Formed under the Local Government Act 1888, Denbighshire County Council took over many administrative duties of the Court of Quarter Sessions, such as responsibility for roads, bridges, county rates, county buildings, the police force, and licensing. In 1889, the administrative and welfare responsibilities were transferred to the first elected county council. The Local Government Act 1929 transferred to the county councils responsibility for public assistance (including out-relief, care of the elderly and infirm and children, poor law hospitals, and institutions) from the Boards of Guardians. New legislation relating to public health, agriculture, mental deficiency, highways and town and country planning gave substantial further responsibilities to county councils, particularly between 1919 and 1947. During the War, the county's War Agricultural Committee attempted to increase food production and modernise agriculture. In the period immediately after the Second World War, some responsibilities were transferred to the county councils from the urban and rural district councils, but, with the establishment of the National Health Service and the Welfare State, the county councils lost to central government responsibilities for major services relating to health and public assistance. The council ran a joint fire service, Denbighshire and Montgomeryshire Joint Fire Service. In 1974, most of Denbighshire was amalgamated with Flintshire and part of Merionethshire to create the new Clwyd County Council, as part of the restructuring of local government. In 1996, Clwyd was abolished, and a new unitary authority of Denbighshire was created, with slightly different boundaries to the old county.
Scope and content: Records of Denbighshire County Council, 1759-1982, including minute books, 1889-1974; minutes and reports, 1889-1974; committee minutes and reports, 1889-1974; minutes of the education committees, 1890-1974; agenda papers, 1889-1974; records of the Council in session, 1889-1973, including registers of attendances, 1889-1923; orders, schemes and regulations, 1890-1967; bye-laws, 1888-1970; year books, 1903-1973; county guides, [c. 1955]-1971; miscellaneous, 1918-1968; departmental records, including architect's department, 1888-1982; department of civil defence, 1943; children's department, 1948-1971; consumer protection department, 1859-1982; Denbighshire education committee, 1903-1974; education department, 1912-1973; Denbighshire and Montgomeryshire Joint Fire Service, 1944-1974; health department, 1902-1973; county land agent's department, 1759-1974, including deeds and correspondence relating to County Council smallholdings, 1759-1974; clerk's department, 1908-1911; coroner's department, 1893-1951; county library, 1927-1974; licensing department, 1910-1970; motor taxation department, 1903-1932; county planning department, 1914-1981; public assistance department, 1907-1957; photographs of Denbighshire County Record Office, [1971]-1973; social services department, 1972-[c. 1973]; welfare services department, 1948-1964; surveyor's department, [c. 1883]-1974; Denbighshire War Agricultural Committee, 1916-1921; and treasurer's department, 1889-1974.