National Library of Wales

Margiad Evans Papers

Reference code(s): GB 0210 MARANS

Held at: National Library of Wales

Title: Margiad Evans Papers

Short title: Evans, Margiad, papers

Dates of creation: [c.1920x1982]

Level of description: Fonds

Extent and medium: 0.114 cubic metres (4 boxes)

Name of creator(s): Margiad Evans

CONTEXT

Administrative and biographical history: Margiad Evans (1909-1958), born Peggy Eileen Whistler (later Williams), was a novelist, poet and artist, from Uxbridge, London. She moved to Bridstow, near Ross-on-Wye in 1920, where she lived until 1936. In 1940 she married Michael Williams and moved to Llangarron, staying there for eight years. She then moved to Gloucestershire and later to Sussex. Her first novel, published in 1932, was Country Dance, she then had three further novels published, The Wooden Doctor (1932), Turf or Stone (1934) and Creed (1936). She also published two autobiographical works, Autobiography (1943) and A Ray of Darkness (1952); a collection of short stories The Old and the Young (1948); and two volumes of poetry, Poems from Obscurity (1947) and A Candle Ahead (1956). She died in 1958.

CONTENT

Scope and content: Papers relating to and created by Margiad Evans (Peggy Eileen Whistler) comprising material for an unpublished critical biography of Margiad Evans, compiled by W. Arnold Thorpe, [c.1920x1982], including transcripts by W. Arnold Thorpe of poems, prose and letters by Margiad Evans, scripts of radio broadcasts and extracts of reviews of Margiad Evans's published prose works; correspondence relating to information on Margiad Evans; biographical and related material; Whistler family photographs; notes by W. Arnold Thorpe and source material; together with manuscripts and papers of Margiad Evans, including drafts and copies of poems, some unpublished [c. 1945]-[1958]; unpublished and published prose works, [c. 1930s]-[1958]; notebooks and journals, which include drafts of poems and prose pieces, 1942-[1950s]; correspondence, mainly from Margiad Evans to her husband, 1934-1958; reviews of Autobiography and A Ray of Darkness, [1943-1952]; drawings including drawings representing eighteen out of the thirty illustrations for Alfred Williams, Tales from the Panchatantra (Oxford, 1930); and family papers, 1939-1950s.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/script: English

System of arrangement: Arranged into the following: transcripts made by W. A. Thorpe; correspondence; biographical and related material; and photographs.

Conditions governing access: Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to sign the 'Modern papers - data protection' form.

Conditions governing reproduction: Usual copyright regulations apply.

Finding aids: A hard copy of the catalogue is available in Minor Lists and Summaries 1982, pp.15-17; and 1983, pp.12-15, at the National Library of Wales. The catalogue can be accessed online.
Detailed catalogue

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information: All records donated to the National Library of Wales have been retained.

Accruals: Accruals are not expected

Immediate source of acquisition: Donated to the National Library of Wales by Josephine Thorpe, Barnstaple, Devon, in June 1982 and Mr Michael Williams, Upper Hartfield, Sussex, in September 1982.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Related units of description: Negatives and duplicate prints of some of the photographs, have been transferred to the NLW, Photographic Collection.

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note: Title supplied from contents of fonds.

Archivist's note: Compiled by Annette Strauch for the ANW project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: NLW, Minor Lists and Summaries, 1982; 1983; Stephens, Meic, Cydymaith i Lenyddiaeth Cymru (Cardiff, 1986); Dearnley, Moira, Margiad Evans (Cardiff, 1982).

Rules or conventions: This description follows ANW guidelines based on ISAD(G) second edition, AACR2 and LCSH

Date(s) of description: April 2003