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Letter from William Condry to Ray Perry, [March 1946], written in the form of a spring journal recording walks and bike rides in and around Ponterwyd, and remarking on the weather, bird life and scenery.

Personal letters and greetings cards mainly to Penny Condry and occasionally to William Condry from Mildred Elsie Eldridge (Elsi), wife of R.S. Thomas, written at Manafon rectory, Argaliers in France, Aberdaron vicarage and Sarn y Plas, Y Rhiw, Pwllheli, They are mostly dated 1953-1988, with a gap from 1954 to 1967 when R.S. Thomas was vicar of Eglwys-fach, living near to the Condrys. The letters discuss mostly the correspondents’ mutual interest in gardening, ornithology and other wildlife, and are sometimes illustrated with delightful sketches of mice and plants. In addition they reveal aspects of Elsi’s life with R.S. Thomas, their son, Gwydion, Elsi’s own art work, William Condry’s work at Ynyshir, conservation and heritage issues in North Wales, particularly the future of Bardsey Island and the garden at Plas yn Rhiw. Several letters mention mutual friends such as Mary and Bow Behrend, Monica Rawlins and Germaine Hunter. The file also contains a piece of creative writing by Elsi called ‘A Night Garden’, July 1950, occasional letters from R.S. Thomas, 1978-1979, and letters from Monica Rawlins of Ystrad Meurig, 196[?]-1982, and Germaine [widow of Norman Charles Hunter] of Pantlludw, Machynlleth, 1972.

Letters to William and Penny Condry from miscellaneous correspondents, including Philip Coxon, mainly about his own career as a warden for RSPB, 1975-1980; Ray Evans, 1992; Walter Harding on a Thoreau commemoration, 1995; Ronald Lockley and his daughter, Ann Mark, about his life in Jersey and retirement in New Zealand, 1948-1995, Irene (‘Benjamin’) Vaughan, on gardening, reminiscences and personal news, 1989-1992; and Nicholas [?] about the Oryx project, a sailing project to commemorate H.W. Tilman, and birds spotted in Oman, 1993.

Circulars and pamphlets concerning the Carmel Woods Campaign by Dyfed Wildlife Trust, and the Forest Enterprise scheme in Ceredigion, for which Condry acted in an advisory role on the panel, with particular reference to the Myherin and Tarenig forests, and Cwm Einion, 1992-1998, and a letter from Dick [Roberts], Bangor, about amenity restoration at Hafna mine in the Gwydir forest, 1993.

Personal letters to William and Penny Condry mainly by R.S. Thomas and his wife, Mildred Elsie Eldridge (Elsi) and more recently his second wife, Betty, written from Aberdaron vicarage, Sarn y Plas at Y Rhiw, Pwllheli, Llanfair-yng-Nghornwy near Holyhead, Presteigne and Llanfrothen, 1968-1998. The letters discuss mostly the correspondents’ mutual interest in ornithology and other wildlife, frequently referring to the start of the RSPB reserve at Ynyshir and Condry’s wardenship, and the maintenance of Bardsey Island as a nature reserve. Other topics include gardening, publishing, Thomas’s family, his attitude to the Welsh language and his personal beliefs; there are touches of unexpected humour. The letters from Elsi Thomas sometimes include her own sketches and drawings. The file also includes a letter to William Condry from the artist Meg [Stevens], 1984, letters from Thomas’s biographer Justin Wintle, 1995-1996, and press-cuttings about R.S. Thomas, [post-1985]-1993.

Circulars, pamphlets and newsletters of the Friends of Cardigan Bay, of which Condry was vice-president, 1990-1998, and an issue of ‘The Living World’, Winter 1995, in a re-used folder entitled ‘Chapter I, The Mountains’, covered with deleted notes on the same.

Circulars, pamphlets, newletters, etc. of the Friends of Cardigan Bay, 1990-1998, and the Woodland Trust, 1987-2005.

An annual report, 1986/7, and other circulars, pamphlets and newsletters of the Woodland Trust, 1988-2005.

Letters, obituaries and articles relating to William Condry which appear to have been accumulated by David Saunders of the Dyfed Wildlife Trust, as indicated by a covering letter, 2015. They include a letter by William Condry to Elwyn Hughes, 1955, and letters between Condry and David Saunders, 1991-1997, mainly about the publication of articles in various wildlife journals. The remainder of the file comprises correspondence of David Saunders with Penny Condry, Jack Davies, Dafydd Davies and Arthur Chater, in connection with the obituary of William Condry by Arthur Chater, published in ‘Wildlife’, September 1998 (present in file), together with a brief article on Condry’s retirement, 1982, and further obituaries, mostly in Wildlife Trust publications, 1998-1999.

Photocopy of a letter, dated 28 November 1971, in the hand of William Condry, addressed to his niece Chris (Christine Demmar), enclosing an account of 'Jacky' his pet jackdaw; together with a covering note from Chris to Penny Condry, [July 2016].

Transcript of a speech given by Chris Fuller at the opening of an exhibition at MOMA, The Tabernacle, Machynlleth on 29 September 2018, to celebrate the centenary year of William Condry; with a leaflet and poster advertising the William Condry Memorial Lecture by Iolo Williams, 13 October 2018.

The series comprises newspaper and magazine articles written during Condry's lifetime, obituaries and letters of condolence to Penny Condry, and other memorials and tributes, 1955-2020 (accumulated 1973-2020)

Natural history diaries, 1935-1998, field notes, 1952-1994, typescript and published articles, 1947-1998, notes and correspondence relating to his books, 1933-1998, and to various natural history and historical subjects, card indexes, 1930-1998, and printed pamphlets, papers and books relating to Henry Thoreau, 1943-1999. There are several files of general personal correspondence, 1938-2016, including letters from R.S. Thomas. Inevitably, there are considerable overlaps between the various subsections of the archive, since Condry's interests, professional duties and literary activities were inextricably linked. Additional correspondence and papers, 1948-2020, including the files of letters from R. S. Thomas and his wife Mildred Elsie Eldridge (Elsi), 1968-1998, were transferred to NLW in December 2015, May 2018 and June 2020; a further letter, [c. 1946], by William Condry to Ray Perry, was donated in January 2016; a letter by Condry to his niece, Christine Demmar, enclosing a story about a pet jackdaw, was donated in August 2016; and transcript of a speech given by Chris Fuller at the opening of the William Condry centenary exhibition at MOMA, Machynlleth, in September 2018., donated in October 2018.

The group consists of notebooks, loose notes, drafts, indexes, correspondence and printed material, 1825, 1893, 1930-1998, used for Condry's editorial work and for the preparation of his books, articles and reviews, together with a sustantial number of the finished, printed articles cut from newspapers and magazines

The group consists of notes, drafts, correspondence, press cuttings, leaflets and other printed material used in the preparation of books and articles, a large quantity of Condry's finished newspaper and magazine articles, and substantial number of card indexes, 1893, 1933-1998, on the subjects of wildlife, development and history of the landscape, nature conservation, ecology, other naturalists, past and present day travel and tourism. The subjects relate mainly to Wales, but also to other parts of Britain, Europe and Africa.

The file comprises two typescripts of an unpublished work entitled Birdwatching in Wales with handwritten additions and alterations, four rejection letters from publishers, 1956-1957, a list of contents, and a word count, dated 1997 on the cover of the original folder.

The file comprises papers relating to Exploring Wales, published in 1970, including notes, sketch maps, annotated typescripts and synopses of some chapters, printed articles, a copy of a letter from Condry to the publisher, 1965, and manuscript notes on the topography of Wales, places of historical interest and archaeology. The chapter on Breconshire is missing.

The file comprises manuscript notes, typed and printed surveys, newsletters and articles, magazine and newspaper cuttings, maps, and a substantial number of letters, relating to the topography, geology, habitats, ecology, environmental issues such as the effects of afforestation, specific plants, birds and animals of Wales, 1956-1995, used by Condry in writing The Natural History of Wales, published in 1981. A small bundle of the letters refer specifically to Spiraea, 1979. The file includes two letters and a postcard from Peter Benoit, 1977-1983, on various plants, habitats and the death of Mary Richards, and four letters from Arthur Chater, 1979-1983, on botanical subjects, with enclosed lists of plants and underlying geological features for parts of Ceredigion.

The file comprises manuscript notes and the partial, annotated typescript of an unpublished book written in diary form, giving an account of spring and summer in and around the Dyfi estuary, Merioneth, and including descriptions of the weather, scenery, wildlife, plants, gardening and visits to places of interest.

The file comprises annotated galley proofs of The Vertebrate Animals of Cardiganshire which was published in Cardiganshire County History, Vol. 1 in 1994, with covering letters from the publisher, 1992-1993, typescript and manuscript of the text with related letters, author's memos and notes, 1984-1992; an original cardboard folder, annotated with the author's research plan on the cover and containing notes and printed articles about birds of prey, mammals, reptiles, insects, ecology and the history of game management, 1969-1984; correspondence, mainly concerning game management and the production of the book, including drafts and copies of letters by Condry (7), 1985-1991, letters from Arthur Chater (4), 1984-1985, Lord Lisburne (8), 1950-1954, Morrey Salmon (2), 1984, with enclosures, Prof. E. G. Bowen (3), 1983, and Prof. I. G. Jones (3), 1983-1984, both of the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, and David Austin of the University of Wales, Lampeter (1, 1984)