Cambrian Archaeological Association facts for kids
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Cymdeithas Hynafiaethau Cymru
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Presidential badge of the Cambrians
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| Formation | 1846/7 |
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| Type | Learned society |
| Registration no. | 216249 |
| Purpose | The study of the Archaeology, History and Culture of Wales and the Welsh Marches. |
| Location |
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| Services | Research & Publications, Study Tours and Conferences, Grant-giving, Educational Awards and Prizes. |
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Membership
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c550 |
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General Secretary
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Heather James |
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Chairman of Trustees
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Dr. Sian Rees |
The Cambrian Archaeological Association (which in Welsh is Welsh: Cymdeithas Hynafiaethau Cymru) is a group started in 1846. Its main goal is to study, protect, and share information about old buildings, history, language, and traditions in Wales and the areas near its borders, called the Welsh Marches.
This association helps people learn about the past. They do this by holding talks, organizing trips to historical sites, and publishing a special magazine called Archaeologia Cambrensis. They also give money to support new research and help publish books about history and archaeology.
Contents
What the Cambrian Archaeology Club Does
Meetings and Field Trips
The association holds two main meetings every year. One is a week-long trip in summer, and the other is a weekend trip in autumn. During these trips, members visit important historical sites and monuments across Wales. Sometimes, they even travel to places in England, Scotland, Ireland, or other countries.
They also have special conferences around Easter every two years. These conferences feature talks about new discoveries and important topics in history and archaeology. Plus, they arrange a talk in the Welsh language each year at the National Eisteddfod, which is a big festival of Welsh culture.
Helping Research and Education
The association gives out grants each year to help people do research. These grants usually range from £500 to £2000. For example, in 2012, they helped Dr. Toby Driver and Dr. Jeffrey Davies with their work on a Roman villa site in Ceredigion.
They also care about teaching young people. The Blodwen Jerman Schools Prize is given every year to a Welsh school that does a great job promoting archaeology and history. Every five years, the G. T. Clark Prizes are awarded for the best published work on Welsh archaeology and history. These prizes cover different time periods, from ancient times to more recent history.
Books and Journals
Besides their main journal, Archaeologia Cambrensis, the association has a long history of publishing extra books about Welsh history and archaeology. One big project was in 1888, when they published a copy of a book from 1684 by Thomas Dineley.
More recently, from 1978 to 1998, they worked with Cadw (a Welsh government body that protects historic sites) to publish important books about archaeological digs in Wales. In 2013, they published a special book called Reflections on the Past. This book celebrated the work of Frances Lynch, a prehistorian who has helped the association for many years.
Other important books they have published include:
- Notes on the Older Churches in the Four Welsh Dioceses (1903) by Sir Stephen Glynne. These notes describe many Welsh churches before they were changed a lot in Victorian times.
- Ten Days' Tour through the Isle of Anglesea December 1802 (1908) by Rev John Skinner. Skinner was a parson who traveled widely, recording old monuments.
- Parochialia (1909–1911) by Edward Lhuyd.
- Tours in Wales (1804–1813) (1917) by Richard Fenton. These diaries describe Fenton's travels in Wales, often with Sir Richard Colt-Hoare.
- Menavia Sacra (1927) by Edward Yardley. This book describes the Diocese of St David's.
How the Association Started and Grew
Early Days (1846–1855)
The Cambrian Archaeological Association was founded when people in Wales felt a stronger sense of their own identity. At this time, older societies focused on Welsh culture in London were becoming less active.
The idea for the association came from Rev. Harry Longueville Jones, who was helped by Rev. John Williams. Instead of just starting a group, Longueville Jones wrote a "manifesto" (a public declaration of their aims) called On the study and preservation of national antiquities. He invited interested people to join and form the association.
Longueville Jones was a talented artist. His drawings were used to illustrate the first issues of Archaeologia Cambrensis.
First Meetings (1847–1855)
The first annual meeting of the Cambrian Archaeological Society was held in Aberystwyth in September 1847. The first president was Sir Stephen Richard Glynne. By the second meeting, the group had grown to 350 members!
Many smart people were involved in the association back then. One was G. T. Clark, who became a leading expert on British Castles. His first article about Kidwelly Castle was published in Archaeologia Cambrensis in 1853.
Another important person was Edward Augustus Freeman, who later became a famous historian. He wrote articles about church architecture in Wales. John Obadiah Westwood, an expert on insects, also studied old inscribed and sculptured stones. The association even helped publish his big book on Welsh stones.
In the 1850s, some disagreements arose within the group. One of the founders, John Williams, left and started a different society. This caused the Cambrian Archaeological Association to lose many members and face financial problems.
Rebuilding the Association (1856–1880s)
After these tough times, the association worked hard to get back on track. They redefined their goals and adopted a new set of rules in 1856. The group became more focused on archaeology. They even helped fund excavations at a Roman fort called Caersws.
Harry Longueville Jones, who was now an inspector for schools in Wales, had more time to edit Archaeologia Cambrensis. He wrote many articles and lists of archaeological sites. He pushed for a system to record and protect ancient monuments, which eventually led to the creation of the Welsh Royal Commission in 1908.
The association also started working with the "Office of Woods and Forests," which looked after castles and other royal monuments in Wales. The Cambrians helped with the restoration of Caernarvon Castle. They also leased places like Strata Florida monastery to protect them and make them open to the public.
Later Years (Late 1800s to World War I)
By the 1880s, many of the first members were no longer active. New important figures joined, like John Rhys, a professor of Celtic studies at Oxford. John Romilly Allen became a key figure, editing the journal for many years. He was an expert on ancient inscribed stones.
Romilly Allen strongly believed that Welsh historical items should stay in Wales. He was very upset when artifacts like the Trawsfynydd Tankard were moved to museums outside Wales. It was fitting that the National Museum of Wales was officially started in 1907, the year Romilly Allen passed away.
The association also began to explore other "Celtic" lands outside Wales for their summer meetings. They visited places like the Isle of Man, Brittany (in France), and even the Western Isles of Scotland, where they hired a ship to see remote ancient sites. These trips were not just for learning; they were also social events, as described in Evelyn Lewes's book Out with the Cambrians.
During the First World War (1914-1918), the association continued to publish its journal, though less often. The summer meetings were stopped, and a general meeting was held each year in Shrewsbury. William Boyd Dawkins, a famous geologist and archaeologist, led the association during these difficult years.
Mid-20th Century (1918–1950)
After the First World War, the newly formed National Museum of Wales began to influence the association. Mortimer Wheeler, who became the museum's director in 1924, started important excavations at Roman sites like Segontium.
The association also encouraged amateur archaeologists to research things like Hillforts in North Wales. This work helped lead to later excavations. Sir Cyril Fox, who followed Wheeler as museum director, published his survey of Offa's Dyke in the association's journal.
Even during the Second World War (1939-1945), the association kept publishing Archaeologia Cambrensis, though they couldn't hold meetings. In 1946, to celebrate their 100th birthday, they published a special volume called 100 Years of Welsh Archaeology 1846–1956. This book gave a great overview of what was known about Welsh archaeology at the time.
Leaders of the Association
In the early days, the president of the Cambrian Archaeological Association was usually a wealthy landowner or a high-ranking church leader from Wales. The first president was Sir Stephen Glynne, 9th Baronet, who was very interested in church architecture.
The president's role was, and still is, to help arrange visits and organize the summer meetings. Usually, a president serves for one year, but sometimes for longer. Many early presidents were church leaders or Members of Parliament. These summer meetings were also a chance for people to discuss other topics, not just archaeology. For example, some presidents were involved in building railways in Wales.
However, many presidents were also genuinely interested in archaeology. For instance, the Earl of Dunraven, who was president twice, was a leading Irish scholar. Many of the church leaders who became presidents were also respected academics.
Over time, the types of people who became president changed. In 1881, Professor Cardale Babington, a botanist and archaeologist from Cambridge University, became president. Later, famous archaeologists like Sir Mortimer Wheeler (1930) and Sir Cyril Fox (1933) also served as presidents.
Since the Second World War, presidents have included a mix of leading academics, professional architects, archaeologists, and local historians. It wasn't until 1988 that Frances Lynch became the first female president. Since then, five more women have held this important role.
Images for kids
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Tower, Broncoed, near Mold 1846. Soft Ground etching by Harry Longueville Jones, Archaeologia Cambrensis, vol. 1 (1846), p. 54
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Sir Stephen Glynne, president 1847–1849
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Henry Hussey Vivian, president 1860–62, Vanity Fair, 1886
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Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, president 1873–74, 1883–84, Vanity Fair, 1873
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John Dillwyn-Llewelyn, president 1885–86, Vanity Fair, 1900
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Prof E. G. Bowen, president 1966–67
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Thomas Lloyd Wales Herald Extraordinary
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