Betws Gwerful Goch, Merionethshire, Wales Genealogy

WalesDenbighshireBetws Gwerful Goch

Betws Gwerful Goch is a village, community and ecclesiastical parish, to the north of Corwen in Denbighshire in Wales. The village is part of the Edeirnion district and is situated on the banks of the Afon Alwen. It formed part of the ancient county of Merionethshire.

The name Betws Gwerful Goch translates into English as "oratory of Gwerful Goch". Gwerful Goch (Red-haired Gwerful) is believed to be the daughter of Cynan ab Owain Gwynedd and lived at the beginning of the 13th century.

The parish consisted of just one township, Pencraig and the parish church is dedicated to St Mary. Many of the early Betws Gwerful Goch parish registers often refer to a Betws y Coed but this is not the town of that name in Caernarfonshire. The "Betws y Coed" in Betws Gwerful Coch was later known as Llawrbetws or Glanrafon.

Before 1974 the village was in the historic county of Merionethshire and, between 1974 and 1996 in the Clwyd. In 1974 it became part of the modern county of Denbighshire

The area is predominantly Welsh-speaking.

Civil Records
Births, marriages and deaths in Betws Gwerful Goch will be recorded in the GRO indexes as:

Church Records

 * The original Betws Gwerful Goch Parish Registers have been deposited at the Meirionnydd Archive in Dolgellau.
 * The Clwyd Family History Society have published several volumes of the Betws Gwerful Goch parish registers.
 * There are no official records available on the IGI for Betws Gwerful Goch parish.

Census Records
The parish of Betws Gwerful Goch formed part of the Gwyddelwern sub-district of the Corwen Registrar's District.

Poor Law Union Records
Betws Gwerful Goch formed part of the Corwen Union which was created on 13 December 1836 and the workhouse was built at Corwen, but not completed until April 1840.

The records for the Corwen Union are held at the Meirionnydd Record Office in Dolgellau.

Web Sites

 * Ordnance Survey map of Betws Gwerful Goch
 * Betws Parish Church at Clwyd FHS
 * Betws Parish Church at CPAT.