Llangeler

 Places of Worship in Llangeler:
 Eglwys Llangeler Church
       Llangeler
       Nr. Llandysul
       SA44 5EX
 01559 371 170

Llangeler (Llan-Geler) - From 'A Topographical Dictionary of Wales' (1849)
LLANGELER (LLAN-GELER), a parish, in the union of Newcastle-Emlyn, Higher division of the hundred of Elvet, county of Carmarthen, South Wales, 5 miles (E. by S.) from NewcastleEmlyn; containing 1747 inhabitants, of whom 612 are in the Upper division, and 1135 in the Lower. This parish is situated on the north-western extremity of the county, and upon the turnpike-road from Carmarthen to Cardigan. It is bounded on the north by the parishes of Bangor and Llanvair-Orllwyn, in the county of Cardigan, from which it is separated by the river Teivy; on the south by the parish of Convil, on the east by that of Llanvihangel-ar-Arth, and on the west by that of Penboyr. It comprises by computation 6414 acres, of which nearly 2000 are arable, 3480 pasture, 900 waste, and the remainder woodland. The surface is undulated, and the scenery pleasingly varied, embracing a portion of the fertile and picturesque Vale of Teivy with its winding river; besides which there are several brooks running among the hills, contributing materially to the interest of the locality. Llŷs Newydd is an elegant mansion, beautifully situated in grounds tastefully laid out; and there are two other mansions of recent erection. A few hands are employed in a slate-quarry, and about half a dozen in two small factories.

The living consists of a rectory and a vicarage. The rectory, which is a sinecure, rated in the king's books at £12. 18. 9., was formerly in the gift of the Crown, but, after the foundation of St. David's College at Lampeter, was appropriated to that establishment: the vicarage, which is discharged, is rated in the king's books at £6. 13. 4., and endowed with £200 royal bounty; patron, the Bishop of St. David's. The tithes of the parish are divided into two portions, called respectively the Grange and the Gwlâd: of the latter, the principal of the college receives two-thirds, and the vicar one-third; of the former, one-third belongs to the Llŷs Newydd family, and of the remainder, two-thirds are appropriated to the principal, and one-third to the vicar. The whole have been commuted for £430, of which £244 are payable to the rector, who has a glebe of half an acre, valued at 10s. per annum; and £122 to the vicar, who has a glebe of forty-four acres, valued at £40 per annum, and a glebe-house: the impropriator's portion amounts to £64.

The church dedicated to St. Celer, is a plain and neat edifice, in good repair, sixty feet in length and eighteen in breadth, and containing 360 sittings, a considerable number having been added of late years, towards defraying the expense of which the Incorporated Society granted the sum of £70. An ancient chapel of ease, dedicated to St. Mary, and thence called "Capel Mair," has been entirely demolished. A monumental stone, bearing an inscription in rude characters, said to be in the Welsh language, is still remaining. There are places of worship for Independents, Baptists, and Calvinistic Methodists; and four Sunday schools, one of which, in connexion with the Church, is held in a schoolroom lately erected by subscription. Near the church is a spring called St. Celer's, which was formerly in great reputation for its supposed medicinal virtues.