Denbighshire

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Henllan

"A parish in the Union of St. Asaph, hundred of Isaled, county of Denbigh, 2 miles (NW) from Denbigh, containing 2703 inhabitants. This parish, which is fifteen miles in length, and in some parts more than seven in breadth, though averaging about four, extends from St. Asaph, on the north-east, to the source of the river Alwen, near Llanrwst, on the south-west. ..... The scenery is finely diversified, and from some of the higher grounds are obtained extensive and delightful views of the surrounding country, which is in many places characterised by features of great interest and beauty."
[A Topographical Dictionary of Wales, 1833 & 1849, Samuel Lewis]

Henllan is one of the "ancient parishes" of Denbighshire, originally comprising the townships of Banister Isaf, Banister Uchaf, Brynysgub, Erifiat, Gwenynog Llan, Lleweni Isaf, Lleweni Uchaf, Rhanfawr, Rhanhir (or Twysog), Taldrach, Tre'rparc, and Uwchcaerau (or Uwchcaeron).
By an Order in Council, on 21 July 1855, more than half of the parish went to the new parishes of Trefnant and Bylchau. At a later date, a further part of the parish was lost to the parish of Denbigh.

Church History

"The Church, dedicated to St. Sadwrn, was taken down and rebuilt on an enlarged scale, in 1806: the new edifice, which is a neat plain structure, occupies the site of the ancient church, and is situated on a fine level; but the tower, a massive square pile, presenting each of its angles towards one of the cardinal points, and which was always detached, stands on the summit of a rock adjoining the road, and at a considerable distance to the east of the church."
[A Topographical Dictionary of Wales, 1833 & 1849, Samuel Lewis]

The church was again repaired in 1844, and "restored" in 1878, being re-opened on 31 January 1879.

The Clwyd FHS website has a photograph of the church.

Nonconformist Churches

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Church Records

Parish Registers

• The following Parish Registers have been deposited at the Denbighshire Record Office, Ruthin.
  They may be viewed on microfilm at the Denbighshire and Flintshire Record Offices, and at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth.
  These microfilms are not available elsewhere.

• Clwyd FHS has published full transcriptions of the registers (complete with indexes) for the following years :

Bishop's Transcripts

• Bishop's Transcripts for the years shown below have been deposited in the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth.
  Around the year 1951, most of the Bishop's Transcripts which had been deposited at that time were microfilmed by the LDS; and the films are available on request at Family History Centres of the LDS.
  The films may also be viewed at the Denbighshire and Flintshire Record Offices, and at the National Library of Wales.
  In general, the Bishop's Transcripts are less complete than the parish registers.

I.G.I.

• The following have been incorporated into the I.G.I., as part of an "official extraction" programme.
  They were extracted from the Bishop's Transcripts, not from the Parish Registers.

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Civil Registration

In the GRO indexes to civil registration, entries for Henllan are in the format :

• Years 1837 - 1851: St. Asaph XXVII.nnn
• Years 1851 - 1930: St. Asaph 11b.nnn

(GRO index references have no relevance at the local Superintendent Registrar's Office)

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Population

• In 1831- the population was 2703.
• In 1901- the population was 826.
  [Royal Commission on the Welsh Church - October 1907]

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Statistics

• Archdeacon Thomas gives the area of the parish as 14,912 acres - before the creation of Bylchau and Trefnant parishes.
  [ The History of the Diocese of St. Asaph , 1908-1913, Ven. D.R. Thomas]

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Last Updated 23 Nov 2009 - Gareth Hicks