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Llanfair-ar-y-bryn

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"LLANVAIR-AR-Y-BRYN (LLAN-FAIR-AR-Y-BRYN), a parish, in the union of LLANDOVERY, higher division of the hundred of PERVERTH, county of CARMARTHEN, SOUTH WALES, 1/2 a mile (N.E.) from Llandovery, on the turnpike-road to Builth; comprising the townships of Rhandir Abbot, Rhandir Canol, Rhandir Isâv, and Rhandir Uchâv; and containing 1649 inhabitants. . . In the township of Rhandir Abbot are some extensive lead-mines, the property of Earl Cawdor . . . These mines, which are among the principal in South Wales, have at times employed from one to two hundred workmen; but the number is now materially diminished, owing to the long and laborious land-carriage to Llanelly . . . The church, dedicated to St. Mary, and situated in Llandingat, nearly a mile from its own parish, is an ancient edifice, consisting of one large aisle, with a tower . . . There are three places of worship for Independents, and one for Calvinistic Methodists. About 25 children are educated in a day school, which is partly supported by the Earl Cawdor . . . another day school, appertaining to Independents, contains 20 children, who are taught at the expense of their parents; and there are four Sunday schools, in which 220 males and females receive gratuitous instruction." [From A Topographical Dictionary of Wales (S. Lewis, 1844).]

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Biography

William Williams, Pantycelyn - on Wikipedia ; and on People's Collection Wales

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Church History

Some church and chapel data from The Religious census of 1851 : A Calendar of the returns relating to Wales, Vol 1, South Wales. Ed. by I.G Jones, & D. Williams. UWP, Cardiff, 1976. The names are those of the informants

  • Rhandir-Isaf Hamlet
  • Llanfair ar y bryn Parish Church John James, Curate
  • Ystradffyn Chapel of Ease Consecrated before 1800 "This chapel in such isolated place that a large congregation can't be expected And the population much scattered" John Williams, Curate
  • Capel Cynfal Schoolroom Licensed in 1849 by the Bishop John Jones, Curate
  • Pentre Ty Gwyn Ind Erected in 1749 William Jones, Minister
  • Bethel Ind Erected in 1841 Wm Rees, Minister
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  • Rhandir-Canol Hamlet
  • Gosen CM Erected in 1844 Thomas Morgans, Deacon; Rees Evans, Llanchinfa
  • Salem CM Erected in 1829 in lieu of another William Jenkins, Minister, Llansawel, Nr Llandovery
  • No returns for Rhandir-Uchaf and Rhandir-Abbot hamlets

Parish entry from The Welsh Church Year Book, 1929 (Cd by (Archive CD Books).

  • St Mary
  • Incumbent and Curates; H Lloyd
  • Rural Deanery of Llangadock
  • Acreage 22,991 ; Population 567

Parish entry for Ystradffin from The Welsh Church Year Book, 1929 (Cd by (Archive CD Books).

  • St Barnabas & St Paulinus
  • Incumbent and Curates; E Morgan
  • Rural Deanery of Llangadock
  • Acreage --- ; Population 439

See Welsh Chapels and Churches for a photograph of Llanfair ar y Bryn St Mary's Church and  Pentre Ty Gwyn Independent

See John Ball's site Welsh Churches and Chapels Collection for a photograph/data re St Mary's Church

Various items - on the People's Collection Wales site

  • Carved stone figures from Llanfair-ar-y-bryn Church
  • Church, Llanfair-ar-y-bryn
  • GOSEN CALVINISTIC METHODIST CHAPEL, CYNGHORDY
  • SALEM CALVINISTIC METHODIST CHAPEL, RHANDIRMWYN

Davies, Rhys. Cefnarthen y comin, y capel a'r ysgol. Abertawe, Walters a'i fab, 1983

Griffiths, G. Milwyn. A Visitation of the Archdeaconry of Carmarthen, 1710 National Library of Wales journal. 1974, Summer Vol XVIII/3. Includes the parish of Llan Fair y Bryn

    Ystrad-Ffin - the ancient chapel, Capel Peulin, had no separate registers until the modern parish was created in 1875.

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    Church Records

     

    Dyfed FHS have photographs and data relating to various churches and chapels on their site

    Diocesan records suggest that c1790 the earliest PR here went back to 1600 'but not entire'

    Parish registers: Christenings (1735-90, 1796-1865), Marriages (1736-46, 1756-1837), Banns (1823-1905) and Burials (1735-90, 1796-1844) are at the National Library of Wales with Mf copies at Carm.RO

    Bishops' Transcripts, covering the period (1675, 1677-9, 1681-3, 1685-8, 1690-1, 1693-8, 1701-2, 1708, 1711, 1713, 1716-18, 1721-2, 1725, 1727-36, 1738-83, 1785-94, 1796-1800, 1802-60, 1865) are at the National Library of Wales, and have been microfilmed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

    Marriage index for this parish - see Dyfed Marriages, 1813-1837, Vol. 21 - Perfedd Hundred (Dyfed Family History Society, c1989)

    See Bap/Mar/Bur data on FreeReg for;

    • Llanfair-ar-y-bryn
    • Ystrad-ffin (Capel Peulin)

    Nonconformist Chapels:

    • Seion Baptist chapel, Rhandirmwyn - See under Cil-y-cwm parish
    • BRYNHYFRYD CALVINISTIC METHODIST SUNDAY SCHOOL, CLYNMAWR - built 1877    coflein
    • Goshen (Calvinistic Methodist, 1844), Gwerngwine, near Cynghordy On Dyfed FHS Gosen Cynghordy CM chapel - still open in 2006
    • Salem (Calvinistic Methodist, bef 1803), near village of Rhandirmwyn Births and baptisms (1834-37) PRO RG4/2903, LDS 828112, IGI SN77724394 Built 1829; rebuilt/modified 1852 & 1886. Still open 2000 Coflein On Dyfed FHS under Ystrad Ffin
    • BWLCH-Y-FFIN INDEPENDENT CHAPEL, BWLCH-Y-FFIN - built 1864 & rebuilt/modified 1906.    coflein
    • Bethel (Independent, c1804), Cynghordy Minute book (1916-30), annual reports (1917-36), Sunday school registers (1898-1914) and ms. Church history (180-1904) Carmarthenshire R.O. On Dyfed FHS Bethel Ind chapel, Cynghordy shown as still open on the Union of Welsh Independents site (Dec 2006)
      Rees, Thomas & John Thomas. Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru (History of the Welsh Independent Churches) 4 volumes (published 1871+). Here is the entry from this book for this chapel (in Welsh ) - with translation by Gareth Hicks (Dec 2008)
    • Cefnarthen (Independent, bef 1660), Rhandir isaf Records with those of Pentretygwyn; deeds and 1854 accounts Carmarthenshire R.O. On Dyfed FHS Shown as still open on the Union of Welsh Independents site (Dec 2006) See John Ball's site Welsh Churches and Chapels Collection for a photograph/data
      Rees, Thomas & John Thomas. Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru (History of the Welsh Independent Churches) 4 volumes (published 1871+). Here is the entry from this book for this chapel (in Welsh ) - with translation by Maureen Saycell (March 2009)
    • Pentretygwyn (Independent, 1739), Pentretygwyn, Rhandir isaf Births and baptisms (1769-1837) PRO RG4/3824, LDS 828112, IGI. See Bap/Mar/Bur data on FreeReg See Welsh Chapels and Churches for a photograph On Dyfed FHS shown as still open on the Union of Welsh Independents site (Dec 2006)
      Rees, Thomas & John Thomas. Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru (History of the Welsh Independent Churches) 4 volumes (published 1871+). Here is the entry from this book for this chapel (in Welsh ) - with translation by Maureen Saycell (March 2009)

    Ystrad-Ffin .
    The ancient chapel, Capel Peulin, in the parish of Llanfair-ar-y-bryn, seems to have had no PR until it became a separate parish [ formed out of Llanfair-ar-y-bryn and Cil-y-cwm in 1875]. The new church of St Barnabas was substituted for it in 1878.
    Registers; Christenings, Marriages, Burials (1875-) with incumbent.
    BTs: 1875-80 at NLW

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    Description & Travel

    The Religious census of 1851 : A Calendar of the returns relating to Wales, Vol 1, South Wales., byJones, I.G. & Williams, D. UWP, Cardiff, 1976. These statistics for this parish are extracted from this book which in turn got them from the 1851 census itself;

    • Llanfairarybryn Parish including the hamlets of Rhandir-isaf, Rhandir-canol, Rhandir-uchaf and Rhandir-Abbot; Area 23457 acres; Population 834 males, 871 females, total 1705

      Rhandir-mwyn, Llanfair-ar-y-bryn - on the People's Collection Wales site

      Gittins, R & Spencer Davies, D. The Illustrated Heart of Wales Line. Llandysul, 1985, 143 pp. Its 110 mile route from Swansea to Shrewsbury takes it through the heartland of Wales inc. the towns and hamlets of Pantyfynnon, Ffairfach, Llandeilo, Llangadog, Llandovery, Cynghordy etc, and describes each halt and station in detail.

      You can see pictures of Llanfair-ar-y-bryn which are provided by:

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      Gazetteers

      The transcription of the section for Llanfair-ar-y-bryn from The National Gazetteer (1868) provided by Colin Hinson.

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      Genealogy

      Carmarthenshire Families

      Pantycelyn, the home of the hymn-writer William Williams, 1 June 1953.  Photographed by Geoff Charles. 'Williams Pantycelyn' was born in Cefn-coed, near Llandovery in the parish of Llanfair-ar-y-bryn,  - on the People's Collection Wales site

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      History

      Davies, Ronald. Rhandir-Isaf: A Rhandir of the Parish of Llanfair-ar-y-Bryn. J. of the Dyfed FHS, vol. 1, (1982) pp.10-12.

      Davies, Ronald. Epynt without people.1984, 208 p. Many families and holdings are named and the hamlets of Pentretygwyn, Babel and Halfway are covered in detail.

      Davies, Rhys. Cefnarthen, Y Comin, Y Capel A'r Ysgol. (Cefnarthen, the Common, the Chapel and the School). Clydach, 1983.

      Lloyd, Sir John E., (Ed.). A History of Carmarthenshire (2 vols.), Cardiff, London Carmarthenshire Society (1935, 1939). Extracts from this book can be accessed on some parish pages, see here for this parish

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      Land & Property

      Details of extant records on Archives Network Wales for the following;

      • Cynghordy Muniments 1523-1956 "Cynghordy, in the parish of Llanfair-ar-y-bryn in Carmarthenshire, was anciently the home of the Gwynn family. This family failed in 1769 with the death of William Gwynn, who left six daughters. Thereafter, Cynghordy passed through several hands................"
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      Maps

      Parish map(Kain/Oliver)

      You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SN817413 (Lat/Lon: 52.057607, -3.726683), Llanfair-ar-y-bryn which are provided by:

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      Names, Geographical

      Places, villages, farms etc within Llanfair-ar-y-Bryn parish as shown on the online parish map from the CD of Historic Parishes of England and Wales: an Electronic Map of Boundaries before 1850 with a Gazetteer and Metadata [computer file]. (Kain, R.J.P., Oliver, R.R.). (Extracted by Merv Thomas)

      • Llanfair-ar-y-bryn (1); 1a=Rhandir isaf. 1b = Rhandir Canol. 1c = Rhandir Uchaf. 1d = Rhandir Abbot.
      • Aber-Crychan, Babel, Banc Cefn gareg, Bronydd, Bryn-ffoi, Bwlch-y-ffin, Cefn Ho, Cefn-coch, Cefn-coed, Cefn-hirfryn, Cefn-llan, Cefn-pwll-hen, Coed-Ifan, Craig-Bron-y-cwrt, Cynghordy, Cynnant, Dinas bach, Dol-achddu, Dolau-gwynion, Dolfallt, Dugoedydd, Esgair Berfedd, Esgair-berfedd, Fwng-uchaf, Garth-fady, Gelli-felen, Gelli-rhydd, Gilfach, Glan-Bran, Glan-Crychan, Glan-dwr, Glyn-mawr, Glyn-moch, Gorllwyn, Gwen-pwll, Gwern-gwinau,Gynon, Hafod-pant, Llanerch-bindda, Llanfair-ar-y-bryn, Lleth-hir, Lletty'r-haflaeth, Moelfr, Mwnffri, Nant-llyndir, Nant-y-bai, Nant-y-mwyn, Neuadd fach, Noethgrug, Pant-glas, Pant-llech-ddu, Pant-y-celyn, Pant-y-rhe???, Pen Cerig-mwyn, Pen-lan, Pentre-ty-gwyn, Pen-twyn, Pen-y-Daren, Pen-y-lan,Pen-y-waun,Rhandir-mwyn,Rhydins-fach,Sarn-y-geifr,Scrach,Tre-fawr,Tyn-y-coed,Ystrad-ffin, Ystrad-Walter

      Blaenau Tywi: names in the landscape.  This history of the farms and field-names of Blaenau Tywi (the Upper Tywi Valley) was undertaken by volunteers from the Blaenau Tywi/Upper Tywi Valley History Group during 2012-13.  - on the People's Collection Wales site

      • This is the eighth section of 11 of a book published in 2014, and contains the Map of Llanfair-ar-y-Bryn village, places and fields. 
      • This is the ninth section of 11 of a book published in 2014, and contains the maps and photographs of Llanfair-ar-y-bryn.
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      Occupations

      Colour transparency showing the engine house at Rhandirmwyn Lead Mine, produced by Iain Wright, June 2004 - on the People's Collection Wales site

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      Social Life & Customs

      Williams, Pantycelyn. the National Library of Wales 'Treasures' series. A volume of religious poetry in the hand of William Williams (1717-1791), Wales' most eminent hymn writer. "William was born in 1717 in Cefn-coed in the parish of Llanfair-ar-y-bryn, Carmarthenshire........."