Emrys Bennett Owen Papers,

Papers relating to Cymdeithas Gwrandawyr Cymru, 1955-1976, Cymdeithas Telynau Cymru (The Welsh Harp Society), 1962-1979, papers relating to Rio Tinto Finance and Exploration Limited, 1969-1973 and the Chrome Company Ltd, 1970, and miscellaneous papers, 1942-1970. A further box of papers were received November 2007. These papers remain uncatalogued.

Emrys Bennett Owen was born in 1911, in Llanidloes, Montgomeryshire. He was active in the formation of the Farmers Union of Wales in 1955, and became its general secretary, 1959-1966. From 1966 to 1977, he was an estate agent in Dolgellau, Merionethshire, dealing with Rio Tinto Zinc Finance and Exploration Limited's proposed mineral explorations in the area and Crown mineral leases held by the Chrome Company Limited. He was Vice-President of the Folk Music Society, and leader of the folk choir 'Y Gader' of Dolgellau. He collected over 700 Welsh folk tunes, and published 500 of them in two volumes, 'Alawon Fy Ngwlad'. He married in 1937 and had two daughters, one of whom is Elinor Bennett, the harpist. He was Treasurer of Cymdeithas Gwrandawyr Cymru (Welsh Listeners Society) and was prosecuted in 1955 for failing to purchase a radio licence as part of a protest for Welsh language broadcasting. He died in 1988, aged 76.

Arranged into the following groups: Cymdeithas Gwrandawyr Cymru (Welsh Listeners' Society); Cymdeithas Telynau Cymru (Welsh Harp Society); Rio Tinto Finance and Exploration Limited; The Chrome Company Limited; and miscellaneous papers.

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Purchased from David Harbourne, Cardiff, in August 1987. Further papers were donated by Mrs Elinor Bennett Wigley, Caernarfon, November 2007.

Emrys Bennett Owen was born in 1911, in Llanidloes, Montgomeryshire. He was active in the formation of the Farmers Union of Wales in 1955, and became its general secretary, 1959-1966. From 1966 to 1977, he was an estate agent in Dolgellau, Merionethshire, dealing with Rio Tinto Zinc Finance and Exploration Limited's proposed mineral explorations in the area and Crown mineral leases held by the Chrome Company Limited. He was Vice-President of the Folk Music Society, and leader of the folk choir 'Y Gader' of Dolgellau. He collected over 700 Welsh folk tunes, and published 500 of them in two volumes, 'Alawon Fy Ngwlad'. He married in 1937 and had two daughters, one of whom is Elinor Bennett, the harpist. He was Treasurer of Cymdeithas Gwrandawyr Cymru (Welsh Listeners Society) and was prosecuted in 1955 for failing to purchase a radio licence as part of a protest for Welsh language broadcasting. He died in 1988, aged 76.

Title supplied from contents of fonds.

A hard copy of the catalogue, is available in Minor Lists and Summaries 1988, pp. 47-50, at the National Library of Wales. The catalogues can be accessed on-line.

May 2003

Compiled by Seri Crawley for the ANW Project. The following sources were consulted in the compilation of this description: NLW Schedule of Minor Lists and Summaries (1988); NLW Obituaries Cumulated Index (1992-1997).

Usual copyright regulations apply

Action: All records purchased by the National Library of Wales have been retained..

Accruals are not expected.

The following have been transferred to the Department of Printed Books: Annual Reports of Meirion Creamery Ltd for 1949, 1951, 1953 and 1955; 26 numbers of Cronicl o Hanes Cryno: the Merionethshire farmer between July 1950 and January 1959; Y Blagur: a journal to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the Federation of Merionethshire Young Farmers' Clubs, 1943-1964 (1964). Other papers relating to Cymdeithas Telynau Cymru are at NLW.

Published

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales