Welsh Journals

FLINTSHIRE RECORD OFFICE 1954 The Record Office during the year has been struggling with grave problems-accommodation is one of the first. Almost every week new papers come in, many of them of real historical interest. More room is needed-a Search room for students, a new strong room and a repair room are minimum requirements. Steps are being taken now to find temporary accommodation till new County Build- ings are ready. Meanwhile, the Record Office has established itself as part of the life of the County and material is being collected that will be very useful to the future historian of Flintshire. HANDLIST-A Handlist of the Official Records in the possession of the County is now being printed and should be for sale at a small price in 1955. It is hoped to follow this with a second part, listing deposited documents. MICROFILM-A microfilm reader was purchased this year and it is now possible for the research worker to obtain microfilms of Flintshire documents that are preserved outside the County. The Records Committee intends to buy from the Public Record Office microfilms of all the Ministers' Accounts from 1363. The Ministers' Accounts from 1301 to 1363 have been transcribed and printed by the Flintshire Historical Society in two volumes, edited by Arthur Jones and D. L. Evans. These are still available to anybody who wants to buy them. The microfilm reader has already proved its usefulness as an aid to research. NATIONAL REGISTER OF ARCHIVES- The National Register exists at the Public Record Office as a department of the Historical Manu- scripts Commission to keep a central file to all the archives in England and Wales, to index these and to keep track of their movements. This is a valuable work even from a narrowly local point of view, because Flintshire documents may easily turn up in Yorkshire or in a London solicitor's office. The central file will make the task of the historian very much easier and will contribute towards the safety of archives by making them better known. The Records Committee of the County Council acts as the local committee in Flintshire. Voluntary helpers are needed to track down archives, and to list them when found. Reasonable out-of-pocket expenses are paid. Few people have much spare time today but the Com- mittee are always glad to hear of anybody who can contribute occasion- al help to the work of the National Register in Flintshire. ACCESSIONS.- Thanks are due to those members of the Flintshire Historical Society who have helped the new Record Office by depositing deeds and documents there, or by inducing others to deposit. Many interesting things have already been brought to the Record Office and a catalogue is being prepared of all accessions since the opening of the office two years ago. This summer the Dent deeds deposited by the Rt. Hon. Viscount Sandon were scheduled