Castellan, Pembrokeshire
| Castellan | |
|---|---|
 Castellan
|
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| Castellan shown within Pembrokeshire | |
| Community | |
| Principal area | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Boncath |
| Postcode district | SA37 |
| Dialling code | 01239 |
| Police | Dyfed-Powys |
| Fire | Mid and West Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| EU Parliament | Wales |
| UK Parliament | |
| Welsh Assembly | |
Castellan is an ancient hamlet and, until 1974, was a parish in the Hundred of Kilgerran, Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated in the north of the county on the slopes of Frenni Fawr, one mile (2 km) north of Crymych and included much of the village of Blaenffos.
The placename is an archaic Welsh word meaning "little castle".
The parish had an area of 920 acres (370 ha). It was originally a chapelry of the parish of Penrydd (several alternate spellings), granted by William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, to the Knights Hospitallers of Slebech c.1130 and was returned in the Valor Ecclesiasticus (1291) as paying 13s 4d (two-thirds of a pound) per annum. In 1684 the rector and churchwardens of Penrith (sic) and Castellan declared the chapel to be "out of repair", the bier having been stolen some 28 years previously. It was annexed to Penrhudd Parish soon after the dissolution of the monasteries but was abandoned by c.1700 and in ruins by 1833. The church is no longer marked on Ordnance Survey maps.
The 1831 census lists the chapelry as having 26 families in as many homes with no uninhabited buildings; 17 of the families were chiefly involved in agriculture and 7 in trades, crafts or manufacture.
Tithe apportionment (1837) and map (1844) are held at the National Archives.
Prior to 1850 the parish included Blaenffos, Clover Hill, Frenni Fawr, Gorsfaith and Moelfryn with a population of 127 in 1833; earlier censuses included Castellan with Penrith and formed an extensive part of the parish of Penrith (sic). In 1833 (despite the chapel being in ruins) the incumbent received one guinea annually from Sir R.B.P. Philipps of Picton Castle.
In 1881 more than half of men still worked in agriculture with the remainder in trades; while a few women were in domestic service or trade, the majority are listed as "unknown occupation", presumably housewives. The 1881 census records David Nicholas aged 37 as farming 57 acres, having been born in Castellan; Nicholas was the father of Thomas Evan Nicholas.
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Wikipedia