Papers on the Bala and Bala-Bangor Independent Colleges

Scope and Content

Copy account books of the Bala Independent College, 1855-1875.

Minute book of the Bala-Bangor College Debating Society, 1877-1881.

Letters and papers relating to the battle of the two constitutions, 1855-1893.

2 copies of a photograph of an Independent College Group, Bala, 1881.

Details of the students at Bala and Bala-Bangor Colleges, 1841-1941 by D. J. Williams, Bethesda.

Administrative / Biographical History

The history of the Bala-Bangor College is a complex one, whichbegins in 1842 with the establishment of the Independent Collegein Bala, Merionethshire. By the 1850s the nature and quality ofeducation being received at the College was under fire and a newconstitution was drafted which led to a rift between members. Fora while, the Independents had two colleges in Bala - one for theold constitution and one for the new. Then in 1885 the newconstitution college received a gift of £1500 from Samuel Morleyon the condition that it moved to Bangor, co. Caernarfon. By1886 the college had moved to a house on College Road inBangor known as The Poplars and from then on the 2 collegesoperated separately. In 1889 John Rylands from Lancashire left;5000 in his will to the Bala College, but it was not too clearwhich college was to benefit. Luckily, the gift became a means ofuniting both colleges. Eventually, in 1892, the department in Balawas moved to Bangor. The new united college was namedBala-Bangor and in time moved from The Poplars to a building atthe bottom of Ffriddoedd Road, Bangor, which was once threeprivate houses.

Arrangement

Incorporated into the General Collection of Bangor Manuscripts

Access Information

Open to all users.

Acquisition Information

These papers were acquired from a variety of sources over a period of years.

Note

Description compiled by Elen Wyn Hughes, October 2002.

Other Finding Aids

An item level typescript catalogue is available at the Archives Department of the University of Wales Bangor. Reference numbers : General Collection of Bangor Manuscripts 3617-3622, 13520, 14023-14028, 26109-26110, 26997-26998

Conditions Governing Use

Usual copyright conditions apply. Reprographics are made at the discretion of the Archivist.

Related Material

Also held at the Archives Department of the University of Wales Bangor are the Bala-Bangor Manuscripts.