my-welsh-religious-genealogy

The Picton Religious Genealogical Worship Journey

in the

Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire Area

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This is your Worship Genealogy if you are related to me on my Welsh side

Newport, Pembrokeshire, Wales Area

Pasture along road from Trellyffaint Farm leading down to the beach and ocean across the river from Newport.

Dinas Head is in the distance.

Religious pilgrims in ancient times by the 1,000's hiked through the same Newport area on there way to St Davids Cathedral .

The reason being that Pope Calixtus II had decreed that two pilgrimages to St David's were equivalent to one to Rome.

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This area around Newport is considered to be one of more beautiful areas of the British Isles. Touristism is very big. One of the big attractions is hiking the coastal path way through Newport and around Pembrokeshire. In this aspect life has not changed, only the excuse for the reason has.

This beautiful area is where my religious genealogy starts. Events happening here nearly 5,000 years ago to until recently, involved my ancestors even if no written record exists for much of it. The reason is because I descend from the people who lived here.

The earliest known religious events in the area was the mining of the blue stone for Stone Henge nearly 5,000 years ago. Preseli Hills in some of the pictures below is were the stones for Stone Henge were mined. People living here also were building burial chambers at about the same time. Below are pictures of some of the approximately 5,500 years old burial chambers in the area. The only double burial chamber is the one located at Trellyffaint farm which my ancestor Owen Picton owned and where he lived 400 years ago while he was mayor of Newport.

Carreg Coetan burial chamber in Newport

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Another view of Carreg Coetan burial chamber in Newport

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approximately 5,500 years old Trellyffaint burial chamber with the Preseli Hills in the background

The stones for Stone Henge were mined nearly 5,000 years ago in the Preseli Hills

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approximately 5,500 years old Trellyffaint burial chamber with many cup marks on top of the stone. No one knows why

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Old Standing Stone

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Old standing stone near the Trellyffaint burial chamber with myself (Owen Picton) standing next to it. Many feel that the standing stone is placed as it is so to be in conjunction for unknown reasons with the burial chamber. The standing stone is about maybe 100 yards or 100 meters from the burial chamber.

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Old Standing Stone

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Another view of the standing stone near the Trellyffaint burial chamber with the Preseli Hills in the background. There must have been a connection approximately 5,500 years ago between the Trellyffaint burial chamber and the standing stone because how close they were. Notice how smooth the standing stone is. It was worn that way by animals rubbing on the stone. On my trip I did not see any other stones worn this smooth. So the animals had to rub on this a long time.

Llech-y-Tribedd burial chamber within less than a mile from Trellyffaint Farm

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Pentre Ifan burial chamber located a few miles from Trellyffaint Farm

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Sign for the Pentre Ifan burial chamber located a few miles from Trellyffaint Farm

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Pentre Ifan burial chamber located a few miles from Trellyffaint Farm

Notice that one can see the Preseli Hills, Dinas Head and the ocean from this spot.

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Stone Henge and the above burial chambers are what my ancestors dealt with religiously around 5,000 to 5,500 years ago. Next came Christianity with the first churches appearing in about 500 AD. My ancestors were here when the churches started. The churches practiced Celtic Christianity a form of worship still within the Roman Catholic Church. Look at the 1,000 year old Celtic Cross.

Phelip de Picton who married Maud of Newport, the daughter of William Dyer are considered to be the start of my North Pembrokeshire branch of Pictons according to Glyndwr Picton. Some say this is in the late 1200's - 1300's time frame.

I visited the Nevern and Newport area of Pembrokeshire to trace the locations which my Picton ancestors lived and worshiped between 1300's to about 1700. Nevern and Newport are less than two or three miles apart. An ancestor Jenkin Picton owned 50 burgages (lots) in Newport in 1434. An ancestor named Owen Picton lived on a farm named Trellyffaint near Nevern back in the early 1600's but is listed by Newport as mayor in 1621. A John Picton is listed by Newport as mayor in 1434.

The below churches are where my Picton ancestors worshiped.

I first drove to St Brynach church at Nevern Church and attended the church service there.

Next I visited the Trellyffaint Farm near Nevern. An ancestor named Owen Picton born about 1500 once lived at Trellyffaint Farm. His grandson also named Owen Picton lived at this farm in the early 1600's. Newport lists this Owen Picton of Trellyffaint as mayor in 1621. At least four generations of Picton's have lived at Trellyffaint Farm and worshiped at the churches in the area. I think the originial house still exists and is the current house in remodelled form. The house walls are 2 and a half feet thick made of rock, clay and horse hair material. The old animal barns have narrow slits instead of windows like you see on castles. Trellyffaint Farm has been called that name for at least 800 years because a medieval Welsh monk, historian and geographer named Gerald of Wales back 800 years ago reported that Trellyffaint ("Toad's Hall") was so named because a Welsh chieftain named Seisyll Esgairhir (means Longshanks) was bothered by toads, died, was placed in branches of a tree and his body was devoured by toads. Various spellings of Trellyffaint are Trellyfen, Trellifen, Trellyffain, Trellyfan, Trellyfant and Trellyffant all meaning "Toad's Hall". Llyfan or Llyfant is the Welsh word for a toad. Also at Trellyffaint is an old double burial chamber 5,500 years old.

Another website for a picture of the Trellyffaint burial chamber is:

Please click on above line to go to another Trellyffaint Burial Chamber website

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St Brynach Church

St Brynach church at Nevern with an attached Norman tower built about the 12th or 13th century. St Brynach founded a church on this spot. St Brynach a friend of St David, died in about 570 AD. One Sunday I attended St Brynach Church service at Nevern. I even saw the bleeding yew tree with red blood color liquid running out. I am sure that my ancestor Owen Picton attended services in this church sometimes during the early 1600's since I think this was the only church at Nevern at the time. In the church there is old writing on stone 1500 years old that reads from right to left which is the opposite direction to ours. They have an old Celtic cross carved out of stone which is over a thousand years old. There is another old church at Newport that is not as old but is also attached to an old 1200 AD Norman tower.

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St Brynach church at Nevern Church with a Norman tower

My ancestors were living here and worshiping here when the original congregation started

in about 500 to 600 AD

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St Brynach church at Nevern Church

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Over a 1,000 year old Celtic Cross at St Brynach Church at Nevern Church

My ancestors were worshiping here when the cross was put up

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Over a 1,000 year old Celtic Cross at St Brynach Church at Nevern Church

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Inside of St Brynach Church at Nevern

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Latin Cross

Latin Cross carved on a stone on a sill inside St Brynach Church at Nevern. The cross arms are two cord twists interlaced at the crossing in characteristic Irish fashion. The stone is from the early part of the ninth century.

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Ogam Writing description

inside St Brynach Church at Nevern

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old Ogam Writing

inside St Brynach Church at Nevern

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A lot has occurred to the St Brynach Church congregation at Nevern since starting 1500 years ago. No written record exists for part of it. The church started as Celtic Christianity, then Roman Catholic. In the 1600's the church alternated between Roman Catholic and Anglican depending on who was King or Queen of England. St Brynach church has finally end up Anglican. Baptist, Methodist and other Calvinists type churches came into the area at the time of Reformation. The area was subject to Norse raids with Vikings invading 2 or 3 times, William the conqueror conquered the area, Flemish settlers settled the area, a French invasion was tried at nearby Fishguard but stopped, and Cromwell invaded the area.

Newport Church

My ancestors Phelip de Picton married Maud of Newport, the daughter of William Dyer in the late 1200's - 1300's time frame.

I am sure my ancestors attended this church also.

Notice sea behind church

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Whitechurch Area, Penygroes Chapel and Ty'rBwlch Farm

My ancestors moved to this area next. The Ty'rBwlch Farm, Penygroes Chapel and Whitechurch Areas where my Picton ancestors lived and worshiped for a time period during the 1700's. I drove around and visited both the TyrBwlch Farm and Whitechurch Area. TyrBwlch Farm is on the side of the Preseli Hills. I would estimate that TyrBwlch Farm is between 10 to 13 miles from Trellyffaint Farm and are within view of each other on a clear day.

John Picton and his son Thomas Picton are some of the Pictons known to have lived at TyrBwlch Farm during the 1700s. John Picton was born 4 Feb 1713/14 in the Whitechurch parish and died about 1793. Thomas Picton was baptized 2 Dec 1749 in the Whitechurch parish and died 12 Mar 1836. It should be noted that Thomas Picton of TyrBwlch Farm in Whitechurch parish in Pembrokeshire had a son named Jacob Picton (my ancestor) of Llanboidy and Monk Hill, and a nephew named Thomas Picton who went to America in the late 1700s. The nephew Thomas Picton who came to America, become a Presbyterian Pastor and West Point Military Academy was one of the places he served.

A little bit of irony is that TyrBwlch Farm is now within a National Park, so it is against the law to pick a flower from the yard of TyrBwlch Farm.

I first located Eglwswrw, Pembrokeshire, Wales on a map. I do not know what Eglwswrw means but the word Eglwswen in the Welsh language means Whitechurch. I then drove to the Eglwswrw area and stayed at a Bed and Breakfast several miles East of Eglwswrw. The owners of the Bed and Breakfast were new to the area and had not heard of these locations but looked at a map. They found Whitechurch and TyrBwlch Farm on the map. The map showed a church in the Whitechurch area about 2 miles away. I then drove to this church in the Whitechurch area and found an old Anglican Church which is the Whitechurch Parish Church.

Please click on above line to go to a website with a Whitechurch parish article

Whitechurch Parish Church

I found an old Anglican Church at Whitechurch (Eglwswen) which had been the parish church of Whitechurch. The church is now closed. The church is believed to have had church services starting as far back as about 900 AD. The previous building being built in 1591 and the current one built during the late 1800s. The church has recently been sold. I wonder what happens to the large grave yard which I think contains mostly unmarked graves. I also wonder if any of my Picton ancestors are buried here I think that it is most likely that some were. Outside the church was a sign pointing to Penygroes a mile down the road. I drove down the road and found Penygroes Chapel.

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Whitechurch Parish Church

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Stone marker at the Whitechurch Parish Church showing when the previous building was built.

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Penygroes sign at Whitechurch Parish Church

Penygroes is a mile down the road.

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Sign on the front of Penygroes Chapel

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Penygroes Chapel

Some of the Pictons ancestors were baptized here. The Preseli Hills you see in the distance directly behind Penygroes Chapel was the location of an old Iron age fort. While standing in front of Penygroes Chapel I stopped a man driving by and asked if he knew of any Picton's in the area. His hobby was genealogy in a big way. He had an aunt who was a Picton. He helped me contact her. The road to TryBwlch Farm was not in very good shape. So he took me by 4 wheel drive over to TryBwlch Farm less than a mile away. This is where both Thomas Picton and his father John Picton lived during the 1700s.

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Please click on above line to go to a History and map with Penygroes on it website

Penygroes Chapel

The side of the hill on the right side of the picture directly below the rocks in the sky line is where TryBwlch Farm is located.

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Penygroes Chapel Cemetery

The members of Penygroes Chapel have become tired of mowing around the tombstones so they removed the tombstones and lined them up in rows touching each other and also placing them back to back. Now it is easy for them to mow the cemetery but I do not like it.

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Llanboidy and Monks Mill (Cwmfelin Mynach) areas

When I first got close to Llanboidy, I looked over the hedge and saw these windmills in the distance.

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This Llanboidy and the Cwmfelin Mynach (Monk Mill) sections are an to attempt to understand what my Picton ancestors viewed, felt, and experienced in this area for the time period during the early 1800's in Carmarthenshire, Wales. One Saturday and Sunday I drove out to this area and looked for Picton ancestor locations. I visited St. Brynach Church at Llanboidy, Dyffryn Pedryn Farm and the town of Cwmfelin Mynach (Monk Mill). Jacob Picton and his descendants lived here at that time. Jacob Picton was the son of Thomas Picton of TyrBwlch Farm in Whitechurch parish in Pembrokeshire. I would estimate that Llanboidy is less than 20 miles from TyrBwlch Farm

Two known sub branches of Pictons came to America from the Jacob Picton line. Stephen Picton a son of Jacob Picton came to Hiawatha, Kansas in about 1870. Lewis Picton the son of Owen Picton and grandson of Jacob Picton went to the state of Washington during the early 1900's.

Even here a view of the Preseli Hills for the Pictons was not very far away.

I first located Llanboidy on the map, drove there and asked directions many times. Everyone was so helpful.

St Brynachs Church at Llanboidy (an Anglican Church)

On Sunday morning, at 9:30 AM I came back and attended the church service and had Communion. The service was in English and identical to my Lutheran service at home except some of the phases were a little bit different. Jacob and Mary Picton (my Great Great Grandparents) were married here in 1821.

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St Brynachs Church at Llanboidy

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St Brynachs Church at Llanboidy

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St Brynachs Church at Llanboidy

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St Brynachs Church at Llanboidy

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Below pictures of Rhydyparc Chapel (Unitarian Church considers them one of there own now) and cemetery taken May 2006

Rhydyparc Chapel is located two or three miles from Cwmfelin Mynach (Monks Mill)

Elizabeth (Phillips) Rees the Mother-in-Law of Stephen Picton is buried in the Rhydyparc Chapel cemetery

Rhydyparc Chapel

parish of Eglwys Fair a Churig in Carmarthenshire

They were considered to be a form of Liberal Calvinism in the late 1700's

Below is the cemetery website and it lists what is on the stones.

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Rhydyparc Chapel

parish of Eglwys Fair a Churig in Carmarthenshire

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Rhydyparc Chapel

parish of Eglwys Fair a Churig in Carmarthenshire

Elizabeth (Phillips) Rees

Tombstone shows Elizabeth Rees, formerly of Dyffrynbroidyn, Llanboidy parish, died Oct. 8 1873 aged 71 years

Also, James R. Jones, grandson of the above, died Aug. 28 1889 aged 29 years

Elizabeth (Phillips) Rees is the Mother-in-Law of Stephen Picton

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Ramoth Chapel at Cwnfelin Mynach in Llanwinio parish.

Cwmfelin Mynach (Monks Mill) is a mile down the road from the Dyffryn Pedryn Farm. The Jacob Picton family moved here from the Dyffryn Pedryn Farm. Jacob Picton and then his son Owen Picton ran the Monks Mill and attended the Rameth Chapel at Cwmfelin Mynach. Cwmfelin Mynach is how one says Monks Mill in Welsh.

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Ramoth Chapel (a Baptist church) at Cwnfelin Mynach (Monks Mill)

One Sunday morning at 10:30 I attended services at Rameth Chapel at Cwmfelin Mynach. It is a Baptist church and the service was all in the Welsh language. I could not understand a word. Then a kind lady whose husband had an aunt who had been married to one of my Picton relatives invited me for Sunday dinner. Stephen and Eliza Picton (my Great Grandparents) were married here in 1851.

They then farmed near St. Clears, Carmarthenshire, Wales until they decided to come to America.

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Place for Baptism at Ramoth Chapel, Cwnfelin Mynach (Monks Mill)

A large board or gate is placed over the opening to cause the stream to form a Baptismal Pool

Was Stephen and/or Eliza Picton Baptized here?

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Jacob and Mary Picton tombstone at Ramoth Chapel cemetery, Cwnfelin Mynach (Monks Mill)

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Immigration to America

Thomas Picton (first cousin of Jacob Picton) came to America in the late 1700s and became a Presbyterian Pastor. One of the places he served as pastor was the West Point Military Academy.

Lewis Picton the son of Owen Picton and grandson of Jacob Picton went to the state of Washington during the early 1900's.

Stephen Picton (son Jacob Picton) and his family immigrated from Wales in 1870 to a farm near Padonia and Hiawatha, Kansas.

Stephen Picton in a Historical Context- Related to Local Information.

They initially attended the Baptist Church in Hiawatha, Kansas, USA. Finally, near the end of there lives, they were able to have Bethel Baptist Church built about a mile from there farm.

Stephen Picton - Page 1 - Last will and testimony

Original at Brown County Courthouse at Hiawatha, Kansas, USA

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The following is what the first of several paragraphs says in the above picture:

The Last will of Stephen Picton

I wish that the Religion of Jesus Christ will prosper more than any thing else in Kansas. Especially in Brown County, and I wish that all of my children will choose it before any thing, and above any thing else, and that their character will be honorable as Religious men and women.

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Last Modified September 2014

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