Holyhead Road Labour Accounts

Accounts for labour and facilities etc for the building of the Holyhead Road in north Wales during the years 1819-1820 and 1831-1836. Includes details of county, names of farms, names of occupiers, annual rent, total number of days which the occupiers were obliged to contribute towards the construction of the road, number of days worked etc. Entries relate to Llandygi, Llanllechid, Betws-y-coed, Ysbyty Ifan, Corwen, Llanefydd, Bryn Ucha, Llanrwst, Pentrefoelas, Llanrhychwyn and Bangor etc.

Between 1815 and 1830, under pressure to improve transport and communication between London and Dublin, Parliament passed a series of acts with the aim of improving and building roads. The 1815 Act provided for the establishment of a commission to oversee the improvement of the Holyhead Road, which appointed Thomas Telford as engineer. The north Wales section of this road was in particular need of reconstruction necessitating the organisation of local workers and equipment.

It was decided as work was being undertaken in 1819 to transfer authority for maintaining the road between Shrewsbury and Holyhead from the Turnpike Trusts to the Parliamentary Turnpike Commission. In 1823 the commission that had been set up in 1815 merged with a larger commission with a wider range of responsibilities which lasted until 1833 when its powers were transferred to the Department of Woods, Forests and Land Revenues. The Parliamentary Turnpike Commission was merged with the Department in 1840.

Material is arranged in chronological order and incorporated into the General Collection of Bangor Manuscripts .

Open to all users

Description compiled by Anne Lenaghan, July 2002.

Item level word-processed list is available at the Archives Department, University of Wales, Bangor. Reference numbers: General Collection of Bangor Manuscripts: 866-867

Usual copyright conditions apply. Reprographics are made at the discretion of the Archivist.