Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, Wales Genealogy

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

Carmarthen (Welsh: Caerfyrddyn) is a town, community and ecclesiastical parish in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is the county town.

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
CARMARTHEN (CAER-FYRDDIN), an inland port, a borough, market-town, and parish, the head of a union, and a county of itself, locally in the hundreds of Elvet and Derllys, county of Carmarthen, in South Wales, 216 miles (W. by N.) from London, on the road to Milford Haven. This place is allowed by all writers to be of very remote antiquity, though they materially differ in assigning its origin. The town is beautifully situated on the northwestern bank of the navigable river Tywi, or Towy, about nine miles from its influx into that portion of the Bristol Channel called Carmarthen bay, on a moderate eminence, which commands some of the finest views in the Vale of Towy, and imparts to the town a striking and picturesque appearance. It is above a mile in length, about half a mile in breadth, and consists of several streets. The town is wholly within the parish of ST. PETER. Of the five churches which formerly existed in the parish, only those of St. Peter and Llanllwch are remaining; the others, not being used for sacred purposes, have long since been suffered to fall into decay. There are places of worship for Baptists, Independents, Wesleyan Methodists, Calvinistic Methodists, and Unitarians.

In 1720 Carmarthen was a Fair Populous Town, of good resort; scituate on Navigable Towy, with a very commodious Key for small Vessels. It is plentifully supplyed with Salmon other Fish, from the said river, and with Flesh, Fowl, from ye Country adjacent, at a very reasonable rate. It had formerly Walls and a very strong Castle which were repaired with considerable additions by Gilbert de Clare, for ye defence of ye Town, which had been often beseiged and burnt by ye Welsh Princes Griffyd ap Rhys &amp; his Brother Rhys. The Corporation (which sends a Member to Parliament) consists of a Mayor, 2 Sheriffs and 6 Aldermen, a Town Clerk, Sword Bearer and 2 Serjeants at Mace. Here flourished ye famous British Merlin ano. 480, who for his Extraordinary learning in those times, and some skill in ye Mathematicks was reputed a Prophet, or Magician."

For more information on Carmarthen see Carmarthen at Genuki.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Carmarthen at Vision of Britain.