GENUKI: Cardigan chapels

For further details of this project see Cardiganshire Chapels Database

Compiled by Gareth Hicks (Feb 2007)

NB. Not all available data was necessarily used from sources - and sources 1 & 4 have been combined as similar

1. The Chapels Recording Project in Wales (RCAHMW)
2. 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
3. Nonconformist Registers of Wales published by the National Library of Wales in 1994.
4. The Parish Churches and Nonconformist Chapels of Wales: Their Records and where to Find them, Vol. One, Cardigan - Carmarthen - Pembroke, by Rawlins, B.J. (1987).
5. Kelly's Directory, South Wales 1910 - the Archive Cd Books Cd
6. Kelly's Directory, South Wales 1895 - the Archive Cd Books Cd
7. My Ancestors were Congregationalists in England and Wales, by D J H Clifford, SOG, 1992.
8. Independent Chapels of Wales: History Books and Pamphlets by Huw Walters.
9. Death and Burial indexes available for purchase from Cardiganshire Family History Society
10. Online Commercial & Residential Directories as appropriate to a particular parish - apart from what may already be on Genuki, see also the Historical Directories site

Bethania Welsh Baptist chapel, William St, Cardigan

Bethania / Bethany Welsh Baptist chapel, William St, Cardigan SN1790446187 Built 1775/6; rebuilt/modified 1819, 1843 & again 1846-7 with further modifications/additions 1868, 1882, 1900 & 1908. Members; 300 in 1840 Records; 1. account of services held 1855-60, 1877-1905 at NLW 2. memoranda 1871-87 inc. details of preachers/proceedings etc at NLW Still in use 1998 (1) & (4)
Bethany Particular Baptist Erected in 1775 Evan Thomas, Minister 1851 (2)
Baptist chapel, William St Rev Evan Thomas Slaters 1868 (10)

Bethania Welsh Baptist chapel in William street, erected in 1847, is a building of stone of the Tuscan order, and has 900 sittings 1895 (6)
Rev John Williams 1895 (6) & 1910 (5)

Edwards, R. Hanes Bethania Aberteifi 1947
Book index entry for Bethania chapel, 1846 in A History of Cardigan , the Locality and its People
Photograph on Dyfed FHS
Photograph before and after renovation - on the Cardigan Heritage site

Mount Zion English Baptist church, Priory St, Cardigan

Mount Zion English Baptist church, Priory St, Cardigan SN1787146158 Built 1878-80; modifications/additions 1905. Still in use 1998 (1)
Mount Zion English Baptist chapel, built in 1880, has 300 sittings 1895 (6)
Rev George Hughes 1895 (6) & 1910 (5)

Capel Mair Welsh Independent chapel (St Mary's chapel), St Mary's Lane, Cardigan

Capel Mair (St Mary's chapel) Welsh Independent chapel, St Mary's Lane, Cardigan SN1799146122 Started 1792, chapel built 1803, rebuilt/enlarged 1831 & again 1869/7, modified/renewed 1875-6 & 1889. Members; 360 in 1873 Records; 1. births & bapts 1803-37 PRO & on IGI 2. D J Roberts papers 1833-1977 re history of chapel at NLW Still in use 1998 (1) & (4)
St Mary's Ind Erected before 1800 David Davies, Ind Minister 1851 (2)
Capel Mair Welsh Ind, Cardigan, opened 1803 Birth & bapts 1803-37 copies at Cer RO (7)
Capel Mair, Cong Bapts 1803-37 at PRO (3)
Ind chapel, St Mary's Lane Rev Wm Davies Slaters 1868 (10)

The Capel Mair Welsh Congregational chapel, in St. Mary's lane, originally built in 1803, rebuilt in 1831 and. again rebuilt and enlarged in 1870, at a cost of £1,400, is of blue limestone, with Bath stone dressings, and will seat 700 persons. 1895 (6)
Rev Thomas J Morris 1895 (6)
Rev T Esger James 1910 (5)

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 (Nov 2008)

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

Thomas Jenkins Manuscripts [mostly relating to Capel Mair chapel] 1907-1945 "Thomas Jenkins (1862-1945), monumental mason, lived at Glen-view, Cardigan. He was Secretary of Capel Mair Congregational chapel, Cardigan, taught in the Sunday School, and by the time of his death in 1945 was the senior elder there....."
Roberts, D. J., papurau (papers) [ c. 1833]-1977 (accumulated [20th century]) [partly relating to Capel Mair chapel] "The Rev. D. J. Roberts, Independent minister, Cardigan, researched the history of his chapel, Capel Mair, and wrote a biography of another Independent minister, Dr Peter Price (1864-1940), for the National Eisteddfod in 1949. ........."

Hope English Independent chapel, Carriers Lane, Cardigan

Hope English Independent chapel, Carriers Lane, Cardigan SN1786545986 Converted to chapel 1837; use as chapel ceased 1880 (1)
English Ind chapel, Carriers Lane Slaters 1868 (10)
A photograph after conversion on the Cardigan Heritage site

Earlier version of chapel below, on slightly different site

Hope English Congregational chapel, Pendre

Hope English Congregational chapel, Pendre SN1784146306 Built 1837; rebuilt 1879/80 Demolished 1976 / 1998 (1) & (4)
Hope Ind Erected in 1837 Richard Hancock, Pastor 1851 (2)

Hope English Congregational chapel, Pendre, erected in 1837 and rebuilt on a new site in 1880, affords 500 sittings. 1895 (6)
Rev John Morda Evans 1910 (5)

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 (Nov 2008)

Ebenezer Wesleyan Methodist chapel, Pwllhai/Priory St, Cardigan

Ebenezer Wesleyan Methodist chapel, Pwllhai/Priory St, Cardigan SN17834613 Started 1809; chapel built 1827; rebuilt 1844 & 1879. Closed 1884; demolished? by 1998 Records possibly with the Wesleyan chapel in Lampeter parish (1) & (4)
Ebenezer WM Erected in 1827 David Evans, Minister 1851 (2)
Ebenezer Wesleyan Bapts 1839-84 at NLW (3)
Wesleyan Methodist chapel, Pwllhay Slaters 1868 (10)

Tabernacl Welsh Calvinistic Methodist, Pendre

Tabernacl Welsh Calvinistic Methodist, Pendre SN1779946241 Started 1740s; chapel built 1760; rebuilt 1807 & 1832; modified 1864; enlarged 1902; restored 1986/7 Members; 282 in 1902 Records; 1. births and bapts 1808-37 PRO & on IGI 2. account book 1842-72 NLW Still in use 1998 (1) & (4)
Tabernacle CM Erected before 1800 Thomas Edwards, Elder, Bridge St, Cardigan 1851 (2)
Tabernacle CM, Cardigan Bapts 1808-37 at PRO Bapts 1878-99 at NLW (3)
Methodist chapel, Pendre Slaters 1868 (10)

The Welsh Calvinistic Methodist chapel, Pendre, built.in 1760, will seat 750 persons 1895 (6)
Rev John Griffith Moelwyn Hughes 1910 (5)

Cardiganshire Family History Society - Index to deaths and burials in Cardiganshire from non-conformist records is available on fiche. Check details on their site, for this parish includes ; Tabernacle (Cal.Meth., 1825-49).
Photograph on Dyfed FHS

Hughes, E.C. Trem ar Ddwy Ganrif o Hanes Y Tabernacl , Aberteifi 1760-1960
Book index entry for Tabernacle chapel in A History of Cardigan , the Locality and its People
Still open in 2006

Cemetery

A cemetery of 1 1/2 acres was formed in 1876, at a cost of £900, and is under the control of a burial board of 9 members 1895 (6)

[Gareth Hicks: 10 Nov 2008]