This is a summary of our main collections.
This list is available as a download on the right.
Public Records
Land Tax 1797
Hearth Tax 1670
Survey of Crown lands 1560
GRO Index 1837-1990
Census for Carmarthenshire 1841-1901
Carmarthenshire Quarter Sessions
Order/minute books 1748-1752, 1794-1813, 1820-1971
Case files and papers 1833-1971
Judges’ notebooks, jury books, justices’ roll, registers of convictions and appeal books, 19th and 20th centuries.
Records deposited with the Clerk of the Peace
Carmarthenshire electoral registers from 1851 (Carmarthenshire and Llanelli constituencies from 1918 to date)
Plans of railways, roads, canals, harbours and other public undertakings 1808-1950
Enclosure acts and awards 1810-1873
Turnpike Trust records relating to the Carmarthenshire Main Trust:
Carmarthen and Newcastle Trust, Kidwelly District Trust, Lampeter Trust, Llandeilo-Rhwnws Trust, Llandeilo and Llandybie Trust and Teifiside Trust 1767-1845; records of the various highway boards in Carmarthenshire 1845-1889.
Petty Sessions
Minutes and registers of the various petty sessional divisions in Carmarthenshire 19th and 20th centuries.
Hospital Records
Minutes, reports, financial records and plans of Carmarthen Infirmary 1846-1972; St David’s Hospital 1876-1950; Pantglas Hall Llanfynydd 1927-1960; Amman Valley Hospital 1935-1974; County Isolation Hospital Tumble 1937-1948.
Territorial Association
Carmarthen Territorial and Auxiliary Forces Association: minutes 1907-1968.
Shipping Records
Crew agreements and official logbooks of ships registered in Llanelli 1863-1913.
Registers of ships and fishing boats in the ports of Llanelli 1824-1957 and Carmarthen 1839-1849.
Land Valuation Records
Valuation lists made under the Finance Act 1910 by the Commissioners of Inland Revenue: this includes detailed valuations of properties in every parish in Carmarthenshire.
OFFICIAL RECORDS
County Council
Carmarthenshire County Council minutes 1889-1974; committee minutes, deeds and files relating to the work of various departments 1889-1974; motor vehicle licensing records 1907-1974; Dyfed County Council minutes 1973-1996
Education Records
Log Books of various schools 1862-1976; school board minutes 1871-1903; school managers’ minutes 1872-1973; some admission registers 19th and 20th centuries.
Board of Guardians and the Workhouse
Minutes and financial records of the Guardians for Carmarthenshire Union 19th century-1948; Llandeilofawr Union 1836-1948; Llandovery Union 1840-1950; Llanelli Union c.1840-1948
Workhouse records from Penlan Carmarthen 1866-1975; Abercennen Llandeilo 1839-1969; Llanelli 1913-1950
Borough Records
Carmarthen: minutes 1569-1974; calendar of mayors, bailiffs and sheriffs 1400-1741; admission registers and lists of burgesses, poll books, rate books, title deeds, rentals, accounts, correspondence and maps 18th-20th centuries
Kidwelly: minutes 1634-1684 and 1710-1885
Laugharne: Charter 13th century; minutes 1711-1911; burgess admissions, title deeds, rentals, accounts, correspondence and maps 17th-20th centuries
Llandovery: minutes 1798-1827, 1878-1969; rate books, burgess roll, ledgers and maps 19th and 20th centuries
Llanelli Borough records 19th-20th centuries
District Councils
Minutes, rate books, financial records, correspondence and plans for Llandeilo RDC, Llandeilo UDC and Cwmamman UDC c.1860-1974; Ammanford UDC 1903-1974
Water Authority
Minutes, reports, accounts and correspondence of the Towy Fishery Board 1867-1951;
Carmarthenshire Rivers Catchment 1946-1951; South West Wales River Authority 1956-1974
Parish Councils
Minutes, title deeds, rate books, financial records and correspondence from many parishes 1894-1974
Ecclesiastical Records
Church in Wales: registers of baptisms, marriages and burials of all Carmarthenshire parishes 16th-20th centuries; vestry minutes, churchwardens’ accounts, overseers’ papers, rate books and tithe maps for some parishes 18th-20th centuries
Nonconformist: microfilms of non-parochial registers in the Public Record Office; some original chapel records 18th-20th centuries
DEPOSITED PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
Family and Estate
Main collections relating to the estates of Vaughan/ Cawdor of Golden Grove and Stackpole (Vaughan, Lort, Cawdor); Dynevor (Rice); Cynghordy and Danyrallt (Lloyd); Derwydd (Gulston); Stepney, Llanelli; Aberglasney; Cwmgwili (Philipps); Llanstephan (Davis, Morris and Philipps); Bryn Myrddin (Morris); Taliaris (Gwynneand Peel); Dolwilym (Protheroe); Castell Gorford (Buckley); Clyngwynne (Lewis-Phillips); Coedmore (Lloyd); Talardd (Lloyd and Lloyd Price), Cilcennin (JLP Thomas). These contain title deeds, rentals, correspondence, financial records, maps, diaries, political and personal records 14th-20th centuries.
Solicitors
Records accumulated by the firms of Trant and Richards, Carmarthen; Glasbrook, Llandeilo; W. Evans George, Newcastle Emlyn; Bishop, Ammanford; Ungoed Thomas and King, Carmarthen; JC Williams and Roberts, Carmarthen; Beckingsale collection, Newcastle Emlyn
These include deeds, rentals, correspondence and maps covering many large estates including Edwinsford, Furnace House, Carmarthen, Whitland Abbey, Abermarlais, Glansevin, Brunant, Llysnewydd and Dynevor 16th-20th centuries
Business Records
John Francis and son, estate agents: records include deeds, wills, rentals and maps relating to varios estates including Ffynnone (Colby) and Llanlawddog (Lloyd) 16th-20th centuries; a collection of over 1,000 sale catalogues relating to properties in Carmarthenshire, Cardiganshire and Pembrokeshire 19th and 20th centuries
Records of firms including Waddle Engineering, Llanelli; Buckleys Brewery. Llanelli; Greenfield Works, Llanelli; CJ Edwards’ supply stores, Bynea; and of the woollen industry in the Teifi Valley, 19th and 20th centuries; Emlyn Anthracite Colliery 19th-20th centuries
Llanelli Harbour Trust records 19th-20th centuries
Societies
Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society collection includes borough records; police records; ecclesiastical records; poor law records; education records; maps; railway plans and a series of scrapbooks containing title deeds, cuttings, pictorial and antiquarian material, 13th-20th centuries
Records of Carmarthenshire Women’s Institutes, 20th century
United Counties Hunters’ Society, 19th-20th century
Llanelli Constituency Labour Party, 20th century
Ferryside RNLI 19th-20th century
Carmarthen branch of ASLEF 20th century and other trade union records
Ordnance Survey Maps
1/500 Carmarthen town 1888, incomplete
1/2500 1St edition c1878-1888, mainly the eastern half of the county; 2nd edition 1905/1908 covering about 90% of the county with a few later revisions c1914/1915.
1/10000 1st edition c1890, incomplete; 2nd edition 1907/1908, incomplete; Provisional edition 1953, most of the county; 1986 Boundary Commission, whole county
1/25000 Provisional edition 1956, whole county
1/63360 1st edition 1830, whole county
Newspapers
Carmarthen Journal 1810-present
The Welshman 1846-1950
Cambrian News 1804-1846