2. Knowledge of the Differences will
Simplify Your Research
1. Common Names, Patronymics & Surnames
2. Nonconformists
3. Language
4. Place names
5. Record Search Order
6. Key records online
7. Strategies for success
10. • Based on a study of
marriages in Wales
1813-1837
• Insight for success
• Guide for answering
migration questions
11. Second edition, Dec 2013
• Chapter four is all new &
explains the transition
from patronymics
• Shows the drop below
10% of the population
using patronymics
12. One chart is worth the cost of the book
The map on page 56 shows
when areas in Wales
dropped below 10% of the
population using
patronymics.
The study is based on
information in probate
records.
47. Basic Records for Starting
• Census
• Civil registration (birth, marriage, death)
• Church records
• Probate
• Cemetery (tombstone transcriptions etc.)
61. Simple Welsh Strategy
1. Search records with multiple people like census
2. Find a marriage
3. Add more information with other records
4. Kill them off
76. Marriages
• Marriages are indexed well and serve as a good
finding tool
• Get your bearings by using maps
– Map of the country
• https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Wales
– Map of the county showing all parishes
• The book Atlas and Index of Parish Registers
• Order one of the three maps for Wales at
http://www.ihgs.ac.uk/shop/contents/ihgsmaps/ihgsparis
hmaps/index.html?action=page&id=2
77.
78. Christenings
Christenings often show:
• child’s given name
• Father’s name
• Mother’s name
Sometimes included:
• Family residence such
as the village, street or
farm name
• Father’s occupation
93. Local Histories
There was another poet living in the
district known as Howell Gellilwca, who
was grandfather to Evan Evans,
superindendent of police in Neath at this
time, but who was born and brought up
in Betting Ganol. I remember many of
Howell’s sayings…