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Llandaff

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The area within the green boundary on the above map represents the 2 sections of Llandaff parish - see the Kain map

See also under Ely and Caerau with Ely

"A cathedral city on the banks of the Taff, near Cardiff. It was a bishopric of importance before the coming of the Normans, but the present cathedrale dates from the twelfth century, and though retaining its Norman doorways, belongs chiefly to the Early English and Decorated periods. It possesses a number of interesting monuments. On the high ground above the cathedral are the ruins of the ancient episcopal palace destroyed by Glyndwr in 1402." [Glamorganshire, 1911]

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The modern city of Cardiff embraces the ancient parishes of Cardiff St. John and Cardiff St. Mary - plus the adjoining parishes of Llandaff and Roath

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Archives & Libraries

  • Bishop's Library
    The Ollivant Room,
    St. Michael's College,
    Llandaff
    Cardiff, CF5 2YJ
    Tel: 01222 563379 (or +44 122 563379)
    By appointment only
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Bibliography

Here is a substantial reading list of books which relate to Glamorgan, either county or parish.

References to the parish of Llandaff at

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Cemeteries

The Glamorgan Family History Society have produced a set of microfiche containing Monumental Inscriptions for the following burial grounds :-

  • Cathedral Church of St. Peter & St. Paul
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Churches

There are more than 30 churches identified in this place. Please click here for a complete list.
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Church History

Journey to the past - Llandaff Cathedral

Chapels Database  - a  list of all known non-conformist chapels or other non-Anglican religions in the parishes of Roath, St Mary, St John and Llandaff

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

  • Llandaff Diocesan records     1465-2004

Various items - on the People's Collection Wales site

  • Llandaff Cathedral 1829 & 1834 & 1842 & 1857 & 1871 etc etc
  • View shewing the proposed restoration of Landaff cathedral
  • Photo showing the old Bell Tower, Llandaff Cathedral andthe Lych Gate.
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Church Records

For full and up-to-date details of their holdings see the sites of Glamorgan Record Office and/or West Glamorgan Archives

See Bap/Mar/Bur data on  FreeReg

The Cathedral church at Llandaff is dedicated to St. Peter & St. Paul, is in the Benefice of Llandaff with Capel Llanilltern, and Diocese of Llandaff. Details of the present incumbent of this benefice can be found at the Church in Wales website. The church can be found at grid reference ST156782.

A transcription of the registers is available from the Glamorgan Family History Society for the years: Baptisms, 1724-1844, Marriages, 1717-1838, Burials, 1724-1845. Visit their website for information on how to purchase these fiche.

Anglican Parish Registers Held at the Glamorgan Record Office, Cardiff
BaptismsMarriagesBurialsBannsBishops Transcripts
1724-19331724-19391724-10681867-19051717, 1725-1751, 1753-1838

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

  • Llandaff Ecclesiastical Parish records         " ........... including registers of baptisms, 1724-1933; marriages, 1754-1939; burials, 1724-1968; papers relating to Llandaff Cathedral restoration appeal, c1983-1987"

Modern Parishes & Chapels of Ease :-

Diocese of Llandaff - a pdf file called "A Handbook for Ministry Areas" first published in September 2020 containing a list of Existing Benifices with proposed  New Ministry Areas and includes in the Introduction the following explanatory extract;

"This Handbook draws the Diocese into the wider planning for Ministry Areas which has been our ambition since the ‘Transformations’ agenda was endorsed by both the Governing Body and the Diocesan Conference of Llandaff almost eight years ago. That agenda was a way of sustaining parish ministry, especially as our support base of Sunday worshippers diminished. Dioceses of the Church in Wales had to create an agile future if ministry and church buildings were to continue, adapting to changing social habits. During that time some parts of our Diocese have motored ahead in the shape of Rectorial Benefices, creating new teams of clergy and laity to direct and oversee the mission and ministry of the Church from Caerphilly, to Neath and the Vale of Glamorgan. Other parishes such as Pontypridd and Penarth, have built their own forms of co-operation and in ‘lockdown’ many of those relationships have been strengthened with churchgoers from different congregations worshipping together on- line........"

Non Conformist Registers Deposited
ChapelBaptismsMarriagesBurialsOS Map RefDeposited
Chapel Street, Gilgal, Calvinistic Methodist-1913-1927-ST 15527790NLW
Wesleyan1892-1918--ST 15367796GRO

GRO - Glamorgan Record Office, Cardiff
NLW - National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth

The following Religious Institutions are covered in the Mormon International Genealogical Index (IGI) :-

  • Llandaff, St. Peter & St. Paul - Christenings (BT's), 1813-1875

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

  • Llandaff Cathedral records     ". ............... 1824-1960: manuscripts and notes relating to the history of the diocese and Cathedral of Llandaff [c. 1845]-1944; chapter records, 1845-1948; documents relating to Llandaff Parish, 1858-1953; printed books pamphlets, etc, 1827-1945; manuscripts of Bishop Ollivant, 1824-1882; and newspaper cuttings and miscellaneous papers, 1879-1960."
  • Llandaff Cathedral, Dean and Chapter records        "Chapter act books, 1817-1964; and form of Oath to be taken by Canon on admission to Canonry, [19th century]."
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Description & Travel

Sketch of Llandaff Bridge by one of the Bacon sisters C19th - on the People's Collection Wales site (use search box)

Llandaff - on Wikipedia

Various landscapes - on the People's Collection Wales site

You can see pictures of Llandaff which are provided by:

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Directories

Transcript of name listing for Llandaff, from Commercial and Trade Directories, for the years:-

1822-1823(Pigot's Directory) (16k)1858-1859(Slater's Directory) (105k)
1880

(Slater's Directory) 
LLANDAFF; With the parishes and villages of Cairau, Ely and Fairwater, Radyr, Llanillterne, St. Fagan's, Michaelstone-super-Ely, and St. Brides-super-Ely

1880

(Slater's Directory) 
CARDIFF; with the parishes and suburbs of Roath, Leckwith, Llanedarne, Canton, Blackweir, Maindy, Marshfield, Peterstone, Rumney, and Saint Mellons  (County of Monmouth).

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Gazetteers

The transcription of the section for Llandaff from The National Gazetteer (1868) provided by Colin Hinson.

Descriptions of the parish from
A Topographical Dictionary of Wales (1833) by Samuel Lewis.
A Topographical Dictionary of The Dominion of Wales by Nicholas Carlisle, London, 1811

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Historical Geography

Some of the hamlets, towns and villages within this parish

  • Llandaff North - See in Whitchurch
  • Maindy
  • Mynachdy
  • Pontcanna
  • Riverside
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History

The Manor of Llandaff - from Cardiff Records, Volume II, Chapter I  NOTES ON THE MANORS OF THE CARDIFF DISTRICT .  (British History Online)

The Manor of Llystalybont - from Cardiff Records, Volume II, Chapter I  NOTES ON THE MANORS OF THE CARDIFF DISTRICT .  (British History Online)

The Treasurer's Manor of Llandaff - from Cardiff Records, Volume II, Chapter I  NOTES ON THE MANORS OF THE CARDIFF DISTRICT .   (British History Online)  

Description of Llandaff Castle at www.castlewales.com by Jeff Thomas

Various items - on the People's Collection Wales site

  • The Weir was designed to take water to both the Corn and Tucking Mills
  • Cardiff Road, Llandaff.
  • High Street, Llandaff 1898
  • Turnpike Gate. Situated on the junction between Llantrisant Road on the left, and Bridge Road on the right. There now stands a pair of three storey houses on the site.
  • The Preaching Cross
  • The Bishop's Castle is thought to have been built by Bishop de Braose between 1265 and 1287. It consisted of a gatehouse, a hall and two smaller towers. The courtyard is now a public garden.
  • Ration card issues by the Llandaff & Dinas Powis Food Control Committee.
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Land & Property

  • Llandaff tithes
    1763-93: tithe account books
    [Glamorgan Archive Service, Cardiff - Reference: D/DE]
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Maps

This diagram shows the position of this parish within the county of Glamorgan - click on this to see a full size diagram of the county

 

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Parish map (Kain/Oliver)

Various items - on the People's Collection Wales site

  • Map of Lower Taff, Llandaff to Morganstown
  • Plan of Llandaff parish in the County of Glamorgan

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference ST156764 (Lat/Lon: 51.480676, -3.21702), Llandaff which are provided by:

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Military History

The War Memorial on The Green (1925) - on the People's Collection Wales site

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Names, Geographical

Places, villages, farms etc within Llandaff parish as shown on the online parish map from 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) [NB; the boundary between Llandaff and Leckwith parishes is missing on the map, allocation between them may not be 100% accurate therefore]

  • Canton (141); Canton; Grangetown; GWR; Leckwith Moors; Penarth Flats; Rifle Range; Sanatorium; Viaduct; Ynis..? Fm.
  • Llandaff (142); Cath.; Ely; Ely Court; Ely River; Fairwater; Glamorgan Canal; Glan-Ely; Llandaff; Maendy; Mill; Pontcanna; River Taff; Rookwood; Villa;
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Names, Personal

  • Mathew family of Radyr and Llandaff
    17th-20th cent: deeds, estate and family papers
    [Glamorgan Archive Service, Cardiff - Reference: D/D Mat]
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Newspapers

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Politics & Government

  • Llandaff and Barry Conservative Association
    1918-61: minutes
    [National Library of Wales, Department of Manuscripts and Records - Reference: Minor lists 1987 pp14-15]
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Population

The Population of Llandaff was as follows, and a more detailed breakdown is available.

1841 - 1,2761851 - 1,8211861 - 6,5851871 - 11,9221881 - 17,9501891 - 4,379
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Public Records

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

  • Llandaff Burial Board records     " ....... 1859-1922, including minutes, 1859-1922; and receipts and payments book, 1884-1897."
    "Llandaff Burial Board was set up by the parish vestry in 1859, and purchased three pieces of land adjacent to Llandaff cathedral graveyard for a new cemetery, which opened in 1860. The Burial Board was reconstituted in June 1882 as the Llandaff District Burial Board. ............................................"
  • Llandaff Civil Parish records     " ........... including poor rate assessments, 1717-1750; vestry minutes book, 1842-1894; rate books, 1842-1846; parish council minute books, 1894-1922; copy of tithe plan and apportionment, c1845; miscellaneous documents, 1811-1937"  
  • Llandaff District Highway Board records                   "Minutes books, account books, ledgers, contract certificate books, correspondence books and miscellaneous papers, 1855-1898"
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Religion & Religious Life

  • Llandaff Cathedral Choral Society
    c1937-82: records
    [Glamorgan Archive Service, Cardiff]
  • Llandaff Diocesan Lay Readers Association
    1902-61: records
    [National Library of Wales, Department of Manuscripts and Records]
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Schools

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

  • Llandaff School Board records       " ....... comprising of minute book, 1900-1903"

Various items - on the People's Collection Wales site

  • The Cathedral School when it was based on The Green. It is the building in the centre. On the left is the Headmaster's cottage.
  • Howell's School was erected in 1860 as a boarding school for thirty 'orphan inmates' and thirty 'pay boarders'.
  • St Michaels College was built as the home of John Prichard in about 1880. It is now a theological college with the college chapel on the south side.
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Social Life & Customs

Various items - on the People's Collection Wales site

  • Llandaff Cricket Club  (1923)
  • A letter objecting to sport on a Sunday, 5 December 1817
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Town Records

  • Charitable Trust of Illtid Nicholl, Llandaff
    1849-58: records
    [National Library of Wales, Department of Manuscripts and Records - Reference: NLW MS 11010]