Merionethshire

Towns & Parishes

Contents

LLANABER

"LLANABER, a parish in the hundred of Ardudwy, county Merioneth, 1½ mile N. of Barmouth, its post town, and 8 miles E. of Dolgelly. It is situated at the mouth of the river Man, overlooking Cardigan Bay. The parish includes the town of Barmouth, and the hamlets of Isymynydd and Uchmynydd. It is extensive and for the most part hilly, abounding in copper and lead. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Bangor, value with the curacy of Barmouth annexed, £213. The church, dedicated to St. Bodvan, is a structure of the 13th century, in the mixed Norman and early English style of architecture. It had so far gone to ruins that service could not be performed in it, but is now restored from designs by Mr. Boyce. It contains an ancient font, and a curious old chest for the reception of the public offerings. The charities amount to about £5 per annum. A friary, called Egyrn, is now occupied as a farm." [From The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) - Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]

Bibliography

A guide to Barmouth and Harlech : with a description of the neighbourhood and excursions to the numerous lakes and other objects of interest and attraction. Manchester [etc.] : Abel Heywood & Son [etc.], [1902]

A Map and Survey of Allotments in the Parish of Llanaber in the Township of Uwch Mynydd . Map and terrier of enclosure awards for Llanaber, with drainage, woodland, tracks & roads, owners/tenants, parish boundaries, mineralisation (copper/manganese) and fields numbered to terrier where proprietors and acreages are noted. 1836

Allelly, Patrick. William Jones of Barmouth : was he just a fisherman? Country Quest (March 1995), p. 28-9

Atkinson, Blanche. Ruskin's social experiment at Barmouth. London : James Clarke, [1900?] 54p

Beecham's photo-folio of Barmouth and Merionethshire. St.Helens : Thomas Beecham, [ca.1897?] 24p

Bowen, Alwyin. Around Barmouth. London : Saint Catherine Press, 1947.

Foulkes, Meurig. The Parish Church of Llanaber : a short illustrated guide. [Llanaber] : [Parish Church of Llanaber], [197-?] 6p

Jones, E Rosalie. A history of Barmouth and its vicinity. Barmouth : John Evans & Nephew, 1909. 236p

Kelly, Richard S. A decorated lead spindle wheel from Egryn, Llanaber. Journal of the Merioneth Historical and Record Society 10 (1986), p. 175-6

Lloyd, Lewis. From Merioneth to Medicine Hat, Alberta : [emigration from Barmouth]. Journal of the Merioneth Historical and Record Society 11 (1993), p. 478-82

Lloyd, Lewis. A Merioneth family of printers in Wales and the U.S.A. Journal of the Merioneth Historical and Record Society 12 (1997), p. 384-9. [Jones family of Tyddyn Du, Llanaber]

Lloyd, Lewis. Early-nineteenth-century ships and shareholders of the Barmouth river : Part 1. Journal of the Merioneth Historical and Record Society 11 (1991/92), p. 207-29, 284-302.
And Part 2; Journal of the Merioneth Historical and Record Society 11 (1992), p. 284-302

Lloyd, Lewis. The Titanic's gallant Welsh officer, 1912 : Harold G. Lowe of Penrallt, Barmouth. Maritime Wales = Cymru a'r Môr 15 (1992), p. 109-22

Lloyd, Lewis. Wherever freights may offer : the maritime community of Abermaw/Barmouth, 1565 to 1920. [Llanfair, nr. Harlech] : [Lewis William Lloyd], c1993. 384p

Marpole, E. Marpole's new guide to Barmouth, Cader Idris, Dolgelley, and places of interest in the neighbourhood; with legends and map. Aberystwyth : J. Morgan, 1881. 96p

Morris, Jeff. The history of the Barmouth lifeboats. Coventry : Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society, 1987. 34p

Parish magazine of Llanaber with Barmouth, Caerdeon and Bontddu. Vol.11 (1963)-v.43 (1992); v.44, n.1-8, n.10-11 (1993); v.45 (1994).

Rear, William G. The Llangollen line : Ruabon to Barmouth. Stockport : Foxline, 1990. 92p

The fall of Barmouth Church : appeal for funds to complete the building after the fall of the tower ; [dated 16th March, 1892] 1892?

Wyn-Jones, Owena. Discover Barmouth : today and yesterday. Barmouth : Select All, 2002. 64p

Business and Commerce Records

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

• Owen Williams and Sons, butchers, Ledgers  "Owen Williams and Sons, were a butchers located in High Street, Barmouth, active from 1905 to 1950"  
• Morris and Son (Drapers), records 1860-1936   "Morris and Son were drapers in Barmouth....."

Census

1901 census of Barmouth A Transcription and Surname Index by Alwyn Humphreys

Church History

See Welsh Chapels and Churches for a photograph of St Bodfan Church

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 inc town of Barmouth; statistics; Area 12679 acres; Population 725 males, 947 females, total 1672

•  Details for the Parish Church are missing, as is that for the Chapel of ease at Barmouth
•  
• Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Barmouth, Wesleyan Methodists      Erected 1806       Attendance - afternoon 108 + 20 scholars, evening 130 + 36 scholars        David Evans, Minister
• Siloam, Barmouth, Independents        Erected 1828          Attendance - morning 75 scholars, afternoon 130, evening 140             "Many of our members are at sea and more of our hearers - were the people who attend our place regularly when convenient together at once there would be about 250 in number "                 James Jones, Independent Minister
• Hendre Chapel, Barmouth, Calvinist Methodists     Erected 1816     Attendance - morning 82, afternoon 197 scholars, evening 256        Evan Richards, Manmger, Timber Merchant, Glanaber House
• Capel Cuttiau, Independents         Attendance - morning 23 scholars, afternoon 54, evening 26               James Jones, Independent Minister
• Ysgoldy Egryn, Calvinistic Methodist                Erected 1835          Attendance - morning 35 scholars, afternoon 64                 Evan Williams, Manager, Hendrearian
• Tynewydd Pursel, Calvinistic Methodist                  Erected 1800    Not a separate building         Attendance - morning 38 scholars, afternoon 65            Robert Jones, Manager, Flour Merchant
• Capel Isa, Bryntirion, Bontddy, Calvinist Methodist               Erected 1803            Attendance - morning 66 scholars, afternoon 90, evening 90             Edward Parry, Deacon, Miner
• Pen Nebo, Wesleyan Methodist                  Erected  1810         Attendance - morning 34 + 10 scholars            David Evans, Minister

LLANABER, St. Bodfan 1857-1859 - on the Church plans online site

BARMOUTH, New Church 1827-1851 - on the Church plans online site

Capel Caersalem, Bermo, cofnodion (records) 1811-1962 - details of extant records on Archives Network Wales
"Capel Caersalem is a Calvinistic Methodist chapel in Barmouth, Merionethshire, established in about 1811...."

Rees, Thomas & John Thomas Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru (History of the Welsh Independent Churches), 4 volumes (published 1871+). The Cutiau  section (in Welsh) has been extracted        Also Abermaw chapel

Church Records

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

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

• Llanaber Papers   "Papers collected by William Morrios of Barmouth, [16th century]-1875, comprising Rev. E. Vaughan Humphreys of Caersalem, Barmouth, account books and sermons, 1840-1875; photostat copies of list of churchwardens, 1724-1790, [20th century]; marriage register, [1750s]-1837; .........Plas Canol notes and pedigree, [16/17th century]; ........ "
• Christchurch English Presbyterian Church, Barmouth, records 1877-1878, 1895-1952  ".... Christchurch was formed as a separate English church in 1877......."

See also under Genealogy

Description and Travel

Welcome to Barmouth site - overview, demise, future etc

Barmouth-Wales - tourist data

Barmouth - on Wikipedia

River Mawddach - Barmouth Quay, a panoramic view

Llanaber Railway Station - on Wikipedia

Gazetteers

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

Genealogy

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

• Lister Family Papers  1884-1929  
  "Papers of the Lister family, 1884-1929, including records of the Lister fleet, 1890-1911; records relating to the ships Jenny Jones, 1900-1904, Consul Kaestner, 1902, Cariad, 1901-1904, and Royal Lister, 1902-1904; photographs and glass negatives of the fleet, crews, Lister family, Barmouth and elsewhere, 1885-1886 and [n. d.]; and annual reports of Caersalem CM Church, Barmouth, 1902-1929, and Park Road CM, Barmouth, 1919-1926.
• Owen Williams Morris of Glanglasfor, Barmouth Papers "Papers of Owen Williams Morris, 1896-1907, comprising Barmouth County School Bazaar papers, 1896-1897; Merioneth County Council records and correspondence, 1905-1906; and County Councillor's election papers, 1906."
• Gwilym W. Owen, Esq. [of Barmouth] Papers    "Papers collected by Gwilym W. Owen, 1781-1959, comprising disbursement books, 1781-1851; plans, 1872; printed reports, 1896, 1945; memorandum, 1898; ..... maps, 1901, { c. 1955]; unpublished thesis, 1955; St David's Gold and Copper Mines Ltd papers, 1891-1898; newspaper cuttings on the 'Unity', 1937-1959; and history notes, [1880s]."
• Papers of John Meredyth Pugh   "Papers of John Meredyth Pugh, 1853-1975, including personal papers, 1901-1975, papers relating to Seion Baptist Chapel, Barmouth, 1876-1975; ..........................."
• Mary Richards of Barmouth Archives 1854-1885   "Evans Richards, 1848-1903, of Barmough, was a sailor. He was engaged on several ships based in Caernarfon, Caernarfonshire..........."

Land and Property

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

• Borthwnog Collection of Deeds 1739-1948    "Borthwnog, Llanaber, was owned by the Vaughan family of Cors y Gedol in the 18th century. .................."
• The Caegoronwy/Bennar Fawr Collection 1581-1924   "The cradle of the Williams family's estate was Caegoronwy in the parish of Llanaber..................."
• Llwynwcws, Llanaber, collection of deeds  "Deeds, 1789-1901, relating to Llwynwcws and Cellfechan farms, Llanaber.............."
• Henry Williams Collection of Merionethshire Deeds  "Deeds and documents, mainly relating to premises in the parish of Llangelynnin, Merionethshire, and to properties in the town of Barmouth, 1731-1893"
• Penlan (Barmouth) Deeds    "Deeds relating to Penlan (formerly Anchor Tavern), Barmouth, 1854-1894."

Maps

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

Merchant Marine

Sailors' Institute, Barmouth - on the People's Collection Wales site

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

• Barmouth Harbour Trust papers 1797-1930    "The Barmouth Harbour Trust was founded by Act of Parliament in 1797, 'for repairing, deepening and preserving the Harbour' of Barmouth..............."
• Maritime Records, Sailors' Institute, Barmouth  1837-1917     "The Sailors' Institute, Barmouth, established in 1890, collected records including sea charts and Lloyd's Register of Shipping"

Occupations

The manganese mines of Merionethshire

Return to top

Find help, report problems, and contribute information.