There is no evidence for Roman settlement in Malpas, but it is known that the Roman Road from Bovium and Mediolanum passes through the village.
Mercian
Dedications to St Oswald are thought to be associated with Æthelræd II, also known as Earl Aethelred of Mercia and Æthelflæd of Mercia ; they are known to have encouraged the growth of this cult along the Welsh border in places such as Hereford and Shrewsbury. This may indicate that Malpas was not a Norman 'New Town', but an Anglo-Saxon burh.
Medieval (Norman 1066–1154)
After the Norman conquest of 1066 Malpas is recorded as being called Depenbech and is mentioned in the Domesday book of 1086 as belonging to Robert FitzHugh, Baron of Malpas. Malpas and other holdings were given to his family for defensive services along the Welsh border. The Cholmondeley family who still live locally at Cholmondeley Castle descended from Robert FitzHugh: Richard de Malpas, son of John de Malpas, married Letitia FitzHugh, daughter of Robert FitzHugh. A concentrated line of castles protected Cheshire's western border from the Welsh; these included motte-and-bailey castles at Shotwick, Dodleston, Aldford, Pulford, Shocklach, Oldcastle and Malpas. The earthworks of Malpas Castle are still to be found to the north of St. Oswald's Church.
Medieval (Plantagenet 1154–1485)
Malpas became more important when the western hundreds of Cheshire were detached to become part of Wales. By the late 13th century, Malpas became the most important settlement in the southern part of Broxton hundred. Develops significantly around the motte and church and becomes a market town – Malpas was granted a Market Charter for a weekly market and annual fair in 1281. The present church was built in the second half of the 14th century on the site of an earlier one, of which nothing remains. However, there is a list of earlier rectors. Extensive alterations were made in the late 15th century. The roof was removed, the side walls reduced in height and rebuilt with the current windows while the nave arcade was raised to its current height. The town retains its general layout established in the medieval period. A possible reason for Malpas not undergoing intensive development is that Whitchurch, a major market town, was just away.
Cheshire was strategically very important during the civil war as it controlled the North-South movement of troops from the west of the Pennines to the east of the Clwydian range – Chester, as the main port to Ireland was supremely important as Charles I had an army there. Another Sir William Brereton of Malpas and Shocklach was one of two Parliamentarian Generals responsible for the defeat of the Royalist Irish reinforcements at the Battle of Nantwich in January 1644 and later the siege of Chester, capturing it in February 1646.
The civil parish has 1,628 residents living in 720 households,
64% of residents describes their health as good.
Governance
An electoral ward in the same name exists. This ward stretches north to Edge and south to Wigland. The total population of this ward taken at the 2011 Census was 3,975.
