Wales has a higher percentage of historical records online than most countries. Many of those records can be viewed for free and indexes will simplify your searches.

1. Welsh Family
History Online:
Free and Easy
By
Darris G. Williams, AG® Wales

2. The Plus Side
of Tracing
Welsh Families

3. The Plus Side
1. More historic records online
2. National Library of Wales
3. FamilySearch/Findmypast
4. Nonconformity

4. Problems
When Tracing
Welsh Families

5. Problems for Welsh Family History
1. Common names & patronymics
2. More Records must be used in combination
3. More time searching for records
4. Nonconformity

6. Record Search
Order

7. Record Search Order 1837-1911
1. Census
2. Monumental Inscriptions
3. Church and chapel records
4. Civil registration
5. Probate

8. Record Search Order 1750-1836
1. Church and chapel records
2. Monumental Inscriptions
3. Probate
4. Estate rentals
5. Newspapers & periodicals

9. Findmypast
Key Record
Sets

10. Findmypast Key Record Sets
• Wales parish registers (unique to Findmypast)
• Census 1841-1911
• Passenger lists leaving UK 1890-1960
• Index to Death Duty Registers 1796-1903

11. Findmypast Key Record Sets
• Non-conformist births, baptisms, burials & marriages pre 1837 (TNA RG4-RG8)
• National Burial Index (unique to Findmypast)
• 1939 National Registration (available in FHL & FHCs)
• Periodical Source Index (PERSI)

19. Welsh Parish Registers
online are like Swiss cheese

22. FamilySearch
Key Record
Sets

31. IGI data
IGI data
IGI data

40. National Library
of Wales
Key Record Sets

41. National Library of Wales Key Record Sets
• Welsh Probates: all pre-1858 wills proved in Welsh probate courts
• Welsh Newspapers: 1.1 million articles for the years 1804-1919

42. National Library of Wales Key Record Sets
• Places of Wales: over 300,000 entries from tithe maps and apportionments
• Welsh Journals: over 450 titles and 1.2 million pages

43. National Library of Wales Key Record Sets
• People’s Collection Wales: user contributed documents, artifacts & memories

56. Patronymics

57. Patronymic connectors
• Mab or ab or ap = son of
• Ferch or verch = daughter of
• In South Wales ab or ap was not always used

58. Patronymic examples
• Evan Rees ap John (clear indication with the word for “son of”)
• William Morgan John (short form of William ap Morgan ap John)

59. Patronymic examples
• David William (typical form before use of fixed surnames)
• David Williams (the s at the end of a name indicates a fixed surname)

60. FamilySearch
Community