Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for CARDIGAN

CARDIGAN, a town, a parish, a subdistrict, and a district in Cardiganshire. The town is a seaport, a borough, and the capital of the county. It stands on the river Teifi, 3½ miles from its mouth, 10 miles WNW of Newcastle-Emlyn; at the terminus of a railway to it from Carmarthen, originally authorised in 1854, re-authorised from Newcastle-Emlyn in 1863, opened to Llandyssil in 1864, and near completion to Cardigan in July 1869. The Welsh call it Aberteifi. A castle was built at it, in 1160, by Gilbert de Clare; sustained many assaults, by alternately the Welsh and the English; changed owners at least half a score of times before 1240, when it was rebuilt by Gilbert Marshall; and was garrisoned by the royalists in the wars of Charles I., sustained then a regular siege, and surrendered to the parliamentarian forces under General Langhorne. Remains of it stand on a low cliff, at the foot of the ancient bridge; consist of little more than two bastions and part of a curtainwall; and are hidden within the enclosure of a modern mansion, erected by Mr. Bowen. A Benedictine priory, a cell to Chertsey, stood in the vicinity of the church; and a modern mansion, the seat of the Miles family, occupies its site, and was inhabited by Mrs. Philips, who wrote "Letters of Orinda."

The town stands on a gentle eminence; comprises two principal streets; contains several good houses; has a suburb on the Pembroke side of the river, called Bridgend; looks well in the distance; and presents a good subject for the pencil, as seen from the bridge. It once was walled; but the walls have disappeared. A suite of buildings, of picturesque appearance, comprising townhall, news room, library, grammar school, corn exchange, and public markets, was erected in 1860, at a cost of about £5,000. The previous town hall, used as the county court house, was built in 1764. The county jail was erected, in 1793, by Nash; and has capacity for 19 male and 4 female prisoners. The barracks were constructed in 1847. A handsome seven-arched bridge spans the Teifi. The church is chiefly perpendicular English, recently restored; consists of spacious nave and elegant chancel, with western square tower; and contains a good canopied piscina. There are chapels for Independents, Baptists, Wesleyans, and Calvinistic Methodists. The town has a head post office,‡ a banking office, and three chief inns. A weekly market is held on Saturday: and fairs on 13 Feb., 5 April, 8 Sept., 10 Nov., and 19 Dec.

A good herring fishery, and a very productive salmon fishery, are carried on. Commerce is much cramped by a dangerous bar in the river; where the depth of water at low tides is sometimes so little as 6 feet, and in the average of neaps, 11 feet. Vessels of 400 tons occasionally come up to the bridge; but vessels of from 20 to 100 tons are chiefly employed. The port's jurisdiction extends from Aberayron to a point 4 miles below Fishguard. The vessels registered, at the beginning of 1868, were 89 of 50 tons and under, aggregately 2,587, and 61 of upwards of 50 tons, aggregately 6,944 tons. Those which entered in 1867 from the colonies and foreign ports were 2, of jointly 557 tons, and coastwise 574, of aggregately 17,437 tons. Those which cleared in 1867 were none for abroad, and 25 sailing of 903 tons, and 8 steam of 600 tons, coastwise. The chief exports are grain, slates, and bark. The customs, in 1867, amounted to nothing. The borough includes both the town and the Bridgend suburb; was incorporated by Edward I.; is governed by a mayor, four aldermen, and twelve councillors; and unites with Aberystwith, Adpar, and Lampeter, in sending a member to parliament. Electors of all the boroughs in 1868, 692. Direct taxes, £4,476. Pop. of Cardigan borough in 1841, 3,800; in 1861, 3,543. Houses, 900. The town gives the title of Earl to the family of Brudenell.

The parish comprises 2,412 acres of land and 105 of water. Real property, £7,132. Pop., 2,706. Houses, 680. The property is much subdivided. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of St. David's. Value, £153. Patron, the Lord Chancellor.-The subdistrict contains also the parishes of Llangoedmore, Verwick, Mount, Llantood, Bridell, Kilgerran, Monington, Moylgrove, and St. Dogmells,-the last six electorally in Pembroke. Acres, 27,982. Pop., 8,886. Houses, 2,171.—The district comprehends also the subdistrict of Llandygwydd, containing the parochial chapelry of Llechryd, and the parishes of Llandygwydd, Aberporth, Blaenporth, Tremain, Manerdivy, and Llanfihangel-Penbedw,-the last two electorally in Pembroke; and the subdistrict of Newport, containing the parishes of Newport, Dinas, Llanychlwydog, Nevern, Bayvil, Meline, Eglwyswrw, Whitchurch, and Llanfair-Nant-Gwyn,-all electorally in Pembroke. Acres, 85,481. Poor-rates in 1866, £9,713. Pop. in 1861, 18,585. Houses, 4,533. Marriages in 1866, 125; births, 436,-of which 21 were illegitimate; deaths, 345,-of which 61 were at ages under 5 years, and 27 at ages above 85. Marriages in the ten years 1851-60, 1,149; births, 4,845; deaths, 3,770. The places of worship in 1851 were 27 of the Church of England, with 4,373 sittings; 17 of Independents, with 4,901 s.; 20 of Baptists, with 6,092 s.; 13 of Calvinistic Methodists, with 3,356 s.; and 1 of Wesleyan Methodists, with 196 s. The schools were 11 public day schools, with 1,079 scholars; 17 private day schools with 532 s.; 49 Sunday schools, with 6,257 s.; and 2 evening schools for adults, with 31 s. The workhouse is in St Dogmells.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a town, a parish, a subdistrict, and a district"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: Cardigan CP       Cardigan SubD       Cardigan RegD/PLU       Cardiganshire AncC
Place: Cardigan

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