& Parishes
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Breconshire Towns & Parishes |
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Information related to all of Breconshire |
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BRECONSHIRE (BRECKNOCKSHIRE) |
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"The County of BRECKNOCK is 106 Miles in Circumference, contains about 620000 Acres, is divided into 6 Hundreds, in which are 4 Market Towns, out of which only Brecknock, ye Shire Town is represented in Parliament. Has 61 Parishes & about 5034 Houses. The Air is good but sharp, & ye Soil for ye most part hilly, having some pleasant & fruitfull Valleys. The County affords plenty of Corn & Grass, in ye Vales, and ye Rivers abundance of Fish, especially ye Wye & ye Usk, which are full of Salmon, Trout &c." [Emanuel Bowen, Britannia Depicta, 1720]
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Powys Archives
Provide a series of Local Studies Notes with Sources for Family History and a Guide to Holdings
The National Library of Wales. Aberystwyth. The major repository of information relevant to Welsh genealogy, such as Bishop's Transcripts of Parish Registers, Marriage Bonds and Allegations, Nonconformist Records, Probate Records, Tithe Maps and Apportionment Schedules, Legal and Administrative Records, Estate Records and Personal Papers, Pedigree Books, Newspapers, etc.
Brecon Area Library
Ship Street
Brecon
Powys
LD3 9AE
Telephone: +44 (0) 1874 623346
E-mail: brecon.library@powys.gov.uk
Opening hours: Mon 9:30-17:00; Tue 09:30-19:00; Wed to Fri 9:30-17:00; Sat 09:30-13:00
The library holds copies of Breconshire Census Returns 1841 to 1901.
Powys Museums and Galleries
The National Archives has details of many archive repositories in the UK with links to their websites.
Breconshire section of the Hyde Park Regional Family History Centre's on-line catalogue. The Hyde Park FHC is one of more than 4,800 Family History Centres of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the largest such centre outside of North America, and one of more than 100 centres in the British Isles. It holds a good collection of finding aids and a significant collection of primary records, mostly on microfilm. Records are chiefly drawn from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW)
In addition to the RCAHMW's on-line Archive Catalogue there is also a Chapels database which will eventually list all known nonconformist chapels in Wales.
Local Books List at Powys Archives
The Brecon & Merthyr Railway, by D. S. Barrie, Oakwood Press, 1980; ISBN 085361 087 8 (first published 1957)
An index of personal names mentioned in the book is available here.
Davies, Dewi. Some interesting people of Breconshire. 1970. 45pMorgan, Gwenllian E. F. Biography of Mr. Theophilus Jones : author of 'The History of Brecknockshire'. Brecon : Printed by E. Davies, [1905?] 21p
Thomas, W S K. Footprints in the Sand: Brecknock Notabilities. 1994
MIs held at Powys Archives - Breconshire
Welsh Gravestone Inscriptions and Graveyard Welsh - guides to interpreting Memorial Inscriptions.
Graveyard Surveys - Over the past twenty years, Gareth Jones has produced surveys of the graveyards of over fifty churches and chapels. Each survey is reproduced on A4 sheets with introduction, full inscriptions, and indexes to personal names and place-names. Some of these surveys are large, e.g. the parish churchyards at Defynnog, Llywel, and Ystradgynlais, and Tynycoed Chapel, Abercrâf. Other Breconshire parishes covered include Llandeilo'r Fân, Llanfihangel Nant Bran, Merthyr Cynog, Llandyfaelog, Llanfihangel Fechan, Battle, Brecon (St David's & St John's), Aberyscir, and Trallwng. For free advice, a full list of surveys, and charges, contact Gareth Jones at gar.fert@yahoo.co.uk.
Breconshire Records for sale by Powys FHS
Brecon Area Library, Ship Street, Brecon, LD3 9AE. (01874) 623346 have copies of 1841 - 1901 census returns for all of Breconshire - as have Powys Archives
FreeCEN is an ongoing volunteer based project to provide a 'free to view' online searchable database of the 19th century UK census returns. Volunteers are being sought for the Wales project, visit Wales FreeCen Project to see each county's status as well as a FAQ for volunteers. The 1891 return is the first to be tackled across the UK.
1841-1871 Breconshire censuses - a free surname (and fee paying) search facility for the 1841-1871 Breconshire censuses is offered by Sid Sharp on his website.
Ancestry.co.uk (the UK arm of Ancestry.com) - access to indexes and images of the complete set of England and Wales censuses from 1841 to 1901 (and other genealogical material), accessible by payment of a subscription fee.
You may also find it worthwhile searching in the GENUKI church database.
Brecknockshire Churches Survey by the Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust
Dawson, Gerard Finch. The churches of Brecknockshire. Swansea : A.R. Way, 1909. 239p
Eisel, John C. The church bells of Breconshire : their inscriptions and founders. Almeley : Logaston Press, 2002. 142p
Evans, John Thomas. The church plate of Breconshire. : With the Chantry certificates relating the the County of Brecon by the Commissioners of 2 Edward VI (1548)...and appendix on the saints of Breconshire, by the Rev. A.W. Wade-Evans... Stow-on-the-Wold : J. H. Alden, 1912. 160p
Gregory, Donald. The three parsons of Radnorshire (Lloyd, David, d.1838. Rees, William Jenkins, d.1855. Price, John, 1810?-1895, of Paincastle.). Country Quest 26/8 (1986), p. 39-40
Detailed information on deposited registers and transcripts is given on the Powys Archives page Breconshire parish registers
Breconshire Records for sale by Powys FHS
Map of Breconshire parishes on Powys Archives
IGI and Familysearch - the searchable Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) website
IGI Batch Numbers - British Isles
It is not always easy to locate your ancestors on the IGI using the search mechanisms provided at the above LDS site. Manually typing the batch numbers into the IGI search screen can be tedious. Hugh Wallis has made an exhaustive search of the likely ranges of batch numbers and created a database of those numbers and the source records that they apply to. A very powerful feature included is a hotlink from each batch number to the actual search engine provided at the Family Search site, including the ability to enter the surname you are looking for. This makes it very easy to search all the batches for a particular geographic location using just the last name you are searching for - something that is not possible directly from the LDS site without doing a lot of typing. This is Hugh Wallis's site
Ifans, Dafydd [ed]. Cofrestri Anghydfurol Cymru/ Nonconformist Registers of Wales. Aberystwyth, 1994. This book includes Ordnance Survey references for listed chapels.Jones, I.G. & Williams, D. The Religious census of 1851 : A Calendar of the returns relating to Wales, Vol 1, South Wales. Cardiff, 1976.
Jones, Nansi C. Archdeaconry of Brecon probate records. Aberystwyth : National Library of Wales, 1989. 223p
MacDonald, R W. The Parish Registers of Wales, National Library of Wales journal. 1976, Winter. Volume XIX/4
Williams, C.J. and Watts-Williams, J. Cofrestri Plwyf Cymru: Parish Registers of Wales (National Index of Parish Registers, Vol. 13).Aberystwyth: National Library of Wales, Second edition, 2000.
Brett Langston has provided details of the Registration Districts in Breconshire for the period 1837 to 1930.
Certificates of birth, death and marriage can be obtained from the Superintendent Registrar at:
Please note:
(a) the cost of a certificate is currently £7.00 - send a Sterling cheque payable to Powys County Council plus return postage or two International Reply Coupons;
(b) the GRO Index references are of no value;
(c) for marriage certificates, the precise place of marriage must be given;
(d) Civil Registration in England and Wales began on July 1st 1837.
FreeBMD is an ongoing project to make the GRO birth, marriage and death indexes available online - well worth a visit.
findmypast.com (formerly 1837online) - here you'll find the complete BMD indexes of the GRO (and other genealogical material) accessible on a pay-to-view basis.
Ancestry.co.uk (the UK arm of Ancestry.com) - another way of accessing the complete BMD indexes of the GRO (and other genealogical material), accessible by payment of a subscription fee.
Powys County Archives Office hold records pertaining to Breconshire Quarter Sessions which were established by the same Act although records do not begin until the late seventeenth century. See also their Petty Sessions listing.
Rules and standing orders for regulating the practice of the Court of Quarter Sessions of the County of Brecknockshire : revised Easter 1884. Brecknock, printed by Edwin Poole, 1884; 96pp.
A Vision of Britain Through Time. "This site contains information about your home area from the 2001 census -- and from every earlier British census back to 1801. It can present this information both as maps of the whole country and as graphs showing change over time in your area. It truly offers a Vision of Britain through time"
Gazetteer of Markets and Fairs in England and Wales to 1516. The Gazetteer compiled by Dr Samantha Letters is a catalogue of markets and fairs in medieval England and Wales. This is the first comprehensive national survey.
Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal on Powys Digital History Project website.
The Brecon & Merthyr Railway, by D. S. Barrie, Oakwood Press, 1980; ISBN 085361-087-8 (first published 1957)
An index of personal names mentioned in the book is available here.
Brecon Beacons National Park Online Guide
Wales Calling site - Brecon Beacons
Barber, Chris, Exploring the Brecon Beacons, Black Mountains and waterfall country : a walker's guide. Bristol : Regional Publications (Bristol) Ltd, 1985. 96pBaker-Gabb, Richard. Hills and vales of the Black Mountain district : on the borders of Brecon, Monmouth and Hereford. Llangrove, Ross-on-Wye : T. Pridgeon, 1976. 81p
Bissel, A F., In the steps of John Ogilby : some old roads of Monmouthshire and Brecknockshire. Abergavenny : Derek Bissell, 2001.
Breconshire (Sir Frycheiniog) official county guide. Gloucester : British Publishing Co., 1973. 80p
Breconshire County Council. Breconshire : statistics prepared by order of the County Council, April, 1893. Brecon : Printed by Edwin Davies, 1893. 71p
Burgess, John. Radnorshire, Montgomeryshire and Breconshire : a guide. Carlisle : John Burgess, 2000. 57p
Children, George. The prehistoric sites of Breconshire : ideology, power and monument symbolism. Almeley : Logaston Press, 2001. 182p
Davies, Dewi. Bridges of Breconshire. [Capel Bangor, Aberystwyth] : Dewi Davies, 1992. 70p
Evans, Christopher J. Breconshire. Cambridge : University press, 1912.
Evans, Gwyn. Views of old Brecknockshire. Brecon : [Gwyn Evans], c1983. 47p
Haynes, Kenneth. Here and there on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal : a sketch-book. Newport, Gwent : Starling Press, 1990. 72p
Jones, James R. Pryse's handbook to the Breconshire and Radnorshire mineral springs : with notes and excerpts illustrating the history, antiquities, and topography of many of the surrounding towns and villages. Llanidloes : Pryse, [1859]. 147p
Mason, Edmund J. Portrait of the Brecon Beacons and surrounding areas. London : Hale, 1975. 224p
Morgan, David R. The hillforts of Breconshire. Breconshire Naturalist 41 (1985), p. 15-18
Morgan, David R. The Neolithic tombs of east Breconshire. Breconshire Naturalist 45 (1987), p. 17-21
Rees, Thomas. A topographical and historical description of South Wales... / Brecknockshire. London : [S.N.], 1815. The Beauties of England and Wales
Remfrey, Paul M. Castles of Breconshire. Herefordshire : Logaston Press, 1999. 196p
The Romans in Breconshire and Radnorshire : a field guide. Borth : Atelier Productions, 1995. 96p
Thomas, W S K. Georgian and Victorian Brecon: portrait of a Welsh country town. 1993
Victorian and Edwardian Wales from old photographs. Introduction and commentary by E D Jones. Batsford 1972.
Trades directories held by Powys Archives
Trades directories held by Swansea Reference Library (PDF file)
Postal address: Swansea Reference Library, Alexander Road, Swansea SA1 5DX.
Phone: (0)1792 516757
E-mail: swansea.libraries@swansea.gov.uk
Directories published on CD by Archive CD Books:
Search the GENUKI Gazetteer.
The GENUKI Gazetteer covers the whole of England, Wales and Scotland and can be searched by place-name (or part of a place-name) or Ordnance Survey Grid Reference (six-figure, eg NZ183848). If there are multiple place-names matching the name you enter, you will initially be presented with a drop-down list of the matching place-names with their distances and bearings from Cardiff, Wales.
The National Gazetteer of Wales
The section of The National Gazetteer (1868) relating to Brecknockshire - transcribed by Colin Hinson.
Tallis's Topographical Dictionary of England and Wales, published in 1860 in six vols, editor E. L. Blanchard.
See Welsh Family History Archive for all the excellent county maps (showing the hundreds) and the alphabetical gazetteer.
From the preface:
"In the following pages will be found fully described the past history and present aspect of every place of any significance in England and Wales, forming a work of permanent importance to the commercial world, of ready service to the tourist of the day, and of constant interest to the general reader, who may derive from this source a large supply of entertainment, as well as of information for the amusement and instruction of a leisure hour."
Online Welsh Names Directory by Graham Jaunay
Welsh Ancestor List - an all-Wales surnames list provided by John Ball on his Welsh Family History Archive website.
Powys FHS's Strays Index and Publications List
Timeline of genealogically interesting dates, by Gareth Hicks.
The Powys Mailing List established in 1997 and hosted by RootsWeb is the most active mailing list covering the county of Breconshire.
John Fuller has provided full details of the mailing lists serving this county. This is but a small part of the data available on the "Genealogy Resources on the Internet" pages maintained by John Fuller and Chris Gaunt.
Brecon Wills – VAUGHAN Wills proved in the Archdeaconry of Brecon 1575-1858 - Indexes and Abstracts on Hugh Wallis's Genealogy website.
WorldGenWeb Project - Breconshire
Post Roman Celtic Kingdoms - Powys
Castle Wales site - the Kingdom of Powys
An Address Presented to William Rees by the Brecknock Society: the Medieval Lordship of Brecon: (1) Political History; (2) Social and Economic History.Jones, Theophilus. A History of the County of Brecknock, 4 vols. 1909, 1911, 1930
Lloyd, John E Sir. Historical memoranda of Breconshire : a collection of papers from various sources relating to the history of the County. Brecon : Printed by E. Owen, 1903-04. 2nd pt. of Vol. 2. "The River Usk and the Canal."
Owen, Matthew. Story of Breconshire. Cardiff : Ed. Pub. 1911. 292p
Poole, Edwin. The illustrated history and biography of Brecknockshire from the earliest times to the present day : containing the general history, antiquities, sepulchral monuments and inscriptions ... : illustrated by several engravings and portraits. S.l.] : Printed and published by Edwin Poole, 1886. 495p
Poole, Edwin. The people's history of Brecon (town and county). Brecon : printed by H. B. Wheeler, 1876. 136p
Rees, William. The great forest of Brecknock : a facet of Breconshire history. 1966?. 31p
Silvester, R. J., The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust in Breconshire. Brycheiniog, 29 (1996/1997), 9-10.
Thomas, Hugh. Essay towards the history of Brecknockshire 1698. Brecon : Brecknock County Museum, 1967. 90p
The Return of Owners of Land 1873 for all the Welsh counties on Richard Hopkins' site
Gathering the Jewels site - Houses of Breconshire (use on-site search box)
Haslam, Richard. Powys : (Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire, Breconshire). The Buildings of Wales series. Harmondsworth : Cardiff : Penguin ; University of Wales Press, 1979. 436p
Jones, Glyn E. Some features of the Welsh of Breconshire. The use of Welsh: a contribution to sociolinguistics, ed., Martin J. Ball, p. 7-103.
Map of Breconshire parishes on Powys Archives
Welsh county maps by Samuel Lewis and published in 1833
Details of various maps available at Powys Archives
An exceptionally useful set of maps showing parish boundaries, on a one inch to the mile scale, is now available on CD-ROM - see:
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. For further details, see here.
Bidgood, Ruth. Breconshire hero of the French wars : [Charles Papps Price]. Country Quest 32/7 (1991), p. 22-3Retallack, John . The Welsh Guards published (1981) by Frederick Warne (Publishers) Ltd., London.
Links to various UK and Ireland gazetteers
Davies, Dewi. Welsh Place-Names of Breconshire and their meanings. 1971Morgan, Richard. A study of Breconshire place-names. Llanrwst : Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 1999. 157p
Powell, R. F. Peter. Notes on a place-name element peculiar to Breconshire [Car]. Brycheiniog 19 1980-1, p. 83-95
Powell, R. F. Peter. The place-names of Devynock Hundred: together with notes on a place-name element peculiar to Breconshire (Appendix). Pen-pont, Brecon : Peter Powell, 1993. 1v
Welsh Ancestor List on John Ball's Welsh Family History Archive website.
The Brecon & Merthyr Railway, by D. S. Barrie, Oakwood Press, 1980; ISBN 085361 087 8 (first published 1957)
An index of personal names mentioned in the book is available here.
Local newspapers in Powys - listing at Powys Archives
Peak District Mines Historical Society - Wales's Mining Industry in 1896 - An Index, includes list of coal mines in Breconshire.
Colyer, Richard. The Welsh Cattle Drovers (1976). Re-issued in 2002 by Landmark Publishing Co, with revisions, p192.
Colyer, Richard. Welsh Cattle Drovers in the Nineteenth Century - 1/2/3 National Library of Wales journal. 1972, Winter Volume XVII/4 & 1974 Volume XVIII/3 & 1975 Volume XIX/1
Colyer, R. J. Moore. Further References to the Welsh Cattle Trade. National Library of Wales journal. Volume XXV/3 Summer, 1988. Extract of this article by Bill Griffith-Jones 2002
Powys - A Day in the Life - 1891, Breconshire County Council
Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant for Powys
Ord, J P. Sheriffs of Brecknockshire. Tenby : printed by R. Mason, 1865. 21p. "A list of gentlemen who have served the office ... from A.D. 1539 ... to 1864 ..." -- p. [1]. Reprinted from the Cambrian Journal.Wood, Elizabeth. Thomas Wood M.P. : parliamentary representative for Brecknockshire, 1806-47. [Brecon] : Brecknock Museum, 1978. 32p
Workhouses, two separate sites, Workhouse, and Workhouses which links to sites specialising in Asylums, Almshouses, Prisons, Dispensaries, Hospitals, Reformatories, Orphanages, Workhouse & Hospitals List, Workhouses, Poor Law, Industrial Schools.
Brecon and Radnor Congregationalism: 1662 commemoration volume. Merthyr Tydvil : Joseph Williams & Sons, 1912. 215pLewis, Michael R. From darkness to light : the Catholics of Breconshire 1536-1851. Abertillery : Old Bakehouse, 1992. 119p
Bevan, Robert. Radnorshire schools in 1818. Transactions of the Radnorshire Society 60 (1990), p. 36-40
Welcome to Powys: A Day in the Life - This fascinating digital history project website explores life in Powys in 1891, and compares it with the present day. All information and material for 1891 was drawn from collections throughout the counties of Breconshire, Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire. For the contemporary part of the project, the people of Powys were asked to keep a diary of their day on 24 September 2002.Bailey, Mabel. Legends and stories of Breconshire. [S.l. : s.n.], [Hay-on-Wye (Powys) : 1909 H.R. Grant] 57p
Davies, Dewi. Law and Disorder in Breconshire 1750-1880. Brecon : D.G. & A.S. Evans, 1991.164p
Harris, Johnathan. The early history of association football in Breconshire. Brycheiniog 28 (1995-6), p. 127-35
Jones, G Penrhyn. Cholera in Wales. National Library of Wales journal Vol X/3 Summer 1958.
More gathered gold : stories of old Breconshire. [Brecon?] : Sennybridge and District Writers' Circle, c1996. 80p
Peate, Iorwerth C. The Welsh House - A Study in Folk Culture. First published in 1940, reprinted by Llanerch Publishers, Felinfach in 2000. ISBN 1 86143 112 0. Here is a review and listing of Contents, Illustrations, Figures and houses/sites mentioned, from the 1940 edition.
Poole, Edwin. The History of Breconshire Charities : borough & county, compiled from official returns and other sources. Brecon : Edwin Poole, [1881?]. 40p
Powell, A A. Crime in Breconshire, 1733 - 1830. 1990
Redwood, Pamela. Life in Elizabethan Breconshire as portrayed in contemporary wills. Brycheiniog 24 (1990-92), p. 43-66
Scourfield , Elfyn . Welsh Rural Life in Photographs. Barry, 1979.
Williams, David H. A Breconshire Boyhood. London : L E M Williams, 1997. 36p
INDIVIDUAL TOWNS AND PARISHES - See Alphabetical Listing
This county is maintained by John Ball with help and information provided by a number of other volunteers.
Find help, report problems, and contribute information.
[Last updated: 7 September 2009 - John Ball]
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