Dylan Thomas Trust Manuscripts,

Papers relating to Dylan Thomas and to the Dylan Thomas Trust, [1944x1947]-1975, comprising miscellaneous personal items of Dylan Thomas, 1948-1953, letters addressed to him, 1952-1953, contracts, 1951-1953, and his manuscript map of Llareggub, [1944x1951]; passports of Dylan, Caitlin and Colm Thomas, 1947-[1961]; a fragment of a memoir by Caitlin Thomas, [?1957]; and letters relating to the Trust, mainly addressed to Stuart Thomas, 1953-1975.

Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) died in St Vincent's Hospital, New York, on 9 November 1953, whilst on a reading tour of America. His body was transported back to Wales by ship, accompanied by his widow Caitlin (1913-1994), and was buried in Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, on 25 November. The Dylan Thomas Trust (or the Trustees for the Copyrights of Dylan Thomas) was subsequently created in order to administer the income from Thomas' estate for the benefit of the beneficiaries, namely Caitlin and the three children Llewelyn (1939-2000), Aeronwy (1943-2009) and Colm (b. 1949). The original trustees were Thomas' friend Dr Daniel Jones (1912-1993), his literary agent David Higham (1895-1978) of Pearn, Pollinger & Higham (and later David Higham Associates) and his solicitor Stuart Thomas (1914-1995) of D.O. Thomas & Co., Swansea. Daniel Jones resigned as a Trustee in January 1955 and was replaced by Wynford Vaughan-Thomas (1908-1987).

Arranged according to NLW MSS reference numbers: NLW MSS 23949-54.

Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to abide by the conditions noted on the 'Modern papers - data protection' form issued with their Readers' Tickets.

Maggs Bros Ltd; London; Purchase; October 2004; 0200412838.

Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) died in St Vincent's Hospital, New York, on 9 November 1953, whilst on a reading tour of America. His body was transported back to Wales by ship, accompanied by his widow Caitlin (1913-1994), and was buried in Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, on 25 November. The Dylan Thomas Trust (or the Trustees for the Copyrights of Dylan Thomas) was subsequently created in order to administer the income from Thomas' estate for the benefit of the beneficiaries, namely Caitlin and the three children Llewelyn (1939-2000), Aeronwy (1943-2009) and Colm (b. 1949). The original trustees were Thomas' friend Dr Daniel Jones (1912-1993), his literary agent David Higham (1895-1978) of Pearn, Pollinger & Higham (and later David Higham Associates) and his solicitor Stuart Thomas (1914-1995) of D.O. Thomas & Co., Swansea. Daniel Jones resigned as a Trustee in January 1955 and was replaced by Wynford Vaughan-Thomas (1908-1987).

The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Paul Ferris, Dylan Thomas: The Biography (Talybont, 2006); Dylan Thomas, The Collected Letters: New Edition, ed. by Paul Ferris (London, 2000); Andrew Lycett, Dylan Thomas: A New Life (London, 2003); Paul Ferris, Caitlin: The Life of Caitlin Thomas (London, 1995); NLW, Dylan Thomas Trust Papers; Paul Ferris, 'Thomas, Dylan Marlais (1914-1953)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford, 2004 <http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/36471> [accessed 26 October 2010].

Title based on contents.

October 2010.

Description revised by Rhys Morgan Jones.

Usual copyright laws apply. Information regarding ownership of Dylan Thomas copyright can be found at http://tyler.hrc.utexas.edu/ (viewed October 2010).

The personal papers of Dylan Thomas comprise items apparently retrieved from his home in Laugharne following his death, and items (such as his cheque book, travel wallet and passport) taken from his room at the Hotel Chelsea, New York, by the New York Police Department and returned to Britain in January 1954 by the British Consulate. These and the remaining papers were discovered by members of the Dylan Thomas Trust in 2002 in a filing cabinet formerly belonging to Stuart Thomas (see the Daily Telegraph, 1 December 2002). They were subsequently sold to Maggs Bros Ltd.

For the main group of Trust papers see NLW, Dylan Thomas Trust Papers; other items relating to his death are NLW Facs 829 and 991.

Published

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales