Monmouthshire (historic)

Monmouthshire
*Sir Fynwy* (Welsh)
Monmouthshire Sir Fynwy (Welsh)
Historic county
1536–1974
	; Flag adopted in 2011
	;
Area
• 1831	324,310 acres (1,312.4 km2)
• 1901	345,048 acres (1,396.36 km2)
• 1961	339,088 acres (1,372.24 km2)
Population
• 1831	98,130
• 1901	230,806
• 1961	444,679
Density
• 1831	0.3/acre
• 1901	0.7/acre
• 1961	1.3/acre
Status	Ceremonial county (until 1974); Non-administrative county (1536–1889); Administrative county (1889–1974); Historic county (non-administrative)
Chapman code	MON
Government	Monmouthshire County Council (1889–1974); Newport County Borough Council (1891–1974); Cardiff County Borough Council (part) (1938–1974)
• HQ	Monmouth and Newport
• Motto	Faithful to both (Utrique Fidelis)
	; Coat of arms of Monmouthshire County Council;
History
• Established by the Laws in Wales Act 1535	1536
• Disestablished	1974
	Succeeded by
County of Gwent
Mid Glamorgan
South Glamorgan

Monmouthshire (/ˈmɒnməθʃər, ˈmʌn-, -ʃɪər/ MON-məth-shər, MUN-, -⁠sheer), also formerly known as the County of Monmouth (/ˈmɒnməθ, ˈmʌn-/ MON-məth, MUN-; Welsh: Sir Fynwy), was one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolition in 1974. Located in the south-east of Wales, on the border with England, its area now corresponds approximately to the present principal areas of Monmouthshire, Blaenau Gwent, Newport and Torfaen, and those parts of Caerphilly and Cardiff east of the Rhymney River.

The eastern part of the county was mainly agricultural, while the western valleys had rich mineral resources. This led to the area becoming highly industrialised with coal mining and iron working being major employers from the 18th century to the late 20th century. Its five largest towns were Newport, Cwmbran, Pontypool, Ebbw Vale and Abergavenny.

Monmouthshire's Welsh status was ambiguous between the 16th and 20th centuries, with it sometimes considered to be part of England during this time, such in as the Local Government Act 1933; its legal inclusion in Wales was clarified by the Local Government Act 1972, the same act that changed the structure of local government within the county.

History

Formation

The "county or shire of Monmouth" was formed from parts of the Welsh Marches by the Laws in Wales Act 1535. According to the Act the shire consisted of all Honours, Lordships, Castles, Manors, Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments, lying or being within the Compass or Precinct of the following Lordships, Townships, Parishes, Commotes and Cantrefs... in the Country of Wales:

Monmouth • Chepstow • Matherne (Mathern) • Llanvihangel (Llanfihangel Rogiet) • Magour (Magor) • Goldcliffe (Goldcliff) • Newport • Wentlooge • Llanwerne (Llanwern) • Caerlion (Caerleon) • Usk • Treleck (Trellech) • Tintern • Skenfrith • Grosmont • Witecastle (White Castle) • Raglan • Calicote (Caldicot) • Biston (Bishton) • Abergavenny • Penrose (Penrhos) • Grenefield (Maesglas) • Maghen (Machen) • Hochuyslade (possessions of Llanthony Priory)^[3]

The Act also designated Monmouth as the "Head and Shire town of the said county or shire of Monmouth", and ordered that the Sheriff's county or shire court be held alternately in Monmouth and Newport.^[4]

Boundaries and subdivisions

The county boundaries are the River Wye on the east, dividing it from Gloucestershire and the Rhymney River to the west dividing it from Glamorganshire, with the Bristol Channel to the south. The boundaries with Herefordshire to the northeast and Brecknockshire to the north were less well-defined. The parish of Welsh Bicknor, was an exclave of Monmouthshire, sandwiched between Gloucestershire and Herefordshire. The area was considered part of Monmouthshire until it was made part of Herefordshire "for all purposes" by the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844, while the Herefordshire hamlet of Fwthog (or Ffwddog) adjoining the Honddu Valley remained an exclave within Monmouthshire until 1891.^[5]

The county was divided into six hundreds in 1542: Abergavenny, Caldicot, Raglan, Skenfrith, Usk and Wentloog.

The county contained the three boroughs of Monmouth, Newport and Usk.^[6]

Civil parishes

In the medieval period Monmouthshire was divided into the following civil parishes, listed by hundred (chapelries in italics):

Hundred	Parishes
Abergavenny	Abergavenny • Aberystruth • Cwmyoy (Llanthony) • Goytre • Llanddewi Rhydderch • Llanddewi Skirrid • Llanellen • Llanfair Kilgeddin • Llanfoist • Llangattock Lingoed • Llangattock nigh Usk • Llanhilleth • Llanover • Llansantffraed • Llantilio Pertholey (Bettws) • Llanvapley • Llanvetherine • Llanvihangel Crucorney • Llanvihangel Gobion • Llanwenarth • Mamhilad • Oldcastle • Trevethin
Caldicott	Bishton • Caerwent • Caldicot • Chepstow • Christchurch • Goldcliff • Ifton • Itton • Langstone (Cat's Ash) • Llanfihangel Rogiet • Llanmartin • Llanvaches • Llanvair Discoed • Llanwern • Magor (Redwick) • Mathern • Mounton • Nash • Newchurch • Penhow • Penterry • Portskewett • Rogiet • St Arvans • St Brides Netherwent • St Pierre • Shirenewton • Sudbrook • Undy • Whitson • Wilcrick
Ragland	Bettws Newydd • Bryngwyn • Cwmcarvan • Dingestow • Kilgwrrwg • Llanarth • Llandenny • Llandogo • Llanfihangel Tor-y-mynydd • Llangovan • Llanishen • Llansoy • Mitchel Troy • Penallt • Penrhos • Pen-y-clawdd • Raglan • Tintern Parva (Tintern St Mary) • Tregare • Trellech (Trellech Grange) • Wolvesnewton
Skenfrith	Dixton • Grosmont • Llangattock Vibon Avel (Llanfaenor) • Llangua • Llantilio Crossenny • Llanvihangel Ystern Llewern • Monmouth (Overmonnow) • Rockfield • St Maughans • Skenfrith • Welsh Bicknor • Wonastow
Usk	Gwernesney • Kemeys Commander • Kemeys Inferior • Llanbadoc • Llanddewi Fach • Llandegveth • Llanfihangel Llantarnam • Llanfihangel Pontymoile • Llanfrechfa • Llangattock juxta Caerleon • Llangeview • Llangwm (Llandevaud • Llangwm Isaf) • Llangybi • Llanhennock • Llanllowell • Llantrisant • Monkswood¹ • Panteg • Tredunnock • Trostrey • Usk
Wentlooge	Bassaleg • Bedwas • Bedwellty • Bettws • Coedkernew • Henllys • Machen • Malpas • Marshfield • Michaelston-y-Fedw • Mynyddislwyn • Newport • Peterstone • Risca • Rumney • St Brides Wentloog • St Mellons

¹extra-parochial, but still had its own church

Municipal reform

Monmouth and Newport were reformed as municipal boroughs with elected town councils by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. Usk continued as an unreformed borough until its final abolition in 1886.

New forms of local government were established in the urban areas of the county with the setting of local boards under the Public Health Act 1848 and Local Government Act 1858. The Public Health Act 1875 divided the rural areas into rural sanitary districts.

An administrative county of Monmouthshire, governed by an elected county council, was formed in 1889 under the terms of the Local Government Act 1888. The act directed that where urban sanitary districts straddled county boundaries they should be placed entirely in the administrative county which had the majority of the urban sanitary district's population.^[7] Along the boundary between Monmouthshire and Brecknockshire were four urban sanitary districts which straddled the county boundary: Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale, Rhymney, and Tredegar. The majority of Brynmawr's population was in Brecknockshire, and so the southern parts of Brynmawr within Monmouthshire were transferred to the administrative county of Brecknockshire. For the other three urban sanitary districts the majority of the population was in Monmouthshire, which therefore gained from Brecknockshire the Beaufort and Rassau areas of Ebbw Vale, the Dukestown area of Tredegar, and the Llechryd area of Rhymney.

The county council was based in Newport, rather than the historic county town of Monmouth. In 1891 the borough of Newport achieved county borough status and therefore left the administrative county, although the administration of the county council continued to be based at Shire Hall, Newport. In the same year the parish of Fwthog was transferred to both the administrative and geographic county of Monmouthshire.

Under the Local Government Act 1894, the administrative county was divided into urban and rural districts, based on existing sanitary districts.

Municipal boroughs

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

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