Carmarthenshire Contents

LLANARTHNEY [LLANARTHNE]

Parish based sketch map of the hundred

"LLANARTHNEY (LLAN-ARTHNEU), a parish, in the hundred of ISCENNEN, union and county of CARMARTHEN, SOUTH WALES, 6 3/4 miles (W. by S.) from Llandilo-Vawr, and 7 1/2 (E.) from Carmarthen; containing 2178 inhabitants. This parish is pleasantly situated on the south bank of the river Towy . . . It comprises by measurement about 11,000 acres, nearly all inclosed, and comprehends a considerable part of the mountain of Mawr, and a large tract of arable and pasture land . . . The village, through which passes the turnpike-road from Carmarthen to Llandilo-Vawr, is surrounded by a profusion of the richest and most picturesque scenery; situated on the south bank of the Towy, on one of the finest reaches of that beautiful river, it appears to be entirely inclosed by lofty eminences of singularly diversified aspect. . . Myddleton Hall, originally the property of David, brother of Sir Hugh Myddleton, and subsequently that of the late Sir William Paxton, who built the present mansion, occupies an eminence at a short distance from the vale . . . The church, dedicated to St David, is a neat plain edifice, with a low square tower, but presents no architectural details of importance. . . There were formerly two chapels of ease, of which one is now in ruins, and the other occupied by a congreagation of dissenters. . ." [From A Topographical Dictionary of Wales (S. Lewis, 1844).]

• Census
• Church History
• Church Records
• Description and Travel
• Genealogy
• History
• Land and Property
• Maps
• Occupations
• Public Records
• Social Life and Customs

Census

An 1821 listing of householders is held at the Carmarthenshire R.O.

Walters, G. Census Returns for Llanarthney, Carmarthenshire. J. of the Dyfed FHS, vol. 6, no. 5, (1998) pp.178-183. Has a lot of data about occupations.

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

• Llanarthney Parish Church     George Griffith Williams, Curate, Llanddarog Cottages
• Penrhiwgoch  Particular Baptists     Erected in 1797       Benjamin Thomas, Minister, Penrhiwgoch
• Dale Chappel    CM                      Erected in 1814            Thomas Jones, Steward, Danyrallt
• Cappel Dewi Chapel    CM            Erected in 1811     John Evans, Deacon, Penddantwyn fawr
• New Llanlluan   CM             Erected in 1840     William Stephens, Deacon, Dullgoed ucha
• Dwelling House at Llandre, Llanarthney    Ind       "Part of a dweling house unknown when erected, but by the cause or Society begun four years ago. Used as a dwelling house"
  "The cause of our worshipping in private house is that the land proprietors in the neighbourhood have refused the rent of a spot of ground for the erection of a house of worship. A petition was drawn up and signed by the Congregation (to apply for a convenient spot for purchase) and then sent to the different land Proprietors - all refused. One offered a spot for four times the value of the Rent. We accepted this disadvantageous offer, and drew up the lease, but after all he refused to fulfill his promise. We would feel glad were there a law to authorize us to demand a convenient spot for the erection of a house of worship."             David Griffiths, Deacon, Dryslwyn fawr, Llangathen    

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

• St David
• Incumbent and Curates; J Jenkins
• Rural Deanery of  Llandilo
• Acreage 11,159  Population  912

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

• St Lleian
• &
• St Anne's, Cross Hands
• Incumbent and Curates; T C Evans (D T Price)
• Rural Deanery of  Llandilo
• Acreage --- ; Population 4,411

 

George, Eifion. Eglwys Annibynnol y Tabernacl, Cefneithin, 1876-1976, (Llandysul, 1977), 145p.

Church Records

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

Parish registers: Christenings (1720-1891), Marriages (1720-1909), Banns (1754-96, 1829-47) and Burials (1720-1953) are at the Carmarthenshire Record Office.

Facsimile Parish registers: Christenings and Burials (1720-1812) and Marriages (1720-1811) are at the National Library of Wales.

Copy ts PR index CB (1813-75) M (1720-1875) at NLW and Carm.RO

An Index to Christenings (1813-1875), Marriages (1720-1875) and Burials (1813-1875) is available on microfiche from Dyfed FHS.

Bishops' Transcripts, covering the period (1672-3, 1678, 1681, 1707, 1717, 1720, 1725, 1727, 1730-M, 1748-53, 1755-89, 1791-1800, 1802-67, 1871-81) are at the National Library of Wales, and have been microfilmed by the LDS.

Marriage index for this parish - see Dyfed Marriages, 1813-1837, Vol. 18 - Iscennin Hundred (Dyfed Family History Society, c1989)

An Index to Baptism 1813-1875  Marriage 1720-1875  Burial 1813-1875 has been produced by  Dyfed FHS

Nonconformist Chapels:

• Penrhiwgorch (Baptist, 1773), Penrhiwgoch       Records with those of Tabernacle (Carmarthen)                On Dyfed FHS
• Elim Park Baptist chapel, Llanarthney  (near Parcymarchog)             On Dyfed FHS
•  
• Capel Dewi (Calvinistic Methodist, 1834), Capel Dewi    Records with those of Water Street (Carmarthen), Dolgwynon, and Capel Newydd (Llandarog)                    On Dyfed FHS
• Capel Dolgwynon (Calvinistic Methodist, 1815), Llanarthney village        Births and baptisms (1816-37) PRO RG4/3862, LDS 828108, IGI                   Capel y Dolau on Dyfed FHS                 Capel y Ddol  SN53311992   Coflein                   Capel y Dolau Llanarthne  CM chapel  -  still open in 2006
• Llanlluan (Calvinistic Methodist, 1745?), Maes-y-bont                 Births and baptisms (1819-37) PRO RG4/2255, LDS 815972, IGI              SN55681588      Built 1840, rebuilt or modified 1860 and 1901          Coflein               Llanlluan, Maesybont  CM chapel - still open in 2006
• Peniel CM chapel  Foelgastell - still open in 2006                     On Dyfed FHS
•  
• Saron (Independent, 1847), just outside Llanarthney village         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 ) 
• Tabernacl Ind chapel, Cefneithin        SN55281380   Built 1877      Coflein                  Shown as still open on the Union of Welsh Independents site (Dec 2006)

Gors-Las [formed out of Llanarthney/Llandybie/ and Llanfihangel Aberbythych in 1879]
Christenings (1880-1951)  Marriages (1880-1982)  Cross Hands (1959-79)  Burials (1881-1945) at Carm.RO

Held at Carmarthen Archives;

• Baptisms at Capel y Ddol, Llanarthne 1816-1923.

Description and Travel

Places, villages, farms etc within Llanarthney  as shown on the parish map on 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)

• Llanarthney (75); Abbey Fm.; Aber Cothi; Afon Gwynon; Banc y Llyn; Banc-y-Mansel; Beili-glas; Blaen-Pibwr; Bremenda; Bryn-hawddgar; Capel-Dewi-uchaf; Castell-y-dryw; Castell y Gareg; Cefn-eithin (village); Clearbrook; Clos-glas(2); Colly.; Craig-y-geifr; Cwm-cae-helyg; Cwm-cerig; Cwm-difa; Cwm-du; Cwm-y-glo; Dre-fach (village); Dyllgoed; Ffinnant-uchaf; Ffos-y-ffin; Foel-gastell; Gareg-goch-ganol; Gareg-goch-isaf; Glan-Towy-lan; Glasgoed; Gors-goch(2); Gors-las (village); Gwendraeth Fach; Gwendraeth Fawr; Hafod-hir; Heol-ddu; Heol-fawr; Llanarthney (village); Llyn Llech Owen; Llwyn Dewi; Llwyn-du; L M & S R (Central Wales & Carmarthen); Maes-y-bont; Middleton Hall; Mill; Morfa; Pont Parc-y-dai; Parc-y-marchog; Penallt-isaf; Pen-pal; Pen-rhiw-goch; Pistyll-Dewi; Pont-y-felin; River Towy; Tower; Traws-dre; Waun-wen; Wenallt; Wern; Wern-fongarn?

Photographs and description of Dryslwyn Castle.

Jones, Tom & Delyth. Llanarthne Ddoe a Heddiw - Llanarthney past and present. Carmarthen County Council 2002

The National Botanic Garden of Wales, Llanarthne, National Botanic Garden of Wales (1997) 19 p., col ill., maps.

Genealogy

Carmarthenshire Families

Held at Carmarthen Archives;

• Material on the Stephens family of Llanarthne and environs.

History

Beynon, T. Golud a mawl Dyffryn Tywi, Caernarfon, Argraffdy'r Methodistiaid Calfinaidd (1936) 143 p.

Hanes Plwyf Llanarthney (History of Llanarthney Parish). NLW Ms 16552C [LDS 825318]

Jones, Tom & Delyth.   Llanarthne Ddoe a Heddiw (Llanarthney Past and Present).  Carmarthenshire County Council, 2002. 500 p

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.

Rowlands, J. Llanarthney. In Historical Notes of the Counties of Glamorgan, Carmarthen, & Cardigan, and a list of the Members of Parliament for South Wales, from Henry VIII, to Charles II., Cardiff, Hugh Bird (1866), pp.46-48.

Solomon, A. The last siege of Dryslwyn Castle, Carmarthen, V.G. Lodwick & Sons Ltd. (1982) 120 p., ill., maps, plans, genealogical tables.

Thomas, G. Harvey . Capel Dewi and Neighbourhood. Carmarthenshire County Council (2000) 264p. ISBN 090 6821533. It is a very extensive and well-illustrated compilation of material - naming lots of people

Land and Property

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

• Papers of the Allen Family and Cilrhiw Estate    "Deeds relating to the Cilrhiw estate in Lampeter Velfrey, Pembrokeshire 1767-1956, and Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire, 1712-1909."

Maps

Occupations

Apprenticeship in Carmarthenshire. Two entries from the Llanarthney parish Vestry Book 1799-1807, originally from the "Transactions of the Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society" , transcribed 1913 by Geo. Eyre Evans, which is held at Carmarthen Archives. Dyfed FHS journal Vol 5/7 August 1996

Blaenhirwaun Colliery, Cefneithin on the Welsh Coal Mines site

Public Records

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

• Llanarthne Parish Council and Community Council Records 1890-1992 (accumulated 1894-1992)

Social Life and Customs

Jones Thomas, W. My childhood at Llanarthney, [Carmarthen], Cultural Services Dept., Dyfed County Council (1985) 74 p., [10] leaves of plates: p., ill., 1 coat of arms, ports.

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[Gareth Hicks:  6 April 2008]

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