Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1862-1974 (accumulated [1890]-1977) (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
0.751 cubic metres (27 boxes)
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Mary Williams (1883-1977), from Aberystwyth, Cardiganshire, was a Professor of French at the University of Durham, having previously taught at University College Swansea, University of Durham, and King's College, London. She studied German and French at University of Wales Aberystwyth, and wrote her thesis on the French sources for Wolfram von Eschenbach's poem Parzival; she had a working knowledge on many languages, including Provençal, Italian, Latin and Welsh. From 1961 until 1963, she was the President of the Folklore Society. In 1922, she married Dr George Arbour Stephens. She researched Arthurian topics, corresponding with Jessie Laidlay Weston. She acquired some papers relating to her father, the Rev. John Williams, her mother, Mrs Jane Williams, and her sister, Jennie Williams, later Mrs R. Ruggles-Gates, and Professor Victor Julian Taylor Spiers (d. 1937), King's College, London. She was a keen supporter and benefactor of the National Library of Wales and took part in meetings of the Celtic Congress.
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Donated by Mary Williams, 1968, 1974 and 1977.
Bequeathed by Mary Williams, 1978.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Papers, lecture and research notes of and acquired by Mary Williams, relating to Middle French, Middle Welsh and medieval literature and Arthurian studies, 1907-1963; books collected by Mary Williams, 1897-1911; letters to Prof. Victor Spiers, 1898-1916; vouchers and receipts, 1924-1973; newspaper cuttings, 1911-1940; school books 1909-1916; papers relating to University College Swansea, 1921-1975, University of Wales Aberystwyth, 1924-1974, University of Durham, 1948-1952, and National Library of Wales, 1941-1974; correspondence, 1927-1976; and family papers, 1898-1944.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
All records have been retained.
Accruals
Accruals are not expected.
System of arrangement
Arranged into the following: research notes; school and college notebooks; University papers; NLW; societies, conferences, charities; correspondence; financial; personal and biographical; miscellaneous; and family papers.
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
- Chinese
- English
- French
- German
- Italian
- Welsh
Script of material
Language and script notes
English, French, Italian, Welsh, Chinese, German.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
A hard copy of the catalogue is available at the National Library of Wales.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Title based on contents of fonds.
Note
Some of the family papers precede the birth of Mary Williams.
Alternative identifier(s)
Virtua system control number
Project identifier
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 ANW guidelines based on ISAD(G) 2nd ed.; AACR2; and LCSH
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
April 2003.
Language(s)
- English
Script(s)
Sources
Archivist's note
Compiled by Annette Strauch for the ANW project. The following source was used in the compilation of this description: NLW, Schedule of Mary Williams Papers.