Oldbury
is now part of Sandwell, and the main depository for its archives
is Sandwell Community History and Archives Service [CHAS], based at
Smethwick Library. Relevant archive are also held in Worcestershire
County Record Office (Worcester), Shropshire County Record Office
(Shrewsbury), Birmingham Archives, Dudley Archives and the National
Archives (London), as well as other public and private archives.
In 2005, the Friends of Sandwell Archives (FOSA) was set up by a group of local and family historians who use the services provided at CHAS, and it now has a membership of about fifty. Its main aims are
to support the development and activities of CHAS |
to publicise the archives and encourage the use of the service by the public |
to arrange talks relevant to Sandwell and its archives |
to encourage volunteering to assist projects at CHAS by indexing, transcribing etc |
to purchase items for the archives not obtainable within the normal budget of CHAS |
FOSA
has purchased for the Archives some early documents related to Chance Brothers
glassworks at Smethwick, five plans of the land held by Hampton-in
Arden-Charity including holdings in Oldbury, and an archive on Bean cars.
Membership: £6 per annum. This provides free entrance to all meetings and information on the activities of FOSA by e-mail (preferred) or post. Cheques payable to 'Friends of Sandwell Archives', sent to Friends of Sandwell Archives c/o the address below.
Meetings are held at CHAS, at Smethwick Library, High Street, Smethwick at 2.30 pm on Thursdays
Free to members of FOSA
Non-members are welcome at all meetings at a charge of £2 per meeting
FRIENDS
OF SANDWELL ARCHIVES - FORTHCOMING MEETINGS FOR 2017
|
15 May |
"The Bodysnatchers" by Kevin Goodman
The activities of 'resurrection men in the Black Country |
14 September |
"The Real 'Allo 'Allo" by John Pittwood
The sometimes hilarious story of his father's escape from France in May/June 1944 |
13 November |
"Lest We Forget" by Mary Bodfish
The story of our national memorials and how they came to represent the anguish of a nation for the losses of WW1 |
|