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Puncheston

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"PUNCHESTON, a parish in the hundred of KEMMES, county of PEMBROKE, SOUTH WALES, 12 miles (N.N.E.) from Haverfordwest, containing 326 inhabitants. This parish, which is also called "Castell Mael," probably from an ancient encampment, of which there are still some remains, comprises a considerable tract of arable and pasture land, the greater portion enclosed and in a good state of cultivation. The surface is boldly undulated, in some parts rising into mountainous elevations and the soil is various, but in the low grounds fertile and productive. The living is a discharged rectory, in the archdeaconry of Cardigan, and diocese of St.David's, rated in the king's books at £5. 6. 8., and in the patronage of the Rev. James Williams James. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is not remarkable for any architectural details. There are places of worship for Baptists and Calvinistic Methodists; and the Society of Friends had formerly a place of interment in this parish. The remains of the ancient encampment above noticed occupy the summit of a rocky eminence, inaccessible on one side by the precipitous steepness of the acclivity, and defended on the other sides by a deep intrenchment. The Rev. --- Gambold, father of Bishop Gambold, and the compiler of a Welsh, Latin, and English Dictionary, was for some years rector of this parish. The average annual expenditure for the maintenance of the poor amounts to £51. 13." [From A Topographical Dictionary of Wales (S. Lewis, 1833).]

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Business & Commerce Records

Handwritten receipt [1938]for the supply of goods by William Evans & Son of the Supply Stores, Puncheston - on the People's Collection Wales site

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Census

The 1851 census for this parish has been indexed by Dyfed Family History Society.

Census Returns for this parish have the following LDS Call Numbers:

  • 1841 Census - 0464343
  • 1851 Census - 0104238
  • 1861 Census - 0543245
  • 1871 Census - 0850858
  • 1881 Census - 1342306
  • 1891 Census - 6099651
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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

  • Puncheston Parish Church William Davies, Curate
  • Smyrna Baptist Erected in 1824 D W Morris, Minister with another return Erected in 1827 Ebenezer Williams, Deacon, Llysdref, Puncheston
  • Bethel Welsh CM Erected in 1827 Henry Evans, Deacon

Parish entry for Puncheston with Little Newcastle from The Welsh Church Year Book, 1929 (Cd by Archive CD Books).

  • St Mary & St Peter (Little Newcastle)
  • Incumbent and Curates; D Morgan
  • Rural Deanery of Fishguard
  • Acreage 1,788 & 2,758; Population 325

Bethel Calvinistic Methodist Chapel, Puncheston on the People's Collection Wales site

Smyrna Baptist Chapel, Puncheston on the People's Collection Wales site

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    Church Records

    Civil register (1653-9) at Cardiff Central Library with Mf at NLW.

    PR M 1813-37 recorded in 1933 apparently lost

    Parish registers: Christenings (1789-1807, 1813-1985), Marriages (1797-1810, 1838-1967), Burials (1789-1807, 1813-1974) at NLW with Mf copies at Pem.RO

    Bishops' Transcripts, covering the period (1675-6, 1678-83, 1686, 1688, 1799, 1801-4, 1806-7, 1809-11, 1813-43, 1845-8, 1852-9) are at the National Library of Wales, and have been microfilmed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Call Number: 0105185.

    See Bap/Mar/Bur data on FreeReg

    Nonconformist Chapels:

    • Smyrna , in Puncheston village [Baptists, 1828]. Records ; See Beulah On Dyfed FHS
    • Bethel, in Puncheston village [Calvinistic Methodists, 1827] On Dyfed FHS Bethel Casmael CM chapel - still open in 2006
    • Quakers Burial Ground & Meeting House, Puncheston SM99452925 Meeting house existed by 1700, discontinued in 1725, no remains. Burial ground was first mentioned in 1683 (ref., The Quaker Meeting houses of Britain, Vol. ii) Coflein
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    Description & Travel

    Various landscape photographs of the area and surrounds - on the People's Collection Wales site

    You can see pictures of Puncheston which are provided by:

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    Gazetteers

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

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    Maps

    Parish map (Kain/Oliver)

    You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SN002303 (Lat/Lon: 51.935213, -4.908485), Puncheston which are provided by:

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    Names, Geographical

    Places, villages, farms etc within Puncheston 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 Rosemary St.Leger-May)

    • PUNCHESTON (39); WINDY HILL; EAGWR FRAN; PARSONAGE; PARC-Y-BORAU; PUNCHESTON COMMON; MARTEL