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Llanfyrnach

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"LLANVYRNACH (LLAN-VRYNACH), a parish in the hundred of KEMMES, county of PEMBROKE, SOUTH WALES, 8 miles (S.W.) from Newcastle-Emlyn, containing 979 inhabitants. This parish, which derives its name from the dedication of its church, is situated in the north eastern part of the county, bordering upon Carmarthenshire, and comprises an extensive tract of land, of which the greater portion is enclosed and cultivated. . . On the banks of the river Tâf, and at no great distance from its source, are some extensive lead mines, which were formerly worked with great success; but for some years the works have been suspended. . . The church, dedicated to St. Brynach, is not remarkable for any architectural details of importance. There are places of worship for Baptists and Presbyterians. . . " [From A Topographical Dictionary of Wales (S. Lewis, 1833).]

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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 - 0104241
  • 1861 Census - 0543247
  • 1871 Census - 0850862
  • 1881 Census - 1342308
  • 1891 Census - 6099657
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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

  • Llanfernach Parish Church No informant's name
  • Hermon Baptist Erected in 1808 Walter Davies, Baptist Minister
  • Glandwr Ind Erected before 1800 John Davies, Minister
  • Tymawr Ind Not a separate building, not used exclusively as a place of worship "Tymawr is a dwelling house licensed for religious exercises ...." John Davies, Minister, Glandwr
  • Antioch Ind Erected in 1846 "It is also used as a day school .... " Simon Evans, Minister, Eglwyswrw

Parish entry from The Welsh Church Year Book, 1929 (Cd by Archive CD Books).

  • St Brynach
  • Incumbent and Curates; T M James
  • Rural Deanery of Emlyn
  • Acreage 6,359; Population 960

James, J Lloyd. Hanes Eglwys Glandwr o'r Cychwyniad yn Nghyda Hanes dechreuol yr Eglwys a Cychwynodd [ History of Glandwr Church from The Beginning Together With an Initial History of the Church and its {rogress]. merthyr Tydfil, The Tyst Office, 1902

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Church Records

Diocesan records suggest that c1790 this parish had registers going back to 1714

Parish registers: Christenings (1765-1993), Marriages (1754-1968, 1973-94) Banns (1823-44, 1908-56), Burials (1765-1992) at Pem.RO

Copy ts PR C (1765-1993) M (1754-1968) B (1765-1992) at SOG

Copy ts C (1813-1992) B (1813-1993) with index at Pem.RO

Bishops' Transcripts, covering the period (1675-6, 1678-83, 1685-8, 1703, 1799-1813, 1815-20, 1823-63, 1865-7, 1869-71, 1875-7) are at the National Library of Wales, and have been microfilmed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Call Number: 0105170.

See Bap/Mar/Bur data on FreeReg

Nonconformist Chapels:

  • Hermon [Baptists, 1808], Hermon SN21073191 Built 1808, rebuilt 1863. Still open 1998 Coflein On Dyfed FHS
  • Seion Baptist chapel, Crymych SN18283382 Built 1900 Still open 1998 Coflein On Dyfed FHS
  • Antioch, near Crymych village [Independents, 1846]. Records ; See Penygroes On Dyfed FHS Shown as still open on the Union of Welsh Independents site (Dec 2006) - See also Capeli (2005 list of chapels under threat)
    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 this chapel (in Welsh ) - with translation
  • Antioch Sunday School, Crymych SN18143357 mid to late-19th century chapel No denomination given Coflein
  • Glandwr, in Glandwr village [Independents, 1712]. Records ; 1. Register of baptisms and members, 1746-94, at NLW Ms 4759E 2. Account book, 1825-31, at NLW Ms 15520A 3. Baptisms and burials, 1785-1824, at PRO RG4/3915, and have been microfilmed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Call Number: 813551, also births and baptisms, 1827-37, at PRO RG4/4077, and have been microfilmed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Call Number: 813551. IGI, chr 1785-1790, 1803-37. 4. A commonplace notebook of John Lloyd James, Clwydwenfro, containing extracts of accounts of this chapel, 1723-60, and lists of baptisms 1750-59, at NLW Ms 11076A. 5. Album of Clwydwenfro ; Deals with a wide variety of material concerning this chapel and Rhydyceisiaid/Llanginning parish,CMN. It includes letters of dismissals at this chapel from 1738-1833[ one from Rhydwilym 1785]. Undated list of members here and at Rhydyceisiaid, and certificates of the registration of deaths, 1844-74, at NLW Ms 11614 On Dyfed FHS Shown as still open on the Union of Welsh Independents site (Dec 2006)
    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 this chapel (in Welsh ) - with translation by Maureen Saycell (Feb 2009)
  • Brynmyrnach Ind chapel, Hermon SN20523184 Built 1888 Still open 1998 Coflein On Dyfed FHS Shown as still open on the Union of Welsh Independents site (Dec 2006)
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Description & Travel

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

Hermon, Glogue and Llanfyrnach "Hermon is a small village of about 100 households situated about 10 miles south of Cardigan, 1.8miles off the A478 at Crymych The village is in the parish of Llanfyrnach.............."

You can see pictures of Llanfyrnach which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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

Transcript of complete entry in Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of Wales of 1833.

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Genealogy

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

  • Marion Thomas Deeds Including " ...... a pedigree, compiled by Major Francis Jones, of the Devonald and Morse families of Llanfyrnach and the associated family of Skeel of Trewilym, Pembrokeshire, 1886-1905"
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History

Lewis (Mynachlog-ddu), E.T. Llanfyrnach Parish Lore. Printed by C.I. Thomas, Haverfordwest. 143p. [A comprehensive parish history of 143 pages with photos , contains all sorts of snippets relating to the churches, schools, industry, tradespeople, place-names, incomes, prices, etc. and 18 pages of brief biographical notes on selected individuals, mostly from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Here is an index by Peter Jones

Thomas, J H The diaries of a Pembrokeshire man, 1876-1905 [David Williams] The Journal of the Pembrokeshire Historical Society, No.4 1990/91 Welsh Journals Online

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Maps

Parish map (Kain/Oliver)

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SN205308 (Lat/Lon: 51.950732, -4.591544), Llanfyrnach which are provided by:

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Names, Geographical

Places, villages, farms etc within Llanfyrnach 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 Peter D Hall)

  • Llanfyrnach [14]; Benney, Blaiddbwll, Brynteg Fm, Bwlch-gwynt, Bwlch-sais, Crymmych Arms, Clawdd-du, Caer, Glan-dwr, Glogue Sta, Graig, Gwndwn, Hermon, Llanfyrnach, Maen Gwyn Hir, Maes-y-garn, Nant-y-geifr, Pant-y-Gwyddel, Pant-y-gwndwn, Pentre-galar, Pont-y-Gafel, Pwll-glas, Rhyd-y-gath, Silver Lead Mine, Tre-Henry, Tre-Howel, Troyan, Ty-coed
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Occupations

Llanfyrnach Silver-Lead Mine (Linked site forbidden 8/2023) circa 1752 to 1890 ; based on a presentation and display for the Local History Festival, Llanfyrnach Parish Church, 8 April 1999. Well worth a visit, includes personal names.
"The Llanfyrnach Silver Lead Mine is situated on either side of the Afon Taf 650 metres north east of Llanfyrnach Parish Church, near Crymych, and is partially within Clydey parish at NGR SN 225316......................"
See also the diaries of Williams, David, a carpenter working for Lewis Evans at the Llanfyrnach Mine. The diaries have been published in part in Clebran (papur bro'r Preseli) Rhif 235, Ionawr 1996.

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

  • Mine plans, Pembrokeshire (non-coal) "Plans relating to Llanfyrnach lead mines, Crymych, and Green Hill ochre mine, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, 1883-1919"