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Buckley

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"Buckley is in the County of Flint, North Wales. The neighbouring towns are Chester, 8 miles, Flint 6, Mold 3, and Hawarden 2. It is situated on an eminence about 500 feet above sea level. The River Dee flows 3½ miles below, and the mouth of the Dee and Irish Sea are in view to the North-west. As the breezes blow mainly from that point, its position is rendered very healthful and invigorating. Looking west and south there is a splendid view of the Clwydian range of mountains, Caergwrle castle, etc. The population is about 7000, and its industries are coal-mining, the manufacture of fire-clay bricks, tiles, etc., and pottery earthenware. A century ago it was but a straggling village of a score or so of mud and stone straw-thatched cottages, but coal was mined here 200 years since. ..... With one or two honourable exceptions, the district has never received the assistance it might have had from its absentee landlords and employers. But there are some in its midst, possessed of considerable influence and ability, who are devoting themselves loyally to its needs. May they long remain in its service." [From Official Programme - Buckley Jubilee Day Festivities, 8 July 1902]

The town of Buckley developed rapidly during the nineteeth century, straddling the boundary between the ancient parishes of Mold and Hawarden.
For ecclesiastical purposes, the town is now divided between the parishes of Buckley and Bistre.

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Bibliography

N.B. The entries below represent only a selection of articles published in Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society - for further material search the NLW Book catalogue

  • Altounyan, Caroline A. Buckley : Part I Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society, No. 22 (Spring 1998) p. 12-23
  • Altounyan, Caroline A. Buckley : Part II Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society. No. 23 (Spring 1999), p. 8-14
  • Bentley, James. Buckley bedroom furniture Clwyd Historian = Hanes Bro Clwyd. No. 20 (April 1988), p. 15-18
  • Bentley, James. 'The Butcher's Pit', Buckley Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society, No. 24 - Millennium issue (Spring 2000) p. 34.
  • Bithell, Sid. A Buckley man Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society, No. 34 (Spring 2010) p. 60-76.
  • Buckley pottery : [text by Sheila Tyler]. Llandudno : Mostyn Art Gallery, 1983.
  • Chesters, J I. The Buckley Art Society Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society. No. 16 (Spring 1992), p. 36-46
  • Cole, J. R. and Derrick Pratt. Capel Spon, Buckley, Clwyd Archaeology in Wales, Vol. 33 (1993), p. 25-30
  • Connolly, Andrew. Buckley through the eyes of newspapers Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society, No. 31 (Spring 2007) p. 3-7.
  • Cropper, Thomas. Buckley & district New. [Mold] : Clwyd Library and Museum Service, 1987.
  • Davies, P.G., C.J. Dawson, J.R. Thomas. The Buckley Railway album and associated industries [S.l.] : Buckley Society, c2007.
  • Dawson, Chris. The barbers of Buckley Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society, No. 32 (Spring 2008) p. 10-13.
  • Duckworth, Charles. Bringing water to Buckley Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society, No. 20 (Spring 1996) p. 24-25
  • Duckworth, Charles. Bygone Buckley and the outside world Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society. No. 10 (Apr. 1985), p. 8-9
  • Dunn, Neville. The Buckley Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society, No. 35 (Spring 2011) p. 9-14
  • Dunn, Neville. A Buckley hymnist and other family composers Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society, No. 33 (Spring 2009) p. 41-48
  • Dunn, Neville. Buckley's Duke of York Inn tunnel Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society. No. 29 (Spring 2005), p. 58-68
  • Ellis, Bryn. The Buckley Brick and Tile Company Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society. No. 10 (Apr. 1985), p. 10-13
  • Foulkes, J. Buckley Brickyards in the 1880s Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society. No. 30 (Spring 2006), p. 14.
  • Gregory, Harold The Little Mountain colliery, Buckley Flintshire Historical Society journal, Vol. 23 1967/8 Welsh Journals Online
  • Gregory, Harold G The distillation of oil from cannel coal and shales Flintshire Historical Society journal, Vol. 25 1971/72 Welsh Journals Online
  • Gruffydd, K. Lloyd. A brief study of some early Buckley families Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society. No. 23 (Spring 1999), p. 24-33
  • Gruffydd, K. Lloyd. Aspects of Buckley's social history as seen through school log books. Part I, (1863-1870) Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society, No. 24 - Millennium issue (Spring 2000) p. 94-96
  • Gruffydd, K. Lloyd. Aspects of Buckley's social history as seen through school log books. Part 2, (1871-1884) Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society. No. 27 (Spring 2003), p. 3-8
  • Gruffydd, K. Lloyd. Aspects of Buckley's social history as seen through school log books. Part 3, (1885-99) Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society. No. 28 (Spring 2004), p. 49-53
  • Gwyndaf, Robin [and] Eirlys Gruffydd. A Buckley pot used as a charm Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society. No. 10 (Apr. 1985), p. 14-16
  • Hodges, Phil. A brief history and development of the Buckley Heritage Trail Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society. No. 25 (Spring 2001), 61-64
  • Hodnett, Brian D. Buckley's forgotten cemetary Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society, No. 31 (Spring 2007) p. 8-11.
  • Hodnett, Brian D. Buckley's royal connection Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society, No. 24 - Millennium issue (Spring 2000) p. 97
  • Jackson, Ephraim. Buckley Bakeries, 1929-1939 Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society. No. 29 (Spring 2005), p. 51-54.
  • Johnson, G. The Buckley telephone exchange, 1896-1936 Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society. No. 29 (Spring 2005), p. 17-18
  • Jones, J Clifford A history of the schools and education in Buckley Flintshire Historical Society journal, Vol.15 1954/5 Welsh Journals Online
  • Kelsall, Charles. The Buckley Junction Metallic Brick Company Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society, No. 33 (Spring 2009) p. 53-56
  • Kelsall, P. Buckley soldiers from the Great War. Part 1 Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society. No. 29 (Spring 2005), p. 36-46
  • Kelsall, Peter. Buckley soldiers from the Great War. Part 2 Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society. No. 30 (Spring 2006), p. 21-32
  • Kelsall, Richard. Buckley boy who 'showed' the way Country Quest 29/8 (1989), p. 36-7
  • Kinnear, John. The Buckley dialect Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society. No. 12 (July 1987), p. 29-33
  • Lewis, Geraint. Buckley - before her pride Country Quest 26/9 (1986), p. 36
  • Messham, J E The Buckley Potteries Flintshire Historical Society journal, Vol.16 1956 Welsh Journals Online
  • Messham, J E A Ewloe bailiff's account and the origins of the Buckley pottery industry Flintshire Historical Society journal, Vol. 32 1989 Welsh Journals Online
  • Messham. J E Conflict on Buckley Common Flintshire Historical Society journal, Vol. 32 1989 Welsh Journals Online
  • Messham, J E Conflict at Buckley collieries; the strike at the Elm and Maesygrug, 1884/5 Flintshire Historical Society journal, Vol. 33 1992 Welsh Journals Online
  • Roberts, Dewi. Beautiful Buckley Country Quest. (February 2005), p. 12-13
  • Roberts, Gladys Lloyd. Buckley Council School, Padeswood Road, Buckley Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society. No. 30 (Spring 2006), p. 49
  • Stanley, Gerald. The butchers' shops of Buckley Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society, No. 34 (Spring 2010) p. 48-49.
  • The Buckley dialect Buckley: the magazine of the Buckley Society, No. 32 (Spring 2008) p. 16-18.
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Cemeteries

In addition to the churchyard of St. Matthew's parish church, and the churchyard of Emmanuel parish church, Bistre, there is a public cemetery in Elfed Road (OS ref. SJ 276642).
The cemetery, which was opened about 1891, is still in use, and is administered by Flintshire County Council. The opening time is 8.00 a.m. until sunset.
The cemetery records, from 1891 to date, are held at the Flintshire County offices in Flint.
Researchers who wish to see the cemetery records must make a prior appointment, by contacting :

  • Flintshire County Council,
    Housing and Community Services,
    Cemeteries Section,
    County Offices,
    Flint,
    Flintshire.
    CH6 5BD.

    Tel: 01352 703360
    Fax: 01352 703373

A copy of the burial register from 1928-1982 has also been deposited in Flintshire Record Office, Hawarden.

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Church History

Ordnance Survey reference SJ 284648.
By the early nineteenth century, the Buckley district of the parish of Hawarden was becoming heavily industrialised, with a rapidly increasing population. In 1818 the Rector of Hawarden, Rev. George Neville, decided that the district should have its own church, and launched an appeal for funds. Sufficient funds were quickly raised to build the church, a parsonage, and two schools. The foundation stone of the church was laid on Friday 14 December 1821, with considerable ceremony, and the church was completed within nine months:

"A plain but handsome Gothic structure, embracing an area within sixty-eight feet, by forty-four feet, without pillars, which is divided into three aisles, Middle, North, and South .....
On Wednesday the 25th of September, 1822, the ceremony of consecration took place at this Church; the day was favourable, and from the best observations it was calculated that near two thousand people were assembled ....."
[From A Memoir of Hawarden Parish, Richard Willett, 1822]

Buckley church remained as a district church within the parish of Hawarden until 12 December 1874, when the parish of Buckley was established in its own right. The new parish comprised the township of Ewloe Wood and parts of the townships of Ewloe Town and Pentrobin.
The church was extensively rebuilt during the early years of the twentieth century, and was re-consecrated on 11 January 1905.

The Clwyd FHS website has a photograph of the church.

Nonconformist Churches

"Welsh Church Commission - County of Flint - The Statistics of the Nonconformist Churches for 1905" lists the following nonconformist places of worship in the "Urban District of Buckley". This was a Civil administrative district, which included parts of the Ecclesiastical parish of Buckley :

Name of ChapelDenominationNumber of "adherents"
Nantmawr - EnglishBaptist100
Daisy Hill - EnglishBaptist100
St. John - EnglishCongregational550
Mold RoadCalvinistic Methodist140
ZionEnglish Presbyterian140
BistreMethodist New Connexion400
PentrobinMethodist New Connexion250
AlltamiPrimitive Methodist138
DruryPrimitive Methodist176
TabernaclePrimitive Methodist500
Not namedSalvation Army100
Brunswick - EnglishWesleyan130
Mold Road - WelshWesleyan35
The Square - EnglishWesleyan150
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Church Records

  • The following nonconformist registers for the Buckley and Bistre area are held at the Public Record Office, Kew.
    They may be viewed on microfilm at LDS Family History Centres; and at the Flintshire Record Office, the Denbighshire Record Office and the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth.
    They have also been incorporated into the I.G.I., as part of an "official extraction" programme :
Name of ChapelDenominationType of RecordYears Covered
Buckley MountainIndependentBirths and Baptisms1820 - 1836
  • The following nonconformist registers for the Buckley and Bistre area are held either at the Flintshire Record Office, Hawarden (FRO), at the Denbighshire Record Office, Ruthin (DRO), or at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth (NLW).
    They have not been filmed; and they have not been incorporated into the I.G.I. :
Name of ChapelDenominationType of RecordYears CoveredHeld at
St. John'sCongregationalBaptisms, Marriages and Burials1946 - 1982FRO
ZionEnglish PresbyterianMarriages1899 - 1966
1973 - 1974
NLW
Providence, BistreMethodist New ConnexionBaptisms1893 - 1948FRO
Providence, BistreMethodist New ConnexionBaptisms1950 - 1977DRO
Alltami / Drury / Tabernacle, Buckley
("Circuit")
Primitive Methodist / MethodistBaptisms1902 - 1989FRO
(Not named)Wesleyan MethodistBaptisms1893 - 1948FRO
(Not named)Wesleyan MethodistBaptisms1950 - 1977 (photocopies)FRO
BrunswickWesleyan MethodistBaptisms1885 - 1935FRO
SquareWesleyan MethodistBaptisms1885 - 1933FRO
  • Note - many of the Methodist chapels were grouped into "Circuits", with one set of registers serving the Circuit; and it may not always be possible to identify the particular chapel in which the ceremony was performed.
    Over the years, there have been several re-organisations of these Circuits in the eastern part of Flintshire. It is therefore advisable to also search the Methodist registers for the Connah's Quay and Connah's Quay and Hawarden areas.
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Civil Registration

When Civil Registration was introduced in July 1837, Buckley (being part of Hawarden parish) was assigned to the No. 4 ("Hawarden") sub-district of the Great Boughton Registration District (Cheshire).

On the 1st January 1870, the Great Boughton registration district was re-named as Chester.

On 1 January 1903, the sub-district of Hawarden was upgraded to a Registration District in its own right.

In the GRO indexes to civil registration, entries for Buckley are found under:

  • Years 1837 - 1851: Gt. Boughton XIX. nnn
  • Years 1852 - 1869: Gt. Boughton 8a. nnn
  • Years 1870 - 1902: Chester 8a. nnn
  • Years 1903 - 1946: Hawarden 11b. nnn

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

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Description & Travel

Buckley - on wikipedia

Buckley Town Council

Various landscapes  on the People's Collection Wales site

You can see pictures of Buckley which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

The transcription of the section for this place from the National Gazetteer (1868), provided by Colin Hinson.

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History

Tivoli Cinema Buckley c1930 on the People's Collection Wales site

'Knowle Hill Exchange Sidings, Buckley, c.1925' by James Bentley on the People's Collection Wales site

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Maps

"North-East Wales Churches and Ancient Parish Boundaries" produced by Clwyd Record Office in 1994, published by Genuki with the permission of Flintshire Record Office and Denbighshire Archives

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

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SJ278641 (Lat/Lon: 53.169097, -3.081506), Buckley which are provided by:

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Military History

An article from the Flintshire Observer about the death of Thomas Ellis from Buckley during The First World War on the People's Collection Wales site

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Occupations

Material on the People's Collection Wales site

  • Gibson's Brookhill Brickworks, Buckley, 1908 
  • 'Work Time: Davison's Old Ewloe Works, Buckley' by James Bentley (1975) 
  • Workmen at Hayes Pottery, Buckley, c. 1910
  • Catalogue of the Standard Brick Company, Buckley, c. 1900
  • Catalogue of C. Davison & Co, Buckley, c. 1900
  • Workers at Lamb's Pottery, Buckley, early 20th century
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Population

  • In 1831- Buckley was not a separate parish.
  • In 1901- the population was 2949.
    [ Royal Commission on the Welsh Church - October 1907]
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Social Life & Customs

Buckley Jubilee Procession, c. 1890 on the People's Collection Wales site

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Statistics

Archdeacon Thomas (1911) gives the area of the parish as 2048 acres.