Dr Mary Oldham & the History of the Gregynog Estate

This success marks the pinnacle of a long journey for Mary, which started with her studying in Aberystwyth for a diploma in Librarianship in the 1960s. While this led to senior library posts in both Montgomeryshire and Denbighshire, she felt the career path she was being led down was ‘too managerial’ and unstimulating.  So, inspired by the 1970s’ ‘era of rebellion’, Mary left behind her career as a librarian and enlisted in the London School of Economics (LSE) to study politics and history.

After graduating, various career paths followed, with countless twists and turns; including working for British Steel, the Development Board for Rural Wales, and starting a promising career as a writer of fiction for young adults, before finally settling down in Newtown, Montgomeryshire in the 1980s. Again, unable to rest on her laurels, Mary threw herself wholeheartedly into local community initiatives, inevitably leading her to the doors of nearby Gregynog Hall – a site synonymous with Montgomeryshire.  Before long she became an indispensable cog in the workings of Gregynog, initially during its management as part of the University of Wales, and more recently as the independent Gregynog Trust. This has included leading tours around the estate, conducting talks on its history, and assisting at Gwasg Gregynog, not to mention her role as a Librarian at the hall. Through her tireless work, and her naturally conscientious and inquisitive nature, Mary quickly became an incredible repository of knowledge on the history of Gregynog.

It was in her various roles at Gregynog Hall, and in researching the surrounding area, that Mary became fascinated with its earlier, lesser-known history.  Today, Gregynog is known primarily as the home of Gwendoline and Margaret Davies, two hugely important philanthropic art collectors who bought the Hall in 1920 with the objective of turning it into the cultural centre of Mid-Wales. While this is an interesting story in itself, Mary nevertheless felt that the popular narrative of Gregynog was unduly dominated by the twentieth-century image constructed by the Davies sisters, and realised that with just a little scratch of the surface, there was a rich political, cultural and social history of the estate and its inhabitants which was largely untold. 

‘My interest in the early history of Gregynog was sparked by friends who came from families who were formerly farm tenants’, says Mary, ‘and I knew that there was so much more to say about the estate. And so I wanted to rescue the early Gregynog for the sake of all the farms and their families, and to show how it evolved in an era of revolutionary economic, social and political change.’

Mary’s PhD was supported by the Gregynog Trust with a view to its findings being integrated into how the site is interpreted and presented to its various visitors and supporters.  The thesis looks at 150 years of transition and change on the Gregynog estate, from the period of its ownership by the last of the Blayneys, ancestral owners of the plas, though various shifts in its proprietorship and management until the early-twentieth century and its acquisition by the Davieses of Llandinam, but with a constant focus on its interconnections with community and place.

The thesis explores a plethora of themes through the prism of Gregynog, such as its role in local and national Liberal politics in the nineteenth century, the evolution of its Welsh borderlands cultural identity, and its effect on the surrounding landscape, offering ‘new perspectives on traditional perceptions of Welsh identity and society in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, especially in relation to the role of the landowning classes in the evolution of a new social order in late Victorian Wales’.  The thesis was examined by Prof. Annie Tindley (Newcastle University) and Dr. Mari Wiliam of School of History, Law and Social Sciences at Bangor.

Mary was one of ISWE’s first doctoral researches and so the attainment of the PhD is a particularly proud moment, both for herself and everyone associated with the research centre.  From the moment Mary started her research in 2018, she felt right at home within the ISWE team at Bangor, and has made many life-long friends along the way, calling her time with ISWE ‘the most rewarding 6 years of my life’.

Mary relished being part of a vibrant intellectual community that tackled some of the key debates surrounding Welsh, British, and indeed international history, all through the lens of its landed estates.

‘ISWE gave me the ideal context in which to do my research, simply because of its remit to look at the role played by landed estates across all of Wales. By looking at this important aspect of Welsh history, ISWE is doing crucial work in building up a picture of the social and economic evolution of Wales over the centuries, and the impact this changing world – and changing Wales – had on the men and women of all classes whose lives depended on, or benefited from, its landed estates’.

Mary’s PhD was co-supervised by Dr. Lowri Ann Rees and Dr. Shaun Evans: ‘As supervisors Shaun and Lowri ensured that I challenged all my sources – and they challenged all my assertions and conclusions!  I was challenged to look at the wider context of the various themes of my thesis, such as the growth of the gentry class and families’ claims to status and authority, succession issues, agricultural improvements, attitudes to landscape, and political change. All of this greatly enriched my understanding of my subject – and in retrospect has left me wanting to write the thesis all over again!’

Dr. Shaun Evans commented that: ‘From the moment Mary made contact to discuss the possibility of undertaking a PhD on the history of Gregynog I have been inspired by her passion for this place, her incredible knowledge and eagerness to know more!  Working with Mary and supporting the development of her research has been an absolute delight and I’m ever so proud of her achievement.  Mary ‘‘got’’ what ISWE was about from the very beginning and her project has made such an important contribution towards our efforts to deepen, enrich and challenge established understandings of the histories, cultures and landscapes of Wales.  Mary’s insistence that Gregynog held a wider significance for society and community, beyond the interests and identities of its succession of owners is something that aligns closely with ISWE’s approach.  Her study not only demonstrates the value of estate-specific case studies, but points to the need to understand relationships between land and power with reference to the specificity of place.’

Dr. Lowri Ann Rees added ‘it has been a real pleasure to work with Mary over the last six years. Her PhD sheds valuable light on the earlier history of the Gregynog estate before the Davies sisters, and highlights the significance of the estate within the local community, but also, on a wider county and national level. Mary’s extensive knowledge of the estate, thoughtful engagement with her sources, and crucially, enthusiasm and passion for her research project have been genuinely inspiring. Many congratulations, Dr Oldham!’

Mary was the first university graduate in her family, and now can also proudly claim to be the family’s first, and currently only, PhD, although as she happily concedes her great nephews are hot on her heels!  ‘My family think it is a hoot that I am now Dr Oldham.  They have been even worse since my degree certificate arrived, joking on the fact that as it is dated 1st April 2024, it must be some kind of April fools!’

So, what’s next for Dr Oldham? Well, while most people would think that completing a doctoral thesis and passing a viva would merit a well-deserved break, Mary shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon!  In addition to taking up a new role with the Powysland Club, Mary will soon be approaching the University of Wales Press about the possibility of turning her thesis into a book, to enhance public understanding of Gregynog and contribute something distinctive towards the historiography of Wales.  Furthermore, she still intends to carry on and expand on the doctoral research, delving into the transnational history of the estate, by looking at its links with Ireland.

We send warmest congratulations to Dr. Oldham, wish her all the very best for the future and look forward to maintaining close links with ISWE for many years to come!

Llongyfarchiadau Mary!

(Authored by Sean Martin)