Flintshire County Council

History and Heritage at Your Library

At your library you can find out about the history and heritage of Flintshire, the lives and work of local people, and your own family history.

Family History

Local History

Flintshire Memories

Arthurian Collection

Flintshire Record Office

Family History
Ancestry Library Edition family history website is now available to use free in all Flintshire libraries. It gives access to Census information from 1841 to 1911 and to Births, Deaths and Marriages indexes. It is not available directly via these web pages. 

The @nswers centre, Mold Library & Museum:
In addition to Ancestry Library Edition the General Register Office (GRO) Index of Births, Deaths and Marriages is held on microfiche from 1837 - 1997. There is no charge to view these records and no need to book. Parish registers for the Flintshire area are also held. Other sources include local newspapers and trade directories for the 19thC. Enquiries:  01352 754791 or by e-mail: answers@flintshire.gov.uk

Family History Facilities in Flintshire and Beyond (PDF.doc 80KB new window)

Local History
Each library collects information about its own local area. However, the @nswers centre at Mold Library & Museum has a major collection covering a wide range of subjects relating to Wales, North Wales, and in particular Flintshire. It consists of books, pamphlets, journals, newspapers (some on microfilm), maps, photographs, prints, oral history tapes, press cuttings and ephemera such as posters and advertisements. New material is being added constantly.

Online Reference Sources : Gale Infotrac provides access to 15 regional, national and international newspapers back to 1984. You can also access The Times since 1785 and a variety of regional newspapers for the nineteenth century. New : Welsh Newspapers Online (new window) is a major website from the National Library of Wales that will allow anybody with an interest in the history and people of Wales to browse and search over 100 titles from its rich collection of pre-1910 newspapers - completely free of charge.

Flintshire Memories
The original recordings for the Oral History Collection were made by Clwyd Library & Information Service in the 1980s. The project involved interviewers visiting people who had retired from working lives spent in various local industries and occupations. The stories which were recorded are lively and often amusing, and give a fascinating insight into Flintshire’s recent past. The @nswers centre at Mold Library is currently undertaking a project to transfer the original cassette recordings to CD and digital formats for preservation. 
A set of Flintshire Memories recordings on CD is available for loan from the @nswers centre.

Arthurian Collection
This collection is amongst the finest on the subject and is being increasingly recognised internationally as a wealthy source of research and information. Many scholars and enthusiasts have used the collection in the past and continue to do so. The collection of over 2,000 items continues to be updated. It comprises material in 12 languages, from the fundamental texts attributed to Gildas, Nennius and Aneirin through to the famous Historia of Geoffrey of Monmouth and the romances of Chretien de Troyes, from the earliest references in the Welsh language through to the later works of Malory and Tennyson. The collection is located at Library HQ, County Hall, Mold CH7 6NW. To arrange a visit telephone Robert Williams on 01352 704424 or email libraries@flintshire.gov.uk

Flintshire Record Office
Flintshire Record Office preserves the county’s archival heritage by collecting, listing, storing and making available to the public, historic records of local interest and origin. The Record Office is located in the Old Rectory in Hawarden. It is advisable to book a visit in advance and visitors will need to bring proof of identity or a County Archive Research Network (CARN) ticket.