The Welsh Political Archive The Welsh Political Archive Newsletter | Autumn 2006 | Number 37 | ISSN 1365-9170 www.llgc.org.uk Llewelyn Williams Diary up a very close friendship with Lloyd George. This rapport was cruelly Gwynfor: Rhag Pob Brad broken by a disagreement over the necessity to introduce military All welcome conscription in 1916, and the rift was never subsequently healed. Gareth Vaughan Jones Following his first election to the (1905 – 1935) House of Commons, Williams wrote in his diary, ‘I feel quite unworthy WPA Annual Lecture of it all. One feels that one can do so Llewelyn Williams little, & one fears the poor people FOI Requests expect so much. It has, at all events, driven all cynicism out of one’s Llewelyn Williams Diary nature, & made me determined to do Lloyd George and all I can to serve Wales & her dear Among the papers of W. Llewelyn Dame Margaret people faithfully & loyally... I am glad Williams MP (1867 – 1922) recently to be given the chance of taking a donated to The National Library by Cardiganshire Liberal part in the good work’. His Honour Judge T. Michael Evans (Diary entry for 17 January 1906.) Association of Swansea, a member of his family, is a very detailed diary which he kept On the last few pages of the diary, Lloyd George sculptures at sporadic intervals between January its author reflects with great heartfelt 1906 and November 1915. Williams sadness on the ruins of his erstwhile SWMF Executive was elected the Liberal MP for the friendship with Lloyd George: ‘I have Carmarthen Boroughs division in the felt it bitterly. I have not slept for Lord Howe of Aberavon great Liberal landslide of January nights on end except fitfully & 1906 and continued to represent uneasily...I have followed & loved him Welsh Nicaragua the constituency until the end of the for a quarter of a century. Now, I fear, First World War. He was also the it is all at an end... I never thought he Solidarity Campaign unsuccessful Asquithian (Independent) would have so lightly thrown away a Liberal candidate in the famous proved & loyal friendship’. W. Llewelyn Williams Cardiganshire by-election of (Diary entry for 26 November 1915.) February 1921. Papers It is hoped to publish the text of A former schoolmaster, barrister the diary, with an introduction and 1910 election addresses and journalist, Llewelyn Williams was explanatory notes, in sections in one of the pillars of the Cymru Fydd The National Library of Wales Journal Carmarthen by-election, movement from 1886 and built during 2007 and 2008. 1966 The Welsh Political Archive Annual Lecture 2006 ‘The Conservative Party in Wales, 1888 – 1998’ Lord Crickhowell Drwm, The National Library of Wales, Friday 3 November 2006, 5.30pm Gwynfor: Rhag Pob Brad The autumn of 2005 saw the publication of one of the most extensive and impressive political biographies ever published in Wales – Gwynfor: Rhag Pob Brad by Rhys Evans, editor of Dragon’s Eye and a member of the WPA advisory committee. The volume, which runs to 544 enthralling pages, was published by Gwasg y Lolfa, Talybont. The main launch meeting was held at Cardiff on the evening of 9 November 2005 at a ceremony sponsored by Lord Elis-Thomas, presiding officer of the National Assembly for Wales. A second launch meeting was convened at Y Drwm, The National Rhys Evans, author of Gwynfor: Rhag Pob Brad (centre) with Andrew Green, Library of Wales on the evening of Librarian (left) and Gwyn Jenkins, Head of Collections, at the launch. Thursday, 17 November 2006 when, predictably, a large audience gathered for the occasion. It was gratifying to completed a full bilingual catalogue, He also gave the audience a practical be able to welcome several members now available to the public, of the ‘on-line’ demonstration of how to of Gwynfor Evans’s family to the extensive correspondence and papers retrieve and order individual files of Library for the occasion. Dr Richard of Dr Gwynfor Evans. documents from within the archive. Wyn Jones, Director of the Institute of Welsh Politics at the University of Dr Jones explained how Dr Evans’s It is pleasing to be able to record Wales, Aberystwyth, and an active extensive papers had been arranged that an English version of Gwynfor: member of the WPA advisory while sorting and cataloguing, and Rhag Pob Brad is in active preparation committee, chaired the occasion with drew attention to some of the and should see the light of day before his customary aplomb. The audience more interesting items in their midst the end of 2006. was addressed by Mr Garmon such as those relating to Tryweryn, Gruffudd, managing director of the famous 1966 by-election in The Welsh Political Archive Lecture Gwasg y Lolfa, Mr Rhys Evans, Carmarthenshire, and the campaign Lord Crickhowell and Dr J. Graham Jones, Head of to reserve S4C as a channel for Friday 3 November at 5.30pm the Welsh Political Archive at the Welsh language programmes. National Library, who had recently Drwm, The National Library of Wales All welcome Gareth Vaughan Jones (1905 – 1935) The Welsh Political Archive was set In the summer of 2005 Dr Siriol Colley about Gareth Jones is available on the up in 1983 to co-ordinate the of Nottingham published a very full website at www.garethjones.org.uk collection of documentary evidence biography of her uncle Gareth A group of papers relating to of all kinds about politics in Wales. Vaughan Jones (1905 – 35), the highly Gareth Jones is in the custody of It collects the records and papers distinguished linguist, journalist and the National Library. of political parties, politicians, author who tragically met his death On 2 May 2006 a quite unique service quasi-political organisations, at the hands of ‘bandits’ in Inner of remembrance to Gareth Jones was campaigns and pressure groups; Mongolia on 12 August 1935. held at the chapel of the University of leaflets, pamphlets, ephemera, The impressive, highly readable Wales, Aberystwyth on Penglais posters, photographs, and tapes volume, entitled More Than a Grain campus in which the President of the of radio and television programmes. of Truth, bears the hallmark of university Lord Elystan-Morgan and its extensive research and reading and For further information vice-chancellor Professor Noel Lloyd is fully referenced and illustrated with please contact: took part. This was followed by the many attractive photographs taken unveiling of a trilingual (English, Dr. J. Graham Jones from the Jones family album. It is an Welsh and Ukranian) memorial plaque The Welsh Political Archive admirable companion volume to to Jones in the quadrangle of the The National Library of Wales Dr Colley’s previous book Gareth Old College at Aberystwyth where Aberystwyth, Ceredigion Jones: a Manchukuo Incident (2001) he himself was an undergraduate Wales SY23 3BU which focuses on Gareth’s final studying French from 1922 until 1926. Tel: 01970 632866 around-the-world journey in 1935 This was the first plaque to be Fax: 01970 632883 and the tragic circumstances of his unveiled in the quad for decades. [email protected] untimely death. Further information www.llgc.org.uk/lc/awg_s_awg.htm WPA Annual Lecture Lloyd George and The nineteenth annual lecture of the Dame Margaret Welsh Political Archive was held in Y Drwm at the National Library on the On Saturday, 28 January 2006 a evening of Friday, 4 November 2005. highly successful open day was held The lecturer was Mr Cynog Dafis, the at The National Library of Wales. One former Plaid Cymru MP for Ceredigion of the events was a lecture given to and Pembroke North (later Ceredigion), the Friends of the National Library 1992 – 2000, and the National by Dr J. Graham Jones, Head of the Assembly member for Mid and North Wales, 1999 – 2003. In a most Welsh Political Archive. The theme substantial, closely argued lecture in the of his lecture, which attracted a Welsh language, he took as his theme capacity audience, was ‘Lloyd George ‘Plaid Cymru and the Greens: Flash in and Dame Margaret, 1921 – 41’. the Pan or a Lesson for the Future?’. Dr Nesta Lloyd, chairman of the NLW Friends, took the chair. On the same day Cynog Dafis’s detailed autobiography entitled Mab Using the rich runs of Lloyd George y Pregethwr, published by Gwasg y correspondence and the original Lolfa, Talybont, was launched at the typescript diaries of A. J. Sylvester, National Library shortly before the Lloyd George’s Principal Private annual lecture and attracted a great Secretary from 1923 until his death deal of interest and much support. in 1945, held at the National Library, In his lecture Cynog Dafis gave a together with the detailed diaries of very detailed account of the events, Cynog Dafis Frances Stevenson in the custody of meetings and discussions which led to the Parliamentary Archive at the the historic 1992 pact between Plaid House of Lords, Dr Jones presented Cymru and the Green Party and his The lecturer examined the long-term an interesting re-appraisal of the subsequent success as a joint candidate impact of the Green agenda upon most bizarre triangular love story of at the polls in Ceredigion and Pembroke Plaid Cymru policies long after the North. He also looked at the fruits pact had come to an end and upon the twentieth century. of the joint platform at Westminster the course of political debate at He concluded that LG was deeply and the unfortunate circumstances Westminster. He quoted at length in love with both his wife and his which eventually led to the demise from a number of policy documents mistress, who responded to different of the pact in the summer of 1995.