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A History of Carmarthenshire

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Lloyd, Sir John E., (Ed.). 2 vols., Cardiff, London Carmarthenshire Society (1935, 1939).

With the kind permission of the publishers sundry snippets from this book have been extracted by Gareth Hicks onto some parish pages, these below are in random order.

Here is a list of the book's contents and contributors.


Nonconformity and Methodism

Independents

"....Archdeacon Tenison is the best authority for the exact dates when meeting houses were set up ad hoc in place of the casual and improvised rooms in private dwellings.........................a meeting house (was built) in the parish of Llanycrwys early in 1710 (evidently the fist home of the Ffald y Brein congregation)..."

Calvinistic Methodism

"The movement reached the county from the north.........in a block of eight parishes stretching from Llan y Crwys to Llanddeusant.......the number of Methodist communicants rose to nearly 43% of the Nonconformist total of membership............."


Medieval divisions

In early medieval terms Carmarthenshire was made up of  Ystrad Tywi [without Gower], Emlyn Uch Cuch and Y Cantref Gwarthaf[without Efelffre]. At some point pre the Norman conquest  Ystrad Tywi itself was divided into Y Cantref Mawr and Y Cantref Bychan.
About the time of the Norman conquest, Cantref Mawr was divided into 7 commotes, one of these was Caeo which included the parishes of Llansawel and Cynwyl Gaeo with the township of Mynachty ( a grange of Talley Abbey) in the parish of Llanycrwys.

Another commote was Mabelfyw which comprised the parishes of Pencarreg and Llanybydder, with the hamlet of Fforest in the parish of Llanycryws.


Prehistoric and Roman Times

List of Carmarthenshire Megaliths

A schedule of standing stones includes;

  • Hirfaen Gwyddog, Llanycrwys


The Later Middle Ages

Cantrefmawr

The Forest of Glyncothi and Pennant

"Hunting and falconry have their place in the Welsh Laws, which define the royal prerogatives in the chase, but contain no suggestion of the setting apart of certain districts to be preserved as forests, as was done in England by the Normans. Within a few years of the absorption of Cantrefmawr, the uplands of the Upper Cothi valley were afforested, and  Glyncothi and Pennant Forests were removed from the commote administrations of Mabelfyw and Caeo and placed under forest law and a forester, who held courts four times a year ( these forests were situated in Llanfihangel Rhosycorn, Llanybydder and Llanycryws parishes)


Castles, Boroughs and Religious Houses

Monastic Lands & Revenues

"The bulk of the possessions of Talley is set out in the inspeximus charter of Edward II dated 1324, which confirms the gifts of the Lord Rhys and his family.............................The lands are given as follows......................and the parcel of land with the meadow between the two streams above and below Cynwyl Church, Llanycryws unto Rhiwrhisgen and Corderwen (Gwadderwen), adjoining Prenvol Gwallwin, Llunwermon (Llwynywermod in Llanycryws), Penvynydd, Gwardogwy, unto Hirvaen Gwyddawg ( a stone that still stands in the parish of Cellan on the mountain south of the river Ffrwd, near Llanycrwys)........"

"The lands that fell into the possession of the monastic houses were carved into manors and vills and were administered precisely as any other lordship. On them were established granges or farms where conversi tilled the land, and, if they were situated at some distance from the abbey, were housed.........attached to Talley were.................. and Llanycrwys....."

advowsons

"The churches which came into the possession of the religious houses were as follows;..............

  • Talley
    • '..........to the original endowment, in 1526 was added Llanycryws.................'


Gareth Hicks