Pembroke Contents

PEMBROKE: ST MARY

"The livings of all the three parishes of St. Mary, St. Michael, and St. Nicholas, are consolidated into one discharged vicarage, in the archdeaconry and diocese of St. David's, rated in the king's books at £9, (viz., £4 for St. Michael's, and £5 for that of Monkton, or St. Nicholas, St. Mary's not being in charge,) and in the gift of Sir John Owen, Bart. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is an ancient and venerable structure, in the Norman style of architecture, situated near the centre of the town, and composed of a nave, chancel, and north aisle, with a small chapel on the southern side: in the north aisle and in the chancel are doorways, now closed up, which formerly communicated with additional buildings no longer standing. . . Each of these churches had anciently chapels of ease, situated a little distance without the walls of the town; and on the summit of an eminence, about three-quarters of a mile to the south of the town, still stands an ancient ecclesiastical edifice, dedicated to St. Daniel, with a lofty spire rising from a low tower, now private property. The chapel within the dock-yard is not consecrated, and is in the patronage of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. There are places of worship for Baptists and Calvinistic and Wesleyan Methodists. A grammar school was founded here, in 1690; but its endowment does not exceed £10 per annum. A National school for the united parishes (including therefore the village of Monkton), in which two hundred children of both sexes receive gratuitous instruction, is supported by subscription: the school is held in a house in the town, hired for the purpose, which is also appropriated to the use of a savings-bank . . ." [From A Topographical Dictionary of Wales (S. Lewis, 1833).]

• Census
• Church History
• Church Records
• Court Records
• Description and Travel
• Directories
• Genealogy
• History
• Land and Property
• Maps
• Merchant Marine
• Occupations
• Social Life and Customs

Census

The 1851 census for this parish has been indexed by Dyfed Family History Society.

Census Returns for this parish have the following LDS Call Numbers:

• 1841 Census - 0464346
• 1851 Census - 0104234
• 1861 Census - 0543243
• 1871 Census - 0850853/4
• 1881 Census - 1342303
• 1891 Census - 6099638

Church History

PEMBROKE, Mission Church, Penmar   1879   - on the Church plans online site

PENNAR, St. Patrick   1891-1896   - on the Church plans online site

Some church and chapel data from The Religious census of 1851 : A Calendar of the returns relating to Wales, Vol 1, South Wales. Ed. by   I.G Jones, & D. Williams. UWP,   Cardiff, 1976. The names are those of the informants

• St John's. Pembroke Dock            New Parish under provisions 6&7 Vict. cap. 37    Situated at Pembroke Dock, in the new Parish Town of Pembroke Dock                Consecrated on 29th Sept 1848 by Bishop of St David's; Mother Church, St Mary's Pembroke                              Cost defrayed by £500 from Admiralty, £3000 Inhabitants            Geoff. Fitzroy Kelly MA, Incumbent
• St Mary Church                           Informant;  Jos. Lewis, Registrar
• Chapel of Her Majesty's Dock Yard Pembroke                 Situated within the Walls of the Yard, in the Parish of St John's. Neither consecrated nor licensed         Erected by Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty     James H Mallet, Chaplain of Her Majesty's Dockyard
• Bethany chapel, Pembroke Dock       Baptist      Erected in 1818     "Sickness is very prevalent among the members and the congregation at this time. Several families were absent on that account last Lord's Day....."    Henry James Morgan, Minister, Front St
• Baptist chapel           Obtained by the Baptists in 1836              "The chapel was erected as a dwelling house afterwards occupied by the Wesleyan Body, and taken by us in 1836; since then it has been considerably improved"      Thomas Morgan, Minister
• Tabernacle   Independents or Congregationalists           Erected in 1812                 [Signature illegible] Deacon
• Preaching Room, Castle Back            Primitive Methodist             Fitted up for worship in 1839          John Jones, Steward, Main St
• Gishom chapel [?], Pembroke Dock    CM                Erected in 1838          John Adams, Secretary, Pembroke Dock
• Bethel  Baptist                 Erected in 1844           "The lower number [in Attendances] shows increase which is accounted for by the fact of the weather being more favourable and therefore the attendance is something larger in the Summer season than in the autumn and winter. Some have also lately left for other and distant places"    Evan Davies, Minister, Lewis St, Pembroke Dock
• Wesley chapel, Meyrick St, Pembroke Dock    WM          Erected in 1848            "This Chapel was built in lieu of  one that was too small, not on the same site but on a more central part of the town. The old Chapel was built in the year 1820 and disposed of in 1849"             John Road, Steward, Shipwright, Meyrick St, Pembroke Dock
• Temperance Hall     Independent        " is at present used as a place of worship. A Chapel being in course of erection to be called 'Meyrick Street Chapel' ....."              William Burdwood, Treasurer 
• Zion, Pembroke Dock        Primitive Methodist                   Erected in 1849       John Maylard, Minister, Hobbs Point
• St Mary's Roman Catholic           Erected four years           Oliver Maybury [?], Priest, Dimand St, Pembroke Dock
• Tabernacle, North Brewery St     Ind                   Erected in 1824               Charles Sumpter, Deacon, 7 Queen St
• Bethel, West Gate            CM                  Erected in 1826                   William Powell, Minister

Parish entry for St Mary from The Welsh Church Year Book, 1929 (Cd by Archive CD Books).

• St Mary
• &
• St Daniel's Mort Church
• Incumbent and Curates; H Rosser
• Rural Deanery of Castlemartin
• Acreage 1,339; Population 2,204

Parish entry for Pembroke Dock and Nash with Upton from The Welsh Church Year Book, 1929 (Cd by Archive CD Books).

• St John B  (Acreage 1,096; Population 10,653)
• & St Patrick
• & St Teilo
• & St Mary (Nash) (Acreage 598; Population 100)
• & Upton Chapel (disused) (Acreage 333)
• Incumbent and Curates; J J Davies (E Jenkyns; R H Davies; E L Saunders)
• Rural Deanery of Castlemartin

 

Hughes, Basil. Jottings on the History of South Pembrokeshire - St Daniel's Church  (Pembroke) ISBN 1 898687 01 3 A history of the church and those associated with it

Williams, A. H. (Albert Hughes). John Wesley's preferment to St. Daniel's Church, near Pembroke. Proceedings of the Wesley Historical Society 48 (1992), p. 155

Church Records

Parish registers: Christenings (1711-1961), Marriages (1711-1915), Burials (1711-1950) at NLW

Marriages Banns (1924-68) at Pem.RO

Mf Copies Christenings (1711-1961), Marriages (1711-1915), Burials (1711-1950) at Pem.RO

Copy ts PR M pre 1813 with index at NLW and Pem.RO

Bishops' Transcripts, covering the period (1799-1807, 1809-88) are at the National Library of Wales, and have been microfilmed by the LDS - Call Number: 0105196.

Owen Vaughan has indexed the following entries from Pembroke, St Mary parish registers
Baptism 1711 - 1961, Mrge 1711 - 2006, Burial 1711 - 1950           Contact him via the Pembrokeshire Lookup Exchange

Nonconformist Chapels:

• Bethany, in High St/Pembroke Dock [Baptists, 1818]. Records ; births 1814-37, at PRO RG4/3965, and have been microfilmed by the LDS - Call Number: 819966, IGI             On Dyfed FHS
• Bethel, in Meyrick St / Bush St/Pembroke Dock [Baptists, 1845]. Records ; See Bethany                    On Dyfed FHS
• Chapel, in Pembroke town [Baptists, 1831]. Records ; See Bethany               Mount Pleasant English Baptist, East Back           SM9878001407      Built 1831, modified, altered or rebuilt 1859 and restored 1877   Still open 1998          Coflein                       On Dyfed FHS (under Pembroke, St Michael - it appears to be right on parish line with St Michaels but under St Mary's in Rawlins)
• Gilgal Baptist chapel, Ferry Rd / Nelson St, Pennar, Pembroke Dock          SM9619802483    Built 1862, rebuilt in 1887   Still open 1998       Coflein           On Dyfed FHS
•  
• Bethel, in Westgate [Calvinistic Methodists, 1826]                         On Dyfed FHS                  Westgate CM chapel, Westgate Hill,Pembroke  - still open in 2006
• St Peter's Chapel , in Llanreath village [Calvinistic Methodists, 1885]                 On Dyfed FHS
• Gershom, CM, Queen St, Pembroke Dock [Calvinistic Methodists, 1838]                SM9659203599              Built 1838, modified, altered or rebuilt 1866.    See Zion PM below   Coflein   
• St Andrews CM chapel, Bush Street, Pembroke Dock  - still open in 2006          SM9689503276       Built 1838, rebuilt in1865-66, modified, altered or rebuilt 1883 and 1896    Still open 2000  Coflein         On Dyfed FHS
•  
• Castle Back, in Castleback [Primitive Methodists, c 1823-30]. Records ; baptisms, 1847-1907. Other types of records deposited at the Record Office include accounts, minute books etc, Pem RO.    Rawlins describes as  "society formed between 1823/1830; a preaching room was fitted out for worship; branch of Pembroke Dock Station".                 On Dyfed FHS (under Pembroke, St Michael - it appears to be right on parish line with St Michaels but under St Mary's in Rawlins)
• Zion Primitive Methodist chapel, Prospect Place / South Park St,  Pembroke Dock [Primitive Methodists, 1849].           Records ; baptisms, 1847-1907. Other types of records deposited at the Record Office include accounts, minute books etc, Pem RO.           SM96510318    Built in 1849.   Not still open 1998
  This Primitive Methodist cause was begun ca. 1845 (Rawlins): its "little chapel at the top of South Park Street" (Mrs S. Peters, History of Permbroke Dock, 1905) was built in 1849 (Rawlins); in 1866 the congregation moved to Gershom Chapel - see above) and the 1849 chapel was sold    Coflein              On Dyfed FHS
•  
• Trinity, Meyrick Street , in Pembroke Dock [Independents, 1851]                                  On Dyfed FHS
  Rees, Thomas & John Thomas. Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru (History of the Welsh Independent Churches), 4 volumes (published 1871+). Here is the entry from this book for this chapel (in Welsh ) - with translation by Maureen Saycell (April 2008)
• Tabernacle, in Main St  [Independents, 1691, present church began c 1800, Pembroke town]                 SM9870401318    Built 1811, rebuilt as the present structure in 1867   Still open 1993   Coflein              On Dyfed FHS (under Pembroke, St Michael - it appears to be right on parish line with St Michaels but under St Mary's in Rawlins)
  Rees, Thomas & John Thomas. Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru (History of the Welsh Independent Churches), 4 volumes (published 1871+). Here is the entry from this book for this chapel (in Welsh ) 
• Tabernacle, in Albion Sq, Pembroke Dock [Independents, 1824, Pembroke Dockyard].   Records ; births and bapts, 1825-37, at PRO RG4/3056, and have been microfilmed by the LDS - Call Number: 819966, IGI.             On Dyfed FHS
  Rees, Thomas & John Thomas. Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru (History of the Welsh Independent Churches), 4 volumes (published 1871+). Here is the entry from this book for this chapel (in Welsh ) - with translation by Maureen Saycell (April 2008)
•  
• Zion Wesleyan Chapel, in Meyrick St/Pembroke Dock [Wesleyan Methodists, 1820].     Records ;  1. Births and bapts in three registers, 1821-58, at PRO RG4/3966, 3917, 3918, and have been microfilmed by the LDS - Call Number: 819966, IGI.    2. Births and bapts, 1847-1937 and a large collection of other records are also deposited at the Records Office including accounts, minute books , Sunday School papers etc, at Pem RO.           SM9667403435    First chapel, Ebenezer (see below), built 1818-20, with the present chapel built 1848, alterations 1857, enlarged 1865-7, internal alterations 1882-5, renovation 1911 & 1986.  Still open 2000    Coflein                    On Dyfed FHS
• Ebenezer Wesleyan chapel, Wesley Row, Treowen, Pembroke Dock             SM9602           Opened 1820, closed 1846      See above       Coflein  
• Pennar Wesleyan chapel, Nelson St, Pennar, Pembroke Dock         SM9613502541   Built 1870   Coflein                  On Dyfed FHS
• Trinity Wesleyan chapel, Pembroke Ferry, Pembroke Dock         Pembroke Ferry English Methodist (Trinity), Pembroke Ferry      SM9754604661     Built 1879    Still open 2000  Coflein          On Dyfed FHS
• Pembroke Wesleyan Methodist chapel, East Back / Main St, Pembroke              SM9876801350      Built 1822, rebuilt mid C19    Not still open 1993       Coflein  
• Front St Wesleyan Methodist schoolroom, Front St, Pembroke Dock             SM9603          A Sunday School in 1905    Coflein 
• Old chapel ar rear of 87 Main St    SM9863901332         Building 14' x 12' very thick walls, a two storey stone structure. Possible of medieval origins with a 16th century doorway. John Wesley preached there on visits to Pembrokeshire in the 1760s.         Coflein    
•  
• St Joseph Roman Catholic Church, Pembroke                  On Dyfed FHS ?
• St Joseph RC Church, Pembroke, St Mary              On Dyfed FHS  ?
• St Mary RC church, Pembroke Dock           On Dyfed FHS
•  
• Spritualist church, Queen St, Pembroke Dock      SM9651203584   A house of c1890 converted to a Spiritualist Church    Coflein              On Dyfed FHS
• Commercial Row Gospel Hal (Plymouth Brethren)l               SM9603      Coflein 
• Pembroke Haven Evangelical church, Main St, Pembroke            SM983015    Built in 1850s, converted to an Evangelical Church   Still open 1993   Coflein 
•  
• Dockyard chapel, Commercial Row             SM9628003486   Built 1830-2    Not still open 2002    No denomination given         Coflein 
•  
• The Green, Salvation Army Citadel, Woodbine Terrace, Pembroke                          SM9839101731          Coflein 
• Meyrick St Salvation Army Citadel, Pembroke Dock                SM96750333   Taken over by The Salvation Army in 1883 but now demolished      Coflein 
•  
• Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, Front St, Llanion Hill, Pembroke Dock          SM966037     A Church converted from an Army Mess Hall.   Still open 1993            Coflein 

 

Hughes, Basil. Baptisms at St Patrick's Church Pennar Pembroke Dock 1895 to 1934 . ISBN 1 898687 11 0 This is a complete list in alphabetical order of all baptised at St Patrick's  Church Pennar Pembroke Dock from the foundation of the Church till 1934. It  includes parents names.

Pembroke Dock, St John [formed out of St Mary in 1844]
Parish registers: Christenings (1844-1927) Garrison (1856-1906) Dockyard (1875-1926) Pennar (1895-1967), Marriages (1848-1951, 1965-76) Banns (1848-1971), Burials (1844-1977) Garrison (1861-1922) at Pem.RO
BTs: (1844-86) at NLW

Dyfed FHS have published a series of indexes of baptisms, marriages and burials from Pembrokeshire hundreds for various periods.

Court Records

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

• Pembroke Dock County Court Records  1896-1922

Description and Travel

Places, villages, farms etc within Pembroke St Mary parish  as shown on the parish map on 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 Barry Johnson)

• Pembroke St Mary (150); Bangeston, Bush, Bush Cottage, Bush Camp, East Pennar, Golden Hill, Green, Hobbs Point, Lanion, Llanreath, Mead Lo., Pembroke Dock, Pembroke Ferry, Sykemoor, Waterloo, Whetstone Hill, Windmill Hill, Windsor Hill.
  The following places are shown in an adjacent undesignated parish section which is believed to belong to this parish;
  Brotherhill; Mutton Hill; Slade.  

 

Carradice, Phil. Pembroke Dock in old picture postcards .Netherlands : European Library, 1987.175p

Cripps, Brian. Pembroke and Pembroke Dock : postcards of yesteryear .Llandysul : Gomer, 1996.116p

Mason, ?. Guide to Pembroke Dock. 1914

Pembroke Dock Town Council

Directories

Pigot & Co. South Wales Directory for 1844. Here are Extracts for Pembroke, Pembroke Dock (or Pater) and Neighbourhoods

Genealogy

Griffiths, Bill. The Allen families of Pembroke Dock. Dyfed FHS journal, Vol 6/2 Dec 1997. "..some interesting Allen families that populated the dockyard town of Pater or Pembroke Dock, founded in 1814..."

May, Rosemary. Lt Col Samuel Ferrior of Pennar - killed at Waterloo 18 June 1815. Dyfed FHS journal, Vol 8/1, Dec 2002.

Newbury, Paul. ISITT of Pembroke Dock. Dyfed FHS journal,1996/7 An account of two generations of the Isitt family, from 1800 to 1902, and their connections with the Royal Naval Dockyard.

Rose, Richard. Pembroke People. Otterquill Books, London, 1/2001.(ISBN 0-9535542-0-1) .A detailed account of every person who lived and worked in Pembroke and Pembroke Dock between 1800 and 1830.

History

There are historical snippets about this parish on Not everyone knows this..

Pembroke Dock Community site.  Includes Pembroke Dock history and heritage pages

A history of Pembroke Dock, in this parish, is given in the transcription of the Lewis extract for Pembroke.

 

Carradice, Phil. The book of Pembroke Dock : the story of a town created to build ships .Birmingham : Barracuda, 1991.124p

Carradice, Phil. The ill-fated ships of Pembroke Dock. Picture Postcard Monthly 147 (1991), p. 42-3

Gilson, Paul. The Admiralty extension at Pembroke Dock : the Pembroke and Tenby railway extension and its relations with the Admiralty . Welsh Railway Archive 1 (1994), p. 286-91

Hughes, Basil. Jottings on the History of Pennar, Pembroke Dock . ISBN 1 898687 04 8 . Among many names associated with Pennar it includes all those victims of the  Cholera epidemic

Peters, [E E] Stuart Mrs. The History of Pembroke Dock. London,1905.173p.

Phillips, Lawrence. An interesting frigate from Pembroke Dockyard : H.M.S. Constance of 1846 . Mariner's Mirror 73 (1987), p. 61-9

Phillips, Lawrence. Captain Sir Thomas Sabine Pasley, Bt.,R.N., and Pembroke Dockyard, 1849-1854. Mineralogical Magazine 71/2 (1985), p. 159-65

Land and Property

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

• Meyrick family and Bush estate, records      "Papers relating mainly to the management of urban properties in Pembroke Dock including leases, tenancy agreements and rentals 1766-1969; correspondence and files, 1907-1968; accounts, tax papers, etc., 1874-1970; general estate papers, 1814-1970; maps and plans, 1738-1960. ..............................."  
• Meyrick Owen [a solicitor in Pembroke Dock] collection of Pembroke and St Florence papers        "Records collected by J. A. Meyrick Owen, 1609-1970, relating to Pembroke and St Florence, Pembrokeshire."

Maps

Merchant Marine

The Gathering the Jewels site has material for this parish, use the onsite search box

Occupations

Pembroke-Dock Mechanics' Institute. Rules and catalogue of books of the Pembroke-Dock Mechanics' Institute : established July, 1850. Pembroke-Dock : Printed by William G. Phillips, 1864. 80p

Social Life and Customs

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

• Pembroke Dock Harlequins Rugby Club, records  1923-1999  
• Pembroke Dock Co-operative Society Limited    1887-1967

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[Gareth Hicks: 20 April 2008]

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