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St. John-juxta-Swansea
" . . . The living is a discharged vicarage, in the archdeaconry of Carmarthen, and diocese of St. David's, rated in the king's books at £7.14. 4 1/2., endowed with £200 private benefaction, £200 royal bounty, and £800 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of Sir John Morris, Bart., who is the lay impropriator : the tithes formerly belonged to the hospital of St. David's, in this town, but in the reign of Edward VI. they were, together with the other possessions of that establishment, after its dissolution, granted to Sir George Herbert, and are now divided between the impropriator and the vicar, of whom the former has two-thirds, and the latter one-third.
The church, dedicated to St. Mary, from which circumstance the parish derives its Welsh name of " Eglwys Vair Aber-Tawy," having become greatly dilapidated, fell down in the year 1739, and was then almost entirely rebuilt. The present is a plain neat structure, in the later style of English architecture : the interior is well arranged and appropriately embellished : in the chancel, which is the only remaining portion of the old edifice, is an east window in the decorated style : the altar is ornamented with a valuable Madonna, presented to the parish by the late Thomas Bowdler, Esq., editor of the Family Shakspeare, and, according to a tablet recording the gift, supposed by the donor to have been an original painting by Sassaferat, the companion picture of which was sold for £750; some connoisseurs, however, ascribe it to Ludovico Caracci. The internal arrangement is well adapted to the reception of a numerous congregation ; but since the amazing increase in the population of the town, which has been progressive for some years, it is quite inadequate to the accommodation of the parishioners.
The parish church of St. John juxta Swansea is also situated within the town, and, from the service being performed in it in the Welsh, as well as in the English, language, affords considerable accommodation to the inhabitants of this part of the town, who are mostly of the poorer class, and speak only the Welsh language, and also in a great degree compensates for the deficiency of accommodation in the parish church of St. Mary. . . ." [A Topographical Dictionary of Wales by Samuel Lewis 1833 © Mel Lockie 2016]
Churches
You can also perform a more selective search for churches in the Swansea St John area that are recorded in the GENUKI church database. This will also help identify other churches in nearby townships and/or parishes. You also have the option to see the location of the churches marked on a map.
Church History
Chapels Database - a list of all known non-conformist chapels or other non-Anglican religions in the parish
The Rev Secundus Jones, Vicar of St John's - on the ystalyfera-history site
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
Dedication transferred in 1880 from old church in High street (now St. Matthew) to newly built church at Hafod. Diocesan records suggest that circa 1790 the registers went back to 1760
This Swansea church is dedicated to St. John (Hafod), is in the Benefice of Swansea St. Mark and St. John, and diocese of Swansea and Brecon. Details of the present incumbent of this benefice can be found at the Church in Wales website. The church, which is in Odo St, Hafod, can be located at grid reference SS657946 (See also Coflein)
| Anglican Parish Registers Held at the Glamorgan Record Office, Cardiff | ||||
| Baptisms | Marriages | Burials | Banns | Bishops Transcripts |
| 1797-1800, 1813-1923 | 1813-1918 | 1797-1800, 1813-1885 | 1843-1958 | 1785, 1787-1789, 1791-1798, 1800, 1802-1803, 1805-1873 At the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth |
Details of extant records on Archives Network Wales for the following;
- St John-juxta-Swansea Ecclesiastical Parish Records "Ancient parish; has at various times been joint with Llansamlet, Llangyfelach and Swansea St Mary's. The church was originally sited on High Street, near the railway station (in fact, outside the parish), but was rebuilt on a new site in the Hafod in 1879. The old church was rebuilt as St Matthew's. Manselton was formed out of the northern half of the parish c. 1919. St John's is currently joint with St Mark's."
"Registers (including service and banns registers) 1797-1987; papers relating to church property and buildings 1832-1994; Vestry minutes 1823-1920; Easter Vestry and PCC minutes 1890-1995; Churchwardens' and other accounts 1875-1990; church organizations 1936-1955; parish magazines 1900-1990; church history 1980; miscellaneous 1885-1999"
The following Religious Institutions are covered in the Mormon International Genealogical Index (IGI) :-
- Swansea, St. John - Christenings (BT's), 1813-1873
Description and Travel
Places, villages, farms etc within Swansea St John's 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 Rob Frayne)
- St John's (22) - no place names actually shown on the map within the parish boundary
Historical Geography
Maps
- This place shown on a Google map.
- Google Streetview
- StreetMap (Current Ordnance Survey maps.)
- Open StreetMap
- Bing (was Multimap)
- OldMaps (Old Ordnance Survey maps.)
- Old Maps Online (Other old maps.)
- National Library of Scotland (Best site for old maps)
- Vision of Britain (Click "Historical units & statistics" for administrative areas.)
- Magic (Geographic information) (Click + on map if it doesn't show)
- Elgin Road Works
- GeoHack (Links to on-line maps and location specific services.)
- All places within the same township/parish shown on a Google map.
- Nearby townships/parishes shown on a Google map.
- Nearby places shown on a Google map.
Occupations
Details of extant records on Archives Network Wales for the following;
- Jenkins, Paul (Treboeth) "Cwmfelin Steel and Tinplate Works was located in the Lower Swansea Valley and operated from 1885. The firm operating it from that date until 1896 was Cwmfelin Tin Plate Company. After that date the Swansea Tin Plate Company took over the works. From 1905 until 1917 the Cwmfelin Steel and Tin Plate Company Limited operated the works.
In 1917 Richard Thomas and Company Limited took over the works, entering into a partnership in 1945 and registering as Richard Thomas and Baldwins Limited. In 1951 the works came under the control of the Iron and Steel Corporation of Great Britain and in 1967 the British Steel Corporation began to be responsible for operations.
Paul Jenkins of Treboeth was the depositor of the collection"
"Material relating to the Cwmfelin Works 1886-1919, including share certificates 1897-1902; account book listing fortnightly expenditure 1886-1887; ledger detailing creditors and debtors of the Swansea Steel Company and the Cwmfelin Steel and Tinplate Company 1900-1904; returned cheques 1905-1909; fortnightly pay-sheets for Foxhole Works 1901-1912; business correspondence 1910-1919; company secretary's desk diary 1911; papers concerning works alteration and remodelling c1911; tender for an electric crane 1911; notices to employees concerning the cessation of contracts, alteration and re-organisation of plant and dangers of unauthorised entry 1912-1914; Abstract of Indenture giving right to make a reservoir to the lessees of the Cwmfelin Works together with attached plan 1889..........................................."
Public Records
Details of extant records on Archives Network Wales for the following;
- St John-juxta-Swansea Parish Records " ........ including poor rate books, 1852-1905; photocopy [late 20th century] of tithe plan and apportionment, 1844"