Collections
Archives
- Title page of one of the scrapbooks of the boxer Freddie Welsh (1886-1927)
What are archives?
Archives are documents created or accumulated by individuals or institutions, and selected for permanent preservation.
The documents were originally created for administrative or personal purposes, but with the passage of time became archives. They are the raw material of history providing original and unique evidence of events in the past. They are essential for historical research.
Archives at the Library
The Library holds a wide variety of archives in terms of their size, type of documents and the information contained in them, and in terms of their date. From the medieval charters of the Cistercian Abbey of Strata Marcella, near Welshpool to recent records of the National Eisteddfod of Wales, from the political archive of the late Gwynfor Evans to the scrapbooks of the boxer Freddie Welsh, archives contain information extending to every branch of knowledge.
During the early years, the majority of archives received by the Library consisted of the records of the landed gentry and their estates. Included among these family and estate archives are collections such as:
- One of the Margam Abbey Charters, including the seal of the Bishop of Llandaff, c. 1196-1218 (Penrice & Margam 48)
- Badminton
- Tredegar
- Bute
- Penrice and Margam
- Powis Castle
- Wynnstay
- Chirk Castle
These are substantial collections in terms of their size, and they reflect the growth, development and influence of landed families throughout Wales over many centuries.
They contain thousands of original documents such as:
- title deeds transferring property
- rent books listing tenants and their properties
- manorial records
- correspondence
- documents relating to the administration of the estate
It is not possible to trace the industrial, social and economic history of Wales without using the sources available among the records of the large estates and also smaller estates whose influence is more local.
More recently, the Library began to collect other types of archives, such as corporate archives (institutions, societies and public bodies) and personal and family archives.
- Henry VIII as depicted on the earliest Great Sessions plea roll for Brecknokshire, 1542 (Great Sessions 17/1)
Corporate archives
This category contains valuable archives of national importance, such as:
- The Church in Wales archive. This archive contains many vital sources for those interested in family history, such as registers of baptisms, marriages and burials, bishop’s transcripts, wills, and marriage bonds
- archives of nonconformist denominations, particularly the Calvinistic Methodist Archives
- archive of the Court of Great Sessions, the Court responsible for trying all types of crimes, from petty theft to high treason, between 1543 and 1830
- archives of a number of cultural institutions such as the National Eisteddfod, Arts Council of Wales and Welsh National Opera
- archives of a number of political, industrial, agricultural, educational and professional institutions.
Personal archives
Included in this category are archives of individuals and families who have played a significant part in the life of the nation in various fields.
- Writers (Welsh and Anglo-Welsh)
- Musicians and composers
- Artists
- Academics
- Naturalists
- Individuals prominent in the public life of the nation
Included in this category are archives of individuals and families who have played a significant part in the life of the nation in various fields. This type of varied archive could prove useful, for example, to the academic wishing to study intricate literary drafts (David Jones archive), to those interested in dogs (Doggie Hubbard archive), or to those studying wildlife in Wales (William Condry archive).
Value of archives
Since archives are the raw material of history, they should be used at all levels of education – school children engaged in local history projects; university staff undertaking academic research; or members of the public following evening courses in family history.
Curiosity could be the incentive for others to use archives, such as the desire to discover the history of their house or to trace the names used for local fields or farms. Whatever the reason, archives are an indispensable source for studying and interpreting the history of local communities and the history of the nation.
How to gain access to the archives
Access to those archives which have been catalogued is available online by searching the Library’s online catalogues (archives catalogued before 1999, archives catalogued after 1999). It is possible to search for names, subjects and place-names, and free text searches can also be made. Paper copies of these catalogues are also available in the Library’s South Reading Room.
For information on the content, scope and size of archives of Welsh interest kept in record offices, universities and other institutions throughout Wales, including this Library, you should consult the Archives Network Wales website. This website serves as a guide to the sources, and to the catalogues, available in the various Welsh repositories. It is not a source in itself. However, it is an extremely important resource, since information concerning an individual, institution, place or subject can often be found in more than one Welsh archival repository.
