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Monmouthshire Towns & Parishes

MYNYDDISLWYN, Monmouthshire

"MYNYDDYSLWYN, a parish in the lower division of the hundred of Wentllooge, county Monmouth, 8½ miles N.W. of Newport, its post town, and 7 S.W. of Pontypool. The parish, which is extensive, contains the hamlets of Mynyddmaen, Clawrplwyf, and Penmaen. The inhabitants are employed in the numerous collieries, ironworks, stone quarries, and in cotton-weaving. The village is considerable. It is a meet for the Tyisha harriers."

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]

Bibliography

• Barnes, Colin            Islwyn Colliery - Oakdale             Gwent Local History vol 56 1984    Welsh Journals Online
• Burland, Len. A Historical Tour around Mynyddislwyn Mountain. 2002. 373p.
• Burland, Len & Foster Frowen & Lionel Milsom          Abercarn Blast Furnace        Gwent Local History 82 1997     Welsh Journals Online
• Collins, Brian & Terry Powell. Crumlin to Pontymister, in Old Photographs Vol 1 1980. All these books by Brian Collins contain historical information about Crumlin and neighbouring villages, (Newbridge, Abercarn, Cwmcarn, Pontywaun, Crosskeys, Risca and Pontymister)
• Collins, Brian & Terry Powell. Crumlin to Pontymister, in Old Photographs Vol 2 1982
• Collins, Brian. Crumlin to Pontymister, Then and Now 2003
• Collins, Brian. Crumlin to Pontymister, Places of Worship 2005
• Collins, Brian. Crumlin to Pontymister, Over the Years 2007
• Elliot, John      The Crumlin Viaduct Works 1853-1878: from world leader to Welsh tragedy     Gwent Local History vol 80 1996     Welsh Journals Online
• Gray, Madeleine. Henry, Earl of Pembroke's survey of the manor of Mynyddislwyn in 1570. National Library of Wales Journal 30 (1997), p. 171-96.
• Horton, E H Dr           Mr William Humphreys, Engineman  [Abercarn Colliery]          Gwent Local History vol 61 1986     Welsh Journals Online
• Jones, R T. From ox team to tractor : the history of the Mynyddislwyn Agricultural Society 1870-1972. Pontypool : [s.n.], 1972. 59p .
• Portrait of a parish : Mynyddislwyn. Gwent Family History Society Journal. No. 71 (Sept. 2003), p. 15-18 .
• The Urban District of Mynyddislwyn official guide. Gloucester : British Publishing Co., 1974.

Church History

• The Parish of Rectorial Benefice of Mynyddislwyn

• See John Ball's site Welsh Churches and Chapels Collection for a photograph/data re St Luke's Church, Abercarn
• See John Ball's site Welsh Churches and Chapels Collection for a photograph/data re New Bethel Chapel, Cwmnantyrodyn
• See John Ball's site Welsh Churches and Chapels Collection for a photograph/data re St David's Church, Fleur-de-lis

Church and chapel data from The Religious census of 1851 : A Calendar of the returns relating to Wales, Vol 1, South Wales. Ed. by I.G   Jones, & D. Williams. UWP,  Cardiff, 1976. The names given towards the end of each entry are those of the informants.  Check with  Gwent RO to see what extant records are held, and possible names of chapels/churches established after 1851.

Mynyddislwyn Parish consisting of the hamlets of Clawrplwyf, Mynyddmaen and Penmain; Statistics; Area 15938 acres; Population 3157 males, 2837 females, total 5994

• Clawrplwyf hamlet
• Mynyddislwyn Parish Church      Attendance - morning 25 + 17 scholars, afternoon 30 + 20 scholars     1 service in Welsh      Informant; David Jones, Registrar
•  
• Celynen Chapel, Anglican     Attendance - morning 60 + 40 scholars, afternoon 60 scholars, evening 40       Informant; David Jones, Registrar
•  
• Siloh Chapel, Calvinistic Methodist      Erected 1813     Attendance - morning 55, afternoon 43 scholars, evening 58          Henry Edmunds, Elder, Gelligroes, Blackwood
• Gelly Hove, Monythisloyne (sic)   Wesleyan Methodist     Erected 1846      Attendance - morning 45 + 29 scholars, evening 39 + 9 scholars        Aaron Brain, Secretary
• Dwelling House, Garmon Tipping, Mynyddislwyn      Wesleyan Reformer      Attendance - morning 29, evening 14     Garmon Tipping, Flowerdeluce, Blackwood
• New Bethel, Mynyddislwyn  Independents     Erected  1765      Attendance - morning 294, afternoon 157 scholars, evening 205       "....in 1849 a large school room was built in connection with the said chapel where day school is kept, and £100 debt remains"       Moses Ellis, Minister
• Babell Welsh Calvinistic Methodist, Mynyddislwyn      Erected  1827     Attendance - morning 45 + 20 scholars, afternoon 64 scholars, evening 50 + 40 scholars   "Several of the congregation were confined at home this Sunday by sickness"          Morgan Thomas, Elder, Ynysddu
• Twyn Gwyn, Mynyddislwyn, Baptist       Erected 1829      Attendance - morning 94, afternoon school, evening 135          David Williams, Deacon
•  
• Mynhyddmaen hamlet
• No returns
•  
• Penmain hamlet
• Court y Bella, A Licensed School Room (Anglican)      Licensed for public worship 1846     Attendance - morning 130 + 7 scholars, evening 120 + 9 scholars        Incumbent; Rees Jones, Penmain, Blackwood
•  
• Horeb Chapel, Tontrebel, Mynyddislwyn, Independent       Erected 1828/9       Attendance - morning 61, afternoon 61 scholars, evening 92      Thomas Lewis, Minister, Tontrebel, Crumlin
• Capel y Garn, Abercarn, Independents       Erected 1847      Attendance - morning 72, afternoon 39 scholars, evening 113      "The Congregation being a branch of Bethel, Mynyddislwyn....."   Benjamin Mathews, Deacon, Abercarn
• Nazareth, Welsh Calvinistic Methodist    Erected   1841     Attendance - morning 53 scholars, afternoon 60 scholars, evening 58 scholars      William Stephen, Evan Edwards, Abercarne
• Cymreigyddion Hall, Abergwyddon, Particular Baptists      "In February last the Room was fitted up for use of the Particular Baptists. It is regularly used as a Day School and for the general purpose of Public Meeting"    Attendance - morning 200 + 266 scholars, evening 226           David ap Rhys Stephens, Minister of Abergwyddon
• Reading Room, Abercarne, Wesleyan Methodist          Erected before 1800       Attendance - morning 23 + 21 scholars, afternoon 30 scholars, evening 45     "The room which we hold meetings in of Sundays is made use of in the week days for school. We only use it on Sundays."    George Hawkins, Class Leader, No 133 Abercarne
• Penmain Chapel, Independents     Erected  1694, rebuilt 1820      Attendance - morning 235, afternoon 140 scholars, evening 338       Ellis Hughes, Minister, Penmain, Blackwood
• Jerusalem, Independents   Erected 1840    Attendance - morning 92, afternoon 74 scholars, evening 120              John Morgan Thomas, Minister, Blackwood
• Bethel Chapel or Meeting House, Baptist     Erected 1809/1810        Attendance - morning 270, afternoon 140 scholars, evening 425       Charles Turner, Member, Carpenter, Newbridge

Church Records

See the Monmouthshire county page for links to online records

• This list of parish records is intended as a rough guide to coverage only. Their location as stated should be confirmed with the appropriate Record Office prior to any visit.

  Mynyddislwyn, St Tyder's Church - records with the Gwent RO
  Baptisms	Marriages	Banns	Burials
  1664-1918	1656-84, 1687-1743, 1750-1922	1911-51	1664-1743, 1745-1933
  Bishops Transcripts	1717, 1725-75, 1777-1842 - records with the NLW

  Aber-Carn, St Luke's Church (formed from Mynyddislwyn 1921) - records with the Gwent RO
  Baptisms	Marriages	Banns
  1904-24	1917-71	1917-68

  Cwm-Carn, St John the Evangelist's Church (formed from Mynyddislwyn + Rhisga/Risca 1922) - records with the Gwent RO
  Baptisms	Marriages	Banns
  1919-49	1923-71	1923-66

  Oakdale, Unknown Dedication (formed from Pen-maen; parish church of Pen-maen since 1970) - records with the Gwent RO
  Marriages	1956-71

  Pen-Maen, SS Philip & James's Church (formed from Mynyddislwyn 1845. See also Oakdale) - records with the Gwent RO
  Baptisms	Marriages	Burials
  1852-1934	1858-1969	1858-1930
  Bishops Transcripts	1852-72 - records with the NLW

  Pontnewydd, Holy Trinity Church (formed from Pen-maen 1885) - records with the Gwent RO
  Baptisms
  1884-1914
  Pontnewydd, Holy Trinity Church (formed from Pen-maen 1885) - records with the incumbent
  Marriages	Burials
  1860+	1888+

  Trecelyn / Newbridge, St Paul's Church (formed from Pen-maen 1914) - records with the Gwent RO
  Baptisms	Marriages	Banns
  1888-1960	1922-77	1922-55

  Ynys-Ddu, St Theodore (formed from Mynyddislwyn) - records with the Gwent RO
  Baptisms	Marriages	Banns
  1916-66	1927-71	1927-74

  [Details as published in The Parish Registers of Wales, NLW 1986 - present location/availability may vary]

Description and Travel

• Portrait of a Parish - Mynyddislwyn on the Oakdale Village site.
• The Crosskeys Village has some stunning photographs of the area - for example a panoramic view of Mynyddiswlyn, and view across the Sirhowy Valley. This site also has a wealth of information of historical interest.
• Mynyddislwyn - on wikipedia
• Mynyddislwyn - on Vision of Britain
• Mynyddislwyn photographs - on geograph.org.uk
• Oakdale - on wikipedia
• Oakdale photographs - on geograph.org.uk
• Abercarn - on wikipedia
• Abercarn photographs - on geograph.org.uk
• Crumlin - on wikipedia
• Crumlin photographs - on geograph.org.uk
• Penmaen - on wikipedia
• Pontywaun & Cwmcarn photographs - on geograph.org.uk
• Newbridge - on wikipedia
• Newbridge photographs - on geograph.org.uk

Gazetteers

• The transcription of the section for Mynyddislwyn from the National Gazetteer (1868) provided by Colin Hinson.

History

• A Short History of the Village of Oakdale.

Maps

• Kain, R.J.P., Oliver, R.R., Historic Parishes of England and Wales: an Electronic Map of Boundaries before 1850 with a Gazetteer and Metadata [computer file]. Colchester, Essex: History Data Service, UK Data Archive [distributor], 17 May 2001. SN: 4348.  Here is a gazetteer/finding aid plus a set of overview maps to accurately identify the position of parishes within the county

• View maps covering the area of this parish and places within its boundaries

Occupations

• Oakdale Colliery - on wikipedia
• Oakdale, Abercarn, Cwmcarn, & Navigation/Crumlin collieries - on the Welsh Coal Mines site

(Last updated - Gareth Hicks  - 21 Feb 2012)

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