DENNIS GRIFFITHS PAPERS

Papers of Dennis Griffiths, 1752-1972 (mainly 1825-1972; accumulated [1904]-1972), including minutes, accounts, scripts, music, notes and other papers, of Buckley Amateur Pantomime Company, 1932-1959; play scripts and other papers relating to his amateur dramatic productions, 1917, 1941-1968; records relating to brick and fire-clay companies in Buckley, 1752, 1825-1944, and notes by Griffiths on the industry; other items relating to the history of Buckley, 1877-1966; notebooks and recordings on the Buckley dialect, 1968; miscellaneous papers relating to Buckley Congregational Church, 1894-1945; Buckley Jubilee programmes and photographs, 1857-1968; papers concerning Hawkesbury, 1944-1965; literary papers including radio scripts, tape recordings and drafts of Out of this Clay and Talk of My Town, 1912-[1968]; photographs, correspondence and other items relating to his public life, 1956-1968; and personal and family papers, 1892-1972.

Alderman Dennis Griffiths, J.P. of Tywom, Buckley, manager of a Buckley brickworks, founder and first warden of the Hawkesbury Community Centre, 1951-64, chairman of the county council in 1961-2, was an authority on the distinctive Buckley dialect and the history of the local fireclay industry.

A man of outstanding ability in many fields, he was a well-known personality in the educational and cultural life of North Wales and was involved with amateur dramatics, musical and other cultural activities in Buckley and elsewhere. A producer for more than twenty five years for the Buckley Drama Circle, he was a founder member of the Drama Council for Wales and first president of the Flintshire Drama Association. In demand as a lecturer, adjudicator, actor and producer, he also wrote several plays, articles etc. and was a frequent broadcaster. He produced the Welsh Opera 'Y Sipsi', and the pageant of Mendelssohn's 'Elijah' at the Rhyl National Eisteddfod in 1953. In addition he was the author, producer and musical director of 27 annual pantomimes (1935-59) for the Buckley Amateur Pantomime Company which were extremely popular. They attracted large audiences from North Wales and beyond, and raised many thousands of pounds for charity. Donations from the Company were largely responsible for the purchase in 1944 (and later support) of Hawkesbury House as a community centre for the use of the people of Buckley.

During an active public life, Alderman Griffiths served as a member of the Court of the University of Wales, Governing Body (Chairman 1969) of Bangor Normal College, the Welsh Joint Education Committee (vice-chairman), Welsh Games Council and the Agricultural Wages Board. He was at one time chairman of the Liberal Party of Wales.

His autobiographical work, 'Out of this Clay', was published in 1960, and 'Talk of my Town', a glossary of the Buckley dialect, in 1969.

Arranged into the following: Buckley papers; and public and personal papers.

Data Protection Act restrictions will apply to any items less than 100 years old that contain personal information as defined by the Act.

Please order documents using the alternative reference number (where provided).

Compiled by Rhys Jones for the ANW project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Flintshire Record Office, Dennis Griffiths MSS; Veysey, A. G. (ed.), Guide to the Flintshire Record Office (Denbigh, 1974).

A hard copy of this catalogue is available at Flintshire Record Office.

The fonds contains tape recordings and gramophone records.

Compiled by Rhys Jones for the ANW project and updated by Steven Davies of Flintshire Record Office. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Flintshire Record Office, Dennis Griffiths MSS; Veysey, A. G. (ed.), Guide to the Flintshire Record Office (Denbigh, 1974).

Usual copyright regulations apply

Usual copyright regulations apply.

All records have been retained.

Accruals are not expected.