Ruabon - Slater's Directory 1868

RUABON is a parish in the hundred and barony of Bromfield county of Denbigh - the village is 187 miles N.W. from London, 6 E. by N. from Llangollen, 5 S. by W. from Wrexham, the same distance W. by N. from Overton, 10 N. by W. from Ellesmere, 11½ from Oswestry, and 15 S. by W. from Chester, situated within a short distance of the Shropshire border, and watered by a rivulet that skirts the parish, and discharges itself into the Dee. This locality, which is rich in iron and coal, must have been in early days of some importance, and two ancient Dykes - Offa's and Wat's are still to be seen. The Caerdelyn, in this parish, an ancient settlement, occupies about four acres of land, which is still encumbered with vestiges of old dwellings. There are many works in the neighbourhood, of which we may mention, iron, coal, stone, and fire ware.

The places of worship are the parish church, and a chapel each for Independents and Methodists. The church dedicated to Saint Mary is a spacious edifice, consisting of a chancel and two side aisles; it contains an organ, the gift of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, Bart., and several handsome marble monuments; amongst the latter is one by Rysbach, to the memory of the first Sir Watkin Wynn. The living of Ruabon is a vicarage, in the patronage of the Bishop of Saint Asaph. David Powell, D.D., the eminent antiquary, was vicar of this parish, and dying during his incumbency, was interred here in 1596.

The noble demesne of Wynnstay imparts great consequence to the vicinage of Ruabon: the park is extensive and highly picturesque, and the views from the mansion are very beautiful. Great alterations have been made in the mansion - a great portion having been taken down and rebuilt. Within the domain are two beautiful monuments - one erected by the late Sir Watkin in honour of his regiment, the "Ancient Britons", which with him served in Ireland during the perilous 1798; the other by the great grandmother of the present Sir Watkin in memory of her son. Still more ancient than Wynnstay is the mansion of Plas Madoc, the grounds of which are adjacent to and separated by the road and railway from those of Wynnstay. This is supposed to be one of the most ancient residences in North Wales, having been in former times, and before the subjection of Wales, a royal residence. The name '"Plas Madoc", although not uncommon in Wales, is with regard to this seat, supposed to have been handed down from that Prince of Wales who, in the 12th century, according to Welsh authorities, left this country when involved in civil wars, and sailing for the west, first discovered and colonized America. This event, commemorated in Southey's poem of "Madoc", also by Mrs. Hemans, has recently been further illustrated by a poem, entitled, "A Prince of Wales, long ago" by Lady Marshall, wherein the history of local peculiarities of this interesting border district are much dwelt upon. Plas Madoc was, for some years unoccupied, but it has been restored and greatly improved by the proprietor, G. H. Whalley, Esq., the M.P. for Peterborough. Amongst the many records of ancient and modern times, there rises also on the side of the vale a modern structure, Trevor Tower - an object of interest to travellers as being the subject of frequent notice of late years as the rendezvous for the Orangemen of Liverpool and adjacent districts, who, with others, resort here during the summer on picnic excursions. Trevor Tower is a shooting box, also belonging to Mr. Whalley, whose park and property extends over twenty miles in front and around it, and includes a district called on the ordnance plans, Cefn-y-Fedw: this is supposed to be a misreading for Cefn-y-Bedd, or the "Hill of Graves.It lies on the slope of these hills, and in the high valleys of the Eglwseg, behind this tower. It was here that the chieftains and other leading men of Ancient Britain were brought from great distances to be buried ; in fact, this was to the Britons what the vale of Jehoshaphat at Jerusalem is to the Jews -their most sacred cemetery. The parish of Ruabon, which comprises the townships of Rhos y Medre, Rhos-Llanerchrugog, Bodylltyn, Christionydd Kenrick, Coed Christionydd, Rhyddallt, Bellan, Dynhynlle lsa, and Ercha Morton (above and below), and Ruabon, contained in 1851, 11,497, and in 1861, 14,343.

RHOSYMEDRE is a village, about 1½ miles S. from Ruabon, on the Chirk road. There is a church under the establishment, and a national school, to which is added an endowment of £50, by the late Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, Bart.

RHOSLLANERCHRUGOG (or Rhos) is a populous village, 2 miles N. from Ruabon. Here is also a district church and national school. The inhabitants are chiefly of the working classes, employed at the different works in the neighbourhood.

CEFN, is another populous village, 2 miles S. by W. from Ruabon; it is very irregularly built on the slope of a hill, facing the vale of Llangollen. The inhabitants here, as at Rhos, are of the working classes.

Population of the three last named places are given with Ruabon.

CHIRK is a parish in its own hundred, county of Denbigh, 9 miles from Wrexham. There is here an aqueduct of 10 arches, which carries the Ellesmere canal over the river Ceriog. Chirk is also a petty sessions town, and the parish contains also the townships of Brynkinalt, Halton and Penyclawdd. Coal and lime are extensively worked in Chirk and its neighbourhood. The Hand Hotel is a very good commercial, family and posting house. Chirk Castle, the seat of Colonel Myddleton Biddulph, M.P., is built on the site of Castle Crogen, and since restored, is near Offa's Dyke, on the side of the Berwyn hills. The church is dedicated to St. Mary. The living, a vicarage is in the gift of the Bishop of St. Asaph. There are also places of worship for dissenters. Population in 1861, 1,630.

ERBISTOCK is a parish partly in the hundred of Bromfield, county of Denbigh, and partly in the hundred of Malor (sic), county of Flint. It is 6 miles S.S.E. of Wrexham, and is situated on the river Dee. The parish church is dedicated to St. Hilary; the living, a rectory, is in the gift of the Bishop of St. Asaph. There is a national school. Population of the parish in 1861, 337.

OVERTON is a parish in a detached portion of the county of Flint, Malor (sic) hundred, 5 miles N.N.W. of Ellesmere, Cheshire (sic). It is situated in a fine spot near to the river Dee, over which is a bridge. The town or village is a polling and petty sessions town, and contributory borough to Flint. The church is dedicated to St. Mary; the living is a curacy annexed to the rectory of Bangor-y-Iscoed (sic). The parish contains the townships of Cloy, Knolton and Maesgwaylod, with a population in 1861 of 1,397.

ST. MARTIN is a parish in Upper Oswestry hundred, county of Shropshire, and 6 miles N.N.E. of Oswestry. The Ellesmere canal runs near. The place of worship is a church, under the establishment; the living of which is a vicarage, in the gift of the Bishop of St. Asaph. There is a good school, erected by Lord Trevor, in 1866. The population of the parish (which also contains the townships of Bronygarth, Ifton and Weston Rhyn was in 1861, 2,351.