Census Returns

Rhondda Cynon Taf Library Service pays a subscription that ensures public access to the Ancestry Library Edition/ Find my past website at any branch library. The website contains UK census records from 1841 to 1901; 1911 available via Find my past and can be searched according to name or area It also contains other databases including an index for birth, marriage and death records from 1837 to 2005 and British Army World War 1 service records.

Parish Register

Llantwit Fardre Parish Register 1626 – 1775 (Transcribed and annotated)

Parish Registers’ Indexes and Bishops' Transcripts

• Glamorgan Baptisms Index 1569 – 1837 (CD-Rom)
• Glamorganshire Marriage Index 1569 – 1837 (CD-Rom)
• Glamorgan Burial Index 1569 – 1841 (CD-Rom)
• Aberdare, Parish Church of St John the Baptist: Baptisms 1734 – 1900, Marriages 1717 – 1837, Burials 1734 – 1924 (Booklet)
• Coychurch, Parish Church of St. Crallo: Baptisms 1717 – 1883, Marriages 1723 – 1837, Burials 1736 - 1900 (Microfiche)
• Glyntaff, Parish Church of St. Mary: Baptisms 1848 - 1926, Burials 1848 – 1884 (Microfiche)
• Llantrisant, Parish Church of St. Illtyd, Gwynno & Dyfodwg: Baptisms 1717 - 1871, Marriages 1717 - 1837 , Burials 1728 – 1870 Miicrofiche)
• Llantwit Fadre, Parish Church of St. Illtyd: Baptisms 1632 - 1850, Marriages 1625 – 1837, Burials 1632 – 1857 (Microfiche)
• Miskin, Parish Church of St John’s: Baptisms 1910-1935, Marriages 1865 – 1933 (CD-Rom)
• Mountain Ash, Parish Church of St Margaret’s: Baptisms 1859 – 1931, Marriages 1865- 1933 (CD-Rom)
• Pontypridd, Parish Church of St. Catherine's: Baptisms 1884 - 1925, Marriages 1884 – 1925
• Ystradyfodwg, Parish Church of St. John the Baptist: Baptisms 1717- 1883, Marriages 1717 – 1837, Burials 1629 – 1987 (Microfiche)
• National Burial Index (Over 13 million burial records which cover 8,000 burial registers from various counties) (CD-Rom)

International Genealogical Index

The index consists of mainly baptisms and marriages in Wales, Scotland, Ireland and England. Many of the index entries for England and Wales derive from parish registers, bishops’ transcripts and a few non-parochial registers from the 16th century right through to the beginning of the 20th century.

Municipal Cemeteries

• Ferndale Cemetery Burials Index 1877 - 1963 (CD-Rom)
• Glyntaff Cemetery Burial Index 1875 – 1999 (CD-Rom)
• Trealaw Cemetery Burial Index 1881 – 1990 (CD-Rom)
• Treorchy Cemetery Burials Index 1871 – 1991 (CD-Rom)

Monumental Inscriptions

• Aberdare, Parish Church of St John
• Aberaman, Saron Congregational Chapel (Microfiche)
• Upper Church Village, Bryntirion Calvanistic Methodist Chapel
• Church Village, Salem Welsh Baptist Chapel
• Cwmbach, Abernant Y Groes Unitarian Chapel (Microfiche)
• Hopkinstown, Capel Rhondda Baptist (Booklet)
• Hopkinstown, Parish Church of St. David (Booklet)
• Llanharan Municipal Cemetery (CD-Rom)
• Llanharan, Parish Church of St. Julius & St Aaron (Microfiche)
• Llanharan, Bethlehem Calvinistic Methodist Chapel
• Llanharry, Peniel Independent Chapel (Microfiche)
• Llanharry, Parish Church of St. Illtud (Microfiche)
• Llantwit Fardre, Parish Church of St Illtud
• Pencoed, Salem Calvinistic Methodist Chapel
• Pontypridd, Sardis Congregational Chapel
• Rhydyfelin, Bethlehem Baptist Chapel
• Taffs Well, Tabor Calvanistic Methodist Chapel, Taffs Well
• Taffs Well, Glandwr Taf Glan-y-Llyn Independent, Taffs Well
• Tongwynlais, Ainon Baptist Chapel (Microfiche)
• Tonyrefail, Capel-y-Ton Calvinistic Methodist Chapel
• Tonyrefail, Ainon Baptist Chapel
• Trecynon, Church of St Fagan (Microfiche)
• Trecynon, Hen Dy Cwrdd Unitarian Chapel (Microfiche)
• Treforest, Saron Calvanistic Methodist Chapel
• Trehafod, Siloam Calvanistic Methodist Chapel
• Treherbert, Libanus Baptist Chapel
• Glamorgan Master Index – contains names from over 160 graveyards of local churches and chapels (Microfiche)

Parish Magazines (Birth, christening, marriage and burial information)

• Llanharan and Brynna (Churches of Saint Julius and Aaron, Llanharan & Saint Peter, Brynna) 1976 –1979 editions missing
• Llantrisant (Church of Illtud, Tyfodwg and Gwynno) 1965 editions missing
• Pontypridd (Various Churches of England / Churches in Wales) 1889 – 1906, 1935 – 1945 editions missing

Chapel Records

• Mountain Ash, Nazereth English Baptist Church: Minute Books 1867 – 1897, Membership Lists 1866 – 1921, The Lord's Supper 1891 – 1897 Admissions/Dismissions 1888 – 1902
• Rhydyfelin, Ebenezer Glantaf Independent Chapel: Membership Lists 1852-1909

School Admission Register*

• Wood Road Infants’ School, Treforest – Treforest Infants’ School 1935 – 1984
• Wood Road Junior Mixed School, Treforest – Treforest Primary School 1948 – 1955, 1966 - 1983
• Nantgarw Infants’ School 1989 – 2006

* Please note that due to Data Protection legislation any register with records under 75 years old cannot be viewed by the public

Electoral Registers

• 1939 Pontypridd Parliamentary Division of the County of Glamorgan: Pontypridd Urban District Council
• 1946/47 Parliamentary County of Glamorgan: Pontypridd Division
• 1947/48 Pontypridd County of Glamorgan: Pontypridd Division
• 1962/63 Pontypridd Parliamentary Constituency
• 1964/65 Pontypridd Parliamentary Constituency
• 1976 Aberdare, Pontypridd and Rhondda Constituencies
• 1980 -2001 Pontypridd and Ogmore (part) Constituencies – Borough of Taff-Ely

A selection of digitised electoral registers can be searched on a PC at Pontypridd Library. They include the Rhondda Valley between 1918 and 1925 and parts of the Cynon Valley at various years between 1874 and 1974.

Trades’ Directories

• Piggot's Directory of South Wales 1822 – 1823 (Microfiche)
• Slater's Directory of South Wales 1850 (Microfiche)
• Scammell & Co.'s City of Bristol and South Wales Directory 1852
• Slater's Directory of South Wales 1858-59 (Microfiche)
• Butcher & Co.’s Directory of Cardiff, Newport, Pontypool, Pontypridd, Llandaff, etc for 1875-76
• Slater’s Directory of Cardiff, Penarth and surrounding area 1882 (Microfiche)
• Kelly’s Directory of the principal towns and places in South Wales 1884
• Daniel Owen and Co.’s Cardiff Directory including Penarth, Llandaff and towns and villages adjacent to Cardiff 1891 (Microfiche)
• Cardiff , Newport and District Trades’ Directory 1899
• Kelly’s Directory of Monmouthshire and South Wales 1914
• Kelly’s Directory of Monmouthshire and South Wales 1920
• Cardiff , Newport and District Trades’ Directory 1921-1922, 1923, 1924, 1925-6, 1926-27, 1930-31 and 1931-1932
• Aubrey’s South Wales Directory 1930
• CD-Rom containing extracts from Kelly’s and Copes Trade Directories 1895, 1906, 1914, 1920, 1923 and 1926 that cover Rhondda Cynon Taf. Produced by Rhondda Cynon Taf Library Service.
• Extracts from various trades’ directories for the Pontypridd area 1835, 1852, 1865, 1871, 1880, 1891, 1893, 1901 and 1927-1928
• Extracts from various trades’ directories for the Llantrisant area 1865, 1871 and 1901
• Extract from Kelly’s Directory of South Wales for Llantwit Fardre 1901
• Extracts from various trades’ directories for Pentyrch 1865 and 1901
• Extract from Kelly’s Directory of South Wales for Llanwonno 1901 including Abercynon and Hafod

Newspapers

• Glamorgan County Times 1912, 1917 - 1949, 1963 - 1964
• Glamorgan Free Press 1891 - 1899, 1902 - 1943
• Glamorgan Free Press & Rhondda Leader 1922 - 1926, 1943 - 1944
• Pontypridd Chronicle 1881 - 1899, 1901 - 1902, 1905
• Pontypridd District Herald 1878 - 1884, 1890 - 1894
• Pontypridd Observer 1897 - 1983, 1984 - 1988, 1989 - present
• Porth Gazette 1900 - 1902
• Rhondda Leader 1899 - 1902, 1967 - 1979
• South Wales Echo 1987 – 1989. 1992 – 2006, 2008
• Tarian y Gweithiwr 1875 – 1913 > Y Darian 1914 - 1934
• Western Mail Jan 1949 - Jun 1960

Ordnance Survey Maps

• Mid Glamorgan: County Series, 1st edition 6” to 1 mile circa 1884
• Taff Ely Borough: County Series, 1st edition 25” to 1 mile circa 1875
• Mid Glamorgan: County Series, 2nd edition 6” to 1 mile circa 1900
• Taff Ely Borough: County Series, 2nd edition 25” to 1 mile circa 1900
• Mid Glamorgan: County Series, 3rd edition 6” to 1 mile circa 1920
• Taff Ely Borough: County Series, 3rd edition 25” to 1 mile circa 1920
• Taff Ely Borough: Provisional edition, circa 1947 6” to 1 mile (Incomplete)
• Rhondda Cynon Taf 1:2500 circa 1960 (Incomplete)

Tithe Maps and Schedules

• Coychurch Parish 1841
• Eglwysilan Parish 1841
• Llanharan Parish 1846
• Llanharry Parish 1843
• Llanilid Parish 1843
• Llantrisant Parish 1841
• Llantwit Fadre Parish 1846
• Llanwonno Parish 1842
• Pentyrch Parish 1838 - 1839
• Ystradyfodwg Parish 1847

Other Sources

• Mining deaths in Great Britain 1850 – 1914 (7 Volumes)
• Mormon Immigration Index (Database of nearly 100,000 immigrants who travelled from various international ports to the United States between the years 1840 and 1890) (CD-Rom)
• Newbridge Total Abstinence Society Members 1836 - 1850
• Glamorgan Quakers: Births 1699 – 1925, Marriages 1698- 1925, Members 1838 – 1924, Burials 1693 – 1963, Burial Grounds 1800 – 1863, Certificates of Removal 1763 – 1873, Acknowledgements of Certificates 1803 – 1868, Quakers Active in Glamorgan 1654 – 1900, The Sufferings (Punishments) 1660 – 1665 & 1821 – 1837
• Index of Names of Servicemen and Women extracted from The Rhondda Leader newspaper 1914-1917
• Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914 – 1919 (CD-Rom)
• Soldiers Died in the Second World War 1939 – 1945 (CD-Rom)
• Index to Glamorgan Testators of Wills proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury 1601 – 1770 (Microfiche)

Please feel free to contact Pontypridd Library if you want more information about any of the above sources.