The
beginning for Pembroke Dock came in 1812, when a
misunderstanding took place between the government and
the late Honourable Robert Fulke Greville, proprietor of
the land at Milford, where a dockyard was used by the
Admiralty. The consequence was that Mr Stone, the master
shipwright, whose observant eye had discovered the
singularly advantageous situation of Pembroke Dock, then
called Pater for a naval arsenal of the largest extent,
recommended it to the Government, who on surveys being
made, quickly took advantage of the proposition, and in
1814H.M.
Dockyard Pembroke was formally established by Order in
Council of 31st October 1815.
The Royal Dockyard
was established on the south shore of the Cleddau River,
between the remains of a 1757 zigzag fort, named so
because of its shape, and a stone built tower, better
known as Pater Church which today (2009) still stands
defiantly within the former H.M. Dockyard, where in the
opinion of some was an old Church; but there is good
reason for believing that it was really a domestic
building rather than ecclesiastical architecture. It is
certain that David de Patrick Church had a residence
here. 'His daughter and sole heiress, Ellen, about the
1st of Henry VI., married John Adams, Esq., of Buckspool
(Bierspool), several of whose posterity in the reigns of
Henry VIII., Edward VI., Mary, and Elizabeth served in
Parliament for the town of Pembroke.'-Arch.Camb.,vol.
VI., 1851. This old tower is in all probability all
that is left of David de Patrick Church's family house.
On the other
hand, it might well be said that the David de Patrick
Church family derive their name from a local Patrick
Church? Or was it their name that was best remembered,
and did he not only live there but was he the lookout
for Pembroke Castle which was and still is just two
miles south.
The map on page five
is a copy of an undated Ordinance Survey showing the
boundary of Pembroke and Pater Ward, and while it is
difficult to read, those two areas are clearly shown.
That said you will see the Pater Ward is in the parish
of St. Mary and starts close to the Pembroke River in
the south up to the banks of the Cleddau River in the
North. You will also note that the East/West borders
stretch from the Pennar mud flats on the west side, to
the Lower Road known today as Ferry Lane on the east
side. Furthermore Upper Road now named Pembroke Road
can also be seen, as can the track on which Pembroke
Dock was initially built on.
Today that track is
still in use; it starts at the corner of Commercial Row
and Queen Street and continues via Queen Street, Dimond
Street and Hawkstone Road all of whom were build on it,
today the only remaining part of that track is the path
known as ‘Bird Cage Walk’.
At this stage I must
bring to your notice that had Mr White (a sheep farmer)
not taken the £4,455 offered by the Admiral in 1813
Pembroke Dock may never have existed today, Vivian Hay,
who owns the Nut Shell shop on Queen Street, proudly
reminds visitors that Mr White is an ancestor of his.
The population of
Pater Ward by 1831 was 3,076. The population increased
over the years as shown by the following Census
returns:-
Census
Inhabited Houses Population.
1851 1069
6,236
1861 1353
10,190
1871 1670
9,622
1881 1752
9,871
1891 1912
10,481
2008
3950 9,154
Up to 1891 the
totals included; Military and Shipping Populations of
Pembroke Dock, the other difficulty in recording
accurately was the size of the Ward. For instance Pater
Ward up to around 1900/06 recorded houses which today
are in Pembroke, and to this day the Population numbers
do not count students who are away from home. Read
More........................
Pictures to follow..........but
more can be found at
Roberts Rambles
