Olwen Caradoc Evans Papers,

The archive includes letters and greetings cards, 1953-1972, and correspondence and papers, 1966-1972, deriving from the many groups and societies with which Olwen Caradoc Evans was associated, including the steering committee of the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art and the Nant Conway Rural District Council. There are also family correspondence and papers, 1935-1945, and a file of personal correspondence, 1995-[1998]. There are also biographical and family papers, 1917-1941, research papers, 1904-1988, relating to the ancestry of Dr John Caeradoc Evans; research papers, 1846-1985, concerning the ancestry of Olwen Caradoc Evans herself; and press cuttings and photographs, 1967-1990. There are papers concerning 'Tu Hwnt i'r Bont', 1953-1959, notes relating to her research and business enterprises, 1960-1991, and printed material, 1952-1997.

Olwen Caradoc Evans was born at Ymlwch, Cricieth on 8 August 1918 and was educated at Dr Williams's School, Dolgellau. She studied cookery at Paris, was also a student at the Nightingale Training School of St Thomas's Hospital, London, and attended the Royal College of Nursing. In 1947 she married Dr John Caradoc Evans at Garndolbenmaen. She held administrative posts at London before returning to Wales in 1953 when she opened 'Tu Hwnt i'r Bont' at Llanrwst and began collecting and selling maps, prints and sea charts. She moved to Conway in 1959, and in 1962 was appointed secretary-designate of the Welsh Board of the Royal College of Nursing. She published 'Maps of Wales and Welsh Cartographers' in 1964 and 'Marine Plans and Charts of Wales' in 1969. She also travelled extensively abroad, where she gave several exhibitions of her work, and became well known on the international scene. In 1985 Olwen Caradoc Evans won a substantial contract to supply a Japanese firm with maps of Wales and London. During her later years many exhibitions of her work were held at various centres throughout Wales. Olwen Caradoc Evans died at Llandudno General Hospital on 22 August 1998.

Arranged as follows: correspondence and minutes; biographical and family papers; papers relating to Tu Hwnt i'r Bont; research notes and business enterprises; and printed material.

Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to sign the 'Modern papers - data protection' form. File A14 is closed until the year 2050.

Many of the papers were placed on deposit at the Library by Olwen Caradoc Evans between 1971 and 1977. In accordance with the terms of her will, dated 12 June 1996, these papers, together with those deposited by her husband Dr John Caradoc Evans, were converted into donations. Additional papers were also received as a bequest in 1998-1999.

Olwen Caradoc Evans was born at Ymlwch, Cricieth on 8 August 1918 and was educated at Dr Williams's School, Dolgellau. She studied cookery at Paris, was also a student at the Nightingale Training School of St Thomas's Hospital, London, and attended the Royal College of Nursing. In 1947 she married Dr John Caradoc Evans at Garndolbenmaen. She held administrative posts at London before returning to Wales in 1953 when she opened 'Tu Hwnt i'r Bont' at Llanrwst and began collecting and selling maps, prints and sea charts. She moved to Conway in 1959, and in 1962 was appointed secretary-designate of the Welsh Board of the Royal College of Nursing. She published 'Maps of Wales and Welsh Cartographers' in 1964 and 'Marine Plans and Charts of Wales' in 1969. She also travelled extensively abroad, where she gave several exhibitions of her work, and became well known on the international scene. In 1985 Olwen Caradoc Evans won a substantial contract to supply a Japanese firm with maps of Wales and London. During her later years many exhibitions of her work were held at various centres throughout Wales. Olwen Caradoc Evans died at Llandudno General Hospital on 22 August 1998.

Title supplied from contents of fonds. The archive includes material passed down within the families of Olwen Caradoc Evans and her husband Dr John Caradoc Evans, including papers acquired during the course of their researches into their respective family histories.

A hard copy of the catalogue is available at the National Library of Wales. The catalogue can be accessed online.

June 2006.

Compiled by J. Graham Jones for the ANW project. The following source was used in the compilation of this description: NLW, Schedule of Olwen Caradoc Evans Papers;

Usual copyright regulations apply.

Action: All records presented to the NLW have been retained.

Accruals are not expected.

Papers relating to Olwen Caradoc Evans, formerly known as NLW Minor Deposits 681B, 723A, 882A, 884B and 1083A (not listed in the catalogue) are now known as NLW ex 2126-2130 respectively. Other letters and papers of Olwen Caradoc Evans are in NLW MSS 19981E, 20673E, 20674D and NLW ex 2049.

Published

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales