Biography
Ursula Masson
Academic, historian and founder of Women’s Archive Wales
The Mapping Merthyr Through Women’s Histories workshop brought together staff from across the Libraries and Museum service and partner sectors to uncover, honour, and amplify the stories of women who shaped Merthyr. Informed by insights from the valley‑wide Heritage and Herstories community drop‑ins, participants each chose and reflected on a woman’s story that deserves recognition, creating a collective map of Merthyr’s past through diverse female perspectives. This project marks only the beginning — with hopes to continue these workshops and collaborate with more communities across the valley, further enriching and expanding the narrative of local women’s history.
Ursula Masson (1945–2008) was a historian, writer and academic whose roots were firmly planted in Merthyr Tydfil. Born in Merthyr, she attended Cyfarthfa Grammar School before studying at Cardiff and Keele universities. Her early research explored the history of Merthyr, connecting her academic interests directly to the people and heritage of her hometown.
Ursula went on to become a pioneering historian of women in Wales. Her research explored women’s social and political lives, and in 1998 she co-founded Archif Menywod Cymru / Women’s Archive Wales, helping to ensure that the records and experiences of Welsh women were collected, preserved and valued.
She also worked with Honno Welsh Women’s Press, helping to bring forgotten Welsh women’s writing back into print.
Today, Ursula’s contribution is recognised in her hometown with a purple plaque outside Merthyr Tydfil Central Library, a fitting reminder of a woman who dedicated so much of her life to recovering and preserving the stories of others.
Ursula’s own story deserves to be told. A daughter of Merthyr, she showed that history belongs to everyone, and that voices too often left out of the historical record are worth finding, preserving and sharing.