Record Sources

There are record offices in each county as well as museums, libraries and private collections, which archive historical records and documents. The following pages give the address, opening times, and main holdings of those identified in 'Researching Family History in Wales' published by the FFHS. Registrar's offices are also listed under each county but the National Library has such extensive holdings that their website should be consulted directly. Click on the County name:: Cardiganshire; Carmarthenshire; Pembrokeshire

Ceredigion

CEREDIGION ARCHIVES
County Offices, Marine Terrace, Aberystwyth. Ceredigion SY23 2DE
Open: Monday - Friday: 10.00am - 1.00pm and 2.00pm - 4.00pm.
Telephone:- (01970) 633697 / 633698
Wheelchair access to the building is in the course of construction. It may be advisable to check progress beforehand.

This office is the repository for the records of the former Cardiganshire County Council, the municipal boroughs of Aberystwyth, Cardigan and Lampeter (urban and rural district councils), Dyfed County Council, Ceredigion District Council and numerous bodies operating within the shire.

The main collections are as follows:

Cardiganshire County Council, Dyfed County Council, Board of Guardians.
School records ( Admission registers and log books)
Electoral Registers ( 1945 to the present - incomplete run)
District, Borough and Parish Councils.
Hospital Records and Petty Sessions.
Shipping Registers, Valuation lists ( 1910 "Domesday Books" )
Charity Accounts, Census Records ( on microfilm)
Parish and chapel records ( on microfilm)
Deposited private collections ( including some business collections)
Solicitors' papers, family history research, photographs, local history works etc
Newspapers : ' The Cardigan and Teifyside Advertiser' 1866 to date. 'The Cambrian News' from 1871 ( incomplete)

It is not necessary to make an appointment, but if you wish to book a micro-reader you should telephone before a visit. Large amounts of research may attract a fee, or the use of a local record agent suggested.

ABERYSTWYTH PUBLIC LIBRARY (Reference section)
Corporation Street, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion.
Telephone:- (01970) 633703
Open:- Monday - Friday 9.30am- 5.00pm, Saturday 9.30am-1.00pm

Holds Census returns for:

Aberystwyth and neighbourhood 1841 - 1881, 1891 has transcript and index.
North Cardiganshire Rural Districts 1841-1881,
Cardigan and Lampeter 1851.
1841 census Llanafan, Llanbadarn-y-Croyddin, Llanfihangel-y-Croyddin.
1851 census Broncastellan and Clarach (with Llangorwen)
1841 - 1881 census Ysgubor-y-Coed.
1841 - 1881 census Cwmrheidol Census Study.
1841 - 1881 census Ceulan-y-Maesmawr, Cynnullmawr and Elerch Census study
1871 census Llanilar (Transcript)
1891 census Broncastellan, Clarach, Llangawsai, Llanbadarn, Waunfawr, Pwllhoby, Vaenor Upper, Llanbadarn Croyddin Lower, Llanychaiarn (Transcript and Index)
1891 census Melindwr, Parcel Canol, Trefeurig (Transcript and Index)
1891 census for the county of Cardiganshire on microfiche.

Index of Marriages:

Llanbadarn Fawr 1804 - 1882
St. Michael, Aberystwyth 1861 - 1875

Index of Baptisms:

Llanbadarn Fawr 1830 - 1879
Tabernacle, Aberystwyth; Ponterwyd C.M.; Trisant C.M.

Index of Burials:

Llanbadarn Fawr 1830 - 1879
Alphabetical transcript of the burials register for St. Michael, Aberystwyth 1813 - 1879.
Index of tombstone memorials - St. Michael's Churchyard, Aberystwyth.
Monumental Inscriptions for the following areas: Llangrannog, Penbryn, Aber-porth, Llandygwydd, Rhydlewis.

Also available:

Trade Directories issued in past years, not current ones.
Press cuttings from local newspapers over 25 years in Cardiganshire.
Local history section: Parish histories for Cardiganshire, some translated from the original Welsh.
Other sources:- Cardiganshire pictures and slides.

There is no disabled access to the Reference section which is on the 1st Floor but staff are willing to take material to the lending department.

CARDIGAN LIBRARY
Level 4, Canolfan Teifi, Pendre, Cardigan, Ceredigion, SA43 1JL
Telephone:- 01239 612578
Open: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9.30 am - 6.00pm, Saturday 9.30 am - 1.00pm

There is a local reference section, with the local weekly newspaper 'TIVYSIDE' from June 1st 1866 - December 1980 on microfilm. No charge or booking for this. Shipping records for the port of Cardigan are held at Pembrokeshire Record Office, Haverfordwest, Pembs.

ROYAL COMMISSION on the ANCIENT & HISTORICAL MONUMENTS of WALES
Plas Crug, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY 23 1NJ
Telephone: (01970) 621212
Fax: (01970) 627701
Material and photographs on the history of local houses.

REGISTRARS.
CEREDIGION, North.
County Hall, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion.
CEREDIGION, Central
21, High Street, Lampeter, Ceredigion.
CEREDIGION, South
Glyncoed Chambers, Priory Street, Cardigan, Ceredigion.

CEREDIGION TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRES.
Aberystwyth (01970) 612125
Cardigan (01239) 613230

Cardiganshire menu

Carmarthenshire

CARMARTHENSHIRE RECORD OFFICE.
Parc Myrddin
Richmond Terrace
Carmarthen
SA31 1DS

Telephone 01267 228232
Fax 01267 228237
Email archives@carmarthenshire.gov.uk

Open: Tuesday 9:30-7:30; Wednesday-Friday 9:30-5:00
Closed on Public Holidays. Please check opening hours and availability of sources before arrival. Booking in advance is essential if the use of microforms is envisaged. Coffee, tea, iced water and sandwiches are available. Free parking. Easy disabled access. Portable Induction loop available.
Visitors to the office are asked to abide by a few simple rules to ensure the continued life of the unique documents held by the office:

no eating or drinking in the search rooms
pencils only in the search rooms
no bags or overcoats in the search rooms (lockers and coat hangers are available)
no mobile telephones
no smoking.

We photocopy very few documents since the light from a photocopy damages the document being copied. Our preferred method of copying is by digital camera. Copies can be made to acid free paper, photographic paper or CD. A research service is available. For current charges please contact the office. Payments for copies or research etc can be by cash cheque or credit card.

The office holds a great variety of records which includes the following:

Carmarthenshire Quarter Sessions 1748-1971
Census for Carmarthenshire 1841-1901 (microfilm only). (We also hold various other censuses for other counties on CD – contact the office for details)
GRO Index 1837-1902 (microfiche only)
Parish registers 1563-20 th century (mostly microfilm only)
Poll books and electoral registers 1722-2003
Poor Law records 19 th -20 th centuries
Education records 19 th -20 th centuries
Land valuation records 1910
Family and estate records 14 th -20 th centuries
Shipping records including crew agreements 19 th -20 th centuries
Various maps and plans 17 th _ 20 th centuries
The Carmarthen Journal 1810-1935 (microfilm only)
The Welshman 1846-1950 (microfilm only)
The Cambrian 1804-1846 (microfilm only)

CARMARTHEN LIBRARY,
St. Peters Street, (opposite St.Peters Church) Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire.
Telephone:- (01267) 224822 or 230873
Open:- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9.30am - 7.00pm, Thursday and Saturday 9.30am - 5.00pm.

Large municipal car park 50yards away. No wheel chair access to Reference Library but the Librarian would set up reader and film in the Lending Library, on a lower floor, by appointment. Booking for the use of film readers is recommended.

Newspapers on microfilm.
Carmarthen Journal from 1810
Card index to entries for Births, Marriages and Deaths to about 1855 and some subject entries indexed e.g Transport and Communications.
Carmarthen Times / Citizen from 1962.
Celtic News / Cymric Times 1923 - 1935.
The Cambrian 1804 - 1812, The Welshman 1832 - 1945 and the Amman Valley Chronicle from 1913.
Some histories of individual families and translations from the original Welsh of the histories of Nonconformist chapels of the County, written by their ministers.

LOCAL HISTORY, Carmarthen Museum, Abergwili, Carmarthen SA31 2JG

LLANELLI PUBLIC LIBRARY,
Vaughan Street, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire SA15 3AS
Telephone:- (01554) 773538
Fax:- (01554) 750125
Reference Library opening hours:- Monday, Thursday, Friday 9.30am - 7.00pm, Tuesday, Wednesday 9.30am - 6.00pm, Saturday 9.30am - 5.00pm.
No disabled access, no toilets. Public car park opposite.

The library has collections on local matters with special emphasis on the coal industry and tinplate making.

The Neville Industrial records (on Microfilm) is an excellent source of information on the Copper industry.
1841 - 1891 census for the Llanelli area ( can be photocopied )
Llanelli newspapers 1863 onwards:-(Indexed 1863 - 1988)
'Llanelli and County Guardian' 1863 - 1926 Indexed (in detail with Births, Marriages and Deaths)

Postal queries:- short queries answered(eg. checking an exact address in the census)

LLANDEILO FAWR LIBRARY
Crescent Road, (Top end of Car Park) Llandeilo Fawr, Carmarthenshire.
Telephone:- (01558) 823659
Open:- Tuesday and Friday 10.00am - 12.00, 1.30pm - 4.30pm, 5.00pm - 7.00pm, Wednesday 1.30pm - 5.30pm, Saturday 10.00am - 12noon
There is wheelchair access with a ramp and double doors. The library holds books in print of local interest and box files with items of recent and historical interest.

REGISTRARS.
CARMARTHEN and the county (except Llanelli), Jeremy's Buildings, St. Peters Street, Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire. (Next to the Library.)
1837 to the present: - Births and Marriages are held now on computer. Deaths only are in the Index books
LLANELLI, 2 Coleshill Terrace, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire.

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS
Family History Centre, Newcastle Emlyn. Cardigan Road, Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire.
Family History Director, D. Keith Holman,
Telephone:- (01267) 281436
This Search Centre was opened recently and is part of the new church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Open: Tuesday and Friday 7.30 pm - 9.30 pm. It is necessary to book in advance to use one of the microfiche readers.

The research material available at present includes:-
The 1992 I.G.I.
The 1881 census for England and Wales, with the exception of Surrey, Middlesex and Kent.
Most of Boyd's Marriage Index 1538 - 1837.
There are plans to increase these resources when funds allow it.

CARMARTHENSHIRE TOURIST INFORMATION SERVICE.
Carmarthen (Lammas Street), tel: (01267) 231557
Llanelli (at the Branch Library, Vaughan St.), tel: (01554) 772020

Carmarthenshire menu

Pembrokeshire

PEMBROKESHIRE RECORD OFFICE.
The Castle, Haverfordwest. Pembrokeshire. SA61 2EF
Telephone:- (01437) 763707 Fax:- (01437) 768539
E-mail:- record.office@pembrokeshire.gov.uk
Open:- Monday - Thursday 9.00am - 4.45pm, (first Monday in month opens at 10am), Friday 9.00am - 4.15pm , 1st Saturday in the month 9.30am - 12.30pm (not Bank Holiday weekends).
Last documents issued 15 minutes before closing time.
Free admission, car park, toilets and wheel chair access available.

No Readers' Ticket necessary although you will be required to sign the searchroom register. Advance booking of microfilm readers is available, but there is no appointment system for the main searchroom. Topic lists are available free-of-charge on family history, house history and on specific subjects such as coal-mining and shipping. A booklet on "Family History Research in Pembrokeshire" is available by post at a cost of Ł2.25 (cheques payable to Pembrokeshire County Council). Additional services available (at a cost) include photocopying, scanned colour copies, printouts from microfiche/film and postal research service.

Public Records: Quarter Sessions of Pembrokeshire and of Haverfordwest; Records deposited with the Clerk of the Peace (e.g. land tax, electoral registers); Petty Sessions; Hospital Records; Shipping Records; Valuation Records; Census Returns.
Official Records: County Council; Borough Records - Haverfordwest, Tenby and Pembrokeshire County Council; District Council Records; Boards of Guardians; Parish Councils.
Parish registers: Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials (original registers or on microfilm).
Nonconformist Registers: Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials (original or on microfilm - very limited coverage).
Private Collections: Family and Estate Papers; Business Records; Solicitors' Papers.
Newspapers: Western Telegraph, West Wales Guardian and miscellaneous other local papers.
Maps, Photographs, and Postcards.

Please check with the Record Office for dates and geographical coverage of the above records. The GRO Index 1837-1900 is available at Haverfordwest Reference and Local Studies Library (see next entry).

HAVERFORDWEST PUBLIC LIBRARY.
Dew Street, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. SA61 1SU
Telephone:- (01437) 762070 ( Ext. 5248 )
Open:- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 9.30am - 5.00pm, Tuesday and Friday 9.30am - 7.00pm, Saturday 9.30am - 1.00pm.

REFERENCE BOOKS - containing general information on surnames, heraldry, tracing your family tree, customs etc.
LOCAL STUDIES - A multi format collection (including books, photographs, maps, newspaper cuttings etc.) relating to People, Places and Events of Pembrokeshire's past and present. It includes trade directories, electoral registers, family histories etc.. There is a card index to this Collection.
NEWSPAPERS - 'The Pembrokeshire Herald' ( 1844 - 1909) on microfilm, ' The Western Telegraph' ( 1975 to date), ' The West Wales Guardian' ( 1975 - 1996), ' The West Wales Mercury' ( 1996 to date)
I.G.I. - 1992 edition on microfiche.
FAMILY SEARCH (includes the IGI) - 1994 edition on CD ROM.
THE FRANCIS GREEN COLLECTION - Francis Green was a prominent local historian working at the turn of the century. He transcribed many documents ( wills, Muster books, plea rolls, obituaries, marriage licences etc.) relating to the genealogies of the leading families of Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. These are organised into:- (1) 35 volumes of Wills with notes, (2) Approx. 800 sheet pedigrees of families. There is a card index to the collection.

Unfortunately there is no wheel chair access to the Library as the Reference and Local Studies department is up two flights of stairs on the 1st Floor.

St DAVIDS CATHEDRAL LIBRARY
St Davids Cathedral, St Davids, Pembrokeshire SA62 6RH
Telephone:- (01437) 720822
Open:- Mondays 2.00pm - 4.00pm
Researchers are advised to phone or write before visiting.

The library holds bound photocopies of parish records for the cathedral (the originals are in the National Library of Wales). The records are baptisms, banns, marriages and deaths, from 1724. There is also a record of tombs and monuments in and around the cathedral, 1864 and 1884 editions. A charge of 60p is made for the use of the library. Postal queries relating to family history research should be straightforward. No family history research is undertaken by staff.
The library is situated east of the north transept. Access is up a small wooden flight of stairs and a newel staircase. It is not suitable for disabled readers. First time readers are advised to ask in the cathedral bookshop or cathedral staff for directions.

PEMBROKE DOCK LIBRARY
Water Street, Pembroke Dock, SA72 6DW
Telephone:- (01646) 686356
Fax:- (01646) 687071
Open:- Monday and Friday 10.00am - 7.00pm, Tues., Wedn., Thurs. 10.00am - 5.00pm, Saturday 9.30am - 12.30pm.
Local history section with books on the locality, newspaper cuttings, pamphlets and material relevant to the history of Pembroke and Pembroke Dock and surrounding villages. 1851 Census for Pembroke and Pembroke Dock and 1988 I.G.I..
There is disabled access to the library which is all on one level.

THE WILSON MUSEUM of NARBERTH,
13, Market Square, Narberth Pembrokeshire
Telephone:- (01834) 861719
Open every day except Sunday 10.30am - 5.00pm.
The Museum's collection is related to the social history of a small Welsh market town with archive material and library.

SCOLTON MANOR MUSEUM
Spittal, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire SA62 5QL
(Five miles from Haverfordwest on the B4329 Cardigan road)
Telephone:- ( 01437) 731328
Open:- April - October: Tuesday - Sunday and Bank Holidays 10.30am - 5.30pm.
House and Museum: Entrance Ł1.50 adults, concessions and children 75p.
The reserve collections and library, which are available for research by appointment, include social and industrial history and military history.

TENBY MUSEUM,
Castle Hill, Tenby, Pembrokeshire SA70 7BP
Telephone:- (01834) 842809
E-mail:- tenbymuseum@hotmail.com
Open:- All the year round 10.00am - 5.00pm every day, except Saturdays and Sundays from November to March.
Admission charge:- Adults, Concessions, Children, Families.
No specific disabled access due to site restraints. Research facilities available upon application to the Curator.

1841 (Caldey Island), 1851, 1871, 1881 and 1891 census of Tenby.
1857 - 1980 Burial Register for St.Mary's Church, together with a survey of the graves in Tenby Cemetery, carried out in 1974.
Tenby and Penally parish registers.
Electoral Registers for Tenby: 1853, 1871, 1889, 1939, 1945, 1954, 1982, 1984, and 1989-1997.
Original issues of 'The Tenby Observer' 1865 to 1914.
Various notes and pedigrees of local families.
Chamberlains Accounts, Coroner's Inquests, Quay Wardens, Lifeboat Crews, Bastardy Bonds, Overseers' Accounts, etc..
Indentures of Apprentices 1680 to 1827, Apprentice records 1532 to 1914.

Anyone wishing to research should give 24 hours notice and make an appointment - no research facilities on Saturday or Monday. Postal research enquiries:- Minimum charge Ł5.00

TENBY LIBRARY
Greenhill House, Tenby, Pembrokeshire SA70 7LB
Telephone ( 01834) 843934
Open: Monday, Wednes., Thurs. and Friday:9.30am - 1.00pm and 2.00pm - 5.00pm, Tuesday, open until 6.00pm, Saturday 9.30am - 12.30pm.
The library has a collection of books of local interest.

REGISTRARS' OFFICES
PRESELI - PEMBROKESHIRE REGISRATION DISTRICT
Tower Hill, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. SA61 1SR
Telephone:- (01437 ) 762579
Open:- Monday, Wednes., Friday 9.00 - 12.30, 2.00 - 4.00pm, Tuesday 9.00 - 12 noon, Thursday closed.
SOUTH PEMBROKESHIRE REGISTRATION DISTRICT
East Back, Pembroke, Pembrokeshire. SA71 4HL
Telephone:- (01646) 682432
Open:- Monday and Friday 10.00 - 12 noon, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 2.00pm - 4.00pm.

TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRES.
Haverfordwest, (Old Bridge), tel: (01437) 763110
Tenby, (The Croft), tel: (01834) 842402

Pembrokeshire menu