Local history group continues its work mapping history

A Newtown history group is inviting residents to explore the story of one of the town’s most influential figures at a special event later this month.

The Newtown Local History Group, which has been researching and publishing local social history through its Newtonian journal for more than 30 years, has released a special edition focusing on Sir Pryce Pryce-Jones.

The latest publication, Volume 99, traces the rise of Pryce-Jones from a 12-year-old draper’s apprentice in 1846 to a pioneering businessman who went on to employ thousands of people across Newtown and Montgomeryshire.

He later founded the Royal Welsh Warehouse and was knighted by Queen Victoria, becoming a key figure in the early development of mail order retail. His work is widely seen as laying the foundations for modern home shopping, with links drawn to today’s major operators including The Very Group, which includes Pryce-Jones in its historical timeline following the acquisition of his business through Great Universal Stores in 1954.

To coincide with the publication, the group is hosting a public event titled For the Love of Pryce Jones on Saturday, 18 April. 

The event will take place at Plas Dolerw, the former home of the Pryce-Jones family between 1875 and 1949, and will begin at 10.30am.

Organisers say the session will share insights from their latest research and highlight the lasting impact of Pryce-Jones on both the local area and the wider retail industry.