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Chapels - Bishopston

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This project is fully described on Glamorgan Chapels Database

This Bishopston database compiled by Gareth Hicks with contributions from;

  • Jeff Coleman

If a chapel is already mentioned on the main parish page then its name will act as a link to that section for any data recorded there - such as extant records and OS Grid references

Some chapels may have more than one entry if it is not possible to correctly identify each from a particular source

(For an explanation of the various non-conformist denominations see Wales - Genealogy Help Pages )

Sources referred to (indicated by number shown in brackets after the data entry) where there may be more data available

Sources;

  • 1. Ancestors were Congregationalists in England and Wales, by D J H Clifford, SOG, 1992.
  • 2. Kelly's Directory, South Wales 1895 - the Archive CD Books Cd
  • 3. Kelly's Directory, South Wales 1910 - the Archive CD Books Cd
  • 4. The Chapels Recording Project in Wales (RCAHMW)
  • 5. Personal research/knowledge (JC)
  • 6. Glamorgan FHS - the publications lists etc
  • 7. Glamorgan Record Office in Cardiff hold most extant parish church and non-conformist chapel records, these are listed on their site (click ' history of your family' on main page and scroll down to the end of the next page)
  • 8. Jones, I.G. & Williams, D. The Religious census of 1851 : A Calendar of the returns relating to Wales, Vol 1, South Wales. UWP, Cardiff, 1976 [a name of an official quoted below is the person shown as 'the informant']

Additional source

  • 'A History of Bishopston' by Geoffrey R Orrin,(1982, Gomer press, Llandysul, ISBN 0 85088 507 8)

Baptist

No Baptist chapels found in this parish

 

Congregationalist

Providence Congregational chapel, Bishopston
[on lane between Bishopston & Murton - on old-maps roughly SS58128900] (JC 5)

  • Providence English Congregational chapel, Bishopston Opened in 1805 Not still open in 1992 (1)
  • Here (Bishopston) is a Congregational chapel built in 1805 with 200 sittings 1910 (3)
  •  
  • Rees, Thomas & John Thomas. Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru (History of the Welsh Independent Churches), 4 volumes (published 1871+). Here is the entry for this chapel (in Welsh) - with translation by Deric John
  • The source book has references to Providence Chapel, including a photo, some explanation of the confusion about date of foundation ranging between 1803 and 1814, several pages of history, names of ministers etc. It closed during 1914-18 war and was taken over and renovated by the girl guides in 1932. It had a congregation of 30 in the morning and 40 in the afternoon in 1851 religious census. (From 'A History of Bishopston' by Geoffrey R Orrin,1982, Gomer press, Llandysul, ISBN 0 85088 507 8) (JC 5)
  • Providence Independent Erected in 1804 John Williams, minister 1851 (8)
  • The History of Providence Chapel, Bishopston by Hyman, Sally J published in Gower vol 32 1981 Welsh Journals Online

Upper Killay Congregational chapel

  • There is a Congregational Chapel in Upper Killay, it looks an early 20th-century building - this chapel [built or rebuilt in 1911 according to the note below] is on Gower Road roughly opposite the junction with Hen Parc Lane. Still active 2006 (JC 5)
  • Gower Rd, Upper Killay, Swansea is shown on the list of current chapels on the Congregational Federation site as being opened in 1911
  • Providence Congregational chapel, Upper Killay SS59029254 Built in 1807 (4) (Was it really called Providence?)
  • There is a book; Upper Killay Congregational church, 1911-1961. Typescript. 19 leaves [Bishopston] (2)

Lady Huntingdon's Independent chapel

  • Here (Murton) is an Independent chapel Built in 1807 and endowed by Lady Huntingdon's connexion 1895 (2) and 1910 (3)
    [Could it be same place as Upper Killay ? - although Kelly's have both entered]

Congregational Meeting House at Lower Wernllath

  • ".. the house of Henry Griffiths of Bishopston, at Stone House, Lower Wernllath, was licensed to be a Congregational Meeting Place on 20th April 1672, one of 82 meeting houses licensed in Wales under the 'Declaration of Tolerance Act' of King Charles II. In 1675 Archbishop Seldon estimated that there were only 12 nonconformists in Bishopston."
    "Wernllath, a village in 16th century, is now only two farms, and there is no evidence how long the meeting place survived."
    (From 'A History of Bishopston' by Geoffrey R Orrin,1982, Gomer press, Llandysul, ISBN 0 85088 507 8, page 62) (JC 5)

 

Methodist

Wesleyan Methodist chapel, Murton

  • Methodist chapel, Murton MI s (6) & (7)
  • Here (Murton) is a Wesleyan chapel 1895 (2) and 1910 (3)
  • Murton Methodist Church on the Gower Methodists site - a brief quote from the history section;-
    " Murton first appeared on the Swansea Circuit preaching plan in 1828, though the first 'Chapel on the Green' was not built until 1831"
  • Murton Wesleyan Erected 20 years Francis Morgan, Local Preacher 1851 (8)
  • On the old-maps (1883/4) site there is shown a Primitive Methodist chapel just north of the then main street in Murton village, roughly where the above chapel is, this must be the first 'Chapel on the Green' built in 1831 but is not the same chapel as the one detailed on the first 2 lines above (JC 5)

Murton chapel, Murton

  • Murton chapel, Murton SS58628905 Built in 1896 [?] Denomination not given (4)
    This OS grid reference seems very near to the above Wesleyan chapel but not the exact same site

 

Others (inc. un-identified)

None

 

[Last Updated : 2 June 2013 - Gareth Hicks]