Registration Districts

Registration Districts covering Flintshire, as established on 1 July 1837

Registration District of Ellesmere

This Registration District was initially (1837) co-extensive with the Ellesmere poor law Union.
It was divided into four sub-districts :

• No. 1 sub-district (Overton) :
  • Included the Flintshire parishes of Overton and Penley.

    On 30 September 1896, the parishes of Worthenbury and Bangor on Dee were transferred into the Overton sub-district of Ellesmere Registration District (from Wrexham Registration District).

   

• No. 2 sub-district (Hanmer) :
  • Included the Flintshire parishes of Iscoyd / Whitewell, Bettisfield, Bronington, and Hanmer; and the townships / civil parishes of Halghton, Tybroughton, Willington and Tallarn Green.

    In 1853, the parish of Iscoyd / Whitewell was transferred to the No. 1 ("Whitchurch") sub-district of Whitchurch (Shropshire) Registration District.

     

• No. 3 sub-district (Ellesmere) :
  • There were no Flintshire parishes in this sub-district.

     

• No. 4 sub-district (Baschurch) :
  • There were no Flintshire parishes in this sub-district.

Registration District of Great Boughton
(re-structured, and re-named as "Chester", on 1 January 1870)

This Registration District was initially (1837) co-extensive with the Great Boughton poor law Union.
It was initially divided into four sub-districts :

• No. 1 sub-district (Tattenhall) :
  • There were no Flintshire parishes in this sub-district.

     

• No. 2 sub-district (Chester Castle) :
  • There were no Flintshire parishes in this sub-district.

     

• No. 3 sub-district (Chester Cathedral) :
  • There were no Flintshire parishes in this sub-district.

     

• No. 4 sub-district (Hawarden) :
  • Comprised the whole of the Flintshire parish of Hawarden, together with some Cheshire parishes and townships.
    On 1 August 1871, the Flintshire parishes of Hope and Treuddyn, together with the Flintshire townships of Marford and Hoseley, were transferred from the Wrexham Registration District to the Hawarden sub-district of Chester. At the same time, the Cheshire parishes and townships were transferred from the Hawarden sub-district to the Chester Castle and Chester Cathedral sub-districts.

Registration District of Hawarden

This Registration District was set up on 1st January 1903.

By this date, there had been significant reforms in the structure and administration of Local Government; and the system of defining Registration Districts in terms of ecclesiastical parishes and/or townships had become outdated.

The official documents state :

On 1st January 1903, Hawarden Poor Law Union, consisting of the Civil Parishes of Buckley (Hawarden), Buckley (Mold), Hawarden, Higher Kinnerton, Hope, Marford and Hoseley, Saltney, Sealand and Tryddyn (sic), was separated from the Registration District of Chester (No. 450) in the Registration County of Chester and created Hawarden Registration District (No. 617B) in the Registration County of Flint.

In terms of ecclesiastical parishes, Buckley (Mold) was Bistre; Buckley (Hawarden) was Buckley; Sealand was (and is) in the parish of Hawarden; and "Marford and Hoseley" was a detached part of Flintshire, in the ecclesiastical parishes of Gresford and Rossett (Denbighshire).

Registration District of Holywell

This Registration District was initially (1837) co-extensive with the Holywell poor law Union.
It was divided into four sub-districts :

• No. 1 sub-district (Whitford) :
  • Comprised the parishes of Gwaenysgor, Newmarket / Trelawnyd, Llanasa, Whitford and Caerwys.

     

• No. 2 sub-district (Holywell) :
  • Comprised the parishes of Holywell, Ysceifiog, Nannerch, and the Denbighshire township of Penbedw.

     

• No. 3 sub-district (Flint) :
  • Comprised the parishes of Halkyn, Flint and Northop.

     

• No. 4 sub-district (Mold) :
  • Comprised the parishes of Cilcain, Mold and Nercwys.

Registration District of St. Asaph

This Registration District was initially (1837) co-extensive with the St. Asaph poor law Union.
It was divided into three sub-districts :

• No. 1 sub-district (St. Asaph) :
  • Comprised the Flintshire parishes of St. Asaph, Rhuddlan, Meliden, Cwm, Bodfari, Tremeirchion and Dyserth.

     

• No. 2 sub-district (Abergele) :
  • There were no Flintshire parishes in this sub-district.
    It comprised the Denbighshire parishes of Abergele, Betws-yn-Rhos, Llanddulas, Llanfair Talhaearn and St. George.

     

• No. 3 sub-district (Denbigh) :
  • There were no Flintshire parishes in this sub-district.
    It comprised the Denbighshire parishes of Denbigh, Henllan, Llannefydd and Llansannan.

     

Registration District of Wrexham

This Registration District was initially (1837) co-extensive with the Wrexham poor law Union, which included parts of Denbighshire, Flintshire and Cheshire.
The Union and Registration District was initially divided into four sub-districts, which were defined in the "Chester Chronicle" of 7 April 1837 and 14 July 1837, as a somewhat confusing mixture of townships and parishes :

• No. 1 sub-district (Hope - abolished in 1871) :
  • Comprised the Flintshire parishes of Hope and Treuddyn,
    the Flintshire townships of Marford and Hoseley (these two townships formed a detached portion of Flintshire, entirely surrounded by the Denbighshire parish of Gresford),
    the Denbighshire parish of Gresford,
    and the Denbighshire townships of Allington, Brymbo, Burton, Gwersyllt and Llay.

    In 1871, the Hope sub-district was abolished.
    On 1 August 1871, its Flintshire parishes and townships (i.e. Hope and Treuddyn, and the Flintshire townships of Marford and Hoseley) were transferred to the Hawarden sub-district of the Chester Registration District; and its Denbighshire parishes and townships were transferred to the Holt sub-district of Wrexham.

   

• No. 2 sub-district (Malpas - renamed as "Holt" on 1 April 1853) :
  • Comprised the Flintshire parishes of Threapwood, Worthenbury and Bangor on Dee (Bangor on Dee comprised the Flintshire township of Bangor, with the Denbighshire townships of Eyton, Royton, Sesswick and Pickhill),
    the Denbighshire parishes of Holt, Isycoed and Marchwiel,
    and the Cheshire townships of Shocklach Church, Shocklach Oviatt, Agden, Bradley, Chidlow, Chorlton, Cuddington, Malpas, Newton juxta Malpas, Oldcastle, Overton, Stockton, Wichough and Wigland.

    On 1 April 1853, the Malpas sub-district was abolished.
    Its Cheshire townships (with the exception of Church Shocklach and Shocklach Oviatt) were transferred to the Whitchurch (Shropshire) Registration District.
    The remaining Flintshire and Cheshire parishes and townships were designated as the No. 2 (Holt) sub-district of Wrexham Registration District.

    On 30 September 1896, the parishes of Worthenbury and Bangor on Dee were transferred to the No. 1 ("Overton") sub-district of Ellesmere Registration District; and the parish of Threapwood was transferred to Chester Registration District.

   

• No. 3 sub-district (Ruabon) :
  • There were no Flintshire parishes in this sub-district.
    It comprised the Denbighshire parishes of Ruabon and Erbistock.
    (The parish of Erbistock lay partly in Denbighshire and partly in Flintshire).

   

• No. 4 sub-district (Wrexham) :
  • There were no Flintshire parishes in this sub-district.
    It comprised the Denbighshire townships of Abenbury Fawr, Abenbury Fechan, Acton, Bersham, Bieston, Borras Hofa, Borras Riffre, Broughton, Esclusham Above, Esclusham Below, Erddig, Erlas, Gourton, Minera, Stansty, Wrexham Abbott and Wrexham Regis.
    In effect, this was most of the parish of Wrexham.

In 1871, after the abolition of the Hope (No. 1) sub-district, the remaining sub-districts were re-numbered:
No. 1 (Holt); No.2 (Ruabon); No.3 (Wrexham).

Present-day Registration Districts which hold records for "pre-1974" Flintshire

Flintshire

Superintendent Registrar,
Register Office,
Llwynegrin Hall,
Mold,
Flintshire.
CH7 6NR.

Opening hours - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday - 09.30 to 15.30.
Thursday - 09.30 to 12.30.

Visitors are requested to write, telephone or email beforehand to make an appointment.
Tel: +44 (0)1352 703333
Fax: +44 (0)1352 703334
Email: registrars@flintshire.gov.uk

Please note - the former Flintshire East (Hawarden) and Flintshire West (Holywell) registration districts merged on 18 April 2005.
All enquiries should be now made to the new address (above).

As a general guide, Flintshire Register Office has records for the following "ancient" parishes of Flintshire:

Holywell, Treuddyn (part), Nercwys, Mold, Cilcain, Northop, Flint, Halkyn, Whitford, Llanasa, Gwaenysgor, Trelawnyd, Ysceifiog, Nannerch (part), Caerwys (part), Hawarden, Hope (part).

Denbighshire - North

Superintendent Registrar,
Register Office,
Morfa Clwyd,
Marsh Road,
Rhyl,
Denbighshire.
LL18 2AF.

Opening hours - Monday - 09.15 to 12.30, 14.00 to 16.00.
Tuesday to Friday - 09.15 to 12.30.

Visitors are requested to telephone beforehand to make an appointment.
Tel: +44 (0)1745 366610.
Fax: +44 (0)1745 366614

As a general guide, North Denbighshire has records for the following "ancient" parishes of Flintshire:

St. Asaph, Meliden, Dyserth, Rhuddlan, Cwm, Tremeirchion, Bodfari (part).

Wrexham County Borough

Superintendent Registrar,
Register Office,
Ty Dewi Sant,
Rhosddu Road,
Wrexham.
LL11 1NF.

Tel: +44 (0)1978 292027.
Opening hours - Monday to Friday - 08.45 to 12.45, 14.00 to 16.00.

As a general guide, Wrexham has records for the following parishes of Flintshire:

Hope (part), Treuddyn (part), Llanfynydd; and most of the parishes of Maelor Saesneg.

Civil Registration of births, marriages and deaths (known as "Vital Records" in some countries) started on 1 July 1837 for England and Wales.
For further information see Civil Registration in England and Wales.

Here is a map showing the 1851 Registration Districts of Wales..  The Map is taken from The Religious census of 1851 : A Calendar of the returns relating to Wales, Vol 11, North Wales. Ed. by Ieuan Gwynedd Jones, UWP, 1981

The UK BMD web site "provides 2558 links to websites that offer on-line transcriptions of UK births, marriages, deaths and censuses. A wide range of other indexes and transcriptions are also available for most counties, these may include parish records, wills, monumental inscriptions etc. "

The Registration Districts appropriate to particular towns/parishes etc have been listed on a county basis on UK BMD.

• It should be noted that Registration Districts are/were based not on parishes per se but on the official administration unit below county level.
• So in some cases the parish definition used on Genuki i.e ancient parishes, will result in one of our parishes not appearing on the above list simply because it is an ecclesiastical parish and not categorised as a civil parish.
• An example of such a parish is that of Llangamarch in Brecknockshire which was an ecclesiastical parish, so it doesn't appear on the Brecknockshire section of the above list of parishes/townships etc  under its RD i.e Builth but its two townships/hamlets of Treflis and Penbuallt do.

Demography of Wales (Wikipedia)

The records of births, marriages and deaths for England and Wales are held by the General Register Office which is part of the UK Identity and Passport Service. The records themselves are only available in the form of certified copy certificates. The printed (and in some cases, hand written) indexes to the records have, historically, been available to the public but have now been withdrawn. Microfiche copies are avaiable in many locations and images of these indexes are also available through several web sites.

For further details see the Civil Registration sections of the England or Wales pages.

Records for Scotland are different and are at:

The General Register Office for Scotland
New Register House
Princess Street
Edinburgh
EH1 3YT

For further details see the Civil Registration section of the Scotland page.

Irish records have their own system as well. The records of births, marriages and deaths for all of Ireland up to 1921, and for Eire since 1921 are held at:

Register General
Joyce House
8/11 Lombard Street East
Dublin 2

Records for Northern Ireland since 1921 are at:

Oxford House
49/55 Chichester Street
Belfast
BT1 4HL

Wales was largely conquered by the English in the 14th Century, and was officially united with England in 1535. King James VI of Scotland inherited the throne of England (as James I) in 1603, but the two countries remained separate entities until the Act of Union in 1707 forming 'Great Britain'. Ireland had been claimed by the English Kings since the 12th Century but was not officially joined to Great Britain until 1801. Ireland was given independence in 1921 as the Irish Free State (later called 'Eire'), but the counties of Ulster opted out and (as Northern Ireland) remain part of the United Kingdom.

So, today, the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland' includes 'Great Britain', which in turns includes England, Scotland and Wales.

The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are 'Crown Dependencies' which are technically outside the United Kingdom and have their own local legislatures. This is course is the offical version. You will find many people referring to 'England' when they actually mean 'Britain' or the 'UK'.

Contributions by:

John Pritchard

Changes For This Version (1.1 - 1995/07/31)

Added location of Irish and Scottish records. Added explanation of the relationship between the various parts of the country.