The Richard Burton Archives

The Richard Burton Archives aims to preserve Swansea University's archive collections and make them accessible for current and future generations. They support the world-leading research being carried out at the University and promote links with the local community. The Archives provide a fascinating insight into the industrial, cultural, social, political and educational history of South Wales, and are open to all.

 

Archives held at the Richard Burton Archives

An overview of our holdings is given below. An online catalogue is available which cover parts of our collections and is being expanded on an ongoing basis. To search the catalogue click here.

South Wales Coalfield Collection

The South Wales Coalfield Collection (SWCC) was established in 1969 as an attempt to preserve the documentary records of the mining community of South Wales. The majority of records relate to the South Wales Miners' Federation, later the National Union of Mineworkers (South Wales Area) and its individual lodges. Other union records include the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation. The Archive also contains records from miners' institutes, co-operative societies and individuals connected with the mining community. There are also some colliery records and documents relating to political parties.

An online catalogue to part of the SWCC has now been compiled with the help of grants from HEFCW (as part of the Follett initiative) and the British Library. The catalogue covers the many media in the collection; audiotapes, videotapes, photographs, banners and those manuscripts deposited between 1983-1993. Manuscripts deposited before that date are described in the two Guides to the South Wales Coalfield Archive available in the Library & Information Centre.

The Collection is split between the Richard Burton Archives on the Singleton Campus and the South Wales Miners' Library at Hendrefoelan. The South Wales Miners' Library holds the audiovisual material and banners, and an extensive collection of printed material relating to the Coalfield; pamphlets, newspaper cuttings and books on the history and practice of coal mining.

 

Local Archive Collections

These collections are particularly varied and include the records of many local businesses, such as the Mumbles Railway. The metallurgical industries in the area are well represented, particularly copper, tinplate and steel. Family collections include those of the Vivien, Dillwyn and Morris families. Records are also held of the Roman Catholic Church of St David's Priory, Swansea, and the Methodist Circuit of Swansea and Gower (excluding the registers which are held by West Glamorgan County Archive Service).

The archive collections of the Royal Institution of South Wales that were formerly held here have been relocated to West Glamorgan Archive Service. These include the George Grant Francis and Mackworth collections.

A full description of the collections is given in the the Guide to Local Archive Collections available at the Library & Information Centre.

 

Richard Burton Collection

The collection illustrates the life and career of Richard Burton as a world-famous actor on the stage and screen.

 

Literary Collections

The records of Welsh writers in English are the focus of this collection and include the papers of Raymond Williams, the renowned cultural critic and writer.

The Raymond Williams collection held in the Richard Burton Archives, Swansea University, has been catalogued courtesy of funding from the Barry Amiel & Norman Melburn Trust. The papers of the renowned cultural critic and writer Raymond Williams (1921-1988) range from the creative works of his childhood through his time at Cambridge and World War Two, to his later academic life. The collection reveals the development of this leading intellectual figure, and the catalogue can be consulted at http://archives.swan.ac.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=WWE%2f2.

Swansea University Records

The core records of the University are held in the Archives, together with collections reflecting the research interests of the University. 

 

Hours of Opening (by appointment only)
Monday - Friday	9.15am - 1.00pm; 2.00pm - 4.45pm
Tuesday evening*(term-time only)	5.30pm - 7.30pm
The Archives are open to all and visits are by appointment: Tel. 01792 295021; Email archives@swan.ac.uk. * Appointments for Tuesday evenings must be made by noon on the previous Friday. Please note that the required documents must be specified in advance.

 

For further details, enquiries or to book an appointment please contact:

Archive Service
Information Services and Systems
Swansea University
Singleton Park
Swansea
SA2 8PP

Tel: 01792 295021
Email: archives@swansea.ac.uk