Haverfordwest Rural District

The district had its origins in the Haverfordwest Poor Law Union, which had been created in 1837, covering Haverfordwest itself and a large surrounding rural area. A workhouse to serve the union was built on the southern edge of Haverfordwest in 1837–1839, later being called Priory Mount and St Thomas Hospital. In 1872 sanitary districts were established, giving public health and local government responsibilities for to the existing boards of guardians for the rural parts of their poor law unions that were not already covered by an urban authority. The Haverfordwest Rural Sanitary District therefore covered the area of the poor law union except for the towns of Haverfordwest, which was a municipal borough, and Milford Haven, which had its own improvement commissioners.^[2]

Under the Local Government Act 1894, rural sanitary districts became rural districts from 28 December 1894.

The town of Fishguard was removed from Haverfordwest Rural District in 1907 to become its own urban district.^[3] The adjoining town of Goodwick was similarly made its own urban district and removed from Haverfordwest Rural District in 1923. Goodwick and Fishguard urban districts went on to merge into a single urban district of Fishguard and Goodwick in 1934.^[4]

In 1934 the parishes of Burton, Llanstadwell and Rosemarket were transferred into Haverfordwest Rural District from the neighbouring Pembroke Rural District.^[1]