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Llanycil

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"LLANYCIL, (or Llanykill), a parish in the hundred of Penllyn, county Merioneth, 12 miles S.W. of Corwen, 15 N.E. of Dolgelly, and 1 mile from Bala, its post town. The parish includes the market town of Bala and five other townships It is situated on the western side of Bala Lake, and has the workhouse for that Poor-law Union. Many of the people are employed in stocking-knitting. The parish is of large extent, being about 9 miles in length by 4 broad. The surface is hilly, rising at Arrenig Fawr to an altitude of 2,809 feet above the sea. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of St. Asaph, value £350, in the patronage of the bishop. The church is dedicated to St. Beuno. There is a free grammar school, with an endowment producing about £80, besides six scholarships, and six exhibitions at Jesus College, Oxford. There are other charities, amounting to nearly £30 per annum. Fairs are held on the 3rd June, 11th September, and 2nd October." [From The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) - Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]

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Business & Commerce Records

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

  • Guthrie Jones & Jones, Bala office, records 1613-1939"Guthrie Jones & Jones, Solicitors, were based in Corwen, Merionethshire, during the 19th and 20th centuries. The firm dealt with cases in Merionethshire, and handled land transactions, mainly in Merionethshire and Denbighshire, and had an office in Bala...."
  • Archibald Williams & Son, Solicitors, Bala, Papers 1577-1955 "R. O. Anwyl (fl. 1803-1837) practiced as a solicitor in Bala and in Machynlleth, Montgomeryshire. John Richard Jordan (d. [1942]) and Archibald Williams (fl. 1902-1951) were solicitors based in Bala, Merionethshire................."
  • Pell, W. M., Bala, papers 1915-1956 "W. M. Pell was an engineer and plumber, based at 4/6 High Street, Bala, Merionethshire, during the 20th century. He worked on Capel Tegid, Bala."
  • Y Seren, Bala Printing Works Papers 1885-1950 "Y Seren printing works, Bala, Merionethshire, was active from the 1890s, established to print the Radical weekly newspaper, Y Seren....."
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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 12868 acres; Population 1198 males, 1233 females, total 2431

  • Llanycil Parish Church Attendance - morning 55 "The reason that there is no afternoon service is that the Rector of Llanycil is at present serving Bala Episcopal Chapel gratuitiously in the afternoon" Peter Price, Rector
  • Bala Episcopal Chapel Licensed 1843 Attendance - afternoon 35 Robert Lloyd, Church Warden, Seedsman
  • Ebenezer, Wesleyan Methodist Erected 1835 Attendance - morning 4 scholars, afternoon 40, evening 40 John Richards, Member, China Dealer
  • Capel Newydd, Independents Erected 1779 Attendance - morning 122 scholars, afternoon 152, evening 201 Simon Jones, Deacon
  • Bethel, Welsh Calvinistic Methodist First erected 1751, last erected 1809 Attendance - morning 472, afternoon 361 scholars, evening 588 Lewis Edwards, Minister
  • Brynmoel, Welsh Calvinistic Methodists Not a separate building Attendance - afternoon 34 scholars, evening 44 Humphrey Williams, Deacon, Cefnbodig
  • Parc, Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Erected 1810 Attendance - morning 91, afternoon 155 scholars, evening 135 John Williams, Deacon, Llwyn Mawr
  • Llidiardau, Calvinistic Methodists Erected c1813 Attendance - morning 74 scholars, afternoon 122, evening 99 David Rowland, Minister, Llidiardau, nr Bala
  • Talybont, Calvinistic Methodist Erected 1827 Attendance - morning 140, afternoon 134, evening 145 Robert Evans, Minister, Ty Newydd, nr Bala
  • Capel Celyn, Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Erected 1821 Attendance - morning 108, afternoon 76 scholars, evening 68 John Evans, Deacon, Penbrynfawr

See Welsh Chapels and Churches for a photograph of Llanycil, St Beuno's Church

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;

  • Bala-Bangor Manuscripts 1826-1967 "The history of the Bala-Bangor College is a complex one, which begins in 1842 with the establishment of the Independent College in Bala, Merionethshire........."
  • Papers on the Bala and Bala-Bangor Independent Colleges 1855-1941

Rees, Thomas & John Thomas Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru (History of the Welsh Independent Churches), 4 volumes (published 1871+). The Bala section (in Welsh) has been extracted - with translation by Eleri Rowlands (12/2020)

Various items  - on the People's Collection Wales  site

  • CALVINISTIC METHODIST SUNDAY SCHOOL, LLIDIARDAU 
  • St Beuno's Church, Llanycil 
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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

Tomen y Bala castle - on Castle Wales

Various landscapes  - on the People's Collection Wales  site

Journey to the past  - Bala

You can see pictures of Llanycil which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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Genealogy

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

  • Peryddon (J. H. Lloyd), papurau (papers) 1799-1970 "J. H. (John Humphrey) Lloyd ('Peryddon', b. 1884) was a native of Bala, Merionethshire.............He wrote short stories and novels (unpublished), and also collected materials relating to the history and culture of Bala."
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History

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"
  • Williams, D. Moelwyn, poetry and Bala Junction station archives 1951-1974 "Bala Junction Station was opened in 1882, for passengers using the Llangollen line for Bala Town and/or Blaneau Festiniog.............."
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Land & Property

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

  • Llwynrodyn, Llanycil, Deeds 1699-1950 "Ellis William (d. [1780]) lived at Llwynrodyn (or Llwyn yr Odyn), Llanycil, Merionethshire............."
  • Plas yn Dre, Y Bala, Deeds 1509-1884 "The Plas yn Dre estate, Bala, Merionethshire, was held by the Lloyd family from the late 17th century...."
  • Deeds relating to the Price Family of Llanycil1584-1878 "John Price was the son and heir of Ellis Price of Boch yr hayad............"
  • Semple collection of Llanycil, Trawsfynydd and Bala deeds and papers 1837-1932
  • Creini Estate [Bala], sale records 1912-1914
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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 the parish of Llanycil, Merionethshire  - on the People's Collection Wales  site

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SH859377 (Lat/Lon: 52.924318, -3.69853), Llanycil which are provided by:

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Poor Houses, Poor Law

Bala Workhouse - on Peter Higginbotham's site

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Social Life & Customs

BBC Wales site - Local Legends - 'Coch Bach y Bala (the Welsh Houdini)