Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1656-1991 (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
0.166 cubic metres(14 boxes)
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
James Jones (d. 1774) left the Penralley property in Rhayader, Radnorshire, to his nephew, John James (1737-1790), a lieutenant in the Royal Navy. In 1780, John James married Jane Probert (1757-1844), daughter of Evan Probert of Kempsey, Worcestershire, and had eight children. John Jones James (1781-1837) was the eldest child. He was a mate in the East India service in 1812, and later a trader in India in his own right. He married had a daughter, Catherine Jane James (1828-1908, dsp), who was born at sea off Ceylon. He also had an illegitimate daughter, Cornelia Ludovica Immens of Antwerp. He died at sea and was buried at St Helena.
Horatio James (1789-1850), John James's only other son to survive to adulthood, served in the Royal Navy, rising to the rank of commander. In 1833 he married Sarah Margaretta Symonds (1802-1889), and had two daughters. In 1857 Harriet Frances (1836-1868), the elder daughter, became the first wife of the Rev. Thomas Howel Evans (1832-1915), the son of Rev. Jonah Bowen Evans ('Cattwg', 1806-1876). In 1862 Maria (1843-1914), the younger daughter, married Stephen William Williams (1837-1899, dsp), the county surveyor for Radnorshire, 1862-1899.
Horatio James Evans (1859-1932), the eldest son of the Rev. Thomas Howel Evans, served in the British Army in the Afghan, South African and First World Wars, ending his career as Brigadier-General, 38th Welsh Division. Walter Bowen Evans (1862-1923), brother of Horatio, was a noted explorer, mining engineer and chemist, and member of the Governing Body of the Church in Wales. Francis Howel Evans (1867-1931), another brother, wrote crime stories as Frank Howel Evans and he may have been the inspiration behind Agatha Christie's 'Poirot'.
The family appear to have failed with Horatio's son, Horatio Peter Bowen Evans (1916-1988).
Archival history
The papers were left over from a sale of the effects at Penralley in 1989. They were listed by the Rev. Dr David H. Williams at the Rhayader offices of Russell, Baldwin and Bright (now Brightwells), auctioneers and valuers. A number of documents were retained by the Rhayader Museum, and the remainder deposited at NLW. The NLW catalogue is largely based on Dr Williams's list, including his numbers and his descriptions of the documents retained by the museum. Consequently there are gaps in the NLW sequence of numbers. The museum has since renumbered its papers, with the result that for these papers the reference numbers given in the NLW catalogue no longer correspond to the museum's call numbers.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Deposited by the Rhayader Museum, per Rev. David H. Williams, in October 1991, and by Mr T. G. B. Lawrence, Rhaeadr, previously curator of Rhayader Museum, January 2004. A further accrual was deposited by the Rev. Dr David H. Williams in February 2005.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Correspondence, deeds and papers of various members of the James and Williams families of Penralley in the town of Rhayader, Radnorshire, including ships' log books, ships' orders and other naval records, 18-19 cent., and the papers of Lieutenant John James RN (1737-1790), Commander Horatio James RN (1789-1850), Brigadier-General Horatio James Evans (1859-1932), and Stephen William Williams (1837-1899), county surveyor for Radnorshire and antiquarian.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Action: All records deposited at NLW have been retained.
Accruals
Accruals are not expected
System of arrangement
Arranged mainly by individual member of the James and Williams families and then chronologically.
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 laws apply
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Hard copies of the catalogue of the 1991 deposit are available at NLW and HMC. The entire archive including the 1991 deposit is currently being catalogued.
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
Alternative identifier(s)
Virtua system control number
GEAC system control number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Penralley Estate (Wales) -- Archives. (Subject)
- Great Britain. Royal Navy (Subject)
- Penralley Estate (Wales) (Subject)
- James, John, Lieutenant, ca. 1738-1790 (Subject)
- James, Horatio, Commander, 1789-1850 (Subject)
- Evans, Horatio James, 1859-1932 (Subject)
- Williams, Stephen William, 1837-1899 (Subject)
- Williams family, of Penralley -- Archives. (Subject)
- James family, of Penralley -- Archives. (Subject)
- Evans family, of Penralley -- Archives. (Subject)
- Williams family, of Penralley (Subject)
- Evans family, of Penralley (Subject)
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
This description follows NLW guidelines based on ISAD(G) Second Edition; AACR2; and LCSH.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
September 2001; revised January 2004.
Language(s)
- English
Script(s)
Sources
Archivist's note
Compiled by Stephen Benham.
Archivist's note
The following source was used in the compilation of this description: NLW, Schedule of Penralley Papers;