Merionethshire

Towns & Parishes

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GWYDDELWERN

"GWYDDELWERN, a parish in the hundred of Edernion, county Merioneth, 2 miles N. of Corwen. The parish, which is of large extent, is situated on a branch of the river Alwen. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of St. Asaph, value £138, in the patronage of the bishop. The church is dedicated to St. Bruno. The charities produce about £30 per annum, including the endowment of Roberts's school." [From The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) - Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]

• Bibliography
• Census
• Church History
• Church Records
• Gazetteers
• Land and Property
• Maps
• Public Records

Bibliography

An Elizabethan broadside in the Welsh language, being a brief granted in 1591 to Sion Salisburi of Gwyddelwern, Merionethshire . [Oxford] : [Richard Ellis], 1904. 4p

Survey of several estates in the parishes of Gwyddelwern, Llangar and Llanfor in the county of Merioneth also tenement in the parish of Llanfihangel in the county of Denbigh: Adjoining landowners named on plans. Colour denotes land use.Terrier details acreages, field names, and tenants.By an unidentified surveyor; the same as Vol. 76 (Pale Estate). 1801

Census

• The 1851 Census of Gwyddelwern as enumerated - transcription provided by John and Doreen Jones includes sections for Gwyddelwern/Llangar; Bodheulog; Brosaethydd; Cynwyd Fechan & Cynwyd Fawr
• The 1871 Census of Gwyddelwern as enumerated - transcription provided by John and Doreen Jones; includes sections for Gwyddelwern Uwchfynydd; Pensaethydd Cynwyd; Bodheulog Cynwyd; Cynwyd Fechan & Cynwyd Fawr
• The 1891 Census of Gwyddelwern as enumerated - transcription provided by John and Doreen Jones

Church History

See Welsh Chapels and Churches for a photograph of Cynwyd, Bethania, Particular Baptists

Church and chapel data from The Religious census of 1851 : A Calendar of the returns relating to Wales, Vol 11, North Wales. Ed. by Ieuan Gwynedd Jones, UWP,   1981. The names given towards the end of each entry are those of the informants.

Parish statistics; Area 9127 acres; Population 849 males, 811 females, total 1660

• No return for parish church
•  
• Cynfel Chapel, Welsh Calvinistic Methodists            Erected 1840      Attendance - morning 51, afternoon 61 scholars, evening 66         Thomas Lloyd, Deacon, Melin y Wig, nr Ruthin
• Capel Bauno, Calvinistic Methodists             Erected 1825       Attendance - morning 101 scholars, afternoon 123 scholars, evening 124 (but rarely 2 schools on a Sunday)                   John Hughes, Minister, Tyddyn Cochyn
• Wesleyan Chapel, Wesleyan Methodists              Erected before 1805             Attendance - morning 84, afternoon 99 scholars, evening 112         John Roberts, Manager, Smith
• Carmel, Cynwyd, Independents              Erected 1842             Attendance -  morning 67 scholars, afternoon 150, evening 100    "In Connection  with the congregation and chapel named in this return - there is a Singing Society - meeting every Monday and Wednesday - Young Men Society Thursday evening in every week - Church meeting every Tuesday and praying Meeting every Saturday evening"          Robert Jones, Deacon, Berwyn Cottage, Cynwyd
• Capel Mawr, Cynwyd, Calvinistic Methodists           Erected 1807        Attendance - morning 113, afternoon 130 scholars, evening 200                    Edward Williams, Calvinistic Methodist Minister, Cae Mawr, nr Cynwyd
• Pandy Chapel, Baptist                  Erected  1824       Attendance - afternoon 116 scholars [may be understated, usually an evening meeting too]        John G Owen, Baptist Minister
• Bethania, Cynwyd, Particular Baptists       Erected 1832               Attendance - morning 70/100, afternoon 90, evening 170              William Jones, Miller
• Salem, Wesleyan methodist     Erected 1838       Attendance - morning 21 scholars, afternoon 52, evening 16       Robert Lloyd, Leader, Ty'n y Wern, Tre'rddol

This church was in Merioneth until 1974, Clwyd until 1996 and  now in Denbighshire.

Clwyd FHS site - photograph of St Beuno Church, Gwyddelwern

Denbighshire Churches Survey site - Church of St Bueno, Gwyddelwern

Early British Kingdoms site - St Beuno Gasulsych (died AD 640)

Gwyddelwern - on Wikipedia

St Asaph Notitiae  (names of heads of households c 1681) for the parish of Gwyddelwern - on the NLW's Digital Mirror site CYNWYD, St. John the Evangelist 1854-1856 - on the Church plans online site (Shown as in Llangar parish although Kain/Oliver shows it is in a detached part of Gwyddelwern parish)

Rees, Thomas & John Thomas Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru   (History of the Welsh Independent Churches), 4 volumes (published 1871+). The Cynwyd  section (in Welsh) has been extracted - with translation by Maureen Saycell (Feb 2011)

Church Records

Joyce Hinde has supplied a list of Parish Registers held at Merioneth Record Office.

Gazetteers

• The transcription of the section for Gwyddelwern from The National Gazetteer (1868) provided by Colin Hinson.
•   A Topographical Dictionary of Wales by Samuel Lewis, 1833

Land and Property

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

• Joseph Lloyd & Co, collection of deeds    "Records, 1302-1938, accumulated by Joseph Lloyd and Co., [solicitors] comprising deeds and other papers relating to the Maesgamedd estate, Gwyddelwern 1739-1920......"

Maps

Gwynedd Family History Society  have a diagram of the ecclesiastical parishes of Merionethshire (under Publications)  - with some links to photographs of parish churches

Public Records

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