Denbigh Parish Records

Scope and Content

The records of individual ecclesiastical parishes include registers of baptisms, marriages and burials, as well as records of the churchwardens and Parochial Church Councils, parish charities, schools, clubs and societies.

Parish records were deposited at the Clwyd Record Office, following an agreement of 1976 between the Church in Wales and the Welsh County Councils.

There are four churches in the parish of Denbigh: St. Hilary’s; St. Marcella’s; St. Mary’s and St. David’s.

The church of St. Marcella is in fact the original parish church of Denbigh. It is also known as Whitchurch (Eglwys Wen).

The present St. David's is the second church to be erected on this site. The earlier church was built between 1838 and 1840. The tower, which was not completed till 1858, still remains. However, the rest of the original church was demolished in 1894, and a new building was erected in its place.

St Davids Church is the school chapel for the all-girls boarding school (Howell's School) and is now owned by the school trustees who purchased it from the Church in Wales in 2011.

St. Mary's now acts, to all intents and purposes, as the parish church of Denbigh.

St. Hilary's was built in the early fourteenth century, as the " Garrison Chapel" to Denbigh Castle. It is mentioned in a document of 1335. By the Victorian period, it was in need of extensive repair; and at a Vestry meeting on 26 April 1867, it was reported that £1760 would have to be spent on essential repairs. The decision was taken, unanimously, to erect a new church, (St. Mary's). After St. Mary's was opened, in 1875, St. Hilary's was allowed to become derelict. Apart from the tower, which is still standing, St. Hilary's was completely demolished during the 1920's.

[Information taken from http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/DEN/Denbigh/index.html (last accessed June 2015)]

Related material-

For Denbigh Cemetery Burial Registers 1889-1990 see Microfilm copy MFD 1694

For Denbigh Cemetery Register of Graves 1889-1955 see Microfilm copy MFD 1694

Arrangement

Arranged into two key groups; Ecclesiastical Records and Civil Records

Access Information

This collection is open for research. It is advisable to book in advance, for details and opening hours see http://archives.denbighshire.gov.uk/visit-us/. Access to some documents may be restricted due to Data Protection legislation, Denbighshire Archive Service will advise where this is the case.

Geographical Names