Kelly's Directory - South Wales 1895

The data below has been extracted by Gareth Hicks (March 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.

Troed-yr-aur is a parish in the county of Cardigan, on the river Cire, 4 1/2 miles north from Newcastle Emlyn terminal station on the Pencader and Newcastle Emlyn section of the Great Western railway, 10 east from Cardigan and 20 north-west-by-north from Carmarthen, in Troed-yr-aur hundred, Newcastle Emlyn union, county court district and petty sessional division, and in the rural deanery of Sub-Aeron, and archdeaconry of Cardigan and diocese of St. David's.

The church of St. Michael, rebuilt in 1845, is an edifice of stone, in the Early English style, consisting of chancel, nave, south porch and a tower containing 1 bell: the church affords 130 sittings. The registers date from the year 1655. The living is a rectory, tithe rent-charge £307, average £232, net income £250, with 12 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of the Bishop of St. David's, and held since 1852 by the Rev. Rhys Jones Lloyd B.A. of Exeter College, Oxford, and rural dean of Sub-Aeron.

There are Calvinistic Methodist and Independent chapels.

A sum of £300 was bequeathed by Miss Hesther Bowen, in trust to the rector. and churchwardens, to be invested in Consols, the annual interest to be given, in flannel, to the most deserving poor of the parish, on the 2nd Jan. yearly, and the account of such distribution to be kept in a vellum book.

Gwernant, the property of the Lloyd-Williams' family, is now occupied by J. G. Kell esq.; Troed-yr-aur house is the seat of Eynon George Rice Bowen esq. J.P. The principal landowners are the Lloyd-Williams family and Captain Lloyd Phillips.

The soil is clay; subsoil, gravel. The chief crops are oats and barley. The area comprises 4,583 acres, of which 5 are water; rateable value, £2,604; the population in 1891 was 835.

Rhydlewis is a village in this parish.

Post Office.--- Eli Powell, sub-postmaster. Letters through Newcastle Emlyn arrive at 9.50 a.m.; dispatched at 1.30 p.m

A United District School Board of 9 members, for Bettws Evan, Llanfair, Tref-Helgen, Llangunllo, Troedyraur, with Llanarth contributing 1 member, Llandyssil contributing 1 member & Penbryn contributing 2 members, was formed 21 Dec. 1874; Rev. Thomas Jones, Rhydlewis, clerk to the board.

Board School, built for 230 children; average attendance 120

Residents

• Bowen, Eynon George Rice J.P. ; Troed-yr-aur house
• Jones, W. R. ; Dyffynceri
• Kell Rhakin; Gwernant
• Lloyd, Rev. Rhys Jones B.A,, J.P. (rural dean); Rectory
• Thomas, James; Rhydlewis

Commercial

• Jones, John Dl. auctionr; Hawen hall
• Thomas, John, assistant overseer

Farmers

• Davies, Annie (Mrs.); Penygaer
• Davies, David; Cwmbychan
• Davies, Evan; Penfedw
• Davies, Evan; Penralltygwin
• Davies, John; Brynbychan
• Davies, Owen; Ffynongoed
• Evans, Evan; Esgair Tanglwst
• Evans, Thomas; Troed-yr-aur farm
• James, John; Dolgoch
• James, John M.;  Broniwan
• Jones, David ; Crymant
• Jones, Ellis; Gwenddafydd
• Jones, John; Penrhiwfach
• Jones, John Daniel; Hawen hall
• Jones, Samuel; Rhippindu
• Jones, Theophilus; Pengellisaf
• Jones, William; Talgarth
• Lewis, John; Bribwll
• Lloyd, John, Gwernant farm
• Parry, John; Gwarllwyn
• Powell, David; Esgairgraig
• Rees, Daniel; Pengellinchaf
• Thomas, G. M. ; Pantyrodyn
• Thomas, Thomas; Moylan farm

[Gareth Hicks: 29 March 2004]