Welsh Nonconformist Records

Malad Welsh Festival 2011

1821 diary of David Davies

6 Feb 1821 I entered into a club at Mynydd bach which began the 1st of January.

1821 diary of David Davies 25 Feb 1821 (Sunday)

Baran is a neat little meeting house on top of a high lofty mountain, up towards Llangiwc but Alltwen is an ugly cottage of a meeting house…

27 Feb I was rebuked very bad for going astray to Baran &.

Nonconformity

Nonconformity had the greatest influence on the spiritual and social life of Wales

By the mid nineteenth century 80% of the population were nonconformists

Before 1689 and the Toleration Act nonconformity was illegal so few records were kept

Nonconformity

The church was unable to cater to the spiritual needs and growth of the population

Nonconformity offered religion in the Welsh language

Growth of Welsh Nonconformity

Year 1716 1742 1775 1816 1861

Chapels 110 105 171 993 2927

Many records have not been deposited. About 5,500 chapels existed in Wales but less than thirty per cent of the registers have been deposited at a record office

Fate of Nonconformist Records

No record made

Records may have been lost

The records may still be with the chapel

Families traveled a considerable distance to worship & may not appear where you expect!!!

Finding Nonconformist Records

Standard reference source Guide to available

registers of christenings, marriages and burials

5,500 chapels existed in Wales but less than 30% of the registers have been deposited at a record office

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Reference tool deficiencies

Only christening/baptism, marriage and burial records are listed in Nonconformist Registers of Wales. It was published in 1994 and does not list records deposited since that date. Only 1350 of 5500 congregations had deposited registers.

The 1851 religious census does not identify record availability or congregations started after 1851.

Archives Network Wales does not cover all repositories of Welsh nonconformist records.

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Reference sources leave records out of reach

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Genealogical Proof Standard

The Board for Certification of Genealogists® have identified five elements that contribute to acceptable conclusions in genealogical research.First in their list is: “a reasonably exhaustive search”.

It is difficult for most Welsh family historians to know what an exhaustive search is when it comes to nonconformist records due to incomplete reference guides and scattered resources.

A new approach

FamilySearch Research Wiki

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Carmarthenshire Nonconformist Records

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Glamorgan Nonconformist Records

Other record types

Transfer certificates

Denominational magazines

1. Baptist

2. Calvinistic Methodist

3. Congregationalist

4. Calvinistic Methodist

1. Seren Gomer

2. Y Drysorfa

3. Y Cenhadwr Americanaidd

4. Y Cyfaill

Denominational magazines

Search 1st on Google Books

Search for the following vital event terms▪ Bu Farw (died)▪ Priododd▪ Marwolaeth (death)▪ Bywgraffiad (biography)▪ Esgorodd/esgoreddfa/eogoriad

(birthplace)

Obituary in Y Cenhadwr Americanaidd, 1875, page 202-203

Last April in Y Cenhadwr there was a notice* of the death of EVAN HOWELL. He was born in 1801 in a place called Penlan, Llangiwc Parish, Glamorganishre, South Wales. He was the son of John and Mary Howell, Pyllfa Watkin, Llangefelech, Glamorganshire, South Wales.

He married Jane Howell, the daughter of Howell and Mary Howell, Gelli-lwca-her [Jane's] death was noted in Y Cenhadwr about two years ago. He was received into church membership, as one of thirty, at Baran under the ministry of the Rev. Roger Howells in 1829.

He and his wife immigrated to America from Ty'r Cwm, near Gelli-lwca, in 1832. They settled in Bradford where they stayed until the grave.

Their two children were born in Wales and are in comfortable circumstances in Bradford. Evan Howell was one of the pillars of fire of the religious cause here since landing here.

His brother Wm. Howell is still with us, the only one of six children.

Strategies for Success

Search the National Burial Index compact disc. This database includes 265 thousand entries for Wales (Glamorganshire, Cardiganshire, Radnorshire, Monmouthshire, and Montgomeryshire)

Search for burials at the parish church. Nonconformist chapels seldom had their own burial ground before 1800

Search monumental inscriptions

Monumental Inscriptions

Monumental inscriptions fill some gaps in the missing records.

About three people named per stone

71. In Memory of/ Rachel/ Daughter of John Jones/ Ynisderw In This Parish/ Who Died October 9, 1837/ Aged 26 Years/ Also the Above Named/ John Jones/ Who Died June 26, 1851/ Aged 76 Years/ Also Hannah Wife Of/ The Above John Jones/ Who Died February 14, 1860/ Aged 82 Years/

Also of John Williams Grandson of The Above/ John & Hannah Jones/ Who Died June 5, 1892 Aged 59 Years/ Also in Memory of Lewis Williams/ His Brother/ Who died At/ Carbondale U.S.A./ June 25, 1892/ Aged 57 Years/ Interred At/ Carbondale/ Cemetery

Baran Chapel Monumental Inscriptions

Strategies for Success

Search christening, burial and monumental inscription records within a fifteen mile radius of where your ancestors lived.

Strategies for Success

Utilize histories about the:ChapelAreaDenomination

About this time, Wil Hopkin came to live in the area and he was instrumental in persuading the few brothers in the neighbourhood to form a prayer meeting on Sunday evenings.

The names of the ones who joined in the good work with W. Hopkin were Howell Llewellyn, Evan Howell, Job Morgan and his son, Thomas Howell, Llewellyn William and Dafydd Morgan; and soon after that Owen Evans joined them.

There were also some excellent ladies such as Catherine Lloyd, Margaret Edwards and the wife of Hopkin Harry.

Strategy for Success

Learn about the chapel pedigree

Strategies for Success

Search the Historical Manuscripts Commission National Register

of Archives web site for information on recently deposited

records. Do a “Place Name”searchhttp://www.nra.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/

The International Genealogical Index for Wales

Pre 1813 extractions are based on the assumption that everyone used patronymics.

Post 1812 extractions are based on theassumption that no one used patronymics.

A small percentage of church and chapel records have been extracted.

Analysis of Extracted Welsh Records

There are about 1,200 parish churches in Wales

There were about 5,500 nonconformist chapels in Wales

There should be about 6,700 registers of church/chapel records for Wales

About 1,408 registers have been extracted for Wales (based on findings for Glamorgan)

Analysis of Extracted Welsh Records

Conclusion

Less than 21% of the church and chapel records

for Wales have been extracted for the IGI

Strategies for Success with theInternational Genealogical Index for Wales

Search by given name for christenings before 1813

Search by surname for christenings after 1812

Use the IGI as a starting point but never expect it to

represent a high percentage of the population

Always examine the original record