England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Trefdraeth St Beuno

The Parish

The parish of Trefdraeth lies in southwestern Anglesey where it forms a small part of the county's coastline, the estuary of the Afon Cefni. Trefdraeth is located about 6 miles southwest of the market town of Llangefni. Trefdraeth is a rather scattered settlement with no real defined centre, it lies about a mile north of the A4080 road which connects Rhosneigr with Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll. Modern communications also pass through the parish, the London to Holyhead rail line being a notable feature. At the time of this transcript Trefdraeth would have principally earned its living from farming, both arable and pastoral being present. A small, if poor quality, coal field was also exploited and the nearby coastal estuaries undoubtedly provided wildfowl and shellfish. The Afon Cefni drains the parish southwestwards across a wide area of reclaimed land to the Irish Sea. Trefdraeth is sited at around 40 metres above the sea, the land being gently undulating to local heights of almost 70 metres. Trefdraeth parish was fairly typically sized for the island, it covered around 3,100 acres and would have supported a population of just under 1,000 parishioners. In common with most of Wales Trefdraeth is not mentioned in Domesday Book which did not cover this area.

The Church

St Beuno's church sits in an area of farmsteads about 200 metres north of Trefdraeth's main lane. A metalled road which becomes a footpath leads off the lane at a signed junction. The church is a simple nave and chancel design topped by a bellcote at the western end. Strangely that bellcote is the oldest feature being dated to the 14th century. The bellcote sits upon a nave which shows both Decorated & Perpendicular styled windows indicating a 15th century date. The chancel is also 15th century but later. In Victorian times the church received a makeover in the 1840s resulting in a vestry being added as well as refreshing the remainder. Along its dead-end lane there is a small parking area opposite the churchyard and this, whilst surrounded by trees, has few obstructions to photography.