Caernarfonshire
Caernarfonshire Sir Gaernarfon (Welsh) | |
---|---|
Historic county | |
Area | |
• 1831 | 370,273 acres (1,498.44 km2) |
• 1911 | 365,986 acres (1,481.09 km2) |
• 1961 | 364,108 acres (1,473.49 km2) |
Population | |
• 1831 | 66,448[1] |
• 1911 | 125,043 |
• 1961 | 121,767 |
Density | |
• 1831 | 0.2/acre |
• 1911 | 0.3/acre |
• 1961 | 0.3/acre |
Chapman code | CAE |
Government | Carnarvonshire County Council (1889–1926) Caernarvonshire County Council (1926–1974) |
• HQ | County Hall, Caernarfon |
• Motto | Cadernid Gwynedd (The strength of Gwynedd) |
Coat of arms of Caernarvonshire County Council | |
History | |
• Established | 1284 |
Until 1974, Caernarfonshire (/kərˈnɑːrvənʃər/; Welsh: Sir Gaernarfon, Welsh pronunciation: [ˈsir gaɨ̯rˈnarvɔn]), sometimes spelled Caernarvonshire or Carnarvonshire, was an administrative county in the north-west of Wales, later classed as one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales.
Geography
The county was bounded to the north by the Irish Sea, to the east by Denbighshire, to the south by Cardigan Bay and Merionethshire, and to the west by Caernarfon Bay and the Menai Strait, which had separated it from Anglesey.
The county had a largely mountainous terrain. A large part of the
The counties included the city of
History
Creation
The county was originally created under the terms of the
The county was divided into ten hundreds based on the existing Welsh commotes: Cymydmaen (anglicised as Commitmaen), Creuddyn, Dinllaen, Eifionydd (Evionydd), Cafflogion (Gaflogion), Llechwedd Isaf (...Isav), Llechwedd Uchaf (...Uchav), Nant Conwy (Nant-Conway), Is Gwyrfai (Isgorvai) and Uwch Gwyrfai (Uchgorvai).[2][4]
19th and 20th centuries
During the 19th century the population increased steadily, from 46,000 in the 1801 census, to 81,093 in 1841, and up to 137,000 in the 1901 census (figures given for the registration county).[5]
Governance
Under the
The county and the town after which it was named were officially spelled "Carnarvon" until 1926. At a meeting on 10 November 1925 the borough council resolved to ask the county council to change the spelling to "Caernarvon".[6] The county council gave permission for the change of spelling for the name of the borough with effect from 14 January 1926, and at the same time decided to ask the government to also change the spelling of the county's name to Caernarvon.[7] The government confirmed the change in the spelling of the county's name with effect from 1 July 1926.[8]
The county council was based at County Hall, Caernarfon.[9]
The county contained five ancient boroughs. Two of these (Caernarfon and Pwllheli) were reformed in 1835 by the Municipal Corporations Act. Criccieth established a special body of commissioners in 1873.[10][11] Conwy (then called Conway in English) was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1877.[12] The remaining borough, the City of Bangor was not reformed until 1883.[13]
Under the
Sanitary district 1872–1894 | County district 1894–1934 | Changes 1934–1974 |
---|---|---|
City of Bangor (municipal borough) | City of Bangor (municipal borough) | Absorbed part of Ogwen RD 1934[14] |
Bangor RSD (part) | Ogwen RD | Lost territory to Bangor MB, Nant Conway RD 1934[14] |
Bethesda ICD (1854), LGD (1863)[15]
|
Bethesda UD | None |
Carnarvon municipal borough | Renamed Caernarvon in 1926[16] | None |
Carnarvon RSD (part) | Gwyrfai RD | Absorbed part of Glaslyn RD 1934[14] |
Conway municipal borough | Conway municipal borough | Municipal borough created 1877. Absorbed part of Conway RD.[14] |
Conway RSD | Conway RD
|
Abolished 1934[14] |
Criccieth ICD (1873) | Criccieth UD | Absorbed part of Glaslyn RD 1934[14] |
Festiniog RSD | Glaslyn RD | Abolished 1934[14] |
Llandudno ICD (1874)[17] | Llandudno UD | Absorbed part of Conway RD 1934[14] |
Llanfairfechan LGD (1872)[18] | Llanfairfechan UD | None |
Llanrwst RSD (part) | Geirionydd RD | Formed Nant Conway RD by amalgamation with parts of Conway RD, Ogwen RD[14]
|
1898: Bettws-y-Coed UD[19]
|
None | |
Penmaenmawr LGD (1866)[20] | Penmaenmawr UD | None |
Pwllheli municipal borough | Pwllheli municipal borough | None |
Pwllheli RSD | Lleyn RD
|
Absorbed part of Glaslyn RD 1934[14] |
Ynyscynhaiarn LBD (1858)[21] | Ynyscynhaiarn UD renamed Porthmadog UD 1915[22] |
Absorbed part of Glaslyn RD 1934[14] |
The
Under the
Coat of arms
Caernarvonshire County Council received a grant of
Legacy
Flag
The Flag of Caernarfonshire was registered with the Flag Institute in March 2012. The pattern of three gold eagles on a green background is a design with a long association with the county, having reputedly been flown by Caernarfonshire soldiers at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.
Places of interest
- Bangor Cathedral
- );
- Caernarfon Castle (grid reference SH4762);
- Conwy Castle (grid reference SH7877);
- Criccieth Castle (grid reference SH5000837754);
- Great Orme Tramway (grid reference SH7883);
- Gwydir Castle, nr. Llanrwst (grid reference SH7961);
- Penrhyn Castle (grid reference SH6071);
- Swallow Falls, Betws-y-Coed (grid reference SH7657);
- Snowdon Mountain Railway, Llanberis (grid reference SH5859);
- Ty Mawr Wybrnant (grid reference SH7752).
See also
- Lord Lieutenant of Carnarvonshire– chronological list of Lords Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire
- List of High Sheriffs of Caernarvonshire
- Custos Rotulorum of Caernarvonshire – chronological list of Custodes rotulorum of Caernarvonshire
- Sheriff of Caernarvonshire – chronological list of Sheriffs of Caenarvonshire
- Caernarvonshire (UK Parliament constituency) – chronological list of MPs for former Caernarvonshire constituency
- Unitary Authorities of Wales
References
- ^ Vision of Britain – 1831 census
- ^ a b Samuel Lewis, ed. (1849). "Carnarvonshire". A Topographical Dictionary of Wales. British History Online. Retrieved 27 July 2008.
- ^ Waters, W. H., The Making of Caernarvonshire, Caernarvonshire Historical Society Transactions, 1942–43
- ^ John Bartholomew (1887). "Carnarvonshire". Gazeteer of the British Isles. Vision of Britain. Retrieved 27 July 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Caernarfonshire". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 27 July 2008.
- ^ "Caernarvon". Lancashire Evening Post. Preston. 11 November 1925. p. 4. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "Caernarvon". Holyhead Mail. 15 January 1926. p. 5. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ Census of England and Wales, 1931: Counties of Anglesey and Caernarvon. Census Office. 1932. p. 8. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "No. 23923". The London Gazette. 26 November 1872. p. 5706.
- ^ "Criccieth Urban District Council, records". Access to Archives. The National Archives. Retrieved 27 July 2008.
- ^ "Conway: Its charter and corporation". North Wales Chronicle. Bangor. 17 March 1877. p. 4. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ "Bangor Borough Council records". Access to Archives. The National Archives. Retrieved 27 July 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Census of Wales 1931, part 2
- ^ "No. 22768". The London Gazette. 4 September 1863. p. 4328.
- ^ Census of England and Wales 1931, County Report, Caernarvonshire
- ^ "Llandudno Urban District Council records". Access to Archives. The National Archives. Retrieved 27 July 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Llanfairfechan Urban District Council records". Access to Archives. The National Archives. Retrieved 27 July 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Census of England and Wales 1901, County Report, Carnarvonshire
- ^ "Penmaenmawr Urban District Council records". Access to Archives. The National Archives. Retrieved 27 July 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "No. 22092". The London Gazette. 4 February 1858. p. 550.
- ^ Census of England and Wales 1921, County Report, Carnarvonshire
- ^ "Historical information from 1973 onwards". Boundary-Line support. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "The Porthmadog Harbour Revision Order 1998 Statutory Instrument 1998 No. 683". Office of Public Sector Information. 1998. Retrieved 27 July 2008.
- ^ "The County of Gwynedd (Electoral Changes) Order 2002, Welsh Statutory Instrument 2002 No. 3274 (W.312)". Office of Public Sector Information. 2002. Retrieved 27 July 2008.
- ^ C Wilfrid Scott-Giles, Civic Heraldry of England and Wales, 2nd edition, London, 1953
Bibliography
- A.H. Dodd, The History of Caernarvonshire (Caernarfonshire Historical Society, 1968).
- John Jones, Enwau Lleoedd Sir Gaernarfon (Caernarfon, 1913). Origin and meanings of place names in the county.
External links
- Map of Caernarfonshire on Wikishire
- The Caernarfonshire Association