Cellan Genealogical Records
Cellan Birth & Baptism Records
An index to births registered throughout England & Wales. Provides a reference to order copies of birth certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.
Baptism registers document the baptism and sometimes birth of people in and around Cellan. They list parents' names - their occupations, residence and sometimes other details.
Digital images of baptism registers that can be searched by name. They record baptisms, which typically occur shortly after birth, and list the baptised's name, date of birth and/or baptism and parents' names. They may also list where the parents lived, their occupations and occasionally other details.
A collection of indexes and transcripts of birth and baptism records that cover over 250 million people. Includes digital images of many records.
An index to births registered at the central authority for England & Wales. The index provides the area where the birth was registered, mother's maiden name from September 1911 and a reference to order a birth certificate.
Cellan Marriage & Divorce Records
An index to marriages registered throughout England & Wales. This is the only national marriage index that allows you to search by both spouse's names. Provides a reference to order copies of marriage certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.
Banns registers record details of those who wished to marry. They sometimes contain information not listed in marriage registers, notably the bride and groom's parish of residence. Banns also record marriages that were intended that did not go ahead and serve as a filler when a marriage register has been lost or damaged.
Marriage records from people who married at Cellan between 1780 and 1920. Lists an individual's abode, marital status, father's name, age and signature
Abstracts of marriage licences granted by the Vicar-General in London. These licences could be used to marry in any church in the Province of Canterbury.
Digital images of marriage registers that can be searched by name. They contain written records of marriages and typically record the name of the bride and groom and date of marriage. They may also record occupations, residences, fathers' names, witnesses and other information about the marriage.
Cellan Death & Burial Records
An index to deaths registered throughout England & Wales. Provides a reference to order copies of death certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.
Burial records for people buried at Cellan between 1780 and 1979. Lists the deceased's name, residence and age. Some records may contain the names of relations, cause of death and more.
Burial records covering those buried at All Saints, Cellan_. This resource is an index and may not include all the details that were recorded in the burial registers from which they were extracted.
Digital images of burial registers that can be searched by name. They contain records of burials, which typically occur a few days after death, and record the name of the deceased and date of death and/or burial. They may also list where the deceased lived, their age, names of relations, occupation and occasionally other details.
A collection of indexes and transcripts of death and burial records that cover over 140 million people. Includes digital images of many records.
Cellan Census & Population Lists
An index to and digital images of records that detail 40 million civilians in England and Wales. Records list name, date of birth, address, marital status, occupation and details of trade or profession.
The 1911 census provides details on an individual's age, residence, place of birth, relations and occupation. FindMyPast's index allows searches on for multiple metrics including occupation and residence.
The 1901 census provides details on an individual's age, residence, place of birth, relations and occupation. FindMyPast's index allows searches on for multiple metrics including occupation and residence.
The 1891 census provides details on an individual's age, residence, place of birth, relations and occupation. FindMyPast's index allows searches on for multiple metrics including occupation and residence.
The 1881 census provides details on an individual's age, residence and occupation. FindMyPast's index allows for searches on multiple metrics including occupation and residence.
Newspapers Covering Cellan
A journal containing historical articles and book reviews. It includes society notes. It is mostly in English but there is some Welsh-language content.
A journal publishing historical sources relating to South Wales, with introductory texts, indexes and illustrations.
A journal containing historical articles and book reviews. It includes society notes. It is mostly in English but there is some Welsh-language content.
Various volumes of The Historical Society of West Wales' journal, which include transcripts, indices and abstracts of numerous records such as hearth tax returns, parish registers, marriage licences and wills.
An English-language academic journal containing articles on historical and archaeological topics.
Cellan Wills & Probate Records
Searchable index and original images of over 12.5 million probates and administrations granted by civil registries. Entries usually include the testator's name, date of death, date of probate and registry. Names of relations may be given.
An index to estate administrations performed by the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. The index covers the southern two thirds of England & Wales, but may also contain entries for northerners.
A searchable database of mid-17th Century probates performed by the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. Supplies details of testator and executor.
An index to most surviving wills, administrations and inventories proved in Wales' six ecclesiastical courts and the Peculiar of Hawarden. Most documents are available to view online.
A index to testators whose will was proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. They principally cover those who lived in the lower two thirds of Britain, but contain wills for residents of Scotland, Ireland, British India and other countries. A copy of each will may be purchased for digital download.
Cellan Immigration & Travel Records
A name index connected to original images of passenger lists recording people travelling from Britain to destinations outside Europe. Records may detail a passenger's age or date of birth, residence, occupation, destination and more.
A full index of passenger lists for vessels arriving in the UK linked to original images. Does not include lists from vessels sailing from European ports. Early entries can be brief, but later entries may include dates of births, occupations, home addresses and more. Useful for documenting immigration.
An index to and images of documents recording over 1.65 million passengers who arrived in Victoria, Australia, including passengers whose voyage was paid for by others.
Details on thousands of 17th century British immigrants to the U.S., detailing their origins and nature of their immigration.
A list of over 40,000 passengers traveling from North America to the British Isles. Details of passengers may include: occupation, nationality, gender, age, martial status, class, destination, and details of the vessel they sailed on.
Cellan Military Records
A searchable list of over 100,000 British Army POWs. Records contains details on the captured, their military career and where they were held prisoner.
Details on around 165,000 men serving in the British Army, Navy and Air Force who were held as prisoners during WWII.
Index and original images of over 5 million medal index cards for British soldiers It can be searched by individual's name, Coprs, Unit and Regiment. Due to the loss of many WWI service records, this is the most complete source for British WWI soldiers
This rich collection contains contains records for 1.9 million non-commissioned officers and other ranks who fought in WWI. Due to bomb damage in WWI, around 60% of service records were lost. Documents cover: enlistment, medical status, injuries, conduct, awards and discharge. A great deal of genealogical and biographical documentation can be found in these documents, including details on entire families, physical descriptions and place of birth.
An index to nearly 900,000 military personnel who were awarded the Silver War Badge for sustaining injures. Records include rank, regimental number, unit, dates of enlistment and discharge, and reason for discharge.
Cellan Court & Legal Records
Records of over 300,000 prisoners held by quarter sessions in England & Wales. Records may contain age, occupation, criminal history, offence and trial proceedings.
Over 175,000 records detailing prisoner's alleged offences and the outcome of their trial. Contains genealogical information.
Digital images of ledgers recording those registered to vote, searchable by an index of 220 million names. Entries list name, address, qualification to vote, description of property and sometimes age and occupation.
From the late 18th century many prisoners in Britain were kept on decommissioned ships known as hulks. This collection contains nearly 50 years of registers for various ships. Details given include: prisoner's name, date received, age, year of birth and conviction details.
This collection lists brief details on 1.55 million criminal cases in England and Wales between 1791 and 1892. Its primary use is to locate specific legal records, which may give further details on the crime and the accused. Details may include the accused's age, nature of crime, location of trial and sentence. Early records can contain a place of birth.
Cellan Taxation Records
This vital collection details almost 1.2 million properties eligible for land tax. Records include the name of the landowner, occupier, amount assessed and sometimes the name and/or description of the property. It is a useful starting point for locating relevant estate records and establishing the succession of tenancies and freehold. Most records cover 1798, but some extend up to 1811.
An index linked to original images of registers recording apprenticeship indentures. Details are given on the trade and nature of apprenticeship. Many records list the parents of the apprentice.
An index to wills and administrations that incurred a death duty tax. The index can be used to order documents that give a brief abstract of the will and details on the duty. It can be used as a make-shift probate index.
Index to personal names listed in the Royalist Composition Papers that dealt with the estates of royalists.
Cellan Land & Property Records
This vital collection details almost 1.2 million properties eligible for land tax. Records include the name of the landowner, occupier, amount assessed and sometimes the name and/or description of the property. It is a useful starting point for locating relevant estate records and establishing the succession of tenancies and freehold. Most records cover 1798, but some extend up to 1811.
Poll books record the names of voters and the direction of their vote. Until 1872 only landholders could vote, so not everyone will be listed. Useful for discerning an ancestor's political leanings and landholdings. The collection is supplemented with other records relating to the vote.
Abstracts of records detailing the estates and families of deceased tenants from the reigns of Henry III and Edward I.
A searchable database of thousands of transcribed and abstracted manuscripts, largely pertaining to land.
A list of owners of above one acre of land in England & Wales. Lists a landowner's residence, acreage and estimated gross yearly rental.
Cellan Directories & Gazetteers
A comprehensive place-by-place gazetteer, listing key contemporary and historical facts. Each place has a list of residents and businesses. Contains details on local schools, churches, government and other institutions.
A comprehensive place-by-place gazetteer, listing key historical and contemporary facts. Contains details on local schools, churches, government and other institutions. Also contains a list of residents and businesses for each place.
A directory of residents and businesses; with a description of each settlement, containing details on its history, public institutions, churches, postal services, governance and more.
A directory of residents and businesses; with a description of each settlement, containing details on its history, public institutions, churches, postal services, governance and more.
A directory of residents and businesses; with a description of each settlement, containing details on its history, public institutions, churches, postal services, governance and more.
Cellan Cemeteries
Photographs and transcriptions of millions of gravestones from cemeteries around the world.
Profiles of several hundred mausolea found in the British Isles.
Several thousand transcribed memorials remembering those connected with the nautical occupations.
A searchable database of photographs relating to railways and canals in Britain.
Details of monuments and plaques related to canals and railways. Contains some photographs.
Cellan Obituaries
The UKs largest repository of obituaries, containing millions of searchable notices.
A growing collection currently containing over 425,000 abstracts of obituaries with reference to the location of the full obituary.
A collection of 364 obituaries of Quakers from the British Isles. The volume was published in 1849 and includes obituaries of those who died in late 1847 through 1848.
This transcribed and searchable work by Sir William Musgrave contains 10,000s of brief obituaries. The work is a reference point for other works containing information on an individual.
A text index and digital images of all editions of a journal containing medical articles and obituaries of medical practitioners.
Cellan Histories & Books
A journal containing historical articles and book reviews. It includes society notes. It is mostly in English but there is some Welsh-language content.
A journal publishing historical sources relating to South Wales, with introductory texts, indexes and illustrations.
A journal containing historical articles and book reviews. It includes society notes. It is mostly in English but there is some Welsh-language content.
Various volumes of The Historical Society of West Wales' journal, which include transcripts, indices and abstracts of numerous records such as hearth tax returns, parish registers, marriage licences and wills.
Photographs and images of churches in Ceregidon.
Cellan School & Education Records
A name index connected to digital images of registers recording millions of children educated in schools operated by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education. Records contain a variety of information including genealogical details, education history, illnesses, exam result, fathers occupation and more.
A name index linked to original images of registers recording the education and careers of teachers in England & Wales.
A name index linked to original images of short biographies for over 120,000 Oxford University students. This is a particularly useful source for tracing the ancestry of the landed gentry.
A transcript of a vast scholarly work briefly chronicling the heritage, education and careers of over 150,000 Cambridge University students. This is a particularly useful source for tracing the ancestry of the landed gentry.
A searchable database containing over 90,000 note-form biographies for students of Cambridge University.
Cellan Occupation & Business Records
A liberal newspaper that predominantly covered mercantile and shipping matters. It did not contain family announcements. Each edition has been indexed and digitised.
An introduction to smuggling on the west coast of Britain & the Isle of Man, with details of the act in various regions.
An index to and images of registers recording over 3.7 million trade union members.
Books listing doctors who were licensed to operate in Britain and abroad. Contains doctor's residencies, qualification and date of registration.
A rich collection of records documenting those who worked for railway companies that were later absorbed by the government. Records include: staff registers, station transfers, pensions, accident records, apprentice records, caution books, and memos. Records may include date of birth, date of death and name of father.
Pedigrees & Family Trees Covering Cellan
Extensive and impeccably sourced genealogies for British, Irish & Manx royalty and nobility. Scroll down to 'British Isles' for relevant sections.
A searchable database of linked genealogies compiled from thousands of reputable and not-so-reputable sources. Contains many details on European gentry & nobility, but covers many countries outside Europe and people from all walks of life.
A searchable book, listing pedigrees of titled families and biographies of their members.
A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.
A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.
Cellan Royalty, Nobility & Heraldry Records
Extensive and impeccably sourced genealogies for British, Irish & Manx royalty and nobility. Scroll down to 'British Isles' for relevant sections.
A searchable database of linked genealogies compiled from thousands of reputable and not-so-reputable sources. Contains many details on European gentry & nobility, but covers many countries outside Europe and people from all walks of life.
Over 600 pedigrees for English and Welsh families who had a right to bear a coat of arms.
A dictionary of families elevated to the peerage of Great Britain & Ireland. It includes genealogies and biographical details.
Lineages of Britain and Ireland's untitled landed families; supplemented with biographical sketches.
Cellan Church Records
The parish registers of Cellan are the primary source for birth, marriage and death details before civil registration (1837). A full index to names with original images of the registers are available between 1779 and 1979. Parish registers can assist tracing a family back numerous generations.
Digital images of registers that record baptisms, which typically occur shortly after birth; marriages and burials. The registers can be searched by name and can help establish links between individuals back to the 16th century.
The parish registers of Wales are a collection of books documenting baptisms, marriages and burials from 1914 to 2013.
The primary source of documentation for baptisms, marriages and burials before 1837, though useful to the present also.
Important information relating to the church, including jurisdictions and names of ministers, archdeacons etc.
Biographical Directories Covering Cellan
A searchable book, listing pedigrees of titled families and biographies of their members.
A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.
A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.
Brief biographies of Anglican clergy in the UK.
A directory containing lengthy biographies of noted British figures. The work took over two decades to compile. Biographies can be searched by name and are linked to images of the original publication.
Cellan Maps
A collection of digitalised maps covering the county.
Detailed maps covering much of the UK. They depict forests, mountains, larger farms, roads, railroads, towns, and more.
An interactive map featuring four OS map editions published between 1868 and 1954. To load a map select the menu tab on the far right, select the edition you wish to view and zoom in to a locality.
Maps showing settlements, features and some buildings in mainland Britain.
Maps of parishes in England, Scotland and Wales. They are useful in determining which parish records may be relevant to your research.
Cellan Reference Works
A beginner’s guide to researching ancestry in Wales.
Compiled in 1831, this book details the coverage and condition of parish registers in England & Wales.
A comprehensive guide to researching the history of buildings in the British Isles.
A service that provides advanced and custom surname maps for the British Isles and the US.
A dictionary of around 9,000 mottoes for British families who had right to bear arms.
Civil & Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction
Historical Description
CELLAN is a parish in the county of Cardigan, on the river Teifi, 3 miles north-east from Lampeter station, on the Manchester and Milford railway, and 8 south-west from Tregaron, in Moyddin hundred and petty sessional division, county court district and union of Lampeter, and in the rural deanery of Lampeter, archdeaconry of Cardigan and diocese of St. David's. The church of All Saints, erected in 1668, is a building of stone, in the Gothic style, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch, and a turret containing 1 bell; the church was restored in 1865, and affords 90 sittings; the registers date from the year 1780. The living is a rectory, tithe rent-charge £83, net income £90, with 8 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of the Bishop of St. David’s, and held since 1867 by the Rev. James Jones of St. David’s College, Lampeter. There are Unitarian and Congregational chapels. William Jones esq. of Glandenys, who is lord of the manor, and David Davies esq. of Velindre, are the principal landowners. The soil is clay, chief crops oats, wheat and barley. The area is 3,450 acres, rateable value £1,220; the population in 1891 was 457.
National School (mixed), built in 1866, for 80 children; average attendance, 62.
CELLAN.
The parish of Cellan is situated on the western side of the Teivi, and from the quantity of wood it contains, together with the various shapes of the mountains within and surrounding it, it assumes a very picturesque appearance. The mountains at the back part abound in sheep-walks, and on that account all the inhabitants are curriers, weavers, tanners, fullers, and shepherds, &c. It is in the lordship of the same name, now the property of the Rev. Lewis Turnor, of Wervilbrook, who purchased it of Colonel Johnes of Havod.
On the mountains in this parish are clearly to be seen vestiges of that branch of the Roman road from Llanio to Trev Coch, in the parish of Caes, and thence to Trev Coch, in Llanvair ar y brin, near Llandovery. But this parish abounds in British antiquities. On a circular raised tumulus, which is moated, is an immense stone, eleven yards in diameter, called Llech Cynon, undoubtedly the burial place of a person of that name, who likewise gave it to the river just by, called Frwd Cynon. Who this Cynon was it is impossible now to tell; there is a chapel, dedicated to a person of that name, in the parish of Llandyssilio Gogo, but this must have been long before the introduction of Christianity into Great Britain. Those ancient sepulchral verses called “The Memorials of the Tombs of the Warriors,” record the burial places of three of this name, but do not refer to this. Mr. Whitaker, in his History of Manchester, mentions a stone similar to this in Scotland, in these words: “As the way which runs from Crief northward was carried on through Glen Almond, an enormous stone was removed that crossed the intended line of it, and a British sepulchre found below, containing ashes, fragments of bones, and half-burnt stalks of heath. And, as soon at it was known to the Highlanders of the country, they assembled in arms, even from distant parts of it, and formed themselves in a body, carefully collected the relics, marched with them in a solemn procession to a new place of burial, and there paid the military honours to the deceased by discharging their muskets over his grave.”
On the mountain to the north of the river Frwd are two cistvaens, called “beddau, or graves;” and on the mountain on the south side are two more, one of which is called Bedd y vorwyn, or, “the Virgin’s grave.” All these I had opened, and all appeared the same. Their form is oblong, consisting each of four stones, and in the centre of a little tumulus of earth and stones. After clearing away the rubbish a stratum of gravel appeared, next that a thin layer of sand, and under that burnt ashes, of bones and wood lying on a bed of clay which had been laid on the rock. The depth of each was about three feet. Mr. Macpherson gives us the following note on a passage in Fingal, which relates to a grave of this kind; the passage is, “Four stones, replied the chief, rise on the grave of Cathba;” and the note says, “This passage alludes to the manner of burial among the ancient Scots. They opened a grave six or eight feet deep; the bottom was lined with fine clay; and on this they laid the body of the deceased, and if a warrior, his sword, and the heads of twelve arrows by his side. Above they laid another stratum of clay, in which they placed the horn of a deer, the symbol of hunting. The whole was covered with a fine mould, and four stones placed on end to mark the extent of the grave. These are the four stones alluded to here.” These were evidently the cistvaen; and the only difference between the Cellan and the Highland ones is, that the latter were large enough for the whole body, the former only for the burnt ashes, being from two and a half, to four feet only in length. This was probably the second mode of burial. The first undoubtedly was merely to dig a pit and place the body of the departed person in it, and for fear of beasts and birds of prey, a huge stone was placed on the top: such a grave is Llech Cynon. This being found very inconvenient, burning the body suggested itself as more convenient, and the ashes were placed in the cistvaens, or stone chests.
A very great number of the carnau, or carneddau, are to be seen in the mountains in this parish; but two extremely large ones on a very high mountain near the road leading from Llanvair to Llanycrwys, are most conspicuous. These, and another called Tair Carnau, consist of heaps of large stones, and are, no doubt, the graves of heroes who fell on the spot. Mr. Owen, in his celebrated dictionary, gives the following account of the carnau. “The carneddau, and the tumuli of earth, were the common monuments that the ancient Britons erected in honour of their great men. Which of the two kinds, was probably determined by the circumstance of the country being stony, or otherwise. These modes of interment continued in use many ages after the introduction of Christianity; but when the custom of burying in churches became general, the former ways were not only disusied, but condemned, as fit only for the great criminals. When the carnedd was considered as the honourable tomb of a warrior, every passenger threw his additional stone, out of reverence to his memory: when this heap became to be disgraced, by being the mark where the guilty was laid, the custom for every one that passed to fling his stone, still continued; but now as a token of detestation.” Birt, in his Letters on the Highlands, Vol. II. p. 102,103, tells us, that this custom is still preserved in Scotland. “If any person there suddenly falls down dead, or loses his life by any accident in his journey, whether the fact happens on a road or in the field, a rude heap of stones is immediately thrown together upon the spot by the first who discovers the corpse; and the common people contribute to increase the pile, by adding each of them a stone to it. And there are some persons so religiously scrupulous in this respect, that they will turn out of their way for a quarter of a mile, in order to fetch a stone for the purpose; as the neglect, they apprehend, will be punished by some subsequent misfortune to them.” This kind of grave is mentioned by Ossian: in Carric-Thuria, Shilric says, “If fall I must in the field, raise high my grave, Vinvela. Grey stones, and heaped up earth, shall mark me to future times. When the hunter shall sit by the mound, and produce his food at noon, ‘ Some warrior rests here, ’ he will say, and my fame shall live in his praise. Remember me, Vinvela, when low on earth I lie!” Vinvela replies, “Yes! I will remember thee; alas! my Shilric will fall! What shall I do, my love! when thou art for ever gone? &c.” Again, in another part of the same poem, “Son of Annir,” replied the king, “the fame of Sora’s race shall be heard! When chiefs are strong in war, then does the song arise! But if their swords are stretched over the feeble; if the blood of the weak has stained their arms; the bard shall forget them in the song, and their tombs shall not be known. The stranger shall come and build there, and remove the heaped-up earth. An half-worn sword shall rise before him; bending above it, he will say, ‘ These are the arms of the chiefs of old, but their names are not in song. ’” Again, in the same poem, Connal says, “Fall I may! But raise my tomb, Crimora! Grey stones, a mound of earth shall send my name to other times.”
On the confines of this parish is another “bedd,” similar to the four before-mentioned; in it is a stone called Carreg tair croes, placed there to mark the boundary of the parish, and for that purpose has three crosses cut on it.
Two very great curiosities are on the mountain south of the river Frwd. One, called “Byrvaen,” which has fallen down from its upright position, and now lies on the ground, fifteen feet in length, and four in width and thickness. The other, called “Hir vaen gwyddog,” or the conspicuous colossus, stands upright, and is sixteen feet in height above the ground, on three sides about three feet and a quarter, and on the other about two feet and a half. It is probable that these immense stones were erected to commemorate a victory, and if so, Ossian gives us a lively picture of the ceremony of raising such stones in his poem Colna-Dona. “I took a stone from the stream, amidst the song of bards. The flood of Fingal’s foes hung curled in its ooze. Beneath, I placed, at intervals, three bosses from the shields of foes, as rose or fell the sound of Ullin’s nightly song. Toscar laid a dagger in earth, a mail of sounding steel. We raised the mould around the stone, and bade it speak to other years.”
“Oozy daughter of streams, that now art reared on high, speak to the feeble, O stone! after Selma’s race have failed! Prone, from the stormy night, after the traveller shall lay him, by the side; thy whistling moss shall sound in his dreams; the years that were past shall return. Battles rise before him, blue-shielded kings descend to war: the darkened moon looks from heaven, on the troubled field. He shall burst, with morning, from dreams, and see the tombs of warriors round. He shall ask about the stone, and the aged shall reply: “This grey stone was raised by Ossian, a chief of other years!”
Perhaps my quoting Ossian’s poem as an authentic work may give offence to some of the readers of this book; but since the report of the Highland society relative to the authenticity of these poems has been published; and since another translation of Ossian’s poems by Malcolm has also appeared before the public, there can be no hesitation in believing that Ossian’s poems still exist, written when Caracalla was in England, namely, about the year 210; and that Mr. Macpherson’s translations are strictly from the original, though the language may be heightened by his own poetic genius.
Near the road leading from Llanvair to Llancrwys is an immense stone, called Maen y Prenvol, and Maen Penvol gwallt gwyn. The former name, Mr. Edward Llwyd heard, and supposed it to be a cistvaen (not having seen it) as Prennol, in North Wales, signifies a small chest: Prenvol also signifies the same, and this kind of chest has two lids on the top of it, presenting the appearance of two inclined planes, or the roof of a house. Maen Prenvol is not a cistvaen, but is shaped in the manner of this kind of chest, and on that account perhaps it was so called. With respect to the other name, it would signify “bald pate, with white hair;” but I cannot assign any reason why such a name should be imposed on this stone. This stone is one of the “Cerreg llwydion,” or grey stones, which were always preferred by the Druids, and appears to have been a Cromlech, and have fallen from its original situation. It is sixteen feet in length, and its breadth is twenty-four feet in circumference. It now lies on its edge on part of a moated tumulus of earth flattened at top. About two yards from it, on the same tumulus, stands another stone, though of a different kind, it being formed by an aggregation of little ones. This is eight feet high above the ground. As there are on this tumulus several smaller stones, it is probable they once supported Maen Prenvol, and that the whole formed a cromlech. As the tumulus stands on a smaller hill, when compared with the rest adjoining, it has been imagined that Prenvol is a corruption of Brin voel, or the “bare steep;” at any rate the name is descriptive not commemorative, and certainly has nothing to do with the original use of these stones.
Besides these curiosities, there are three intrenchments in this parish; one on the summit of a hill, near the river Frwd, is called Gaer Morrice, or Morys (probably the same that was king of Cardigan), and is an extensive work; a house about a quarter of a mile, or less, from it is called Lluest Cadwgan, i. e., Cadwgan’s encampment; so that probably it was attacked by Cadwgan, who pitched his camp here; and this seems strengthened from the number of camau, and the beddau near them. Another gaer, in the form of an exact oval, is in a field belonging to the farm of Glanfrwd. And the third, a very large circular one, is between the same farm and the parish of Pencarreg, the road to Lampeter, going through the middle of it.
The church is a rectory, and in the gift of the Bishop of St. David’s.
It is dedicated to All Saints, and the present and two last incumbents names are the Rev. Wm. Williams, the Rev. Howel Howels, and the Rev. Rhys Williams.
The building consists of a nave and chancel, with an ancient porch; in it are two sacristories to hold holy water. The font is a square bason placed on a square pillar, on which is carved the face of a man. On the eastern wall of the chancel, and the south side of the altar, is a monument bearing the following inscription:
“Underneath are interred the Remains of Sarah the wife of Evan Davis of Baylie in this parish who died July the 28th 1785 Aged 44 years.
On the sacramental cup is engraved Poculum Eclesie de Kellan, 1668. In this church was formerly a rood-loft, the door leading to which still remains.
I have in my possession a fragment of a small stone found in a fence adjoining the churchyard, which, from its thickness and appearance, I conjecture was part of the pavement of the chancel in former days. I am led to suppose so, from its similitude to the Norman painted tiles, this being ornamented with intersecting circles carved on it, resembling the painting on those tiles.
I never heard that stones were so used, but perhaps the difficulty of obtaining the Norman tiles might have occasioned this effort of the sculptor. But I do not pretend to determine the point.
Most Common Surnames in Cellan
| Rank | Surname | Incidence | Frequency | Percent of Parent | Rank in Moeddyn Hundred |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Davies | 163 | 1:3 | 1.53% | 2 |
| 2 | Jones | 104 | 1:4 | 0.76% | 1 |
| 3 | Evans | 39 | 1:12 | 0.48% | 3 |
| 4 | Williams | 29 | 1:16 | 0.84% | 5 |
| 5 | Thomas | 17 | 1:27 | 0.47% | 4 |
| 6 | Hughes | 13 | 1:35 | 0.94% | 12 |
| 6 | Jenkins | 13 | 1:35 | 0.58% | 6 |
| 8 | Lewis | 11 | 1:41 | 0.53% | 8 |
| 9 | Lloyd | 9 | 1:50 | 0.71% | 14 |
| 9 | Rees | 9 | 1:50 | 0.59% | 10 |
| 11 | Daniels | 8 | 1:57 | 40.00% | 107 |
| 12 | James | 5 | 1:90 | 0.24% | 7 |
| 12 | Griffiths | 5 | 1:90 | 0.38% | 13 |
| 12 | George | 5 | 1:90 | 2.51% | 28 |
| 12 | Morgans | 5 | 1:90 | 0.35% | 11 |
| 16 | Morgan | 4 | 1:113 | 0.35% | 15 |
| 17 | Parry | 3 | 1:151 | 0.70% | 20 |
| 18 | Richards | 2 | 1:226 | 0.19% | 16 |
| 19 | Wood | 1 | 1:452 | 4.17% | 90 |
| 19 | Cook | 1 | 1:452 | 100.00% | 794 |
| 19 | Watkins | 1 | 1:452 | 0.72% | 36 |
| 19 | Walters | 1 | 1:452 | 1.69% | 54 |
| 19 | Herbert | 1 | 1:452 | 0.65% | 35 |
| 19 | Rowlands | 1 | 1:452 | 0.26% | 22 |
| 19 | Harries | 1 | 1:452 | 0.99% | 42 |
| 19 | Richard | 1 | 1:452 | 1.35% | 49 |