Glamorgan, Wales Genealogy

Wales Glamorgan

Glamorgan, or occasionally Glamorganshire, (Welsh: Sir Forgannwg or Morgannwg) was one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales. It was a maritime county bounded to the north by Breconshire, to the east by Monmouthshire, to the south by the Bristol Channel, and to the west by Carmarthenshire.

The county was created following the Act of Union of 1536, between Wales and England, and was formed from the ancient Lordship of Glamorgan, Gower and Kilvey.

The administrative county of Glamorgan was created in 1889 by the Local Government Act 1888. The county was governed by an elected county council, who took over the functions of the Quarter Sessions courts. However, the county boroughs of Cardiff, Swansea and later Merthyr Tydfil had their own civic administrations.

The 1971 census recorded the population of Glamorgan as 1,264,800.

Motto: A Ddioddefws A Orfu (English: He who suffered has conquered).

Chapman Code: GLA

Under the Local Government Act 1972, the county and administrative county of Glamorgan was abolished on April 1, 1974, with three new counties being established, West Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan and South Glamorgan.

Following further local government reorganisation, the counties of West Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan and South Glamorgan were abolished on April 1, 1996. The county of West Glamorgan was divided into the newly created county boroughs of Swansea and Neath Port Talbot.

The county of Mid Glamorgan was divided into the county boroughs of Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taf and part of Caerphilly.

The county of South Glamorgan was divided into the county of the Vale of Glamorgan and the county and city of Cardiff.

Topics

 * Glamorgan Archives
 * Glamorgan Family History Society Pedigree Collection
 * The Aberkenfig Resource Centre at Bridgend.
 * Register of Cottage Leases Dowlais Iron Company 1818 to 1877
 * Glamorgan Censuses
 * Glamorgan Electoral Registers
 * Glamorgan Maritime Records
 * Glamorgan Nonconformist Records
 * Glamorgan Police Records
 * Glamorgan Poor Law Unions
 * Municipal cemeteries in Glamorgan
 * Glamorgan Societies

Research tools

 * The Glamorgan Record Office in Cardiff.
 * The West Glamorgan Archive Service in Swansea.
 * Swansea Wills

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

Did you know?

 * The national anthem of Wales, "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" (English: Land of My Fathers) was written by Evan James and his son, James James, of Pontypridd, Glamorgan, in January 1856.
 * The international fashion designer and entrepreneur, Laura Ashley (née Mountney) was born in Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil in 1925.
 * The famous love song Bugeilio'r Gwenith Gwyn (English: Watching the White Wheat) is set on the village of Llangynwyd in Glamorgan.

Useful websites
Wiki articles describing online collections are found at:


 * Wales Glamorgan Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Wales, West Glamorgan, Elecorral Registers (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Wales Glamorgan Church of Wales Parish Registers (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * 1885 County Map: Courtesy of London Ancestor
 * Parish map
 * 1885 Borough Map of Swansea: Courtesy of London Ancestor
 * Maps and other information around Old Merthyr Tydfil


 * more Glamorgan websites ...