Public body · EIR
84 posts · 2026
Public authority under FOIA and the EIR. Escalation: Public Services Ombudsman for Wales (PSOW). Court: Administrative Court (judicial review). Correspondence: 84 emails (43 sent, 41 received).
📍 Checked in at: Archive enquiry (service date)
Next step (forecast): answer, 29 Oct 2026
Every option used up (forecast): 24 April 2028
No public statements found yet; the record below involves them.
Under ref 2026/4460 we confirm occurrence books end in 1984 and station logs in 1979; the 1988 Weekly Orders exist but are closed as they name serving officers, though a paid search can be commissioned; we hold no press-office files for the period.
“as they include details of serving police members you will not be able to access these volumes”
Under ref 2026/4461, we confirm our holdings are designated for permanent preservation and will not be destroyed; we hold no planning files but do hold Planning Committee papers DCVG/C/4/36/76-77 and DCVG/C/4/36/94 for applications 1989/01396/OUT and 1992/00671/RES.
“We do hold copies of Planning Committee minutes and reports”
I accept your preservation answer under ref 2026/4461 and ask four follow-up points: whether DCVG/C/4/36/76-77 includes its appendices and its access status, what was searched, any pre-1974 planning or land charges registers, and whether ref 2026/4439's collection also covers the 1877 division or 1938 conveyance.
“whether these items are open to the public or subject to any closure or depositor restriction”
Seen ✓ · answered 22 Oct 2026
We describe DBDT/123/7, a 1939 tenancy agreement for 5.30 acres next to Tŷ Mawr farmhouse, which does not mention the farmhouse and reserves quarrying rights; we hold no later title history and suggest a land-law specialist, also flagging the 1936 Llwyn-yr-eryr sale particulars in DSA/14/91.
“does not make any mention of the farmhouse or other structures as being included”
I thank you for ref 2026/4439 and ask follow-up questions on DSA/14/91's 1936 sale particulars, any head lease for the Spencer land, accession details for DBDT/123, and whether later Leckwith Common and planning papers are held, requesting a reply by 18 November 2026.
“does the item include a plan? Does the lot that includes the land later let in 1939 state its tenure”
Seen ✓ · answered 21 Oct 2026
Following ref 2026-3769, I correct William Beverly Buckler's death date to 15 May 1992 at Llandough Hospital and ask you to confirm the Llandough register covers through 1992 and March 1983 for Mary Doreen Williams, with free look-up if possible.
“William Beverly Buckler died at Llandough Hospital on 15 May 1992”
Seen ✓ · answered 21 Oct 2026
We confirm receipt and aim to answer within 20 working days, noting that many enquiries drafted with AI make it harder for staff to identify the relevant request and can delay replies.
“many of which are using artificial intelligence (AI) to draft the request”
I ask whether you hold the original South Glamorgan County Council 'County Treasures' inventory from the late 1970s, any entry in it for Great House Farm / Tŷ Mawr, Llandough, and related survey material, with a reply requested by 16 November 2026.
“the original inventory, or any Llandough, Penarth or Cogan entry in it for Great House Farm”
Seen ✓ · answered 19 Oct 2026
I ask under the Freedom of Information Act which items in Glamorgan land tax assessments DBJ/O/90-94 (1691–1707) cover Llandough-juxta-Penarth, and whether any record shows a 1667 999-year lease of Great House to the Williams family, distinct from Llandough-juxta-Cowbridge.
“Please do not send or rely on records for the Cowbridge-area places.”
Seen ✓ · answered 19 Oct 2026
We checked Bridgend, Pontypridd and Merthyr Tydfil along with local crematoria and found no death, burial or cremation record for Mary Doreen Williams in early 1983, so we again point you to the General Register Office using Volume 28, Page 3029.
“do not hold a death record for Mary Doreen Williams in the March qtr of 1983”
I confirm the online order for Mary Doreen Williams's death registration went through this time, after an earlier site would not accept the year 1983. Thanks for the help under MoJ Ref 260904007.
“It seems to allow me to place the order.”
Seen ✓ · answered 13 Oct 2026
We confirm Cardiff Register Office does not hold the death registration for Mary Doreen Williams, cite a FreeBMD index reference of Volume 28, Page 3029, and suggest ordering a certificate through the General Register Office head office in Southport.
“VOLUME 28 PAGE NO 3029 comes up”
I confirm I am happy for you to pass my details on and thank you for your help.
Seen ✓ · answered 12 Oct 2026
I accept that D153/1–8 sits at the National Library of Wales and confirm DRA/11/120 relates to the Maesteg colliery series, not Llandough-juxta-Penarth or Tynywain, so no further action is needed from you on these points.
“does not relate to Llandough-juxta-Penarth or to Tynywain”
Seen ✓ · answered 12 Oct 2026
I ask Cardiff Register Office to confirm whether it holds a death registration for Mary Doreen Williams, after the Vale of Glamorgan said they could not find one and passed my request on, so I can obtain a certified copy or know what was searched.
“confirm whether Cardiff Register Office holds a registration of death for Mary Doreen Williams”
Seen ✓ · answered 12 Oct 2026
I formally request, under the Freedom of Information Act, the series, box and reference details for vestry minutes, tithe records and any enclosure award naming Great House Farm / Ty Mawr in Llandough-juxta-Penarth, plus confirmation that the items were physically checked.
“Please state whether you hold, and if so the series, accession, box, shelf and CALM reference”
Seen ✓ · answered 12 Oct 2026
I confirm I accept that D153/1–8 is held at the National Library of Wales and that DRA/11/120 relates to the Maesteg colliery, not to Great House Farm / Ty Mawr, and will not pursue that reference further with you.
“will not pursue it further with Glamorgan Archives”
Seen ✓ · answered 12 Oct 2026
We confirm D153/1–8 is held at the National Library of Wales, not with us, and we query why DRA/11/120 was cited, noting it belongs to an unrelated Elder's Navigation Colliery, Maesteg series.
“D/DRa 11/120 is an old way of formatting our reference DRA/11/120”
We hold no deeds for the 1877 Daniel Thomas transaction, but suggest searching D696 Western Ground Rents or Bute X.6(12) at Cardiff Library. We also point you to the 1910 Land Valuation Survey maps at the National Archives, sheet Glamorgan XLVII.6.
“we do not appear to hold any deeds relating to this transaction”
I thank you for your detailed reply and explain I am trying to reconstruct why my family long asserted ownership of Great House Farm despite the later BP Properties Ltd v Buckler outcome. I share an AI-assisted reconstruction with sources for you to test against your records.
“I am asking for your help in testing it against the records held by Glamorgan Archives”
Seen ✓ · answered 30 Sep 2026
I ask whether you hold South Wales Constabulary occurrence books, operational orders, press files, or deposit schedules covering the November–December 1988 eviction and demolition at Great House Farm, Llandough, and request closure details if any records are restricted.
“I am researching the eviction and demolition at Great House Farm (Tŷ Mawr), Llandough, between 29 November and 6 December 1988”
Seen ✓ · answered 30 Sep 2026
We confirm no 1974 demolition petition is held, no withdrawn records exist for 1950–1989, and suggest Cadw and the Royal Commission for scheduling questions. A paid search of rate books UC/73/1-5 for ownership evidence is available at £50, and planning files may sit with the Vale of Glamorgan Council.
“There are not any records that have been withdrawn from our collections that would have provided additional information”
I ask you to check the full D153/1–8 sequence for any 1875–1880 document concerning Great House Farm/Ty Mawr at Llandough-juxta-Penarth, involving named parties, the Bute Estate, or quarrying, and to confirm D/DRa 11/120 relates to Tynywain, not Llandough.
“This is not Great House Farm, Llandough near Cowbridge.”
Seen ✓ · answered 24 Sep 2026
We corrected the DBDT/79/1 catalogue description and confirm it is a counterpart lease of 2 May 1877 between the Marquess of Bute's trustees and John Williams, describing land in Pembroke Terrace only, with no mention of Llandough or Great House Farm. A digital plan copy costs £15.60.
“There is no mention of Llandough, Great House Farm or Ty Mawr or any other property outside of Pembroke Terrace.”
We resend our previous reply, this time correctly attaching the digital photography order form that was missing before.
“I sent the below email without attaching the digital photography order form”
We confirm we only hold William Buckler's 1990 death record; Mary Doreen Williams' 1983 record is not held by us or Barry Register Office. We cannot comment on individual cases and direct you to GRO head office with the volume and page number for that certificate.
“we cannot comment on individual cases and that is the case for the solicitor”
We confirm we hold the death record for William Buckler and set out certificate purchase options (£38.50 priority or £12.50 standard), but we cannot locate the death entry for Mary Doreen Williams.
“I can confirm that we hold the record for William Buckler but unfortunately I cannot locate the death entry for Mary Doreen Williams”
I ask you to confirm in writing that you hold William Buckler's death entry, that it will be retained, and to supply the registration particulars needed to order a copy. For Mary Doreen Williams I ask whether my supplied GRO index details (Volume 28, Page 3029, March 1983) were checked and what the search covered.
Seen ✓ · answered 9 Sep 2026
We confirm document ACA/8/2 runs to 106 pages, requiring 53 images at a total cost of £60 for the copying service, and ask you to complete the attached order form before we proceed.
“the volume contains 106 pages so would require 53 images – total cost £60”
We confirm DBDT/10/19 describes Daniel Thomas only as a Cardiff builder with no further details, and we hold no further deeds between Daniel or Alfred Thomas and the Bute Estate, nor quarrying records for Llandough or Great House Farm. We point you to Cardiff Library's Bute Estate finding aid, D696, and external sources for probate and maps.
“There are no additional deeds described on our catalogue between Daniel or Alfred Thomas and the Bute Estate”
I list all previously asked questions that remain unanswered, excluding records already seen in person, and ask for each item's holding status, reference, and digital copy availability while I am away in Patagonia.
“For each item: held (ref) / not held / held elsewhere / refused”
Seen ✓ · answered 7 Sep 2026
I clarify that my core question is not about Alfred Thomas but about a specific 1877 transaction between Daniel Thomas and the Bute Estate over a defined parcel of Great House Farm, and I ask you to reconsider the catalogue search on that basis, including records not indexed under those names.
“Bute Estate → Daniel Thomas → defined land at Llandough / Great House Farm, approximately 1876–1878”
Seen ✓ · answered 7 Sep 2026
I ask you to physically examine document DBDT79/1 to confirm the parties, date, property description and marginal plan, and to check whether it references Llandough or Great House Farm rather than only Pembroke Terrace. I also flag a discrepancy in how the grantor is described compared with other 1877 entries.
Seen ✓ · answered 7 Sep 2026
We confirm our Michaelston-le-pit burial register only runs to 1980 and we hold no Dinas Powys registers for the relevant dates, but suggest a searchable Llandough register (1877/3/3) to 2009. We offer archive visits by appointment or a paid research service at £60 per hour.
I ask Glamorgan Archives to verify the details of DBDT10/19 and DBDT10/20 and to help determine whether the Daniel Thomas named in them is the same person later linked to Llandough lime works and a possible division of Great House Farm.
“Please confirm the exact property description, parties and date of the following catalogue entries”
Seen ✓ · answered 24 Aug 2026
We confirm we hold the death record for William Buckler but cannot locate one for Mary Doreen Williams, and explain the options and costs for ordering a certificate copy.
“I can confirm that we hold the record for William Buckler but unfortunately I cannot locate the death entry for Mary Doreen Williams”
I thank you and ask that the record not be destroyed, then raise questions about possible anomalies in the March 1983 death registration, linking it to a dispute over missing title deeds and land later developed at Llandough.
“Could you tell me any more about March 1983 and if there's any anomalies or anything out of the ordinary”
Seen ✓ · answered 21 Aug 2026
I ask Glamorgan Archives for help tracing burial and parish register entries for William Buckler, who died in 1990, and for Mary Doreen Williams, who died in 1983, and request guidance on relevant registers and procedures.
“Contemporary reports confirm burial at St Michael’s rather than the family resting place at Llandough.”
Seen ✓ · answered 21 Aug 2026
We explain that the records you asked about are held by the National Library of Wales, and that you will need to contact the Library directly.
“you will need to contact the Library directly”
We confirm a search room space is reserved tomorrow for Mary Buckler and that the requested document list has been passed to the search room team.
“we have a space reserved in our searchroom tomorrow for Mary Buckler”
I correct an earlier mistake, clarifying the enquiry concerns Glamorgan Archives, not the National Library of Wales, and list a wide range of references on Great House Farm and the Williams/Buckler family for staff to prepare before a family search room visit.
“A member of my family has scheduled a visit to the Search Room tomorrow to research Great House Farm”
Seen ✓ · answered 5 Aug 2026
I ask permission to photograph records remotely for research since I am abroad, and describe a long-running ownership dispute over our farm, mentioning a possible Senedd public enquiry request.
“we require photos be permitted to be taken, of artifacts of interest, so they may be sent to me here”
Seen ✓ · answered 5 Aug 2026
I requested from the National Library of Wales any manorial court rolls, surveys, rentals or estate papers for the Manor of Llandough c.1600-1670 referring to Great House Farm, plus any pre-1667 deeds or finding aids about the family's holding there.
“list or refer to occupants, customary tenants, or holders of land later known as Great House Farm”
Seen ✓ · answered 5 Aug 2026
We confirmed all the listed search terms were used across our catalogue and accessions database, covering uncatalogued material and relevant deposits, with no relevant results found and no record of anything being transferred elsewhere.
After searching our catalogue, we confirmed we hold no records relating to engineering activities at Cardiff Post Office, Marconi's experiments at Lavernock Point, or any connection between the engineering team and the family.
We searched our university catalogues and accessions register for the listed topics but found no results, and suggested Cathays Branch and Heritage Library's Marconi-related books and local newspapers as possible leads.
I asked Glamorgan Archives to clarify the scope and methodology of their searches, including whether uncatalogued collections were checked, which search terms were used, and whether any relevant material had ever been transferred elsewhere.
“I am trying to establish the extent of the records searched rather than simply whether records were found”
Seen ✓ · answered 22 Jul 2026
We noted there is already an open request for Great House Farm under reference FOI25766, and asked whether the new email about Mr Williams and the Marconi experiments should be logged separately or treated as part of that existing request.
“There is already an FOI open for Great House Farm (Ty Mawr) under the reference FOI25766”
We confirmed we hold no Cardiff Post Office or General Post Office records in our collection and suggested Glamorgan Archives, as the local authority repository, is most likely to hold relevant material for Cardiff and Penarth.
“We do not hold any records from the Cardiff Post Office/General Post Office in our collection”
We confirmed we hold no records of past Post Office employees and suggested contacting the Postal Museum and Archives for information about the family's grandfather's work at Cardiff Post Office in 1897.
“Glamorgan Archives does not hold records of past employees of the Post Office”
I asked Glamorgan Archives to treat my 20 July clarification as part of FOI25766 rather than a new request, and to confirm which Council departments were consulted, what searches were done, and whether any records were transferred to the Archives.
“Please treat my email of 20 July as a clarification and continuation of FOI25766 rather than as a new FOI request”
Seen ✓ · answered 21 Jul 2026
I clarified that my request covers more than personnel records, asking whether Glamorgan Archives holds broader material on 1897 Cardiff Post Office engineering, the Marconi Lavernock experiments, or related correspondence and photographs, and what searches were done.
“my request was broader than personnel records alone”
Seen ✓ · answered 21 Jul 2026
We have decided your Marconi-related enquiry is best handled by Glamorgan Archives rather than through our Freedom of Information process, and we provided their contact details for you to submit an official request.
“this is best responded to by Glamorgan Archives rather then through the Freedom of Information process”
I clarified that my request also covers Cardiff Council's own operational records, not just archive holdings, and asked which departments (planning, building control, legal, estates, highways) were searched and whether specific search terms were used.
“an archive referral does not confirm whether Cardiff Council itself holds related administrative records”
Seen ✓ · answered 20 Jul 2026
We checked the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire staff calendars for 1896/97, 1897/98 and 1898/99 and found no Engineering staff listed under the surname Williams.
“We did not find any Engineering staff with the surname Williams for 1896/97, 1897/98, or 1898/99”
I requested records under the Freedom of Information Act about my grandfather, Mr Williams, who worked in the Cardiff Post Office engineering department around 1897, seeking confirmation of his involvement in Marconi's Lavernock Point wireless experiments.
Seen ✓ · answered 16 Jul 2026
I filed a Freedom of Information request for all records on furniture, heirlooms and movable property said to originate from Great House Farm, including inventories, acquisition records, provenance files and correspondence with Bute Estate, Cardiff Castle and related bodies.
Seen ✓ · answered 16 Jul 2026
I asked Glamorgan Archives to search for deeds, conveyances, manorial and tithe records linking Great House Farm (Ty Mawr), Llandough to the Williams/Buckler family's 1876 acquisition, citing OS plot references 36.792 and 70/1.334, and possible links to Western Ground Rents, Bute Estate and BP Pension Trust.
“deeds, conveyances, manorial records, tithe/apportionment documents, valuations, or estate papers linking these plot references”
Seen ✓ · answered 16 Jul 2026
The library assistant confirmed no Williams family or Daniel Thomas/Bute Estate deed records exist, found only a 1974 South Wales Spectator page on the property, and asked for more details plus a £19.50 fee to send a digital copy.
“I can confirm that we hold no records regarding the Williams family or the deed of land transfer associated with Daniel Thomas and the Bute Estate”
Library staff reported no matches for Great Farm House, Llandough or Daniel Thomas, said Williams is too common a surname without more detail, and suggested contacting Glamorgan Archives with any quarry-deal reference numbers.
“I'm afraid last name Williams is too popular to conduct any research without further details”
Glamorgan Archives confirmed no plans are listed for Great House Farm, gave catalogue references (2026/2475, 2482, 2503), and pointed to Vale of Glamorgan Council, Warwick's BP Archive, and Bute Estate or Western Ground Rents records for the Daniel Thomas agreement.
“There are no plans listed for Great House Farm”
Automatic reply confirming our email was received and that the team aims to respond within 10 working days.
“Our team will aim to respond within 10 working days”
I supplied family details — Mary Doreen Williams (died 1983), her father John Williams, and her son and his wife — and asked for help tracing Bute Estate, Daniel Thomas, and Williams family records connected to Great House Farm / Ty Mawr.
“Mary Doreen Williams (died 1983), her father John Williams, and later her son”
Seen ✓ · answered 11 Jun 2026
I thanked you for the quick reply and asked whether searches went beyond deeds, requesting a wider check of local studies, newspaper, photographic and map collections, plus catalogue and relocation details for Great House Farm and the Williams family.
“Local studies collections and vertical files. • Heritage and local history indexes. • Newspaper cuttings collections”
Seen ✓ · answered 11 Jun 2026
The library assistant replied that Cardiff holds no deeds for Great House Farm but suggested checking the Glamorgan Archives website instead.
“we don’t hold any material/deeds for Great House Farm , however the Glamorgan Archives does have that information”
I asked Glamorgan Archives to help me locate a copy of the Daniel Thomas/Bute Estates deed or land swap for Great House Farm, plus any late-1800s to early-1900s materials or Williams family files.
“Daniel Thomas/Bute Estates deed/swap for Great House Farm (referenced in quarry deal histories)”
Seen ✓ · answered 8 Jun 2026
I thanked you for the records found but questioned whether the 1938 sale catalogue matches the farm later tied to BP litigation, and asked for any records on BP Properties, BP Pension Trust, tenancy, conveyancing and planning history from the 1870s to the late 1980s.
“I am not yet certain that the 1938 Great House Farm sale catalogue relates to the same Great House Farm”
Seen ✓ · answered 8 Jun 2026
I asked whether you hold Bute Estate records for Llandough, any land exchanges involving Daniel Thomas, quarrying or mineral leases on the property, and records of Western Ground Rents taking over Bute estate interests around the early 1900s.
“Any records of Western Ground Rents taking over Bute estate interests circa early 1900s”
Seen ✓ · answered 8 Jun 2026
We searched our catalogue and found records including a 1938 auction booklet for Great House Farm, a 1924 sale of parts of the Llandough Estate, and a sketch by a family member of the farm's former layout.
We again pointed you to our catalogue to search our holdings yourself, and offered to provide a quote for digital copies of any records you identify as useful.
“we would be pleased to provide a quote for producing digital copies of the records for you”
I submitted a formal FOI/EIR request and litigation hold notice demanding all records on Great House Farm's ownership, tenancy and planning history, insisting on free digital delivery and preservation of all related files.
Seen ✓ · answered 29 May 2026
We checked our catalogue and found no petition record for 'Great House' or 'Ty Mawr' farm, and suggested you search the online catalogue yourself or visit us free of charge by appointment.
“we do not have a petition relating to ‘Great House’ or Ty Mawr’ farm”
Writing from Argentina for safety, I set out my family's history and belief that my grandmother held the fee simple and manorial title from the Marquess of Bute, and asked you to help uncover suppressed 1970s-80s records and the truth behind the farm's demolition and loss to BP.
“I believe my disabled widow nan inherited the fee simple absolute (and Manorial) title from the Marquess of Bute”
Seen ✓ · answered 28 May 2026
I asked Glamorgan Archives for a link to the catalogue record of a 1978 petition against the demolition of Great House Farm in Llandough, noting newspaper reports of either 1,000 or 1,700 signatures.
“Please cite the link displaying the record of petition of demolition of great house farm in Llandough near Penarth”
Seen ✓ · answered 28 May 2026
We identify a funds ledger (ACA/8/2) as the only 1974 Cardiff County Court record transferred to us, covering periodical payment orders, but note access is restricted under data protection as some orders concern infants; we ask for more case details to advise further.
“access to this ledger would be restricted in accordance with data protection legislation”
We confirm that when items are withdrawn from the collection, a record is kept on file noting when the item was withdrawn and who withdrew it.
“a record will be kept on file here at the Archives recording when the item was withdrawn and who withdrew it”
We explain that original paper catalogues and card indexes were not kept after digitisation, and that if a document is permanently withdrawn from the collection its catalogue description is removed, since many records are privately owned deposits.
“The original catalogues and cards were not retained.”
I ask whether, when privately deposited records are withdrawn, you keep any internal administrative record of the fact they were held, the depositor's identity, and the withdrawal date, beyond the public catalogue entry.
“is there an accession register or internal record that preserves evidence that the material once formed part of the collection?”
Seen ✓ · answered 20 Feb 2026
We suggest contacting the National Archives, as they hold responsibility for public records in England and Wales and may be better placed to advise on the family's concerns.
“Can I suggest that you contact the National Archives ? They hold responsibility for public records in England and Wales”
I ask whether a catalogue or index card entry that once referred to the Great House Farm, Llandough title deeds would still survive in archive metadata after digitisation, even if the original document was withdrawn or missing.
“are superseded or removed catalogue references retained within archival metadata systems?”
Seen ✓ · answered 19 Feb 2026
We confirm we hold only the records deposited with us and cannot verify their accuracy, and explain that due to income targets we cannot provide free copies of material in our care.
“Glamorgan Archives holds only the records that we have been given. We cannot make any assumptions as to whether the content of those records is accurate.”
I clarify this is not a routine research request but a formal concern about possible historical misdescription or suppression of records for Great House Farm, Llandough, and ask which body or officer handles such concerns.
“a formal expression of concern regarding the potential historical misdescription or suppression of facts relating to Great House Farm, Llandough”
Seen ✓ · answered 18 Feb 2026
Glamorgan Archives offered us free searchroom access to consult the estate plans DB/E/1-2 from 17 February 2026 once registered, or paid digital copies if we identify the exact pages needed.
“You would be welcome to visit us to consult the estate plans DB/E/1-2 in our public searchroom and take your own photographs for free”
I told Glamorgan Archives my contact is a formal expression of concern, not a routine research request, about possible historical misdescription and suppression of records on Great House Farm, including an 1888 Roman burial and an old dwelling mischaracterised before its 1988 demolition, and asked which department handles such concerns.
“a wider and serious concern regarding possible historical misdescription, suppression, and/or concealment of material facts relating to Great House Farm”
Seen ✓ · answered 6 Feb 2026
