Wrexham, Wales Genealogy

Wrexham (Welsh: Wrecsam) is a large town in the north-east of Wales. It is the largest town in the north of the country and is situated between the mountains and the lower Dee valley, close to the border with England.

History
The remains of Offa's Dyke can be seen on the western outskirts of Wrexham. This massive earthwork, stretching from Chepstow in the south to Prestatyn in the north, was constructed in the late 8th century by Offa, King of Mercia, as a boundary between Saxon Mercia and Celtic Wales. Traces of an earlier dyke, Wat's Dyke, can be seen on the eastern side of the Wrexham. The land bewteen was mainly settled by Saxons and it would be several centuries before Wrexham and the lands to the east of Offa's Dyke would be returned to Wales.

The town is first mentioned in 1161 when reference is made to a Norman motte and bailey castle at Wristlesham. This castle is assumed to be the one in the grounds of the Erddig estate. In 1282 the area became part of the Marcher Lordship of Bromfield and Yale.

Wrexham became the main town in the area and grew wealthy with its markets. Following the Act of Union between Wales and England, it became part of the county of Denbighshire when it was created in 1536. Wrexham was divided into two distinct townships, Wrexham Regis (which was under the control of the King) and Wrexham Abbot (generally the older parts of the town, which originally belonged to Valle Crucis Abbey at nearby Llangollen).

The ancient parish of Wrexham comprised the townships of:
 * Abenbury Fawr
 * Abenbury Fechan
 * Acton
 * Bersham
 * Bieston
 * Broughton
 * Brymbo
 * Borras Hwfa
 * Esclusham Above
 * Esclusham Below
 * Gourton
 * Minera
 * Stansty
 * Wrexham Abbot
 * Wrexham Regis

Within the parish were two other townships, Erddig and Erlas, however, these were exclaves of the neighbouring parish of Gresford.

As the population grew the parish became sub-divided into new parishes of Minera (1844), Brymbo (1844), Gwersyllt (1851), Esclusham (1879), Rhosddu (1886), Broughton (1909), Southsea (1921) and Bersham (1934).

The town has always been associated with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, who were based based in the Hightown area.

In the 18th century Wrexham had a substantial leather industry with many skinners and tanners based in the town. However, in the late 18th century Wrexham was transformed by the coming of the industrial revolution. It began when John (Iron Mad) Wilkinson took over the Bersham Ironworks in 1762.

Both lead and coal mining were important industries in the western parts of the parish with brickmaking with bricks being produced in Abenbury, on the outskirts of the town.

One of the other main industries associated with the town was brewing and there were several large breweries in the town, together with numerous smaller breweries situated at the back of local inns. All commercial brewing in Wrexham has now ceased.

In the latter half of the 20th century, Wrexham (like most other part of Wales) began a period of depression with much of the traditional industries closing. A major regeneration programme was begun to provide alternative, modern industries in the area.

Following the reorganistaion of local government in Wales in 1976, Wrexham became part of the newly formed county of Clwyd (which replaced the ancient counties of Denbighshire and Flintshire). However, this arrangement was never popular and Wrexham became a county borough when the county of Clwyd was abolished in 1996.

Census Records
The parish of Wrexham formed part of the Wrexham Registrar's District.

Church Records
The following Wrexham Parish Registers have been deposited at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth:

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

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

Civil Records
The parish of Wrexham formed part of the Wrexham sub-district of the Wrexham Registration District. Any births, marriages or deaths in Wrexham will appear as Wrexham in the GRO indexes, in volumes XXVII (1837-51), 11b (1852-1946) or 8A (1946-74).

Poor Law Union
The Wrexham Union was created on 30 March 1837 and the parish of Wrexham 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.