Flintshire

Parishes

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Gorsedd

During the early Victorian period, it was seen that there was a need to provide a church for the population of the more remote areas of Halkyn mountain. The local landowners undertook to build a church at Pantasaph; but when the building was almost complete, the family converted to Roman Catholicism. Following a period of bitter dispute, and legal action, the Bishop of St. Asaph was compelled to relinquish the claim of the Established Church to the new building.
A fund-raising appeal was launched, and within a very short time the sum of £10,806 (a considerable figure for that time) had been contributed - enough to build two new churches - St. Paul's, Gorsedd, and St. Michael's, Brynford.
The new parish of Gorsedd was created on 19 August 1853, from part of the township of Gellilyfdy (formerly in the parish of Ysceifiog), and part of the township of Mertyn Uwch Glan (formerly in the parish of Whitford).

The London Gazette of 27 September 1853 defined the boundaries of the new parish thus:
"All that part of the parish of Whitford, in the county of Flint, and in the diocese of St. Asaph, situate on the southern side of an imaginary line extending along the middle of the turn-pike road from Holywell parish, through Whitford parish aforesaid, into Caerwys parish, such part being bounded on the east by the said parish of Holywell, on the south by the said parish of Ysceifiog, and on the west by the said parish of Caerwys, and also all that part of the said parish of Ysceifiog which is situate on the northern side of an imaginary line extending along the middle of the road, commencing at Rhydydefaid and leading direct by Babell to Penyffordd and the said parish of Caerwys".

For a map link to this place - see under Maps on Whitford

Church History

The church of St. Paul was consecrated on 25 October 1853.

The Clwyd FHS website has a photograph of the church.

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Church Records

Parish Registers

• The following Parish Registers have been deposited at Flintshire Record Office, Hawarden. They may be viewed on microfilm at the Flintshire Record Office, the Denbighshire Record Office, Ruthin, and the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth. These microfilms are not available elsewhere.

Bishop's Transcripts

• No Bishop's Transcripts have been deposited.

I.G.I.

• There are no official I.G.I. entries for St. Paul's, Gorsedd.

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Civil Registration

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

• Years 1837 - 1851: Holywell XXVII. nnn
• Years 1852 - 1946: Holywell 11b. nnn

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

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Population

• In 1831- Gorsedd was not a separate parish.
• In 1901- the population was 735.
  [ Royal Commission on the Welsh Church - October 1907]

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Last Updated 23 Jan 2011 - Gareth Hicks