Parish Pages - Llanafanfawr - Parish Overview
Photography by Jennie Williams 2011
Churches in Llanafanfawr Parish:
- St Afan's Church, Llanafanfawr
Non-Conformist Chapels in Llanafanfawr Parish include:
- Pisgah Baptist Chapel, Hirnant
- Capel-y-Rhos Independent Chapel, Brongarth
- Troedrhiwdaler Independent Chapel, Llanafanfawr
St Afan's Church, Llanafanfawr Parish Records
The records were transcribed using Excel and have been converted to PDF. All documents are available for download by clicking the Transcriptions Link on the right.
- Baptisms (1708 to 1911)
- Banns (1790 to 1840)
- Licences (1723 to 1741)
- Marriages (1708 to 1911)
- Burials (1708 to 1911)
The Society acknowledges the generosity of BLFHS member David James, who has been transcribing parish records in northern Breconshire for a number of years, and who has given us permission to publish his work for the benefit of all Society members.
NOTE: It is always advisable to verify transcribed data by studying either the original documents, or facsimile images of the original documents. Microfilms of the Llanafan Fawr parish registers are available for viewing at the National Library of Wales (Aberystwyth) and the Powys Archives (Llandrindod Wells).
Troedrhiwdaler MIs
We are pleased to announce that the Troedrhiwdalar Chapel MIs project is now complete. The collected information is only available to members and includes photographs of the individual graves, transcribed MIs, surnames and place-names indexes, a history of the chapel, and detailed plans of the three graveyard plots. If you are a member you can access these documents in the panel on the right.
You may also purchase a copy of the booklet (not including photographs) from the society by emailing Hilary Williams at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Troedrhiwdalar Congregational Chapel: Baptism Register 1804 to 1837
We are grateful to have received the images of this register, courtesy of Karen Best, via BLFHS member James Hendry. Thanks also go to BLFHS member Alison Skipper for transcribing the information from the images.
The register consists of 22 double-page spreads, arranged as follows:
The first six double pages are blank with freely written entries set out as follows:
“first name” the son/daughter of “father’s first name and surname” by ”mother’s first name” in the parish of “name” was baptised “month” the “day and year” by me David Williams.
The remaining double pages are marked out with the following headings, spread across each double page:
When Baptised; Child’s Christian Name and Sex; In what Parish born; When Born; Names of both Father and Mother, with the former Name of the Mother; Abode; Business or Profession; Signature of Parents; Signature of the Minister by whom the Baptism is performed.
The register entries seem to have been added at irregular periods. For example, pages 7 and 8 consist of blocks of baptisms of the children from the same families covering dates from 1806 to 1826. Throughout the register, odd baptism entries are inserted out of chronological sequence. However, there is evidence of increasing organisation in the recording of the baptisms as the years pass by.
If you are a member you can download a copy of these Baptisms from the Transcriptions section in the panel on the right.
Troedrhiwdaler Register of Chapel Members
(The Register Book of the Independent Church Assembling at Troedrhiwdalar in the Parish of Llanafan Fawr in the County of Brecon 1781-1848)
This register book or Recorder is deposited at the National Library of Wales as MS 654B. It contains details of some 250 individuals who were members of the chapel during the period 1781 to 1848.
The register book has a large number of entry columns, only some of which were filled in by the Chapel. The extra columns referred to: Past Membership; Details of the Preacher and Minister; Sabbath School details; Recommendation if moving to another Chapel; and Excommunication details.
The register book begins with a list of Directions for the Use of the Recorder. Item 5 states:
In all entries affecting Religious Character, the writer is to do as his judgement dictates. This part of the Record is designed to impress upon the minds of the Members that they are the subjects of pastoral oversight.
The searchable PDF version of the Register Book was transcribed 'as seen' by Hilary Williams in 2012 for the Breconshire Local & Family History Society and is available online to members of the society. If you are a member you can access this document by clicking the link in the panel on the right.
D L Wooding’s Transcript of the Llanafan fawr Parish Records 1633-1694, at National Library of Wales.
David Lewis Wooding (1828 - 1891), genealogist, historian, bibliophile and shopkeeper, had access to these very early Parish Records for the Parish of Llanafan Fawr, Breconshire. He transcribed these and made notes in the margins to give further details on individuals mentioned there.
The late Peter Owen of Builth Wells, was able to access these transcriptions and allowed the National Library of Wales to make copies of them. The copies made by the NLW was not catalogued, but now thanks to the enquiries made by Peter Owen’s son, the location of these papers is known.
- A microfilm copy of the transcripts is available in the South Reading Room, on the open access shelf mark: E7.
- A hard copy is available on special request.
For information about D L Wooding, see the following website: