A team of dedicated volunteers has transcribed and digitized a century-old petition signed by nearly 400,000 Welsh women, making it available online for the first time. This effort allows people to search for their ancestors’ signatures and explore this important piece of history.
In 1923, following the devastation of the First World War, 390,296 women from Wales—around 30% of the female population—signed a petition urging American women to encourage the United States to join the newly formed League of Nations. Known as the Welsh Women’s Peace Petition, this document was preserved and later returned to Wales as a gift from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History to mark its 100th anniversary.
The National Library of Wales undertook an extensive project to catalog, digitize, and transcribe the petition. With the help of the Academi Heddwch, a mass crowdsourcing effort was launched to transcribe all the names and addresses listed on the petition. Volunteers from around the world contributed to this project, and in just 15 months, over 360,000 signatures were carefully transcribed.
Now, as the transcription phase comes to an end, a dedicated team of volunteers is reviewing the records to ensure accuracy before they are published on the Welsh Women’s Peace Petition website. So far, more than 100,000 names have been made available on the site, with more being added regularly. The goal is to complete the process by the end of 2025.
The newly launched website allows users to search for specific names, locations, and even filter results by county, community ward, box number, or petition number. A zoomable map provides a visual way to explore signatures from different areas. Users can also view original handwritten signatures, download copies, and share them on social media.
For those interested in family history, local heritage, or women’s activism, this online resource is invaluable. The project would not have been possible without the dedication of volunteers, whose efforts have ensured this important piece of history is accessible to all.
The website is updated weekly, so those searching for specific names are encouraged to check back regularly as more records become available. To explore the petition and see if your ancestors took part in this historic movement, visit https://peacepetition.library.wales/.
Category: News