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Montgomeryshire

Contents

MACHYNLLETH

• Bibliography
• Business and Commerce Records
• Census
• Church History
• Church Records
• Description and Travel
• Gazetteers
• Genealogy
• History
• Land and Property
• Maps
• Poorhouses, Poor Law etc
• Public Records
• Schools

Bibliography

See also the bibliography on the Machynlleth and Dyfi Valley site by Dick Williams

Barfoot, James. Machynlleth turnpike : pictorial evidence. Montgomeryshire Collections (Transactions of the Powys-land Club) 78 (1990), p. 163-4

Barfoot, James . Plas Machynlleth : arweinlyfr hanesyddol. Machynlleth : Norwich : Celtica ; Jarrold, 1997. 20p

Barfoot, James. Machynlleth Town Hall excavations, 1983. Montgomeryshire Collections (Transactions of the Powys-land Club) 74 (1986), p. 79-84

Barfoot, James. Plas Machynlleth ice-house. Montgomeryshire Collections (Transactions of the Powys-land Club) 74 (1986), p. 85-7

Bourne, Mark. Ash is for the crooks : the stickman of Machynlleth. Country Quest 26/5 (1985), p. 49-50

Briwnant-Jones, Gwyn. Railway through Talerddig : the story of the Newtown & Machynlleth and associated railways in the Dyfi Valley. Llandysul : Gomer, 1990. 144p Concrete by bucket and spade : gems of Italian Renaissance architecture created in miniature in a Welsh hillside garden near Machynlleth. Concrete Quarterly (Winter 1991), p. 26-7

Davies, David W. The Maglonians : one hundred years of football in Machynlleth 1885-1985. [s.l.] : Gwasg Cambria for Machynlleth Football Club, c1985. 76p

Davies, David W. The town of a prince : a history of Machynlleth. [Machynlleth] : Machynlleth Rotary Publishing, 1991. 177p

Davies, David W. Machynlleth town trail : (a historical guide to the town). Machynlleth : Machynlleth and District Civic Society, 1988. 37p

Davies, David W. The Parish Church of St. Peter, Machynlleth. Machynlleth : Rector, Churchwardens and Parochial Church Council, 1982. 12p

Davies, David W. The goodly heritage : a study of the development of religion in a Welsh town: Machynlleth = Yr etifeddiaeth deg . Machynlleth : Tabernacle Arts Centre,Machynlleth, 1988. 226p

Davies, David W. A history of education in Machynlleth : with particular reference to Machynlleth Junior and Infant Schools = Hanes addysg ym Machynlleth gan gyfeirio'n arbennig at yr Ysgol Gynradd ac Ysgol y Babanod. Machynlleth : Parent Teachers Association of Machynlleth Junior School, 1986. 75p

Davies, David W. A pictorial history of Machynlleth = Mewn hen luniau. Machynlleth : Machynlleth and District Civic Society, 1996. 201p

Evans, Elwyn.   Machynlleth Toll Books.   National Library of Wales journal Vol VI/1, Summer 1949. Full extract by Gareth Hicks plus name index on Genuki

Gibson, Alex. The excavation of a malt-house in the grounds of Plas Machynlleth, 1994. Montgomeryshire Collections 85 (1997), p. 77-86

Green, Cedric C. The coast lines of the Cambrian Railways. including a general history of the Aberystwyth & Welsh Coast railway / Volume 1, ; Machynlleth to Aberystwyth. Didcot : Wild Swan, 1993.  282p

Handley, Roger. Walking around the Plynlimon hills : from Aberystwyth, Borth, Machynlleth, Talybont & Devils' [sic] Bridge. Machynlleth : Kittiwake, 2002. 32p Jones, Richard. History of Owain Glyndwr and his associations with Machynlleth. Machynlleth : Owain Glyndwr Centre Management Committee, [1996] 16p

Machynlleth and district, the official guide. Carshalton : Home Publishing, [1971] 40p Machynlleth from 'Pigot's North Wales directory', 1828. Cronicl Powys, No. 40 (April 1997), 17-19.

Morgan, Thomas O. New guide to Aberdovey and its neighbourhood : with some account of Towyn, Machynlleth, and the vales of Dovey and Dysynwy. Aberystwyth : J. Cox, 1854. 118p

Nixon, Margaret M. Craft of a byegone age is revived : [weaving at Machynlleth]. Country Quest 30/8 (1990), p. 36-7

Pritchard, Terry. Across the Plinlimon watershed : the walk from Machynlleth to Ponterwyd; [George Borrow's route]. In George Borrow Bulletin 6 (1993), p. 20-5

Sheringham, J D T. Machynlleth and Penegoes land tax 1794, MONT. Q/RE L2 - N.L.W. Montgomeryshire Collections (Transactions of the Powys-land Club) 73 (1985), p. 135-43 The parish of Machynlleth : church and parish accounts 1889 (presented at Easter Vestry, 1890). Machynlleth : Adam Evans, 1890. 20p

Business and Commerce Records

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

• Ratgoed Quarry Company, records   1827-1909      "Gaewern Slate Works, Machynlleth; Ratgoed Quarries, Tal-y-llyn; Cymerau Quarries, Tal-y-llyn; Llwyngwern Slate Quarry, Llanuwchllyn; Towyn Company Limited, Tywyn; Abercorris Slate Quarry, Rhiwgwreiddyn, Corris; Cambrian Slate Works, Machynlleth"  
• Dyfi Valley Bookshop, [Machynlleth] notes and photocopies  1851-[20th century] (mainly [20th century])     "Notes (and presumably transcripts), [20th century], taken from papers offered for sale by Dyfi Valley Bookshop,..............................."  
• Humphreys and Parsons, records  [solicitors, Machynlleth]             "Records of the practice of Humphreys and Parsons, Machynlleth, Powys, relating mainly to the clients of the solicitors ................ 19th cent. - 20th cent., including records relating to Machynlleth National School, 1853-1895; records relating to charities, 1846-1899; records of the Machynlleth Town Hall Company, 1871-1907; records relating to Machynlleth Urban District Council, 1895-1947; records relating to the Mid Wales Law Society, 1952-1963.

Census

Victorian Powys for schools site - Census figures for Machynlleth town 1841-1901

Church History

Church of St Peter, Machynlleth on the Montgomeryshire Churches Survey site

Baptist churches on the Montgomeryshire Genealogical Society site - Bethesda

Independent churches on the Montgomeryshire Genealogical Society site :-

• Aberhosan
• Derwenlas
• Graig

Calvinistic Methodist (Presbyterian) churches on the Montgomeryshire Genealogical Society site :-

• Forge
• Maengwyn St
• Derwenlas

Dick Williams' Dyfi Valley site has a list of churches and chapels including this parish

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

Church Records

Detailed information on deposited registers and transcripts for this parish is given on the Powys Archives page Montgomeryshire parish registers

As a guide only, the principal extant parochial church records for this parish span the dates shown below (as detailed in Parish Registers of Wales, NLW 2000) but exact current holdings should be confirmed with the individual Archives;

• Baptisms 1684-1722, 1731-1993; Marriages 1684-1722, 1731-1971; Burials 1684-1722, 1731-1993
  Parish Registers, or copies, for all or part of these dates are held at the NLW, and/or Powys Archives.  
  Bishops Transcripts for various periods are held at the NLW

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

• Machynlleth Baptist Church       Birth and baptism register, 1801-1823        "The Baptists in Machynlleth met at first in members houses. John Blayney converted the upper storey of his house in Pentrerhedyn Street for use as a chapel, followed by David Pugh who placed the loft of the White Horse Inn at the disposal of the church. .................................."
• Soar Congregational Chapel, Uwchygarreg, Machynlleth, records     "Records of Soar Congregational Chapel, Uwchygarreg, 1910-2000, including accounts, 1928-1957; Sunday School registers of attendance, 1914-1936; report on chapel, 2000; ..........................."

Description and Travel

Machynlleth and Dyfi Valley  - a great site by Dick Williams

Machynlleth Today - a Cambrian News site

Machynlleth - by the Machynlleth and District Civic Society

Machynlleth - Chamber of Trade site

Machynlleth on BBC Wales

Machynlleth Town Council site

Victorian Powys for schools - Machynlleth and the Dyfi Valley

Machynlleth - on Wikipedia

Machynlleth.biz

Gazetteers

• The transcription of the section for Machynlleth 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;

• Rees, John Maldwyn, papers   "Papers relating to Richard Rees ('Maldwyn', 1851-1927), of Machynlleth, Montgomeryshire, and Edward Walter Rees, ('Gwallter Dyfi', 1881-1940), of Carmarthen, including correspondence, 1874-1940; printed materials, 1866-1937; papers relating to the National Eisteddfod and the Gorsedd of Bards, 1909-1939; papers relating to the National Petition on the Legal Status of the Welsh Language, 1938-1939; papers relating to Maengwyn Calvinistic Methodist Chapel, Machynlleth, 1875-1920; and various papers relating to manifold aspects of Machynlleth life."  
• Wiliams, William a Myfi, papurau (papers)  1835-1973     "Papers of the Rev. William Williams and his wife Myfi Williams. They include the diaries of the Rev. William Williams, 1936-1944, 1971-1984; papers, 1937-1942, dating from his schooldays and college days; lecture notes; research notes on the history of Maengwyn chapel, Machynlleth, and the Methodist cause in Montgomeryshire; sermons etc.; and poems and stories written by Rev. William David Davies. There are also four notebooks including drafts, 1973, of an intended novel by Rev. William Williams on Rev. John Elias (1774-1841). The papers of Mrs Myfi Williams include notebooks and files of notes on local history; compositions submitted for various eisteddfod competitions, 1958-1976; radio scripts, 1961-1967 etc. ......."   

History

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

• Jones, David; First World War memoir    "David Jones was born in Machynlleth. He was called up in 1914, to the 7th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. After training in England, he took part in the Gallipoli landings. He was injured and taken to the military hospital in Alexandria. ..........................."   
• Diaries of Miss Olwen Trefor Jones, Machynlleth          "Miss Olwen Trefor Jones (fl. 1949-1994) lived in Machynlleth, Montgomeryshire (now Powys), and kept a journal"
• Newtown and Machynlleth Railway, newspaper cutting      "Page, including engravings, from The Illustrated London News, 24 January 1963, relating to the opening of the Newtown and Machynlleth Railway"

Land and Property

Victorian Powys for schools site - Plas Machynlleth  - seat of the Londonderry family

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

• Bonsall family, papers     "Deeds, plans and other documents relating to Galltyllan estate in the parishes of Machynlleth, Penegoes and Darowen, Montgomeryshire, 1674-1919.............."
• Bontdolgadfan (Williams family) papers      "Papers of the Williams family of Bontdolgadfan, including deeds for property in Bontdolgadfan, 1731-1877; Bontdolgadfan Calvinistic Methodist chapel baptism register, 1812-1864, records of Bontdolgadfan Welsh and English chapels, Machynlleth, 1867-1877; papers relating to eisteddfodau at Bontdolgadfan, Llanbrynmair and Machynlleth, 1870-1923; account and memorandum books relating to the Post Office, Bontdolgadfan, 1884-1902; records of the Llanbrynmair Agricultural School Library, 1845-1847; balance sheets of the [Llanbrynmair] Friendly Society, 1858-1876; family correspondence, school exercise books and personal papers of the Williams, Griffiths and Roberts families, 1836-1922, journal or autobiography of the Rev. Richard Williams, 1802-1842; records of the overseers of the poor for Llanbrynmair, 1744-1876; records of Maglona Lodge of Good Templars, Machynlleth and other societies, 1863-1877; sermon notes, 1816-1917; and diary of Richard Tibbott, 1741-1742."    
• Dolforgan Estate Records  "Estate records, almost all title deeds, of the Dolforgan and Llynlleoedd [Machynlleth] estates, Montgomeryshire, 1570-1879, together with papers, mainly rentals, accounts, and particulars, of the following manors belonging to the Powis Castle estate: Kerry, Cydewain and Halcetor, 1579-1745, Starta Marcella, 1623-1702, and Tirymynech, 1650-[mid-18 cent.]."
• Plas Machynlleth Estate Records     1604-1923      "The fist occupant of Plas Machynlleth (or Greenfields) was John Edwards (d. 1789), a Machynlleth solicitor, who purchased the property in the 1750s. ..........."

Maps

Victorian Powys for schools site - Map of Machynlleth in1842, and 1903

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

Machynlleth Workhouse  - on Peter Higginbotham's site

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

• Poor Law Union records  1837-1930     "Machynlleth Poor Law Union was formed in 1837 and operated in the constituent parishes of Cemmaes, Darowen, Isygarreg, Llanbrynmair, Llanwrin, Machynlleth, Penegoes and Uchygarreg in Montgomeryshire, Pennal, Tywyn in Merionethshire and Ysgubor-y-coed in Cardiganshire. ..................."  
• Machynlleth Poor Law Union Relieving Officer, records  "Papers of Ivor Jones, Relieving Officer, 1922-1930, relating mainly to the cases of Mary Davies, Pennal, Merionethshire, and Ann Davies, Cemmaes, including letters, 1923-1930; bills and receipts, 1930."

Public Records

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

• Henry Evans (Solicitor), Machynlleth, Records       "Records, 1837-1955, of former local government bodies of Machynlleth, Montgomeryshire, and neighbouring parts of Merionethshire, comprising minute books, letter books, ledgers, account books, reports, valuations, registers and rate books of the Machynlleth Poor Law Union, 1837-1930, minute books, letter books, ledgers, account books, reports, valuations, registers and rate books of the Machynlleth Rural District Council, 1892-1957, a letter book and rate account books of the Mallwyd Urban District Council, 1922-1930, and minute books, account books, registers and other records of the Machynlleth and Estimaner (Ystumanner) Petty Sessions, 1853-1953, together with miscellaneous administrative, financial and personal papers, 1837-1931, from the offices of Henry Evans relating to clients, local government, local businesses, and other solicitors who practised in and around Machynlleth"
• Machynlleth salvage papers    "Machynlleth Salvage Papers, 1858-1925, including correspondence from Machynlleth Urban District Council clerks' office, 1895-1923; rate books, 1861-1886; Poor Law rate books, Machynlleth parish, 1916-1917; Machynlleth Poor Law Union overseer's book of receipts and payments, 1910-1927; papers relating to the local government elections, 1894-1908; Machynlleth Waterworks papers, 1878-1910; Dovey fishery papers, 1890-1902; papers relating to Royal visits, 1889-1911; papers relating to roads and streets, 1898-1911; Machynlleth sewerage schemes papers, 1897-1914; papers relating to Machynlleth town hall, 1862-1891; papers relating to Machynlleth markets and fairs, 1903-1916; papers relating to the fire brigade, 1909-1914; papers relating to Machynlleth isolation hospital, 1912-1913; and papers relating to the Owain Glyndwr Institute, 1910-1925"  
• Machynlleth Rural District Council, records   1940-1974
• Machynlleth Citizens Advice Bureau  1983-1997   
• Machynlleth Urban District Council, records   1897-1974

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Machynlleth

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[ 3 Aug 2009 - Gareth Hicks]