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Penrice

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"A village in Gower near Oxwich Bay possessing the picturesque ruins of a once strong and extensive castle." [Glamorganshire, 1911]

"PENRICE, or PEN-RHYS, a parish in the hundred of SWANSEA, county of GLAMORGAN, SOUTH WALES, 13 miles (W. S. W.) from Swansea, containing 362 inhabitants............(more below)  From the Topographical Dictionary of Wales by Samuel Lewis 1833

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Bibliography

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

References to the village of Penrice at

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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. Andrew
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Church History

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

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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

The church is dedicated to St. Andrew, is in the Benefice of Reynoldston with Penrice with Llangennith, and diocese of Swansea and Brecon. 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 SS566887.

Anglican Parish Registers Held at the Glamorgan Record Office, Cardiff
Baptisms Marriages Burials Banns Bishops Transcripts
1638-1652, 1677, 1682-1716, 1728-1812 1631-1675, 1681, 1724-1773, 1837-1970 1637-1657, 1681-1684, 1707-1716, 1724-1987 - 1672, 1677-1679, 1683, 1686-1687, 1690, 1701, 1708, 1710, 1713, 1716, 1718, 1725, 1727-1733, 1735-1745, 1747-1767, 1769-1771, 1774-1800, 1802-1803, 1805-1807, 1809-1836, 1838, 1840-1841, 1843-1844, 1846-1882
(At the National Library of Wales,Aberystwyth)

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

  • Penrice Ecclesiastical Parish Records               "Registers (including service and banns registers) 1631-1993"

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

  • Penrice, St. Andrew - Christenings (BT's), 1813-1875
  • Horton - For full and up-to-date details of their holdings see the sites of Glamorgan Record Office and/or West Glamorgan Archives

    Non Conformist Registers Held at the West Glamorgan Record Office, Swansea
    Chapel Baptisms Marriages Burials OS Map Ref
    Wesleyan Methodist, Horton 1864-1913 - - SS 47448597
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Description & Travel

You can see pictures of Penrice which are provided by:

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Directories

Transcript of complete name listing for the Gower parishes, from Slaters Directory for 1880. OYSTERMOUTH  with the parishes of Bishopston, Cheriton, Ilston, Knelston, Llandewi, Llangennith, Llanmadoc, Llanrhidian (Higher & Lower), Nicholaston, Oxwich, Penmaen, Pennard, Penrice, Porteynon, Reynoldston, Rhoscilly, and the villages of Horton, Kilibion, Mumbles, Park Mill, Penclawdd, Walterstone and West Cross.

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Gazetteers

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

Descriptions of the parish from
A Topographical Dictionary of Wales (1833) by Samuel Lewis
A Topographical Dictionary of The Dominion of Wales by Nicholas Carlisle, London, 1811.

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Historical Geography

Some of the hamlets, towns and villages within this parish

  • Berry
  • Horton
  • Pilton Green (see under Penmaen)
  • Scurlage
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History

Description and image of Penrice Castle at www.castlewales.com by Jeff Thomas

Penrice Castle - on Wikipedia

Various items  - on the People's Collection Wales site

  • Penrice Castle, Oxwich Bay, Glamorganshire, Artist J. H. Robinson; Printer J. S. Templeton; Publisher R. Ackerman, Lithograph on paper, 1832 
  •  Penrice Castle, 1938 Photograph by Aubrey Colquhoun presumably for use as a postcard.
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Land & Property

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

  • Penrice and Margam estate, records    1147-19 cent       "The ancestors of the Mansel family originated in Normandy and appear to have arrived in Britain with William the Conqueror. The Gower branch of the family lived in comparative obscurity during the Middle Ages, but through judicious marriages with local families they acquired the manors of Penrice, Oxwich and Port Eynon in 1410, which formed the basis of the family's Gower estates. Later purchases included the manors of Landimore (including Rhossili), Weobley and Reynoldston, and later still, portions of the Popkins and Lucas estates in Gower. During the 15th and 16th centuries the Mansels lived mostly at Oxwich Castle, but at the Dissolution of the Monasteries Sir Rice Mansel first leased and later bought the lands and buildings of the Abbey of Margam......................................."  
  • Penrice estate papers   1743-1955
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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

 

image

 Map of Penrice parish in the County of Glamorgan & Tithe map of Penrice, Glamorgan   - on the People's Collection Wales site

Parish map (Kain/Oliver)

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SS468876 (Lat/Lon: 51.566502, -4.21124), Penrice which are provided by:

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Names, Geographical

Places, villages, farms etc within Penrice 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 Mary Greatorex)

  • Penrice (38): Berry, Camp, Castle, Castle Farm, Corner house, Horton, Kittle Top, Mead Moor, Moor, Oldwall, Penrice, Penrice Castle, Pitt, Sanctuary, The Cross.
  • Penrice (38) (detached): Camp.
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Newspapers

There are many references to this area in the 15 million Welsh and English language articles from Welsh newspapers transcribed by the NLW and viewable on Welsh Newspapers Online
Below are English language articles that have been re-transcribed and extracted randomly to illustrate what is available, there are many that are not extracted here that include names of local people

  • From The Cambria Daily Leader 14th August 1913

PENRICE SHOW. HEAVY ENTRIES FOR THE TWENTY- THIRD ANNUAL EXHIBITION To-day, at Penrice Park, Gower, under the. presidency of Lady Lyons of Kilvrough, the 23rd annual Show of the West Gower Horticultural Society was held. Of fruits, flowers, and vegetables, there were numerous entries the show being a long, great established one, and a deal of keenness was shown among competitors in the Peninsula. A full list of awards will appear to- morrow.

  •  From The Cambrian 22nd September 1905

Bazaar at Penrice Castle. The church of Reynoldston being in need of renovation and repairs, a bazaar to form the nucleus of a restoration fund was held on Thursday in Penrice Castle Park, by the kind permission of Miss Talbot. The sum required is about £ 250. and the beautiful weather attracting a very large number to the grounds, the promoters were in an extremely hopeful mood    .....(part extract)......

  • From the Cambria Daily Leader 13th November 1915

WOUNDED OFFICERS FOR PENRICE The wounded Colonial officers, for whose accommodation Penrice Castle, Gower, is undergoing the necessary preparation, thanks to the kindness of Miss Talbot, will arrive on or about the 20th inst.

  • From The Cambria Daily Leader 30th September 1918

THE NEW MISTRESS OF PENRICE. The tenantry of the Penrice Estate of the late Miss Talbot will be delighted at the news that the estate falls to Lady Blythswood, whose husband, now Lord Blythswood, is well known and very popular in the peninsula. Lord Blythswood will be best known locally as Major Archibald Campbell-Douglas, of the Guards, and it will be recollected that in the piping times of peace he was frequently at Penrice Castle, acting as host at the shooting parties for his wife's late aunt.  .....(part extract)......

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Population

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

1841 - 3851851 - 3981861 - 3071871 - 2901881 - 2601891 - 242
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Public Records

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

  • Penrice Parish and Community Council Records       " ......... including minutes, 1895-2001; highway rate and account book, 1854-1855; tithe plan and apportionment, 1846."