Welcome to the History of Milford Haven

 

Gazetteer Entry

 

MILFORD, a town, a chapelry, and a sub-district, in Haverfordwest district, Pembroke. The town

stands on the N side of Milford-Haven, between two small creeks, at the terminus of the Milford

railway, and in connexion with the Milford-Haven railway, 5½ miles ENE of the entrance of Milford-

Haven, and 7 SSW of Haverfordwest. It originated with Sir William Hamilton, the British envoy at

the court of Naples, who owned its site, and obtained an act of parliament to construct quays, form

docks, make streets, and establish a market; and it was commenced in 1790 by the Hon.F.

Greville, who inherited Sir William's property. It was designed on a regular plan, with streets

running parallel to the harbour, and with other streets crossing these at right angles; it became a

royal dock-yard and a packet station to Ireland, and appeared for a time to be rapidly prospering; it

suffered a severe check in 1 814, by the removal of the dock-yard establishment to Paterchurch,

now called Pembroke dock, on the opposite side of the haven; it had been pronounced by Lord

Nelson one of the finest stations possible for a British fleet, with command of safe and capacious

anchorage for the entire British navy, but had been found, or was thought to have been found,

incapable of acquiring sufficient defences against hostile attacks;

 

The town comprises-has comprised since 1811-three parallel streets, ranged along a hill-side, and

commanding fine views of the harbour; and it has a head post office† of the name of Milford-

Haven, a railway station, a market-house, a custom-house, a spacious hotel called the "Lord

Nelson," an observatory, a church, Independent and Baptist chapels, and a quondam chapel of

ease now used as a powder-magazine. The church stands on a spot designed to be the centre of

the town; was erected and endowed in 1808, by the Hon.FGreville; is a handsome edifice; and

contains a vase of Egyptian red porphyry, brought to England by Dr. Pococke, and inscribed to the

memory of Nelson. The whale fishery was formerly carried on, but has entirely ceased. An oyster

fishery has always been prominent; suffered serious injury by the deplenishing of its grounds to

supply foreign beds; and was recently placed under such protection as is likely to render it one of

the most productive fisheries in the kingdom

 

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