Welsh Wesleyan Methodist Records

Records of the Welsh Wesleyan Methodists, 1809-2000, including South Wales District records, 1873-1970; circuit records, 1809-1968, including minute books, 1879-1966; records relating to individual chapels, 1839-2000; miscellaneous items, 1840-1985.

The Wesleyan cause began in Wales with the visits of John Wesley from 1739. These visits were mainly exploratory, and he found the Welsh language a considerable barrier. Nevertheless, some ten years after his death, a mission was set up, and within seventeen years fourteen Welsh Wesleyan circuits had been set up. By the end of the century there were Llanelli, Carmarthen, Llandeilo, Tredegar, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil and Abercynon circuits, each containing several chapels, with a minister or team of ministers. By the 1960s many Welsh chapels had closed, and it became clear that the best course was to amalgamate several of the circuits into one large area, and thus the Morgannwg Circuit came into being, stretching from Carmarthen and Llandeilo in the west to Cardiff and Tredegar in the east.

Arranged into the following: South Wales District records, circuit records, records relating to individual chapels, miscellaneous items, and records of individual chapels.

No restrictions

It is the policy of the West Glamorgan Archive Service to withhold the names of depositors.

Compiled by Annette Strauch for the ANW project. The following source was used in the compilation of this description: West Glamorgan Archive Service, Welsh Wesleyan Methodists Records, catalogue.

A hard copy of the catalogue is available at West Glamorgan Archive Service.

Usual copyright regulations apply.

All records have been retained

Accruals are not expected

Further papers are West Glamorgan Record Office, D/D W/Wes 28/1; D/D W/Wes 30/16, and D/D W/Wes 68-71.