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Colwyn Bay or Bae Colwyn

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The new parish of Colwyn Bay was created on 15 May 1893, by an Order in Council, from the townships of Llwytgoed, Rhiw, and part of Dinerth, which until then had been in the ancient parish of Llandrillo-yn-Rhos.
On 5 May 1900, Llwytgoed and part of Rhiw were transferred to the new parish of Bryn-y-Maen.

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This place was believed to be originally in the detached portion of Caernarfonshire but is treated here as being in Denbighshire - see the area shown on the map under Llysfaen

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Bibliography

  • Colwyn Bay before the houses came.     Manchester : Sherrat and Hughes, 1938.
  • Colwyn Bay directory.    London: Kent service Ltd., 1960.
  • Colwyn Bay   Colwyn Bay Public Library, 1953.
  • Colwyn Bay Through Time.    Stroud: Amberley Publishing 2009.
  • Jones, Ivor Wynne.     Colwyn Bay   [Mold] : Clwyd Library Service, 1995
  • Jones,  Ivor Wynne & Norman Tucker.     Colwyn Bay          Ashbourne : Landmark, c2001.
  • Lowe, Cindy.   Colwyn Bay accredited: the War Time experience       Wrexham : Bridge Books, 2010.
  • Mellor, George E.     Colwyn Bay Cricket Club, founded 1823     Colwyn Bay Cricket Club, 1992,
  • Owens, A.     Come on the Bay    [Colwyn Bay : Colwyn Bay Football Club, 2005]
  • Round, Michelle.    Colwyn's pier pavilion curse        Country Quest. (June 2000), p. 6-8
  • The chapels of Colwyn Bay   Capel, 51 (Gwanwyn / Spring 2008), p. 1-2
  • Williams, Ritchie.    Bethlehem Eglwys Bresbyteraidd Cymru Bae Colwyn     Bae Colwyn : Bethlehem, Bae Colwyn, 1997.
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Churches

There are more than 30 churches identified in this place. Please click here for a complete list.
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Church History

During the Victorian period, Colwyn Bay developed rapidly as a holiday resort. The first church services in the new town were held in a carpenter's shed on 18 June 1872. An iron "Mission Church" was opened on 23 June 1880, but this was destroyed in a fire on 31 October 1886.

The present parish church (SJ 850788), dedicated to St. Paul, was consecrated on 13 July 1888; the chancel being opened on 7 April 1895; and the tower on 12 November 1911.
The Clwyd FHS website has a photograph of the church.

The foundation stone of St. David's (SJ 850788), which was intended for the use of the Welsh-speaking congregation, was laid on Whit Monday 1902, the church being dedicated on 1 March 1903. St. David's is adjacent to St. Paul's.
The Clwyd FHS website has a photograph of the church.

The foundation stone of St. Andrew's (SJ 841793), to serve the westerly end of the new parish, was laid on 2 November 1908.
The Clwyd FHS website has a photograph of the church.

DISGWYLFA METHODIST (WESEYAN) CHAPEL, TANLLWYFAN, OLD COLWYN on the People's Collection Wales site

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 Colwyn chapel (in Welsh ) - with a translation by Eleri Rowlands (April 2011)

Nonconformist Churches

"Welsh Church Commission - County of Denbigh - The Statistics of the Nonconformist Churches for 1905" lists the following nonconformist places of worship in the Civil parish of Colwyn Bay :

Name of ChapelDenominationNumber of "adherents"
Not namedBaptists (English language)160
TabernaclBaptists223
Not namedCalvinistic Methodists (English language)245
BethlehemCalvinistic Methodists362
EngediCalvinistic Methodists640
HermonCalvinistic Methodists74
MochdreCalvinistic Methodists147
Zion, Upper Colwyn BayCalvinistic Methodists58
Not namedCongregationalists270
Not namedCongregationalists (English language)450
Bron y nantWesleyans100
HorebWesleyans293
Nantyglyn RoadWesleyans (English language)170
St.John'sWesleyans (English language)500
Congo Institute School ChapelChristiansNot stated
Friends' Meeting HouseSociety of FriendsNot stated
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Church Records

Parish Registers

  • The following Parish Registers have been deposited at the Denbighshire Record Office, Ruthin.
    They may be viewed on microfilm at the Denbighshire and Flintshire Record Offices, and at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth.
    These microfilms are not available elsewhere.
    (No separate registers have been deposited for either St. David's or St. Andrew's)
BaptismsMarriagesBurials
1893 - 19551891 - 19521931 - 1964

Bishop's Transcripts

  • No Bishop's Transcripts have been deposited for the parish of Colwyn Bay.

I.G.I.

  • There are no official I.G.I. entries for Colwyn Bay.
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Civil Registration

The new parish of Colwyn Bay was assigned to the Conwy Registration District.

In the GRO indexes to civil registration, entries for Colwyn Bay are in the format :

  • Years 1837 - 1851: Conwy XXVII. nnn
  • Years 1851 - 1930: Conwy 11b. nnn

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

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Description & Travel

Colwyn Bay Online Directory site

Various landscapes on the People's Collection Wales site

You can see pictures of Colwyn Bay or Bae Colwyn which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

A view of houses in Colwyn Bay. A stream flows below the houses, some women are standing at their doors, and clothes can be seen drying on washing lines c 1875 -on the People's Collection Wales site

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Land & Property

Building development in Colwyn Bay - an article on the NLW's blog. Based on  bundle of documents in the Longueville solicitors’ collection which concerns building development on the Cefn estate, 1891-1921.

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Maps

"North-East Wales Churches and Ancient Parish Boundaries" produced by Clwyd Record Office in 1994, published by Genuki with the permission of Flintshire Record Office and Denbighshire Archives

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SH850788 (Lat/Lon: 53.29364, -3.726807), Colwyn Bay or Bae Colwyn which are provided by:

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Military History

Various items  on the People's Collection Wales site

  • A card sent on 18 December 1916 by Owen Davies to his parents, Eliza and Edwin Davies, Llysfaen, Colwyn Bay. The image shows a soldier in the trenches dreaming of his family at home 
  • This memorial in Y Tabernacl Baptist Chapel in Colwyn Bay names two members (Ernie H Jones and David Jones) who fell in the First World War. The inscription at the bottom reads ‘Ymdrechwn i fod yn deilwng o’u haberth’ – ‘We shall strive to be worthy of their sacrifice’ 
  • Photo of Tom Williams and comrades in uniform with kilts in 1915 
  • Postcard sent by Tom Williams in 1916: "Quick, Give me some news from you"
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Occupations

Joiner's shop, Colwyn Bay, c. 1885 on the People's Collection Wales site

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Population

  • In 1831- this was not a separate parish.
  • In 1901- the population was 5975.
    [ Royal Commission on the Welsh Church - October 1907]
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Social Life & Customs

Proclaiming the 1941 National Eisteddfod, at Colwyn Bay - on the People's Collection Wales site

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Statistics

  • Archdeacon Thomas gives the area of the parish as 757 acres.
    [ The History of the Diocese of St. Asaph , 1908-1913, Ven. D.R. Thomas]