On 1st April 2020, despite the fact that we were in national lockdown due to the Coronavirus Emergency, Flintshire Record Office and Denbighshire Archives Service were working behind the scenes to become a joint service. We are now called North East Wales Archives – or NEWA for short – representing a new joint service for the counties of and Flintshire and Denbighshire.
The creation of NEWA will produce a stronger, more resilient and sustainable archive service for the region. It provides opportunities for the joint service to diversify its visitor base, increase its volunteer numbers, increase its digitalisation activities and outreach activity and in doing so, future proofing the service; ensuring that it remains relevant both now and in the future. The combined service will continue to operate across the two offices – Ruthin and Hawarden but the long-term plan is to move the joint service into a new purpose built, environmentally friendly building in Mold, adjacent to Theatr Clwyd.
The new building and activity plan is reliant on NEWA being successful with obtaining a National Lottery Heritage fund (NLHF) grant. We should hear whether we have been successful in obtaining the funds during mid-2021. Should we be awarded the grant, we hope to move into the new archive centre during 2025.
Since the creation of the new Joint Service, we have re-branded our Facebook pages as North East Wales Archives. This page highlights what the service is doing, promotes our collections and services, and will keep you entertained with stories and images from the Archives. We have also created a new Twitter account to keep you abreast of news and events; and an Instagram page to highlight some of the wonderful images contained within our collections.
We hope you will follow and share our posts, and enjoy the wealth of information we will be sharing with you. So please follow us on:
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NorthEastWalesArchives/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/northeastwalesarchives
or Twitter https://twitter.com/NEWalesArchives
Although both offices have been closed to the public since March we have been running a limited research and copying service to enable customers to have access to some of our collections, and to be able to carry on researching their family history, house history and other research projects on a remote basis. We plan to begin to bring searchers back in during September when we re-open with new measures in place to safeguard customers and staff.
You can read more about what we have all been working on since March in the first issue of our Joint Service Newsletter: NEWA Joint Newsletter
Stephanie Hines, Archivist
North East Wales Archives (Hawarden)
Please excuse my ignorance, but I believe the Museum of the Royal Welch Fusiliers at Caernarfon put me in touch with a gentleman in Ruthin office. Unfortunately I have lost his e-mail address. I was enquiring about a Pte David Williams who died in 1916 and if he also served in the 13th RWF with his brother. The helpful gentleman asked if I knew David’s age to help refine his search. I have now found he was 39 in 1916 so was born about 1876/7. Are you able when resources allow to look for David who was from Ogmore Vale and died in Cimla Hosp., Neath; to see if he is listed in the RWF please? Thanking you in anticipation. Faithfully Mr C T Davies
Please contact North East Wales Archives, Ruthin and they will be able to advise. You can find their contact details on the ‘contact us’ page. Best Wishes
Hi, I research Welsh Fire Brigades history, and I am hoping that you are able to assist me. I am hoping to collate as much historic information on as many as possible of Welsh Brigades, from when they were first established through to the 1940s and when the returned to local authority responsibility in 1949 (1 April). Any information or photographs of their early years. If you are unable to assist, perhaps you can recommend someone who may be able to. Regards
Keith
Hi Keith, there isn’t a central collection for Welsh Fire Brigade Services as far as I’m aware, but if you contact the local authority archive services in the first instance (the Contact us page on this site has further details) they may be able to assist. Best Wishes