blessings and curses of tracing welsh ancestry

Blessings• More records online

• Nonconformity

• National Library of Wales

• Wales probate abstracts

• Patronymics

Curses• Common names

• Must use more records

• More search time

• Nonconformity

• Patronymics

• Welsh language

KEY RECORDS ONLINE

Basic Records for Starting

• Census

• Civil registration (birth, marriage, death)

• Church records

• Probate

• Cemetery (tombstone transcriptions)

Census

1841-1911 indexed

• FamilySearch• Findmypast• Ancestry• MyHeritage

Monumental Inscriptions

• Search on Findmypast

• Search the topic “Cemeteries” on FamilySearch

• Look for pre-1900 transcripts

Church & Chapel Records

• Records start 1538

• Separate book for marriages 1754

• Copies sent to the Bishop from 1597

• New forms 1812

Post 1812 parish register christening

The most complete single source for details on the availability of christening, marriage and burial records of the Church of England

Parish Registers of Wales

NONCONFORMITY

Civil Registration

• Indexes at https://www.freebmd.org.uk/

• Some indexes, certificate orders at https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/Login.asp

Probate

• Pre-1858

• 1858-Present

• Probate Abstracts

Which do you start with?

Simple Welsh Strategy

1. Search records with multiple people:

2. Find a marriage

3. Add more information with other records

4. Kill them off

Set Strategy by Date Range

• Pre 1600

• 1597-1837

• 1837-1901

• 1901 to present

Record Search Order

1. Census

2. Monumental inscriptions

3. Church & chapel records

4. Civil registration

5. Probate

Findmypast Key Records

• Wales parish registers (unique to

Findmypast)

• Census 1841-1911

• Non-conformist records before 1837

• National Burial Index (unique to Findmypast)

• 1939 Register (unique to Findmypast)

Global Search is a Last Resort

Wales Parish Registers Online

56 parishes excluded

Parts of other parishes missed

FamilySearch Key Records

• Wales parish register indexes 1538-

• Census 1841-1911

• Wales Probate Abstracts 1544-1858

• Non-Conformist Record Indexes 1588-1977

• Wales Births and Baptisms, 1541-1907

• Wales Marriages, 1541-1900

• Wales, Court and Miscellaneous Records, 1542-1911

Locality Page on FamilySearch.org

Click the map for the region then Wales

Scroll down to the “Browse” collections

More from FamilySearch

• Family History Library Catalog

• FamilySearch Books

• FamilySearch Wiki

• FamilySearch Genealogies

• England & Wales Jurisdictions 1851

http://maps.familysearch.org

http://maps.familysearch.org

COMMON NAMES, PATRONYMICS & SURNAMES

Given Names

John Mary

David Margaret

Thomas Hannah

Evan Matilda

William Sarah

Edward Elizabeth

Top Ten Welsh Surnames

1. Jones2. Williams3. Davies4. Evans5. Thomas

6. Roberts7. Lewis8. Hughes9. Morgan10.Griffiths

Patronymics

• Mab or ab or ap = son of

• Ferch or verch = daughter of

• In South Wales ab or ap was not always used

Examples of Patronymics

• Evan Rees ap John

• Margaret ferch Thomas

• William Morgan John

• David William

• David Williams

Parish Register Burials (1750)

Naming Pattern

Second edition, Dec 2013

• Chapter four is all new & explains the transition from patronymics

• Shows the drop below 10% of the population using patronymics

Decay of Patronymics

Dates when areas dropped below 10% of the population using patronymics.

Based on pre-1858 probate records.

WELSH LANGUAGE

Records in Welsh

• Nonconformist records

• Chapel histories

• Monumental inscriptions

• Periodicals

What does an American do with this?

PLACE-NAMES

Record Keeping Jurisdictions

Country

Diocese

Archdeaconry

County

Registration district

Parish

Hamlet

Tactics for Success• Find your ancestor in every census

• Always search both the PRs & BTs

• Kill off your ancestor

Tactics for Success

• Use indexes

• Don’t trust indexes

• Watch for patronymics: David Thomas Howell is a clue