& Parishes
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Wales | |
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Carmarthenshire Towns & Parishes |
"The County of CARMARTHEN is 108 Miles in Circumference, contains about 700000 Acres, is divided into 6 Hundreds, in which are 8 Market Towns, 87 Parishes, and about 5352 Houses. The Air is generally very good, wholesome & mild, and ye Soil not so Mountainous and steep as in other Countys, here being Levels & plains, loaded with corn, & affording excellent Pasturage, having several pleasant & rich Meadows. Cheif commodities are Corn, Cattle, Salmon, of ye large size Wood, Pit-Coal, & ye best Lead." [From Emanuel Bowen's Britannia Depicta, 1720.]
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The National Library of Wales. The major repository of information relevant to Welsh genealogy, such as Bishop's Transcripts of Parish Registers, Marriage Bonds and Allegations, Nonconformist Records, Probate Records, Tithe Maps and Apportionment Schedules, Legal and Administrative Records, Estate Records and Personal Papers, Pedigree Books, Newspapers, etc.
See this Genuki listing of Documents relating to Carmarthenshire at the National Library of Wales.
The Record Office is the Carmarthenshire Archive Service. See Gareth's Help Page for access details. There also is a summary description provided to GENUKI of the Archive's holdings
The National Archives has details of many archive repositories in the UK with links to their web sites, if any.
Familia - A list of genealogical resources in Public Libraries in Great Britain and Ireland
Carmarthen Public Library (St Peter's Street, Carmarthen, Dyfed SA31 1LN) has an extensive local studies collection, and has produced a detailed index to the Carmarthen Journal for 1800-1910.
Details of extant records on Archives Network Wales for the following;
The Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW)
Apart from their online Archive Catalogue there is the ;
Chapels database; The computerised database will eventually list all known nonconformist chapels in Wales. This initial list covers the pre-1974 county of Cardiganshire; further counties will be added as and when the database for these areas is completed. The record lists basic information about each chapel together with key dates.
Beckley, S. The Carmarthenshire Record Office: a survey of archive holdings, Carmarthen, Dyfed County Council Archive Service (1980) 36 p.
It is acknowledged that the principal source of the details of books etc included on these pages is the online catalogues of the National Library of Wales
Details of extant records on Archives Network Wales for the following;
Graveyard Welsh - a guide to interpreting Memorial Inscriptions.
M.I. Surveys of a number of non-conformist burial grounds are available on microfiche from Dyfed FHS.
Dyfed FHS have started [Feb 2001] to produce new pages on their site which will provide access to name indexes for the Monumental Inscriptions at the Burial Grounds where transcripts are already available from the Society .
Dyfed FHS have started [Feb 2001] to produce new pages on their site which will provide access to name indexes for the nonconformist chapel records and monumental inscriptions where transcripts are already available from the Society .
The UK BMD web site offers links to over 400 web sites that provide on-line information for UK births, marriages and deaths and censuses.
Carmarthen Archives holds copies of all the Census Returns for the County on microfilm and also has the 1881 CD version for England & Wales.
Gibson, J.S.W. and Medlycott, M.T. Local Census Listings 1522-1930 (2nd ed.), Birmingham, Fed. of Fam. Hist. Soc. (1994) 52 pp. [ISBN 1-872094-75-9]. Extracted are details of local censuses in Wales, listed by county
You may also find it worthwhile searching in the GENUKI church database.
The Presbyterian Church of Wales site has a pdf file showing lists of CM chapels still open (with addresses) in each county (under Documents/General Info/Churches and Secretaries). This data has been noted on each chapel entry within these parish pages so it is implied that a chapel is closed if not said to be open in 2006
Various church and chapel photographs can be viewed on Dyfed FHS
Parishes of Dyfed. This section of the Dyfed FHS site lists the parishes, churches, and chapels, within the three counties of Dyfed. It contains all those currently identified, by the National Library of Wales, where the location of registers is known. Each entry gives the OS National Grid Reference and name of the church or chapel, if known, (religious denomination), parish, county code and (page name).
Some Holy Wells of South Carmarthenshire by Kemmis Buckley, MBE, DL, MA. A talk given to the Llanelli Art Society on 3rd February 1971
An Account of the Nonconformist Chapels in the Upper Cothi and Teifi valleys, 1751-1875. NLW Manuscript [LDS GS 829066].Barrow, Julia. [Ed]. St Davids Episcopal Acta 1085-1280. South Wales Record Society, 1998. Contains the Latin text of all the charters known to have been issued by the bishops of St Davids down to the death of Richard de Carew in 1280, with English summaries and notes.
Carmarthenshire Baptists. The Carmarthenshire Antiquary. 1942, Vol i, Pt 2
Gray, Madeleine. The diocese of St Davids in 1563. Journal of Welsh Religious History 5 (1997), p. 29-56
Greenway, W. The Election of David Martin, Bishop of St David's, 1293-6 .Journal of the Historical Society of the Church in Wales Vol. X, No. 15 (1960)
Griffiths, G. Milwyn. A Visitation of the Archdeaconry of Carmarthen, 1710 National Library of Wales journal. 1974, Summer Vol XVIII/3
Jones, Francis. Departed glories of the Grey Friars. Carmarthenshire Historian 20 (1986), p. 65-71
Morgan, W T. Disciplinary Cases against Churchwardens in the Consistory Courts of St David's .Journal of the Historical Society of the Church in Wales Vol. X, No. 15 (1960)
Rees, Thomas & John Thomas. Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru (History of the Welsh Independent Churches), 4 volumes (published 1871+). The CMN section of these books (in Welsh) is being extracted - some with translations
Salter, Mike . The Old Parish Churches of South-West Wales. Malvern, 1994 .
Saunders, Erasmus. A view of the state of religion in the diocese of St.David's about the beginning of the 18th century : with some account of the causes of its decay,together with considerations of the reasonableness of augmenting the revenues of impropriate churches . Cardiff : University of Wales Press, 1721
The Episcopal Registers of the Diocese of St.Davids, 1397-1518 : from the original registers in the Diocesan Registry of Carmarthen. London : The Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion, 1917. 3 v ; 25cm. Series title Cymmrodorion Record series ; No.6
The Welsh Church Year Book 1929. Published by The Representative Body of The Church in Wales. Cardiff, 1928. pp 624 including over 130 pages of biographies of clergy. A Cd containing a scanned copy of the book was published by Archives CD Books in 2002. With the permission of the latter part of the statistical data for parishes in the counties of Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire has been extracted onto those GENUKI parish pages. The Explanatory notes state that;
- Where parishes have been grouped or divided then the acreage is unreliable, some town figures are not given.
- Population figures are according to the 1921 census returns.
On the individual parish pages are details of non-conformist chapels in each parish. The data shown there is based on various sources but principally these
Dyfed FHS have photographs and data relating to various churches and chapels on their site
A large number - well over 50% by the mid-nineteenth century - of people in Carmarthenshire attended Nonconformist chapels, rather than the established church. Thus, except for marriages which prior to 1837 had to take place in the parish church, references to them are more likely to be found in nonconformist than in parish church records. Many of these have been deposited at the PRO (and filmed by the LDS), others are still to be found with the chapels or other libraries or archives.
Virtually all completed parish registers have been deposited in either the Carmarthenshire Record Office or the National Library of Wales. Bishop's Transcripts and Marriage Licenses are held at the National Library of Wales - and have been microfilmed by the LDS.
Many Parish register indexes, and indexes of baptisms, marriages and burials are available on microfiche from Dyfed FHS. From 7/2001 these now include
National Library of Wales Manuscripts and Records. An online searchable index of Marriage Bonds and Allegations.It contains details of some 90,000 marriages by licence which took place inWales between 1616 and 1837.
Listings of (present-day) Clerics, Benefices, and parishes of the Diocese of St Davids.
The Dyfed FHS has indexed all marriages for the period 1812-1837, and provides a postal lookup service. Published copies of the index, in sets of parishes grouped by hundreds, are available.
IGI and Familysearch Here is the searchable LDS website
IGI Batch Numbers-British Isles
It is not always easy to locate your ancestors on the IGI using the search mechanisms provided at the above LDS site. Manually typing the batch numbers into the IGI search screen can be tedious. Hugh Wallis has made an exhaustive search of the likely ranges of batch numbers and created a database of those numbers and the source records that they apply to. A very powerful feature included is a hotlink from each batch number to the actual search engine provided at the Family Search site, including the ability to enter the surname you are looking for. This makes it very easy to search all the batches for a particular geographic location using just the last name you are searching for - something that is not possible directly from the LDS site without doing a lot of typing. This is Hugh Wallis's site
Parish Register Copies for Carmarthenshire in the Library of the Society of Genealogists.
Ifans, Dafydd [ed]. Cofrestri Anghydfurol Cymru/ Nonconformist Registers of Wales. Aberystwyth, 1994. This book includes Ordnance Survey references for listed chapels.
Jones, I.G. & Williams, D. The Religious census of 1851 : A Calendar of the returns relating to Wales, Vol 1, South Wales. Cardiff, 1976
MacDonald, R W. The Parish Registers of Wales, National Library of Wales journal. 1976, Winter. Volume XIX/4
Rawlins, B.J. The Parish Churches and Nonconformist Chapels of Wales: Their Records and where to Find them, Vol. One, Cardigan - Carmarthen - Pembroke. P.O. Box 510652, Salt Lake City, UT 84151-0652, Celtic Heritage Research (1987). [Provides details of [ but no personal names] parish registers at the National Library of Wales and at the Carmarthenshire Record Office, and very extensive details of the various types of nonconformist records, mainly held at the PRO or at the chapel concerned.This book has been used as a source of data of nonconformist records on the Genuki parish pages
Williams, C.J. and Watts-Williams, J. Cofrestri Plwyf Cymru: Parish Registers of Wales (National Index of Parish Registers, Vol. 13).Aberystwyth: National Library of Wales, Second edition,2000. This book has been used as a source of data of parish records and bishop's transcripts on the Genuki parish pages
The UK BMD web site offers links to over 400 web sites that provide on-line information for UK births, marriages and deaths and censuses.
Detailed listing, by Brett Langston, of the places covered by the old and current Carmarthenshire Registration districts.
Certificates of birth, death and marriage can be obtained from the Superintendent Registrar at the following District Register Offices:
If ordering from a District Office, please note the following: (a) the cost of a certificate is currently (2003) £7.00 - send a Sterling cheque payable to the Superintendent Registrar plus return postage or two International Reply Coupons; (b) the General Register Office (or "St Catherine's") Index references are of no value; (c) for marriage certificates, the precise place of marriage must be given; (d) Civil Registration in England and Wales began on July 1st 1837.
Ireland, Richard W. Breay, Claire. Hard labour on a hard disk: Carmarthen's register of felons on computer. Carmarthenshire Antiquary 29 (1993), p. 61-6Loxdale, Alasdair. May, Bruce. Transportation 1800 - a sequel 1996. Carmarthenshire Antiquary 32 (1996), p. 126-7
Details of extant records on Archives Network Wales for the following;
Foley, R. The Practice of the Court of Great Sessions for Carmarthen, Pembroke and Cardigan. 1792
James, David. Gleanings from consistory court records. Carmarthenshire Antiquary 28 (1992), p. 104-7
Pre-1858 Welsh probate jurisdictions.South Wales & Monmouthshire : a genealogical research guide to probate courts having jurisdiction in the counties of Brecon, Cardigan, Carmarthen, Glamorgan, Monmouth (England), Pembroke, and Radnor .Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A. : Genealogical Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Inc., 1970
Dyfed FHS has an online database of towns in Dyfed, includes trade directory descriptions and photographs
A Vision of Britain Through Time. "This site contains information about your home area from the 2001 census -- and from every earlier British census back to 1801. It can present this information both as maps of the whole country and as graphs showing change over time in your area. It truly offers a Vision of Britain through time"
Principal Markets and Fairs in South Wales. Extracted from Kelly's Directory South Wales 1910
Gazetteer of Markets and Fairs in England and Wales to 1516. The Gazetteer compiled by Dr Samantha Letters is a catalogue of markets and fairs in medieval England and Wales. This is the first comprehensive national survey.
A Description of the county of Carmarthenshire from A Topographical Dictionary of Wales (1833) by Samuel Lewis.
Carmarthenshire's Administrative Structure, from A Topographical Dictionary of Wales (S. Lewis, 1844).
UK Villages A site for each UK village with a Post Office, local links, maps and much else
Books marked * have an entry on the separate 'Review/Contents' page.
*Davies, A.T. Crwydro Sir Gār, Llandebie, Llyfrau'r Dryw (1955) 320 p., ill., map.
Davies, Paul. A Company of Forts, A Guide to the Medieval Castles of West Wales. Published by Gomer, site intro; "As in the rest of Wales, the western counties of Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion abound with reminders of a turbulent medieval past, - magnificent castles which grace the landscape, their inherent menace only somewhat subdued by the passing years. Paul R. Davies provides us here with an introduction to the history which led to the building of the medieval castles, and then divides the fortresses into three types - motte and bailey sites, stone-built castles and fortified manor-houses. The text is lavishly illustrated with photographs and line-drawn reconstructions, which vividly show the range of castles, both large and small, in West Wales, from mighty Pembroke and Carreg Cennen to the fortified manor-houses of Green Castle and Eastington and the atmospheric mounds such as Pencader and Llangadog......."
Images of West Wales. Carmarthen Journal, 1999. Here is an index by Ruth Broad
Lewis, A.H.T. Carmarthenshire Highways of the Late Eighteenth Century, Carmarthenshire Antiquary, vol. 7, (1971) pp.41-47.
Lewis, Brian. The Amman Valley and District. A Photographic Portrait (1996). Here is an Index by Gareth Hicks
Lewis, T.H. Some Tourists in Carmarthenshire (1797-1847), Carmarthenshire Antiquary, vol. 3, no. 1, (1959) pp.102-104.
Victorian and Edwardian Wales from old photographs.Introduction and commentary by E D Jones. Batsford 1972. Here is a brief introduction and an index of the 154 photographs.
Pigot & Co. South Wales directory for 1830. CD published by (Archive CD Books). The Carmarthenshire related entries as follows have been extracted and can be seen on the relevant parish pages of Genuki;
- Carmarthen
- Kidwelly
- Llandilo-fawr
- Llandovery and Neighbourhood
- Llanelli and neighbourhood
- Llangadock
- Newcastle-In-Emlyn [and Atpar]
- St Clears, Laugharne and Neighbourhoods
Pigot & Co. South Wales directory for 1844. CD published by (Archive CD Books). The Carmarthenshire related entries as follows have been extracted and can be seen on the relevant parish pages of Genuki;
- Carmarthen with the village of Abergwilly and Neighbourhoods
- Kidwelly and Neighbourhood
- Laugharne and Neighbourhood
- Llandilo-Fawr
- Llandovery and Neighbourhood
- Llanelly with Loughor, Pembrey, Burry Port and Neighbourhoods
- Llangadock
- Newcastle-in-Emlyn
- St Clears and Neighbourhood
Dyfed FHS has an online database of Pigot's 1830 Directory South Wales relating to the Dyfed counties only.
Kelly's Directory of South Wales 1884 ,1910 , 1920
Kelly's Directory of South Wales 1904.
Pigot's Directory of South Wales 1835 . A classified directory of Nobility, Gentry, Clergy, Merchants, Bankers, Professional Gentlemen, Manufacturers and Traders - Not a listing of all residents or households.
Pigot's Directories of North Wales, South Wales and Monmouthshire 1822-3
Slater's Directory of South Wales and Monmouthshire 1850
Slaters Directory of North and South Wales 1858-1859.
Worrall's Directory of South Wales : comprising the counties of Glamorgan Carmarthen, Pembroke, Cardigan, Brecknock and Radnor, with Newport, Monmouthshire. Oldham : John Worrall, 1875. [18],436,174p. Includes 178p of advertisements.Includes index.
For a database of useful web site links and much more, see the emigration section of Gareth's Help Page
Carter Knuth, Jill. REES of Ohio, USA . Dyfed FHS journal, Vol 5/239 . How the relationship between Theophilus Thomas Rees and the Rev. Theophilus Rees, who both emigrated in 1796 from Carmarthenshire, was researched and confirmed.
Search the GENUKI Gazetteer.
The GENUKI Gazetteer covers the whole of England, Wales and Scotland and can be searched by place-name (or part of a place-name) or Ordnance Survey Grid Reference (six-figure, eg NZ183848). If there are multiple place-names matching the name you enter, you will initially be presented with a drop-down list of the matching place-names with their distances and bearings from Cardiff, Wales.
Tallis's Topographical Dictionary of England and Wales, published in 1860 in six vols, editor E. L. Blanchard. See Welsh Family History Archive for all the excellent county maps (showing the hundreds) and those sections of the alphabetical gazetteer that have been uploaded to date.
From the preface;
"In the following pages will be found fully described the past history and present aspect of every place of any significance in England and Wales, forming a work of permanent importance to the commercial world, of ready service to the tourist of the day, and of constant interest to the general reader, who may derive from this source a large supply of entertainment, as well as of information for the amusement and instruction of a leisure hour."
Details of extant records on Archives Network Wales for the following;
Carmarthenshire Families Project
Timeline of genealogically interesting dates by Gareth Hicks
Welsh Surname List - an all Wales surnames list provided by John Ball on his Welsh Family History Archive site.
Online Welsh Names Directory by Graham Jaunay
John Fuller has provided full details of the Genealogy Mailing Lists serving this county. This is but a small part of the data available on the "Genealogy Resources on the Internet" pages maintained by John and Chris Gaunt.
British-Genealogy.com Forum (or message board) The ideal alternative to mailing lists with separate sites for each county
Books marked * have an entry on the separate 'Review/Contents' page.
Bridgeman, Rev. The Hon. George T. O. History of the Princes of South Wales. 1976 (Wigan) 310pp. + intro. 11 genealogical tables
Green , Francis [Ed] . West Wales Historical Records The Annual Magazine of the Historical Society of West Wales. c 1920 in 14 volumes. Here is a listing of Contents
*Jones, Francis. Historic Carmarthenshire homes and their families. Dinas, Newport: Brawdy Books, 1997. xxxvi, 247p: ill, coats of arms, maps; 26cm. [ISBN 0952834413]
Lloyd, Howell A. The Gentry of South-West Wales 1540-1640. Cardiff, 1968
Phillips, Sir Thomas (ed.) Pedigrees of Caermarthenshire, Cardiganshire, and Pembrokeshire, in continuation of Lewis Dwnn [i.e. of the pedigrees recorded by him in his Heraldic Visitations], to about the years 1700-10, from the MS. of John P. A. L. Philipps, etc. Jacobus Rogers, Middle Hill (1859) pp. 4. 44. fol. [BM Tab.436.b.4.(3.)]
Theakston, Lucy E. Lloyd & Davies, John. Some family records & pedigrees of the Lloyds of Allt yr Odyn, Castell Hywel, Ffos y Bleiddiaid, Gilfach Wen, Llan Llyr, Waun Ifor.Oxford: Fox, Jones & Co (1913). Counties - Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. Family names - Lloyd, Philipps, Allen Estates/properties - Allt yr Odyn, Castell Hywel, Ffos y Bleiddiaid, Gilfach Wen, Llan Llyr, Waun Ifor, Llanfair Clydogau, Maes y Felin, Highmead, Pantstreimon.
The Carmarthenshire Historian - the online version of the original booklets published between 1961 and 1985. The Black Book of Carmarthen The history of one of the earliest surviving manuscripts written solely in the Welsh language, thought by modern scholars to be the work of a single scribe writing at different periods of his life before and about the year 1250.
See Not everyone knows this.. for random historical snippets on various CMN parishes
The Bro Beca project - uncovering the history of the Rebecca Riots in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire
Terra Demetarum - Terry and Heather James' site - archaeology, history, antiquarian and maritime subjects covering West Wales
Books marked * have an entry on the separate 'Review/Contents' page.
Barnes, Tudor and Yates, Nigel (eds.) Carmarthenshire Studies: Essays presented to Major Francis Jones to mark his retirement as County Archivist. 1974 (Carmarthenshire C. C.) 266pp.16 plates. 18 figs. 14 maps. Main articles:
- 'Recent Advances in the Archaeology of Roman Carmarthenshire' [John Little]
- 'Carmarthenshire Records and their Custody' [Tudor Barnes]
- 'Historical Domestic Architecture in Dyfed: an Outline' [Peter Smith]
- 'The Carmarthenshire Possessions of Tylyllychau' [Melville Richards]
- 'English Place-names in Laugharne' [Bertie Charles]
- 'Carmarthen and the Reformation, 1536-58' [Glanmor Williams]
- 'Pembrokeshire Gentry in the 18th Century' [David Howell]
- 'Coedmore Forge, Llechryd' [Michael Evans]
- 'Hugh William Jones ('Yr Utgorn Arian', 1802-73)' [Benjamin Owens]
- 'The Parochial Impact of the Oxford Movement in South-West Wales' [Nigel Yates]
- 'The Heraldry Society' [John Brooke-Little]
Cragoe, Matthew. The Golden Grove interest in Carmarthenshire politics, 1804-1821. Welsh History Review 16 (1993), p. 467-93
Cragoe, Matthew. Carmarthen county politics, 1804-37. Carmarthenshire Antiquary 30 (1994), p. 70-8
Davies, D J. The Economic History of South Wales prior to 1800, Cardiff, 1933
Davies, Roger W. Old Pembrokeshire & Carmarthenshire. Llandysul: Gomer, 1991. [130]p: ill, maps, ports; 20x23cm. [ISBN 0863837263]
*Davis, Paul.R. Historic West Wales.Christopher Davies, 1992. Another book about West Wales, covering Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. It is mainly a tour about 150 places such as prehistoric monuments, churches, castles,wells and old houses.
Green , Francis [Ed] . West Wales Historical Records The Annual Magazine of the Historical Society of West Wales. c 1920 in 14 volumes. Here is a listing of Contents .
Griffiths, Ivor.(tr.) The History of the Gwendraeth Valley by Ap Huw 1873. Here is an Index by Elizabeth Rees.
Griffiths, Ivor. The Rebecca Riots. Journal of Dyfed FHS, Vol 5, no 2, Dec 1994, pp 60-68
Hughes, L. A Carmarthenshire anthology, Llandybie, C. Davies (1984) xxiii, 470 p.: p., ill., 1 map, ports.; [ISBN: 0715406434]
James, Terrence. Medieval Carmarthen and its burgesses: a study of town growth and burgess families in the later thirteenth century. Carmarthenshire Antiquary 25 (1989), p. 9-26
*John, A H. The Industrial Development of South Wales, 1750-1850. UWP, 1950
*Lloyd, Sir John E., (Ed.). A History of Carmarthenshire (2 vols.), Cardiff, London Carmarthenshire Society (1935, 1939). With the kind permission of the publishers sundry extracts from this book can now be accessed on some parish pages, also substantial sections relating to the county as a whole can be seen under the following headings including the whole of Chapter IV, "Economic and Social Life", pp 265-406 ;
- General snippets
- Economic and Social Life
- Introduction
- Agriculture
- The Early Iron and Coal Industries
- The Development of Communications
- The Non-Ferrous Metal Industries
- The Tinplate, Steel and Coal Industries
- Public Elementary and Secondary Education
Mathews, A W [ed]. Carmarthenshire Taxation 1560-1, Eastern District. Trans Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society, 7, 1911/12
Mathews, A W [ed]. Carmarthenshire Accounts of Poll Tax for 1689-90. Trans Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society 6, 1910-11
Mee, A.E., (Ed.). Carmarthenshire Notes (Facsim. of 1889,1890,1891 editions), Dyfed County Council, Cultural Services Dept. (1997) 496 p.
Moore, D[ed]. The Land of Dyfed in Early Times. Cardiff, 1964.
Morgan, D. The Story of Carmarthenshire. Educational Publishing Co, Cardiff, nd. c 1910 ?. 240pp, 32 sepia photos, 3 maps. One of "Welsh County" series.
Morus, Cenydd. The Fates of the Princes of Dyfed.1914
*Prys-Jones, A.J. The Story of Carmarthenshire (2 vols), Llandybie, Christopher Davies (1959, 1972). Vol 1 contains the ancient and medieval history of the county, Vol 2 covers the period from the C16 to 1832.
Rebecca Riots . Commissioners Report (1844) into the conditions in South Wales which contains a lot of background evidence and comment by Dyfed people. Backed by contemporary press extracts relating to the Rebecca Riots in the Llanelly, Llannon and Pontardulais areas. Indexed by witnesses.
Rees, David. Sir Rhys ap Thomas. Gomer, Llandysul. (0 86383 744 1). Gomer 2002 Catalogue;- "Sir Rhys ap Thomas (1449-1525) was one of the most interesting and influential men in Welsh history.............besides being an estate owner, an influential Crown servant and a warrior subject of the first two Tudor monarchs.....was also a leading bardic patron of his age.............whose fame lives on in the poetry of that turbulent era."
Rees, S. A Guide to Ancient and Historic Wales : Dyfed. HMSO/CADW, 1992. 241p. A guide to c 150 archaelogical sites in the counties of Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.
Rowlands, J. 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) 135 p. [BL 10109.t.51.]
Sir Gār: studies in Carmarthenshire history: essays in memory of W. H. Morris and M. C. S. Evans. Carmarthen: Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society, 1991. xi, 284p: ill; 25cm. [ISBN 0906972035 (pbk)].
Content details are shown on http://www.carmants.org.uk/sir_gar_contents.html .
One of the articles from the book can be found on the Kidwelly History site - Kidwelly Priory by Glanmor WilliamsThe Cambrian Journal Volume 1 , 1854. Published under the auspices of the Cambrian Institute. London, Longmans & Co; Tenby, R Mason. Includes an extracted article styled 'The Industrial Capacities of South Wales'.
The Return of Owners of Land 1873 for all the Welsh counties on Richard Hopkins' site
Details of extant records on Archives Network Wales for the following;
Cragoe, M. An Anglican aristocracy: the moral economy of the landed estate in Carmarthenshire, 1832-1895, Oxford, Clarendon Press (1996) x, 280 p. [ISBN: 0198205945]
Hassall, C. General view of the agriculture of the county of Carmarthen with observations on the means of its improvement, London, Printed by W. Smith (1794) [2], iii, 52 p. [ Microfilm ed. : Goldsmiths'-Kress library of economic literature; no. 15972 (1976)]
James, Brian Ll. The Great Landowners of Wales in 1873. National Library of Wales journal. 1966, Summer Volume XIV/3
Vincent, J E. The Land Question in South Wales. London, 1897
Parry-Jones, D. Some Thoughts and Notes on the English of South Wales. National Library of Wales journal. 1974, Winter. Volume XVIII/4
Each parish page has a direct link to a map of the general area on the Multimap site, these are based on the nearest post code and therefore are not always pointed at the exact centre of the parish. In addition, once the required map is visible, clicking on the link Aerial Photos link in the left hand Navigation Box will bring up an aerial photograph of the area.
See here to view a 'sketch map' indicating the position and relative size of each parish within its hundred
Dyfed FHS has an early 20th century OS map of Dyfed
Map of Carmarthenshire from the Report of the Boundary Commissioners for England and Wales. Printed by Eyre and Spottiswoode, London, 1885.
Map of Carmarthenshire in 1821.
Welsh county maps by Samuel Lewis and published in 1833
Map of Carmarthenshire's Ecclesiastical Parishes.
An exceptionally useful set of maps showing parish boundaries, on a one inch to the mile scale, is now available on CD-ROM - see:
Kain, R.J.P., Oliver, R.R., Historic Parishes of England and Wales: an Electronic Map of Boundaries before 1850 with a Gazetteer and Metadata [computer file]. Colchester, Essex: History Data Service, UK Data Archive [distributor], 17 May 2001. SN: 4348.
Lighthouse Personnel in England and Wales and the Channel Islands 1841-1910. Includes;- Table of Keepers; Table of Stations by county; Location map of the lighthouse sites.
There is a card index of "Shipping" at Carmarthen Archives, mainly details of ships but some owners and masters.
There is a card index of Carmarthen Journal articles under "Ports" and "Shipping" at Carmarthen Reference Library.
Volume 21of Transactions of the Carmarthen Antiquarian Society could be useful for researching shipping.
Survey of fish weirs on the Taf, Towy and Gwendraeth estuaries- by Terry and Heather James.
Site also includes;- Carmarthen Bar and its shipwrecks; Fforest yr Esgob, a survey of Deserted Rural Settlements; and Carmarthenshire Place-name survey
Welsh Mariners by Dr Reg Davies---includes a searchable database of over 17,000 Welsh born (or Wales resident) Master mariners, mates and engineers who held certificates of competency or service; in practice it is an index of men active from 1850 to 1945 in the merchant navy.
Swansea Mariners by Bryan Richards --- periods 1861 to 1871 and 1890 to 1894, a database of ratings such as un-certificated officers, bosun, able seaman, ordinary seaman, boy, cook, steward, etc in Glamorgan Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Cardiganshire, or from around the world. There are 32,000 detailed entries (9/2006).
Campbell-Jones, Susan. Welsh Sail.Gomer 1976. Here is an index by Mary Jane Stephenson
Craig, R. Carmarthenshire Shipping in the 1840s, Carmarthenshire Antiquary, vol. 23, (1987) pp.13-18. Also Vol 21 page 49.
Evans, M.C.S. Carmarthen and the Welsh Port Books, 1550-1603, Carmarthenshire Antiquary, vol. 3, no. 1, (1959)
Heaton , P.M. Welsh Shipping - Forgotten Fleets 1989. Biographical details restricted mainly to owners & managers, and details of ships owned. Here is an index by David Webb .
James, Terence. Shipping and the River Towy-Problems of Navigation. Carmarthenshire Antiquary Vol 22, p 27-27
Jenkins, David [principal author]. The Maritime Heritage of Dyfed . NLW: 1982
The People of Dyfed and the sea. Dyfed FHS journal Vol 6/4 Aug 1998. An extensive article, pp 134/142 describing resources available and several examples found at the various county Archives. Other headings include ; Steam Packets, Pembroke Dockyard and Pembrokeshire Lighthouse Keepers on the 1891 census.
Williams, M.I. Carmarthenshire's Maritime Trade in the 16th and 17th Centuries, Carmarthenshire Antiquary, vol. 14, (1978) pp.61-70.
There is data for this county on The Carmarthenshire Roll of Honour site
Carmarthen Militia Men at Newcastle-on-Tyne (1805-12). Dyfed FHS journal Vol 5, no 2, Dec 1994, p 81/3.Davies, Reginald[Dr]. Welshmen at the Battle of Trafalgar Was your ancestor a one legged survivor of the Battle ?. Part I. Dyfed FHS journal, Vol 5/5 Dec 1995. Concentrates on the story of one man, James Davis of Pembroke.
Davies, Reginald[Dr]. Welshmen at the Battle of Trafalgar [21 Oct 1805]. Part II. Dyfed FHS journal, Vol 5/6 April 1996. The author refers to the index he has produced of all Welshman at the battle.
Owen, Bryn. History of the Welsh militia and volunteer corps, 1757-1908 Wrexham, Clywd: Bridge Books, 1989. Vol 4, pt. 2. Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire & Cardiganshire
Retallack, John . The Welsh Guards Foreword by H R H The Prince if Wales.Published (1981) by Frederick Warne (Publishers) Ltd. London. Here is an index by Allen Powell .
Sinnett, R J M[Lt Col]. The Royal Welch Fusiliers at the Battle of Waterloo. Dyfed FHS journal, Vol 5/4 Aug 1995. Lists 50 names of soldiers who came from the 3 Dyfed counties.
Place names in south Wales - Deric John's growing authoritative collection of place names
Place Names of Dyfed, provided by the Dyfed FHS, lists the parishes (plus a small number of other places) in Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, giving for each the name of its hundred, an OS map reference, and the civil registration district.
Here is a listing of Carmarthenshire place names and name variants, with their associated Genuki parish pages.
Here is a database with grid co-ordinates of 10,000 place names from the 1891/1901 censuses for certain parishes in PEM,CMN & GLA(Gower) Place names in Carmarthenshire which have alternative spellings - or have changed completely
The Carmarthenshire Place-name Survey - by Terry and Heather James.
Gameson, John. The Place Names of Seventeenth Century Carmarthenshire. Dyfed FHS journal Vol 5, no 4, Aug 1995, p 151-156
Celtic Educational Ltd. Welsh First Names for Children - Their meanings explained . 1978Lloyd, Annie. Welsh Surnames and Given Names, 1996
Morgan, T J/Morgan, Prys. Welsh Surnames. UWP, 1985.
Details of extant records on Archives Network Wales for the following;
Dyfed newspapers - on Dyfed FHS there is a list of the locations that hold copies of known publications
Tivy-Side Advertiser Email; tivy_newsdesk@gwent-wales.co.uk
A Guide to Local Newspapers in Dyfed. Dyfed County Council Archives Department.
The Coal House Project - on BBC Wales. Use the Browse by Place button to home in on particular mines/areas
Victorian Professional Photographers in Wales 1850-1925 - a county based database compiled by Mari Alderman, includes sources and a bibliography
Here is the Wales section from Outline Map of the Mining Districts of the UK from the Childrens' Employment Commission Report of 1842. The shaded areas denote the Coal and Iron Mining Districts.
Copied from the CD published by Archive CD Books
A List of Mines in Pembrokeshire and the adjoining parts of Carmarthen and Ceredigion. Introduction.
Apprentices from Dyfed in Bristol in the C17 & C18. Fiche for sale from Dyfed FHS.
Lists of magistrates and police officials in the county of Carmarthenshire - extracted from Kelly's Directory of South Wales 1923 (published on CD by Archive CD Books)
Books marked * have an entry on the separate 'Review/Contents' page.
Colyer, Richard. The Welsh Cattle Drovers (1976). Here is a contents listing/introduction and an Index by Catherine Davies-Shiel. Reissued in 2002 by Landmark Publishing Co, with revision of some chapters, now p192.
Colyer, R. J. Moore.Further References to the Welsh Cattle Trade. National Library of Wales journal. Volume XXV/3 Summer, 1988. Extract of this article by Bill Griffith-Jones 2002
Colyer, Richard. Welsh Cattle Drovers in the Nineteenth Century - 1 National Library of Wales journal. 1972, Winter Volume XVII/4
Colyer, Richard. Welsh Cattle Drovers in the Nineteenth Century - 2 National Library of Wales journal. 1974, Summer. Volume XVIII/3
Colyer, Richard. Welsh Cattle Drovers in the Nineteenth Century - 3 National Library of Wales journal. 1975, Summer. Volume XIX/1
Craig, Robert. R J Nevill and the Early Welsh Coal Trade - A Comment National Library of Wales journal. Volume X/4 Winter 1958
Davies, Alun Eirug. Paper-Mills and Paper-Makers in Wales 1700-1900. , National Library of Wales journal. 1967, Summer Volume XV/1
Davies, J Ll. The Livestock Trade in West Wales in the C19th. Aberystwyth Studies, XIV, 1936, pp99 and 108
Evans, G. On the Farm a Century Ago. Carmarthenshire Historian, vol VIII, 1971, p72
Evans, M C S. The Pioneers of the Carmarthenshire Iron Industry, Carmarthenshire Historian, 1967
Hall, G W. Metal Mines of Southern Wales, Kington, 2nd. edn., published privately, 1993 - A detailed account of mining in the pre Carboniferous rocks of south Cardiganshire, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Brecknockshire
Hassall, C. A General View of the Agriculture of Carmarthenshire. London, 1794.
Jenkins, D. The Agricultural Community in South-West Wales at the turn of the 20th Century. Cardiff, 1971
Joners-Davies, H. The History of the Agricultural Cooperative Movement in Carmarthenshire. The Carmarthenshire Antiquary, 1942, Vol i, Pt 2
Matthews, Ioan. Before the Federation: Trade Unionism in the anthracite coalfield c.1870-1898 Carmarthenshire Antiquary 32 (1996), p. 80-91
Morris, J H/Williams,L J. The South Wales Coal Industry 1841-1875. 1958.
Morris, J H & L J Williams. R J Nevill and the Early Welsh Coal Trade. National Library of Wales journal. 1957, Summer Volume X/1.
Thomas, S. The agricultural labour force in some south Carmarthenshire parishes in the mid-nineteenth century. The Welsh History Review, iii, no 1, 1966
*Toulson, Shirley/Forbes, Caroline. The Drovers' Road of Wales. II Pembrokeshire and the South. Whittet Books Ltd, 1992 This is the second book in the series and covers from the Englishry of Pembrokeshire around Angle and Castlemartin up through Carmarthenshire, across from Ceredigion through Gower into Glamorgan and over the Black Mountains into the Welsh Marches.
Tucker, Gordon and Mary. The Old Slate Industry of Pembrokeshire and Other Parts of South Wales. National Library of Wales journal. 1983, Winter. Volume XXIII/2. Extract by Bill Griffith-Jones
Williams, D J. The Old Farmhouse 1961.Describes life on a farm in Carmarthernshire in the C19. Translation of Hen Dy Ffarm. 1953 (Llandyssul) .189pp.
Williams, James . Give Me Yesterday. 3rd imp. 1972 (Gomer Press, 1st pub. Nov. 1971) 154pp. reminiscences of the author's life during childhood and youth on the family farm in remote part of West Wales around the turn of last century (1900).
*Williams, D Trevor. The Economic Development of Swansea and of the Swansea District to 1921.University College of Swansea Pamphlet 4. 1940.There is coverage of the coal mining and smelting industries in south east Carmarthenshire e.g lists /details of the various works. There is a substantial extract on Not everyone knows this..
Books marked * have an entry on the separate 'Review/Contents' page.
*The Carmarthenshire Antiquary, Carmarthen, The Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society. (1905-1977). [Originally called Transactions of the Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society and Field Club]
*The Carmarthenshire Historian: journal of the Local History Committee, Carmarthenshire Community Council, Dark Gate Chambers, Carmarthen, Dyfed Rural Council (1961-).
Green, Francis (ed.) West Wales Historical Records: The Annual Magazine of the Historical Society of West Wales. Quintin Publications. Here is a Contents listing, vols 1-14
The Workhouse - on Peter Higginbotham's site
Details of extant records on Archives Network Wales for the following;
Pre-1857 wills are likely to be found either among the records of the Episcopal Consistory Court of St. David's: Archdeaconry of Carmarthen (held at the National Library of Wales), or in the records of of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (held at the Public Record Office).
Agricultural Statistics in 1908 for the counties of Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Glamorgan as shown in Kelly's Directory for South Wales, 1910
Details of extant records on Archives Network Wales for the following;
Daniel-Tyssen, J R. Royal Charters and historical documents relating to the town and county of Carmarthen and the abbeys of Talley and Tygwyn-ar-Daf. Spurrell, 1878
Books marked * have an entry on the separate 'Review/Contents' page.
*Barnes, David Russell. People of Seion: patterns of nonconformity in Cardiganshire and Carmarthenshire in the century preceding the Religious Census of 1851. [Cardiff]: David Russell Barnes, 1995. 186p: ill, maps; 21cm. ISBN 1859022715 (pbk)].
Himbury, D.M. Churches in fellowship: a short history of the English Baptist Associations in South Wales, Priory Press (1960) 27, [1] p.
Jenkins, R T. The Moravian Brethren in Carmarthenshire. Journal of the Calvinistic Methodist Church History Society, XXI/2 June 1936
Jones, David. Hanes y Bedyddwyr yn Neheubarth Cymru [History of the Baptists in South Wales].Carmarthen, 1839 [ LDS GS 994005]
Morris, James.[Rev] . Hanes Methodistiaeth Sir Gaerfyrddin [The History of the Methodists in Carmarthenshire] Published 1911. Translated by Ivor Griffiths, 1994, 244p. Contains a huge amount of information on ministers and chapels. The translation by Ivor Griffiths is available for purchase, see Gareth's Help Page. Here is a list of names in the book compiled by Pat Powell
Randall, Alan. Recusancy in Carmarthenshire. Carmarthenshire Antiquary 33 (1997), p. 55-87
The Blue Books of 1847. An inquiry into the state of education in Wales - on the NLW's Digital Mirror site
Day Schools in Carmarthenshire in 1847. This database consists of
day schools which existed in 1847 included here within an alphabetical list of parishes
It contains the names and types of day schools listed in the
Reports of the Commissioners of Inquiry into the State of Education in Wales published in 1847
Dyfed FHS has an online database of Schools and Colleges in the Dyfed counties, many with photographs
Alumni Oxonienses 1715 - 1886. This extract of Dyfed students from a reproduction on CD of the four volumes of Alumni Oxonienses 1715-1886 published by the(Archive CD Books)Project. Extracted and transcribed for the Dyfed FHS by Jonathan Pike. All references to the Dyfed students have been included plus individuals who are known to be connected to Dyfed familes.
Davies, B L. British Schools in South Wales, The Rev William Roberts (Nefydd), South Wales, Representative of the British and Foreign School Society, 1853-1863 , National Library of Wales journal. 1974, Winter. Volume XVIII/4
Evans, Leslie Wynne. Copper-Works Schools in South Wales during the Nineteenth Century. National Library of Wales journal. 1959, Summer Volume XI/1. There are 27 Appendices which contain data concerning individual schools in Kilvey, Hafod, Llanelly, Pembrey, Margam, Maesteg and Pontamman
Evans, Leslie Wynne. Voluntary Education in the Industrial Areas of Wales before 1870. National Library of Wales journal. Vol XIV/4, Winter 1966.
Evans, Leslie Wynne. School Boards and the Works School System after the Education Act of 1870. National Library of Wales journal. 1967, Summer Volume XV/1
Evans, Martin. An early history of Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Carmarthen, 1576-1800. [Carmarthen]: [Queen Elizabeth Grammar School for Boys, Old Maridunian Association], [1986] 96p: ill, facsims, maps, plan, ports; 21cm.
Evans, W.G. Educational development in a Victorian community: a case study of Carmarthenshire's response to the Welsh Intermediate Education Act 1889, Aberystwyth, Centre for Educational Studies, Faculty of Education, University College of Wales, Aberystwyth (1990) i, 72 p.: p., 1 map; [ISBN: 0947694366]
Jenkins, Geraint H The Foundations of Modern Wales 1642 - 1780. Clarendon Press, University of Wales Press, 1987. Here is an extract of GRIFFITH JONES AND THE CIRCULATING SCHOOLS pages 370 - 381)
Jones, E D. The Journal of William Roberts ('Nefydd'), 1853-62. National Library of Wales journal Vol VIII/2 Winter, 1953 et al.
Books marked * have an entry on the separate 'Review/Contents' page.
Brazell, J. Phyllis. Some remembrances of a Victorian childhood. Carmarthenshire Antiquary 28 (1992), p. 113-16
Brennan, T et al. Social Change in South-West Wales. (First half of C20th). 1954, p200.
Davies, J C. The Folklore of West and Mid Wales. 1911
Davies, John (Archivist). In Sickness and in Health. Dyfed FHS journal, Vol 8/9 Aug 2005. Medical advertisements in the Carmarthen Journal
Davies, R. Secret Sins - Sex, Violence and Society in Carmarthenshire 1870-1920, University of Wales Press (1996) 327 p. [ISBN 0-7083-1367-1, CAM 1998.9.1315]. Here is an Index by Angela Davies and a contents listing/introduction
*Grenfell-Hill, Jeffrey . Growing up in Wales 1895 - 1939. Gomer Press, Llandysul. ISBN: 1 85902 349 5
Griffiths, M. Shades of green (new ed.), Broad Haven, Moira Hoffman (1992) 82 p., ill.; [ISBN: 095166882X (pbk)]
Howell, David W. Patriarchs & Parasites: The Gentry of South-West Wales in the 18th Century. 1986 (Cardiff: University of Wales Press) ix + 310pp. inc. appendixes, bibliography, notes and index. 2 maps - 1 foldout. the area covered is Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. an examination of the fortunes and character of the ruling class but much else besides.
Hughes, Lynn. A Carmarthenshire Anthology. Dinefwr Publishers, Llandybie, 2002. ISBN 1 904323 02 2. A new and revised edition ---first published by Christopher Davies in 1984 with a foreword by Francis Jones. 444 pages with black and white photographs and drawings. Headings include: the land and early people, some legends and customs, saints and sinners, heroes and the crachach, characters, ancient monuments, holy places, houses, war, work, play, everyday life, wildlife, husbandry, rivers, lakes, estuary, coast.
Jones, David J V. Crime and Policing in the Twentieth Century (The South Wales Experience). UWP
Jones, Evan D. A File of Rebecca Papers. The Carmarthenshire Antiquary, 1943/4, Vol i, Pts 3 & 4.
*Jones, Francis [Major]. Journal of a Young Lady of Fashion. Taken from four journals of the Carmarthen Historian(1865 - 1872) written by Agnes Hermione Jennings of Gellideg and preserved in the Carmarthenshire Records Office.
G Penrhyn Jones, Cholera in Wales. National Library of Wales journal Vol X/3 Summer 1958.
Jones, T Gwyn. Rebeccasium - Bibliography. The Carmarthenshire Antiquary, 1943/4, Vol i, Pts 3 & 4.
And from same source Rebecca Notes by multiple authors; --- D G Griffiths, T Gwyn Jones, Ieuan Phillips, George Roblings, Dr J W W StephensLewis , D . Pobl Wrth Eu Gwaith/People at Work . Llandysul 1987. Here is an index by Jill Smith
Lloyd, H A. The Gentry of South-West Wales 1540-1640. Cardiff, 1968
Lewis, T H. The Rebecca Movement in Carmarthenshire: Its Social and Economic Background. The Carmarthenshire Antiquary, 1943/4, Vol i, Pts 3 & 4
Parry-Jones, D. A Welsh Country Upbringing. 1948 (Batsford) 139pp. + index. 88 b/w photo. illus. frontispiece in colour. views of Cards./Carms. border in early years 20th cent.
Peate, Iorwerth C. The Welsh House. A Study in Folk Culture First published in 1940, reprinted by Llanerch Publishers, Felinfach in 2000. ISBN 1 86143 112 0. Here is a review and a listing of Contents, Illustrations, Figures and houses/sites mentioned, from the 1940 edition.
Price, Cecil. Some Welsh Theatres, 1844 - 1870, National Library of Wales journal. 1961, Winter Volume XII/2. The towns featured are; Aberystwyth, Abergavenny, Brecon, Carmarthen, Merthyr, Monmouth, Newport, Tredegar and Wrexham.
Scourfield , Elfyn . Welsh Rural Life in Photographs. Barry, 1979. Here is an index by Jill Smith
Vaughan, H M. The South Wales Squires. London, 1926
Dyfed FHS covers the old counties of Carmarthenshire, Cardiganshire and Pembrokeshire. It has several branches, including one in London. It has an active indexing/transcribing project. It has a library kept at Carmarthen Reference Library and publishes a regular journal for members.
The Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society: ".... founded in 1905 and is one of the foremost County antiquarian societies in Wales. From its inception the founding members saw a need to record, publish and collect all things relating to the history, antiquity and natural history of 'Carmarthenshire in particular, and West Wales in general' ".
Here is a separate page with contents listings and several complete articles
These county pages are maintained by Gareth Hicks with help and information provided by a number of other volunteers.
Find help, report problems, and contribute information.
(This page was last updated on 25 Aug 2008 - Gareth Hicks)
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