Aneurin Owen (rugby union) {{hndis, Owen, Aneurin ...

assigned this manuscript the siglum ''Z'' in his ''Ancient laws and institutes of Wales.'' It is one of the

Peniarth Manuscripts The Peniarth Manuscripts, also known as the Hengwrt–Peniarth Manuscripts, are a collection of medieval Welsh manuscripts now held by the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth. The collection was originally assembled by Robert Vaughan (c. 159 ...

in 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 boo ...

. It was transcribed in the mid-sixteenth century by two hands: Richard Longford and his amanuensis, from an earlier exemplar owned by Einion ab Addain, who was serving a prison sentence in Pontefract at the time that it was copied.

Description

This manuscript is unusual in that it is the sole law manuscript that was copied onto paper rather than parchment. The ninety-eight leaves measure 280 x 200mm, written in twenty-nine lines and two columns.

References

National Library of Wales collections Welsh-language manuscripts Peniarth collection Legal manuscripts {{Manuscript-stub