Maria Jane Williams (Llinos)
- Maria learnt to play the harp as a child.
- 1826: For two weeks in the summer, Maria travelled to Ireland accompanied by Rev Thomas Price.
- She was trained in how to collect folk songs and tales.
- 1828: Her collection of Welsh folk tales was published, one of the first in the language.
- She collected most of the tales from oral sources, which she listed and described. The collection, and her method of recording information, is considered very important.
- 1837: Maria Jane won a prize at the National Eisteddfod in Abergavenny, for the 'best collection of original unpublished Welsh airs, with the words as sung by the peasantry of Wales'.
- 1838: Some of the songs collected by Maria Jane became very famous across Wales after they were included in 'The Welsh Harper: Being an Extensive Collection of Welsh Music'.
- She became part of Lady Llanover’s circle of friends.
- 1844: Her collection was published under the title 'Ancient National Airs of Gwent and Morgannwg', through the sponsorship of Lady Llanover.
- 1850: She joined the Cambrian Archaeological Association.
'"Ancient National Airs of Gwent and Morgannwg" was the only volume of Welsh folk songs, melodies and lyrics to be published before the twentieth century.' – 'Ancient National Airs of Gwent and Morgannwg' (Cymdeithas Alawon Gwerin Cymru 1994), p. vii