Hawarden, Flintshire, Wales Genealogy

A guide to genealogy in Hawarden, with information on where to find birth, baptism, marriage, death and burial records; census records; wills; cemeteries; maps; etc.

The town of Hawarden (Welsh: Penarlâg) forms part of the Deeside conurbation in the south of Flintshire, on the border with England.

Before 1974 the town was in the historic county of Flintshire and, between 1974 and 1996 in the County of Clwyd. In 1996 it became part of the modern county of Flintshire.

History
In 1879: "Hawarden (pronounced Harden), a small town, consisting of little more than one street, half-a-mile in length, pleasantly situated on an eminence. It is of great antiquity, and the remains of fortified posts around it serve to remind that it has been the scene of conflict, and bravely defended against hostile attack. Its early British name was "Pen-y-Llwch" .... i.e. the head of the swamp or lake; which accords with the tradition that the adjacent low land was formerly under water. In the record of the Norman survey, the name is written "Haordin"."(From Black's Picturesque Guide to North Wales, 1879)

Hawarden is one of the "ancient parishes" of Flintshire. It originally comprised the sixteen townships of Aston, Bannel, Bretton, Broughton, Ewloe Town, Ewloe Wood, Hawarden, Mancot, Manor, Moor, Pentrobin, Rake, Saltney, Sealand and Shotton. On 12 December 1874, the new parish of Buckley was created, from the township of Ewloe Wood and parts of the townships of Ewloe Town and Pentrobin. On 30 May 1921, the new parish of Shotton was created, from parts of the townships of Shotton, Aston, Sealand and Saltney. The parish of Hawarden was traditionally a "peculiar" i.e. the rector was exempt from the jurisdiction of any bishop - he held his own ecclesiastical courts, proved wills, and granted marriage licences. Confirmations were performed by invited bishops. Peculiars were abolished in 1849, and on the 30th of July 1849 the peculiar of Hawarden was attached to the diocese of St. Asaph. However, the Rector of Hawarden continued to prove wills until 1858, and he is still permitted to grant marriage licences to this day.

As the ecclesiastic parish of Hawarden grew in numbers, district churches were built at Broughton; Ewloe; Pentrobin/Penymynydd; Sandicroft and Sealand.

For more information on Hawarden see
 * | Hawarden at Genuki

Hawarden's most famous residents are Emma, Lady Hamilton (1761–1815) and the former Prime Minister, William Ewart Gladstone (1809–1898).

Poor Law Union Records

 * Great Boughton Poor Law Union
 * Hawarden Poor Law Union