Havard/Harvard - a link from the Brecon Beacons (in Wales) to Stratford on Avon
Lyra
(quote, excerpts)
Havard Family Roots
Professor Myron Wyn Evans
Last updated: 14 May 2007
Professor Myron Wyn Evans of Craigcefnparc in the Lower Clydach Valley
is planning his armorial bearings. He traces his family history back
to 1040 and Sir Walter Harvard of Defynnog.
# Read about Sennybridge and Defynnog history...
"I am descended from Sir Walter Havard (Havre de Grace), a Norman
Knight of the eleventh century born in 1040 in Normandy, one of twelve
Knights of the Norman Baron Bernard de Neufmarche en Lions (Bernard
Newmarch) who invaded Brycheiniog in 1093.
A battle took place just outside Brecon in Easter 1093 between Rhys ap
Tewdwr Fawr, Prince of Deheubarth, and ancestor of the present Queen,
and the Normans.
Other Knights included Sir Reginald Aubrey, who married Sir Walter
Havard's daughter. Both the Havards and Aubreys were prominent Brecon
families for many centuries.
In Tudor times Joan Havard was married into the Vaughan family of
Tretower Court.
They are related to the Queen through the Tudor Earls of Pembroke and
Dukes of Bedford.
The metaphysical poet Henry Vaughan was one of this family.
The early Brecon Normans took up the Welsh language within a
generation or so, Henry Vaughan spoke Welsh fluently, as I do today.
The Havard family founded the Havard Chapel of Brecon Cathedral.
John Harvard founded Harvard College (later Harvard University) in the
early seventeenth century, and there is a Harvard Chapel of Southwark
Cathedral in which Edmund Shakespeare is buried (William's younger
brother). The University owns the Harvard House in Stratford upon
Avon. The original spelling is Havard, as in Brecon, and comes from
the Norse meaning High Guardian, a high ranking Norse Viking.
I am descended through my great grandmother, Mary Havard of Cwm
Cerdinen near here. She was the mother of my grandfather T. Elim
Jones, Head Deacon of the Welsh speaking Elim Baptist Chapel,
Craigcefnparc, who married Martha Jane Newlands of a Pembroke family.
My mother was Mary Evans, nee Jones, his daughter, married to Edward
Evans of "Y Grithig" opposite Craig y Nos Castle, Cwmtawe, fifty yards
from the outflow of Ogof Fynnon Ddu into the Tawe. His father was
William Evans of Fferm y Clos, near Brecon.
Mary Havard was one of several children of Thomas Havard, who was born
in Ystradfellte in 1840. Thomas Havard was descended from Dafydd
(David) Havard of Defynnog, born in 1797. Defynnog is only about seven
miles from Pontgwilym, which is just north of Brecon. Dafydd Havard
Defynnog descends from Sir Walter Havard through a minor branch
(younger sons).
My armorial bearings are in recognition of this appointment and will
consist of elements of the arms of the Prince Rhys ap Gruffydd ap Rhys
ap Tewdwr, of the arms of Sir Walter Havard, Lord of Pontgwilym, and
other elements of my own, a sheaf of hay, indicating a humble origin
(here in this house in fact) as the son of a hill farmer and coal
miner. The latter is symbolized by a pattern of black hills.
The motto is a line of my own cynghanedd, "Poer y Llwch o'r Pair
Llachar", roughly translated as "The dust pours from the fiery
cauldron" - representing the legendary South Wales coal mining
industry.
The helm is an eleventh century Norman helm, and the crest is a
representation by the Windsor Herald of the Celtic Cross at Nanhyfern
in Pembroke, representing peace and good will to all nations. This is
supported by two dragons rouge rampant from the arms of the University
of Wales.
The badge will have the sheaf of hay, the pattern of black hills and
the Nanhyfern Celtic cross, surrounded by nine quartz crystals
representing science and the carboniferous (coal bearing) limestone of
the supremely beautiful Brecon Beacons from which two branches of my
family originate."
Lyra
Note especially -
the links of the Havard/Harvard family,
to
`````````
1. The Vaughans,
of Tretower.
(the area of Wales that Shakespeare seems to have visited.)
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2. The Shakespeare family, and Stratford-on-Avon.
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(see the following -)
(quote)
> In Tudor times Joan Havard was married into the Vaughan family of
> Tretower Court.
> They are related to the Queen through the Tudor Earls of Pembroke and
> Dukes of Bedford.
> The metaphysical poet Henry Vaughan was one of this family.
> The early Brecon Normans took up the Welsh language within a
> generation or so, Henry Vaughan spoke Welsh fluently, as I do today.
> The Havard family founded the Havard Chapel of Brecon Cathedral.
>
> John Harvard founded Harvard College (later Harvard University) in the
> early seventeenth century,
and there is a Harvard Chapel of Southwark
> Cathedral in which Edmund Shakespeare is buried (William's younger
> brother).
The University owns the Harvard House in Stratford upon
> Avon.
The original spelling is Havard, as in Brecon, and comes from
> the Norse meaning High Guardian, a high ranking Norse Viking.
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Lyra
`````````
(here is a copy of an earlier post about
the Havards, and Shakespeares.)
`````````
(quote)
I have unearthed a fascinating article from the New York Times
published in 1907 that makes a connection between William Shakespeare
and the founder of Harvard University John Harvard.
The story (very briefly) goes like this. Thomas Rogers b.1565 of
Stratford would have been a friend and school mate of Shakespeare b.
1564. When Thomas was seeking a husband for his daughter Katherine his
old friend (Shakespeare) suggested the son of another wealthy butcher
Robert Harvard.
The connection between Robert and Shakespeare is the
result of both being prominent at Saint Saviour's Church in Southwark.
The two were introduced, married and their son John b.1607 emigrated
to America in 1637, leaving his estate to found Harvard University.
Unfortunately the books he took with him to America were destroyed by
fire.
A fanciful tale perhaps, but some of the facts of this case are
interesting to me in that it is often asked how the son of a glover
could have created the greatest works in literature. Well, it is a
fact that a marriage between the daughter of a butcher of Stratford
and the son of a butcher of Southwark produced the man that founded
Harvard University. Moreover, much is made of the different spellings
of Shakespeare's name during his life. John Harvard's registry at
baptism is misspelled John Harvye.
You can visit Harvard House in Stratford now managed by the
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
A fanciful tale or an interesting connection? Please comment
http://www.britishshakespearecompany.com/diary/?p=203
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Lyra
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Pictures of the Harvard House, Stratford-upon-Avon.
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=harvard+house+stratford&page=2
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> > www.bbc.co.uk/.../pages/canyouhelp.shtml
>
> > ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
> > ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
> > ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
>
> > > (quote, excerpts)
Lyra
>
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>
> Pictures of the Harvard House, Stratford-upon-Avon.
>
> http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=harvard+house+stratford&page=2
>
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Note especially -
(quote)
Southwark is also where Robert Harvard and William Shakespeare quite
possibly rubbed shoulders. In his 1907 book, John Harvard and His
Times, Henry C. Shelley posits an interesting theory regarding how
despite Robert's Puritanical leanings, he and the dramatist were, for
a number of reasons, likely to have crossed paths.
First, Robert was a prominent townsman and butcher.
Second, Shakespeare and members of his acting company were
parishioners, if only occasional ones, at St. Saviour's Church, where
Robert was a warden.
Also, the owner of the Rose Theatre was Philip Henslowe, a colleague
of Shakespeare's who was active at the church, and even worked
directly with Robert.
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(quote)
HARVARD GAZETTE ARCHIVES
John Harvard's England
A compleat survey of the 17th-century haunts of Harvard University's
namesake and first benefactor
by Rucker Alex '99-00
Special to the Gazette
You've seen the statue, you've heard the name, and you've experienced
the thrill of his legacy. Now, you can visit three landmarks of John
Harvard's pre-New England life by wending your way through London and
the English countryside. You don't have to be an expert on the history
of the University to know that John Harvard is not technically the
founder of Harvard, but instead its main benefactor. The facts we know
about him are few. We do know that no contemporary portrait of Harvard
exists. It's rumored that the famous statue in Harvard Yard is in the
image of an acquaintance of the sculptor. A stained-glass window
commemorating Harvard at Emmanuel College, it is reported, was based
partly on likenesses of his contemporary John Milton, but with long
hair.
So what's the real story behind the mystery man? The historical tour,
whether traveled by bus or vicariously, unveils as many provocative
questions as satisfying answers: Were John Harvard and William
Shakespeare friends? Why is the Harvard seal stuck to an English
chapel ceiling? The trip will also test your true devotion to Harvard.
How much would you be willing to pay for a postcard with a facsimile
of the only existing Harvard signature?
We know few details of John Harvard's New England life. In pursuit of
religious toleration, he left England for this continent in 1637 with
his wife.
After a year working as an assistant to the pastor for a church in
Charlestown, Mass., Harvard died suddenly of consumption in September
1638. In his verbal disposition he granted half of his estate and his
entire library of 230 books to a new college in Cambridge (then
Newtown). The overseers, recognizing the generosity of Harvard's gift,
ordered "that the colledge agreed upon formerly to bee built at
Cambridg shal bee called Harvard Colledge."And so John's affiliation
with the University was established.
The following brief tour through old England may give you more of a
feel for the man behind this well-known story.
Southwark: John Harvard's Home
We'll start closest to central London, in the historically rich area
of Southwark. Southwark Cathedral, home to the Harvard Chapel, is just
a short stroll from London Bridge. A church has been on this site for
more than 1,000 years. John's father, Robert, a respected Southwark
citizen, was a warden at St. Saviour's Church on the site of the
present Cathedral, and operated a butcher shop in Pepper Alley, now
located under an arched bridge directly behind the Cathedral.
John was christened at St. Saviour's on November 29, 1607. He attended
St. Saviour's grammar school, where his father was governor. Harvard's
Southwark, which operated outside of the city of London's
jurisdiction, was, it seems, a pretty interesting place “ a home not
only to inns, prisons, and pious Puritans but also to a lively,
somewhat raucous theater scene. It was a place, we can guess, where
Harvard would not have lived a sheltered life, despite his father's
church involvement.
Southwark is also where Robert Harvard and William Shakespeare quite
possibly rubbed shoulders. In his 1907 book, John Harvard and His
Times, Henry C. Shelley posits an interesting theory regarding how
despite Robert's Puritanical leanings, he and the dramatist were, for
a number of reasons, likely to have crossed paths. First, Robert was a
prominent townsman and butcher. Second, Shakespeare and members of his
acting company were parishioners, if only occasional ones, at St.
Saviour's Church, where Robert was a warden. Also, the owner of the
Rose Theatre was Philip Henslowe, a colleague of Shakespeare's who was
active at the church, and even worked directly with Robert.
John's mother, Katherine, lost husband Robert and four of her children
to the Southwark Plague of 1625. Katherine remarried twice, and
acquired ownership of the Queen's Head Inn on Borough Street. Borough
Street had been lined with inns since Chaucer's time, each one a
jumping-off point for a different destination. When Katherine died in
1635, the inn went to John, who maintained it for a short time before
his departure for America. Although the Queen's Head no longer stands,
its site is commemorated with a plaque at 103 Borough High Street.
Harvard Chapel, which adjoins the north transept of the Cathedral, is
a gem. It is a graceful space with high, sweeping arches and a
magnificent tabernacle designed by 19th-century Gothic revivalist
A.W.N. Pugin. The chapel space has been used through the centuries as
a vestry and petty debtors' court. It is currently (and more
traditionally) a place of reflection and quiet prayer; communion is
held several times a week, and the sacrament is performed at the
tabernacle.
Parts of the room display traces of Norman architecture. The east wall
features a stained-glass window by the famous John LaFarge, depicting
the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist. The upper frames of the
window include the Harvard College and Emmanuel College arms. However,
the only pictorial reference to John is a minuscule floating head in
the center panel. Guy Rowston, the church historian, describes it as a
nondistinctive "typical portrait of a godly 17th-century man." What
appears to be a small facsimile of the Harvard shield is affixed to
the ceiling of the chapel. It is through the perseverance of alumni at
the turn of the century that the Harvard Chapel even exists. The
dedication ceremonies arranged by these interested Americans occurred
in two stages, and proved a delight to local and national newspapers,
which had a field day listing the important people attending.
On May 22, 1905, Joseph Choate, a former American ambassador in
London, presided over a ceremony to unveil the newly installed stained-
glass window. At the ceremony, Choate spoke of why he funded the
project: ". . . the name of John Harvard, unknown and of little
account when he left England, has been a benediction to the New World,
and his timely and generous act has borne fruit a millionfold . . . we
are here today to lay a wreath upon the shrine." However, the space
continued to be known as the Chapel of St. John the Evangelist.
The interest ignited by the unveiling of the window spurred an influx
of donations from alums, which helped to restore the chapel proper.
Two years later, the new U.S. ambassador, Whitelaw Reid, officially
requested the Bishop of Southwark to rededicate the space to John
Harvard. In a ceremony attended by the Archbishop of Canterbury and
many members of the Harvard community, the Harvard Chapel was
officially dedicated on July 17, 1907, on the 300th anniversary of
John Harvard's baptism.
What else you can find
A gorgeous historic building in its own right, Southwark Cathedral was
also Shakespeare's place of worship. A monument and an overhead window
pictorially commemorate the Bard and his plays.
-- The true Bard die-hards may enjoy a 15-minute walk to the Globe
Theatre, Shakespeare's recently re-created stage. There are open-air
performances and guided tours in the spring through early fall.
-- It's not Widener, but the unassuming John Harvard public branch
library at 211 Borough High Street, a 10-minute walk from the
Cathedral, has an excellent Local Studies Library in the back. The
staff can show you planning maps of Southwark in the 1600s, original
clippings of articles commemorating the chapel, and photographs and
illustrations of famed Southwark characters and landmarks. The library
is closed Wednesday and Sunday.
-- The Borough Street inns in Southwark were once famous as the point
for coach departures, and boast extraordinary literary associations.
Chaucer, for instance, has his Canterbury pilgrims gather at the
Tabard Inn ("It happened in that season that one day/ In Southwark, at
The Tabard, as I lay/ Ready to go on pilgrimage and start/ For
Canterbury, most devout at heart"). Dickens and Shakespeare featured
inns, like the White Hart, in, respectively, the Pickwick Papers and
Henry IV.
How to get there
Southwark is easily reached by the Underground. Take the Northern Line
to London Bridge and exit on Borough Street, facing the Southwark
Cathedral. The Borough and Elephant & Castle stations are also nearby.
Emmanuel College: The Other Cambridge
Since its founding in 1584, Emmanuel College, at Cambridge University,
was singled out for its nontraditional Calvinist views on religion and
ritual. The college placed its focus on the students, a hardy and
nonconformist group. One-third of the university graduates who first
settled in New England were Emmanuel graduates, and John Harvard
belonged to this group.
John Harvard attended Emmanuel College, graduating with his B.A. in
1632 and earning his M.A. in 1635. Proof of his attendance is
scattered through the College: a shaky signature in a book, a stained-
glass window in a chapel, a room which may have been his (now reserved
for the Lionel de Jersey Harvard scholar).
The hub of Harvard in the other Cambridge is at Wren Chapel, the
Emmanuel College Chapel. The windows in the chapel were originally
plain, but for the tercentenary in 1884 the college installed
beautiful stained-glass portraits commemorating past graduates and
famous historical and intellectual figures. John Harvard is on the
north wall, next to a portrait of Laurence Chaderton, the first master
of Emmanuel and one of the translators of the 1611 English Bible. In
the portrait, John holds a scroll inscribed "POPULUS QUI CREABITUR
LAUDABIT DOMINUM" ("a people which shall be created shall praise the
Lord," Psalm cii 18). At his feet is an urn, on which is written "SAL
GENTIUM" ("the salt of the earth"; preacher Cotton Mather used this
phrase in 1702 in reference to Harvard College). Behind Harvard are a
sailing ship, similar to the one Harvard may have used to travel to
America, and his Charlestown gravestone.
Nearby is the Emmanuel College Library, which houses the matriculation
book John Harvard signed “ the only sample of his handwriting known to
exist. You can also buy postcards with John Harvard's signature.
How to get there
The cheapest way to travel to Cambridge is by bus. National Express
runs a Cambridge-London shuttle daily (2 hours each way). BritRail
operates a service between Cambridge and London; it's a one-hour ride.
If you're going all out and want to visit Oxford, too, Cambridge
Coaches runs shuttles between the university towns.
Stratford: John's Mum
Katherine Rogers, John Harvard's mother, was raised on High Street in
Stratford-upon-Avon. She came from a large and wealthy family, and the
construction of the family's house in 1596 caused a stir in the town.
More than 400 years later, the house still stands, and remains a
prominent example of fine, well-detailed architecture. In search of a
wife in 1605, Robert Harvard made the journey to Stratford. Some
theorize it was actually Shakespeare who facilitated Harvard's
introduction to Katherine. Robert and Katherine married in April 1605,
when she was 21 years old.
Katherine's childhood home was known as the Ancient House until the
late 1800s, when a neighboring printer distributed a postcard with the
inscription "The Harvard House." Legend says this feat of
entrepreneurialism brought many American tourists, eager to see John
Harvard's birth site. (Of course, John was born in Southwark, not
Stratford.)
In 1909, Chicago millionaire and Harvard alum Edward Morris was
persuaded by a local writer, Marie Corelli, to buy the house. In 1910
he presented it to Harvard University. Harvard owns the house but
placed it under the supervision of the Shakespeare Trust, which
maintains the five Shakespeare properties in Stratford.
The house recently underwent renovations and acquired the Neish
Collection of Pewter, now displayed on the ground floor. The house is
presented as it would have been in Katherine's time. Although the
items are not necessarily those that were in the Rogers's home, they
are all authentic to the period, or nearly all ‹you'll pass by months-
old issues of the Harvard University Gazette on the way up, and
photographs of Derek Bok and Neil Rudenstine hang over a mantel on the
second level. Harvard alumni are invited to sign a guest book, though
they don't retain the other privileges accorded them in the past.
(After World War II, Harvard House was open to students and affiliates
only; rumor has it that students were able to enjoy a cup of hot tea
and a place to rest and write postcards here before resuming their
travels.) The House is open to the public.
What else you can find
Stratford-upon-Avon is especially crowded in the summer months, for
reasons other than its Harvard connections. You quickly realize that
if a poet indeed exists within you, it will emerge in this beautiful
setting. The River Avon flows through (you can rent a rowboat to
paddle along it), and swans frolic on the lawns next to delighted
children.
-- Star attractions include the Shakespeare-related sites. You can
visit all five of the Shakespeare Trust properties, most of which are
in easy walking distance. The most popular site is Shakespeare's
birthplace, found next to the Shakespeare Centre museum.
-- For a spot of live drama, try the stupendous Royal Shakespeare
Company theaters. Stratford hosts three, ranging from a grandly
traditional stage to an ultramodern, small venue. There are "rush
tickets" available, but it's best to book your seats as far in advance
as possible.
-- For additional poetic inspiration, visit the neighboring idyllic
Cotswalds villages, home to castles, tearooms, and rolling hills.
How to get there
Stratford can be reached by the National Express buses (a 3-hour
ride). You can also take the train from London (2 hours).
http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/1999/06.10/johnh.html
Lyra
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(quote, excerpts)
How many hundreds of people pass this beautiful church each day
without even realising it's there, much less what lies inside?
......as well as possessing a marvellous atmosphere of serenity and
calm, the Cathedral building houses the most interesting collection of
tombs and epitaphs outside of Westminster Abbey.
Southwark Cathedral is by no means a dusky repository for the dead,
though. Throughout it's long history it has played a vital role in the
life of London's South Bank and it has a surprisingly rich heritage as
a result.
St. Saviour's was undoubtedly familiar to Shakespeare and he must have
worshiped there many times. This much is borne out by the fact that
the playwright's brother, Edmund, was buried in the church after his
premature death in 1607. Since he was an actor, Edmund's passing would
not normally have attracted any attention. Yet someone evidently paid
to have him sent off like a gentleman.
The register states:'Edmond Shakespeare, player, buried in ye church,
with a forenone knell of the great bell XXs.'
Twenty shillings was a considerable sum of money in Tudor times,
nevertheless Edmund was buried in an unmarked grave. A commemorative
stone was eventually placed in the paving of the choir.
William Shakespeare's connection with Southwark diminished after 1613
when he started to spend more time in Stratford. Three centuries
later, a memorial to the great bard was included in the Cathedral.
Reflecting the tastes of the Elizabethan era, it shows Shakespeare
resting on his side, his head cupped in one hand. Behind the reclining
figure is a carved frieze of the Bankside he knew, including the Globe
and the Cathedral and above is a modern stained-glass window showing
scenes from his plays.
While Shakespeare was still a familiar figure in the parish of St.
Saviour's, another famous Englishman was just coming into the world.
Born to parents who had also made the long trip from Stratford-Upon-
Avon, John Harvard was baptised in the then chapel of St. John the
evangelist on November 29, 1607. The entry with his father's signature
is in the Cathedral registry and a copy of it is on display.
http://www.hiddenlondon.com/southwark_cathedral.htm
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While Shakespeare was still a familiar figure in the parish of St.
Saviour's, another famous Englishman was just coming into the world.
Born to parents who had also made the long trip from Stratford-Upon-
Avon, John Harvard was baptised in the then chapel of St. John the
evangelist on November 29, 1607. The entry with his father's signature
is in the Cathedral registry and a copy of it is on display.