Denbighshire

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Ruthin / Rhuthun

"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.

Bibliography

• A few of the old inns and alehouses, Ruthin :  The Clwyd County Planning and Estates Department in association with the Ruthin Womens Institute. Mold : Clwyd County Council, [1986?]
• A Walk round Historic Ruthin        Mold 1986
• Baird, Shelley R. and D. C. Castledine.           Bontuchel, near Ruthin        Clwyd Historian = Hanes Bro Clwyd. No. 15 (Spring 1985), p. 33
• Book of reference to the plan of the Parish of Ruthin (Hundred of Ruthin) in the county of Denbigh : Lieut.-General Sir Henry James, Director-General of the Ordnance Survey.     London : Eyre & Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1875.
• Clarke, Joanna.  The forgotten printer of Ruthin :         Country Quest. Oct. 1999, p. 26
• Clements, Fewtrell.    Andeans in Ruthin         Country Quest. (September 2005), p. 16 
• Davies,  C. Islwyn.    The battle of Ruthin School     Country Quest (February 1996), p. 23-5
• de Hereford, Reginald.     The history of Ruthin Castle          Bolton : G. W. Advertising, [1973?]
• Dopson, Laurence.   The story of Ruthin gaol        Country Quest. (May 2002), p. 15-16
• Evans, Brian. Owain Glyn Dwr's raid on Ruthin (1400)    Denbighshire Historical Society    49   2000
• Fisher, J.     The Lordship of Ruthin       [London : J. Russell Smith, 1914].
• Fletcher, Allan.   Ruthin workhouse      Clwyd Historian = Hanes Bro Clwyd. No. 40 (Spring 1998), p. 18-21
• Fletcher, Allan.       The railways to Denbigh, Ruthin and Corwen. [Part 1]     Clwyd Historian = Hanes Bro Clwyd. No. 28 (Spring 1992), p. 29-32
• Fletcher, Allan.        The railways to Denbigh, Ruthin and Corwen (conclusion). [Part 2]        Clwyd Historian = Hanes Bro Clwyd. No. 29 (Autumn 1992), p. 8-10
• Fraser, Maxwell.   Ruthin and the Vale of Clwyd    Cardiff 1973
• From Ruthin to the Klondyke.       Country Quest 28/8 (1988), p. 27-9
• Gale, F.  and J. Phillips.         A saunter around medieval Ruthin         Proceedings of the Dyserth and district field club, (2008), p. 59-61.
• Green, George.   Ruthin, where you walk in footsteps of princes and kings      Country Quest 29/1-2 (1988), p. 60-7
• Howell-Williams, Peter.   Ruthin in c.1855 according to Robert Roberts (1834-85) - y 'sgolwr mawr'       Clwyd Historian = Hanes Bro Clwyd. No. 50 (Spring 2003), p. 17-25
• Hughes, Trevor.   Ruthin     Denbigh c 1984
• Humphreys, Margaret.    From Ruthin to the Australian goldfields          Hel achau, No. 103 (Rhagfyr / December 2009), p. 34-37
• Jack, R Ian.    Owain Glyn Dwr and the Lordship of Ruthin   (NLW's site)    Welsh History Review 2
• Jack, R Ian.    The Seigneurial charters of the Borough of Ruthin      Cylchgrawn Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru, Cyf. 16, rh. 1 (Haf 1969), p. 77-86.
• Jones, L.  Jones' Handbook for Ruthin and vicinity   Ruthin 1884
• Jones, Lewis.  Rhuddenfab's Hand-book to Ruthin in the Vale of Clwyd   Ruthin 1896
• Jones, Nigel.   Excavations at Brynhyfryd Park, Ruthin, Clwyd, 1988-89      Archaeology in Wales, Vol. 32 (1992), p. 19-31.
• Jones, Tim.     Cambrian Mineral Waters of Ruthin, 1854-1954       Trafodion (Denbighshire Historical Society), 45 (1996), p. 89-110
• Kenyon-Thompson, Keith.     Croeso .. Rhuthun .. Welcome        Ruthin : Spread Eagle Pubns. : 3 Upper Clwyd St., 1986.
• Matthias, Kevin.    Convicts' photographs at Ruthin Record Office      Clwyd Historian = Hanes Bro Clwyd. No. 39 (Autumn 1997), p. 27-30
• Morris, D Gwynne.  Ruthin and District   Market Drayton 1991
• Morris, D Gwynne. The postal history of Denbighshire with special reference to Ruthin     Ruthin 1995
• Newcome, Richard.     An account of the castle and town of Ruthin  2nd ed.    Ruthin : Royal Victoria Press : printed by Robert Jones, 1836.
• Nichol, D.   Environmental and urban geology of Ruthin, vale of Clwyd     Urban geology in Wales p.29-34
• Nineteenth Century Ruthin   Mold 1992 
• Owen., Geraint.     Old and present pubs of Ruthin town             Ruthin : Invisus, 2004.
• Randall. Peter D.   The Collegiate Church of St Peter's, Ruthin     1999        
• Rhuddenfab's hand-book to Ruthin in the Vale of Clwyd.          Revised and much enlarged.         Ruthin : Lewis Jones, 1916.
• Roberts, T J.    Ruthin   3rd ed  Cheltenham 18??
• Ruthin Castle, North Wales   Ruthin 1943
• Ruthin, Denbighshire    Glos  1970
• Ruthin, Clwyd, town guide   Glos 1976
• Ruthin School 1284-1984 :         Ruthin : Ruthin School, 1984.
• Shingles, R H.     Ruthin English Presbyterian Church     Rhuthun : The Minister and Elders, English Presbyterian Church, Ruthin, 1986.
• Stagg, Richard.   The Ruthin and Cerrigydrudion Railway          Welsh railways archive. Vol. IV, no. 10 (November 2009), p. 231-238.
• The Borough Guide to Ruthin.          Cheltenham: Burrow, [1909].
• The Collegiate and Parochial Church of St Peter, Ruthin  PCC 1976 & 1984 (rev) & 3rd ed 1997
• The Councell Booke of Ruthin, 1642 to 1695 / transcribed by Norman Tucker.         Colwyn Bay: N. Tucker, 1962?
• Thompson, Keith M.             Ruthin School           Ruthin : Ruthin School Quatercentenary Committee, 1974.
• Waddelove, E & A. C. Waddelove &  G. D. B. Jones.     The Roman fort at Ruthin, Clwyd        Britannia (Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies), Vol. 21 (1990), p. 299-302.
• Wilkinson, M. and J. Phillips.          The historic town of Ruthin         Proceedings of the Dyserth and district field club, (2005), p. 31-32
• Williams, David.    The Battle of Maes Maen Cymro, Rhewl, Ruthin     Clwyd Historian = Hanes Bro Clwyd. No. 49 (Autumn 2002), p. 5-6 
• Williams, David.   From Abyssinia to Ruthin       Clwyd Historian = Hanes Bro Clwyd. No. 39 (Autumn 1997), p. 2-6 
• Williams, David.        Mill Street, Ruthin     Clwyd Historian = Hanes Bro Clwyd. No. 37 (Autumn 1996), p. 19-22
• Williams, David W.     The Maurices of Lloran and their Ruthin connections         Trafodion (Denbighshire Historical Society), 42 (1993), p. 37-5
• Williams, D W.     Ruthin's participation in the process of establishing Bangor Normal College    Clwyd Historian = Hanes Bro Clwyd. No. 42 (Spring 1999), p. 22-4

Church History

See Welsh Chapels and Churches for a photograph of ;

• Ruthin, Llanbedr St Peter's Church
• Ruthin Capel Pendref Independent
• Ruthin Well Street, Tabernacle Presbyterian
• Ruthin,Wynnstay Road English Presbyterian

Ordnance Survey reference SJ 124584.

"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 Civiladministrative district of Ruthin Borough :

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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 Ruthin are in the format :

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

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

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Description and Travel

Visit Ruthin site

Welcome to Ruthin site

Ruthin - on wikipedia

Ruthin Gaol - on ridemad.com

Ruthin photographs - on geograph.org.uk

Maps

On Clwyd FHS's site there is a diagram showing parish names/positions with links to pages for the parish church

Kain, R.J.P., Oliver, R.R., Historic Parishes of England and Wales: an Electronic Map of Boundaries before 1850 with a Gazetteer and Metadata [computer file]. Colchester, Essex: History Data Service, UK Data Archive [distributor], 17 May 2001. SN: 4348.   Here is a gazetteer/finding aid plus a set of overview maps to accurately identify the position of parishes within the county

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Population

• In 1831- the population was 1419.
• In 1901- the population was 914.
  [ Royal Commission on the Welsh Church - October 1907]

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Last Updated  9 Jan 2013 - Gareth Hicks