Land division in Ceredigion

Cantrefs, commotes, hundreds and parishes

R.A. Dodgshon (Early Society and Economy) admirably described the hierarchy of the cantrefi or cantrefs (the three major divisions of the county), the cymydau or commotes (ten subdivisions of the cantrefi), the forty gwestfâu into which the commotes were divided, and the four or five rhandiroedd or sharelands of each gwestfa. This gives a total of 260 sharelands for Ceredigion, of which the names of only a sixth survive.

The gwestfâu were actual tax units appearing in Crown documents; some of their names incorporate elements still known in modern usage. Thus, the original names of Nanteos was Neuadd Llawdden (after the medieval patriarchal figure, Llawdden).

Cantrefs

Cardiganshire Cantrefs

Cardiganshire was split into the three cantrefs of:

Penweddig
Uwch Aeron
Is Aeron

Commotes

The cantrefs were subdivided into 10 commotes:

Penweddig which was divided into three commotes:
- Genau’r Glyn (Geneu Glyn)
- Perfedd
- Creuddyn
Uwch Aeron which was divided into three commotes:
- Mefenydd
- Anhuniog
- Pennardd
Is Aeron which was divided into four commotes:
- Is Coed
- Caerwedros
- Gwynionydd (Gwinionydd)
- Mebwynion (Mabwnion)

Hundreds

Ceredigion was split into the six Hundreds and one borough:

Geneur-Glynn – Hundred
Ilar (Lower Division) – Hundred
Ilar (Upper Division) – Hundred
Moyddyn – Hundred
Penarth – Hundred
Troedyraur – Hundred
Cardigan – Borough

Parishes

There were 68 parishes in the county. The boundaries of some of these have changed and are now known as Community Councils.