Penycae, Denbighshire, Wales Genealogy

Penycae is a village, community and ecclesiastical parish in the county borough of Wrexham, Wales.

History
The village was part of the ancient parish of Ruabon and the district was known as Dynhinlle Uchaf (but also known as Y Dref Fechan or Cristionydd Fechan at various times).

The new ecclesiastical parish of Penycae was formed 1879, from parts of the existing parishes of Ruabon, Rhosllannerchrugog and Rhosymedre. The parish church of St. Thomas had been consecrated in 1878. However, most of the population of the parish were nonconformists and attended the Baptist chapels of Salem and Sion in Groes; the Calvinistic Methodist chapels in Groes and Tainant; the Wesleyan Methodist chapel of Soar in Stryt Issa; or the Primitive Methodist chapel in Copperas.

Coal was extracted from pits at Plas Bennion, Wynn Hall, Afon Eitha, Cristionydd, Groes and Plas Isaf. Zinc was worked at Copperas.

Census Records
The parish of Ruabon, and later Penycae, formed part of the Wrexham Registrar's District.

Church Records
The following Penycae Parish Registers have been deposited at the Denbighshire Records Office in Ruthin:


 * There are no official records available on the IGI for Penycae parish.

Nonconformist Church Records
The following chapel records from Penycae are available on the IGI:


 * The Clwyd Family History Society have published the Register of Burials for Salem Baptist Chapel.

Civil Records
Births, marriages and deaths in Penycae will be recorded in the GRO indexes as:

Cemeteries

 * St Thomas Parish Church
 * Salem Baptist Chapel

Poor Law Union
The Wrexham Union was created on 30 March 1837 and the parish of Ruabon, and later Penycae, formed part of this. A workhouse was built at Croesnewydd in Bersham, Wrexham. The records of the Wrexham Union are now held at Denbighshire Record Office in Ruthin.