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Llangynog

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"LLANGUNNOCK (LLAN-GYNOG), a parish, in the higher division of the hundred of DERLLYS, union and county of CARMARTHEN, SOUTH WALES, 6 miles (S.W. by S.) from Carmarthen; containing 800 inhabitants. . . It comprises about 5429 acres of good land, chiefly arable, and has been greatly improved since the year 1806 . . . the greater part of it being now in a good state of cultivation. The surrounding scenery, with few exceptions, is tame and uninteresting, though some of the distant views are picturesque and beautiful . . . The soil is poor, rocky, and barren, and the chief produce is oats and barley, with a little wheat. The manor of Penryn, which is co-extensive with the parish, contains an ancient family mansion called Cwm, situated in a well-wooded, romantic spot . . . The church, dedicated to St. Cynog, is a very plain edifice, consisting of two aisles . . . There are places of worship for Baptists and Independents. Here is a parochial school, on the common in the manor of Penryn, said to have been founded by Judge Vaughan, of Derllys . . . There is also a Sunday school, in which fifty males and females are taught gratuitously by the dissenters. . . " [From A Topographical Dictionary of Wales (S. Lewis, 1844).]

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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

  • Llangynnog Parish Church "Llanstephan being united to LLanstephan...." Benjamin Evans, Perpetual Curate, The Parsonage, Llanstephan
  • Bethesda Ind Erected in 1773 Josiah Thomas Jones, Minister, Blue St, Carmarthen
  • Ebenezer Particular Baptist Erected in 1811 Thomas Williams, Minister, Llangunnock

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

  • St Cynog
  • Incumbent and Curates; T J Goodwin
  • Rural Deanery of Carmarthen
  • Acreage 5,686 ; Population 523

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 Gynnog

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    Church Records

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

    PR prior to 1775 'destroyed by fire' according to 1831 survey

    Parish registers: Christenings (1813-1992), Marriages (1768-75, 1783-1965), Burials (1813-1992) are at the National Library of Wales with Mf copies at Carm.RO

    Copy ts PR index CB (1813-75) M (1813-37) at Carm.RO

    Bishops' Transcripts, covering the period (1693-1700, 1703, 1707-8, 1711, 1713, 1716-18, 1720, 1722, 1724-30, 1732-51, 1753-67, 1769-76, 1778-9, 1781-1800, 1802-12, 1814-55, 1857-67, 1870-2, 1876-8, 1880-1) are at the National Library of Wales, and have been microfilmed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

    An Index to Christenings (1813-1875) and Marriages (1813-1875) is available on microfiche from Dyfed FHS.

    Marriage index for this parish - see Dyfed Marriages, 1813-1837, Vol. 14 - Derllys Hundred (Dyfed Family History Society, c1989)

    See Bap/Mar/Bur data on FreeReg

    Nonconformist Chapels:

    • Ebenezer (Baptist, 1775), Llangynog Births and baptisms (1801-37) PRO RG4/3944, LDS 828113, IGI On Dyfed FHS SN33981628 Built 1811, rebuilt/modified 1829 & enlarged 1871 Still open 1998 Coflein
    • Bethesda (Independent, 1765), Glogue SN36271564 Built 1773 & rebuilt/modified 1866 Coflein
      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)
    • Capel Cowin (Independent, c1860), just within parish near Croes y Ceilog Records with those of Capel Newydd (Llanstephan) On Dyfed FHS
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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;

    • Area 4879 acres; Population 390 males, 386 females, total 776
      You can see pictures of Llangynog which are provided by:

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      Gazetteers

      The transcription of the section for Llangynog from The National Gazetteer (1868) provided by Colin Hinson.

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      History

      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 below for this parish

      • Nonconformity and Methodism/ The Older Dissent/Expansion & Organisation ; .."...Further south, a congregation at Ffynnon Henry (1737) not only founded Rhyd Argaeau and Llangynog (Ebenezer) but also rekindled the flame (Baptist) at Carmarthen ......"
      • Medieval boundaries; "The western limb of Carmarthenshire belonged to the ancient kingdom of Dyfed, as opposed to the adjacent Ystrad Tywi. One of the seven cantrefs of Dyfed was Y Cantref Gwarthaf, signifying the 'topmost' division of the realm, i.e the one furthest from the governmental base. The size of Cantref Gwarthaf in Dyfed is shown by its containing the unusually large number of eight commotes, viz., Elfed, Derllys, Penrhyn, Ystlwyf, Talacharn, Amgoed, Peuliniog, and Efelffre, all of which except the last are now in Carmarthenshire. The data for fixing their boundaries is not so conclusive as up until this point, six of the eight commotes were merged under Henry VIII in the hundred of Derllys and the thorough Norman settlement of most of this region previously makes it difficult to disentangle the ancient areas .......... The commote of Penrhyn (in full, Penrhyn Deuddwr) lay, as its name implies, in the promontory between the estuaries of the Towy and the Taf. It may be said to be represented by the Norman lordship of Llanstephan. It extended north to Llangynog, where alone (in that of the manor ) the name Penrhyn survives. ...."
      • The Age of the Native Princes/ The Early Church,The Rise of the Kingdom of Deheubarth; "At least eight Carmarthenshire churches belonged to the Brychan (of Brycheiniog) group..... his sons, Cynog, Clydwen, and Dingad , are commemorated in Llangynog, Llanglydwen, and Llandingad....."
      • Prehistoric and Roman Times/ Carmarthenshire in the New Stone Age/The Great Stone Monuments;".... a list of 16 dolmens, more or less in a ruinous condition.....(includes as an example ) the dolmen known as Twlc-y-filiast (the kennel of the greyhound bitch) in the parish of Llangynog. It stands near Ebenezer School House, 370 feet above sea level. .........."
      • Prehistoric and Roman Times/ Carmarthenshire in the Early Iron Age/Typical Forts in the Early Iron Age/; "The earth works known as Bwlch-y-seiri, in the parish of Llangynog is an example of an almost truly circular enclosure occuring on the lower hill slopes........"
        A separate list of Carmarthenshire Hill Forts which show ' slight traces of a possible former existence' includes Castell-y-garthen, Llangynog..
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      Land & Property

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

      • Davies and Steel, solicitors, collection of Llangynog deeds 1793-1795 "T. Howell Davies and Steel, solicitors, of Carmarthen, accumualted a group of Llangynog deeds. The land called Fynnon Wen, in the parish of Llangynog, Carmarthenshire was leased to David John, of Parkethin, Llangynog, in 1793."
      • Ungoed-Thomas and King, solicitors, collection of Carmarthenshire deeds and records "........... . The firm accumulated deeds and other papers of many estates and properties in Carmarthenshire. The Popkin family of Llangynog, Carmarthenshire, held land in Llangynin, Llangynog, and Tre-lech a'r Betws, Carmarthenshire, between c. 1740 and 1780. ........."
      • Evans, George Eyre, collection "Papers collected by George Eyre Evans, 1565-1939, comprising deeds and documents relating to properties in the parishes of Llangynog, Llansteffan and Llanybri, 1565-[1848], 1938; other Welsh properties, 1565-1909..............................."
      • Llanllyr Estate Records "Deeds and documents, 1631-1861, relating to the Llanllyr estate in Cardiganshire, Carmarthen, and Llangynog and Merthyr in Carmarthenshire................ "
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      Maps

      Parish map(Kain/Oliver)

      You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SN343163 (Lat/Lon: 51.821078, -4.405003), Llangynog which are provided by:

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      Names, Geographical

      Place names from the C19th Tithe Apportionment schedules. Contributed by Darris Williams

      Places, villages, farms etc within Llangynog 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 Gareth Hicks)

      • Llangynnog (69); Afon Cywyn; Berth-lwyd; College; Coedcae; Coomb; Cowin Grove; Croes-y-ceiliog; Cwm-coch; Cwrt-Mally; Ebenezer; Ffos-ddu; Ffynnon; Ffynnon seiri; Glog; Great Western Railway; Llaethdy; Llangynog (village); Moelfre; Nant-yr-hebog; Pen-lan; Penplas; Pen-y-coed; Waundas; Wern-oleu
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      Public Records

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

      • Llangynog Parish Council and Community Council records 1929-1981