Subject: RE: Marconi, Great House Farm, Llandough
From: Archives
Direction: received
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 2026 14:03 UTC
Institution: The Postal Museum
Refs: none
Archive id: gm-19fb87d48d3858f8
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Dear Sion,
I searched our archive's catalogued, for all catalogued and uncatalogued items, using the following keywords:
* Great House Farm
* Llandough
* Lavernock
Result: no item is held in our archives using these words in the description.
Concerning the below keywords:
* Penarth
* wireless demonstrations
* GPO Telegraph Department
* Engineering Department
* Williams / Mr Williams
Result: Some items held in our archives came up with those keywords, but when reading the description field on our catalogue, they turned out to be unrelated to the 1897 wireless telegraphy demonstration. Most were dated to before or after 1897. Many came up on our online catalogue, but they are held at BT Archives, therefore, we won't have any more information. This is what I meant by 'nothing relevant came up' - despite corresponding keyword, the dates or the content aren't related to your enquiry.
The physical archives were not checked as all information on our files are recorded on our archival cataloguing system, which is what I used to search information and keyword. Because the few records that seemed relevant are held at BT Archives, only they can inform you of the digitised or non-digitised status of the items.
Although the items held at BT Archives come up in our archival cataloguing system, you would need to contact directly for more information.
For your questions in 4. On the link with Mr Williams, nothing came up about people who participated to the demonstrations.
You can search our online catalogue here: https://catalogue.postalmuseum.org/
And here is the link to the catalogue of BT Archives: https://www.digitalarchives.bt.com/Calmview/
I hope this helps,
Best regards,
Mathilde
Mathilde Jourdan
Archives Assistant
The Postal Museum | 15-20 Phoenix Place | London [postcode redacted]
T: [phone redacted] | Archive enquiries: [phone redacted] | E:[email redacted]<[email redacted]>
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From: Sion Buckler <[email redacted]>
Sent: 29 July 2026 14:41
To: Archives <[email redacted]>
Subject: Re: Marconi, Great House Farm, Llandough
Dear Mathilde,
Thank you for your further reply and for carrying out the searches.
I appreciate your assistance, but I would like to clarify the scope and conclusions of the search, as several points remain unresolved.
Firstly, I should correct one detail: the individual I am researching is Mr Williams of Great House Farm, Llandough near Penarth, not "Mr William". The surname is significant because family history suggests that my great-grandfather, Mr Williams of Great House Farm, assisted Guglielmo Marconi during the 1897 South Wales wireless experiments.
I fully understand that the absence of a result within the Postal Museum catalogue does not necessarily mean that no such person or record existed. However, I would be grateful if you could clarify the following:
1. Search methodology
Could you confirm exactly which catalogue collections, series, or record groups were searched for:
* Great House Farm, Llandough (Penarth)
* Llandough
* Lavernock
* Marconi
* wireless telegraphy demonstrations (1897)
* GPO Telegraph Department
* Engineering Department
* Williams / Mr Williams
1. Scope of the negative result
When you state that "nothing relevant came up", does this mean:
* no indexed catalogue entries were found in Postal Museum collections;
* no digitised records were found;
* or that physical archival holdings were also checked?
1. Records relating to GPO personnel
You mentioned that most Marconi and Telegraph Department records are held at BT Archives. Could you confirm whether the Postal Museum holds any catalogue references, finding aids, or transferred-record information indicating where the relevant GPO engineering correspondence, reports, notebooks, or staff records may have been moved?
1. The Williams connection
The question I am trying to establish is not necessarily whether Mr Williams was a Post Office employee. He may instead have been the owner/occupier of Great House Farm who assisted Marconi locally.
Could you therefore confirm whether your search included references to:
* private individuals assisting demonstrations;
* hosts or local contacts connected with Marconi's experiments;
* correspondence mentioning residents of Llandough, Penarth, or Lavernock?
I appreciate that the absence of a catalogue entry cannot prove that an event or person did not exist, particularly where local residents or private landowners were involved.
My aim is simply to establish the evidential trail: whether the Mr Williams mentioned in contemporary accounts can be identified, and whether surviving records connect him with Great House Farm and Marconi's experiments.
Thank you again for your assistance. I would be grateful for any further clarification on the above points before I proceed to BT Archives and Glamorgan Archives.
Kind regards,
Sion Buckler
On Wed, 29 Jul 2026, 10:32 Archives, <[email redacted]<[email redacted]>> wrote:
Dear Sion,
I searched for all files related to the key words Great House Farm, Llandough, Lavernock, wireless demonstration. Nothing relevant came up. For Marconi and the Telegraph Departments, all the files would be held at BT Archives.
I hope this helps,
Best regards,
Mathilde
Mathilde Jourdan
Archives Assistant
The Postal Museum | 15-20 Phoenix Place | London [postcode redacted][map link redacted]
T: [phone redacted] | Archive enquiries: [phone redacted] | E:[email redacted]<[email redacted]>
[Facebook Icon - click to open a new browser window showing the Postal Museum Facebook channel][Twitter Icon - click to open a new browser window showing the Postal Museum Twitter channel][Instgram Icon - click to open a new browser window showing the Postal Museum Instragram channel][Youtube Icon - click to open a new browser window showing the Postal Museum Youtube channel]
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The Postal Museum is the public identity of the Postal Heritage Trust. Registered as a charity in England and Wales. Registered Charity Number 1102360. Company Number 4896056
From: Sion Buckler <[email redacted]<[email redacted]>>
Sent: 29 July 2026 14:04
To: Archives <[email redacted]<[email redacted]>>
Subject: Re: Marconi, Great House Farm, Llandough
Dear Mathilde,
Thank you very much for taking the time to carry out these searches and for your detailed response.
I appreciate the clarification regarding the distinction between Great House Farm, Llandough near Penarth and the similarly named location near Cowbridge. The Penarth/Llandough/Lavernock area is the location of interest.
Your advice regarding BT Archives is very helpful, and I will follow this up with them, as the surviving GPO Telegraph and wireless records appear likely to be held there.
I am also grateful for the information about the Post Office family history records. My main interest is not that Mr Williams was necessarily a Post Office employee, but whether the individual mentioned in contemporary accounts as assisting Marconi at Great House Farm can be identified. Family history passed down through my great grandfather's line suggests that a Mr Williams of Great House Farm assisted Marconi during his South Wales experiments, and I am trying to establish whether this can be connected to my ancestor.
If possible, could you let me know whether the search you carried out included any of the following terms or collections, as this may help me understand the scope of the search:
* Great House Farm (Llandough/Penarth)
* Llandough
* Lavernock
* Marconi
* wireless telegraphy demonstrations (1897)
* GPO Telegraph Department / Engineering Department
I will also contact Glamorgan Archives, as you suggest, since local newspapers, estate records, or correspondence may contain information not held in the national collections.
Thank you again for your assistance. Your guidance has helped narrow down where the relevant evidence is most likely to survive.
Kind regards,
Sion Buckler
On Wed, 29 Jul 2026, 07:31 Archives, <[email redacted]<[email redacted]>> wrote:
Dear Sion,
Thank you for your enquiry. I will do my best to check if we have surviving records of this demonstration, although most of the records about telecommunications were transferred to BT Archives so they might have more information than us: https://www.bt.com/about/bt/our-history/bt-archives
* Great House Farm, Llandough, near Penarth, Cardiff (not Great House Farm, Llandough near Cowbridge)
I couldn't find any record mentioning Great House Farm, Llandough. For Penarth, there were some results but they were all dated much later than the demonstration. We have many records on Cardiff, which you can find on our online catalogue Here, but nothing relevant seemed to have come up.
* Llandough, Penarth, Lavernock and the surrounding wireless demonstration sites.
Nothing came up for Lavernock either, the locations are too precise for this type of records to have reached our archives. I searched for 'wireless demonstration' and POST 88 Series titled 'Post Office: Wireless Telegraphy and Telephony' mentions such events, but all the files are kept in BT Archives.
* Guglielmo Marconi's 1897 demonstrations.
Almost all the files related to Marconi are held in BT Archives.
* GPO Telegraph or Engineering Department records concerning these demonstrations.
See above.
* Correspondence, reports, notebooks, diaries, staff lists, expense claims, photographs or plans relating to engineers or officials present.
See above.
* Any references to Mr Williams of Great House Farm, Llandough, who family history suggests assisted Marconi before, during or after his stay at the property.
I couldn't find any specific file about a Mr William from Great House Farm, but the main records we have that are useful for family history research are the Appointment Books, and the pension and gratuity records. We also have Establishment Books and staff magazines that can be helpful too. You can find more information about what we hold here: https://www.postalmuseum.org/collections/the-archive/family-history/ Please bear in mind that most villages, small towns, hamlets, etc. such as Llandough had business that ran a postal service, and these people were not directly employed by the Post Office, therefore, we won't have any information. If Mr Williams had another business, he was likely not employed by the Post Office. A local archive might hold newspaper cuttings or other information about this person: https://glamarchives.gov.uk/
You are welcome to visit our archives, but I believe most of the records and information you are looking for will be held at BT Archives. You can contact them directly to organise an appointment.
I hope this helps,
Best regards,
Mathilde
Mathilde Jourdan
Archives Assistant
The Postal Museum | 15-20 Phoenix Place | London [postcode redacted][map link redacted]
T: [phone redacted] | Archive enquiries: [phone redacted] | E:[email redacted]<[email redacted]>
[Facebook Icon - click to open a new browser window showing the Postal Museum Facebook channel][Twitter Icon - click to open a new browser window showing the Postal Museum Twitter channel][Instgram Icon - click to open a new browser window showing the Postal Museum Instragram channel][Youtube Icon - click to open a new browser window showing the Postal Museum Youtube channel]
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The Postal Museum is the public identity of the Postal Heritage Trust. Registered as a charity in England and Wales. Registered Charity Number 1102360. Company Number 4896056
From: Sion Buckler <[email redacted]<[email redacted]>>
Sent: 24 July 2026 16:17
To: Booking Support Team <[email redacted]<[email redacted]>>
Subject: Marconi, Great House Farm, Llandough
You don't often get email from [email redacted]<[email redacted]>. Learn why this is important
Dear Archive Team,
I am conducting historical research into the General Post Office's involvement in Guglielmo Marconi's wireless demonstrations in South Wales during 1897.
Post Office Ltd has advised that your archive is the most likely repository for surviving historic GPO records relating to this period.
I would be grateful if you could search for any records relating to:
* Great House Farm, Llandough, near Penarth, Cardiff (not Great House Farm, Llandough near Cowbridge).
* Llandough, Penarth, Lavernock and the surrounding wireless demonstration sites.
* Guglielmo Marconi's 1897 demonstrations.
* GPO Telegraph or Engineering Department records concerning these demonstrations.
* Correspondence, reports, notebooks, diaries, staff lists, expense claims, photographs or plans relating to engineers or officials present.
* Any references to Mr Williams of Great House Farm, Llandough, who family history suggests assisted Marconi before, during or after his stay at the property.
If records relating specifically to Mr Williams cannot be located, I would also appreciate details of any records identifying GPO personnel, visitors or local residents connected with the demonstrations, as these may help establish the historical context.
If another archive holds any of these records, I would be grateful if you could advise where I should direct my enquiry.
Mr Williams of Great House Farm was my great grandad. I am trying to ascertain if the Mr Williams post office worker, mentioned helping Marconi in the article, was the same man as my great grandfather. I am also looking for any more connections between my family, my former home and Marconi and the radio experiments at lavernock point. Which I understand were already underway before Marconi arrived to South Wales.
Thank you for your time and assistance. I look forward to your response.
Kind regards,
Sion Buckler (Ret'd Sgt)
Royal Signals Cyber & Electronic Warfare Professional and Life Member