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Blaengarw in the Parish of Llangeinor

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"BLAENG ARW is a large hamlet, chiefly in the parish of Llangeinor, but partly, since 1899, in the parish of Bettws; with Pontycymmer and Pontyrhyl, it forms part of the Garw Valley ecclesiastical parish: this hamlet lies at the head of the Garw Walley, has a station on the Great Western railway, and is 9½ miles from Bridgend. The church of St. James, erected in 1890, at a cost of £1300, is a building of stone, with Bath stone dressings, in the Early English style, ... a new organ was built in 1893: there are 400 sittings; adjoining is a parish hall. Rev. John Davies L.Div. has been curate in charge here since 1916. There are three collieries. The Blaengarw Working Men's Hall and Institute, erected in 1894, is used for concerts and other entertainments, and will hold 1000 persons: attached to the hall is a reading room, lending library and billiard room." [From Kelly's South Wales Directory 1923 (ArchiveCDBooks) - transcribed by Gareth Hicks]

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Church Records

For full and up-to-date details of their holdings see the sites of Glamorgan Record Office and/or West Glamorgan Archives

The parish church is dedicated to St. James, and is in the Benefice of Pontycymmer and Blaengarw. Details of the present incumbent of this benefice can be found at the Church in Wales website. The church can be found at grid reference SS902929.

Anglican Parish Registers
BaptismsMarriagesBurialsBannsBishops Transcripts
No Registers have been deposited yet

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

  • Blaengarw Ecclesiastical Parish records " ........ including registers of banns; parish county council minutes; Blaengarw parish magazine no. 1, 1935"
    "Blaengarw lay originally in the ancient parish of Llangeinor in the Garw valley. In 1899, a new parish of Garw valley was created, which included Pontycymmer, Blaengarw and Pontyrhyl. Blaengarw was subsequently constituted as a separate parish in 1920, but rejoined the Garw valley parish to become Potnycymmer and Blaengarw in 1950. In 2004 the parish of Garw Valley was combined with Llangeinor to form the united parish of Llangeinor and the Garw Valley. The Church of St. James, Blaengarw was opened in 1890 and closed for worship in 2004"

 

Non Conformist Registers Held at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth
ChapelBaptismsMarriagesBurialsOS Map Ref
Katie Street, Tabernacle, Calvinistic Methodist-1902-1968-SS 90089306
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Description & Travel

Map of Garw Valley in 1884 - on the Digging up the Past site

One of the first passenger railway tickets Blaengarw to Llangeinor ticket number 000 dated 1902 - on the People's Collection Wales site

You can see pictures of Blaengarw in the Parish of Llangeinor which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SS903928 (Lat/Lon: 51.623292, -3.586077), Blaengarw in the Parish of Llangeinor which are provided by:

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Military History

An article from the Glamorgan Gazette about the death of J. H. Smith from Blaengarw during The First World War. - on the People's Collection Wales site

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Occupations

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

  • Garw Colliery "Pay Book 1890; Birth Certificates 1889-1892"
    "Garw Pit was owned by the Blaengarw Ocean Coal Company, a subsiduary of the Ocean Coal Company. Sinking of the pit began in 1883 and reached full production by 1886.........."
  • Garw Ocean Colliery "....... Colliers' Coal and Dead Work Pay Account Book 1885-1889"
    "David Davies and Company started the sinking of the Garw Ocean pit in 1883 and the colliery was in full operation by 1886.................."

Detachment of Swansea Borough Police on duty at the 1935 'Stay In' Strike, Ocean Colliery, Blaengarw. - on the People's Collection Wales site