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Llanfihangel-ar-arth

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"LLANVIHANGEL-AR-ARTH, or YEROTH (LLAN-FIHANGEL-AR-ARTH), a parish, in the union of NEWCASTLE-EMLYN, higher division of the hundred of CATHINOG, county of CARMARTHEN, SOUTH WALES, 12 miles (N. by E.) from Carmarthen; containing 1993 inhabitants. . . . The parish is pleasantly situated on the river Teivy, over which the turnpike-road is continued by means of a handsome stone bridge . . .The surrounding scenery is pleasantly diversified, and in some parts highly picturesque; and the soil, though varying in different parts, is in general fertile. . . The church, dedicated to St. Michael, is situated on an eminence on the southern bank of the Teivy . . . The chapel of Pencader has been in ruins for nearly a century, but the cemetery is still entire. There are places of worship for Calvinistic Methodists, Baptists, and Independents. D. Jones, Esq., pays a master £5 per annum for teaching poor children to read Welsh in a school for more than 120 children . . . Three other day schools are carried on, in which 80 boys and 35 girls are educated at the expense of their parents; and five Sunday schools . . ." [From A Topographical Dictionary of Wales (S. Lewis, 1844).]

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Church History

Some 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 are those of the informants

  • Llanfihangel-ar-Arth Parish Church John Edwards, Vicar
  • Penybont Llanfihangel Yeroth Baptist Erected before 1800 David Evans, Steward, Pelican, Llandyssil
  • Hebron Particular Baptist Erected in 1830 John Jones, Baptist Minister
  • Pencader Ind Erected 'about 1650' "The Congregation is divided into different sections which on Sunday Evenings meet in different Dwelling Houses for prayer and where sermons are occasionally delivered" John Owen, Minister
  • New Inn CM Erected in 1797, rebuilt in 1832 Thomas Rhys Saunders, Deacon, Perthyberllan, New Inn
  • Troedyrhiw Ind Erected in 1833 "The Congregation is divided into different sections and meet in different Dwelling Houses for Prayer on Saturday Evenings" John Owen, Minister

Parish entry from The Welsh Church Year Book, 1929 (Cd by (Archive CD Books).

  • St Michael & Pencader St Mary
  • Incumbent and Curates; J T Hughes (J R Saunders)
  • Rural Deanery of Carmarthen
  • Acreage 16,602; Population 1,922

See Welsh Chapels and Churches for a photograph of Llanfihangel-ar-arth St Mihangel Church

    Davies, Bryn. Hanes eglwys Annibynnol Gwyddgrug, Pencader, (Pencader, 1940), 37p.

    Davies, Bryn. D. Brinley Thomas: Dwy ran o stori'r ganrif: eglwys Gwyddgrug 1890-1990, (Pencader, 1990), 67p.

    Dwy ran o stori'r ganrif: Eglwys Gwyddgrug 1890-1990, Pencader, Eglwys Gwyddgrug (1990) 67, [10] p. of plates: p., ill., facsim., ports.

    Griffiths, G. Milwyn. A Visitation of the Archdeaconry of Carmarthen, 1710 National Library of Wales journal. 1974, Summer Vol XVIII/3. Includes the parish of Llan Fihangel Iorwerth and Pencader, a Chapel to Llan Fihangel Iorwerth

    Morris, G. (Rev.) Hanes Eglwys Y Bedyddwyr yn Hebron, Plwyf Llanfihangle Y Arth 1830-1930. Gomer Llandyssul, 1930.

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    Church Records

    Dyfed FHS have photographs and data relating to various churches and chapels on their site

    Parish registers: Christenings (1787-1977), Marriages (1756-1971), Banns (1878-1959) and Burials (1787-1896) are at the Carmarthenshire Record Office.

    Facsimile Parish registers: Christenings and Burials (1787-1812) and Marriages (1813-37) are at the National Library of Wales.

    Copy ts PR index CB (1813-75) M ( 1756-1875) at NLW and Carm.RO

    Bishops' Transcripts, covering the period (1672, 1678, 1694, 1697-1700, 1711, 1713, 1716-17, 1719-22, 1724-9, 1731, 1733-4, 1736-43, 1745-9, 1752-62, 1764-7, 1769-72, 1775-8, 1780, 1782-3, 1785, 1787-1800, 1802-12, 1814-33, 1835-53, 1855, 1871-3, 1875-6) are at the National Library of Wales, and have been microfilmed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

    Marriage index for this parish - see Dyfed Marriages, 1813-1837, Vol. 17 - Cathinog Hundred (Dyfed Family History Society, c1989)

    See Bap/Mar/Bur data on FreeReg

    • Llanfihangel
    • Pencader

    Nonconformist Chapels:

    • Penybont (Baptist, bef 1774), Pontwelly (on CMN side of bridge from CGN) Births (1801-65) and other documents (1845-92) NLW Ms 1099-1100A There is a detailed history of this chapel in Hanes Plwyf Llandyssul 1896 [The History of Llandysul], by Rev W J Davies 1896, translated by Ivor Griffiths On Dyfed FHS
    • Hebron (Baptist, 1830), Hebron, near Nantgwair in Llanfihangel-ar-arth parish Records with those of Penybont (Llanfihangel-ar-arth), Ffynnonhenry (Conwil Elfed), and Ebenezer (Llandysul) SN41683566 Hebron Welsh Baptist, Hafod, Pencader Built 1830/1, enlarged 1862 and restored 1886. Enlarged again 1905. Still open 1998 Coflein See Welsh Chapels and Churches for a photograph On Dyfed FHS
    • Moriah Baptist chapel, Pencader SN44553573 Built ? 1896/7 & enlarged 1903. Still open 1998 Coflein On Dyfed FHS
    • Salem (Calvinistic Methodist, bef 1795), New Inn Births and baptisms (1817-36) PRO RG4/4477, LDS 815972, IGI On Dyfed FHS Salem New Inn, Pencader still open in 2006
    • Bethel (Calvinistic Methodist, c1908), Pencader On Dyfed FHS
    • Pencader (Independent, 1650), Pencader (Hen Gapel) Births and baptisms (1825-37) PRO RG4/2257, LDS 815972, IGI SN44543613 Built c.1650s, with another? dating from the 1670s, rebuilt 1785. Present building dates from 1827, rebuilt/modified 1839 & 1869. Old chapel restored & partly converted to secular use in 1980s, chapel use above & workshop below in 1997 Coflein On Dyfed FHS
      Rees, Thomas & John Thomas. Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru (History of the Welsh Independent Churches), 4 volumes (published 1871+). Here is the entry from this book for this chapel (in Welsh ) - with translation by Maureen Saycell (March 2009)
    • Tabernacl Ind chapel, Pencader SN44563592 In 1909 the present Capel Tabernacl built Coflein On Dyfed FHS Tabernacl Ind chapel, Pencader shown as still open on the Union of Welsh Independents site (Dec 2006)
    • Troedyrhiw alltwalis (Independent, 1784), Troedyrhiw Alltwalis Records with those of Pencader SN44543178 Built 1784, [re]built 1832/3 and rebuilt again 1897. Coflein On Dyfed FHS under Llanllawddog Alltwalis Ind chapel shown as still open on the Union of Welsh Independents site (Dec 2006)
      Rees, Thomas & John Thomas. Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru (History of the Welsh Independent Churches), 4 volumes (published 1871+). Here is the entry from this book for this chapel (in Welsh ) - with translation by Gareth Hicks (Dec 2008)
    • Gwyddgrug Ind chapel, Pencader SN46473566 Built 1889 Coflein On Dyfed FHS Shown as still open on the Union of Welsh Independents site (Dec 2006)

    Pencader [formed out of Llanfihangel-ar-arth]
    Christenings (1883-1952) Marriages (1886-1969) Burials (1883-1935) at Carm.RO

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    Description & Travel

    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. These statistics for this parish are extracted from this book which in turn got them from the 1851 census itself;

    • Area 15993 acres; Population 888 males, 998 females, total 1886

      Llanfihangel-ar-arth - on Wikipedia

        You can see pictures of Llanfihangel-ar-arth which are provided by:

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        Gazetteers

        The transcription of the section for Llanfihangel-ar-arth from The National Gazetteer (1868) provided by Colin Hinson.

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        Genealogy

        Martin, Marion. Titus Jones of Llanfihangel-ar-arth. Second Stages in Researching Welsh Ancestry. Edited by John & Sheila Rowlands. FFHS, 1999. (NB. - the article is about genealogy in Cwmfelin. The title is perhaps misleading in that Titus Jones, while born in Llanfihangel ar Arth, moved to Cwmfelin, near Llanelli, when young and there is minimal reference to Llanfihangel ar Arth parish in the article)
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        History

        Brief for the defence in the case heard at the Carmarthenshire Assizes, July 1870, against Evan and Hannah Jacob of Llanfihangel-ar-arth, co. Carmarthen, for the manslaughter of their daughter, Sarah Jacob (1857-69), the 'Welsh Fasting Girl'; - on the People's Collection Wales site

        Books marked * have an entry on the separate 'Review/Contents' page.

        *Dubé, Steve. This Small Corner, a History of Pencader and District , 266 pages, 62 illustrations, 6 maps, published by Carmarthenshire County Council, 2000.

        Hughes, D. G. Lloyd Tir yr Abad: Hanes New Inn a Gwyddgrug yn Shir Gâr. 1996 (Llandysul: Gwasg Gomer). index and bibliography. 22 photo illustrations. 10 maps.

        Lloyd, Sir John E., (Ed.). A History of Carmarthenshire (2 vols.), Cardiff, London Carmarthenshire Society (1935, 1939). Extracts from this book can be accessed on some parish pages, see here for this parish

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        Land & Property

        At the NLW is a document "Llanfihangel-ar-arth Tithe - Rent charge in lieu of tithe in arrear on the 12 January 1889" which covers the tithes due for the years 1884 to 1888 and lists 36 "Names of Defaulters" and holdings/farms. However it was not where one would expect but was found in a reference to Llangeler - Ref: Llysnewydd Bundle 62 NLW [from Glen Jenkins]

        Details of extant records on Archives Network Wales for the following;

        • Bolitho Way collection of Pleasant View, Llanfihangel-ar-arth, deeds 1895-1992 "Pleasant View is a property in the parish of Llanfihangel-ar-arth, Carmarthenshire. In 1895, the land was owned by William Price Llewellyn Lewes of Llysnewydd and leased to Rees Rees of Llwynfedw..........."
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        Maps

        A map of the parish of Llanfihangel ar Arth, Carmarthenshire - on the People's Collection Wales site

        Parish map (Kain/Oliver)

        You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SN463361 (Lat/Lon: 52.00171, -4.240465), Llanfihangel-ar-arth which are provided by:

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        Names, Geographical

        Places, villages, farms etc within Llanfihangel-ar-arth as shown on the online parish map from the CD of Historic Parishes of England and Wales: an Electronic Map of Boundaries before 1850 with a Gazetteer and Metadata [computer file]. (Kain, R.J.P., Oliver, R.R.). (Extracted by Gareth Hicks)

        • Llanfihangel-ar-arth (8); Afon Glwydeth; Afon Pib; Afon Talog; Afon Teifi; Afon Tyweli; Allt Walis; Banc Blodeuyn; Bedw-hirion; Blaen-bele; Blaen-blodau; Blaen-cornafon; Blaen-Gwen; Blaen-Gyfre; Blaen-nant-gwyn; Blodeuyn; Bryn-amlwg; Bryn-hebog; Bryn Teify Sta.; Bwlchog-isaf; Byrgwm; Castell-du; Ceulanau Duon; Clyn-glas; Clyn-llocau; Clyn-melyn; Corws; Craig Gwrtheyrn; Croes-ffordd; Cross Inn Hall; Crugiau Rhos-wen; Crugyn Amlog; Cwm-bychan; Cwm-cathan; Cwm-creigiau-fach; Cwm-du; Cwm-hwplyn; Cwm Pib; Cwrt; Dol-gran; Dol-grogws; Dol-llan; Dol-wen; Ffynnon ?; Foel-y-ddafad-ddu; Gelli-felen; Gelli-grin; Gilfach-fawr; Gilfach Meredydd; Gwar-cwm; Gwyddgrug; Lan; Llain-wen; Llanfihangel-ar-arth (village); Llwyn-ar-ddisgyn; Maes-coch; Mill; Nant Allt Walis; Nant Cwm Marydd; Nant-gwair; Nant Gwen; Nant Gwyddil; Nant-llech; Nant-y-gragen; New Inn (village); Pant-glas; Pant-mawr; Pencader (village); Pen-graig-wen; Pen-graig-y-gigfran; Pen-y-banc; Pen-y-lan; Perth-y-berllan; Plas-newydd; Pont Tyweli (village); Rhyd Beddau; Rhyd-fedw; Rhyd-goch; Scythlyn; Sychpant; Talgoed; Tre beddau; Tremle; Ty-newydd; Waun-lwyd; Wernmackwith
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        Occupations

        Hughes, D G Lloyd. Y Diwydiant Gwlan yn Nyffryn Teifi [The Woollen Industry in the Teifi Valley ]: Pencader a'r Cylch. Llanrwst, 2004

        Various items - on the People's Collection Wales site

        • Haymaking in Llanfihangel-ar-Arth
        • Beekeeping in Llanfihangel-ar-Arth
        • Dolbantau Woollen Mill House, Llanfihangel-ar-Arth
        • Dolbantau Woollen Mill Family, Llanfihangel-ar-Arth
        • Milking at Dyffryn, Llanfihangel-ar-Arth 1940
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        Schools

        Various items - on the People's Collection Wales site

        • Llanfihangel-ar-Arth School 1925   plus several nd
        • Llanfihangel-ar-Arth School Centenary Celebrations Brochure 1964