Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1935-1936 / (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
0.029 cubic metres; 1 box.
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
This questionnaire was prepared by the National Library of Wales in 1935-36 to enquire into the existence, content and condition of the records of local churches. The then librarian Sir William Llewelyn Davies in two addresses delivered to meetings of the unions of the Welsh Baptists and the Welsh Independents in 1935 and 1936, emphasised the historical importance of these records. He appealed on behalf of the National Library to the two unions to send out 'questionnaires' to all the chapels in order to secure 'a valuable account of the historical materials which are preserved until today in the care of the various churches throughout the country'. This appeal was backed up by letters and publications of the two unions, but, in spite of this, only 113 replies were received from the Independents and 132 from the Baptist churches out of a total of some 2,500 chapels. This compared with a response rate of almost 100 per cent from the Anglican churches in Wales. The replies showed that very few chapels were in possession of registers which pre-dated the nineteeth century. It was revealed, too, that a number of volumes remained in the possession of the families of former officials of these churches, rather than remaining in the custody of the chapels themselves. An attempt was made to persuade the Independents and the Baptists in Wales to follow the example of the Calvinistic Methodists in collecting their records together for deposit in the Library. This campaign was a general failure.
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
The archive comprises a circular issued by the Union of Welsh Baptists in 1936 to the Baptist chapels; the completed questionnaires; a list of the chapel records collected; a list of the chapel records compiled from the questionnaire (8 copies); a list of the pre-1837 records compiled from the questionnaire.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
Accruals are not expected.
System of arrangement
Arranged as follows: January 1936 circular; completed questionnaires arranged alphabetically by county and then alphabetically by the names of the places within each county; lists of records and registers.
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
- English
- Welsh
Script of material
Language and script notes
Welsh, English.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
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
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name 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
August 2006.
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
Archivist's note
Compiled by J. Graham Jones for the ANW project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: NLW, Rhestr o Holiaduron Anghydffurfiol, 1935-36.;