Merionethshire

Towns & Parishes

Contents

LLANELLTYD

"LLANELLTYD, a parish in the hundred of Ardudwy, county Merioneth, 1 mile N.W. of Dolgelly, its post town, and 8 from Barmouth. It is situated under Cadr Idris, at the confluence of the rivers Maw and Wnion, surrounded by scenery the most beautiful of any to be found in Wales. In this spot are the remains of Cymmer Abbey', an establishment of the Cistercian order, founded here near the close of the 12th century by the two sons of Conan, Meredydd, and Gruffydd. At the dissolution of the monasteries the income was valued at £58 158. 4d. The ruins indicate that the building was not very extensive. Copper is obtained, and the neighbourhood furnishes a supply of peat. Some of the hills present a barren appearance. The living is a perpetual curacy in the diocese of Bangor, value £62. The church is dedicated to St. Illtyd. There is a Calvinistic Methodist chapel." [From The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) - Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]

• Bibliography
• Census
• Church History
• Church Records
• Description and Travel
• Gazetteers
• Land and Property
• Maps
• Occupations

Bibliography

Ellis, T P. The story of two parishes Dolgelly & Llanelltyd. Newtown : The Welsh Outlook Press, 1928. 170p

Census

1841 census of Llanelltyd  A transcription and surname index by Alwyn Humphreys

1851 census of Llanelltyd  A transcription by Alwyn Humphreys

1871 census of Llanelltyd  A transcription by Alwyn Humphreys

1891 census of Llanelltyd  A transcription by Alwyn Humphreys

Church History

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 6736 acres; Population 257 males, 261 females, total 518

• Llanilltyd Parish Church             Attendance - afternoon 40 + 13 scholars           Service in Welsh          "The Tithes of this Parish, the Annual Value of which is £80, belong to the patron and Improprietor, Sir R W Vaughan, Bart, out of which he pays the munificent sum above specified - 4d a day - to his unfortunate curate - the average weekly allowance given to a pauper in this Union. There is only one Service in this Church on Sunday, as the Curate serves the adjoining Parish of Llanfachreth"              George Phillips A.B., Perpetual Curate
•  
• Penygarnedd, Independent          Erected 1802               Attendance - evening 17 + 48 scholars                   William Griffith, Officiating Minister, Dolgelley
• Peniel, Calvinistic Methodists             Erected 1836              Attendance - morning 60, afternoon 61 scholars, evening 76                  David Pugh, Elder, Maesmawr
• Baptist  - this return is missing
• Dolmelynllyn 'Cysegr', Baptist                 Erected 1839       Part of a house, used exclusively for worship and Sunday School         Attendance - morning 59, afternoon 25 scholars, evening 20   Robert Roberts, Manager
• Tyncoed, Calvinistic Methodists       Erected 1846               Attendance - afternoon 30             William Owen, Steward, Maestryfu
• Ganllwyd Chapel, Independents             Attendance - afternoon 62, evening 31   "The Chapel is an old Factory - can not have a place to build"        John Roberts, Steward, Bryn Cemlyn

The Modern Antiquarian site - Llanelltyd Church and Kenric's Stone

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

Church Records

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

Bishop's Transcripts for 1733-1836 (with gaps).  Contributed by Alwyn Humphreys

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

• Capel Soar (M. C.), casgliad (collection) [late 18th century]-1979   "Capel Soar, Taicynhaeaf, Llanelltyd, was a Calvinistic Methodist chapel; it was in existence by 1812, and was still active in 1979"
•  Llanaber Papers   "Papers collected by William Morrios of Barmouth, [16th century]-1875 - include;...... Capel Soar Calvinistic Methodist Chapel, Llanelltyd, account books, 1839-1845.............."

Description and Travel

Dolgellau com - views of Llanelltyd

Gazetteers

A Topographical Dictionary of Wales by Samuel Lewis, 1833

Land and Property

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

• Cae-Mab-Seifion of Llanelltyd and Cefn Cymer of Llangar Collection 1637-1796
• Dolmelynllyn estate , deeds   "Dolmelynllyn, Llanelltyd, was settled by Griffith Vaughan (d. 1700), son of Robert Vaughan of Hengwrt, in the late 17th century....................."
• Charles Thomas-Stanford Collection of Deeds     "Deeds and other records, 1538-1826, relating to properties mainly in Merionethshire, particularly lands formerly belonging to the dissolved monastery of Cymer [p. Llanelltyd] near Dolgellau......"

Maps

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

Occupations

The manganese mines of Merionethshire

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