OTHER CHURCHES – Glascoed People & Places

Prior to Mount Zion Baptist Chapel’s establishment in 1810, there were no places of worship in Glascoed at all. Baptisms, marriages and burials at the Anglican church in Glascoed did not commence until the early 1860s. For these reasons, most mentions of Glascoed people in Baptism, Marriage and Burial Parish registers prior to 1861 were with the other Churches (And to a lesser extent Chapels) that surrounded the Parish.

Within a 3 mile radius, we find Usk Church (which served as the Parish church for Glascoed), and also churches at Llanbaddock, Mamhilad, Monkswood, Goytre, Panteg, Llanddewi Fach and Llangibby. Glascoed residents appear in each of these Registers and also at parishes just a few miles further afield.

BAPTISMS: Baptisms at Mount Zion chapel were typically of adults, since Baptism was reserved for “Believers.” It is also worth bearing in mind that some other residents travelled further afield for worship if they were affiliated to a different nonconformist branch (e.g. Methodists). For these reasons, some babies born at Glascoed did not appear on Anglican baptism registers. Most however, would have been baptised in Anglican churches outside of Glascoed prior to 1861 and others continued to use alternative parishes after 1861 for a variety of reasons.

MARRIAGES: Prior to the Marriage Act of 1836, all marriages had to take place in Anglican churches (except for Quakers and Jews). Mount Zion Chapel was approved to solemnize marriages in 1851.

BURIALS: I was told that many Glascoed residents were buried at Mount Zion Chapel, including non-members since the burial fees were lower than at St. Michael’s and other Anglican churchyards. Burials did not take place in the Anglican at Glascoed until the commissioning of the churchyard in 1862.

This photo is of Monkswood church, which along with most of the churches I have records for is part of the Heart of Monmouthshire Mission area. Why not check out their website from the links below and pay them a visit?

CHURCH WEBSITE LINKS

Heart of Monmouthshire Mission area. https://homma.org/

LINKS TO RECORDS

The following records can be found within the “Church records” section of the website.

Baptisms
Marriages
Burials
Monumental Inscriptions