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Darowen

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"DAROWEN (DAR-OWAIN), a parish in the hundred of MACHYNLLETH, county of MONTGOMERY, NORTH WALES, 6 miles (E. by N.) from Machynlleth, containing 961 inhabitants. This parish, the name of which. signifies Owain's oak, or forest, is bounded on the north-west by the river Dovey, and on the north-east by the Twymyn, which flows into the Dovey at its northern extremity, and includes about nine thousand acres of land, of which only about four thousand are enclosed and under cultivation, the remainder being in commons, chiefly applied as sheep-walks.  ... The turnpike roads from Machynlleth to Newtown, through Carno, and to Welshpool through Mallwyd, run through the western and northern parts of the parish. ... The church, dedicated to St. Tudyr, is in the early style of English architecture : it is situated in the township of Noddva, ..." [A Topographical Dictionary of Wales by Samuel Lewis, 1833]

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Bibliography

Parish of Darowen: Beerseba C.M. Chapel, Melinbyrhedyn,Ty Cerrig W.M. Chapel, Commins Coch, Darowen Calvinistic Methodist Chapel, Nebo Ind. Chapel, Cemmaes Road, Bethesda Chapel, Penegoes, Saron W.M. Chapel, Abercegir, Seion Baptist Chapel, Talywern: memorial inscriptions. [S.1.] : Montgomeryshire Genealogical Society , 2001. 64p

Parish of Darowen : Parish Church of St.Tudyr : memorial inscriptions. [S.1.] : Montgomeryshire Genealogical Society , 2001. 60p

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Census

Victorian Powys for schools site - Census figures for Darowen parish 1841-1901

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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 towards the end of each entry are those of the informants.

Darowen parish consisting of the townships of Caerseddfan and Noddfa; statistics; Area 10000 acres; Population 581 males, 538 females, total 1119

  • Caerseddfan Township; Population 309 males; 277 females, total 586
  • Bethesda, Wesleyan Methodist            Erected 1828              Attendance - morning 60 scholars, afternoon 70, evening 90                     John Hubert, Wesleyan Minister
  • Rhyd y Felin, Calvinistic Methodists     Erected 1812    Attendance - morning 65 scholars, afternoon 76 + 65 scholars, evening 83 + 65 scholars     Edward Bebb, Deacon, Cil y Winllan, Machynlleth
  • Rhyd Wen Chapel, Calvinistic Methodist      Erected 1840    Attendance - morning 10 + 75 scholars, evening 13 + 89 scholars      Rich. Hughes, Secretary of Sunday School, Agent Dyfngwm Mines
  • Noddfa Township; Population 272 males, 261 females, total 553
  • Darowen Parish Church          Attendance - morning 35 + 8 scholars, evening 36 + 15 scholars             ".................In summer the attendance is considerably greater & on the 30th March the Dissenters made a strong effort to have their most popular Preachers which thinned the Church congregation"                   Services in English              John Price, Vicar
  • Saron, Noddfa Abercegir, Wesleyan Methodist                   Erected c 1826             Attendance - morning 20 + 80 scholars, afternoon 40 + 110 scholars, evening 80 + 120 scholars          John Rowlands, Deacon, Manufacturer
  • Nebo, Independents                  Erected 1821           Attendance -  morning 7 scholars, afternoon 7 + 7 scholars            Rev Hugh Morgans, Minister, Cwmlline, Cemmes
  • Tycerig, Wesleyan Methodist               Erected 1807           Attendance - morning 78 scholars, afternoon 150, evening 120               John Hubert, Wesleyan Minister
  • Capel Darowen, Calvinistic Methodist              Erected 1823           Attendance - morning 20 + 24 scholars, evening 10 + 14 scholars              Lewis (?) Harris, Deacon, Brynllwg, nr Cemmes

Church of St Tudur, Darowen on the Montgomeryshire Churches Survey site

Wesleyan churches on the Montgomeryshire Genealogical Society site
1. Darowen, Tycerrig in Commins Coch but on the south side of the River Twymyn and so in the parish of Darowen.
2.  Darowen, Abercegir towards the south side of the parish

Baptist churches on the Montgomeryshire Genealogical Society site - Talywern

Calvinistic Methodist (Presbyterian) churches on the Montgomeryshire Genealogical Society site - Darowen village, and Melinbarhedyn

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 Nebo, Cemmaes Road chapel (in Welsh ) - with translation

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Church Records

Detailed information on deposited registers and transcripts for this parish is given on the Powys Archives page Montgomeryshire parish registers

As a guide only, the principal extant parochial church records for this parish span the dates shown below (as detailed in Parish Registers of Wales, NLW 2000) but exact current holdings should be confirmed with the individual Archives;

  • Baptisms 1633-50, 1658-61, 1663-5, 1669-72, 1675-82, 1684-1689, 1708-1734, 1736-1876; Marriages 1633-50, 1658-60, 1673, 1675-82, 1684-1689, 1708-1734, 1736-1837; Burials 1633-50, 1658-60, 1670-1, 1673, 1675-82, 1684-1689, 1708-1734, 1736-1871; Banns 1824-1844
    Parish Registers, or copies, for all or part of these dates are held at the NLW, and/or Powys Archives.
    Bishops Transcripts for various periods are held at the NLW

St Asaph Notitiae; Deanery of Cyfeiliog and Mawddwy, Darowen parish 1681/1686 - on the NLW site

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Description & Travel

You can see pictures of Darowen which are provided by:

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Emigration & Immigration

Venedocia, Ohio  - "The original settlers of Venedocia Ohio came from farms near the towns of Llanbrynmair, Trefeglwys, and Darowen"

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Gazetteers

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Maps

Map of Montgomeryshire parishes on Montgomeryshire Genealogical Society's site - shows dioceses

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SH825015 (Lat/Lon: 52.598499, -3.73694), Darowen which are provided by:

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Public Records

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

  • Darowen Parish/Community Council records 1948-1987
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Schools

Powys Digital History Project site - Darowen National School

Darowen School, 1936/1937 - on the People's Collection Wales site