The Welsh Collection

Welsh parish registers

Search 5,924,611 records of Church in Wales parish registers:

• Baptisms: 2,083,430 records covering 1538-1912 – see detailed coverage (PDF)
• Marriages: 1,226,650 records covering 1539-1927 – see detailed coverage (PDF)
• Banns: 557,078 records covering 1603-1927 – see detailed coverage (PDF)
• Burials: 2,057,453 records covering 1539-2007 – see detailed coverage (PDF)

These records cover the following counties: Anglesey, Brecknockshire, Caernarvonshire, Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Glamorganshire, Merionethshire, Monmouthshire, Montgomeryshire, Pembrokeshire and Radnorshire.

Welsh County Archivists Group and the National Library of Wales have provided findmypast.co.uk with these records, which make up the Wales Collection.

Search the Welsh parish registers now

Background to Welsh parish records

Thomas Cromwell made the order to keep a register of every baptism, marriage, and burial in every parish in England and Wales in 1538. Starting dates vary greatly; however, the earliest surviving registers of most Welsh parishes do not begin until after 1660 and often well afterwards.

The registers have survived better in some areas than others. In over half the parishes in the diocese of St David's, for example, there is now no register dating before 1754, while the registers of almost all the parishes in the diocese of St Asaph start before 1754.

Some registers were lost accidentally in fires and floods, others were taken by incumbents, parish officials and thieves, while the register of one unidentified Anglesey parish is said to have been eaten by a cow. Apart from major disasters, the registers also suffered greatly because they were kept in unsatisfactory conditions and in some instances, registers were deliberately mutilated with entries and pages cut out.

Most entries were made in Latin until around 1732, then in English, with the use of Welsh restricted to a few parishes for short periods during the 17th and 18th centuries. Sometimes, in very poor, rural parishes, no separate registers were kept before 1813. Instead, entries were made in the registers of an adjoining parish.

Wales is often regarded as a predominantly non-conformist country but this should not detract from the value of parish registers to genealogists and other researchers. Even if a family withdrew from the Anglican Church and joined a non-conformist congregation, it did not necessarily break every connection with the parish church. Non-conformist chapels, particularly in rural areas, were not always licensed for marriages, and often had no burial grounds.

Another feature which distinguishes Welsh parish registers from their English counterparts is the use of the Welsh patronymic system. This traditional Welsh mode of naming (using 'ap' for son of, and 'ferch' for daughter of) persisted until the 18th century when it tended to die out, although it varied greatly in different parts of the country.

The custom of taking the father's Christian name as the second name of the child remained fairly common in some areas until the early 19th century. It is difficult to decide when a patronymic became an established last name in many areas as there is no consistency in the usage. Another source of Welshness in the registers are the aliases, which are usually Welsh, and refer to some physical feature, occupation or place of origin, and occasionally to the person's character.

The National Library of Wales began the task of collecting parish registers into safe custody in 1950. In 1976, agreements between the Representative Body of the Church in Wales and the Welsh county councils designated county record offices as additional repositories for ecclesiastical parish records.

The vast majority of the registers of the ancient parishes of Wales (around 900 in total) were deposited either at the National Library or in one of the Welsh county record offices. By January 2012, all parish records, including parish registers, held at the National Library, had been transferred to the care of the appropriate county record office.

Redaction of opted-out parishes

Some parishes decided not to be involved in the project to make the parish records available online. Here is a list of these parishes and the diocese of which they form a part:

Diocese of Bangor

Llanbeblig, which includes Caernarfon.

Diocese of Llandaff (covers 18 churches)

Glyntaff, Resolven w Aberpergwm and Blaengwrach, St Mark's, Gabalfa, Dinas w Penygraig and Williamstown, Llantrisant w Miskin and Beddau, St Catherine's, Pontypridd, St Denys, Lisvane, Llanilid w Pencoed and Heol y Cyw, St Matthew's, Pontypridd and Cilfynydd.

Diocese of Monmouth (covers 6 churches)

Abertillery w Cwmtillery and Six Bells, St Stephen's and Holy Trinity, Newport, Malpas.

Diocese of St Asaph (covers 3 churches)

Ruthin and Llanrhydd.

Diocese of St Davids (covers 20 churches)

Llanboidy w Meidrim and Merthyr, Llanedi w Tycroes and Saron, Llandeilo and Maesteilo w Taliaris and Llandyfeisant, Llanstadwel and Neyland, St Peter's and St John's, Carmarthen, Laugharne w Llansadwrnen and Llandawke, Betws w All Saints and St Michael's, Ammanford.

Diocese of Swansea and Brecon (covers 20 churches)

Llandrindod (Old and New Churches) and Cefnllys w Diserth and Howey, Crickhowell w Cwmdu and Tretower, St John Baptist w St Mary's and St Michael's, Clydach, Waunarlwydd, Llanbister and Llanbadarn Fynydd w Llananno and Llanddewi Ystradenni.

Search the Welsh parish registers now

Chwiliwch 5,924,611 o gofnodion yr Eglwys yng Nghymru mewn cofrestri plwyf:

• Genedigaethau: 2,083,430 o gofnodion ar gyfer 1538-1912
• Priodasau: 1,226,650 o gofnodion ar gyfer 1539-1927
• Gostegion: 557,078 cofnodion ar gyfer 1603-1927
• Claddedigaethau: 2,057,453 ar gyfer 1539-2007

Maeŵr cofnodion hyn ar gyfer y siroedd canlynol: Môn, Brycheiniog, Caernarfon, Ceredigion, Caerfyrddin, Dinbych, Fflint, Morgannwg, Meirionnydd, Mynwy, Trefaldwyn, Penfro a Maesyfed.

Mae grŵp Archifyddwyr Sirol Cymru a Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru wedi rhoi 'r cofnodion hyn i findmypast.co.uk, sy'n rhan o'r Casgliad Cymreig.

Gallwch chi edrych ar gofrestri eglwysi Cymru nawr

Cefndir at Cymraeg blwyf choflyfrau

Thomas Cromwell yn 1538 a orchmynnodd y dylid cadw cofrestr am bob bedydd, priodas, a chladdedigaeth ym mhob plwyf yn Lloegr a Chymru. Serch hynny, er bod dyddiadau cychwyn y cofrestri yn amrywio'n fawr, nid yw'r cofrestri cynharaf sydd wedi goroesi am y rhan fwyaf o blwyfi Cymreig yn dechrau tan ar ôl 1660, ac yn aml ymhell wedi hynny.

Mae'r cofrestri wedi goroesi yn well mewn rhai ardaloedd na'i gilydd – er enghraifft, mae dros hanner y plwyfi yn esgobaeth Tyddewi heb gofrestr gynharach na 1754, tra bod cofrestri bron y cyfan o'r plwyfi yn esgobaeth Llanelwy yn dechrau cyn 1754. Collwyd rhai cofrestri yn ddamweiniol trwy dân a thrwy lifogydd, dygwyd eraill gan offeiriaid, swyddogion y plwyf a chan ladron, tra sonnir am fuwch yn cnoi cil ar gofrestr (nas enwir) yn sir Fôn.

Ar wahân i drychinebau difrifol, bu i'r cofrestri ddioddef yn enbyd o'u cadw dan amodau anfoddhaol a cheir enghreifftiau o gofrestri'n cael eu difrodi'n fwriadol gyda chofnodion, a hyd yn oed tudalennau, yn cael eu torri allan. Yn Lladin mae'r cofnodion, gan fwyaf, tan tua 1732, wedyn yn Saesneg, gyda'r defnydd o'r Gymraeg yn gyfyngedig i ychydig o blwyfi am gyfnodau byr yn ystod yr ail ganrif ar bymtheg a'r ddeunawfed ganrif. Ambell waith, roedd plwyfi tlawd yng nghefn gwlad yn ymwrthod yn llwyr â'r dasg o gadw cofrestri eu hunan gan roi'r cofnodion yng nghofrestr y plwyf agosaf.

Er bod Cymru'n cael ei hystyried yn wlad anghydffurfiol yn bennaf, ni ddylai hyn leihau gwerth cofrestri plwyf ar gyfer achyddwyr ac ymchwilwyr eraill. Hyd yn oed petai teulu yn cefnu ar yr Eglwys Anglicanaidd ac yn ymuno â chynulleidfa anghydffurfiol, nid oedd o reidrwydd yn torri pob cysylltiad ag eglwys y plwyf. Hefyd, nid oedd pob capel anghydffurfiol, yn enwedig rhai mewn ardaloedd gwledig, wedi ei drwyddedu ar gyfer priodasau, ac yn aml nid oedd ganddynt fynwentydd.

Elfen arall sy'n gwahaniaethu cofrestri plwyf Cymreig o'r rhai cyfatebol yn Lloegr yw'r dull o enwi unigolion. Bu'r dull traddodiadol yma o enwi gan ddefnyddio 'ap' ar gyfer mab, a 'ferch' ar gyfer merch, barhau tan y ddeunawfed ganrif pan ddechreuodd yr arfer ddiflannu, er i hyn amrywio'n fawr o ardal i ardal.

Bu'r arferiad o ddefnyddio enw blaen y tad fel ail enw'r plentyn barhau'n weddol gyffredinol mewn rhai ardaloedd hyd at ddechrau'r bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg. Mae'n anodd penderfynu pryd y daeth yr ail enw yn gyfenw sefydlog gan nad oes cysondeb mewn nifer o ardaloedd o ran y defnydd. Elfen arall o Gymreictod yn y cofrestri yw'r llysenwau, fel arfer yn Gymraeg, sy'n cyfeirio at ryw nodwedd gorfforol, galwedigaeth neu fro mebyd, neu ambell waith at gymeriad yr unigolyn.

Dechreuodd Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru y dasg o gasglu cofrestri plwyf yn 1950. Yn 1976, trwy gytundeb rhwng Corff Cynrychiolwyr yr Eglwys yng Nghymru a chynghorau sir Cymru penodwyd yr archifdai sirol hefyd yn gadwrfeydd addas ar gyfer cofnodion plwyfol eglwysig. Trosglwyddwyd bron y cyfan o gofrestri hen blwyfi Cymru naill ai i'r Llyfrgell Genedlaethol neu i un o archifdai sirol Cymru. Erbyn Ionawr 2012, trosglwyddwyd y cyfan o'r cofnodion plwyfol, gan gynnwys cofrestri plwyf, a gadwyd yn y Llyfrgell Genedlaethol, i ofal yr archifdy sirol perthnasol.

Cefndir i gofnodion plwyfi Cymru

Mae rhai plwyfi wedi penderfynu i beidio â chyfrannu.

Penderfynodd rhai plwyfi i beidio â bod yn rhan o'r prosiect i wneud cofnodion eu plwyfi ar gael ar lein. Dyma restr o'r plwyfi hyn a'u hesgobaeth.

Esgobaeth Bangor

Llanbeblig, sy'n cynnwys Caernarfon.

Esgobaeth Llandaf (sy'n cynnwys 18 o eglwysi)

Glyntaf, Resolfen gydag Aberpergwm a Blaengwrach, Sant Marc, Gabalfa, Dinas gyda Phenygraig a Thre Gwilym, Llantrisant gyda Misgin a Beddau, Santes Gatrin, Pontypridd, Sant Denys, Llysfaen, Llanilid gyda Phencoed a Heol y Cyw, Sant Mathew, Pontypridd a Chilfynydd.

Esgobaeth Trefynwy (sy'n cynnwys 6 eglwys)

Abertileri gyda Chwmtileri a'r Chwech Chloch, Sant Steffan a'r Drindod, Casnewydd, Malpas.

Esgobaeth Llanelwy (sy'n cynnwys 3 eglwys)

Ruthin a Llanrhydd.

Esgobaeth Dewi Sant (sy'n cynnwys 20 o eglwysi)

Llanedi gyda Thycroes a Saron, Llandeilo a Maesteilo gyda Thaliaris a Llandyfeisant, Llanstadwel a Neyland, Sant Pedr a Sant Ioan, Caerfyrddin, Lacharn gyda Llansadwrnen a Llandawke, Betws gyda'r Holl Saint a Sant Mihangel, Rhydaman.

Esgobaeth Abertawe ac Aberhonddu (sy'n cynnwys 20 o eglwysi)

Llandrindod (hen eglwysi ac eglwysi newydd) a Chefnllys gyda Dyserth a Hywi, Crucywel gyda Chwmdu a Thretower, Sant Ioan y Bedyddiwr gyda Santes Fair a Sant Mihangel, Clydach, Waunarlwydd, Llanbister a Llanbadarn Fynydd gyda Llananno a Llanddewi Ystradenni.

Gallwch chi edrych ar gofrestri eglwysi Cymru nawr

(The image of Cardiff docks is reproduced from the George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress))