Migrating to Patagonia
During the 19th century a large number of Welsh people emigrated in the hope of a better life – there was no work, and many live in poverty. The attraction of new life and a brighter future was strong. Many flocked to the industrial areas of America, where Michael D. Jones established societies to help them maintain their identity, but they were under pressure to learn English and to adopt American culture. Michael D. Jones felt that the only way to safeguard the Welsh language and culture was to established a colony and he turned his attention to Patagonia. He realized that Patagonia was an ideal location to build a Welsh settlement as the isolation would protected them from outside influences. He worked diligently in Wales to try to recruit potential migrants and sent Lewis Jones and Captain Love Jones-Parry to Buenos Aires in 1862 to negotiate with the government of Argentina. They succeeded in securing 25 cuadra (about 100 acres) of land for each family. On May 28, 1865, 153 Welshmen sailed on the Mimosa, but on landing on the wasteland on 28 July 28 1865 they quickly realized that the country was not as ideal as had been suggested, with no water, almost no food or shelter. The situation gradually improved as the settlers worked hard to build the foundations of society. They constructed simple homes, learnt to hunt like the natives, planted crops and built canals to bring water from the river Camwy to irrigate and fertilize the land. A railway was later built to connect the town of Gaiman, Chubut and Puerto Madryn.
The Welsh population increased to around 700 and by 1883 the Welsh turned their attention to the Andes in search of farmland. They discovered Cwm Hyfryd in 1885 and established a new colony there in 1891.
By the late 19th century there were around 4,000 people of Welsh descent living in Chubut and the last major migration from Wales took place just before the First World War. The Welsh language declined gradually as the settlers increasingly assimilated with Argentine life, through mixed marriages and as they move to find work. Spanish became the main language of the younger generation. Nevertheless, the language and the relationship between Wales and Patagonia strengthened again with the founding of the Wales-Argentina Society in 1939 and following the centenary celebrations of the first landing in 1965.
The manuscripts
This is a selection of the 25 most important manuscripts relating to Patagonia housed at the National Library. There are of course many more manuscripts in the collection and we hope to digitized more items to add this page in the future. A complete list of materials can be found on our Patagonia resources page:
The Library's collection of material relating to Patagonia is varied and reflects virtually every aspect of life in the colony through correspondence, diaries and travel books, newspaper cuttings and council, church and business records.
This selection offers an insight into the plans to create a colony, the migration and the establishment of the Welsh settlements:
Planning
- The diaries of Lewis Jones recording his exploratory visit (NLW MS 12198-9A); propaganda correspondence from the founders of the colony (NLW MS 18206C); correspondence recording the response of one family who were about to emigrate (NLW MS 18197B); accounts of 'Y Wladychfa Gymreig' (NLW MS 7254D); 'Welsh Colonial and General Trading Co. Limited' (NLW MS 4616B - NLW MS 4617E) and L[iver]pool Welsh Patagonian Emigration Committee (NLW MS 12204E).
Migration
- The diary of Joseph Seth Jones recording his journey on the Mimosa (NLW MS 18176B); list containing the names of the 274 emigrants (NLW MS 7255E).
Settling
- Biography of Joshua Jones, one of the first settlers (NLW MS 20549E); Gaiman Council records (NLW MS 18184C); irrigation schemes (NLW MS 18183C and NLW MS 18427C); migrants correspondence (NLW MS 18427C and NLW MS 17525A) and chapel records (NLW MS 19101E).
Correspondence and diaries of visitors in the early years
- Rev. William Phillips, 1891 (NLW MS 18953B); David Richards, 1891-4 (NLW MS 21199D) and W. J. Parry, 1893-4 (NLW MS 8783-4C).
Records of business and industry
- Record books and prospectus of the Welsh Patagonian Gold Field Syndicate (8783-4C and NLW MS 16956E) and papers of the Camwy Irrigation Company (NLW MS 18183C).
Manuscripts arranged by reference number
NLW MS 4616B Llythyrau a phapurau, 1871-1911
NLW MS 4617E Welsh Colonising Company shareholders register, 1871-1873
NLW MS 7254D Papurau'n ymwneud â'r Wladfa Gymreig, 1861-1881
NLW MS 7255E Papurau'n ymwneud â'r Wladfa Gymreig
NLW MS 7257A Llwyd ap Iwan: 'Ymchwildaith i'r Andes '
NLW MS 8783C The Welsh Patagonian Gold Fields Syndicate, 1893-1894
NLW MS 8784C The Welsh Patagonian Gold Fields Syndicate, 1893-1894
NLW MS 10816E Welsh settlers in Patagonia, 1902
NLW MS 12198A Dyddlyfrau Lewis Jones, 1862-1863
NLW MS 12199A Dyddlyfr Lewis Jones, 1863
NLW MS 12204E Lewis Jones correspondence, 1862-1892
NLW MS 16956E Records of the Welsh Patagonian Gold Fields Syndicate Ltd., 1891-1892
NLW MS 17525A Copïau o lythyrau oddi wrth Eluned Morgan, Y Wladfa, Patagonia at 'John'
NLW MS 18176B Dyddiadur Joseph Seth Jones, 1865-1866
NLW MS 18177C Llythyrau Joseph Seth Jones, c.1866-1868
NLW MS 18181B Llythyr Michael D. Jones, 1877
NLW MS 18183C Hanes y dyfrhau yn y Wladfa, 1960
NLW MS 18184C Llyfrau cofnodion Cyngor Gaiman, 1885-1891
NLW MS 18197B Llythyrau Joseph Seth Jones, 1865
NLW MS 18206C Llythyrau sefydlwyr y Wladfa, 1866
NLW MS 18427C Letters addressed to H. Tobit Evans, 1879-1900
NLW MS 18953B Llawysgrifau'r Parchedig William Phillips, Gwalchmai (1861-1944)
NLW MS 19101E Llyfr cofnodion y Parchedig Tudur Evans
NLW MS 20549E Erthyglau, yn ymwneud â Phatagonia gan W. Casnodyn Rhys
NLW MS 21199D Letters from David Richards in Patagonia to his wife in Harlech
Manuscripts in chronological order
1861-1881 NLW MS 7254D Papers relating to the Welsh Settlement
1862-1863 NLW MS 12198A Lewis Jones' diaries
1862-1892 NLW MS 12204E Lewis Jones correspondence
1863 NLW MS 12199A Lewis Jones' diaries
1865 NLW MS 18197B Joseph Seth Jones' letters
1865-1866 NLW MS 18176B Joseph Seth Jones' diary
1865-1889 NLW MS 7255E Papers relating to the Welsh Settlement
1866 NLW MS 18206C Letters from the founders of the Welsh colony
c.1866-1868 NLW MS 18177C Joseph Seth Jones' letters
1871-1873 NLW MS 4617E Welsh Colonising Company shareholders register
1871-1911 NLW MS 4616B Letters and papers
1877 NLW MS 18181B Letter from Michael D. Jones
1879-1900 NLW MS 18427C Letters addressed to H. Tobit Evans
1885-1891 NLW MS 18184C Minute books of the Gaiman council
1888 NLW MS 7257A Llwyd ap Iwan: 'Ymchwildaith i'r Andes'
1891 NLW MS 18953B Manuscripts of the Rev. William Phillips, Gwalchmai
1891-1892 NLW MS 16956E Records of Welsh Patagonian Gold Fields Syndicate Ltd
1891-1894 NLW MS 21199D Letters from David Richards in Patagonia to his wife
1892-1894 NLW MS 17525A Letters from Eluned Morgan, Patagonia
1893-1894 NLW MS 8783C The Welsh Patagonian Gold Fields Syndicate
1893-1894 NLW MS 8784C The Welsh Patagonian Gold Fields Syndicate
1902-1921 NLW MS 20549E Articles relating to Patagonia by W. Casnodyn Rhys
1902 NLW MS 10816E Welsh settlers in Patagonia
1955 NLW MS 19101E The Rev. Tudur Evans' record book
1960 NLW MS 18183C An account of the irrigation in Patagonia
Manuscripts in Welsh
NLW MS 7254D Papers relating to the Welsh Settlement, 1861-1881
NLW MS 7255E Papers relating to the Welsh Settlement
NLW MS 7257A Llwyd ap Iwan: 'Ymchwildaith i'r Andes'
NLW MS 12198A Lewis Jones’s diaries, 1862-1863
NLW MS 12199A Lewis Jones’s diaries, 1862-1863
NLW MS 12204E Lewis Jones correspondence, 1862-1892
NLW MS 17525A Letters from Eluned Morgan, Patagonia, to ‘John’
NLW MS 18176B Joseph Seth Jones’ diary, 1865-1866
NLW MS 18177C Joseph Seth Jones’s letters, c.1866-1868
NLW MS 18181B Letter from Michael D. Jones, 1877
NLW MS 18183C An account of the irrigation in Patagonia, 1960
NLW MS 18184C Minute books of the Gaiman Council, 1885-1891
NLW MS 18197B Letters addressed to Joseph Seth Jones, 1865
NLW MS 18206C Letters from the founders of the Welsh colony, 1866
NLW MS 18427C Letters addressed to H. Tobit Evans, 1879-1900
NLW MS 18953B Manuscripts of the Ref. William Phillips, Gwalchmai
NLW MS 19101E The Rev. Tudur Evans’ record book
NLW MS 20549E Articles relating to Patagonia by W. Casnodyn Rhys
NLW MS 21199D Letters from David Richards in Patagonia to his wife at Harlech
Manuscripts in English
NLW MS 8783-8784C The Welsh Patagonian Gold Fields Syndicate, 1893-1894
NLW MS 10816E Welsh settlers in Patagonia, 1902
NLW MS 12198-12199A Lewis Jones’s diaries, 1862-1863
NLW MS 12204E Lewis Jones correspondence, 1862-1892
NLW MS 16956E Records of the Welsh Patagonian Gold Fields Syndicate Ltd., 1891-1892
NLW MS 18197B Letters addressed to Joseph Seth Jones, 1865
NLW MS 18427C Letters addressed to H. Tobit Evans from Michael D. Jones and others, 1879-1900
NLW MS 20549E Articles relating to Patagonia by W. Casnodyn Rhys
NLW MS 21199D Letters from David Richards in Patagonia to his wife at Harlech
Preparing to migrate
NLW MS 18206C Letters from the founders of the Welsh colony, 1866
NLW MS 12198A Lewis Jones' diaries, 1862-1863
NLW MS 12199A Lewis Jones' diary, 1863
NLW MS 7254D Papers relating to the Welsh Settlement, 1861-1881
NLW MS 4616B Letters and papers, 1871-1911
NLW MS 18181B Letter from Michael D. Jones, 1877
NLW MS 4617E Welsh Colonising Company shareholders register, 1871-1873
NLW MS 12204E Lewis Jones correspondence, 1862-1892
NLW MS 18197B Letters addressed to Joseph Seth Jones, 1865
NLW MS 18176B Joseph Seth Jones' diary, 1865-1866
The voyage and setting up the settlement
NLW MS 18176B Joseph Seth Jones' diary, 1865-1866
NLW MS 7255E Papers relating to the Welsh Settlement
NLW MS 20549E Articles relating to Patagonia by W. Casnodyn Rhys
NLW MS 18177C Joseph Seth Jones' letters, c.1866-1868
NLW MS 18427C Letters addressed to H. Tobit Evans, 1879-1900
NLW MS 7257A Llwyd ap Iwan: 'Ymchwildaith i'r Andes'
Life in the settlement
NLW MS 18184C Minute books of the Gaiman council, 1885-1891
NLW MS 18953B Manuscripts of the Rev. William Phillips, Gwalchmai (1861-1944)
NLW MS 10816E Welsh settlers in Patagonia, 1902
NLW MS 18183C An account of the irrigation in Patagonia, 1960
NLW MS 4616B Letters and papers, 1871-1911
NLW MS 4617E Welsh Colonising Company shareholders register, 1871-1873
NLW MS 10816E Welsh settlers in Patagonia, 1902
Correspondence
NLW MS 4616B Letters and papers, 1871-1911
NLW MS 18181B Letter from Michael D. Jones, 1877
NLW MS 18206C Letters from the founders of the Welsh colony, 1866
NLW MS 21199D Letters from David Richards in Patagonia to his wife at Harlech
NLW MS 12204E Lewis Jones correspondence, 1862-1892
NLW MS 18177C Joseph Seth Jones' letters, c.1866-1868
NLW MS 18197B Letters addressed to Joseph Seth Jones, 1865
NLW MS 18427C Letters addressed to H. Tobit Evans, 1879-1900
NLW MS 17525A Letters from Eluned Morgan, Patagonia, to 'John'
Diaries
NLW MS 12198A Lewis Jones' diaries, 1862-1863
NLW MS 12199A Lewis Jones' diary, 1863
NLW MS 7257A Llwyd ap Iwan: 'Ymchwildaith i'r Andes'
NLW MS 18176B Joseph Seth Jones' diary, 1865-1866
Gold
NLW MS 8783C The Welsh Patagonian Gold Fields Syndicate, 1893-1894
NLW MS 8784C The Welsh Patagonian Gold Fields Syndicate, 1893-1894
NLW MS 16956E Records of the Welsh Patagonian Gold Fields Syndicate Ltd., 1891-1892
NLW MS 21199D Letters from David Richards in Patagonia to his wife at Harlech
Records and Accounts
NLW MS 18184C Minute books of the Gaiman council, 1885-1891
NLW MS 16956E Records of the Welsh Patagonian Gold Fields Syndicate Ltd., 1891-1892
NLW MS 19101E The Rev. Tudur Evans' record book
NLW MS 7254D Papers relating to the Welsh Settlement, 1861-1881
Religion
NLW MS 4616B Letters and papers, 1871-1911
NLW MS 19101E The Rev. Tudur Evans' record book
