Welsh History at Aberystwyth
The history of Wales has been taught at Aberystwyth since 1910, and the Sir John Williams chair of Welsh history was established in 1931. The two separate departments of History and Welsh History were merged in 1994. The existence of the National Library of Wales (NLW), one of the few copyright libraries in the United Kingdom, adjacent to the campus makes the Department an ideal location for studying the history of Wales. NLW is the principal repository for primary sources relating to research in the history of Wales, and in recent decades has extended its collections into new fields and media (including the Welsh Political Archive and the Welsh Film Archive). The proximity of the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies of the University of Wales, located at NLW, is an additional advantage.
The Department has a long track record of producing excellent research in the history of Wales. Among the distinguished historians of Wales who formerly were on the staff at Aberystwyth are: Professor Sir Rees Davies, Professor Gwyn A. Williams, Professor David Williams, Professor Ieuan Gwynedd Jones, Professor J. Beverley Smith, Professor Geraint H. Jenkins, Professor P. D. G. Thomas, Professor Gareth Williams, Professor John Davies, Professor Deian Hopkin, Professor T. Jones Pierce, and Dr Llinos Smith. The Department sponsors a biennial public lecture in honour of Professor Jones Pierce.
Current staff in the Department have developed a strong menu of undergraduate modules in Welsh history, taught through the medium of both the Welsh and English languages, and there is a vibrant group of post-graduate students. Several taught Master’s degrees in the history of Wales have a buoyant intake, and the Department has the only Master’s programme in the history of Wales that is recognised for grant awards by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
The new Centre will provide a platform for making applications for research grants. Recent and ongoing externally-funded research projects relating to the history of Wales in the Department that have entailed the appointment of full-time research assistants include:
- ‘Dyffryn Clwyd Court Roll Project’, Professor Sir Rees Davies and Dr Llinos Smith, funded by the ESRC;
- ‘The Politics of Water in Wales, 1880-1996’, Professor Aled Jones and Dr Richard Coopey, funded by the Board of Celtic Studies of the University of Wales;
- ‘Y Drych and Welsh-American Identities, 1851-1951’, Professor Aled Jones and Dr Bill Jones, funded by the Board of Celtic Studies of the University of Wales;
- ‘Urban Culture in South Wales: Processions and Public Space, c.1835-1914’, Dr Paul O’Leary and Neil Evans, funded by the Board of Celtic Studies of the University of Wales.
- ‘Science and Culture in Nineteenth-Century Wales’, Dr Iwan Morus, funded by the Board of Celtic Studies of the University of Wales.
The new Centre will encourage the initiating of research projects by individual members of staff as well as collaborative ventures within the College and between institutions.
Dr O’Leary is also one of the organisers of the AHRC-funded research network dedicated to the study of Ireland and Wales, which was established in 2007. The grant from the AHRC will allow academics from different countries to meet in Wales for four symposia over a two-year period. The first symposium on the theme of Contrasts and Comparisons will be held on 16-17 May 2008. The second symposium on the theme of Romantic Nations will be held on 24-25 October 2008.
Further enquiries about the Centre should be addressed to Dr Paul O’Leary at ppo@aber.ac.uk.