ABSTRACT

Using correspondence and library catalogues, this chapter explores the construction of the seventeenth-century library of Sir Thomas Mostyn of Gloddaith, in North Wales. Challenging the widely held notion that members of the Welsh gentry were thoroughly anglicised, we argue that Mostyn’s acquisition and uses of his books and manuscripts show clearly that he was committed to furthering and supporting Welsh history and scholarship, and that he looked beyond England to glean news and texts from Europe and the wider world.