Fonds GB 0210 JHDAVIES - J. H. Davies, Cwrt Mawr, papers

Cardiganshire Military Appeal Tribunal, First World War, Cardiganshire National Service correspondence,

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0210 JHDAVIES

Title

J. H. Davies, Cwrt Mawr, papers

Date(s)

  • 1323-1947 (mainly [1890]-1940) (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

70 boxes (0.954 cubic metres)

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

John Humphreys Davies (1871-1926) of Cwrt Mawr, Llangeitho, county Cardiganshire, was a distinguished academic, author and bibliographer who became Registrar of the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, in 1905 and thereafter served as its Principal from 1919 until his death.
He was born at Llangeitho on 15 April 1871, the third son of Robert Joseph Davies, and was educated at the local village school, Lewis School, Pengam and University College School, London. Thereafter he studied at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, and Lincoln College, Oxford, where he graduated BA in 1893. He was then called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn.
At a very early age he entered the public life of Wales and his native county, becoming JP for Cardiganshire and treasurer of the General Assembly of the Calvinistic Methodist connexion. His interest in Welsh history, antiquities and literature was heightened by his close association while at Oxford with figures like O. M. Edwards and Thomas Edward Ellis, who married Davies's sister Annie.
Following his appointment as Registrar at Aberystwyth, Davies was well placed to collaborate with Sir John Williams in securing the town as the location of the National Library of Wales. The institution was to become the home of the magnificent Cwrt Mawr collection of books and manuscripts. He also became a member of the highly contentious Welsh Church Commission in 1908, was chosen high sheriff of Cardiganshire in 1911 and chairman of the Cardiganshire County Council in 1917.
J. H. Davies was extremely prominent in Welsh public life throughout the first quarter of the twentieth century. He was one of the founders of the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Society and contributed regularly to its Journal, and he served as the editor of the Journal of the Welsh Bibliographical Society from 1910 until 1920. In 1916 he was appointed editor of Cylchgrawn Cymdeithas Hanes y Methodistiaid Calfinaidd. As Principal of the university college he made a major contribution towards strengthening the bonds between his college and the federal University of Wales and also between the college and the Welsh nation.
He devoted much of his leisure time to the collection of Welsh books and manuscripts, and soon became a highly regarded authority in these fields. Among Davies's many important publications are The Letters of Lewis, Richard, William and John Morris of Anglesey (1907-1909), Gweithiau Morgan Llwyd, Vol. II (1908), A Bibliography of Welsh Ballads (1909-1911), and Letters of Goronwy Owen (1924). He also published a large number of articles in an array of periodicals and journals.
J. H. Davies died at Cwm Cynfelin, Aberystwyth, on 10 August 1926, and was buried at Llangeitho.

Archival history

The papers were assembled by J. H. Davies during the course of his professional life and career. Some of the documents came into his possession during the course of his historical and antiquarian researches and writings and as a collector of antiquarian books, manuscripts and documents. Others may have been retained at the family home at Cwrt Mawr, Llangeitho. A few were kept by the family after J. H. Davies's death.

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Most of the papers were donated to the Library in 1926 and 1927, shortly after Principal Davies's death, by members of his family. A few small groups were added later by his nephew and biographer Dr T. I. Ellis.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

General correspondence, 1890-1926, of J. H. Davies; correspondence and papers, 1793-1940, relating to members of the Davies family of Cwrt Mawr, Llangeitho; papers, 1872-1926, relating to J. H. Davies's professional activities and interests, including a substantial group of records, 1900-1910, deriving from the activities of the Welsh Hospital in South Africa; correspondence and papers, 1896-1926, accumulated by J. H. Davies on various subjects and issues in which he was involved; papers, notes, transcripts of documents, drafts of articles and books etc., [?1890]-[?1926], accumulated by J. H. Davies during the course of his academic and antiquarian researches; stray deeds and documents, and correspondence files, 1323-1924, accumulated by J. H. Davies, together with miscellaneous deeds and documents, and other stray items, 1830-[c. 1920], mainly of Aberystwyth interest; papers and correspondence, 1658-1907, relating to other individuals acquired by J. H. Davies, namely Gwilym Cowlyd, 1658-1907, William Davies, 1822-1855, John Rees, 1844-1867, the Richards family of Darowen, [?1818]-[?1848], and the Rev. William Thomas, 1869-1877; and miscellaneous materials, 1753-1947, accumulated by J. H. Davies or by his family following his death.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

All the papers presented to the Library have been retained..

Accruals

Additional papers are very unlikely.

System of arrangement

The papers have been arranged in the following eight groups: correspondence files; family papers; papers deriving from J. H. Davies's professional interests and activities; subject files; academic and research papers; acquired papers; papers relating to other individuals; and stray materials.

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

  • English
  • Latin
  • Welsh

Script of material

Language and script notes

English, Welsh, Latin.

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

The National Library holds substantial groups of the Cwrt Mawr Manuscripts and the Cwrt Mawr Deeds. The T. I. Ellis Papers at the Library also include further material relating to the Davies family of Cwrt Mawr, Llangeitho.

Related descriptions

Notes area

Note

Title based on contents of fonds.

Note

The archive includes much early material collected by J. H. Davies as an antiquary. Documents post dating Davies's death presumably remained in the family home at Cwrt Mawr, Llangeitho. Some may have been collected together by Dr T. I. Ellis while he was researching and writing his biography of his uncle.

Alternative identifier(s)

Virtua system control number

vtls004382202

GEAC system control number

(WlAbNL)0000382202

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

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

October 2005.

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

Sources

The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: T. I. Ellis, John Humphreys Davies (1871-1926) (Liverpool, 1963); Dictionary of Welsh Biography down to 1940 (London, 1959)

Archivist's note

Compiled by J. Graham Jones.

Accession area

Related subjects

Related genres

Related places

Physical storage

  • Text: J. H. Davies, Cwrt Mawr Papers.