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Penarth

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"PEN ARTH, in the Cwmwd of Is Caeth, Cantref of Brenhinol (now called the Hundred of Dinas Powys), County of GLAMORGAN, South Wales: a discharged Vicarage, with the Rectory of Llafernoc annexed, valued in the King's Books at £4..17..11: Patron, The Earl of Plymouth, as Lessee of the Great Tythes under the Dean and Chapter of Bristol: Church dedicated to St. Austin. The Resident Population of this Parish, in 1801, was 72. The Money raised by the Parish Rates, in 1803, was £41..13..7 3/4, at 5s. in the pound. It is 7 m. S.S. W. from Caerdiff. This Parish contains between eight and nine hundred acres of cultivated Land. It is situate at the entrance of the river Elay, and possesses one of the best and safest Harbours in the Bristol Channel. According to the Diocesan Report, in 1809, the yearly value of this Benefice, arising from Tythes, and Stipend, was £119..6..4."
From A Topographical Dictionary of The Dominion of Wales by Nicholas Carlisle, London, 1811.

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Archives & Libraries

  • Penarth Public Library
    20th cent: records incl photographs [Glamorgan Archive Service, Cardiff]
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Bibliography

Here is a substantial reading list of books which relate to Glamorgan, either county or parish.

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Business & Commerce Records

  • Robert James Ltd (formerly T Emlyn Jones), ironmongers
    late 19th cent-20th cent: receipt books, copy letter books, catalogues and other records
    [Glamorgan Archive Service, Cardiff]
  • Charles Jones & Sons, florists
    1930-34: cash account book
    [Glamorgan Archive Service, Cardiff]
  • Pilot Inn
    19th cent-20th cent: business papers
    [Glamorgan Archive Service, Cardiff]
  • Sadler Bros Limited, garage proprietors
    1890-1951: records
    [Glamorgan Archive Service, Cardiff]
  • Charles Sadler & Sons, fruiterers and fishmongers
    1937-82: ledgers and cash book
    [Glamorgan Archive Service, Cardiff]
  • Florist
    1887-1910: ledgers
    [Glamorgan Archive Service, Cardiff]

Various items - on the People's Collection Wales site

  • Black and white photograph of G Sadler & Sons, a fruit, fish and poultry shop in Penarth. 
  • A sepia promotional postcard of the Esplanade Hotel, Penarth, with printed contact details and amenities listed on the front.
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Cemeteries

The Glamorgan Family History Society have produced a set of microfiche containing Monumental Inscriptions for the following burial grounds :-

  • Parish Church of St. Augustine
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Church History

Chapels Database - a list of all known non-conformist chapels or other non-Anglican religions in the parish

See Welsh Chapels and Churches for a photograph

Various items  - on the People's Collection Wales site

  • A black and white postcard of Trinity Church, Stanwell Road, Penarth and surrounding houses.
  • A black and white postcard of Albert Road Wesleyan Church, Penarth.
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Church Records

For full and up-to-date details of their holdings see the sites of Glamorgan Record Office and/or West Glamorgan Archives

See Bap/Mar/Bur data on  FreeReg for St Augustine's

The church is dedicated to St. Augustine, is in the Benefice of Penarth with Lavernock, and the diocese of Llandaff. Details of the present incumbent of this benefice can be found at the Church in Wales website. The church can be located at grid reference ST189720.

A transcription of the registers is available from the Glamorgan Family History Society for the years: Baptisms, 1724-1900, Marriages, 1725-1837, Burials, 1724-1900. Visit their website for information on how to purchase these fiche.

Anglican Parish Registers Held at the Glamorgan Record Office, Cardiff
BaptismsMarriagesBurialsBannsBishops Transcripts
1813-19381813-19221813-19401824-1890, 1899-1905, 1913-19461724-1747, 1749, 1751-1813, 1815-1816, 1818-1825, 1827-1830, 1832-1837

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

  • Penarth Ecclesiastical Parish records            " ......... including registers of baptisms, 1813-1990; marriages, 1813-1979; burials, 1813-1998; banns, 1824-1998; services, 1921-1999; preachers books, 1875-1921; records related to: property, 1864-1902; licences, 1945; churchwardens, 1894-1901; chruch affairs, 1905-1987; civil parish, 1822-1872; Holy Nativity, Cogan, 1926-1937"

Modern Parishes & Chapels of Ease :-

Non Conformist Registers Held at the Glamorgan Record Office, Cardiff
ChapelBaptismsMarriagesBurialsOS Map Ref
Plasey Street, Tabernacle, Baptist1917-1942--ST 18387192
Quakers--1911-1927-

The following Religious Institutions are covered in the Mormon International Genealogical Index (IGI) :-

  • Penarth, St. Augustine - Christenings (BT's), 1819-1875
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Description & Travel

    Penarth town - community site

    Penarth - on Wikipedia

    Various landscapes - on the People's Collection Wales site

    Conservation areas within the Vale of Glamorgan. See Penarth - "Conservation areas are areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance"

    You can see pictures of Penarth which are provided by:

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    Directories

    Transcript of complete name listing for Penarth, and neighbouring parishes, from Slaters Directory for 1871.

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    Gazetteers

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

    Description of parish from A Topographical Dictionary of Wales by Samuel Lewis 1833

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    Historical Geography

    Some of the hamlets, towns and villages within this parish

    • Lower Penarth
    • Morristown
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    History

    The Manor of Penarth - from Cardiff Records, Volume II, Chapter I  NOTES ON THE MANORS OF THE CARDIFF DISTRICT . (British History Online)

    The South Wales Coal Annual for 1908; Edited by Joseph Davies. There are extracts of the sections on .......................... Penarth Docks

    Various items - on the People's Collection Wales site

    • Penarth Pier in the evening sunlight
    • A black and white postcard of the sea front at Penarth, showing The Esplanade, Penarth Pavilion and the Pier.
    • Alexandra Park, Penarth c1907
    • A black and white postcard of the Turner Gallery, Penarth.
    • The view of the northern part of Penarth Beach (later known as the Daranelles) also shows the ferry landing stage pulled up above the tide line.
    • In 1926 a new landing stage was completed at Penarth Pier
    • A sepia photograph of the Opening Day of Alexandra Park, Penarth. It was opened by Samuel Thomas on the Coronation Day of King Edward VII in 1902.
    • In 1885, Penarth swimming baths were opened. Located on the seafront and costing £7,000 to build, this was a classic example of Penarth’s Victorian architecture.
    • In 1929 the new Pier Pavilion opened to the public
    • During the mid-1930s summers saw holiday-makers flock to Penarth in their thousands. Visitors enjoyed the Pleasure Steamers and promenading on the Pier. Loudspeakers provided background music on the Esplanade
    • The town of Penarth soon began to grow wealthy, thanks to the tourist trade. This view shows the main thoroughfare, Windsor Road, at the end of the nineteenth century.
    • Penarth Station opened in February 1878 and, thereafter, hundreds of trippers poured into the town every summer's day.
    • A fire started on the Pier in 1931. The serious fire destroyed the original wooden Bijou Pavilion
    • A black and white photograph of TWO Horse Drawn Carts outside Albert Road Methodist Church, ( approx 1890 ).
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    Maps

    This diagram shows the position of this parish within the county of Glamorgan - click on this to see a full size diagram of the county

     

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    Plan of the parish of Penarth in the County of Glamorgan - on the People's Collection Wales site

    Parish map (Kain/Oliver)

    You can see maps centred on OS grid reference ST183709 (Lat/Lon: 51.431509, -3.177065), Penarth which are provided by:

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    Merchant Marine

    Various items  - on the People's Collection Wales site

    • Penarth Docks c1910
    • A black and white photograph of Penarth Dock under construction showing coal shutes and buildings on Penarth Heights.
    • Photographs of various ships at Penarth Head 1936
    • 35mm colour slide showing the Customs House at Penarth Docks, Glamorgan
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    Military History

    Various items - on the People's Collection Wales site

    • Penarth War Memorial 
    • WW1 memorial St Augustine's Church, Penarth
    • A black and white photograph of a Victory in Europe Party in Dock Street, Penarth. 
    • Instructions for the Inhabitants in the event of the Approach of Hostile Aircrafts (Official warning notice published by Penarth Urban District Council.)
    • A black and white photograph of Air Raid Wardens ( Wandsworth ave area, Penarth ) during Second World War ( 1939-45 )
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    Names, Geographical

    Places, villages, farms etc within Penarth parish as shown on the online parish map from the CD of Historic Parishes of England and Wales: an Electronic Map of Boundaries before 1850 with a Gazetteer and Metadata [computer file]. (Kain, R.J.P., Oliver, R.R.). (Extracted by Gareth Hicks)

    • Penarth (181); Castle; Cemetery; Coastguard Sta.; Custom Ho.; Dock; Golf Course; Lower Penarth; Penarth; Penarth Head; Pier; The Kymin; The Stairs;
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    Names, Personal

    Benjamin, Alwyn. A Statistical Comparison of the Principal Surnames in Use in Penarth (Gla), 1881 with those in use in Aberystwyth, 1871. Ceredigion, Vol IX/3 1982.   Despite the different dates used the two places in this comparison had roughly equal population totals and both were then active sea ports. Interesting to note that the top 12 names in Aberystwyth covered 58.9% of the total whilst in Penarth they only covered 16.9% (Jones was first in both cases).

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    Newspapers

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    Occupations

    Various items - on the People's Collection Wales site

    • A sepia photograph of the Penarth postal and telegraph staff. 
    • A sepia photograph of the St. Johns Hospital staff at St. John's Hospital, Albert Road, Penarth
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    Politics & Government

    A sepia photograph of the members of Penarth Labour Club, in front of the Abbey Mills Cafe near Tewkesbury. 1938 - on the People's Collection Wales site

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    Population

    The Population of Penarth was as follows, and a more detailed breakdown is available.

    1841 - 1101851 - 1051861 - 1,4061871 - 2,6121881 - 4,9631891 - 9,632
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    Public Records

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

    • Penarth Civil Parish records       "........... comprising assistant overseers rate books, 1869-1891; gas rate books, 1870-1873; street lighting rate books, 1871-1876; sanitary rate book, 1875; copy of tithe plan and apportionment, 1847 [copied 1980]; notice of gas rate, 1873"
    • Penarth Local Board of Health   1875-1900   
    • Penarth Urban District Council records       1898-1974
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    Schools

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

    • Intermediate/Grammar school records    " ......... comprising of minute book, 1940-1952"  
    • Penarth School Board records        " ......... comprising minute books, 1874-1903; ledger, 1901-1903"

    Various items - on the People's Collection Wales site

    • A black and white postcard of The College, Penarth, surrounded by gardens.
    • A black and white photograph of Penarth Grammer School for boys. Class photo with Teacher and Boys out of Uniform.
    • A black and white class photograph of Class 5L from Penarth Grammar School
    • Albert Road Infants School (children)
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    Social Life & Customs

    Various items  - on the People's Collection Wales site

    • A Punch and Judy show on Penarth Beach.
    • A black and white photograph of Penarth United Services Rugby Team (1912-13 )
    • An advertisement from the Penarth Times announces 'Modern Follies' at the New Pier Pavilion. 1930
    • A black and white photograph of Penarth Salvation Army Band 'Songsters' taken in Belle Vue Park in 1923..
    • A black and white photograph of Penarth Salvation Army Band outside the Hall in Salop Street. 23 band members
    • A sepia photograph of the Penarth Collegiate School Cricket Team, with the list of names printed underneath the picture.
    • A black and white photograph of Penarth Male Voice Choir. A group of 43 men and one lady. Circa 1946
    • A colour photograph of Penarth Albion Juniors Football Team during the 1951-1952 season.
    • A black and white photograph of Penarth Ladies Choir, at the Eisteddfod in Wrexham in 1935, where they won first prize.
    • A black and white photograph of Penarth Albion Juniors, Cardiff Combination League Junior Cup Winners 1951.
    • A black and white photograph of the 8th Penarth Tabernacle Cub Pack.
    • A black and white photograph of volunteer nurses at St. Johns First Aid Station in front of the swimming pool on Penarth sea front
    • A sepia photograph of a small group of nurses and patients from St. Johns Hospital, outside the building.
    • Miner’s Fortnight became a vital part of the South Wales holiday scene during the 1960s. The mines and other industries closed down for the last week of July and the first week of August, and resorts like Penarth enjoyed a surge of families that would visit the seaside for their summer break.
    • Penarth Regatta, seen from the Pier, was a regular event on the seafront for many years.
    • Despite the fact that the Pier was virtually unusable after the war, entertainments continued. This programme for 1922 advertises Fancy Fair.
    • Penarth Rugby Team, pre 1914
    • Penarth Dock Mission AFC (soccer) 1935/36
    • A sepia photograph of the Windsor Gardens Bandstand circa 1910, showing the Open Day Presentation, with a crowd of people and with view of properties on Windsor Place
    • Photograph of group of Penarth ladies group, 1915
    • Penarth Thistle Rugby Football Club 1903-4
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    Societies

    Penarth Society

    • Penarth Entomological and Natural History Society
      1888-1908: minutes
      [National Museum of Wales, Cardiff]