Kelly's Directory - South Wales 1895

The data below has been extracted by Gareth Hicks (February 2004) with the kind permission of the publishers from the CD of the same title as the main heading. (Archive CD Books)
Place names are as written unless clearly misleading.

Yspytty Cynfyn is an ecclesiastical parish in the county of Cardigan, formed from the parish of Llanbadarn Fawr, and is about 9 1/2 miles north-east from Traws Coed station on the Manchester and Milford railway, 18 north-west from Rhayader station on the Cambrian railway, and 12 east from Aberystwyth, in Ilar hundred, Aberystwyth union and county court district, Upper Geneu-'r-glyn petty sessional division, and in the rural deanery of Llanbadarn Fawr, archdeaconry of Cardigan and diocese of St. David's.

The church of St. John the Baptist is a plain edifice of stone, consisting of nave only and has no bell: there are 250 sittings. The registers of baptisms and burials date from 1783; marriages, 1754; the earlier entries are probably contained in the registers of Llanbadarn Fawr. The living is a vicarage, gross yearly value £130, net £105, with 250 acres of glebe, in the gift of the ratepayers of the parish, and held since 1884 by the Rev. David Owen of St. Bees.

The manor is vested in the Crown. Thomas J. Waddingham esq. of Hafod, is the principal landowner.

The soil is loam; subsoil, shale; the land is chiefly under pasturage, but some oats are grown. The area and rateable value are included in the parish Cwmrheidol; the population in 1891 was 843.

Post & M. O. O., S. B. & Annuity & Insurance Office, Devils Bridge.--- David Jones, sub-postmaster. Letters through Aberystwyth, arrive at 10.30 a.m.; dispatched at 3 p.m. week days only. The nearest telegraph office is at Aberystwyth

The children of this parish attend the school at Ponterwyd.

Residents

• Owen, Rev. David (vicar)

Commercial

• Davies, John, shopkeeper; Dolganfa
• Davies, Thomas, butcher; Penrhiwceir

Farmers

• Davies, Benjamin; Tymawr
• Davies, William; Tyhir
• Davies, William S. ; Brynbras
• Evans, John; Brynchwith
• Howells, John; Cwmergyr
• Jenkins, Thomas, jun. ; Llwynteifi
• Jones, David; Fychesgau
• Lewis, Eichard; Erwbarfa
• Rees, John; Fagurfawr
• Williams, John; Llynteifi

[Gareth Hicks: 29 March 2004]