Historic bibles that ‘saved Welsh language’ protected by new multimillion pound archive

A historic collection of Welsh language bibles will be saved for future generations thanks to a multimillion-pound investment in a new archive.

It was feared that the William Morgan bibles collection, which is currently kept in Ruthin, could deteriorate to the point of destruction if urgent action wasn’t taken to protect it from damage.

Plaid Cymru councillor Emrys Wynne, cabinet member for the Welsh language, culture and heritage at Denbighshire Council, said the investment was “hugely important to our cultural heritage in Wales”.

The William Morgan bibles collection is currently stored at Ruthin Gaol, on Clwyd Street, along with other historic archives.

But the system used to maintain the air quality required to safeguard the material is old and will stop functioning in a few years. The historical texts are also at risk from the gaol flooding.

Their future has been secured thanks to a £7.3m grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and contributions of £2m from Denbighshire Council and £3m from Flintshire Council.

The investment will be used to establish a new facility for the North East Wales Archives.

Archives currently spread across Ruthin and Hawarden, will be moved to a single, purpose-built facility in Mold.

Moving the archives will enable Ruthin Gaol, to be developed further as a visitor attraction.

An archive room will continue to exist on the site, and there will be a consultation with users on what it will look like.

William Morgan, the Bishop of St Asaph, was born at Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant in Penmachno, in the Conwy Valley, and educated at Cambridge University.

He created and translated a classic version of the Welsh bible that appeared in 1588 and a revised version that was published in 1620.

It’s still used today and has been described as “a work of great beauty that appealed to the gentry and the ordinary man or woman”.

In the eyes of many Welsh scholars, Morgan’s bible saved a language that, at the end of the 16th century, was beginning to fragment into different dialects and styles.

Cllr Emrys Wynne, of Plaid Cymru, said: “The material that is stored in the archives is priceless and it is equally fragile, and delicate, so it is vital that it is kept in a particular way.

“The archives have enormous historical and cultural significance and we have a moral obligation to keep them safe.

“Every local authority in Wales is also bound by law to maintain an archive, and it has become abundantly clear the current facilities we have are not fit for purpose.

“The archives include the William Morgan Bible, the significance of which for Wales and the Welsh language in particular is difficult to overstate.

“It is unlikely that the Welsh language would still be with us as a living language had it not been created.

“Because of that, it is undoubtedly one of the most important texts in the history of Wales.

“We are investing in facilities to enable us to safeguard our precious cultural heritage.”