Llanwenog chapels

For further details of this project see Cardiganshire Chapels Database

Compiled by Gareth Hicks (April 2007)

Sources

NB.  Not all available data was necessarily used from sources - and sources 1 & 4 have been combined as similar

• 1.  The Chapels Recording Project in Wales (RCAHMW)
• 2.   The Religious census of 1851 : A Calendar of the returns relating to Wales, Vol 1, South Wales., byJones, I.G. & Williams, D.      UWP,   Cardiff, 1976
• 3.   Nonconformist Registers of Wales published by the National Library of Wales in 1994.
• 4.   The Parish Churches and Nonconformist Chapels of Wales: Their Records and where to Find them, Vol. One, Cardigan - Carmarthen - Pembroke, by Rawlins, B.J. (1987).
• 5.  Kelly's Directory, South Wales 1910 -  the Archive Cd Books Cd
• 6.  Kelly's Directory, South Wales 1895 -  the Archive Cd Books Cd
• 7.  My Ancestors were Congregationalists in England and Wales, by D J H Clifford, SOG, 1992.
• 8.  Death and Burial indexes available for purchase from Cardiganshire Family History Society
• 9. Online Commercial & Residential Directories as appropriate to a particular parish - apart from what may already be on Genuki, see also the Historical Directories site

 Other sources

• Dyfed FHS  - Photographs of chapels (may also be other data there)
• Archives Network Wales
• Lewis 1833 on Genuki  (Samuel Lewis's A Topographical Dictionary of Wales 1833 )

Baptist

Brynhafod (Crug) Baptist chapel, Gorsoch - near Crugymaen,

• Brynhafod Welsh Baptist chapel, Crug-y-man, Gorsoch           SN48335063         Chapel built 1711 by the Independents,  Baptists began preaching here c 1800, embodied 1829, chapel rebuilt 1861         Records; see Aberduar, Llanybydder and also Cilgwyn, Llangybi for the early period before 1800             Still open 1998          (1) & (4)
• Crug.     Babtists  (sic)               Erected in 1711             Thomas Griffiths, Manager    1851  (2)
• Brynhafod Baptist            Erected in 1861           250 sittings       1910  (5)
•  
• Photograph on Dyfed FHS

Capel Sion / Seion Baptist chapel, Cwrtnewydd

• Cwrtnewydd Welsh Baptist (Sion), Cwrtnewydd          SN48914785        Preaching for several years before chapel built in 1820, rebuilt 1881, enlarged 1929.       Records; see Aberduar, Llanybydder        Still open 1998            (1) & (4)
• Capelsion   Baptist                 Erected in 1820         Evan Jenkins, Deacon     1851   (2)
• Baptist chapel, Cwrtnewydd         Erected in 1820     250 sittings     1910  (5)
•  
• Photograph on Dyfed FHS

Independent

Bethel Ind chapel, Drefach

• Bethel Welsh Ind chapel, Drefach              SN50304587               Chapel built 1880 , vestry added 1936.    Sunday School built 1847     Members; c 75 in 1851    Still open 1998      (1) & (4)
• Trefach School Room    Independents a Branch of Brynteg         "Used as a place of worship 1847, formerly used as a Shop Room, at present only a place of worship and Sunday School"            Thomas Thomas, Deacon       1851   (2)
• Bethel Welsh Ind., Drefach            Opened 1810    Still open 1992     (7)
• Congregational, Drefach    Erected in 1880       150 Sittings      1910  (5)
•  
• Photograph on Dyfed FHS

• Shown as still open on the Union of Welsh Independents site (Dec 2006)
•  
• I have a note in my own research to the effect that members at Bethel Chapel, Drefach were usually buried in Llanwenog Churchyard or Rhydybont Chapel cemetery, Llanybyther. (Gareth Hicks)

Brynteg Independent chapel, Abertegan

• Brynteg  Ind chapel, Abertegan           Started 1834, chapel built in 1838                Records; see Rhydybont, Llanybydder and Horeb, Llandysul               (4)
• Brynteg  Ind                   Erected in 1838                 Thomas Thomas, Deacon, Trefail        1851  (2)
• Congregational, Brynteg        Erected in 1838     650 sittings         1910  (5)
•  
• Rees, Thomas & John Thomas. Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru (History of the Welsh Independent Churches), 4 volumes (published 1871+). Here below is the entry from this book for this chapel (in Welsh with translation) copied from the Cd published by Archive CD Books
•  
• Photograph on Dyfed FHS

• Shown as still open on the Union of Welsh Independents site (Nov 2006)

Miscellaneous

Alltyblaca Unitarian chapel

• Alltyblaca Welsh Unitarian chapel            SN52394589             Chapel built 1740/1, rebuilt 1832 & 1892.              Still open 1998           (1) & (4)
• Alltyplaca    Unitarian              Erected in 1837      David Evans, Minister     1851   (2)
•  
• Photograph on Dyfed FHS
•  
• Williams, T. O.  Hanes Capel Galltyplaca [Unitarian], Ymofynnydd 1929, t. 121-7; YM, 1940, t. 145-51
• Chwilotwr.   Mynwent Alltyplaca [Unitarian].   Ymofynnydd, 1953, t. 35-8.

Capel-y-bryn Unitarian chapel, Cwrtnewydd

• Capel-y-bryn Welsh Unitarian chapel, Cwrtnewydd         SN49134766        Started c.1829, school at Bryneglwys in 1833, chapel built 1867 at Cwrtnewydd, rebuilt 1881       Members;  30 in 1867      Still open 1998   (1) & (4)
•  
• Photograph on Dyfed FHS
•  
• Capel y Bryn, 1882-1982. ‘Braslun o hanes yr Achos Undodaidd yng Nghwrtnewydd’, gan D. Elwyn Jones [‘A sketch of the history of the Unitarian Case in Newcourt’, by D. Elwyn Jones]' held at Ceredigion Archives/Catalogue(Collections)

Capel Bach Welsh Unitarian chapel, Cwrtnewydd

• Capel Bach Welsh Unitarian chapel, Cwrtnewydd       SN48884795           Not still open 1998    (1)

Capel-y-cwm Unitarian chapel, Llanwenog

• Capel-y-cwm Unitarian chapel, Llanwenog                   Photograph on the Capeli site - cause began in 1896 and chapel built in 1906

Brynteg Independent chapel, Abertegan

(Vol 4, p 208-209)

"Saif y capel hwn yn rhan orllewinol plwyf Llanwenog. Er's llai na deugain mlynedd yn ol yr oedd y plwyf hwn yn amddifad o addoldy Ymneillduol, ac oherwydd hyny mewn cyflwr digrefydd ac anfoesol. Treulid y Sabboth yn gyffredin i ddwyn yn mlaen gampau llygredig, yn neillduol "cicio'r bêl droed." Ar y Nadolig yr oedd "match cicio'r bêl" yn cymeryd lle rhwng gwyr y plwyf a gwyr y Blaenau, pryd y ceid cynnulliad lluosog, oddeutu tair mil, meddir, o drigolion y plwyf a'r ardaloedd cyfagos. O dosturi at gyflwr truenus y trigolion gwnaed cynyg i godi ysgol Sabbothol yn mhentref Rhuddlan, ond oherwydd ymddygiad anfad a gwrthwynebus y trigolion, gorfodwyd ei rhoddi i fyny. Yn 1834, symudodd Mr. John Jones a'i deulu o Blaenborthyn, yn mhlwyf Llandysul, i fyw i Blaenbronfain, yn mhlwyf Llanwenog, a daeth ei frawd-yn-nghyfraith, Mr. John Griffiths, a'i deulu, i fyw yn ei le yn Blaenborthyn. Yr oedd y ddau deulu yn perthyn i eglwys Pencadair. Yr oedd Mr. David Griffiths a'i deulu, Llanfechan, a Mr. David George, gwas Major Evans, Dolaubach, hefyd yn perthyn i Rydybont. Cynygiasant gadw ysgol yn amaethdai Bro Gwenog ar gylch, a llwyddasant tu hwnt i bob disgwyliad. Cawsant lawer o gymorth gan rai o aelodau y Methodistiaid Calfinaidd yn nghapel Waunifor. Pan gasglodd yr ysgol nerth, penderfynwyd codi addoldy. Cafwyd tir at hyny, a chladdfa eang, gan Major Evans, ar dir Abertegan, ar les o 200 o flynyddau am 10s. y flwyddyn. Cafwyd pob caredigrwydd gan amaethwyr yr ardal. Agorwyd y capel yn 1838, a'r Nadolig cyntaf cynaliwyd cyfarfod ysgolion Sabbothol Noni, Rhydybont, a Brynteg ynddo, er mwyn dybenu "y match cicio'r bel," yr hyn a wnaed yn llwyr, ac am byth wrth bob tebyg.   Ffufiwyd yma eglwys, ac am y pedair blynedd cyntaf gofelid am yr achos gan Meistri S. Griffiths, Horeb; M. Rees, Pencadair; J. Lewis, Rhydybont; D. Davies, Llanbedr, ac E, Williams, Penycae. Bu y ddau olaf yn cadw ysgol yn Brynteg, bob un am auaf yn olynol. Yn 1842, ymunodd Brynteg a Rhydybont a Chapel Noni i fod dan weinidogaeth "Jones, Llangollen," ond darfyddodd Mr. Jones a gweinidogaethu yn Brynteg flynyddoedd cyn iddo ymadael a'r ddwy eglwys arall. Yn 1852, ymynodd Brynteg a'r ddwy eglwys uchod i roddi galwad i Mr. Henry Jones, Saron, ac yn 1862, i Mr. D. Williams, Glynedd. Talwyd dyled adeiladu y capel yn bur fuan, ond yn ddiweddar y mae wedi ei adnewyddu a'i brydferthu. Mae golwg gysurus iawn ar yr achos dan weinidogaeth fywiog ac effeithiol Mr. Williams.  

Yr unig bregethwr a gyfodwyd yma yw Mr. John Bowen Jones, B.A., Penybont-ar-ogwy, a mab Mr. John Jones, Blaenborthyn, un o gychwynwyr yr achos yma. "

 Translation by Gareth Hicks

"This chapel stands in the western portion of Llanwenog parish. Although less than forty years ago this parish was devoid of Dissenting places of worship, and for that reason was in an irreligious and immoral state. They treated the Sabboth as commonplace to carry on immoral activities, in particular "kicking a football".  At Christmas time a "football match" took place between the men of this parish and the men from Blaenau, when they had a large gathering, about three thousand, say, of the  inhabitants from the parish and neighbourhood. Taking pity on the lamentable state of the inhabitants it was proposed to raise a Sunday school in the village of Rhuddlan, but because of the atrocious and adverse attitude of the inhabitants, they were obliged to give it up.
In 1834, Mr John Jones and his family from Blaenborthyn, in Llandysul parish,  moved to live in Blaenbronfain, in Llanwenog parish, and his brother-in-law, Mr John Griffiths, and his family, came to live in his place in Blaenborthyn. The two families were connected  to the church in Pencadair. Mr David Griffiths, and family, (from) Llanfechan, and Mr David George, a servant of Major Evans, Dolaubach, were also connected to (the church at ) Rhydybont. They tried to keep a school in the farmhouses of the Vale of Gwenog and district, and succeeded beyond all expectation. They received much assistance from some of the Calvinistic Methodists of the Waunifor chapel. As the school grew in strength, they decided to build a place of worship. They acquired land for this, and a spacious graveyard, from Major Evans, on Abertegan land, with a 200 year lease for 10s a year. They received every kindness from the farmers of the district. The chapel was opened in 1838, on the first Christmas they held a meeting of the Sunday schools of Noni, Rhydybont, together with Brynteg, to end the "football match", and this they did completely, and for ever by all accounts. They established a church, and for the first four years the cause was cared for by Messrs S. Griffiths, Horeb; M. Rees, Pencadair; J. Lewis, Rhydybont; D. Davies, Llanbedr, and E, Williams, Penycae. The latter two kept a school in Brynteg, alternating for successive winters. In 1842, Brynteg, Rhydybont and Capel Noni opted to be under the ministry of "Jones, Llangollen", but Mr Jones ceased his ministry in Brynteg years before he left the other two churches. In 1852, Brynteg and the two churches mentioned above decided to give a call to Mr Henry Jones, Saron, and in 1862, to Mr D Williams, Glynedd. They repaid the debt for the building of the chapel very quickly, but lately have renovated and refreshed  it. There is a very comfortable look about the cause under Mr Williams' lively and effective ministry.

The only preacher raised here is Mr John Bowen Jones, B.A., Penybont-ar-ogwy, a son of Mr John Jones, Blaenborthyn, one of the founders of this cause."