The Richard Burton Archive, Swansea

Llanhilleth Institute archives at Richard Burton Centre, Swansea,

When the Institute premises were emptied for renovation, the paperwork stored in cupboards, under stairs etc. were placed in boxes and despatched to the Richard Burton Centre, Swansea for safe-keeping.  

The Richard Burton Archives, Swansea University, houses the University’s archive collections, which consist of documents collected or donated from Companies, Institutions, and individuals across Wales.  As well as papers from commerce and industry, the archive includes personal collections, diaries, and letters. The earliest document they hold dates from 1454.    One of the first collections was from the Mumbles Steam Railway, (dating from 1804) the first passenger railway in the world.

Papers held from Llanhilleth Institute extend from 1905-1966 and Llanhilleth Colliery Lodge archives dating back to 1905.     Following deposit, at the time the Institute was stripped for renovation, the collection was catalogued for readers to identify items they wish to view, preferably prior to visiting.  The Archives tend to rely on external funding to carry out cataloguing of larger collections such as this, but Sue Thomas catalogued the Llanhilleth Miners Institute donation as part of her study to be an archivist. Recorded as taking seventy hours, the work did in fact take much, much longer.

Window before renovation & removal of window boards.

On arrival documents are given a temporary number and description before receiving an individual secure reference number when eventually archived.    Inspection determines whether loose documents are left within files or books and the archivist considers why the papers have been placed where they are.     Duplicates are set aside for return to the donor or destruction.   For example, invoices, when they would be detailed in the cash book.   Correspondence, and loose bundles of papers are placed in chronological order in acid neutral envelopes.   Acid neutral folders are made for material in box files.   All paper clips are replaced by brass ones to avoid rust marks.   Melinex inert plastic pockets are used for photographs.   A record is kept of changes and the number of inserts in each volume counted and recorded.  The document itself is finally given its individual reference number using a soft pencil and recorded on Archive Software CALM . The catalogue can be viewed online.   An administrative history informs people what the collection is about.  

The staff at the Centre have a duty of care to the people who donated the documents as well as those named within them.   With collections sometimes including such things as details of wages, archivists need to be aware of the Data Protection Act to protect the living and avoid stress to relatives of others, whilst trying to make the documents accessible to the public.

Elisabeth Bennett, the archivist is proud that in the 1970’s and 80’s research projects were organised by Swansea University to rescue old records to help preserve the history of mining in the South Wales area.   Many records from the old industries of steel, coal and tin were at risk of being destroyed, with people unaware of their relevance to future knowledge of the past.  The Richard Burton Archives hold the written records and photographs collected by these projects.

Shows the redbrick Institute on the left

In the summer of 2009 a £1.2 million two-year project came to fruition with the opening of the new archive accommodation on the University Campus.    Elizabeth worked constantly with the designers to achieve a suitable space, and The National Archives inspected the building prior to opening.  

Archivists, contrary to popular belief, do not spend all day reading the archives, but invigilating visiting readers, retrieving and storing away books and documents, using procedures and systems to ensure everything is stored ‘for ever,’ in a logical retrievable method with a useable catalogue.   For example, when a document is brought out of the strongroom for a reader, paper location slips are completed in duplicate for any document moved in this room.   One copy is placed on the shelving from where the document was removed, and the other is filed in the office until the document is returned.

 Several hundred people use the archive services during the year including visitors and email and telephone enquiries.  Reasons vary from researching family history to TV and media seeking old photographs to illustrate an article.   When people consult the documents they can only take notes using pencil and not add or take away items from the stored documents.

These documents are kept in environmentally controlled strongrooms. One of these rooms, a converted lecture theatre, has vast rows of shelving up to 3.5 metres high.   On arrival documents and papers are quarantined in an isolation room in boxes on metal shelving around the walls.   Often they have been retrieved from damp buildings and have to be dried.    Here they are also inspected for dirt, mites and any other unwanted items.  

Once the documents have been cleaned and boxed they are taken to one of the two strongrooms, which both have the same conditions.  They are kept at 17 deg.C. and 50-5 per cent relative humidity.   If the humidity is over 60 per cent then mould growth can generate, and bindings can crack if relative humidity is too low.   All documents are kept in acid neutral folders in darkness for preservation.

The strong rooms have four-hour fire protection with a particulate system with air sampling.   It also has an early warning leak detection system to protect from water damage.    All documents are subject to deterioration, but the methods adopted in this archive attempt to slow down this natural process.

A variety of materials are stored with differing deterioration rates.   Amongst the archives are 15^th century parchments from animal skins and documents from 16^th, 17^th, and 18^th century made from rag paper.  Modern paper (like newspaper) is usually made with wood pulp which deteriorates quicker than rag paper.

Only Archive staff  have access to the strongrooms. However, the archive collections are open to everyone, and the staff welcome enquiries about the collections. Visitors are asked to make an appointment before visiting. A catalogue of Llanhilleth documents can be requested to enable visitors to identify any they may find of interest.  Should you wish to visit, advising the archivist beforehand ensures these can be made available without delay.

For details of the collection:
http://www.swansea.ac.uk/iss/archive-and-research-collections/richard-burton-archives/


To arrange to view particular documents, telephone:  01792 295021 or
email: archives@swansea.ac.uk.

Just down the road, the South Wales Miners Library at Hendrefoelan stores many books, pamphlets, banners and oral histories relating to the South Wales Coalfield.   They also hold book collections from many miners’ institutes.

http://www.swansea.ac.uk/iss/swml/

Wooden scale carvings of mining tools:
First is traditional
Second set was more modern