Pembrokeshire Contents

ROCH [Y GARN]

Parish based sketch map of the hundred

"ROCH, a parish in the hundred of RHÔS, county of PEMBROKE, SOUTH WALES, 6 miles (N.W. by W.) from Haverfordwest, containing 791 inhabitants. . . The parish, which is situated on the eastern shore of St. Bride's bay, and on the turnpike road leading from Haverfordwest to St. David's, is of considerable extent, comprising a large tract of arable and pasture land, which, with the exception of Cyfern mountain, occupying only a small portion of it, and the cliffs to the west and south-west, bordering upon the bay, is enclosed and in a good state of cultivation. . . The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is a plain neat edifice without a tower, consisting only of a nave and chancel . . . There were anciently two chapels of ease, both now in ruins: one of these was at Hilton, about a mile to the south of the church, and the other at Trêvran, about a mile and a half distant from it; the latter, situated on the margin of the bay, was called Caradoc's chapel . . . There are places of worship for Baptists and Wesleyan Methodists. Mr.Henry Grant, third son of the Rev. John Grant, bequeathed £500 for the endowment of a free school here, the interest of which sum is paid towards the support of a school, in which six boys and six girls are gratuitously instructed. . . " [From A Topographical Dictionary of Wales (S. Lewis, 1833).]

• Census
• Church History
• Church Records
• Description and Travel
• Directories
• Genealogy
• History
• Land and Property
• Maps

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 - 0464345
• 1851 Census - 0104236
• 1861 Census - 0543244
• 1871 Census - 0850857
• 1881 Census - 1342305
• 1891 Census - 6099647

Church History

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

• Roch Parish Church               James Tasker, Curate, Nolton Rectory
• Penuel  Baptist           Erected in 1822           "Average number of congregation according to the total more or less as the weather permitteth. No Sunnday School at present we are visiting the sick in the afternoon....."     Elias Thomas, Minister
• Wesleyan chapel             Erected in 1834                  John Charles, Leader

Parish entry  for Nolton with Roch from The Welsh Church Year Book, 1929 (Cd by Archive CD Books).

• St Madog
• &
• St Mary (Roch)
• Incumbent and Curates; Ivor Evans
• Rural Deanery of Roose
• Acreage 1,548 & 4,521; Population 553

Church Records

Parish registers: Christenings (1677-1737, 1763-1974), Marriages (1677-1737, 1754-1922, 1926-82) Banns (1823-99, 1901-2000), Burials (1677-1737, 1763-1901) at Pem.RO

Fac C (1813-1974) M (1837-1922) at NLW

Copy ts PR CB (1677-1737, 1763-1812) M (1677-1737, 1783-1812) at NLW

Bishops' Transcripts, covering the period (1799-1800, 1802-63, 1865-8, 1871-86) are at the National Library of Wales, and have been microfilmed by the LDS - Call Number: 0105203.

Nonconformist Chapels:

• Penuel [Baptists, 1818]                 On Dyfed FHS
•  
• Chapel [Wesleyan Methodists, 1784], Church Rd, Roch          . Records ; Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Circuits ;  baptismal registers 1842-1934, circuit schedule and plans, quarterly minutes, accounts 1889-1980, at Pem RO [DFC/M/9] ; See the Wesleyan Chapel/Haverfordwest/St Martins parish          SM878211        Built 1834   Not still open 1997   Coflein              On Dyfed FHS

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

Description and Travel

Places, villages, farms etc within Roch 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)

• Roch (73); Bathesland Water, Black Cliff, Church Hill, Cuffern, Cuffern Mountain, Cuffern Rock, Fern Glen, Folkeston, Folly, Hilton, Little Hilton, Maidenhall Point, Newgale Sands, Nolton Haven, Ricketts Head, Roch, Roch Bridge, Roch gate, Rock Fm.,Simpson, Southwood, Summerhill, Trefrane, Wood, Woodock Fm.

Roch Mill - on the History Matters site

Directories

Transcript of complete entry in Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of Wales of 1833.

Genealogy

Pembrokeshire Families

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

• Owen Summerhill Family Papers  "Papers of the Owen family of Summerhill, Roch, Pembrokeshire, 1770-1986, including diaries of members of the family, 1887-1956, containing entries relating mainly to farming activities at Summerhill; title deeds and documents, 1843-1963, including probate copies of wills; correspondence, 1894-1963; .........."
• Williams and Walters families papers   1775-1958     "The collection contains estate papers for the Walters family of Roch, Pembrokeshire; and the Williams family of Llanrian, Pembrokeshire"

History

Roch Castle  -  a Castles of Wales site.   "The castle was founded in the 2nd half of the 13th century, although the lordship de Rupe (rock) can be traced back to about 1200. An earlier fortress may have existed here, but the prominent D-shaped tower on this isolated rocky outcrop is thought to have been built by Adam de Rupe...."

Land and Property

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

• Walter family of Roch and Rosemarket Deeds   1699-1784     "The Roch and Rosemarket estates, Pembrokeshire, were bequeathed by Henry and Bridgett Walter to their eldest son, Sir Richard Walter, Sheriff of Pembrokeshire, in 1727. .............. "   
• John Stokes Stokes of Cuffern Archives      "Deeds relating to Cuffern, Roch, Pembrokeshire, 1763-[1834]."

Maps

Return to top of page

[Gareth Hicks:  11 Nov 2007]

Find help, report problems, and contribute information.