All,
This may be of interest – it may offer a model for plaques for scientists of Wales – it’s Literature Wales’ interactive map of Writers Plaques: http://www.writersplaques.org/
Best wishes,
Sarah
Dr Sarah Morse
Executive Officer
Swyddog Gweithredol
Tel: 029 20376971
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The Learned Society of Wales, a company limited by guarantee, registered in Wales, No.7256948; Registered Charity No. 1141526;
Registered office: The University Registry, King Edward VII Avenue, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NS
Cymdeithas Ddysgedig Cymru, cwmni a gyfyngir drwy warant, wedi’i gofrestru yng Nghymru, Rhif 7256948;Elusen Cofrestredig Rhif 1141526;
Swyddfa gofrestredig: Cofrestrfa’r Brifysgol, Rhodfa’r Brenin Edward VII, Parc Cathays, Caerdydd CF10 3NS
Dear All,
It is good to see the breadth of interest in this topic.
Some musings on ‘Welshness’ vis-à-vis blue plaques / biographies:
The narrowest definition would be born in Wales and also carried out key work within Wales. I regard this double-requirement as excessively narrow, not least because prior to the rise of science within Welsh universities somewhat over a century ago, scientific research was largely concentrated outside Wales, obliging Welsh-born scientists to mainly work outside Wales.
National sports teams’ criteria is usually for at least one parent to have been born in Wales. To adapt the criteria for UK citizenship, the minimum criteria would be for at least one grandparent to have been born in Wales. Both these – and especially the latter – would guarantee any attempt at listing to be highly incomplete: enormous numbers of American, Australian, Canadian, English, etc. scientists may have had one or more Welsh grandparents but it would be an impossible task to enquire into the ancestry of a large proportion of the scientists of the English speaking world over the last few centuries.
If a listing became a nationalistic attempt to ‘claim’ scientists for Wales then those with minority Welsh ancestry could potentially be more meaningfully ‘claimed’ by a different country: would one regard an American-born scientist with one Welsh grandparent as Welsh or American?
For most deceased scientists there may be uncertainty on how they identified themselves with regard to nationality.
There are numerous instances of scientists with no Welsh ancestry carrying out portions of their key work within Wales; something certainly deserving of commemoration but, I feel, dubious grounds to claim them as ‘Welsh’. e.g. a blue plaque stating that Murchison or Sedgwick lodged at a certain Welsh country inn whilst carrying out key fieldwork on their competing Cambrian and Silurian Systems* would be highly appropriate, but to claim either as a ‘Welsh’ scientist would not stand the least cursory scrutiny. [ *For non-geologists, the intervening Ordovician was the compromise suggested by Lapworth]
Hopefully grist to the mill!
Robert
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