Anglesey

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Holyhead

"HOLYHEAD, a parish, market town, seaport, and parliamentary borough, on Holy Island, in the hundreds of Llyfon and Tal-y-Bolion, county Anglesey, 24 miles W. by N. of Beaumaris, and 260 from London by road, or 264¼ by the London and North-Western and the Chester and Holyhead railways, which latter has an extensive terminus here. The distance from the station to the pier is about a mile, although the rails are carried, for the convenience of the mails and through traffic for Ireland, to the very end of the pier, near the side of the harbour, where the Dublin Company's mail steamers lie, which leave Holyhead twice, and sometimes oftener, every day for Kingston, doing the distance of 63 miles in less than four hours, and thus reducing the time between London and Dublin to eleven hours by the mail train. " [From The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) - Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]

Bibliography

A catalogue of the books and rules for the management of the Holyhead Parochial lending Library and Reading Room : established January 1st, 1849. Holyhead : Jones, pr, 1849. 16p

Baughan, Peter Edward. The Chester & Holyhead Railway. Newton Abbot : David and Charles, 1972. 324p

Cowell, John. Holyhead and the Royal Mail : a postal history. Caernarfon : Gwynedd County Council Library Service, 1990. 27p

Elis-Williams, M. Packet to Ireland : Porthdinllaen's challenge to Holyhead. Caernarfon : Gwynedd Archives Service, Gwynedd County Council, c1984.  147p

Harper, Charles George. The Holyhead road: : the mail-coach road to Dublin. London : Chapman & Hall, 1902.

Hornsey, Brian. A cinema miscellany : Wales and borders. Part 16,; Aberdare, Barry, Chepstow, Holyhead, Kington (Herefordshire) picture house, Monmouth, Pontypool. Stamford : Fuchsiaprint, 2001. 40p

Jackson, Thomas. The visitor's hand-book for Holyhead, comprising a history of the town, the antiquities and sublime scenery of the mountain, with a full description of the wonders of South Stack and the gigantic new harbour : also, information respecting the steam packets, railways, &c., and other objects of interest in the town and neighbourhood. London : Smith and Sons, 1853. 71p

Lloyd Hughes D. and Dorothy M. Williams. The Story of a Port - Holyhead. 1967

Morris, Jeff. The story of the Holyhead Lifeboats. [Poole?] : Royal National Lifeboat Institution, 1989.

Owen, Alun. Holyhead : images of an island. Holyhead : Holy Island, 1990. 47p

Owens, Edwin R. The Holyhead breakwater and quarries. Holyhead : E.R. Owens, 1987. 73p

Owens, Edwin R. Mynydd Twr = Holyhead Mountain. Holyhead : Edwin R. Owens, 1989. 171p

Pearsall, A W H. The Holyhead steamers of the L.N.W.R. [London] : London & North Western Railway Society, [197-?]. 33p

Photographic views of Holyhead. Holyhead : E.J. Williams, Bookseller, [190-?]

Rowlands, Eryl Wyn. ' - for want of schooling - ' : church education in Holyhead 1748-1998 : a brief history. Caergybi : [S.l.] : Ysgol y Parchedig Thomas Ellis ; 250 Group, 1998. 28p

Rowlands, John. Holyhead - people, prosperity and poverty. [Caernarfon] : Gwynedd Library Service, 1989. 34p

Scott Roberts, Peter. The Ancestry, Life and Times of Commander John Macgregor Skinner R.N.   Holyhead Maritime Museum, 2007

Stanley, Arthur P. A record of St. Cybi's church, Holyhead : and the sermon preached after its restoration, 1879. London : Nopps and Tarrant, [18--?] 40p

Stanley, Wiliam O. Memoirs on remains of ancient dwellings in Holyhead Island,mostly of circular form, called Cyttiau'r Gwyddelod : explored in 1862 and 1868 ... London : Printed for the author, 1871.

Stretton, Clement E. The history of the Holyhead Railway Boat Service : a paper read on the ... jubilee of the railway companies' working, August 1st, 1898. Leeds : Goodall and Suddick, Printers, 1901. 19p

Business and Commerce Records

Details of extant records on Archives Network Wales for the following;

• Holyhead Marine Workshops papers
  "The Marine Yard at Holyhead undertook boat and ship repairs. W. G. Taylor was a turner at the Yard...."
• Papers of Thomas Bugbird & Son Ltd 1836-1941 papers - including engineering works at Holyhead Harbour

Census

Joyce and Douglas Hinde have provided a transcript of the 1851 Census of Holyhead (Surname order and Address order).

Church History

• Amlwch and Holyhead English Circuit, Wesleyan Methodist Church, papers 1842-1981
• Capel Tabernacl [Ind] Newydd, Caergybi, [Holyhead] documents 1867-1983  
• New Park Street English Baptist Church, Newry Street, Holyhead 1886-1988
  Founded c1860, building still standing March 2005 
• Diaries of Rev. William Morgan 1825 - 1868 and Register of Bethel Baptist Chapel, Holyhead 1825-1861

Rees, Thomas & John Thomas. Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru (History of the Welsh Independent Churches), 4 volumes (published 1871+). Here is the entry from this book for Y Tabernacl Newydd, Caergybi chapel (in Welsh) - with translation.     Also Caergybi chapel (no translation).   Also Tabor ? (No translation)

Church Records

Joyce Hinde has supplied a list of Parish Registers held at Anglesey Record Office.

Held at Anglesey Record Office (NRA);

• Holyhead English Wesleyan Methodist Circuit;- 1867-1984: baptism registers, circuit schedule books, account books, corresp (some in Welsh)

Description and Travel

Holyhead - Ann Roberts' site with lots of local data and photographs

Baker-lite's Holyhead page of pictures

Holyhead on BBC Wales

Welcome to Holyhead site

Holyhead - on wikipedia

Caergybi - on Caergybi.com

Gazetteers

• The transcription of the section for Holyhead from The National Gazetteer (1868) provided by Colin Hinson.
• A Topographical Dictionary of Wales by Samuel Lewis, 1833

Genealogy

• Ty Mawr Mynydd, Holyhead - Hughes family correspondence 1841-1936, 1984
• Rev. Huw Llewelyn Williams Papers 1836-1974
• Lucy Williams Papers 1741-1957 (accumulated 1938-1957) - local historian
• Ceinwen Rowlands papers 1924-[1980s] -  singer, born Holyhead
• Jane Henrietta Adeane Papers c. 1920-1971
  Jane Henrietta Adeane (1842-1926) of Plas Llanfawr, a member of the Penrhos family of  Holyhead
• John Lloyd Griffith, solicitor (1839-1902) -  collection of legal material involving local families 1667-1902

Land and Property

Details of extant records on Archives Network Wales for the following;

• Holyhead Deeds and Legal Papers 1753-1917
  "The properties covered include, Penycei, Willow Garden, Swift & [?] Court and others......"
• Lucy Williams Collection ca. 1941 - inc. history of the houses in Swift Square, also sea shanties and poems
• Panton, Priestley and Garreglwyd Papers 1766-1905 - papers relating to family property and trusts
• Penrhos Manuscripts 1430-1972 - one group of deeds and documents relates to the Owen family of Penrhos

Held at Anglesey Record Office (NRA);

• Holyhead land tax;- 1744-1815: assessments
• Holyhead Parish;- 1737-1992: records
• Holyhead Rural Community Council;- 1883-1976: financial and administrative papers, minutes
• Holyhead tithes;- 1924-36: Tithe Rent Charge account books
• Holyhead Town Council;- 1832-1986: minutes, financial records
• Holyhead UDC;- 1860-1974: minute books of local government board, minutes and ledgers of council, committee minutes, rate books, maps, plans, misc papers;   1924-1967: misc corresp, committee minutes, financial papers
• Holyhead window tax;- 1751-1760: assessments

Maps

Merchant Marine

The Maritime History of Holyhead - on the Anglesey.info site

Holyhead Lifeboats - history and pictures

Port of Holyhead site

Holyhead Port - pictures

South Stack Lighthouse - description and access details

Holyhead Maritime Museum - access details

Details of extant records on Archives Network Wales for the following;

• "Alfred Dutton Papers 1915-1920  -
  Alfred Dutton was the Paymaster on the HMS Tara during the First World War. The Tara was formerly a passenger steamer called the SS Hibernia of the London & North Western Railway Company, which carried passengers between Holyhead and Dublin. Following the outbreak of war in 1914, the renamed ship was requisitioned by the Admiralty, and converted into an armed boarding ship................."
• Diary of John Roberts, Assistant Harbour-Master at Holyhead 1855 July 2-1858 August 3
• North Wales Port Book 1725-1730 - containing accounts of the ports of Beaumaris, Conwy, Pwllheli, Caernarfon and Holyhead

Held at Anglesey Record Office (NRA);

• Holyhead Harbour;- 1905-29: bye laws

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

Holyhead Workhouse - on the Peter Higginbotham site

Held at University of Wales, Bangor (NRA)

• Holyhead Parish;- 1837-1842: overseers accounts

Held at Anglesey Record Office (NRA);

• Holyhead Poor Law Union;- 1870-1957: records

Public Records

Details of extant records on Archives Network Wales for the following;

• Holyhead Vestry Books 1816-1881
• Harbour of Refuge Lodge of Oddfellows, Manchester Unity Friendly Society, Holyhead, records 1863-1910
• Holyhead and District Boy Scouts Local Association Records 1917-1980
• W. H. Austin (County Water Engineer) Papers re Holyhead Waterworks Co 1866-[ c. 1970]
• Holyhead Harbour Bye Laws records 1905-1929
• Holyhead Motor Ambulance Committee records 1936-1948
• Holyhead Salvation Army, records [1930s]-1981
• Holyhead Urban District Council, records 1772-2001 (accumulated 1894-2001)
• Holyhead and North Wales Gas and Water Company papers 1854-1970
• Stanley Sailor s Hospital, Salt Island, Holyhead  1925-1959
  Founded in 1871, taken over by the National Health Service in 1948, closed in 1987 
• Dean, R. J., collection of railway plans 1843-1966 (inc. Holyhead Railway)
• Holyhead Road Labour Accounts 1819-1836
• Shrewsbury and Holyhead Road Correspondence 1884-1887 - correspondence and papers relating to the letting of the tolls of Anglesey and Caernarfonshire gates on the Shrewsbury and Holyhead Road

Held at Anglesey Record Office (NRA);

• Holyhead Valley Hospital; - 1870-1957: records

Schools

Details of extant records on Archives Network Wales for the following;

• Trevor Lovett Papers 1943-1980 - local headmaster (inc Holyhead County Grammar, and Holyhead County Secondary schools)
• Holyhead British School Committee Minute Book 1846-1897

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