Breconshire, Wales Genealogy

Wales Breconshire

Historic Breconshire
Breconshire, formerly Brecknockshire (Welsh: Sir [county or shire] Brycheiniog) named for the 5th century Celtic king Brychein. One of the original thirteen historic counties of Wales, it was created following the Act of Union of 1535, bounded to the north by Radnorshire, to the east by Herefordshire (England), to the south-east by Monmouthshire and Glamorgan, and to the west by Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire.

The administrative county of Breconshire, with an elected county council, was created in 1889 by the Local Government Act of Wales. The elected county council took over the functions of the Quarter Sessions courts. The county town was Brecon (Welsh: Aberhonddu [mouth of the river Honddu]). Since 1974 Breconshire is an administrative region of the County of Powys.

Chapman Code: BRE

1974-1996 Powys


Under the Local Government Act 1972, the county and administrative county of Breconshire were abolished, for both local government and ceremonial purposes, on April 1, 1974. Most of Breconshire became part of the newly formed county of Powys although some communities in the south of the county became parts of the newly created counties of Mid Glamorgan, and Gwent.

Modern Powys


The situation remained mainly unchanged following further local government reorganisation in 1994. However, small parts of the former county of Breconshire joined the newly created counties of Rhondda Cynon Taf and Monmouthshire.

Topics

 * Breconshire Nonconformist Records
 * Breconshire Poor Law Unions
 * Breconshire Societies

Jurisdictions

 * Hamlet
 * Parish: an area of varying size under the responsibility of a clergyman of the Church of England/Church in Wales
 * Hundred: an administrative subdivision of a county, usually a group of two or more parishes
 * Sub-district: comprised of more than one civil parish
 * Registration District
 * Poor Law Union
 * Archdeaconry
 * Diocese
 * County

Parishes
See a list of the parishes in Breconshire with links to their pages.

Useful websites

 * Breconshire Resources and Help pages [http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?board=121.0 RootsChat Breckonshire Resources and Help pages.


 * more Breconshire websites ...