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Llanuwchllyn

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"LLANUWCHLLYN, a parish in the hundred of Penllyn, county Merioneth, 4 miles S.W. of Bala, its post town, and 12 N.E. of Dolgelly. It is situated at the south-western extremity of Bala Lake, and is watered by the river Dwfrdwy, a tributary of the Dee. The neighbourhood is wild and mountainous. The parish includes the townships of Castell, Cynllwyd, Penanlliw, and Penarran. Slate is obtained here. The living is a perpetual curacy in the diocese of St. Asaph, value £140. The church is dedicated to St. Deiniol. It contains some monumental effigies, including one of a knight in armour, whose duty it was to attend the judges in their assize journeys, and protect them from the attacks of banditti. Here are Vaughan's almshouses, with an endowment producing £42, and Williams' school, £25, and other charities amounting in all to about £95 per annum. A short distance from here is a waterfall on the river Twrch. Coins and other Roman remains have been found at Caer Gai, supposed to have been a Roman fort." [From The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) - Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]

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Bibliography

Evans, E D. A Llanuwchllyn ecclesiastical dispute. Journal of the Merioneth Historical and Record Society 11 (1993), p. 414-32.

Hughes, William. A short history of the Parish of Llanuwchllyn. Bala : Davies and Evans, Printers and Publishers, [ca.1900]. 32p

Jenkins. Robert T. Hanes cynulleidfa Hen Gapel Llanuwchllyn. Robt. Evans a'i Fab, 1937.

Pritchard, Seth. Hanes yr achos : cyflwynedig i Gymdeithasfa'r Methodistiaid Calfinaidd a gynhelir yn Llanuwchllyn, Mehefin 20-22, 1939. Bala : Swyddfa'r Seren, 1939

Roberts, Guto. Tom Jones Llanuwchllyn : teyrngedau. [Llanuwchllyn] : Pwyllgor Cofio Tom Jones Llanuwchllyn, 1991. 136p.

Seren y mynydd : papur newydd at wasanaeth Llanuwchllyn a'r amgylchoedd. Bala : Davies ac Evans. 1895- ?

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Census

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Church History

Church and chapel data from The Religious census of 1851 : A Calendar of the returns relating to Wales, Vol 11, North Wales. Ed. by Ieuan Gwynedd Jones, UWP, 1981. The names given towardsthe end of each entry are those of the informants.

Parish statistics; Area 12000 acres; Population 633 males, 631 females, total 1264

  • Llanuwchllyn Parish Church Attendance - morning 49 Services in WelshHugh Jones, Minister
  • Hen Gapel alias Ebenezer, Independent Erected 1740 Used as a Day school Attendance - morning 90 scholars, afternoon 300, evening 150 Thomas Roberts, Minister
  • Carmel, Independents Erected 1835 Attendance - morning 47 scholars, evening 60 Thomas Roberts, Minister
  • Dolhendre Chapel, Calvinistic Methodist Erected 1841 Attendance - morning 21 scholars, evening 38 Robert Williams, Minister, Wernddu
  • Aenion Chapel, Primitive Babtist Erected 1840 Attendance - morning 12 scholars, afternoon 34 scholars, evening 20 Edward Humphreys, Minister, Primitive Baptism. Tynddol
  • Pandy Chapel, Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Erected 1805 Attendance - morning 136 scholars, afternoon 211, evening 158 Edward Edwards, Deacon, Llanuwchllyn Mill
  • Penniel, Independent Dissenters Erected 1829 Attendance - morning 38 scholars, evening 18 Howell Davies, Deacon, Llechweddalchen
  • Soar, Calvinistic Methodist Erected 1822 Attendance - morning 68, afternoon 42 scholars, evening 31 Robert Hughs, Teacher and Steward, Tyn y Cae
  • Sion, Independent Erected 1846 Attendance - morning 22 + 32 scholars, evening 36 Thomas Jones, Diacon, Gwaglawddgilfach

See Welsh Chapels and Churches for a photograph of Yr Hen Gapel, Llanuwchllyn

Church in Wales announces amalgamation of three parishes
"The Church in Wales diocese of St Asaph announced today that the parishes of Llanycil with Christ Church Bala, Llangower, and Llanuwchllyn have taken the brave decision to join forces - a decision that could result in three of the four church buildings within these parishes being declared redundant. The church councils of each parish have faced up to the reality of their respective situations and come to some difficult decisions. They have agreed that the cause of the Gospel will be better served in the Bala area if resources are concentrated in one church building. It seems likely therefore that the final services have already been held in the church buildings in Llangower and Llanycil with the likely final service at Llanuwchllyn church being a Plygain service on 4th January 2004. "

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

  • Papers of Cadwaladr Jones, dissenting preacher 1807 - 1928 "A typescript copy of a certificate submitted by the minister (William Thomas) and five members of the Llanuwchllyn Congregational Church (Hen Gapel) to the Justices of the Peace at the Merionethshire Quarter Session, June 1807, testifying to the fitness and qualifications of Cadwaladr Jones of Deildre, Llanuwchllyn to be a dissenting preacher............."

Rees, Thomas & John Thomas Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru (History of the Welsh Independent Churches), 4 volumes (published 1871+). The Llanuwchllyn section (in Welsh) has been extracted. Translated by Eleri Rowlands (9/2020)

Hen Gapel, Llanuwchllyn  - on the People's Collection Wales  site

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Church Records

Joyce Hinde has supplied a list of Parish Registers held at Merioneth Record Office.

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Description & Travel

Narrow Gauge Heaven - Llanuwchllyn station

Various landscapes  - on the People's Collection Wales  site

You can see pictures of Llanuwchllyn which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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

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Genealogy

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

  • Davies, John, 'Y Bardd Glas', papurau (papers) 1855-1917 "John Davies ('Y Bardd Glas', fl. 1879-1917) of Llanuwchllyn, Merionethshire, was a poet and cobbler"
  • Edwards, O. M., papers 1804-1943 "Owen Morgan Edwards was a prominent man of letters, author, editor, tutor in history at Oxford University, 1889-1907, and the first Chief Inspector of Schools under the new Welsh Education Department. O. M. Edwards was born at Coed-y-pry, Llanuwchllyn, Merioneth................."
  • Ap Vychan Papers 1841 - 1937 "[The Rev] Robert Thomas [Ap Vychan] was born in Llanuwchllyn, Merionethshire in 1809 .........."
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History

Castle Wales - Carndochan castle near Llanuwchllyn

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

  • Davies, Arthur L., Dr, papurau (papers) 1818-[1952]"Notebooks of Dr Arthur L. Davies, [1903]-[1952], containing biographical material, letters and copy letters, poetry, photographs and historical material relating to Llanuwchllyn and Bala, Merionethshire; exercise book and autograph book of Thomas Davies, 1818, [1860s]; and copies of Seren y Mynydd, 1895"
  • Letters of David Hugh Jones 12 November 1924 -28 May 1938 "David Hugh Jones of Prysau Bychain, Llanuwchllyn, in Merioneth earned his living as a peddler..............." "This collection comprises David Hugh Jones' letters, mainly written to those in positions of authority and influence in Llanuwchllyn...."

Llanuwchllyn Bridge - Woman carrying water-bucket from river. Pencil drawing by J Needham.  nd  - on the People's Collection Wales  site

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Maps

Gwynedd Family History Society have a diagram of the ecclesiastical parishes of Merionethshire (under Parishes) - with some links to photographs of parish churches

Map of part of the parish of Llanuwchllyn, Merionethshire subject to tithes unmerged and payable to the impropriator Sir Watkin Williams Wynn Bart  - on the People's Collection Wales  site

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SH857294 (Lat/Lon: 52.849963, -3.699303), Llanuwchllyn which are provided by:

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Military History

Certificate of transfer to reserve. Edward Morris Edwards was born in Llanuwchllyn, Merionethshire in 1895 and enlisted with the Royal Welch Fusiliers in 1915. He served with the 14th (Service) Battalion of the RWF, including the Battles of Mametz Wood (July 1916) and Passchendaele. In April 1919 he was demobbed and transferred to the army reserve. Afterwards he found work on the railways in South Wales.  - on the People's Collection Wales  site

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Occupations

The manganese mines of Merionethshire

Photograph of c1929 Haymaking at Blaen y Cwm, Cwm Cynllwyd, Llanuwchllyn.  - on the People's Collection Wales  site

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Schools

Black and white photograph showing the plaque at Wynn's School at Llanuwchllyn, produced by Malcolm Seaborne, August 1989  - on the People's Collection Wales  site

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Social Life & Customs

Various items  - on the People's Collection Wales  site

  • Kitchen and range Llanuwchllyn , Meirionnydd 
  • Draughts tournament between Cwmtirmynach and Llanuwchllyn, at Cwmtirmynach, 1 December 1954
  • Mrs Catrin Evans from Llanuwchllyn, Merioneth preparing oatcakes.
  • Ted Richards Shop Llanuwchllyn
  • Two elderly men and an elderly woman, Llanuwchllyn.
  • Basket-weaving class at Ty Cerrig, Pennant-lliw, near Llanuwchllyn, 7 April 1955