Powys Archives

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The archive building Powys Archive building.jpg
The archive building

Powys Archives (Welsh : Archifau Powys) is the record and repository office providing archival services for the Powys County Council. [1] Located in Llandrindod Wells,[ citation needed ] the archive is responsible for collecting, curating and preservation, and provides access to records about marriages, family history, buildings and other information relating to the county for research and personal use.

Contents

The archives house collections from the 14th century and are available for view in the archive's search room by members of the public.

History

The Powys County Archives was established in 1974 as an archive for the newly created county of Powys and the three former counties of Breconshire, Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire. [2] Its remit includes collection and preserving official county records, local historical archives and other public records.

The County Archives was originally located with the main County Council offices at the old Gwalia Hotel in Llandrindod Wells, before moving to a new purpose-built County Hall site in 1990. In October 2017, the archives moved to its current home in a specially adapted unit on Ddole Road. [3]

Collections

The archives holds a number of important historical collections relating to the history of Powys. These include official records such as county court and shrievalty documents dated as far back as Saxon times, hospital and health authority records of Breconshire, Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire, and the modern county of Powys amongst others. The archive also provides access to census returns from 1841 - 1911 [4] and a huge collections on house history, local newspapers, maps, nonconformists' records, registers of electors, freeholders' and jurors' lists, [5] making the archives popular with family and local history researchers.

In 2004 a number of royal records were discovered in the archives, shedding light on the fashion habits of Queen Victoria and other European monarchs. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Powys</span> County and preserved county in Wales

Powys is a county and preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh successor state, petty kingdom and principality that emerged during the Middle Ages following the end of Roman rule in Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brecknockshire</span> Historic county of Wales

Brecknockshire, also known as the County of Brecknock, Breconshire, or the County of Brecon is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, and a former administrative county. Named after its county town of Brecon, the county is mountainous and primarily rural.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montgomeryshire</span> Historic county of Wales

Montgomeryshire is one of thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It is named after its county town, Montgomery, which in turn is named after one of William the Conqueror's main counsellors, Roger de Montgomerie, who was the 1st Earl of Shrewsbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radnorshire</span> Historic county of Wales

Radnorshire is one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales and a former administrative county. It covers a sparsely populated area in mid Wales. The historic county was bounded to the north by Montgomeryshire and Shropshire, to the east by Herefordshire, to the south by Brecknockshire and to the west by Cardiganshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhayader</span> Town in Wales

Rhayader is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, within the historic county of Radnorshire. The town is 20 miles (32 km) from the source of the River Wye on Plynlimon, the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains, and is located at the junction of the A470 road and the A44 road 13 miles (21 km) north of Builth Wells and 30 miles (48 km) east of Aberystwyth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llandrindod Wells</span> Town in Powys, Wales

Llandrindod Wells, sometimes known colloquially as Llandod, is a town and community in Powys, within the historic boundaries of Radnorshire, Wales. It serves as the seat of Powys County Council and thus the administrative centre of Powys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid Wales</span> Geographic region of Wales

Mid Wales or Central Wales refers to a region of Wales, encompassing its midlands, in-between North Wales and South Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the Senedd covered the unitary authority areas of Ceredigion and Powys and the area of Gwynedd that had previously been the district of Meirionnydd. A similar definition is used by the BBC. The Wales Spatial Plan defines a region known as "Central Wales" which covers Ceredigion and Powys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brecon and Radnorshire (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1918 onwards

Brecon and Radnorshire is a county constituency in Wales of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created in 1918, it elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post system of election. The constituency is represented by Fay Jones of the Conservative Party, who defeated incumbent Jane Dodds of the Liberal Democrats at the 2019 general election.

Berriew is a village and community in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales. It is on the Montgomeryshire Canal and the Afon Rhiw, near the confluence with the River Severn at grid reference SJ185005, 79 miles (128 km) from Cardiff and 151 miles (243 km) from London. The village itself had a population of 283. and the community also includes Garthmyl Hall and Refail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">District of Radnorshire</span> Former district of Powys, Wales

The District of Radnorshire was one of three local government districts of the county of Powys, Wales, from 1974 until 1996. The district had an identical area to the previous administrative county of Radnorshire. The district was abolished in 1996, with Powys County Council taking over its functions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Powys County Council</span> Local government of Powys, Wales

Powys County Council is the local authority for Powys, one of the administrative areas of Wales. The County Hall is in Llandrindod Wells.

Llanyre is a village and electoral ward in Radnorshire, Powys, Wales. The community had a population of 1,061 in 2001, increasing to 1,141 at the 2011 Census. It includes the village of Newbridge-on-Wye.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colwyn Rural District</span>

Colwyn was, from 1894 to 1974, a rural district in the administrative county of Radnorshire, Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Painscastle Rural District</span>

Painscastle was, from 1894 to 1974, a rural district in the administrative county of Radnorshire, Wales.

Llanbister is a small village and community with a 2011 population of 382 in Powys, mid Wales, in the historic county of Radnorshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen W. Williams</span> Architect and civil engineer (1837–1899)

Stephen W Williams or Stephen Williams (1837–1899) was a civil engineer and architect who worked mainly in Radnorshire and Breconshire, Wales. He was county surveyor of Radnorshire from 1864 to 1899. He had offices at Rhayader and lived at Penralley House, Rhayader, He became a noted authority on the archaeology of the Cistercian Monasteries in Wales and undertook excavations at Strata Florida Abbey in Ceredigion, Abbey Cwm Hir in Radnorshire and Strata Marcella near Welshpool in Montgomeryshire. He was appointed High Sheriff of Radnorshire in 1899.

Trewern Hall or Trewern Farmhouse is a country house in Montgomeryshire, Wales, close to the Shropshire border. It is on a spur in the floodplain of the River Severn, in the Trewern community area of what is now Powys, to the north of the A458 road from Shrewsbury to Welshpool. It is a fine example of a Severn valley half-timbered house. The Grade II* listed hall was occupied by the Lloyd, Francis and Whittaker families. In 1985–86 and 1993–94 it was extensively restored with some remodelling by the architect M. J. Garner for Murray Ll. Chapman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llanidloes Town Hall</span> Municipal Building in Llanidloes, Wales

Llanidloes Town Hall is a municipal building in Great Oak Street, Llanidloes in Powys, Wales. The structure, which is the meeting place of Llanidloes Town Council as well as the home of the Llanidloes Museum and the Llanidloes Public Library, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llandrindod Wells Library</span> County Building in Llandrindod Wells, Wales

Llandrindod Wells Library, is located in The Gwalia, which is a municipal building on Ithon Road, Llandrindod Wells, Powys, Wales. The structure, which was the headquarters of Radnorshire District Council, is now a customer service point for Powys County Council, and also features a public library. The building is a Grade II listed building.

References

  1. "Cyngor Sir Powys County Council". Powys County Council. Retrieved 2 February 2023.[ dead link ]
  2. "Powys Archives". Archives Hub. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  3. "Archive centre opened by Powys council leader". Brecon & Radnor Express. 13 October 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  4. "Census Reports". Powys County Council. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  5. "Public Records". Powys County Council. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  6. "'Missing' royal records revealed". BBC News. 4 October 2004. Retrieved 9 February 2023.

Coordinates: 52°15′19″N3°22′39″W / 52.2553°N 3.3775°W / 52.2553; -3.3775