The parish and village of
Myddfai are in the eastern part of
Carmarthenshire, almost directly south of Llandovery. I visited there in June of 2000 with a suspicion
that it may figure in my genealogy. Later I discovered that several generations of my ancestors had been baptised,
married, and buried there! At the time, I only glanced at the names on the headstones and on the floor
and the walls of the building. I hope to return someday and pay more attention!
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Above: This sign on top of the surrounding
stone wall announces, in Welsh and in Englsh, the schedule of worship services: Sundays 1, 3 & 5,
11:15, Eucharist. Sundays 2 & 4, 11:15, Morning Prayer.
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Above: The gates stand slightly
open, an invitation to come inside for a peaceful time of meditation and worship.
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Right: Do you know the legend of the
Physicians of Myddfai? Perhaps
two of their descendants are buried here. This gravestone has been built into
the wall near the church entrance. Apparently, it was previously over a burial place inside the
church and was moved during a remodeling.
The inscription:
Here
lieth the body of Mr:
David Jones of Mothvey
Surgeon who was an
honest, charitable
& skillful
man. He died Septm 'y' 14th
Anno Dom 1719
Aged 61
John Jones
Surgeon
elder son of the said
David Jones departed
this life the 25th of November
1739 in the 44th yeare of his
age and also lyes interred
hereunder.
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Above: More gravestones are found on
the floor just inside the door. The inscription on this one reads:
[Between the angels] Arise I shall when Christ do call
Heere lyeth
the body of
Mr. Thomas Price of Gor=
lloyne, Gent deceased who
parted this world
the 16th
day of January Ano Domini
1691
aged 46 years
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Above:The nave offers several pews
for the seating of the congregation and modern heaters to counter the chill of winter. Fresh
flowers on windowsills and on the altar proclaim the tender care these parishoners give to
their church.
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Above: The altar is beautifully dressed with a
colorful cloth, flowers and symbols of worship. The bright colors of the stained glass window above
were lost in the brightness of the light coming through it.
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Left: This copy of The Lord's Prayer stands
to the left of the chancel. The hand-carved stone frame is over four feet tall from the
floor to the top of the arch.
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Left: This interesting shield, carved in stone, is on an outside wall of the church near
the graveyard. The inscription below it has almost
weathered away, but a date, 1791, is still legible.
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Above: The various angles of the old
headstones in the graveyard are softened by the ancient yew tree and the cool shades of
green providing a picturesque scene for visitors.
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*Unless otherwise noted, all photos
on this website were taken by Venita
who also holds the copyright. Should you wish to download any of them for any purpose (other
than your own enjoyment), please credit Venita
as the photographer and add my homepage URL:
http://homepage.mac.com/venitar/home.html
Comments are appreciated!
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