Denbighshire
Contents
Parishes
"A borough, a market and assize town, a parish, and the head of a poor-law union, in the hundred of Ruthin, county of Denbigh; 8 miles (SE by S) from Denbigh, and 210 miles (NW by W) from London. ..... This parish and that of Llanrhud, which were originally one, are bounded on the south by the parish of Llanfair, east by the same and that of Llanarmon yn Ial, west by Llanfwrog, and north by Llanbedr. ..... The surface is beautifully diversified, the eastern part of Llanrhud embracing a portion of the Clwydian hills, and the western part of Ruthin the meanderings of the river Clwyd, with the fertile and luxuriant meadows on its banks. ..... The agricultural produce is equally rich and abundant, yielding fine crops of wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, and turnips, together with grass and hay."
[A Topographical Dictionary of Wales, 1833 & 1849, Samuel Lewis]
The ancient parish of Ruthin contained the two townships of Cae'rfallen and Tre'rcastell.
"Ruthin Church was originally a chapel-of-ease under the Mother Church of Llanrhydd. It is dedicated to St. Peter, and was built and endowed in 1310 by John, son of Reginald de Grey, who also provided a suitable dwelling-place for seven priests, who were to serve the church and live in community upon its revenues.
The original building consisted of two churches, side by side, one for the parishioners, the other for the monastic priests. For this reason it was and still is frequently called "The Collegiate and Parochial Church of St. Peter." The College being dissolved at the Reformation, the collegiate church fell into decay and finally was almost completely demolished. .....
The present North Aisle was the nave of the parochial church. The South Aisle was added in the early part of the eighteenth century.
The church is famed for the beautiful Oak Roof of its north aisle, presented by Henry VII. It is divided into about 500 panels, bearing carved devices, pious mottoes and sacred figures, no two of the ornaments being alike. ....."
[From Colwyn Bay and North Wales, c. 1915, Ward, Locke, and Co.]
The church was extensively restored between 1854 and 1859, during which period a lofty spire was added to the tower. It was re-opened on All Saint's day, 1859.
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 administrative district of Ruthin Borough :
| Name of Chapel | Denomination | Number of "adherents" |
|---|---|---|
| Llanfwrog | Baptists | 150 |
| Bethania, Llanfwrog | Calvinistic Methodists | 398 |
| Not named | Calvinistic Methodists (English language) | 125 |
| Tabernacl | Calvinistic Methodists | 307 |
| Galltegfa, Llanfwrog | Congregationalists | 60 |
| Pendref | Congregationalists | 240 |
| Bathafarn | Wesleyans | 160 |
Parish Registers
| Baptisms | Marriages | Burials |
|---|---|---|
| 1592 - 1964 | 1594 - 1970 | 1592 - 1991 |
| Baptisms | Marriages | Burials |
|---|---|---|
| 1592 - 1812 | 1593 - 1812 | 1592 - 1812 |
Bishop's Transcripts
| Deposited at the National Library of Wales | Microfilmed copies |
|---|---|
| 1680 - 1860 | 1813 - 1860 |
I.G.I.
| Baptisms | Marriages |
|---|---|
| 1813 - 1860 | 1813 - 1837 |
In the GRO indexes to civil registration, entries for Ruthin are in the format :
(GRO index references have no relevance at the local Superintendent Registrar's Office)
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