Hide

Camrose

hide
Hide

"CAMRHÔS, a parish in the hundred of RHÔS county of PEMBROKE, SOUTH WALES, 4 miles (N.W. by N.) from Haverfordwest, on the road to St David's, containing 1259 inhabitants, the amount of population having increased nearly one-fourth since the census of 1821. The living is a discharged vicarage, in the archdeaconry and diocese of St. David's, rated in the king's books at £6.10. 5., endowed with £400 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of Hugh Webb Bowen, Esq. The church is dedicated to St. Ismael. There are two places of worship for Independents. Near the church is a large tumulus, which has never been opened. Camrhôs House, the seat of Hugh Webb Bowen, Esq., is the only residence within the parish which is entitled to notice. A fair is held here on February 13th. The poor are supported by an average annual expenditure amounting to £402. 15." [From A Topographical Dictionary of Wales (S. Lewis, 1833).]

Hide
topup

Cemeteries

Monumental Inscriptions for this parish have the LDS Call Number: 1471282

topup

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
topup

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

  • No return for the Parish Church
  • Wolfsdale Bethel chapel Ind Erected in 1827 Henry Mathias, Minister, Wolfsdale
  • Lebanon Baptist Erected in 1838 Henry John, Deacon, Delcomb [Pelcomb?], Nr Haverfordwest
    "Remarks [on an attached sheet]: Our Chapel was built in 1838; the land being given by a Neighbouring Gentleman, when a few Baptist friends in and About Camrose came to the determination of Building a small Chapel for the convenience of Worship and for a publick day School. (though no Sunday School at present). the space without sittings for the school 30 feet long by 10 feet broad the other space is filled up with free sittings. We have no stated minister for the last twelve months being supplied by neighbouring Ministers with the students from the Haverfordwest Academy. the weekly school has been tried by several school masters since the errection of the Chapel but was given up for the want of scholars the schoolmaster could not find his own support by the number of Scholars attending. We live in an agriculture district, the poorer class being too poor to pay for the schooling of their children. The present school master is an old Englishman, William Rouse, being in this country for this some years he has as yet few scholars he has his maintainance chiefly by the Generosity of friends."
  • Keyston chapel Ind Erected in 1799 James Williams, Minister

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

  • St Ishmael
  • Incumbent and Curates; T G Jenkyns
  • Rural Deanery of Roose
  • Acreage 8,367 ; Population 627

Photographs of chapels under Camrose on the People's Collection Wales site

  • Lebanon Baptist Chapel, Camrose 
  • Keyston Independent Chapel, Camrose 
  • Bethel Independent Chapel, Wolfsdale 
  • SUTTON ENGLISH BAPTIST CHAPEL, SUTTON;BETHEL 
  • Portfield Wesleyan Methodist Chapel
topup

Church Records

Diocesan records suggest that c1790 the registers went back to 1749. PR B includes entries for Cas-lai/Hayscastle from 1977.

Parish registers: Christenings (1795-1934), Marriages (1754-1929) and Burials (1813-1992) are at the National Library of Wales

Mf/Facsimiles C (1795-1982) M (1754-1953) B ( 1813-1992) at Pem.RO at the Pemkrokeshire Record Office.

Copy ts PR[extracts] C (1813-1906) M (1838-96) B (1861-1907) at NLW

Bishops' Transcripts, covering the period (1799-1804, 1806, 1809-48, 1852-83, 1888-97) are at the National Library of Wales, and have been microfilmed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Call Number: 0105130.

See Bap/Mar/Bur data on FreeReg

Nonconformist Chapels:

  • Lebanon, in Camrose village [Baptists, English1838] SM92912010 Built 1838, rebuilt 1876. Still open 1998 Coflein On Dyfed FHS
  • Bethel , in Wolfsdale [Independents, 1826]. Records ; 1. Baptismal register, 1827-36, burial 1828-40 at PRO RG4/3967 and have been microfilmed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Call Number: 819967, IGI. On Dyfed FHS See Bap/Mar/Bur data on FreeReg
    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)
  • Keyston/Tregetin, in village of Keyston/Keeston [Independents, 1799]. records ; 1. See Brynberian, Nevern parish and Rhosycaerau, St Nicholas. 2.Baptisms, 1790-1864, 1934-42, marriages 1935-42, burials 1808-28, church membership lists 1808-83,1934-44.[Not stated whether at PRO, Pem RO or NLW] 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)
topup

Description & Travel

"Camros, a small village, containing nothing worthy of remark, excepting a large tumulus. It appears, by this route of the Crusaders, that the ancient road to Menevia, or St David's, led through Camros, whereas the present turnpike road lies a mile and a half to the left of it. It then descends to Niwegal Sands, and passes near the picturesque little harbour of Solvach, situated in a deep and narrow cove, surrounded by high rocks."
The Itinerary Through Wales and The Description of Wales by Giraldus Cambrensis (1188). The text is that of Sir Richard Colt Hoare who published an English translation in 1806, chiefly from the texts of Camden and Wharton . This extract is from the foot-notes in the Everyman's Library edition, (ed. Ernest Rhys) 1908.

    Various landscape photographs of Camrose and surrounds on the People's Collection Wales site

    You can see pictures of Camrose which are provided by:

    topup

    Gazetteers

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

    topup

    History

    Camrose Castle - a Castles of Wales site. "Camrose was a small but powerful motte and bailey built in a strong position at the side of a small river where it controlled the ford...."

    Richards, W. L. (William Leslie). The proud parish of Camrose . Haverfordwest : Camrose Community Council, 2000. 55 p.

    topup

    Maps

    Parish map (Kain/Oliver)

    You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SM923208 (Lat/Lon: 51.846795, -5.01616), Camrose which are provided by:

    topup

    Names, Geographical

    Places, villages, farms etc within Camrose 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 Barry Johnson)

    • Camrose (75); Barnsley, Barris Hill, Barth, Crow Hill, Dunston, Dunston Grove, Camrose, Camrose Brook, Cleddau Lodge, Crow Hill, Cuttybridge, Dudwells, Folly, Galemoor, Home Fm., Keeston, Keeston Br., Keeston Hill, Keeston Moor, Knock, Knock's Brook, Leweston, Leweston Mountain, Mountain Cott, Mountain Water, Pelcomb, Pelcomb Cross, Pelcomb Hill, Red Hill, Robleston, Rosemary, Sheltery Hill, Slad Fm.,Stockpark, Sunnyhill, The Castle (Antiquity), Wolfsdale, Wolfsdale Hill.
    topup

    Schools

    Richards, W.L. The schoolmaster abroad: a history of education in Camrose Parish, [Fairways, 10 Greenfield Close, Cardigan Rd, Haverfordwest], W.L. Richards (1985) 46 p. : ports. ; 22 cm. p.