Archifdy Ceredigion Archives
W.J. Lewis Collection

Acc. 1998, 2146, 2263

Ref: WJL

Reference: [GB 0212] WJL
Title: Papers of William John Lewis (1908-2007).
Date(s): c.1860-2007
Level: Fonds
Extent:

Biographical History:
Material produced or collected by William John Lewis (1908-2007), a notable historian of Ceredigion. The collection offers a valuable insight into Lewis’ varied historical interests and his means and methods of research, not least by its inclusion of the material he considered worth collecting; the local historian’s necessary equipment.

Born in the Swansea Valley, Lewis taught at Reigate Grammar School, 1934-40, before moving to Aberystwyth where he took up a position at Ardwyn Grammar School. He subsequently served at the Emergency teacher training college at Wrexham (1945-7), before being appointed as a lecturer in the Education Department at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth (1945). He retired in 1976.

Lewis’ first published work was Atlas Hanesyddol (Historical Atlas) for Ceredigion (1955), the second edition of which (1969) was presented to the County’s schoolchildren. His other publications include Lead Mining in Wales (1967) and a series of authoritative histories of the County’s towns: Born on a Perilous Rock, Aberystwyth Past & Present (1980); a shortened version, “A Fashionable Watering Place” (1989(?)); New Quay & Llanarth (1987); The Gateway to Wales �" A History of Cardigan (1990); A History of Lampeter (1997).

Scope and Content:
The collection includes much material relating to Lewis’ publications. There are many notes & manuscripts dealing with particular topics, e.g. Aberystwyth’s fires & Fire Brigade (WJL/5/2/2). Some of this material fed into published works and some appears to relate to intended publications. Notable amongst these unrealised projects was an omnibus work on Ceredigion’s towns & villages, at one stage conceived of in itinerary form (WJL/5/2/3). There are clear indications that Lewis maintained an interest in these varied topics and many documents carry annotations in the shaking hand that signals his final years. Other material relates to his teaching career and this includes class or lecture notes, as well as posters in the Discovery series produced during WWII (WJL/6/3/18). There is also a great body of material collected by Lewis. This includes photographs and other original documents, as well as material collected or compiled by other local historians or interested parties (WJL/5/3).

The collection is ordered according to type of material, so that documents relating to particular topics may be divided. For example, material relating to metal mining is divided between: photographs (WJL/2/5); secondary images (WJL/3/6); manuscripts (WJL/5/2/6/11); original documents (WJL/6/4/5; WJL/6/5/1); publication (WJL/6/3/13).
(944 items: all Accession No. 1998 except where indicated otherwise.

Contents
WJL/1: biographical note from funeral.
WJL/2: images, chiefly photographs.
WJL/3: printing proofs & other secondary images.
WJL/4: J. Islan Jones scrapbook.
WJL/5: notes by W.J. Lewis and contributory material.
WJL/6: original documents & publications, including photograph albums & maps.