Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1918-1954 / (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
0.143 cubic metres (5 boxes)
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Robert Richards (1884-1954), Labour MP for Wrexham, and historian, was born at Tan-y-ffordd, Llangynog, Montgomeryshire, the son of John Richards, a slate quarryman, and Ellen. He was educated at Llangynog elementary school, Llanfyllin country school, and the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth. He was a lecturer in political economics in the University of Glasgow until 1911, and later in the Department of Extra-Mural Studies at the University College of North Wales, Bangor. In 1916, he was attached to the War Office and the Board of Agriculture, before returning to Bangor to be Head of the Department of Economics in 1921. In 1922, he was elected the first Labour MP for Wrexham. In 1924, he briefly became Under-Secretary of State for India. He lost his seat in 1924, regaining it 1929-1931, holding it from 1935 until his death. During World War II, he was Head of the Civil Defence Service for North Wales. In 1946, he led a parliamentary deputation to India. He contributed essays on India to Yr Eurgrawn in 1951. With Sir Ifor Williams, he edited Y Tyddynnwr, 1922-1923, and contributed in Welsh to the Cymru'r Oesau Canol in 1933. In his later years, he researched the history of monasteries in Wales and had published an article on Cistercian Abbeys in Transactions of the Denbighshire Society (1925). He was also interested in antiquities, elected FSA in 1940. He was Chairman of the Committee of the Cambrian Archaeological Association and President in 1953, Chairman of the Commission on Ancient Monuments, member of Council of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion and Vice-President in 1951. Along with his political duties, he was tutor in economics at Coleg Harlech. He married Mary Myfanwy Owen (d.1950) of Llangynog. He died 22nd December 1954 and was buried in Peniel Cemetery, Llangynog.
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
No information found.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Papers, 1918-1954, of Professor Robert Richards comprising papers relating to the Commission on Ancient Monuments in Wales, 1919-1954; notebooks containing historical research notes and notes for lectures, extracts from books and journals, reviews, drafts of monographs and articles by Professor Robert Richards, letters from historians and authors, correspondence and papers, 1941-1954, relating to The Monastic Houses of Wales and the Borders; notebooks on economics and economic history; political papers, including material on the agricultural question, 1919-1923, Welsh Affairs, 1945-1954, parliamentary correspondence, 1934-1953, miscellaneous papers, 1918-1947, and papers concerning temperance and religion, 1924-1949; and papers reflecting Robert Richards's interest in nature, 1923-1944, including a diary for the period 1938-1944.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Action: All records have been retained..
Accruals
Accruals are not expected.
System of arrangement
Arranged into the following: Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments in Wales; historical materials; papers concerning The Monastic Houses of Wales and the Borders; economics; political papers; temperance and religion; and nature.
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
Script of material
Language and script notes
Welsh, English.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
A hard copy of the catalogue is available at the National Library of Wales. The catalogue can be accessed online.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
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
March 2003.
Language(s)
- English
Script(s)
Sources
Archivist's note
Compiled by Seri Crawley for the ANW Project. The following sources were used for the preparation of the description: NLW, Schedule of Manuscripts and Papers of Robert Richards, MP; Dictionary of Welsh Biography, 1941-1970 (London, 2001);