Background
Maurice was born around 1620 in the small community of Cefn-y-Braich in the parish of Llansilin in the historic county of Denbighshire in Wales.
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William Maurice
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He owned land and lived most of his life in the area. Maurice collected Welsh literature. He had so many books and manuscripts that he built a three-storey library near his home in Cefn-y-Braich called "the Study" in which to store them.
He spent much of his time there.
His collection of books was a faculty simile of Friar Baeon"s Study, because his library was similar to Roger Bacon"s books and manuscripts. Maurice was associated with the antiquary Robert Vaughan in the collecting and maintaining of these ancient Welsh manuscripts and books that ultimately became a collection of the Hengwrt-Peniarth library, an important part of the National Library of Wales.
Maurice cataloged the Hengwrt manuscript collection in 1658. Many manuscripts are in Maurice"s own hand.
Maurice" father was Lewis Maurice, from the family line of Moeliwrch of Powys, Wales.
He is descended maternally from the sister of Owain Glyndŵr. Maurice"s third great-grandchild was John Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley of Alderley. Maurice died around 1680.
