Glamorgan Chapel database project

The individual Genuki parish pages already have details of extant data of non-conformist chapels in Glamorgan which have extant records deposited in a public archive - largely based on the content of Nonconformist Registers of Wales published by the National Library of Wales in 1994.
The purpose of this project is to expand on this data - to include chapels that don't have such extant records - and are therefore currently not recorded at all on Genuki - the aim being to compile as complete a list as possible of non-conformist chapels in each parish together with as much information about each one that can be gathered together from a variety of sources.

I, or other volunteers, will create an initial list for each parish from sources available - and then (hopefully) expand this by requests to the members of the Glamorgan mailing list - taking specific parishes in turn with responses to pass through the Glamorgan list

Not an exhaustive list but I anticipate a range of data to include;

• The existence of a chapel at certain dates, the name of the minister, the denomination
• The date a chapel was established/built/extended, an exact address, OS grid reference, membership numbers
• Whether a chapel had its own graveyard, and if there are any known records if so
• Extant baptism, marriage, burial records not already recorded, including any known to be still with the chapels themselves
• The date a chapel closed
• Any publication relating to a chapel
• Any online site or photographs relating to a chapel
• An example of a non-Genuki chapel database can be seen on Cwmgors/Gwauncaegurwen

The sources of data might be;

• Marriage certificates
• Obituaries, newspaper reports, articles in journals
• Local history books, including any histories of the chapels themselves
• Trade Directories eg Kellys, Pigots
• Personal knowledge/research
• Copyright must be born in mind - simple facts such as OS grid references, addresses, denominations, when a chapel was built/rebuilt etc are OK to take (in my opinion) but don't copy/paste data generally

Each parish will have a separate chapel database page, with chapels grouped by denomination
The source type of each item of data will be shown e.g personal; marriage cert; name of book etc

(For an explanation of the various non-conformist denominations see Wales - Genealogy Help Pages )

The names of volunteers who assisted with particular parishes are shown on those pages

Gareth Hicks Sept 2005

Sources

This is an initial list, there will be others - e.g those linked from the existing parish page

Online

• The Chapels Recording Project in Wales (RCAHMW)
• Dissent in the Counties of Glamorgan and Monmouth by Hywel D Emanuel, National Library of Wales journal, Vol VIII/4, Winter 1954. Although not every GLA parish has an entry
• History of the Methodists in West Glamorgan by The Rev. W Samlet Williams 1916 (Index) This source applies to Calvinistic Methodist Chapels (now the Presbyterian Church of Wales)
• Glamorgan FHS - the publications lists etc
• Online Commercial & Residential Directories as appropriate to a particular parish - apart from what may already be on Genuki, see also the Historical Directories site
• Independent Chapels of Wales: History Books and Pamphlets by Huw Walters.
• Glamorgan Bibliography on Genuki
• Congregational marriage registers at GLA Archives
• The Cambrian Index - The index data is obviously limited , there may be more available via the online contact address
• Glamorgan Record Office in Cardiff hold most extant parish church and non-conformist chapel records, these are listed on their site (click ' history of your family' on main page and scroll down to the end of the next page)

Books/cds etc

I have;

• My Ancestors were Congregationalists in England and Wales, by D J H Clifford, SOG, 1992.
• Kelly's Directory, South Wales 1895 - the Archive CD Books Cd
• Kelly's Directory, South Wales 1910 - the Archive CD Books Cd
  (The earlier C19th directories only seem to have useful coverage of larger towns as far as chapels are concerned)
• Jones, I.G. & Williams, D. The Religious census of 1851 : A Calendar of the returns relating to Wales, Vol 1, South Wales. UWP, Cardiff, 1976

I don't have;

• My Ancestors were Methodists by William Leary, SOG, 3rd ed. 1999
• My Ancestors were Baptists, by Geoffrey Breed, SOG, 4th ed.

There is also;

• Chapel Photographic Survey of West Glam Chapels. Held at West Glam Archives Swansea (D/D CPS).

[Last Updated : 17 May 2007 - Gareth Hicks]