Rhosrobin
Encyclopedia
Rhosrobin is a small village
situated in Wrexham county borough in Wales
, about 2 miles (3.2 km) north west of Wrexham
town centre, close to the A483 road
.
The population of the village has expanded considerably in recent years and many of the older landmarks have been swept away to make room for new housing and commercial development, attracted by direct access along the B5425 to Wrexham Town Centre, and easy connection to the A483 (Trunk) at Pandy, for Chester and the north West of England beyond.
Taking the B5425 (Llay) from Wrexham, the village boundary is now marked with a brown sign alongside the new Top House Road housing development.
Following the Main Road over the Chester – Shrewsbury railway, the main commercial centre of the village can be seen. Although clearly located in Rhosrobin, the Rhosddu Industrial Estate takes its name from the old colliery that once occupied this whole area. The colliery was opened in the 1860s by The Wrexham Coal Company and at its peak employed almost 1000 men. The colliery closed in 1924. The only surviving building can be seen at the rear of the estate – the old wheelhouse is currently occupied by a pallets business.
The Churchlea development to the side of the Olivet Christadelphian Chapel was built on the site of the disused North Wales Mineral Railway
Company railway track. The route of the old track can be seen opposite Churchlea making its way to the long since gone Wheatsheaf junction
in Gwersyllt
.
The short unadopted road running to the rear of the Chapel originally ran the full length of the land down to the main railway line, giving access to a cottage built beside the track and also to two long terraces of houses built on higher ground. Although the terraced properties were demolished in the 1970s, the land remained undeveloped until very recently. The cottage was demolished to make way for the Churchlea development.
The village was served briefly by its own railway station, Rhosrobin Halt
, which was actually situated in Pandy
, opposite what is now known as the Pandy Business Park. The Halt was opened in 1932 by the Great Western Railway
Co. and closed in October 1947. Very little remains of the structure, which was used mainly by colliers who worked at the large Gresford Colliery
nearby.
Continuing along the B5425, the former St Peter’s Church building remains but is now a children’s nursery, and the old Rhosrobin School, which had more recently seen service as a commercial laundry, has now been demolished to make way for a new housing development called St. Peter's Close. The old school bell moved with the laundry company to its new premises on Llay
Industrial Estate.
A murder was committed in Rhosrobin on Monday, 10 November 1902 when William Hughes shot his wife Jane Hannah Hughes. William Hughes was a native of Denbigh
and served for many years in the Cheshire Regiment
in India
under the British Raj
. On his return to Britain he worked as a collier in the Wrexham area. He married Jane Hannah Williams, his first cousin, in 1892. They separated in 1901 and Hughes was subsequently sentenced to three months in Shrewsbury prison
for "family desertion". He was released on 6 November 1902 and on the 10th of the month he called upon his wife who by then was housekeeper to a Mr Tom Maddocks, a collier who was widowed with three children. When she came to the door Hughes discharged both barrels of a shotgun into her body from close range.
Hughes was tried at Denbigh Assizes in January 1903 and despite pleas of insanity
the jury took just ten minutes to find him guilty of murder. At 8 a.m. on Tuesday 17 February 1903 William Hughes, 42, was executed on the gallows
at Ruthin
Gaol. Hughes is believed to be the only man to have been hanged at the Gaol.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
situated in Wrexham county borough in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, about 2 miles (3.2 km) north west of Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
town centre, close to the A483 road
A483 road
The A483 is a major road in the United Kingdom, running from Swansea in Wales to Chester in England, although the official title is the Swansea to Manchester Trunk Road.-Swansea:...
.
The population of the village has expanded considerably in recent years and many of the older landmarks have been swept away to make room for new housing and commercial development, attracted by direct access along the B5425 to Wrexham Town Centre, and easy connection to the A483 (Trunk) at Pandy, for Chester and the north West of England beyond.
Taking the B5425 (Llay) from Wrexham, the village boundary is now marked with a brown sign alongside the new Top House Road housing development.
Following the Main Road over the Chester – Shrewsbury railway, the main commercial centre of the village can be seen. Although clearly located in Rhosrobin, the Rhosddu Industrial Estate takes its name from the old colliery that once occupied this whole area. The colliery was opened in the 1860s by The Wrexham Coal Company and at its peak employed almost 1000 men. The colliery closed in 1924. The only surviving building can be seen at the rear of the estate – the old wheelhouse is currently occupied by a pallets business.
The Churchlea development to the side of the Olivet Christadelphian Chapel was built on the site of the disused North Wales Mineral Railway
North Wales Mineral Railway
The North Wales Mineral Railway was constructed in 1844 during the early years of the so-called Railway Mania. It was originally intended to link Chester via Wrexham to Ruabon; there were branches to Brymbo and Minera from Wheatsheaf junction via a tunnel and inclined plane...
Company railway track. The route of the old track can be seen opposite Churchlea making its way to the long since gone Wheatsheaf junction
Wheatsheaf junction
Wheatsheaf Junction was a Junction on the railway line between Wrexham and Gresford on the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway. The location was around 2 km from Wrexham General Station, below the Weatsheaf public house. It was built as contigious with the line to Brymbo which was the terminus...
in Gwersyllt
Gwersyllt
Gwersyllt is an urban village and a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales....
.
The short unadopted road running to the rear of the Chapel originally ran the full length of the land down to the main railway line, giving access to a cottage built beside the track and also to two long terraces of houses built on higher ground. Although the terraced properties were demolished in the 1970s, the land remained undeveloped until very recently. The cottage was demolished to make way for the Churchlea development.
The village was served briefly by its own railway station, Rhosrobin Halt
Rhosrobin Halt railway station
Rhosrobin Halt was a minor railway station located on the Great Western Railway's Paddington to Birkenhead line a few miles north of Wrexham in Wales. Only local trains called here and freight was never handled at the station. The route is still open today as part of the Shrewsbury to Chester Line...
, which was actually situated in Pandy
Pandy
A pandy is another name for a fulling mill.Pandy may also refer to several places in Wales:* Pandy, Monmouthshire, a village near Abergavenny* Pandy, Wrexham, a village in the Ceiriog Valley* Pandy, Powys, a village in Powys...
, opposite what is now known as the Pandy Business Park. The Halt was opened in 1932 by the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
Co. and closed in October 1947. Very little remains of the structure, which was used mainly by colliers who worked at the large Gresford Colliery
Gresford Colliery
Gresford Colliery was a coal mine located a mile from the North Wales village of Gresford, near Wrexham, Wales.-Sinking:The Gresford coalfield runs from Point of Ayr, on the Flintshire coast, down to the Shropshire border. Although coal mining records date back to the 15th Century, it was not...
nearby.
Continuing along the B5425, the former St Peter’s Church building remains but is now a children’s nursery, and the old Rhosrobin School, which had more recently seen service as a commercial laundry, has now been demolished to make way for a new housing development called St. Peter's Close. The old school bell moved with the laundry company to its new premises on Llay
Llay
Llay is a village and local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales....
Industrial Estate.
A murder was committed in Rhosrobin on Monday, 10 November 1902 when William Hughes shot his wife Jane Hannah Hughes. William Hughes was a native of Denbigh
Denbigh
Denbigh is a market town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. Before 1888, it was the county town of Denbighshire. Denbigh lies 8 miles to the north west of Ruthin and to the south of St Asaph. It is about 13 miles from the seaside resort of Rhyl. The town grew around the glove-making industry...
and served for many years in the Cheshire Regiment
Cheshire Regiment
The Cheshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division.The regiment was created in 1881 as part of the Childers reforms by the linking of the 22nd Regiment of Foot and the militia and rifle volunteers of Cheshire...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
under the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. On his return to Britain he worked as a collier in the Wrexham area. He married Jane Hannah Williams, his first cousin, in 1892. They separated in 1901 and Hughes was subsequently sentenced to three months in Shrewsbury prison
Shrewsbury (HM Prison)
HM Prison Shrewsbury is a Category B/C men's prison, located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service....
for "family desertion". He was released on 6 November 1902 and on the 10th of the month he called upon his wife who by then was housekeeper to a Mr Tom Maddocks, a collier who was widowed with three children. When she came to the door Hughes discharged both barrels of a shotgun into her body from close range.
Hughes was tried at Denbigh Assizes in January 1903 and despite pleas of insanity
Insanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
the jury took just ten minutes to find him guilty of murder. At 8 a.m. on Tuesday 17 February 1903 William Hughes, 42, was executed on the gallows
Gallows
A gallows is a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging, or by means to torture before execution, as was used when being hanged, drawn and quartered...
at Ruthin
Ruthin
Ruthin is a community and the county town of Denbighshire in north Wales. Located around a hill in the southern part of the Vale of Clwyd - the older part of the town, the castle and Saint Peter's Square are located on top of the hill, while many newer parts of the town are on the floodplain of...
Gaol. Hughes is believed to be the only man to have been hanged at the Gaol.