Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1897-1994 (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
30 volumes.
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Geraint Dyfnallt Owen (1908-1993), historian and writer, was the son of poet, writer, journalist, Congregational minister and Archdruid John Dyfnallt Owen (Dyfnallt). He was educated at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, and the University of Oxford. During the war years he worked for the BBC in London but also served with the armed forces in Romania. Owen travelled widely in Europe and was particularly interested in the politics and culture of Brittany; he corresponded with the Breton cultural and religious leader Abbé Jean-Marie (Yann-Vari) Perrot and met with many prominent Breton political activists. A prolific writer of historical, political and cultural significance, Owen's published works include Elizabethan Wales (Cardiff, 1962), Rwmania: Pennod Mewn Gwleidyddiaeth Grym (Aberystwyth, 1951), Crisis in Chubut: A Chapter in the History of the Welsh colony in Patagonia (Swansea, 1977) and Y Blaidd Hud a Chwedlau Eraill (Aberystwyth, 1949), the latter a series of folktales translated from the Romanian.
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
NLW MSS 23317-21, 23323-46: Mr Geraint C. Dyfnallt, nephew of Geraint Dyfnallt Owen; Shrewsbury; Donation; 1994.
NLW MS 23322D: Dr Geraint Dyfnallt Owen; Hove; Donation (with other papers including NLW MSS 23878-23882E and NLW, Rosser Family of Llansteffan Papers); October 1979.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Papers, 1897-1994, of Geraint Dyfnallt Owen mainly comprising correspondence and travel journals reflecting Owen's involvement with Welsh and European history, politics and culture. There are also letters, 1929-1951, to and from Owen and his parents the Rev. and Mrs John Dyfnallt Owen. Letters from Breton cultural and religious leader Jean-Marie (Yann-Vari) Perrot, donated with other papers by Dr Geraint Dyfnallt Owen in 1979, have been incorporated in this group (NLW MS 23322D).
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Arranged according to NLW MSS reference numbers: NLW MSS 23317-23346.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to abide by the conditions noted on the 'Modern papers - data protection' form issued with their Readers' Tickets.
Conditions governing reproduction
Usual copyright laws apply.
Language of material
- Welsh
- English
- French
- Breton
Script of material
Language and script notes
Welsh, English, French, Breton.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Generated finding aid
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Duplicate typescripts of unpublished works included in the donation are part of NLW ex 1653.
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Title based on contents of fonds.
Alternative identifier(s)
Virtua system control number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Owen, Geraint Dyfnallt -- Archives. (Subject)
- Owen, Geraint Dyfnallt -- Diaries (Subject)
- Owen, Geraint Dyfnallt -- Correspondence (Subject)
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Description follows NLW guidelines based on ISAD(G) 2nd ed.; AACR2; and LCSH
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
April 2009.
Language(s)
- English
Script(s)
Sources
The following source was used in the compilation of this description: Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales, Volume IX (Aberystwyth, 2003);
Archivist's note
Description compiled by Bethan Ifans for the retrospective conversion project of NLW MSS.