Margiad Evans family papers

A group of correspondence including letters from Margiad Evans (Peggy Eileen Whistler) to her sister Nancy [Nightingale]; a notebook containing a revised manuscript draft of the second (concluding) part of Margiad Evans's unpublished autobiographical essay 'The Immortal Hospital or Some Recollections of Our Childhood' (folios numbered 46-83; see also NLW MS 23369C and NLW, Margiad Evans Papers, September 1982 Donation 22-23); a script ‘December day’ broadcast by the BBC in 1954; and a guest book for Springherne, near Ross on Wye, 1937-9, run by the Whistler sisters with writings by Nancy Nightingale who wrote under the name Sian Evans.

Margiad Evans (1909-1958), born Peggy Eileen Whistler (later Williams), was a novelist, poet and artist, from Uxbridge, London. She moved to Bridstow, near Ross-on-Wye in 1920, where she lived until 1936. In 1940 she married Michael Williams and moved to Llangarron, staying there for eight years. She then moved to Gloucestershire and later to Sussex. Her first novel, published in 1932, was Country Dance, she then had three further novels published, The Wooden Doctor (1932), Turf or Stone (1934) and Creed (1936). She also published two autobiographical works, Autobiography (1943) and A Ray of Darkness (1952); a collection of short stories The Old and the Young (1948); and two volumes of poetry, Poems from Obscurity (1947) and A Candle Ahead (1956). She died in 1958.

Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to abide by the conditions set out in information provided when applying for their Readers' Tickets, whereby the reader shall become responsible for compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 in relation to any processing by them of personal data obtained from modern records held at the Library.

Mr Tom Nightingale, son of Nancy Nightingale; Norwich; Donation; June 2012; 006305767.

Margiad Evans (1909-1958), born Peggy Eileen Whistler (later Williams), was a novelist, poet and artist, from Uxbridge, London. She moved to Bridstow, near Ross-on-Wye in 1920, where she lived until 1936. In 1940 she married Michael Williams and moved to Llangarron, staying there for eight years. She then moved to Gloucestershire and later to Sussex. Her first novel, published in 1932, was Country Dance, she then had three further novels published, The Wooden Doctor (1932), Turf or Stone (1934) and Creed (1936). She also published two autobiographical works, Autobiography (1943) and A Ray of Darkness (1952); a collection of short stories The Old and the Young (1948); and two volumes of poetry, Poems from Obscurity (1947) and A Candle Ahead (1956). She died in 1958.

Preferred citation: NLW ex 2790 (i & ii)

Title based on contents.

Photographs and two scrapbooks with original drawings and sketches, donated with these papers, are in other collections within NLW. For other papers of Margiad Evans see NLW, Margiad Evans Manuscripts, NLW, Margiad Evans Papers, NLW ex 1672 and NLW Facs 870.

Published

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales