Hi Ray I appreciate your response. I see from exploring your link that the library is on Main St, I didn't see it on my trip in 2002. Additionally, the library became part of the Northern Ireland Library system in April and I could search their catalogue online. While I didn't find a reference to a town archive, I did find " Ardstraw (newtownstewart) historical survey of a Parish 1600-1900" and elsewhere A person on Pat Connors site that does look ups. I'll also email the library and see what happens. For someone who has no knowledge :), I have 2 good leads! Thanks Bill -Date: Sat, 5 Sep 2009 22:54:46 +1000 From: "Ray" <ray15@optusnet.com.au> Subject: Re: [CoTyIre] Newtownstwart Town Archives - Existance? Location? To: <cotyroneireland@rootsweb.com> Message-ID: <E24AFE6ACA4A40F0BFAFBED33938D7ED@linda> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Hello Bill. Sadly, I do not have any knowledge to be able to answer any of your questions. Instead, I offer these few thoughts. 1. I googled for Newtownstewart archives 2. Lots of hits. 3. One of them led me to this URL: http://www.welbni.org/ 4. On the bottom left-hand corner is an e-mail address. 5. Try writing to ask them. Now for explanation. It seems that this web-page is for both school education and ALSO LIBRARY purposes, but I may have misunderstood them. e-mail and ask them anyway. Next thought: On the Fermanagh lists we used to have a most wonderful local council employee from the Town Hall at Enniskillen, named Frank(ie) ROOFE. He had a LOT of local Fermanagh records there at the Town Hall. I don't know how far back they went though. So my thought is that Perhaps in Newtownstewart itself, or perhaps in Omagh, or maybe in Strabane -- sorry to not know such things -- there might be one or more of the following which might be able to help you: a: a Town Hall with similar archives. b: a town/city Library with a knowledgeable and interested Local Studies Librarian. c: Local Archives held maybe in a local library, etc. Perhaps you might try googling for any of the above? Sorry to be so vague, but hope that you might be able to derive something helpful from it. Kind regards: Ray in oz.