Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for PEMBROKE

PEMBROKE, a town, two parishes, a sub-district, and a district, in Pembrokeshire. The town stands on a creek of Milford haven, and on the Pembroke and Tenby railway, 10 miles S by E of Haverfordwest; occupies a peninsular ridge called Penfro, and took thence its name of Pembroke; was founded, along with a strongcastle, in 1092, by Arnulph de Montgomery; was oncesurrounded with walls, remains of which are still standing; consists chiefly of one long street, extending from E to W; presents a dull and plain appearance; and has a head post-office, ‡ a railway station, a banking office, two chief inns, a town hall, a market-place, three churches, four dissenting chapels, a national school, and a workhouse. The castle stood at the seaward extremity of the ridge; was very large, strong, and doubly warded; was the birthplace of Henry VII.; sustained a siege in the cause of Charles I.; and has left extensive and imposing ruins. These include the great gate, with round towers; a circular keep, 52 feet in diameter and 75 feet high, with walls 14 feet thick; a chapel and a hall; and a subterranean apartment orcave, 77 feet by 57, called the Wogan. Two arms of thecreek enfold the sides of the ruins, and are spanned by bridges. St. Michael's church is modern, and forms aprincipal feature of the town. St. Mary's church is partly Norman, and has a massive steeple. Monckton church is very old. The workhouse has capacity for 180inmates. A weekly market is held on Saturday; and fairs, on 12 April, 11 May, 10 July, 22 Sept., 10 Oct., and 30 Nov. The town is a seat. of petty sessions and county courts, and a polling-place; was incorporated in the time of Richard III.; is governed by a mayor, 6 aldermen, and 18 councillors; and unites with Milford, Tenby, and Wiston, in sending a member to parliament. Corporation income in 1850, £388. Amount of property and income tax charged to the conjoint boroughs in 1863, £4, 241. Electors of the boroughs, in 1833, 1, 208; in 1863, 1, 545. P. borough comprises the parishes of St. Michael and St. Mary, and part of the parish of Monckton. Pop. in 1851, 10, 107; in 1861, 15,071. Houses, 2, 140.

The two P. parishes are St. Michael and St. Mary;and the latter includes the town and chapelry of Pem-broke-Dock. Acres of St. Michael, 1,817. Real property, £5, 260; of which £257 are in quarries. Pop. in 1851, 1, 356; in 1861, 1, 501. Houses, 273. Acres of St. Mary, 3, 457; of which 1,025 are water. Real property, £21, 811; of which £135 are in quarries and £100 in gas-works. Pop. in 1851, 7, 874; in 1861, 12, 559. Houses, 1, 672. The livings are a conjoint vicarage in the diocese of St. David's. Value, £500.* Patron, Sir J. Owen, Bart. The p. curacy of Pembroke-Dock is a separate benefice.—The sub-district contains the parishes of P., St. Mary, Monckton, St. Petrox, Stackpole-Elidor, Bosheston, St. Twinell, Warren, Castle martin, Angle, Rhoscrowther, and Pwllcrochan. Acres, 30, 991. Pop., 16, 559. Houses, 2, 383. The district comprehends also the sub-district of Roose, containing the parishes of Burton, Rosemarket, and Llanstadwell; and the sub-district of Tenby, containing the parishes of P., St. Michael, Cosheston, Nash, Lawrenny, Carew, St. Florence, Lamphey, Hodgeston, Manor bier, Penally, Tenby, Gumfreston, and Redberth, and the extra-parochial tract of Caldy and St. Margaret's Islands. Acres, 70, 276. Poor-rates in 1863, £10, 331. Pop. in 1851, 22, 960; in 1861, 29,003. Houses, 4, 743. Marriages in 1863, 257; births, 1,028, of which 71 were illegitimate; deaths, 460, of which 162 were at ages under 5 years, and 16at ages above 85. Marriages in the ten years 1851-60, 1, 962; births, 8, 250; deaths, 5,043. The places of worship, in 1851, were 28 of the Church of England, with 7, 807 sittings; 10 of Independents, with 1, 926 s.; 11 of Baptists, with 3,041 s.; 8 of Wesleyan Methodists, with 2, 451 s.; 3 of Primitive Methodists, with 305 s.; 7 of Calvinistic Methodists, with 1, 353 s.; 3 undefined, with 250 s.; and 1 of Roman Catholics, with 130 s. The schools were 18 public day-schools, with 1, 939 scholars; 45 private day-schools, with 807 s.; 37 Sunday schools, with 3, 351 s.; and 1 evening school for adults, with 7 s.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a town, two parishes, a sub-district, and a district"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: Pembroke AP       Pembroke SubD       Pembroke RegD/PLU       Pembrokeshire AncC
Place: Pembroke

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