Subject: RE: Freedom of Information / Historical Records Request - Mr. Williams, Cardiff Post Office Engineering Department, 1897 Marconi Lavernock Experiments From: Glamro / Swyddfa Cofnodion Morgannwg Direction: received Date: Fri, 24 Jul 2026 07:36 UTC Institution: Glamorgan Archives Refs: none Archive id: gm-19f930e4c9ae3af6 ------------------------------------------------------------ 2026/3217 Dear Mr Buckler. Thank you for your email, received into our post system on 23 July 2026. I can confirm that all the terms listed in your email have been used to search our catalogue. You are welcome to replicate these searches yourself on our catalogue https://canfod.glamarchives.gov.uk/en/ We conducted our searches using the staff interface to our collections management system, which searches across our catalogue and our accessions database, which is in turn linked to our depositors database. It will therefore pick up any material received, but as yet uncatalogued, which could potentially be relevant. This system includes all our collections including deposits from Cardiff Corporation, Cardiff Council, local organisations, engineering companies, and private estates. As I noted, no relevant results were returned. Our searches were conducted using free text search of our descriptions. We do not have a subject index to our holdings. We do not hold any other finding aids apart from our catalogue. We do not have any record of any potentially relevant material having been transferred elsewhere. I hope this clarifies the situation for you. Yours sincerely, Rhian Diggins [cid:image001.jpg@01DD1B47.8FCBD0B0] Uwch Archifydd / Senior Archivist Archifau Morgannwg / Glamorgan Archives [phone redacted] [email redacted]<[email redacted]> https://glamarchives.gov.uk/ From: Sion Buckler <[email redacted]> Sent: 22 July 2026 18:23 To: Glamro / Swyddfa Cofnodion Morgannwg <[email redacted]> Subject: Re: Freedom of Information / Historical Records Request - Mr. Williams, Cardiff Post Office Engineering Department, 1897 Marconi Lavernock Experiments EXTERNAL: This email originated from outside Cardiff Council, take care when clicking links. ALLANOL: Daw'r e-bost hwn o'r tu allan i Gyngor Caerdydd, cymerwch ofal wrth glicio ar ddolenni. Ms Diggins, Thank you for your email and for clarifying that Glamorgan Archives does not hold records relating to engineering activities at Cardiff Post Office, Marconi's experiments at Lavernock Point, or connections between the Cardiff Post Office engineering team, Mr Williams and those events. However, I would be grateful for some further clarification regarding the searches undertaken, as I am trying to establish the extent of the records searched rather than simply whether records were found. Your response states that you searched "our catalogue". Could you please clarify: 1. Does "our catalogue" refer only to publicly catalogued collections, or were uncatalogued, partially catalogued and recently accessioned collections also considered? 2. Which search terms were used? For example, were searches undertaken for "Marconi", "Lavernock", "Flat Holm", "Cardiff Post Office", "General Post Office", "wireless", "telegraph", "Williams", "Great House Farm", "Ty Mawr", "Tŷ Mawr", "Llandough" and any obvious variants? 3. Were deposited collections from Cardiff Corporation, Cardiff Council, local organisations, engineering companies, private estates, or other archival deposits searched where relevant? 4. Were photographic collections, maps, correspondence files, accession records, depositor files, subject indexes or other finding aids examined, or was the search limited to catalogue descriptions? 5. Are there any uncatalogued, restricted or unindexed collections that were not searched as part of responding to my enquiry? 6. Has Glamorgan Archives ever held records within the scope of my request that have since been transferred to another repository, returned to a depositor or otherwise disposed of? I appreciate that an archive can only confirm what it currently holds. My intention is simply to understand the scope of the searches undertaken so that I can direct my research to the most appropriate repository if the material is not held by Glamorgan Archives. Thank you for your time and assistance. I look forward to your clarification. Yours sincerely, Sion Buckler (Ret'd Sergeant) Royal Signals Cyber & Electronic Warfare Professional and Life Member On Wed, 22 Jul 2026, 09:44 Glamro / Swyddfa Cofnodion Morgannwg, <[email redacted]<[email redacted]>> wrote: 2026/3194 Dear Mr Buckler. Thank you for your email. I have searched our catalogue and I can confirm that Glamorgan Archives does not hold any records relating to engineering activities at Cardiff Post Office, nor to Marconi’s experiments at Lavernock Point, or any material concerning connections between the Post Office’s engineering team / Mr Williams and these events. I’m sorry that I failed to clarify this fully in my previous email. Yours sincerely, Rhian Diggins [cid:image001.jpg@01DD1B47.8FCBD0B0] Uwch Archifydd / Senior Archivist Archifau Morgannwg / Glamorgan Archives [phone redacted] [email redacted]<[email redacted]> https://glamarchives.gov.uk/ From: Sion Buckler <[email redacted]<[email redacted]>> Sent: 21 July 2026 17:17 To: Glamro / Swyddfa Cofnodion Morgannwg <[email redacted]<[email redacted]>> Subject: Re: Freedom of Information / Historical Records Request - Mr. Williams, Cardiff Post Office Engineering Department, 1897 Marconi Lavernock Experiments EXTERNAL: This email originated from outside Cardiff Council, take care when clicking links. ALLANOL: Daw'r e-bost hwn o'r tu allan i Gyngor Caerdydd, cymerwch ofal wrth glicio ar ddolenni. Ms Diggins, Thank you for your reply. I appreciate your clarification that Glamorgan Archives does not hold records of past Post Office employees. However, my request was broader than personnel records alone. I was also seeking any historical records held by Glamorgan Archives relating to: * Cardiff Post Office / General Post Office engineering activities around 1897; * the Marconi wireless telegraphy experiments at Lavernock Point and tests to Flat Holm; * correspondence, reports, photographs, deposited collections or other references mentioning the Cardiff engineering team or “Mr Williams” in connection with these events. Could you please confirm whether Glamorgan Archives has searched its catalogues or collections for these broader categories of records, rather than only employee records? If no relevant records are held, I would be grateful for confirmation of the searches undertaken and any catalogue references checked, so that I can direct my research appropriately. Thank you for your assistance. Kind regards, Sion Buckler (Ret'd Sergeant) On Tue, 21 Jul 2026, 12:00 Glamro / Swyddfa Cofnodion Morgannwg, <[email redacted]<[email redacted]>> wrote: 2026/3098 Dear Mr Buckler. Thank you for your email, received into our postal system on 16 July 2026. Glamorgan Archives does not hold records of past employees of the Post Office. We suggest that you contact the Postal Museum and Archives for further information on your grandfather’s time working at Cardiff Post Office in 1897. I’m sorry that we can’t be of any further help on this occasion. Yours sincerely, Rhian Diggins [cid:image001.jpg@01DD1B47.8FCBD0B0] Uwch Archifydd / Senior Archivist Archifau Morgannwg / Glamorgan Archives [phone redacted] [email redacted]<[email redacted]> https://glamarchives.gov.uk/ From: Sion Buckler <[email redacted]<[email redacted]>> Sent: 16 July 2026 01:45 To: [email redacted]<[email redacted]>; [email redacted]<[email redacted]>; [email redacted]<[email redacted]>; Glamro / Swyddfa Cofnodion Morgannwg <[email redacted]<[email redacted]>>; FOI / Rhyddid Gwybodaeth <[email redacted]<[email redacted]>>; [email redacted]<[email redacted]>; [email redacted]<[email redacted]>; [email redacted]<[email redacted]>; [email redacted]<[email redacted]> Subject: Freedom of Information / Historical Records Request - Mr. Williams, Cardiff Post Office Engineering Department, 1897 Marconi Lavernock Experiments EXTERNAL: This email originated from outside Cardiff Council, take care when clicking links. ALLANOL: Daw'r e-bost hwn o'r tu allan i Gyngor Caerdydd, cymerwch ofal wrth glicio ar ddolenni. Dear Information Rights / Archives Team, I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (or equivalent records access) regarding my grandfather, Mr. Williams, who worked in the engineering department of the Cardiff Post Office / General Post Office around 1897. Specifically, I seek any records, personnel files, correspondence, reports, or mentions confirming his involvement in Guglielmo Marconi’s wireless telegraphy experiments at Lavernock Point (including erecting the 120-foot pole and related tests to Flat Holm). This relates to contemporary newspaper reports from May 1897. Please provide: * Any personnel or service records for Mr. Williams in the Cardiff engineering department circa 1897. * Documents referencing "Mr. Williams" in connection with Marconi’s demonstrations. * Any other relevant historical files from the GPO telegraph/engineering teams. My full name: Sion Buckler Address: [address redacted], Dinas Powys, Vale of Glamorgan, [postcode redacted][map link redacted] Contact: [email redacted]<[email redacted]> Relationship: Great Grandson I am ultimately seeking any record about my great grandfather Mr Williams of Great House Farm, Llandough, Cardiff (formerly Vale of Glamorgan). Not to be confused with Great House Farm, Llandough, Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan. And his role in the Marconi experiment. And before and after Marconis stay with our family in our home in 1897. I am happy to provide further identification if required. Thank you for your assistance. Best regards, Sion Buckler (Ret'd Sergeant) Royal Signals Cyber & Electronic Warfare Professional & Life Member ********************************************************************** The Council welcomes correspondence in Welsh, English or bilingually. 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