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Wednesday 23 December 2015

One Hundred Years Ago This Christmas Day…





Local Borth seaman, Richard Davies, of the Royal Naval Reserve, was one of the trawler crewmen who crossed to the VAN STIRUM
… four crewmen belonging to a Royal Naval Auxiliary Fleet trawler were fighting their way through heavy seas in a small boat to reach the stricken VAN STIRUM steamship. After getting on board and touring the ship to assess the damage, they found the tables in the saloon laid for Christmas dinner – but no sign of the crew. 

It would be nearly a year before they received a letter of thanks from the Admiralty for their attempts to save the ship and that the full story of the loss the VAN STIRUM was finally told.

Eight miles south-southwest of the Smalls, whilst carrying a general cargo from London to Rouen, the steamship was spotted by U-24. This German submarine, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Rudolk Scheider, had been responsible for sinking the British battleship HMS FORMIDABLE 12 months earlier off Portland Bill. The captain of the VAN STIRUM attempted to escape pursuit, but ultimately had no option but to order his crew to abandon ship. The two crewmen left on board to lower the lifeboats were killed when the torpedo struck.

The U-boat commander also fired shells at the ship; and yet, despite this damage, the VAN STIRUM remained afloat until later in the day, when it was spotted by the trawler. The lieutenant in charge sent four men to put the steamship under tow. Although their small row boat was smashed against the side of the steamship, they were successful in setting up the towing hawser. However, they soon found that the VAN STIRUM’s steering gear was jammed – the ship would not be controllable when it was underway.

With the VAN STIRUM lurching heavily and sinking ever lower, the four crewmen had to wait for another of the trawler’s small row boats to row across. No sooner had this boat hauled alongside, than the VAN STIRUM rolled over. The four rescuers managed to slide down the ship's side to be picked up by their comrades before the steamship finally sank.

Extract from the Cambrian News, 22 September 2016, regarding the loss of the VAN STIRUM

The two VAN STIRUM crewmen killed in the torpedo attack were W.A. Belanger, Boatswain, and J.T. Hetherington, ordinary seaman.

Full details: http://www.peoplescollection.wales/node/489706

Remembering those who gave their lives for their country, and who have no grave but the sea: http://www.peoplescollection.wales/collections/415321

By Deanna Groom


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Friday 18 December 2015

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year






Spectacularly remote: a snowy view of the thirteenth-century castle, Carreg Cennen in Carmarthenshire captured by the Royal Commission in 2009. NPRN: 103970

Coflein: http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/103970/details/CARREG+CENNEN+CASTLE/


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Thursday 17 December 2015

Sir John Rhŷs and the Royal Commission (1840—1915): the “greatest Welsh scholar of our time”





Detail of Sir John Rhŷs from Commissioners group, 1913. NPRN: 54624.
Today, 17 December, 2015, marks the centenary of the death of Syr John Rhŷs, the great Celtic scholar and philologist. He was born on 21 June 1840 at Aberceiro-fach Cottage, Ponterwyd, the son of a farmer and lead miner. This cottage was later converted into a farm building but became derelict after the Second World War, despite pleas for preservation.

Having studied at Bangor Normal College (1860—61), John Rhŷs became a student at Jesus College, Oxford, in October 1865. Thereafter followed research trips to Paris, Heidelberg, Leipzig and Gӧttingen. It was here that his interest in philology and linguistics developed. In 1874, he delivered a series of lectures in Aberystwyth later published as Lectures on Welsh Philology (1877), where he states the philological law, that the Celtic consonant i becomes dd in Welsh, and is known still as Rhŷs’s Law. He quickly established a reputation as a leading Celtic scholar specialising not only in philology, but also archaeology, folklore and ethnology. He was appointed the first professor of Celtic at Oxford in 1877. He became a prominent figure in public life, serving on numerous committees, councils and Commissions, and he was a popular public speaker, especially in eisteddfodau.


Title page of the first Inventory:The County of Montgomery (1911) now available as a free  e-book.
Sir John Rhŷs was appointed first Chairman of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Wales on 10 August 1908. The Royal Commission started work immediately on a series of county inventories: The County of Montgomery was the first to appear (1911). He remained as Chairman until his death on 17 December, 1915, when he was described by the newspaper Llais Llafur as the “greatest Welsh scholar of our time”.

Aberceiro-fach Cottage, Ponterwyd 1952; Aberceiro-fach ruins, Ponterwyd 2015, NPRN: 420775.


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Tuesday 15 December 2015

December Aerial Photograph Puzzle





Extracted from our aerial photographic collections, these two vertical shots were taken by the Royal Air Force in the latter part of the 1940s. They are of two small villages in Wales, separated by a considerable distance, but connected by a very well-known story.

Do you know where they are?

As soon as you identify one, the name of the other should quickly follow.





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Thursday 10 December 2015

Inspirational Archives - Explore Your Archives 2015: After the Event





Mad Mountain Stitchers work in progress

Our Inspirational Archives day went even better than we could have hoped. Lots of interesting, and interested, visitors (braving the dreadful weather) came along to hear the talks, view the displays and demonstrations, and take part in our creative workshops.

We are indebted to the workshop leaders who so generously gave their time, resources, energy and ideas to lead our four workshops.

Thank you so much Carmen Mills, Judith Woodings, Marie-Genevieve Rolande Pierre, and the Mad Mountain Stitchers: you were all wonderful and we are very, very appreciative.

Black and white collage
Carmen and Judith acted as facilitators for two collage workshops - one colour, one black and white  – and a sculptural workshop. Marie-Genevieve led a book-art workshop for us. The Mad Mountain Stitchers, in addition to very kindly lending us their Big Pit wall hanging and many other smaller pieces for our central display, sat and stitched for us all day long – and kept us entertained!

A big thank-you, too, to the members of staff who gave talks and demonstrations; helped with the preparation; took part in the day’s activities; and overall generally supported us.

And now we have two new stunning creations on our coffee room walls; memories of a fantastic day; and, hopefully, lots of entries for the selection for publication in Planet!

If you haven’t already created or submitted your inspirational work, there’s still plenty of time. The deadline for submissions if 1 January 2016. Details of how to submit can be found here http://www.rcahmw.gov.uk/HI/ENG/Our+Services/Outreach+/Inspirational+Archives/

By Lynne Moore


Colour collage.

Sculptural workshop

Book Art workshop

Book Art workshop

Book Art workshop


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