Cefn, Ruabon, Denbighshire

The communities of Cefn Mawr and Cefn Bychan are in the southern part of the parish of Ruabon, in the hundred of Bromfield, county of Denbigh. Ruabon consisted of several townships whose names have gone into disuse with the development of housing in the 19th century. Cefn Bychan was in Coed Cristionydd and borders the river Dee by Newbridge. The adjoining township of Cristionydd Kenrick contained Cefn Mawr, Acrefair, Rhosymedre and Penycae, and bordered the Wynnstay Estate to the East		and Trevor Issa to the West. Local industries included collieries, quarries, and the manufacture of iron, brick, tile and chemicals. The inhabitants were served by three Anglican churches, at Ruabon, Rhosymedre and Penycae, and several non-conformist chapels. The parish of Rhosymedre was formed in 1844 out of Coed Cristionydd, and part of Cristionydd Kendrick, and the parish of Penycae in 1879 out of parts of the parishes of Ruabon, Rhosllanerchrugog and Rhosymedre.
	The Clwyd FHS have transcribed and indexed the registers of St. Mary's, Ruabon, Cefn Bychan and Cefn Mawr Baptists chapels, and the burials at Trefynant, Acrefair. Also transcribed are the Monumental Inscriptions for St. Mary's churchyard, Ruabon Garden of Rest, and Cefn Bychan and Cefn Mawr Baptist chapels. Census records are available, excepting 1841, but so far only 1881 has been transcribed and indexed. In the 19th century education was provided by	the Ruabon Grammar School, a British School in Cefn Mawr, National Schools at Ruabon, Penycae and Rhosymedre, and several small schools in private homes. These are described in 'The Story of Education in a Welsh Border Parish', by E. W. Jones in 1933, and a copy is held by Ruthin Record Office. Ruthin also has copies of the 'History of the Parish of Ruabon' and 'Servants of God' giving historical backgrounds on notable members of the community.
The history of Wynnstay and its owners, written by Askew Roberts in 1876, was reprinted by Wrexham Library in 1998. The Civil Parish of Cefn, prior to 1894 when it was part of the old Parish of Ruabon, is now a combination of four villages; Cefn Mawr, Cefn Bychan, Acrefair and Rhosymedre. The first three have their own Baptist Chapel while Rhosymedre is served by the Tabernacle. Henry Robertson's Railway Viaduct, completed in 1848, crosses the river Dee near the Cefn Bychan Baptist Chapel.	Most of the old stone cottages in the area have been replaced by modern bungalows and housing estates. Formerly, Cefn Bychan was once a thriving industrial area, part of which was known as Rhydallt, trading in wool with Nantwich. Rhydallt extended from Newbridge to the old Cross Keys Inn above the wood and is now extinct, its site being enclosed within the boundaries of Wynnstay Park. From the 18th century Newbridge was the place where baptisms were performed, even for inhabitants of the Ceiriog Valley.
My paternal ancestors lived in Cefn Bychan and are buried there and at Trefynant. In my researches I found connections with other families in the locality and have collected a reasonable amount of information on them including the Hughes, Knight and Jones families of Upper Cefn, and also Hughes, bricklayers of Rhosymedre. Most of these are indexed on this website together with extracts, from parish and non-parochial registers, for the surname Hughes.		The photographs are: Ebenezer English Baptist chapel Dee Railway Viaduct Cefn Bychan Baptist chapel Grosvenor Arms, Cefn Mawr © 2002, John Hughes.