The Aberfan Disaster Archive
Dowlais Collection

Abbreviations

The following abbreviations are used in the catalogue:

ADF Aberfan Disaster Fund
APRA Aberfan Parents & Residents Association
MTBC Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council
MS Manuscript (hand-written)
nd No Date
TS Typescript

The cataloguing system

The Dowlais archive is divided into three levels: pieces, folders (both identified by numbers) and classes (identified by letter). A piece can either be a single document or series of related documents. The individual pieces are sorted into folders. Where documents were originally bound together, this grouping has been retained and labelled either as a folder or piece according to its size and importance. Documents (or series of documents) in the more diverse original folders or bundles have been allocated their own piece numbers. Where documents were originally loose, they have been sorted into new folders. The description of each folder makes clear whether it is a new or original folder.

The classes

Folders are sorted into different classes according to the organisation with which they originate. Because the Aberfan Disaster Fund was originally run by the Borough Council, cases of ambiguity arise over which class a document should be allocated to. For example, the Merthyr Tydfil Town Clerk sent out and received letters where he was acting in both his council capacity and as temporary secretary to the Disaster Fund. Similarly, problems also arose with the allocation of council material used by the Tribunal. In problematic cases, the subject matter governed which class a loose document was allocated to. Class H consists of a series of original folders of letters which were sent to the council and Disaster Fund.

Piece and folder numbers

Each piece is identified by a three part code. The first section (a letter) refers to the class within the archive in which the document is located. The second section of the document code is the number of the folder within the class that the document is held in. The third section of the code is the document's individual piece number.

For example
D/002/04 refers to piece number 04 in folder number 002 in class D.

Where a code is only made up of two sections it refers to a folder (thus D/002 refers to folder number 002 in class D).

Correspondence

Many of the piece numbers refer to series of correspondence. In such cases each correspondent is listed with the first named usually being the originator of the communication. In some cases, the correspondent is simply given as Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council. This means that the correspondence refers to a variety of individuals or departments within the council.

Title

The titles stated for pieces or folders are contemporary. Titles for series of correspondence refer to the heading used at the top of the letters. Folder titles are those written on the cover. Where no contemporary title existed, the catalogue uses a description of the piece or folder.

The transcripts of oral evidence presented to the Tribunal of Inquiry (class A)

Class A is the 76 volumes of evidence given at the Tribunal of Inquiry into the disaster. Each volume represents one day of evidence and is referred to by the day number rather than a piece code.