GENUKI : Flintshire, Holywell, St. James

Holywell / Treffynnon

"The town of Holywell is situated on the estuary of the Dee nearly opposite to Parkgate. ... It is built on the declevity of a hill gradually extending to the sea, the surrounding hills forming a kind of amphitheatre. ... The town of Holywell ranks the first in the principality of Wales. Its inhabitants are intelligent and enterprising, and few places can boast of society being better cemented, or good cheer and hospitality more uniformly practised."
[From The Histories of Holywell, Flint, St. Asaph and Rhuddlan, Poole, 1831]

Holywell is one of the "ancient parishes" of Flintshire. It originally comprised the townships of Holywell, Brynford, Bagillt Fawr, Bagillt Fechan, Calcot, Coleshill Fawr, Coleshill Fechan, Greenfield, Stokyn and Wellstone (or Trefynnon).
On 23 May 1844, the new parish of Bagillt was created from the townships of Bagillt Fawr, Bagillt Fechan, Coleshill Fawr and Coleshill Fechan.
In 1854, most of the township of Brynford was lost to the new parish of Brynford.
In 1983, the area of Wellstone was transferred to the parish of Brynford.

Cemeteries
Church History
Church Records

Civil Registration
Population
Statistics

Cemeteries

In addition to the churchyard of St. James Parish Church, there is a public cemetery in Fron Park Road.
The cemetery, which was opened about 1910, 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 1910 to 1927, and from 1936 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

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Church History

Ordnance Survey reference SJ 185763
The church in Holywell was founded bt St. Beuno during the seventh century, and was dedicated to St. Winifred, his niece, for many centuries. However, after extensive rebuilding in 1769/1770, it was re-dedicated to St. James the Apostle. There was a further renovation, including a considerable amount of rebuilding and alteration, during 1884/1885.

The Clwyd FHS website has a photograph of the church.

There is a district church at Greenfield.

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 Civil parish of "Holywell Urban District":

Name of Chapel Denomination Number of "adherents"

Bethel - Welsh Baptist 230

Rehoboth Calvinistic Methodist 476

Penymaes Calvinistic Methodist Not stated

Chapel Street - Welsh Congregational 298

Tabernacle - English Congregational 130

Not named English Presbyterian 135

Pendre - Welsh Wesleyan 305

Name of Chapel	Denomination	Number of "adherents"
Bethel - Welsh	Baptist	230
Rehoboth	Calvinistic Methodist	476
Penymaes	Calvinistic Methodist	Not stated
Chapel Street - Welsh	Congregational	298
Tabernacle - English	Congregational	130
Not named	English Presbyterian	135
Pendre - Welsh	Wesleyan	305

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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.

Baptisms Marriages Burials

1677 - 1995 1677 - 1997 1677 - 1978

Baptisms	Marriages	Burials
1677 - 1995	1677 - 1997	1677 - 1978

Clwyd FHS has published full transcriptions of the registers (complete with indexes) for the following years :

Baptisms Marriages Burials

1677 - 1825 1677 - 1812 1677 - 1812

Baptisms	Marriages	Burials
1677 - 1825	1677 - 1812	1677 - 1812

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 Flintshire and Denbighshire Record Offices, and at the National Library of Wales.
In general, the Bishop's Transcripts are less complete than the parish registers.

Deposited at the National Library of Wales Microfilmed copies

1667 - 1866 1667 - 1866

Deposited at the National Library of Wales	Microfilmed copies
1667 - 1866	1667 - 1866

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.

Type of Record Years Covered I.G.I. Batch Number

Baptisms 1823 - 1848 C056621

Marriages None -

Type of Record	Years Covered	I.G.I. Batch Number
Baptisms	1823 - 1848	C056621
Marriages	None	-

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Nonconformist Records

The following nonconformist registers for the Holywell 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 Chapel Denomination Type of Record Years Covered I.G.I. Batch Number

Rehoboth Calvinistic Methodist Births and Baptisms 1809 - 1837 C098191

Seion, Chapel Street Congregational Births and Baptisms 1800 - 1837 C098511

Pendre, Chester Road Wesleyan Births and Baptisms 1809 - 1837 C098401

Name of Chapel	Denomination	Type of Record	Years Covered	I.G.I. Batch Number
Rehoboth	Calvinistic Methodist	Births and Baptisms	1809 - 1837	C098191
Seion, Chapel Street	Congregational	Births and Baptisms	1800 - 1837	C098511
Pendre, Chester Road	Wesleyan	Births and Baptisms	1809 - 1837	C098401

The following nonconformist registers for the Holywell area are held at the Flintshire Record Office, Hawarden.
They have not been filmed; and they have not been incorporated into the I.G.I. :

Name of Chapel Denomination Type of Record Years Covered

Tabernacle Congregational Baptisms, Marriages and Burials 1867 - 1986

Spring Gardens English Presbyterian Baptisms 1951 - 1971

Name of Chapel	Denomination	Type of Record	Years Covered
Tabernacle	Congregational	Baptisms, Marriages and Burials	1867 - 1986
Spring Gardens	English Presbyterian	Baptisms	1951 - 1971

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Civil Registration

When Civil Registration was introduced (on 1 July 1837), the parish of Holywell was assigned to the No. 2 ("Holywell") sub-district of the Holywell Registration District, which was co-extensive with the Holywell poor law Union.

In the GRO indexes to civil registration, entries for Holywell 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- the population was 8969.
In 1901- the population was 4972.
[Royal Commission on the Welsh Church - October 1907]

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Statistics

Archdeacon Thomas (1911) gives the area of the parish, including Greenfield, as 3200 acres.

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Last updated 4 May 2004 - Vic Roberts