The sources relating to the Great War held at the archives included Naval and Military voters cards from the 1920 election, which contained the names and addresses of soldiers who'd returned from the Front; a First World War printed booklet 'Counsel and Comfort for Soldiers'; Records of the County Council and Aberystwyth Borough Council; Minutes of the Cardiganshire Police Force; Medical Officer of Health Records; Red Cross Records; and of course the newspapers, particularly the Cambrian News and Aberystwyth Observer.
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| Helen and volunteer Anna examining some of the sources |
There was also a box of emphemera relating to the First World War, containing items such as ration books, clothing coupons, pamphlets on growing your own food, and photographs. All these gems were made available to use to view and handle on the day.
Helen also talked about the use of family history sites like ancestry.co.uk, which reveal people from Aberystwyth who served in the military, though not the Navy or RFC. To use this site requires a paid subscription but there is free access at the Archives.
The group of ten volunteers and project staff who attended the session had a tour of the archives too, not just of the reading and researching room, but also a peek into the storage bays. These were temperature-controlled and, in the present heatwave, provided us with a glimpse into how archival records are kept and a much needed blast of cool air!
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| Ceredigion Archives building, formerly the Town Hall |
To commemorate the centenary of the Great War, Ceredigion Archives is also running a week by week blog of the Cambrian News war news, as it appeared at the time. You can follow this fascinating insight into contemporary local reporting at Cardiganshire and the Great War
There will be a second session of study skills and sources at Ceredigion Archives on Thursday 19th July, 6-8pm. If you would like to attend, please get in touch at aberww1@aber.ac.uk or phone the Archives on 01970 633698.
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