Blessings and curses of tracing welsh ancestry
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This document provides guidance on researching Welsh ancestry using key Welsh genealogical records. It begins with an overview of basic records like censuses, civil registration, church records, and probates. It then discusses specific record collections on sites like FamilySearch and Findmypast. The document offers research strategies, explaining the transition from patronymic naming practices to surnames. It also addresses challenges like common Welsh names, the Welsh language in records, and place-name variations. Overall, the document serves as a helpful introduction to researching Welsh ancestry through important records and recommended research approaches.
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Blessings and curses of tracing welsh ancestry
- 2. 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
- 4. Basic Records for Starting • Census • Civil registration (birth, marriage, death) • Church records • Probate • Cemetery (tombstone transcriptions)
- 5. Census 1841-1911 indexed • FamilySearch • Findmypast • Ancestry • MyHeritage
- 6. Monumental Inscriptions • Search on Findmypast • Search the topic “Cemeteries” on FamilySearch • Look for pre-1900 transcripts
- 7. Church & Chapel Records • Records start 1538 • Separate book for marriages 1754 • Copies sent to the Bishop from 1597 • New forms 1812
- 8. Post 1812 parish register christening
- 9. The most complete single source for details on the availability of christening, marriage and burial records of the Church of England
- 10. Parish Registers of Wales
- 11. NONCONFORMITY
- 15. Civil Registration • Indexes at https://www.freebmd.org.uk/ • Some indexes, certificate orders at https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/Login.asp
- 16. Probate • Pre-1858 • 1858-Present • Probate Abstracts
- 17. Which do you start with?
- 21. Simple Welsh Strategy 1. Search records with multiple people: 2. Find a marriage 3. Add more information with other records 4. Kill them off
- 22. Set Strategy by Date Range • Pre 1600 • 1597-1837 • 1837-1901 • 1901 to present
- 24. Record Search Order 1. Census 2. Monumental inscriptions 3. Church & chapel records 4. Civil registration 5. Probate
- 25. 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)
- 26. Global Search is a Last Resort
- 30. Wales Parish Registers Online 56parishes excluded Parts of other parishes missed
- 32. 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
- 33. Locality Page on FamilySearch.org
- 34. Click the map for the region then Wales
- 36. Scroll down to the “Browse” collections
- 37. More from FamilySearch • Family History Library Catalog • FamilySearch Books • FamilySearch Wiki • FamilySearch Genealogies • England & Wales Jurisdictions 1851
- 42. COMMON NAMES, PATRONYMICS & SURNAMES
- 43. Given Names John Mary David Margaret Thomas Hannah Evan Matilda William Sarah Edward Elizabeth
- 44. Top Ten Welsh Surnames 1. Jones 2. Williams 3. Davies 4. Evans 5. Thomas 6. Roberts 7. Lewis 8. Hughes 9. Morgan 10.Griffiths
- 45. Patronymics • Mab or ab or ap = son of • Ferch or verch = daughter of • In South Wales ab or ap was not always used
- 46. Examples of Patronymics • Evan Rees ap John • Margaret ferch Thomas • William Morgan John • David William • David Williams
- 47. Parish Register Burials (1750)
- 49. Naming Pattern
- 50. Second edition, Dec 2013 • Chapter four is all new & explains the transition from patronymics • Shows the drop below 10% of the population using patronymics
- 51. Decay of Patronymics Dates when areas dropped below 10% of the population using patronymics. Based on pre-1858 probate records.
- 57. WELSH LANGUAGE
- 58. Records in Welsh • Nonconformist records • Chapel histories • Monumental inscriptions • Periodicals
- 59. What does an American do with this?
- 61. PLACE-NAMES
- 62. Record Keeping Jurisdictions Country Diocese Archdeaconry County Registration district Parish Hamlet
- 66. Tactics for Success • Find your ancestor in every census • Always search both the PRs & BTs • Kill off your ancestor
- 67. Tactics for Success • Use indexes • Don’t trust indexes • Watch for patronymics: David Thomas Howell is a clue
Editor's Notes
- Gellionnen Chapel Records, FHL# 813540 item 6, TNA# RG4/3884
- Membership List, Gellionnen Chapel, Glamorgan, Wales, FHL# 813540 item 6, TNA# RG4/3884
- Use census, probate and monumental inscription records because they name several people with relationships occupations and places of residence. Start with a marriage index. Look at anything not used yet including newspapers. This is very dependent on the time period and what you already know about the individual or family. Death records provide details often overlooked and help verify that you are not mixing up two people of the same name.
- The population coverage estimates may be off a little especially on parish registers but the concept is to look at records more likely to show information about the person being investigated. The population coverage will vary from one century to another.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_surnames
- 1750 burials in Llangiwg, Glamorgan showing three people still using the patronymic naming pattern. These burials provide evidence for the two preceding generations. One person, William Morgan John, was old enough to be married and with an estimated span of thirty three years between generations this burial record moves the pedigree back about 100 years. It is worth noting that the decay of patronymics is calculated to have dropped to less than 10% of the population by 1750 in this area but three examples exist in this narrow illustration from the 1750 burial register.
- Taken from Glamorganshire Pedigrees from the MSS. Of Sir Isaac Heard, KNT., Garter King of Arms, edited by Sir Thomas Phillipps, Bart., FHL book Q942.97 D2p, microfilm# 496571. This is an example of one of the differences of Welsh genealogy. Many pedigrees were recorded at an early date. These manuscript pedigrees often supplement church records and some cases provide alternatives to missing church records.
- The figure on page 56 illustrates the decay of patronymics through out Wales showing that one area was predominantly using fixed surnames as early as 1600 but others not until 1850. This is important for research in areas where people continued the use of patronymics quite late. Instead of doing surname searches you may need to be doing given name searches.
- Records are associated with certain jurisdictions. Parish registers, poor law and census records at the parish level, court records at the county level and probate records at the archdeaconry or diocese.