GENUKI : Pentrefoelas, Parish Church

Pentrefoelas

"A parochial chapelry, in the Union of Llanrwst, hundred of Isaled, county of Denbigh; 14 miles (SW) from Denbigh, containing 611 inhabitants. This chapelry is situated in the western part of the county, on the right bank of the river Conway, ..... and comprises a portion of the most mountainous and sterile moorlands of the district, together with some boggy patches; and wood, the prevailing timber being larch. Barley and oats are the principal produce. ..... The village consists of only thirteen houses. An excellent road has been constructed from this place to Denbigh, across the mountains. ..... The female inhabitants are chiefly employed in the spinning of woollen yarn, and the knitting of stockings, and the males in attendance upon their herds and flocks."
[A Topographical Dictionary of Wales, 1833 & 1849, Samuel Lewis]

Pentrefoelas was originally part of the parish of Llannefydd. It became a separate parish in November 1810.

Church History
Church Records

Civil Registration
Population

Church History

Ordnance Survey reference SH 873515.
There is evidence of a "chapel" at Pentrefoelas in the sixteenth century. A new building replaced it in 1766, but it was not consecrated until 23 June 1771.
There were additions in 1774. The church was completely rebuilt in 1857/59.
According to Archdeacon Thomas, the church was not initially licensed for marriages; but as it was some considerable distance from the nearest licensed church, many marriage ceremonies were nevertheless performed. The Bishop of St. Asaph eventually obtained an Act, in 1805, to legalise the marriages.

The Clwyd FHS website has a photograph of the church.

Nonconformist Churches

"Welsh Church Commission - County of Denbigh - The Statistics of the Nonconformist Churches for 1905" lists the following nonconformist places of worship in the Civil parish of Pentrefoelas

Name of Chapel Denomination Number of "adherents"

Rhydlydan Calvinistic Methodists 166

Saron Calvinistic Methodists Not stated

Bethel Congregationalists 317

Name of Chapel	Denomination	Number of "adherents"
Rhydlydan	Calvinistic Methodists	166
Saron	Calvinistic Methodists	Not stated
Bethel	Congregationalists	317

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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.

Baptisms Marriages Burials

1782 - 1928 1772 - 1966 1773 - 1881

Baptisms	Marriages	Burials
1782 - 1928	1772 - 1966	1773 - 1881

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

Baptisms Marriages Burials

1782 - 1812 1772 - 1812 1773 - 1812

Baptisms	Marriages	Burials
1782 - 1812	1772 - 1812	1773 - 1812

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.

Deposited at the National Library of Wales Microfilmed copies

1773 - 1856 1773 - 1856

Deposited at the National Library of Wales	Microfilmed copies
1773 - 1856	1773 - 1856

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.

Baptisms Marriages

1782 - 1799
1813 - 1854 None

Baptisms	Marriages
1782 - 1799 1813 - 1854	None

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Civil Registration

When Civil Registration was introduced (on 1 July 1837), the parish of Pentrefoelas was assigned to the No. 3 ("Yspytty") sub-district of the Llanrwst Registration District; which was co-extensive with the Llanrwst poor law Union.

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

Years 1837 - 1851: Llanrwst XXVII.nnn
Years 1851 - 1930: Llanrwst 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 616.
In 1901- the population was 441.
[Royal Commission on the Welsh Church - October 1907]

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Last Updated 5 May 2004 - Vic Roberts