Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire, Wales Genealogy

A guide to genealogy in Kidwelly, with information on where to find birth, baptism, marriage, death and burial records; census records; wills; cemeteries; maps; etc.

Kidwelly (Welsh: Cydweli) is a town, community and ecclesiastical parish in Carmarthenshire, Wales.

Before 1974 the village was in the historic county of Carmarthenshire and, between 1974 and 1996 in the County of Dyfed. In 1996 it became part of the modern county of Carmarthenshire.

History
KIDWELLY, or CYDWELI, an incorporated market town, and a parish, having a separate jurisdiction, locally in the hundred of Kidwelly, county of CARMARTHEN, SOUTH WALES, 9 miles (S. by E.) from Carmarthen, and 225 (W.) from London. This is a place of great antiquity. The town occupies a low and uninteresting situation on the banks of the Gwendraeth Vach, or Lesser Gwendraeth river, which divides it into two portions, called respectively the Old and the New Town, the former of which, situated on the Western side, is connected with the latter by a handsome bridge. The Old Town, which was formerly surrounded by walls, having three gates now consists, with few exceptions, merely of hovels; and the New Town contains very few respectable dwelling houses, the majority being thatched cottages of very inferior appearance. The air is salubrious, and the place is considered very healthy; but the importance which it formerly derived from its position on a fine navigable river has ceased with the obstruction of this navigation. The present remains of Kidwelly Castle occupy a bold rocky eminence on the western side of the Gwendraeth Vach, and are in a more perfect state of preservation than any other of a similar character in the principality. The parish of Kidwelly is divided into St. Mary's within, and St. Mary's without the borough. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, and situated in the New Town, is an ancient cruciform structure, with a square embattled tower at the western end. There are places of worship for Calvinistic Methodists, Independents, Wesleyans, and Particular Baptists.

For more information on Kidwelly see Kidwelly at Genuki.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Kidwelly at Vision of Britain.