ABERYSTRUTH PARISH (& Surrounds)

Extracts from Pigot's 1844 Directory of South Wales - Llanelly Parish and Brynmawr
From the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth

LLANELLY, BRYN MAWR and BEAUFORT, County of Brecon.
NANT Y GLO, GARNVACH, BLAINA and BLAENAVON, County of Monmouth.

LLANELLY is a long straggling village in the parish of its name, hundred of Crickhowell, and county of Brecon, 4 miles from Abergavenny. The extensive iron works carried on here are the support of the place. There is a neat church at some distance from the principal part of the village; the living is the gift of the Duke of Beaufort; there are also several chapels for different religious denominations. In the neighbourhood are some very interesting waterfalls. The population of the parish, in 1841, was 7,366.

BRYN MAWR is a village, in the parish of Llanelly, four miles from the village of that name, and twelve from Merthyr Tydvil. Like Llanelly, it derives its support from the numerous iron works with which is it surrounded. The erection of a church here has been for some time contemplated, to meet the wants of the increasing population, and subscriptions, for that purpose, have been entered into. The Welsh and English Baptists, Independents, and Wesley and Primitive Methodists have each a chapel here. Population returned with the parish.

BEAUFORT is a village, in the parish of Llangattock, in the same hundred and county as the preceding places, about a mile from Bryn Mawr. The Duke of Beaufort is proprietor of the soil, and the place is named after that nobleman. Messrs. Bailey built a church here about two years ago, for the use of the numerous population employed in their works, and the dissenters have several chapels for their worship. The population returned with the parish.

NANT Y GLO, GARNVACH and BLAINA are in the parish of Aberystruth, hundred of Abergavenny, and county of Monmouth; the first-named is about a mile from Bryn Mawr, and the two latter from a continuous line of houses running from it, and parallel with the extensive iron works. At Nant y Glo is an excellent national school; and there a market is held, on Saturday, for butcher's meat and vegetables, which is, in general, well attended. At Blaina is a neat church, dedicated to St. Peter; the living, a perpetual curacy, is the gift of Lord Abergavenny. There are besides several chapels for Baptists, Independents and Wesleyan Methodists. Population returned with the parish.

BLAENAVON is a village in the parish of Llanover, upper division of the hundred of Abergavenny, county of Monmouth; four miles from Brynmawr, six from Pontypool, and the like distance from Abergavenny. Here are very extensive iron works, the former proprietors of which, Messrs. Hill and Hopkins, built a neat church, which being environed by trees, presents a very pleasing appearance; the living, which is a perpetual curacy, is vested in the hands of the Blaenavon Iron Company. There are places of worship for Independents, and Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists. Mrs. Sarah Hopkins erected and endowed a school here, for the instruction of one hundred boys and the like number of girls, upon the church of England principles. A market is held here on Saturday, in a building erected for the purpose. Population returned with the parish.