The archive service for the City and County of Cardiff, County Borough Councils of Bridgend, Caerphilly (for the former Rhymney Valley District Council area), Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taff and the Vale of Glamorgan acting through the Glamorgan Archives Joint Committee.

Authority to collect:

The Glamorgan Record Office seeks to abide by all current archive legislation as it applies to local authority record offices in Wales.

It is appointed by the Lord Chancellor as a repository for locally deposited public records under section 4(1) of the Public Records Act, 1958, including:

Quarter Sessions, Petty Sessions, County Court, Coroner’s, Department of Health NHS records, Territorial and Auxiliary Forces, NCB pre-vesting date collieries, HM Customs and Excise shipping registers, Board of Inland Revenue Area Assessment Committee, Health and Safety Executive plans of abandoned non-coal mines, Advisory Committee on General Commissioners of Income Tax, Rail Users Consultative Committee.

 

It is recognised by:

the Master of the Rolls as an official repository for manorial and tithe records.

the Historical Manuscripts Commission as a repository meeting the Standard for Record Repositories.

the Representative Body of the Church in Wales as a repository for parochial records of the Diocese of Llandaff in accordance with an agreement between the Representative Body and the Welsh County Record Offices.

the Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff for parochial records of the deaneries of Cardiff East, Cardiff West, Bridgend, Heads of the Valleys and Pontypridd in accordance with an agreement between the Archdiocese of Cardiff and the County Record Offices of Hereford, Glamorgan and Gwent.

 

Scope of Collection:

The geographical area served by the Glamorgan Record Office is the former administrative counties of Mid Glamorgan and South Glamorgan, and, for ecclesiastical parish records, of the Diocese of Llandaff, and the Archdiocese of Cardiff (for the deaneries listed above). The Record Office also retains responsibility for archives created by the administration of the county of Glamorgan before 1974, which relate to the whole of the historic county.

Subject to the overriding principle that the integrity of archival groups should normally be preserved as far as possible and practicable, the record office will not accept records relating to or arising in areas outside the stated boundaries, unless there are special circumstances and the agreement of any other interested archive authority has been sought. In any case of dispute between the record office and another repository over the most appropriate custodian for a particular collection the advice of a neutral arbiter will be taken.

Material accepted by the record office shall meet the National Council on Archives’ definition of “records accumulated by a natural process in the conduct of affairs of any kind, public or private, corporate or individual, which have been preserved because they have enduring administrative or historical value”, (Archives Policy, 1996) and as defined by statute, including the Law of Property Act, 1922, the Tithe Act,1936, the Public Records Act,1958, the Local Government Act,1972. Photographs and records in modern media will be accepted if they can be regarded as a primary source for the history of Glamorgan. Newspapers are not normally accepted but will be referred to the appropriate library; artefacts will normally be directed to the most appropriate museum; films will normally be directed to the National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales.

Published works are acquired by the Glamorgan Record Office in order to:

supplement the archival collections held at the Record Office

provide members of the public using the Record Office's archival collections with guides on the use of the archives and on the undertaking of specific research work relating to the Record Office's holdings

provide access to catalogues of archival collections held elsewhere which relate to the geographical area stated above, and which are not available in other formats

provide members of Record Office staff with up-to-date professional information and guidance on the management, care and conservation of archives

Published works will also be acquired as an integral part of an archive.

Collection Process

The record office prefers to acquire collections as gifts. Records will be accepted on loan, subject to agreement with the Terms of Deposit. Funds for purchase are very limited and will be expended only on documents of outstanding importance for the history of the area and which would be otherwise lost to local researchers. Records are also received by direct transfer from the local authorities contributing to the Joint Service.

The majority of Glamorgan Record Office printed holdings are purchased. The Record Office will acquire printed items as donations, but they will not be accepted on loan or deposit.

It is assumed that collections offered have a clear and valid title of ownership. A receipt describing the records acquired and providing information needed to access them will be supplied to the owner/depositor within 15 working days of receipt. More detailed finding aids will be prepared in accordance with current Record Office policy and practice and copies supplied when complete.

As part of the processing of collections, either before or after transfer to the Record Office, appraisal will take place to ensure that records retained are of sufficient quality for permanent preservation, and do not duplicate collections held here or elsewhere. The record office shall have authority to transfer records to a more suitable repository if it is considered that they would benefit from relocation. Records not selected for permanent preservation will be returned to the owner unless alternative arrangements have been made at the time of transfer. The office reserves the right to conduct a periodic review of collections held and, where necessary, to recommend their disposal or destruction, or the transferral of printed works to the archives.

Access

Notice of new acquisitions will be made public at the earliest opportunity. Copies of finding aids will be disseminated as soon as possible using the best available technology to reach the widest possible audience.