Mary Patricia Moore, B.A. F.S.A. (1929 - 2002) 87^th President

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Known within the Society and generally as Patricia, sadly we do not have a detailed obituary of her. However the Glamorgan Archives do have a lot of information about her, the reasons for which are obvious in this quotation from the records of her and her husband Donald's collections which are located at the Archive: -

Patricia Moore Courtesy of Glamorgan Archives

Mary Patricia Moore (nee Crowley) was born in Cardiff in 1929. She received a BA degree in French from the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire (Cardiff) and in 1951 joined the Glamorgan Record Office as an assistant archivist. She remained there throughout her working life, leading the service as Glamorgan Archivist from 1974 until her retirement in 1993.

As with a number of other people we have already written about, she held a number of positions on the Council of the society, including: -

1. Honorary Excursions Secretary
2. Honorary Editor
3. Vice-President
4. President

Volume 100 of the Transactions

She spoke to the society on a number of occasions and along with Donald she led a number of excursions a selection of which are: -

1. 1967 - Exploring Glamorgan
2. 1967 - Visit to Margam led by Patricia and Donald
3. 1968 - Visit to Oxwich led by Patricia, Donald and others
4. 1970 - Exploring Old Cardiff
5. 1974 - The Changing Topography of Cardiff

Within the information available via the Glamorgan Archives Catalogue (if you search for Patricia Moore) there are some fascinating insights into her work as an archivist which clearly overlapped with her interests outside of work. Just listing a few of the more interesting sounding record types that they hold

As part of researching for these pages the author I have been on the look out for information that relates to the society and I have secured a set of letters relating to the society which were being offered for sale on ebay. Having purchased them I found that they related in the main to Mrs Moore and her activities to get the Photographic section to record the buildings of Cardiff which were being rapidly removed in the post war renovations (which in this authors opinion left in the main a drab and uninviting city centre). These letters have been deposited in the Glamorgan Archives as part of the Cardiff Naturalists Society collections which seems a fitting location for them to be.

Letters in relation to Society activities

Letters in relation to Society activities. The sentiments can only be considered "of their time"

1. Historical article on Cardiff by Patricia Moore from the Cardiff Book - Patricia Moore gives a fascinating glimpse of Cardiff's past as revealed in town plans
2. Welsh Historic Gardens Trust, Mid And South Glamorgan Branch - Patricia Moore was Branch Archivist, trustee and committee member.
3. Views of the wooden porch outside Sorrento in High Street, Cowbridge in 1982 - Made before the destruction of the porch, and the insertion of a modern shop front.
4. Views of Cornerswell farm, Penarth (detached portion of Cogan) - photographed shortly before its demolition
5. Photograph of official presentation of papers relating to the Aberfan disaster enquiry, to the Glamorgan Archive Service, held at South Glamorgan County Headquarters - Patricia Moore features
6. Photographs of the publicity campaign at the publication of 'Vintage Buses and Trams' - Patricia Moore, Glamorgan archivist on the steps of the bus with Stewart Williams, the publisher, on her left, and F. E. Dark, Chief General Manager of Western Welsh Omnibus Company Ltd, on her right, after the presentation of a photograph of a motor coach
7. Presentation of documents to Cosmeston Country Park Joint Committee - Apr 1979 - Patricia Moore features
8. Photographs taken at the opening of the Hughesovka exhibition at West Glamorgan County Hall, Swansea - Patricia Moore features

This certainly brings some insight into the varied things that an archivist gets involved with

Patricia Moore with the Cowbridge Roll Courtesy of Glamorgan Archives

She passed away on May 18th 2002 and her passing was recorded in Issue 55 of the Newsletter.

Having mentioned Donald it is clear that were a close partnership as per this summary from the Glamorgan Archives Collections

A graduate of the University of Wales, Donald Moore joined the Schools Service of the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff in 1953, taking the post of Schools Service Officer in Archaeology. He became the Department's Senior Officer in 1970, taking charge of what was then the largest museums school service in the UK. This followed a secondment as Education Officer at the Uganda Museum in 1964/5 and visits to Museums in Nigeria and Sierra Leone in 1970. In 1977 he became Keeper of Maps and Prints at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth, where he remained until his retirement. He died at Penarth in May 2011 at the age of 89

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Before this... Henry Hughes, B.A., M.B., CH.B., M.SC., F.Z.S. 86^th President

Next up... Col. Sir Cennydd George Traherne T.D., LL.D., M.A (1910-1995) 88^th President

See our Full list of Presidents

These pages are part of the Cardiff Naturalists' Society 150th Anniversary celebrations and are about our history and are celebrating the people who developed our Society and helped build the city and the cultural heritage of Cardiff. You can read more about that using the links above

If you want to read about the ways we study the wildlife and environment of the Cardiff area and its surroundings, and about the talks we have about the wildlife of the world, and find the programme of talks, walks and other events that we do then please take a look at our main website, our blog and our facebook and twitter feeds for up to date news