Carnarvon Traders - 1794 Census

"...A census of Caernarfon taken 10 June 1794. This is also something of a mystery, being a small leather-bound manuscript measuring about 8" x 6½" with a paper label on the front cover inscribed as follows: 'CENSUS OF CARNARVON, Taken in 1794, By, Richard Griffith, Presented by Owen Griffith Esq., Trefan'. The line 'Presented by Owen Griffith Esq.,' does not appear on the first page, which is headed: 'Census of Caernarvon, taken by Richard Griffith, June 10th, 1794'.

The enumerator, Richard Griffith, is in my opinion the owner of the Boot Inn in Bangor Street and was clerk to various bodies, e.g. the Committee of the Overseers of the Poor, etc. His house was used as a committee room for the overseers and the Committee for the Navigation of the Straits of Menai, as well as county meetings called by the sheriff to consider sundry affairs such as petitions. Four questions arise: (a) why was it compiled; (b) who authorised it; (c) to whom was it 'presented'; (d) who was Owen Griffith, Trefan? In the absence of any reference to this document in our records, I am unable to offer any answer to the first three questions. The fourth, the identity of 'Owen Griffith, Esq.,' raised some difficulty. Dr. Colin Gresham informs me that there were no Griffiths residing at Trefan (Llanystumdwy) and he knows of no other 'Trefan' in the county. By chance, however, there came to light a printed Abstracts of Accounts of the borough for 1831-32 which has on the cover the name 'Owen Griffith, Esq. Tryfan'; he was a burgess of the borough....."

"A Survey of Caernarvon, 1770 - 1840" by Kenrick Evans

We would hazard a guess from the above information that it was compiled for the Overseers of the Poor, perhaps as some sort of survey to estimate income and expenditure?

Church Street