Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- [1746x1946] (accumulated [1900x1946]) / (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
0.941 cubic metres (33 boxes, 8 drawers)
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Dr Paul Diverres (1880-1946) was a Celtic scholar and former Keeper of Manuscripts at the National Library of Wales. He was born at Lorient, Brittany, and educated at the University of Rennes. He took a course in medicine, but then changed to study Celtic Studies, at the Collège de France, the Sorbonne and the Ecole des hautes études, Paris. He visited Wales in 1911 and in 1914 took an MA degree in the University of Liverpool. He was appointed Keeper of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales in 1919. In 1923 he accepted a post in the French department of the University College of Swansea. He published a number of works, his most important being Le plus ançien texte de Meddygon Myddveu . . . (Paris, 1913), and Le Siège de Lorient par les Anglais en 1746 (Rennes, 1931).
Archival history
The papers were kept in the private library of Paul Diverres, University College Swansea.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Presented in 1947 by Mrs Paul Diverres, Swansea, and Mr Armel Diverres, Manchester
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Papers of and acquired by Paul Diverres [1746x1946], comprising what are presumably the papers of his father (Henry Diverres), including transcripts, extracts, notes and printed materials, relating to Brittany, and to Finistère in particular, regarding historical and antiquarian mattters; manuscripts, printed matter, transcripts and lectures acquired by and by Paul Diverres, including material relating to a variety of historical and antiquarian subjects; religious subjects, including saints; aspects of Celtic history; glossaries, vocabularies and grammars of various languages including Cornish, Gaelic, French, Breton and Welsh; poetry and prose; various histories, including arthurian legend and Merlin, and Meddygon Myddfai; botany and botanical terms; Welsh manuscripts such as the Black Book of Carmarthen, the Red Book of Hergest, and Llyfr Taliesin; place and personal names; ancient monuments in Wales; and songs; together with some correspondence and miscellaneous papers.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Action: All records have been retained.
Accruals
Accruals are not expected.
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to sign the 'Modern papers - data protection' form.
Conditions governing reproduction
Usual copyright regulations apply.
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Welsh, Breton, Cornish, English, French, German, Latin, Irish, Old Irish.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
A hard copy of the catalogue is available at the National Library of Wales. The catalogue can be accessed online.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Title supplied from contents of fonds. Some of the records acquired by Paul Diverres pre-date the date of his birth.
Alternative identifier(s)
Virtua system control number
Project identifier
Access points
Subject access points
- Monuments -- Wales.
- Traditional medicine -- Wales -- Myddfai
- Mythology, Celtic.
- Language and languages -- Glossaries, vocabularies, etc.
- Language and languages -- Grammars.
- Historical linguistics.
- Language and languages in literature.
- Breton poetry.
- Celtic languages.
- Celtic philology.
- Celtic antiquities.
- Mythology, Welsh, in literature.
- Finistère (France)
- Manuscripts, Welsh
- Brittany (France) -- History -- To 1500
- Breton literature
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Description follows ANW guidelines based on ISAD(G) 2nd ed.; AACR2; and LCSH
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
February 2003.
Language(s)
- English
Script(s)
Sources
The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: NLW, Schedule of Paul Diverres Collection; The Dictionary of Welsh Biography 1941-1950 (London, 1970).
Archivist's note
Compiled by Annette Strauch for the ANW Project.