85 Phillips Liberal Archives National Library Wales
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LIBERAL PArtY ArChiVES IN thE WELSH POlitiCAL ArChiVE AT THE NAtiONAL LIBRARY OF WALES by Rob Phillips he National Library of Liberal Democrat parties, but I have education and the investiture of the Wales was established by highlighted the main collections and Prince of Wales in 1911, as well as TRoyal Charter on 17 March give the NRA Code where available to the Irish Question and the First 1907. This was the culmination to aid further research. Full details World War. of many decades of work and fol- are available from the library’s David Lloyd George’s fam- lowed a commitment by the gov- online catalogue, or from the find- ily correspondence includes let- ernment in 1905 to provide funds ing aids noted below. ters between David Lloyd George for the library. Over the subsequent and his wife Margaret, from David century a wide-ranging and var- Lloyd George to his uncle Richard ied collection of published material David Lloyd George Lloyd and to David Lloyd George in the form of books, newspapers, The Welsh Political Archive holds from his brother William George. periodicals and maps has been cre- a significant collection of archi- Other family correspondence ated as a result of the library’s status val material relating to David includes letters to Margaret Lloyd as a legal deposit library, however Lloyd George, Liberal MP for George, from various correspond- the library also holds substantial the Caernarfon Boroughs, 1890– ents, and from Margaret Lloyd collections of non-published mate- 1945, Chancellor of the Excheq- George mainly to her daughter rial such as photographs, paintings, uer, 1908–15, and Prime Minister, Olwen Carey-Evans. manuscripts and archives. 1916–22. At the beginning of 1910, Megan Lloyd George’s cor- The papers of political figures after Lloyd George, as Chancel- respondence and papers include and organisations were of course lor of the Exchequer, had agreed letters to and from Labour politi- amongst those collected, but in 1983 to a government grant of £4,000 cian Philip Noel-Baker and from the Welsh Political Archive was to the National Library of Wales, other correspondents, including established to provide a focus for his close political associate Sir her parents, together with a tour the collection and promotion of this John Herbert Lewis, Liberal MP journal, and diary, 1947. Gwi- material, along with an advisory for Flintshire wrote to thank him lym Lloyd George’s correspond- committee comprised of representa- for this ‘courageous act’, adding, ence and papers include typescript tives from the main political parties ‘The Library will be at, I hope, draft of his (unpublished) in Wales, civic society and academ- a very distant date your literary autobiography. ics. This committee meets annually mausoleum’. David Lloyd George’s speech to review the work of the archive The Lloyd George Manu- notes, notebooks and miscellane- and make arrangements for the scripts GB 0210 MSLLOYD- ous papers, together with and cor- annual lecture. The members also GEORGE contain the papers of respondence and papers relating to act as ambassadors for the archive the Lloyd George family. The col- Mair Eluned Lloyd George are also and assist in attracting new material. lection is comprised mainly of cor- included. Much of the research behind respondence, the bulk of which is The William George Papers this article was undertaken by Dr addressed to David Lloyd George, GB 0210 WILGEORGE comprise John Graham Jones, who was for- mostly from contemporary politi- 3,292 letters from Lloyd George to merly the head of the Welsh Politi- cal figures and from members of William and ten pocket diaries kept cal Archive. It would be impossible his family. The political corre- by the young Lloyd George from to comprehensively cover all the spondence relates largely to Welsh 1878 to 1888. material held in the Welsh Political affairs, including disestablishment, The Olwen Carey-Evans Papers Archive relating to the Liberal and the Welsh Church Commission, GB 0210 CAREYEVANS mainly 34 Journal of Liberal History 85 Winter 2014–15 comprise her correspondence, many prominent Liberal poli- Department, 1907. GB Government Board, 1916– notebooks, scrapbooks, other ticians of his generation. The 0210 OMELLYF 17; Food Controller, 1917– personal papers and papers, papers of Sir Samuel T. Evans • Thomas Edward Ellis 18. GB 0210 DATMAS press cuttings, memorabilia, include correspondence with (1859–99). MP for Merio- • H. D. Acland (1847–1926). diaries, notes, essays and other David Lloyd George. nethshire, 1886–99; second MP for Rotherham, 1885– items relating to members of Liberal whip under Glad- 99, and for the Chiltern her family but include a small stone, 1892; chief whip Hundreds, 1899–1919; cre- group of papers relating to Clement Davies under Rosebery, 1894. ated 13th Baronet in 1919. David Lloyd George. Lloyd George is not the only There is also a substantial • Sir Alfred T. Davies Albert James Sylvester Liberal Party leader whose group of papers relating to (1861–1949). Permanent was Lloyd George’s princi- papers are held at the National T. E. Ellis among those of Secretary to the Welsh pal private secretary. The A. J. Library of Wales: a substan- his close friend and confi- Department of the Board Sylvester Papers GB 0210 tial archive of the political and dant D. R. Daniel (1859– of Education, 1907–25. GB AJSYLTER include many files personal papers of E. Clem- 1931), and among those of 0210 ALFTDAVIES of correspondence and papers ent Davies GB 0210 CLEIES his son Dr T. I. Ellis (1899– • Sir Alun Talfan Davies (b. including shorthand diaries is also available to consult. 1970). GB 0210 TELLIS 1913). Independent can- and notebooks, files relating to Davies was the Liberal MP for • Sir Samuel T. Evans didate in the University the First World War, the Paris Montgomeryshire, 1929–62, (1859–1918). MP for of Wales by-election in Peace Conference, Germany and party leader, 1945–56. Mid-Glamorgan, 1890– 1943; stood as a Liberal in and the Second World War, The archive comprises Liberal 1910; Solicitor-General, the Carmarthenshire divi- material relating to the Liberal Party papers, papers relating to 1908–10; president of the sion in the general elec- Party, politics and elections, Davies’s political career, Welsh Divorce, Probate and tions of 1959 and 1964, and Lloyd George family letters affairs, peace movements, for- Admiralty Court, 1910–18. Denbighshire in 1966; an and papers. There is also a long eign affairs, constituency work GB 0210 SAMANS activist within the Welsh series of very detailed type- and home affairs. They also • Thomas Gee (1815–98). Liberal Party. GB 0210 script diaries which include contain the papers and corre- Liberal journalist, author ALUIES much important material spondence of Jano Clement- and publisher. Editor of the • Ellis W. Davies (1871– beyond that published by Colin Davies, 1873–1969, and papers highly influentialBaner ac 1939). MP for the Eifion Cross in 1975. of Stanley Clement-Davies, Amserau Cymru. GB 0210 division of Caernarfon- The Frances Stevenson Fam- 1920–1963. MSTGEE shire, 1906–18; unsuc- ily Papers GB 0210 FRASON Among the many promi- • Sir John Herbert Lewis cessfully contested are a more recent acquisition nent Liberals who feature in (1858–1933. MP for Flint Caernarfonshire in 1918; and were used by Ruth Long- the list of correspondents are Boroughs, 1892–1906, MP for the Denbigh ford used as the basis of her Lady Violet Bonham Carter, Flintshire, 1906–18, and division of Denbigh- graphic and vivid study of her Jo Grimond, Gilbert Mur- the University of Wales, shire, 1923–29. GB 0210 grandmother published in 1996. ray, Philip Rea, Sir Herbert 1918–22; Junior Lord of EWDAVIES Ruth Longford loaned addi- Samuel, Sir John Simon and the Treasury and a Liberal • Sir Joseph Davies. Com- tional material – including let- Sir Archibald Sinclair (Lord Party whip, 1905; parlia- mercial statistician; close ters, miscellaneous items and Thurso). mentary secretary to the associate of D. Lloyd photographs – which has been Local Government Board, George. digitised. 1909–15; parliamentary • Matthew L. Vaughan Also closely associated with Personal papers of other secretary to the Board of Davies (1840–1935). Unsuc- Lloyd George was Thomas Jones MPs and prominent Education, 1915–22. GB cessfully contested Cardi- (1870–1955), who was appointed Liberals 0210 HERBLEW ganshire as a Conservative Secretary to the National Health The library holds papers from • C. Humphreys-Owen in 1885; MP for Cardigan- Insurance Commissioners in many prominent Liberals, (1836–1905). MP for Mont- shire, 1895–1921; created 1910, and, largely through Lloyd including; gomeryshire, 1894–1906. Baron Ystwyth, 1921. George’s influence, became • David Davies, Llandinam • Stuart Rendel (1834–1913). • Sir E. Vincent Evans (1851– Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet (1880–1944). MP for Mont- MP for Montgomeryshire, 1934). Prominent Lon- in 1916. The Dr Thomas Jones gomeryshire, 1906–29; 1880–94, first chairman don Welshman, notable CH papers consist of 295 bound parliamentary private sec- of the Welsh Parliamen- eisteddfodwr, and presi- volumes and twenty-six boxes retary to D. Lloyd George tary Party from 1888; close dent of the Honourable of papers and volumes concern- when he was Minister of friend to W. E. Gladstone. Society of Cymmrodo- ing many aspects of governmen- Munitions and Prime Min- • J. Bryn Roberts (1847– rion. GB 0210 VINANS tal activity and Welsh life. ister, 1916–17; founder of 1931). MP for the Eifion • J. Victor Evans (1895–1957). The diaries of John Wil- the New Commonwealth division of Caernarfon- Liberal candidate for Pon- liam Morris, the Lord Morris Association; created the shire, 1906–18. GB 0210 typridd, 1929, and Mer- of Borth-y-Gest, also include first Baron Davies of Lla- JBROBERTS thyr Tydfil in the 1934 many revealing references to ndinam, 1932.