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Llansawel

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"LLANSAWEL (LLAN-SAWEL), a parish, in the union of LLANDILO-VAWR, lower division of the hundred of CAYO, county of CARMARTHEN, SOUTH WALES, 11 miles (N.) from Llandilo-Vawr, on the road to Lampeter; comprising the hamlets of Edwinsford with Glynn, and Wen with Genol, containing 982 inhabitants. This parish is pleasantly situated on the small river Cothy, and is intersected by a tributary of that stream, which falls into it near the village; over each is a neat bridge. The lands are for the greater part inclosed and in a state of good cultivation; the surrounding scenery is pleasantly diversified with wood and water . . . Edwinsford, called in Welsh "Rhyd Odyn," the seat of the family of Williams, whose ancestors have represented the county in parliament for several ages, and now the seat of Sir James Hamlyn Williams, Bart., is in the parish, beautifully situated on the eastern bank of the river Cothy . . . The living is a vicarage, annexed to that of Cayo . . . There is a place of worship for Methodists: about 30 children are instructed in a day school . . . and 70 males and 35 females are taught gratuitously on Sunday by Calvinistic Methodists . . . " [From A Topographical Dictionary of Wales (S. Lewis, 1844).]

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Biography

Evans, J. Blodeuglwm i goffa y Parch. Jonah Evans: athro Ysgol Ramadegol, Llansawel, Liverpool, Evans, T. Eli (1907) vii, 153 p., plate; p. [Evans, Jonah, 1836-1896]
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Cemeteries

Monumental inscriptions for St Sawyl's Church, Llansawel, are available on microfiche from Dyfed FHS.

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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

  • Llansawel Parish Church, Hamlet of Genol Benj. Mensden, Minister, Pumpsaint
  • Llansawel chapel CM Erected before 1800 James Davies, Deacon, Troesgotta, Nr Llandilo

Parish entry for Conwil Caio with Llansawel from The Welsh Church Year Book, 1929 (Cd by (Archive CD Books).

  • St Cynwyl & St Sawyl (Llansawel)
  • Incumbent and Curates; Daniel Thomas
  • Rural Deanery of Llangadock
  • Acreage 26,187 & 10,250 ; Population 1,866

    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 Sawel

      St. Sawyl's church and cemetery, Llansawel. - on the People's Collection Wales site

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      Church Records

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

      Parish registers: Christenings (1751-1979), Marriages (1751-1970), Banns (1823-1919) and Burials (1751-1980) are at the National Library of Wales with Mf copies [except Banns} at Carm.RO

      Bishops' Transcripts, covering the period (1675-9, 1682, 1693-5, 1702, 1705, 1707, 1724, 1726-9, 1731, 1733-7, 1739, 1741-4, 1746-7, 1749-54, 1756-60, 1762-5, 1767-88, 1790, 1792-4, 1796-1800, 1802-12, 1814-35, 1838-40, 1849, 1855-7) 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. 20 - Cayo Hundred (Dyfed Family History Society, c1989)

      See Bap/Mar/Bur data on FreeReg

      Nonconformist Chapels:

      • Bethel Chapel (Calvinistic Methodist, c1740), Llansawel village Births and baptisms (1818-36) PRO RG4/3831, LDS 828108, IGI On Dyfed FHS Bethel Llansawel CM chapel - still open in 2006
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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 10017 acres; Population 535 males, 516 females, total 1051

        View of Llansawel from the hill - on the People's Collection Wales site

        You can see pictures of Llansawel which are provided by:

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        Gazetteers

        The transcription of the section for Llansawel from The National Gazetteer (1868) provided by Colin Hinson.

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        Genealogy

        Carmarthenshire Families

        Brown, R.L. The followers of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat (who made Israel to sin): a study of the clerical members of the Davies-Williams family of Llansawel, Dyfed, Tongwynlais ([The Vicarage, 1 Merthyr Rd., Tongwynlais, Cardiff, CF4 7LE]), [R.L. Brown] (1983) iv, 58 p., [1] leaf of plates, 2 geneal. tables, 3 ports. [Davies (Family) & Williams (Family), 1800-1930]
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        History

        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

        Price, F.S. History of Llansawel, Carmarthenshire, Swansea: The Author: printed by B. Trerise, (1898) 54 p. Here is a substantial extract from this book

        Williams, D. J. The Old Farmhouse/Hen Dy Ffarm. trans. from Welsh by Waldo Williams. 1961 (Harrap). 238pp. well-known account of farming life in the Carmarthenshire parishes of Llansawel, Caio, Pencarreg and Llanybydder at turn of 19th and 20th centuries. Also a parallel-text Welsh/English version published by Gomer, Llandysul, 2001/2, (1 84323 032 1). "Since it was first published in 1953 Hen Dy Ffarm has become a classic of Welsh literature......."

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        Land & Property

        Edwinsford, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire. - on the People's Collection Wales site

        Documents at the National Library of Wales:

        • Records of the estate of the family of Williams, later Williams-Drummond, of Rhydodyn, otherwise Edwinsford, Carmarthenshire, including deeds, 1472-1811, records of the manor of Talley, 1617-1744, correspondence, 1580-1863. Other records at Carmarthen Archives.
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        Language & Languages

        The Welsh Dialect of Llansawel, Dyfed - on the People's Collection Wales site

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        Maps

        Parish map(Kain/Oliver)

        Various items - on the People's Collection Wales site

        • Map of such lands as render tithes to Sir James Williams, Baronet, impropriator thereof, in the parish of Llansawel in the County of Carmarthen
        • Map of the hamlet of Wen, in the parish of Llansawel in the County of Carmarthen, also the farms of Wion Byrgwm and Rhosygogel and also part of the farms of Maesyllan and Penpompren in the same parish

        You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SN604365 (Lat/Lon: 52.009175, -4.035716), Llansawel which are provided by:

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        Military History

        "Ben Williams was born in 1883 into a farming family in Llansawel, Carmarthenshire. He fought in the Boer War and then in 1906 he set sail for Halifax and a new life in Canada. He said years later that while serving in South Africa he had met up with some Canadian volunteers who had encouraged him to take advantage of the opportunities available in the Canadian Northwest, especially to those with farming experience. In 1914 Ben joined the Canadian army, his previous military experience probably securing him a commission. He served for almost the entire war, being posted overseas in early 1915. ................."  - on the People's Collection Wales site

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        Names, Geographical

        Places, villages, farms etc within Llansawel parish 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)

        • Llansawel (89); Abergorlech (village); Acheth; Afon Marlais; Afon Melynddwr; Allt-Tan-y-coed; Banc; Banc Beili-Tew; Beili-Ficer; Benoeth; Blaen-cwm; Blaen-gofiarth; Bryniau; Castell; Cil-fawr; Cilwenau; Cwm-coed-Ifor; Cwm-cwta; Cwm-Hywel; Cwm-Eifion-fawr; Edwinsford; Esgair; Esgair-wen; Froodvale Fm.; Glan-yr-Anell Park; Lan Ddu Cilwenau; Llansawel (village); Llywelau; Moelfre; Mynydd Cynros; Pant-iauau; Pen-y-Ddinas; Pen-y-rhiw-fawr; Pengelli; Pistyll-gwyn; Pwll-cymbyd; Rhyd-cymmerau; Rhyglin; Tan-y-lan; Trawsgoed; Tre-glog; Ynys-dywyll
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        Occupations

        Various items - on the People's Collection Wales site

        • Sawel Mil lorry. D.Davies & Sons, Sawel Mill Haulage Contractors, Llansawel c.1930-2002
        • Penny Forge, Llansawel, run by Thomas Griffiths before he moved to Swansea with his family.
        • Llansawel post office with group of people and horse and cart outside.nd
        • A group of people, and a horse and carriage outside the Swann Inn, Llansawel. 1891
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        Public Records

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

        • Llansawel Parish Council Records 1852-1901
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        Schools

        Various items - on the People's Collection Wales site

        • Llansawel Primary School 1922
        • Llansawel Primary School 1978 & 1981
        • Llansawel Primary School c1990
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        Social Life & Customs

        Various items - on the People's Collection Wales site

        • Llansawel Carnival 1978
        • Street in Llansawel, banner proclaims THE HEALTH OF MANKIND
        • No water in Llansawel 1959
        • Autograph book from Llansawel 1961
        • Mr Jones, Lord Mayor of Llansawel c1885