Book Cultures, Gentry Identities and The Welsh Country House Library: Problems and Possibilities for Future Research

Abstract

Country houses have provided repositories for some of the most significant and sizeable accumulations of literature ever assembled in Wales. Most of these accumulations have been displaced and dispersed over the last century. The presence of books in the Welsh country house was commonplace, yet the Welsh country house library has not yet emerged as a concerted focus of academic enquiry. This article seeks to provide a framework for such an endeavour, reflecting on existing scholarly debates which are relevant to the subject and suggesting future lines of enquiry. The research potential of books and libraries is significant. This article is especially interested in probing the relationships which existed between owners and their books, and the implications of these engagements for our understanding of the identities and outlook of landowning families in Wales.