Research resources: Welsh Woollen Industry

Interested in the Welsh Woollen Industry?

Not sure where to start? The National Wool Museum can help

Our most frequently asked enquiries include-

• You’ve got a nursing shawl and you want to know how and where it was made.
• You’re tracing your ancestry and would like to know more about a woollen mill once in the family.
• You’re interested in finding out more about the mill that you’re living in.

The National Wool Museum is housed in the former Cambrian Mills. The collection here comprises four Grade II listed mill buildings, historic textile machinery, textile collection, paper and photographic archive and a small library. You can visit the museum to see woollen cloth being woven on historic machinery and chat to our demonstrating craftspersons. You can also see woollen cloth production on site at the commercial working mill, Melin Teifi and at the listed 18th century working woollen mill, Esgair Moel, re-erected at St. Fagans: National History Museum. There is a selection of historic woollen textiles made in mills throughout Wales on display in the Textile Gallery. Our textile collection provides a very useful tool for identification of blanket patterns, dates and mills at which they were produced. The proposal for the development of a National Design Database aims to build on this, so that we can provide on-line access to our collection.

The main source of information on the welsh woollen industry is the book The Welsh Woollen Industry by J. Geraint Jenkins (Cardiff, 1969).

Two important reports are also available Report on a survey of the Welsh Textile Industry by William P. Crankshaw (Cardiff, 1927) and Rural Industries Bureau Survey of Welsh Mills (unpublished, 1947)

Researching ancestry and mill buildings is not straightforward! We do not possess comprehensive records of all welsh woollen mills or the families that owned and ran these mills. We do keep files on the mills of the Lower Teifi Valley and have information on some of the larger mills in our archive. Our own research and information gathering is ongoing in this area.

The National Wool Museum is the lead museum in Wales for the woollen industry but there is also collections relating to the woollen industry at St.Fagans: National History Museum.

If you require any further information, please contact Ann Whittall(029) 2057 3084

There are many other repositories and resources available for researching the Welsh Woollen Industry:

St. Fagans: National History Museum St. Fagans Cardiff CF5 6XB 02920 573 500 www.museumwales.ac.uk/stfagans Collection of mill photographs in photographic archive; account books from various mills in archive; advice on textile conservation; advice on how to research historic buildings; oral history recordings of past mill owners and workers; re-erected 18th century working woollen mill, Esgair Moel library.	Welsh Mills Society C/O Mrs. Hilary Malawas Y Felin, Tynygraig Ystrad Meurig Ceredigion SY25 6AE www.rcahmw.org.uk/wms/ The aims of the Society are to study, record, interpret and publicise the wind and water mills of; Wales; to encourage general interest; to advise on preservation and use, and to encourage working millers.	Newtown Textile Museum 5-7 Commercial Street, Newtown Powys SY16 2BL 01938 554656 / 01938 622024 www.powysmuseums.powys.gov.uk The Textile Museum is housed in an early 19th century weaving shop when Newtown was a major centre of handloom weaving. The museum tells the story of the woollen industry in Newtown and Wales.;
Ceredigion Museum COLISEUM Terrace Road Aberystwyth Ceredigion SY23 2AQ 01970 633084 www.ceredigion.gov.uk There are welsh woollen textiles in their collection	Carmarthenshire County Museum Abergwili Carmarthen Carmarthenshire SA31 2JG 01267 228696 www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk There are welsh woollen textiles in their collection	Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historical Monuments of Wales, Plas Crug, Aberystwyth, Ceregigion, SY23 1NJ Tel 01970 621200 Email nmr.wales@rcahmw.gov.uk Website www.rcahmw.gov.uk

Many books have been published on investigating your family tree and there are also many useful websites dedicated to this subject. A good place to begin your search and to get some useful hints are-;

The National Archives Kew Richmond Surrey TW9 4DU 0208 8763444 www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

The Family Records Centre 1 Myddelton Street London EC1R 1UW 0208 392 5300 www.familyrecords.gov.uk

There are many useful on line resources available to aid research, far too numerous to list, here are a few to get you started-

• Archives Network Wales: www.archivesnetworkwales.info
  This website contains descriptions of collections held at repositories in Wales and provides links to further information and details of other repositories.
• Wales on the Web: www.walesontheweb.org
  Collections Wales is an online directory of research collections in Wales
• Gathering the Jewels: www.gtj.org.uk
  This website holds over 20,000 images of objects, books, letters, photographs and other items from museums, libraries and record offices in Wales. There are many images of woollen mills and historic welsh textiles.

If you are interested in finding out more about textiles and textile machinery-

The Science Museum Exhibition Road South Kensington London SW7 2DD 0870 8704868 www.sciencemuseum.org.uk The Science Museum has a vast collection covering the entire history of western science, technology and medicine- this collection includes textile machinery.

The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester Liverpool Road Castlefield Manchester M3 4FP 0161 6060127 www.msim.org.uk The Textiles Gallery is an interesting place to visit if you are interested in finding out more about textile machinery and the textile industry in Britain.

The Victoria and Albert Museum Cromwell Road South Kensington London SW7 2RL 0207 9422000 www.vam.ac.uk On its website the Victoria and Albert Museum is described as the world’s greatest museum of art and design. The museum has a textile collection dating from the 17th century to present day featuring contemporary British design and fashion.

Welsh County Record Offices and the National Library of Wales;

Anglesey County Record Office Neuadd y Sir Llangefni, Ynys Môn; LL77 7TW 01248-752080 www.anglesey.gov.uk	Carmarthenshire Archive Service Ricmond Terrace Carmarthen SA31 3DS 01267-228232 www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk	Ceredigion Archives Neuadd y Sir, Marine Terrace, Aberystwyth, SY23 2HE 01970-633697 www.ceredigion-archives.gov.uk
Conwy Archives Lloyd St. Llandudno Conwy LL30 2YG 01492-860882 www.conwy.gov.uk/archives	Flintshire Record Office The Old Rectory Hawarden, Deeside Clwyd.; LL15 1HP 01224-532364 www.flintshire.gov.uk	Glamorgan Archive Service County Hall Cathays Park Cardiff; CF1 3NE 029-20780282 www.glamro.gov.uk
Gwent Archives [Formerly Gwent Record Office] Steelworks Road EBBW VALE Blaenau Gwent NP23 6DN 01495 353363 gwentarchives.gov.uk	Gwynedd Archive Service County Offices Caernarfon Gwynedd LL55 1SA 01286-679095 www.gwynedd.gov.uk/archives	Gwynedd Archives Service, Cae Penarlâg, Dolgellau Gwynedd LL40 2YF0 01341-424443 www.gwynedd.gov.uk/archives
Pembrokeshire Record Office The Castle, Haverfordwest, Pembs., SA 01437-763707 record.office@pembrokeshire.gov.uk	West Glamorgan Archive Service County Hall Oystermouth Rd., Swansea, SA1 3SN 01792-636589 www.swansea.gov.uk/archives	National Library of Wales Penglais Aberystwyth Ceredigion SY23 3BU 01970-632800 www.llgc.org.uk

Woollen mills in production in Wales now include:

Brynkir Woollen Mill Golan Garndolbenmaen Nr. Porthmadog Gwynedd LL51 9YU 01766 530236	The Cambrian Woollen Mill Llanwrtyd Wells Powys LD5 4SD 01591 610473 www.cambrian-mill.co.uk	Curlew Weavers Old Rectory Rhydlewis, Llandysul Ceredigion SA44 5RL 01239 851357 www.westwales.co.uk/curlew.htm
Elvet Woollen Mill Cynwyl Elfed Carmarthen Carmarthenshire SA33 6TS 01267 281336 www.elvetwoollenmill.co.uk	Melin Dolwerdd Cwmpengraig Dre-fach Felindre Nr Newcastle Emlyn Carmarthenshire SA44 5UJ 01559 370874	Esgair Moel St. Fagans: National History Museum St. Fagans Cardiff CF5 6XB 02920 573 500 www.museumwales.ac.uk/stfagans
Rock Mill Capel Dewi Llandysul Ceredigion SA44 4PH 01559 362356	The Woollen Mill Middle Mill, Solva Haverfordwest Pembrokeshire SA62 6XD 01437 721112 www.solvawoollenmill.co.uk	Melin Teifi c/o National Wool Museum Dre-fach Felindre Llandysul Carmarthenshire SA44 5UP 01559 371003
Trefriw Woollen Mill Trefriw North Wales LL27 0NQ 01492 640462 www.t-w-m.co.uk	Melin Tregwynt Castle Morris Haverfordwest Pembrokeshire SA62 5UX 01348 891225 www.melintregwynt.co.uk	Sioni Rhys Handweavers Hen Efail, Pandy Nr. Abergavenny Gwent NP7 8DS 01873 890441 www.sioni-rhys-handweavers.com
Riitta Sinkkonen Davies Handweaving Mathom House Moorland Road Freystop Haverfordwest Pembrokeshire SA62 4LE 01437 890712 www.rasdavies.co.uk	Snail Trail Handweavers Penwenallt Farm Cilgerran Nr Cardigan Pembrokeshire SA43 2TP 01239 841228 www.snail-trail.co.uk	Melin Trefin 33 Ffordd y Felin Trefin Haverfordwest Pembrokeshire SA62 5AX 01348 837235 melintrefin@yahoo.co.uk