Gwent Archives holds a marriage settlement between Nathaniel Wells and Harriet Este, which details the names of the 146 enslaved men, women and children on one of his plantations. Nathaniel Wells was born in 1779 on a plantation on St Christopher Island (St Kitts). He was born a slave, but went on to become the … Continue reading Black History Month: Nathaniel Wells
A unique piece of Wales’ Black history from Cardiff online: William Hall’s Slavery Narrative
An extremely rare piece of Wales’ Black history is available digtially after being published online for the first time earlier this year. William Hall, an escaped slave and resident of Cardiff, published his life story from Bute Street in 1862. Published on the city’s Bute Street in 1862, William Hall’s “Personal Narrative” is a shocking … Continue reading A unique piece of Wales’ Black history from Cardiff online: William Hall’s Slavery Narrative
Archives are re-opening across Wales
https://youtu.be/qx2fpnTG7j8 Archives are re-opening across Wales. However to keep visitors and staff safe we’ve had to make changes. Here's what to expect when we welcome you back. Contact the archive before you set out, you will need to make an appointment to visit. You will also need to order all your documents in advance of … Continue reading Archives are re-opening across Wales
The events leading up to the emancipation of an American slave at Swansea
During the eighteenth century the movement to abolish the Slave Trade and slavery in the British colonies was strongest in urban centres. Large towns and cities were often home to cultural and philosophical societies where the urban elite could debate the major issues of the day. Urban centres were also well served by newspapers: the … Continue reading The events leading up to the emancipation of an American slave at Swansea
The Helen Kegie Collection
To celebrate World Photography Day 2020, Rhiannon Griffiths, Conservator at Gwent Archives, tells us about her work on the Helen Kegie Collection. Social Work champion, Helen Kegie MBE, amassed a great collection of family history records relating to various ancestors from the Isle of Wight and Chepstow, Monmouthshire. The collection consists of photographs, diaries, films, … Continue reading The Helen Kegie Collection
Denbighshire Archives Service and Flintshire Record Office Become North East Wales Archives
On 1st April 2020, despite the fact that we were in national lockdown due to the Coronavirus Emergency, Flintshire Record Office and Denbighshire Archives Service were working behind the scenes to become a joint service. We are now called North East Wales Archives - or NEWA for short - representing a new joint service for … Continue reading Denbighshire Archives Service and Flintshire Record Office Become North East Wales Archives
Subordination and Devastation: Two Sea Voyages from the Port of Cardiff
Glamorgan Archives holds crew agreements and log books for ships registered at the Port of Cardiff for the years 1863-1913 (ref.: DCA). The following incidents illustrate two extraordinary occurrences recorded in these logs. The master of the Talca (official number 50438), Charles Woollacott, a Devonshire man, aged 41, must have wondered at the events which … Continue reading Subordination and Devastation: Two Sea Voyages from the Port of Cardiff
The experience of Basque refugee children in Swansea in the 1930s
In 2010, Swansea was officially designated a City of Sanctuary, a testament to Swansea’s long tradition of providing shelter and a safe space for persons fleeing war, famine and persecution. A neglected collection in the archives throws new light on one episode in this continuing narrative. Reproduced in countless exhibitions, books and television documentaries, photographs … Continue reading The experience of Basque refugee children in Swansea in the 1930s
Glamorgan’s Blood: An Online Exhibition
Our ‘Glamorgan’s Blood’ exhibition launched in October 2019 and was on display at Glamorgan Archives until the end of last year. Caerau Colliery, Accident Inspector pictured walking between two rows of trams, 19 June 1952 (DNCB/14/4/24/5) The exhibition was due to travel to venues across south Wales during 2020. We were only a few months … Continue reading Glamorgan’s Blood: An Online Exhibition
International Archives Day 2020
Happy International Archives Day! Today we celebrate the richness of archival collections, and the importance of the work of archivists and archival institutions around the world. As part of the Explore Your Archive campaign, Archives Wales recruited ‘Archive Ambassadors’ to share their own experiences and of using archive collections and service for professional and personal … Continue reading International Archives Day 2020
