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Dihewyd chapels

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For further details of this project see Cardiganshire Chapels Database

Compiled by Gareth Hicks (Feb 2007)

Sources

NB.  Not all available data was necessarily used from sources - and sources 1 & 4 have been combined as similar

  • 1.  The Chapels Recording Project in Wales (RCAHMW)
  • 2.   The Religious census of 1851 : A Calendar of the returns relating to Wales, Vol 1, South Wales., byJones, I.G. & Williams, D.      UWP,   Cardiff, 1976
  • 3.   Nonconformist Registers of Wales published by the National Library of Wales in 1994.
  • 4.   The Parish Churches and Nonconformist Chapels of Wales: Their Records and where to Find them, Vol. One, Cardigan - Carmarthen - Pembroke, by Rawlins, B.J. (1987).
  • 5.  Kelly's Directory, South Wales 1910 -  the Archive Cd Books Cd
  • 6.  Kelly's Directory, South Wales 1895 -  the Archive Cd Books Cd
  • 7.  My Ancestors were Congregationalists in England and Wales, by D J H Clifford, SOG, 1992.
  • 8.  Independent Chapels of Wales: History Books and Pamphlets by Huw Walters.
  • 9.  Death and Burial indexes available for purchase from Cardiganshire Family History Society
  • 10. Online Commercial & Residential Directories as appropriate to a particular parish - apart from what may already be on Genuki, see also the Historical Directories site

 Other sources

  • Dyfed FHS  - Photographs of chapels (may also be other data there)
  • Archives Network Wales
  • Rees, Thomas & John Thomas. Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru (History of the Welsh Independent Churches), 4 volumes (published 1871+).

Congregational

Bethlehem Welsh Independent chapel, Dihewyd

  • Bethlehem Welsh Independent chapel, Dihewyd      SN48605597   Started 1840, chapel built 1852, rebuilt 1867, 1909.     Sunday School built 1845.     Records; see Neuaddlwyd, Henfynyw before 1854      Still open 1998    (1)   &  (4)
  • Bethlehem, Dihewyd    Opened 1840    Still open 1992     (7)
  •  
  • Photograph on Dyfed FHS
  •  
  • Rees, Thomas & John Thomas. Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru (History of the Welsh Independent Churches), 4 volumes (published 1871+). Here below is the entry from this book for this chapel (in Welsh with translation) copied from the Cd published by Archive CD Books
  • Shown as still open on the Union of Welsh Independents site (Dec 2006)

Troedyrhiw Welsh Independent chapel

  • Troedyrhiw Welsh Independent chapel      SN49995218      Started 1805, chapel built 1808; rebuilt 1861; rebuilt/modified 1906 & 1950.    First minister was Jonathan Jones, Rhydybont, Llanybydder        Still open 1998   (1)  &  (4)
  • Troedyrhiw Ind         Erected in 1808              Rees Evans, Deacon      (2)
  • Cardiganshire Family History Society - Index to deaths and burials in Cardiganshire from non-conformist records is available on fiche. Check details on their site, for this parish includes ;  Troedyrhiw (Ind., 1950-91)     (9)
  •  
  •  D.T. Gravelle: Eglwys Annibynnol Troedyrhiw, Ceredigion, (Llanbedr-Pont-Steffan 1961), 36tt.
  •  
  • Photograph on Dyfed FHS

 

 

Bethlehem Welsh Independent chapel, Dihewyd

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Here is the extract from - Rees, Thomas & John Thomas.   Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru (History of the Welsh Independent Churches), 4 volumes (published 1871+).

(Vol 4, p 114)

"Cangen arall o'r Neuaddlwyd ydyw yr eglwys hon. Enw y plwyf yw Dyhewyd, neu Tyhewyd, ac enw y capel Annibynol yw Bethlehem. Bu Dr. Phillips a'i ysgolheígion yn pregethu yn fynych yn y Tycoch a Phant-yr-hewl-fawr, yn y plwyf hwn, am lawer o flynyddau. Yn y flwyddyn 1845, adeiladwyd yma ysgoldy at gadw ysgolion dyddiol a Sabbothol, cyfarfodwydd gweddio a phregethu. Gan fod y ffordd oddiyma i'r Neuaddlwyd yn lled bell, penderfynwyd cadw cymundeb yma bob tri mis er mwyn yr hen bobl a'r gwragedd oedd a phlant bychain ganddynt, fel nas gallasent fyned yn fisol i'r Neuaddlwyd.

Parhaodd pethau fel hyn am ychydig amser, ond yn raddol amlygodd y cyfeillion awydd am gael eu corpholi yn eglwys Annibynol, a'r hyn y cydsyniodd Mr. Evans a'r fam eglwys yn y Neuaddlwyd. Cymerodd hyn le yn 1852. Mr. Evans fu yn gweinidogaethu yma nes i'r eglwys fechan gael ei hanog i uno a Mydroilyn a Throedyrhiw i roddi galwad i Mr. Evan Harries yn 1854. Wedi ymadawiad Mr. Harries yn 1856, ni bu yma yr un gweinidog sefydlog hyd y flwyddyn 1863, pryd y cymerodd Mr. T. Jones, Cilcenin, ofal y lle, ac efe yw y gweinidog yma hyd yn bresenol. Yn 1867, adeiladwyd yma gapel hardd a chyfleus, yr hwn a gostiodd 300p. Pregethwyd yn nghyfarfod yr agoriad gan Meistri Jones, Drewen; Rowlands, Llanon; Phillips, Horeb; Williams, Rhydybont; Williams,Hawen; Morgans, Penlan; Jones, Gwernllwyn ; Thomas, Llanfair, a Davies, Llanbedr.

Cyfodwyd yma i bregethu Henry Davies, gweinidog presenol yr eglwys yn Llanelli, Brycheiniog, a David Davies, mab Samuel Davies, Banc. Yr oedd y gwr ieuangc hwn wedi dechreu ei efrydiaeth yn athrofa Caerfyrddin, ond yn fuan cymerwyd ef yn glaf, a bu farw yn 1864, er mawr siomedigaeth i'w berthynasau a'i gydnabod, y rhai a ddisgwyliant y buasai yn dyfod yn ddyn enwog a defnyddiol."

  Translation (by Gareth Hicks with assistance  - Dec 2007)

"This church is another offshoot of Neuaddlwyd. The parish name is Dyhewyd, or Tyhewyd, and the name of the Independent chapel is Bethlehem. Dr Phillips and his scholars preached frequently at Tycoch and Pant-yr-hewl-fawr, in this parish, for many years. In the year 1845 was built here a schoolhouse for day and Sunday schools, prayer meetings and preaching. As the distance from here to Neuaddlwyd was quite far, it was decided to hold communion here every 3 months for (the convenience of) the older people and the women with young children who could not travel monthly to Neuaddlwyd.

Things went on like this for some time, but gradually the friends became desired to be embodied as an independent church, and to this Mr Evans and the mother church of Neuaddlwyd consented. This took place in 1852, Mr Evans ministered here until the small church was persuaded to unite with Mydroilyn and Troedyrhiw to give a call to Mr Evan Harries in 1854. After Mr Harries departed in 1856, they didn't have here the same settled minister until the year 1863, when Mr T Jones, Cilcenin, accepted the care of the place, and he is the minister here at the present time. In 1867, they built here a beautiful and convenient chapel, which cost £300. The preachers at the inaugral meeting were Messrs  Jones, Drewen; Rowlands, Llanon; Phillips, Horeb; Williams, Rhydybont; Williams,Hawen; Morgans, Penlan; Jones, Gwernllwyn ; Thomas, Llanfair, and Davies, Llanbedr.

A person who rose here to preach was Henry Davies, the present minister of the church at Llanelli, Breconshire, and David Davies, the son of Samuel Davies, Banc. This young man had started his studies at Carmarthen Academy, but rapidly became ill, and died in 1864, a great disappointment for his relatives and acquaintances, who had expected him to become a distinguished and useful man."