The origin of the village's name is possibly linked to a family named Prendergast, whose earliest-known ancestor was Maurice, a Norman. The name may be Norman or Flemish; scholars differ, and there are arguments for either.
History
Parish
Prendergast appears on a 1578 parish map of Pembrokeshire. The parish, originally placed in the ancient Hundred of Dungleddy by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542, and before that in the pre-Norman cantref of Deugleddyf, was considered a suburb of Haverfordwest as long ago as the mid-19th century, at which time it had 1,105 inhabitants, but was still referred to as a village. In 1872, the parish extended to, and in the 150 years between 1801 and 1951 the population almost doubled from 814 to 1,543. In 1831, agriculture was a minor industry, with most people employed in retail and handicrafts. Under the Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832, the urban part of Prendergast33 householdersbecame part of Haverfordwest.
Parish church
The parish church of St David is a Grade II listed building, and has many memorials to distinguished local people. It was described in 1833 as "an ancient and venerable structure, in the early style of English architecture, and in good repair", but by 1872 was "in disrepair". It was rebuilt in the late 19th century, but retains its late-mediaeval tower.
Chapel
A Welsh-speaking Baptist Chapel was established in 1858 to serve north Pembrokeshire people settling in Haverfordwest. Welsh-only services ceased in 1880, and the chapel was enlarged in 188891.
Prendergast Mill
About 1786, the 3-storey cotton millpossibly the only one in south Wales, or at least the largest, with 1,512 spindlesbegan an industrial complex on the Cleddau River. It was converted to a paper mill in 1816, establishing the paper-making industry in Haverfordwest, but by the end of the century was disused. In ruins by the 20th century, it was partially demolished in 1986. The bridge over the mill racenow no longer running was constructed in 1812, is a Grade II listed structure and is still in use.
Rebecca riots
With few turnpike tollgates in Pembrokeshire escaping from the Rebecca rioters of the early 1840s, Prendergast was no exception; on 6 April 1843, about 24 men destroyed the tollgate on the Fishguard road. In the spring of 1844, two men were convicted of unlawful assembly in the previous August, and sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment each.
was a Norman knight who participated in Norman invasion of Ireland, launched from Pembrokeshire. The Stepney family were prominent in Prendergast from the mid-1500s to mid-1700s. Their seat, Prendergast House, was in ruins by the late 18th century.
Today
The present-day parish of Prendergast with Rudbaxton is in the Diocese of St Davids. Prendergast now includes the trading estates of Withybush, and Withybush General Hospital, as well as some new and older residential properties and a school, and is divided approximately north-south by a spur of the main A40 road into Haverfordwest town centre, and northeast-southwest by the B4329 road from Cardigan. There are several other listed buildings in the parish.
