Records of the Borough of Pembroke

Scope and Content

Records of Pembroke Borough, 1378-1994, comprising charters, 1378-1527, and copies and translations, 1804-[1815]; other records of the unreformed Borough, 1661-1835; Town Clerk's records, 1833-1994, including minutes of the Borough Council, 1835-1974, committees, 1886-1974, and the Urban Sanitary Authority, 1874-1903, agendas, 1888-1969, letter books, 1874-1947, received letters, 1906-1965, Burial Boards records, 1892-1979, files and other papers relating to Freemen, health, public undertakings and housing, unemployment, Pembroke Dockyard and other subjects, 1836-1994, and minutes of other bodies, 1833-1910; Treasurer's records, 1840-1974, including ledgers, 1909-1968, wages records, 1938-1962, vouchers, 1967-1972, Poor Rate books, 1840-1928, General and Water Rate books, 1914-1974, and valuation records, 1864-1956; Urban Sanitary Authority and Public Health Department records, 1887-1979; Engineer and Surveyor's records, 1885-1973, including files relating to individual contracts, 1954-1973, and plans, 1914-[c. 1970].

Administrative / Biographical History

Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, received its first charter from Henry I in 1109. The Borough formed an integral part of the Earldom of Pembroke. The Borough included the parishes of Monkton, St Mary (including Pembroke Dock) and St Michael. The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 resulted in the borough being reconstituted. It was subsequently run by a Borough Council, comprising the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors, all of whom were elected by the ratepayers. The Council also employed officials such as a Clerk, Treasurer and Borough Surveyor. The Borough was responsible for burials, overseeing the Monkton, St Michael and Pembroke Dock Burial Boards. As a result of the Local Government Act 1972 the borough was abolished in 1974 and most of its powers were assumed by South Pembrokeshire District Council. The Community Council for Pembroke (created in 1974) adopted the dignity of Town Council.

Arrangement

Arranged into the following: unreformed Borough; Public Health Department; Engineer and Surveyor; Town Clerk's department; and Borough Treasurer's department.

Access Information

No restrictions

Acquisition Information

Transferred by the Borough Treasurer, 1972, the Clerk to the Borough Council, 1973-1974, the Pembrokeshire County Treasurer's Department, [n. d.], South Pembrokeshire District Council, 1977, I. Vincent, South Pembrokeshire District Council, 1979, R. S. Black, South Pembrokeshire District Council, 1979, 1982, G. W. H. Jackson, Clerk and Financial Officer, Pembroke Town Council, 1980, J. Hogg, Department of Environmental Health, Pembroke, 1980, Modern Records, 1983, 1984, and D. Lawrence, South Pembrokeshire District Council, 1988; deposited by the Librarian, Pembroke Dock Branch Library, 1977, J. Avery, South Pembrokeshire District Council, 1988, R. L. Black, South Pembrokeshire District Council, 1991, the Chief Executive, South Pembrokeshire, 1996, and Pembrokeshire County Council's Transportation and Environment Department per the Records Management Unit, 2001.

Note

Compiled by Rhys Jones for the ANW project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Pembrokeshire Record Office, Records of the Borough of Pembroke, catalogue; Carradice, Phil, Pembroke for King and Parliament (Pembroke, 1993); Dodd, A. H., A History of Caernarvonshire (Wrexham, 1990); Richards, Melville, Welsh Administrative and Territorial Units (Cardiff, 1969).

Other Finding Aids

Hard copies of the catalogue are available at Pembrokeshire Record Office.

Conditions Governing Use

Usual copyright regulations apply

Appraisal Information

Only a sample of vouchers have been retained; the rest have been destroyed.

Custodial History

Most of the records of the Borough were transferred to its successor bodies on abolition.

Accruals

Accruals are not expected

Related Material

Further records are in The National Archives, Ministers' Accounts, and Carmarthenshire Archives Service.

Geographical Names